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User: Muad'Dave

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  1. Re:If it's not cancer, it's renewable energy on Scientists Create New Type of Superconductor Wires · · Score: 1

    I've heard that superconductors ... have no thermal resistance ...

    You're thinking of Scrith from Ringworld Engineers. It's a thermal superconductor.

  2. Re:Too bad on Obama Admin Wants Hackers Charged As Mobsters · · Score: 0

    Or to the US government itself. They're the biggest organized threat to my well-being.

  3. Re:Overhype of the Century on When Did Irene Stop Being a Hurricane? · · Score: 1

    While here in Hanover County, Va, I lost 8 trees, and have not had power, landline, cell coverage, or internet service since Saturday afternoon. We got _pummeled_ by the rain bands - the theory is that as the tremendous downpours fell they brought the high-speed upper level winds down with them. My experience certainly seems to support that model. The rain would suddenly increase, and seconds later the wind would gust very hard for 15-30 seconds. That's when you'd hear the sickening CRACK of tree roots letting go and the sustained crash of a 100+ year old tree falling, taking other trees with it. Thank heavens none of them hit the house. Add to that the 18 hours of sustained rainfall and TS force winds coming from all points of the compass and you've got a recipe for uprooted trees.

    Dominion Va power reports that this is the second-worst outage they've ever had (behind Isabel), and at one point 90+% of Hanover County was without power. Similarly, over 75% of the greater Richmond area was without power, while SE Va (Va beach, Norfolk, Hampton Roads, etc) didn't go over 50%, IIRC.

    BTW, two trees fell on my fence, and one of those fence-killers took out my satellite dish! I was ok until then.

  4. Re:Easier way to learn it on Ask Slashdot: Math Curriculum To Understand General Relativity? · · Score: 1

    I agree wholeheartedly. I picked that book up at a used bookstore, and aside from the formality of the language due to translation, the explanations given are as clear as can be and are supported by examples.

  5. Re:Easier way to learn it on Ask Slashdot: Math Curriculum To Understand General Relativity? · · Score: 1

    Do you read? "Relativity; The Special and the General Theory by Einstein himself".

  6. Re:My Dog RIP on Study Shows Dogs Can Sniff Out Lung Cancer · · Score: 1

    Sorry about your loss, but maybe you shouldn't have given him chocolate - it's very toxic to dogs, along with onions, grapes and raisins.

  7. Re:And the sad part is... on Driver Using Two Cell Phones Gets Year-Long Driving Ban · · Score: 1

    Of course I do everything in my power to prevent accidents. It's trying to convince your (or their) insurance company that I did everything in my power to prevent an accident and that it's not somehow my fault that they ran a red light or pulled out from a driveway between parked cars.

    The only accident I have been involved in was where a driver (in a rental car since she'd crashed her car the previous day, seriously) pulled out in front of me when I was 15 feet away from her and I was doing 35 or so. Even though I swerved into the incoming lane to avoid her (after checking for oncoming cars, of course) and hit the brakes ASAP (and left tiny skid marks - the cops didn't get the fact that I had anti-lock brakes and that there wouldn't be long skid marks) somehow her/my insurance company decided that it was 15% my fault, which just so happened to match my deductible. This was in NJ in the 80's, back in the days of the NJUA and mandatory insurance issuance. That may still be the case up there, I don't know. I didn't get a ticket, obviously, but she sure did, yet it was partly my fault? The only fault of mine was being in NJ at all.

  8. Re:And the sad part is... on Driver Using Two Cell Phones Gets Year-Long Driving Ban · · Score: 1

    An honest question: you said, "...where drivers pulled out (when I had priority) ...". By choice of words I deduce that you're not in the US. We also have a similar concept, called right-of-way, but the strange thing (at least in my state see page 26), is that the laws are written so that no one ever HAS the right-of-way, but that they must give up or yield right-of-way in certain situations. This makes it nearly impossible to argue that the other driver did something stupid that you couldn't foresee. The argument is that you must do everything in your power to prevent the accident, regardless of who was supposed to yield the right-of-way. It's very frustrating.

    Are your rules the same, or do you have clear possession of right-of-way?

  9. Re:Typical science news... on UN Climate Report Fails To Capture Arctic Ice: MIT · · Score: 1

    the deaths from 1918 were from secondary infections. no penicillin, won't happen again.

    Not according to the article:
    "...the virus kills through a cytokine storm (overreaction of the body's immune system), which perhaps explains its unusually severe nature and the concentrated age profile of its victims. The strong immune system reactions of young adults ravaged the body, whereas those of the weaker immune systems of children and middle-aged adults resulted in fewer deaths."

    This could be managed today by steroids or other immunosuppressive therapy, not by antibiotics.

  10. Re:Kardashev on Jupiter-Sized Alien Planet Is Darkest Ever (Barely) Seen · · Score: 1, Troll

    Isn't this exactly what you would expect to see from a planet with a Kardashev level 1 civilisation?

    I'd expect to see needy drama queens on a planet with a Kardashian level 1 civilization.

  11. Re:Why is this being made public? on Breaking the Codes In Oslo Terrorist's Manifesto · · Score: 1

    Actually, until there's a conviction, not a sentence (at least in my jurisdiction).

  12. Re:antimatter on Anti-Matter Belt Discovered Around Earth · · Score: 2

    While likely technically correct, common usage trumps technicality. Most people regard the 1970's to be 1970-1979, etc, NOT 1971-1980. The same sort of logic applies to centuries - 20th century was 1900-1999. In fact, why don't we just declare the 1st century to be anomalous, and go on from there?

  13. Re:Again! on Facebook: We Have Proof Ceglia's Contract Is Fake · · Score: 1

    ... a 2L or 3L student ...

    You measure your students by volume?

  14. Re:So Cloud v Cloud.... on Lightning Strike KOs Amazon, Microsoft EuroClouds · · Score: 1

    "History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men....GODZILLA!" - Blue Oyster Cult

  15. Re:For scale on WiFi 802.22 Can Cover 12,000 Square Miles · · Score: 3, Informative

    That's suspiciously close to exactly 100km - could that 12,000 square mile figure have been derived from a metric back-of-the-envelope figure of "about 100km"?

  16. Re:Inflation on Seigniorage Hack Could Resolve Debt Limit Crisis · · Score: 1

    I like the way war was handled in one of the old Sci Fi books from my childhood - anyone that votes for war knows that at the end of the war they'll be put to death.

  17. Re:Why? on Volunteer Towns Sought For Nuclear Waste · · Score: 1

    ...the Andasol plant in Spain uses a mix of sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate...

    And when they're done with those all nitrates, they can cure some mighty tasty Chorizo or make black [gun] powder.

  18. Re:BS on Technology and Moral Panic · · Score: 1

    Edison helped electrocute Topsy the Elephant (text plus horrific video link) to show how dangerous Tesla's AC was. He was promoting 'safe' DC at the time.

  19. Re:Treat it like fiberglass or asbestos on Ask Slashdot: How To Safely Saw Up Motherboards? · · Score: 1

    The best example of a wet saw I've found is one for cutting glass (for making stained glass). It has a round profile blade coated in diamond dust (so you can make 90+ degree corners and cut in any direction) and uses water to cool the blade and keep dust/particulates down. My wife uses this one, but any of them would probably do. As a bonus, you could use it to incorporate stained glass in your art projects.

  20. Re:Why are Libs so enamored with taxes? on Amazon Drops California Associates to Avoid Sales Tax · · Score: 1

    Yes, or in the garment industry. Mugatu and the Prime Minister of Malaysia will help you with job placement.

  21. Re:Why are Libs so enamored with taxes? on Amazon Drops California Associates to Avoid Sales Tax · · Score: 0

    Because liberals realise that the things we take for granted have to be paid for by someone.

    It is because those things were handed to you gratis by the government that you take them for granted.

  22. Re:Regulation? on San Francisco Considers Ban On All Pet Sales · · Score: 1

    I'll bet those regulations already exist, but like most laws are not enforced until something tragic happens.

  23. Re:"Cheating the Government" on British Tax System Uses Web Robots To Find Cheats · · Score: 1

    Yes, I did. I also put a tax on 'junk' food at the same time. I don't know about your state, but my state already charges tax on grocery items and meals served in restaurants. In fact, some localities (City of Richmond, I'm talking about you) have a special meals tax (and other taxes) to tax travelers and visitors (see the Admissions [7%], Lodging [8%], and Meals [6%] tax coupon here).

    If you read the Va state tax link, it mentions that the federal gov't already has a definition of 'Food for home consumption by humans' that is close to mine:
    "Food Stamp Act of 1977, 7 U.S.C. 2012" (I think that definition is here, but I'm not sure. See section 'g').

  24. Re:So... on Organized Crime Cleaning Up With Nuclear Waste · · Score: 1

    I think he intended 'lower levels of waste' to mean less of it, not lower radiation levels. I understand what you're getting at, though.

  25. Re:"Cheating the Government" on British Tax System Uses Web Robots To Find Cheats · · Score: 1

    I agree for the most part, except that the word 'reasonable' leaves your plan open to too much interpretation, IMHO. Who gets to decide what food items are taxed and which are not? What differentiates Spam (tm) from caviar in your example?

    I'd rather see the following categories of tax free stuff:
    1) Food that is sold raw and unprocessed. Raw meat, veggies, flour, milk, etc are tax free. The sort of stuff your parents/grandparents called 'staples'. Cooked foods, things in cans (processed foods), etc are taxed. Frozen stuff is not taxed if it's raw, like frozen broccoli.
    2) Rent/mortgage payments
    3) Health care
    4) Clothing is more difficult. Perhaps clothing that's under $50/item is tax free? How about clothing that's purchased new is taxed, but not taxed if purchased used?

    These exceptions provide for the poor - they can eat, be clothed, get medical attention, and have a place to live without paying a dime in taxes.

    That's it. Pretty easy to determine what is and is not taxed, it's fair for the poor, and fair for the non-poor.