Have to agree here... Whenever it's time to build myself a new comp, I take some time to figure out what components I want, then sit down with recent copies of the local computer papers (Toronto Computes and The Computer Paper in my area)... I have a few select dealers that are usually pretty good that I get most of my parts from, but I check the adverts from other dealers to make sure I'm getting the best prices... Once I've figured out which stores I need to hit, I start out on a Saturday morning - shopping list and cell phone in hand - on a "scavenger hunt" across the city... With some luck, I've got all the parts I need by that evening and the assembly begins... Admittedly, the process is a little time consuming, but I like knowing that I'm supporting local retailers...
Speaking from personal experience (at a company which develops software to run on it's own sequencing platform), in biotech, it's worth trying to be either 1) a good scientist who can communicate with the programmers or 2) a good programmer who can communicate with the scientists. I saw more wasted time/dollars fly by on projects simply because those of us in the science department couldn't communicate effectively with the coders in the software department. Not to mention the animosity that can develop between the equally large egos in both camps.
It seems that bio-informatics as a discipline is still a difficult gamble. There is trouble in defining what it should be or do while big pharma just throws money at it in the hopes that it will pay off. The best bio-informatics arenas, IMHO, to be right now are either 1) clusters that are running folding or molecular (ie. drug-to-target) interaction simulations or 2) developing data collection (or other) apps for instrumentation (ie. sequencing platforms, HPLC, MS, robotics, etc.)... Just from strictly personal opinions, of course.
The thing I find interesting about Farscape are the twists it puts on the tried-and-true (and a little stale) Star Trek formula. One of the most obvious is: In Trek, the Federation is a large military organization which spans many planetary systems and is run by earthling humans. On the whole, the Federation seems relatively benign along the shiny-happy-we'll-all-get-along-eventually idea of Roddenberry's future. In Farscape, the Peacekeepers are a large military organization which spans many planetary systems and is run by humanoids who look EXACTLY like us. However, in their corner of the universe, they're the bad-ass megalomaniacal xenophobic overlords. Considering the history of human nature, which iteration seems most likely to happen around here when we develop interstellar travel?
During Voyager's run, did anyone else think that Janeway must have been wearing a wig to cover her bald head?
I mean, all the other ST Captains have been bald or balding (Kirk, Picard, Sisko), so she must have been too, right?
Me? Debunk an American myth? And take my life in my hands?
Slashdot Mirror
Have to agree here ... ... I have a few select dealers that are usually pretty good that I get most of my parts from, but I check the adverts from other dealers to make sure I'm getting the best prices ... Once I've figured out which stores I need to hit, I start out on a Saturday morning - shopping list and cell phone in hand - on a "scavenger hunt" across the city ... With some luck, I've got all the parts I need by that evening and the assembly begins ... ...
Whenever it's time to build myself a new comp, I take some time to figure out what components I want, then sit down with recent copies of the local computer papers (Toronto Computes and The Computer Paper in my area)
Admittedly, the process is a little time consuming, but I like knowing that I'm supporting local retailers
Speaking from personal experience (at a company which develops software to run on it's own sequencing platform), in biotech, it's worth trying to be either 1) a good scientist who can communicate with the programmers or 2) a good programmer who can communicate with the scientists. I saw more wasted time/dollars fly by on projects simply because those of us in the science department couldn't communicate effectively with the coders in the software department. Not to mention the animosity that can develop between the equally large egos in both camps.
... Just from strictly personal opinions, of course.
It seems that bio-informatics as a discipline is still a difficult gamble. There is trouble in defining what it should be or do while big pharma just throws money at it in the hopes that it will pay off. The best bio-informatics arenas, IMHO, to be right now are either 1) clusters that are running folding or molecular (ie. drug-to-target) interaction simulations or 2) developing data collection (or other) apps for instrumentation (ie. sequencing platforms, HPLC, MS, robotics, etc.)
The thing I find interesting about Farscape are the twists it puts on the tried-and-true (and a little stale) Star Trek formula. One of the most obvious is:
In Trek, the Federation is a large military organization which spans many planetary systems and is run by earthling humans. On the whole, the Federation seems relatively benign along the shiny-happy-we'll-all-get-along-eventually idea of Roddenberry's future.
In Farscape, the Peacekeepers are a large military organization which spans many planetary systems and is run by humanoids who look EXACTLY like us. However, in their corner of the universe, they're the bad-ass megalomaniacal xenophobic overlords.
Considering the history of human nature, which iteration seems most likely to happen around here when we develop interstellar travel?
During Voyager's run, did anyone else think that Janeway must have been wearing a wig to cover her bald head?
I mean, all the other ST Captains have been bald or balding (Kirk, Picard, Sisko), so she must have been too, right?
Me? Debunk an American myth? And take my life in my hands?