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  1. Re:ok on Top EU Court: Libraries Can Digitize Books Without Publishers' Permission · · Score: 3, Insightful

    then the next big thing for European libraries is to allow vpning into the library network and remote viewing the kiosks through a webpage. Sounds fair to me.

    They need to allow the creation of satellite locations by their members and then connect all these locations (the member's computer) via VPNs... That way, I can just have my own living room become part of the library and read anything in the collection. Sounds like a win/win to me..

  2. Re:In other words nobody is born smart on Massive Study Searching For Genes Behind Intelligence Finds Little · · Score: 1

    BUT, just in case anybody things I'm forgetting... The ethical implications of this kind of thing is going to make this line of research difficult to do.

  3. Re:In other words nobody is born smart on Massive Study Searching For Genes Behind Intelligence Finds Little · · Score: 1

    The hard part is going to be getting a supply of implantable identical twins.

    Not as hard as you might think from a "technology" perspective. Actually fairly easy I would guess. IVF would be the first step, then you just break things into multiple parts before things really get going and implant. I'm not an expert in this area, so I'm only guessing how hard that would be.

  4. Re:Not a huge surprise to me. on Massive Study Searching For Genes Behind Intelligence Finds Little · · Score: 2

    LOL.. That will change as you get older young grasshopper.. You will find your self dumber and your parents smarter as the wisdom that comes with age sets in.

    If you have kids, they will look at you the same way.

  5. Re:In other words nobody is born smart on Massive Study Searching For Genes Behind Intelligence Finds Little · · Score: 2

    Identical twins only separate at birth, so all we've got evidence of is that intelligence is largely set prior to that event.

    I'm going to guess that we really need to studied identical twins, separated PRIOR to implantation and carried by different mothers. Problem with this is such experiments are not exactly ethical.

  6. Re:Every space program is for peaceful purposes on China Targets 2022 For Space Station Completion · · Score: 1

    Missile technology. Science is a distant third but has always been used as the front for PR purposes.

    Missile technology is science.

    True, but one that is devoted to the quick delivery of things that are of value to military activities.

  7. Re:Been there, done that. on China Targets 2022 For Space Station Completion · · Score: 3, Informative

    Well... It's stayed up there ya know... That's an achievement..

    Maybe you mean "Advancement"?

  8. Re:Maybe they don't want to share? on China Targets 2022 For Space Station Completion · · Score: 0

    You mean like weaponizing space kind of experiments?

  9. Re:why are you volunteering information? on Researcher Fired At NSF After Government Questions Her Role As 1980s Activist · · Score: 1

    OPM says she was lying with the intent to mislead and she had an ongoing relationship with one of the other members of the organization who DIED IN JAIL in relation to crimes committed in association with said organization.

    OPM say she's unfit, good bye job. With her qualifications, finding another won't be hard. End of report.

  10. Re:Good we don't need no stinkin commies on Researcher Fired At NSF After Government Questions Her Role As 1980s Activist · · Score: 1

    Dang, I'd be in trouble here... Where I have come across people who obviously where into this kind of thing, I've never actually known anybody who I would classify as a "close contact" who I knew for sure was into this kind of thing. I'd have to honestly say "no" to that question. Glad I'm not trying to be a cop..

  11. Re:Good we don't need no stinkin commies on Researcher Fired At NSF After Government Questions Her Role As 1980s Activist · · Score: 1

    There is no substance to the statement she lied, because she wasn't involved in a group which was dedicated to any of those things. She was involved in a group fighting for women's rights, and encountered people who were much more radical.

    What I'm reading is that she was indeed a member of two or more such organizations, some who had members jailed for inciting and committing violent acts. Her activity in these organizations was more than just passing by the accounts I'm reading and the nature of the organizations coupled with the failure to disclose her associations with them conspired to fail the background check. Cannot pass background check = no job. She knew this before she accepted the position, before she signed the paperwork, and when she was interviewed by the investigator. It's not like she's getting hauled off to jail (which by the way IS possible in this kind of thing), she's just out looking for a new job.

  12. Re:why are you volunteering information? on Researcher Fired At NSF After Government Questions Her Role As 1980s Activist · · Score: 1

    If you want a job that requires a background investigation, it seem to me that a lot of candor might be in your best interest, especially if your employment is conditioned on actually passing the background check. Remember, they TELL you before you get hired that you will need to pass the check, so it's not like you are being forced to disclose stuff any more than you are being forced to take the job.

    However, if you DO fill out a form that asks you questions and you LIE on it in an attempt to hide or mislead the investigators, you can bet it won't go well for you should they happen to find out. When they kick you to the curb with your box of personal items and your last paycheck, don't come crying to me about how unfairly you've been treated.

    Further, I'm guessing that in the headline case here, the issue wasn't so much her association with some radical group 30 years ago, but with the failure to disclose it. I'm just guessing here, but I'll bet they wouldn't have tossed her had she disclosed it and the evidence was that she hadn't be involved in such stuff since. This lady played it your way and got fired for it.

    Do what you want though...

  13. Re:I need definitions on Researcher Fired At NSF After Government Questions Her Role As 1980s Activist · · Score: 0

    If it is the set of questions I answered for the same folks, It's pretty clear what they want. Where you a member of.... Do you have friends or associates who are members of... Is anybody in your family a member of...

    She clearly WAS an actual member and apparently didn't disclose it. When it turned up in the background investigation that what was on the disclosure she signed was not true, she got the boot.

    Bye Bye, don't let the door hit you on the way out....

  14. Re:Good we don't need no stinkin commies on Researcher Fired At NSF After Government Questions Her Role As 1980s Activist · · Score: 0

    So you just miss the part where "SHE LIED" on her background check and got canned for it. I don't know about you, but if I lie on my employment application or Resume and get canned because of it, it's going to be my fault.

    Maybe I live in some alternate reality or something, but I don't see a problem with this lady getting the boot if she signed the paperwork and either misrepresented her past, failed to remember it, or neglected to disclose it and the investigation turns up something different.

  15. Re:So, go ahead, create a bio-weapon at home on The Grassroots Future of Biohacking · · Score: 1

    I am getting very skeptical about the home-made bioweapon that ends the world.

    It isn't unreasonable to think that some lone idiot could make a new version of smallpox or bubonic plague or bird flu that goes the distance. My question is how in heck would they test it?

    Does it matter? The problem here is that some yahoo *could* get a sample of small pox, or plague, and start such a problem. Small Pox might be officially eradicated, but I can think of possible ways to collect samples outside of official channels and you could kill millions in the third world if you let that loose.

    But, I'm more concerned about stuff that might not be lethal to humans, but say kills chickens or cattle. There is a virus that is killing pigs "in the wild" right now that is causing hog farmers no end of trouble. They don't know where it came from, how it is transmitted, but it's killing a significant number of pigs. Say somebody comes up with something that destroys corn plants and gets transmitted by wind and birds. Lets say it wipes out 25% of the corn crop before we can deal with it. There will be a LOT of starving people out there. This is the kind of thing that we must prevent.

    Most of this kind of thing can be prevented if you follow simple protocols when working with risky things. Such protocols need not be expensive, but they need to be followed and that means we need oversight in place to make sure they get followed, even for the guy with a microscope running an incubator on his back porch.

  16. So, go ahead, create a bio-weapon at home on The Grassroots Future of Biohacking · · Score: 1

    WMD's, everybody needs them. Bio-weapons from hacking? Why not....

    I have no doubt that BIO hacking is a great pastime, but seriously, there really needs to be some oversight on this, draconian or not. I'm not going to sit here and say it's easy to weaponize this kind of thing, but if some yahoo are growing anthrax on the back porch it might be a good idea to have somebody keeping track of it. Virus production is even worse. Anything that could cause trouble for humans, the food supply, or the environment needs to be watched, carefully, or somebody who doesn't know better is going to cause a big problem.

    Now if you want to experiment with genetics by selectively breading peas or some such, knock yourself out, but if you start "hacking" around with possibly lethal pathogens or something that could become one, we need draconian oversight.

  17. Re:No deaths? on Denver Latest City Hit By Viral Respiratory Infection That Targets Kids · · Score: 1

    Right.... So, do you want to continue discussing original intent as a logical position or do you want to keep pulling things out of context to suit your arguments...

    Care to point out what "inconsistency" you are pointing at in the Federalist Papers? Which article should I read?

  18. Re:No deaths? on Denver Latest City Hit By Viral Respiratory Infection That Targets Kids · · Score: 1

    It is trivially easy to think of an example where the intent is the fundamental point of dispute: the ACLU vs. the NRA's interpretation of the second amendment.

    So let's talk about that in terms of original intent then, it's a good example of how this works... Looking at original intent, what DOES the 2nd amendment say? What did the founders intend when they wrote that? What right where they trying to protect?

    The text of it says: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

    During the 2nd world war, it was said by military leaders in Japan that they NEVER wanted to invade the USA because "there was a gun behind each front door". I think this was the intent of the framers, to provide an intrinsic armed populace that could muster a defense of the country. That's how the revolutionary war was initially waged, private arms owned by private citizens, fighting for their independence.

    So what's the left's out from the "the right of the people to keep and bare Arms, shall not be infringed?" I don't know, but it seems to me that it is a whole lot more strained interpretation that says something like "What's a well regulated Militia?" and how is that related?

    So, at risk of misstating your side on this debate, what IS the original intent argument here that supports this "Ban Guns" mantra of the ACLU? I'll let you respond.

  19. Re:No deaths? on Denver Latest City Hit By Viral Respiratory Infection That Targets Kids · · Score: 1

    I suggest you look long and hard at your information sources. But the problem here is that nobody is actually releasing "real" signup numbers. Who knows what HHS is actually feeding us as "signups" on the websites. They won't actually tell us what their numbers mean and all they don't tell you that there is no way they can know if a "sign up" actually has paid their premiums or not. I've heard that nearly 50% haven't, but we don't know if that's true so I don't go around saying that it is. I DO know one person who 'signed up" and then didn't proceed to pay the premiums personally. She did so to figure out exactly what her costs would be, what kind of subsidies she would receive and then decided that medicaid was better with her unemployment situation. I'm sure she's not alone. So I know that the numbers from HHS are not reflective of new insurance policy holders and strangely showed the exact numbers needed to break even, being an election year that is suspect to me.

    Also, the ACA has only increased what insurance costs for all of us. Take away the subsidies and the average person is paying more, LOTS more for insurance. Premiums went up for nearly everybody, deductibles went up in most cases, out of pocket maximums when up for many, and millions lost their employer provided insurance to be tossed onto the exchanges. These numbers are pretty well known and verified.

    So the ACA remains a failure on all the points used to sell it. You want to put the rose colored glasses on and say "it will get better!" and I'm firmly in the "Government programs have never done that before". Face it, we are 6 years into this thing which has yet to be fully implemented because this administration has openly extended the deadlines. It's not going to get better without some changes, and changes to the ACA are "off the table" according to Obama's statements over the government shutdown mess last year. The ACA's popularity continues to fall along with the prospects of the Democrats who tied their success to this misguided law, and there is a good reason for that...

    Go get your own numbers, primary sources preferred. Forget what your "friend" is telling you, he's a blue cool-aid drinker and either doesn't know better or is misleading you on purpose.

  20. Re:No deaths? on Denver Latest City Hit By Viral Respiratory Infection That Targets Kids · · Score: 1

    Your continued attempts to paint me as logically inconsistent because of the examples I'm using to show YOUR inconsistencies is noted. That I use a regulation as an example, is not equivalent to me agreeing with it. In FACT, I was poking holes in your argument using a regulation that was generally well supported (if not foisted on us) by the left and comparing it to your voiced position that my health was government's (i.e. and thus your) business. Both the ACA and HIPPA are products of the left's ideology and have little direct constitutional support for their existence; banning large soft drink cups from the 7-11 is the same kind of thing. You got painted into a corner.

    I see your last response as an attempt to spin out of a loosing position which doesn't advance this debate. Admit it, you have paint on the bottom of your shoes as you left footprints on your way out.

    So are we going to advance here or are you going to insist that I cannot carry on a logical argument? Because if we are not advancing in at least understanding each others positions, I have better things to do and I bet you do to.

  21. Re:No deaths? on Denver Latest City Hit By Viral Respiratory Infection That Targets Kids · · Score: 1

    I disagree with that last statement. I've never heard a liberal attempt to justify their position on a legal decision based on the author's intent. I've only heard them start making vague statements about how it *should* mean something else, about how the constitution is flexible and needs to be living (i.e. changing) in today's world. In fact, *that* is exactly what is taught in public schools and colleges today. My daughter just got done having a debate with her professor about this and he certainly wasn't interested in what the authors of the constitution intended. He had some other really strange views too, but I'm not sure he wasn't attempting to stimulate the argument with the rest.

    My point is, the rank and file liberal is not concerned about original intent, they are concerned about how the ruling will advance their cause and argue from that perspective. When I bring up the original intent issue, they don't usually know what I mean, or if they do, quickly dismiss the issue. I've never had one address the issue, or argue that the framers where arguing for their view.

    Take the latest Hobby Lobby case. Clearly the majority in this case was reading the original intent of the law, where the descent was all over the place and argued all sort of "unintended consequences" of the decision that hadn't gone their way. They where NOT arguing original intent, they didn't argue from the meaning of the law as written, they argued their position based on what they thought the results of the ruling would be.

    So, I'm willing to discuss original intent with any liberal who cares to think about it. There are some valid questions to be raised at time, but I find few willing and fewer able. This isn't a straw man argument, where I define my opponents position and sweep them away, but I won't sit here and engage in much debate with somebody who won't acknowledge the logic of original intent having merit.

  22. Re:No deaths? on Denver Latest City Hit By Viral Respiratory Infection That Targets Kids · · Score: 1

    With all due respect to the "framers," I don't give a damn what the "framers" had in mind.

    Then go away.

    Look, if we don't intend to interpret our laws based upon what the laws where intended to mean when they where written, then what's the use of having courts? What's the use of having any laws to start with? They apparently don't mean anything today if they can mean something else tomorrow.

    What the *framers* (the guys that authored the document, argued about it and signed it) wanted it to mean *IS* important. IF you don't want to admit that, then I'm not sure if we have any common ground from which to continue a discussion on, much less would I want to try. All you need do is go back and re-interpret anything you wrote to suit your current logical needs and leave me trying to nail jello to the wall. No thanks, I have better things to do than debate the equivalent of astrophysics with a 2 year old who cannot read.

    Go ahead, stick your tongue out at me..

  23. Re:No deaths? on Denver Latest City Hit By Viral Respiratory Infection That Targets Kids · · Score: 1

    So, can we not agree that "original intent" *should* be what is used to interpret the constitution? That we should be appointing judges who have this ideology?

    Because I don't care what "team" you are on or if you consider yourself your own player, there is grave danger in the abandonment of "original intent" in the courts. We simply MUST be appointing judges with the correct ideology, regardless of party, and I firmly feel that seeking "original intent" based judges is the ONLY logical way this can work. Anything else is folly and will destroy us. My reasons for saying so are plain and logical.

    Yet, you would accuse me of political bias? My argument is from history, from logic, not from political association or rhetoric. How anything other than "original intent" can be tolerated by the public is something that amazes me. As a people we have forgotten from where we came, many now look upon our forefathers in scorn and tolerate such errors in logic like the one I've been arguing cannot continue, if we are to survive as the same country, on the same principles as we where founded. If we abandon these principles, we will do so to our discredit, and destroy what we inherited, a free country, purchased and kept free for 200+ years by the blood of it's patriots and our forefathers. This is not about politics...

  24. Re:No deaths? on Denver Latest City Hit By Viral Respiratory Infection That Targets Kids · · Score: 1

    You have stepped out on the slippery slope with both feet and I'm not so sure you realize it.

    My Healthcare is NOT your business, nor are my choices about what I eat. Why do I say this? Remember the HIPPA rules? My medical care is SUPPOSED to be between me and my doctors, only after the government inserted itself in the health care did such things become important to government, and this NEVER should have been the case. All sorts of things get justified this way, because all you need to do is come up with a reason it costs the government (heck, invent a program to make that true) and volia, you have a "right" to mandate things in law. You see, now that we have universal health care, we will have HHS telling doctors what treatments we can get, which ones we can't get. Don't fool yourself, people will use your EXACT logic to make it happen. We will all end up going to a health care system that resembles what the VA is today, it's just a few short steps away and with your logic there is nothing to stop it.

    So, I'm guessing you are not for what NSA does, snooping on your phone calls, yet you want the government to intrude even more into our lives? If so, Do you see the logical problem you have? On one hand you decry the NSA's data collection efforts that include information about you, but you don't have a problem with a law that intrudes into my personal life because you think it's for my own good.

    I don't want to be involved in your personal life, AT ALL. That includes passing laws that govern how you must live, who you associate with, what you read, what you say or what you eat. In return, I would ask that you return the favor. Everybody needs to take responsibility for their OWN lives and we all need to keep our noses out of each others business, either directly or by using government to pass laws.

    Government's place should be to make sure that there is fairness on the playing field and the field level. They should remove players who are unable to play fairly and the criminals (jail). Government should protect those who are incapable of playing and even help coach substandard players so they can play better, but for the most part, government should not be part of the game. The rest of us should be free to play the game as we see fit, doing what works for us. It's what Freedom, Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness is supposed to be. People with your logic are allowing freedom to be stripped away, bit by bit. Please consider carefully what I'm saying, for all our good.

  25. Re:I started wondering... on Paypal Jumps Into Bitcoin With Both Feet · · Score: 1

    No, bitcoin is less anonymous than cash - it's just new enough that the infrastructure to regulate and track it it hasn't been built yet.

    What planet do you live on? (or what internet do you use?) I'm fairly sure that the NSA has been tracking bitcoin transactions for about as long as the criminals have been using it. Heck, even the FBI likely has the capacity.... You do realize that ALL transactions are public knowledge by design, ANYBODY could track everything.