I have been waiting with great anticipation for
GarageBand to arrive and after a night of
playing with the program, I can say that
it does not disappoint.
It's 3:30 a.m. and I've just finished up my
first two songs.
Follow this
link to listen to the mp3 files and to download their GarageBand source.
I attended MacWorld in San Francisco a week ago and
was able to demo the new iLife applications first hand.
When I returned home that evening, I immediately went
to the Apple Store and purchased iLife.
While the incremental upgrades certainly justify the cost,
the reason for the immediate purchase was special.
I've been looking for a similar program
on MacOS for about a year and have been frustrated
to find that they typically cost hundreds of dollars.
Now apple releases GarageBand for a fraction of the
cost and they throw in
improvements to all their other applications.
As a music enthusiast with beginer's skills I
cannot wait to make my own
music tracks using prerecorded loops and my
own samples.
I left MacWorld not questioning why they would
charge for iLife but wondering how they can afford to put
out such high-quality software at such a low
price. (My guess is subsidies from their hardware.)
I was a newbie sysadmin who didn't fully grasp the
concept of the tar command. I untared an entire/usr/X11 directory ontop of an existing/usr/X11
directory. The painful part was that the distributions
were binary incompatible -- one was compiled
for sun4u processors and the other for sun4m
processors.
I knew I made a mistake when exclamations, gasps,
and quizzical mutterings began to fill an otherwise
quiet graduate laboratory. Before I had a chance to
fully grasp what I did, my three supervisors walked in the door, having seen my command scroll across their
syslog terminals.
Flamebait was misspelled on purpose to
identify that the above was not only a flamebait
post but also a humorous post.
Imagine my chagrin when not only
was I modded redundant (it was clearly
a flamebait) but also my tongue-in-cheek
misspelling was misinterpreted. *sigh*
I suppose I'll have to keep a little simpler
when I'm writing to the Flamebait crowd.:P
I disagree totally. A first-order approximation is a first-order approximation. Additionally, there really is no other way to come up with an off-the-cuff, order-of-magnitude estimate of rotational kinetic energy. Aside from writing a finite element code to simulate the fluidic mantle, you're stuck with an algebraic or calculus-based approximation.
Further, it seems nonsensical to state that the
"approximation is such to prevent its use here",
when there exists no other easily accessible
approximation and "here" refers to slashdot
where the required accuracy is zero.
If I were paid to solve this problem, I would next
bound the minimum and maximum total
rotational kinetic energy assuming ideal flows with
and against the rotation of the crust to bound the
solution (leaving algebra behind for simple calculus).
I fully expect that the first-order approximation would lie
between those bounds.
I know that the Earth is an inhomogenous oblate spheroid
with a fluidic mantle, however closed-form algebraic equations to estimate the rotational kinetic energy of such a structure do not exist. Thus, I used an approximation (note the "if A is assumed to be B" clause).
Although it is just an approximation, it nonetheless provides the order-of-magnitude energy that is either stored in the Earth's mantle or transfered to the Earth-Moon system. I just thought this would be understood.
If the Earth is assumed to be a homogeneous sphere and the rotational axis is assumed to be the straight line passing through the north and south geographic poles, the moment of inertia of the Earth is I = MR^2 where M is the total mass of the Earth and R is its radius. The kinetic energy of a rotating Earth is given by K = 1/2 I w^2, where w is the angular velocity.
The energy associated with an angular velocity which is increased by 1 second over a year is equivalent to an extra 1.6e22 Joules of energy or 40 times the annual energy consumption of mankind (DoE 1999). A detailed analysis and matlab script are available
here
Yeah, this is a rereply. Whatever. It's a holiday. Nothing else to reply to.:)
I didn't really have a point when I wrote that.
I was just curious how much rotational kinetic
energy is normally
sapped from the earth due to lunar tidal forces.
Generating energy from the Earth, as you suggest
is already done in a fashion. By generating energy
from the ebb and flow of the tides we are increasing
the resistance to the flow of the water, thus slightly slowing
down the Earth.
Additionally, when a spacecraft receives a gravitational
boost from a planet, the spacecraft is actually decreasing the planet's potential energy, pushing the planet into an orbit slightly closer to the sun.
As I understand it, the majority of the lost kinetic energy is transfered
to the Earth-Moon system in the form of potential energy. As the Earth's
rotation slows, the moon is pushed into a higher orbit.
Eventually the Earth will "tidal lock" to the moon such that
our rotational period equals the moon's orbital period -- the same side of the Earth will always face the moon. (The moon has already tidal locked to us, which is why we never see the far side of the moon.)
If the Earth is assumed to be a homogeneous sphere and the rotational axis is assumed to be the straight line passing through the north and south geographic poles, the moment of inertia of the Earth is I = MR^2 where M is the total mass of the Earth and R is its radius. The kinetic energy of a rotating Earth is given by K = 1/2 I w^2, where w is the angular velocity.
The energy associated with a 1-second shorter-than-expected day is equivalent to an extra 1.6e22 Joules of energy or 40 times the annual energy consumption of mankind (DoE 1999). The matlab script is here.
I've been programming perl for almost a decade,
after learning it for a system administration job at
UnixOps at the University of Colorado.
For those who work in Linux, Unix, or MacOS, I have a useful collection of well documented perl scripts for manipulating data and metadata from the command line.
Most useful are newpl, which creates a full-featured template as a starting point for new perl scripts, and ren-regexp which can manipulate filenames on the command line using a chain of regular expressions. Happy birthday perl!
I purchased a wire shelving unit on wheels from the Container Store.
I keep the rack in
my closet.
When I need to get to the wiring, the entire unit rolls out.
Total cost was about $150 US.
Ugh. What a hideous file selector. After installing
and taking MacOS X Panther for a spin last night, I'm
just amazed how backwards and unprofessional GTK's
file selectors are.
If it's not possible to compete with commercial operating
systems, why not make a radically different file selector
as an option. Imagine a command-line interface where
the user 'cd's into the appropriate directory and does a 'put'? Of course, I'm of the mind that Evolution and Open Office should have a "vi" input mode.
By the way there were no books used. All that
stuff is in my head! (For better or worse.)
You have demonstrated a understanding of the topic and
you do have a good point that was underscored by the new
post you linked to above.
My "Consumers Unite!" post was phrased in a manner consistent
with anticapitalist protesters of the mid 1800s, who attempted
to address the proletariat en masse with simple messages
typically in the form of a call to action.
This issue is classic class conflict. The corporation is attempting
to maintain control over its means of production, which is in this case
is a music distribution network. The primary source for maintaining
control comes from the State in the form of legislation. Thus, while
I agree that you have a point when you refer to public relations,
this issue will ultimately be decided in the courts regardless of public
opinion. Much like copyright laws, it is only a matter of time until
the means of production is litigated back into the control of the
music industry.
I submit, that policing comments on Slashdot to present a good attitude
serves only to create a docile community. Such a community is exactly
the most vulnerable to a slow march towards legislation. We need action.
I will analyze the grammar of the following post for your reading pleasure.
Ah, but I was not speaking to logic.
Sentence fragment.
The sentence begins with a coordinating conjunction. Improper colloquial preposition.
In colloquial speech the use of "to" as the preposition
implies, that the object of the preposition is a recipient of
the dialog (a person, animal, or recording device).
A good substitute would be "of".
The point is that history has proven logic alone cannot win the day.
No errors.
PR will first, then we hit them with logic.
Sentence fragment.
The first coordinate clause lacks a required second verb. Temporal disagreement. The coordinate clause is in
the future tense while the subordinate clause is in the present tense,
even though the coordinate clause occurs first.
Your whole post was lacking in logic (and a point or evidence, really)
and could be construed exaclty (sic) as I described.
Faulty parallelism.
The verbal element "was lacking" is incorrectly used as both an
intransitive ("in logic") and transitive verb ("a point...").
I seek not to defend the RIAA but to make sure we portray
a movement against them in the proper light to gather support.
Improper coordinate conjunction.
In sentences where the first coordinate clause is negated
by the second coordinate clause the coordinating conjunction,
"rather", should be substituted for "but".
Your tone will do nothing but to turn people off.
Unnecessary subordinate conjunction.
The subordinate conjunction, "to", is unnecessary and
without the coordinate conjunction, "but", risks negating
the intended meaning of the sentence.
But I'm glad you took freshman English and learned some
simple logical fallacy terms! Congrats.
Sentence fragment.
The sentence begins with the coordinating conjunction, "but". Improper adjectival form
The nounal element "simple logical fallacy terms" contains
the adjectival form of "logic" ("logical") which ambiguously modifies "terms".
It should be replaced with the genitive construction, "terms of logic".
The use of "fallacy" is awkward and should be omitted.
The revised nounal element would read "simple terms of logic".
An analysis of the logical flaws of the above reply,
submitted for your reading pleasure.
From what you just said, it doesn't matter how many people they sue, you
have already made up your irrational, vindictive little mind on the issue.
Ad hominem. The reply attacks the author instead the position
through the derogatory use of "irrational" and "little".
I (and they) guess you haven't bought a CD in 3 years nor were likely to for
the forseeable (sic) future anyway.
Speculation. There is no evidence in the post of past or future
purchasing habits.
If you actually understood the issue, you would know that:
Ad hominem. The reply attacks the author instead of supporting
the position through the implication that the author lacks understanding.
1. The RIAA does not represent all artists. This is a problem because
they pretend to. Find out which of the bands/artists you like is
represented indirectly by the RIAA and stop buying those CD's.
Continue to buy CD's from independent bands. I do not download music,
but I have bought CD's from my favorite bands online. These are often in
the $6-$10 range. If the CD has 15 tracks, thats even better than iTunes.
Logical. This is the kernel of your argument and is well put.
2. Your tone and phrasing does not indicate you will stop listening to
new music, only that you will stop buying CD's. This casts you in the light
of someone who is not about what's right, but is instead about what you
can get for free. By doing this you have marginalized yourself, potentially
hurting the cause. The RIAA can point to your mentality and explain to
people (as I saw them do on TechTV this morning) that because of people
like YOU they have to sue. Is that true? Probably not, but by spouting
off like this you move yourself to the fringe and drag the rest of us with
you ever so slightly.
Speculation. There is no information in the "tone and phrasing" which
conclusively conveys the complex idea of halting CDs purchases while
continuing to listen to new music. The continuing train of logic builds
upon the preceding speculative argument.
Please people, if we want to do something right here, we have to come
across as educated adults and not spoiled children.
Though I know Mr. Foreman is not in such a position currently, please
keep that in mind if you are ever in a position to represent the group.
(And bear that in mind when you mod someone like this up.)
Ad hominem. Attacking the author instead of supporting the argument,
through the omission and inclusion of the author from the groups of
"educated adults" and "spoiled children" respectively.
Special pleading. The act of "coming across as educated adults
and not spoiled children" to achieve the goal of "do(ing) something right"
is special pleading disguised as a logical statement. It provides no
support for the argument.
My proposal? A no-CD && no-p2p week. A show of boycott AND good faith.
If you stop buying CD's but keep trading songs online, you help the RIAA
PR campaign. If you stop both, they can't point to p2p as your only reason
for not buying CD's anymore.
Non sequitur. It does not follow that a simultaneous boycott
will eliminate p2p as a source of contention, given that p2p sharing
will resume after a boycott.
I find it unacceptable that a minor has been bullied into paying
$2000 by the RIAA.
Leaving the analyses to others, I would like to say concisely
that in retribution for this behavior, I from this day forward will
never again purchase another compact disc. Ever.
If you would like to demonstrate your disapproval of their harassment and extortion, reply to this message
and show your solidarity.
"Color psychologists believe that certain hues generate specific, and often very strong responses in people. For example, black can foster strength and encourage independence, while red empowers and can stimulate the mind."
Strange. Red always makes me skeptical of the pseudoscientific claims of "color psychologists".:P
Although many qualities were mentioned, the single most import quality of any voting machine was omitted. That quality is equal access. All members of a democracy must have equal access to and equal ability to use the voting machine.
As an example, currently in California there is controversy over the decision to reduce the number of voting booths in Los Angeles County from the normal 4922 voting booths to 1800 booths for the recall election. Because of the increase in the commute time required to reach a voting booth, portions of the population may find it difficult to vote.
At the risk of drifting off topic, equal access should apply to the basic education required of all citizens as well. To have a true democracy, a society must provide in basic education the tools for any citizen to become a politician. Thus the argument that Gray Davis is uniquely qualified for the role of Governor would be moot. All citizens should be provided with an education that would allow them to hold a political office.
Slashdot Mirror
I have been waiting with great anticipation for GarageBand to arrive and after a night of playing with the program, I can say that it does not disappoint. It's 3:30 a.m. and I've just finished up my first two songs.
Follow this link to listen to the mp3 files and to download their GarageBand source.
Michael.
I attended MacWorld in San Francisco a week ago and was able to demo the new iLife applications first hand. When I returned home that evening, I immediately went to the Apple Store and purchased iLife. While the incremental upgrades certainly justify the cost, the reason for the immediate purchase was special.
What is so special? GarageBand!
I've been looking for a similar program on MacOS for about a year and have been frustrated to find that they typically cost hundreds of dollars. Now apple releases GarageBand for a fraction of the cost and they throw in improvements to all their other applications. As a music enthusiast with beginer's skills I cannot wait to make my own music tracks using prerecorded loops and my own samples.
I left MacWorld not questioning why they would charge for iLife but wondering how they can afford to put out such high-quality software at such a low price. (My guess is subsidies from their hardware.)
Michael.
I was a newbie sysadmin who didn't fully grasp the concept of the tar command. I untared an entire
I knew I made a mistake when exclamations, gasps, and quizzical mutterings began to fill an otherwise quiet graduate laboratory. Before I had a chance to fully grasp what I did, my three supervisors walked in the door, having seen my command scroll across their syslog terminals.
Michael.
Flamebait was misspelled on purpose to identify that the above was not only a flamebait post but also a humorous post.
Imagine my chagrin when not only was I modded redundant (it was clearly a flamebait) but also my tongue-in-cheek misspelling was misinterpreted. *sigh* I suppose I'll have to keep a little simpler when I'm writing to the Flamebait crowd.
Michael.
I've seen better.
Seriously though. How hard can it be?
Michael.
I disagree totally. A first-order approximation is a first-order approximation. Additionally, there really is no other way to come up with an off-the-cuff, order-of-magnitude estimate of rotational kinetic energy. Aside from writing a finite element code to simulate the fluidic mantle, you're stuck with an algebraic or calculus-based approximation.
Further, it seems nonsensical to state that the "approximation is such to prevent its use here", when there exists no other easily accessible approximation and "here" refers to slashdot where the required accuracy is zero.
If I were paid to solve this problem, I would next bound the minimum and maximum total rotational kinetic energy assuming ideal flows with and against the rotation of the crust to bound the solution (leaving algebra behind for simple calculus). I fully expect that the first-order approximation would lie between those bounds.
IMichael.
Oops. I have the correct constant in my matlab script and supporting analysis but dropeed it when I wrote my slashdot post.
The kinetic energy and ratio in the post are correct.
I'm always in such a hurry to make my slashdot post, in order to try score a better mod. *sigh*
Thanks,
Michael.
I know that the Earth is an inhomogenous oblate spheroid with a fluidic mantle, however closed-form algebraic equations to estimate the rotational kinetic energy of such a structure do not exist. Thus, I used an approximation (note the "if A is assumed to be B" clause).
Although it is just an approximation, it nonetheless provides the order-of-magnitude energy that is either stored in the Earth's mantle or transfered to the Earth-Moon system. I just thought this would be understood.
Michael.
If the Earth is assumed to be a homogeneous sphere and the rotational axis is assumed to be the straight line passing through the north and south geographic poles, the moment of inertia of the Earth is I = MR^2 where M is the total mass of the Earth and R is its radius. The kinetic energy of a rotating Earth is given by K = 1/2 I w^2, where w is the angular velocity.
The energy associated with an angular velocity which is increased by 1 second over a year is equivalent to an extra 1.6e22 Joules of energy or 40 times the annual energy consumption of mankind (DoE 1999). A detailed analysis and matlab script are available here
Yeah, this is a rereply. Whatever. It's a holiday. Nothing else to reply to.
Michael.
I didn't really have a point when I wrote that. I was just curious how much rotational kinetic energy is normally sapped from the earth due to lunar tidal forces.
Generating energy from the Earth, as you suggest is already done in a fashion. By generating energy from the ebb and flow of the tides we are increasing the resistance to the flow of the water, thus slightly slowing down the Earth. Additionally, when a spacecraft receives a gravitational boost from a planet, the spacecraft is actually decreasing the planet's potential energy, pushing the planet into an orbit slightly closer to the sun.
As I understand it, the majority of the lost kinetic energy is transfered to the Earth-Moon system in the form of potential energy. As the Earth's rotation slows, the moon is pushed into a higher orbit. Eventually the Earth will "tidal lock" to the moon such that our rotational period equals the moon's orbital period -- the same side of the Earth will always face the moon. (The moon has already tidal locked to us, which is why we never see the far side of the moon.)
Michael.
Make that "a 1-second shorter-than-expected year".
:)
How am I ever going to earn the title of "Science Troll" if I keep making errors.
Michael.
If the Earth is assumed to be a homogeneous sphere and the rotational axis is assumed to be the straight line passing through the north and south geographic poles, the moment of inertia of the Earth is I = MR^2 where M is the total mass of the Earth and R is its radius. The kinetic energy of a rotating Earth is given by K = 1/2 I w^2, where w is the angular velocity.
The energy associated with a 1-second shorter-than-expected day is equivalent to an extra 1.6e22 Joules of energy or 40 times the annual energy consumption of mankind (DoE 1999). The matlab script is here.
Michael.
KHAN:
Goodbye, Admiral. Oh, and don't
count on the Beagle. She can't
move. My next act will be to blow
her out of the heavens.
KIRK:
KHAAAN!
(Obscure Star Trek reference craves moderation of the Funny type from hip Gen-Xer with a softspot for nostalgia.)
Michael.
KHAN:
Goodbye, Admiral. Oh, and don't
count on the Beagle. She can't
move. My next act will be to blow
her out of the heavens.
KIRK:
KHAN!
Michael.
I've been programming perl for almost a decade, after learning it for a system administration job at UnixOps at the University of Colorado.
For those who work in Linux, Unix, or MacOS, I have a useful collection of well documented perl scripts for manipulating data and metadata from the command line.
Most useful are newpl, which creates a full-featured template as a starting point for new perl scripts, and ren-regexp which can manipulate filenames on the command line using a chain of regular expressions. Happy birthday perl!
Michael.
I purchased a wire shelving unit on wheels from the Container Store. I keep the rack in my closet. When I need to get to the wiring, the entire unit rolls out. Total cost was about $150 US.
Michael.
Unlike reality, at least they're not thinking of randomly forcing people to play the game.
Michael
Ugh. What a hideous file selector. After installing and taking MacOS X Panther for a spin last night, I'm just amazed how backwards and unprofessional GTK's file selectors are.
If it's not possible to compete with commercial operating systems, why not make a radically different file selector as an option. Imagine a command-line interface where the user 'cd's into the appropriate directory and does a 'put'? Of course, I'm of the mind that Evolution and Open Office should have a "vi" input mode.
Michael.
Sorry. I'm just having fun.
By the way there were no books used. All that stuff is in my head! (For better or worse.)
You have demonstrated a understanding of the topic and you do have a good point that was underscored by the new post you linked to above.
My "Consumers Unite!" post was phrased in a manner consistent with anticapitalist protesters of the mid 1800s, who attempted to address the proletariat en masse with simple messages typically in the form of a call to action.
This issue is classic class conflict. The corporation is attempting to maintain control over its means of production, which is in this case is a music distribution network. The primary source for maintaining control comes from the State in the form of legislation. Thus, while I agree that you have a point when you refer to public relations, this issue will ultimately be decided in the courts regardless of public opinion. Much like copyright laws, it is only a matter of time until the means of production is litigated back into the control of the music industry.
I submit, that policing comments on Slashdot to present a good attitude serves only to create a docile community. Such a community is exactly the most vulnerable to a slow march towards legislation. We need action.
Michael.
I will analyze the grammar of the following post for your reading pleasure.
Ah, but I was not speaking to logic.
Sentence fragment. The sentence begins with a coordinating conjunction.
Improper colloquial preposition. In colloquial speech the use of "to" as the preposition implies, that the object of the preposition is a recipient of the dialog (a person, animal, or recording device). A good substitute would be "of".
The point is that history has proven logic alone cannot win the day.
No errors.
PR will first, then we hit them with logic.
Sentence fragment. The first coordinate clause lacks a required second verb.
Temporal disagreement. The coordinate clause is in the future tense while the subordinate clause is in the present tense, even though the coordinate clause occurs first.
Your whole post was lacking in logic (and a point or evidence, really) and could be construed exaclty (sic) as I described.
Faulty parallelism. The verbal element "was lacking" is incorrectly used as both an intransitive ("in logic") and transitive verb ("a point
I seek not to defend the RIAA but to make sure we portray a movement against them in the proper light to gather support.
Improper coordinate conjunction. In sentences where the first coordinate clause is negated by the second coordinate clause the coordinating conjunction, "rather", should be substituted for "but".
Your tone will do nothing but to turn people off.
Unnecessary subordinate conjunction. The subordinate conjunction, "to", is unnecessary and without the coordinate conjunction, "but", risks negating the intended meaning of the sentence.
But I'm glad you took freshman English and learned some simple logical fallacy terms! Congrats.
Sentence fragment. The sentence begins with the coordinating conjunction, "but".
Improper adjectival form The nounal element "simple logical fallacy terms" contains the adjectival form of "logic" ("logical") which ambiguously modifies "terms". It should be replaced with the genitive construction, "terms of logic". The use of "fallacy" is awkward and should be omitted. The revised nounal element would read "simple terms of logic".
P.S. - This was English. The prior was Logic.
Michael.
An analysis of the logical flaws of the above reply, submitted for your reading pleasure.
From what you just said, it doesn't matter how many people they sue, you have already made up your irrational, vindictive little mind on the issue.
Ad hominem. The reply attacks the author instead the position through the derogatory use of "irrational" and "little".
I (and they) guess you haven't bought a CD in 3 years nor were likely to for the forseeable (sic) future anyway.
Speculation. There is no evidence in the post of past or future purchasing habits.
If you actually understood the issue, you would know that:
Ad hominem. The reply attacks the author instead of supporting the position through the implication that the author lacks understanding.
1. The RIAA does not represent all artists. This is a problem because they pretend to. Find out which of the bands/artists you like is represented indirectly by the RIAA and stop buying those CD's. Continue to buy CD's from independent bands. I do not download music, but I have bought CD's from my favorite bands online. These are often in the $6-$10 range. If the CD has 15 tracks, thats even better than iTunes.
Logical. This is the kernel of your argument and is well put.
2. Your tone and phrasing does not indicate you will stop listening to new music, only that you will stop buying CD's. This casts you in the light of someone who is not about what's right, but is instead about what you can get for free. By doing this you have marginalized yourself, potentially hurting the cause. The RIAA can point to your mentality and explain to people (as I saw them do on TechTV this morning) that because of people like YOU they have to sue. Is that true? Probably not, but by spouting off like this you move yourself to the fringe and drag the rest of us with you ever so slightly.
Speculation. There is no information in the "tone and phrasing" which conclusively conveys the complex idea of halting CDs purchases while continuing to listen to new music. The continuing train of logic builds upon the preceding speculative argument.
Please people, if we want to do something right here, we have to come across as educated adults and not spoiled children. Though I know Mr. Foreman is not in such a position currently, please keep that in mind if you are ever in a position to represent the group. (And bear that in mind when you mod someone like this up.)
Ad hominem. Attacking the author instead of supporting the argument, through the omission and inclusion of the author from the groups of "educated adults" and "spoiled children" respectively.
Special pleading. The act of "coming across as educated adults and not spoiled children" to achieve the goal of "do(ing) something right" is special pleading disguised as a logical statement. It provides no support for the argument.
My proposal? A no-CD && no-p2p week. A show of boycott AND good faith. If you stop buying CD's but keep trading songs online, you help the RIAA PR campaign. If you stop both, they can't point to p2p as your only reason for not buying CD's anymore.
Non sequitur. It does not follow that a simultaneous boycott will eliminate p2p as a source of contention, given that p2p sharing will resume after a boycott.
You too can detect Baloney!
Michael.
Excellent point. For that matter purchasing online music as opposed to CDs from RIAA labels is equally bad.
Here are some of my independent sources:
A Different Drum
Emusic
Where do you go?
Michael.
I find it unacceptable that a minor has been bullied into paying $2000 by the RIAA.
Leaving the analyses to others, I would like to say concisely that in retribution for this behavior, I from this day forward will never again purchase another compact disc. Ever.
If you would like to demonstrate your disapproval of their harassment and extortion, reply to this message and show your solidarity.
Michael.
Michael.
Although many qualities were mentioned, the single most import quality of any voting machine was omitted. That quality is equal access. All members of a democracy must have equal access to and equal ability to use the voting machine.
As an example, currently in California there is controversy over the decision to reduce the number of voting booths in Los Angeles County from the normal 4922 voting booths to 1800 booths for the recall election. Because of the increase in the commute time required to reach a voting booth, portions of the population may find it difficult to vote.
At the risk of drifting off topic, equal access should apply to the basic education required of all citizens as well. To have a true democracy, a society must provide in basic education the tools for any citizen to become a politician. Thus the argument that Gray Davis is uniquely qualified for the role of Governor would be moot. All citizens should be provided with an education that would allow them to hold a political office.
Michael.