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User: ctmurray

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  1. Re:Minnesota Values... on Minnesota Moving To Microsoft's Cloud · · Score: 2, Informative

    As a Minnesotan I too am dismayed that we would be leading this transition. No matter what the proposed savings might be, it will certainly cost money in the short term. We don't have any money, but a $4B hole in the budget to fill for the next biennium. Recently we had some flooding in the southern part of the state, and it looks like we will have to borrow money to cover any aide we might want to spend on this emergency. Let some other state be the guinea pigs and see if the savings pan out. By then the economy might recover and we can get competitive bids for the services offered. Like many fads in IT or business (anyone remember Six Sigma) it does not pay to be the first on your block adopting the fad.

  2. Search Google shipping container house on How To Build an Open Source House? · · Score: 1
  3. Re:report it to the fcc on Tracking Down Wi-Fi Interference? · · Score: 1

    Thanks for posting this link, actually answering the question asked and helping those of us with these frustrating wifi performance issues. Sorry I don't have any mod points. Also this model works with Macs if you use the Lite version of the software.

  4. Ad blocking on The Fastest ISPs In the US · · Score: 1

    I noticed that web pages were loading the info-line at the bottom of my browser was going out to an ad server. The page would not load hardly anything until the ad server finished. So I installed an ad blocker and the speed to load a page increased quite a bit. There are some web sites I support and I give them a pass and let their ads come through.

  5. Re:IE6 is NOT the most popular web browser... on The Man At Microsoft Charged With Destroying IE6 · · Score: 1

    Same with my company, all intranet web pages run IE6 great. Meanwhile if you surf outside the intranet, you have to use something else (google is now gagging at IE6 browsing). But there is a light at the end of the tunnel, we just started rolling out Win7. So maybe Win7 is the key to killing large bulk users of IE6.

  6. Re:Scope on US Supreme Court Upholds Indefinite Confinement · · Score: 1

    Later I was reading more on this and I did see that each state has its own rules. Some had multiple different levels of punishment based upon the age differences (someone posted here about NY state).

  7. Re:Scope on US Supreme Court Upholds Indefinite Confinement · · Score: 1

    In Minnesota we have civil commitment for sex offenders after they have served their time. In theory they can complete treatment but no one has ever been let out in 13 years . We have 149 people in our program. So they have not been denied due process, but in effect have received life sentences.

    Regarding the 18 yr old, it is not statutory rape if their age is withing 2 yrs of the younger person. So boyfriend/girlfriends don't get charged with rape all the time. Of course if there is forcible rape this does not apply. But it makes the assumption an underage person can "consent" to sex with their boyfriend/girlfriend. Had to look this up regarding a niece running away from home with her boyfriend (so only may apply to Wisconsin law in the 1990's).

  8. Re:Fanny Pack on How Do You Handle Your Keys? · · Score: 1

    I do wear my wallet in the front pocket (from years ago where I read it is harder to pickpocket from the front) but all keys and everything else in the fanny pack.

  9. Re:Fanny Pack on How Do You Handle Your Keys? · · Score: 1

    I am glad someone else was willing to expose themselves to ridicule. I also use a fanny pack, but it must be smaller than the one above. No room for a Glock in mine.

  10. McDonalds already holds the patent... on Hot Aisle Or Cold Aisle For Containment? · · Score: 3, Funny
  11. Dont forget Mr Rogers role on Retiring Justice John Paul Stevens's Impact On IP Law · · Score: 1

    Mr Roger's testimony also helped Stevens writer the majority opinion about Video Taping : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Rogers#Mister_Rogers_and_the_VCR

  12. Re:Get a real life tutor on Help Me Get My Math Back? · · Score: 1

    I concur. Through high school I missed out on Geometry. When I got to college and started Calculus the prof asked if anyone had not had Geometry and Trigonometry, so I raised my hand. He tutored me for a few hours and I was good to go. Much of geometry and trig is taking the time to prove the various relationships. I just had to accept that they were correct, never went through the pain of the proof process. One could argue that I missed something valuable, but it has never come up in 30 yrs of working as a scientist.

    I attended a small liberal arts college and the professors were all about teaching. My prof was a very good teacher, so that may account for his skill in getting me up to speed. So try to seek out the best teachers (small colleges, maybe community colleges) and pay for a tutor, these profs can always use the cash.

    I agree with an earlier post that I have used calculus rarely (and just went to the book to look up the integration/ differentiation rules). On the other hand in the last 10 years the use of statistics has really jumped in industry (I am a chemist/mauf engineer not a programmer) with Six Sigma and the like. So again you don't need to learn all the proofs behind the statistics, but you need to know how to run software for analyzing the data and what the results mean. How to run a DOE, how to plot an M&IR, how to use ANOVA to prove that a statistically significant exists/doesn't exist with data sets.

    Your mileage may vary, since you might be in a vastly different arena. And of course there is the internet and various web sites where you could get help if you get in too deeply.

  13. Re:All Thanks to Apple on Amazon Caves To Publishers On eBook Pricing · · Score: 1

    Blame the publishers for hanging onto their "agency" model (where publishers set the prices and the ibookstore is just the agency). The Amazon model will eventually win out, but the publishers have to go through their death throws.

    In the mean time, look at the indie authors on Kindle. They set their own prices. There are some very good books and authors out there. The Amazon book review and rating method helps you find good quality books. You are no longer beholden to some publisher's decision about what is good writing. It is truly liberating.

  14. They had to go and name it Enterprise... on First Flight For SpaceShipTwo · · Score: 4, Funny

    It is like one of those time travel conundrums - did we name it Enterprise because we saw the future, or was the future influenced by what we named it here in the present?

  15. Two weeks of six sigma classes... on Science and the Shortcomings of Statistics · · Score: 2, Funny

    Our company six sigma training included two weeks of collecting and analyzing data with a stats package. I got enough experience to even train me how to use the program. I can still do a few things that come up regularly. Probably the best thing to come out of six sigma (for me at least).

  16. Re:In before... on Astronauts Having Trouble With Tranquility Module · · Score: 1

    Are you trying to get to Kelvin to double the temperature of water? Water boils at 373 Kelvin x 2 = 746 K

  17. What it would take at my employer... on Why Apple Doesn't Market Squarely To Businesses · · Score: 1

    I would love to replace my POS HP cheap as dirt laptop with my sweet MB Pro. I would even furnish the computer myself, so they would save the $1000 on the laptop. And in fact there is a few brave souls using Macs, some of them even dual booting when required (see below). I am seriously considering joining them when my lease is next up. I have seen the next generation laptops that are coming in to the corporation and the machine is not faster and has an annoying refresh entire screen every 30 seconds.

    This company is standardized on XP and explorer 6 with Lotus Notes. We are in a "tight controlled" network. You get software patches 3x week and you have to accept. We have virus software that prevents us from using our science instruments any more without an IT intervention. The computer takes 8 minutes to boot up and 5 minutes to shut down. All internal "paperwork" requires IE6, not even Firefox allowed. Telcons require you "see" the screen of others, requiring IE6... you get the picture. We are considering Win7 (never got to Vista, in fact we removed the preloaded Vista and put on XP) but will still need a year to work on the bugs.

    If the lack of IE6 was not enough there are some specialized software that is not on the Mac. This is where dual booting would work, but I would have to become the dual boot expert, don't expect any help. Lotus updates Notes on the Mac so slowly that there would be periods of goofiness during the lag time. Also, they like the straight jacket they can put on our computers, I wonder if the Mac and even be constrained in a similar manner?

    In their minds this is the cheapest solution, maybe so as they would screw up a Mac installation as they have screwed up the XP computers . It would require switching completely to Mac to regain the comfort level. But that seems unlikely. But then h-e-l-l is close to freezing over outside.

  18. Re:Pulse Pen on Pen Still Mightier Than the Laptop For Notetaking? · · Score: 1

    I am interested in your experience using the Smartpen. Do you have time to go back and review your notes or listen to the audio? Do you transfer the notes to PDF and file the documents in your normal folders on your computer? Seems like a good product. In grad school we took notes in class and then re-wrote them into another notebook. We consulted with classmates in case our notes were vague or missing. We then used our condensed notes to study for the qualifying exams. But that took a great deal of time and had very high value, so we put in the time. At work I might not have too much "review time" but it would be nice to have my notes somewhere in one place that I can search upon. Currently handwritten notes go into folders, but you have to remember which folder you might have stored the note. If I write clearly enough it sounds like you can search entire notebooks.

  19. Well written analysis of this issue on Authors' Amazon Awareness · · Score: 1

    My wife is an indie author and has been following this debate. She found a really good description of what is going on here . A basic conflict between Amazon's business model vs the book publisher's legacy business model.

  20. Re:and it's safer on carry-on bags? on New Rules May Raise Cost of Buying Gadgets Online · · Score: 1

    Interesting video but how often do you get to have an open flame of methanol to heat your laptop on a plane?

    The more likely problem is with overcharging Li ion batteries (another post had a link to a battery being charged at LAX and catching fire).Newer battery technology has a inherent property preventing overcharging caused failures.

  21. Re:Safety Critical on Toyota Pedal Issue Highlights Move To Electronics · · Score: 1

    Found the link!

    Consumer Reports shows the issue with pumping brakes when the car is running out of control. And the fact you need to press the power button for 3 seconds on the Toyota. Also how other cars like a VW do put some logic in the system so that if the car brakes are favored over the engine.

  22. Re:Safety Critical on Toyota Pedal Issue Highlights Move To Electronics · · Score: 1

    In the demo the engine was not off, but rather the driver had their foot on the gas mashed to the floor AND braking. They demonstrated that pumping the brakes was the incorrect method but full applied pressure worked. You are correct they were saying this pumping was wrong for all modern cars with ABS. Just that us old farts had been drilled on pumping the brakes. I keep looking for the link, but am having problems finding it again.

  23. Re:Safety Critical on Toyota Pedal Issue Highlights Move To Electronics · · Score: 2, Informative

    Actually when the car is not moving a quick touch of the button does turn off the car. But when it is moving, then you need 3 seconds. My 2006 and 2010 Prii both turn of instantly when I am stopped.

  24. Re:Safety Critical on Toyota Pedal Issue Highlights Move To Electronics · · Score: 2, Informative

    I found a reference for the time delay:

    USA Today

    It came up on Prius discussion chat boards early on

  25. Re:Safety Critical on Toyota Pedal Issue Highlights Move To Electronics · · Score: 3, Informative

    When this first broke there was a video going around that showed the brakes could fade, in particular if you pumped the brakes (like we were taught years ago). They demonstrated on a Toyota.