This is another silly case of using something not because it's well suited, but simply because it is there. A conversation with an avatar? A "Professor" reading a script? How crazy is that? Think about how different that is from a RL consultation where the doctor has to *look at* and *listen to* the patient. Why not act those in RL? The same with making a virtual OR when they could just show them a real one.
Take this quote: 'You can take risks that aren't safe in the real world and teach more complex subjects in three dimensions.' Hey, RL *is* 3D. SL is a poor 2D imitation. A medical dummy *is* 3D. SL is not.
But what's really silly about all this is the PR this is generating for a really dumb idea, when they deserved to be slapped around. All you need to do is find a ridiculous way to work Twitter/YouTube/Facebook into your press release and you'll get widespread coverage.
Check this book by Jerome Groopman called "How Doctors Think". He describes how doctors *should* give consultations. This SL idea is going to teach med students some really bad habits. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8892053
(I firehosed this story too with some extra information about how the Copyright Lobby primed the Australian Media to run a ridiculous piracy=terrorism story, complete with a claim by Australian Reporter Mike Munroe that pirates could "burn a DVD in 3.5 seconds":)
While technically-savy voters can sort fact from fiction, technically-illiterate politicians are easily swayed. What's the best way to combat this sort of misinformation? Is it possible to educate our politicians that there are twosides to everystory? Or are they hopelessly in the lobbyists pockets.
> The article says Caps Lock may be next on the agenda; death is too good for Caps Lock.
Unicomp bought and still run the original IBM keyboard factory in the US. They've been offering a variant with a demoted-CAPSLOCK key and a bigger control key in its place for Linux heads:
http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/linux101.html
This is the original buckling spring keyboard - the one with the glorious clickety-click sound as you type. They also offer the original keyboard (with the big CAPSLOCK key) too:
http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/cus101usenon.html
I want to know just whose idea it was to put a CAPSLOCK key on the keyboard in the first place. I want to know the name and face of the IBM Engineer who did it. They can join MSDOS's Tim Paterson's '\' vs '/' in the Hall of Shame for the stupidest decisions with the most hurt in computing history.
It's caused by one or more of the following - Doing something for too long - with a lack of support - without any likely rewards on the horizon - and with a realization what you're doing, while once seemingly important, is truly insignificant.
Burnout is your brain telling you you're on a loser and it's time to walk away and for good reason: There are worse things than walking away from a losing proposition. If you want to push on anyway, at least learn about it. Google is probably your only friend: http://www.google.com/search?q=burnout+"scientific+american"
There's an old saying that verbal contracts aren't worth the paper they're written on. Unfortunately it's complete bunkum and over the years must have persuaded hundreds of thousands of people to accept being ripped off. Verbal contracts *ARE* enforceable. They're just harder to prove, but it can be done with the appropriate documentation. All very well to say 'get it in writing' but a shady negotiator will stall this for as long as possible. So if you're dealing with a shark who keeps finding excuses not to put their signature on a contract while they wring concessions or "pre-work" from you make sure you document everything you do. E-mail is a good start. Personally I think you're better walking off at the first sign of trouble, but if you suspect foul play find and see a good laywer (IANAL) who can advise you of your rights. Remember many lawyers are sharks too so get a quote up from and be clear you won't authorize any work over what you've agreed in writing. Be very careful about this too. In other words: Trust no one.
> Having the procedure done in Tennessee makes sense because its list of patients waiting for transplants
I'm looking forward to Jobs return at AGM's complete with a straw hat, braces and strumming a banjo. Jeff Foxworthy can be new iPod spokesman. 'Oh and one more thing' will be replaced with 'any one you critters move to dat door get a load of buckshot in yet ass'
When I was working as a trainee, I was invited to the code review of a mediocre programmer. A bunch of people were there including a senior A/P who was my boss. My boss started ripping into it and I quickly realized the mediocre programmer - who couldn't code his way out of a wet paper bag - had taken one of my programs and tried changing it (including my name). It didn't work and the senior A/P was asking him 'WTF does this do?'
Oh the dilemma. Do I take ownership and defend "my" code, or say nothing and enjoy watching him squirm? I did the latter watching him go "ummmmm ummmmm ummmmm". Finally medicore programmer admitted he copied it and it was really mine. I said "Well it was working when you copied it off me."
Needless to say he ended up being promoted to manager. Not even a PHB which requires a bit of cunning, he was just a flat out idiot. I keep in touch with some of my coworkers to this day and whenever we want to describe a certain type of idiot we use his name. Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuh.
Using high-tech blimps to spy on sporting crowds is a fantastic idea to fill the gap until our intelligence services work out some way to get their own people into the crowds of these events, but to do that they would need to crack the intelligence crown jewels and figure out how and when these events will be held. It's great the things that government and the military industrial concept can achieve that a lesser mind might be tempted to do on the cheap.
And to the NSA guy sneering at this post, why aren't you doing something about bin Laden instead? He's on the Afgani-Pakistan border. Everyone knows it. The Daily Show event did a live cross from there. Or don't you guys get cable?
Homeland, much like Fatherland, gives me proud images of charging in Panzer Tanks across the Ukrainian plains to stick it to the undermenschen. Long live Das Homelanden! Mein Liebe!
> Buddhism can be as counter-intuitively and/or violently expressed as any of them.
Huh? Can be in theory, but usually isn't. Certainly far, far less than Christianity, Islam or Judaism. But like Christianity and Islam, there are different interpretations of Buddism. The Dalai Lama's version I'm afraid is not very nice. The man is a complete jerk. Yes, I know we in the west have an image of him as a peaceful lovely man but he's an absolute zealot. I recommend you check out the "John Safran vs God" TV Series (6 parts - you can find it through Google):
In one segment he takes the Pope and Dalai Lama and Western perceptions of them. It turns out the Dalai Lama is a real creep. I hope if Tibet ever gets its freedom it isn't handed over to this guy to rule because he makes Benedict look like a hippy marijuana-smoking fornicating abortion doctor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTRV5Wg4M30
Should point out in fairness other schools of Buddism aren't like this. Just like Dalai Lama.
> eschew newspapers and post notices of public record on their own Web sites.
This will be great for the Aussie Government. Public servants are supposed to advertise externally so all appointments are competitive, but they typically pick a buddy or relative for the job. The external advertising is a real pain because it gets applicants who might get the job.
No problem! They convene an "Interview Panel" populated by the buddy's friend and three other disinterested public servant chair-warmers who have no interest in the outcome. They advertise for some poor saps to go through the interview process without realising they're wasting their time. The guy makes sure the panel chooses his mate as planned, but the interview is still a waste of every ones time: the saps and the chair-warmers. Advertising will avoid this charade. Yay for Government efficiency.
Summed up here: "Government and councils only advertise a role because they are legally compelled to. They usually have an incumbent in the position, an acting who is taking up the role or someone already lined up. Unless you exceed each part of the person spec by a country mile, you're only wasting your time."
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/1059770.html
Iron Man was great because it gave 40-somethings an action hero *THEY* can relate to.
Not your typical, whiny, prissy-haired Generation-Y superhero who between fighting bad guys (like "Eco Man" and "The Recycler") shops and uses his iPhone to update his Twitter feed: "kckd butt yo lol lawl in4a!"
If GhostBusters 3 gives 60-somethings an action hero they can relate to (Because Indy 4 sure as hell didn't), good for them!
For all the talk of "Governing Lethal Behavior in Autonomous Robots", Asimov's laws of robotics, etc., it's already far too late. Most Torpedoes and missiles hunt autonomously and have done so for years.
And really, this all depends on perception. One man's fanatical terrorist is another man's freedom fighter is another man's guy-just-defending-his-country. All in the eye of the beholder and difficult enough for people to sort out.
Slashdot Mirror
Someone needs to explain to Democracies* the world over that National Security != The Incumbents ability to get re-elected.
* even Zimbabwe is a Democracy these days.
This is another silly case of using something not because it's well suited, but simply because it is there. A conversation with an avatar? A "Professor" reading a script? How crazy is that? Think about how different that is from a RL consultation where the doctor has to *look at* and *listen to* the patient. Why not act those in RL? The same with making a virtual OR when they could just show them a real one.
Take this quote: 'You can take risks that aren't safe in the real world and teach more complex subjects in three dimensions.' Hey, RL *is* 3D. SL is a poor 2D imitation. A medical dummy *is* 3D. SL is not.
But what's really silly about all this is the PR this is generating for a really dumb idea, when they deserved to be slapped around. All you need to do is find a ridiculous way to work Twitter/YouTube/Facebook into your press release and you'll get widespread coverage.
Check this book by Jerome Groopman called "How Doctors Think". He describes how doctors *should* give consultations. This SL idea is going to teach med students some really bad habits. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8892053
(I firehosed this story too with some extra information about how the Copyright Lobby primed the Australian Media to run a ridiculous piracy=terrorism story, complete with a claim by Australian Reporter Mike Munroe that pirates could "burn a DVD in 3.5 seconds":)
Australia's Fairfax group published an article by Journalists Eamonn Duff and Rachel Browne claiming that people who download films from illegal file-sharing websites are financing terrorism. The article only quoted media industry sources and was basically a warmed-up press release. That evening Channel Seven "Sunday Night" current affairs program claimed how how movie piracy is being used to fund terrorist groups including Hezbollah and Jemaah Islamiah, responsible for the Bali bombings in 2002 which killed hundreds including 94 Australians. Reporter Mike Munro claimed pirates "could burn a DVD in 3.5 seconds."
While technically-savy voters can sort fact from fiction, technically-illiterate politicians are easily swayed. What's the best way to combat this sort of misinformation? Is it possible to educate our politicians that there are two sides to every story? Or are they hopelessly in the lobbyists pockets.
Bill Gates crying into his webcam: "Just leave Google alone!"
> Images of Apollo Landing Sites Soon Available
Why not visit them in person? They're in the desert just outside Los Angeles.
My personal theory is The Pirate Bay was shut down just to ban the documentary, Capricorn One.
> The article says Caps Lock may be next on the agenda; death is too good for Caps Lock.
Unicomp bought and still run the original IBM keyboard factory in the US. They've been offering a variant with a demoted-CAPSLOCK key and a bigger control key in its place for Linux heads: http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/linux101.html
This is the original buckling spring keyboard - the one with the glorious clickety-click sound as you type. They also offer the original keyboard (with the big CAPSLOCK key) too: http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/cus101usenon.html
I want to know just whose idea it was to put a CAPSLOCK key on the keyboard in the first place. I want to know the name and face of the IBM Engineer who did it. They can join MSDOS's Tim Paterson's '\' vs '/' in the Hall of Shame for the stupidest decisions with the most hurt in computing history.
> Canada Considering Online Voting In Elections
"And the winner is.... The Republic Party.... LOLWOT?"
It's caused by one or more of the following - Doing something for too long - with a lack of support - without any likely rewards on the horizon - and with a realization what you're doing, while once seemingly important, is truly insignificant.
Burnout is your brain telling you you're on a loser and it's time to walk away and for good reason: There are worse things than walking away from a losing proposition. If you want to push on anyway, at least learn about it. Google is probably your only friend: http://www.google.com/search?q=burnout+"scientific+american"
> Get it in writing or you don't have anything.
There's an old saying that verbal contracts aren't worth the paper they're written on. Unfortunately it's complete bunkum and over the years must have persuaded hundreds of thousands of people to accept being ripped off. Verbal contracts *ARE* enforceable. They're just harder to prove, but it can be done with the appropriate documentation. All very well to say 'get it in writing' but a shady negotiator will stall this for as long as possible. So if you're dealing with a shark who keeps finding excuses not to put their signature on a contract while they wring concessions or "pre-work" from you make sure you document everything you do. E-mail is a good start. Personally I think you're better walking off at the first sign of trouble, but if you suspect foul play find and see a good laywer (IANAL) who can advise you of your rights. Remember many lawyers are sharks too so get a quote up from and be clear you won't authorize any work over what you've agreed in writing. Be very careful about this too. In other words: Trust no one.
> Having the procedure done in Tennessee makes sense because its list of patients waiting for transplants
I'm looking forward to Jobs return at AGM's complete with a straw hat, braces and strumming a banjo. Jeff Foxworthy can be new iPod spokesman. 'Oh and one more thing' will be replaced with 'any one you critters move to dat door get a load of buckshot in yet ass'
I didn't even realize Mr. Bradbury was still alive!
Tapped? What's with the Mainstream Media's latest buzzword?
"I was at the supermarket and I tapped the bottle of flavored milk. Then I decided to tap Checkout #6."
Last years MSM buzzword was "Lockdown."
"When I go to bed, I lockdown the house."
If the MSM wants to lift its flagging fortunes, it should work on the news rather than focusing on stupid buzzwords.
When I was working as a trainee, I was invited to the code review of a mediocre programmer. A bunch of people were there including a senior A/P who was my boss. My boss started ripping into it and I quickly realized the mediocre programmer - who couldn't code his way out of a wet paper bag - had taken one of my programs and tried changing it (including my name). It didn't work and the senior A/P was asking him 'WTF does this do?'
Oh the dilemma. Do I take ownership and defend "my" code, or say nothing and enjoy watching him squirm? I did the latter watching him go "ummmmm ummmmm ummmmm". Finally medicore programmer admitted he copied it and it was really mine. I said "Well it was working when you copied it off me."
Needless to say he ended up being promoted to manager. Not even a PHB which requires a bit of cunning, he was just a flat out idiot. I keep in touch with some of my coworkers to this day and whenever we want to describe a certain type of idiot we use his name. Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuh.
Using high-tech blimps to spy on sporting crowds is a fantastic idea to fill the gap until our intelligence services work out some way to get their own people into the crowds of these events, but to do that they would need to crack the intelligence crown jewels and figure out how and when these events will be held. It's great the things that government and the military industrial concept can achieve that a lesser mind might be tempted to do on the cheap.
And to the NSA guy sneering at this post, why aren't you doing something about bin Laden instead? He's on the Afgani-Pakistan border. Everyone knows it. The Daily Show event did a live cross from there. Or don't you guys get cable?
> Frank Herbert's Moisture Traps May Be a Reality
No Kidding. The Jihad is a reality too.
That term is much used and abused, but with comments like that surely Ballmer qualifies for it.
And if he wants to cut back Piracy, what could be more American that pirating the software of an Unamerican company?
Cuba. Iran. North Korea. Microsoft.
> Homeland Security Presidential Directive
Homeland, much like Fatherland, gives me proud images of charging in Panzer Tanks across the Ukrainian plains to stick it to the undermenschen. Long live Das Homelanden! Mein Liebe!
I enjoyed your four paragraphs far more than I enjoyed the last two movies.
That's a great idea. It's also why you'd be totally unsuited to working for government. :|
Stick to private enterprise, my friend. Survival of the fittest has its rewards.
You have made SEVEN gods very angry. The only thing that can save you is converting to Atheism.
> Buddhism can be as counter-intuitively and/or violently expressed as any of them.
Huh? Can be in theory, but usually isn't. Certainly far, far less than Christianity, Islam or Judaism. But like Christianity and Islam, there are different interpretations of Buddism. The Dalai Lama's version I'm afraid is not very nice. The man is a complete jerk. Yes, I know we in the west have an image of him as a peaceful lovely man but he's an absolute zealot. I recommend you check out the "John Safran vs God" TV Series (6 parts - you can find it through Google):
In one segment he takes the Pope and Dalai Lama and Western perceptions of them. It turns out the Dalai Lama is a real creep. I hope if Tibet ever gets its freedom it isn't handed over to this guy to rule because he makes Benedict look like a hippy marijuana-smoking fornicating abortion doctor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTRV5Wg4M30
Should point out in fairness other schools of Buddism aren't like this. Just like Dalai Lama.
> eschew newspapers and post notices of public record on their own Web sites.
This will be great for the Aussie Government. Public servants are supposed to advertise externally so all appointments are competitive, but they typically pick a buddy or relative for the job. The external advertising is a real pain because it gets applicants who might get the job.
No problem! They convene an "Interview Panel" populated by the buddy's friend and three other disinterested public servant chair-warmers who have no interest in the outcome. They advertise for some poor saps to go through the interview process without realising they're wasting their time. The guy makes sure the panel chooses his mate as planned, but the interview is still a waste of every ones time: the saps and the chair-warmers. Advertising will avoid this charade. Yay for Government efficiency.
Summed up here: "Government and councils only advertise a role because they are legally compelled to. They usually have an incumbent in the position, an acting who is taking up the role or someone already lined up. Unless you exceed each part of the person spec by a country mile, you're only wasting your time." http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/1059770.html
I'm not doing your homework for you!
I'm not sure if the original poster is with Al Queda ("wikislamofacism.com tl;dr lol") or a Bond Villain (too lazy to Google for "world domination").
Iron Man was great because it gave 40-somethings an action hero *THEY* can relate to.
Not your typical, whiny, prissy-haired Generation-Y superhero who between fighting bad guys (like "Eco Man" and "The Recycler") shops and uses his iPhone to update his Twitter feed: "kckd butt yo lol lawl in4a!"
If GhostBusters 3 gives 60-somethings an action hero they can relate to (Because Indy 4 sure as hell didn't), good for them!
For all the talk of "Governing Lethal Behavior in Autonomous Robots", Asimov's laws of robotics, etc., it's already far too late. Most Torpedoes and missiles hunt autonomously and have done so for years.
And really, this all depends on perception. One man's fanatical terrorist is another man's freedom fighter is another man's guy-just-defending-his-country. All in the eye of the beholder and difficult enough for people to sort out.