NASA isn't looking for ET's phone numbers, they're confirming Gate addresses. It's only a matter of time before McGyver and team of Air Force officers are heading out into the galaxy to do battle with the Gua'uld!
Well, I can pretty much assure you that this system will not be used against tanks, if for no other reason than cost. Some of you might have heard of the "Maverick" missile debacle - defense contractors build an air-to-ground missile that costs more than some of the tanks it was designed to destroy. Great weapon with a spectacular kill ratio, however in the cost/benefit analysis it sucks.
The ABL won't kill tanks (or anything else on the ground) for two reasons:
#1. The laser can't do it. Read the article, during tests this thing was hard pressed to open holes in fuel tanks. While that would kill a missile in mid-air feeling massive G-Forces, all you'd do to an MBT (Main Battle Tank) would be piss off the crew (Their platoon Sergeant would require them to get the tank a new paint job).
#2. Imagine for a moment that you could kill a tank with the laser. The article suggests that the thing only gets 30-40 shots before it's got to land and rearm. Considering a 100% kill rate (which is practically impossible) that means you get to kill a single standard Soviet armored battalion (give me a break, it's been awhile since I was in school). That might open a good hole for an assault, but in the big scheme of things is a rather expensive effort for what can nominally be done with only a few thousand dollars worth of SABOT.
Author's Note: This is based on (at least) 10 year old knowledge of armored warfare. There are likely to be some factual mistakes.
One of my biggest downfalls, and I'm quite sure that I'm not alone in this, is my occasional inability to understand non-geeks. My post is a good example of this, and also illustrates that not everyone looks up to Ellison and people like him.
Although I sure as hell wouldn't turn down some cash from the man. Especially whilst Bernie Ebbers' beast is swallowing my company whole.
Great, an ultra-rich geek can pay someone to come in and techno-pimp their home for $750K-3 million...
But wouldn't it be somewhat more cool to find out that these folks built out their network, wired the place for sound, and tuned the home theater on their own? Sure, people will say these are CEO's and they've got better things to do, but I'm a purist.
After spending a month ducting AC and building a rackmount into a closet I have an appreciation for my pimped out geek house. All this article said to me was "Nyah nyah! I got more dough than you do!"
Midwatch Industries
Just wait for the greens to show up...
on
On Asteroid Mining
·
· Score: 1
Strip mining asteroids would definitely have more of an environmental impact than tearing up a tiny redwood forest. I'm just wondering how these topless ladies are going to hug the rocks in question without pressure suits...
Instead of PK'ing people's avatars in a massively multiplayer game you'd get to destroy real satellites from the comfort of your home! Sure it'd probably cost more than $10 a month, but watching the fruits of your work streak through the upper atmosphere makes every penny worth it.
Don't even get me started about how much I prefer military educated folks over any of the above...
Ahhh, you've just lost all credibility. Good job!:)
What was I thinking?! Former military coders have nothing to offer. Perhaps I should stop trying to pass myself off as an experienced and able developer and just get you a cup of coffee.
Now, maybe they could explain to me briefly Turing's Halting Theorem and present an informal proof in a paragraph or less.
When was the last time an employer asked anyone a theoretical question of this kind? 95% of the time my employer is asking for a new script to be written or a more stable database design, the other 5% we're discussing where to go for beers at the end of the day.
The questions you're suggesting are fine for the theoretical set, but when it comes down to putting a product together I'll take an experienced high school educated coder over a wet behind the ears college punk any day.
Don't even get me started about how much I prefer military educated folks over any of the above...
This is actually pretty clear cut, with three possible outcomes:
#1. Defendants Win: The immediate result is widespread beer-drenched parties thrown by open-source/hacker/free-speech types, who cook hamburgers and use the remaining charcoal to burn record execs in effigy. The following day not only is DeCSS available everywhere, it also has a user friendly interface and over 15,000 skins. Within 48 hours there are over 1,500 posts about the subject on slashdot.
#1. Plaintifs Win: The immediate result is widespread beer-drenched parties thrown by anyone who receives money from the movie industry. During the party the execs start to plan a "Running Man" type picture staring the 2600 crew (which ends with "that bastard Goldstien" being eaten alive by his own computer. The following day there are several thousand people of varying ages either in jail, or on the run trying to avoid incarceration. Within 48 hours there are over 1000 posts about the subject on slashdot (There would be more, but there's only so much bandwidth out of Canada).
#3. One side wins, the other appeals: The immediate result everyone bitches about the ruling at beer-drenched parties. The following day there are over 1,500 posts about this subject on slashdot.
Bottom line? This lawsuit is nothing but a tool in the conspiracy by Hemos to raise Slashdot traffic. You heard it here first!
The Midnight Watch - All the news that's fit to ridicule:
The Osborne was good, but what it really reminded me of was the old Tempest-Shielded machines I had to lug around when I was in the service. Six cubic foot case for a 14in monitor...
Now that was a nightmare.
The Midnight Watch - All the news that's fit to ridicule:
I own (roughly) 750 CDs. At the average cost of $18 that's a total investment of $13,500. If the states find that each CD should have only cost (generously) $1.50, does that mean I can sue the RIAA member companies for $12,375?
Don't even get me started on the pain and suffering inflicted when I had to hand over 80% of my salary (read: allowance) per week during my early teens for a single CD/Cassette/Album.
The Midnight Watch - All the news that's fit to ridicule:
Yes, but can you imagine this glorious sight: a room six year olds that shout at the top of their lungs "Bloody hell with the Bill, give us the damned Penguin!".
The Midnight Watch - All the news that's fit to ridicule:
And he saw what he and done and said "it is good". Now, if only the same action could be applied to post from *.aol, the people in the streets would rejoice!
The Midnight Watch - All the news that's fit to ridicule:
Slashdot Mirror
Vowel sounds? There's only one vowel in WASD...
NASA isn't looking for ET's phone numbers, they're confirming Gate addresses. It's only a matter of time before McGyver and team of Air Force officers are heading out into the galaxy to do battle with the Gua'uld!
the guy who has to carry the mortar baseplate
Ahhh, you just brought a grin to my face. I believe you'd recognize the phrase "You want me to jump out of an airplane with _this_?!?!"
Midwatch Industries
Well, I can pretty much assure you that this system will not be used against tanks, if for no other reason than cost. Some of you might have heard of the "Maverick" missile debacle - defense contractors build an air-to-ground missile that costs more than some of the tanks it was designed to destroy. Great weapon with a spectacular kill ratio, however in the cost/benefit analysis it sucks.
The ABL won't kill tanks (or anything else on the ground) for two reasons:
#1. The laser can't do it. Read the article, during tests this thing was hard pressed to open holes in fuel tanks. While that would kill a missile in mid-air feeling massive G-Forces, all you'd do to an MBT (Main Battle Tank) would be piss off the crew (Their platoon Sergeant would require them to get the tank a new paint job).
#2. Imagine for a moment that you could kill a tank with the laser. The article suggests that the thing only gets 30-40 shots before it's got to land and rearm. Considering a 100% kill rate (which is practically impossible) that means you get to kill a single standard Soviet armored battalion (give me a break, it's been awhile since I was in school). That might open a good hole for an assault, but in the big scheme of things is a rather expensive effort for what can nominally be done with only a few thousand dollars worth of SABOT.
Author's Note: This is based on (at least) 10 year old knowledge of armored warfare. There are likely to be some factual mistakes.
Midwatch Industries
I can't wait for the day when all pr0n is viewable on my linux boxen...
Midwatch Industries
Damned good points.
One of my biggest downfalls, and I'm quite sure that I'm not alone in this, is my occasional inability to understand non-geeks. My post is a good example of this, and also illustrates that not everyone looks up to Ellison and people like him.
Although I sure as hell wouldn't turn down some cash from the man. Especially whilst Bernie Ebbers' beast is swallowing my company whole.
Midwatch Industries
Great, an ultra-rich geek can pay someone to come in and techno-pimp their home for $750K-3 million...
But wouldn't it be somewhat more cool to find out that these folks built out their network, wired the place for sound, and tuned the home theater on their own? Sure, people will say these are CEO's and they've got better things to do, but I'm a purist.
After spending a month ducting AC and building a rackmount into a closet I have an appreciation for my pimped out geek house. All this article said to me was "Nyah nyah! I got more dough than you do!"
Midwatch Industries
Strip mining asteroids would definitely have more of an environmental impact than tearing up a tiny redwood forest. I'm just wondering how these topless ladies are going to hug the rocks in question without pressure suits...
Midwatch Industries
Instead of PK'ing people's avatars in a massively multiplayer game you'd get to destroy real satellites from the comfort of your home! Sure it'd probably cost more than $10 a month, but watching the fruits of your work streak through the upper atmosphere makes every penny worth it.
The line for this starts behind me....
Midwatch Industries
Justice Jackson, what is best in life?!
To sue your enemies,
to see them bankrupted before you,
and to hear the lamentations of the stockholders.
Midwatch Industries
When did John Katz start writting under the pseudonym of Greg Knauss?!
Midwatch Industries
Don't even get me started about how much I prefer military educated folks over any of the above...
:)
Ahhh, you've just lost all credibility. Good job!
What was I thinking?! Former military coders have nothing to offer. Perhaps I should stop trying to pass myself off as an experienced and able developer and just get you a cup of coffee.
Would you like cream and sugar with that?
Midwatch Industries
Now, maybe they could explain to me briefly Turing's Halting Theorem and present an informal proof in a paragraph or less.
When was the last time an employer asked anyone a theoretical question of this kind? 95% of the time my employer is asking for a new script to be written or a more stable database design, the other 5% we're discussing where to go for beers at the end of the day.
The questions you're suggesting are fine for the theoretical set, but when it comes down to putting a product together I'll take an experienced high school educated coder over a wet behind the ears college punk any day.
Don't even get me started about how much I prefer military educated folks over any of the above...
Midwatch Industries
This is actually pretty clear cut, with three possible outcomes:
#1. Defendants Win:
The immediate result is widespread beer-drenched parties thrown by open-source/hacker/free-speech types, who cook hamburgers and use the remaining charcoal to burn record execs in effigy. The following day not only is DeCSS available everywhere, it also has a user friendly interface and over 15,000 skins. Within 48 hours there are over 1,500 posts about the subject on slashdot.
#1. Plaintifs Win:
The immediate result is widespread beer-drenched parties thrown by anyone who receives money from the movie industry. During the party the execs start to plan a "Running Man" type picture staring the 2600 crew (which ends with "that bastard Goldstien" being eaten alive by his own computer. The following day there are several thousand people of varying ages either in jail, or on the run trying to avoid incarceration. Within 48 hours there are over 1000 posts about the subject on slashdot (There would be more, but there's only so much bandwidth out of Canada).
#3. One side wins, the other appeals:
The immediate result everyone bitches about the ruling at beer-drenched parties. The following day there are over 1,500 posts about this subject on slashdot.
Bottom line? This lawsuit is nothing but a tool in the conspiracy by Hemos to raise Slashdot traffic. You heard it here first!
The Midnight Watch - All the news that's fit to ridicule:
The Osborne was good, but what it really reminded me of was the old Tempest-Shielded machines I had to lug around when I was in the service. Six cubic foot case for a 14in monitor...
Now that was a nightmare.
The Midnight Watch - All the news that's fit to ridicule:
Think of the possibilities here -
I own (roughly) 750 CDs. At the average cost of $18 that's a total investment of $13,500. If the states find that each CD should have only cost (generously) $1.50, does that mean I can sue the RIAA member companies for $12,375?
Don't even get me started on the pain and suffering inflicted when I had to hand over 80% of my salary (read: allowance) per week during my early teens for a single CD/Cassette/Album.
The Midnight Watch - All the news that's fit to ridicule:
Yes, but can you imagine this glorious sight: a room six year olds that shout at the top of their lungs "Bloody hell with the Bill, give us the damned Penguin!".
The Midnight Watch - All the news that's fit to ridicule:
And he saw what he and done and said "it is good". Now, if only the same action could be applied to post from *.aol, the people in the streets would rejoice!
The Midnight Watch - All the news that's fit to ridicule: