Nope. Read the article. Hell(tm), read the freaking intro. Some people think that it may be worthless. Not everyone in the field thinks this. It is far more likely, heck, obvious even, that it serves some purpose we don't understand yet. The fact that it is needed shows that.
Plus, it's not like there is a 'remove "junk DNA" feature' available for home weaponry or anything....
"It's one thing to dupe your parents, but if this chick thinks we are going to believe shes not a stoner, she must be on dope. Just check out the photo. http://primeous.homestead.com/files/bondgirl2.jpg"
So, I was like making a really bad photo edit of Ellen Feiss, and then my computer went beepbeepbeepbeepbeep, and then I lost it. The computer devoured my really bad photo edit. So I had to start completely over, and I was rushed, and it wasn't as good. Which is saying a lot, 'cause the first one was crap.
I'd have to go there to see it. I have never seen that particular ad on TV... seen the De La Soul one several times, and it seems I can't escape the Yo-Yo Ma one....
Okay, let's face it. The average/. reader (which is different from the average/. poster), when reading from work, is probably using a Windows box. Sure, in certain fields, the likelyhood of a/. reader not using a Windows box rises dramatically, but let's stick with the "common perception".
And in that "common perception", Windows has one hell of a large chunk of market share. No amount of/. posting on the sheer wonders of "insert your distro here" brand of Linux is going to change that overnight. Therefore, news about yet another "gaping hole" in Windows, especially in the "browser that cannot be separated", is going to be news.
Also, who doesn't like seeing the big dog getting taken down a peg? It's "American" nature to root for the underdog, and that means wishing all kinds of nasty things to happen to the big dog. It just so happens that Microsoft does so many things to shoot themselves in the foot, or at least wing themselves, according to the editors here.
And no, Open Source is not free of bugs. But you know what? It sure seems to have a damn sight less, and they seem to get fixed faster.
"We don't want you to look at anything but what we approve, regardless of what your social background, religion, ethnicity, etc. may be. We are the only ones who decide what you get to see at all."
Hrm... sounds a bit like censorship to me.... (Of course, it also sounds like the M$ parody "Here's where you will go today.")
Considering that the current law (CIPA?) concerning libraries and censoring websites is currently being reviewed by the Supreme Court, and the last two laws like it were struck down by the Supreme Court, gee... I don't think that even if such a law as you mention passes, it would last too long.
Besides, last I checked, kids weren't the only ones to use computers at libraries.
Kierthos
Re:The solution to problems like this...
on
HomeSec In the News
·
· Score: 1
Yes, but I doubt it was in the framers' intent to have some of the massive pork-barrel amendments that we get tacked onto some bills. We could argue all day about this, however, as neither of us was present at the drafting of the Constitution, and we have to guess and form our own opinions of what they meant "between the lines" of the Constitution.
Frankly, if the legislature acted responsible, then the President would never need a line-item veto.
Kierthos
Re:The solution to problems like this...
on
HomeSec In the News
·
· Score: 1
Hell(tm), if you want to get picky, there's no real guarentee that the House and Senate will use their powers responsibly. Just look at anyone with the last name Kennedy, for one....
Until voter turnout increases dramatically, don't expect the idiots in D.C. to listen to anyone. They know they only have to placate a small portion of the entire populace. And they're using that knowledge to exploit the system for all it is worth.
Kierthos
Re:The solution to problems like this...
on
HomeSec In the News
·
· Score: 1
Voting the current bastards out might be a good start. Unfortunately, we'd either be left with a completely new set of bastards, or a set of people who mean well, but will quickly be corrupted by the special interest groups and the lobbyists inside the Loop.
What? If format is meant to be read, then it is readable. Readable = able to be read.
Now, if you meant "read-writeable", as in those days of yore when CDs could only be played and not recorded by every 1.43 college students, then that's different.
All too true. However, perception of artists can drastically influence album sales. Look at the whole R. Kelly thing. He had an album, which by industry and buying standards, should have been a major seller. Throw in a sex scandal, and it bombs.
It's all about perception. If the record companies, etc. perceive the "open source nutjobs" as a more significant force in the market then they actually are, then they will take notice. Of course, based on prior actions, they will unilaterally label all of them as "pirates".....
I consider it much more likely that Sony and Philips will try and figure out a decent(1) copy protection scheme(2) that will not violate the Red Book standard. I mean, after all, they created the standard.
(1) I.e. something that can't be defeated with a Sharpie.
(2) As in a plot, which will no doubt raise prices of CDs or at least keep them from dropping, like they should be.
Hrm... well, if you want to take the pessimistic point of view, Alaska gets to tax your specific income, Washington, Idaho, and Oregon get to tax your partners' income, Nevada gets to tax the corporation's income, California doesn't get to tax you, but they are taxing the company that hosts your website, so a small amount of that is passed on to you, Colorado taxes the website's physical location, Taiwan and Korea have whatever taxes they impose on the products locally, and then you also get to pay shipping, importation, and storage fees when you bring it into the country.
In other words, everyone who possibly can tax you, taxes you.
The concept of taxes is not just getting blood from a stone. It's then selling the blood.
And yes, I agree with the idea that his writings can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. Much as nearly any right-wing religious group can point to their religious text du jour and show you how things were prophesied.
Does it come as a surprise that _anything_ can be spun to give it the "correct" interpretation?
Kierthos
Re:How closely are the casino's being watched?
on
Net Vegas
·
· Score: 5, Informative
I seem to recall reading somewhere that for craps and blackjack, the house takes are the lowest (around 2%). In other words, they only expect to keep 2% of what is gambled there.
This does not mean that if you have $100, you will walk away with $98, especially if you insist on betting all $100 on one throw. What it means is that over a statistically significant period of time, your wins and losses combined will relieve you (and everyone else participating in that game) of about 2% of your cash.
However, the house _always_ wins in the end. In most Las Vegas casinos, you can get free drinks while gambling, which affects your judgement, makes you more likely to increase the size of your wager, etc.
Also, on those low "house take" games, the payouts tend to be smaller. Sure, on roulette, you can win 35 times what you bet if the ball lands on your number. But it has a 1:36 chance of doing so. You can bet on black and get a 2:1 payout, but there is slightly less then a 1:2 chance that it will land on black.
Gambling casinos are designed to take money out of your pocket and put it into the casino's pocket. Never forget that. Don't go there with the idea of breaking the bank.
However, if you have a $100 or $200, or the room gives you free chips to play with, and that's all you plan on using, have fun. If you come out ahead, great. If you lose those room chips, don't worry, you haven't dipped into your money yet. Just keep a level head on you, and you can have fun in Las Vegas.
Kierthos
Re:Hacking Roulette?
on
Net Vegas
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
And if someone can do this with a physical machine, and do it long enough to make hundreds of thousands of dollars, then you see why I will never play on any online casino.
"We've coded this roulette wheel to only pay the short odds on a winning hit 85% of the time."
Slashdot Mirror
Blind patriotism is just apathy wrapped in a flag.
Kierthos
Yes, and government gets to decide what is sensitive information or not. Still sound like a winning scenario to you?
Kierthos
Yeah, but they also don't list the "real" reason why the guvmint backed off. VISA was going to sue them. :P
Kierthos
*cough* passport *cough* *cough*
Kierthos
Nope. Read the article. Hell(tm), read the freaking intro. Some people think that it may be worthless. Not everyone in the field thinks this. It is far more likely, heck, obvious even, that it serves some purpose we don't understand yet. The fact that it is needed shows that.
Plus, it's not like there is a 'remove "junk DNA" feature' available for home weaponry or anything....
Kierthos
"It's one thing to dupe your parents, but if this chick thinks we are going to believe shes not a stoner, she must be on dope. Just check out the photo. http://primeous.homestead.com/files/bondgirl2.jpg"
So, I was like making a really bad photo edit of Ellen Feiss, and then my computer went beepbeepbeepbeepbeep, and then I lost it. The computer devoured my really bad photo edit. So I had to start completely over, and I was rushed, and it wasn't as good. Which is saying a lot, 'cause the first one was crap.
Kierthos
So, I was using a Mac, and I got "Error of type -1" and I was like.... hunh?
Kierthos
I'd have to go there to see it. I have never seen that particular ad on TV... seen the De La Soul one several times, and it seems I can't escape the Yo-Yo Ma one....
Kierthos
Some of column A and some of column B.
/. reader (which is different from the average /. poster), when reading from work, is probably using a Windows box. Sure, in certain fields, the likelyhood of a /. reader not using a Windows box rises dramatically, but let's stick with the "common perception".
/. posting on the sheer wonders of "insert your distro here" brand of Linux is going to change that overnight. Therefore, news about yet another "gaping hole" in Windows, especially in the "browser that cannot be separated", is going to be news.
Okay, let's face it. The average
And in that "common perception", Windows has one hell of a large chunk of market share. No amount of
Also, who doesn't like seeing the big dog getting taken down a peg? It's "American" nature to root for the underdog, and that means wishing all kinds of nasty things to happen to the big dog. It just so happens that Microsoft does so many things to shoot themselves in the foot, or at least wing themselves, according to the editors here.
And no, Open Source is not free of bugs. But you know what? It sure seems to have a damn sight less, and they seem to get fixed faster.
Kierthos
the star of that oh-so-easily forgettable show "Star Trek".
Kierthos
No, no... he's playing the entire Internet. And winning. Please get it right. :)
Kierthos
Just wait, someone will put up a mirror.
Kierthos
It could be viewed as a form of censorship.
"We don't want you to look at anything but what we approve, regardless of what your social background, religion, ethnicity, etc. may be. We are the only ones who decide what you get to see at all."
Hrm... sounds a bit like censorship to me.... (Of course, it also sounds like the M$ parody "Here's where you will go today.")
Kierthos
Considering that the current law (CIPA?) concerning libraries and censoring websites is currently being reviewed by the Supreme Court, and the last two laws like it were struck down by the Supreme Court, gee... I don't think that even if such a law as you mention passes, it would last too long.
Besides, last I checked, kids weren't the only ones to use computers at libraries.
Kierthos
Yes, but I doubt it was in the framers' intent to have some of the massive pork-barrel amendments that we get tacked onto some bills. We could argue all day about this, however, as neither of us was present at the drafting of the Constitution, and we have to guess and form our own opinions of what they meant "between the lines" of the Constitution.
Frankly, if the legislature acted responsible, then the President would never need a line-item veto.
Kierthos
Hell(tm), if you want to get picky, there's no real guarentee that the House and Senate will use their powers responsibly. Just look at anyone with the last name Kennedy, for one....
Until voter turnout increases dramatically, don't expect the idiots in D.C. to listen to anyone. They know they only have to placate a small portion of the entire populace. And they're using that knowledge to exploit the system for all it is worth.
Kierthos
Voting the current bastards out might be a good start. Unfortunately, we'd either be left with a completely new set of bastards, or a set of people who mean well, but will quickly be corrupted by the special interest groups and the lobbyists inside the Loop.
Kierthos
What? If format is meant to be read, then it is readable. Readable = able to be read.
Now, if you meant "read-writeable", as in those days of yore when CDs could only be played and not recorded by every 1.43 college students, then that's different.
Kierthos
All too true. However, perception of artists can drastically influence album sales. Look at the whole R. Kelly thing. He had an album, which by industry and buying standards, should have been a major seller. Throw in a sex scandal, and it bombs.
It's all about perception. If the record companies, etc. perceive the "open source nutjobs" as a more significant force in the market then they actually are, then they will take notice. Of course, based on prior actions, they will unilaterally label all of them as "pirates".....
Kierthos
I consider it much more likely that Sony and Philips will try and figure out a decent(1) copy protection scheme(2) that will not violate the Red Book standard. I mean, after all, they created the standard.
(1) I.e. something that can't be defeated with a Sharpie.
(2) As in a plot, which will no doubt raise prices of CDs or at least keep them from dropping, like they should be.
Kierthos
Hrm... well, if you want to take the pessimistic point of view, Alaska gets to tax your specific income, Washington, Idaho, and Oregon get to tax your partners' income, Nevada gets to tax the corporation's income, California doesn't get to tax you, but they are taxing the company that hosts your website, so a small amount of that is passed on to you, Colorado taxes the website's physical location, Taiwan and Korea have whatever taxes they impose on the products locally, and then you also get to pay shipping, importation, and storage fees when you bring it into the country.
In other words, everyone who possibly can tax you, taxes you.
The concept of taxes is not just getting blood from a stone. It's then selling the blood.
Kierthos
Yeah, one's tax first, spend second. The other is spend first, make up for overspending by taxing more later.
Whoop-te-doo...
Kierthos
That's Nostradamus.
And yes, I agree with the idea that his writings can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. Much as nearly any right-wing religious group can point to their religious text du jour and show you how things were prophesied.
Does it come as a surprise that _anything_ can be spun to give it the "correct" interpretation?
Kierthos
I seem to recall reading somewhere that for craps and blackjack, the house takes are the lowest (around 2%). In other words, they only expect to keep 2% of what is gambled there.
This does not mean that if you have $100, you will walk away with $98, especially if you insist on betting all $100 on one throw. What it means is that over a statistically significant period of time, your wins and losses combined will relieve you (and everyone else participating in that game) of about 2% of your cash.
However, the house _always_ wins in the end. In most Las Vegas casinos, you can get free drinks while gambling, which affects your judgement, makes you more likely to increase the size of your wager, etc.
Also, on those low "house take" games, the payouts tend to be smaller. Sure, on roulette, you can win 35 times what you bet if the ball lands on your number. But it has a 1:36 chance of doing so. You can bet on black and get a 2:1 payout, but there is slightly less then a 1:2 chance that it will land on black.
Gambling casinos are designed to take money out of your pocket and put it into the casino's pocket. Never forget that. Don't go there with the idea of breaking the bank.
However, if you have a $100 or $200, or the room gives you free chips to play with, and that's all you plan on using, have fun. If you come out ahead, great. If you lose those room chips, don't worry, you haven't dipped into your money yet. Just keep a level head on you, and you can have fun in Las Vegas.
Kierthos
And if someone can do this with a physical machine, and do it long enough to make hundreds of thousands of dollars, then you see why I will never play on any online casino.
"We've coded this roulette wheel to only pay the short odds on a winning hit 85% of the time."
Kierthos