This is the best example of why XKCD is an awesome web comic - a modern "funny" - I've seen in some time. In fact, I'd argue the societal commentary is often better - more cutting and intelligent - than you'll find most anywhere else (WSJ included). It's not always just "geeky" stuff, though Little Johny Normalization is a great example in that department, too.
First off, they're not "stick mouse" keyboards: they're either a keyboard clit or a keyboard nipple; calling it a clitboard suffices, if you prefer.:) Everyone I know who likes these keyboards (there are several) calls the little red thing in the center one or the other, or alternatively (in polite company) a Trackpoint.
I've been using these so-called "stick mouse" keyboards for about 8 years now: ever since I got a Model M work-alike at work with one, I've been sold on them.
The "IBM" variant, now made by Lenovo, has become somewhat disappointing in the last couple years. I've got several of the USB Travelmate UltraNAV keyboards: they're kinda pricey for what they are these days. The price hasn't really dropped at all, while the functionality remains roughly the same. The most recent "redesign" changes the key impact tactility fairly significantly, and the other more recent ones have as well. I've had IBM specimens dating from the mid-late 90s up through 2004 or so: they're all pretty much identical in that regard. Lenovo has done a fairly good job so far breaking a "good thing".:( At least the key spacing is still perfect: that's one thing I can't complain about, even as someone with large hands. "Full size" keyboards tend to result in a bit too much wrist and outer hand strain, and I can type significantly faster on the slightly-smaller keyboards.
Ultimately, what it comes down to is not having to reach over and grab the mouse every time I want to navigate a page or application element. Win!
As it stands it doesn't look like I'll be getting another of the "awesome" IBM keyboards. The last one I have (in an older X30) is pretty much worn out - literally. I don't want to know how many millions of times I've pressed those keys: all but the function keys are smooth, the nibs on the keys are worn smooth, and there is literal significant cavitation in half the keys from fingernail impacts.
As someone else said, what was the alternative? (And wasn't it their Western front?)
There's one thing I've noticed about the Russians, specifically during the Soviet era through today: they were/are very crudely calculating and tend to come up with the best, most creative solution to a given problem regardless of any "sensitivity" issues.
Often, these approaches involve brute force, but they get the job done, and get it done quickly without a significant re-engineer.
Considering how US nukes these days are incredibly high yield compared to what the Soviets had back then (with regard to the amount of fusible material used) and tend to have very little fallout, I don't see how this would be a bad idea in general, and probably quite good given the alternatives (IE there are none, right now, short of ruining even more ecosystems).
Consider: this has a 4-in-5 chance of success with negligible (if any) indirect impact upon wildlife/the ecosystem. Ecosystems are not significantly negatively impacted by such events, as the amount of radiation put out by Chernobyl demonstrates. This could be done within the week, in all likelihood (given the political will).
The alternative is to wait at least a week for a successful alternative to be presented, all while the oil continues to seep out - damage which will propagate for decades to come.
The irony is that it probably won't happen for political reasons: Obama probably does not want to be the first President to detonate a nuclear explosion since Truman. Sadly he seems like the kind of person who is more concerned with image than practical results.
This graph works under the assumption that the human development levels for Cuba are not fraudulent as well.
Not so much the use of land, as those are considered accurate - but the level of advancement and the like. Things like: per capita starvation levels, orphans, infectious diseases, etc. I don't doubt that the reality does not represent the numbers, as it were, and that there are multiple countries (in, say, the ex-Eastern Bloc) with much better (efficient, accurate, developed) numbers.
My point was the opposite as you understood - I just made it poorly.:)
What I was trying to say was that the wars were not started by us. I do think they were defensive and/or preventative. However, I think they were fought like peacekeeping missions - and were as such ineffective due to more bodies needing to hit the floor on the other side of our barrels than were.
Ron Paul has a really fucked up international policy. His domestic policy is not bad and, in fact, seems to have been what got him any votes from non-libs to begin with as well as pushed the current Tea Party movement into motion.
You're obviously asking this question because you've got pause about your ability to conduct yourself appropriately.
A "software company" has developers. Obviously you've had interaction with students who will be trying to become developers themselves, given you've completed school. Perhaps you noticed that they behave differently than you do and that you do not fit in.
There is very little tolerance for "divergent" personalities unless the other people are likewise divergent. I'm talking about off-color humor, sarcasm, and various other "socially misunderstood" behaviors. Unless you get in with a bunch of similarly-humored geeks, chances are it will be greatly unappreciated.
Even if it is appreciated, keep your head down and pay attention. There can be a lot of pressure to feel like you're being accepted in a new environment, but it's better to play it safe and feel your way out of the box slowly. Take it from someone who learned that lesson the hard way.
It is unacceptable to kill humans. It is however acceptable to reduce our birth rate to beneath our death rate -- something which has already occurred in industrialized nations.
Unfortunately, if you decrease your national birth rate for enough generations or very rapidly (ie over 50 or so years) you will soon see an increasing death rate: the population age levels will either be unsustainable (ie too many older people) or you will be invaded and conquered by a more populous and less concerned nation.
(See: Mexico and the US; much of Arabia and Africa and Eastern Europe.)
On the other hand, Japan has survived now for about 60 years with less than 0.1 ha/capita, and is now approaching 0.04 ha/capita. Whatever the catches in that, it's possible.
Japan, as well as Cuba, is an island. Being an island, a large part of their food comes from the sea: miles and miles of open sea with no humans occupying it, containing large amounts of protein (which is required for population growth and sustainment above a certain point).
So realistically, both Japan and Cuba is using a lot more "land" for agricultural purposes - it's just "wet land". This isn't accounted for in any 'sustainability' study I've seen. In the case of Japan, I know that a great deal of their seasonal produce comes from the (mostly uninhabited) northern part of the country: as soon as things thaw out, everything is planted. Due to the rich volcanic soils and heavy rainfalls, yields are very high.
There's also the point to consider that there are countries with a glut of agricultural production which provide these smaller countries with food.
Additionally, most of these studies fall short because the numbers arrived at (say, 2.1 hectares) are not accurate, in my limited experience. I know of successful (organic) commercial ventures with only a quarter section of land (or so), as well as families (ie 4-5 people) which are largely self-sustained on 4-6 acres - in Regions 4 and 5. It's all a matter of adapting the techniques used to the environment (and not relying on the assumption that "industrial farming = higher yields/better results").
Either that, or the data is flawed based on incorrect criteria assumptions.
Which is more likely:
* Cuba is an ideal society: this is why so many people flee Cuba for the US. * Data in the study this graph was based on is wrong.
I know this is Cuba we're talking about here - IE the darling of Social Progress Lovers and World Reform, Universal Welfare, and the Champion in Fighting Capitalist Oppression - but let's be realistic here. Most of that information is falsified due to an oppressive, totalitarian state.
To explain it logically: software is the only thing you can buy which has no inherent value and can not be quantified. A "new version" usually isn't - it's something entirely different, more often than not. Unlike physical devices, the release of a newer version makes the older version actually less functional and useful.
Compare it to a physical device like, say, an ammunition loading press. You buy it once and you'll usually get a warranty against defects. Many of them offer free updates/fixes for an extended period of time, sometimes perpetually. Automobiles are the same way. Where, in software, are you going to find an update (ie product recall or whatever) 3+ years out from the point of initial release when multiple releases have been made since?
You won't, in all likelihood: the majority of software is just major releases, not fixes. Software is disposable. If physical devices were to do this, EVERYTHING would be a "dumb consumer device" with no replaceable parts. Even if someone wanted to, there would be no parts available due to intellectual/legal restrictions.
So unless when you pay you get free updates/upgrades to the latest version, there seems no point in paying. The cost to the software company is only in providing a download point for the functionality fixes and minimal R&D into problems. Yet they don't usually provide such services: they just release a new version for more money.
There's also no need to go "Full SSD". The newer virtualizing SAN arrays can migrate individual blocks of data between tiers of storage to place everything on the appropriate storage depending on the need for performance.
You can also do this yourself with SSDs in ZFS. It's an awesome value proposition: a half dozen rotational disks in an array with one or two caching SSDs over a SAN = awesome.
Yeah, except getting that carbon fiber rack is a big logistical change: you've either got to use it with a new rack or re-shelf an entire rack.
Nobody in their right minds is going to go "full SSD" right now. They're not going to re-rack all their servers, either (that means downtime). The realistic response is a gradual change in either regard: in that case, it doesn't make sense to go with the CF rack unless you explicitly need the added capacity of of rotational disks.
In that case, my experience has been that a system commonly needs a) a lot of storage or b) a lot of processing power. Storage can be backlined onto another server (on a SAN) and the processing front-ends get the faster (louder due to fast fans) processors. You could separate it by rack and reduce sound significantly near your disks.
Why can't they be the same device with different forms of input that can work in concert? IE a "context-aware desktop". Gaming? Use a mouse. Open a word processor? Use the keyboard and mouse. Cleaning up files? Use the touchscreen. There's no reason why there should be any limitation or requirement on a user to change between these contexts, either.
It does not look like this interface precludes using a filing system, only that you can also use stacks and spatial organization as well.
This spacial orientation is very important. Anyone who has done "stupid user" support before knows that users can get seriously bent out of shape when icons change their location, or when files "get messed with" (ie sort order changes).
The "walls" I find to be a bit of a headache, but I can see their use. I do think a flat spacial orientation might be better, but the foundation of the implementation is sound.
What I find interesting about the interface is that it is, in effect, somewhat of a tiling interface. Many geeks (myself included) have gone to tiling or hybrid tiling window managers like Awesome and Ion due to the ability to more effectively use their screen space (amongst other things). Tiling interfaces work well on small and large screens alike, I've found - much moreso than a traditional GUI.
So 10 out of 10 of the biggest corporate sites are written in Flash. Why?
These corps are the top because they live marketing. Flash does marketing material - "flashy" ads, animations, imagery, whatever - well and consistently at an acceptable (to the advertisers) loss in processor cycles.
People don't visit these sites, do they? I'd think most likely no. These sites are marketing/advertising vehicles and nothing much more.
Saying this matters is like saying that 6 out of 10 online ads are in Flash, ergo Flash isn't going away. People don't go to site for product information (unless they're really dumb): they go to to Google (or Bing, whatever) and search "buy " or " review" and go from there. If they even care about such things as reviews, that is: people who buy name brand tend to only buy for the brand these days. It's rare that "brand" and "quality" meet in most markets.
I've used two approaches for this. First, let me state that my key ring typically has: 3 house keys, 2 garage/shed keys, 4 work keys, safe/cabinet keys, and 5 vehicle keys.
* Multiple keyrings. These are attached with a carbiner clip and can be easily removed/added easily.
* A "key book-clip". This is something I made with a 2.5" or so square piece of steel, a small bolt, a toothed washer, and two nuts. The steel is bent 'crescent shaped' like a book binding. A hole gets drilled through the steel binding, and the keys become the 'book pages'. The bolt/screw goes through the hole with the keys, a nut, and the washer on the inside, with the other nut on the outside to hold it snug.
The corners of the "book" are rounded so there are no jagged edges. I've been trying to figure out how to use a tension clip to hold the keys in the binding, but it seems to work pretty well without one.
If you're worried about that kind of collapse, then yes, gold would go to zero, too. What can you do with gold other than look at it?
Well, short of a complete nuclear apocalypse or being hit by a comet, gold will still retain the majority of its value for a short period of time - hours, days, weeks, or months depending on how severely the sacred societal cow has been slaughtered. This gives you a relatively liquid resource to barter with for the things you need before a) all currency is worthless b) people realize how bad things are and you're left with people not parting with precious resources like food, ammunition, arms, shelter, fuel, tools, etc.
In short, it'll be easier to trade a half ounce of gold or a handful of silver ounces for a tank of gas than it will be able to trade a tank of gas for anything else.
After gold loses its value, the only things you'll be able to trade are guns, ammo, and food. If you've got guns and ammo, chances are you won't need to do any "trading". The rule of force is pretty constant, and in a world where currencies of all kinds are worthless, there will be no market value in anything but force.
like for example, the US starting an aggressive war in the middle east,
Is there anything other than an aggressive war? I'm not sure how you'd passively start a war.
If the war had been fought competently, the economy would be doing just swimmingly: throughout history, successful wars have invariably been bountiful for the victors. (Using the economic benefit alone as a metric, it's pretty obvious that the Arab Street won - due to oil prices.)
or for example, a black man becoming president (snark on the second one).
And, we're back to the word "incompetent". It has nothing to do with his color, though it is quite unfortunate that the first non-white President of the US has to be an bumbling fool with a firm grasp on the wrong way to do things.
Less than.10? Isn't that "idle, just sitting here chatting"?
Even on a fast system, doing something like watching Flash videos, playing flash games, etc. will take at least one core up to.9 or so. Sitting here at mostly idle, I've got a load of.3 or so, and this is a quad core system.
At.10, I'd imagine most computers would be "just turned on and waiting for a login".
(Never mind your fraudulent claim. "Overpowered" computers? Surely you're kidding. More power can almost always be used, if for nothing else then a more responsive experience.)
I'd suspect that the drop in sales is due to a couple things:
1) lack of games. Most Wii games suck, and aside from the Sports games, not a whole lot is terribly enjoyable. There are no "killer" games, and so when someone has their console, they're not likely to buy too many additional games (like was the case with previous consoles). Even the Nintendo trademark games (Mario, Zelda, etc.) aren't that great compared to previous generations.
2) Lack of appreciable price drop in the base console. The console is almost 5 years old now; in 1988, I got an NES with two controllers, a zapper, and Mario/DH for $89.95 from KBtoys. This is approximately 2/5ths of what it cost when it first came on the market 3 years earlier. The "base" Wii (one controller, Wii Sports) costs $200: that's almost 3/5ths the original ~$350, and you're still left to pony up $20/controller (problematic, on account of most Wii games being multiplayer-centric).
3) Combine those previous two as well as competing consoles with more enticing titles for teen gamers and young male adults, online games, the iPhone/iPad, and the like, it's no wonder Wii sales are dropping. There are a lot of alternatives, many of which are better at this point.
4) "Legacy" gamers. There are still a lot of NES/SNES/N64/Dreamcast systems out there, and for the cost and value of the newer games, it makes sense that these people are staying with the older competition. Wii is not appreciably better, from what I've seen: it's the same thing, rehashed, but with fewer games and better graphics. Mario/etc. games still have the same mechanics as they did 20 years ago; is there much to be gained by the solo gamer by 'upgrading'?
I was part of the NES/SNES generation. By the time I was in high school, everyone I knew had an NES: it was their brothers before them, or they got it at a yard sale, or something like that. But everyone had one, and still played it. Why? Because the games were awesome. I still enjoy playing many of the games on NES, and not simply for nostalgia purposes. They're genuinely fun (if often simple) games.
The key difference between Microsoft and Apple is that Microsoft wants their stuff used far and wide and don't want to p*ss off the developers.
Windows Mobile (now Windows Phone) developers would like to respectfully disagree. (See: "everything has to be done in Silverlight;.NET applications have to be completely rewritten, and many won't even be able to be ported")
Slashdot Mirror
This is the best example of why XKCD is an awesome web comic - a modern "funny" - I've seen in some time. In fact, I'd argue the societal commentary is often better - more cutting and intelligent - than you'll find most anywhere else (WSJ included). It's not always just "geeky" stuff, though Little Johny Normalization is a great example in that department, too.
Ah, this is a topic very dear to my heart!
First off, they're not "stick mouse" keyboards: they're either a keyboard clit or a keyboard nipple; calling it a clitboard suffices, if you prefer. :) Everyone I know who likes these keyboards (there are several) calls the little red thing in the center one or the other, or alternatively (in polite company) a Trackpoint.
I've been using these so-called "stick mouse" keyboards for about 8 years now: ever since I got a Model M work-alike at work with one, I've been sold on them.
The "IBM" variant, now made by Lenovo, has become somewhat disappointing in the last couple years. I've got several of the USB Travelmate UltraNAV keyboards: they're kinda pricey for what they are these days. The price hasn't really dropped at all, while the functionality remains roughly the same. The most recent "redesign" changes the key impact tactility fairly significantly, and the other more recent ones have as well. I've had IBM specimens dating from the mid-late 90s up through 2004 or so: they're all pretty much identical in that regard. Lenovo has done a fairly good job so far breaking a "good thing". :( At least the key spacing is still perfect: that's one thing I can't complain about, even as someone with large hands. "Full size" keyboards tend to result in a bit too much wrist and outer hand strain, and I can type significantly faster on the slightly-smaller keyboards.
Ultimately, what it comes down to is not having to reach over and grab the mouse every time I want to navigate a page or application element. Win!
As it stands it doesn't look like I'll be getting another of the "awesome" IBM keyboards. The last one I have (in an older X30) is pretty much worn out - literally. I don't want to know how many millions of times I've pressed those keys: all but the function keys are smooth, the nibs on the keys are worn smooth, and there is literal significant cavitation in half the keys from fingernail impacts.
Yet we've got coal pit fires which have been burning for much longer than that here in the US. There are many elsewhere in the world.
Not sure how that's indicative of their engineering techniques failing, given it seems fairly endemic.
As someone else said, what was the alternative? (And wasn't it their Western front?)
There's one thing I've noticed about the Russians, specifically during the Soviet era through today: they were/are very crudely calculating and tend to come up with the best, most creative solution to a given problem regardless of any "sensitivity" issues.
Often, these approaches involve brute force, but they get the job done, and get it done quickly without a significant re-engineer.
Considering how US nukes these days are incredibly high yield compared to what the Soviets had back then (with regard to the amount of fusible material used) and tend to have very little fallout, I don't see how this would be a bad idea in general, and probably quite good given the alternatives (IE there are none, right now, short of ruining even more ecosystems).
Consider: this has a 4-in-5 chance of success with negligible (if any) indirect impact upon wildlife/the ecosystem. Ecosystems are not significantly negatively impacted by such events, as the amount of radiation put out by Chernobyl demonstrates. This could be done within the week, in all likelihood (given the political will).
The alternative is to wait at least a week for a successful alternative to be presented, all while the oil continues to seep out - damage which will propagate for decades to come.
The irony is that it probably won't happen for political reasons: Obama probably does not want to be the first President to detonate a nuclear explosion since Truman. Sadly he seems like the kind of person who is more concerned with image than practical results.
This graph works under the assumption that the human development levels for Cuba are not fraudulent as well.
Not so much the use of land, as those are considered accurate - but the level of advancement and the like. Things like: per capita starvation levels, orphans, infectious diseases, etc. I don't doubt that the reality does not represent the numbers, as it were, and that there are multiple countries (in, say, the ex-Eastern Bloc) with much better (efficient, accurate, developed) numbers.
My point was the opposite as you understood - I just made it poorly. :)
What I was trying to say was that the wars were not started by us. I do think they were defensive and/or preventative. However, I think they were fought like peacekeeping missions - and were as such ineffective due to more bodies needing to hit the floor on the other side of our barrels than were.
Ron Paul has a really fucked up international policy. His domestic policy is not bad and, in fact, seems to have been what got him any votes from non-libs to begin with as well as pushed the current Tea Party movement into motion.
You're obviously asking this question because you've got pause about your ability to conduct yourself appropriately.
A "software company" has developers. Obviously you've had interaction with students who will be trying to become developers themselves, given you've completed school. Perhaps you noticed that they behave differently than you do and that you do not fit in.
There is very little tolerance for "divergent" personalities unless the other people are likewise divergent. I'm talking about off-color humor, sarcasm, and various other "socially misunderstood" behaviors. Unless you get in with a bunch of similarly-humored geeks, chances are it will be greatly unappreciated.
Even if it is appreciated, keep your head down and pay attention. There can be a lot of pressure to feel like you're being accepted in a new environment, but it's better to play it safe and feel your way out of the box slowly. Take it from someone who learned that lesson the hard way.
It is unacceptable to kill humans. It is however acceptable to reduce our birth rate to beneath our death rate -- something which has already occurred in industrialized nations.
Unfortunately, if you decrease your national birth rate for enough generations or very rapidly (ie over 50 or so years) you will soon see an increasing death rate: the population age levels will either be unsustainable (ie too many older people) or you will be invaded and conquered by a more populous and less concerned nation.
(See: Mexico and the US; much of Arabia and Africa and Eastern Europe.)
On the other hand, Japan has survived now for about 60 years with less than 0.1 ha/capita, and is now approaching 0.04 ha/capita. Whatever the catches in that, it's possible.
Japan, as well as Cuba, is an island. Being an island, a large part of their food comes from the sea: miles and miles of open sea with no humans occupying it, containing large amounts of protein (which is required for population growth and sustainment above a certain point).
So realistically, both Japan and Cuba is using a lot more "land" for agricultural purposes - it's just "wet land". This isn't accounted for in any 'sustainability' study I've seen. In the case of Japan, I know that a great deal of their seasonal produce comes from the (mostly uninhabited) northern part of the country: as soon as things thaw out, everything is planted. Due to the rich volcanic soils and heavy rainfalls, yields are very high.
There's also the point to consider that there are countries with a glut of agricultural production which provide these smaller countries with food.
Additionally, most of these studies fall short because the numbers arrived at (say, 2.1 hectares) are not accurate, in my limited experience. I know of successful (organic) commercial ventures with only a quarter section of land (or so), as well as families (ie 4-5 people) which are largely self-sustained on 4-6 acres - in Regions 4 and 5. It's all a matter of adapting the techniques used to the environment (and not relying on the assumption that "industrial farming = higher yields/better results").
Either that, or the data is flawed based on incorrect criteria assumptions.
Which is more likely:
* Cuba is an ideal society: this is why so many people flee Cuba for the US.
* Data in the study this graph was based on is wrong.
I know this is Cuba we're talking about here - IE the darling of Social Progress Lovers and World Reform, Universal Welfare, and the Champion in Fighting Capitalist Oppression - but let's be realistic here. Most of that information is falsified due to an oppressive, totalitarian state.
To explain it logically: software is the only thing you can buy which has no inherent value and can not be quantified. A "new version" usually isn't - it's something entirely different, more often than not. Unlike physical devices, the release of a newer version makes the older version actually less functional and useful.
Compare it to a physical device like, say, an ammunition loading press. You buy it once and you'll usually get a warranty against defects. Many of them offer free updates/fixes for an extended period of time, sometimes perpetually. Automobiles are the same way. Where, in software, are you going to find an update (ie product recall or whatever) 3+ years out from the point of initial release when multiple releases have been made since?
You won't, in all likelihood: the majority of software is just major releases, not fixes. Software is disposable. If physical devices were to do this, EVERYTHING would be a "dumb consumer device" with no replaceable parts. Even if someone wanted to, there would be no parts available due to intellectual/legal restrictions.
So unless when you pay you get free updates/upgrades to the latest version, there seems no point in paying. The cost to the software company is only in providing a download point for the functionality fixes and minimal R&D into problems. Yet they don't usually provide such services: they just release a new version for more money.
There's also no need to go "Full SSD". The newer virtualizing SAN arrays can migrate individual blocks of data between tiers of storage to place everything on the appropriate storage depending on the need for performance.
You can also do this yourself with SSDs in ZFS. It's an awesome value proposition: a half dozen rotational disks in an array with one or two caching SSDs over a SAN = awesome.
Yeah, except getting that carbon fiber rack is a big logistical change: you've either got to use it with a new rack or re-shelf an entire rack.
Nobody in their right minds is going to go "full SSD" right now. They're not going to re-rack all their servers, either (that means downtime). The realistic response is a gradual change in either regard: in that case, it doesn't make sense to go with the CF rack unless you explicitly need the added capacity of of rotational disks.
In that case, my experience has been that a system commonly needs a) a lot of storage or b) a lot of processing power. Storage can be backlined onto another server (on a SAN) and the processing front-ends get the faster (louder due to fast fans) processors. You could separate it by rack and reduce sound significantly near your disks.
Why can't they be the same device with different forms of input that can work in concert? IE a "context-aware desktop". Gaming? Use a mouse. Open a word processor? Use the keyboard and mouse. Cleaning up files? Use the touchscreen. There's no reason why there should be any limitation or requirement on a user to change between these contexts, either.
It does not look like this interface precludes using a filing system, only that you can also use stacks and spatial organization as well.
This spacial orientation is very important. Anyone who has done "stupid user" support before knows that users can get seriously bent out of shape when icons change their location, or when files "get messed with" (ie sort order changes).
The "walls" I find to be a bit of a headache, but I can see their use. I do think a flat spacial orientation might be better, but the foundation of the implementation is sound.
What I find interesting about the interface is that it is, in effect, somewhat of a tiling interface. Many geeks (myself included) have gone to tiling or hybrid tiling window managers like Awesome and Ion due to the ability to more effectively use their screen space (amongst other things). Tiling interfaces work well on small and large screens alike, I've found - much moreso than a traditional GUI.
So 10 out of 10 of the biggest corporate sites are written in Flash. Why?
These corps are the top because they live marketing. Flash does marketing material - "flashy" ads, animations, imagery, whatever - well and consistently at an acceptable (to the advertisers) loss in processor cycles.
People don't visit these sites, do they? I'd think most likely no. These sites are marketing/advertising vehicles and nothing much more.
Saying this matters is like saying that 6 out of 10 online ads are in Flash, ergo Flash isn't going away. People don't go to site for product information (unless they're really dumb): they go to to Google (or Bing, whatever) and search "buy " or " review" and go from there. If they even care about such things as reviews, that is: people who buy name brand tend to only buy for the brand these days. It's rare that "brand" and "quality" meet in most markets.
Yep, exactly. Slashdotters are, typically, of the "ooh, a problem! I can fix this!" variety of human.
I've used two approaches for this. First, let me state that my key ring typically has: 3 house keys, 2 garage/shed keys, 4 work keys, safe/cabinet keys, and 5 vehicle keys.
* Multiple keyrings. These are attached with a carbiner clip and can be easily removed/added easily.
* A "key book-clip". This is something I made with a 2.5" or so square piece of steel, a small bolt, a toothed washer, and two nuts. The steel is bent 'crescent shaped' like a book binding. A hole gets drilled through the steel binding, and the keys become the 'book pages'. The bolt/screw goes through the hole with the keys, a nut, and the washer on the inside, with the other nut on the outside to hold it snug.
The corners of the "book" are rounded so there are no jagged edges. I've been trying to figure out how to use a tension clip to hold the keys in the binding, but it seems to work pretty well without one.
If you're worried about that kind of collapse, then yes, gold would go to zero, too. What can you do with gold other than look at it?
Well, short of a complete nuclear apocalypse or being hit by a comet, gold will still retain the majority of its value for a short period of time - hours, days, weeks, or months depending on how severely the sacred societal cow has been slaughtered. This gives you a relatively liquid resource to barter with for the things you need before a) all currency is worthless b) people realize how bad things are and you're left with people not parting with precious resources like food, ammunition, arms, shelter, fuel, tools, etc.
In short, it'll be easier to trade a half ounce of gold or a handful of silver ounces for a tank of gas than it will be able to trade a tank of gas for anything else.
After gold loses its value, the only things you'll be able to trade are guns, ammo, and food. If you've got guns and ammo, chances are you won't need to do any "trading". The rule of force is pretty constant, and in a world where currencies of all kinds are worthless, there will be no market value in anything but force.
like for example, the US starting an aggressive war in the middle east,
Is there anything other than an aggressive war? I'm not sure how you'd passively start a war.
If the war had been fought competently, the economy would be doing just swimmingly: throughout history, successful wars have invariably been bountiful for the victors. (Using the economic benefit alone as a metric, it's pretty obvious that the Arab Street won - due to oil prices.)
or for example, a black man becoming president (snark on the second one).
And, we're back to the word "incompetent". It has nothing to do with his color, though it is quite unfortunate that the first non-white President of the US has to be an bumbling fool with a firm grasp on the wrong way to do things.
Less than .10? Isn't that "idle, just sitting here chatting"?
Even on a fast system, doing something like watching Flash videos, playing flash games, etc. will take at least one core up to .9 or so. Sitting here at mostly idle, I've got a load of .3 or so, and this is a quad core system.
At .10, I'd imagine most computers would be "just turned on and waiting for a login".
(Never mind your fraudulent claim. "Overpowered" computers? Surely you're kidding. More power can almost always be used, if for nothing else then a more responsive experience.)
I'd suspect that the drop in sales is due to a couple things:
1) lack of games. Most Wii games suck, and aside from the Sports games, not a whole lot is terribly enjoyable. There are no "killer" games, and so when someone has their console, they're not likely to buy too many additional games (like was the case with previous consoles). Even the Nintendo trademark games (Mario, Zelda, etc.) aren't that great compared to previous generations.
2) Lack of appreciable price drop in the base console. The console is almost 5 years old now; in 1988, I got an NES with two controllers, a zapper, and Mario/DH for $89.95 from KBtoys. This is approximately 2/5ths of what it cost when it first came on the market 3 years earlier. The "base" Wii (one controller, Wii Sports) costs $200: that's almost 3/5ths the original ~$350, and you're still left to pony up $20/controller (problematic, on account of most Wii games being multiplayer-centric).
3) Combine those previous two as well as competing consoles with more enticing titles for teen gamers and young male adults, online games, the iPhone/iPad, and the like, it's no wonder Wii sales are dropping. There are a lot of alternatives, many of which are better at this point.
4) "Legacy" gamers. There are still a lot of NES/SNES/N64/Dreamcast systems out there, and for the cost and value of the newer games, it makes sense that these people are staying with the older competition. Wii is not appreciably better, from what I've seen: it's the same thing, rehashed, but with fewer games and better graphics. Mario/etc. games still have the same mechanics as they did 20 years ago; is there much to be gained by the solo gamer by 'upgrading'?
I was part of the NES/SNES generation. By the time I was in high school, everyone I knew had an NES: it was their brothers before them, or they got it at a yard sale, or something like that. But everyone had one, and still played it. Why? Because the games were awesome. I still enjoy playing many of the games on NES, and not simply for nostalgia purposes. They're genuinely fun (if often simple) games.
"I'd like to get that in writing, please," would likely:
a) make them reconsider
b) make them reneg on the request
c) give you an out on several levels (whistle blowing, ass covering)
Short of overtly illegal activities, if you've any question about the legality of something, get it in writing. Your ass is (should be) covered.
The key difference between Microsoft and Apple is that Microsoft wants their stuff used far and wide and don't want to p*ss off the developers.
Windows Mobile (now Windows Phone) developers would like to respectfully disagree. (See: "everything has to be done in Silverlight; .NET applications have to be completely rewritten, and many won't even be able to be ported")
You're forgetting Mr. New Orleans Lead Vest In A Raft Rescue himself, Sean Penn.