It is good to see that the two parties can agree on at least one thing, maintaining the status quo. The executive and legislative branches have been dedicated for some time to finding ways to bypass the constitution, especially free speech. They have also been dedicated to making the consumer as passive as possible. One way is to have complete control over the distribution of mainstream culture from the source to the consumer. By putting all of the power in grossly overextended copyright periods and restrictions they have found a means to do that. It is always easier to dictate to a handful to large corporations who depend on you for their survival than it is to try to control millions of uncooperative citizens.
Unfortunately by putting all of these locks and barriers on consumer media (DVDs, etc) they are creating museum pieces. Pretty to look at but useless since you can't touch them or do anything with them.
I've always wondered why the exhaust heat was never put to better use. All that heat going out the back is wasted energy. The catalytic converter alone gets very hot. At the very least I figured it could be used for electricity generation so I think this is an idea that couldn't have come soon enough and I hope it gets used industry wide. I wonder why they chose water though. I would have expected them to use something with a lower boiling point and lower specific heat, like alcohol. Granted water is about as safe a substance as you can possibly get.
The article doesn't say anything about the water leaving the system so I assume it is closed so you wouldn't need to refill it. I'm sure you'd have some need to flush it or top it off a few times a year though.
I agree with you in general. I have to point out though that centralizing power generation makes it much easier to control pollution than trying to control millions of individual vehicles. Highly efficient power generation and pollution control technologies can be put in place that would be technically impossible or too expensive to do if spread out.
Not to mention that something as heavy as a rapidly spinning cabin would act as a giant gyroscope and make it even harder (use up precious fuel) to adjust the vehicle against the axis of rotation.
Well, these people believe in "gravity generators" so I doubt they are very observant. Also, the screens would fill the window and show a moving scene that portrayed something so far away that you wouldn't have any apparent parallax in real life either. I'm sure the windows are small portholes anyway.
I read (can't remember exactly where) that they were putting super high definition screens in the windows to play bogus orbital footage. Supposedly the screens are equivalent to what are used for movie effects production.
I've worked in two kinds of places, ones where they set (and stick to) standards and ones that don't. Every place that doesn't use or doesn't stick to standards has always been an experience in wasted time, confusion, and lots of bugs. Those that do can seem like you're always being nagged but in the end you find things work as expected, code is far easier to manage (especially when it is someone else's), and you aren't always having to reinvent the wheel (i.e. figuring out how to fix a subtle bug again because the solution was never written down the first time).
It sounds simple but it takes discipline at all levels. Even something as documenting what you did afterwards and putting it in an orderly file system can make a huge difference but how many people bother to do it? Managers and fellow developers have to crack the whip and keep people from trying to cut corners.
Standards should be open to some change and can be bent but there has to be a very good defendable reason for it.
I'll add my $0.02 based on my personal shopping experiences. I've had good results with:
Newegg (low prices, responsive customer service, prompt, very wide selection) ZipZoomFly (lots of free 2nd day shipping, low prices, responsive customer service) TechForLess (Bought an open-box UPS from them. Prompt, good prices) AtomicPark (Software mainly but good prices and free shipping for holidays) Amazon (books, cds, dvds)
Regardless of the numbers I'm sure someone, somewhere, is going to get their head handed to them on a platter. A bank's reputation alone is priceless. I suddenly don't feel so bad about the times I've overpaid $50 or so for things in the past.
This finally answers the question, how far will modders go in their hardware and lighting fetishes? I'm waiting for people to start chroming and putting windows into the chips in their systems.
I've decided to go the anti-modder route, an all black case with NO windows or lights (except for indicator lights). I just use it for, *gasp*, computing.
I agree, they should rename it NI(raq)PR. I have found though that if you skip the first half hour of the NPR news and let them get their mandatory Middle East news/stories out of the way then you get to the more diverse stories. I've also found that the BBC World Service newscasts don't obsess over the Middle East as much as NPR's news.
I've always told networking folks that I sympathized with them. If they do their job well no one notices but if they have a problem it is obvious and everything grinds to a halt. I very thankless job if you ask me.
That isn't a very good analogy because car companies do have to test before releasing a car. Car companies have to do crash tests, etc. It wouldn't do me much good to get killed in a car accident due to a manufacturing flaw and have the car company say "Well, we'll fix that flaw immediately!" I'd rather have them catch a problem before I bought it.
I think a better comparison would be with a product who's failure is an inconvience and is recoverable, not catastrophic, such as an Xbox that freezes.
Looking at how much Diet Coke and coffee I've had today I could've had an extra pint of Harpoon IPA last night. I just don't think my bladder could handle it though.
Slashdot Mirror
The day they break out the flash ads or the javascript overlays is the day I get the shark tank ready for their jump.
That statement reminds me of the famous Groucho Marx quote:
"I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member."
It is good to see that the two parties can agree on at least one thing, maintaining the status quo. The executive and legislative branches have been dedicated for some time to finding ways to bypass the constitution, especially free speech. They have also been dedicated to making the consumer as passive as possible. One way is to have complete control over the distribution of mainstream culture from the source to the consumer. By putting all of the power in grossly overextended copyright periods and restrictions they have found a means to do that. It is always easier to dictate to a handful to large corporations who depend on you for their survival than it is to try to control millions of uncooperative citizens.
Unfortunately by putting all of these locks and barriers on consumer media (DVDs, etc) they are creating museum pieces. Pretty to look at but useless since you can't touch them or do anything with them.
I've always wondered why the exhaust heat was never put to better use. All that heat going out the back is wasted energy. The catalytic converter alone gets very hot. At the very least I figured it could be used for electricity generation so I think this is an idea that couldn't have come soon enough and I hope it gets used industry wide. I wonder why they chose water though. I would have expected them to use something with a lower boiling point and lower specific heat, like alcohol. Granted water is about as safe a substance as you can possibly get.
The article doesn't say anything about the water leaving the system so I assume it is closed so you wouldn't need to refill it. I'm sure you'd have some need to flush it or top it off a few times a year though.
I agree with you in general. I have to point out though that centralizing power generation makes it much easier to control pollution than trying to control millions of individual vehicles. Highly efficient power generation and pollution control technologies can be put in place that would be technically impossible or too expensive to do if spread out.
Plus EVERYTHING has to be decoded or transmitted at some point. Once that ID leaves the network port it is up for grabs (or even before that).
Sort of like digital TV. They want to control it all the way to your screen but it has to be decoded for display at some point.
Digital rights, Patriot act, loss of privacy...screw it, I'm moving to Alaska and building a cabin.
Not to mention that something as heavy as a rapidly spinning cabin would act as a giant gyroscope and make it even harder (use up precious fuel) to adjust the vehicle against the axis of rotation.
Well, these people believe in "gravity generators" so I doubt they are very observant. Also, the screens would fill the window and show a moving scene that portrayed something so far away that you wouldn't have any apparent parallax in real life either. I'm sure the windows are small portholes anyway.
I read (can't remember exactly where) that they were putting super high definition screens in the windows to play bogus orbital footage. Supposedly the screens are equivalent to what are used for movie effects production.
One of my big truths, set standards!
I've worked in two kinds of places, ones where they set (and stick to) standards and ones that don't. Every place that doesn't use or doesn't stick to standards has always been an experience in wasted time, confusion, and lots of bugs. Those that do can seem like you're always being nagged but in the end you find things work as expected, code is far easier to manage (especially when it is someone else's), and you aren't always having to reinvent the wheel (i.e. figuring out how to fix a subtle bug again because the solution was never written down the first time).
It sounds simple but it takes discipline at all levels. Even something as documenting what you did afterwards and putting it in an orderly file system can make a huge difference but how many people bother to do it? Managers and fellow developers have to crack the whip and keep people from trying to cut corners.
Standards should be open to some change and can be bent but there has to be a very good defendable reason for it.
In the case of thousands of drinkers I don't think the first thing they'd do would be to sober up. *Uuuurp*
I'll add my $0.02 based on my personal shopping experiences. I've had good results with:
Newegg (low prices, responsive customer service, prompt, very wide selection)
ZipZoomFly (lots of free 2nd day shipping, low prices, responsive customer service)
TechForLess (Bought an open-box UPS from them. Prompt, good prices)
AtomicPark (Software mainly but good prices and free shipping for holidays)
Amazon (books, cds, dvds)
That explains why my pod grew hair.
Regardless of the numbers I'm sure someone, somewhere, is going to get their head handed to them on a platter. A bank's reputation alone is priceless. I suddenly don't feel so bad about the times I've overpaid $50 or so for things in the past.
This finally answers the question, how far will modders go in their hardware and lighting fetishes? I'm waiting for people to start chroming and putting windows into the chips in their systems.
I've decided to go the anti-modder route, an all black case with NO windows or lights (except for indicator lights). I just use it for, *gasp*, computing.
Ok, I admit Lian-Li's case aquarium is pretty cute.
So Microsoft will just have to buy it on layaway.
The first thing it does is that it tries to take over a beer hall in Munich.
I agree, they should rename it NI(raq)PR. I have found though that if you skip the first half hour of the NPR news and let them get their mandatory Middle East news/stories out of the way then you get to the more diverse stories. I've also found that the BBC World Service newscasts don't obsess over the Middle East as much as NPR's news.
"just slip one in your pocket."
I could've been hiding it in my POCKET? Oh shit...
They left out what I feel are a few glaring deficiencies in the IT world, a lack of catering and free back rubs.
I've always told networking folks that I sympathized with them. If they do their job well no one notices but if they have a problem it is obvious and everything grinds to a halt. I very thankless job if you ask me.
That isn't a very good analogy because car companies do have to test before releasing a car. Car companies have to do crash tests, etc. It wouldn't do me much good to get killed in a car accident due to a manufacturing flaw and have the car company say "Well, we'll fix that flaw immediately!" I'd rather have them catch a problem before I bought it.
I think a better comparison would be with a product who's failure is an inconvience and is recoverable, not catastrophic, such as an Xbox that freezes.
Looking at how much Diet Coke and coffee I've had today I could've had an extra pint of Harpoon IPA last night. I just don't think my bladder could handle it though.