SETI, like all other religious endeavours, should be funded on donations by its adherents alone. The government has no business subsidising it.
And yes, SETI is about as scientific as Intelligent Design. The whole fundament of SETI is a belief that something must be out there, with no better theoretical basis than the Drake Equation.
Given that East Germans could hide their conversations from the Stasi bij running faucets or playing loud music, that means that persistent surveillance wasn't a problem then, according to your reasoning.
If you have to take active measures to keep control of something you paid for, I posit that something is wrong.
"Really it all comes down to a question of control for big media companies," McIntosh says. "They can either attempt to clamp down on remixers and fan communities or they can embrace the new creative digital world and see transformative works as a positive thing for their franchises."
The question we should ask ourselves is: who owns the public discours? I think the keyword is 'public'. You put something out there to invite a reaction, then it should not be reasonable to expect to control it forever. Anything that is not blatant copyright violation or fraud should be fair game.
Compression in radio broadcasts was originally done to make sure the quiet passages didn't get lost in the noise of the transmission. Radio has a limited dynamic range, so the choice was between missing parts, or compressing to get the sound into the range of the transmission.
Well, that's your problem for using a language without a decent database binding, now is it?
Snarkiness aside, I did mention I gave a Perl example right? Your objection against parametrised queries is not generally applicable, seeing as that other libraries to do them with are available. I concede that it is valid in your particular case, but that just reinforces my prejudice against PHP, sorry about that.
But really, does PHP not have a library that allows constructing the query dynamically while at the same time still executing that query as a parametrised query? That's...brain-dead. Even if it doesn't have an equivalent for bind_col() (which has nothing to do with constructing and executing the query, merely how you get the results), dynamically constructing a prepared statement is something that is so useful that I'd expect every language to be able to do it.
In Perl this is easy. Let's say that @args holds your argument list. Then it goes like this:
my $query = "select * from table where column in (";
# Use $#args to get the index value of the last member of the array @args. This gives us a loop that's one iteration shorter than the lenght of the argument list.
Bull. 2 out of those three examples make it easy to do the right thing.
Perl has DBI, which does parametrised queries very well, and in fact makes quoting a pain, because all the nice functions like binding variables to query results do not work well (if at all) with quoted queries. And if DBI is too low-level, there is always the DBIx::Class ORM.
Python's DB-API 2.0 is the standard to do databases in Python, and it too makes parametrised queries a lot simpler than quoting. And on top of that you can use SQLAlchemy.
I agree with PHP being bad. Sure it has parametrised query support in various libraries, but the default is still to use MySQL as backend and use the various mysql_yes_really_quote_it_correctly_this_time() functions. Given that until recently even the maintainers of the language didn't have clue as to how to do security right, PHP is by far the most unsuitable language to do secure web programming in.
Yes, followed immediately by observing that they both have deleterious effects on reaction time and coordination.
Really, when you obviously don't read beyond the first sentence on a multi-paragraph post, it is not snarky to observe that you don't show the basic respect of even reading what someone writes. What would have fit is an apology, not more defensiveness.
While I agree that driving under the influence of THC is not as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol, that does not mean that is as safe as normal driving.
That's what I just wrote, isn't it? Really, is it that hard to simply read before posting?
Essentially, no there is not. Unlike alcohol, whose fumes and decay products are carried on the breath, THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) can only be detected by invasive means. I seem to remember its byproducts can be measured in saliva at best.
The good news is that driving under the influence of THC is a lot less dangerous than driving under the influence of alcohol. They both have deleterious effects on coordination and reaction time, but THC, unlike alcohol, does not inspire false confidence by removing certain inhibitions. A stoned driver will usually realise they are too stoned to drive normally, and adjust their driving style accordingly.
Of course, a car driving much slower than the rest of traffic and weaving erratically is still a bit of a hazard; but since this can be detected by just looking at the car, police have a good reason to stop the driver. Whether or not this is reason enough to advocate invasive roeadside testing, I am still not sure. I am leaning towards a yes, but I am leery to give police essentially unlimited powers to stop and administer blood tests on everyone.
You know, I was stupid to conjecture on the numbers. I'll admit that.
That said, you failed to address the salient point: given normal levels of usage, cold turkey withdrawal for heroin junkies is literally screamingly traumatic. No-one has ever seen smokers roll around on the floor writhing in pain after withdrawal, not as regularly as this happens to heroin junkies.
And if all you can do is avoid the point and do some tone trolling, I say the world would be better off without you, so why don't you go and OD on heroin and improve the world, you worthless trolling fuck?
Note that I didn't specify the nicotine levels I'd be getting. I overestimated them for sure, but I am getting more than the 200 milligram of heroin that is on the high end of the scale for junkies.
And yet I don't end up screaming in cold turkey withdrawal when I don't smoke for a couple of days.
The development costs are a one-time cost. In fact, it is a cost that is already accounted for (that's what their R&D budget is for). The license fees for patents are a recurring per-unit cost. We know that Nintendo are:
Fiscally conservative, wanting to profit on the hardware from day 1. Per-unit fees are a direct hit on the marginal revenues, thus eating into the profits.
Control freaks. No way in hell are they going to deliver their product into the hostage situation that a patent license is.
Business-wise and in the context of the company culture, it makes perfect sense. Even if it is contraintuitive in a technical sense.
Want to make a wager? I continue with my 10-20 grams a day of very strong pipe tobacco (English plugs and twists), and you start shooting, say, 5 grams of heroine every day for two weeks. We both stop cold turkey. We both put ourselves under supervision, and have the supervisors compare.
I'm willing to put down EUR 100 and finance your heroin habit for two weeks.
Nicotine withdrawal lasts for a couple of days at most. And the symptoms are quite easy to cope with: mild dizziness, tunnel vision and lack of concentration.
What is hard to break is the habit to reach for your cigarettes on every break. But that's not withdrawal; that's a psychological reaction.
Look, I know it is common to be defensive and try to hide behind "We're honest and direct", but on average (note the words), it's just not true.
For fun, when next you stand in line for a sandwich or in a shop, try counting how many people ask for their order using 'Alstublieft' en 'Dank u wel', how many bluntly say 'Ik wil...' (a common error for Dutchmen speaking English is to order using 'I want $FOO', instead of 'I would like $FOO', this is because we use the former almost exclusively in our native language) and how many just bark out the article they want.
Honestly, if you don't draw the conclusion that the average is just plain bad-mannered then, I wonder at what you would consider bad manners.
I think he's just a bit confused. It is common for proposals to come from the governing parties, and it is exceedingly uncommon for proposals that actually have a majority to come from the opposition.
So to a naÃve viewer, it might seem that the current coalition proposed this amendment.
You'll also find a lot of posts complaining we Dutch are rude.
They are right.
Much as I love my country, this is really apparent if you've grown up in the provinces, where manners are a bit old-fashioned, or if you've just been abroad. The average Dutchmen:
... does not make way when walking three abreast towards you on the pavement.
... does not wait until everyone has left the tram/bus/train before trying to get in themselves.
... does not ask nicely for something, but states a desire at best or gives an outright command at worst.
And that's only a few of the daily irritations you have to deal with. If you care about manners, the four big cities and surrounding towns are areas to stay away from.
Slashdot Mirror
SETI, like all other religious endeavours, should be funded on donations by its adherents alone. The government has no business subsidising it.
And yes, SETI is about as scientific as Intelligent Design. The whole fundament of SETI is a belief that something must be out there, with no better theoretical basis than the Drake Equation.
Mart
Ultimately the Drake Equation is nothing but the Shahadah of the SETI Faith.
Mart
Given that East Germans could hide their conversations from the Stasi bij running faucets or playing loud music, that means that persistent surveillance wasn't a problem then, according to your reasoning.
If you have to take active measures to keep control of something you paid for, I posit that something is wrong.
Mart
The last paragraph nails the problem:
The question we should ask ourselves is: who owns the public discours? I think the keyword is 'public'. You put something out there to invite a reaction, then it should not be reasonable to expect to control it forever. Anything that is not blatant copyright violation or fraud should be fair game.
If you redefine Science Fiction as 'people in space ships or on other planets', I am not surprised that you missed a lot of good Science Fiction.
To give just two examples: "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", and "Inception" are both Science Fiction, and they're great movies.
Mart
Compression in radio broadcasts was originally done to make sure the quiet passages didn't get lost in the noise of the transmission. Radio has a limited dynamic range, so the choice was between missing parts, or compressing to get the sound into the range of the transmission.
Mart
Let me add Beethoven's Seventh Sympony.
The opener should go from enormous, room-filling, full-orchestra chords, to subtle quiet woodwind passages.
Mart
Well, that's your problem for using a language without a decent database binding, now is it?
Snarkiness aside, I did mention I gave a Perl example right? Your objection against parametrised queries is not generally applicable, seeing as that other libraries to do them with are available. I concede that it is valid in your particular case, but that just reinforces my prejudice against PHP, sorry about that.
But really, does PHP not have a library that allows constructing the query dynamically while at the same time still executing that query as a parametrised query? That's...brain-dead. Even if it doesn't have an equivalent for bind_col() (which has nothing to do with constructing and executing the query, merely how you get the results), dynamically constructing a prepared statement is something that is so useful that I'd expect every language to be able to do it.
Mart
In Perl this is easy. Let's say that @args holds your argument list. Then it goes like this:
my $query = "select * from table where column in (";
# Use $#args to get the index value of the last member of the array @args. This gives us a loop that's one iteration shorter than the lenght of the argument list.
for (1..$#args) { $query .= ' ?, '}
$query .= '? )';
my $sth = $dbh->prepare($query);
$sth->execute(@args);
# Bind result columns with $sth->bind_col
while ($sth->fetch) {
# Do something with the results.
}
Mart
Bull. 2 out of those three examples make it easy to do the right thing.
Perl has DBI, which does parametrised queries very well, and in fact makes quoting a pain, because all the nice functions like binding variables to query results do not work well (if at all) with quoted queries. And if DBI is too low-level, there is always the DBIx::Class ORM.
Python's DB-API 2.0 is the standard to do databases in Python, and it too makes parametrised queries a lot simpler than quoting. And on top of that you can use SQLAlchemy.
I agree with PHP being bad. Sure it has parametrised query support in various libraries, but the default is still to use MySQL as backend and use the various mysql_yes_really_quote_it_correctly_this_time() functions. Given that until recently even the maintainers of the language didn't have clue as to how to do security right, PHP is by far the most unsuitable language to do secure web programming in.
Mart
Yes, followed immediately by observing that they both have deleterious effects on reaction time and coordination.
Really, when you obviously don't read beyond the first sentence on a multi-paragraph post, it is not snarky to observe that you don't show the basic respect of even reading what someone writes. What would have fit is an apology, not more defensiveness.
Mart
That's what I just wrote, isn't it? Really, is it that hard to simply read before posting?
Essentially, no there is not. Unlike alcohol, whose fumes and decay products are carried on the breath, THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) can only be detected by invasive means. I seem to remember its byproducts can be measured in saliva at best.
The good news is that driving under the influence of THC is a lot less dangerous than driving under the influence of alcohol. They both have deleterious effects on coordination and reaction time, but THC, unlike alcohol, does not inspire false confidence by removing certain inhibitions. A stoned driver will usually realise they are too stoned to drive normally, and adjust their driving style accordingly.
Of course, a car driving much slower than the rest of traffic and weaving erratically is still a bit of a hazard; but since this can be detected by just looking at the car, police have a good reason to stop the driver. Whether or not this is reason enough to advocate invasive roeadside testing, I am still not sure. I am leaning towards a yes, but I am leery to give police essentially unlimited powers to stop and administer blood tests on everyone.
Mart
That was not the statement. Don't move the goalposts.
They are?
You know, I was stupid to conjecture on the numbers. I'll admit that.
That said, you failed to address the salient point: given normal levels of usage, cold turkey withdrawal for heroin junkies is literally screamingly traumatic. No-one has ever seen smokers roll around on the floor writhing in pain after withdrawal, not as regularly as this happens to heroin junkies.
And if all you can do is avoid the point and do some tone trolling, I say the world would be better off without you, so why don't you go and OD on heroin and improve the world, you worthless trolling fuck?
Mart
Note that I didn't specify the nicotine levels I'd be getting. I overestimated them for sure, but I am getting more than the 200 milligram of heroin that is on the high end of the scale for junkies.
And yet I don't end up screaming in cold turkey withdrawal when I don't smoke for a couple of days.
So yes, you are full of shit.
Mart
Over the lifetime of a console? Almost certainly.
The development costs are a one-time cost. In fact, it is a cost that is already accounted for (that's what their R&D budget is for). The license fees for patents are a recurring per-unit cost. We know that Nintendo are:
Business-wise and in the context of the company culture, it makes perfect sense. Even if it is contraintuitive in a technical sense.
Mart
And that remark just proved you are talking out of your nether end. As is usual for those that bring up this nicotine/heroine canard.
Mart
Want to make a wager? I continue with my 10-20 grams a day of very strong pipe tobacco (English plugs and twists), and you start shooting, say, 5 grams of heroine every day for two weeks. We both stop cold turkey. We both put ourselves under supervision, and have the supervisors compare.
I'm willing to put down EUR 100 and finance your heroin habit for two weeks.
Still convinced you're going to win?
Mart
weeks of withdrawal?
Nicotine withdrawal lasts for a couple of days at most. And the symptoms are quite easy to cope with: mild dizziness, tunnel vision and lack of concentration.
What is hard to break is the habit to reach for your cigarettes on every break. But that's not withdrawal; that's a psychological reaction.
Mart
Look, I know it is common to be defensive and try to hide behind "We're honest and direct", but on average (note the words), it's just not true.
For fun, when next you stand in line for a sandwich or in a shop, try counting how many people ask for their order using 'Alstublieft' en 'Dank u wel', how many bluntly say 'Ik wil...' (a common error for Dutchmen speaking English is to order using 'I want $FOO', instead of 'I would like $FOO', this is because we use the former almost exclusively in our native language) and how many just bark out the article they want.
Honestly, if you don't draw the conclusion that the average is just plain bad-mannered then, I wonder at what you would consider bad manners.
I think he's just a bit confused. It is common for proposals to come from the governing parties, and it is exceedingly uncommon for proposals that actually have a majority to come from the opposition.
So to a naÃve viewer, it might seem that the current coalition proposed this amendment.
Mart
You'll also find a lot of posts complaining we Dutch are rude.
They are right.
Much as I love my country, this is really apparent if you've grown up in the provinces, where manners are a bit old-fashioned, or if you've just been abroad. The average Dutchmen:
And that's only a few of the daily irritations you have to deal with. If you care about manners, the four big cities and surrounding towns are areas to stay away from.
Mart
So, filming a public servant in public doing his job is 'being a dick to a cop' and deserves a punching.
Good to know that the Gestapo would have had a nice informant in you.
Mart