A little history - In 1994 Clinton sent Carter to negotiate a treaty with North Korea. The North Koreans agreed not to develop nuclear weapons in exchange for hundreds of millions of dollars of aid in the form of food and oil, and assistance in developing a "peaceful" nuclear program. The North Koreans then used their "peaceful" nuclear program with assistance from Abdul Qadeer Khan from Pakistan to develop their own nukes thus secretly breaking their agreement. North Korea also has an active missile programs and has conducted "test firings" of multi-stage missiles - shooting them over Japan. Japan is not very happy about this.
The U.S. with U.N. backing (the Soviet Union's UN ambassador had walked out - thus avoiding a veto) fought a war with the North Koreans in the 1950's. The war ended with an armistice in 1953 - not a peace treaty. North Korea has a 1.1 million man army out of a population of 22 million. They spend about 23% of their GDP on the military. The South Korean capital - Seoul is within easy artillery range of the North Korean border, and the North Koreans are believed to have a lot of hidden artillery in bunkers on the border. In the event of war, a lot of civilians in South Korea would die quickly. Finally, North Korea's leader Kim Jong-il is a wacko. While his people starve, he imports large quantities of large items for himself (he favors Hennessy cognac). He's had Japanese citizens kidnapped to teach the Japanese language to North Koreans spies . He's a movie nut (owns 20,000 films) and kidnapped a South Korean movie director to make films about himself.
China is North Korea's largest trade partner and patron. However, with China's economic boom - China now trades far more with South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. Nevertheless, China is still wary of Japan - remembering the horrors inflicted on China by the Japaneses during WWII. Since the war, Japan has become an economic rather than military power, and it's pacifistic constitution (written by the US) ensures that it will not again become a threat to it's neighbors.
A nuclear North Korea threatens the balance in the region. It is not in the interest of China for South Korea to develop it's own nukes. It is not in the interest of anyone for the Japanese to develop nukes to counter the threat of nuclear armed missiles from North Korea. China's real nightmare - is if the region starts a nuclear arms race and Taiwan goes nuclear.
So, the choices are as follows:
1) Cut a deal similar to the 1994 Carter deal that the North Koreans violated (fool me once...) 2) Attack North Korea and risk immediate massive civilian casualties in South Korea. 3) Drag China into the negotiations with North Korea and convince them to "curb your dog". 4) Close our eyes, put our fingers in our ears and shout "La La La La La...".
Personally, I think the only viable answer is number three - and that's what we're doing.
1) The quality of the writing 2) The quality of the acting 3) The quality of the special effects
Many shows get this backwards (such as the current ST series and the horrendous ST Voyager). The old Dr. Who series with Tom Baker had ultra cheap special effects (the special effects budget must have been about five pounds) - but are still enjoyable when viewed today. The original ST's special effects were not special by today's standards, and Shatner's acting - well 'nough said. But, the quality of the writing created the whole franchise. B5 and Star Gate (though I'm a little worried about the later) were good because of the many excellent scripts. Forget overexposure - get some decent writers that understand science fiction and can write interesting, thought provoking scripts. That will revive the franchise. Anything else, and it's doomed.
Usually the LOUDER an organization proclaims its objectivity - the more biased it is. Most old media (large city papers, network TV, PBS) tilt left. CNN, MSNBC tilt left, Fox tilts right. Talk radio - right, NPR left.
My two cents is to look for news sources that are up front about their biases. Then fact check them your self. Personally I like a weekly called "The Economist". Their reporting on science and technology is usually pretty accurate - which is fairly rare in the mainstream media. On political matters they tilt towards the (British) conservatives. Their coverage of world news and of U.S. news is excellent.
Don't worry if your university doesn't teach you about outsourcing as part of the CS curriculum. You'll learn all about it after you graduate. Meanwhile, you might want to invest some time in a course entitled "Operating Principles of the Fryalator 101".
Would make a great platform for either a Web Server or database (or both). Imagine trying to slashdot a Web site running on one of these puppies. Would also be handy for doing load testing, and large scale compiles (re-build the universe for a large software project).
I remember in the 80's when it was manufacturings turn. The argument was that we'd ship manufacturing jobs like steel, autos, and consumer electronics overseas. The U.S. economy would move to service sector jobs which were 'cleaner' and 'higher pay'. The result - manufactured goods got cheaper, CEO's and shareholders made more money, and workers - well, two out of three ain't bad.
The promised 'retraining' didn't happen - manufacturing workers were lucky to get jobs flipping burgers or stocking shelves in Wal-Mart. The U.S. paid for those lower priced manufactured goods - with poverty, divorce, higher crime rates, and devastated communities. But free trade advocates won't tell you about those. Now they're trying to do it again. Move those high-tech development and R&D jobs overseas! Look at all the money the companies will save. Look at the big bonuses the senior managers will get! Don't worry - the jobs will be replaced with... well, we don't know... but somethings sure to turn up!
So, if you're an American programmer. If you live in a high-tech center like the bay area or Austin. If you want to see into the future - just visit places like Youngstown Ohio. Drive past the moldering closed factories and steel mills. Drive past the boarded up stores. Take a good long look - cause that's your future.
So, a person who makes less than $2,000 per year and may be illiterate is going to spend the equivalent of six weeks income on a wireless network PC. I don't think so. Or, is the plan to get governments and NGO's to buy it for people with the expectation that they will be motivated to learn how to use it. What's wrong with encouraging the spread of 'Internet cafes' in third world countries? That seems to be a model that is actually working. This sounds like the 'simputer' part II.
After the voter casts their vote the booth prints out a ballot that's machine readable yet understandable to the naked eye.
You mean something like a punch card or optical mark card. Hmmm...
Ohio in the most recent election was still using punch cards. I always check my punchcard (the punch fields are numbered) against the column #'s on the ballot, and (since 2000) also check for 'chad'. It takes a few seconds to do so. Then I place the card in the locked voting bin. For all the bad press punchcards have gotten, I trust them more than an untested and potentially unsecure proprietary touch screen system.
At least OSS lets the prospective user review the source code. U.S. companies are rapidly outsourcing proprietary development to foreign countries. Key infrastructure software (and firmware) is being developed in countries such as mainland China (including code used for the U.S. telecom system). Meanwhile, the U.S. military is rapidly adopting off-the-shelf components to reduce costs. But, by all means, lets ignore this, and concentrate on OSS...
The Drake equation addresses the probability of ET life. Some of the values used in the equations are known, some are estimates, many are at best WAG's. I would NOT put a whole lot of confidence in any dates based on those values. Oh, but I forgot, Slashdot people are used to dealing with estimated software project dates.:-)
The Galactica series starts next January. I assume that they will re-broadcast the pilot immediately prior to the series start. Just fire up your VCR or DVR then.
Saw the article and picture of the current base. It's up on four stilts embedded in the ice. It also says it needs to be removed and carted away (before it ends up in the sea) to keep the environment 'pristine'. Sooooo... why not disassemble the current base and re-assemble it further 'in-land'. Certainly would save the expense of carting in new building materials. What am I missing?
So Sci-Fi channel is doing a new series about an elite team or explorers who travel through the Stargate to... Spain?? No doubt in search of a lost recipe for paella.
Slashdot Mirror
he imports large quantities of large items
that should be
he imports large quantities of luxury items
A little history - In 1994 Clinton sent Carter to negotiate a treaty with North Korea. The North Koreans agreed not to develop nuclear weapons in exchange for hundreds of millions of dollars of aid in the form of food and oil, and assistance in developing a "peaceful" nuclear program. The North Koreans then used their "peaceful" nuclear program with assistance from Abdul Qadeer Khan from Pakistan to develop their own nukes thus secretly breaking their agreement. North Korea also has an active missile programs and has conducted "test firings" of multi-stage missiles - shooting them over Japan. Japan is not very happy about this.
...) ...".
The U.S. with U.N. backing (the Soviet Union's UN ambassador had walked out - thus avoiding a veto) fought a war with the North Koreans in the 1950's. The war ended with an armistice in 1953 - not a peace treaty. North Korea has a 1.1 million man army out of a population of 22 million. They spend about 23% of their GDP on the military. The South Korean capital - Seoul is within easy artillery range of the North Korean border, and the North Koreans are believed to have a lot of hidden artillery in bunkers on the border. In the event of war, a lot of civilians in South Korea would die quickly. Finally, North Korea's leader Kim Jong-il is a wacko. While his people starve, he imports large quantities of large items for himself (he favors Hennessy cognac). He's had Japanese citizens kidnapped to teach the Japanese language to North Koreans spies . He's a movie nut (owns 20,000 films) and kidnapped a South Korean movie director to make films about himself.
China is North Korea's largest trade partner and patron. However, with China's economic boom - China now trades far more with South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. Nevertheless, China is still wary of Japan - remembering the horrors inflicted on China by the Japaneses during WWII. Since the war, Japan has become an economic rather than military power, and it's pacifistic constitution (written by the US) ensures that it will not again become a threat to it's neighbors.
A nuclear North Korea threatens the balance in the region. It is not in the interest of China for South Korea to develop it's own nukes. It is not in the interest of anyone for the Japanese to develop nukes to counter the threat of nuclear armed missiles from North Korea. China's real nightmare - is if the region starts a nuclear arms race and Taiwan goes nuclear.
So, the choices are as follows:
1) Cut a deal similar to the 1994 Carter deal that the North Koreans violated (fool me once
2) Attack North Korea and risk immediate massive civilian casualties in South Korea.
3) Drag China into the negotiations with North Korea and convince them to "curb your dog".
4) Close our eyes, put our fingers in our ears and shout "La La La La La
Personally, I think the only viable answer is number three - and that's what we're doing.
He didn't really lose - they just brought in someone from overseas who agreed to win less money. :-)
So when is Sixty Minutes going to complete the paperwork to achieve 527 status?
What makes a good sci-fi series is:
1) The quality of the writing
2) The quality of the acting
3) The quality of the special effects
Many shows get this backwards (such as the current ST series and the horrendous ST Voyager). The old Dr. Who series with Tom Baker had ultra cheap special effects (the special effects budget must have been about five pounds) - but are still enjoyable when viewed today. The original ST's special effects were not special by today's standards, and Shatner's acting - well 'nough said. But, the quality of the writing created the whole franchise. B5 and Star Gate (though I'm a little worried about the later) were good because of the many excellent scripts. Forget overexposure - get some decent writers that understand science fiction and can write interesting, thought provoking scripts. That will revive the franchise. Anything else, and it's doomed.
On the right:
Usually the LOUDER an organization proclaims its objectivity - the more biased it is. Most old media (large city papers, network TV, PBS) tilt left. CNN, MSNBC tilt left, Fox tilts right. Talk radio - right, NPR left.
My two cents is to look for news sources that are up front about their biases. Then fact check them your self. Personally I like a weekly called "The Economist". Their reporting on science and technology is usually pretty accurate - which is fairly rare in the mainstream media. On political matters they tilt towards the (British) conservatives. Their coverage of world news and of U.S. news is excellent.
Don't worry if your university doesn't teach you about outsourcing as part of the CS curriculum. You'll learn all about it after you graduate. Meanwhile, you might want to invest some time in a course entitled "Operating Principles of the Fryalator 101".
At least it wasn't a JATO unit. See Snopes
Would make a great platform for either a Web Server or database (or both). Imagine trying to slashdot a Web site running on one of these puppies. Would also be handy for doing load testing, and large scale compiles (re-build the universe for a large software project).
I remember in the 80's when it was manufacturings turn. The argument was that we'd ship manufacturing jobs like steel, autos, and consumer electronics overseas. The U.S. economy would move to service sector jobs which were 'cleaner' and 'higher pay'. The result - manufactured goods got cheaper, CEO's and shareholders made more money, and workers - well, two out of three ain't bad.
... well, we don't know ... but somethings sure to turn up!
The promised 'retraining' didn't happen - manufacturing workers were lucky to get jobs flipping burgers or stocking shelves in Wal-Mart. The U.S. paid for those lower priced manufactured goods - with poverty, divorce, higher crime rates, and devastated communities. But free trade advocates won't tell you about those. Now they're trying to do it again. Move those high-tech development and R&D jobs overseas! Look at all the money the companies will save. Look at the big bonuses the senior managers will get! Don't worry - the jobs will be replaced with
So, if you're an American programmer. If you live in a high-tech center like the bay area or Austin. If you want to see into the future - just visit places like Youngstown Ohio. Drive past the moldering closed factories and steel mills. Drive past the boarded up stores. Take a good long look - cause that's your future.
That'll sure come in handy as soon as I set up my home IMAX theatre.
Too ... many ... trolls! ... enough ... mod ... points!
Not
It's only a prototype - we're not going to deploy it in production.
So, a person who makes less than $2,000 per year and may be illiterate is going to spend the equivalent of six weeks income on a wireless network PC. I don't think so. Or, is the plan to get governments and NGO's to buy it for people with the expectation that they will be motivated to learn how to use it. What's wrong with encouraging the spread of 'Internet cafes' in third world countries? That seems to be a model that is actually working. This sounds like the 'simputer' part II.
Pure propaganda - chock full of deceit. The 9/11 commission report refutes virtually every point in the film.
After the voter casts their vote the booth prints out a ballot that's machine readable yet understandable to the naked eye.
...
You mean something like a punch card or optical mark card. Hmmm
Ohio in the most recent election was still using punch cards. I always check my punchcard (the punch fields are numbered) against the column #'s on the ballot, and (since 2000) also check for 'chad'. It takes a few seconds to do so. Then I place the card in the locked voting bin. For all the bad press punchcards have gotten, I trust them more than an untested and potentially unsecure proprietary touch screen system.
At least OSS lets the prospective user review the source code. U.S. companies are rapidly outsourcing proprietary development to foreign countries. Key infrastructure software (and firmware) is being developed in countries such as mainland China (including code used for the U.S. telecom system). Meanwhile, the U.S. military is rapidly adopting off-the-shelf components to reduce costs. But, by all means, lets ignore this, and concentrate on OSS ...
The media sorted the list in descending order by quantity. And yes, the top items on the list are 'junk'.
The Drake equation addresses the probability of ET life. Some of the values used in the equations are known, some are estimates, many are at best WAG's. I would NOT put a whole lot of confidence in any dates based on those values. Oh, but I forgot, Slashdot people are used to dealing with estimated software project dates. :-)
The Galactica series starts next January. I assume that they will re-broadcast the pilot immediately prior to the series start. Just fire up your VCR or DVR then.
Saw the article and picture of the current base. It's up on four stilts embedded in the ice. It also says it needs to be removed and carted away (before it ends up in the sea) to keep the environment 'pristine'. Sooooo ... why not disassemble the current base and re-assemble it further 'in-land'. Certainly would save the expense of carting in new building materials. What am I missing?
So Sci-Fi channel is doing a new series about an elite team or explorers who travel through the Stargate to ... Spain?? No doubt in search of a lost recipe for paella.
Before you spend your money on virtual real estate, I've got a virtual bridge in virtual Brooklyn that I'd like to sell you.
Step 1) Overprice product and add a bunch of unwanted DRM.
Step 2) ????
Step 3) No profit!!!