I have just recently begun to consider a GPS unit as I have been reading through the Network Time Protocol. Using a GPS unit I can achive better than millisecond time accuracy. It is interesting to see that if I do get one I can put it to other uses.
I think, therefore, ken_i_m
Re:Printing Press Did Not Bring About Renaissance
on
The Renaissance
·
· Score: 1
It is well known, at least, in circles where the history of this era are well known, that the printing press had nothing to do with the Renaissance. It was not until well into the 1500s that books other than the Bible, were printed. The only book to come off the "Gutenberg" press was the Bible.
Additionally, it is a misconception that Gutenberg printed anything. The project to build the press was controlled by the Church. Gutenberg was merely the project manager. He was removed from his position before the completion of the project and the printing of the first Bible.
Philip Greenspun has written a essay covering this very subject, Managing Software Engineers. This article was a posted topic on Slashdot only a couple of weeks ago.
A key point is to make the office environment more attractive than the home office. I was recently interviewed by a start-up ISP to head up their web development department. The floor was concrete, what walls existed were unfinished drywall, and the desks looked like rejects from the local Salvation Army. Needless to say I didn't take the job.
I am in Bozeman. They have been putting fiber in all over the valley since mid-summer. We have one wireless broadband ISP with serveral others looking to jump in. More high-tech companies per capita then anywhere else in Montana. Two major ski resorts, more blue ribbon trout fishing then you can shake a stick at, and if I get up before dawn I almost always see serveral deer in my yard.
But yes, there is at present only one pipe in Montana. Payscale sucks big time including the high-tech jobs. As a result the ratio of income-to-housing is higher here than many other states. We have very high property taxes and one of the highest state income taxes in the nation. I hope that there is a growing number of people working to change these negative factors. Whether we win out over the anti-growth faction is yet to be determined.
For those not from/in Montana it is kind of exciting to see Montana mentioned in a forum outside of Montana. It has seemed as if we have been left out of the new opprotunities that technology is opening up.
I personally do not ski, hunt, fish, or send mail bombs.
". . . spend five hours pressing every key on a keyboard over and over . .."
Ouch! I remember back in '81 we got in a unit with actuators for pushing the keys on an IBM Selectric. The idea then was that Selectrics were common and high-quality printers were stupidly expensive. The unit mounted over top of the keys and was controlled via RS-232. It was a simple hardware hack then. It should be even easier now.
On Investigative Group International main page the first sentence ends with ". . . while maintaining the highest ethical standards in the industry." Says a lot about the industry. Even so I agree with robwicks that hiring a PI is more ethical than lobbying lawmakers and aides to pass laws to stiffle competition.
They will simply raise the number of signatures required to get an initiative on the ballot. Over the years I have seen this happen with the paper process. As activists got more organized in gathering signatures the AG's office simply threw more obstacles in their way. When a petition comes through the door they do not like there will be a new requirement of the signatures that will disallow most of them. "Didn't you know about this new requirement? I guess that is because we didn't tell anyone until just now. Gee, that is too bad. You will have to start over and maybe next year it can be on the ballot."
Citizen do not have to accept bad laws as being binding. The concept of jury nullification goes back over eight hundred years in English common law which is what U.S. law is based on. Where I first heard of this concept was on Jerry Pournelle's Chaos Manor Musings. I did a quick search of his site and come up with the following quote:
The jury system was a compromise developed in England after the Norman Conquest to curb the power of the government and particularly the Norman barons while maintaining something like law and order. Under the original jury system jurors were not selected for their lack of knowledge, but the opposite. In the US apparently to be a juror on a major case like the Simpson trial, you must either lie, or be so stupid as never to have heard about something that has occupied the media for weeks to the exclusion of anything people might want to hear. I suppose you could have recently returned from Patagonia or something.
Jurors in the Napoleonic system render verdicts on specific matters of fact; jurors in the English system, which was adopted wholesale in the US and was part of what is meant by trial by jury, render a "General Verdict": one is either guilty or not guilty, and if the jury finds "not guilty" it is inappropriate to make official inquiry into their reasoning.
From this comes "jury nullification", and it was pretty common at one time: if the jury didn't think that whatever the defendant did was a crime at all, they would find him not guilty even if they were certain he had done it. The "unwritten law" under which it was no murder to kill the man who had deflowered your daughter with no intent of marriage was one common reason for not guilty verdicts in the US. In England there were acquittals of Irish by Irish juries in treason and murder trials. One of Jesse James's gang was acquitted of train robbery, probably on the grounds that the railroad had illegally (at least in the eyes of local jurors) seized the family farm for right of way. Utah juries regularly acquitted men of bigamy, and may still do so for all I know.
During the Depression, juries regularly acquitted farmers of crimes associated with defying court orders of eviction. Iowa made it illegal (inciting to riot) to lead a parade carrying a red flag, and although at least four people were tried for this crime, none were ever convicted; I don't know the details, but it's pretty clear what was going on. (Those were the days when if the sheriff held an auction on farm land for back taxes, the only bidder would be the owner; anyone else trying to bid was given to understand that he would not survive the trip home.)
Jury nullification may be abused, but it was certainly accepted by the Framers of the Constitution. But then the Second Amendment had nothing whatever to do with hunting and sporting: it was intended to insure that the populace would be as well armed as the government, and specifically applied to muskets and bayonets (useless for hunting) and even cannon: many of the cannon that now stand on courthouse lawns were owned by local private citizens and served by local militia. When the wording of the Amendment was debated it was made clear that "the great thing is that every man be armed", and there wasn't any question about what armed meant: it meant being able to turn out at a minute's notice. As the British found out at Concord, Lexington, and more significantly, Bunker Hill. (As an aside, Bunker Hill may have been the decisive battle of the Revolution: Howe "won" but he lost so many men and particularly officers in taking that position that he never again dared close; which is why Washington escaped from Harlem to cross the Delaware and win his Christmas Surprise. Howe never dared pursue closely.)
Anyway, long enough: it was always considered the right of free Englishmen (which is what the Continental Congress was fighting for in the Revolution) to have a trial by a jury of one's peers, and that jury was entitled to render a general verdict.
We seem to be losing that, along with private ownership of military weapons. Perhaps it is as well: I am not at all sure I want the people down the street, the ones with the rowdy teenagers, to have a closet full of cluster bombs and Stinger missiles. But I do think the way to amend the Constitution is spelled out in the document, and allowing the courts to do it is a transfer of power I am not prepared to approve.
"Nullification" was never an announced doctrine, and "unwritten law" comes closer to defining the practice.
"than see him leech welfare money off of the government"
He will not be getting any welfare money. It is boilerplate in probations instructions that full time employment be maintain.
". . . U.S. District Judge Mariana Pfaelzer prohibited Mitnick for three years after his release from any access to computers, cellular telephones, televisions or any equipment that can be used for Internet access. She said that she thought Mitnick would be unable to earn anything above minimum wage."
This indicates that an 'economic punishment' was intended as part of the ruling. This is 'cruel and unusual' in that full-time minumum wage is still proverty level income.
I came across the "Land Warrior Project" website over a year ago. I bookmarked it and went back a couple of weeks later. It was gone. The "LWP" project is a next generation JEDI system. It is a fully integrated weapons system in which the meat soldier is not much more then a propulsion system. Even some degree of fire control was to be maintained by those in the rear. Scary. Very scary.
There is no solution that will "make everyone happy". Particularily content providers who make hundreds of millions of dollars in profits. They can afford to spend a small percentage of their profit (i.e. millions) to lobby the prostitutes . . . I mean elected officials who are representives of the American people.
Let me see if I have this straight. Some folks who got very rich by exploiting old school control and scarcity economics bought themselves a law that protects their gravy train. The folks who comprise the courts were appointed by the same politicians who sold themselves in the form of the DMCA and only considered candidates for said courts that have gone through the "classic education" system and therefore don't understand the new paradigm. All these folks live in the vacuum known as "The Belt", go to the same cocktail parties, and rehash the same old school concepts as if doing so makes these ideas new and fresh. Now . . . what was the question again?
I have Google set as my start page. I came back from a lecture and went to check something on the 'net. Well, I have not laughed that hard in quite a while. Suppose I need to get out more but I still think it is funny.
My first thought was Legos too. Only what we are talking about here is Super Legos.
As for the shape think of primitive digital graphics. "Jaggies" and all sorts of other artifacts due to the low-res or block nature of the pixels. Adding more sides and making them smaller makes them much smoother and flexible in the structures that can be assembled. These or their kin will be the "killer app" in the realm of Lincoln Logs/Legos/Connector Sets.
by Christian de Duve, Nobel Laureate for biology/medicine 1974
An excellent starting point into the origins of life on Earth (considers possible seeding from extra-terrestrial sources as one of many other possible theories) for interested parties who did not major in science in school (or even for those who did). Easy to read with full explanations and lots of interesting bits.
I have more of an engineering background but am interested in science as a hobby. I thought I was pretty well versed in the origins of life issue. This book filled in a lot of gaps I did not even know were there.
I am not going to make an excerpt from the book because to start I would not be able to finish until I had reproduced the book here in its entirety. I picked up a hardback copy from Barnes and Noble for six bucks. You can get it through an inter-library loan if your local library does not have a copy.
I highly recommend tracking this book down and reading it. It will provide a framework of knowledge that will allow you to glance at the headline of the article at Wired and not give it a second thought i.e. you will recognize it as merely another example of bad science reporting.
After reading the article I would say that I much perfer Dr. Forrest's approach. It is an internal defense and does not rely on outside resources. I definitely do not like the idea of my system automatically sending and receiving files without my knowledge. It puts the integrity of my system into the hands of this "central" virus authority.
I use a number of different services. Yahoo is my main one. It seems to be the most reliable with the least number of hoops to jump through. I have downloaded the Messenger and though the earlier versions were a bit buggy it seems to be more stable now. Well, at least, stable in comparison to my Wintel box. *grin* Blue use to be my favorite color.
There are also a ton of hidden taxes. Better know ones are taxes added to gasoline, alcohol, and cigarettes.
I read a disturbing article the other day in a dead tree publication. The state I live in received more tax money from the federal government than it sent in. *???* Is this commom to other states as well?
I have a cash in hand economic policy. I do not buy anything unless I have the cash in hand. The U.S. Government has put me in debt up to my ears without my permission.
Wait a moment. I think I see their reasoning now. One in five Americans is metally ill. *leap* Mentally incompetent persons can not be held accountable for their actions. Ergo someone (a self-appointing government) is responsible. Guess what they will call me if I make a stink about them spending money they do not have?
One in five Americans has just been marginalized by the government. But if you read the article it is actually half of all Americans. This is because the official view is the same for the mentally ill as it is for criminals.
"Once a criminal, always a criminal."
"Once crazy, always crazy."
Don't believe me. Just try exercising your right to purchase a firearm and tell the guy behind the counter that you were once treated for a mental illness.
ken_i_m
Profit can only be derived from a smile by giving it away.
I like this angle. Something like a bodysuit with 'strings' to suspend the player like a marionette. Opposing 'strings' with some sort of reel system to provide force feedback. The source of said feedback would be the players actions as well as the VR enviroment.
Slashdot Mirror
I have just recently begun to consider a GPS unit as I have been reading through the Network Time Protocol. Using a GPS unit I can achive better than millisecond time accuracy. It is interesting to see that if I do get one I can put it to other uses.
I think, therefore, ken_i_m
It is well known, at least, in circles where the history of this era are well known, that the printing press had nothing to do with the Renaissance. It was not until well into the 1500s that books other than the Bible, were printed. The only book to come off the "Gutenberg" press was the Bible.
Additionally, it is a misconception that Gutenberg printed anything. The project to build the press was controlled by the Church. Gutenberg was merely the project manager. He was removed from his position before the completion of the project and the printing of the first Bible.
I think, therefore, ken_i_m
A key point is to make the office environment more attractive than the home office. I was recently interviewed by a start-up ISP to head up their web development department. The floor was concrete, what walls existed were unfinished drywall, and the desks looked like rejects from the local Salvation Army. Needless to say I didn't take the job.
I think, therefore, ken_i_m
But yes, there is at present only one pipe in Montana. Payscale sucks big time including the high-tech jobs. As a result the ratio of income-to-housing is higher here than many other states. We have very high property taxes and one of the highest state income taxes in the nation. I hope that there is a growing number of people working to change these negative factors. Whether we win out over the anti-growth faction is yet to be determined.
For those not from/in Montana it is kind of exciting to see Montana mentioned in a forum outside of Montana. It has seemed as if we have been left out of the new opprotunities that technology is opening up.
I personally do not ski, hunt, fish, or send mail bombs.
I think, therefore, ken_i_m
Ouch! I remember back in '81 we got in a unit with actuators for pushing the keys on an IBM Selectric. The idea then was that Selectrics were common and high-quality printers were stupidly expensive. The unit mounted over top of the keys and was controlled via RS-232. It was a simple hardware hack then. It should be even easier now.
I think, therefore, ken_i_m
On Investigative Group International main page the first sentence ends with ". . . while maintaining the highest ethical standards in the industry." Says a lot about the industry. Even so I agree with robwicks that hiring a PI is more ethical than lobbying lawmakers and aides to pass laws to stiffle competition.
They will simply raise the number of signatures required to get an initiative on the ballot. Over the years I have seen this happen with the paper process. As activists got more organized in gathering signatures the AG's office simply threw more obstacles in their way. When a petition comes through the door they do not like there will be a new requirement of the signatures that will disallow most of them. "Didn't you know about this new requirement? I guess that is because we didn't tell anyone until just now. Gee, that is too bad. You will have to start over and maybe next year it can be on the ballot."
Oh, look Mabel! Our little Johnny is growing up and starting to become politically aware. How cute.
Citizen do not have to accept bad laws as being binding. The concept of jury nullification goes back over eight hundred years in English common law which is what U.S. law is based on. Where I first heard of this concept was on Jerry Pournelle's Chaos Manor Musings. I did a quick search of his site and come up with the following quote:
This blockquote is from one item on Jerry Pournelle's website regarding Jury Nullificaiton".
The DMCA is a law passed by Norman barons.
For a more cogent history of jury nullification see here. Or simply enter "jury nullificaiton" into your favorite search engine.
I think, therefore, ken_i_m
"than see him leech welfare money off of the government"
He will not be getting any welfare money. It is boilerplate in probations instructions that full time employment be maintain.
". . . U.S. District Judge Mariana Pfaelzer prohibited Mitnick for three years after his release from any access to computers, cellular telephones, televisions or any equipment that can be used for Internet access. She said that she thought Mitnick would be unable to earn anything above minimum wage."
This indicates that an 'economic punishment' was intended as part of the ruling. This is 'cruel and unusual' in that full-time minumum wage is still proverty level income.
I think, therefore, ken_i_m
I came across the "Land Warrior Project" website over a year ago. I bookmarked it and went back a couple of weeks later. It was gone. The "LWP" project is a next generation JEDI system. It is a fully integrated weapons system in which the meat soldier is not much more then a propulsion system. Even some degree of fire control was to be maintained by those in the rear. Scary. Very scary.
There is no solution that will "make everyone happy". Particularily content providers who make hundreds of millions of dollars in profits. They can afford to spend a small percentage of their profit (i.e. millions) to lobby the prostitutes . . . I mean elected officials who are representives of the American people.
Washington D.C. and the area surrounding it.
Let me see if I have this straight. Some folks who got very rich by exploiting old school control and scarcity economics bought themselves a law that protects their gravy train. The folks who comprise the courts were appointed by the same politicians who sold themselves in the form of the DMCA and only considered candidates for said courts that have gone through the "classic education" system and therefore don't understand the new paradigm. All these folks live in the vacuum known as "The Belt", go to the same cocktail parties, and rehash the same old school concepts as if doing so makes these ideas new and fresh. Now . . . what was the question again?
I think, therefore, ken_i_m
I think, therefore, ken_i_m
This link asked for a userid and password.
My first thought was Legos too. Only what we are talking about here is Super Legos.
As for the shape think of primitive digital graphics. "Jaggies" and all sorts of other artifacts due to the low-res or block nature of the pixels. Adding more sides and making them smaller makes them much smoother and flexible in the structures that can be assembled. These or their kin will be the "killer app" in the realm of Lincoln Logs/Legos/Connector Sets.
Legos? Yeah, as in what Morse Code is to TCP/IP.
ken_i_m
Vital Dust: Life as a Cosmic Imperative
by Christian de Duve, Nobel Laureate for biology/medicine 1974
An excellent starting point into the origins of life on Earth (considers possible seeding from extra-terrestrial sources as one of many other possible theories) for interested parties who did not major in science in school (or even for those who did). Easy to read with full explanations and lots of interesting bits.
I have more of an engineering background but am interested in science as a hobby. I thought I was pretty well versed in the origins of life issue. This book filled in a lot of gaps I did not even know were there.
I am not going to make an excerpt from the book because to start I would not be able to finish until I had reproduced the book here in its entirety. I picked up a hardback copy from Barnes and Noble for six bucks. You can get it through an inter-library loan if your local library does not have a copy.
I highly recommend tracking this book down and reading it. It will provide a framework of knowledge that will allow you to glance at the headline of the article at Wired and not give it a second thought i.e. you will recognize it as merely another example of bad science reporting.
I think, therefore ken_i_m
After reading the article I would say that I much perfer Dr. Forrest's approach. It is an internal defense and does not rely on outside resources. I definitely do not like the idea of my system automatically sending and receiving files without my knowledge. It puts the integrity of my system into the hands of this "central" virus authority.
I use a number of different services. Yahoo is my main one. It seems to be the most reliable with the least number of hoops to jump through. I have downloaded the Messenger and though the earlier versions were a bit buggy it seems to be more stable now. Well, at least, stable in comparison to my Wintel box. *grin* Blue use to be my favorite color.
It looks like you sent your reply through Bablefish a couple of times before posting it.
The Government taxes my money when I get it.
They tax it when I spend it.
There are also a ton of hidden taxes. Better know ones are taxes added to gasoline, alcohol, and cigarettes.
I read a disturbing article the other day in a dead tree publication. The state I live in received more tax money from the federal government than it sent in. *???* Is this commom to other states as well?
I have a cash in hand economic policy. I do not buy anything unless I have the cash in hand. The U.S. Government has put me in debt up to my ears without my permission.
Wait a moment. I think I see their reasoning now. One in five Americans is metally ill. *leap* Mentally incompetent persons can not be held accountable for their actions. Ergo someone (a self-appointing government) is responsible. Guess what they will call me if I make a stink about them spending money they do not have?
One in five Americans has just been marginalized by the government. But if you read the article it is actually half of all Americans. This is because the official view is the same for the mentally ill as it is for criminals.
"Once a criminal, always a criminal."
"Once crazy, always crazy."
Don't believe me. Just try exercising your right to purchase a firearm and tell the guy behind the counter that you were once treated for a mental illness.
ken_i_m
Profit can only be derived from a smile by giving it away.
"Please do not spindle or mutilate."
ken_i_m
I like this angle. Something like a bodysuit with 'strings' to suspend the player like a marionette. Opposing 'strings' with some sort of reel system to provide force feedback. The source of said feedback would be the players actions as well as the VR enviroment.
ken_i_m