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User: ericloewe

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Comments · 1,644

  1. ISO 8601 on Happy Pi Day · · Score: 1

    I will take this opportunity to complain about the American way to write dates, which is pretty stupid, as it's neither big-endian or little-endian and leads to massive confusions for any day numbered 12 or less.

    ISO 8601 makes perfect sense as dates are represented in a big-endian format, like all other human-readable numbers (One thousand two hundred and thirty four is 1234, not 4321).

    I perfectly understand those who prefer little-endian dates (I used to until I learned of ISO 8601), but have a strong distaste for the crazy American way, which makes deciphering dates profoundly confusing.

    tl;dr It's PI month!

  2. Re:Don't get it on XKCD Author's Unpublished Book Has Already Become a Best-Seller · · Score: 2

    You swear a lot for someone with such a tiny head...

  3. Re:The important question is on What If the Next Presidential Limo Was a Tesla? · · Score: 3, Funny

    GM sure does have a track record, and that's exactly why I'd trust Tesla any day.

  4. Re:How are nuclear weapons going to help though? on Ukraine May Have To Rearm With Nuclear Weapons Says Ukrainian MP · · Score: 1

    Crazy is hard to fight without craziness.

  5. Re:How are nuclear weapons going to help though? on Ukraine May Have To Rearm With Nuclear Weapons Says Ukrainian MP · · Score: 1

    You'd be suprised just how cooperative people get when there are guns figuratively and literally pointed at their heads.

  6. Re:How are nuclear weapons going to help though? on Ukraine May Have To Rearm With Nuclear Weapons Says Ukrainian MP · · Score: 1

    And it just so happens that you parrot the exact train of thought that Putin and co. keep repeating. I'm sure you formed your opinion through careful thought and research and are not a shill.

  7. Re:How are nuclear weapons going to help though? on Ukraine May Have To Rearm With Nuclear Weapons Says Ukrainian MP · · Score: 1

    "far-fetched". Understatement of the year, and we're still in March.

    He's lying.

  8. Re:How are nuclear weapons going to help though? on Ukraine May Have To Rearm With Nuclear Weapons Says Ukrainian MP · · Score: 1

    Ever heard of MAD?

  9. Re:Was there any ACARS data? on 20 Freescale Semiconductor Employees On Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight · · Score: 1

    I'm sure a bunch of guys with nothing better to do are sadly exclaiming "We do!".

  10. Re:Was there any ACARS data? on 20 Freescale Semiconductor Employees On Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight · · Score: 1

    Doubtful, they didn't even manage to hold back the Electric Car, and I'm not going to call "Rigged!" on the Oscars just yet...

  11. Re:"Sight"? On slashdot? on The Tangled Tale of Mt. Gox's Missing Millions · · Score: 1

    Wow. It's a real pity this was posted as AC... I can see this becoming a meme...

  12. Re:Turkey doing its bit for future EU integration on Youtube and Facebook May Be Banned In Turkey, Again · · Score: 2

    Indirectly elected != unelected.

    Technically, the president of the United States isn't elected either, he's chosen by a bunch of people chosen to elect him.

  13. Re:I must have taken the wrong courses on Estimate: Academic Labs 11 Times More Dangerous Than Industrial Counterparts · · Score: 4, Funny

    I sure as hell hope that's a natural number of boxes, otherwise my whole world is a lie...

  14. Re:Pro-Russian commenters on In Ukraine, Cyber War With Russia Heating Up · · Score: 1

    Obviously, this is not a detailed plan of action, but it seems the general idea is sound, judging by the fact that the OECD/OCDE has sent observers.

    What are the russians going to do, shoot them for asking questions and looking around?

    I believe I've indirectly answered your questions (they're unarmed, so there are no rules of engagement, much less anything close to anti-air capabilities).

    As for a potential escalation, that is a scenario that would almost certainly result in war. A lot more could be said about this, but I won't go into detail.

  15. Re:extremist comparisons on In Ukraine, Cyber War With Russia Heating Up · · Score: 1

    It is required, otherwise you are not a lawful combatant. That leaves you as a criminal or a terrorist, under international law.

    The Geneva Conventions cover a lot of topics, sometimes over several documents. I had a hard time finding the specific paragraph that says this last time I checked, but it's there (somewhere).

  16. Re:Pro-Russian commenters on In Ukraine, Cyber War With Russia Heating Up · · Score: 1

    The observers are just observers, as the title implies.

    Call them a bluff, if you will. They don't even have to be armed, just identified. It's meant to make him think twice instead of invading first and thinking later.

    If anyone is rolling the dice, it's Putin. And let's get something straight - if he gets what he wants, he's not going to stop and the problem will not go away.

    Some risks are unavoidable if you don't want a new Soviet Union.

  17. Re:Solution - Face-saving way out on Pro-Vaccination Efforts May Be Scaring Wary Parents From Shots · · Score: 1

    Obviously, the plan accounts for stuff like the flu vaccine. It's not mandatory, but it's recommended for those at greater risk (Healthcare workers, the elderly, ...).
    Vaccines don't get included until they've been proven to be beneficial (the HPV vaccine had some two years between public availability and being part of the plan, and even then it wasn't immediately mandatory).

  18. Re:extremist comparisons on In Ukraine, Cyber War With Russia Heating Up · · Score: -1, Troll

    Now I'm sure you're an ignorant idiot (and probably a shill) - making wild assumptions about people you don't know.

    FYI, we don't have such idiotic programming in Europe. Not even our idiots doubt global warming or evolution.

  19. Re:Pro-Russian commenters on In Ukraine, Cyber War With Russia Heating Up · · Score: 1

    I did not suggest taking them on. I suggested strategically placed personnel (observers) that would render any offensive action an act of war by Russia.

    Popular opinion has little influence over such a thing. We're not talking about a military force, we're talking about a symbolic message.

    Again, the objective is to shadow the Ukrainians to keep the Russians from invading further, not take an active part in the conflict. That way the question is no longer "Do we want to piss him off?" - it's "Does he want to piss us off?".

  20. Re:extremist comparisons on In Ukraine, Cyber War With Russia Heating Up · · Score: 1

    Being critical is one thing. Organising an army is another.

    You mean to tell me those russian-speaking guys with russian military equipment and russian uniforms and russian vehicles are in fact locals?
    If so, you're the ignorant one here.

    Protip: The locals look like your average militia. AKs and rather liberal uniforms.

    I'd also like to see where your weapons claims are coming from. Only very late did the protests escalate beyond throwing rocks (in the grand scheme, isolated incidents aside). And guess what? Snipers randomly appeared and started shooting crowds. The crowd's supply chain was mostly food and fuel for the literal campfire.

  21. Re:Solution - Face-saving way out on Pro-Vaccination Efforts May Be Scaring Wary Parents From Shots · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Wrong. The general public gets just as much, if not more protection than the individual through herd immunity. The whole systems depends on herd immunity.

  22. Re:Solution - Face-saving way out on Pro-Vaccination Efforts May Be Scaring Wary Parents From Shots · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Easy: Make a vaccination plan.

    In Europe, that's what happens. Guess what? Every time you sign up for something involving lots of people, you may be asked for proof that you were actually vaccinated (or could not be for valid medical reasons).

    Some stuff is absolutely mandatory, for good reason. Some stuff can be bought at a pharmacy if required (Malaria for instance, isn't really a problem unless you travel to Africa) and is thus optional.

    Problem solved.

  23. Re:Wrong, study shows disfavor with science. on Pro-Vaccination Efforts May Be Scaring Wary Parents From Shots · · Score: 2

    This message brought to you by the American Institute for Homeopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Vaccination Choice, Climate Change Denial, AIDS denial, Rejection of Evolution and Chiropractors.

  24. Re:Pro-Russian commenters on In Ukraine, Cyber War With Russia Heating Up · · Score: 1

    The EU can decide to politely ask member states to send troops to protect their interests. NATO can easily deploy whatever is necessary.

    Keep in mind: All that is needed is a token presence which would turn an invasion scenario into an attack on NATO/the EU. Since not even Putin is crazy enough to do that, it keeps them from advancing.

  25. Re:Pro-Russian commenters on In Ukraine, Cyber War With Russia Heating Up · · Score: 1

    I'm sure that, if the Ukrainians agree, a token military presence by the US/EU/NATO/whoever they don't want to piss off would most certainly force them to back down.
    Getting them to move back into Russia is a little trickier if they don't feel like moving - they might feel inclined to call the bluff.