Things like radioactive decay... are affected by things like high energy impacts, or variations in the cosmological constants of the universe. Perhaps a rise in and fall in the base energy of the zero point field? I'm not sure neutrinos would be energetic enough to do this.
Imagine a device that copies physical objects perfectly, at negligible costs. In JRB's world, people with this technology would still be poor and hungry. The truth is that he is an old man rowing against the tide of history.
Sure it does. There are varying degrees of that kind of behaviour, and some cross the line of legality, depending on what is promised in the advertising and contracts. XP was advertised to be very secure, but it won't be after they stop supporting it. I'm not even sure it's secure now. It's a matter of the company trying to get away with as much planned obsolescence as possible without being nailed by the law, and it happens all the time. This is just an example of planned obsolescence that is obviously on the far end of the scale of illegality.
Sorry to hear that your specific architect made some dumb decisions. Perhaps they just wanted to make the cheapest thing possible and flip. Greed and financial incentive often win over intelligence and reason.
My opinion still stands... The majority of designers out there would love to do that kind of work, providing that it be somehow paid for. That's the rub.
Seeing as I lived and breathed in that field, I can tell you that just about every architect or designer gets a excited at the idea of sustainable, high energy efficient homes, built right to suit the local environment. So these "idiot architects" you rave about don't exist. Since you're obviously ignorant, let me inform you of the real problem. The general public.
Anything other than a "McMansion" just won't sell to the vast majority of Americans. When the home buyer has a limited budget, they have to balance their wants with their needs, and often you will find that features such as low e windows, good insulation, large overhangs, large thermal mass, etc... They might not always compete when compared to that extra bedroom, the outdoor jacuzzi the wife's always wanted, or that extra bay in the garage. Saving $25 a month on a heating bill may be a priority, but in the big picture, it's rarely priority #1.
Personally I love the idea of efficient and sustainable homes, but for one reason or another, clients who are willing to pay for that kind of thing are rare.
As someone who has used Ukrainian freelancers in the past, none of the workers I used chose to do things legally. I asked them why, and they said all the taxes and bureaucracy were so odious. Going legit was just not financially viable for them, even though I was paying them the local equivalent of executive level wages. The tax and legal system in Ukraine is so broken, that it's common knowledge that the best way to screw yourself is to try to go legit. All it does is open the door to half a dozen "inspectors" that show up looking for bribes, with the threat of shutting you down if you don't pay them off. Since paying bribes is also a crime, and there's no choice if you go legit, most Ukrainians rightly choose to do things under the table instead.
It's sad to say that Ukrainians have no idea how to properly run their own country. It's no surprise most Ukrainians have a "screw the system" attitude. Their government system is only partially reformed from the old days, where the government was intentionally designed by foreigners as a imperial bureaucratic dictatorship to keep everyone down. The only difference now is the person/party with the most votes (might) become their new dictator. The people who run things still rape the system. But compared to the Soviet era, it's a step up, so I don't blame them for not knowing what a normal country should be like.
While you may respect pacifists, I don't. Take this little thought experiment...
Suppose some pacifist's children were being assaulted right before his eyes by some very bad individual. A pacifist would either allow it to happen, or attempt some nonviolent way to stop the situation. If the situation is such that the only way to keep the children safe is to use maximum violence on the attacker, any parent who has the ability but choses not to use it in that situation would be a very morally repugnant pacifist.
The problem with pacifists is that the world doesn't work the way they think it works. Occasionally it's a useful and noble tactic, but to assume that pacifism is acceptable as some kind of universal doctrine is madness. And that's exactly what pacifists believe.
Speaking as someone who actually tests pumps in BC, this doesn't happen nearly as much as you would think. Most errors in pumps are due to little or no maintenance for very long periods of time, and can go in either direction. Usually speaking, the more run down the gas station is, the less you should trust it. (of course there are exceptions, but it's generally the case) But the absolute worst thing you can do is cross the border into the USA, and fill up on a hot summer day from a station with above ground tanks. American pumps don't correct for temperature even though their pumps are usually built to do so. However, go ahead and fill up in the US when it's -40...;-)
Who's to say that's out of proportion? Compare it to the corporate rule in the USA where money outweighs votes.
If the centrist party stands to lose more votes than it gains by taking up the policy, that fringe party will be ignored. Thats why a lot of pro drug parties that get votes are still regularly ignored. The checks and balances already exist, it's not out of proportion.
You obviously don't understand the purpose of fringe parties. It's not to win seats. It's to make a meaningful effect on policy.
If enough people vote for a fringe party or a single issue party, the main parties take very strong notice of any lost votes. Then they usually change their ways to get that vote back... and in that way, bring the new ideas into the fold.
In the USA system, any new ideas... stay on the outside because both parties just need to ignore them. With fringe parties, they need to give them the consideration that they're due, based on the number of people voting for them.
How can they campaign openly on a level playing field if so many laws in the USA are passed to enforce 2-party-only rule. Laws passed to deliberately prevent third parties from even getting their names on the ballot. Also, laws preventing third parties from joining in any meaningful debates.
Sure in the USA people aren't killed or imprisoned. They're just quietly barred from participating by "republicans and democrats only" laws. They are muzzled very effectively in a country that pretends to respect free speech.
No seats. But 6.8% of the popular vote. Any centrist party strategist would do just about anything for a 6.8% edge on the competition. So the Green party actually had a measurable effect on the policies of the larger parties.
The effect of the Pirate Party is unknown yet. You say people won't be that interested in it. I would like to see that played out, because I'm not as sure as you seem to be. If enough people vote for them, even without winning a single seat, they will also have an effect.
I'm surprised you didn't know this, this is basic jr high Canadian social studies material.
How you ask? They steal votes from the mainstream parties. Even 2% of the vote freaks out the major players, as this can be the difference between winning and losing. They are watched with a very serious eye, because by adopting that policy into their own platform, a major party can definitely win seats. And when that happens, the fringe party wins. They don't even need to win a single seat to achieve their goals.
Take a look at your example, the Green party. At first nobody took them seriously. After a federal election, they didn't get many seats at all, but there was a decent percentage of the people who voted for them. Suddenly, the larger parties started falling over themselves to look more green... (Think of Dion's Green Shift plan..) I'm not sure how well they are executing their greenwashing of their own parties, but they wouldn't have even considered trying if 5-10% of Canadians didn't vote for the Green party.
Fringe parties are crucial to Canadian democracy. It's one of the main ways the people can force old crusty centrist parties to learn new tricks.
Also as a Canadian, i say you couldn't be more wrong. Having fringe parties and niche platforms is the kind of check and balance we need to keep the bigger parties from ignoring the issues. Otherwise we would end up with the disaster of the USA model, where both large parties can agree to ignore an issue, and then the people have no voice at all. If Canada lost it's niche parties, democracy in our country would be seriously harmed.
If that's your reasoning of why developers stopped making Amiga games, then why did the PC gaming industry which had identical problems, continue on to such great heights? Pardon me but I think you're making your facts up just to make a snappy comeback.
"if the people want to they can elect a reform candidate"
In most democratic countries, there are very healthy and active reform and fringe parties that regularly get a significant percentage of the popular vote. Where are these parties in the USA? News media don't even give them the time of day if they were to exist. It's not because nobody would vote for them... there are artificial barriers put up to creating any meaningful opposition to the existing two headed beast you call democracy. These barriers would be considered a horrible crime in any other democratic country, but for some reason USA'ers tolerate them, or rather, like the people of China, have no choice in the matter.
The main difference between USA and China is that the USA system is far better at managing it's people into thinking they are running the show. Look beyond the USA to see how democracy works.
As a gas pump mechanic, I can say that most of those security features are just security theatre. Anyone with even 1 weeks apprentice knowledge of gas pumps can probably get into most pumps without notice, after hours or not.
Also, a safety vest, hard hat, clip board, fancy business card, and an attitude will get you everywhere. Hell you could probably get them to turn off all their security cameras for "testing" purposes too LOL.
As a gas pump mechanic, I can say that it's a battle just to get the owners to crack the pumps open once a month to check for fuel leaks and other safety issues.
As for keys, a dozen keys will open every pump on the continent. I've never come across a pump that needed a unique key. Heck most gas stations won't even put pad locks on their underground fuel tanks. This sometimes leads to confused seniors in RV's dumping their septic tanks down there, thinking it was a sewer line made for motor homes... I hate to say it but most people involved in the gas station industry are so dumb they need helmets.
I'm a gas pump mechanic, and I'm shocked it's not way more prevalent. A handful of keys anyone can buy from a petroleum maintenance supply store without any questions, will open every gas pump on the continent. And most employees at gas stations don't watch their videos continuously, some don't even have video surveillance. The parts inside are easy to swap, as they are very similar to the way a PC is set up, with ribbon cables, USB, etc. I found myself staring at the card reading gear and be amazed at how simple the gear really is, and how easy to swap.
Heck, the security is so poor on most pumps, that I could just crack a panel open a little, and with just a small pair of pliers and 15 seconds, make the pump give me a major discount on gas.
Gas pumps are almost entirely built on security by obscurity. I've only ever seen a handful of gas stations in my travels that have any kind of security system in place to detect if the panels have been opened.
That being said, I don't sweat about being ripped off at the pump, and I just go about my life worrying about much more important things.
Slashdot Mirror
When the light bulb in my oven finally burns out, I wonder how well the CFL I replace it with will perform?
Anyone?
Look up atomic rockets... there is a process... nobody has the guts. LOL
Well, temperature no.
Things like radioactive decay... are affected by things like high energy impacts, or variations in the cosmological constants of the universe. Perhaps a rise in and fall in the base energy of the zero point field? I'm not sure neutrinos would be energetic enough to do this.
Imagine a device that copies physical objects perfectly, at negligible costs. In JRB's world, people with this technology would still be poor and hungry. The truth is that he is an old man rowing against the tide of history.
Sure it does. There are varying degrees of that kind of behaviour, and some cross the line of legality, depending on what is promised in the advertising and contracts. XP was advertised to be very secure, but it won't be after they stop supporting it. I'm not even sure it's secure now. It's a matter of the company trying to get away with as much planned obsolescence as possible without being nailed by the law, and it happens all the time. This is just an example of planned obsolescence that is obviously on the far end of the scale of illegality.
That kind of thing has been happening for generations, where have you been?. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence
Great anecdote! Funny to see that there are even some architects who don't put that kind of stuff as a priority. I think it's telling that the architect who designed the home no longer lives there. Perhaps this Slashdot article may explain his/her rationale: http://science.slashdot.org/story/10/06/20/1722255/Why-Being-Wrong-Makes-Humans-So-Smart
Sorry to hear that your specific architect made some dumb decisions. Perhaps they just wanted to make the cheapest thing possible and flip. Greed and financial incentive often win over intelligence and reason.
My opinion still stands... The majority of designers out there would love to do that kind of work, providing that it be somehow paid for. That's the rub.
As a home designer, I resent that remark.
Seeing as I lived and breathed in that field, I can tell you that just about every architect or designer gets a excited at the idea of sustainable, high energy efficient homes, built right to suit the local environment. So these "idiot architects" you rave about don't exist. Since you're obviously ignorant, let me inform you of the real problem. The general public.
Anything other than a "McMansion" just won't sell to the vast majority of Americans. When the home buyer has a limited budget, they have to balance their wants with their needs, and often you will find that features such as low e windows, good insulation, large overhangs, large thermal mass, etc... They might not always compete when compared to that extra bedroom, the outdoor jacuzzi the wife's always wanted, or that extra bay in the garage. Saving $25 a month on a heating bill may be a priority, but in the big picture, it's rarely priority #1.
Personally I love the idea of efficient and sustainable homes, but for one reason or another, clients who are willing to pay for that kind of thing are rare.
As someone who has used Ukrainian freelancers in the past, none of the workers I used chose to do things legally. I asked them why, and they said all the taxes and bureaucracy were so odious. Going legit was just not financially viable for them, even though I was paying them the local equivalent of executive level wages. The tax and legal system in Ukraine is so broken, that it's common knowledge that the best way to screw yourself is to try to go legit. All it does is open the door to half a dozen "inspectors" that show up looking for bribes, with the threat of shutting you down if you don't pay them off. Since paying bribes is also a crime, and there's no choice if you go legit, most Ukrainians rightly choose to do things under the table instead.
It's sad to say that Ukrainians have no idea how to properly run their own country. It's no surprise most Ukrainians have a "screw the system" attitude. Their government system is only partially reformed from the old days, where the government was intentionally designed by foreigners as a imperial bureaucratic dictatorship to keep everyone down. The only difference now is the person/party with the most votes (might) become their new dictator. The people who run things still rape the system. But compared to the Soviet era, it's a step up, so I don't blame them for not knowing what a normal country should be like.
While you may respect pacifists, I don't. Take this little thought experiment...
Suppose some pacifist's children were being assaulted right before his eyes by some very bad individual. A pacifist would either allow it to happen, or attempt some nonviolent way to stop the situation. If the situation is such that the only way to keep the children safe is to use maximum violence on the attacker, any parent who has the ability but choses not to use it in that situation would be a very morally repugnant pacifist.
The problem with pacifists is that the world doesn't work the way they think it works. Occasionally it's a useful and noble tactic, but to assume that pacifism is acceptable as some kind of universal doctrine is madness. And that's exactly what pacifists believe.
Barren northern plains? I don't think so!
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/9837/1002942s.jpg
That's typical. For interest, add rivers, hills, and the odd grizzly bear or native settlement.
For sake of interest, this was taken about an hour south of Fort Vermillion.
Speaking as someone who actually tests pumps in BC, this doesn't happen nearly as much as you would think. Most errors in pumps are due to little or no maintenance for very long periods of time, and can go in either direction. Usually speaking, the more run down the gas station is, the less you should trust it. (of course there are exceptions, but it's generally the case) But the absolute worst thing you can do is cross the border into the USA, and fill up on a hot summer day from a station with above ground tanks. American pumps don't correct for temperature even though their pumps are usually built to do so. However, go ahead and fill up in the US when it's -40... ;-)
Who's to say that's out of proportion? Compare it to the corporate rule in the USA where money outweighs votes.
If the centrist party stands to lose more votes than it gains by taking up the policy, that fringe party will be ignored. Thats why a lot of pro drug parties that get votes are still regularly ignored. The checks and balances already exist, it's not out of proportion.
You obviously don't understand the purpose of fringe parties. It's not to win seats. It's to make a meaningful effect on policy.
If enough people vote for a fringe party or a single issue party, the main parties take very strong notice of any lost votes. Then they usually change their ways to get that vote back... and in that way, bring the new ideas into the fold.
In the USA system, any new ideas... stay on the outside because both parties just need to ignore them. With fringe parties, they need to give them the consideration that they're due, based on the number of people voting for them.
This is currently unfeasible in the USA due to the number of laws and barriers put up against fringe parties from getting any traction at all. This is a great reference.
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Political_Reform/Third_Parties_America.html
How can they campaign openly on a level playing field if so many laws in the USA are passed to enforce 2-party-only rule. Laws passed to deliberately prevent third parties from even getting their names on the ballot. Also, laws preventing third parties from joining in any meaningful debates.
Sure in the USA people aren't killed or imprisoned. They're just quietly barred from participating by "republicans and democrats only" laws. They are muzzled very effectively in a country that pretends to respect free speech.
No seats. But 6.8% of the popular vote. Any centrist party strategist would do just about anything for a 6.8% edge on the competition. So the Green party actually had a measurable effect on the policies of the larger parties.
The effect of the Pirate Party is unknown yet. You say people won't be that interested in it. I would like to see that played out, because I'm not as sure as you seem to be. If enough people vote for them, even without winning a single seat, they will also have an effect.
I'm surprised you didn't know this, this is basic jr high Canadian social studies material.
How you ask? They steal votes from the mainstream parties. Even 2% of the vote freaks out the major players, as this can be the difference between winning and losing. They are watched with a very serious eye, because by adopting that policy into their own platform, a major party can definitely win seats. And when that happens, the fringe party wins. They don't even need to win a single seat to achieve their goals.
Take a look at your example, the Green party. At first nobody took them seriously. After a federal election, they didn't get many seats at all, but there was a decent percentage of the people who voted for them. Suddenly, the larger parties started falling over themselves to look more green... (Think of Dion's Green Shift plan..) I'm not sure how well they are executing their greenwashing of their own parties, but they wouldn't have even considered trying if 5-10% of Canadians didn't vote for the Green party.
Fringe parties are crucial to Canadian democracy. It's one of the main ways the people can force old crusty centrist parties to learn new tricks.
Also as a Canadian, i say you couldn't be more wrong. Having fringe parties and niche platforms is the kind of check and balance we need to keep the bigger parties from ignoring the issues. Otherwise we would end up with the disaster of the USA model, where both large parties can agree to ignore an issue, and then the people have no voice at all. If Canada lost it's niche parties, democracy in our country would be seriously harmed.
If that's your reasoning of why developers stopped making Amiga games, then why did the PC gaming industry which had identical problems, continue on to such great heights? Pardon me but I think you're making your facts up just to make a snappy comeback.
"if the people want to they can elect a reform candidate"
In most democratic countries, there are very healthy and active reform and fringe parties that regularly get a significant percentage of the popular vote. Where are these parties in the USA? News media don't even give them the time of day if they were to exist. It's not because nobody would vote for them... there are artificial barriers put up to creating any meaningful opposition to the existing two headed beast you call democracy. These barriers would be considered a horrible crime in any other democratic country, but for some reason USA'ers tolerate them, or rather, like the people of China, have no choice in the matter.
The main difference between USA and China is that the USA system is far better at managing it's people into thinking they are running the show. Look beyond the USA to see how democracy works.
Simple solution, administer enough alcohol to the scientists to synchronize the delay.
As a gas pump mechanic, I can say that most of those security features are just security theatre. Anyone with even 1 weeks apprentice knowledge of gas pumps can probably get into most pumps without notice, after hours or not.
Also, a safety vest, hard hat, clip board, fancy business card, and an attitude will get you everywhere. Hell you could probably get them to turn off all their security cameras for "testing" purposes too LOL.
Actually no, most gas pumps have more than one key. It doesn't help. See my above post.
As a gas pump mechanic, I can say that it's a battle just to get the owners to crack the pumps open once a month to check for fuel leaks and other safety issues.
As for keys, a dozen keys will open every pump on the continent. I've never come across a pump that needed a unique key. Heck most gas stations won't even put pad locks on their underground fuel tanks. This sometimes leads to confused seniors in RV's dumping their septic tanks down there, thinking it was a sewer line made for motor homes... I hate to say it but most people involved in the gas station industry are so dumb they need helmets.
I'm a gas pump mechanic, and I'm shocked it's not way more prevalent. A handful of keys anyone can buy from a petroleum maintenance supply store without any questions, will open every gas pump on the continent. And most employees at gas stations don't watch their videos continuously, some don't even have video surveillance. The parts inside are easy to swap, as they are very similar to the way a PC is set up, with ribbon cables, USB, etc. I found myself staring at the card reading gear and be amazed at how simple the gear really is, and how easy to swap.
Heck, the security is so poor on most pumps, that I could just crack a panel open a little, and with just a small pair of pliers and 15 seconds, make the pump give me a major discount on gas.
Gas pumps are almost entirely built on security by obscurity. I've only ever seen a handful of gas stations in my travels that have any kind of security system in place to detect if the panels have been opened.
That being said, I don't sweat about being ripped off at the pump, and I just go about my life worrying about much more important things.