Writable CONSOLE DVD has probably missed it's window. Though, with the advent of TIVO, the concept of recording primarly to removeable media is basically obsolete.
Recordable DVD using both +R will become standard in a couple years. Pioneer has thrown in the towel and is making combo +-R/W mechanisms now. All the -R stuff is readable on ALL desktop readers and the vast majority of console players.
The Blue-Ray stuff is to DVD as DVD is to CD-RW. The initial market will be graphics professionals and movie buffs. The discs themselves are encased in plastic like a floppy/minidisc/mo/zip, etc... I would expect the tray to accept CD (soon to be obsolete), DVD +- (the new standard) and of course blue-ray.
There is a competing standard whose aim is to use higher compression standards and existing technologies. My take is that consumers really desire a durable format that can be tossed around and rented more then twice before expiring due to scratches. Though, I do expect too see more MPEG-4 consoles (CD and DVD) available soon for TIVO style recording.
DVD-RAM is a far more durable format. It's very popular amongst graphics professionals as an archival and transport format.
The DVD-RAM camcorders were a bit pre-mature. The major downside is they can only record compressed MPEG-2. For higher quality, raw DV is the best bet. The tapes are pretty cheap, though encoding does take heavy CPU horsepower.
I would imagine that DVD-RAM has a nice niche market with people who do quicky, low-quality video productions (adventure videos, perhaps net porn;-) ). I know some people who still use Mavica cameras because it's so trivial to get the pictures from their camera to desktop using standard floppy discs. It's not for vacations, it's a tool.
Off hand, the new Blue-Ray discs (27Gigs) are currently slated to have shells as well. Personally I believe this will be a welcome sight. DVDs are far too scratchable and are prone to damage. Graphics pro's (the folks who really need 27GB removeable storage) are very fond of the durability of Magneto Optical and DVD-RAM media.
I also imagine that the video store industry is also desirous of a more durable format. VHS did degrade over time, however, I've never seen "public" VHS tapes damaged to the degree that rental DVDs are scratched and often unplayable in some sections. A solid case also provides a better format for labeling without the big whole in the center.
Seriously, there's a lot of people out there who really love MiniDisc over CD because they're pocketable, throwable, scratchable, etc... without physically marring the encased media. CDs are becoming like LPs. Keep those safe at home. Take MP3s (on whatever format) on the go.
DVD +R/W is the unofficial winner. Pioneer (-R/W's main proponent) has licensed +R/W technology and it now makes combo drives. This is the "signal" that Pioneer has thrown in the towel.
DVD -R is not obsolete. Nor is it likely to EVER be obsolete, especially as a backup format. ALL desktop drives and MOST console players will read quality -R media.
The differences in the technologies is actually pretty trivial. The compatibility issue was largely solved by DVD manufacturers tuning their products to read +R and -R media. Older players (pre DVD-R) have better compatibility with -R.
The "winning" attribute was +R/W's ability to quickly begin and end sessions. This makes them much more appropriate for console recorders where multiple start/stops are expected. It also helps on the desktop if you are doing multi-session discs for "data caddy" purposes.
My advice, buy a combo recorder. Use the cheaper -R media for doing backups and movies. Use +R for "floppy replacement" tasks.
IP does not deprive them of money they would have made- it sometimes reduces the possibility of making money
You sound a bit like a mafioso lawyer.
-------------- Ye Hana,
Ye See, Der is no gerentee dat de teevees in question woulda acshually sold if dey hed reached der destination. So we cannut be held liable for da retail price of de product, only de acsheeal cust of producin and shippin da teevees in question.
--------
Yeah, likely story. Theft is theft. In cases of CDs, file sharing is more of a Robin Hood type endeavor. Often it is simply copying or getting MP3s of product that you have already bought which is perfectly legal.
However, downloading product that you do not own is definitely theft, and does lead to lost revenue throughout the industry. I do agree that most file sharing represents kids with no money who wouldn't by the product anyway. But there are also plenty of folks out there who could but choose not too.
the entire point of copyright is that IP is considered to belong to society
No, it states quite explicitely that IP is property of the patent/copyright holder. They have the right to say what happens to it throughout lifetime of the patent/copyright. I would agree that our IP laws are now seriously screwed up and out of date. However, that does not nullify them in the realm of legality.
Going after Napster was unqualified BS. Going after individual non-authorized distributors is EXACTLY what IP law is intended for.
Copyright infringement is not stealing by any definition because ideas aren't physical goods.
What, you've never heard of stealing someone else's ideas??? Congress defines unauthorized use of IP as theft. It's not the same variety as shoplifting or robbery, but it is a form of theft nontheless in the eyes of the law.
There are certain "fair use" doctorines for scholary research or journalism. Outside those examples, it is illegal to use or distribute someone else's IP without their consent.
Copyright law is the EXACT same thing that protectws GPL. Without copyright law, anyone could copy GPL code, put it in a commercial product and redistribute it. It works both ways.
Likewise, if you were a "open music" supporter, you could create a "music" version of the GPL to protect the free and open distribution of musical works. The music industry would be dissallowed from copying that music (or sampling) and distributing it for profit.
Irregardless of what she tells you, a woman who enjoys seeing two women together is either lesbian or bisexual.
Likewise, a homosexual should be pretty grossed out by seeing a heter-sexual couple in action. If it's not THIS way, I don't know how you would ever be able to assign the labels: hetero, homo, and bi to sexuality.
I really loved this show, but they were kinda running out of ideas. The whole, "variations on maniac chasing us around" thing was kinda getting a bit redundant.
The laid a very nice ground work for movies which I hope to see soon in theatres. The work of Henson's creature shop was truly outstanding and gives digital characters a run for their money.
right down the street from me. A little wardriving could identify these. A terrorist group could easily pool information from a vast supply of current and future H-1B and LZ-1 Visa holders to locate and track these sights just by driving around.
Earlier, I noted that more redundancy is key as well as higher security (or target hardening) at communication routing facilities. I have one more to add.
3) Post MILLIONS of fake "Buried Fiber Optic communication cable, Call before you dig" signs across the US that have absoluetly NOTHING underneath them. If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit!!!!!
Though, if historical trends hold, the next "Great Depression" may be forthcoming. This administration (like the Republicans of the 1920s) is doing every thing in their power to set it in motion by putting 95% of the wealth in the hands of 10% (or less) of the population.
Both parties are now only shells of respectable pasts. We are becoming a nation goverened by corporate boards via campaign contributions (no longer considered BRIBES). The WTO is the WORST offense as they are trying to give up US sovereignty in terms of trade policy. Americans cannot exercise wage competition against foreign oppressed people who will work for $.10 a day and no bathroom breaks while being supervised by thugs with sub-machine guns.
Yes, America does NEED another party that is RADICALLY different then Republicans and Democrats who are now owned by corporate CEOs. Furthermore our media is becoming ever-more consolidate (just like the Hearst days) into the hands of a very few companies. The recent FCC decision by Powell Jr only worsens the situation.
Perot and Nader may have seemed and appeared as crazy election throwing maniacs at the time. However, in retrospect they were dead right. Both Democrats AND Republicans MUST GO!!!!! They are collectively bankrupting the working classes of this nation through globalization and corporatization. Our government must rested from the hands of CEOs and returned to the hands of the people.
Agreed, Bush is ALL 'Bread & Circuses'. Their entire security policy is just PR. Very little substance.
Attacking a poor Doctorate student for compiling public information is just up Bush's ally. We should be FAR more concerned about the level of military outsourcing that our country is doing. We are putting more and more military operations into the hands of greedy international corporations instead of training poor enlisted kids to do these jobs. By the time their done, the only skill that servicemen will learn in the military is how to take a bullet.
The real reason they want this classified is so they DON'T have to protect it
Agreed. The current administration has little or no real interest in improving our security infrastructure. The "first responders" have never gotten the funds promised by President DUmBAssYEs.
Information breeds accountability. This administration has been the WORST EVER regarding being open with information. They always want the ability to say, we didn't know and couldn't know. I find it hard to believe any administration that dismisses intelligence for internal consumption (9/11 clues) and then fabricates intelligence for public consumption (Iraq).
NO WHERE can one take down the ENTIRE infrastructure.
The system was originally designed to military specifications (DARPA). It is redundant so that no one node going down would disable the ENTIRE network.
No it is true that a point or series of points may MAXIMIZE the amount of disconnect, but that cannot DISABLE the entire system.
Honestly, I think classifying this work is a bunch of BS. The solution is to create more redundancy in the system, not to constrain knowledge. Heck, they could even consider HARDENING some of these targets so they aren't so easily destroyed.
The FBI and NSA spends WAY too much time playing PR/information games. Information is NOT the problem, the problem are infrastructures that are woefully insecure.
Solution: 1) Require more redundancies in the system. 2) Harden critical nodes of attack. 3) Enforce immigration laws. At least make terrorists enter the country illegally instead of on H-1B, L-Z1 and student Visas.
Seriously, if their are serious critical points, those points need to be either gaurded or hardened. Certain power facilities (switching, nuclear) may warrant a 24-hour military gaurd (with LIVE ammo).
Public knowledge of those vulnerabilities is good for democracy. It creates a warning to the public and justification to take the steps required to secure those potential targets.
the 70s, masking tape was everywhere and the duct tape crowd knew masking tape would quickly fail, if it worked at all, for most jobs where duct tape works great- but geek-wannabes and kids used masking tape for every job, and considered themselves clever
You do know that the stuff is for MASKING areas that you don't want to paint. Thats why it's thin and doesn't stick so well, so it doesn't pull the paint of surfaces.
So the application of a non-stick textile is the key that makes this work.
WAX-PAPER!!!!!!!!!
I hate to burst your bubble but ALL KINDS of people use thin, non-stick surfaces (wax-paper, slippery plastic) bonded to an adhesive side. The prior art is limitless. I have no idea as to when this concept originally appeared, but at that time it probably would have been a good patent.
This reminds me of a guy at a previous work place who actually patented the bit. The patent concerned the method of storing records in a database. If a field contained a 0, it was a regular record, if it contained 1, then it was a summary. Wow, way to patent boolean logic. And no, he DIDN'T ever here of the "State" pattern.
However, in general wealth is MOSTLY a zero sum game. At least in our economy it is.
When everybody generates wealth and shares it, yes the wealth level goes up. When a small percentage of people hog the wealth along with the means of producing and moving wealth, the overall wealth level goes down. By hogging capital, you make everybody else less productive.
Those who hold the copiously overwhelming share of wealth use it mostly to get MORE wealth. We call that investment. They are pretty much ALL greedy, only truly greedy people collect that type of wealth in the first place. When prospects for investment returns go bad, the wealthy withdraw their wealth and lock it away along with all the captial resources necessary to produce wealth.
At the end of this vicious cycle you get... a fuedal economy typified by the middle ages and the 1920s. So, no supply side (Voodoo economics according to Dubayas DADDY) economics are empty and ultimately just stupid. Those of you who disagree, try making a supply side business plan to a venture capitalist.
REAGANOMIC SYNCOPHANT: Yes, we are going to bottle hazardous chemicals and sell them as a novelty item.
VENTURE CAPITALIST: But who would by such a woefully dangerous product. Not even our slick pathological liars on Madison Ave. could spin that one.
REAGONOMIC SYNCHOPHANT: It doesn't matter, keynsian economics tells us that supply creates it's own demand.
VENTURE CAPITALIST: Of course, here's $100 million dollars.
REAGONOMIC SYNCHOPHANT: We may need another $50 million in six months.
VC: Why? Isn't $100 million enough?
RS: Research indicates that the market will harbor initial skepticism for accepting supplies of novelty toxic waste.
VC: So, we shouldn't invest then.
RS: No, you see by Keynsian methods, a greater supply will only increase demands. We have to have a great enough supply in order to overcome initial public skepticism.
VC: Won't greater supplies only drive down the prices? Won't that make recovering our investment HARDER???
RS: Naw, they call it Voodoo, but it's really quite sound. Since a greater supply only creates a greater demand, it's actually a self balancing equation. Well, that and we will set up sham organizations to make two-way transactions and set prices artificially high once we overcome consumer skepticism. Heck, look at Enron;-
Investment can accelerate the production of wealth but it not a means to an end. Empowered consumers are 99% of the equation. Greedy SOBs are impedements to the well being of society. Without their work and consumption the whole of US society would fall apart in a matter of hours.
Thats WHY it is CORRECT for the wealthy to pay A LOT MORE. The wealth was borne of the backs of regular people. There hording is a primary indication that they're not treating people right and sharing the spoils of production. Either pay it up front, or the great democratic equalizer will do it for you.
At least in time when our government isn't dominate by elitist corporate Fuedalists. Examples 1916-1930, 1994-present.
The Rumors of Microsofts death is GREATLY exagerrated.
No other company is in better control of it's own potential destiny than Microsoft. The declining stock price is due to the down performance of the market as a whole.
True, Linux is a serious thorn in Microsofts side. It means that they CANNOT charge whatever they like anymore. It means the outrageous price of Microsoft software will stay constant or start to decline. Microsoft's core products are serious cash cows and there are no signs that their core users, business and personal desktops, will be wrenched from their hands anytime soon.
On the applications side, Microsoft still has SERIOUS leads in the scope and usability of their software. In the enterprise area, (documents & email) Microsoft software is a user's dream compared to the nightmarish offerings from IBM. True, Microsoft doesn't scale as well, but they continuously make significant inroads.
Linux & IBM still has a lot of work to make their enterprise applications supplant all the functionalities available from Microsoft.
Even in a commoditized market, don't count Microsoft out. They clawed their way to dominance through cut-throat business practices and frankly CRAPPY software. Their recent work has mostly been excellent. Their developer tools are the Roles-Royce's of the computer world. No other company bends so far backwards to enable their developer community.
As far as Mac is concerned, they hold strong in the niche market of Graphics, Publishing & Film. They hold a 3% market-share of new PCs. There machines are now VERY excellent with a unix-based OS but they are still somewhat pricey. I can see them making significant inroads into scientific computing. However, don't expect the world to beat down Apple's doors because they have a Unix-OS and a VERY pretty user shell. I expect Apple to pick up market share now, but I never expect that they will make a significant dent into either Windows or Linux.
On the off-chance that the OS becomes COMPLETELY commoditized, MS DOES have a plan. It's called.net and it's VERY cool. Generic hardware and a generic OS leads to managed code run-times like.net and Java. The.net effort is really a safety gap in case the world DOES fall in and the Windows hegemony is busted by open source.
I got a fun game for Bill. It's kinda like a new version of the Sims.
How About: "Hire more people, raise wages"
"Build parks and preserve wildlife"
"Build schools and pay good teachers, good wages"
"Invest in after-school programs that enrich childrens lives, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA, etc..."
"Build homeless shelters whose aim is treatment for substance abuse and transition to work"
"Oh, good jobs again, for the homeless and everybody else too, that way we won't have to go homeless ourselves"
"Municipal Beautification"
"Underwrite loans for home ownership, be a little like George Bailey each and every day."
"Invest in the construction of modern mass transit systems"
These are all really fun games that are perfectly suited to a multi-billionaire. We would ALL like to play these games but only a select few get the opportunity. It's a shame that so many billionaires refuse to step up to the responsibilities of collecting the wealth of society (including the spoils of everyone else's WORK).
BTW, we should all thank Bill for the "Bill & Melinda Gates foundation" whose cause is to fight the spread of AIDS. Lets home that Bill gets around to spreading it around before the second coming of Andrew Carnegie.
However, they're not really bottom feeders. They're top-suckers. They suck all the money out of the corporate system and then get a big tax gift on top of everything else.
The economic environment is becoming scaringly similar to those that preceeded the great depression. Too much wealth in the hands of too few people. The classical name for that is fuedalism.
Next time someone challenges you saying "they earned more", tell them it's a "lifestyle tax" not an income tax. Neo-Conservatives don't have to pay a dime more in taxes if they don't want to. All they need do is demonstrate some of that famous "compassionate" conservatism and give all that money away to those "church charities" which they now want public money to fund.
Two problems solved in one fell swoop. Beware that conservatives are the greatest beneficiaries of public welfare at ALL levels of governemnt. It's welfare for the poor that they oppose.
Hehe, since all these rich CEOs talk about how good jobs are so necessary, why don't they stop laying of so many people. Put your money where you mouth is. Better yet, stop hiring H-1Bs for the sake of firing Americans.
One must remember that the Apple compiler still isn't programmed to take full advantage of the PPC970 instruction set, including 64-bit modes.
I really think this article is taken out of context. It's not about NASA pimping Apple hardware. I think they were just looking at the G5 processor itself to see what kind of legs it has for scientific computation.
NASA was doing a raw benchmark on the PPC970 chip itself. The Apple box happens to be the only available computer using this processor at this time.
It is likely that they are doing some tests to determine the viability of a PPC970 based super-computer. They were talking about fluid-dynamic simulation. Anything on a large scale would NOT be done on a desktop system. It would be done in a massively parallell system or a high speed (think firewire over fiber) cluster.
Beyond this, I think Apple may find itself a very nice niche market in the scientific community. Profs have always had a sweet spot for Macs. A Mac running on Unix and a pumped up 64-bit processor is a bit of a dream.
One could write a library that would allow simulations for your super-computer to be tested (on small data sets) on your desktop Mac. The same computer that they can use to run all their Unix programs, MS Office, and their MP3 player.
I'm still rooting for Seinfeld's "Puddy" as Superman. He has the right build for it. Superman really doesn't do a lot of talking anyway.
Beyond that the actor has a very serious "straight man" aura around him that would make him perfect for Superman. This would translate into an excellent Clark Kent since this seriousness is often VERY FUNNY!!!!
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Writable CONSOLE DVD has probably missed it's window. Though, with the advent of TIVO, the concept of recording primarly to removeable media is basically obsolete.
Recordable DVD using both +R will become standard in a couple years. Pioneer has thrown in the towel and is making combo +-R/W mechanisms now. All the -R stuff is readable on ALL desktop readers and the vast majority of console players.
The Blue-Ray stuff is to DVD as DVD is to CD-RW. The initial market will be graphics professionals and movie buffs. The discs themselves are encased in plastic like a floppy/minidisc/mo/zip, etc... I would expect the tray to accept CD (soon to be obsolete), DVD +- (the new standard) and of course blue-ray.
There is a competing standard whose aim is to use higher compression standards and existing technologies. My take is that consumers really desire a durable format that can be tossed around and rented more then twice before expiring due to scratches. Though, I do expect too see more MPEG-4 consoles (CD and DVD) available soon for TIVO style recording.
DVD-RAM is a far more durable format. It's very popular amongst graphics professionals as an archival and transport format.
;-) ). I know some people who still use Mavica cameras because it's so trivial to get the pictures from their camera to desktop using standard floppy discs. It's not for vacations, it's a tool.
The DVD-RAM camcorders were a bit pre-mature. The major downside is they can only record compressed MPEG-2. For higher quality, raw DV is the best bet. The tapes are pretty cheap, though encoding does take heavy CPU horsepower.
I would imagine that DVD-RAM has a nice niche market with people who do quicky, low-quality video productions (adventure videos, perhaps net porn
Off hand, the new Blue-Ray discs (27Gigs) are currently slated to have shells as well. Personally I believe this will be a welcome sight. DVDs are far too scratchable and are prone to damage. Graphics pro's (the folks who really need 27GB removeable storage) are very fond of the durability of Magneto Optical and DVD-RAM media.
I also imagine that the video store industry is also desirous of a more durable format. VHS did degrade over time, however, I've never seen "public" VHS tapes damaged to the degree that rental DVDs are scratched and often unplayable in some sections. A solid case also provides a better format for labeling without the big whole in the center.
Seriously, there's a lot of people out there who really love MiniDisc over CD because they're pocketable, throwable, scratchable, etc... without physically marring the encased media. CDs are becoming like LPs. Keep those safe at home. Take MP3s (on whatever format) on the go.
DVD +R/W is the unofficial winner. Pioneer (-R/W's main proponent) has licensed +R/W technology and it now makes combo drives. This is the "signal" that Pioneer has thrown in the towel.
DVD -R is not obsolete. Nor is it likely to EVER be obsolete, especially as a backup format. ALL desktop drives and MOST console players will read quality -R media.
The differences in the technologies is actually pretty trivial. The compatibility issue was largely solved by DVD manufacturers tuning their products to read +R and -R media. Older players (pre DVD-R) have better compatibility with -R.
The "winning" attribute was +R/W's ability to quickly begin and end sessions. This makes them much more appropriate for console recorders where multiple start/stops are expected. It also helps on the desktop if you are doing multi-session discs for "data caddy" purposes.
My advice, buy a combo recorder. Use the cheaper -R media for doing backups and movies. Use +R for "floppy replacement" tasks.
IP does not deprive them of money they would have made- it sometimes reduces the possibility of making money
You sound a bit like a mafioso lawyer.
--------------
Ye Hana,
Ye See, Der is no gerentee dat de teevees in question woulda acshually sold if dey hed reached der destination. So we cannut be held liable for da retail price of de product, only de acsheeal cust of producin and shippin da teevees in question.
--------
Yeah, likely story. Theft is theft. In cases of CDs, file sharing is more of a Robin Hood type endeavor. Often it is simply copying or getting MP3s of product that you have already bought which is perfectly legal.
However, downloading product that you do not own is definitely theft, and does lead to lost revenue throughout the industry. I do agree that most file sharing represents kids with no money who wouldn't by the product anyway. But there are also plenty of folks out there who could but choose not too.
the entire point of copyright is that IP is considered to belong to society
No, it states quite explicitely that IP is property of the patent/copyright holder. They have the right to say what happens to it throughout lifetime of the patent/copyright. I would agree that our IP laws are now seriously screwed up and out of date. However, that does not nullify them in the realm of legality.
Going after Napster was unqualified BS. Going after individual non-authorized distributors is EXACTLY what IP law is intended for.
Copyright infringement is not stealing by any definition because ideas aren't physical goods.
What, you've never heard of stealing someone else's ideas??? Congress defines unauthorized use of IP as theft. It's not the same variety as shoplifting or robbery, but it is a form of theft nontheless in the eyes of the law.
There are certain "fair use" doctorines for scholary research or journalism. Outside those examples, it is illegal to use or distribute someone else's IP without their consent.
Copyright law is the EXACT same thing that protectws GPL. Without copyright law, anyone could copy GPL code, put it in a commercial product and redistribute it. It works both ways.
Likewise, if you were a "open music" supporter, you could create a "music" version of the GPL to protect the free and open distribution of musical works. The music industry would be dissallowed from copying that music (or sampling) and distributing it for profit.
If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck ... It's a duck!!!!
... It's Unix!!!!!
If it loads like Unix, and run's like Unix, and was derived from BSD Unix
I beg to differ.
Irregardless of what she tells you, a woman who enjoys seeing two women together is either lesbian or bisexual.
Likewise, a homosexual should be pretty grossed out by seeing a heter-sexual couple in action. If it's not THIS way, I don't know how you would ever be able to assign the labels: hetero, homo, and bi to sexuality.
I really loved this show, but they were kinda running out of ideas. The whole, "variations on maniac chasing us around" thing was kinda getting a bit redundant.
The laid a very nice ground work for movies which I hope to see soon in theatres. The work of Henson's creature shop was truly outstanding and gives digital characters a run for their money.
Hehe,
This is a big NO DUH!!!!!
I've got one of those signs saying
"BURIED FIBER OPTIC CABLE"
right down the street from me. A little wardriving could identify these. A terrorist group could easily pool information from a vast supply of current and future H-1B and LZ-1 Visa holders to locate and track these sights just by driving around.
Earlier, I noted that more redundancy is key as well as higher security (or target hardening) at communication routing facilities. I have one more to add.
3) Post MILLIONS of fake "Buried Fiber Optic communication cable, Call before you dig" signs across the US that have absoluetly NOTHING underneath them. If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit!!!!!
Agreed.
Though, if historical trends hold, the next "Great Depression" may be forthcoming. This administration (like the Republicans of the 1920s) is doing every thing in their power to set it in motion by putting 95% of the wealth in the hands of 10% (or less) of the population.
Both parties are now only shells of respectable pasts. We are becoming a nation goverened by corporate boards via campaign contributions (no longer considered BRIBES). The WTO is the WORST offense as they are trying to give up US sovereignty in terms of trade policy. Americans cannot exercise wage competition against foreign oppressed people who will work for $.10 a day and no bathroom breaks while being supervised by thugs with sub-machine guns.
Yes, America does NEED another party that is RADICALLY different then Republicans and Democrats who are now owned by corporate CEOs. Furthermore our media is becoming ever-more consolidate (just like the Hearst days) into the hands of a very few companies. The recent FCC decision by Powell Jr only worsens the situation.
Perot and Nader may have seemed and appeared as crazy election throwing maniacs at the time. However, in retrospect they were dead right. Both Democrats AND Republicans MUST GO!!!!! They are collectively bankrupting the working classes of this nation through globalization and corporatization. Our government must rested from the hands of CEOs and returned to the hands of the people.
Agreed, Bush is ALL 'Bread & Circuses'. Their entire security policy is just PR. Very little substance.
Attacking a poor Doctorate student for compiling public information is just up Bush's ally. We should be FAR more concerned about the level of military outsourcing that our country is doing. We are putting more and more military operations into the hands of greedy international corporations instead of training poor enlisted kids to do these jobs. By the time their done, the only skill that servicemen will learn in the military is how to take a bullet.
The real reason they want this classified is so they DON'T have to protect it
Agreed. The current administration has little or no real interest in improving our security infrastructure. The "first responders" have never gotten the funds promised by President DUmBAssYEs.
Information breeds accountability. This administration has been the WORST EVER regarding being open with information. They always want the ability to say, we didn't know and couldn't know. I find it hard to believe any administration that dismisses intelligence for internal consumption (9/11 clues) and then fabricates intelligence for public consumption (Iraq).
NO WHERE can one take down the ENTIRE infrastructure.
The system was originally designed to military specifications (DARPA). It is redundant so that no one node going down would disable the ENTIRE network.
No it is true that a point or series of points may MAXIMIZE the amount of disconnect, but that cannot DISABLE the entire system.
Honestly, I think classifying this work is a bunch of BS. The solution is to create more redundancy in the system, not to constrain knowledge. Heck, they could even consider HARDENING some of these targets so they aren't so easily destroyed.
The FBI and NSA spends WAY too much time playing PR/information games. Information is NOT the problem, the problem are infrastructures that are woefully insecure.
Solution:
1) Require more redundancies in the system.
2) Harden critical nodes of attack.
3) Enforce immigration laws. At least make terrorists enter the country illegally instead of on H-1B, L-Z1 and student Visas.
Seriously, if their are serious critical points, those points need to be either gaurded or hardened. Certain power facilities (switching, nuclear) may warrant a 24-hour military gaurd (with LIVE ammo).
Public knowledge of those vulnerabilities is good for democracy. It creates a warning to the public and justification to take the steps required to secure those potential targets.
For really deep cuts, clean and then apply super-glue into the cut put it closed. The super-glue bind to flesh on contact.
Serious, emergency rooms use "medical grade" wound adhesive that is basically just super-glue.
The glue should stop the bleeding pretty quickly. A simple bandage will do after that.
the 70s, masking tape was everywhere and the duct tape crowd knew masking tape would quickly fail, if it worked at all, for most jobs where duct tape works great- but geek-wannabes and kids used masking tape for every job, and considered themselves clever
You do know that the stuff is for MASKING areas that you don't want to paint. Thats why it's thin and doesn't stick so well, so it doesn't pull the paint of surfaces.
Ahhh, I see now.
So the application of a non-stick textile is the key that makes this work.
WAX-PAPER!!!!!!!!!
I hate to burst your bubble but ALL KINDS of people use thin, non-stick surfaces (wax-paper, slippery plastic) bonded to an adhesive side. The prior art is limitless. I have no idea as to when this concept originally appeared, but at that time it probably would have been a good patent.
This reminds me of a guy at a previous work place who actually patented the bit. The patent concerned the method of storing records in a database. If a field contained a 0, it was a regular record, if it contained 1, then it was a summary. Wow, way to patent boolean logic. And no, he DIDN'T ever here of the "State" pattern.
My favorite example is the guy who patented wheels on a beer cooler.
It's like DUHHHH!!!!!, it's a hand-cart!!!!!!
I guess the
"Temperature barrier box set upon wheels and including obverse handle for the purpose of transporting beverages, sandwiches and snack-foods."
Is the concrete language that enables such outrageous stupidity. Serious, I'm sure that I could patent the wheel if I wrote it up correctly.
This is like the "nature vs nuture" argument.
... a fuedal economy typified by the middle ages and the 1920s. So, no supply side (Voodoo economics according to Dubayas DADDY) economics are empty and ultimately just stupid. Those of you who disagree, try making a supply side business plan to a venture capitalist.
;-
However, in general wealth is MOSTLY a zero sum game. At least in our economy it is.
When everybody generates wealth and shares it, yes the wealth level goes up. When a small percentage of people hog the wealth along with the means of producing and moving wealth, the overall wealth level goes down. By hogging capital, you make everybody else less productive.
Those who hold the copiously overwhelming share of wealth use it mostly to get MORE wealth. We call that investment. They are pretty much ALL greedy, only truly greedy people collect that type of wealth in the first place. When prospects for investment returns go bad, the wealthy withdraw their wealth and lock it away along with all the captial resources necessary to produce wealth.
At the end of this vicious cycle you get
REAGANOMIC SYNCOPHANT:
Yes, we are going to bottle hazardous chemicals and sell them as a novelty item.
VENTURE CAPITALIST:
But who would by such a woefully dangerous product. Not even our slick pathological liars on Madison Ave. could spin that one.
REAGONOMIC SYNCHOPHANT:
It doesn't matter, keynsian economics tells us that supply creates it's own demand.
VENTURE CAPITALIST:
Of course, here's $100 million dollars.
REAGONOMIC SYNCHOPHANT:
We may need another $50 million in six months.
VC: Why? Isn't $100 million enough?
RS: Research indicates that the market will harbor initial skepticism for accepting supplies of novelty toxic waste.
VC: So, we shouldn't invest then.
RS: No, you see by Keynsian methods, a greater supply will only increase demands. We have to have a great enough supply in order to overcome initial public skepticism.
VC: Won't greater supplies only drive down the prices? Won't that make recovering our investment HARDER???
RS: Naw, they call it Voodoo, but it's really quite sound. Since a greater supply only creates a greater demand, it's actually a self balancing equation. Well, that and we will set up sham organizations to make two-way transactions and set prices artificially high once we overcome consumer skepticism. Heck, look at Enron
Investment can accelerate the production of wealth but it not a means to an end. Empowered consumers are 99% of the equation. Greedy SOBs are impedements to the well being of society. Without their work and consumption the whole of US society would fall apart in a matter of hours.
Thats WHY it is CORRECT for the wealthy to pay A LOT MORE. The wealth was borne of the backs of regular people. There hording is a primary indication that they're not treating people right and sharing the spoils of production. Either pay it up front, or the great democratic equalizer will do it for you.
At least in time when our government isn't dominate by elitist corporate Fuedalists. Examples 1916-1930, 1994-present.
Actually, it's that your not supposed to swim for 30 minutes after eating out a hooker ;-)
The Rumors of Microsofts death is GREATLY exagerrated.
.net and it's VERY cool. Generic hardware and a generic OS leads to managed code run-times like .net and Java. The .net effort is really a safety gap in case the world DOES fall in and the Windows hegemony is busted by open source.
No other company is in better control of it's own potential destiny than Microsoft. The declining stock price is due to the down performance of the market as a whole.
True, Linux is a serious thorn in Microsofts side. It means that they CANNOT charge whatever they like anymore. It means the outrageous price of Microsoft software will stay constant or start to decline. Microsoft's core products are serious cash cows and there are no signs that their core users, business and personal desktops, will be wrenched from their hands anytime soon.
On the applications side, Microsoft still has SERIOUS leads in the scope and usability of their software. In the enterprise area, (documents & email) Microsoft software is a user's dream compared to the nightmarish offerings from IBM. True, Microsoft doesn't scale as well, but they continuously make significant inroads.
Linux & IBM still has a lot of work to make their enterprise applications supplant all the functionalities available from Microsoft.
Even in a commoditized market, don't count Microsoft out. They clawed their way to dominance through cut-throat business practices and frankly CRAPPY software. Their recent work has mostly been excellent. Their developer tools are the Roles-Royce's of the computer world. No other company bends so far backwards to enable their developer community.
As far as Mac is concerned, they hold strong in the niche market of Graphics, Publishing & Film. They hold a 3% market-share of new PCs. There machines are now VERY excellent with a unix-based OS but they are still somewhat pricey. I can see them making significant inroads into scientific computing. However, don't expect the world to beat down Apple's doors because they have a Unix-OS and a VERY pretty user shell. I expect Apple to pick up market share now, but I never expect that they will make a significant dent into either Windows or Linux.
On the off-chance that the OS becomes COMPLETELY commoditized, MS DOES have a plan. It's called
Hey,
I got a fun game for Bill. It's kinda like a new version of the Sims.
How About:
"Hire more people, raise wages"
"Build parks and preserve wildlife"
"Build schools and pay good teachers, good wages"
"Invest in after-school programs that enrich childrens lives, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA, etc..."
"Build homeless shelters whose aim is treatment for substance abuse and transition to work"
"Oh, good jobs again, for the homeless and everybody else too, that way we won't have to go homeless ourselves"
"Municipal Beautification"
"Underwrite loans for home ownership, be a little like George Bailey each and every day."
"Invest in the construction of modern mass transit systems"
These are all really fun games that are perfectly suited to a multi-billionaire. We would ALL like to play these games but only a select few get the opportunity. It's a shame that so many billionaires refuse to step up to the responsibilities of collecting the wealth of society (including the spoils of everyone else's WORK).
BTW, we should all thank Bill for the "Bill & Melinda Gates foundation" whose cause is to fight the spread of AIDS. Lets home that Bill gets around to spreading it around before the second coming of Andrew Carnegie.
Agreed,
However, they're not really bottom feeders. They're top-suckers. They suck all the money out of the corporate system and then get a big tax gift on top of everything else.
The economic environment is becoming scaringly similar to those that preceeded the great depression. Too much wealth in the hands of too few people. The classical name for that is fuedalism.
Next time someone challenges you saying "they earned more", tell them it's a "lifestyle tax" not an income tax. Neo-Conservatives don't have to pay a dime more in taxes if they don't want to. All they need do is demonstrate some of that famous "compassionate" conservatism and give all that money away to those "church charities" which they now want public money to fund.
Two problems solved in one fell swoop. Beware that conservatives are the greatest beneficiaries of public welfare at ALL levels of governemnt. It's welfare for the poor that they oppose.
Hehe, since all these rich CEOs talk about how good jobs are so necessary, why don't they stop laying of so many people. Put your money where you mouth is. Better yet, stop hiring H-1Bs for the sake of firing Americans.
For future reference, the formal names of high-tech psuedo monopolies:
AT&T : Ma Bell
IBM : Mother Blue
Intel : Chipzilla
Microsoft: Evil Empire (abbreviated M$)
Oracle: The Orc Hole
One must remember that the Apple compiler still isn't programmed to take full advantage of the PPC970 instruction set, including 64-bit modes.
I really think this article is taken out of context. It's not about NASA pimping Apple hardware. I think they were just looking at the G5 processor itself to see what kind of legs it has for scientific computation.
NASA was doing a raw benchmark on the PPC970 chip itself. The Apple box happens to be the only available computer using this processor at this time.
It is likely that they are doing some tests to determine the viability of a PPC970 based super-computer. They were talking about fluid-dynamic simulation. Anything on a large scale would NOT be done on a desktop system. It would be done in a massively parallell system or a high speed (think firewire over fiber) cluster.
Beyond this, I think Apple may find itself a very nice niche market in the scientific community. Profs have always had a sweet spot for Macs. A Mac running on Unix and a pumped up 64-bit processor is a bit of a dream.
One could write a library that would allow simulations for your super-computer to be tested (on small data sets) on your desktop Mac. The same computer that they can use to run all their Unix programs, MS Office, and their MP3 player.
I'm still rooting for Seinfeld's "Puddy" as Superman. He has the right build for it. Superman really doesn't do a lot of talking anyway.
Beyond that the actor has a very serious "straight man" aura around him that would make him perfect for Superman. This would translate into an excellent Clark Kent since this seriousness is often VERY FUNNY!!!!