I got one of these as a gift for someone. You'll need a tripod, but any standard camera tripod will work. Also, it took about six weeks to deliver, so it may be too late for Christmas. A portion of the proceeds goes to supply identical telescopes to disadvantaged kids.
The quality seems ok for the price. It's a plastic telescope modelled on the one Galileo used, so don't expect high performance. However, it is useful for teaching some history of science and astronomy (and religion) so that's a bonus. There's a great companion site with lots of educational materials available for download along with detailed assembly instructions. (You will need that.The scope is not trivial to assemble.)
It is true that water vapor is the strongest greenhouse gas. However, that's certainly not the entire story. It is also true that it is carbon dioxide that is upsetting the balance in the Earth's ability to regulate itself. As humans pump more and more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere while simultaneously cutting down huge swaths of forest (and thereby harming the Earth's ability to scrub carbon dioxide), the Earth's ability to cool itself is significantly reduced. As this process accelerates, the ice caps melt, releasing more water vapor into the atmosphere via evaporation, further compounding the effect caused by unregulated carbon dioxide emissions.
This all adds up to an accelerating snowball effect that by the end of the century could see average global temperatures increase by six degrees Celsius. That means no more year-round snow and ice on the polar ice caps, sea levels meters above "normal" and a whole host of problems for flora and fauna (us) alike. The science is in, and the denialists are endagering us all.
This is a classic case of Pascal's Wager, except that in this case it is actually a good argument. If we do nothing and anthropogenic global warming (AGW) is real, we risk the end of civilization as we know it. If we take aggressive action and AGW turns out to be hogwash, then we'll have taken long steps toward cleaning up our environment: a net positive for many reasons unrelated to AGW, including reduced loss of habitat, healthier oceans (and fisheries), and fewer pollutants in our food and water. Why some people insist that we should continue to rape our planet as we've always done seems, in this light, grossly irresponsible and short-sighted.
I should add that AGW denialists are in the same camp as creationists because they willfully disbelieve science they do not understand so that they can rationalize closely held, pig-headed beliefs which only serve to preserve the status quo. Change is often hard and uncomfortable; even costly. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't embrace it. Read some ACTUAL science instead of letting people with an agenda spoon-feed you lies.
The ability to make UI tweaks isn't going to do it. Will I be able to code support for open source codecs such as ogg vorbis or will I be restricted to using only WMA and MP3? Can I code up a music library application that works in Linux? That's the kind of thing I want to work on. Screw the interface tweaks.
Hmm... How about setting up virtual machines on the server. That way, each website could have it's own operating system with attendant services, and each could be restarted individually.
Some of us just like to have our own domains. Be a presence on the internet, that sort of thing. It also provides some measure of privacy in that nobody can access your mail system legally without your permission or a court order.
If you are running your own email server, then you'll need a client. TB is a good one.
You are so correct. Our rights have been stolen and there's nothing we can do about it. Therefore, we shouldn't try. From now on, I'm going to huddle in fear every time a policeman walks by, every time some bigot insults me, and every time some faceless corporation steals my money. Standing up to that sort of thing only provides cover the terrorist anyway, so it's all for the best, I suppose....
Wait, you know what? Fuck that. You're an idiot. Freedom must be fought for, and I intend to do just that. Through my words, my fists, and, if need be, through the barrel of a gun. Apologists like you might want to step back. Wouldn't want your precious personal safety to be threatened, now would we?
Now, I'm no MS apologist (look back at my comments) but this is actually good news because Microsoft has decided to release the specs under a Creative Commons "Attribution, Share-Alike" liscense: one of the more generous liscensing plans released by the Creative Commons.
I can't vouch for Microsoft's reasons for doing this, other than speculate that they are trying to respond to the old criticism that "embrace and extend" really means "steal and lock away". If Microsoft really is trying to be more open in it's communiction protocols, I can't help but see that as a good thing. They are free to extend all they want as long as they do not use their dominant market position to force those extensions on their customers to unfairly place burdens on their competitors.
Perhaps they are scared that one day it will no longer be secret. A patent provides some protection; without it, anybody could use Google's algorithms as soon as they discover them. Google also may have been worried that other search engines may develop significantly similar algorithms and thereby pose a competitive threat.
Who cares? Those people do not buy operating systems. They buy computers with operating systems on them. They don't really care what name is on the outside, only whether the computer does what they need with a minimum amount of hassle and a maximum amount of enjoyment.
The minute Apple or anybody else can provide that better than Microsoft and at a cheaper price, Microsoft is toast. Unless, of course, they can figure out a way to stop such a thing. They've done that before.
Looks like you can pull it from anonymous CVS, though the build procedure looks to be quite complex, but I don't see why you can't do it on Gentoo. There may be valid reasons to choose another LDAP implentation, but this one should at least build on any Linux.
There is a slight chance of passively picking up the secret stuff with a so called TEMPEST attack but surely the IT people at these kind of organizations have already taken measures to make such attacks effectively impossible.
When I worked for the Air Force, we had to work in a copper sheilded building; and that was just for 'Sensitive' computing. The folks who work with secret stuff had a fully modern and secure facility located on a remote hill with unobstructed views all round. I haven't seen the computer rooms, but I would not be suprised to see faraday cages and all sorts of electronic counter measures.
This was on an Air Force base, so I can only imagine what the espionage folks have.
For the record, one nautical mile per hour is called a "knot". The term comes from the method ancient ships used to guage their speed. A sailor would have a spool of string with knots tied in it at regular intervals. At the end is a small cup to add drag. The sailor would throw the cup overboard and would count out the knots in the line as they went by. However many knots went by in a specific time period gave you your speed. So, if 6 knots passed overboard, the ship is said to be traveling at 6 knots, or 6 nautical miles per hour. Incidentally, one should never say "knots per hour" as that is just wrong.
Personally, I use the Memorex spill-proof keyboard. I like the action of the keys, which have a good (though slightly weak) spring mechanism. I also like the fact that it is as small a keyboard as you are likely to find in a standard 104 key configuration. Its low cost doesn't hurt either. You can get one at target.com for about 15 bucks.
I've also heard good things about the old IBM keyboards. These have much tougher spring action, are a good bit noisier, and people swear by them. I've never used one. You can buy one at pckeyboard.com. There is an old review at dansdata.com.
As far as split key designs, I'm not aware of any that offer the features you want. There may be some, but I don't use a split keyboard and I haven't seen anybody that is passionate about any particular brand.
One key difference between Communism and Capitalism is the existence of a middle class in Capitalism.
Let's keep it that way. The middle class is currently shrinking in a dramatic way. The upper class is not growing appreciably, but they are making more money. The poor class, on the other hand, is growing. This suggests a shift of power away from the middle class to the upper class. This is not a good thing. As the powerful amass more power, they will abuse it to the detriment of everybody else. That is why power should reside in the largest segment of the population as possible -- to help ensure that as few people as possible face abuse from the rest of society.
Slashdot Mirror
Shorter Microsoft: Waaaahhhh!!!!
I got one of these as a gift for someone. You'll need a tripod, but any standard camera tripod will work. Also, it took about six weeks to deliver, so it may be too late for Christmas. A portion of the proceeds goes to supply identical telescopes to disadvantaged kids.
The quality seems ok for the price. It's a plastic telescope modelled on the one Galileo used, so don't expect high performance. However, it is useful for teaching some history of science and astronomy (and religion) so that's a bonus. There's a great companion site with lots of educational materials available for download along with detailed assembly instructions. (You will need that.The scope is not trivial to assemble.)
It is true that water vapor is the strongest greenhouse gas. However, that's certainly not the entire story. It is also true that it is carbon dioxide that is upsetting the balance in the Earth's ability to regulate itself. As humans pump more and more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere while simultaneously cutting down huge swaths of forest (and thereby harming the Earth's ability to scrub carbon dioxide), the Earth's ability to cool itself is significantly reduced. As this process accelerates, the ice caps melt, releasing more water vapor into the atmosphere via evaporation, further compounding the effect caused by unregulated carbon dioxide emissions.
This all adds up to an accelerating snowball effect that by the end of the century could see average global temperatures increase by six degrees Celsius. That means no more year-round snow and ice on the polar ice caps, sea levels meters above "normal" and a whole host of problems for flora and fauna (us) alike. The science is in, and the denialists are endagering us all.
This is a classic case of Pascal's Wager, except that in this case it is actually a good argument. If we do nothing and anthropogenic global warming (AGW) is real, we risk the end of civilization as we know it. If we take aggressive action and AGW turns out to be hogwash, then we'll have taken long steps toward cleaning up our environment: a net positive for many reasons unrelated to AGW, including reduced loss of habitat, healthier oceans (and fisheries), and fewer pollutants in our food and water. Why some people insist that we should continue to rape our planet as we've always done seems, in this light, grossly irresponsible and short-sighted.
I should add that AGW denialists are in the same camp as creationists because they willfully disbelieve science they do not understand so that they can rationalize closely held, pig-headed beliefs which only serve to preserve the status quo. Change is often hard and uncomfortable; even costly. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't embrace it. Read some ACTUAL science instead of letting people with an agenda spoon-feed you lies.
Your second point could be debated. See The Family.
I don't think blue hair is at all silly.
Oh, wait, what was the question again?
If I'm not doing anything wrong, why should the police department want to spy on me?
The ability to make UI tweaks isn't going to do it. Will I be able to code support for open source codecs such as ogg vorbis or will I be restricted to using only WMA and MP3? Can I code up a music library application that works in Linux? That's the kind of thing I want to work on. Screw the interface tweaks.
Hmm... How about setting up virtual machines on the server. That way, each website could have it's own operating system with attendant services, and each could be restarted individually.
Some of us just like to have our own domains. Be a presence on the internet, that sort of thing. It also provides some measure of privacy in that nobody can access your mail system legally without your permission or a court order.
If you are running your own email server, then you'll need a client. TB is a good one.
You are so correct. Our rights have been stolen and there's nothing we can do about it. Therefore, we shouldn't try. From now on, I'm going to huddle in fear every time a policeman walks by, every time some bigot insults me, and every time some faceless corporation steals my money. Standing up to that sort of thing only provides cover the terrorist anyway, so it's all for the best, I suppose....
Wait, you know what? Fuck that. You're an idiot. Freedom must be fought for, and I intend to do just that. Through my words, my fists, and, if need be, through the barrel of a gun. Apologists like you might want to step back. Wouldn't want your precious personal safety to be threatened, now would we?
hell, you're just lucky she didn't go over and let the magic smoke out of the thing. Making her log in evertime... sheesh, man, she's your wife.
Oh, wait this is slashdot... and you said your wife....
/ **head asploding**
"Why must your PC converge with your TV?"
Umm... why indeed? Have you ever tried to get broken glass out of a carpet? It's a real pain in ass.
Now, I'm no MS apologist (look back at my comments) but this is actually good news because Microsoft has decided to release the specs under a Creative Commons "Attribution, Share-Alike" liscense: one of the more generous liscensing plans released by the Creative Commons.
Larry Lesig has more at his blog.
I can't vouch for Microsoft's reasons for doing this, other than speculate that they are trying to respond to the old criticism that "embrace and extend" really means "steal and lock away". If Microsoft really is trying to be more open in it's communiction protocols, I can't help but see that as a good thing. They are free to extend all they want as long as they do not use their dominant market position to force those extensions on their customers to unfairly place burdens on their competitors.
Perhaps they are scared that one day it will no longer be secret. A patent provides some protection; without it, anybody could use Google's algorithms as soon as they discover them. Google also may have been worried that other search engines may develop significantly similar algorithms and thereby pose a competitive threat.
Who cares? Those people do not buy operating systems. They buy computers with operating systems on them. They don't really care what name is on the outside, only whether the computer does what they need with a minimum amount of hassle and a maximum amount of enjoyment.
The minute Apple or anybody else can provide that better than Microsoft and at a cheaper price, Microsoft is toast. Unless, of course, they can figure out a way to stop such a thing. They've done that before.
Looks like you can pull it from anonymous CVS, though the build procedure looks to be quite complex, but I don't see why you can't do it on Gentoo. There may be valid reasons to choose another LDAP implentation, but this one should at least build on any Linux.
http://directory.fedora.redhat.com/wiki/Building
There is a slight chance of passively picking up the secret stuff with a so called TEMPEST attack but surely the IT people at these kind of organizations have already taken measures to make such attacks effectively impossible.
When I worked for the Air Force, we had to work in a copper sheilded building; and that was just for 'Sensitive' computing. The folks who work with secret stuff had a fully modern and secure facility located on a remote hill with unobstructed views all round. I haven't seen the computer rooms, but I would not be suprised to see faraday cages and all sorts of electronic counter measures.
This was on an Air Force base, so I can only imagine what the espionage folks have.
So is a machete.
Dude. BBQ is important.
That and beer. Why is there no Beer Channel?
Thanks for the correction. It's been many years since I studied maritime history. The details have a way of escaping me over time. ;)
Wow, the art of pedantry has just been taken to new heights. Congratulations. :)
FWIW, yes I was strictly refering to speed, not acceleration, though perhaps I could have been more clear.
For the record, one nautical mile per hour is called a "knot". The term comes from the method ancient ships used to guage their speed. A sailor would have a spool of string with knots tied in it at regular intervals. At the end is a small cup to add drag. The sailor would throw the cup overboard and would count out the knots in the line as they went by. However many knots went by in a specific time period gave you your speed. So, if 6 knots passed overboard, the ship is said to be traveling at 6 knots, or 6 nautical miles per hour. Incidentally, one should never say "knots per hour" as that is just wrong.
Hmm...
Personally, I use the Memorex spill-proof keyboard. I like the action of the keys, which have a good (though slightly weak) spring mechanism. I also like the fact that it is as small a keyboard as you are likely to find in a standard 104 key configuration. Its low cost doesn't hurt either. You can get one at target.com for about 15 bucks.
I've also heard good things about the old IBM keyboards. These have much tougher spring action, are a good bit noisier, and people swear by them. I've never used one. You can buy one at pckeyboard.com. There is an old review at dansdata.com.
As far as split key designs, I'm not aware of any that offer the features you want. There may be some, but I don't use a split keyboard and I haven't seen anybody that is passionate about any particular brand.
One key difference between Communism and Capitalism is the existence of a middle class in Capitalism.
Let's keep it that way. The middle class is currently shrinking in a dramatic way. The upper class is not growing appreciably, but they are making more money. The poor class, on the other hand, is growing. This suggests a shift of power away from the middle class to the upper class. This is not a good thing. As the powerful amass more power, they will abuse it to the detriment of everybody else. That is why power should reside in the largest segment of the population as possible -- to help ensure that as few people as possible face abuse from the rest of society.
You know, there's a reason they call it "My Computer" and it has nothing to do with you.