Get this-- I was moving into a house with some friends; we agreed that I'd buy the fridge and they'd buy the washer and dryer. Well we picked out the items we wanted, and I asked the lady to ring my debit card up for the fridge and gave her my card. She accidentally rang me up for the fridge AND washer/dryer, to the tune of $1400.
I pointed out the mistake, and she said she would charge it back. She ran the refund/cancellation/whatever through the machine, then had me sign for it, then rang me up again for just the fridge.
Well, the next day I find out the $1400 is still deducted from my account. I call Best Buy and explained what happened, and they tell me it will take 2 weeks to reverse the charge! Meanwhile I am moving, need to pay my first and last month's rent, etc., and am dead broke without the $1400 (OK, so I should save like my mom taught me, but that's not the point). I drive down to the store, go to the customer service desk, explain the situation, and they tell me it will take 2 weeks. I respond that this is unacceptable and ask for the manager. He says it will take two weeks to process the refund and they can do nothing to change this. I ask for the corporate number, which they give to me, call it up and get the same story, but the guy makes it sound like it's my fault:
Him - "Sir, it will take two weeks to void the incorrect transaction. That is the risk you take when using debit."
Me - "Are you saying I am taking the risk that you will charge my card for more than I agreed to then refuse to return my money?"
Him - "That's the risk you take, sir."
I ask for his higher up, who gets on the phone and gives me the same story. He says they can't do it any faster becuase it's up to my bank. I get his extension then call my bank. They say it is up to Best Buy to refund it, and that a chargeback would take longer than the two weeks they're going to take.
I put my bank and the Best Buy guy on the phone with each other, hoping that will settle things, but they basically both state their positions then hang up. So I end up waiting two weeks for my freakin' money.
Needless to say I've mostly stayed away from BB after that, except for my Day-After-Thanksgiving spree there which they DEFINITELY lost money on (got two carts full of loss leader items). Thinking about that incident still gets my blood boiling. It's kind of sad/hilarious that we all have our own Worst Buy horror stories!
Maybe slightly OT, but I see a problem with a paper trail that I haven't heard mentioned. With a paper trail, it is possible to "prove" who you've cast your vote for. This doesn't sound like a big deal, but it opens up the door for all sorts of michief, particularly vote swapping--"I'll vote for Nader in my state if you vote for Gore in yours. Be sure to scan and email your vote confirmation on election day." There are other scenarios I would be worried about too, such as someone pressuring someone else (ie an abusive husband against a wife) to vote for a particular candidate--previously, the person could have just voted for whomever they wanted to and lie, now they can be made to show their confirmation ticket. I could also see the media asking to see the confirmations in their exit polling.
Don't get me wrong, I'm as worried about electronic "black box" voting as the next guy. I'm just concerned that these paper trails have the possibility of costing us the priceless anonymity of the vote.
YES IT WORKED FOR ME TOO AND HERE I;m now telljing you all about our new programs included 17% bONUS RANGE FOR QUALIFICATION STUDENTS!!!!!!!!!
yes I say "Hello to you once good sir" and here I'min to tell you all about these fine points::
1)YOUTOO Can make good money forwarding Bill Gates emali AS HAS MY FATHER
1) much avidence has
THANKS YOU. Forward to allfriends for cash prize.
swimmer ballrom underwater plastic discernment
Here is the eBay auction and here is the website. They are calling it an "internet command line." Basically you type in a "command" and a "parameter", where the command is the name of a search engine and the parameter is a search term, and the site automatically directs you to the search results page for that engine.
Seems exceedingly lame to me, given the Google toolbar, Firefox search box and keymarks, other meta-search engines, etc. Too bad, when I first read the term "internet command line" I thought it was going to be something much cooler.
BTW the search engines supported are user submitted and it is already being spammed with junk. Ha!
"The 3D mapping interface shows actual buildings, and knows street addresses, enabling it to identify destination addresses. In the picture at right, it has identified a gas station belonging to a promotional partner. Advertising for many other businesses, such as fast food outlets, appears to be built into the maps."
To the poster: I agree that many of the MS patents that have been popping up as front page news on Slashdot are ridiculous at face value. Whether that is because they are really so ludicrous, or because the details of a 100+ page patent can't be bioled down to a 1 paragraph summary by one of Microsoft's opponents, I can't say (because I am too lazy to read the stinkin' article). Perhaps it is a 50/50 split. Anyway, this patent doesn't look ludicrous to me from the summary. MS didn't patent a grocery list. They patented the autogeneration of coding task lists based on 'TODO:' comments in the code. This doesn't seem like a glaringly obvious idea to me, and I'm not aware of any prior art. If you are, or it seems glaringly obvious to you, speak up. But don't overgeneralize the patent just to make it sound overly ridiculous - that delegitamizes your argument.
Interestingly, it can be proven that there is a series of n consecutive composite (nonprime) numbers for ANY number n! This means there is some sequence of 10 trillion nonprime numbers. It seems almost contradictory to the infinicy of primes (though it is not).
From http://www.fortunecity.com/emachines/e11/86/touris t2b.html -
At the same time, it's relatively easy to prove that consecutive primes can be as far apart as anyone would want. The sequence of numbers n! + 2, n! +3, n!..... . n! + n shows this conjecture must be true. The number n!, where n = 5, for example, has a value of 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5, or 120. In the general case, n! + 2 is evenly divisible by 2, n! + 3 is evenly divisible by 3, and so on. Finally, n! + n is evenly divisible by n. Therefore, all the numbers in the sequence are composite. The sequence can be made arbitrarily long by picking a sufficiently large number n.
I bet we could start a whole subthread of explanations heard from Best Buy employees. I hear something ridiculous almost every time I go in there (unfortunately, the line is usually delivered to someone who seems to buy every word)!
* "This [less expensive] camera can only hold 15 seconds of video because of the 'cache overflow'" - about a Sony Cybershot P7 whose video length is limited only by Memory Stick size
* "Well, the wireless internet is faster because it doesn't have to squeeze through the cable."
Who will be a suitable (no pun intended) Samus Aran?
likely picks:
- Angelina Jolie - That Dark Angel girl - The 'Alias' girl - Susanne Sommers (my vote)
More importantly, will the Varia Suit be captured early through Samus' mastery of the Infinite Bomb Jump?
If I've ever had hope for a video game movie, it is this one. But I'm too old and wise not to remember Mario Brothers, Resident Evil, Street Fighter (chokes back tears)...
My coworker mentioned to his boss that he could tell every time she got email because her system beeped. She said she'd like to turn it off, but didn't know how. He proposed just muting the volume. She complained "But then I wouldn't be able to hear the clicky sound of the keys when I'm typing." He gave her a blank stare, trying to figure out if she was joking or not, then she put her ear up to the keys and started pressing them. "Yeah, I couldn't hear them" she affirmed, then started clicking the mouse "or the clicking sound of the mouse."
This is one of our lead programmers by the way. *sigh*
Let's see here... BWJonah, BWJankowicz... ah.. here we go, BWJones' dossier:
***** MATRIX program BWJones- Suspect individual. Member of suspect community 'slashdot.org' *****
Let's make a note here- "Criticizes MATRIX program. On record questioning official government actions. Criticizes governor. IP logged. Prepare storage vat #77257383-B3123-304. Log all nueral transmissions. Monitor for contact with rebel forces."
Here is a spoiler free summary for those who still care.
*FADE IN*
Obi-Wan-Kenobi fights six million clones.
Obi-Wan: There are too many of the clones that I am fighting.
Jar-Jar Binks appears, disguised as clone.
Jar-Jar: Mesa annoy fans but mesa make Lucas money by saying Mesa drink Pepsi Mesa Mesa Mesa.
*4 hours of Boring stuff*
Obi-Wan: Help I am turning into Darth Vader!
Anakin: What, I thought that was me?!?
Obi-Wan: You mean as revealed way back in Empire Strikes Back? Come on, how boring do you think this series is! Lucas must be throwing in a plot twist--what kind of ludicrous narrative takes four films to catch up to a pre-existing plot twist? Lucas cannot possible be that unimaginative! On second thought... maybe you are Darth Vader?!?
Darth Vader: Die!
Jar-Jar: Pepsi!
Natalie Portman: I love you Anakin oh no please do not turn into Darth Vader you mean everything to me I love you oh know.
Darth Vader: Uh oh, am already Darth Vader. Dang.
Natalie Portman: Help me Obi-Wan-Kenobi you're my only hope.
Jar-Jar: The choice of a new generation!
Han Solo: Is this episode VII yet?
Chewbacca: I hope not, I die in the book-series before then!
Luke: It's not fair! I wanted to go to Taji station! Waaaahhh...
FADE TO: Picture of Lucas drinking martinis on private island
Lucas: Mwahahaha! The more action figures they buy, the more shall slip through their fingers!
Mark Hamill: Do I have to keep fanning you with this palm frong?
Lucas (waves hand): There are no palm frongs here, move along.
Slashdot Mirror
Where do you see Wikipedia in ten years?
And all their links go to actual usbank.com help screens. Ouch! Good one...
Get this-- I was moving into a house with some friends; we agreed that I'd buy the fridge and they'd buy the washer and dryer. Well we picked out the items we wanted, and I asked the lady to ring my debit card up for the fridge and gave her my card. She accidentally rang me up for the fridge AND washer/dryer, to the tune of $1400.
I pointed out the mistake, and she said she would charge it back. She ran the refund/cancellation/whatever through the machine, then had me sign for it, then rang me up again for just the fridge.
Well, the next day I find out the $1400 is still deducted from my account. I call Best Buy and explained what happened, and they tell me it will take 2 weeks to reverse the charge! Meanwhile I am moving, need to pay my first and last month's rent, etc., and am dead broke without the $1400 (OK, so I should save like my mom taught me, but that's not the point). I drive down to the store, go to the customer service desk, explain the situation, and they tell me it will take 2 weeks. I respond that this is unacceptable and ask for the manager. He says it will take two weeks to process the refund and they can do nothing to change this. I ask for the corporate number, which they give to me, call it up and get the same story, but the guy makes it sound like it's my fault:
Him - "Sir, it will take two weeks to void the incorrect transaction. That is the risk you take when using debit."
Me - "Are you saying I am taking the risk that you will charge my card for more than I agreed to then refuse to return my money?"
Him - "That's the risk you take, sir."
I ask for his higher up, who gets on the phone and gives me the same story. He says they can't do it any faster becuase it's up to my bank. I get his extension then call my bank. They say it is up to Best Buy to refund it, and that a chargeback would take longer than the two weeks they're going to take.
I put my bank and the Best Buy guy on the phone with each other, hoping that will settle things, but they basically both state their positions then hang up. So I end up waiting two weeks for my freakin' money.
Needless to say I've mostly stayed away from BB after that, except for my Day-After-Thanksgiving spree there which they DEFINITELY lost money on (got two carts full of loss leader items). Thinking about that incident still gets my blood boiling. It's kind of sad/hilarious that we all have our own Worst Buy horror stories!
Maybe slightly OT, but I see a problem with a paper trail that I haven't heard mentioned. With a paper trail, it is possible to "prove" who you've cast your vote for. This doesn't sound like a big deal, but it opens up the door for all sorts of michief, particularly vote swapping--"I'll vote for Nader in my state if you vote for Gore in yours. Be sure to scan and email your vote confirmation on election day." There are other scenarios I would be worried about too, such as someone pressuring someone else (ie an abusive husband against a wife) to vote for a particular candidate--previously, the person could have just voted for whomever they wanted to and lie, now they can be made to show their confirmation ticket. I could also see the media asking to see the confirmations in their exit polling.
Don't get me wrong, I'm as worried about electronic "black box" voting as the next guy. I'm just concerned that these paper trails have the possibility of costing us the priceless anonymity of the vote.
I predict they will go after 7 (well, 6 #2) and that we will be heearing the press release on it within the year. Any takers?
YES IT WORKED FOR ME TOO AND HERE I;m now telljing you all about our new programs included 17% bONUS RANGE FOR QUALIFICATION STUDENTS!!!!!!!!! yes I say "Hello to you once good sir" and here I'min to tell you all about these fine points:: 1)YOUTOO Can make good money forwarding Bill Gates emali AS HAS MY FATHER 1) much avidence has THANKS YOU. Forward to allfriends for cash prize. swimmer ballrom underwater plastic discernment
Seems exceedingly lame to me, given the Google toolbar, Firefox search box and keymarks, other meta-search engines, etc. Too bad, when I first read the term "internet command line" I thought it was going to be something much cooler.
BTW the search engines supported are user submitted and it is already being spammed with junk. Ha!
From the article
"The 3D mapping interface shows actual buildings, and knows street addresses, enabling it to identify destination addresses. In the picture at right, it has identified a gas station belonging to a promotional partner. Advertising for many other businesses, such as fast food outlets, appears to be built into the maps."
To the poster: I agree that many of the MS patents that have been popping up as front page news on Slashdot are ridiculous at face value. Whether that is because they are really so ludicrous, or because the details of a 100+ page patent can't be bioled down to a 1 paragraph summary by one of Microsoft's opponents, I can't say (because I am too lazy to read the stinkin' article). Perhaps it is a 50/50 split. Anyway, this patent doesn't look ludicrous to me from the summary. MS didn't patent a grocery list. They patented the autogeneration of coding task lists based on 'TODO:' comments in the code. This doesn't seem like a glaringly obvious idea to me, and I'm not aware of any prior art. If you are, or it seems glaringly obvious to you, speak up. But don't overgeneralize the patent just to make it sound overly ridiculous - that delegitamizes your argument.
Interestingly, it can be proven that there is a series of n consecutive composite (nonprime) numbers for ANY number n! This means there is some sequence of 10 trillion nonprime numbers. It seems almost contradictory to the infinicy of primes (though it is not).
s t2b.html -
..... . n! + n shows this conjecture must be true. The number n!, where n = 5, for example, has a value of 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5, or 120. In the general case, n! + 2 is evenly divisible by 2, n! + 3 is evenly divisible by 3, and so on. Finally, n! + n is evenly divisible by n. Therefore, all the numbers in the sequence are composite. The sequence can be made arbitrarily long by picking a sufficiently large number n.
From http://www.fortunecity.com/emachines/e11/86/touri
At the same time, it's relatively easy to prove that consecutive primes can be as far apart as anyone would want. The sequence of numbers n! + 2, n! +3, n!
I bet we could start a whole subthread of explanations heard from Best Buy employees. I hear something ridiculous almost every time I go in there (unfortunately, the line is usually delivered to someone who seems to buy every word)!
* "This [less expensive] camera can only hold 15 seconds of video because of the 'cache overflow'" - about a Sony Cybershot P7 whose video length is limited only by Memory Stick size
* "Well, the wireless internet is faster because it doesn't have to squeeze through the cable."
and the most egregious of all lies-
"This Lexmark printer is excellent."
I would encourage a class action lawsuit, but then l would probably just see this on my bill next month-
Regulatory Consumer Disloyalty Juris Prudence Fee - $14.86
Much more impressive than "The World's First Poker Folding Robot" they had at Comdex last year.
Will it fit in my briefcase when folded? Or does it fold into a briefcase itself? Is it trained to combat the Decepticons?
You must be new here.
Who will be a suitable (no pun intended) Samus Aran?
likely picks:
- Angelina Jolie
- That Dark Angel girl
- The 'Alias' girl
- Susanne Sommers (my vote)
More importantly, will the Varia Suit be captured early through Samus' mastery of the Infinite Bomb Jump?
If I've ever had hope for a video game movie, it is this one. But I'm too old and wise not to remember Mario Brothers, Resident Evil, Street Fighter (chokes back tears)...
In Action
Design schematics
Early Mock-up of Version 2
True story.
My coworker mentioned to his boss that he could tell every time she got email because her system beeped. She said she'd like to turn it off, but didn't know how. He proposed just muting the volume. She complained "But then I wouldn't be able to hear the clicky sound of the keys when I'm typing." He gave her a blank stare, trying to figure out if she was joking or not, then she put her ear up to the keys and started pressing them. "Yeah, I couldn't hear them" she affirmed, then started clicking the mouse "or the clicking sound of the mouse."
This is one of our lead programmers by the way. *sigh*
In Utah, eh?
Let's see here... BWJonah, BWJankowicz... ah.. here we go, BWJones' dossier:
*****
MATRIX program
BWJones-
Suspect individual. Member of suspect community 'slashdot.org'
*****
Let's make a note here- "Criticizes MATRIX program. On record questioning official government actions. Criticizes governor. IP logged. Prepare storage vat #77257383-B3123-304. Log all nueral transmissions. Monitor for contact with rebel forces."
Yes, here is the notation:
i tch())>
<Sing>
<Tone = {Nauseous hamster|12%}{Breaking windows|9%}{Farm equipment fighting huge insects|31%}{Zebra mating call 41%}{Ted Danson weeping|7%}{Torture victims|6%}{Fingernails on chalkboard|1%}>
<Pitch = rand(note_pitch.flat(),note_pitch.high(),random_p
<Gyrations = {Zebra mating call 93%}{Elvis Presley ungergoing electric shock therapy|7%}>
</Sing>
Here is a spoiler free summary for those who still care.
*FADE IN*
Obi-Wan-Kenobi fights six million clones.
Obi-Wan: There are too many of the clones that I am fighting.
Jar-Jar Binks appears, disguised as clone.
Jar-Jar: Mesa annoy fans but mesa make Lucas money by saying Mesa drink Pepsi Mesa Mesa Mesa.
*4 hours of Boring stuff*
Obi-Wan: Help I am turning into Darth Vader!
Anakin: What, I thought that was me?!?
Obi-Wan: You mean as revealed way back in Empire Strikes Back? Come on, how boring do you think this series is! Lucas must be throwing in a plot twist--what kind of ludicrous narrative takes four films to catch up to a pre-existing plot twist? Lucas cannot possible be that unimaginative! On second thought... maybe you are Darth Vader?!?
Darth Vader: Die!
Jar-Jar: Pepsi!
Natalie Portman: I love you Anakin oh no please do not turn into Darth Vader you mean everything to me I love you oh know.
Darth Vader: Uh oh, am already Darth Vader. Dang.
Natalie Portman: Help me Obi-Wan-Kenobi you're my only hope.
Jar-Jar: The choice of a new generation!
Han Solo: Is this episode VII yet?
Chewbacca: I hope not, I die in the book-series before then!
Luke: It's not fair! I wanted to go to Taji station! Waaaahhh...
FADE TO: Picture of Lucas drinking martinis on private island
Lucas: Mwahahaha! The more action figures they buy, the more shall slip through their fingers!
Mark Hamill: Do I have to keep fanning you with this palm frong?
Lucas (waves hand): There are no palm frongs here, move along.
Mark: That doesn't work in real life.
Lucas- Makes 12 more bad films.
Wait a sec... DRM's Computer Tip List? DRM's Computer Tips?
Don't fall for it! IT'S A COOKBOOK! IT'S A COOKBOOK!
At least you didn't have to run Windows ME.
Wouldn't a CD-R or DVD-R survive an EMP just fine (though the computer to read it would be toast)?
Their Imagineers were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should!