I purchased a Replay TV 4040 when it was bleeding edge. Now what? Am I screwed? Seems like if they stop providing the guide, with no way to get the software to use another guide they are not providing the service I paid for! Can we sue? I'm sure there will be tons of unhappy people if they just turn it off.
Yes, you can sue. You can always sue. You will not win, because bankruptcy stays suits against the debtor. I see no reason a court would lift the automatic stay under these circumstances.
Essentially, you are in the position of an unsecured creditor of Sonic Blue. In other words, YF, with some emphasis on the "F".
I already have most of the books, plus the floppy little record (which I should convery to mp3 (and ogg)) and I'll still probably sign up for this. Lord, how I miss Steve Dallas now that I've grown up and become him.
I'll also make sure that I look at all the comics out there that are derivative of Bloom County (almost wrote B.C. there) today. The guy was funny and he obviously had a huge impact otherwise.
This is just a neat idea and a bargain price. Count me in, baby.
Assuming you have a significant amount of e-mail traffic, the software will create a remarkably sophisticated assessment of your various social groups...
After analyzing my email, I have determined that my social group is comprised of a large number of penis enlargement professionals.
How about instead of having time limits, we have profit limits? The copyright expires once your work has turned a 1,000% profit or after 50 years, whichever is less.
You are obviously unfamiliar with accounting for motion pictures. In a nutshell, if you are ever a major motion picture star or agent for one, make sure that you get a piece of the gross and not the net. A system such as you propose would surely degenerate forthwith into something similar. "The Producers" would look innocently naive compared to the shenanigans you'd see if copyright depended upon not achieving a profit level of X%.
Eidos, maker of Tomb Raider, said it doesn't plan to make games for......anything. What the hell happened to the new Tomb Raider release date? Can't the PS2 handle the number of polygons necessary to "realistically" depict Lara's rack?
C'mon! If the dinosaurs were killed by a comet, why weren't people killed, too? Didn't you ever watch the Flintstones? Given the interspecies symbiosis, it is highly unlikely that a sudden and catastrophic loss of the dinosaurs would not have resulted in a destruction of mankind as well. How would humans have quarried rock?
No, I think a much more plausible explanation is that the dinosaurs were actually the victims of second-hand smoke, overpopulation, and perhaps disease. I mean, really.
I got slashdotted halfway through loading the page:
In a hurry? Then please see the rules for avoiding email tyranny and the guidelines for being productive.
Email is one of the greatest things the computer revolution has done for personal productivity. Used improperly, it can also hurt your productivity. This article discusses ways to use email effectively. Then it goes beyond that and talks about how to be productive, period.
When Email Goes Bad
I'm not going to list all the reasons email is good. You know them already, I assume you are an avid email user. (Anyone reading this is online, and just about anyone who goes online uses email.) I'm also not going to tell you email is evil, because it isn't. The negative productivity impact of email comes from the way you use it, not the medium itself.
There are two ways email impairs your productivity:
It breaks your concentration. It misleads you into inefficient problem solving. Let's take the concentration impact first. I'm a software engineer, and programming requires extended periods of concentration. Actually this isn't unique to programming, a lot of fields require that you concentrate. (Probably just about everything worth doing requires some concentration!)
{ I maintain that programming cannot be done in less than three-hour windows. It takes three hours to spin up to speed, gather your concentration, shift into "right brain mode", and really focus on a problem. Effective programmers organize their day to have at least one three-hour window, and hopefully two or three. (This is why good programmers often work late at night. They don't get interrupted as much...) }
One of the key attributes of email is that it queues messages. Unlike face-to-face conversation and 'phone calls, people can communicate via email without both paying attention at the same time. You pick the moments at which you pay attention to email. But many people leave their email client running continuously. This is the biggest baddest reason why email hurts your productivity. If you leave your email client running, it means anyone anytime can interrupt what you're doing. Essentially they pick the moments at which you pay attention. (Even some random spammer who is sending you a crappy ad for a get-rich scheme.) This is bad.
There are three stages to this badness. Stage one is configuring your email client to present alerts when you receive an email. Don't do this. Stage two is configuring your email client to make noise when you receive an email. Don't do this. Stage three is running your email client all the time. Don't do this, either. To be effective, you must pick the moments at which you're going to receive email. I know this go
Sorry -- the end.
GF.
Re:I suppose the big question is...
on
The Tyranny of Email
·
· Score: 0, Offtopic
Because of the 20 second fucktard filter, I sadly doubt this.
What exactly is a "fucktard"?
Is it a retard that is available for being fucked or is it a retard that goes and fucks things? Is it a leotard that one wears to fuck or be fucked? Or is it a leotard that one uses for self-stimulation (i.e. you fuck the leotard, ergo it is a "fucktard")?
Now, speaking to the issue of what a "fucktard filter" is, again, I can only speculate. Is it a filter made from remnants of the above-referenced fucktard (in the sense that the fucktard is a leotard either used for self-gratification or worn during bouts of fucking or being fucked)? What would such a device filter? Grit from gasoline? Coffee grounds from coffee?
Is it a means of preventing retards from fucking or being fucked? Why is there a "20 second" version of the "fucktard filter"? What use would such a short-term device have? Why would anyone need a filter that works for only 20 seconds against the threat of a "fucktard"? For the potential risk that a fucktard would seem to pose, isn't it frightening that only twenty seconds of fucktard filtering are available at/.?
I demand more fucktard filtering! I demand more than 20 seconds of protection from vile fucktards!
What's the going rate for a suicide bomber in Palestine these days? Isn't it something on the order of $5,000.00 or so? That's a lot cheaper than a cruise missle. Paying 25,000,000 simoleons to a filthy, radical muslim who maybe is an Al-Quaida turd burglar seems like it might lead to some of that money going into operations against the US.
Wouldn't that be the ultimate irony? Terrorists turning in each other to fund more terrorism with the reward money... Talk about a viscious circle.
Khalid: "We're running low on funds for new operations because of those imperialist infidels. We neet to raise cash, Osama!"
Osama: "The devil dogs have indeed reduced our sources of funding, but we do have one option remaining..."
Khalid: "Yes, Osama? How can we raise money to fight the imperialist crusad... Urk!"
Perens doesn't believe SCO realistically thinks it has a chance of winning this lawsuit. "In filing this suit they have put a gun to the head of their own software business and pulled the trigger. No one in the Linux world will ever recommend them for anything again, and other people will look at this and say 'no, this too nutty, I don't trust these guys.'"
He hit it right on the head here. After a lawsuit like this, who'd want to work with them? It's not worth the risk...
I think that SCO's strategy is to either:
(1) win and get licensing fees, or (2) get a scared, larger company (i.e. IBM) to buy them to eliminate the risk
SCO is cheap enough. It only has a market cap of 37 MM, even after the recent run-up:
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=scox&d=t
IBM pays 50 MM to buy SCO lock, stock and barrel, and then does what with the System V patents SCO owns? Hmmm? That could be worse than SCO shaking down IBM.
Incidentally, the SCO stock symbol is SCOX. Something about COX, but I will leave that as an exercise for the reader.
Judges and attorneys are quite cognizant of "junk science" in the courtroom. Keep in mind that there is (usually) an attorney on each side of a case. There is also a judge that doesn't want to look like a fool. To this end there is what is called the Daubert test for determining whether testimony of an expert witness is admissible in court. This, in a nutshell, looks essentially to whether the proposed expert testimony or opinion is based on good science.
Five criteria are used: 1. Is the expert qualified? 2. Is the expert's opinion supported by scientific reasoning and methodology? 3. Is the expert's opinion supported by reliable data? 4. Does the expert's opinion fit the facts of the case (relevance)? 5. Does the expert opinion qualify under general evidentiary rules of Federal Rule of Evidence 403?
Criterion 2, above, relies on determinations as to whether a scientific theory can or has been tested; what the error rates are; whether a theory has been subjected to peer review and publication (these are not dispositive, but they are certainly considered by the court and if they are missing, hackles are raised); whether a theory is generally accepted in the scientific community or whether it i ssubject to debate still; and whether the details of the case "fit" the theory.
A "Daubert" hearing is usually convened if any of the above are in question, and the judge rules on whether expert testimony should be permitted. The experts C.V. and the materials he relies upon in the case, as well as his expert report (prepared prior to trial) are all discoverable, so there are no surprises either at the Daubert hearing or at trial.
If a case has enough at stake to require an expert to testify, generally there will be a competing expert. This gives you a dueling experts scenario (cue the music from "Deliverance") where bought and paid for experts contradict each other, in whole or in part.
The primary issue usually then becomes credibility which unfortunately usually is not based on scientific validity, but is instead based on more subjective criteria. Qualifications also come into play -- the guy from Harvard usually beats the guy from Podunk State all else being equal. Fair? Not really, but it is reality.
The problem with legal disputes and science is that you cannot set up special courts for every case in which science is a key issue. It would fracture jurisdiction even further. Besides, specialization doesn't really help because every case involves different science.
There is no way a tribunal can be all-knowing. For some limited types of cases that recur frequently, there may be some benefit to setting up specialized courts. Unfortunately, after you get past the trial, at some point it is impossible to set up specialized appellate courts to hear appeals. Laymen will be involved in the process at some point.
The key influence bloggers are currently made up of six people mostly in their late teens/early twenties who get promo merchandise as their only form of compensation. In return, they get to "advertise however they want" through their blog. Seems like this experiment could turn into the next "big thing" in advertising-- assuming people are willing to sell out their blog space. Bloggers beware!"
Don't you mean, "Readers of blogs beware"? The bloggers are not being sold -- the readers are.
I don't see why the judge issued a preliminary injunction. In a case where neither life nor limb are at stake, it seems that the only issue is money damages for patent infringement. Where I practice, if the issue can be reduced to money damages, you won't get an injunction. Period.
On a related note, I suppose that the guy in my office who refills toner cartridges with kits from bulktoner.com should be worrying about getting sued. Maybe bulktoner.com should be worried about getting shut down like the mod-chip site did (ISO news?).
I understand that they are not collecting single atoms and, having read the article, it makes some sense. On the other hand, pulling stuff from the upper atmosphere (which is soup compared to interstellar space or even the Oort Cloud) seems to be an unusual way of looking for motes of cosmic debris. The people who come up with this stuff are, so to speak, "out there".
And that quote "God cannot tell carbon atoms apart" isn't true. There's carbon-12, carbon-14, etc. All the isotopes can easily be told apart from each other.
You're missing the point of the quote. A carbon-14 atom and a carbon-14 atom cannot be distinguished. Clearly, a standard carbon atom and a carbon isotope, such as c-14 can be distinguished.
I believe the quote came from someone discussing how predestination in the universe is an absurd idea and that the universe is not simply a pool hall.
GF.
How do people figure this stuff out?
on
Collecting Stardust
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
When collected at high-altitude, the origin of six grains are from outside our solar system.
IIRC, someone once wrote that "...even God cannot tell carbon atoms apart." How do you pull something from the upper atmosphere and conclusively determine that it came from outside the solar system? Perhaps it would help to RTFA (and I will) but it just baffles me how these scientists are able to figure this stuff out. I'm starting to fall into that "Science as magic" category, I guess.
Pennsylvania provides that possession of a bong is per se possession of drug paraphernalia. The State Police have been busting head shops around the state lately for possession of drug paraphernalia. The charges have been sticking, despite good defense counsel. It's the law in PA despite any potential claim about "for tobacco" or "no residue" or any of that hokum. (or hookah-um).
Is a linux distribution purely OS, or is it OS plus a pile of applications? I submit that it is the latter rather than the former. Where on becomes the other is clearly open to a great amount of debate, however.
Also, the distinction that is important here is that MS is a monopolist convicted of abusing its market position. The several linux distributors are not. They have more latitude from a legal perspective.
Great! Where can I get psyware? I've been looking for a way to get rid of my mouse and keyboard. Dos it allow a USB 2.0 connection to my nervous system, or does it use 1394?
I can see a legitimate purpose for it, from a bug-hunting and trouble-shooting standpoint, but I am highly skeptical that these are the only ways that this information is used. For instance, I expect that if MS sees a high number of installs for a particular app, that it might decide to include that app in the "OS", such as a personal firewall, for instance. Oh, wait...they already did.
An interesting compare/conrast to see is what MS license agreement says about this and what their public statements have been.
Also, is there going to be a DMCA action here? Ugh.
"Closing 'digital divide' Crispus Attucks gets $500K to link with community
By TED CZECH Dispatch/Sunday News
The Crispus Attucks Association says it's now one step closer to bridging the "digital divide" it says exists in York County.
Late last week, the association learned it will receive a $500,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
Crispus Attucks intends to use the money to build and maintain wireless Internet access for York County schools and other area organizations, a plan that dovetails with the association's mission to educate and provide opportunities for jobs, said Christina Ginder, director of the association's technology solutions department.
"So many of our York County residents do not have Internet access for one reason or another -- it could be socioeconomics, or they don't understand computers," said Ginder.
"The majority of those people surround Crispus Attucks. We want to make sure those people have the same advantages of those who can afford it."
The new network, based at Crispus Attucks, also will serve residents who live beyond where fiber-optic cables have been installed, Ginder said.
She said through the network, Internet service will be faster than dial-up or cable modems, with a lower fee than commercial wireless Internet companies charge.
Area organizations interested in linking with the wireless network include several school districts, the York County Library System and Lincoln Intermediate Unit.
Obtaining the grant allows the association to purchase computer equipment and install transmission towers, Ginder said.
Phases: Designing the network -- determining how many and where the towers will go -- will begin when the entities that have expressed interest in the wireless network agree they would like to be a part of it.
"We just got the grant. We are going around and talking with them right now," said Ginder.
She said that in York City, a tower may be erected either on top of the Crispus Attucks building at 605 S. Duke St., or at the former Dallmeyer building at 540 S. George St., which the association has acquired.
Ginder said several school districts are interested in joining the network, although some may have contracts with other Internet services.
Online in July: She said the association expects to have all of the equipment needed by May, with testing beginning in June and the network running in July.
That's what Ginder calls phase one, which will be financed by the grant.
In phase two, the network will be expanded to the outlying areas of York County without Internet access.
The association hopes to hire someone with wireless experience who can solve network problems, Ginder said."
I especially like that last part -- "The association hopes to hire someone with wireless experience who can solve network problems."
Slashdot Mirror
I purchased a Replay TV 4040 when it was bleeding edge. Now what? Am I screwed? Seems like if they stop providing the guide, with no way to get the software to use another guide they are not providing the service I paid for! Can we sue? I'm sure there will be tons of unhappy people if they just turn it off.
Yes, you can sue. You can always sue. You will not win, because bankruptcy stays suits against the debtor. I see no reason a court would lift the automatic stay under these circumstances.
Essentially, you are in the position of an unsecured creditor of Sonic Blue. In other words, YF, with some emphasis on the "F".
GF.
I already have most of the books, plus the floppy little record (which I should convery to mp3 (and ogg)) and I'll still probably sign up for this. Lord, how I miss Steve Dallas now that I've grown up and become him.
I'll also make sure that I look at all the comics out there that are derivative of Bloom County (almost wrote B.C. there) today. The guy was funny and he obviously had a huge impact otherwise.
This is just a neat idea and a bargain price. Count me in, baby.
GF.
Assuming you have a significant amount of e-mail traffic, the software will create a remarkably sophisticated assessment of your various social groups...
After analyzing my email, I have determined that my social group is comprised of a large number of penis enlargement professionals.
GF.
How about instead of having time limits, we have profit limits? The copyright expires once your work has turned a 1,000% profit or after 50 years, whichever is less.
You are obviously unfamiliar with accounting for motion pictures. In a nutshell, if you are ever a major motion picture star or agent for one, make sure that you get a piece of the gross and not the net. A system such as you propose would surely degenerate forthwith into something similar. "The Producers" would look innocently naive compared to the shenanigans you'd see if copyright depended upon not achieving a profit level of X%.
GF.
Law, in general, should help those who cannot help themselves.
I think you're wrong.
Society should help those who cannot help themselves. Law should be created without the goal of "helping out" anyone.
I understand the difficultites with this notion, but in my ideal world of disinterested benevolent legislators, this is what I would want to have.
GF.
Eidos, maker of Tomb Raider, said it doesn't plan to make games for... ...anything. What the hell happened to the new Tomb Raider release date? Can't the PS2 handle the number of polygons necessary to "realistically" depict Lara's rack?
GF.
C'mon! If the dinosaurs were killed by a comet, why weren't people killed, too? Didn't you ever watch the Flintstones? Given the interspecies symbiosis, it is highly unlikely that a sudden and catastrophic loss of the dinosaurs would not have resulted in a destruction of mankind as well. How would humans have quarried rock?
No, I think a much more plausible explanation is that the dinosaurs were actually the victims of second-hand smoke, overpopulation, and perhaps disease. I mean, really.
GF.
I got slashdotted halfway through loading the page:
In a hurry? Then please see the rules for avoiding email tyranny and the guidelines for being productive.
Email is one of the greatest things the computer revolution has done for personal productivity. Used improperly, it can also hurt your productivity. This article discusses ways to use email effectively. Then it goes beyond that and talks about how to be productive, period.
When Email Goes Bad
I'm not going to list all the reasons email is good. You know them already, I assume you are an avid email user. (Anyone reading this is online, and just about anyone who goes online uses email.) I'm also not going to tell you email is evil, because it isn't. The negative productivity impact of email comes from the way you use it, not the medium itself.
There are two ways email impairs your productivity:
It breaks your concentration.
It misleads you into inefficient problem solving.
Let's take the concentration impact first. I'm a software engineer, and programming requires extended periods of concentration. Actually this isn't unique to programming, a lot of fields require that you concentrate. (Probably just about everything worth doing requires some concentration!)
{
I maintain that programming cannot be done in less than three-hour windows. It takes three hours to spin up to speed, gather your concentration, shift into "right brain mode", and really focus on a problem. Effective programmers organize their day to have at least one three-hour window, and hopefully two or three. (This is why good programmers often work late at night. They don't get interrupted as much...)
}
One of the key attributes of email is that it queues messages. Unlike face-to-face conversation and 'phone calls, people can communicate via email without both paying attention at the same time. You pick the moments at which you pay attention to email. But many people leave their email client running continuously. This is the biggest baddest reason why email hurts your productivity. If you leave your email client running, it means anyone anytime can interrupt what you're doing. Essentially they pick the moments at which you pay attention. (Even some random spammer who is sending you a crappy ad for a get-rich scheme.) This is bad.
There are three stages to this badness. Stage one is configuring your email client to present alerts when you receive an email. Don't do this. Stage two is configuring your email client to make noise when you receive an email. Don't do this. Stage three is running your email client all the time. Don't do this, either. To be effective, you must pick the moments at which you're going to receive email. I know this go
Sorry -- the end.
GF.
Because of the 20 second fucktard filter, I sadly doubt this.
/.?
What exactly is a "fucktard"?
Is it a retard that is available for being fucked or is it a retard that goes and fucks things? Is it a leotard that one wears to fuck or be fucked? Or is it a leotard that one uses for self-stimulation (i.e. you fuck the leotard, ergo it is a "fucktard")?
Now, speaking to the issue of what a "fucktard filter" is, again, I can only speculate. Is it a filter made from remnants of the above-referenced fucktard (in the sense that the fucktard is a leotard either used for self-gratification or worn during bouts of fucking or being fucked)? What would such a device filter? Grit from gasoline? Coffee grounds from coffee?
Is it a means of preventing retards from fucking or being fucked? Why is there a "20 second" version of the "fucktard filter"? What use would such a short-term device have? Why would anyone need a filter that works for only 20 seconds against the threat of a "fucktard"? For the potential risk that a fucktard would seem to pose, isn't it frightening that only twenty seconds of fucktard filtering are available at
I demand more fucktard filtering! I demand more than 20 seconds of protection from vile fucktards!
GF. (burning karma today)
What's the going rate for a suicide bomber in Palestine these days? Isn't it something on the order of $5,000.00 or so? That's a lot cheaper than a cruise missle. Paying 25,000,000 simoleons to a filthy, radical muslim who maybe is an Al-Quaida turd burglar seems like it might lead to some of that money going into operations against the US.
Wouldn't that be the ultimate irony? Terrorists turning in each other to fund more terrorism with the reward money... Talk about a viscious circle.
Khalid: "We're running low on funds for new operations because of those imperialist infidels. We neet to raise cash, Osama!"
Osama: "The devil dogs have indeed reduced our sources of funding, but we do have one option remaining..."
Khalid: "Yes, Osama? How can we raise money to fight the imperialist crusad... Urk!"
Osama: "Heh..."
GF.
Perens doesn't believe SCO realistically thinks it has a chance of winning this lawsuit. "In filing this suit they have put a gun to the head of their own software business and pulled the trigger. No one in the Linux world will ever recommend them for anything again, and other people will look at this and say 'no, this too nutty, I don't trust these guys.'"
He hit it right on the head here. After a lawsuit like this, who'd want to work with them? It's not worth the risk...
I think that SCO's strategy is to either:
(1) win and get licensing fees, or
(2) get a scared, larger company (i.e. IBM) to buy them to eliminate the risk
SCO is cheap enough. It only has a market cap of 37 MM, even after the recent run-up:
http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=scox&d=t
IBM pays 50 MM to buy SCO lock, stock and barrel, and then does what with the System V patents SCO owns? Hmmm? That could be worse than SCO shaking down IBM.
Incidentally, the SCO stock symbol is SCOX. Something about COX, but I will leave that as an exercise for the reader.
GF.
Judges and attorneys are quite cognizant of "junk science" in the courtroom. Keep in mind that there is (usually) an attorney on each side of a case. There is also a judge that doesn't want to look like a fool. To this end there is what is called the Daubert test for determining whether testimony of an expert witness is admissible in court. This, in a nutshell, looks essentially to whether the proposed expert testimony or opinion is based on good science.
Five criteria are used:
1. Is the expert qualified?
2. Is the expert's opinion supported by scientific reasoning and methodology?
3. Is the expert's opinion supported by reliable data?
4. Does the expert's opinion fit the facts of the case (relevance)?
5. Does the expert opinion qualify under general evidentiary rules of Federal Rule of Evidence 403?
Criterion 2, above, relies on determinations as to whether a scientific theory can or has been tested; what the error rates are; whether a theory has been subjected to peer review and publication (these are not dispositive, but they are certainly considered by the court and if they are missing, hackles are raised); whether a theory is generally accepted in the scientific community or whether it i ssubject to debate still; and whether the details of the case "fit" the theory.
A "Daubert" hearing is usually convened if any of the above are in question, and the judge rules on whether expert testimony should be permitted. The experts C.V. and the materials he relies upon in the case, as well as his expert report (prepared prior to trial) are all discoverable, so there are no surprises either at the Daubert hearing or at trial.
If a case has enough at stake to require an expert to testify, generally there will be a competing expert. This gives you a dueling experts scenario (cue the music from "Deliverance") where bought and paid for experts contradict each other, in whole or in part.
The primary issue usually then becomes credibility which unfortunately usually is not based on scientific validity, but is instead based on more subjective criteria. Qualifications also come into play -- the guy from Harvard usually beats the guy from Podunk State all else being equal. Fair? Not really, but it is reality.
The problem with legal disputes and science is that you cannot set up special courts for every case in which science is a key issue. It would fracture jurisdiction even further. Besides, specialization doesn't really help because every case involves different science.
There is no way a tribunal can be all-knowing. For some limited types of cases that recur frequently, there may be some benefit to setting up specialized courts. Unfortunately, after you get past the trial, at some point it is impossible to set up specialized appellate courts to hear appeals. Laymen will be involved in the process at some point.
GF.
The key influence bloggers are currently made up of six people mostly in their late teens/early twenties who get promo merchandise as their only form of compensation. In return, they get to "advertise however they want" through their blog. Seems like this experiment could turn into the next "big thing" in advertising-- assuming people are willing to sell out their blog space. Bloggers beware!"
Don't you mean, "Readers of blogs beware"? The bloggers are not being sold -- the readers are.
Get your media analysis straight.
GF.
I don't see why the judge issued a preliminary injunction. In a case where neither life nor limb are at stake, it seems that the only issue is money damages for patent infringement. Where I practice, if the issue can be reduced to money damages, you won't get an injunction. Period.
On a related note, I suppose that the guy in my office who refills toner cartridges with kits from bulktoner.com should be worrying about getting sued. Maybe bulktoner.com should be worried about getting shut down like the mod-chip site did (ISO news?).
GF.
I understand that they are not collecting single atoms and, having read the article, it makes some sense. On the other hand, pulling stuff from the upper atmosphere (which is soup compared to interstellar space or even the Oort Cloud) seems to be an unusual way of looking for motes of cosmic debris. The people who come up with this stuff are, so to speak, "out there".
And that quote "God cannot tell carbon atoms apart" isn't true. There's carbon-12, carbon-14, etc. All the isotopes can easily be told apart from each other.
You're missing the point of the quote. A carbon-14 atom and a carbon-14 atom cannot be distinguished. Clearly, a standard carbon atom and a carbon isotope, such as c-14 can be distinguished.
I believe the quote came from someone discussing how predestination in the universe is an absurd idea and that the universe is not simply a pool hall.
GF.
When collected at high-altitude, the origin of six grains are from outside our solar system.
IIRC, someone once wrote that "...even God cannot tell carbon atoms apart." How do you pull something from the upper atmosphere and conclusively determine that it came from outside the solar system? Perhaps it would help to RTFA (and I will) but it just baffles me how these scientists are able to figure this stuff out. I'm starting to fall into that "Science as magic" category, I guess.
GF.
Pennsylvania provides that possession of a bong is per se possession of drug paraphernalia. The State Police have been busting head shops around the state lately for possession of drug paraphernalia. The charges have been sticking, despite good defense counsel. It's the law in PA despite any potential claim about "for tobacco" or "no residue" or any of that hokum. (or hookah-um).
GF.
Is a linux distribution purely OS, or is it OS plus a pile of applications? I submit that it is the latter rather than the former. Where on becomes the other is clearly open to a great amount of debate, however.
Also, the distinction that is important here is that MS is a monopolist convicted of abusing its market position. The several linux distributors are not. They have more latitude from a legal perspective.
GF.
Are you serious about selling the vehicle? That's not a bad price for the car as listed.
GF.
Sort of gives a new meaning to AOL CDs.
GF.
Where can I get psyware?
What about iPsyware? Bill Cosby in a "switcher" ad.
GF.
As long as these guys don't travel to the US for a conference or a vacation.
GF.
got the new ultra psyware
Great! Where can I get psyware? I've been looking for a way to get rid of my mouse and keyboard. Dos it allow a USB 2.0 connection to my nervous system, or does it use 1394?
GF.
I am shocked - shocked - by this revelation.
I can see a legitimate purpose for it, from a bug-hunting and trouble-shooting standpoint, but I am highly skeptical that these are the only ways that this information is used. For instance, I expect that if MS sees a high number of installs for a particular app, that it might decide to include that app in the "OS", such as a personal firewall, for instance. Oh, wait...they already did.
An interesting compare/conrast to see is what MS license agreement says about this and what their public statements have been.
Also, is there going to be a DMCA action here? Ugh.
GF.
York (PA) Dispatch -- January 17, 2003:
"Closing 'digital divide'
Crispus Attucks gets $500K to link with community
By TED CZECH Dispatch/Sunday News
The Crispus Attucks Association says it's now one step closer to bridging the "digital divide" it says exists in York County.
Late last week, the association learned it will receive a $500,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
Crispus Attucks intends to use the money to build and maintain wireless Internet access for York County schools and other area organizations, a plan that dovetails with the association's mission to educate and provide opportunities
for jobs, said Christina Ginder, director of the association's technology solutions department.
"So many of our York County residents do not have Internet access for one reason or another -- it could be socioeconomics, or they don't understand computers," said Ginder.
"The majority of those people surround Crispus Attucks. We want to make sure those people have the same advantages of those who can afford it."
The new network, based at Crispus Attucks, also will serve residents who live beyond where fiber-optic cables have been installed, Ginder said.
She said through the network, Internet service will be faster than dial-up or cable modems, with a lower fee than commercial wireless Internet companies charge.
Area organizations interested in linking with the wireless network include several school districts, the York County Library System and Lincoln Intermediate Unit.
Obtaining the grant allows the association to purchase computer equipment and install transmission towers, Ginder said.
Phases: Designing the network -- determining how many and where the towers will go -- will begin when the entities that have expressed interest in the wireless network agree they would like to be a part of it.
"We just got the grant. We are going around and talking with them right now," said Ginder.
She said that in York City, a tower may be erected either on top of the Crispus Attucks building at 605 S. Duke St., or at the former Dallmeyer building at 540 S. George St., which the association has acquired.
Ginder said several school districts are interested in joining the network, although some may have contracts with other Internet services.
Online in July: She said the association expects to have all of the equipment needed by May, with testing beginning in June and the network running in July.
That's what Ginder calls phase one, which will be financed by the grant.
In phase two, the network will be expanded to the outlying areas of York County without Internet access.
The association hopes to hire someone with wireless experience who can solve network problems, Ginder said."
I especially like that last part -- "The association hopes to hire someone with wireless experience who can solve network problems."
GF.