1: It's "empirical". (bonus karma if you can catch the grammatical mistakes I'm bound to be making here--and no, that period-outside-of-a-quote is kosher.)
2: Atheists are no more able to not take things on faith than the rest of us; were that true, they wouldn't believe in some major historical figures.
Well, it isn't grammatical really, but I think your second point would be much more easily read as: "Atheists are no less able to take things on faith..."
While I don't think it is quite the definition of a double-negative, it certainly hurts the eyes.:)
There was the pile of missing warheads that Iraq claimed to have destroyed, but refused to present documentation on.
There was the pile of missing material that could be used in the construction of chemical weapons.
Suppose the IRS came to you and audited you for the past ten years. They then charge you with obstructing justice for failing to provide all of your receipts for the past ten years. Your reponse of "I threw them away, even shredded some of them!" is laughed out of court because you failed to document your destruction of the receipts.
I'm not saying that receipts = WMD, or that Iraq is or isn't telling the truth. But, I do think that anyone who believes Iraq, in its dictator-controlled chaos over the past 10 years, kept "good records" of anything, much less of what they were destroying, has far too high an impression of the functionality of their society.
The question is always whether the government you are selling to today will be the government you wish you hadn't sold to tommorrow... We are still selling TONS of arms around the world. Look at Taiwan, for instance... Today they look pretty nice, but who knows what may happen there in the next 50 years?
Actually, if you want to get into linguistic roots, wouldn't Adeism refer to the absence or denial of god while Atheism would refer to the absence or denial of religious belief? As religious belief can exist without belief in "a god" (think Star Wars and that hokey jedi religion), atheism is more than the rejection of the concept of "god", but rather the rejection of any religion. I take that to mean that an atheist takes nothing simply on "faith", but instead requires imperical evidence.
What's important is not whether or not Saddam was controlling the cells from his spider hole... What is important is whether the cells thought he was controlling them.
A recent news story heard on NPR (I believe it was a Times reporter that had gotten in with a cell attacking US forces?) had Saddam loyalists flatly stating that, although the cells operated independently and did not know of other cells actions, they got their orders from a military structure that they believe was controlled by SH.
The hope would be, that with SH exposed and captured (and clearly not in command) that these cells will see they are being controlled by a military structure NOT under SH. In a perfect world, they would thus turn against that leadership...
Isn't this basically what the "philotic" connections in Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game series were accomplishing? Instant communication regardless of distance. His example didn't have all of the science behind it precisely, but SciFi often "speculates" what isn't yet known/proven.
I believe in his example "philotes" were "connected" (read: atoms entangled). The threat to interstellar communications was that if one end was ever destroyed or otherwise "disconnected" (unentangled) you were basically SOL until a real ship with a new philotic computer could arrive.
Imagine if you are the first colony in Vega and you lose your connection... unfortunately it will take at least 25 years (at the speed of light) for tech support to fix your problem.:)
TSA = Transportation Security Administration... Remember when they killed off all of the private security companies at airports and then re-hired everyone as gov't employees?:)
As part of an international student exchange organization, we put out an annual report that had a sentence stating that we were "a discriminating organization" and went on to say that we discriminated based on national origin...
The uproar was enormous, and I admit that I also said this was a poor choice of wording. The assertion was that we could help companies find high-quality student interns from specific countries they requested -- but the choice of words was terrible!
Looking at the math... $2500 at $28 / month means roughly 7.5 years before a subscriber even pays off the CAPEX much lest the cost of service. This would be a huge investment for the government. I don't see why they are only charging $28? Is that the going price for bandwidth on fiber up to 100 Mbps???
Consider that some ISP's are standing up to protect the privacy of their subscribers. What is the impact of a gov't entity stepping in? Espescially in Utah, which we must note, has a bit of a religious tendency...
Will the people of Utah be more or less comfortable knowing that their Government is handling all of their data traffic?
If he is filing a claim in US Federal Court then he is asserting that the US has jurisdiction over the asteroid. If the US has jurisdiction over the asteroid then it must be part of the US. If it is part of the US then I believe the governement would have MANY means of claiming eminent domain, defined at that link:
Main Entry: eminent domain
Pronunciation: 'e-m&-n&nt-
Function: noun
: the right of the government to take property from a private owner for public use by virtue of the superior dominion of its sovereignty over all lands within its jurisdiction
if everyone were to live a-la Amish peasant style......
I concede very quickly that it's a eutopic view of the world... but hey...
Ummm... forgive ME, but the world without movies, computer/video games, electronic music, space exploration, yada yada is NOT eutopic to me...
I would also argue with your artisan talent supposition... Without the influence that you get from being exposed to thousands of ideas, attitudes, visions, etc. daily I believe artistic progress would be hampered.
Well, it's more like a big store than a house; And the hackers are effectively (and deliberately) blocking the entrance to the store for paying customers. It doesn't matter what means they use to achieve this effect.
So if blocking a big store is like hacking.. and hackers are terrorists... All those grocery store employees striking here in California are terrorists!?
Ummm... You seem to forget that striking workers do not BLOCK the entrance to a store, they merely pickett in front of the store and encourage people not to enter. The hacker analogy would be more akin to anti-abortion protestors violently blocking/preventing entrance to a clinic, which is, BTW, illegal.
Wasn't there a scene in Total Recall where they could simply hit a button and switch the "windows" between various scenery and info-displays? To me this is incredibly useful as we start packing more and more people into high-rises around the world and eliminating our access to nature.
Not that I like eliminating access to nature, just saying that would probably sell... Replace your window that looks at the neighboring building and alley with a nano-wire device that can display mountains, skyline, sunset, desert, or just the latest news.
On another note, I stressed that the solution be compatible with linux, or at least that the file format be an open standard. Doesn't look like they listened to me.
I'm sure there must be a few technically savvy folks there who could figure out how to set up a server to forward the Napster stream out from a Windows box in some common readable format that Linux users could pick up?
I wonder, if the FCC provided the option to put yourself on the DNC for only "commerical" calls but also provided the option to add yourself for the rest of the calls:
1. Would that still be discriminating as the option is provided to block all?
2. Would anyone block commercial and not charity/political calls?
I have a right to use my telephone service with being harassed by advertisers.
Now if I watch television, I'm asking for advertising. "Please give me advertising!" I say. Of course, small guys can't afford TV ads. It's an unfortunate situation, certainly.
Which brings up an interesting question... Would you accept a "free" phone service that could not be added to the DNC? I'm sure this is a market just waiting to happen.
Umm, that is in the FIRST month of the DNC being enforced. I'm sure if AT&T wants to continue to pay $780,000 PER MONTH that they will continue their behavior. At nearly $10 Million / year, I do believe that's a deterrent. The LD market isn't that great anymore.
I question the 10-100 year estimate... I'd almost lean toward the lower end. According to this source (which seems consistent with others I have seen) Quantum Computing was first conceived in 1982, published in 1985, and research didn't really get underway commercially until the early to mid 1990's. That means that we have come this far (early stage working components) in about 10 years. And pace on this type of thing typically gets faster.
I think it would be reasonable to say we could have a working prototype in less than 10 years or maybe in the low teens.
I think this Broadband Reports article also brings up a good point: among the groups attacking the Act, why do so few of them bring up Echelon? It already gives the government much of the surveillance ability they claim they're lacking, and without congressional oversight.
Ahhhh, but Echelon is supposed to be for spying on non-US citizens and if it truly exists it is almost certainly illegal. Any evidence Echelon uncovers of a danger to national security is useful as it can be kept secret even from the defense due to national security concerns. But any evidence Echelon uncovers about domestic terrorism, financial or political crimes, etc. cannot be introduced in court lest Echelon be unmasked!
The government needs a 'legal' tool that allows them to spy on the people which is admissable in a domestic court of law.
I find the whole patching debate interesting... As someone who just bought a G5 with 10.2, I am paying for the $19.95 upgrade to 10.3 anyway but I would also prefer that if I chose not to that they would patch the bug/security hole.
What I find interesting though is expectations... For example, if you buy a PC game and find a bug, you expect to be able to go to their web site and download a patch. OTOH, if you buy the SAME game for PS2, you certainly don't expect patches -- you expect it to work.
"The engineered virus is not contagious and does not affect humans"
Having a spouse working in a microbiology lab with anti-biotic resistance, etc. I would like to point out that VIRUSES MUTATE.
While I agree that this research has value, lets not underestimate the danger involved. This is why we have containment procedures, etc. What would make me more comfortable with the international treaties on defensive research would be:
Requirement of open communication on research being conducted (not to disclose HOW to do anything, but for awareness of WHAT is being done)
Int'l standards for containment, etc. which could be verified by an int'l body.
These points allow you to prevent terror-supporting nations from abusing the loophole. If they don't tell us what they are doing and demonstrate observable precautions its illegal.
Isn't that essentially how the IAEA Additional Protocol treaty works? The IAEA gets to monitor and you fully disclose what you are doing? Iran is signing on to that I believe.
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Well, it isn't grammatical really, but I think your second point would be much more easily read as: "Atheists are no less able to take things on faith..."
While I don't think it is quite the definition of a double-negative, it certainly hurts the eyes.
Suppose the IRS came to you and audited you for the past ten years. They then charge you with obstructing justice for failing to provide all of your receipts for the past ten years. Your reponse of "I threw them away, even shredded some of them!" is laughed out of court because you failed to document your destruction of the receipts.
I'm not saying that receipts = WMD, or that Iraq is or isn't telling the truth. But, I do think that anyone who believes Iraq, in its dictator-controlled chaos over the past 10 years, kept "good records" of anything, much less of what they were destroying, has far too high an impression of the functionality of their society.
The question is always whether the government you are selling to today will be the government you wish you hadn't sold to tommorrow... We are still selling TONS of arms around the world. Look at Taiwan, for instance... Today they look pretty nice, but who knows what may happen there in the next 50 years?
Actually, if you want to get into linguistic roots, wouldn't Adeism refer to the absence or denial of god while Atheism would refer to the absence or denial of religious belief? As religious belief can exist without belief in "a god" (think Star Wars and that hokey jedi religion), atheism is more than the rejection of the concept of "god", but rather the rejection of any religion. I take that to mean that an atheist takes nothing simply on "faith", but instead requires imperical evidence.
What's important is not whether or not Saddam was controlling the cells from his spider hole... What is important is whether the cells thought he was controlling them.
A recent news story heard on NPR (I believe it was a Times reporter that had gotten in with a cell attacking US forces?) had Saddam loyalists flatly stating that, although the cells operated independently and did not know of other cells actions, they got their orders from a military structure that they believe was controlled by SH.
The hope would be, that with SH exposed and captured (and clearly not in command) that these cells will see they are being controlled by a military structure NOT under SH. In a perfect world, they would thus turn against that leadership...
Isn't this basically what the "philotic" connections in Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game series were accomplishing? Instant communication regardless of distance. His example didn't have all of the science behind it precisely, but SciFi often "speculates" what isn't yet known/proven.
:)
I believe in his example "philotes" were "connected" (read: atoms entangled). The threat to interstellar communications was that if one end was ever destroyed or otherwise "disconnected" (unentangled) you were basically SOL until a real ship with a new philotic computer could arrive.
Imagine if you are the first colony in Vega and you lose your connection... unfortunately it will take at least 25 years (at the speed of light) for tech support to fix your problem.
Interesting demo... Although the status bar did display "Opening page vun2.html at zapthedingbat.com" VERY briefly...
Ok, so if the NSF received an "A", why doesn't DHS or DOE hire the NSF to audit their systems?
TSA = Transportation Security Administration... Remember when they killed off all of the private security companies at airports and then re-hired everyone as gov't employees? :)
As part of an international student exchange organization, we put out an annual report that had a sentence stating that we were "a discriminating organization" and went on to say that we discriminated based on national origin...
The uproar was enormous, and I admit that I also said this was a poor choice of wording. The assertion was that we could help companies find high-quality student interns from specific countries they requested -- but the choice of words was terrible!
Looking at the math... $2500 at $28 / month means roughly 7.5 years before a subscriber even pays off the CAPEX much lest the cost of service. This would be a huge investment for the government. I don't see why they are only charging $28? Is that the going price for bandwidth on fiber up to 100 Mbps???
Consider that some ISP's are standing up to protect the privacy of their subscribers. What is the impact of a gov't entity stepping in? Espescially in Utah, which we must note, has a bit of a religious tendency...
Will the people of Utah be more or less comfortable knowing that their Government is handling all of their data traffic?
If he is filing a claim in US Federal Court then he is asserting that the US has jurisdiction over the asteroid. If the US has jurisdiction over the asteroid then it must be part of the US. If it is part of the US then I believe the governement would have MANY means of claiming eminent domain, defined at that link:
Main Entry: eminent domain
Pronunciation: 'e-m&-n&nt- Function: noun
: the right of the government to take property from a private owner for public use by virtue of the superior dominion of its sovereignty over all lands within its jurisdiction
I would also argue with your artisan talent supposition... Without the influence that you get from being exposed to thousands of ideas, attitudes, visions, etc. daily I believe artistic progress would be hampered.
Wasn't there a scene in Total Recall where they could simply hit a button and switch the "windows" between various scenery and info-displays? To me this is incredibly useful as we start packing more and more people into high-rises around the world and eliminating our access to nature.
Not that I like eliminating access to nature, just saying that would probably sell... Replace your window that looks at the neighboring building and alley with a nano-wire device that can display mountains, skyline, sunset, desert, or just the latest news.
I'm sure there must be a few technically savvy folks there who could figure out how to set up a server to forward the Napster stream out from a Windows box in some common readable format that Linux users could pick up?
I wonder, if the FCC provided the option to put yourself on the DNC for only "commerical" calls but also provided the option to add yourself for the rest of the calls:
Which brings up an interesting question... Would you accept a "free" phone service that could not be added to the DNC? I'm sure this is a market just waiting to happen.
Umm, that is in the FIRST month of the DNC being enforced. I'm sure if AT&T wants to continue to pay $780,000 PER MONTH that they will continue their behavior. At nearly $10 Million / year, I do believe that's a deterrent. The LD market isn't that great anymore.
I question the 10-100 year estimate... I'd almost lean toward the lower end. According to this source (which seems consistent with others I have seen) Quantum Computing was first conceived in 1982, published in 1985, and research didn't really get underway commercially until the early to mid 1990's. That means that we have come this far (early stage working components) in about 10 years. And pace on this type of thing typically gets faster.
I think it would be reasonable to say we could have a working prototype in less than 10 years or maybe in the low teens.
Ahhhh, but Echelon is supposed to be for spying on non-US citizens and if it truly exists it is almost certainly illegal. Any evidence Echelon uncovers of a danger to national security is useful as it can be kept secret even from the defense due to national security concerns. But any evidence Echelon uncovers about domestic terrorism, financial or political crimes, etc. cannot be introduced in court lest Echelon be unmasked!
The government needs a 'legal' tool that allows them to spy on the people which is admissable in a domestic court of law.
I find the whole patching debate interesting... As someone who just bought a G5 with 10.2, I am paying for the $19.95 upgrade to 10.3 anyway but I would also prefer that if I chose not to that they would patch the bug/security hole.
What I find interesting though is expectations... For example, if you buy a PC game and find a bug, you expect to be able to go to their web site and download a patch. OTOH, if you buy the SAME game for PS2, you certainly don't expect patches -- you expect it to work.
While I agree that this research has value, lets not underestimate the danger involved. This is why we have containment procedures, etc. What would make me more comfortable with the international treaties on defensive research would be:
- Requirement of open communication on research being conducted (not to disclose HOW to do anything, but for awareness of WHAT is being done)
- Int'l standards for containment, etc. which could be verified by an int'l body.
These points allow you to prevent terror-supporting nations from abusing the loophole. If they don't tell us what they are doing and demonstrate observable precautions its illegal.Isn't that essentially how the IAEA Additional Protocol treaty works? The IAEA gets to monitor and you fully disclose what you are doing? Iran is signing on to that I believe.
Well if this did cause such problems it could be fairly serious... Consider the following:
:)
2-3 day power outage in CA: During the current wildfires this could cause problems with coordination of fire-fighting efforts.
2-3 day power outage in Iraq: As if we didn't have enough problems there... But then again, they are more or less used to power outages by now.
2-3 day power outage in GA: This would be bad for me and therefore bad for the rest of the world.