I'm ex-military. When I was in, I was a commissioned officer. As such, I was expected to earn a master's degree in *something*, and fill a number of other career checkboxes. Failure to do so would make me ineligible for promotion to Major, and therefore ineligible to serve 20 and get a pension.
While I was in, I had a mentor, a Colonel, who'd changed jobs 33 times in his USAF career. Basically, he started looking for a new job as soon as he started a job, and he started something new each year.
I liked that, and that's how I run my life. As soon as I get a job, I'm looking for a job. I don't expect anything from my employer, except what I negotiate, and I don't even expect that to last.
I can remember my mother telling me to get a good job and hold it forever. And keep my money in a bank deposit account. Safety first. Sorry, illusion of safety first.
It's a cold, prickly world out there. Get used to it.
Sorry for offering offense, but...
on
Our New Pearl Harbor
·
· Score: 0, Flamebait
I read the whole article. Katz's concern about loss of life comes after other issues.
My first reaction was shock and horror over the loss of life. I honestly couldn't believe what I was seeing. I didn't pause to think about convergence of technology, politics, and whatever the hell else struck Katz. If I ever *do* have a Katz reaction, then I'll have to consider that I've left the human race.
I read the whole article. Katz's concern about loss of life comes after other issues.
My first reaction was shock and horror over the loss of life. I honestly couldn't believe what I was seeing. I didn't pause to think about convergence of technology, politics, and whatever the hell else struck Katz. If I ever *do* have a Katz reaction, then I'll have to consider that I've left the human race.
I mean, we now have jurisdictions in the U.S. that automatically photograph drivers and run face recognition software on them.
Then there are jurisdictions that have banned mobile phone use by drivers.
And of course, there are the intersections with cameras at stop signs and traffic lights.
So, you're driving down the street, sending messages via your cell phone. You're discussing a new rap tune ("It's the BOMB!") and in your excitement, you run a red light (it's ok, there were no cars coming the other way).
Meanwhile, however, you've attracted the attention of BB, and his software's having a bad day.
You end up with various citations for improper use of a cell phone, running a red light, etc., but the kicker is that the "BOMB" part gets the local G-men totally foaming when the local face recognition software identifies you as OSAMA BIN LADIN! They dispatch the Hostage Rescue Team ("Women, children, and weird cults our speciality!") to the address associated with the number on your car's tag.
You arrive home just in time to be raked by.50 caliber machinegun fire. In the end, the mistake is covered up when the local police put out the story that your were shot resisting arrest over major traffic violations.
Just for good measure, they burn down your house as well.
Meanwhile, various quislings on/. post comments to the effect you got exactly what you deserved. After all, we can totally trust our government.
Anyone who volunteers to work for a government in any capacity other than defense (guard the borders), justice (guard the law), or foreign service (watch other governments) deserves crappy pay and working conditions.
Basically, government is there to provide protection from taking by fraud or force. Nothing else. In return for that, we give government a monopoly over the use of force.
Look where that's gotten us. Our monopolists on force now see think it's perfectly permissible to hold a gun to my head, take my money, and provide "free" internet access to eliminate the "digital divide".
Well, just remember, as soon as government has *freely* given away service, it'll start to demand control over that service. And then what?
Is the local government in Houston going to demand control over what you can browse on their "free" internet service? Will it want access to your email, to make sure you're not doing anything illegal? Think PRC, people.
You know, I can't tell you how much a trip to the DMV resembles a trip to communist Russia. Line up for this, then line up for that, then line up for the other. And God forbid your paperwork's not in order.
Think of that the next time the government offers you an ISP.
If IT ever becomes unionized, I'll have to find a new career.
I worked for the Government for a while (comissioned USAF officer). Most of the DoD civilians I worked with responded to nothing more than the presence or absence of light, water, and food. Beyond that they were dead to the world.
Any bureaucracy eventually becomes a giant machine operated by pygmies. Unions are no different.
I worked on a USAF command and control project back in the mid 1980's. At the time the USAF had a couple program called MOMS (Many-On-Many System) and IMOMS (Improved MOMS). The idea behind these systems was to sum up all the radar energy that might hit an aircraft and generate routes that minimized the chance of an aircraft being detected.
It worked pretty well, and I'm sure things have only gotten better.
Being an ex-USAF guy, I was wont to refer to electronic devices of all sorts as "hummers". Hey! It's a standard Air Force term. Especially when coupled with "cosmic", when it then refers to all sorts of airborne electronic wizardry that keeps the Saddam and his ilk in line.
Imagine my embarassment when a female co-worker at IBM revealed the *other* meaning.
Light refracts when transitioning from one medium to another, and the refraction involves the difference in the speed at which light travels in the two media.
Given that perspective, there's really no such thing as a negative refractive index, so I don't really understand the whole title.
Anyway, if these guys took light travelling in a vacuum (ok, what the hell, earth's atmosphere, it makes almost no difference), and passed it through a material that refracted it in such a way as to indicate that the light sped up, that would indicate that the speed of light in that medium was faster than it is in a vacuum.
Slashdot Mirror
Star Trek is about anonymous ensigns in red shirts who accompany Kirk on the away team and die horrible, screaming, bloody deaths.
Isn't better to have unreliable jobs for 95% of the workers, than reliable jobs for 90%?
Absolutely! Doubt it? Take a look at Russia, where the old joke was "They pretend to pay us, and we pretend to work."
I'm finding it hard to see anything new here.
I'm ex-military. When I was in, I was a commissioned officer. As such, I was expected to earn a master's degree in *something*, and fill a number of other career checkboxes. Failure to do so would make me ineligible for promotion to Major, and therefore ineligible to serve 20 and get a pension.
While I was in, I had a mentor, a Colonel, who'd changed jobs 33 times in his USAF career. Basically, he started looking for a new job as soon as he started a job, and he started something new each year.
I liked that, and that's how I run my life. As soon as I get a job, I'm looking for a job. I don't expect anything from my employer, except what I negotiate, and I don't even expect that to last.
I can remember my mother telling me to get a good job and hold it forever. And keep my money in a bank deposit account. Safety first. Sorry, illusion of safety first.
It's a cold, prickly world out there. Get used to it.
"Stop 0x0000001E ( C0000005, 80444028, 00000000, 00000018 ) KMODE_TRANSACTION_NOT_HANDLED."
Cashless society? I think not.
The September 11 "crashes" were actually the September 11 "acts of war." Guess what, in wartime, normal freedoms are curtailed.
The U.S. Constitution is not a suicide pact.
Fly any planes lately?
I read the whole article. Katz's concern about loss of life comes after other issues.
My first reaction was shock and horror over the loss of life. I honestly couldn't believe what I was seeing. I didn't pause to think about convergence of technology, politics, and whatever the hell else struck Katz. If I ever *do* have a Katz reaction, then I'll have to consider that I've left the human race.
Oh, and BTW, this is not intended as flamebait.
I read the whole article. Katz's concern about loss of life comes after other issues.
My first reaction was shock and horror over the loss of life. I honestly couldn't believe what I was seeing. I didn't pause to think about convergence of technology, politics, and whatever the hell else struck Katz. If I ever *do* have a Katz reaction, then I'll have to consider that I've left the human race.
Oh, and BTW, this is not intended as flamebait.
"It's impossible to stare at the TV and not think of the horrific convergence between technology, politics, and information."
Sorry, but I found impossible to stare at the TV and not to think about the horrifying loss of life.
You're out of touch with humanity, Jon Katz.
Headline: "Palestinian group says responsible for WTC attack..." appears to be a link to the Jerusalem Post, but it's not responding.
Blue Dress, Embarassment, Cruise Missile, Aspirin Factory, Distraction.
What Comes Around, Goes Around. Sort Of.
Bill, Watching Through Eyes Addled By The Most Expensive Designer Drugs And Designer Whores, Thinks: "Got Out Just In Time."
I mean, we now have jurisdictions in the U.S. that automatically photograph drivers and run face recognition software on them.
.50 caliber machinegun fire. In the end, the mistake is covered up when the local police put out the story that your were shot resisting arrest over major traffic violations.
/. post comments to the effect you got exactly what you deserved. After all, we can totally trust our government.
Then there are jurisdictions that have banned mobile phone use by drivers.
And of course, there are the intersections with cameras at stop signs and traffic lights.
So, you're driving down the street, sending messages via your cell phone. You're discussing a new rap tune ("It's the BOMB!") and in your excitement, you run a red light (it's ok, there were no cars coming the other way).
Meanwhile, however, you've attracted the attention of BB, and his software's having a bad day.
You end up with various citations for improper use of a cell phone, running a red light, etc., but the kicker is that the "BOMB" part gets the local G-men totally foaming when the local face recognition software identifies you as OSAMA BIN LADIN! They dispatch the Hostage Rescue Team ("Women, children, and weird cults our speciality!") to the address associated with the number on your car's tag.
You arrive home just in time to be raked by
Just for good measure, they burn down your house as well.
Meanwhile, various quislings on
Anyone who volunteers to work for a government in any capacity other than defense (guard the borders), justice (guard the law), or foreign service (watch other governments) deserves crappy pay and working conditions.
I mean, why make a parasite happy?
The dead have risen and they're voting Bill!!!
(Thanks Bart)
Basically, government is there to provide protection from taking by fraud or force. Nothing else. In return for that, we give government a monopoly over the use of force.
Look where that's gotten us. Our monopolists on force now see think it's perfectly permissible to hold a gun to my head, take my money, and provide "free" internet access to eliminate the "digital divide".
Well, just remember, as soon as government has *freely* given away service, it'll start to demand control over that service. And then what?
Is the local government in Houston going to demand control over what you can browse on their "free" internet service? Will it want access to your email, to make sure you're not doing anything illegal? Think PRC, people.
You know, I can't tell you how much a trip to the DMV resembles a trip to communist Russia. Line up for this, then line up for that, then line up for the other. And God forbid your paperwork's not in order.
Think of that the next time the government offers you an ISP.
I'll write the check
...and wait for the cells to cash it.
It's "Throw Bear"!
If I build a website to which the Chinese government objects, and then visit China, am I liable to be arrested?
But they're already doing that, aren't they?
Another source of reelection income for Roy...
;^) (I hope)
...I'm here to help.
If IT ever becomes unionized, I'll have to find a new career.
I worked for the Government for a while (comissioned USAF officer). Most of the DoD civilians I worked with responded to nothing more than the presence or absence of light, water, and food. Beyond that they were dead to the world.
Any bureaucracy eventually becomes a giant machine operated by pygmies. Unions are no different.
I worked on a USAF command and control project back in the mid 1980's. At the time the USAF had a couple program called MOMS (Many-On-Many System) and IMOMS (Improved MOMS). The idea behind these systems was to sum up all the radar energy that might hit an aircraft and generate routes that minimized the chance of an aircraft being detected.
It worked pretty well, and I'm sure things have only gotten better.
Underground bunkers in an earthquake zone.
Being an ex-USAF guy, I was wont to refer to electronic devices of all sorts as "hummers". Hey! It's a standard Air Force term. Especially when coupled with "cosmic", when it then refers to all sorts of airborne electronic wizardry that keeps the Saddam and his ilk in line.
Imagine my embarassment when a female co-worker at IBM revealed the *other* meaning.
(And since it *is* the *digital* age that concerns us, I've got no way to tell you why.)
I had sort-of the same reaction.
Light refracts when transitioning from one medium to another, and the refraction involves the difference in the speed at which light travels in the two media.
Given that perspective, there's really no such thing as a negative refractive index, so I don't really understand the whole title.
Anyway, if these guys took light travelling in a vacuum (ok, what the hell, earth's atmosphere, it makes almost no difference), and passed it through a material that refracted it in such a way as to indicate that the light sped up, that would indicate that the speed of light in that medium was faster than it is in a vacuum.
An interesting material, I guess.