1) I never said the European system was better. I don't believe it is. "Glowingly?" I was being pretty dispassionate about the differences in our systems, I thought.
2) I believe everyone has the right to be represented in their government; even (and especially, given their minority status) the fringe lefties and right-wingers. The founding fathers felt the same way.
3) You said:
the strength of democracy is that the fringe does NOT get in power
I disagree. I believe the real strength of our federalist limited-democratic republic is that the whims of the majority do not and can not drown out the voices and rights of the minority, no matter their political persuasion. It's precisely why the founding fathers didn't create a pure democracy (tyranny of the majority).
There's no need to insulting to the GP. It's well known that the political idealogical spectrum in America is far narrower than other countries. Democrats and Republicans are much closer in ideology, for instance, than any two given political parties in Europe. Consider, for instance, that the most conservative Democrat (Lieberman) is far more conservative than the most liberal Republican (Spector). In America, the idealogical Venn diagram has a HUGE middle, with little slivers at the edges for the True Believers.
That's one of the reasons people hate the GPLv3. Any time someone says they don't like it, proponents suggest it's because they haven't read it. It's a mite insulting.
I called Comcast to set up a new cable modem. All I needed was for them to enter my MAC address into their database. I even told them this. No dice, they wanted a tech to come out and set it up for me.
Tech: I need to set up your computer. Me: You won't be able to figure it out. It's not Windows. Tech: I need to set up your computer. Me: Okaaaay... Tech: Where's 'My Computer'? Me: It doesn't have one. Tech:... Me: You need to open a bash console and run ifconfig to see if we're connecting to the gateway. But it'll say we're [i]not[/i], because you haven't called in my MAC address yet. Which is the only thing I need you for. Tech: Uhh... I need to call in your MAC address before we can set you up. Me: Wow... hadn't thought of that. Tech: (calls, hangs up) Okay, let's try it now. Me: Very good! We're connected. Tech: Okay, you'll have a $90 set up fee on your next bill. You have a nice day.
But how much quantity does it take to make it reasonable? I want to know how much of the tool-chain has to be yours (not "you", but "you" for the sake of argument) before you can demand your vendor-name precedes the title? How optional can your tool be? Who's the authority on these things? KDE requires the GNU tool-chain. Do we call it GNU/KDE? Or GNU/Ubuntu or GNU/Gentoo?
I know it's pedantic to argue about semantics on the level I'm suggesting, but note that I'd rather avoid the whole argument altogether and use simple names for everything. But if I have to nitpick with RMS, then let's nitpick for real.
There are third-party products (especially at work) that, if removed, would in fact render my system totally useless. In Linux, the difference between the OS and the tool-chain is grayer than anywhere. Let's say I've got an nVidia card on my system; if I want to use x.org, yet another vendor's tool-chain becomes necessary for me to use the system. Do I now need to call it GNU/nVidia/Linux? Where's the line?
I don't call my laptop OS Microsoft/Adobe/Sun/Macromedia/Mozilla/Blizzard/In tuit/Windows; it's just Windows. I don't call my home system GNU/Linux; it's just Linux.
Try Warmachine. This game kicks Warhammer's ass. Customer support by Privateer Press is TOP NOTCH (I reported a missing piece, they sent me a whole new mini, no questions asked). Also, Warmachine has its own spin-off d20 setting (Iron Kingdoms) that is freakin' awesome (some will argue which came first, WM or IK. Doesn't matter, they're both great).
Who are you to tell me who the scientists are and are not?
Until you supply the appropriate credentials and/or published journal articles proving your authority in the field, I'll take your comments with the same grain of salt.
Great scientists are, of course, always great scientists...
Ugh. Platitudinous drivel. What the heck is a great scientist? Someone who agrees with the scientific establishment on every single issue? So, in your opinion, can we now state that Sir Isaac Newton was not a great scientist because of his prodigious theological publications?
I would submit that, even though he were wrong on the one issue, he's still smarter than you in his chosen field of study. And means you should probably listen.
I'm only a lay-man, and I only know what I read in textbooks. If any of this is wrong, please correct me.
Some problems with this whole scheme.
1) Rich in carbon-dioxide, but only relatively. The atmosphere is so thin that even if the CO2 were converted to a more human-friendly mix, it's still too thin, and too cold. 2) The atmosphere can't be enriched with more material because Mars can't hold it. Too gravity, and not a strong enough magnetosphere (which is how Venus holds it atmosphere). 3) No internal dynamo. Mars has a cold core, leading the aforementioned problems.
Slashdot Mirror
1) I never said the European system was better. I don't believe it is. "Glowingly?" I was being pretty dispassionate about the differences in our systems, I thought.
2) I believe everyone has the right to be represented in their government; even (and especially, given their minority status) the fringe lefties and right-wingers. The founding fathers felt the same way.
3) You said:I disagree. I believe the real strength of our federalist limited-democratic republic is that the whims of the majority do not and can not drown out the voices and rights of the minority, no matter their political persuasion. It's precisely why the founding fathers didn't create a pure democracy (tyranny of the majority).
It doesn't have anything to do with the quote. He's simply poisoning the well.
There's no need to insulting to the GP. It's well known that the political idealogical spectrum in America is far narrower than other countries. Democrats and Republicans are much closer in ideology, for instance, than any two given political parties in Europe. Consider, for instance, that the most conservative Democrat (Lieberman) is far more conservative than the most liberal Republican (Spector). In America, the idealogical Venn diagram has a HUGE middle, with little slivers at the edges for the True Believers.
That only means they were the first to rip-off the One True Multi-colored Team(tm), Voltron, Defender of the Universe (pbuh).
Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.
Legal documents have to be interpreted as they're read. One of the ways we interpret them is by what the designers of those documents say about them.
That's one of the reasons people hate the GPLv3. Any time someone says they don't like it, proponents suggest it's because they haven't read it. It's a mite insulting.
Pedantry is a dangerous weapon; as likely to cut its wielder as it is its intended target.
I'm pretty sick of it. If I want nerd news, I have the read the Register, now. And that's sad.
It's the only way *I* can ever finish a FF game 100%.
I called Comcast to set up a new cable modem. All I needed was for them to enter my MAC address into their database. I even told them this. No dice, they wanted a tech to come out and set it up for me.
...
Tech: I need to set up your computer.
Me: You won't be able to figure it out. It's not Windows.
Tech: I need to set up your computer.
Me: Okaaaay...
Tech: Where's 'My Computer'?
Me: It doesn't have one.
Tech:
Me: You need to open a bash console and run ifconfig to see if we're connecting to the gateway. But it'll say we're [i]not[/i], because you haven't called in my MAC address yet. Which is the only thing I need you for.
Tech: Uhh... I need to call in your MAC address before we can set you up.
Me: Wow... hadn't thought of that.
Tech: (calls, hangs up) Okay, let's try it now.
Me: Very good! We're connected.
Tech: Okay, you'll have a $90 set up fee on your next bill. You have a nice day.
But how much quantity does it take to make it reasonable? I want to know how much of the tool-chain has to be yours (not "you", but "you" for the sake of argument) before you can demand your vendor-name precedes the title? How optional can your tool be? Who's the authority on these things? KDE requires the GNU tool-chain. Do we call it GNU/KDE? Or GNU/Ubuntu or GNU/Gentoo?
I know it's pedantic to argue about semantics on the level I'm suggesting, but note that I'd rather avoid the whole argument altogether and use simple names for everything. But if I have to nitpick with RMS, then let's nitpick for real.
There are third-party products (especially at work) that, if removed, would in fact render my system totally useless. In Linux, the difference between the OS and the tool-chain is grayer than anywhere. Let's say I've got an nVidia card on my system; if I want to use x.org, yet another vendor's tool-chain becomes necessary for me to use the system. Do I now need to call it GNU/nVidia/Linux? Where's the line?
I don't call my laptop OS Microsoft/Adobe/Sun/Macromedia/Mozilla/Blizzard/In tuit/Windows; it's just Windows. I don't call my home system GNU/Linux; it's just Linux.
Try Warmachine. This game kicks Warhammer's ass. Customer support by Privateer Press is TOP NOTCH (I reported a missing piece, they sent me a whole new mini, no questions asked). Also, Warmachine has its own spin-off d20 setting (Iron Kingdoms) that is freakin' awesome (some will argue which came first, WM or IK. Doesn't matter, they're both great).
This story sounds specious. Are you sure it isn't an urban legend?
Parent is correct. The cost of the 9mm round is distributed amongst all the proletariat.
*ducks* *runs*
And, with his last, dying gasp, he falls on Hermoine.
Dammit... I spoiled that one, too. I'm sorry.
I also disagree with Dyson's theories. I just take strong exception to the GP's hand-waving dismissal of them.
Until you supply the appropriate credentials and/or published journal articles proving your authority in the field, I'll take your comments with the same grain of salt.Ugh. Platitudinous drivel. What the heck is a great scientist? Someone who agrees with the scientific establishment on every single issue? So, in your opinion, can we now state that Sir Isaac Newton was not a great scientist because of his prodigious theological publications?
I would submit that, even though he were wrong on the one issue, he's still smarter than you in his chosen field of study. And means you should probably listen.
But... umm... we're like... in a state of war now, and they're still declassifying stuff. Methinks your theory is already disproved.
Thanks for the correction. I thought I had read somewhere that the convection in it's atmosphere (9x that of earth's) generated a magnetosphere.
(n/t)
I'm only a lay-man, and I only know what I read in textbooks. If any of this is wrong, please correct me.
Some problems with this whole scheme.
1) Rich in carbon-dioxide, but only relatively. The atmosphere is so thin that even if the CO2 were converted to a more human-friendly mix, it's still too thin, and too cold.
2) The atmosphere can't be enriched with more material because Mars can't hold it. Too gravity, and not a strong enough magnetosphere (which is how Venus holds it atmosphere).
3) No internal dynamo. Mars has a cold core, leading the aforementioned problems.