I was so sad to hear of his passing, though not unexpected, and while he led a full life, we still lost him too early.
While at the University of Texas at Austin (c. 2000), my then girlfriend, now wife and I went to see him speak in the largest lecture hall (in Welch). We arrived about an hour early, and found to our surprise, all of our smartest friends already in attendance. None of us had coordinated with the others, and while from a wide range of majors (EE, Comp Sci, Biology, Psyc.) we just showed up, early. Be the end people were piled in every conceivable walkway, door way, broom closet, and well out into the halls to hear Dr. Sacks speak. His books are wonderful, but this was a fantastic experience that I will never forget.
This affects me about as much as just about all the other cases decided this year, which is to say not in the least. On to the next topic. It's warm and sunny here, time to take the kids to the playground!
I don't *want* a distributed VC system because I don't want the hassle of trying to ensure that everyone's modifications to the code tree are backed up correctly and stored safely somewhere. I want it in a central spot I can back up and manage without my employees having to worry about it. With svn/cvs, any uncommited edits in a developers personal checkout are not backed up! You would need to back up their machines or work areas to achieve this.
With mercurual/git, users can commit unfinished code without affecting the release branch. You can wrap those commits, so they always get pushed to some server which then CAN backup that unfinished work in a central location.
Distributed version control adds this feature which central version control via svn/cvs specifically lacks.
I don't think genetic engineering is a solution for any problem. That is stupid.
I do think it has the power to save us from various current and future problems.
The current state of medicine has helped COUNTLESS more people than it has hurt. Yes, we will look back on it someday the way we look back at medieval barbers. Does that mean we should halt all current efforts?
As I said in my post, you can't stop progress. We should be planning on how to deal with the ramifications, not hoping that it doesn't happen.
I wrote this the other day in response to hearing about a professor who is all bent out of shape because some corn variety may be gone forever.
It also touches on some surrounding GMO issues, but it really sums up my position on the matter. ---------
As far as GM crops go, there is no stopping scientific progress. Instead, we should be dealing with how we are going to deal with possible consequences. If that professor had instead made a research project out of preserving the DNA of "irreplaceable native Mexican corn varieties" they would no longer be irreplaceable.
It is my understanding that there is somewhat of a question in the law right now about GM crops appearing in other fields, and then the patent owners then billing the field owner for its use... but that is a problem with our retarded patent system and the law. Besides, I don't expect the GM companies are going to kick little old ladies off their maize fields when they don't pay their GM licensing fee... however, it is not unimaginable in my mind, so if I read about that I would be pissed. All this does now is give the people a more robust/pest resistant/productive corn plant.
Yes there definitely are unforeseen consequences that are going to bite us in the ass, but man will, nay, MUST conquer genetic engineering. Yes they should be more careful, but they are not, and it might save all our lives someday. The lives of countless others, the elimination of suffering from the failures of our "evolved over time to be just slightly better than the last blunder of design that caused the previous in our line of species to disappear into time. I know I am being extreme and this is all very far off, but the more people screwing with super science the better.
I have the original and the second expansion. We usually just play with the expansion now, since the game balance/pace seems to be a bit better.
As the players take their turns, they lay out the map, kill zombies, and move zombies.
Takes a few rounds for everyone to "get" it, but then it is good times till you leave everyone in the Zombie infested mall from the safety of your helicopter!
I just got directv tivo. And I think you are mistaken.
It is 5$ a month for the tivo subscription, not for the privlige of recording. I guess you could do without the subscription, in which case, yea you should still be able to record, but not have the tivo recording schedule and other stuff.
TANSTAFL.. obviously. Thanks for the economics lesson.
Current 3e users don't have to buy the 3.5 books, they can just get he update off the web.
I'm the kind of person who looks very carefully at what he buys to give the least amount of money possible to people that are screwing me, and to support those that do not.
True the MSRP of the books is now $29.95 but a quick look at almost all online retailers shows them going for about $20. Walmart.com and abebooks.com have em for around 18 each.
Granted this is the shortest core rules turnaround of all time, it would seem that WoTC is milking the public.. but if you check their website... htt://wizards.com/dnd you sill see that there is just an INSANE ammount of free stuff. Adventures, additional classes, monsters, maps.. just a bunch of stuff. As long as WoTC puts out free quality stuff like that, I'll bite on new rule books.
Too bad.. I had points on Sunday, but I didn't check this article. Ohh well, let this be a lesson to you in any case... Do whatever you want, since the people watching are slackers.
Slashdot Mirror
I was so sad to hear of his passing, though not unexpected, and while he led a full life, we still lost him too early.
While at the University of Texas at Austin (c. 2000), my then girlfriend, now wife and I went to see him speak in the largest lecture hall (in Welch). We arrived about an hour early, and found to our surprise, all of our smartest friends already in attendance. None of us had coordinated with the others, and while from a wide range of majors (EE, Comp Sci, Biology, Psyc.) we just showed up, early. Be the end people were piled in every conceivable walkway, door way, broom closet, and well out into the halls to hear Dr. Sacks speak. His books are wonderful, but this was a fantastic experience that I will never forget.
This affects me about as much as just about all the other cases decided this year, which is to say not in the least. On to the next topic. It's warm and sunny here, time to take the kids to the playground!
Methinks he/she doth protest too much!
by Tracy Kidder
1982 National Book Award for Nonfiction and a Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction.
Must read for anyone in Computer Engineering (Hardware design, Architecture, Low level software)
OMG Spoilers!
My SERO plan is 500 min, unlimited night/weekend@7, unlimited data, unlimited text.
$30/month.
totally rad.
With mercurual/git, users can commit unfinished code without affecting the release branch. You can wrap those commits, so they always get pushed to some server which then CAN backup that unfinished work in a central location.
Distributed version control adds this feature which central version control via svn/cvs specifically lacks.
Your second point would be enough for me.
Their current model perpetuates a world where big media decides what is important.
The internet decides what is important now. Wikipedia should be a place where you can look up ANYTHING.
http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/?IDNumber=PIA07745
Big, Detailed, Beautiful.
Perfect for dual-monitor setups.
I bought the Half-life mega pack when steam came out. I pre-ordered episode one.
Now my options are to buy several of the games again via the orange box and get "gifts" of HL2 and HL2:Ep1.
I just want the new stuff. Valve, why you gotta hurt me?
Ah, but I have bullet-proof underwear! Safe.
They never see the long distance picture of thousands of dedicated fans that, even with pirate games, have a higher attach rate than avg.
If they would just give us what we want, and what is possible (just look at a modded xbox) and they would get all the gold they could eat.
We are giving our music away for free under a creative commons license.
Someday soon we will charge for shows.
Check it out, http://www.fangbaby.com/blog
I don't think genetic engineering is a solution for any problem. That is stupid.
I do think it has the power to save us from various current and future problems.
The current state of medicine has helped COUNTLESS more people than it has hurt. Yes, we will look back on it someday the way we look back at medieval barbers. Does that mean we should halt all current efforts?
As I said in my post, you can't stop progress. We should be planning on how to deal with the ramifications, not hoping that it doesn't happen.
I wrote this the other day in response to hearing about a professor who is all bent out of shape because some corn variety may be gone forever.
It also touches on some surrounding GMO issues, but it really sums up my position on the matter.
---------
As far as GM crops go, there is no stopping scientific progress.
Instead, we should be dealing with how we are going to deal with
possible consequences. If that professor had instead made a research
project out of preserving the DNA of "irreplaceable native Mexican corn
varieties" they would no longer be irreplaceable.
It is my understanding that there is somewhat of a question in
the law right now about GM crops appearing in other fields, and then the
patent owners then billing the field owner for its use... but that is a
problem with our retarded patent system and the law. Besides, I don't
expect the GM companies are going to kick little old ladies off their
maize fields when they don't pay their GM licensing fee... however, it
is not unimaginable in my mind, so if I read about that I would be
pissed. All this does now is give the people a more robust/pest
resistant/productive corn plant.
Yes there definitely are unforeseen consequences that are going to bite
us in the ass, but man will, nay, MUST conquer genetic engineering. Yes
they should be more careful, but they are not, and it might save all our
lives someday. The lives of countless others, the elimination of
suffering from the failures of our "evolved over time to be just
slightly better than the last blunder of design that caused the previous
in our line of species to disappear into time. I know I am being
extreme and this is all very far off, but the more people screwing with
super science the better.
This game is totally fun.
Zombies!!
I have the original and the second expansion. We usually just play with the expansion now, since the game balance/pace seems to be a bit better.
As the players take their turns, they lay out the map, kill zombies, and move zombies.
Takes a few rounds for everyone to "get" it, but then it is good times till you leave everyone in the Zombie infested mall from the safety of your helicopter!
Maybe they will change it to:
"Kill all the DIRTY Haitians"
That would rule.
Ok, well free as in beer anyway. I used it to back up a dying drive and reimage it to a working one.
http://www.xxclone.com/
Same folks who make xxcopy.. dunno, never used it, seems kinda neat.. in a nasty windows kinda way.
Vice city is better in many small, but significant ways. Why bother?
Besides, the most fun thing to do in MTA is play with the sport bike, and there is no sport bike in the original GTA3.
I just got directv tivo. And I think you are mistaken.
It is 5$ a month for the tivo subscription, not for the privlige of recording. I guess you could do without the subscription, in which case, yea you should still be able to record, but not have the tivo recording schedule and other stuff.
That is exactly what I would do if WoTC wasn't already giving tons of stuff away on their website.
Obiwan - "You must do what you feel is right, of course."
Then don't get the 3.5e books and don't use the updates.. christ, I gotta solve all your problems for you?
TANSTAFL.. obviously. Thanks for the economics lesson.
Current 3e users don't have to buy the 3.5 books, they can just get he update off the web.
I'm the kind of person who looks very carefully at what he buys to give the least amount of money possible to people that are screwing me, and to support those that do not.
So just download the free update from their website. It details the differnces between 3e and 3.5e.
3e books + update (think of it as errata) = 3.5 game
3.5e books = 3.5 game
Really, you are getting a better deal since the 3e books were cheaper and the update is free.
Or just play 3e.. and houserule to your hearts content.
True the MSRP of the books is now $29.95 but a quick look at almost all online retailers shows them going for about $20. Walmart.com and abebooks.com have em for around 18 each.
Granted this is the shortest core rules turnaround of all time, it would seem that WoTC is milking the public.. but if you check their website... htt://wizards.com/dnd you sill see that there is just an INSANE ammount of free stuff. Adventures, additional classes, monsters, maps.. just a bunch of stuff. As long as WoTC puts out free quality stuff like that, I'll bite on new rule books.
Too bad.. I had points on Sunday, but I didn't check this article. Ohh well, let this be a lesson to you in any case... Do whatever you want, since the people watching are slackers.