Some people do it for love... others do it for money. Which would you rather be?
Being a musician can suck, at least financially, just like being an artist. Most artists, however, don't do it for the money... it's all about expression, the creative muse.
In the digital age, being a millionare musician may be a dying phenomenon, for reasons already discussed. Obselescence sucks, but what can you do? Using technology to prop up a failing business model is doomed from the start.
Do it for the love of the music, and realize you may not get rich (though you might still get famous, groupies, etc), but take pleasure in it. Music is wonderful... enjoy the creation and performance; take pride in your musical gift (and a tremendous gift it is!).
Don't become bitter... don't overlook the pleasure for the sake of a dollar.
and it sounded like marketing-speak. however, I think some concern is warranted, particularly when you read between the lines (which always requires a bit of interpretation and speculation, but still...)
A shift away from the PC market could mean that they will no longer be trying so hard to compete with intel. The comptetition has arguably been good for BOTH companies, and even better for consumers. Isn't that what is often argued here, that competition against microsoft (in the form of linux, OS X, etc) would be a Good Thing (TM)? Improve quality? Lower price? yes?
I think we are justified in asking the question, and being concerned about this move. I'll repeat my call to the AMD employees that read this site... more information, please. Don't be shy... the worst you can be is an Anonymous Coward!
I also went with the logitech elite combo, and have noticed some funny things about its range.
It is VERY finicky with regards to how it is oriented. If I turn it 90 degrees to the receiver, it doesn't pick up at all (!). Mine is about fifteen feet away from the receiver, which sits on top of the entertainment center. It works, but not in every position.
I really wish it had better range... but it's not a deal-breaker.
The OS is win2k (yes, I realize it's not linux, but the video card features aren't all supported under linux).
The LCD is made by Crystalfontz. It's driven from a serial port, and requires a power connector for backlight. Similar units are made by MatrixOrbital. The software to drive the LCD is a free download, and can monitor system parameters out the wazoo... temp, network stats, cpu load, memory management, winamp... you name it.
I'm using latest version of the ATI MMC software. I really haven't had many problems with ATI, except the occasional game bug. Their drivers are improving.
The comp I mentioned is primarily a home entertainment appliance, though it's beefy enough to do lots of other things. For instance, aside from the lag in the wireless mouse/keyboard, it's a pretty fair Counterstrike machine (though I am definitely NOT 31337, more like cannon fodder). This box will also eventually drive a home theatre projector.
Total, if you had to build it from scratch, just under 1000 bucks. I didn't pay that... some of this stuff I had laying around, or cannibalized from other boxen. You could certainly get away with much cheaper if you deleted some of the bells and whistles (less fancy video card, no LCD, etc). Also, in fairness to Alienware, my system is NOT portable... it's approx 30lbs.
Honestly, I most enjoy the way it looks. Black, locking front door (keeps little hands away from important buttons) with a lexan window so the LCD is visible. Looks just like an amp, or some other home stereo component.
My wife would say this is the first useful thing my computer tinkering has ever produced.
Used a 4u rackmount case and slid it right into my home entertainment center/stereo rack. Used an 8500 AIW card, soundblaster LIVE, integrated LAN, duron processor, and enough memory to make it work.
Fleshed it out with a wireless keyboard/mouse, some front port adapters, and a front-mounted LCD that displays song title/etc.
Plays audio streams, CDs, DVDs, MP3s, TV-out... runs them right into the receiver unit for the home stereo. Best of all, it looks like it belongs right in the stereo rack with all the other components.
I honestly don't know where I'd put one of those Shuttle cubes, but it certainly wouldn't fit in a rack. The alienware/shuttle cube looks pretty hip, but where's the joy of tinkering? the satisfaction of building it yourself?
"I do agree though that doubling the cost of something is a little over doing it."
Yes... quite.
I understand that the money has to come from somewhere; nothing is free, after all. However, I wasn't aware that Houston is a large tourist mecca, so soaking the visitors seems a bit out of line. (maybe it is a tourist destination... I don't live there). Florida is famous for hotel taxes and car rental taxes, but tourism is their #2 industry (after citrus), and tourists do use services and facilities.
The funding of large projects is always somewhat humorous to watch. Nobody wants to bear the tax burden locally (even though they have the most to gain), so the political types go to a "soak the other guy" kind of tax... it's downright xenophobic. Additionally, I don't think "sports arenas" should be built with total public funding. Major League sports generates a lot of money, and they are major beneficiaries of these publicly subsidized stadiums... I think asking them to bear a major portion of the cost is totally reasonable. This whole "we may have to move the team to another city if you don't build us a stadium" stuff is thinly-disguised extortion.
Ok... sorry. End of rant. Still smarting from the visa bill that trip generated...
Traveled to Houston recently. my rental car charge was DOUBLED by taxes and extra fees... to the tune of around 400$ for the week.
I don't know what the hell they are building in Houston that justifies that level of extra tax and local fees, (airport tax, use tax, local tax, etc, etc).
That kind of nonsense kills me... "Oh, did I mention that a few additional charges and taxes are added... that'll be DOUBLE what you thought it would be! Thanks for doing business with us!"
Make clippy like a tamogotchi (did I spell that right?).
Anyone else remember those things? Little keyfob jobbies that you had to feed, play with, discipline (my favorite), until they grew up or died? Kind of like a SIMS on a keychain...
Make one for clippy, including some great potential deaths (think "stick figure death theatre" or similar).
If the guy wants to give his services away for free, for *whatever* reason, he's entitled to do it.
Did anyone ask what the company does/produces? Maybe they make wheelchairs, or distribute vaccines to third-world nations... we have no idea, though it's still irrelevant to the question of whether or not the man is entitled to give his services away... he is... period.
I understand mercenary sensibilities, I often find myself at odds with them in my line of work (health care field). Bottom line: the world would be better off with a whole lot more volunteerism. The president is right on the mark when he asks people to volunteer in their community; it's simply the right thing to do. Given, this is a business transaction, but perhaps he's being compensated with something less tangible, like goodwill, or a recommendation (or the chance to work around that attractive former coworker he never had the guts to ask out).
Personally, I end up giving away almost half of the medical care I provide for free (uninsured, self-pay, etc). I even volunteer in my community, over and above that. I'm not saying this to toot my own horn, or to be a sanctimonious jerk, I'm simply making the point that past a certain threshold, money isn't everything, and it's a DAMN poor substitute for happiness and personal/professional fulfillment (how's that for a run-on sentence?)
Mod me down to your heart's content, but I can't believe the assault on this guy for suggesting somebody do something for reasons other than money.... Unbelievable.
Re:you obviously don't live in southern CA
on
Ants Invade iBook
·
· Score: 1
You want to see something impressive? Watch fire ants when a hurricane comes ashore and brings the storm surge with it (8-10ft of water) or you get some localized flooding from heavy rains... you'd think they'd drown, right?
Nope... they get together into a big living ball and float on top of the water. Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it.
Of course, the really cool thing (as a kid) was to wade around and find other stranded insects and animals, and bring them into proximity with one of these floating ant-balls. Those things can kill other creatures amazingly quickly... they earn your respect pretty quickly if you watch them...
I never take antibiotics unless clearly, unequivocaly indicated... period. I was sick the entire month of September with Mycoplasma (an "atypical" pneumonia), and took no antibiotics. IAAD, BTW, so I have access to any and all antibiotics... I took nothing. Want to know why?
Whenever you take antibiotics you are messing with your normal bacterial flora; those bugs that live in/on you all day, every day. These communal bugs will almost never make you sick. Taking antibiotics wipes out your normal flora, along with the bug making you sick. No problem, right? Wrong... think of it in terms of population dynamics. You are opening up lots and lots of living space for any organism that wants to set up shop. Since it's now an antibiotic-rich environment, what bugs could survive there? That's right... the resistant ones.
Most antibiotics are broad spectrum (some more than others), within their class... ie. gram positive or gram negative. Since I work in a hospital, I am around a bad group of microorganisms, often multiply-resistant. Hospital-acquired pneumonias/other infections are problematic, precisely because that's where wide antibiotic use has bred resistance. If you have a live-in older disabled relative you take care of, or work in a nursing home, or work with end-stage AIDS patients, etc, you might want to be extra careful taking antibiotics. Those normal flora organisms may be doing you more good than you think.
This phenomenon is evident in conditions like Clostridia difficile colitis, where antibiotics wipe out normal bugs and allow the Clostridia to overgrow.
My personal (not necessarily professional) advice is to suck it up. If you have a cold and/or mild/moderate sinusitis, deal with it... the overwhelming majority are viral. If you have coexistant medical conditions, you may need antibiotics earlier than a young, healthy person. If you are young and healthy, be thankful, and avoid antibiotics unless clearly indicated.
Also, this may sound self-serving, but listen to your doctor when he says antibiotics aren't needed... that's why he went to school. The "I know my body" and the "I always get antibiotics for this" and the "my body has a resistance to drug X, I need drug Y" (usually a much more expensive/worse choice) crowd are the bane of every physician's existance. It sounds patronizing (and somebody is going to take me to task for this, I can feel it) but listen to your doctor, and don't throw a fit.
I used to run a linux NAT box to act as the first line of defense on my home network, and it worked for months and months without EVER needing to be tweaked or cuddled.
When that box got cannibalized for a greater good, I needed something else... enter the Linksys router box... plug it in, enter your settings, and off you go. No fuss, no mess.
Hey, I like to tinker with my computers as much or more than the next guy, but there's only so many hours in the day, and my spouse was getting tired of my endless tinkering with the network. Of course, we also had a baby around the same time; some things are more important than running the ultimate 1337 Linux firewall/router.
Whoops... I just stated that something is more important than computer tinkering...
You are correct that contingency cases are taken to court all the time. You see it in law firm advertisements... "No fee if no recovery!"
I don't think contingency cases should go away entirely, however. If you have a poor plaintiff, he may not have the money to put a lawyer on retainer. If he can't hire an attorney, then nobody can investigate whether the plaintiff really has a case. Doing away with contingency really does take away the poor man's keys to the court room, and I'll be the first guy to say that there are lawsuits that have merit. What might make better sense is an appointed board of doctors, attorneys, and lay people who can evaluate some of these cases before they go to trial, and perhaps suggest some arbitration or settlement terms. This would certainely cut down on frivolous suits. For example, I have a colleague who's being sued because he gave a mind-altering drug to a patient, warned her not to drive, and told her to call a ride. She decided to drive, promptly had an accident on her way home, and guess what? That's right... she's suing the doctor, despite the explicit instructions, her own negligence, etc... How's that grab ya?
However, what really cranks up the cost of this type of litigation are the large pain-and-suffering damages. I can see lost wages, medical bills, etc... but billions for pain and suffering? Of course, this begs the question... how do you put a value on somebody's pain? The moment you try, some lawyer will accuse you of being cruel/heartless/killer of adorable puppies.
Limiting damages would be a good first step, IMHO.
Tort reform is also being sought by physicians to reduce the "malpractice lottery."
Nobody denies that medical mistakes happen... medicine is practiced by human beings, after all. The problem is that some people refuse to accept that sh*t happens in the course of medical care. Bad luck exists. A certain percentage of all procedures will develop post-op infections. Orthopedic pin sites for external fixators have about an 8-10% infection rate, REGARDLESS of what you do. Some people show up in the ER too badly injured to save.
The fact that a person dies or has a bad outcome is not presumptive evidence of malpractice... but too many people get sucked into the law firms that advertise on TV "Have YOU been injured? We'll get a settlement for YOU!" All that has to happen for a doctor to lose a case is for the jury to feel sorry for the plaintiff... Arrogant doctors make this MUCH easier for oppposing counsel. A little humility goes a long way.
The classical arguments against the "loser pays" reform efforts make a valid point... it may take away the poor man's access to the courtroom. Other efforts include arbitration boards. Whatever the answer, the current system needs help. Some OB/GYNs pay more for malpractice insurance that I make in a year... some neurosurgeons can't even GET insurance at all.
I think a limit on "pain and suffering" damages is a good place to start. Not to devalue anyone's suffering, but I don't think 10 Billion dollars is a reasonable figure.
I would always read in the catalog that the car would reach speeds of 60-70mph! Wow! I thought... that's awesome!
Until the car arrived, and I quickly realized that they weren't going anywhere near that speed. ONLY THEN did I note the asterisk in the catalog where they specified "scale speeds" of 60-70mph. Nice Marketdroid double-speak, designed to fool a kid like me, and I fell for it. Talk about feeling cheated...
If this one really, truly goes that fast (and not "scale speed"), that's pretty amazing for a model car.
Yes... audio would certainly be in improvement in the interface.
However, I think the problem is not just taking your eyes off the road... it's dividing your attention. Yes, using a hands-free cellphone keeps both hands on the wheel, but your brain is still occupied in carrying on a conversation, while you ideally should be concentrating on driving.
I can't find the study, but hands-free cellphones are still associated with a high rate of accidents. As I recall, it's nearly as high, or even as high, as users with normal cell phones.
Maybe we are just trying to do too many things at once (drive, talk, adjust the radio, wave the bee out of your face, swat the kids fighting in the backseat, check on the dog...)
He's shot 11 people, nine have died. He's only hit three headshots out of 11, and one shot he missed entirely (went in the window of a craft store).
His longest shot so far has been approx 150 yards... That's something anyone with a few hours on a range can do. A trained professional sniper should easily be able to keep his rounds inside a half-dollar at that range... This DC rifleman is clearly not up to that standard.
Most of his targets have been sitting still. But as for hitting "moving" targets, he has shot people who were moving either directly toward him, or away from him; that doesn't count. Hits on a person moving laterally or at an oblique angle are more indicative of real snipercraft.
This guy is nothing more than a crazed gunman. Do not besmirch the reputation of professional long riflemen by calling this guy a "sniper."
Slashdot Mirror
Some people do it for love... others do it for money. Which would you rather be?
Being a musician can suck, at least financially, just like being an artist. Most artists, however, don't do it for the money... it's all about expression, the creative muse.
In the digital age, being a millionare musician may be a dying phenomenon, for reasons already discussed. Obselescence sucks, but what can you do? Using technology to prop up a failing business model is doomed from the start.
Do it for the love of the music, and realize you may not get rich (though you might still get famous, groupies, etc), but take pleasure in it. Music is wonderful... enjoy the creation and performance; take pride in your musical gift (and a tremendous gift it is!).
Don't become bitter... don't overlook the pleasure for the sake of a dollar.
and it sounded like marketing-speak. however, I think some concern is warranted, particularly when you read between the lines (which always requires a bit of interpretation and speculation, but still...)
A shift away from the PC market could mean that they will no longer be trying so hard to compete with intel. The comptetition has arguably been good for BOTH companies, and even better for consumers. Isn't that what is often argued here, that competition against microsoft (in the form of linux, OS X, etc) would be a Good Thing (TM)? Improve quality? Lower price? yes?
I think we are justified in asking the question, and being concerned about this move. I'll repeat my call to the AMD employees that read this site... more information, please. Don't be shy... the worst you can be is an Anonymous Coward!
I love your nick, by the way...
I'm an AMD fan... their processors often offer more bang for the buck compared to intel.
They do run hotter, but so what? (and how else will I heat my server room in the wintertime?)
competition is always good; free markets demand it, and consumers will suffer when choice is reduced.
Does anyone know some more specifics? C'mon you AMD employees out there... I know you read slashdot... Please tell me this is some kind of sick joke.
you're welcome.
I also went with the logitech elite combo, and have noticed some funny things about its range.
It is VERY finicky with regards to how it is oriented. If I turn it 90 degrees to the receiver, it doesn't pick up at all (!). Mine is about fifteen feet away from the receiver, which sits on top of the entertainment center. It works, but not in every position.
I really wish it had better range... but it's not a deal-breaker.
The LCD is made by Crystalfontz. It's driven from a serial port, and requires a power connector for backlight. Similar units are made by MatrixOrbital. The software to drive the LCD is a free download, and can monitor system parameters out the wazoo... temp, network stats, cpu load, memory management, winamp... you name it.
Links:
CrystalFontz Website
Matrix Orbital
my bad... should have included more details.
I'm using latest version of the ATI MMC software. I really haven't had many problems with ATI, except the occasional game bug. Their drivers are improving.
The comp I mentioned is primarily a home entertainment appliance, though it's beefy enough to do lots of other things. For instance, aside from the lag in the wireless mouse/keyboard, it's a pretty fair Counterstrike machine (though I am definitely NOT 31337, more like cannon fodder). This box will also eventually drive a home theatre projector.
Here's the hardware and prices:
4U Rackmount case (100 bucks)
Enermax PS (60 bucks)
1.3gig duron (50 bucks)
256M pc2700 ram (80 bucks)
80gig Seagate drive (100 bucks)
ECS motherboard (60 bucks)
Soundblaster LIVE 5.1 (40 bucks)
AIW 8500DV (200 bucks)
DVD drive (40 bucks)
USB 2.0 card (20 bucks)
Koutech USB/Firewire 3.5" hub (50 bucks)
CrystalFontz LCD (70 bucks)
Wireless keyboard/mouse (100 bucks)
Total, if you had to build it from scratch, just under 1000 bucks. I didn't pay that... some of this stuff I had laying around, or cannibalized from other boxen. You could certainly get away with much cheaper if you deleted some of the bells and whistles (less fancy video card, no LCD, etc). Also, in fairness to Alienware, my system is NOT portable... it's approx 30lbs.
Honestly, I most enjoy the way it looks. Black, locking front door (keeps little hands away from important buttons) with a lexan window so the LCD is visible. Looks just like an amp, or some other home stereo component.
My wife would say this is the first useful thing my computer tinkering has ever produced.
Already own one of these, but I did it my way.
Used a 4u rackmount case and slid it right into my home entertainment center/stereo rack. Used an 8500 AIW card, soundblaster LIVE, integrated LAN, duron processor, and enough memory to make it work.
Fleshed it out with a wireless keyboard/mouse, some front port adapters, and a front-mounted LCD that displays song title/etc.
Plays audio streams, CDs, DVDs, MP3s, TV-out... runs them right into the receiver unit for the home stereo. Best of all, it looks like it belongs right in the stereo rack with all the other components.
I honestly don't know where I'd put one of those Shuttle cubes, but it certainly wouldn't fit in a rack. The alienware/shuttle cube looks pretty hip, but where's the joy of tinkering? the satisfaction of building it yourself?
"I do agree though that doubling the cost of something is a little over doing it."
Yes... quite.
I understand that the money has to come from somewhere; nothing is free, after all. However, I wasn't aware that Houston is a large tourist mecca, so soaking the visitors seems a bit out of line. (maybe it is a tourist destination... I don't live there). Florida is famous for hotel taxes and car rental taxes, but tourism is their #2 industry (after citrus), and tourists do use services and facilities.
The funding of large projects is always somewhat humorous to watch. Nobody wants to bear the tax burden locally (even though they have the most to gain), so the political types go to a "soak the other guy" kind of tax... it's downright xenophobic. Additionally, I don't think "sports arenas" should be built with total public funding. Major League sports generates a lot of money, and they are major beneficiaries of these publicly subsidized stadiums... I think asking them to bear a major portion of the cost is totally reasonable. This whole "we may have to move the team to another city if you don't build us a stadium" stuff is thinly-disguised extortion.
Ok... sorry. End of rant. Still smarting from the visa bill that trip generated...
Traveled to Houston recently. my rental car charge was DOUBLED by taxes and extra fees... to the tune of around 400$ for the week.
I don't know what the hell they are building in Houston that justifies that level of extra tax and local fees, (airport tax, use tax, local tax, etc, etc).
That kind of nonsense kills me... "Oh, did I mention that a few additional charges and taxes are added... that'll be DOUBLE what you thought it would be! Thanks for doing business with us!"
Yeah, thanks... it was good for me too.
most interesting... thanks for the link!
Make clippy like a tamogotchi (did I spell that right?).
Anyone else remember those things? Little keyfob jobbies that you had to feed, play with, discipline (my favorite), until they grew up or died? Kind of like a SIMS on a keychain...
Make one for clippy, including some great potential deaths (think "stick figure death theatre" or similar).
I think I just gave MS their killer app!
Now wait just a damn minute.
If the guy wants to give his services away for free, for *whatever* reason, he's entitled to do it.
Did anyone ask what the company does/produces? Maybe they make wheelchairs, or distribute vaccines to third-world nations... we have no idea, though it's still irrelevant to the question of whether or not the man is entitled to give his services away... he is... period.
I understand mercenary sensibilities, I often find myself at odds with them in my line of work (health care field). Bottom line: the world would be better off with a whole lot more volunteerism. The president is right on the mark when he asks people to volunteer in their community; it's simply the right thing to do. Given, this is a business transaction, but perhaps he's being compensated with something less tangible, like goodwill, or a recommendation (or the chance to work around that attractive former coworker he never had the guts to ask out).
Personally, I end up giving away almost half of the medical care I provide for free (uninsured, self-pay, etc). I even volunteer in my community, over and above that. I'm not saying this to toot my own horn, or to be a sanctimonious jerk, I'm simply making the point that past a certain threshold, money isn't everything, and it's a DAMN poor substitute for happiness and personal/professional fulfillment (how's that for a run-on sentence?)
Mod me down to your heart's content, but I can't believe the assault on this guy for suggesting somebody do something for reasons other than money.... Unbelievable.
You want to see something impressive? Watch fire ants when a hurricane comes ashore and brings the storm surge with it (8-10ft of water) or you get some localized flooding from heavy rains... you'd think they'd drown, right?
Nope... they get together into a big living ball and float on top of the water. Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it.
Of course, the really cool thing (as a kid) was to wade around and find other stranded insects and animals, and bring them into proximity with one of these floating ant-balls. Those things can kill other creatures amazingly quickly... they earn your respect pretty quickly if you watch them...
By the looks of the dead, slashdotted link, any ants inside the server are no longer a problem...
A significant geeky improvement on the ole' magnifying glass
I never take antibiotics unless clearly, unequivocaly indicated... period. I was sick the entire month of September with Mycoplasma (an "atypical" pneumonia), and took no antibiotics. IAAD, BTW, so I have access to any and all antibiotics... I took nothing. Want to know why?
Whenever you take antibiotics you are messing with your normal bacterial flora; those bugs that live in/on you all day, every day. These communal bugs will almost never make you sick. Taking antibiotics wipes out your normal flora, along with the bug making you sick. No problem, right? Wrong... think of it in terms of population dynamics. You are opening up lots and lots of living space for any organism that wants to set up shop. Since it's now an antibiotic-rich environment, what bugs could survive there? That's right... the resistant ones.
Most antibiotics are broad spectrum (some more than others), within their class... ie. gram positive or gram negative. Since I work in a hospital, I am around a bad group of microorganisms, often multiply-resistant. Hospital-acquired pneumonias/other infections are problematic, precisely because that's where wide antibiotic use has bred resistance. If you have a live-in older disabled relative you take care of, or work in a nursing home, or work with end-stage AIDS patients, etc, you might want to be extra careful taking antibiotics. Those normal flora organisms may be doing you more good than you think.
This phenomenon is evident in conditions like Clostridia difficile colitis, where antibiotics wipe out normal bugs and allow the Clostridia to overgrow.
My personal (not necessarily professional) advice is to suck it up. If you have a cold and/or mild/moderate sinusitis, deal with it... the overwhelming majority are viral. If you have coexistant medical conditions, you may need antibiotics earlier than a young, healthy person. If you are young and healthy, be thankful, and avoid antibiotics unless clearly indicated.
Also, this may sound self-serving, but listen to your doctor when he says antibiotics aren't needed... that's why he went to school. The "I know my body" and the "I always get antibiotics for this" and the "my body has a resistance to drug X, I need drug Y" (usually a much more expensive/worse choice) crowd are the bane of every physician's existance. It sounds patronizing (and somebody is going to take me to task for this, I can feel it) but listen to your doctor, and don't throw a fit.
I joined the EFF today, this morning in fact... I just had a feeling it was time. Then what happens 12hrs later? I log on to /. and find this article.
Pure serendipidy? Divinely inspired? Coincidence? Maybe I should offer free psychic readings.
Cmon ya cheapskates... pony up some cash. It Looks like EFF is gonna need it.
If that's the same place we have the DayLUG users group meetings, I think I've seen it (though I haven't been in a while... sorry guys)
Don't they always have a booth at computerfest, with a bunch of old computers? (the old Commodores always bring a tear to my eye).
heheheh... those dumb F*cks!
Just to play devil's advocate... it works for me.
I used to run a linux NAT box to act as the first line of defense on my home network, and it worked for months and months without EVER needing to be tweaked or cuddled.
When that box got cannibalized for a greater good, I needed something else... enter the Linksys router box... plug it in, enter your settings, and off you go. No fuss, no mess.
Hey, I like to tinker with my computers as much or more than the next guy, but there's only so many hours in the day, and my spouse was getting tired of my endless tinkering with the network. Of course, we also had a baby around the same time; some things are more important than running the ultimate 1337 Linux firewall/router.
Whoops... I just stated that something is more important than computer tinkering...
What the hell... it's only karma
You are correct that contingency cases are taken to court all the time. You see it in law firm advertisements... "No fee if no recovery!"
I don't think contingency cases should go away entirely, however. If you have a poor plaintiff, he may not have the money to put a lawyer on retainer. If he can't hire an attorney, then nobody can investigate whether the plaintiff really has a case. Doing away with contingency really does take away the poor man's keys to the court room, and I'll be the first guy to say that there are lawsuits that have merit. What might make better sense is an appointed board of doctors, attorneys, and lay people who can evaluate some of these cases before they go to trial, and perhaps suggest some arbitration or settlement terms. This would certainely cut down on frivolous suits. For example, I have a colleague who's being sued because he gave a mind-altering drug to a patient, warned her not to drive, and told her to call a ride. She decided to drive, promptly had an accident on her way home, and guess what? That's right... she's suing the doctor, despite the explicit instructions, her own negligence, etc... How's that grab ya?
However, what really cranks up the cost of this type of litigation are the large pain-and-suffering damages. I can see lost wages, medical bills, etc... but billions for pain and suffering? Of course, this begs the question... how do you put a value on somebody's pain? The moment you try, some lawyer will accuse you of being cruel/heartless/killer of adorable puppies.
Limiting damages would be a good first step, IMHO.
Tort reform is also being sought by physicians to reduce the "malpractice lottery."
Nobody denies that medical mistakes happen... medicine is practiced by human beings, after all. The problem is that some people refuse to accept that sh*t happens in the course of medical care. Bad luck exists. A certain percentage of all procedures will develop post-op infections. Orthopedic pin sites for external fixators have about an 8-10% infection rate, REGARDLESS of what you do. Some people show up in the ER too badly injured to save.
The fact that a person dies or has a bad outcome is not presumptive evidence of malpractice... but too many people get sucked into the law firms that advertise on TV "Have YOU been injured? We'll get a settlement for YOU!" All that has to happen for a doctor to lose a case is for the jury to feel sorry for the plaintiff... Arrogant doctors make this MUCH easier for oppposing counsel. A little humility goes a long way.
The classical arguments against the "loser pays" reform efforts make a valid point... it may take away the poor man's access to the courtroom. Other efforts include arbitration boards. Whatever the answer, the current system needs help. Some OB/GYNs pay more for malpractice insurance that I make in a year... some neurosurgeons can't even GET insurance at all.
I think a limit on "pain and suffering" damages is a good place to start. Not to devalue anyone's suffering, but I don't think 10 Billion dollars is a reasonable figure.
Used to love radio-controlled cars as a kid.
I would always read in the catalog that the car would reach speeds of 60-70mph! Wow! I thought... that's awesome!
Until the car arrived, and I quickly realized that they weren't going anywhere near that speed. ONLY THEN did I note the asterisk in the catalog where they specified "scale speeds" of 60-70mph. Nice Marketdroid double-speak, designed to fool a kid like me, and I fell for it. Talk about feeling cheated...
If this one really, truly goes that fast (and not "scale speed"), that's pretty amazing for a model car.
Yes... audio would certainly be in improvement in the interface.
However, I think the problem is not just taking your eyes off the road... it's dividing your attention. Yes, using a hands-free cellphone keeps both hands on the wheel, but your brain is still occupied in carrying on a conversation, while you ideally should be concentrating on driving.
I can't find the study, but hands-free cellphones are still associated with a high rate of accidents. As I recall, it's nearly as high, or even as high, as users with normal cell phones.
Maybe we are just trying to do too many things at once (drive, talk, adjust the radio, wave the bee out of your face, swat the kids fighting in the backseat, check on the dog...)
Let's put this DC "sniper" in perspective.
He's shot 11 people, nine have died. He's only hit three headshots out of 11, and one shot he missed entirely (went in the window of a craft store).
His longest shot so far has been approx 150 yards... That's something anyone with a few hours on a range can do. A trained professional sniper should easily be able to keep his rounds inside a half-dollar at that range... This DC rifleman is clearly not up to that standard.
Most of his targets have been sitting still. But as for hitting "moving" targets, he has shot people who were moving either directly toward him, or away from him; that doesn't count. Hits on a person moving laterally or at an oblique angle are more indicative of real snipercraft.
This guy is nothing more than a crazed gunman. Do not besmirch the reputation of professional long riflemen by calling this guy a "sniper."