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User: Bob+the+Super+Hamste

Bob+the+Super+Hamste's activity in the archive.

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  1. Re:First Anecdote! on Another Stab At Sorting Hybrid Hype From Reality · · Score: 1

    Depends, on my 97 BMW 540i I can watch the analog mpg gauge get pegged at the bottom of its range when accelerating onto the highway with the pedal to the floor and then once at highway speeds it goes back to the normal 20-30mpg range while if I don't stand on the gas it does get substantially better mileage. All engines have a range of RPMs where they operate at peak efficiency there is also a range of RPMs where the engine produces peak power. When accelerating you want to be in the power band but when cruising you want to be in the peak efficiency area. Depending on the engine these can be in very different areas of the RPM range. With CVTs this issue will go away provide they provided a large enough range of variability for the transmission.

  2. Re:First Anecdote! on Another Stab At Sorting Hybrid Hype From Reality · · Score: 1

    The mid 30s isn't out of what I would expect for your Mercedes given that it is a diesel which is more energy dense fuel and runs a much higher compression ratio than gasoline vehicles. Also are you using US or Imperial gallons as a lot of Europeans use the Imperial one when discussing mpg, especially the British, which is larger than the US gallon.

  3. Re:Weather effects on Another Stab At Sorting Hybrid Hype From Reality · · Score: 1

    The same happens on every car. I notice a substantial loss in mileage during the winter months here in Minnesota. In the summer in my daily driver I get 23-24 mpg while in the winter I get about 20-21. All of which is better than the EPA estimates for my vehicle. On long highway trips I get in the 27-28 mpg range in both the summer and winter as the warm up has less of an effect on total mpg for the whole trip.

  4. boxes on Ask Slashdot: What's the Best Way To Deal With Roving TSA Teams? · · Score: 1

    1. soap
    2. ballot
    3. jury
    4. ammo
    Unfortunatly it seems like the early ones aren't working all that well.

  5. Re:Are you rich? Is your dad a senator? on Ask Slashdot: What's the Best Way To Deal With Roving TSA Teams? · · Score: 1

    Even if you have enough money to fight them it doesn't end well. As much of an embarrassment as Governor Ventura was at least he tried but hasn't been successful.

  6. Re:Just keep calm... on Ask Slashdot: What's the Best Way To Deal With Roving TSA Teams? · · Score: 1

    It should be the airlines job to protect their multi-million dollar equipment not the federal government. As far as protecting things on the ground from having a plane plowed into it at high speed they have a solution for that already it is called a hardened locked cockpit door. You are correct that they aren't protecting the citizens but they they aren't protecting anything other than their own paychecks.

  7. Re:Just keep calm... on Ask Slashdot: What's the Best Way To Deal With Roving TSA Teams? · · Score: 1

    No they don't protect against that. Hardened locked cockpit doors protect against that. Security checkpoints don't seem to be able to catch anything but are good at harassing people. On different occasions I have inadvertently brought through almost 20 steel cased rifle rounds, about a dozen 3 inch magnum 12 gauge shotgun shells, my large pocket knife (3 inch blade), my small pocket knife. My pocket knives were in my pocket and weren't picked up by their metal detector while the ammo was in a coat pocket and went through the x ray machine. Yet if I travel with a box of cards (yes I play magic) or have my metal body SLR film camera and lenses I get pulled aside for additional screening as the rifle through all of my stuff.

  8. Re:Don't even have to... on Ask Slashdot: Mirrorless, Interchangeable Lens Camera Advice? · · Score: 1

    Totaly agree with learning how to take photos before going hog wild on equipment. I actually exclusively use my old 35mm SLR and love it and have a lot of equipment for it. I have gotten pretty good at taking photos but realize I am no where near what would be considered professional. The only problem I have is that M42 screw mount lenses I currently want are difficult to find. I have the common sizes of 17mm, 28mm, 55mm, 135mm, 200mm, 80-210mm but I don't really like this lens as it isn't as clear as the others, and 300mm. I got the camera for free and have purchased good lenses off of ebay and from the pawn shop for $40 or less but that was several years ago when Pentax screw mount cameras were old and no one wanted them but not old enough to be collectable. Add in some UV, ND, and polarizing filters, a good tripod, flash, and shutter release cable and I have a decent setup. The problem I face is if I wanted to replace what I have I have to make the jump to a higher end dSLR or medium format and still get all new lenses.

  9. Re:We need a new fashion on Avoiding Facial Recognition of the Future · · Score: 1

    Ok now I understand. From your parent post it sounded like you were indicating that a continuous blast of IR was tripping MIRT systems.

  10. Re:We need a new fashion on Avoiding Facial Recognition of the Future · · Score: 1

    That was an idea that I came up with after reading the parent's post and haven't had time to see how feasible it would be but a setup similar to the one described by the parent doesn't seem to hard but using high output LEDs instead of lasers. I would think having an acrylic/fiberoptic like connection between the diode and the windshield (similar to what printers and other devices have to move light from the diode to the outside) would work. Then having a clear IR reflective coating on the inside so it all goes out would be my thoughts. It may be costly given the cost of high output IR LEDs but then I don't know how much power would be needed.

  11. Re:Tuition on California State Senator Proposes Funding Open-Source Textbooks · · Score: 1

    I had a few professors who had written books and what I learned from them is that in general they don't make much of anything unless their book becomes "the book" for the subject. Most of the professors who write books do so for name recognition. In college one of my professors who had written a number of books on x86 assembly language used his books as class material, but he gave each student an electronic copy so they didn't have to pay for it or try to find it as they were all out of print and the copyrights had been returned to him.

  12. Re:Eu is US's bitch on EU Moves To Ban Iran Crude Oil · · Score: 1

    Off topic but, I was in Vienna during that and got to see the exchange between David Cameron and the opposition in Parliament (I don't know if it was the House of Commons or House of Lords) on BBC world. That was one of the most humorous things I have seen on TV in a while. Your Parliament is much more entertaining to watch than our Congress especially since they really go after each other on a personal level at times.

  13. Re:Yeah... on Avoiding Facial Recognition of the Future · · Score: 1

    The solution then isn't to cover it but to overexpose the image so nothing of value shows up bonus points if you can leave a residual image on the sensor. I do wonder how much power one would have to pump out in a given area to cause a permanent residual image on the sensor?

  14. Re:We need a new fashion on Avoiding Facial Recognition of the Future · · Score: 1

    As I mentioned in a previous post in my state an license plate cover would be considered illegal so I couldn't do that. This does give me an idea of overexposing the image as you could probably do a similar thing to your front and read windshield. In my state I would go for IR as it seems Minnesota is getting ready for IR based plate reading with our new style of license plates so a few hundred watts of IR would probably overwhelm their system but it would be invisible to the human eye. I thought about creating a license plate holder that was all IR LEDs but that seemed too difficult to get the power necessary, pumping it out through the windshields would be much easier. This also would have the added benefit of obscuring the driver from any photos taken as well.

  15. Re:We need a new fashion on Avoiding Facial Recognition of the Future · · Score: 1
    This tends to be on a state by state basis. In Minnesota, the state I live in, having something near the plate the would overexpose the image would not be considered illegal. From the Minnesota state statute 169.76 sub division 7:

    Subd. 7.Plate fastened and visible.
    All plates must be (1) securely fastened so as to prevent them from swinging, (2) displayed horizontally with the identifying numbers and letters facing outward from the vehicle, and (3) mounted in the upright position. The person driving the motor vehicle shall keep the plate legible and unobstructed and free from grease, dust, or other blurring material so that the lettering is plainly visible at all times. It is unlawful to cover any assigned letters and numbers or the name of the state of origin of a license plate with any material whatever, including any clear or colorless material that affects the plate's visibility or reflectivity.

    As I wouldn't be covering the plate with anything and it would be clear of debris it would be fine and not run afoul of the law especially since I could prove to any cop or judge that the plate was legible because they could go and look at the damn thing. I have a feeling that the laws in other states are similar in that they deal with covering the plate with something not overexposing an image.I have thought about doing this not to avoid speed cams or red light cams as those have been banned in my state as unconstitutional at the state level, but more to avoid being automatically tracked.

  16. Re:We need a new fashion on Avoiding Facial Recognition of the Future · · Score: 1

    I have thought about doing a similar thing but not to avoid the speed or red light cams but to avoid the automated license plate readers as it seems more departments and states are preparing for them with acquiring cameras and changing the license plate style to be more easily processed by these systems.

  17. Re:We need a new fashion on Avoiding Facial Recognition of the Future · · Score: 1

    Also the MIRTs system requires a pulse pattern and I would assume that you would want continuous output for confusing the license plate reading system. So I don't think this would run afoul of the law.

  18. Re:Prices ARE different on Why Do All Movie Tickets Cost the Same? · · Score: 1

    It's all about the demand and older movies have lower demand and thus (generally) lower prices. Especially the crappy, old movies.

    This is why I love the $5 bin, not for the crappy movies but for the old movies are and I don't have a problem spending $5 on an old movie that is good. Also it seems that an "old" movie now is one that was made 5 years ago while a few years ago it was anything made before 1980. I probably have bought more DVDs out of the $5 bin in the last 2 years than I have bought in the preceding 11 from all bins.

  19. Re:Ron Paul will fix them! on Judge Doesn't Care About Supreme Court GPS Case · · Score: 1

    Truthfully he wouldn't be able to directly do anything about it but if he were elected he would probably get to nominate 2 possibly 3 people to the supreme court and they would be able to do something about it. Not to mention all of the lower court appointments he would make while in office. Even if Ron Paul were to be elected its not like the IRS would disappear, the EPA would end, and all drugs would become legal. The areas where the president would be able to act are actually the areas where someone like Ron Paul would do the most good. I don't believe that he would go and get us fighting any more wars and he would end the ones we are currently in. He would submit a budget to congress that would be balanced but then congress would go and do its thing. He would probably veto a lot of legislation. He would also probably appoint fairly libertarian/constitutionalists judges to the courts.

  20. Re:I'm wired as an engineer... on Are Engineers Natural Libertarians Or Technocrats? · · Score: 1

    It sounds like the grandparent may be all for state sponsored firearms though.

  21. Re:Awesome, but.. on Instead of a Wheel Chair, How About an Exoskeleton? · · Score: 1

    Just think of the stump the chumps segments though.

  22. Re:Awesome, but.. on Instead of a Wheel Chair, How About an Exoskeleton? · · Score: 1

    I believe what you are looking for is the Ship of Theseus Paradox . For those who are unaware of it it asks the question of when does something stop being the original when pieces have been replaced. In essence we are all Ships of Theseus.

  23. Re:More of a distractionary feature. on Ford System Will Warn, Correct Lane-Drifting Drivers · · Score: 1

    I will concede that people who drive the really powerful or large vehicles are also making a statement I still stand by my statement when applied to people who buy cars like the smart car, Prius, or Insight, Leaf, or Volt. I also have a buddy who has a F350 (his might be bigger) because he "needs" it for towing his boat and for going hunting. It is the quad or crew cab (which one is the big cab where the rear doors are the same size as the front one) long box off road Eddie Bauer edition. His boat rides on a single axle trailer and is only slightly larger than another friend's boat which gets towed with a Nissan Versa (probably too small but still can get the job done). As far as hunting he refuses to take it off paved roads because it might damage the paint. Most people are stretched so thin that they can't afford a Chrysler 300 so they end up buying a Civic instead. I drive one of the nicer cars at work but paid less for it than almost everyone else's vehicles because I don't spend every dime I earn and am willing to buy a used vehicle instead of a new one. In the 5 years I have been at my current job I have had the same vehicle (the previous was was totaled out just before I started) yet some of my coworkers are on their 3rd vehicle in that same time period.

  24. Re:More of a distractionary feature. on Ford System Will Warn, Correct Lane-Drifting Drivers · · Score: 1

    I hang around with a lot of what are typical gear head types and my neighborhood is filled with people near the end of their careers. It is a blue collier neighborhood but since everyone saved and worked hard they have the big powerful vehicles. My next door neighbor has a 3/4 ton Chevy pickup and his wife has a Suburban, across the street one of the neighbors has a newer Lexus LS, the other one still has his work van (Ford E350) as he is semi retired but still does some work while his wife has a Mercedes E class, the neighbor on the other side of me has 2 Explorers and also has one of the recent reincarnations of the Fort Thunderbird. The economic reality that I see is that people do drive smaller cars like mazada 3s, civics, corollas, and others but if they could afford it they would be driving something larger and/or more powerful like a proper muscle car, sports car, or a large truck/SUV. The fact that they aren't is because they also have to keep up with everyone else in the neighborhood by having all the toys and everything is new every 5 years. So they just end up pissing away all their money. If people really did buy only the bare minimum they needed then why do I see so many SUVs and large vehicles when a 4 door compact car is all that is really needed.

  25. Re:Bad idea! on Ford System Will Warn, Correct Lane-Drifting Drivers · · Score: 1

    Probably not, but have you seen the quality of most drivers. I see far too many who can't keep their vehicle in their damn lane. What we really need is driver training like the Germans have where getting a driving licence isn't just handed out like candy.