Section 116 of the constitution guarantees freedom of religion, and in theory might provide a defence if the nurse argued that their opposition to vaccination was based on religion.
However, it becomes murky in healthcare. For example, in some states, doctors objecting to abortion are legally required to refer patients on to specialists that offer terminations, but those laws are contentious.
Not that I am in love with Microsoft, but Excel has added quite a few "minor" functions since 2000 that dramatically increase usability.
For example, Excel 2007 introduced filtering and sorting by colors. And formats. Coupled with the existing conditional formatting, it significantly improved the ability of the software to sort based on any criteria, without using extra columns.
Going back a bit further, a key feature introduced in Excel 2003 was the ability to import xml datasets, and to set up templates quite easily which automatically imported data from xml files into preset columns. This can be done using macros, sure, but it's a lot easier to use the built in functionality.
Without disagreeing with you, the point I was trying to make was that SIS or safety systems are hard wired and so are not physically capable of being connected to the internet, but (at least on the plants I've worked on) DCS data is available remotely via the company VPN. It is always possible to do financial damage by entering incorrect DCS setpoints, but it shouldn't be possible to compromise the plant safety (in a perfect world, anyway).
Obviously, my experience is in refining and chemicals, not nuclear, so the way control rooms are managed is probably different. I also suspect there is a difference in terminology, as I wouldn't class someone without a four year degree an engineer, but that's another discussion entirely.
There's a lot of misconceptions on slashdot about how these "critical infrastructure" plants actually run. I've spent a lot of time working in chemical plants, and these plants are heavily instrumented, with all parameters recorded. These are accessible in real time to the plant engineers, who typically don't sit in the control room, and often aren't in the same state (there's a very limited pool of people available who are "experts" at some of these processes, and when a serious problem occurs companies want the best person to look at the data ASAP).
The guys who sit in the control room are not engineers. They're plant operators, and their job is to keep the plant running as smoothly as possible, and escalate the issue to an engineer if there's a non-standard problem. Most plants these days are so heavily automated that for normal, stable operation only two operators are required on site per say $100 million of plant (as a guesstimate - more during the day when scheduled maintenance is occurring).
The engineers at these sites are actually classed as management. That's because they have ultimate responsibility for the plant when problems happen, although they don't control the day to day operation of the site. Most of an engineer's day on a chemical plant should be spent looking at whether the plant is configured optimally, and trying to troubleshoot longer term problems which require a more theoretical viewpoint. However, they do have to get out of bed at three in the morning if something's gone wrong. They also have to manage the operators, and have a promotion path to "real" management - refinery managers (for example) are usually engineers.
However, what the article totally missed is that these sites already have two layers of control system - the Distributed Control System (DCS), and the Safety Instrumented System (SIS). The wikipedia contains a lot more detail, but essentially these SIS's are hard wired systems that aren't programmable at all, so they are intrinsically resistant to an internet or software based attack. However, they're very expensive (every trip needs to be built as a dedicated circuit), so these systems are only used to ensure that the plant fails in a safe manner, not continued operation. Priority is given to safety of people in the vicinity over integrity of the plant equipment - these systems wouldn't typically be used a stop a pump or centrifuge (for example) from running too fast, unless that could cause some consequential (human) damage.
Finally, an analog system would be a big step backwards from a safety viewpoint because it wouldn't allow the plants to automatically shut down safely when a problem occurs. Plant shutdowns are typically a multiple step process, and in a refinery (for example), large quantities of high temperature, high pressure flammable gases need to be disposed of, which would simply not be possible to safely "program" in an analog environment. Before digital systems came along, plant trips were "all hands on deck" incidents, with operators frantically adjusting adjusting setpoints on dials to bring the plants down. Of course, the risk of operator error was high, so automated shutdowns were a big step forwards in plant safety.
I have the same qualifications. The B.Sc. means Bachelor of Science, and the B.E. is a separate degree, a Bachelor of Engineering. In my case, my science degree major was in pharmacology, whereas my engineering degree was in chemical engineering.
Out of curiosity, what sort of arrogance make you think that you know the GP's qualifications better than (s)he does? Just because certain qualifications might not be possible in the US system doesn't mean that they don't occur elsewhere.
Ammonium nitrate is initially produced as an aqueous solution, and the water is then boiled off using carefully designed heat exchangers.
The problem is that the resulting pure AN liquid will freeze if the temperature drops below ~170C but it decomposes increasing rapidly once the temperature rises above 200C, lower if the pH is too high or sensitising agents such as chlorides (salt) or oils are present. Decomposition can result in detonation when the AN is confined, and it's a significant hazard concern when designing or operating an ammonium nitrate plant or even just a large storage facility.
Definitely not for modern motorcycles - left is always clutch and right is (front) brake. There are some obscure exceptions, such as some prewar bikes.
That level of service is normal on long haul flights, even in business. I have to travel between Australia and Europe regularly, and the attendant always memorises my name, takes my order at the start of the flight and ensures that my drink is topped up until I say stop.
Flying with Qatar it's even possible to make the whole journey without seeing an economy class passenger.
Diesel has a higher energy density and is cheaper to produce on a total life cycle cost basis (it requires less treatment to get high quality diesel).
However, those costs include construction of the refinery. Once the units are built to crack the crude and achieve today's relatively high octane ratings, the CAPEX is spent and profit is maximized by selling as much product as possible. The balance between diesel and gasoline is determined during design of the refinery, by selection of catalysts and treatment technologies.
Until a few years ago, gasoline was expected to be the dominant fuel in passenger vehicles for the US. Therefore, billions of dollars have been invested in upgrading refineries to maximize gasoline production.
It will take years to modify the US refineries to significantly reweight their product mix towards diesel. Some minor changes can be achieved by modifying process parameters like reactor operating pressures and temperatures, but these have most likely already been done as the popularity of diesel passenger cars has increased.
The figure is relative to the overall salary they would get if they'd started working straight after finishing high school. That means that the difference reduces to about $50,000 per year, and the high school graduate has a 4-5 year head start (I'm not sure how long a engineering degree takes in the states).
Also, the short version of the article didn't state whether it is before tax income or after tax income. I know that income tax rates are lower in the US, but at higher income levels the higher tax brackets take a considerable portion of an individual's take-home pay.
Wouldn't it be in the best interest of the Saudi's to give the opposite impression (IE, tell everyone there's lower supply than there really is to hike up prices)?
No.
OPEC sets a total production quota, with the goal of maximising production without depressing prices. The overall quota then gets divided up between the individual member states, based on the size of their reserves. This has led to a situation where it is advantageous for countries to overstate their reserves, as that allows them to increase production (and profits) without a corresponding decrease in the oil price.
As this has been going on for a few decades, we've now got to a point where it is impossible to say even approximately how large the reserves of the OPEC countries are.
How on Earth would this deal go down any differently for Timex watches made in China sold in CostCo? Are you telling me that CostCo was making money by purchasing Omega watches at MSRP in Switzerland and then reselling them below MSRP in the United States? I'm not an economist but something sounds really strange in that case. This is what the SCOTUS Blog said:
That's perfectly normal in Australia. For specialty items (such as watches or cameras), US MSRP is often less than half of the Australian price (in US dollars). As we're talking high markup, low manufacturing cost (relative to purchase price) goods, it's to be expected that the manufacturers will try to optimise pricing for each local market to maximise profit.
If you're a process (chemical), reservoir or mechanical engineer and have 10+ years experience, you'll earn almost double that is lovely locations like Baghdad, Basra, Port Harcourt and Lagos.
To be honest, you can earn 200k working as an engineer almost anywhere in the developing world provided you go there on an expatriate package. A lucky few get sent to first world locations on this type of arrangement, but they don't end up with as much money to take home and the end of their assignment (higher costs of living).
The only pitfall is that you may end up with some very complicated tax arrangements when you get back home, depending on the tax laws of your home country. It is common for expatriate staff to be paid in a third low tax country, and then the challenge is getting the money back to your future home.
Hasselblad recently brought out a digital camera back for their old film cameras, which is compatible with all their V-system cameras, which they made from 1957. They include software which corrects for lens errors for every lens they've ever made.
Whilst I understand your point, your solution is based on the premise that intelligence is innate and heritable. Although this may be partly true, there is considerable evidence that intelligence can be acquired by the correct type of mental training - directing children early into certain schools and therefore certain career paths ignores the brain's ability to change itself. If the brain is truely neuroplastic, categorisation then becomes based on which students have trained their brains better for the tests - or, more likely, which parents have had their kids tutored for the tests.
Where I live, it is common for children under eight to be taken to after school tuition sessions run by private companies - which means categorising students based on test results is as much a test of their parents' desire for their child to do well academically as it is a measure of their actual ability. This will entrench the class system further, rather than allowing brighter than average underpriviledged kids to do well. I admit that the outcome would be considerably better for a genius from an underpriviledged neighbourhood, but a public education system should be designed to benefit the majority of students, rather than the one in a million.
Diverting students to selective schools will also increase the consequences of external factors which cause children to underperform at school, such as divorce, poverty and plain lack of sleep. These effects will be more obvious in younger children - although a seventeen year old may have the mental discipline to study despite the situation at home, a stable home environment is a prerequisite for a thirteen year old trying to do homework. As a stable home environment is more likely in a middle class household than in a poor one, lower class kids will be diverted away from the academic schools towards ones with designed to develop them for roles "appropriate" for them as people of "normal intellectual means".
It also fails to account for differences due to age; children in a year level can vary in age by at least a year (depending on local rules), as children born early in the year are advantaged. Differences are most pronounced at puberty, so categorising adolescents and diverting them to different schools at this time will penalise and reward individuals on an essentially arbitary criteria.
I agree with your broader social point however - people should not have to be exceptionally mentally talented in order to lead a dignified life.
As a disclaimer: I have never been to the USA, and do not have first hand experience with its public schools. Ironically, I first went to the Australian equivalent of an Ivy League school before transferring into a selective entry government run school (I suppose you could call it a "gifted" school), so my experience at school resembles what a bright student would experience under your proposed system. In that system, certain schools are renowned for teaching students to maximise their scores in the final exams, instead of teaching them to understand and learn - so if a student wants to go to university, high school is as much about playing the system as it is about ability and learning. This shows up at university; large numbers of students struggle and drop out in first year because the emphasis is on understanding rather than regurgitating pre-prepared essays.
In Victoria, where I live, there is an "Office of Police Integrity", which is led by a former judge: OPI. Police behaviour in Australia isn't perfect, but it seems to be a lot better than in other places.
Also in the news today was an incident where the federal police were warned by a judge that they could face charges for drawing guns when arresting a man alleged to be donating money to terrorist causes - see the Age's article. I can't imagine that happening in the US, or even the UK for that matter.
You seem to have fallen into the trap of thinking that because cops are a law unto themselves where you live, that's what the police are like everywhere.
In the UK, being an "average UK girl" means all your ancestors are probably from the same area. In the US, even if only the white population is considered, many people have ancestors from multiple countries.
From a scientific viewpoint, attractiveness is correlated with fertility and health. As inherently multicultural societies will tend to have more healthy and fertile people due to hybrid vigour, a more multicultural society (in this case the U.S.) will be more attractive on average.
P.S. I'm not going to let my girlfriend see this post - she's from the U.K.
Slashdot Mirror
Section 116 of the constitution guarantees freedom of religion, and in theory might provide a defence if the nurse argued that their opposition to vaccination was based on religion. However, it becomes murky in healthcare. For example, in some states, doctors objecting to abortion are legally required to refer patients on to specialists that offer terminations, but those laws are contentious.
Nurses have to complete a three year university degree in Australia.
Not that I am in love with Microsoft, but Excel has added quite a few "minor" functions since 2000 that dramatically increase usability.
For example, Excel 2007 introduced filtering and sorting by colors. And formats. Coupled with the existing conditional formatting, it significantly improved the ability of the software to sort based on any criteria, without using extra columns.
Going back a bit further, a key feature introduced in Excel 2003 was the ability to import xml datasets, and to set up templates quite easily which automatically imported data from xml files into preset columns. This can be done using macros, sure, but it's a lot easier to use the built in functionality.
Without disagreeing with you, the point I was trying to make was that SIS or safety systems are hard wired and so are not physically capable of being connected to the internet, but (at least on the plants I've worked on) DCS data is available remotely via the company VPN. It is always possible to do financial damage by entering incorrect DCS setpoints, but it shouldn't be possible to compromise the plant safety (in a perfect world, anyway).
Obviously, my experience is in refining and chemicals, not nuclear, so the way control rooms are managed is probably different. I also suspect there is a difference in terminology, as I wouldn't class someone without a four year degree an engineer, but that's another discussion entirely.
There's a lot of misconceptions on slashdot about how these "critical infrastructure" plants actually run. I've spent a lot of time working in chemical plants, and these plants are heavily instrumented, with all parameters recorded. These are accessible in real time to the plant engineers, who typically don't sit in the control room, and often aren't in the same state (there's a very limited pool of people available who are "experts" at some of these processes, and when a serious problem occurs companies want the best person to look at the data ASAP).
The guys who sit in the control room are not engineers. They're plant operators, and their job is to keep the plant running as smoothly as possible, and escalate the issue to an engineer if there's a non-standard problem. Most plants these days are so heavily automated that for normal, stable operation only two operators are required on site per say $100 million of plant (as a guesstimate - more during the day when scheduled maintenance is occurring).
The engineers at these sites are actually classed as management. That's because they have ultimate responsibility for the plant when problems happen, although they don't control the day to day operation of the site. Most of an engineer's day on a chemical plant should be spent looking at whether the plant is configured optimally, and trying to troubleshoot longer term problems which require a more theoretical viewpoint. However, they do have to get out of bed at three in the morning if something's gone wrong. They also have to manage the operators, and have a promotion path to "real" management - refinery managers (for example) are usually engineers.
However, what the article totally missed is that these sites already have two layers of control system - the Distributed Control System (DCS), and the Safety Instrumented System (SIS). The wikipedia contains a lot more detail, but essentially these SIS's are hard wired systems that aren't programmable at all, so they are intrinsically resistant to an internet or software based attack. However, they're very expensive (every trip needs to be built as a dedicated circuit), so these systems are only used to ensure that the plant fails in a safe manner, not continued operation. Priority is given to safety of people in the vicinity over integrity of the plant equipment - these systems wouldn't typically be used a stop a pump or centrifuge (for example) from running too fast, unless that could cause some consequential (human) damage.
Finally, an analog system would be a big step backwards from a safety viewpoint because it wouldn't allow the plants to automatically shut down safely when a problem occurs. Plant shutdowns are typically a multiple step process, and in a refinery (for example), large quantities of high temperature, high pressure flammable gases need to be disposed of, which would simply not be possible to safely "program" in an analog environment. Before digital systems came along, plant trips were "all hands on deck" incidents, with operators frantically adjusting adjusting setpoints on dials to bring the plants down. Of course, the risk of operator error was high, so automated shutdowns were a big step forwards in plant safety.
It's digital. It's either melted, or it's not.
I have the same qualifications. The B.Sc. means Bachelor of Science, and the B.E. is a separate degree, a Bachelor of Engineering. In my case, my science degree major was in pharmacology, whereas my engineering degree was in chemical engineering.
Out of curiosity, what sort of arrogance make you think that you know the GP's qualifications better than (s)he does? Just because certain qualifications might not be possible in the US system doesn't mean that they don't occur elsewhere.
Relocate a plant because houses were built nearby? It would be far cheaper to relocate all the houses.
Ammonium nitrate is initially produced as an aqueous solution, and the water is then boiled off using carefully designed heat exchangers. The problem is that the resulting pure AN liquid will freeze if the temperature drops below ~170C but it decomposes increasing rapidly once the temperature rises above 200C, lower if the pH is too high or sensitising agents such as chlorides (salt) or oils are present. Decomposition can result in detonation when the AN is confined, and it's a significant hazard concern when designing or operating an ammonium nitrate plant or even just a large storage facility.
I think you may have misread; left hand clutch is still standard. Foot pedals have moved from side to side over the years though.
Definitely not for modern motorcycles - left is always clutch and right is (front) brake. There are some obscure exceptions, such as some prewar bikes.
Now we can be at war with Eastasia and allied to Eastasia at the same time!
That level of service is normal on long haul flights, even in business. I have to travel between Australia and Europe regularly, and the attendant always memorises my name, takes my order at the start of the flight and ensures that my drink is topped up until I say stop.
Flying with Qatar it's even possible to make the whole journey without seeing an economy class passenger.
Diesel has a higher energy density and is cheaper to produce on a total life cycle cost basis (it requires less treatment to get high quality diesel).
However, those costs include construction of the refinery. Once the units are built to crack the crude and achieve today's relatively high octane ratings, the CAPEX is spent and profit is maximized by selling as much product as possible. The balance between diesel and gasoline is determined during design of the refinery, by selection of catalysts and treatment technologies.
Until a few years ago, gasoline was expected to be the dominant fuel in passenger vehicles for the US. Therefore, billions of dollars have been invested in upgrading refineries to maximize gasoline production.
It will take years to modify the US refineries to significantly reweight their product mix towards diesel. Some minor changes can be achieved by modifying process parameters like reactor operating pressures and temperatures, but these have most likely already been done as the popularity of diesel passenger cars has increased.
A good engineer makes that in under 10 years.
The figure is relative to the overall salary they would get if they'd started working straight after finishing high school. That means that the difference reduces to about $50,000 per year, and the high school graduate has a 4-5 year head start (I'm not sure how long a engineering degree takes in the states).
Also, the short version of the article didn't state whether it is before tax income or after tax income. I know that income tax rates are lower in the US, but at higher income levels the higher tax brackets take a considerable portion of an individual's take-home pay.
Wouldn't it be in the best interest of the Saudi's to give the opposite impression (IE, tell everyone there's lower supply than there really is to hike up prices)?
No.
OPEC sets a total production quota, with the goal of maximising production without depressing prices. The overall quota then gets divided up between the individual member states, based on the size of their reserves. This has led to a situation where it is advantageous for countries to overstate their reserves, as that allows them to increase production (and profits) without a corresponding decrease in the oil price.
As this has been going on for a few decades, we've now got to a point where it is impossible to say even approximately how large the reserves of the OPEC countries are.
How on Earth would this deal go down any differently for Timex watches made in China sold in CostCo? Are you telling me that CostCo was making money by purchasing Omega watches at MSRP in Switzerland and then reselling them below MSRP in the United States? I'm not an economist but something sounds really strange in that case. This is what the SCOTUS Blog said:
That's perfectly normal in Australia. For specialty items (such as watches or cameras), US MSRP is often less than half of the Australian price (in US dollars). As we're talking high markup, low manufacturing cost (relative to purchase price) goods, it's to be expected that the manufacturers will try to optimise pricing for each local market to maximise profit.
Exactly. You can't wear a burqa in public, but in your own home? Absolutely.
Fines will be sent out as soon as they identify the culprits.
If you're a process (chemical), reservoir or mechanical engineer and have 10+ years experience, you'll earn almost double that is lovely locations like Baghdad, Basra, Port Harcourt and Lagos.
To be honest, you can earn 200k working as an engineer almost anywhere in the developing world provided you go there on an expatriate package. A lucky few get sent to first world locations on this type of arrangement, but they don't end up with as much money to take home and the end of their assignment (higher costs of living).
The only pitfall is that you may end up with some very complicated tax arrangements when you get back home, depending on the tax laws of your home country. It is common for expatriate staff to be paid in a third low tax country, and then the challenge is getting the money back to your future home.
Hasselblad recently brought out a digital camera back for their old film cameras, which is compatible with all their V-system cameras, which they made from 1957. They include software which corrects for lens errors for every lens they've ever made.
Well, if you get a lot of earthquakes, you don't end up with many buildings that can't survive them, do you. One way or another.
There's two theories as to why:
Whilst I understand your point, your solution is based on the premise that intelligence is innate and heritable. Although this may be partly true, there is considerable evidence that intelligence can be acquired by the correct type of mental training - directing children early into certain schools and therefore certain career paths ignores the brain's ability to change itself. If the brain is truely neuroplastic, categorisation then becomes based on which students have trained their brains better for the tests - or, more likely, which parents have had their kids tutored for the tests.
Where I live, it is common for children under eight to be taken to after school tuition sessions run by private companies - which means categorising students based on test results is as much a test of their parents' desire for their child to do well academically as it is a measure of their actual ability. This will entrench the class system further, rather than allowing brighter than average underpriviledged kids to do well. I admit that the outcome would be considerably better for a genius from an underpriviledged neighbourhood, but a public education system should be designed to benefit the majority of students, rather than the one in a million.
Diverting students to selective schools will also increase the consequences of external factors which cause children to underperform at school, such as divorce, poverty and plain lack of sleep. These effects will be more obvious in younger children - although a seventeen year old may have the mental discipline to study despite the situation at home, a stable home environment is a prerequisite for a thirteen year old trying to do homework. As a stable home environment is more likely in a middle class household than in a poor one, lower class kids will be diverted away from the academic schools towards ones with designed to develop them for roles "appropriate" for them as people of "normal intellectual means".
It also fails to account for differences due to age; children in a year level can vary in age by at least a year (depending on local rules), as children born early in the year are advantaged. Differences are most pronounced at puberty, so categorising adolescents and diverting them to different schools at this time will penalise and reward individuals on an essentially arbitary criteria.
I agree with your broader social point however - people should not have to be exceptionally mentally talented in order to lead a dignified life.
As a disclaimer: I have never been to the USA, and do not have first hand experience with its public schools. Ironically, I first went to the Australian equivalent of an Ivy League school before transferring into a selective entry government run school (I suppose you could call it a "gifted" school), so my experience at school resembles what a bright student would experience under your proposed system. In that system, certain schools are renowned for teaching students to maximise their scores in the final exams, instead of teaching them to understand and learn - so if a student wants to go to university, high school is as much about playing the system as it is about ability and learning. This shows up at university; large numbers of students struggle and drop out in first year because the emphasis is on understanding rather than regurgitating pre-prepared essays.
Original text: "Bjork Bjork Bjork."
Are you sure you don't mean "Björk Björk Björk"?
Australia.
In Victoria, where I live, there is an "Office of Police Integrity", which is led by a former judge: OPI. Police behaviour in Australia isn't perfect, but it seems to be a lot better than in other places.
Also in the news today was an incident where the federal police were warned by a judge that they could face charges for drawing guns when arresting a man alleged to be donating money to terrorist causes - see the Age's article. I can't imagine that happening in the US, or even the UK for that matter.
You seem to have fallen into the trap of thinking that because cops are a law unto themselves where you live, that's what the police are like everywhere.
In the UK, being an "average UK girl" means all your ancestors are probably from the same area. In the US, even if only the white population is considered, many people have ancestors from multiple countries.
From a scientific viewpoint, attractiveness is correlated with fertility and health. As inherently multicultural societies will tend to have more healthy and fertile people due to hybrid vigour, a more multicultural society (in this case the U.S.) will be more attractive on average.
P.S. I'm not going to let my girlfriend see this post - she's from the U.K.