Granted, it has turned out that that intelligence was faulty, and that's a serious problem that we have to correct, certainly. It may even go to the culture of expectations in the executive branch, and that will have to be examined and corrected if necessary---perhaps electorally. But did the President say something he knew was untrue? In other words, did he lie? No.
Actually, it would seem that most of the intelligence was correct, but it was cherry-picked by the neocons to support their position while advising the President. As a Republican, I think there are a few presidential advisors who should be taken out and shot (well, given the flu-shot fiasco, just send 'em into WalMart, and let 'em die). I think the President is at fault for taking advice from the neocons instead of relying on people like Powell, whom he begged to come on board. In other words, is he stupid for ignoring advice from the most knowledgeable sources? Apparently.
Yes, nothing generates more possitive PR than massive layoffs and offshoring.
It's a strange world where getting rid of the people who built the business and giving the keys to the business to companies in a foreign country will get you huge rewards. The Roman empire also rotted from within. Short-term bread and circuses.
I can't wait for the first company to blame outsourcing for a product's late, buggy arrival.
And I can't wait for the Easter Bunny to arrive. Do you really expect an American CEO to ever admit the multi-million dollar bonuses s/he recieved were based on a mistake? I read an article in Infoworld or Computerworld where a company admitted to being burned by offshoring their IT, but they blamed it on resistance by the few local IT workers they hadn't fired. Management is never wrong - just ask them.
What (smart) companies are beginning to realize hiring smart & talented (hence expensive) engineers is more cost-effective in the long run than hiring cheap code monkeys to do the same work.
Unfortunately, there are far more companies where the CEO knows he can get bigger bonuses by making a big deal out of offshoring IT even if it winds up costing more. It's all about snowing reporters and doing what's good for management in most companies.
I think the vast majority of people download for one of two reasons. They either already like the song and won't pay money for the single (or the CD it comes on), or they are trying out new music for the first time that they wouldn't hear otherwise.
Okay, that covers the majority, but there is yet another minority argument: What about songs you can't even find on CD? Due to far too much time spent with GTA VC, I've been trying to find Japanese Boy by Aneka with no success. (No comments on music taste, please.) I'd willingly pay for a CD with the song, but apparently there aren't any. Even though the RIAA won't sell me a CD with the song, why should I be liable for damages if I managed to find a copy and download it?
From personal observation, it's standard procedure to portray yourself as the victim/underdog regardless of how much a dominant monopolistic arrogant bastard individual/organization/company/government you are.
No kidding. What irks me is that the RIAA members have been convicted on several occasions of price fixing and payola. Despite that, the Congress tells the American people to bend over and lube up whenever the RIAA wants a new law to *protect* themselves. We have the best government money can buy.
No, they can't charge what they want. It always reaches a point where the alternative to paying them what they try to charge is worth more than accepting their charge.
I don't see that happening as long as Congress has their hands in the RIAA's pocket. The penalty keeps increasing. For actually stealing a CD from a store, the perp would get a small fine. For downloading a song from the 'net, the RIAA is asking around $100,000, IIRC (correct me if I'm wrong). Congressional lackeys have already proposed giving the RIAA permission to destroy computers upon suspicion of copyright infringement. It's now a freakin' federal crime to use a camcorder in a movie theater. The next logical step is the death penalty for downloading copyrighted material with a Congress full of beggars who are ready and willing to pass the law at the moguls' request.
Trouble is there are 50 states that they can do this in at circuit level (and at federal level?) and they can afford it.
There are 13 circuit courts if you include the CD^H^HDC (good thing I previewed that Freudian slip) and Federal Circuit courts covering the 50 states and District of Columbia. IANAL, but it would seem the RIAA would have to file suit where they are headquartered. Any lawyers out there want to weigh in on the possibility of circuit shopping?
Go get some Landsat 7 data from May of last year. Then notice the smear on the edges. Unless you are using raw data and doing your own corrections and compensations for hardware problems and know about all of the hardware problems, you're way too trusting.
Um, it may be that you are indeed an "informed scientist" in some field, but if you expect this to influence our views, it's probably wise to trade your nickname, "Trailer Trash", for something more impressive
I work with people who actually have "Scientist" in their title. I'm constantly amazed at how people like an "Information Scientist" can be completely uninformed and have no clue as to scientific method. Whenever I see something from the Union of Concerned Scientists, I think about the ones I know who claim that title, and I give it all the respect it's due. The people who are really scientists don't usually wear it as a title. Trailer Trash, Engineer, Physicist, Chemist, whatever, they all work for me as long as the person is doing the job.
I've seen the argument made elsewhere that Standard Oil lowered prices for consumers through economies of scale and provided a "standardized product" that was far safer and easier to handle.
I've never seen that argument before, so if you happen to have a link handy, I'd like to read it. But to carry on the analogy, the government pretty well proved that the "lowered prices" were only temporary, much the same as with MS products during the 80's and early 90's compared to prices now. While MS has certainly 'provided a "standardized product"', it is obviously not a safe product. The articles in the press that claim computer viruses cost companies billions of dollars per year neglect to mention that the cost is borne by those companies using the "Standard Oil" product.
We're not talking about an Estes model rocket here. Have you ever looked at the at-risk geographic area under the atmospheric portion of a space launch? I have and I can tell you that it's not something measured in yards.
These shots are (hopefully) straight up and down. Have you ever been in the Mojave? Even an uncontrolled descent by an out-of-fuel object the size of SpaceShipOne is pretty unlikely to damage more than the participants and the odd jackrabbit. (I blew up my share of Estes model rockets there, too.)
I never saw a bull or a skier break apart in a flaming fireball overhead. Same thing with NASCAR. There's a big difference between the redneck wreck-fest that is NASCAR and normal tourism.
What's your fixation with flaming fireballs? Dead is dead. Racing spectators have been killed by flaming pieces of automobiles, while drivers have perished in spectacular fireballs.
No one outlawed NASCAR, but what happened with Ford Explorers on Firestone tires started rolling over and killing people? There were Congressional inquiries, lawsuits, and even demands that people be jailed.
And what was the end result of the media frenzy? Business as usual, a tire recall, and Ford Explorers selling as well as ever.
People have little trouble coping when the deaths are related to personal failures or risk sports. But we would have had a very different outlook had Sonny Bono died because of an equipment failure.
Really? There probably would have been a suit for negligence, and that would have been the end of it. Remember the Ford Pinto gas tanks? More fireballs. Barbecued commuters. Definitely equipment failure. Lawsuit. Business as usual.
Challenger and Columbia. Look at the public reaction. Look at the endless press coverage.
Yeah, the press makes money from sensational coverage. People were very sad about Challenger - I know I was. However, it didn't stop the shuttle program. It wasn't public opinion that stopped the launches after Columbia either; it was Congress trying to look good for the press. I don't think they should have stopped the launches. Exploration is dangerous. Unforseen things happen while venturing into new areas.
what will be the reaction when people who've spent their savings on a "fun" trip into space are incinerated?
I would imagine some people would have second thoughts about taking a trip, while others will do it anyway. People are killed every year on whitewater rafting trips. More people make the same trips the following year.
Sure, we should all strive to be the best we can, but at the same time, we should all remember our own failings when condeming the failings of others.
Forgive me, Father Ballmer, for I have sinned. It has been two revisions since my last confession.
What are your sins, my son/daughter ?
I have doubted the dogma of the holy, mother Microsoft church and wondered if Linux and all its daemons might offer better TCO.
This is very worrisome. Continue, my son/daughter (please choose locale and personal information from the dialog).
I have thought that the true believers might have suffered from using the Holey^H^H^y Windows due to infestations of biblical proportions.
Is there anything else, my son/daughter?
Well, Father, I have looked at the, er, ahh, *blush* man pages in a different religion and have been interested.
My son/daughter, your penance is to immediately reinstall Windows and use Windows Update on an unprotected connection, no matter how many times it might take before beating those who would subvert the Way Out, until you have proven your devotion.
You're dreaming if you think Kerry isn't just as big a friend to the mega corps. In case you've forgotten he, or at least his wife, owns one.
Okay, so what if we start a highly-linked rumor that MS is going to bundle a jar of Vlassic pickle relish with every PC sold? I think we could expect a new, consumer-oriented point of view in the DOJ.
Are there any grandmothers out there who said, "Oh, I'd rather use Firefox than IE"?
There are some grandmothers out there who wrote programs before MicroSoft was incorporated. Yes, my mother, the grandmother of my child, knows that IE is a bad thing. Stop being so sexist and ageist. Who do you think invented the systems you're using today?
Well, if the customers are being fucked, they should stop buying MS stuff. And if their business partners are being fucked, then they should stop being partners with Microsoft. And as for competitors, . ..
Yes, of course. The screwed customers should have stopped buying from Standard Oil. The business partners should have renounced deals with the major player in the market in the name of business ethics (ha ha). And the competitors, who complained loudly, were generally ignored by the government, then as now. Look up monopoly.
It's not my kind of logic. It's an acceptance of reality. The public doesn't have a great stomach for high-profile flaming deaths associated with tourism.
I think your concern is misplaced. Launches will not take place over nursing homes. The Running of the Bulls in Pamplona is a major tourist draw, and NASCAR racing has yet to be outlawed despite the dead spectators (and participants). They didn't outlaw skiing, even when famous, rich people died doing it. I think you've worn out your argument (just an opinion).
Well if you enjoy 10 minute crafted blather in karma whoring goodness, followed by a 2-to-1 ratio of 'Why do peole mod me this way", you should check out Sir Haxalot and other fine dumbasses.
Understanding a risk and signing a document which limits their legal recourse in case of injury or death are two very different things. Why do I think that they would not understand? Because 99% of the people would have no idea how many Gs they could survive.
You think people who can afford $200,000 for a three minute ride won't have their lawyers explain it to them? Perhaps you're right, and then they deserve a Darwin Award. I'd willingly take mine.
And I hope that you get the opportunity to do that some day. But I'd hate to see the entire space tourism industry dealt a fatal blow because inadequate regulation lead to a horrible disaster.
The loss of a couple of passengers and a pilot is hardly a "horrible disaster." More people than that are killed every day on California freeways. IMHO, there should have been no break in the scheduled shuttle missions. Launch it next week, and get me a ticket to Florida - I'll go (and I'll bet the scheduled crew would too). With your kind of logic, Lewis and Clark would have never gotten on the boat.
Ah, capitalism solves everything. So what about all of those dead people? Fuck 'em if they aren't rocket scientists and, thus, didn't understand the risk.
Really, why wouldn't people understand the risks? I'm sure they'll have to sign indemnity waivers before going up. I've wanted to make it into space ever since watching the Mercury missions - with damn small chance. I don't know if I could take six G's, but if I had the money, I'd sure like to try a trip. In the worst case, it would be a lot better way to go than having everything slowly stop working and getting Alzheimer's.
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Granted, it has turned out that that intelligence was faulty, and that's a serious problem that we have to correct, certainly. It may even go to the culture of expectations in the executive branch, and that will have to be examined and corrected if necessary---perhaps electorally. But did the President say something he knew was untrue? In other words, did he lie? No.
Actually, it would seem that most of the intelligence was correct, but it was cherry-picked by the neocons to support their position while advising the President. As a Republican, I think there are a few presidential advisors who should be taken out and shot (well, given the flu-shot fiasco, just send 'em into WalMart, and let 'em die). I think the President is at fault for taking advice from the neocons instead of relying on people like Powell, whom he begged to come on board. In other words, is he stupid for ignoring advice from the most knowledgeable sources? Apparently.
Yes, nothing generates more possitive PR than massive layoffs and offshoring.
It's a strange world where getting rid of the people who built the business and giving the keys to the business to companies in a foreign country will get you huge rewards. The Roman empire also rotted from within. Short-term bread and circuses.
I can't wait for the first company to blame outsourcing for a product's late, buggy arrival.
And I can't wait for the Easter Bunny to arrive. Do you really expect an American CEO to ever admit the multi-million dollar bonuses s/he recieved were based on a mistake? I read an article in Infoworld or Computerworld where a company admitted to being burned by offshoring their IT, but they blamed it on resistance by the few local IT workers they hadn't fired. Management is never wrong - just ask them.
What (smart) companies are beginning to realize hiring smart & talented (hence expensive) engineers is more cost-effective in the long run than hiring cheap code monkeys to do the same work.
Unfortunately, there are far more companies where the CEO knows he can get bigger bonuses by making a big deal out of offshoring IT even if it winds up costing more. It's all about snowing reporters and doing what's good for management in most companies.
"If we opened it up to that, it would simply become another one of the message boards that our detractors use to try and overwhelm us," Stowell said.
And SCO has so few supporters and so many "detractors" because . . . ? What they say is often less interesting than what they don't say.
Well, thanks for the bad news. I thought there had to be some physical presence. My bad.
I think the vast majority of people download for one of two reasons. They either already like the song and won't pay money for the single (or the CD it comes on), or they are trying out new music for the first time that they wouldn't hear otherwise.
Okay, that covers the majority, but there is yet another minority argument: What about songs you can't even find on CD? Due to far too much time spent with GTA VC, I've been trying to find Japanese Boy by Aneka with no success. (No comments on music taste, please.) I'd willingly pay for a CD with the song, but apparently there aren't any. Even though the RIAA won't sell me a CD with the song, why should I be liable for damages if I managed to find a copy and download it?
From personal observation, it's standard procedure to portray yourself as the victim/underdog regardless of how much a dominant monopolistic arrogant bastard individual/organization/company/government you are.
No kidding. What irks me is that the RIAA members have been convicted on several occasions of price fixing and payola. Despite that, the Congress tells the American people to bend over and lube up whenever the RIAA wants a new law to *protect* themselves. We have the best government money can buy.
No, they can't charge what they want. It always reaches a point where the alternative to paying them what they try to charge is worth more than accepting their charge.
I don't see that happening as long as Congress has their hands in the RIAA's pocket. The penalty keeps increasing. For actually stealing a CD from a store, the perp would get a small fine. For downloading a song from the 'net, the RIAA is asking around $100,000, IIRC (correct me if I'm wrong). Congressional lackeys have already proposed giving the RIAA permission to destroy computers upon suspicion of copyright infringement. It's now a freakin' federal crime to use a camcorder in a movie theater. The next logical step is the death penalty for downloading copyrighted material with a Congress full of beggars who are ready and willing to pass the law at the moguls' request.
Trouble is there are 50 states that they can do this in at circuit level (and at federal level?) and they can afford it.
There are 13 circuit courts if you include the CD^H^HDC (good thing I previewed that Freudian slip) and Federal Circuit courts covering the 50 states and District of Columbia. IANAL, but it would seem the RIAA would have to file suit where they are headquartered. Any lawyers out there want to weigh in on the possibility of circuit shopping?
Sorry, I trust the satellites. You should too.
Go get some Landsat 7 data from May of last year. Then notice the smear on the edges. Unless you are using raw data and doing your own corrections and compensations for hardware problems and know about all of the hardware problems, you're way too trusting.
Um, it may be that you are indeed an "informed scientist" in some field, but if you expect this to influence our views, it's probably wise to trade your nickname, "Trailer Trash", for something more impressive
I work with people who actually have "Scientist" in their title. I'm constantly amazed at how people like an "Information Scientist" can be completely uninformed and have no clue as to scientific method. Whenever I see something from the Union of Concerned Scientists, I think about the ones I know who claim that title, and I give it all the respect it's due. The people who are really scientists don't usually wear it as a title. Trailer Trash, Engineer, Physicist, Chemist, whatever, they all work for me as long as the person is doing the job.
I've seen the argument made elsewhere that Standard Oil lowered prices for consumers through economies of scale and provided a "standardized product" that was far safer and easier to handle.
I've never seen that argument before, so if you happen to have a link handy, I'd like to read it. But to carry on the analogy, the government pretty well proved that the "lowered prices" were only temporary, much the same as with MS products during the 80's and early 90's compared to prices now. While MS has certainly 'provided a "standardized product"', it is obviously not a safe product. The articles in the press that claim computer viruses cost companies billions of dollars per year neglect to mention that the cost is borne by those companies using the "Standard Oil" product.
I'll give you a +1 Persistence. :)
We're not talking about an Estes model rocket here. Have you ever looked at the at-risk geographic area under the atmospheric portion of a space launch? I have and I can tell you that it's not something measured in yards.
These shots are (hopefully) straight up and down. Have you ever been in the Mojave? Even an uncontrolled descent by an out-of-fuel object the size of SpaceShipOne is pretty unlikely to damage more than the participants and the odd jackrabbit. (I blew up my share of Estes model rockets there, too.)
I never saw a bull or a skier break apart in a flaming fireball overhead. Same thing with NASCAR. There's a big difference between the redneck wreck-fest that is NASCAR and normal tourism.
What's your fixation with flaming fireballs? Dead is dead. Racing spectators have been killed by flaming pieces of automobiles, while drivers have perished in spectacular fireballs.
No one outlawed NASCAR, but what happened with Ford Explorers on Firestone tires started rolling over and killing people? There were Congressional inquiries, lawsuits, and even demands that people be jailed.
And what was the end result of the media frenzy? Business as usual, a tire recall, and Ford Explorers selling as well as ever.
People have little trouble coping when the deaths are related to personal failures or risk sports. But we would have had a very different outlook had Sonny Bono died because of an equipment failure.
Really? There probably would have been a suit for negligence, and that would have been the end of it. Remember the Ford Pinto gas tanks? More fireballs. Barbecued commuters. Definitely equipment failure. Lawsuit. Business as usual.
Challenger and Columbia. Look at the public reaction. Look at the endless press coverage.
Yeah, the press makes money from sensational coverage. People were very sad about Challenger - I know I was. However, it didn't stop the shuttle program. It wasn't public opinion that stopped the launches after Columbia either; it was Congress trying to look good for the press. I don't think they should have stopped the launches. Exploration is dangerous. Unforseen things happen while venturing into new areas.
what will be the reaction when people who've spent their savings on a "fun" trip into space are incinerated?
I would imagine some people would have second thoughts about taking a trip, while others will do it anyway. People are killed every year on whitewater rafting trips. More people make the same trips the following year.
Sure, we should all strive to be the best we can, but at the same time, we should all remember our own failings when condeming the failings of others.
Forgive me, Father Ballmer, for I have sinned. It has been two revisions since my last confession.
What are your sins, my son/daughter ?
I have doubted the dogma of the holy, mother Microsoft church and wondered if Linux and all its daemons might offer better TCO.
This is very worrisome. Continue, my son/daughter (please choose locale and personal information from the dialog).
I have thought that the true believers might have suffered from using the Holey^H^H^y Windows due to infestations of biblical proportions.
Is there anything else, my son/daughter?
Well, Father, I have looked at the, er, ahh, *blush* man pages in a different religion and have been interested.
My son/daughter, your penance is to immediately reinstall Windows and use Windows Update on an unprotected connection, no matter how many times it might take before beating those who would subvert the Way Out, until you have proven your devotion.
Yes, Father. Mea culpa. Mea culpa. Mea culpa.
You're dreaming if you think Kerry isn't just as big a friend to the mega corps. In case you've forgotten he, or at least his wife, owns one.
Okay, so what if we start a highly-linked rumor that MS is going to bundle a jar of Vlassic pickle relish with every PC sold? I think we could expect a new, consumer-oriented point of view in the DOJ.
Why does that make me think of Gates swiming in a giant vault?
Hah! May he enjoy 40 billion paper cuts. :)
Are there any grandmothers out there who said, "Oh, I'd rather use Firefox than IE"?
There are some grandmothers out there who wrote programs before MicroSoft was incorporated. Yes, my mother, the grandmother of my child, knows that IE is a bad thing. Stop being so sexist and ageist. Who do you think invented the systems you're using today?
Well, if the customers are being fucked, they should stop buying MS stuff. And if their business partners are being fucked, then they should stop being partners with Microsoft. And as for competitors, . . .
Yes, of course. The screwed customers should have stopped buying from Standard Oil. The business partners should have renounced deals with the major player in the market in the name of business ethics (ha ha). And the competitors, who complained loudly, were generally ignored by the government, then as now. Look up monopoly.
It's not my kind of logic. It's an acceptance of reality. The public doesn't have a great stomach for high-profile flaming deaths associated with tourism.
I think your concern is misplaced. Launches will not take place over nursing homes. The Running of the Bulls in Pamplona is a major tourist draw, and NASCAR racing has yet to be outlawed despite the dead spectators (and participants). They didn't outlaw skiing, even when famous, rich people died doing it. I think you've worn out your argument (just an opinion).
I see the Friends of Bill are moderating. Oh, well. :)
This is why I hate proof-reading. Do people who quickly catch grammer errors read slower, or fixate on every word or something?
Who knows, but your Grammer still loves you despite your grammar and misspellings. :)
Well if you enjoy 10 minute crafted blather in karma whoring goodness, followed by a 2-to-1 ratio of 'Why do peole mod me this way", you should check out Sir Haxalot and other fine dumbasses.
You're not new here, are you? :)
Understanding a risk and signing a document which limits their legal recourse in case of injury or death are two very different things. Why do I think that they would not understand? Because 99% of the people would have no idea how many Gs they could survive.
You think people who can afford $200,000 for a three minute ride won't have their lawyers explain it to them? Perhaps you're right, and then they deserve a Darwin Award. I'd willingly take mine.
And I hope that you get the opportunity to do that some day. But I'd hate to see the entire space tourism industry dealt a fatal blow because inadequate regulation lead to a horrible disaster.
The loss of a couple of passengers and a pilot is hardly a "horrible disaster." More people than that are killed every day on California freeways. IMHO, there should have been no break in the scheduled shuttle missions. Launch it next week, and get me a ticket to Florida - I'll go (and I'll bet the scheduled crew would too). With your kind of logic, Lewis and Clark would have never gotten on the boat.
Ah, capitalism solves everything. So what about all of those dead people? Fuck 'em if they aren't rocket scientists and, thus, didn't understand the risk.
Really, why wouldn't people understand the risks? I'm sure they'll have to sign indemnity waivers before going up. I've wanted to make it into space ever since watching the Mercury missions - with damn small chance. I don't know if I could take six G's, but if I had the money, I'd sure like to try a trip. In the worst case, it would be a lot better way to go than having everything slowly stop working and getting Alzheimer's.