Driving--even safely--can be fun. I've tried to explain that to people before but have never been successful. I enjoy driving. I own a car that lets me have a little fun while driving. I never compromise safety while doing it, though. (And, frankly, my "fun" car has far more safety features than my commuter car.)
People who think driving is simply getting from A to B are missing one of the simple joys in life. Of course, the Washington, DC area does its best to take any fun out of driving whatsoever, making it a chore. If you learned to drive in that environment or one like it, I can understand why you don't appreciate the joy of driving.
What worries me is that they'll sell you 1 liter of milk and conveniently "reprice" the product to make more money. Since the units are switching, it'll be harder for the average consumer to catch the increase. Not that you'll really be able to do anything about it, of course, because you'll need the milk...
Now that I think about it, I'm really surprised some companies haven't switched solely for this reason.
I agree with your comments about phones, but most of my friends say I'm crazy when I tell them that. I much prefer e-mail because I can respond at my leisure and I'm less likely to say something without thinking...
I'm a statistician, computers are my hobby. So why do computer support people ask ME questions about fixing problems or configuring software? And why is it that I can usually answer them?
Sometimes I think I went into the wrong field, but then I saw the employment troubles you people had and I was glad that I went into statistics. Still, computers are a siren call. I often feel like I just have to find the right person that will help me into the computer science world.:)
Not to mention data mining. How do they know that the top of that black Cavalier is my car and not some other Cavalier? (Assuming they can tell it's a Cavalier, of course.) I guess if they followed it every second, they could pull it off, but you're talking about a LOT of data, and a lot of satellites that are in geosynchronos orbit with sufficient resolution to know that they're looking at a black Cavalier. There are also a lot of boring trips to the grocery store, fast food joints, and the skating rink to sift through. Not to mention the occasional days when I just drive around aimlessly (usually to test something on the vehicle, like a recent repair).
It's not the license plate--in my cars, the rear plate is almost hidden under the bumper, making it difficult to see from any direction except behind, while the front one (I live in Virginia) is angled slightly downward.
This makes me wonder: I was in an accident today where someone hit me from behind. If I need it, and there was a satellite overhead, do you think I could get that imagery to show the accident?:)
That cyclist was definitely in the wrong. I don't think the Fairfax County parkway is a "bike safe" road. Too busy.
The worst bike accident (in terms of amount of damage caused) I've had WASN'T when I was racing road bikes. It was on the GW Parkway trail in Alexandria, when another cyclist started passing me on the left then cut back over to the right. It destroyed my rear wheel, which meant I had to walk about 3 miles in cleats back to my car. And she didn't offer to pay a dime.
I'd rather deal with the cars--they know that hitting a bike is going to scratch their paint job, so they give us a wide berth (usually). Those trails are death. Too many people and too many different speeds. I won't ride on one again.
And next, they'll put in video cameras so they can watch our faces as we run down the pedestrians!
That's a nice slippery slope you have there. You've gone from recording basic engine information (throttle position, speed, etc) to voice recording.
I didn't know about the restriction for pilots. I'm not sure that's a good thing. Remember the Egypt Air pilot that apparently committed suicide and took the rest of the plane with him? (The US officials said that initially, Egypt complained, so the US backed away from that explanation, but I haven't heard of anything better since.) If he'd survived, wouldn't you want the information on the black boxes used to try him? "Your honor, the plane was working correctly, the control yokes were pushed into this forward position while the throttle was increased..."
Sorry, but I'm still sold on this being a good thing.
Because, if you cause an accident and don't have one, then it's that much harder for me to prove what really happened.
I'm glad they're in there. I can't see that it's a privacy issue; if there's an accident, everyone already knows where I was anyway! I think what people are worried about is that they'll actually be blamed for their irresponsible driving. Well, frankly, airline pilots have had to live with that for years, because they have the responsibility for others' lives. Anyone driving a car is in the same boat--you have a responsibility for your life and the lives of other motorists.
The other side of it is that they can provide useful diagnostic information when your engine is malfunctioning. I've been wanting to buy one of those things that hooks up to the OBD and records the information in my laptop.
I want something like this for my car! I see so much aggressive driving. I'd record it and put it on "aggressivedrivers.com" with a searchable database of plate numbers of aggressive drivers I've spotted with a clip of their idiocy. I don't think this should be used for law enforcement (other than finding areas that should be targeted for enforcement), but it could be useful to see what junior has been up to in the car or maybe even yourself. If nothing else, it would let me vent, and that alone would be worth the hassle...
Moreover, paper doesn't break, it's batteries don't die, etc., in the middle of a lecture. It's easy to carry a backup pen or two in case you run out of ink, but slightly harder to carry a backup laptop.
Also, in my experience, desks aren't at the right height for typing, which means you're doing bad things to your wrists if you're typing with the computer on the desk.
You're correct, but I think most car stereos these days also have a built-in battery back up. I say this because of my cars recently had their batteries disconnected for at least several hours (up to a day or so), and neither one lost any of my presets. One is a factory stereo with a tape deck and CD changer attached, the other is an aftermarket piece of junk in dash CD player.
It's better if you notice that the Jive Translator is the woman that played the Beaver's mom, Barbara Billingsly. After all those years of "Ward...", you just don't expect that from her.
I wondered if someone would mention the Phoenix! That coaster actually came from somewhere else before Knoebel's had it, so others might be familiar with it even if they've never been to Knoebel's. The Phoenix is the one coaster I have ridden, and it was fun, but I have no urges to ride more coasters. (When I was young, I didn't ride them because I hated being pushed into it by my brothers and dad. Now that I'm older, I think I might like them, but I've had some neck problems over the last few years and I'm afraid being bounced around on coasters might not be good for my neck.) Link to the coasters.
At least it's better than the Mouse (later called the Jet*Star, and since removed). Broken collarbones were common on that thing! The Mouse was an all steel coaster with some very tight turns. They've replaced it with another steel, twisty coaster, but I heard that they had to tone it down for some reason from its design so it's not as good as it should be.
On the other hand...I love a good flume ride. The thrills of a coaster without the jostling.
I've installed Linux on two Fujitsu laptops. Other than the winmodem in one, they both work well. My 435Dx laptop, which has a Pentium 133 MMX processor, just won't die. Over the years it has had several Slackware versions on it and one Mandrake version. (Okay, I did have to buy new batteries, a new hard drive, and more memory for it.)
The other Fujitsu laptop I installed Linux on was a C- series, but I don't remember the exact number. It was even easier than the 435Dx.
The next laptop I buy will definitely be a Fujitsu.
Because, even if you win, you have to fund the lawsuit for years until you do.
There was a case years ago where a widow was suing an insurance company for the life insurance payment from the death of her husband. The insurance company dragged their feet for years, clearly in the wrong, but hoped she'd drop it. She didn't. She won punitive damages at the end ("unconscionable" actions by the insurance company) in addition to the amount she was owed to punish the insurance company for doing that, but there wasn't any guarantee of a dime during the years she fought it--and I think that she lost basically everything while paying for the lawsuit. Most people don't want to go through that. (Unfortunately, I'm having trouble finding a link to the case online, and I don't have my textbook to look it up.)
Ever go to a hospital? They make you sign something that says you won't sue them if they mess up. So why are there plenty of medical malpractice lawsuits?
Because clauses like that are "exculpatory" (if I remember the term from my "legal environment" class correctly). They have no meaning, other than to scare the uninformed. As our instructor put it (a lawyer, mind you): "If things like that worked, I'd have a big sign on my car that said, 'Not responsible if I hit you.'"
Actually, you can. Having used a DCC system, you'd be amazed at how quickly and easily things can get out of control, even with only two trains! The good news is that the Digitrax system has a "panic stop" button that stops all the trains. The bad news is that sometimes that's easy to forget when you need it.
Last time I visited my parents, I had to catch one of my dad's engines as it rolled off the platform from just such an incident. (Fortunately, he was controlling them at the time; I just happened to be standing in the right area.)
We had one of those FM transmitters for my dad's 1983 Lincoln that we used to play CDs. It didn't work that well--it was always dropping out and just generally being annoying. Maybe the one you have is a better brand and works better (I think the one we had was a Radio Shack unit), but I'd rather have something with a wired connection.
Diesel doesn't work WHAT way? Diesels don't have spark plugs and cause the explosion on compression and temperature alone, as opposed to gasoline engines. Hence the need for glow plugs in diesel engines--they warm the cylinder enough for the explosion to take place.
However, I've never heard of a cell phone triggering an explosion. They don't have anything to spark in them (except maybe the vibrate-alert), so they're probably safer than using a large motor, such as the one that actually starts a car.
Slashdot Mirror
Mine (Verizon) isn't.
--RJ
Driving--even safely--can be fun. I've tried to explain that to people before but have never been successful. I enjoy driving. I own a car that lets me have a little fun while driving. I never compromise safety while doing it, though. (And, frankly, my "fun" car has far more safety features than my commuter car.)
People who think driving is simply getting from A to B are missing one of the simple joys in life. Of course, the Washington, DC area does its best to take any fun out of driving whatsoever, making it a chore. If you learned to drive in that environment or one like it, I can understand why you don't appreciate the joy of driving.
--RJ
What worries me is that they'll sell you 1 liter of milk and conveniently "reprice" the product to make more money. Since the units are switching, it'll be harder for the average consumer to catch the increase. Not that you'll really be able to do anything about it, of course, because you'll need the milk...
Now that I think about it, I'm really surprised some companies haven't switched solely for this reason.
--RJ
I agree with your comments about phones, but most of my friends say I'm crazy when I tell them that. I much prefer e-mail because I can respond at my leisure and I'm less likely to say something without thinking...
--RJ
I'm a statistician, computers are my hobby. So why do computer support people ask ME questions about fixing problems or configuring software? And why is it that I can usually answer them?
:)
Sometimes I think I went into the wrong field, but then I saw the employment troubles you people had and I was glad that I went into statistics. Still, computers are a siren call. I often feel like I just have to find the right person that will help me into the computer science world.
--RJ
That's a pretty good trick... care to tell me how you do it?
That's a pretty good trick you do.
Note how I excerpted parts of your question to create something else with a completely different meaning! Neat, huh?
--RJ
Not to mention data mining. How do they know that the top of that black Cavalier is my car and not some other Cavalier? (Assuming they can tell it's a Cavalier, of course.) I guess if they followed it every second, they could pull it off, but you're talking about a LOT of data, and a lot of satellites that are in geosynchronos orbit with sufficient resolution to know that they're looking at a black Cavalier. There are also a lot of boring trips to the grocery store, fast food joints, and the skating rink to sift through. Not to mention the occasional days when I just drive around aimlessly (usually to test something on the vehicle, like a recent repair).
:)
It's not the license plate--in my cars, the rear plate is almost hidden under the bumper, making it difficult to see from any direction except behind, while the front one (I live in Virginia) is angled slightly downward.
This makes me wonder: I was in an accident today where someone hit me from behind. If I need it, and there was a satellite overhead, do you think I could get that imagery to show the accident?
--RJ
That cyclist was definitely in the wrong. I don't think the Fairfax County parkway is a "bike safe" road. Too busy.
The worst bike accident (in terms of amount of damage caused) I've had WASN'T when I was racing road bikes. It was on the GW Parkway trail in Alexandria, when another cyclist started passing me on the left then cut back over to the right. It destroyed my rear wheel, which meant I had to walk about 3 miles in cleats back to my car. And she didn't offer to pay a dime.
I'd rather deal with the cars--they know that hitting a bike is going to scratch their paint job, so they give us a wide berth (usually). Those trails are death. Too many people and too many different speeds. I won't ride on one again.
--RJ
And next, they'll put in video cameras so they can watch our faces as we run down the pedestrians!
That's a nice slippery slope you have there. You've gone from recording basic engine information (throttle position, speed, etc) to voice recording.
I didn't know about the restriction for pilots. I'm not sure that's a good thing. Remember the Egypt Air pilot that apparently committed suicide and took the rest of the plane with him? (The US officials said that initially, Egypt complained, so the US backed away from that explanation, but I haven't heard of anything better since.) If he'd survived, wouldn't you want the information on the black boxes used to try him? "Your honor, the plane was working correctly, the control yokes were pushed into this forward position while the throttle was increased..."
Sorry, but I'm still sold on this being a good thing.
--RJ
Because, if you cause an accident and don't have one, then it's that much harder for me to prove what really happened.
I'm glad they're in there. I can't see that it's a privacy issue; if there's an accident, everyone already knows where I was anyway! I think what people are worried about is that they'll actually be blamed for their irresponsible driving. Well, frankly, airline pilots have had to live with that for years, because they have the responsibility for others' lives. Anyone driving a car is in the same boat--you have a responsibility for your life and the lives of other motorists.
The other side of it is that they can provide useful diagnostic information when your engine is malfunctioning. I've been wanting to buy one of those things that hooks up to the OBD and records the information in my laptop.
--RJ
I want something like this for my car! I see so much aggressive driving. I'd record it and put it on "aggressivedrivers.com" with a searchable database of plate numbers of aggressive drivers I've spotted with a clip of their idiocy. I don't think this should be used for law enforcement (other than finding areas that should be targeted for enforcement), but it could be useful to see what junior has been up to in the car or maybe even yourself. If nothing else, it would let me vent, and that alone would be worth the hassle...
--RJ
Moreover, paper doesn't break, it's batteries don't die, etc., in the middle of a lecture. It's easy to carry a backup pen or two in case you run out of ink, but slightly harder to carry a backup laptop.
Also, in my experience, desks aren't at the right height for typing, which means you're doing bad things to your wrists if you're typing with the computer on the desk.
--RJ
You're correct, but I think most car stereos these days also have a built-in battery back up. I say this because of my cars recently had their batteries disconnected for at least several hours (up to a day or so), and neither one lost any of my presets. One is a factory stereo with a tape deck and CD changer attached, the other is an aftermarket piece of junk in dash CD player.
--RJ
It's better if you notice that the Jive Translator is the woman that played the Beaver's mom, Barbara Billingsly. After all those years of "Ward...", you just don't expect that from her.
--RJ
I wondered if someone would mention the Phoenix! That coaster actually came from somewhere else before Knoebel's had it, so others might be familiar with it even if they've never been to Knoebel's. The Phoenix is the one coaster I have ridden, and it was fun, but I have no urges to ride more coasters. (When I was young, I didn't ride them because I hated being pushed into it by my brothers and dad. Now that I'm older, I think I might like them, but I've had some neck problems over the last few years and I'm afraid being bounced around on coasters might not be good for my neck.) Link to the coasters.
At least it's better than the Mouse (later called the Jet*Star, and since removed). Broken collarbones were common on that thing! The Mouse was an all steel coaster with some very tight turns. They've replaced it with another steel, twisty coaster, but I heard that they had to tone it down for some reason from its design so it's not as good as it should be.
On the other hand...I love a good flume ride. The thrills of a coaster without the jostling.
--RJ
I've installed Linux on two Fujitsu laptops. Other than the winmodem in one, they both work well. My 435Dx laptop, which has a Pentium 133 MMX processor, just won't die. Over the years it has had several Slackware versions on it and one Mandrake version. (Okay, I did have to buy new batteries, a new hard drive, and more memory for it.)
The other Fujitsu laptop I installed Linux on was a C- series, but I don't remember the exact number. It was even easier than the 435Dx.
The next laptop I buy will definitely be a Fujitsu.
--RJ
Best advice I've heard: "Proofread carefully to see if you any words out." ;)
--RJ
Or save money for the coming repair bills, such as broken down dishwashers, furnaces, etc. The joys of ownership. :)
--RJ
Because, even if you win, you have to fund the lawsuit for years until you do.
There was a case years ago where a widow was suing an insurance company for the life insurance payment from the death of her husband. The insurance company dragged their feet for years, clearly in the wrong, but hoped she'd drop it. She didn't. She won punitive damages at the end ("unconscionable" actions by the insurance company) in addition to the amount she was owed to punish the insurance company for doing that, but there wasn't any guarantee of a dime during the years she fought it--and I think that she lost basically everything while paying for the lawsuit. Most people don't want to go through that. (Unfortunately, I'm having trouble finding a link to the case online, and I don't have my textbook to look it up.)
--RJ
Ever go to a hospital? They make you sign something that says you won't sue them if they mess up. So why are there plenty of medical malpractice lawsuits?
Because clauses like that are "exculpatory" (if I remember the term from my "legal environment" class correctly). They have no meaning, other than to scare the uninformed. As our instructor put it (a lawyer, mind you): "If things like that worked, I'd have a big sign on my car that said, 'Not responsible if I hit you.'"
--RJ
I got two from Discover the other day in the space of half an hour. It's pretty bad here in the USA.
--RJ
Actually, you can. Having used a DCC system, you'd be amazed at how quickly and easily things can get out of control, even with only two trains! The good news is that the Digitrax system has a "panic stop" button that stops all the trains. The bad news is that sometimes that's easy to forget when you need it.
Last time I visited my parents, I had to catch one of my dad's engines as it rolled off the platform from just such an incident. (Fortunately, he was controlling them at the time; I just happened to be standing in the right area.)
--RJ
Ever dropped your keys near the gas pump? I bet that's more likely to cause a spark. I've done it once or twice, no explosions so far...
--RJ
We had one of those FM transmitters for my dad's 1983 Lincoln that we used to play CDs. It didn't work that well--it was always dropping out and just generally being annoying. Maybe the one you have is a better brand and works better (I think the one we had was a Radio Shack unit), but I'd rather have something with a wired connection.
--RJ
Diesel doesn't work WHAT way? Diesels don't have spark plugs and cause the explosion on compression and temperature alone, as opposed to gasoline engines. Hence the need for glow plugs in diesel engines--they warm the cylinder enough for the explosion to take place.
However, I've never heard of a cell phone triggering an explosion. They don't have anything to spark in them (except maybe the vibrate-alert), so they're probably safer than using a large motor, such as the one that actually starts a car.
--RJ