Of all the problems with this stupid article -- the assumption that smart = physically unattractive, the asinine examples of "nerdy" men, the blatant contention that women are gold-diggers -- the one that bit me the most was the complete neglect of the nerdy female. Of course, that's probably because there aren't many examples of fabulous famous men dating girl programmers or bookworms. Yes, let's all ignore data that doesn't fit in with our predetermined paradigm. It's called "journalism."
I'm going to go out on a limb, without any examples of famous studmuffins dating geeky girls (le gasp!) and say that geeky girls make better lovers, too. After all, those mad phat research skillz come in handy for things like looking up the proper knotting techniques for Japanese rope bondage. Just ask my husband; he's well-versed in the perks of hooking up with a nerdy girl.
I just don't think that it's healthy for people to deny that they've been traumatized, hurt, and frightened by what's happened to us all. Just going on with regular life after something like this isn't just unhealthy, though; I personally think that it's disrespectful. The Israeli government made today and tomorrow national days of mourning, and there will be no weddings, bar mitzvahs, bat mitzvahs, etc. during this time. I think that's a proper way to deal with this. We need to admit that we're sad, angry, frightened, etc. That's okay. That's a normal human reaction. That doesn't make the terrorists more powerful. It just makes us human. Acting like nothing happened and going on with normal life so quickly, however, isn't pride; it's denial. We in Oklahoma dealt with our tragedy by acknowledging our fear and anger. We mourned for our dead in our own "saccharine" ways, and we maintained pride in our city. Maybe you need to listen to someone who's been through this before, instead of criticizing us so quickly. And regardless of what the thread was about, the post to which I responded did bring out an OKC-NYC comparison, so I feel that my response was justified.
This isn't a contest. There's no NYC-OKC rivalry going on here. For crying out loud, people, are you suggesting that we Oklahomans are wimps because we were SAD when our FRIENDS and FAMILY DIED? Screw you. I knew people who died in the Murrah Building. I don't know anyone who died in yesterday's attacks, but that doesn't mean that I have no sympathy for their friends and families. It hurts when people you know die. It hurts when your security is shaken. Don't get caught up in this kind of tough-guy bullsh-t.
In case you haven't heard, the woman did not have Ebola. It looks to be a simple case of malaria combined with a hemorrhagic fever. You can read the story for yourself here.
First of all, don't get me wrong. I'm all for personal responsibility. However, I find this comment to be insensitive and offensive. It seems to be the trend these days for Westerners to blame Africa for all of Africa's problems. Genocide in Rwanda? Oh, that's just some tribes killing each other like they've always done; there's nothing we can do to stop it (nevermind the fact that there were no problems between Hutus and Tutsis until 1959.) Corruption in government? Oh, that's just the way Africans are (nevermind the fact that Western governments set up the dictators.) You want the truth? Don't listen to the AP or Reuters, or even the UN. Read the book We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families for an example of just how wrong the West is about Africa. If Africa is as corrupt, backwards, and uncivilized as you think it is, how on earth could you possibly know for sure that the "majority of people in Africa" with AIDS refuse treatment? Do you think they conduct organized, scientific surveys there? It's time we in the West took some responsibility of our own for what we've done to Africa, and put humanitarian needs before financial ones.
I don't think it's as ridiculous as it sounds. Even with a surface temperature of 870 degrees Fahrenheit and an atmospheric pressure of 90 atm, life might possibly have existed if there was water. After all, there are organisms that thrive in geothermal vents here on earth, where tempreratures can exceed 1000 degrees Fahrenheit under the pressure of 2.5 km of water. Of course, the water would probably have to be in liquid form on the planet's surface, and there might be other factors (unbeknownst to me) that would prevent the formation of life on Venus. But we sci-fi fans can dream, can't we? Has anyone heard any speculation about life in Venus in relation to this recent discovery? Does anyone else have any thoughts on the matter?
...is one giant leap for space travel. This is an example of the type of technology we'll need if we ever want to go to Mars, let alone further. One of the major considerations for space travel is the health factor. If an astronaut breaks her leg or suffers a coronary, she'll need medical attention. If we could develop a faster means of communication through space, one of these remote-controlled surgeons could be the solution. That way, instead of just having one flight doctor, the astronauts could receive medical help from a conglomerate of surgeons and specialists. "Johns Hopkins, we have a problem..."
a pretty large part of the story is based upon the Good Guys STEALING
The only people who ever accuse the "good guys" of stealing are the "bad guys" - Gollum/Smeagol, for instance. Remember that the Ring seemed to have a will of its own, going where and to whom it chose.
Then what about all the bloodshed and killing
Remember where the Ten Commandments come from? Yeah, it's that really bloody part of the Bible known to some of us as "The Old Testament". Really, it should be translated "you shall not murder," because God obviously sanctioned killing during wars.
Really, the main characters in LOTR are quite virtuous by anyone's standards. Sam is the only person in the group who really wants Smeagol dead, and even he doesn't have the heart to kill him, although he "deserved" it. Gandalf refuses to take the Ring for himself, even as a freely given gift. Aragorn won't even marry Arwen without her father's consent. And as for killing, come on now, who among you wouldn't stick a dagger in the throat of a blood-crazed orc?
Fiction is a good way to get interested in science, but it doesn't always work well as a practical teaching method. What science there was in Jurassic Park was mostly contained in the introduction, and even then, it didn't teach us how to care for an embryo, run a PCR machine, or even use a pipetman. You couldn't clone E. coli with the information in that book.
Science fiction works better - I've picked up quite a bit of physics from Niven's stuff. However, I don't know how you'd incorporate an OS into science fiction and make it interesting. Maybe I just haven't thought it through well enough.
I've searched high and low for good computer books aimed at the newbie, and mostly I've been very disappointed. In order to use most O'Reilly books, you have to have some background in programming, or you have to have had your hands deep into the OS you're working with. The "For Dummies" series, on the other hand, is poorly organized IMHO. Most newbies aren't looking for instruction in how to administer a network or run a server. Most of us just want to be able to run the OS or program on our desktops at home. You could divide topics up into Things That Readers Want to Do and Suggestions for Readers Who Don't Know Where to Start. "Installing Unix", "Basic Commands", and "Common Setbacks" would be a good place to start.
If you really want to use a fictional format, I guess you could start out with Sally, who has little computer experience, works as a secretary, and wants to get a good job so she can leave her no-good two-timin' wife-beatin' husband. So she decides to learn how to use Unix on her Pentium II at home. Readers could go through the basic introduction with her, encounter problems with her, and share in her discoveries. Hell, you can even address security issues when she wants to make sure her husband can't hack into her box. At least it would be more interesting to newbies than most man pages, and they wouldn't feel stupid.
This is interesting in light of an article published on The Motley Fool on Monday. They predicted that Wind River would be the winner over Linux in the embedded systems market. Their reasons? Apparently, the nature of open source is one problem; another one they cited is the "lack of real-time capabilities"in Linux (and I thought these guys did their research!!!) MS is a loser from the get-go, apparently because it takes 18 months to fix anything.
When my sister was diagnosed with Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome, a learning disability in which people have trouble seeing printed or written words, she was outfitted with a pair of specially colored glasses and colored overlays that she put over paper. Her doctor told us that black print on white paper is the absolute worst thing anyone can do for their eyes becuase it causes eye strain. Studies have shown that peacock blue print on a yellow background is the most beneficial combination to reduce eye strain.
The placement of your computer monitor is also an issue. It should be about 20 degrees below eye level and 20-26" away from your eyes. Copies should be at the same height and distance. Room illumination should be three times brighter than the screen background. Natural lighting is best, but for those of you without windows in your office, non-flourescent bulbs do fine. As for eye dryness, air conditioning or fans can help keep your eyes moist, as well as eye drops.
There are several exercizes you can do to strengthen and relax your eyes (thanks to Marc Grossman, OD):
1) Try rubbing your plams together until they're warm and then placing them over your eyes for one or two minutes.
2) Hold up a pencil about 6 inches from your eyes. Focus on the pencil, and then on something further away. Repeat about 15 times.
3) Scan your eyes from right to left and then back again across the room.
4) Roll your head around on your neck every once in a while. This reduces tension in your neck, shoulder, and scalp muscles.
The Geek Corps are a group of geeks that go into third-world countries and help small businesses get on the internet. They train people, evaluate the businesses' needs, and assist in finding venture capital. Currently, they are in West Africa. They're always looking for volunteers and financial supporters, so you should take a look at them.
H. A. Rey, the author of the _Curious George_ books, wrote two books on astronomy entitled _The Stars: A New Way to See Them_ and _Find the Constellations_. They're a great way for a beginning stargazer of any age to become acquainted with the layout of the stars. By redrawing the lines connecting the stars, Rey actually makes the constellations look like what they're named after. You'll have to pick up the books to really understand, but trust me, they're great.
This isn't Dilbert; Dilbert is funny, this is frightening. Now that the technology is available, certain areas of industry are monitoring their employees' every move. A few years ago, I read an article on a growing cult movement that did something like this. They required members to write down everything they did, from what they ate to how long they spent in the restroom. Sound familiar?
I just wonder how long it will take for this to hit the rest of us. Support centers have an excuse to monitor their employees, but then again, doesn't everyone? Perhaps if they treated their employees better, they wouldn't have such a huge turnover rate. Then, they could afford to be more selective in their hiring process, and hire people they could trust.
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Of all the problems with this stupid article -- the assumption that smart = physically unattractive, the asinine examples of "nerdy" men, the blatant contention that women are gold-diggers -- the one that bit me the most was the complete neglect of the nerdy female. Of course, that's probably because there aren't many examples of fabulous famous men dating girl programmers or bookworms. Yes, let's all ignore data that doesn't fit in with our predetermined paradigm. It's called "journalism."
I'm going to go out on a limb, without any examples of famous studmuffins dating geeky girls (le gasp!) and say that geeky girls make better lovers, too. After all, those mad phat research skillz come in handy for things like looking up the proper knotting techniques for Japanese rope bondage. Just ask my husband; he's well-versed in the perks of hooking up with a nerdy girl.
I just don't think that it's healthy for people to deny that they've been traumatized, hurt, and frightened by what's happened to us all. Just going on with regular life after something like this isn't just unhealthy, though; I personally think that it's disrespectful. The Israeli government made today and tomorrow national days of mourning, and there will be no weddings, bar mitzvahs, bat mitzvahs, etc. during this time. I think that's a proper way to deal with this. We need to admit that we're sad, angry, frightened, etc. That's okay. That's a normal human reaction. That doesn't make the terrorists more powerful. It just makes us human. Acting like nothing happened and going on with normal life so quickly, however, isn't pride; it's denial. We in Oklahoma dealt with our tragedy by acknowledging our fear and anger. We mourned for our dead in our own "saccharine" ways, and we maintained pride in our city. Maybe you need to listen to someone who's been through this before, instead of criticizing us so quickly. And regardless of what the thread was about, the post to which I responded did bring out an OKC-NYC comparison, so I feel that my response was justified.
This isn't a contest. There's no NYC-OKC rivalry going on here. For crying out loud, people, are you suggesting that we Oklahomans are wimps because we were SAD when our FRIENDS and FAMILY DIED? Screw you. I knew people who died in the Murrah Building. I don't know anyone who died in yesterday's attacks, but that doesn't mean that I have no sympathy for their friends and families. It hurts when people you know die. It hurts when your security is shaken. Don't get caught up in this kind of tough-guy bullsh-t.
In case you haven't heard, the woman did not have Ebola. It looks to be a simple case of malaria combined with a hemorrhagic fever. You can read the story for yourself here.
First of all, don't get me wrong. I'm all for personal responsibility. However, I find this comment to be insensitive and offensive. It seems to be the trend these days for Westerners to blame Africa for all of Africa's problems. Genocide in Rwanda? Oh, that's just some tribes killing each other like they've always done; there's nothing we can do to stop it (nevermind the fact that there were no problems between Hutus and Tutsis until 1959.) Corruption in government? Oh, that's just the way Africans are (nevermind the fact that Western governments set up the dictators.) You want the truth? Don't listen to the AP or Reuters, or even the UN. Read the book We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families for an example of just how wrong the West is about Africa. If Africa is as corrupt, backwards, and uncivilized as you think it is, how on earth could you possibly know for sure that the "majority of people in Africa" with AIDS refuse treatment? Do you think they conduct organized, scientific surveys there? It's time we in the West took some responsibility of our own for what we've done to Africa, and put humanitarian needs before financial ones.
I don't think it's as ridiculous as it sounds. Even with a surface temperature of 870 degrees Fahrenheit and an atmospheric pressure of 90 atm, life might possibly have existed if there was water. After all, there are organisms that thrive in geothermal vents here on earth, where tempreratures can exceed 1000 degrees Fahrenheit under the pressure of 2.5 km of water. Of course, the water would probably have to be in liquid form on the planet's surface, and there might be other factors (unbeknownst to me) that would prevent the formation of life on Venus. But we sci-fi fans can dream, can't we? Has anyone heard any speculation about life in Venus in relation to this recent discovery? Does anyone else have any thoughts on the matter?
...is one giant leap for space travel. This is an example of the type of technology we'll need if we ever want to go to Mars, let alone further. One of the major considerations for space travel is the health factor. If an astronaut breaks her leg or suffers a coronary, she'll need medical attention. If we could develop a faster means of communication through space, one of these remote-controlled surgeons could be the solution. That way, instead of just having one flight doctor, the astronauts could receive medical help from a conglomerate of surgeons and specialists. "Johns Hopkins, we have a problem..."
a pretty large part of the story is based upon the Good Guys STEALING
The only people who ever accuse the "good guys" of stealing are the "bad guys" - Gollum/Smeagol, for instance. Remember that the Ring seemed to have a will of its own, going where and to whom it chose.
Then what about all the bloodshed and killing
Remember where the Ten Commandments come from? Yeah, it's that really bloody part of the Bible known to some of us as "The Old Testament". Really, it should be translated "you shall not murder," because God obviously sanctioned killing during wars.
Really, the main characters in LOTR are quite virtuous by anyone's standards. Sam is the only person in the group who really wants Smeagol dead, and even he doesn't have the heart to kill him, although he "deserved" it. Gandalf refuses to take the Ring for himself, even as a freely given gift. Aragorn won't even marry Arwen without her father's consent. And as for killing, come on now, who among you wouldn't stick a dagger in the throat of a blood-crazed orc?
Fiction is a good way to get interested in science, but it doesn't always work well as a practical teaching method. What science there was in Jurassic Park was mostly contained in the introduction, and even then, it didn't teach us how to care for an embryo, run a PCR machine, or even use a pipetman. You couldn't clone E. coli with the information in that book.
Science fiction works better - I've picked up quite a bit of physics from Niven's stuff. However, I don't know how you'd incorporate an OS into science fiction and make it interesting. Maybe I just haven't thought it through well enough.
I've searched high and low for good computer books aimed at the newbie, and mostly I've been very disappointed. In order to use most O'Reilly books, you have to have some background in programming, or you have to have had your hands deep into the OS you're working with. The "For Dummies" series, on the other hand, is poorly organized IMHO. Most newbies aren't looking for instruction in how to administer a network or run a server. Most of us just want to be able to run the OS or program on our desktops at home. You could divide topics up into Things That Readers Want to Do and Suggestions for Readers Who Don't Know Where to Start. "Installing Unix", "Basic Commands", and "Common Setbacks" would be a good place to start.
If you really want to use a fictional format, I guess you could start out with Sally, who has little computer experience, works as a secretary, and wants to get a good job so she can leave her no-good two-timin' wife-beatin' husband. So she decides to learn how to use Unix on her Pentium II at home. Readers could go through the basic introduction with her, encounter problems with her, and share in her discoveries. Hell, you can even address security issues when she wants to make sure her husband can't hack into her box. At least it would be more interesting to newbies than most man pages, and they wouldn't feel stupid.
This is interesting in light of an article published on The Motley Fool on Monday. They predicted that Wind River would be the winner over Linux in the embedded systems market. Their reasons? Apparently, the nature of open source is one problem; another one they cited is the "lack of real-time capabilities"in Linux (and I thought these guys did their research!!!) MS is a loser from the get-go, apparently because it takes 18 months to fix anything.
Rack another one up for Linux!
...there goes my summer vacation.
When my sister was diagnosed with Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome, a learning disability in which people have trouble seeing printed or written words, she was outfitted with a pair of specially colored glasses and colored overlays that she put over paper. Her doctor told us that black print on white paper is the absolute worst thing anyone can do for their eyes becuase it causes eye strain. Studies have shown that peacock blue print on a yellow background is the most beneficial combination to reduce eye strain.
The placement of your computer monitor is also an issue. It should be about 20 degrees below eye level and 20-26" away from your eyes. Copies should be at the same height and distance. Room illumination should be three times brighter than the screen background. Natural lighting is best, but for those of you without windows in your office, non-flourescent bulbs do fine. As for eye dryness, air conditioning or fans can help keep your eyes moist, as well as eye drops.
There are several exercizes you can do to strengthen and relax your eyes (thanks to Marc Grossman, OD):
1) Try rubbing your plams together until they're warm and then placing them over your eyes for one or two minutes.
2) Hold up a pencil about 6 inches from your eyes. Focus on the pencil, and then on something further away. Repeat about 15 times.
3) Scan your eyes from right to left and then back again across the room.
4) Roll your head around on your neck every once in a while. This reduces tension in your neck, shoulder, and scalp muscles.
The Geek Corps are a group of geeks that go into third-world countries and help small businesses get on the internet. They train people, evaluate the businesses' needs, and assist in finding venture capital. Currently, they are in West Africa. They're always looking for volunteers and financial supporters, so you should take a look at them.
H. A. Rey, the author of the _Curious George_ books, wrote two books on astronomy entitled _The Stars: A New Way to See Them_ and _Find the Constellations_. They're a great way for a beginning stargazer of any age to become acquainted with the layout of the stars. By redrawing the lines connecting the stars, Rey actually makes the constellations look like what they're named after. You'll have to pick up the books to really understand, but trust me, they're great.
This isn't Dilbert; Dilbert is funny, this is frightening. Now that the technology is available, certain areas of industry are monitoring their employees' every move. A few years ago, I read an article on a growing cult movement that did something like this. They required members to write down everything they did, from what they ate to how long they spent in the restroom. Sound familiar?
I just wonder how long it will take for this to hit the rest of us. Support centers have an excuse to monitor their employees, but then again, doesn't everyone? Perhaps if they treated their employees better, they wouldn't have such a huge turnover rate. Then, they could afford to be more selective in their hiring process, and hire people they could trust.
These people need a union.