Speak it, my brother... Night-shifters of the world unite.
Actually,/. is one of the few websites where it's constantly updated 24/7 with tidbits, discussion, and stories... It's certainly a major portion of my nightshift entertainment.
Crappy stories are better than no stories... what more could you possibly want? Human/machine interaction, hardware hax, IT disasters, RIAA/MPAA FUD, MS-bashing, and L33T H4X0r 3Xp10iT5 all day/night long...
You're right, practice makes perfect. However, I have to say that the proliferation of cheaters is truly the most annoying thing about gaming.
I apologize in advance if I sound like anyone's dad.
<rant>
I'm not talking about guys who are smooth, have good moves, and use map features well... guys with obvious skillz... No, I'm talking about kiddiez who don't move well, show no strategy, and have 5-6 to 1 kill ratios. If you watch them play in first person mode (ala Counterstrike), it becomes immediately obvious that something ain't right.
Talk about taking the pansy way out... Of course, this may have something to do with our societal tendency towards instant results, since some people cannot defer gratification for even one second (granted, it's a pretty hard concept to teach to a child... but then again, some adults go their entire lives and never learn it). It's why all those instant weight loss pills are such a goldmine, AND it's why people cheat.
Don't work and practice to get better, Oh no, that would require effort... get an aimbot or a wallhack; you too can be instantly L33T!
Feh... learn to take your lumps like a man. If you suck, admit it, and practice.
Very interesting... I was unaware of the use of radioactive Phos for joints. I would have loved to have seen the look on your rheumatologist's face when you whipped out the geiger counter... He's probably still talking about you.
Most likely your rheumatologist was parroting what he was taught (I doubt he has any serious expertise in radioactive/particle physics, unless he's double-boarded in nuclear medicine AND rheumatology).
It might be very telling to know how that agent was initially tested (probably on animals, then humans), and for what kind of arthritis it's used.
The radiation you are picking up externally may have something to do with the size of your knee. In my experience, people with arthritis are often larger, particularly those with early arthritis, since osteoarthritis is a wear-and-tear phenomenon. Think of it this way: if you try to carry a grand piano in the back of a Pinto, the shocks are going to scream after a while... same with joints. Large, obese people get lots of back/joint problems that would otherwise not be as severe, if not for the extra weight. A larger knee might soak up more of that radiation... I'm just wondering if they tested it on large people.
I don't know if that's your situation or not... just playing devil's advocate.
Even though some of the chemotheraputic agents we use these days are related to chemical warfare agents, it's the dose that makes or breaks you.
Virtually all chemo agents have one thing in common... they are some kind of metabolic poison. They are nucleoside analogues, directly denature DNA or proteins... whatever. Because of this, they are quite useful in cancer treatments, primarily because cancer cells divide at an abnormally fast rate, and are very metabolically active... ergo, these drugs will affect such cells to a great extent than normal tissues. Keep in mind, however, that some of your normal tissues are also rapidly dividing: bone marrow, hair follicles, intestinal lining. Ever wonder why cancer patients lose their hair and need blood transfusions? That's why, in a nutshell.
Don't let anyone tell you that chemo is bad/evil... that's bullshit. Unpleasant? Yes. Evil/bad/drug-company-conspiracy? No. Because of chemo, we have very high cure rates on some kinds of cancer... testicular cancer is a good example; very treatable with chemotherapy. But, like anything else, it doesn't work on every cancer, or every person... that's the other edge of the biological diversity sword.
Also, there are some chemo drugs that have a lifetime maximum dose... you get amount X and NO MORE... ever.
The dose really does make the poison, and that's not theory... that's real world.
IANARO (Radiation Oncologist), but have some knowledge of this subject.
Usually Iodine-131 is given as ablation therapy for hyperthyroidism... the thyroid gland takes up the radioactive iodine (just like it takes up regular iodine) and literally burns itself out. The damage is localized because I-131 is a beta emitter. You can get the gland surgically removed as an alternative, but most people go for the pill... it's just easier. There may be specific indications for surgical removal (discrete mass, need pathology input, etc), but I could not name them.
There are other radioactive treatments for cancers... radioactive "seed" implants in prostate cancer for instance. I have never seen anyone walking around in public with them, but scanning someone being treated in that fashion might be interesting (to say the least). If airline security goons are making new mothers drink their own breastmilk (yes, I said "goons," there's no other name for someone who would do something that stupid) I can see some overzealous security folks doing a body cavity search to find the source of that "rectal radiation." I shudder at the thought of the lawsuit amount after something like that.
People undergoing chemotherapy will not set off any radiation alarms. However, from a theoretical standpoint, I can see the possibility of them setting off chemical warfare agent detectors. Please note the detectors would have to be outrageously sensitive (I don't know if it's even possible to make them that sensitive)... almost all of the chemotheraputic agents in common use are metabolic poisons of one type or another, including drugs like the nitrogen mustards (related to mustard gas). I could see someone getting some chemo solution spilled on their sleeve, and setting of somebody's chemical warfare sniffer. Someone with a little more chemical warfare experience want to comment?
Sending tons of snail mail spam to Ralsky is too funny... poetic justice to the Nth degree.
Doing the same thing to his attorney? That's a stroke of genius!
God! This is one of the things I love about Slashdot... a quarter of a million geeks, irritable, hyped-up on Bawls and Penguin mints, bent on revenge. Could there be a darker crucible of spite and malice?
I get more "Enlarge your penis!!!" Emails than anything else right now in my inbox (*sigh* if only it were true...)
Here we have the ultimate triumph of the marketdroids. These people think we would buy their stuff for sure, if only we heard the sales pitch. Hmmm... how about "not."
I've got news for them... you CAN'T sell ice to eskimos. This kind of ridiculous crap makes the sellers look like a bunch of charlatans (if the shoe fits...), and annoys the audience.
When I get carpal tunnel from pressing Ctrl-D, somebody's going to suffer.
Re:I have a 2002 New Beetle TDI (diesel)
on
239 MPG Car
·
· Score: 2
Multiple people have responded in earlier posts about runaway operation of a diesel... never happened to me personally, but I was warned about it.
I have not had a diesel vehicle in the family for 20 years, so I was curious as to the current state of the technology (I no longer work on my own cars). I'm getting quite an education in this thread.
The only other diesel we owned was when I was too young to drive: a Cadillac Eldorado diesel. Judging by my parents opinions, we never owned a worse car (I learned some great swear words listening to my parents discuss that junkyard dog). We went on many road trips, and after several breakdowns on the highway, we got rid of it. Incidently, it had most of the same problems as the VW, though to be fair, it was slightly less noisy.
Re:I drove a VW Diesel
on
239 MPG Car
·
· Score: 2
Interesting... I hadn't even considered the crankcase oil.
I recall diesels when they were almost entirely machanical, including the fuel system. All you really had to do was start them (which was a BIG production if it was cold), and watch them run.
Thanks for the info.
Re:I drove a VW Diesel
on
239 MPG Car
·
· Score: 2
I suspected they have solved the problem... used to be an issue, perhaps more theoretical than real (never happened to me personally). It has to do with the way a diesel engine operates. I apologize in advance if you already know this stuff.
Diesels operate without the benefit of spark plugs. They use a heating element called a "glow plug" to start the engine running, but once running, they operate without any sort of a spark... they simply use heat and high compression to ignite the fuel.
One can immediately see what happens here if such an engine overheats. Unless you cut off the fuel supply, even if you take some measures to decrease the compression, the engine might be hot enough to continue running. In theory you need to cut the juice to any electrical element in the fuel system.
Diesels used to be notorious for running without much electrical power (dead battery, almost-dead alternator). You used to see Semi trucks going down the highway with headlights as dim as candles.
Looks I'm behind the times on the subject of modern diesel technology.
I drove a VW Diesel
on
239 MPG Car
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
had a 1979 Rabbit, Diesel (the kind with the round headlights... they went to square ones in 1980).
Their diesels always got good gas mileage... It was the perfect car for a high-school kid (which I was at the time... I realize that I'm dating myself here), got around 40-50mpg, damned good for that time. I could afford to be magnanimous and not bug my friends for gas money... it was nice.
I hope they have solved the problems with diesels, at least from the consumer perspective.
1. They are noisy, and dirty.
2. Finding fuel used to be a pain in the ass
3. You are constantly tightening things (diesels vibrate like nobody's business)
4. You can't shut them off if they overheat (I think modern diesels have a fuel cutoff. If not, they should!)
If the numbers are accurate, That's one amazing little commuter vehicle. Good for VW... might have to put them back on my "vehicles to buy" list.
Re:When I was younger, it was called computer camp
on
DreamHack Winter 2002
·
· Score: 2
Yep... computer camp rocked (and it was exactly as you describe).
We had ours at a nearby major university, and got to play with all their big iron. The older geeks were very cool, and injected some computer-hacker evil into a group of young computer afficionados (none of us were even in puberty yet). I also think they enjoyed showing off their 31337 H4X0r cred (they didn't realize we were soaking up everything like little tape-recorders). We even got to live in the dorms while we were there (it was summer, so everybody was gone).
Big fun indeed, and let me tell you, we were an intimidating group walking to the computer lab... short, pale, skinny, glasses (with tape). I was amazed that nobody messed with us, and this was waaay before it was cool to be a geek.
We were incredulous... The differences between our various schools and the university environment were huge. None of us particularly wanted to go back to regular school... it really made college-bound believers out of all of us.
Yep. I had that very kit around that time, oodles of fun while it was intact, and even useful to cannibalize parts from after it had exceeded its original useful life.
Ah... I still think that photosensitive burglar alarm was the bomb.
You are broaching some pretty heavy territory, philosophy, law, sociology... age of majority, age of consent, etc.
You are able to legally consent for some things long before you reach the legal age of 18. You are also, for some matters, entitled to total confidentiality, despite your legal status as a "minor." Our society has determined, however, that there are some matters that require a certain age in order to appreciate the ramifications. For example, it's not legal to have sex with a 10yo boy (you NAMBLA people can all die), even if they consent, precisely because they don't have the mental capacity/maturity to understand the consequences of that decision.
Honestly, subjective stability has very little to do with it, unless you are attempting to establish (or undermine) competency before a court of law.
19yo, legal for pretty much everything. As long as he's not a mental case, there should be no beef (plus, in the US, going to dinners and meetings and such, you wouldn't have to buy him beers for a couple more years. Think of the money you'd save!).
Generally speaking, one might imply a lesser degree of LIFE experience based on age (almost by definition), but this may be totally irrelevant to his other qualifications.
Some people develop more quickly than others... how old was Alexander the Great when he conquered the known world? 20?
Some of us were unvarnished idiots when we were 19 years old (speaking only for my own idiocy of course... some people would say nothing's changed... oh well), but this guy might be the next Einstein or Fermi.
Anyway, getting to the point, you really should judge this individual based on his qualifications, and nothing else. Anything less, and you run the risk of being labeled, perhaps rightly, as some kind of age/sex/race/religion/etc bigot (as some posters have already alleged). Objective criteria should be your only yardstick.
I don't know the individual in question, so I cannot vouch for his savant-like programming 5k1LLZ (or lack thereof).
Give the guy a chance. Really. What could it hurt?
Slashdot Mirror
Reminds me of a short story by Roger Zelazny (RIP)...
Speak it, my brother... Night-shifters of the world unite.
/. is one of the few websites where it's constantly updated 24/7 with tidbits, discussion, and stories... It's certainly a major portion of my nightshift entertainment.
Actually,
Crappy stories are better than no stories... what more could you possibly want? Human/machine interaction, hardware hax, IT disasters, RIAA/MPAA FUD, MS-bashing, and L33T H4X0r 3Xp10iT5 all day/night long...
Heh... actually, anoscopy would probably be a more-appropriate term.
A colonoscope is about 160+ cm in length... I sincerely hope you wouldn't be unfortunate enough to have a cellmate that could beat that...
You're right, practice makes perfect. However, I have to say that the proliferation of cheaters is truly the most annoying thing about gaming.
I apologize in advance if I sound like anyone's dad.
<rant>
I'm not talking about guys who are smooth, have good moves, and use map features well... guys with obvious skillz... No, I'm talking about kiddiez who don't move well, show no strategy, and have 5-6 to 1 kill ratios. If you watch them play in first person mode (ala Counterstrike), it becomes immediately obvious that something ain't right.
Talk about taking the pansy way out... Of course, this may have something to do with our societal tendency towards instant results, since some people cannot defer gratification for even one second (granted, it's a pretty hard concept to teach to a child... but then again, some adults go their entire lives and never learn it). It's why all those instant weight loss pills are such a goldmine, AND it's why people cheat.
Don't work and practice to get better, Oh no, that would require effort... get an aimbot or a wallhack; you too can be instantly L33T!
Feh... learn to take your lumps like a man. If you suck, admit it, and practice.
Ain't no aimbot in the game of life.
</rant>
yep... it's almost an urban legend, though there have evidently been two such instances... Here's a link
Snopes.com
Very interesting... I was unaware of the use of radioactive Phos for joints. I would have loved to have seen the look on your rheumatologist's face when you whipped out the geiger counter... He's probably still talking about you.
Most likely your rheumatologist was parroting what he was taught (I doubt he has any serious expertise in radioactive/particle physics, unless he's double-boarded in nuclear medicine AND rheumatology).
It might be very telling to know how that agent was initially tested (probably on animals, then humans), and for what kind of arthritis it's used.
The radiation you are picking up externally may have something to do with the size of your knee. In my experience, people with arthritis are often larger, particularly those with early arthritis, since osteoarthritis is a wear-and-tear phenomenon. Think of it this way: if you try to carry a grand piano in the back of a Pinto, the shocks are going to scream after a while... same with joints. Large, obese people get lots of back/joint problems that would otherwise not be as severe, if not for the extra weight. A larger knee might soak up more of that radiation... I'm just wondering if they tested it on large people.
I don't know if that's your situation or not... just playing devil's advocate.
one of the funniest sketches they ever did!
Accept no Substitutes!
Discontinue use of Happy Fun Ball if any of the following occurs:
* Itching
* Vertigo
* Dizziness
* Tingling in extremities
* Loss of balance or coordination
* Slurred speech
* Temporary blindness
* Profuse Sweating
and my favorite...
Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball.
You are more right than you know.
Even though some of the chemotheraputic agents we use these days are related to chemical warfare agents, it's the dose that makes or breaks you.
Virtually all chemo agents have one thing in common... they are some kind of metabolic poison. They are nucleoside analogues, directly denature DNA or proteins... whatever. Because of this, they are quite useful in cancer treatments, primarily because cancer cells divide at an abnormally fast rate, and are very metabolically active... ergo, these drugs will affect such cells to a great extent than normal tissues. Keep in mind, however, that some of your normal tissues are also rapidly dividing: bone marrow, hair follicles, intestinal lining. Ever wonder why cancer patients lose their hair and need blood transfusions? That's why, in a nutshell.
Don't let anyone tell you that chemo is bad/evil... that's bullshit. Unpleasant? Yes. Evil/bad/drug-company-conspiracy? No. Because of chemo, we have very high cure rates on some kinds of cancer... testicular cancer is a good example; very treatable with chemotherapy. But, like anything else, it doesn't work on every cancer, or every person... that's the other edge of the biological diversity sword.
Also, there are some chemo drugs that have a lifetime maximum dose... you get amount X and NO MORE... ever.
The dose really does make the poison, and that's not theory... that's real world.
IANARO (Radiation Oncologist), but have some knowledge of this subject.
Usually Iodine-131 is given as ablation therapy for hyperthyroidism... the thyroid gland takes up the radioactive iodine (just like it takes up regular iodine) and literally burns itself out. The damage is localized because I-131 is a beta emitter. You can get the gland surgically removed as an alternative, but most people go for the pill... it's just easier. There may be specific indications for surgical removal (discrete mass, need pathology input, etc), but I could not name them.
There are other radioactive treatments for cancers... radioactive "seed" implants in prostate cancer for instance. I have never seen anyone walking around in public with them, but scanning someone being treated in that fashion might be interesting (to say the least). If airline security goons are making new mothers drink their own breastmilk (yes, I said "goons," there's no other name for someone who would do something that stupid) I can see some overzealous security folks doing a body cavity search to find the source of that "rectal radiation." I shudder at the thought of the lawsuit amount after something like that.
People undergoing chemotherapy will not set off any radiation alarms. However, from a theoretical standpoint, I can see the possibility of them setting off chemical warfare agent detectors. Please note the detectors would have to be outrageously sensitive (I don't know if it's even possible to make them that sensitive)... almost all of the chemotheraputic agents in common use are metabolic poisons of one type or another, including drugs like the nitrogen mustards (related to mustard gas). I could see someone getting some chemo solution spilled on their sleeve, and setting of somebody's chemical warfare sniffer. Someone with a little more chemical warfare experience want to comment?
Sending tons of snail mail spam to Ralsky is too funny... poetic justice to the Nth degree.
Doing the same thing to his attorney? That's a stroke of genius!
God! This is one of the things I love about Slashdot... a quarter of a million geeks, irritable, hyped-up on Bawls and Penguin mints, bent on revenge. Could there be a darker crucible of spite and malice?
Man... my sides hurt from laughing!
Then why, oh why, would I be posting to /. instead of pleasuring the hordes of women that such an anatomic gift reportedly guarantees?
Whoops... well, OK... I guess I did read one or two of those spam emails...
Er.... that's umm... personal...
I'll thank you not to make sport of my personal inadequacies (*sob!*)
I get more "Enlarge your penis!!!" Emails than anything else right now in my inbox (*sigh* if only it were true...)
Here we have the ultimate triumph of the marketdroids. These people think we would buy their stuff for sure, if only we heard the sales pitch. Hmmm... how about "not."
I've got news for them... you CAN'T sell ice to eskimos. This kind of ridiculous crap makes the sellers look like a bunch of charlatans (if the shoe fits...), and annoys the audience.
When I get carpal tunnel from pressing Ctrl-D, somebody's going to suffer.
Multiple people have responded in earlier posts about runaway operation of a diesel... never happened to me personally, but I was warned about it.
I have not had a diesel vehicle in the family for 20 years, so I was curious as to the current state of the technology (I no longer work on my own cars). I'm getting quite an education in this thread.
The only other diesel we owned was when I was too young to drive: a Cadillac Eldorado diesel. Judging by my parents opinions, we never owned a worse car (I learned some great swear words listening to my parents discuss that junkyard dog). We went on many road trips, and after several breakdowns on the highway, we got rid of it. Incidently, it had most of the same problems as the VW, though to be fair, it was slightly less noisy.
Interesting... I hadn't even considered the crankcase oil.
I recall diesels when they were almost entirely machanical, including the fuel system. All you really had to do was start them (which was a BIG production if it was cold), and watch them run.
Thanks for the info.
I suspected they have solved the problem... used to be an issue, perhaps more theoretical than real (never happened to me personally). It has to do with the way a diesel engine operates. I apologize in advance if you already know this stuff.
Diesels operate without the benefit of spark plugs. They use a heating element called a "glow plug" to start the engine running, but once running, they operate without any sort of a spark... they simply use heat and high compression to ignite the fuel.
One can immediately see what happens here if such an engine overheats. Unless you cut off the fuel supply, even if you take some measures to decrease the compression, the engine might be hot enough to continue running. In theory you need to cut the juice to any electrical element in the fuel system.
Diesels used to be notorious for running without much electrical power (dead battery, almost-dead alternator). You used to see Semi trucks going down the highway with headlights as dim as candles.
Looks I'm behind the times on the subject of modern diesel technology.
had a 1979 Rabbit, Diesel (the kind with the round headlights... they went to square ones in 1980).
Their diesels always got good gas mileage... It was the perfect car for a high-school kid (which I was at the time... I realize that I'm dating myself here), got around 40-50mpg, damned good for that time. I could afford to be magnanimous and not bug my friends for gas money... it was nice.
I hope they have solved the problems with diesels, at least from the consumer perspective.
1. They are noisy, and dirty.
2. Finding fuel used to be a pain in the ass
3. You are constantly tightening things (diesels vibrate like nobody's business)
4. You can't shut them off if they overheat (I think modern diesels have a fuel cutoff. If not, they should!)
If the numbers are accurate, That's one amazing little commuter vehicle. Good for VW... might have to put them back on my "vehicles to buy" list.
Yep... computer camp rocked (and it was exactly as you describe).
We had ours at a nearby major university, and got to play with all their big iron. The older geeks were very cool, and injected some computer-hacker evil into a group of young computer afficionados (none of us were even in puberty yet). I also think they enjoyed showing off their 31337 H4X0r cred (they didn't realize we were soaking up everything like little tape-recorders). We even got to live in the dorms while we were there (it was summer, so everybody was gone).
Big fun indeed, and let me tell you, we were an intimidating group walking to the computer lab... short, pale, skinny, glasses (with tape). I was amazed that nobody messed with us, and this was waaay before it was cool to be a geek.
We were incredulous... The differences between our various schools and the university environment were huge. None of us particularly wanted to go back to regular school... it really made college-bound believers out of all of us.
Don't you remember that "reefer madness" video?
How will you type with your hands shaking like that?
Unable to hit the enter key and start compiling... The horror... the horror.
I don't know... looks to me like one of the coolest things I've seen in quite some time.
This guy has a vision, and he's actually thinking about it and chasing it. Good for him!
Where would we be without guys like that? Give a SciFi/Fantasy fanboy a break.
Ask "Why not" instead of "why?"
Yep. I had that very kit around that time, oodles of fun while it was intact, and even useful to cannibalize parts from after it had exceeded its original useful life.
Ah... I still think that photosensitive burglar alarm was the bomb.
mmmm... troll meat...
You are broaching some pretty heavy territory, philosophy, law, sociology... age of majority, age of consent, etc.
You are able to legally consent for some things long before you reach the legal age of 18. You are also, for some matters, entitled to total confidentiality, despite your legal status as a "minor." Our society has determined, however, that there are some matters that require a certain age in order to appreciate the ramifications. For example, it's not legal to have sex with a 10yo boy (you NAMBLA people can all die), even if they consent, precisely because they don't have the mental capacity/maturity to understand the consequences of that decision.
Honestly, subjective stability has very little to do with it, unless you are attempting to establish (or undermine) competency before a court of law.
19yo, legal for pretty much everything. As long as he's not a mental case, there should be no beef (plus, in the US, going to dinners and meetings and such, you wouldn't have to buy him beers for a couple more years. Think of the money you'd save!).
Generally speaking, one might imply a lesser degree of LIFE experience based on age (almost by definition), but this may be totally irrelevant to his other qualifications.
Some people develop more quickly than others... how old was Alexander the Great when he conquered the known world? 20?
Some of us were unvarnished idiots when we were 19 years old (speaking only for my own idiocy of course... some people would say nothing's changed... oh well), but this guy might be the next Einstein or Fermi.
Anyway, getting to the point, you really should judge this individual based on his qualifications, and nothing else. Anything less, and you run the risk of being labeled, perhaps rightly, as some kind of age/sex/race/religion/etc bigot (as some posters have already alleged). Objective criteria should be your only yardstick.
I don't know the individual in question, so I cannot vouch for his savant-like programming 5k1LLZ (or lack thereof).
Give the guy a chance. Really. What could it hurt?
You should read some of the fake names on this online antiwar petition...
reads like a who's who of bogus/joke names; I laughed 'till I cried.
Not In Our Name antiwar group
Hahah! I had the same kit!
The best project was using the photocell to set it up as a burglar alarm; I busted my brother multiple times with that kit.
He never did figure out how it worked.