A few years back I actually fell for one of these email-viruses. I'm a Linux user, but I temporarily used Windows back then because I couldn't get ISDN to work under Linux.
I sent a request for information to some agency, and promptly received a return email with the words "please see the attachment...". The attachment had some extension I've never heard of (remember, I'm a Linux user. In retrospect, I'm pretty sure it must have been a VB script or something of that sort).
Thinking "must be some Office application..." I clicked the link and was infected. The only thing that saved me (or rather my friends and colleagues) was that my email client was not configured correctly, so the virus failed at propagating. I promptly erased my harddrive and reinstalled everything.
Of course I was careless at that time, and I certainly know better today. But my point is that there are many ways to trick an unsuspecting user into activating an exploit, even if the user's IQ is above 60.
I'd really like to see a meteor defense started. That is the single most likely thing that could wipe out the whole planet. And lately, we've had a lot of close calls......
Get your priorities straight. Catastrophic asteroid impacts happen only every few tens of millions of years. Smaller asteroids seem to impact earth all the time, but they mostly explode at high altitude, where they don't cause any damage. This is just another case of the media pandering to fear of the unknown. Yes, the probability of an asteroid wiping out civilization as we know it is there, but it is extremely small, judging from earth's history. There are many more likely ways to wipe out civilization, among them:
nuclear holocaust
a new plaque (what if AIDS was as contagious as the common cold?)
a genetically engineered virus
deliberate misuse of nanotechnology
destruction of our planetary biosphere beyond its capability to sustain life
An asteroid impact seems to be way down the list in terms of probability. So while we should certainly think about ways to safeguard our planet from such an impact, it is absolutely nonsensical to spend more money and effort on this highly unlikely threat than on any of the potential threats I listed above (and there are probably more that I couldn't think of). So let's get our priorities straight: the biggest threat deserves the biggest attention.
I don't know the context of the quote, but to me it reads more like this: "Python benefited greatly from adopting Perl technology in the past. I hope the Perl guys will be as open-minded as we are."
Not much hypercompetition there, if you ask me. But then, it might as well be me who misunderstood the quote.
Would you prefer them to give you a simple, one-size-fits-all answer to a complicated problem when there is none? Of course, the cited statement is not very valuable by itself, but if they also tell me just what these "individual corporate deployment circumstances" are, I'd be happy with an answer such as this.
Or in H.L. Mencken's words: "To every complicated problem there is an answer that's simple, intuitive, and wrong."
Nonetheless, the hardware support of even the latest Linux distributions is inferior to that of Windows or even Mac OS X, and it's difficult to see how this is going to change when manufacturers continue to make their drivers closed-source and binary so that they only work with one kernel version, one distro, one libc.
Hardware support for Linux is simply a problem of critical mass. Once Linux gains sufficient acceptance to make a significant dent into the bottom line of hardware manufacturers, the companies that only provide closed-source drivers for a limited number of distributions/versions will face a competitive disadvantage. If product A can be used with only selected operating systems, while product B supports all operating systems on the shelf, most consumers would probably choose product B (all other things being equal). Since supporting every version of every Linux distro out there takes a lot of manpower, most companies will probably feel pressured to release open-source drivers.
If or when Linux will reach this critical mass is a different story, of course. Nobody knows the answer, but the recent signs from IBM, Novell, and others make me feel optimistic.
Unfortunately many people living in the USA have never seen an efficient, fast, and convenient train system, and therefore take for granted that such a system cannot exist.
Travelling by train (both local and long-distance) is generally much more convenient than going by car. It generally does not take more time, and sometimes is significantly faster (especially if the roads are jammed).
Granted, trains are not as flexible as cars. But a good public bus infrastructure can compensate for that. Plus, you don't have the hassle of finding a parking spot (and getting parking tickets for staying 5 minutes over time), and you can drink a few beers if you feel like it, without worrying about having to drive home.
When I lived in Zurich and Toronto, I did not own a car because I felt it would be more of a liability than a convenience. I was able to get anywhere hassle-free by public transport. Now I've moved to Los Angeles and will probably get a car soon, because unfortunately the LA public transportation system is as efficient as using chopsticks to mow your lawn.
Public transportation can be a blessing, if it's implemented in the right way.
2. Unfortunately, if you're too warm and start stripping down, you're likely to get fired.
Personally, I think that the indoor temperatures should be adjusted according to the outdoor temperatures. People dress differently according to the season. 78 degrees might be adequate for Southern California summers, but it is definitely way too hot for a New York winter. By the same token, going from 90 degrees outside to 68 degrees inside (as in many LA movie theaters) is probably not very healthy as well.
There are only three kinds of energy available to us: solar, nuclear, and kinetic. The kinetic energy is that of the planet's motion through space; it includes a rotational component, its motion around the sun, the sun's motion around the galaxy, and the galaxy's motion through intergalactic space.
You forgot to mention (at least) one source of kinetic energy: the moon's motion around the earth. It can be tapped in tidal power plants. In principle, this will cause the moon to crash into the earth one day, of course. But if not used for human purposes, the moon's kinetic energy is simply converted to heat in the oceans. Mankind's intervention here does not change the course of nature.
But I fully agree that research money would be best spent on making solar, wind, and water energy more efficient, or to make nuclear fusion power plants economically viable.
The software giant has created the eXtensible Application Markup Language (XAML), which allows developers to create a Web page's layout using tags, rather than programming code.
I don't know, but I would get a similar feeling anytime I can't do something because of a technical problem. Say if I want to cook something and the stove is not working, or if the telephone is out of order, the car is in the shop, etc. It's not really internet related, but simply the fact that you can't go about your normal routine.
Nobody said we shouldn't react to computer virus epidemics. At least I didn't. Isn't it reasonable to pay the greatest attention to those dangers that can (or do) cause the most damage? So please stop twisting my words.
Yet there are about 30,000 - 40,000 traffic fatalities in the U.S. each year. How many fatalities are caused by computer crashes? I don't know, but I'd assume it's much less.
'But I approach the end of my own long run believing more strongly than ever that the quality of journalism and the quality of democracy are inextricably joined.'
Isn't that an obvious truth? For democracy to work, people have to be informed. They get their information mainly from the mass media. Hence, without quality journalism no quality democracy.
The sad state of journalism in America might well be the principal reason for the sad state of American democracy.
Another reason is that people aren't taught the necessary critical-thinking skills. How can you learn critical thinking in an educational system that revolves around standardized tests?
When googling around, you'll actually find that the trademark battle between the two is still fully raging. But a takeover is certainly a threat if Budvar gets fully privatized.
The details of the trademark war are actually quite amusing:
Anheuser-Busch traces its history to German emigrants, and has been brewing a "Budweiser" beer since 1876.
The Czech Budvar brewery says that "Budweiser" beer from Ceske Budejovice was exported to the United States as early as 1872.
Re:It doesn't take a scientist to figure out...
on
Bush vs. Kerry on Science
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· Score: 2, Insightful
I really don't see the point of this kind of 'interview.' Basically, each candidate is asked a series of questions, each of which has a 'good' or 'bad' answer. The results will shock you.
Well, there are a few questions that do tell you where the candidate is coming from. For example, when asked about the threat of global warming, Bush's ghostwriter basically replies: "Naw. Nothing is proven, so there's nothing to worry about", while Kerry's says "The threat is real and we'll deal with it." Other points where they differ is research into new kinds of nukes, rushed deployment of a missile defense system, and manned missions to Moon and Mars.
Of course, we didn't really have to read the answers to know the candidates' stance on these issues. They are basically only reaffirming what we already know.
My favorite brands that are available in US are Franziskaner and Schneider-Weisse. I know you can get them in California in various big-chain supermarkets, but I don't know about the East Coast. Not as good, but still good is Spaten. I can't remember any more brands I've seen sold in US. Stay away from Löwenbräu, since it's brewed in the US and not the real thing.
Hefeweizen comes in three types actually: white, dark, and "clear" (that is, filtered). Your unfiltered wheat beer is (or at least wants to be) a Hefeweizen, too. If you ask me, none of the US-brewed Hefeweizens come close to the original taste, but I fully admit that I'm a beer snob;-)
High carb and sugar diets cause the release of Insulin in the body
I think this greatly depends on what type of carbs. This rise in Insulin is only triggered by simple carbs, like sugar, afaik. It takes the body much longer to process complex carbs, so this effect isn't as pronounced. I don't know what category the carbs in beer fall into.
Otoh, the proverbial beer belly is a reality, so beer probably has lots of simple carbs.
Seriously though, I've always wanted to start drinking a glass of wine or beer with lunch at work. Think about it long term; it would be a health benefit. One beer isn't going to make anyone loopy, and you'd be at your desk or in the kitchen, so you wouldn't be going outside like smokers, plus you'd only do it once a day unlike smokers.
I know I wouldn't be productive after a glass of wine anymore - the slack-off reflex would take over immediately. But out of curiosity: what would your boss say if you really started drinking a glass of wine a day at work? Not your boss in particular, but generally here in the US (if you're not in the US, forgive my insolence).
I'm asking because it would be quite acceptable in many places in Europe, but I'm not so sure about the US.
Slashdot Mirror
I sent a request for information to some agency, and promptly received a return email with the words "please see the attachment...". The attachment had some extension I've never heard of (remember, I'm a Linux user. In retrospect, I'm pretty sure it must have been a VB script or something of that sort).
Thinking "must be some Office application..." I clicked the link and was infected. The only thing that saved me (or rather my friends and colleagues) was that my email client was not configured correctly, so the virus failed at propagating. I promptly erased my harddrive and reinstalled everything.
Of course I was careless at that time, and I certainly know better today. But my point is that there are many ways to trick an unsuspecting user into activating an exploit, even if the user's IQ is above 60.
Get your priorities straight. Catastrophic asteroid impacts happen only every few tens of millions of years. Smaller asteroids seem to impact earth all the time, but they mostly explode at high altitude, where they don't cause any damage. This is just another case of the media pandering to fear of the unknown. Yes, the probability of an asteroid wiping out civilization as we know it is there, but it is extremely small, judging from earth's history. There are many more likely ways to wipe out civilization, among them:
- nuclear holocaust
- a new plaque (what if AIDS was as contagious as the common cold?)
- a genetically engineered virus
- deliberate misuse of nanotechnology
- destruction of our planetary biosphere beyond its capability to sustain life
An asteroid impact seems to be way down the list in terms of probability. So while we should certainly think about ways to safeguard our planet from such an impact, it is absolutely nonsensical to spend more money and effort on this highly unlikely threat than on any of the potential threats I listed above (and there are probably more that I couldn't think of). So let's get our priorities straight: the biggest threat deserves the biggest attention.Not much hypercompetition there, if you ask me. But then, it might as well be me who misunderstood the quote.
Would you prefer them to give you a simple, one-size-fits-all answer to a complicated problem when there is none? Of course, the cited statement is not very valuable by itself, but if they also tell me just what these "individual corporate deployment circumstances" are, I'd be happy with an answer such as this. Or in H.L. Mencken's words: "To every complicated problem there is an answer that's simple, intuitive, and wrong."
Hardware support for Linux is simply a problem of critical mass. Once Linux gains sufficient acceptance to make a significant dent into the bottom line of hardware manufacturers, the companies that only provide closed-source drivers for a limited number of distributions/versions will face a competitive disadvantage. If product A can be used with only selected operating systems, while product B supports all operating systems on the shelf, most consumers would probably choose product B (all other things being equal). Since supporting every version of every Linux distro out there takes a lot of manpower, most companies will probably feel pressured to release open-source drivers.
If or when Linux will reach this critical mass is a different story, of course. Nobody knows the answer, but the recent signs from IBM, Novell, and others make me feel optimistic.
Travelling by train (both local and long-distance) is generally much more convenient than going by car. It generally does not take more time, and sometimes is significantly faster (especially if the roads are jammed).
Granted, trains are not as flexible as cars. But a good public bus infrastructure can compensate for that. Plus, you don't have the hassle of finding a parking spot (and getting parking tickets for staying 5 minutes over time), and you can drink a few beers if you feel like it, without worrying about having to drive home.
When I lived in Zurich and Toronto, I did not own a car because I felt it would be more of a liability than a convenience. I was able to get anywhere hassle-free by public transport. Now I've moved to Los Angeles and will probably get a car soon, because unfortunately the LA public transportation system is as efficient as using chopsticks to mow your lawn.
Public transportation can be a blessing, if it's implemented in the right way.
1. If you're cold, put on a sweater
2. Unfortunately, if you're too warm and start stripping down, you're likely to get fired.
Personally, I think that the indoor temperatures should be adjusted according to the outdoor temperatures. People dress differently according to the season. 78 degrees might be adequate for Southern California summers, but it is definitely way too hot for a New York winter. By the same token, going from 90 degrees outside to 68 degrees inside (as in many LA movie theaters) is probably not very healthy as well.
You forgot to mention (at least) one source of kinetic energy: the moon's motion around the earth. It can be tapped in tidal power plants. In principle, this will cause the moon to crash into the earth one day, of course. But if not used for human purposes, the moon's kinetic energy is simply converted to heat in the oceans. Mankind's intervention here does not change the course of nature.
But I fully agree that research money would be best spent on making solar, wind, and water energy more efficient, or to make nuclear fusion power plants economically viable.
The software giant has created the eXtensible Application Markup Language (XAML), which allows developers to create a Web page's layout using tags, rather than programming code.
I thought this was called HTML...I don't know, but I would get a similar feeling anytime I can't do something because of a technical problem. Say if I want to cook something and the stove is not working, or if the telephone is out of order, the car is in the shop, etc. It's not really internet related, but simply the fact that you can't go about your normal routine.
A neutron goes into a bar and orders a whiskey on the rocks. Says the barkeep: "No charge for you!"
Can't find the damn thing anyway.
That's why you need Google to find it for you!
Nobody said we shouldn't react to computer virus epidemics. At least I didn't. Isn't it reasonable to pay the greatest attention to those dangers that can (or do) cause the most damage? So please stop twisting my words.
Yet there are about 30,000 - 40,000 traffic fatalities in the U.S. each year. How many fatalities are caused by computer crashes? I don't know, but I'd assume it's much less.
hmmm... how do we cut the USA off from the US internet?
Isn't that an obvious truth? For democracy to work, people have to be informed. They get their information mainly from the mass media. Hence, without quality journalism no quality democracy.
The sad state of journalism in America might well be the principal reason for the sad state of American democracy.
Another reason is that people aren't taught the necessary critical-thinking skills. How can you learn critical thinking in an educational system that revolves around standardized tests?
Obligatory beer joke:
The details of the trademark war are actually quite amusing:
Anheuser-Busch traces its history to German emigrants, and has been brewing a "Budweiser" beer since 1876.
The Czech Budvar brewery says that "Budweiser" beer from Ceske Budejovice was exported to the United States as early as 1872.
Well, there are a few questions that do tell you where the candidate is coming from. For example, when asked about the threat of global warming, Bush's ghostwriter basically replies: "Naw. Nothing is proven, so there's nothing to worry about", while Kerry's says "The threat is real and we'll deal with it." Other points where they differ is research into new kinds of nukes, rushed deployment of a missile defense system, and manned missions to Moon and Mars.
Of course, we didn't really have to read the answers to know the candidates' stance on these issues. They are basically only reaffirming what we already know.
Hehe... I bet I got that mod for my signature :D
Hefeweizen comes in three types actually: white, dark, and "clear" (that is, filtered). Your unfiltered wheat beer is (or at least wants to be) a Hefeweizen, too. If you ask me, none of the US-brewed Hefeweizens come close to the original taste, but I fully admit that I'm a beer snob ;-)
Otoh, the proverbial beer belly is a reality, so beer probably has lots of simple carbs.
Actually, Budweiser truly deserves the title 'King Of Beers'. Not the American version, though. I'm talking about the original!
Mmmmm.... Budweiser....
I know I wouldn't be productive after a glass of wine anymore - the slack-off reflex would take over immediately. But out of curiosity: what would your boss say if you really started drinking a glass of wine a day at work? Not your boss in particular, but generally here in the US (if you're not in the US, forgive my insolence).
I'm asking because it would be quite acceptable in many places in Europe, but I'm not so sure about the US.