Of more concern to me is how exactly do you take 4 MW of DC power and turn that into sinusoidal 220 Vac RMS. Large motors with spark gaps or something similar will get you a square wave.
A giant AC-DC inverter would work, but where are you going to find such a thing that can handle 4 MW?
True, and ten years ago we had a huge alliance backing the suppression of Iraq's aggression. This time around, we're doing the bulk of the work and the people are suffering unduly because our allies are less willing to help.
Afghanistan is a war with a purpose. The taliban were very much worthy of america's wrath for harboring not just terrorists but the training camps as well. The taliban were repressive for religious reasons which is worthy of despising.
Saddam was repressive, but only as was necessary to repress an underlying tendency towards civil war. I'm sure a lot of people in Iraq miss Saddam because he brought them relative peace(and tyranny). When the violence is really bad, the fear of predictable tyranny is better than unpredictable guerrilla warfare.
We never should have gone to Iraq, but politicians are like marshmallows in the the face of a president calling for military action in the name of "national security" and "terrorism". I wish they had a brain as big as their hubris.
Close. Qt hides all the conditional compilation from you, but it's still there. The upside is that you get native UI elements in portable code.
There are still plenty of things that Qt doesn't address, either because they haven't gotten to it yet or because the underlying feature doesn't work similarly or are absent in supported operating systems. For instance, Qt supports COM on Windows which doesn't exist on OSX(but you won't be using it if you wanted portability anyway).
AIR can't provide 100% portability for all application code across all platforms it supports because they don't all support the same features! If it does, it does so by not offering all of the features that the underlying OS supports.
The closest I've seen so far to true cross platform coding is Nokia Qt. It doesn't support as many platforms as AIR but it does handle them extremely logically and the level of sanity in API design is refreshing compared to things like MFC/ATL/.NET.
AIR is crap IMO. If you want portability, write portable code and an application/interface toolkit like Qt to reduce your headaches. To boot, Qt uses native GUI elements for most widgets on most platforms giving users a familiar feel.
SQL, like any tool, isn't always appropriate. A lot of arguments I'm hearing against SQL are for cases where a relational database isn't appropriate anyway.
If your data doesn't have a natural hierarchical structure, an RDBMS isn't the right tool. If it's just a big package of key/value pairs or tables of tangentially related data, a flat file or even SQLite might be more appropriate. If you have a small table of data that doesn't change that often, why are you putting it in a database at all? People tend not to ask these questions and reach for the DB instead, then talk shit about SQL being inflexible because it didn't meet the criteria they used when they chose the DB in err in the first place.
Oracle DB on a single server isn't that fast. It scales really well though across servers and it's really good on multiproc systems.
It's also fast enough for most uses, but their eBusiness java interface sucks ass. It's really a clunker; very slow, bogs down the client machine badly. Due to it being launched through a web browser as a java app, it's MDI interface is kinda a hack-has lots of modality issues with different dialogs I've found. The web interface is convenient when it's on a local lan but very slow on big datasets or across slow wans.
For off the shelf CRM, eBusiness is pretty good. There are better though and I just don't recommend it unless you're already tied to Oracle.
My experience has made me believe PostgreSQL is better in every respect. It's more stable, has more features and is easier to use. The article wasn't specifically pro-MySQL.
The article is largely correct. The movement to ditch SQL databases is really naive. SQL scales just fine, if you know how to use it right. Look at Oracle solutions. All their fancy eBusiness software is still Oracle SQL DB backed and some of the biggest companies in the world are using it.
SQL isn't the problem, it's a tool. Bad programmers are the problem.
I thought you were supposed to chase the threads with a tap or soft wire brush first, then inspect the bolt and hole threads for damage, then use oil if those fail.
I don't work for UL anymore, so I obviously do not speak for them, but I've seen their ladder testing and it's pretty neat.
My girlfriend still works for UL and regularly performs UL/NFPA 1901 inspections on new fire trucks as well and it's truly fascinating(to me anyway) to hear about how rigorously new fire trucks are tested.
OSHA runs the rigidly enforced Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory program for product safety certification program, including companies such as UL, ETL and CSA who routinely test products for compliance with UL, CSA, NFPA and FCC testing. For an additional fee, I'm sure these companies would be happy to provide energy efficiency ratings as well.
As a part of the certification program for most companies, manufacturers receive regular inspections to continue using the UL, ETL and CSA certification marks to verify that the products that they make continue to comply with the requirements originally used to establish conformity to nationally recognized product safety standards.
Once a certification is established, manufacturers cannot modify their product designs in ways that affect the safety of the product without a recertification review.
Wrong. The mechanism for a solution is already in place.
We already have a very concrete, existing voluntary product safety certification system in place. OSHA is an accrediting organization for the Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory.
The solution is a relatively simple one. Require energy star ratings be given by the already existing certification agencies such as UL, CSA, Metlab, SGS, et. al.
To comply with the requirements of their accreditation through OSHA, the companies are required to submit their products to testing agencies and the products are thoroughly tested for compliance to existing standards. Energy efficiency could easily become an optional part of that product certification testing. The FCC did that and it's been working out pretty good so far.
This removes a large burden from the EPA and puts responsibility for issuing Energy Star certifications on companies who have already proven their ability to test products responsibly.
I've given up on purchasing US made electronics and power tools. It just isn't going to happen.
I'll tell you this though - I shop at Walmart about 3 times a year. If we all did this, it would make a big difference in our communities. They're not the only devil, just the biggest in this respect.
They are probably the leading employer by a large margin in the underemployed category, with a very disproportionately large percentage of employees receiving some kind of state or federal aid. Money spent at Walmart is virtually guaranteed to go to another country, whereas if you shop from locally owned chains, it's got a fighting chance of staying either locally or at least in the state.
I'm not a strict constitutionalist by any stretch. I can think of many ways our countries laws have gone astray because the constitution has not been amended to more clearly reflect what our founding fathers likely wanted. More specifically, we need much much stronger states rights spelled out, and the commerce clause needs a serious reigning in.
Anyway, I'm not against Mexicans specifically. I'm against all types of illegal immigration. I also think it's a travesty that the US has not done what is possible to reduce the harm our insatiable drug demand and unwavering prohibition has done to their country. I only mentioned California specifically because they have the highest number of illegal immigrants of any place in the country.
Here we are full circle, back to the census. The founding fathers felt compelled to not count people who don't pay taxes(see untaxed indians). Although many illegal immigrants pay taxes falsely under other persons social security numbers, many also pay no taxes at all. They don't deserve representation. Their states don't deserve more money.
My view on the felons-cant-vote point brought up by another poster is simple: non-violent felons should be able to vote. They have a closer look at our racially biased and moderately wacky legal and corrections system than anybody else. They should have a right to vote for the people who they believe can make changes to those systems that are beneficial to the system.
For instance, if you let all of the non-violent drug offenders vote, you'd see voter acceptance of drug legalization rise dramatically. It can't be said from one corner of the mouth that all people(legal or not) deserve representation and say from the other corner of your mouth that they can't vote on who represents them. It's logically inconsistent.
For this reason alone, I think the census should make a distinction between registered voters to calculate congressional counts and people to divvy up federal dollars.
I don't see how they can't be related. Physicists have been saying for years that their calculations indicate there is huge amounts more mass in the universe than they can find.
Well, the known mass of the universe just increased by a factor of 10. How can that be unrelated?
My biggest problem with the census is that the government is actively trying to include illegal immigrants in the process. My issue with that is that I don't want them counted. They have no right to vote and thus should have no influence on the number of congresscritters each state gets.
This means that the congressman in California have a disproportionately small number of legal constituents whom they represent. It's pretty basic math.
I don't care if the illegal immigrants don't have representation. They are illegal and don't deserve it. Is it racism to say that all permanent residents of the country should be here legally? I don't think so.
I want to go to Canada but am restricted from doing so because of my criminal record. Hence, I don't go to Canada. I expect the same of everyone else in my own country.
As I sit here and consider all that is before me from China, I realize I would have to get rid of:
My LCD picture frame My lamps My vacuum cleaner My stereo My microwave My oven My dishwasher My speakers My toaster My guitar hero controller My Wii My TV My DVD player My coffee maker
I'll just go ahead and stop there. That is just the stuff I can see without getting up off my couch. If I went through the bedrooms and threw away everything made in China, my house would be half empty.
Most young adults I know(which is a lot, I'm one of them) don't have health insurance because low wage employers don't provide it.
It took me about 6 years of working to find a good job with good pay that also provided health insurance. Every other place I worked prior either didn't offer it or didn't pay me enough to cover the balance of the very small subsidy they provide. Taken into account that a lot of young teens are working for ~$9/hr or less($1440 gross monthly before tax! assuming 40 hours/wk), healthcare just isn't affordable.
Look at the economics of it. If you rent an apartment and have a roommate, you might pay $500 a month for rent and electricity/water. That leaves you like $600 a month for gas, transportation, phone, and food. When your budget is this small, paying even $200 a month for health insurance is a deal breaker.
One thing I had not considered is that both the Army National Guard and Air National Guard serve under the direction of individual state governors, although they're told where to go and what to do by the Army and Air Force.
So long as the national guard members are loyal to the governors, then a military takeover of the government is unlikely.
Agreed. With a really large national guard in every state as well as a huge military, a forceful insurrection has been impossible for many decades.
The only insurrection that could be possible now is a coup by the military itself. There is no number of gun toting NRA members that could topple the government. Shouting from the rooftops that a militia is needed to protect the citizens from the government is just asinine.
It saddens me that our founding fathers didn't think to make jury nullification a constitutional right. Laws are only as good as the fair application of them.
The last bastion of the publics ability to protect itself from criminal code gone awry should be the jury. A perfect example would be kids getting prosecuted for child porn over sexting, or that kid who got 5 years in the slammer for getting a BJ from a girl just under the legal limit. Juries should have an absolute right to say that the law is being applied wrong or that it is unjust.
I have seen numerous households with single fathers and single mothers. My observations lead me to believe that it is a matter of time, money and attention. Single parents can't dedicate enough time to keep children focused on their education or participating in hobbies or after school activities to provide culture and keep them out of trouble.
Money is important. Shallow as it may be, children are better off when they have the clothing that allows them to fit in with their peers.
Lastly, a single parent just doesn't have the time to give their children the attention they need. Whether that be examples of moral certitude, leadership, resilience in the face of adversity, nurturing, or even simple communication. Children need a lot of attention. If you can't provide that(which a second parent helps dramatically with), the children are left to the media and their peers for direction. The appearance of behavioral issues, although widely varied, are almost a certainty.
I don't care if it's two gays, two lesbians, or a heterosexual couple raising children - a single person in many cases just can't provide as well as two people. In some cultures, parenting is a communal activity and children do very well.
The founders of the United States would disagree with you. The goal was to create a multi-branch government with equal power, such that each has the power to keep the other branches in check. Sadly, much of the power that was to sit with the legislative has been lost to the executive. Worse still, the judicial and more specifically the SCOTUS has been slow to intervene when the legislative or executive overstep their boundaries.
I don't agree that any government is benign by default. This depends a lot on the goals of the government and what power the public has to make meaningful change to the government. In some ways, a republic is no longer serving the needs of the US. Direct democracy would lead to a lot of changes in policy that are bad for government but good for citizens. Initially it sounds like it would be mob rule, but sadly, I trust the good nature of citizens in general a lot more than I trust politicians.
The politicians look out for #1: themselves and reelection. You vote for them because you trust that they will represent your opinions in legislation but it doesn't work.
I considered your course of action but thought it more prudent to contact the EU. The ACTA treaty will only happen if other countries agree to it.
Since my own country is the bully on this one, I decided to contact the EU parliament directly and let them know that I think it's a sham for their member countries and we(The People of the US) cannot stop the USTR from being the bully.
I didn't receive a reply, but I hope that in some small way I contributed to the demise of ACTA. I'm sure it isn't dead yet, but if the EU as a whole refuses to sign on to ACTA, it's dead in the water.
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Of more concern to me is how exactly do you take 4 MW of DC power and turn that into sinusoidal 220 Vac RMS. Large motors with spark gaps or something similar will get you a square wave.
A giant AC-DC inverter would work, but where are you going to find such a thing that can handle 4 MW?
Rain should be the least of their concerns.
True, and ten years ago we had a huge alliance backing the suppression of Iraq's aggression. This time around, we're doing the bulk of the work and the people are suffering unduly because our allies are less willing to help.
Afghanistan is a war with a purpose. The taliban were very much worthy of america's wrath for harboring not just terrorists but the training camps as well. The taliban were repressive for religious reasons which is worthy of despising.
Saddam was repressive, but only as was necessary to repress an underlying tendency towards civil war. I'm sure a lot of people in Iraq miss Saddam because he brought them relative peace(and tyranny). When the violence is really bad, the fear of predictable tyranny is better than unpredictable guerrilla warfare.
We never should have gone to Iraq, but politicians are like marshmallows in the the face of a president calling for military action in the name of "national security" and "terrorism". I wish they had a brain as big as their hubris.
Close. Qt hides all the conditional compilation from you, but it's still there. The upside is that you get native UI elements in portable code.
There are still plenty of things that Qt doesn't address, either because they haven't gotten to it yet or because the underlying feature doesn't work similarly or are absent in supported operating systems. For instance, Qt supports COM on Windows which doesn't exist on OSX(but you won't be using it if you wanted portability anyway).
Agreed. Adobe is way off the mark here.
AIR can't provide 100% portability for all application code across all platforms it supports because they don't all support the same features! If it does, it does so by not offering all of the features that the underlying OS supports.
The closest I've seen so far to true cross platform coding is Nokia Qt. It doesn't support as many platforms as AIR but it does handle them extremely logically and the level of sanity in API design is refreshing compared to things like MFC/ATL/.NET.
AIR is crap IMO. If you want portability, write portable code and an application/interface toolkit like Qt to reduce your headaches. To boot, Qt uses native GUI elements for most widgets on most platforms giving users a familiar feel.
SQL, like any tool, isn't always appropriate. A lot of arguments I'm hearing against SQL are for cases where a relational database isn't appropriate anyway.
If your data doesn't have a natural hierarchical structure, an RDBMS isn't the right tool. If it's just a big package of key/value pairs or tables of tangentially related data, a flat file or even SQLite might be more appropriate. If you have a small table of data that doesn't change that often, why are you putting it in a database at all? People tend not to ask these questions and reach for the DB instead, then talk shit about SQL being inflexible because it didn't meet the criteria they used when they chose the DB in err in the first place.
Oracle DB on a single server isn't that fast. It scales really well though across servers and it's really good on multiproc systems.
It's also fast enough for most uses, but their eBusiness java interface sucks ass. It's really a clunker; very slow, bogs down the client machine badly. Due to it being launched through a web browser as a java app, it's MDI interface is kinda a hack-has lots of modality issues with different dialogs I've found. The web interface is convenient when it's on a local lan but very slow on big datasets or across slow wans.
For off the shelf CRM, eBusiness is pretty good. There are better though and I just don't recommend it unless you're already tied to Oracle.
My experience has made me believe PostgreSQL is better in every respect. It's more stable, has more features and is easier to use. The article wasn't specifically pro-MySQL.
The article is largely correct. The movement to ditch SQL databases is really naive. SQL scales just fine, if you know how to use it right. Look at Oracle solutions. All their fancy eBusiness software is still Oracle SQL DB backed and some of the biggest companies in the world are using it.
SQL isn't the problem, it's a tool. Bad programmers are the problem.
I thought you were supposed to chase the threads with a tap or soft wire brush first, then inspect the bolt and hole threads for damage, then use oil if those fail.
I don't work for UL anymore, so I obviously do not speak for them, but I've seen their ladder testing and it's pretty neat.
My girlfriend still works for UL and regularly performs UL/NFPA 1901 inspections on new fire trucks as well and it's truly fascinating(to me anyway) to hear about how rigorously new fire trucks are tested.
Not sure, but sumdumass is entirely correct.
OSHA runs the rigidly enforced Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory program for product safety certification program, including companies such as UL, ETL and CSA who routinely test products for compliance with UL, CSA, NFPA and FCC testing. For an additional fee, I'm sure these companies would be happy to provide energy efficiency ratings as well.
As a part of the certification program for most companies, manufacturers receive regular inspections to continue using the UL, ETL and CSA certification marks to verify that the products that they make continue to comply with the requirements originally used to establish conformity to nationally recognized product safety standards.
Once a certification is established, manufacturers cannot modify their product designs in ways that affect the safety of the product without a recertification review.
Wrong. The mechanism for a solution is already in place.
We already have a very concrete, existing voluntary product safety certification system in place. OSHA is an accrediting organization for the Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory.
The solution is a relatively simple one. Require energy star ratings be given by the already existing certification agencies such as UL, CSA, Metlab, SGS, et. al.
To comply with the requirements of their accreditation through OSHA, the companies are required to submit their products to testing agencies and the products are thoroughly tested for compliance to existing standards. Energy efficiency could easily become an optional part of that product certification testing. The FCC did that and it's been working out pretty good so far.
This removes a large burden from the EPA and puts responsibility for issuing Energy Star certifications on companies who have already proven their ability to test products responsibly.
I've given up on purchasing US made electronics and power tools. It just isn't going to happen.
I'll tell you this though - I shop at Walmart about 3 times a year. If we all did this, it would make a big difference in our communities. They're not the only devil, just the biggest in this respect.
They are probably the leading employer by a large margin in the underemployed category, with a very disproportionately large percentage of employees receiving some kind of state or federal aid. Money spent at Walmart is virtually guaranteed to go to another country, whereas if you shop from locally owned chains, it's got a fighting chance of staying either locally or at least in the state.
I'm not a strict constitutionalist by any stretch. I can think of many ways our countries laws have gone astray because the constitution has not been amended to more clearly reflect what our founding fathers likely wanted. More specifically, we need much much stronger states rights spelled out, and the commerce clause needs a serious reigning in.
Anyway, I'm not against Mexicans specifically. I'm against all types of illegal immigration. I also think it's a travesty that the US has not done what is possible to reduce the harm our insatiable drug demand and unwavering prohibition has done to their country. I only mentioned California specifically because they have the highest number of illegal immigrants of any place in the country.
Here we are full circle, back to the census. The founding fathers felt compelled to not count people who don't pay taxes(see untaxed indians). Although many illegal immigrants pay taxes falsely under other persons social security numbers, many also pay no taxes at all. They don't deserve representation. Their states don't deserve more money.
My view on the felons-cant-vote point brought up by another poster is simple: non-violent felons should be able to vote. They have a closer look at our racially biased and moderately wacky legal and corrections system than anybody else. They should have a right to vote for the people who they believe can make changes to those systems that are beneficial to the system.
For instance, if you let all of the non-violent drug offenders vote, you'd see voter acceptance of drug legalization rise dramatically. It can't be said from one corner of the mouth that all people(legal or not) deserve representation and say from the other corner of your mouth that they can't vote on who represents them. It's logically inconsistent.
For this reason alone, I think the census should make a distinction between registered voters to calculate congressional counts and people to divvy up federal dollars.
I don't see how they can't be related. Physicists have been saying for years that their calculations indicate there is huge amounts more mass in the universe than they can find.
Well, the known mass of the universe just increased by a factor of 10. How can that be unrelated?
My biggest problem with the census is that the government is actively trying to include illegal immigrants in the process. My issue with that is that I don't want them counted. They have no right to vote and thus should have no influence on the number of congresscritters each state gets.
This means that the congressman in California have a disproportionately small number of legal constituents whom they represent. It's pretty basic math.
I don't care if the illegal immigrants don't have representation. They are illegal and don't deserve it. Is it racism to say that all permanent residents of the country should be here legally? I don't think so.
I want to go to Canada but am restricted from doing so because of my criminal record. Hence, I don't go to Canada. I expect the same of everyone else in my own country.
Good luck with that.
As I sit here and consider all that is before me from China, I realize I would have to get rid of:
My LCD picture frame
My lamps
My vacuum cleaner
My stereo
My microwave
My oven
My dishwasher
My speakers
My toaster
My guitar hero controller
My Wii
My TV
My DVD player
My coffee maker
I'll just go ahead and stop there. That is just the stuff I can see without getting up off my couch. If I went through the bedrooms and threw away everything made in China, my house would be half empty.
Most young adults I know(which is a lot, I'm one of them) don't have health insurance because low wage employers don't provide it.
It took me about 6 years of working to find a good job with good pay that also provided health insurance. Every other place I worked prior either didn't offer it or didn't pay me enough to cover the balance of the very small subsidy they provide. Taken into account that a lot of young teens are working for ~$9/hr or less($1440 gross monthly before tax! assuming 40 hours/wk), healthcare just isn't affordable.
Look at the economics of it. If you rent an apartment and have a roommate, you might pay $500 a month for rent and electricity/water. That leaves you like $600 a month for gas, transportation, phone, and food. When your budget is this small, paying even $200 a month for health insurance is a deal breaker.
One thing I had not considered is that both the Army National Guard and Air National Guard serve under the direction of individual state governors, although they're told where to go and what to do by the Army and Air Force.
So long as the national guard members are loyal to the governors, then a military takeover of the government is unlikely.
Agreed. With a really large national guard in every state as well as a huge military, a forceful insurrection has been impossible for many decades.
The only insurrection that could be possible now is a coup by the military itself. There is no number of gun toting NRA members that could topple the government. Shouting from the rooftops that a militia is needed to protect the citizens from the government is just asinine.
It saddens me that our founding fathers didn't think to make jury nullification a constitutional right. Laws are only as good as the fair application of them.
The last bastion of the publics ability to protect itself from criminal code gone awry should be the jury. A perfect example would be kids getting prosecuted for child porn over sexting, or that kid who got 5 years in the slammer for getting a BJ from a girl just under the legal limit. Juries should have an absolute right to say that the law is being applied wrong or that it is unjust.
Anecdotal, I know, but...
I have seen numerous households with single fathers and single mothers. My observations lead me to believe that it is a matter of time, money and attention. Single parents can't dedicate enough time to keep children focused on their education or participating in hobbies or after school activities to provide culture and keep them out of trouble.
Money is important. Shallow as it may be, children are better off when they have the clothing that allows them to fit in with their peers.
Lastly, a single parent just doesn't have the time to give their children the attention they need. Whether that be examples of moral certitude, leadership, resilience in the face of adversity, nurturing, or even simple communication. Children need a lot of attention. If you can't provide that(which a second parent helps dramatically with), the children are left to the media and their peers for direction. The appearance of behavioral issues, although widely varied, are almost a certainty.
I don't care if it's two gays, two lesbians, or a heterosexual couple raising children - a single person in many cases just can't provide as well as two people. In some cultures, parenting is a communal activity and children do very well.
The founders of the United States would disagree with you. The goal was to create a multi-branch government with equal power, such that each has the power to keep the other branches in check. Sadly, much of the power that was to sit with the legislative has been lost to the executive. Worse still, the judicial and more specifically the SCOTUS has been slow to intervene when the legislative or executive overstep their boundaries.
I don't agree that any government is benign by default. This depends a lot on the goals of the government and what power the public has to make meaningful change to the government. In some ways, a republic is no longer serving the needs of the US. Direct democracy would lead to a lot of changes in policy that are bad for government but good for citizens. Initially it sounds like it would be mob rule, but sadly, I trust the good nature of citizens in general a lot more than I trust politicians.
The politicians look out for #1: themselves and reelection. You vote for them because you trust that they will represent your opinions in legislation but it doesn't work.
Ahh interesting. I recalled reading an article about it some time ago, the details are getting hazy.
I considered your course of action but thought it more prudent to contact the EU. The ACTA treaty will only happen if other countries agree to it.
Since my own country is the bully on this one, I decided to contact the EU parliament directly and let them know that I think it's a sham for their member countries and we(The People of the US) cannot stop the USTR from being the bully.
I didn't receive a reply, but I hope that in some small way I contributed to the demise of ACTA. I'm sure it isn't dead yet, but if the EU as a whole refuses to sign on to ACTA, it's dead in the water.