If pain and swelling lasts for months in humans, does it also in the paltypus?
If not, why? I suspect that the differences in the physiology of the platypus may help them to counteract the effects of the venom from other males. This might be important as well, ie. the study of how their tissues interact with the poison.
In other words, study what chemicals and proteins the paltypus uses to reeuce the swelling and pain caused by the venom.
"It's that Microsoft has used its infinite resources to completely obfiscate the advantages of non-Windows platforms."
IANAME(Marketing Expert) but I thought that the reason that Windows was so popular was the almost unfettered access to hardware and software that is compatible with it.
Linux and Apple are marginalized for the same reason. People who are intimidated by computers in the first place are going to "follow the herd." They are uneducated to begin with in the realm of computers, so they pick the "most popular" product. This helps them allay their fears of a scary subject.
They think because the software section for windows is the largest at the local computer store that it must be the best, and coincedentally, they will be able to ask more people how to use the freaking thing when they blow it up.
"In other words: the hardware/software integration is a core component of why Mac OS X is so good"
Again IANAME, but dosen't this result in a limited quantity of software and hardware that is available, leading us to the catch 22 of the above argument of the "herd-bound" non-techie.
The way that I begin to look at this subject is akin to stereo components. The high end electrostatic speakers will only attract some people, while many people will think they are gettin GREAT stuff because they are buying Bose speakers and everyone of their friends has Bose and it's great. Apple and Linux have their following of people who understand why they are better, and appreciate it. Eveyone else dosen't know, can't comprehend, and/or just dosen't give a damn.
Ahhh...Crikey! Look!! A manager in grunt territory! Let's take a gander and see what he has to say...
"As a manager I don't care if my employees surf the web at work."
Here we have the typical "blowing smoke up your ass" maneuver. I seen it a thousand times...they lull you into a false sense of security with talk like this and then WHAMMO...pink slip city when they catch you on www.bangbus.com. Happens every time...sad it is.
"When I assign them a task I have a good idea how long it should take."
The "idea" he has is based upon a proprietary formula taught to all "managers" at manager school. Factor the relative meekness and subservience of employee X into the number of ass-licking sessions contributed per day by said employee, then multiply by the inverse of the percentage chance that employee X has pictures of you with the gay midgets at the christmas party. There's a few more steps in this formula that ultimately results in a seed number used to decide whether you give Joe Blow a completely unreasonable ammount of time to finish his project, or just an absurdly inadequate one.
"If Joe Blow always takes longer than expected, I'll fire him, web surfing or not."
Yep.
"If Jane Bleep routinely finishes her work ahead of time, I'll make sure she gets the biggest raise, come evaluation time..."
Hmmm...the females get preferrential treatment. Sentence structure and syntax will reveal why. "Jane gets"..."the biggest raise", "Come evaluation time", "finishes her work a-head of time". Oh, and what expletive is the "Bleep" covering up?? Yes, yes, yes, poor "manager" is sexually frustrated and yearns to replace all his "Joe Blows" with a harem of "Jane Hummers."
Strange animal this, "manager." Trecherous and beguiling. Best to keep your distance and always watch your back!
Don't freak out, but I don't happen to own a tv (on purpose!), or a stand alone DVD, or a cabinet stereo system.
I do happen to own a PC with a 22 inch monitor that plays videos, has a great sound card, and nice stereo speakers and on which I can play a HUGE variety of games...Including nethack.
If I were to go and buy the television, the stereo, and the console that hopefully plays DVDs, my cost of operation for a $200 console jumps to WAAAAAAAAY over the cost of my all-in-one PC unit.
Also, my PC can fax, wordprocess, let me play around with code, "surf the net", generate really cool fractal images which I can print on my color printer, and oh yeah, the other thing I can't do on a console system...DOWNLOAD PRoN!
So if you only want to play games, and only those that are avialable for 1 system, get a little console box to go with your TV.
For me, since I use my PC for everything else, I think I am coming out ahead with the arrangement I have. Maybe when NetHack is available for a console I will consider buying it.
The next thing I want is to control the A/C and heater and the coffee pot from my system. Even better, a macro button that will put my frozen pizza in the oven when I am powergaming on EQ for 36 hours straight. It would go well with the catheter I just ordered!
A few moments after I walked into the office this morning I heard the news about the shuttle. After a minute or two of conversation with my colleagues I was here, reading what my fellow/. readers had to say; what they felt.
Until now I had not realized what/. means to me. Information and news is only one aspect, now seemingly much less important than the thoughts perspectives, rememberances, conjectures, predictions, and sentiments of the people.
So thanks/., and by this I mean the people who post, you're the reason I come here.
Oddly enought I can't believe someone has not made the connection here between this paper and the Sklraov ilk of cases. I guess the only difference is that this is "Analog" rather than "Digital" and there's no Analog Millenium Copyright Act law.
Analogy: This guy writes a paper (software) that shows a way of unlocking any lock in a building (defeatiing the security measures.)
So just because it's an analog way of defeating an "analog" security system, this guy is in no was able to be prosecuted (at least the article dosen't mention it).
Yet another reason that the DMCA is really stupid and sucky (nice technical terms huh!) piece of legislation.
Actually he is describing protocol for the mature believer to follow in interpersonal relationships.
The doctrine can be associtaed with the type of love that God has for those people on the earth that do not love Him. He continues to love them because He has integrity, not because of their attractiveness of reciprocation of His love.
Similarly, the mature believer demonstrates this same type of love for those around of him, regardless of how they treat him. Also, this is accompanied by a proper mental state that is the result of understanding the REASONS for this behavior. Just executing the turn of the cheek is not the expression of the truth of this doctrine, but also having the proper mental attitude of "impersonal love" (which is love for others based on your own integrity and not their attractiveness, etc.) is required.
This is contrasted with Jesus's command to his Disciples to carry swords to defend themselves against bandits and highwaymen. This also is contrasted against the OVERWEHLMINGLY PREVALENT doctrine of "peace through military victory," which states that the only way to assure peace for your country is through military victory over your enemies.
In other words, it does not mean that this behavior is the correct behavior in all circumstances. It is a directive for interpersonal relationships, as I stated before.
If you are referring to the times in which the New Testament was written you are woefully mistaken. Sex was institutionalized as a form of religious worship in those days. In fact, the letter to the Corinthians cites that many people who had adopted the Christian viewpoint were still going into the temples of the other "gods" and "worshiping" there with the temple prostitutes, phalluses, animals, children, and such.
If you are referring to the Old Testament, sex was not taboo then either (nor was this verse written then). The religions of that day (sometimes called the Phallic Cult) endorsed not only orgies and auto-eroticism, but also human sacrifice and child (their OWN!) sacrifice for sexual gratification.
"Transmission: This is scary. His car goes from 4th down to 1st gear (auto transmission car) and he nearly gets rear-ended by the SUV behind him."
Only problem with this is that you can downshift this car from the steering wheel. Look at the video again and listen for the clicks right before the car downshifts. My guess is the guy is pressing the buttons to downshift and upshift the car. Also, he focuses the camera so you can see ONE of the downshift buttons (there are 2!) and cannot see the upshift button. That and the clicks makes this a dubious video at best.
Also, the FUD about Windows has NOTHING to do with the trunk motor or trunk activation. Two seperate things completely. He has a motor problem with his power trunk, not a Win CE problem.
Couldn't see the other videos, but I am under the impression that this guy is really pissed about some problems with his car and did not get the level of service that he wanted from his dealer so he is crusading for another vehicle and letting off steam in the process. It dosen't mean that he is not having problems (the dash lights and iDrive on when the key is not in the ignition is not a normal thing), I just suspect that he is hamming it up a bit to bolster his case and to let everyone know that BMW sucks...I mean look at his licesnse plate he made.
Just a little hint: people with an agenda are usually the least reliable sources of information on a subject. Bias bias bias.
Now for a little bit of journalistic integrity and revelation of my bias. I sell BMWs. I have seen the problems with the cars. I haven't seen the trunk thing, nor the key popping out thing, though if it is not the correct key it won't stay in no matter how hard he tries. Other than the OS problems with the 2002s the worst probles have been caused from the installation of window tint. In the first cars the water from the installation of window tint would drip onto the navigation computer and fry it. Wreaked havoc with the computers. They have fixed that though.
Since the 2003 models arrived, none of the problems have resurfaced and since the software patch for the 2002s I haven't seen any problems with those cars either. The next worst cases I have seen involve complete shutdown of the iDrive system. This, however, is not an emergency situation because you can drive the car without the iDrive system.
Now, as to the "it's hard to operate" crowd. This vehicle is not designed for the casual observer. If you sit inside the vehicle for 5 minutes and try to figure it out you will be at a loss. It is designed for someone to own and enjoy for years. I have geriatric clients that don't have computers in their homes who can operate the iDrive system with no problems. Furthermore, as you learn the iDrive interface it becomes second nature. Most of my customers are better at it than me because they use it every day. Some of them can access things from memory without looking at all. One of the really nice things about the 745 is that almost every control can be operated from the iDrive, the voice activation, and the regular "hand dials" in the regular places. This means that you can pick which way you want to control something and use that exclusively. Don't like iDrive system for climate control? The dials for control of the system are on the dash, right where you expect them to be.
Furthermore, if you have trouble changing the radio stations or playing a CD you have to be a real moron. I HATE to use epithets like this, but I know of no better wat to put the level of stupidity it takes to not be able to operate the radio in this car. The regular radio controls are right on the dash. If you press a single button on the steering wheel and say "radio" and then say "94.5 fm" the car changes the radio for you (if you need help from the voice activation system just press the button and say help). Also, you have buttons on the steering wheel that will either seek to the next station or jump to your presets depending on how you press the button. It can't get any easier than that.
Comprare this to the COMMAND system in the S-class Mercades. This system has a 275ish page instruction manual, just for the navigation system and the phone. It's a bigger manual than the one for the whole rest of the car! And BMWs system is hard to operate? Hmmmm.
Please, before you go and knock something, take a close look at it and, in the case of something as sophistocated as the BMW, have someone who knows how the car operates show you what to do.
Furthermore, remember that this car is not for everyone. If it's too complex for you, please just admit it, however I have a couple of non-techie grandmas that love it and have no problems with the interface. If they can use it, why can't you?
Bad form to reply to my own post, in know, but this is a premptive strike on my part.
As to the question why I refer to him as Mr. Rollins is...well, have you ever seen his freakin biceps! The guy is HUGE!
Not to mention that he's got a lot of pent up rage and frustration...at least it seems that way from the intensity he shows onstage sometimes.
Also, it's a term of respect. The guys gut some serious talent, obvious from his music and spoken word monologs. If you haven't given him a few minutes of your time, you're missing out.
That makes sense to me because I believe that Mr. Rollins actually has something to say.
In other words, he is not just and entertainent vehicle pre-packaged and massaged into a marketable commodity for the sole purpose of making money for his distribution company and himself.
Mr. Rollins speaks and sings about issues and discussable social phenomena, rather than "Boys", or "Thongs" or "My Beotches" or that he's "back" or whatever mindless pop icon crap you can insert.
Since he feels intensely about what he produces, he wants others to be exposed to it. In other words, we can deduce from his saying this that he has a statement to make, and that acquisition of money for his art is secondary to the main goal of spreading his message.
Now he probably also knows tht people who listen and respond to the things that he says will eventually contribute monetarily to his career, but that again does not seem like his primary motivation.
Interesting to note that most of the artists making music have no message to put out (other than the ones that their producers spoon feed to them to regurgutate upon the public), no goal other than monetary gain and fame. It it is even more interesting to note the lengths that they go to to sell their wares: ie marketing a lifestyle idea of sexual promiscuity to children (Brittney Spears and her kin), glorifying degenerate or violent activity, aggrandizing money, and superficiality in human relationships.
Not to mention the things that these artists do to their public image at the behest of their producers and marketers; all in the quest to guarantee them market share.
In from this we can deduce that they are most likely motivated exclusively by money and fame and that they will sacrifice themselves, their morals, and the public's sensibilities to achieve their goals. They have no message other than the one that has been handed to them by the market research team, and have nothing interesting or constructive (or CREATIVELY destructive) to say about society, other than from a detached sociologial phenomena perspective which none of their regular listeners will ever have.
From this I would call Mr. Rollins a TRUE artist, rather than honest artist. Even though he may be honest, I don't think this goes far enough. All the rappers who talk about the fact that all they want is money and ho's are honest enough, but they lack the motivation that Mr. Rollins has to convey a message of importance (at least to him).
Now I am not saying that entertainment for entertainment's sake is not a good thing. I even admit to listening to pop radio and liking some of the music, I even like to watch Brittney Spears videos kuz she's REALLY hot and her marketing guys told her to show as much skin as possible, and I thank them for this. However, I don't think that the exclusive motivation of artists should be money and fame.
Kind of a stuck up position on my part, but we all see the results when it is and I think we can agree that it results in krappy music.
The monshine that is still produced (hehe a pun!! get it?!)in the US is not sold in stores...DUH! People make it and drink it themselves, they don't bottle it and put it in stores because that would defeat the purpose of distilling it, namely avoiding taxataion and having an extremely cheap form of alcoholic high.
The same thing would, IMHO, happen with illicit drugs. Meth(amphetamine)is REALLY easy and inexpensive to produce...it can even be done in the trunk of a car with the right chemicals and a minimum of equipment and ingenuity. This combined with the stigma of drug abuse would keep a strong market for home brewed drugs that the government could not track. You could even have price inversion where the value of unlicensed and unregulated drugs brought a higher price due to the user's desire to remain anonymous to the governemnt, family, employer, etc.
Moonshine is not coma inducing anyways. Wood grain alcohol is what kills people, makes them blind and puts them in a coma, not grain alcohol from a still.
Interestingly enough, people also have the choice to
STOP DOING DRUGS.
I did.
Anyone who tells you they can't is either a total waste of space or is lying to facilitate their next high. Either way, their judgement is impaired enough to do just about anything to get a thrill.
Getting angry that the government is not supplying you with the drugs you want is ridiculous. I mean, people ALREADY complain about the invasive nature of the governemnt and how they are controlling way to much of our lives. Give them the exclusive franchise to supply narcotics to Americans and they would have us ALL by the testes. At least those of us who use the chemicals.
Lack of foresight in this area by those who want to legalize drugs makes me ever more certain that people who are addicted to chemical substances have impaired ability (if any ability) to think clearly, reason, and make correct decisions for themselves.
I do understand that providing safe chemicals that users can trust not to kill them (I had a friend die from an overdose of heroin), and the ability to have government support for those who are addicted could reduce the impact of chemical addiction in our society. Not to mention that our jails would not be clogged with all the 19 year olds that got stopped with a joint in their car.
However, people are FREE TO MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICES. They know the penalties, they take the risks. They don't have to.
One of my friends I used to run with said it best, right after another friend of ours got sentenced to 30 years for drug trafficking. "The war on drugs is a full contact sport." Just as in football, everyone knows the rules, you just have to be fast and smart to stay ahead of the opposition.
The only problem is, the rules are stacked against you, and you are not helping yourself stay on top by ingesting mind altering chemicals.
If you are a user, be careful. If you have a moment of clarity, take advantage of it and STOP USING.
"First of all, the defect rate hovers around 10%, " "I doubt that the practical size is approaching "half a grain of sand" "they're coded to a single frequency and product, not to each instance of the product!"
Right now, they are this way, however, do you expext the technology and the application of the technology to remain the same? When have you ever know technology with applications like this to stand still?
Sure the fail rate is 10%...NOW.
How about is 5 years?
Sure they are larger than a grain of sand...NOW.
How about 10 years from now?
Lack of paranoia might just be lack of foresight. But, who says we are gonna live that long, anyways...
...in a totally consumer driven economy. Eventually when you walk by the "smart ad's" (like the ones in Minority Report) all the advertising companies have to do is scan your clothing, shoes, belt, etc.
From this one can find out not only what you like to buy, but how long you have had what you are wearing and how much you paid for it, possibly even where you bought it.
Include this with a retinal scan and a database of past product scans of the individual (not to mention other purchase profiles sold to advertisers by your supermarket/travel agent/etc.) and you start to build a fantastic database on the buying habits of the individual in question.
The "smart ad" accesses the database, crossreferences you and your buying habits.
Couple of instants later and *POOF* a personally tailored, computer generated ad pops up and starts calling your name using those trick directional ultrasonic sound generators...subliminals and throbbing music lulling you into a state of complete fiscal abandon...Showing you the way to the nearest store that will painlessly seperate you from the next sizable chunk of your no-longer-disposable income.
Sounds like a corporate driven police state where every purchase you make is tracked and logged to provide clues to allow companies to exploit your weaknesses for fine fragrances, goat porn, or cheap little southeast-asian made plastic trinkets.
Think I'll start making my own hemp clothes right now...gonna need some practice.
I was thinking about this the other day while pondering a completely immersive VR environment.
Applied to a, MMORPG this sort of idea could eventually lead to a skill advancement system based upon physical reaction time and endurance rather than mathematical formulas derived from levels and attributes. It could also enhance the gaming experience immensely!
Furthermore, if you included exercise benefits, people could ALWAYS find the time to play their favorite game.
More conservatively, using the human physiological responses to a gaming environment (excitement, endorphins, sustained concentration) could allow for intense exercise and fuel the desire to continue to exercise once the novelty has worn off.
Just as is is not legal to yell "FIRE" in a crowded theatre because of the harm that could result, it should also be illegal to say "Cigarettes make your lungs more healthy and contribute to long life!" because of the harm that can result.
I think the slippery slope that we fear is the justification for denying corporations the same rights to free speech as people have. First it's harmless, like sweatshops they lie about, next it's FDA approval for your drugs or something equally monstrous and dangerous.
With profit as the motivation, and massive funding at their disposal, giving corporations the ability to lie with impunity would result in instutionalized deception of the public.
Kind of like we have now, but *worse*.
Then again, it just might end all the "I'm-fat-from-eating-your-hamburgers-every-day(fiv e-times-a-day)since-I-was-three-years-old-so-give- me-50-million" lawsuits.
Wow, I declined to read the links about indefinite imprisonment and being held without trial. I ASSUMED they were about Kevin Mitnick who was held for quite a long time before proper legal action was taken. Guess I was wrong.
"Glad to see some sci-fi turning real-world. Kinda freaky too..."
You're telling me! All i could think about when I first read this is how it could lead to the recycled nutrient-soup that the machines in the Matrix used to feed the "human batteries."
"Crank" is, according to colloquial usage in my experience, non-pharmaceutically produced amphetamine product, generally lower in quality than most illicit amphetamine products available on the street. It is also commonly referred to as "bathtub" meth, referring to the assumed crude methods of production.
As we all know (hopefully!), usage determines meaning. My experience (and therefore usage) may be different than yours though. It could also be influenced by geography.
Logically, "go pills are crank", does not make sense to me because these "go pills" are a pharmaceutically produced product of determinable chemical properties and dosage quantity per volume(to the limitations of the trustworthiness of the manufacturer), and "crank" is a street product of indeterminate chemical composition and without consistent dosage levels per volume.
With regard to the original post, it is quite interesting to note that L-amphetamine, D-amphetamine, and meth-amphetamine have some quite different psychoactive effects. "Crank" can contain mixtures of the three forms of amphetamine in different quantities. When writing about possible behavioral aberrations due to medication it is ALWAYS a good idea to be specific about what chemicals were being used. This helps to determine whether the behavior was influenced by the drugs. Furthermore, it also helps to determine if a combination of drugs might have led to the behavioral discrepancies.
Furthermore, using street language to describe pharmaceutically produced medication that is administered in controlled and known dosages is easily construed as inflammatory. Of course, when attacking someone, this is a ploy that many people use. However, if you want people to take you seriously and not become emotionally biased towards your statements (and therefore inattentive or dismissive), a little technical jargon might behoove the poster.
It is completely impossible to say any thing intelligent or enlightening in a space this size, excep
Slashdot Mirror
...to the venom.
I wonder if the venom affects them differently?
If pain and swelling lasts for months in humans, does it also in the paltypus?
If not, why? I suspect that the differences in the physiology of the platypus may help them to counteract the effects of the venom from other males. This might be important as well, ie. the study of how their tissues interact with the poison.
In other words, study what chemicals and proteins the paltypus uses to reeuce the swelling and pain caused by the venom.
Which 90% of your brain is dispensible?
Or, how often have you seen a doctor say "The car crash has dammaged your wife's brain, but fortunately it's part of the brain that she dosen't use!"
In other words, this is a myth.
"It's that Microsoft has used its infinite resources to completely obfiscate the advantages of non-Windows platforms."
IANAME(Marketing Expert) but I thought that the reason that Windows was so popular was the almost unfettered access to hardware and software that is compatible with it.
Linux and Apple are marginalized for the same reason. People who are intimidated by computers in the first place are going to "follow the herd." They are uneducated to begin with in the realm of computers, so they pick the "most popular" product. This helps them allay their fears of a scary subject.
They think because the software section for windows is the largest at the local computer store that it must be the best, and coincedentally, they will be able to ask more people how to use the freaking thing when they blow it up.
"In other words: the hardware/software integration is a core component of why Mac OS X is so good"
Again IANAME, but dosen't this result in a limited quantity of software and hardware that is available, leading us to the catch 22 of the above argument of the "herd-bound" non-techie.
The way that I begin to look at this subject is akin to stereo components. The high end electrostatic speakers will only attract some people, while many people will think they are gettin GREAT stuff because they are buying Bose speakers and everyone of their friends has Bose and it's great. Apple and Linux have their following of people who understand why they are better, and appreciate it. Eveyone else dosen't know, can't comprehend, and/or just dosen't give a damn.
Was just a joke, meant to include a line that it wasn't personal to you...Am a manager myself!
Ahhh...Crikey! Look!! A manager in grunt territory! Let's take a gander and see what he has to say...
"As a manager I don't care if my employees surf the web at work."
Here we have the typical "blowing smoke up your ass" maneuver. I seen it a thousand times...they lull you into a false sense of security with talk like this and then WHAMMO...pink slip city when they catch you on www.bangbus.com. Happens every time...sad it is.
"When I assign them a task I have a good idea how long it should take."
The "idea" he has is based upon a proprietary formula taught to all "managers" at manager school. Factor the relative meekness and subservience of employee X into the number of ass-licking sessions contributed per day by said employee, then multiply by the inverse of the percentage chance that employee X has pictures of you with the gay midgets at the christmas party. There's a few more steps in this formula that ultimately results in a seed number used to decide whether you give Joe Blow a completely unreasonable ammount of time to finish his project, or just an absurdly inadequate one.
"If Joe Blow always takes longer than expected, I'll fire him, web surfing or not."
Yep.
"If Jane Bleep routinely finishes her work ahead of time, I'll make sure she gets the biggest raise, come evaluation time..."
Hmmm...the females get preferrential treatment. Sentence structure and syntax will reveal why. "Jane gets"..."the biggest raise", "Come evaluation time", "finishes her work a-head of time". Oh, and what expletive is the "Bleep" covering up?? Yes, yes, yes, poor "manager" is sexually frustrated and yearns to replace all his "Joe Blows" with a harem of "Jane Hummers."
Strange animal this, "manager." Trecherous and beguiling. Best to keep your distance and always watch your back!
Don't freak out, but I don't happen to own a tv (on purpose!), or a stand alone DVD, or a cabinet stereo system.
I do happen to own a PC with a 22 inch monitor that plays videos, has a great sound card, and nice stereo speakers and on which I can play a HUGE variety of games...Including nethack.
If I were to go and buy the television, the stereo, and the console that hopefully plays DVDs, my cost of operation for a $200 console jumps to WAAAAAAAAY over the cost of my all-in-one PC unit.
Also, my PC can fax, wordprocess, let me play around with code, "surf the net", generate really cool fractal images which I can print on my color printer, and oh yeah, the other thing I can't do on a console system...DOWNLOAD PRoN!
So if you only want to play games, and only those that are avialable for 1 system, get a little console box to go with your TV.
For me, since I use my PC for everything else, I think I am coming out ahead with the arrangement I have. Maybe when NetHack is available for a console I will consider buying it.
The next thing I want is to control the A/C and heater and the coffee pot from my system. Even better, a macro button that will put my frozen pizza in the oven when I am powergaming on EQ for 36 hours straight. It would go well with the catheter I just ordered!
A few moments after I walked into the office this morning I heard the news about the shuttle. After a minute or two of conversation with my colleagues I was here, reading what my fellow /. readers had to say; what they felt.
/. means to me. Information and news is only one aspect, now seemingly much less important than the thoughts perspectives, rememberances, conjectures, predictions, and sentiments of the people.
/., and by this I mean the people who post, you're the reason I come here.
Until now I had not realized what
So thanks
Joe Stalin killed 35 million people in his own country. No idea how many Mao got, but maybe you should double your estimate.
Also, communist nations consistently use starvation and work-to-death-camps to eradicate political dissidents and undesirables.
Actual translation:
All your crops are belong to us.
Oddly enought I can't believe someone has not made the connection here between this paper and the Sklraov ilk of cases. I guess the only difference is that this is "Analog" rather than "Digital" and there's no Analog Millenium Copyright Act law.
Analogy: This guy writes a paper (software) that shows a way of unlocking any lock in a building (defeatiing the security measures.)
So just because it's an analog way of defeating an "analog" security system, this guy is in no was able to be prosecuted (at least the article dosen't mention it).
Yet another reason that the DMCA is really stupid and sucky (nice technical terms huh!) piece of legislation.
Actually he is describing protocol for the mature believer to follow in interpersonal relationships.
The doctrine can be associtaed with the type of love that God has for those people on the earth that do not love Him. He continues to love them because He has integrity, not because of their attractiveness of reciprocation of His love.
Similarly, the mature believer demonstrates this same type of love for those around of him, regardless of how they treat him. Also, this is accompanied by a proper mental state that is the result of understanding the REASONS for this behavior. Just executing the turn of the cheek is not the expression of the truth of this doctrine, but also having the proper mental attitude of "impersonal love" (which is love for others based on your own integrity and not their attractiveness, etc.) is required.
This is contrasted with Jesus's command to his Disciples to carry swords to defend themselves against bandits and highwaymen. This also is contrasted against the OVERWEHLMINGLY PREVALENT doctrine of "peace through military victory," which states that the only way to assure peace for your country is through military victory over your enemies.
In other words, it does not mean that this behavior is the correct behavior in all circumstances. It is a directive for interpersonal relationships, as I stated before.
"Notice how sex was taboo in those times"
If you are referring to the times in which the New Testament was written you are woefully mistaken. Sex was institutionalized as a form of religious worship in those days. In fact, the letter to the Corinthians cites that many people who had adopted the Christian viewpoint were still going into the temples of the other "gods" and "worshiping" there with the temple prostitutes, phalluses, animals, children, and such.
If you are referring to the Old Testament, sex was not taboo then either (nor was this verse written then). The religions of that day (sometimes called the Phallic Cult) endorsed not only orgies and auto-eroticism, but also human sacrifice and child (their OWN!) sacrifice for sexual gratification.
"Transmission: This is scary. His car goes from 4th down to 1st gear (auto transmission car) and he nearly gets rear-ended by the SUV behind him."
Only problem with this is that you can downshift this car from the steering wheel. Look at the video again and listen for the clicks right before the car downshifts. My guess is the guy is pressing the buttons to downshift and upshift the car. Also, he focuses the camera so you can see ONE of the downshift buttons (there are 2!) and cannot see the upshift button. That and the clicks makes this a dubious video at best.
Also, the FUD about Windows has NOTHING to do with the trunk motor or trunk activation. Two seperate things completely. He has a motor problem with his power trunk, not a Win CE problem.
Couldn't see the other videos, but I am under the impression that this guy is really pissed about some problems with his car and did not get the level of service that he wanted from his dealer so he is crusading for another vehicle and letting off steam in the process. It dosen't mean that he is not having problems (the dash lights and iDrive on when the key is not in the ignition is not a normal thing), I just suspect that he is hamming it up a bit to bolster his case and to let everyone know that BMW sucks...I mean look at his licesnse plate he made.
Just a little hint: people with an agenda are usually the least reliable sources of information on a subject. Bias bias bias.
Now for a little bit of journalistic integrity and revelation of my bias. I sell BMWs. I have seen the problems with the cars. I haven't seen the trunk thing, nor the key popping out thing, though if it is not the correct key it won't stay in no matter how hard he tries. Other than the OS problems with the 2002s the worst probles have been caused from the installation of window tint. In the first cars the water from the installation of window tint would drip onto the navigation computer and fry it. Wreaked havoc with the computers. They have fixed that though.
Since the 2003 models arrived, none of the problems have resurfaced and since the software patch for the 2002s I haven't seen any problems with those cars either. The next worst cases I have seen involve complete shutdown of the iDrive system. This, however, is not an emergency situation because you can drive the car without the iDrive system.
Now, as to the "it's hard to operate" crowd. This vehicle is not designed for the casual observer. If you sit inside the vehicle for 5 minutes and try to figure it out you will be at a loss. It is designed for someone to own and enjoy for years. I have geriatric clients that don't have computers in their homes who can operate the iDrive system with no problems. Furthermore, as you learn the iDrive interface it becomes second nature. Most of my customers are better at it than me because they use it every day. Some of them can access things from memory without looking at all. One of the really nice things about the 745 is that almost every control can be operated from the iDrive, the voice activation, and the regular "hand dials" in the regular places. This means that you can pick which way you want to control something and use that exclusively. Don't like iDrive system for climate control? The dials for control of the system are on the dash, right where you expect them to be.
Furthermore, if you have trouble changing the radio stations or playing a CD you have to be a real moron. I HATE to use epithets like this, but I know of no better wat to put the level of stupidity it takes to not be able to operate the radio in this car. The regular radio controls are right on the dash. If you press a single button on the steering wheel and say "radio" and then say "94.5 fm" the car changes the radio for you (if you need help from the voice activation system just press the button and say help). Also, you have buttons on the steering wheel that will either seek to the next station or jump to your presets depending on how you press the button. It can't get any easier than that.
Comprare this to the COMMAND system in the S-class Mercades. This system has a 275ish page instruction manual, just for the navigation system and the phone. It's a bigger manual than the one for the whole rest of the car! And BMWs system is hard to operate? Hmmmm.
Please, before you go and knock something, take a close look at it and, in the case of something as sophistocated as the BMW, have someone who knows how the car operates show you what to do.
Furthermore, remember that this car is not for everyone. If it's too complex for you, please just admit it, however I have a couple of non-techie grandmas that love it and have no problems with the interface. If they can use it, why can't you?
Bad form to reply to my own post, in know, but this is a premptive strike on my part.
As to the question why I refer to him as Mr. Rollins is...well, have you ever seen his freakin biceps! The guy is HUGE!
Not to mention that he's got a lot of pent up rage and frustration...at least it seems that way from the intensity he shows onstage sometimes.
Also, it's a term of respect. The guys gut some serious talent, obvious from his music and spoken word monologs. If you haven't given him a few minutes of your time, you're missing out.
So ya, he's Mr. Rollins to me.
That makes sense to me because I believe that Mr. Rollins actually has something to say.
In other words, he is not just and entertainent vehicle pre-packaged and massaged into a marketable commodity for the sole purpose of making money for his distribution company and himself.
Mr. Rollins speaks and sings about issues and discussable social phenomena, rather than "Boys", or "Thongs" or "My Beotches" or that he's "back" or whatever mindless pop icon crap you can insert.
Since he feels intensely about what he produces, he wants others to be exposed to it. In other words, we can deduce from his saying this that he has a statement to make, and that acquisition of money for his art is secondary to the main goal of spreading his message.
Now he probably also knows tht people who listen and respond to the things that he says will eventually contribute monetarily to his career, but that again does not seem like his primary motivation.
Interesting to note that most of the artists making music have no message to put out (other than the ones that their producers spoon feed to them to regurgutate upon the public), no goal other than monetary gain and fame. It it is even more interesting to note the lengths that they go to to sell their wares: ie marketing a lifestyle idea of sexual promiscuity to children (Brittney Spears and her kin), glorifying degenerate or violent activity, aggrandizing money, and superficiality in human relationships.
Not to mention the things that these artists do to their public image at the behest of their producers and marketers; all in the quest to guarantee them market share.
In from this we can deduce that they are most likely motivated exclusively by money and fame and that they will sacrifice themselves, their morals, and the public's sensibilities to achieve their goals. They have no message other than the one that has been handed to them by the market research team, and have nothing interesting or constructive (or CREATIVELY destructive) to say about society, other than from a detached sociologial phenomena perspective which none of their regular listeners will ever have.
From this I would call Mr. Rollins a TRUE artist, rather than honest artist. Even though he may be honest, I don't think this goes far enough. All the rappers who talk about the fact that all they want is money and ho's are honest enough, but they lack the motivation that Mr. Rollins has to convey a message of importance (at least to him).
Now I am not saying that entertainment for entertainment's sake is not a good thing. I even admit to listening to pop radio and liking some of the music, I even like to watch Brittney Spears videos kuz she's REALLY hot and her marketing guys told her to show as much skin as possible, and I thank them for this. However, I don't think that the exclusive motivation of artists should be money and fame.
Kind of a stuck up position on my part, but we all see the results when it is and I think we can agree that it results in krappy music.
As to the moonshine comment...
The monshine that is still produced (hehe a pun!! get it?!)in the US is not sold in stores...DUH! People make it and drink it themselves, they don't bottle it and put it in stores because that would defeat the purpose of distilling it, namely avoiding taxataion and having an extremely cheap form of alcoholic high.
The same thing would, IMHO, happen with illicit drugs. Meth(amphetamine)is REALLY easy and inexpensive to produce...it can even be done in the trunk of a car with the right chemicals and a minimum of equipment and ingenuity. This combined with the stigma of drug abuse would keep a strong market for home brewed drugs that the government could not track. You could even have price inversion where the value of unlicensed and unregulated drugs brought a higher price due to the user's desire to remain anonymous to the governemnt, family, employer, etc.
Moonshine is not coma inducing anyways. Wood grain alcohol is what kills people, makes them blind and puts them in a coma, not grain alcohol from a still.
I did.
Anyone who tells you they can't is either a total waste of space or is lying to facilitate their next high. Either way, their judgement is impaired enough to do just about anything to get a thrill.
Getting angry that the government is not supplying you with the drugs you want is ridiculous. I mean, people ALREADY complain about the invasive nature of the governemnt and how they are controlling way to much of our lives. Give them the exclusive franchise to supply narcotics to Americans and they would have us ALL by the testes. At least those of us who use the chemicals.
Lack of foresight in this area by those who want to legalize drugs makes me ever more certain that people who are addicted to chemical substances have impaired ability (if any ability) to think clearly, reason, and make correct decisions for themselves.
I do understand that providing safe chemicals that users can trust not to kill them (I had a friend die from an overdose of heroin), and the ability to have government support for those who are addicted could reduce the impact of chemical addiction in our society. Not to mention that our jails would not be clogged with all the 19 year olds that got stopped with a joint in their car.
However, people are FREE TO MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICES. They know the penalties, they take the risks. They don't have to.
One of my friends I used to run with said it best, right after another friend of ours got sentenced to 30 years for drug trafficking. "The war on drugs is a full contact sport." Just as in football, everyone knows the rules, you just have to be fast and smart to stay ahead of the opposition.
The only problem is, the rules are stacked against you, and you are not helping yourself stay on top by ingesting mind altering chemicals.
If you are a user, be careful. If you have a moment of clarity, take advantage of it and STOP USING.
"First of all, the defect rate hovers around 10%, "
"I doubt that the practical size is approaching "half a grain of sand"
"they're coded to a single frequency and product, not to each instance of the product!"
Right now, they are this way, however, do you expext the technology and the application of the technology to remain the same? When have you ever know technology with applications like this to stand still?
Sure the fail rate is 10%...NOW.
How about is 5 years?
Sure they are larger than a grain of sand...NOW.
How about 10 years from now?
Lack of paranoia might just be lack of foresight. But, who says we are gonna live that long, anyways...
...in a totally consumer driven economy. Eventually when you walk by the "smart ad's" (like the ones in Minority Report) all the advertising companies have to do is scan your clothing, shoes, belt, etc.
From this one can find out not only what you like to buy, but how long you have had what you are wearing and how much you paid for it, possibly even where you bought it.
Include this with a retinal scan and a database of past product scans of the individual (not to mention other purchase profiles sold to advertisers by your supermarket/travel agent/etc.) and you start to build a fantastic database on the buying habits of the individual in question.
The "smart ad" accesses the database, crossreferences you and your buying habits.
Couple of instants later and *POOF* a personally tailored, computer generated ad pops up and starts calling your name using those trick directional ultrasonic sound generators...subliminals and throbbing music lulling you into a state of complete fiscal abandon...Showing you the way to the nearest store that will painlessly seperate you from the next sizable chunk of your no-longer-disposable income.
Sounds like a corporate driven police state where every purchase you make is tracked and logged to provide clues to allow companies to exploit your weaknesses for fine fragrances, goat porn, or cheap little southeast-asian made plastic trinkets.
Think I'll start making my own hemp clothes right now...gonna need some practice.
I was thinking about this the other day while pondering a completely immersive VR environment.
Applied to a, MMORPG this sort of idea could eventually lead to a skill advancement system based upon physical reaction time and endurance rather than mathematical formulas derived from levels and attributes. It could also enhance the gaming experience immensely!
Furthermore, if you included exercise benefits, people could ALWAYS find the time to play their favorite game.
More conservatively, using the human physiological responses to a gaming environment (excitement, endorphins, sustained concentration) could allow for intense exercise and fuel the desire to continue to exercise once the novelty has worn off.
In other words, I think it is a *good thing*.
Just as is is not legal to yell "FIRE" in a crowded theatre because of the harm that could result, it should also be illegal to say "Cigarettes make your lungs more healthy and contribute to long life!" because of the harm that can result.
v e-times-a-day)since-I-was-three-years-old-so-give- me-50-million" lawsuits.
I think the slippery slope that we fear is the justification for denying corporations the same rights to free speech as people have. First it's harmless, like sweatshops they lie about, next it's FDA approval for your drugs or something equally monstrous and dangerous.
With profit as the motivation, and massive funding at their disposal, giving corporations the ability to lie with impunity would result in instutionalized deception of the public.
Kind of like we have now, but *worse*.
Then again, it just might end all the "I'm-fat-from-eating-your-hamburgers-every-day(fi
I don't think that the legalization of drugs would end the production of illicit drugs.
Heavy taxation would still make a market for cheaply produced drugs, which would be of dubious quality.
In other words, crank will still exist, regardless of wheter or not the governemnt legalizes it or not.
Wow, I declined to read the links about indefinite imprisonment and being held without trial. I ASSUMED they were about Kevin Mitnick who was held for quite a long time before proper legal action was taken. Guess I was wrong.
Would have been much more appropriate!
"Glad to see some sci-fi turning real-world. Kinda freaky too..."
You're telling me! All i could think about when I first read this is how it could lead to the recycled nutrient-soup that the machines in the Matrix used to feed the "human batteries."
Eeeeeeewwwww!!!
"Crank" is, according to colloquial usage in my experience, non-pharmaceutically produced amphetamine product, generally lower in quality than most illicit amphetamine products available on the street. It is also commonly referred to as "bathtub" meth, referring to the assumed crude methods of production.
As we all know (hopefully!), usage determines meaning. My experience (and therefore usage) may be different than yours though. It could also be influenced by geography.
Logically, "go pills are crank", does not make sense to me because these "go pills" are a pharmaceutically produced product of determinable chemical properties and dosage quantity per volume(to the limitations of the trustworthiness of the manufacturer), and "crank" is a street product of indeterminate chemical composition and without consistent dosage levels per volume.
With regard to the original post, it is quite interesting to note that L-amphetamine, D-amphetamine, and meth-amphetamine have some quite different psychoactive effects. "Crank" can contain mixtures of the three forms of amphetamine in different quantities. When writing about possible behavioral aberrations due to medication it is ALWAYS a good idea to be specific about what chemicals were being used. This helps to determine whether the behavior was influenced by the drugs. Furthermore, it also helps to determine if a combination of drugs might have led to the behavioral discrepancies.
Furthermore, using street language to describe pharmaceutically produced medication that is administered in controlled and known dosages is easily construed as inflammatory. Of course, when attacking someone, this is a ploy that many people use. However, if you want people to take you seriously and not become emotionally biased towards your statements (and therefore inattentive or dismissive), a little technical jargon might behoove the poster.
It is completely impossible to say any thing intelligent or enlightening in a space this size, excep