I'm not really worried about the security implications (don't own a car, don't drive), but I imagine they would tell people to get service (oil changes, brake repairs, etc) they might not necessarily need - like printers that tell you to change the cartridge, even though they're not empty.
What's worse is if the owner doesn't get the service, then the company might imply it would void the warranty.
I can't speak about Australia, but for the US helicopters, they are based onboard ships. These ships were making port calls in various Pacific cities. IIRC, the ships were originally bound for the Persian Gulf, but the powers that be decied to send them on a huminatarian mission.
The ships and helicopters are in the US Navy. They were geared up for a military mission. Once the White House decided to change their mission, they likely had to get provisions for the new mission. Tents, portable generators, etc.
Also, ships are not planes. While they can sail 24/7, they can still only go about 30 knots per hour (approx.). This works out to 720 nautical miles per day. Not very far on a global scale.
So, figure a day or two for the government to get it's head out, another day or to for reprovisioning, and a few more days sailing time, you get a week (approx).
IANAD, but I work with several ophthalmologists at a teaching hospital. We get lots of people who call on the phone with problems, but when we try to make an appointment, they can't come in. They seem to want to be treated over the phone, or maybe to be reassured. The problem is, the doctor has to be able to see the patient in order to figure out what is going on.
A typical thing is for a patient to call up and say "I can't see." Unfortunately, this could mean several things. Some might be easy to treat, some are more serious. The problem is the doctor won't know until they can take a look at the eyes and find out what is going on. Strangely, (I've never been able to figure it out), some people don't want to take the time out to see a doctor. It's too inconvenient to come in.
Anyway, diagnosing someone via email is the same as diagnosing someone over the phone. It's unethical and to a certain extent illegal. And with our litigious society, fear of malpractice would probably make doctors even more hesitatnt to give out medical advice online.
For Patrick, I think your best bet to get it figured out is to pick one doctor and stay with him or her. Teaching hospitals (usually run through a university medical school) do get a lot of hard cases, and might be a better option for you. If you feel the doctor isn't able to figure it out, ask him or her to recommend someone for a second opinion. Most doctors will accept this, and some might even recommend it to you.
BTW, where a doctor went to medical school isn't quite as important as how much experience they have. Going to Harvard doesn't guarantee they will be a good doctor. Finding someone who has worked a long time at a teaching hospital (probably even a full professor) is probably your best bet. Be sure to ask your doctor questions so you understand what is going on.
A good place to start would be to look at the Elysiun forums. It's a great place to learn the ropes. A lot of the works in the demo reel were created by people who regularly hang out there, and some of the works were first displayed there. Check it out.
I hope you went to an ophthalmologist. I work for two cornea doctors and we see a fair amount of patients with intraocular foreign bodies. If you haven't seen a doctor yet, you should do so soon. Even if you feel better, these kinds of things can come back to haunt you in the future.
Good idea on the safety glasses. They don't always cost a lot, but the protection is certainly better than nothing at all.
What really sucks it getting chemical injuries. A year or so ago, we had a guy come in who had gotten some concrete dust in his eye. The problem was he didn't get to an ophthalmologist until nearly a week later. By that time, it was too late to save the vision. IIRC, he rinsed his eyes with water (or saline). Apparently he never saw Fight Club else he would have known what happens when we mix water with an alkali...or he didn't know concrete contains lime.
ABSTRACT: See an eye doctor if you get an eye injury, and wear safety glasses.
I've done without TV for years now. I have a TV set that I use to play games and watch videos, but the only time I 'watch TV' is for the SuperBowl and the Oscars (I like good films).
In general, pretty much everything on TV is crap. If the cable companies offered true a la carte service, so I could get only the 2 or 3 channels I want without having to pay 50 I don't, then I might reconsider.
Years ago I had a computer die and I cannibalized that and bought some new stuff to put together a new PC. Since the old computer came with Windows, I realized I would have to buy an OS to get the PC working. I went to Best Buy and I looked at Windows 2000 for $300, Windows Me for a hair under $200, or Mandrake for $50.
It was sort of difficult to learn because it was so different. It required a totally different way of thinking for me. Since that time, I can only stand to use Windows at work, and I would never give up Linux. I love being able to configure it the way I want it. I can't stand it (seething) when an OS decides to make configuration choices for me. Dumbing down computers just dumbs down users.
Having lived in Colorado, I would like to point out this bit of information. I guess it would depend on how the bridge is measured.
Since it looks like the site is Slashdotted, I can't see all of the info. If you judge by the main span, then it looks like this new bridge may have it (886 ft compared to 880 ft). However, the Royal Gorge Bridge is 1053 ft above the Arkansas river that passes underneath it (No threat of flooding...knocks on wood).
My guess is figuring out the world's highest bridge is something akin to figuring out the world's tallest building...different opinions yeild different results. Anyway, Royal Gorge only claims the "Wolrd's Highest Suspension Bridge".
I'm keeping my fingers crossed. My DSL is scheduled to be hooked up tomorrow. This is after being rescheduled twice already.
If it doesn't get hooked up, I guess I'll just have to spend the weekend meditating while using "Patience is a Virtue" as a mantra.
AFAIK, it only works in Edit mode, but you can use it by either hitting the U key, or by hitting the spacebar and in the pop-up menu go to Edit, then Undo.
It's quite useful, and you can also set how many levels of Undo you want. You can also set it to auto save every so many minutes.
The Blender documentation is ongoing, but they are coming out with a new 2.3 manual in January. 600+ pages and Blender 2.31 on a CD, along with tutorials.
Check out blender.org for the main site and some useful overviews. To really hone your skills, visit Elysiun and browse the forums. They are all about Blender and have sections for animation, modelling contests, GameBlender (Blender 2.25), and an extensive artwork section. To me, Elysiun is a great place to learn about different aspects of modelling in Blender.
I think the author is mainly concerned that this particluar system may be poorly designed. He states that it what he saw was a test in "pre-election" mode, which made it sound like more of a diagnostic test, rather than a production test. Really, would you buy a car without taking a test drive? You want to know it works before you take it home, right?
It isn't even necessarily the problem of crackers breaking into the system and tampering with the votes. you don't have to be connected to the Internet to be vulnerable to errors. Maybe you've been lucky and never gotten a BSOD.
Since this system apparently isn't well tested, there is nothing to indicate whether it will fail or not. As an alternative to remaining in the "ignorance-is-bliss" state, he seems to advocate more thorough independent testing, so we can be sure that the machines are capable of what the vendors say they are.
For many elections, there are people outside the polling place who want to find out how people voted for the exit polls. These responses aren't set in stone or official, but they are reported to the news media, so they can get an idea of how the election is going before the polls are closed and the votes are tallied.
Usually, I just decline to respond, but the more I think about it, the more I think it might be a good check system against the voting system. As an example, if the exit polls show someone is going to lose 30% to 70%, then the presumed "loser" comes up with 60% of the votes, there might be a reson to look further into it.
Yes, yes, I know that this is a very flawed idea. Exit polls are unofficial, and have a margin of error, and in the case of close elections (i.e. Florida 2000) they would be worthless, but if the difference between the exit polls and the actual voter data was larger than expected, then it would indicate possible voter fraud.
IMHO, it's going to take some lengthy court battles before we get electronic voting machines that are worth using. Sadly, that means it will probably be several years. Until then, I still plan on using absentee or write in ballots (IIRC, you can still write in someone's name, even if they are on the ballot - YMMV)
Slashdot Mirror
I think that happened to Hotmail a few years ago.
That would make a great /. survey...or a MatchGame question.
Congress, Paris Hilton, British Royalty, Red Lobster, etc
Sounds like a good reason to keep my film cameras (a Pentax 645 and a Pentax MX)
I live in Indy and wondered why my DSL was shitty a few years ago. Now I know.
How about linking to the correct url?
I remember some TRS-80s had 8" floppy drives, mounted vertically beside the monitor. They were old when the C-64's were new.
I'm not really worried about the security implications (don't own a car, don't drive), but I imagine they would tell people to get service (oil changes, brake repairs, etc) they might not necessarily need - like printers that tell you to change the cartridge, even though they're not empty.
What's worse is if the owner doesn't get the service, then the company might imply it would void the warranty.
It's not a bug. It's a feature.
I can't speak about Australia, but for the US helicopters, they are based onboard ships. These ships were making port calls in various Pacific cities. IIRC, the ships were originally bound for the Persian Gulf, but the powers that be decied to send them on a huminatarian mission.
/former Seabee
The ships and helicopters are in the US Navy. They were geared up for a military mission. Once the White House decided to change their mission, they likely had to get provisions for the new mission. Tents, portable generators, etc.
Also, ships are not planes. While they can sail 24/7, they can still only go about 30 knots per hour (approx.). This works out to 720 nautical miles per day. Not very far on a global scale.
So, figure a day or two for the government to get it's head out, another day or to for reprovisioning, and a few more days sailing time, you get a week (approx).
Somehow, I think the government will still require me to pay my taxes on April 15th.
Maybe I could get an extension...
Earlier this year, Blender released the Blender Demo Reel via BitTorrent. This was a reel of projects created using Blender 3D software.
Microsoft could be forced to change Internet Explorer and make it incompatible with some web pages
They're presuming it's compatible in the first place.
IANAD, but I work with several ophthalmologists at a teaching hospital. We get lots of people who call on the phone with problems, but when we try to make an appointment, they can't come in. They seem to want to be treated over the phone, or maybe to be reassured. The problem is, the doctor has to be able to see the patient in order to figure out what is going on.
A typical thing is for a patient to call up and say "I can't see." Unfortunately, this could mean several things. Some might be easy to treat, some are more serious. The problem is the doctor won't know until they can take a look at the eyes and find out what is going on. Strangely, (I've never been able to figure it out), some people don't want to take the time out to see a doctor. It's too inconvenient to come in.
Anyway, diagnosing someone via email is the same as diagnosing someone over the phone. It's unethical and to a certain extent illegal. And with our litigious society, fear of malpractice would probably make doctors even more hesitatnt to give out medical advice online.
For Patrick, I think your best bet to get it figured out is to pick one doctor and stay with him or her. Teaching hospitals (usually run through a university medical school) do get a lot of hard cases, and might be a better option for you. If you feel the doctor isn't able to figure it out, ask him or her to recommend someone for a second opinion. Most doctors will accept this, and some might even recommend it to you.
BTW, where a doctor went to medical school isn't quite as important as how much experience they have. Going to Harvard doesn't guarantee they will be a good doctor. Finding someone who has worked a long time at a teaching hospital (probably even a full professor) is probably your best bet. Be sure to ask your doctor questions so you understand what is going on.
A good place to start would be to look at the Elysiun forums. It's a great place to learn the ropes. A lot of the works in the demo reel were created by people who regularly hang out there, and some of the works were first displayed there. Check it out.
Time for a tin-foil hat...
I hope you went to an ophthalmologist. I work for two cornea doctors and we see a fair amount of patients with intraocular foreign bodies. If you haven't seen a doctor yet, you should do so soon. Even if you feel better, these kinds of things can come back to haunt you in the future.
Good idea on the safety glasses. They don't always cost a lot, but the protection is certainly better than nothing at all.
What really sucks it getting chemical injuries. A year or so ago, we had a guy come in who had gotten some concrete dust in his eye. The problem was he didn't get to an ophthalmologist until nearly a week later. By that time, it was too late to save the vision. IIRC, he rinsed his eyes with water (or saline). Apparently he never saw Fight Club else he would have known what happens when we mix water with an alkali...or he didn't know concrete contains lime.
ABSTRACT: See an eye doctor if you get an eye injury, and wear safety glasses.
I've done without TV for years now. I have a TV set that I use to play games and watch videos, but the only time I 'watch TV' is for the SuperBowl and the Oscars (I like good films).
In general, pretty much everything on TV is crap. If the cable companies offered true a la carte service, so I could get only the 2 or 3 channels I want without having to pay 50 I don't, then I might reconsider.
Years ago I had a computer die and I cannibalized that and bought some new stuff to put together a new PC. Since the old computer came with Windows, I realized I would have to buy an OS to get the PC working. I went to Best Buy and I looked at Windows 2000 for $300, Windows Me for a hair under $200, or Mandrake for $50.
It was sort of difficult to learn because it was so different. It required a totally different way of thinking for me. Since that time, I can only stand to use Windows at work, and I would never give up Linux. I love being able to configure it the way I want it. I can't stand it (seething) when an OS decides to make configuration choices for me. Dumbing down computers just dumbs down users.
Having lived in Colorado, I would like to point out this bit of information. I guess it would depend on how the bridge is measured.
Since it looks like the site is Slashdotted, I can't see all of the info. If you judge by the main span, then it looks like this new bridge may have it (886 ft compared to 880 ft). However, the Royal Gorge Bridge is 1053 ft above the Arkansas river that passes underneath it (No threat of flooding...knocks on wood).
My guess is figuring out the world's highest bridge is something akin to figuring out the world's tallest building...different opinions yeild different results. Anyway, Royal Gorge only claims the "Wolrd's Highest Suspension Bridge".
Yeah, I know... shoulda RTFA
I'm keeping my fingers crossed. My DSL is scheduled to be hooked up tomorrow. This is after being rescheduled twice already. If it doesn't get hooked up, I guess I'll just have to spend the weekend meditating while using "Patience is a Virtue" as a mantra.
I saw this somewhere before:
The only job Administartion has never outsourced is Administration
Something to think about. OTOH, I work in a hospital (not in IT). I would like to try to see someone outsource healthcare (knocks on wood).
To be fair, I do work with some excellent doctors who come from India, Brazil, China, Germany, and here in the US.
That Internet pricing seems high. I wonder if they shopped around. Maybe they shoulda checked Ebay or Half.com.
OTOH, I guess it is kinda hard to ship lords a' leaping, etc., FedEx. Can they fly coach, or maybe a discount airline?
AFAIK, it only works in Edit mode, but you can use it by either hitting the U key, or by hitting the spacebar and in the pop-up menu go to Edit, then Undo.
It's quite useful, and you can also set how many levels of Undo you want. You can also set it to auto save every so many minutes.
The Blender documentation is ongoing, but they are coming out with a new 2.3 manual in January. 600+ pages and Blender 2.31 on a CD, along with tutorials.
Check out blender.org for the main site and some useful overviews. To really hone your skills, visit Elysiun and browse the forums. They are all about Blender and have sections for animation, modelling contests, GameBlender (Blender 2.25), and an extensive artwork section. To me, Elysiun is a great place to learn about different aspects of modelling in Blender.
I think the author is mainly concerned that this particluar system may be poorly designed. He states that it what he saw was a test in "pre-election" mode, which made it sound like more of a diagnostic test, rather than a production test. Really, would you buy a car without taking a test drive? You want to know it works before you take it home, right?
It isn't even necessarily the problem of crackers breaking into the system and tampering with the votes. you don't have to be connected to the Internet to be vulnerable to errors. Maybe you've been lucky and never gotten a BSOD.
Since this system apparently isn't well tested, there is nothing to indicate whether it will fail or not. As an alternative to remaining in the "ignorance-is-bliss" state, he seems to advocate more thorough independent testing, so we can be sure that the machines are capable of what the vendors say they are.
For many elections, there are people outside the polling place who want to find out how people voted for the exit polls. These responses aren't set in stone or official, but they are reported to the news media, so they can get an idea of how the election is going before the polls are closed and the votes are tallied.
Usually, I just decline to respond, but the more I think about it, the more I think it might be a good check system against the voting system. As an example, if the exit polls show someone is going to lose 30% to 70%, then the presumed "loser" comes up with 60% of the votes, there might be a reson to look further into it.
Yes, yes, I know that this is a very flawed idea. Exit polls are unofficial, and have a margin of error, and in the case of close elections (i.e. Florida 2000) they would be worthless, but if the difference between the exit polls and the actual voter data was larger than expected, then it would indicate possible voter fraud.
IMHO, it's going to take some lengthy court battles before we get electronic voting machines that are worth using. Sadly, that means it will probably be several years. Until then, I still plan on using absentee or write in ballots (IIRC, you can still write in someone's name, even if they are on the ballot - YMMV)