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User: ballpoint

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Comments · 519

  1. Silent Running on Ask Slashdot: What's the Most Depressing Sci-fi You've Ever Read? · · Score: 1

    Though Silent Running is a movie that's not even based on a book, it could very well have been.

  2. Re:Not me! on The Nation Is Losing Its Toolbox · · Score: 2

    I make my own wafers, but they're mostly carbon, not silicon. Does yummy count ?

  3. Re:Catch-22 on UK Judge: Galaxy Tab "Not Cool" Enough To Infringe iPad · · Score: 1

    Also works the other way round: Akbar Zeb.

  4. Re:I guess you don't understand languages either on Objective-C Overtakes C++, But C Is Number One · · Score: 1

    And
    *(char *)pc = c;
    as Insert Characters under Map.

  5. Re:If you`re buying one of these . . . on Tesla Delivers First Batch of Model S Electric Sedans · · Score: 0

    I've been driving high end German cars for pretty much my entire driving life, and guess what, I think the S is a game changer and puts all of them to shame.

    @OP: if 50k$ isn't (or isn't going to be at some point in your life) chump change to you then you're doing it wrong.

  6. Re:Excuse me to be ignorant but on Samsung Sues Aussie Patent Office In Apple Suit, Apple Sues Back · · Score: 4, Informative

    I've been a pragmatically happy iPod owner, but one of the reasons I bought an Android phone was Apples behavior wrt patent lawsuits. If they want to continue to shoot their own foot, so be it.

  7. Re:Obvious Complex System on Positive Bias Could Erode Public Trust In Science · · Score: 2

    Positive Bias is another word for Group Think. I guess it could also mean deception

    Replying so parent gets noticed despite a downmod 'Overrated' from score zero.
    Please read the link as the behavior it exposes is highly relevant to the article.

  8. Re:Probably lost the sale, too! on Russian Superjet 100 Crashes During Demo Flight, Killing All Aboard · · Score: 1

    Boeing is a partner in a mini-mart program ?

  9. Re:Cant Wait........ on IBM Creates 'Breathing' High-Density Lithium-Air Battery · · Score: 1, Insightful

    No offense, but you sound like a typical green. Whining about a 1% problem, then whining even harder when said problem is reduced to a 1ppm problem.

    Greens are like some high maintenance girls in that regard. They don't want their supposed problem solved, they just want to whine about it.

  10. Re:Gasoline-like energy density on IBM Creates 'Breathing' High-Density Lithium-Air Battery · · Score: 1

    Yes they do. Current LiPo cells can be charged in 12 minutes and discharged in 1 minute. Doing so affects longevity, but the impact may continue to decrease like it did over the last decennium.

  11. Re:Gasoline-like energy density on IBM Creates 'Breathing' High-Density Lithium-Air Battery · · Score: 2

    500 miles * 200Wh/mile = 100kWh. 400kW of power to transfer this energy in 15 minutes.

    1kA @ 400V (or 100A @ 4kV) will do. The power can come from another, bigger house battery that is (relatively) trickle charged from the grid or local sources.

    So no problem really.

  12. Re:OOOOOLD on Hubble Captures the Violent Birth of a Star · · Score: 1

    You've missed some parentheses. It's 10^(10^(10^7))

  13. Vermont deer hunter accidentally kills friend on The Science of Humor · · Score: 1
  14. Re:600 acre-feet, WHAT? on The Myth of Renewable Energy · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's about 0.091 cubic furlongs, which you can easily convert to osp (olympic swimming pools) yourself.

  15. Re:Attention whores on Climate Panel Says To Prepare For Weird Weather · · Score: 1

    With the conference in Durban fast approaching, 20k attention whores are in full swing again, drowsing the gullible media with a hurricane of alarmism to justify their paid holiday [cop17-cmp7durban.com].

    Right you are. Seems that conference is a petty excuse for enjoying other peoples' money. From the official site:

    Accommodation
    Where to stay during the conference

    Voted as one of the top 10 family beach holiday cities in the world, Durban has a wide range of accommodation to suit everyone’s needs. Whether you want to be on the beachfront, in the city centre or in any of the nearby but distinctly different suburbs. Everywhere is relatively close to the ICC, the conference venue of COP17/CMP7.

    Should you decide to stay on after the conference, there are many wonderful tourism destinations with accommodation that ranges from rustic to exclusive 5-star.
    City and beach accommodation

    In the city centre, you will find a choice of hotel accommodation ranging from budget or family-friendly, to five-star.

    Along the beachfront there are many three- to four-star hotels as well as self-catering units that have wonderful views over the beach and the Indian Ocean.
    The tranquil suburbs

    “Local is lekker [nice]” as they say in South Africa. You can live like a local Durbanite by staying in one of the suburbs that surround the city. Each has its own distinct character that is also reflected in the restaurants and shops in the area. Glenwood and Morningside are interesting and vibrant options. Or you could head north across the Umgeni River to Durban North, La Lucia, Umhlanga and many others. Choices of accommodation range from ultra-luxurious boutique hotels to warm family-run B&Bs, and self-catering apartments.
    The ocean calls

    Seaside towns up and down the coast also have accommodation options to suit every budget. If you're a golf fanatic, you might choose to stay at a coastal golf resort and combine your enjoyment of the beach with a few rounds on the links. Or you might be looking for a little cottage by the beach or an opportunity to be pampered at a luxury spa. You'll find all of these and more along Durban's north and south coasts.
    Camp out

    If you’d prefer to go for the most basic accommodation, you'll find a wide range of well-serviced camp or caravan parks dotted along the KwaZulu-Natal coastline and inland. Some offer caravan and tent hire.
    In the wild

    If you can tear yourself away from COP17/CMP7 or are staying on for a few days after the conference, then you should definitely spend time in a game reserve. Our game reserves offer accommodation right in the bush, to give you a uniquely African experience. Wake up to the sound of wild animals prowling close by or grazing just footsteps away, go on game drives or guided walks. You can enjoy everything from five-star pampering, to self-catering accommodation.
    FOR MORE INFORMATION

    To find and book accommodation for your stay in Durban during the COP17/CMP7 conference, contact www.cop17accommodation.com.

    Should you wish to explore KwaZulu-Natal, contact KZN Tourism on www.zulu.org.za to make a booking in a game reserve, in the mountains.or somewhere else in the midst of nature.

    You’ll also be able to find maps, activities and a whole lot of other information on things to do in the province.

  16. Re:Yes on Skilled Readers Recognize Words By Shape · · Score: 1

    No, it's a lawyer firm looking for more partners.

  17. Re:Well well on India To Build A Thorium Reactor · · Score: 1

    I fear you're probably right. The morons that reject nuclear energy cannot be trusted with the responsibility of maintaining it. Let them suffer in the cold and the dark, paying through the nose just for charging their iStuff on those few good days when the sun shines and the wind blows just right.

  18. Re:Engineers solve problems on JPMorgan Rolls Out FPGA Supercomputer · · Score: 1

    I never thought I'd hear beauty and VHDL in the same sentence, unless there was a negative operator in there too.

  19. Re:Charles V on Why People Who Make Things Should Learn Chinese · · Score: 1

    You're very lucky. I need to speak English to my cook, German to the police, French to my mechanic, Romansh to my mistress, Italian to my banker and Cantonese to my intellectual property manager.

  20. Re:The down side to nuclear is the waste on Bill Gates On Energy · · Score: 1

    I'm with you on most of the other waste issues, but What catastrophic global warming ?

    Mind, this is one of the longest uninterrupted temperature records in existence. It could be catastrophically warming anywhere but in Central England, but even accounting for the archetypal English idiosyncrasy, that's quite unlikely.

  21. Re:agreeing-with-bill-gates-feels-dirty on Bill Gates On Energy · · Score: 1

    If boring. Listening to him talking in public is a good substitute for swallowing a quarter of a bottle of sleeping pills.

  22. Re:Shoes... on DOT Exempts Maker of 'Flying Car' From Road Vehicle Safety Rules · · Score: 1

    That sometimes happens when you takeoff from a larger airport. You walk to your aircraft in the hangar and drop off your stuff, and then you must go to and pass security (not collecting $200) to get back to your aircraft. Bizarre.

  23. In other news: on Murder Trial May Turn On Missing Router · · Score: 1

    "Murder Trial May Turn Off Missing Router."

  24. Re:And some people still wonder why... on Japan Raises Nuclear Plant Crisis Severity To 7 · · Score: 1

    You fail to accommodate postmodern living, where the 'standard' family gets by with a few negawatts provided by a few PV cells, a share in a single windmill blade and a nightcap of molten salt with their neighbors, cycling from their tight-as-a-vise passivhaus to their sinecure job and back downhill each direction.

    Good try, though.

  25. Re:It's amusing on Scientists Cleared of Misusing Global Warming Data · · Score: 1

    s/aj/in