I wouldn't be surprised. When my wife and I lived in Hawai'i, we were asked many times by people from the 'mainland', "When are you coming back to the states?"
There was a show recently (I don't know if it was on Discovery or not) that explained what's happening in the Bermuda triangle. It was a scientific study and quite well done.
Basically, it's methane gas released from the ground under the water. A large enough plume will lower the density of the water and can create a wave higher than than the control tower on a freighter. If the freighter's deck ports are open the wave can swamp the ship and sink it within seconds.
The methane plume when released to the air lowers air pressure so plane instruments show the plane is quickly gaining altitude when in reality it's losing. Pilots are trained to "always trust your instruments" so they bring the plane down and all too often ditch in the water.
So the show ended by concluding that all the Bermuda Triangle anomalies are caused by remnants of the Atlantean power core implosion during the Great Galactic War.;) Seriously, it was a very interesting show; great to have a real explanation without a Robert Stack type of pseudo journalism.
A man died and went to hell. There he saw a huge bar with all these bottles of liquor, and beautiful women everywhere. "This is awesome," he said. "I thought I was going to Hell!"
The Devil appeared and said with a sly grin, "You did! The bottles have holes in the bottom and the women don't."
Well said. This is why I've become a proponent of laissez-faire economics. Something I learned recently is that the U.S.A. at the end of the 19th century had a free-market policy. J.P. Morgan and his contemporaries had setup cartels several times in an attempt to monopolize rail and other industries. The cartels always fell apart because of competition. So they lobbied the gov't for regulations that would stifle new competition but ultimately help those companies already established. All under the guise of being "pro-worker" and "anti-monopoly". It worked.
Sounds familiar. The *IAA cartels have/are doing the same thing. We need separation of markets and state.
No need to apologize, this is a discussion board after all.
Maybe I took your post about modern intolerance a little too personally. That was my half-joke / half-serious comment about Al Qaeda. i.e. wanting to destroy those who don't look/think/believe the same. Usually I hear those comments related to how bad the U.S. is; but then there's a strange silence about terrorists. I get frustrated because there seems to be little public debate on what to do about terrorism. And that's not to say there shouldn't be intelligent debate about the Iraq war too.
...this does seem to be a bit of an unfortunate trend in modern thinking. Just because they look different, think different and have a different believe system we don't have to instantly nuke them when they are within reach.
Well, I've never heard anyone refer to Al Qaeda as "modern thinking", but there's always a first time. I agree the MP3 comment falls under the category of humour, but to be cautious regarding the unknown is simply wise. No one suggested nuking (other than you). Because an alien race's agenda would be unknown, the wisest course is to avoid hysteria on either side and approach cautiously. A phobia is an irrational fear, that's not irrational; welcoming them with open arms without any knowledge about them is.
Excellent points. Also, I wonder why Tim Goodman didn't complain that the SF Chronicle bleeped his editorial? After all, they are not bound by the FCC? Hmmm.... maybe it's because these words rarely (if ever) appear in public media like newspapers or TV!
ASS posted...If you were a bus driver, this would be equivilent to saying you want to go on vacation, without being subject to a car/bus/whatever-can-be-driven.
That's exactly his point. Good example you gave BTW. That's why it's called a Busman's Holiday.
Except that in many, if not most, world langauges(sic), and definitely in English, the proper pronoun to refer to an entity of unknown gender is [translated into English as] "he".
Well, there are languages where pronouns are gender neutral. i.e. she/he/it are all represented by the same word. My wife still switches between 'she' & 'he' even though she's been in the U.S.A. for 15 years. She simply grew up with languages that don't have that distinction. It's not really a big deal.
Well, I'm vegetarian and don't consider animal flesh to be food. So when animal parts end up in vegetables I don't consider it food. For me though, the more important issue is one where a few large corpoations control (or are trying to control) and own the food supply.
On both counts I found the article interesting and enheartening that there are people working on improving the food supply in a way that keeps vegetables as vegetables, and control out of the hands of the corps.
BTW, how are things in Buffalo? I grew-up in a suburb (Elma) and have great memories of Western NY.
When this becomes a tried-and-true technology instead of an experimental one, the fuss should die down.
Wow! Do you really think at some point they'll be able to engineer food that kills those of us opposed to GM 'food'? That would be impressive. Not surprising, but impressive.;-)
A few months ago a woman called the police because her son had swallowed the electronic key to her SUV's alarm system and she couldn't get the vehicle to start.
The officer thought a minute, lifted little Johnny up and put his stomach near the stearing column. It was close enough for the RFID. Security disengaged and the woman was able to drive away.
And unfortunately I expect that 'mistakes' will continue and citizens will get used to it and won't demand accountability and systems that work. Just like we've gotten used to some pretty poorly written software and user interfaces that suck.
Decertifying some (or all) of the machines is an ok start. What about fines? Criminal charges for violating state election laws?
Maybe if the company and the persons who run it were actually held responsible for their actions it might make others more likely to comply with the law.
All in all though, I'm glad California is aware of the problems and hasn't just ignored them.
AFAIK, that's actually how sales taxes work [1]. It's a tax on the seller, agreed to through the business license, for the priviledge of being allowed to conduct commerce within the state. And states allow the licensee to pass the tax directly on to the purchasers.
[1]. That's how it was implemented oh so long ago, but gov'ts in general are happy to let knowledge of how it's setup erode until people are forget about their rights. So now states assess sales tax on purchasers when it's really a tax on the seller.
I agree with what you said about CG and traditional animation. And once again the people who run a large corp (Disney) misdiagnose their illness. They switch their designers to CG because "That's what's selling these days", never realising that many of their recent animated films aren't great. It's not the animation, it's the story lines.
The Toy Story films would have been just as good if they were done with traditional animation.
My Prediction: Disney continues to flounder because Eisner's more interested in having a media conglomeration than making good films, and in 15 to 20 years some small studio will start making hand drawn animated features and they will become popular again.
With so many jobs being offshored, and with an ~9% unemployment rate(1), fewer people can afford to buy those jeans.
Because realistically there aren't any more Walmart jobs created by selling a few more jeans.
Are Levi jeans actually reduced in price by the same relative amount the company is "saving"; or is it mostly lining the pockets of the few executives and board members.
Because many more of my neighbors and friends were put out of work for that one Walmart job you mentioned.
If Walmart sells more jeans for a lower price, it undercuts my (and your) local community stores even more, and drives them out of business putting even more people out of work.
And finally, you're right!
Because that person working part time @ Walmart might just be a former Levi Strauss employee who now takes a massive pay cut to sell the jeans. Net change in jobs =0. (We won't worry about net pay though, because the jeans are cheaper now, so no worries!:)
(1) The real figures are much higher than the official US gov't says because the algorithm is changed to lower the numbers of unemployed and it doesn't reflect people who have been out of work for a long period of time or those who have given up on looking for a job because they can't find anything.
Slashdot Mirror
I wouldn't be surprised. When my wife and I lived in Hawai'i, we were asked many times by people from the 'mainland', "When are you coming back to the states?"
There was a show recently (I don't know if it was on Discovery or not) that explained what's happening in the Bermuda triangle. It was a scientific study and quite well done.
;) Seriously, it was a very interesting show; great to have a real explanation without a Robert Stack type of pseudo journalism.
Basically, it's methane gas released from the ground under the water. A large enough plume will lower the density of the water and can create a wave higher than than the control tower on a freighter. If the freighter's deck ports are open the wave can swamp the ship and sink it within seconds.
The methane plume when released to the air lowers air pressure so plane instruments show the plane is quickly gaining altitude when in reality it's losing. Pilots are trained to "always trust your instruments" so they bring the plane down and all too often ditch in the water.
So the show ended by concluding that all the Bermuda Triangle anomalies are caused by remnants of the Atlantean power core implosion during the Great Galactic War.
Peace.
A man died and went to hell. There he saw a huge bar with all these bottles of liquor, and beautiful women everywhere. "This is awesome," he said. "I thought I was going to Hell!"
The Devil appeared and said with a sly grin, "You did! The bottles have holes in the bottom and the women don't."
Well said. This is why I've become a proponent of laissez-faire economics. Something I learned recently is that the U.S.A. at the end of the 19th century had a free-market policy. J.P. Morgan and his contemporaries had setup cartels several times in an attempt to monopolize rail and other industries. The cartels always fell apart because of competition. So they lobbied the gov't for regulations that would stifle new competition but ultimately help those companies already established. All under the guise of being "pro-worker" and "anti-monopoly". It worked.
Sounds familiar. The *IAA cartels have/are doing the same thing. We need separation of markets and state.
Hey Traa,
No need to apologize, this is a discussion board after all.
Maybe I took your post about modern intolerance a little too personally. That was my half-joke / half-serious comment about Al Qaeda. i.e. wanting to destroy those who don't look/think/believe the same. Usually I hear those comments related to how bad the U.S. is; but then there's a strange silence about terrorists. I get frustrated because there seems to be little public debate on what to do about terrorism. And that's not to say there shouldn't be intelligent debate about the Iraq war too.
No offence taken, and I hope I didn't cause any.
Peace
Well, I've never heard anyone refer to Al Qaeda as "modern thinking", but there's always a first time. I agree the MP3 comment falls under the category of humour, but to be cautious regarding the unknown is simply wise. No one suggested nuking (other than you). Because an alien race's agenda would be unknown, the wisest course is to avoid hysteria on either side and approach cautiously. A phobia is an irrational fear, that's not irrational; welcoming them with open arms without any knowledge about them is.
Sandy Burger, it that you?!
Excellent points. Also, I wonder why Tim Goodman didn't complain that the SF Chronicle bleeped his editorial? After all, they are not bound by the FCC? Hmmm.... maybe it's because these words rarely (if ever) appear in public media like newspapers or TV!
ASS posted ...If you were a bus driver, this would be equivilent to saying you want to go on vacation, without being subject to a car/bus/whatever-can-be-driven.
That's exactly his point. Good example you gave BTW. That's why it's called a Busman's Holiday.
Well, there are languages where pronouns are gender neutral. i.e. she/he/it are all represented by the same word. My wife still switches between 'she' & 'he' even though she's been in the U.S.A. for 15 years. She simply grew up with languages that don't have that distinction. It's not really a big deal.
Well, I'm vegetarian and don't consider animal flesh to be food. So when animal parts end up in vegetables I don't consider it food. For me though, the more important issue is one where a few large corpoations control (or are trying to control) and own the food supply.
On both counts I found the article interesting and enheartening that there are people working on improving the food supply in a way that keeps vegetables as vegetables, and control out of the hands of the corps.
BTW, how are things in Buffalo? I grew-up in a suburb (Elma) and have great memories of Western NY.
When this becomes a tried-and-true technology instead of an experimental one, the fuss should die down.
Wow! Do you really think at some point they'll be able to engineer food that kills those of us opposed to GM 'food'? That would be impressive. Not surprising, but impressive. ;-)
True story...
A few months ago a woman called the police because her son had swallowed the electronic key to her SUV's alarm system and she couldn't get the vehicle to start.
The officer thought a minute, lifted little Johnny up and put his stomach near the stearing column. It was close enough for the RFID. Security disengaged and the woman was able to drive away.
Never thought about that. Very good point.
I know. Just wishful thinking on my part I guess.
And unfortunately I expect that 'mistakes' will continue and citizens will get used to it and won't demand accountability and systems that work. Just like we've gotten used to some pretty poorly written software and user interfaces that suck.
Peace
Decertifying some (or all) of the machines is an ok start. What about fines? Criminal charges for violating state election laws?
Maybe if the company and the persons who run it were actually held responsible for their actions it might make others more likely to comply with the law.
All in all though, I'm glad California is aware of the problems and hasn't just ignored them.
Electricity - Rates skyrocketed; blackouts ensued.
I believe he's pointing out that you "can review and challenge the data" they have on you, only you "can't access the data."
AFAIK, that's actually how sales taxes work [1]. It's a tax on the seller, agreed to through the business license, for the priviledge of being allowed to conduct commerce within the state. And states allow the licensee to pass the tax directly on to the purchasers. [1]. That's how it was implemented oh so long ago, but gov'ts in general are happy to let knowledge of how it's setup erode until people are forget about their rights. So now states assess sales tax on purchasers when it's really a tax on the seller.
No, it's just closing all your tags. A quiet bink is/>.
/>.
For the Zen people, it's like <one hand clapping
Exactly! I saw it in Dilbert so it must be true. ;-)
Dilbert
I agree with what you said about CG and traditional animation. And once again the people who run a large corp (Disney) misdiagnose their illness. They switch their designers to CG because "That's what's selling these days", never realising that many of their recent animated films aren't great. It's not the animation, it's the story lines.
The Toy Story films would have been just as good if they were done with traditional animation.
My Prediction: Disney continues to flounder because Eisner's more interested in having a media conglomeration than making good films, and in 15 to 20 years some small studio will start making hand drawn animated features and they will become popular again.
same here, I will gleefully toss out the crap (food?) from McD's if I can get a plastic figure of Eccentrica Gallumbits!
- With so many jobs being offshored, and with an ~9% unemployment rate(1), fewer people can afford to buy those jeans.
- Because realistically there aren't any more Walmart jobs created by selling a few more jeans.
- Are Levi jeans actually reduced in price by the same relative amount the company is "saving"; or is it mostly lining the pockets of the few executives and board members.
- Because many more of my neighbors and friends were put out of work for that one Walmart job you mentioned.
- If Walmart sells more jeans for a lower price, it undercuts my (and your) local community stores even more, and drives them out of business putting even more people out of work.
- Because that person working part time @ Walmart might just be a former Levi Strauss employee who now takes a massive pay cut to sell the jeans. Net change in jobs =0. (We won't worry about net pay though, because the jeans are cheaper now, so no worries!
:)
(1) The real figures are much higher than the official US gov't says because the algorithm is changed to lower the numbers of unemployed and it doesn't reflect people who have been out of work for a long period of time or those who have given up on looking for a job because they can't find anything.And finally, you're right!
I've been in many and caused a few accidents, friend. Not a single one of them was unavoidable by intelligent defensive driving.
So, in other words, you're saying you are not an intelligent defensive driver!