Only the monitor (EIZO FlexScanF78, 21") consumes ~195 W (5-10 W in power save mode)... the system itself uses easily 150 W while doing light tasks (like, say, posting on Slashdot) and in excess of 300 W while playing a game or burning a DVD. Use this machine for 4 hours a day at "full force", 8 hours a day lightly, and 12 hours a day idle (monitor powered down but the machine itself is almost always on) and you get more than the average I posted there (I assumed I also shut it off from time to time and use it less in weekends, for instance). 350 W power usage for a computer is not that much if you ask me.
And lightbulbs... hmmz, "power saving" lightbulbs are not common in Romania (where I live), and certainly not in our household. Kitchen and bathroom have 150 W bulbs, most rooms have a 40 W and a 100 W bulb (two wall switches) depending on how much light you actually need, corridor lights are also 40 W, etc.
With no idea about what this guy is actually doing, I can tell you that the house I live in right now uses about 1000 kWh/month during summer and up to 1500 kWh/month during winter. What the heck are we (it's 7 people by the way) using so it's that much ? Let's see...
1 "always-on" home server, ~0.2*24*30 = ~144 kWh/month 4 semi-used PCs, ~0.3*12*30 *4 = ~432 kWh/month 2 TVs (~4h/day), 2 refrigerators, 2 washing machines running almost non-stop during afternoons (spin cycle uses up alot of power), I can only assume that's even up to another 400-600 kWh/month we stay up pretty late most of the time, so kitchen light and other lights in the house are on a long time each day (another ~50 kWh/month, or more)
And during winter (lighting power usage spikes too, as there's just not enough natural light), sometimes the normal heating just isn't enough, so we use electrical radiators when and where needed (the baby is especially sensitive to cold), so we really use up a lot of energy.
I could come up with a lot of other scenarios where a larger household or a small IT company would easily go beyond the 1MWh/month limit.
One PC operating most of the day (monitor operational say 12h/day, etc) easily "eats" in excess of 1500 kWh/year. Consider also having a few light bulbs on 4-6 hours a day, a fridge, a washing machine, a refrigerator and so on and you easily get to more than 3000 kWh/year while living alone.
A typical house(hold) of 4 would easily be consuming 500 kWh per month, if not more if you don't bother restraining power usage (power-saving lightbulbs, etc).
Ok, I get the whole "pay a bit more because it's a GoodThing(TM)" concept, but as a marketing strategy it stinks (forgive the pathetic pun).
So let me get this straigth: you (the consumer) enrols to receive a percentage of your "power" from these guys (up to 100% only from them), and all your money (including the extra 4 cent per kWh, no idea how much the actual price per kWh you have, but I personally pay only about 10-15 cent per kWh, so an extra 4 cent would increase my bill easily by 30% or more) and only "markert price" (no idea how that much that is, but definetely way less than what you get charged as end-user) goes directly to the "manufacturer".
In other words, you basically just make a donation to the "cow power" people, but a donation that's not regarded as donation per se (well, it doesn't specify that, I was just assuming). So what's stopping you from just using regular power and donating as much $$$ as you want directly to the people involved ?
And don't forget, single click, single (compressed?) file;) I'm lazy, as most other "usual" users:P
I mean, you can always backup all files manually and re-copy where needed, but it's troublesome enough that I don't do it sometimes... then I end up regretting it (a lot less times, but still, you get the idea).
Probably not a vital nor a must-have feature... But for sure, it would be a NICE feature for O-10 if you ask me:P
Different machines, different Opera versions on same machine, multi-user environment on each machine, etc. Also, I had this nasty thing with hardware hickups (too heated, occasional resets on really hot days) one one of the machines, and one time Opera 9 just LOST all settings (literally all except bookmarks) and reverted to the default ones.
Bottom line is, I'd really like to be able to backup and mail myself (or lug around on a memstick) a full current environment config.
CTRL-F8 worked great, thanks. ALT-F11 didn'tm for some reason. And CTRL-F5 did the scrollbars while in fullscreen, but it's ok.
However, the big issue here for me is that the settings don't "stick"... I have to re-press all those combos each and every time I go from normal to full-screen... that would be a nice extra for O10 (sticky fulscreen options, or fullscreen options customisation just like with normal-screen ones):P
Strange but that doesn't work for me (not in normal view nor in fullscreen). Tried other keycombos too. Some other combos do some usefull stuff, but not all I need;)
I'm fresh after a windows reinstall (done this week[end], last one was about 2 years ago)... my quicklaunch is still un-re-populated;) But usually 1280x960 means I get a full quicklaunch bar, and that's only putting the "bare minimum" on it.
That's why I said the people hosting "stuff" for downloading should be the ones changing mentality first:p Only afterwards can Opera (or any other browsers) do anything about it.
Although I'd positively love to see most "popular" downloads automatically BitTorrented when I download with Opera (by the way, I don't use a download manager, I just use Opera for most of my HTTP downloads), I am having a hard time imagining HOW you could do it in ways that don't breach any laws AND is beneficial to the user WHILE keeping the user anonymous (among others, not having to "phone back home" each time you do a hybrid HTTP/BT dowload).
Well, the "challenge" would be to have a tracker that you can access for those HTTP downloads, and also the tracker would have to (have a companion system that would) download the file first so it can hash it. This means only "popular" downloads would be worthy of this, as any other download wouldn't benefit from anything... you HAVE to have some seeds online or else it's useless... and probably having Opera's tracker also double as "last seed" would break a few copyright laws.
There are a lot of other issues here, so basically UNLESS most companies get away from the "we host stuff on HTTP" mentality to "we HTTP host the.torrent and we have a BT superseed of it running and our own tracker", there's not much you CAN do. IMHO.
For the Windows version: a "manually edit theme" (colors, fonts, etc). I used to stick to Opera 7.xx exactly for that reason even when 8.xx came out.
Second thing, an "export/save environment" (key settings, WAND database, toolbar settings, bookmarks, color scheme, etc) and the companion "import/load environment". If you can make it also automatically import all that from PREVIOUS versions of Opera, I have a nearly 4-year old Opera 7.52 that's itching for "upgrade" to Opera 9. Yes, I still use both... 7.52 for all the stuff I forgot the pass (hey, it happens) and Opera 9 for all the rest.
Oh well, and IE for the DotProject site of partner companies, but that's more of an issue for DotProject than Opera. Hmm... how about an "EMULATE BROKEN IE CSS" option ?;) Would go nicely with "identify as IE":P
I'm glad you asked... I always wanted to have a full-screen (F11) version of opera WITH the top/bottom customised toolbars showing... but without the Windows taskbar and without the Opera menu/titlebar. It might be already possible, but I never tried hard enough to find out how... so if it's possible already, tell me how, if not, Opera10 suggestion, here she comes:P
P.S. Right now I'm running Opera 9 in 1600x1200 and SMALL fonts (21" monitor and I sit close enough for roughly FOV90) and the top/bottom "wasted" two lines (title, menu on top, quicklaunch and taskbar bottom) still bother me:P
"I wrote three screenplays I'm about to sell for 2.7 mil dollars but I COMPLETELY FORGOT WHAT I WROTE".
No, really, if he had such outstanding works, one would expect he'd be able to (almost completely) rewrite them in a matter of months. I'd just call "caca-del-torro" on that one.
New hardware found: opponent's front wing, inserted in rear spoiler. Do you want your car to connect to the Internet and search for (new/other/replacement) drivers ?..and so on and so forth, the jokes come to mind (this being a benign one).
HOWEVER
Keep in mind we're not talking about something as complex (or rather said, HUGE, not just complex) as Windows, so basically you could assume they're going to be able to do a much better job (wether or not they'll actually manage to do it, that's different). I'm all for bashing Windows as a soulles corp that profits from the user's misfortune, but even I draw the line somewhere between reality and cruel jokes.
If you imagine for a second Microsoft will afford to make a critical mistake in putting this together and having it as reliable as one would expect, you're probably making the worst assumption of your life. If for nothing else, then for the insanely bad publicity if something bad happens... and for the awesome good publicity they'll get after one season IF they manage to have a "flawless operation of Microsoft ECUs in this season of F1" kind of record.
IMHO, this will actually be one of the most reliable things Microsoft ever produced (or will ever produce):p
For USAmericans, physical violence (REGARDLESS of intensity, type and scope) towards your own children seems to be considered a "bad thing" and labeled as "child abuse".
Let me tell you a word or two about the difference between a beating and education: it EXISTS.
I was brought up that way, make a huge blunder even when advised against it, depending on how you behave afterwards (defiant, either not admitting, not realising or just not showing guilt and remorse), a bit of pain inflicted on you (without hate, and without permanent damage) is the quickest and surest way to ensure compliance. You don't have to HURT the child to make him corelate the pain he feels with the wrong things he did, and you don't have to hate your child to do it... heck, it's even harder to do it in the first place if you love him, but sometimes it is a perfectly appropriate way of administering punishment.
I never hated my parents when I received a spanking from them, and I did receive my fair share as a child. I just resented myself for doing the "bad stuff" or regretted the circumstances that lead up to me doing it. I never killed (nor planned on killing) anybody in my entire life, I don't anger easily, I basically don't have many psychological issues. Neither does my sister (2 years younder).
However, my little brother (8 years younger) somehow always managed to almost always get away without any form of corporal punishment (not because he didn't deserve it, but because he was the smallest child, and in comparison to what we other two were doing, it never seemed warranted). Guess what... he's a very irritable person, he snaps at basically everybody for almost anything that bothers him, he's obscene and disrespectfull, he's in other words completely different in temper from his older siblings. Are those two things linked ? Is actually the "do not lay a hand on your child" policy wrong as a concept ? I could not certainly say that one. But I can say with 100% certainty, INFLICTING PAIN ON A CHILD IS NOT NECESSARILY CHILD ABUSE, and in some cases, if done responsably, it can do more good than harm.
IMHO, this whole "child abuse" confusion between beating your child and just plain and simple corporal punishment (as behavioural education tool) is regrettable.
IMHO, the final decision was right, but for all the wrong reasons.
It was obviously a joke (rather said a pathetic attempt of a joke), as most colleagues of this kid and even the POLICE initially considered, and as further investigations proved. Bottom line, it was NOT a threat, and was not perceived as a threat by anybody who has even just some minimal background information. Then, after a while (3 weeks) one of the kids in his class (probably when just having been pissed off by this Aron character) brings the issue to the teacher's attention (who probably had some grudge already with the kid) and OVERREACTS (you just can't put it any other way) and instead of just bringing the issue as soon as possible to the people in charge he goes on and makes a big mess out of it.
Now that's about all for excuses so far, and all that's "the wrong reasons". I said though, it was afterall the right decision.
First of all, even as a joke, this is a bit too cruel. You can blame the parents, the aquaintainces, the television, the government... heck, scapegoats for all behaviour problems seem to be awfully abundant these days. Heck, blame it on veideo games if you want to, that seems awfully populat these days. Fact still remains, this kid should have known better and should have NOT had such a status icon in the first place.
Second, the teacher (given what you'd expect as "normal") might have overreacted, but can you really blame him ? How in the world should he know that this kid doesn't ACTUALLY have access to a weapon, and that the kid might actually be pondering to kill him ? In a society that blames everything except the parents for kids killing kids and probably teachers too if they could, and with such horror stories seemingly happening more often as time goes by, you'd find it hard to blame the less informed (and probably even misinformed) teacher for making such a big deal out of it.
So, if you'd ask me who's to blame and who should be punished... well: - the teacher should get a reprimand and some penality for skipping "proper procedure" and creating panic - the child should NOT get a suspension, but instead some community service and/or some mandatory civility seminaries (or whatnot) - the parents should be warned about how they raise their child and failure to teach him the difference between appropriate and inappropriate, and probably be forced to pay some fines to enable their kid's continuing education
Everybody involved funked up pretty badly. And I suppose the judge's ruling (more precisely, the reasons given) was the only one he could make "that was legal" given the (even more severely funked up) judicial system.
But hey, that's just my oppinion, what do I know, I'm not an American and I would just administer a freaking good butt-spanking with a belt to this kid and make him wash all dishes for months;)
Giving it a second thought, and assuming (oh so absurdly assuming) whoever's watching only wants to check for what he's supposed to be checking... WHY would you mind being watched in a public place ?
Regardless, in the end, "modern" human flight was achieved by mimicked birds afterall, at least partially. The idea of a wing (doesn't really matter if fixed or morphable) still is the basic principle behind flying... we just didn't get the same propulsion style (propeller/jet). Even funnier, matching engineering closer with nature and "taking the best parts" out of each WAS a complete success almost every time... just think how planes evolved from the shabby kite-like wings of early functional models towards the bird-wing like or even variable geometry airplane wings used in some of today's aircrafts.
So you see, what I can't agree with you is this part: "But even where the ''best parts of it'' apply, it still may not be the best option for man." I'm just saying you either haven't selected "the best parts" yet, or simply our current technology can't match the required complexity/reliability.
In the end, it's all about what can be made to work or not. As for "the idea" behind some potentially great invention in the future, chances are mimicking nature is still the best bet.
Well, it's more akin to "this is the greatest MMOG I've seen so far but the world doesn't seem to care enough":) That was at least my reaction after playing it for a while.
Slashdot Mirror
Only the monitor (EIZO FlexScanF78, 21") consumes ~195 W (5-10 W in power save mode)... the system itself uses easily 150 W while doing light tasks (like, say, posting on Slashdot) and in excess of 300 W while playing a game or burning a DVD. Use this machine for 4 hours a day at "full force", 8 hours a day lightly, and 12 hours a day idle (monitor powered down but the machine itself is almost always on) and you get more than the average I posted there (I assumed I also shut it off from time to time and use it less in weekends, for instance).
350 W power usage for a computer is not that much if you ask me.
And lightbulbs... hmmz, "power saving" lightbulbs are not common in Romania (where I live), and certainly not in our household. Kitchen and bathroom have 150 W bulbs, most rooms have a 40 W and a 100 W bulb (two wall switches) depending on how much light you actually need, corridor lights are also 40 W, etc.
With no idea about what this guy is actually doing, I can tell you that the house I live in right now uses about 1000 kWh/month during summer and up to 1500 kWh/month during winter. What the heck are we (it's 7 people by the way) using so it's that much ? Let's see...
1 "always-on" home server, ~0.2*24*30 = ~144 kWh/month
4 semi-used PCs, ~0.3*12*30 *4 = ~432 kWh/month
2 TVs (~4h/day), 2 refrigerators, 2 washing machines running almost non-stop during afternoons (spin cycle uses up alot of power), I can only assume that's even up to another 400-600 kWh/month
we stay up pretty late most of the time, so kitchen light and other lights in the house are on a long time each day (another ~50 kWh/month, or more)
And during winter (lighting power usage spikes too, as there's just not enough natural light), sometimes the normal heating just isn't enough, so we use electrical radiators when and where needed (the baby is especially sensitive to cold), so we really use up a lot of energy.
I could come up with a lot of other scenarios where a larger household or a small IT company would easily go beyond the 1MWh/month limit.
Just read their (CowPower guys) own FAQ page... it's NOT deductible as a donation (was wondering myself a bit earlier).
One PC operating most of the day (monitor operational say 12h/day, etc) easily "eats" in excess of 1500 kWh/year.
Consider also having a few light bulbs on 4-6 hours a day, a fridge, a washing machine, a refrigerator and so on and you easily get to more than 3000 kWh/year while living alone.
A typical house(hold) of 4 would easily be consuming 500 kWh per month, if not more if you don't bother restraining power usage (power-saving lightbulbs, etc).
Ok, I get the whole "pay a bit more because it's a GoodThing(TM)" concept, but as a marketing strategy it stinks (forgive the pathetic pun).
So let me get this straigth: you (the consumer) enrols to receive a percentage of your "power" from these guys (up to 100% only from them), and all your money (including the extra 4 cent per kWh, no idea how much the actual price per kWh you have, but I personally pay only about 10-15 cent per kWh, so an extra 4 cent would increase my bill easily by 30% or more) and only "markert price" (no idea how that much that is, but definetely way less than what you get charged as end-user) goes directly to the "manufacturer".
In other words, you basically just make a donation to the "cow power" people, but a donation that's not regarded as donation per se (well, it doesn't specify that, I was just assuming).
So what's stopping you from just using regular power and donating as much $$$ as you want directly to the people involved ?
Not homosexual behaviour, BISEXUAL behaviour.
That's an entire world of differences in there.
And don't forget, single click, single (compressed?) file ;) :P
:P
I'm lazy, as most other "usual" users
I mean, you can always backup all files manually and re-copy where needed, but it's troublesome enough that I don't do it sometimes... then I end up regretting it (a lot less times, but still, you get the idea).
Probably not a vital nor a must-have feature...
But for sure, it would be a NICE feature for O-10 if you ask me
Different machines, different Opera versions on same machine, multi-user environment on each machine, etc.
Also, I had this nasty thing with hardware hickups (too heated, occasional resets on really hot days) one one of the machines, and one time Opera 9 just LOST all settings (literally all except bookmarks) and reverted to the default ones.
Bottom line is, I'd really like to be able to backup and mail myself (or lug around on a memstick) a full current environment config.
CTRL-F8 worked great, thanks. ALT-F11 didn'tm for some reason. And CTRL-F5 did the scrollbars while in fullscreen, but it's ok.
:P
However, the big issue here for me is that the settings don't "stick"... I have to re-press all those combos each and every time I go from normal to full-screen... that would be a nice extra for O10 (sticky fulscreen options, or fullscreen options customisation just like with normal-screen ones)
Strange but that doesn't work for me (not in normal view nor in fullscreen). Tried other keycombos too. Some other combos do some usefull stuff, but not all I need ;)
I'm fresh after a windows reinstall (done this week[end], last one was about 2 years ago)... my quicklaunch is still un-re-populated ;)
But usually 1280x960 means I get a full quicklaunch bar, and that's only putting the "bare minimum" on it.
That's why I said the people hosting "stuff" for downloading should be the ones changing mentality first :p
Only afterwards can Opera (or any other browsers) do anything about it.
Here's a sample of how it looks (1600x1200 res image, reduced to 16 grays, saved as GIF, filesize ~100k):n gscreen3ko.gif
http://img210.imageshack.us/my.php?image=myfreaki
Although I'd positively love to see most "popular" downloads automatically BitTorrented when I download with Opera (by the way, I don't use a download manager, I just use Opera for most of my HTTP downloads), I am having a hard time imagining HOW you could do it in ways that don't breach any laws AND is beneficial to the user WHILE keeping the user anonymous (among others, not having to "phone back home" each time you do a hybrid HTTP/BT dowload).
.torrent and we have a BT superseed of it running and our own tracker", there's not much you CAN do. IMHO.
Well, the "challenge" would be to have a tracker that you can access for those HTTP downloads, and also the tracker would have to (have a companion system that would) download the file first so it can hash it.
This means only "popular" downloads would be worthy of this, as any other download wouldn't benefit from anything... you HAVE to have some seeds online or else it's useless... and probably having Opera's tracker also double as "last seed" would break a few copyright laws.
There are a lot of other issues here, so basically UNLESS most companies get away from the "we host stuff on HTTP" mentality to "we HTTP host the
For the Windows version: a "manually edit theme" (colors, fonts, etc).
;) :P
I used to stick to Opera 7.xx exactly for that reason even when 8.xx came out.
Second thing, an "export/save environment" (key settings, WAND database, toolbar settings, bookmarks, color scheme, etc) and the companion "import/load environment".
If you can make it also automatically import all that from PREVIOUS versions of Opera, I have a nearly 4-year old Opera 7.52 that's itching for "upgrade" to Opera 9.
Yes, I still use both... 7.52 for all the stuff I forgot the pass (hey, it happens) and Opera 9 for all the rest.
Oh well, and IE for the DotProject site of partner companies, but that's more of an issue for DotProject than Opera.
Hmm... how about an "EMULATE BROKEN IE CSS" option ?
Would go nicely with "identify as IE"
I'm glad you asked... I always wanted to have a full-screen (F11) version of opera WITH the top/bottom customised toolbars showing... but without the Windows taskbar and without the Opera menu/titlebar. It might be already possible, but I never tried hard enough to find out how... so if it's possible already, tell me how, if not, Opera10 suggestion, here she comes :P
:P
P.S. Right now I'm running Opera 9 in 1600x1200 and SMALL fonts (21" monitor and I sit close enough for roughly FOV90) and the top/bottom "wasted" two lines (title, menu on top, quicklaunch and taskbar bottom) still bother me
"I wrote three screenplays I'm about to sell for 2.7 mil dollars but I COMPLETELY FORGOT WHAT I WROTE".
No, really, if he had such outstanding works, one would expect he'd be able to (almost completely) rewrite them in a matter of months.
I'd just call "caca-del-torro" on that one.
New hardware found: opponent's front wing, inserted in rear spoiler. ..and so on and so forth, the jokes come to mind (this being a benign one).
:p
Do you want your car to connect to the Internet and search for (new/other/replacement) drivers ?
HOWEVER
Keep in mind we're not talking about something as complex (or rather said, HUGE, not just complex) as Windows, so basically you could assume they're going to be able to do a much better job (wether or not they'll actually manage to do it, that's different).
I'm all for bashing Windows as a soulles corp that profits from the user's misfortune, but even I draw the line somewhere between reality and cruel jokes.
If you imagine for a second Microsoft will afford to make a critical mistake in putting this together and having it as reliable as one would expect, you're probably making the worst assumption of your life.
If for nothing else, then for the insanely bad publicity if something bad happens... and for the awesome good publicity they'll get after one season IF they manage to have a "flawless operation of Microsoft ECUs in this season of F1" kind of record.
IMHO, this will actually be one of the most reliable things Microsoft ever produced (or will ever produce)
For USAmericans, physical violence (REGARDLESS of intensity, type and scope) towards your own children seems to be considered a "bad thing" and labeled as "child abuse".
Let me tell you a word or two about the difference between a beating and education: it EXISTS.
I was brought up that way, make a huge blunder even when advised against it, depending on how you behave afterwards (defiant, either not admitting, not realising or just not showing guilt and remorse), a bit of pain inflicted on you (without hate, and without permanent damage) is the quickest and surest way to ensure compliance.
You don't have to HURT the child to make him corelate the pain he feels with the wrong things he did, and you don't have to hate your child to do it... heck, it's even harder to do it in the first place if you love him, but sometimes it is a perfectly appropriate way of administering punishment.
I never hated my parents when I received a spanking from them, and I did receive my fair share as a child.
I just resented myself for doing the "bad stuff" or regretted the circumstances that lead up to me doing it.
I never killed (nor planned on killing) anybody in my entire life, I don't anger easily, I basically don't have many psychological issues. Neither does my sister (2 years younder).
However, my little brother (8 years younger) somehow always managed to almost always get away without any form of corporal punishment (not because he didn't deserve it, but because he was the smallest child, and in comparison to what we other two were doing, it never seemed warranted).
Guess what... he's a very irritable person, he snaps at basically everybody for almost anything that bothers him, he's obscene and disrespectfull, he's in other words completely different in temper from his older siblings.
Are those two things linked ? Is actually the "do not lay a hand on your child" policy wrong as a concept ?
I could not certainly say that one.
But I can say with 100% certainty, INFLICTING PAIN ON A CHILD IS NOT NECESSARILY CHILD ABUSE, and in some cases, if done responsably, it can do more good than harm.
IMHO, this whole "child abuse" confusion between beating your child and just plain and simple corporal punishment (as behavioural education tool) is regrettable.
IMHO, the final decision was right, but for all the wrong reasons.
;)
It was obviously a joke (rather said a pathetic attempt of a joke), as most colleagues of this kid and even the POLICE initially considered, and as further investigations proved. Bottom line, it was NOT a threat, and was not perceived as a threat by anybody who has even just some minimal background information.
Then, after a while (3 weeks) one of the kids in his class (probably when just having been pissed off by this Aron character) brings the issue to the teacher's attention (who probably had some grudge already with the kid) and OVERREACTS (you just can't put it any other way) and instead of just bringing the issue as soon as possible to the people in charge he goes on and makes a big mess out of it.
Now that's about all for excuses so far, and all that's "the wrong reasons".
I said though, it was afterall the right decision.
First of all, even as a joke, this is a bit too cruel. You can blame the parents, the aquaintainces, the television, the government... heck, scapegoats for all behaviour problems seem to be awfully abundant these days.
Heck, blame it on veideo games if you want to, that seems awfully populat these days.
Fact still remains, this kid should have known better and should have NOT had such a status icon in the first place.
Second, the teacher (given what you'd expect as "normal") might have overreacted, but can you really blame him ?
How in the world should he know that this kid doesn't ACTUALLY have access to a weapon, and that the kid might actually be pondering to kill him ?
In a society that blames everything except the parents for kids killing kids and probably teachers too if they could, and with such horror stories seemingly happening more often as time goes by, you'd find it hard to blame the less informed (and probably even misinformed) teacher for making such a big deal out of it.
So, if you'd ask me who's to blame and who should be punished... well:
- the teacher should get a reprimand and some penality for skipping "proper procedure" and creating panic
- the child should NOT get a suspension, but instead some community service and/or some mandatory civility seminaries (or whatnot)
- the parents should be warned about how they raise their child and failure to teach him the difference between appropriate and inappropriate, and probably be forced to pay some fines to enable their kid's continuing education
Everybody involved funked up pretty badly.
And I suppose the judge's ruling (more precisely, the reasons given) was the only one he could make "that was legal" given the (even more severely funked up) judicial system.
But hey, that's just my oppinion, what do I know, I'm not an American and I would just administer a freaking good butt-spanking with a belt to this kid and make him wash all dishes for months
Giving it a second thought, and assuming (oh so absurdly assuming) whoever's watching only wants to check for what he's supposed to be checking... WHY would you mind being watched in a public place ?
And if there's also free publicity involved... yay \o/
Regardless, in the end, "modern" human flight was achieved by mimicked birds afterall, at least partially.
The idea of a wing (doesn't really matter if fixed or morphable) still is the basic principle behind flying... we just didn't get the same propulsion style (propeller/jet).
Even funnier, matching engineering closer with nature and "taking the best parts" out of each WAS a complete success almost every time... just think how planes evolved from the shabby kite-like wings of early functional models towards the bird-wing like or even variable geometry airplane wings used in some of today's aircrafts.
So you see, what I can't agree with you is this part: "But even where the ''best parts of it'' apply, it still may not be the best option for man."
I'm just saying you either haven't selected "the best parts" yet, or simply our current technology can't match the required complexity/reliability.
In the end, it's all about what can be made to work or not.
As for "the idea" behind some potentially great invention in the future, chances are mimicking nature is still the best bet.
Well, it's more akin to "this is the greatest MMOG I've seen so far but the world doesn't seem to care enough" :)
That was at least my reaction after playing it for a while.
Stage D: "ZOMG Ponies!"
:'(
Ugh. That already happened