For the most part I work for myself, but even when I am doing my steady [for now...] job (framing houses) we take breaks whenever they are needed to do whatever: shoot the shit, catch up on our personal lives, take a smoke break, rehydrate (it is HOT out there.)
The end result? A better product, happier employees, higher productivity than any other builder I have worked for.
I credit our enlightened employer and almost familial relationships among the crew. I also credit the fact that I am not stuck in a cubicle (been there, done that, hat, t-shirt, engineering degree to prove it.) Every day has adventure of the physical kind. I reserve my mornings and nights for more intellectual pursuits.
-OJ
The cause of this is called (in political terms) "wedge issues." Rove was able to make this concept into nearly a science. Then he attempted to carry the same concept into foreign relations, but reality caught up with him.
Pithy statements such as, "cut and run" and "homeland" and "embolding the enemy" are simply political catch phrases, nothing more.
This poison of "wedge issues" will need to be purged from American politics before true healing can occur. Other than that it will be business as usual.
-OJ
Going into space is simply a good idea. It releases population pressures on Earth. It provides additional resources and energy. It allows us to evolve and expand without so much damn killing of our own species.
And to paraphrase Charles Krauthammer in a somewhat recent article, BECAUSE IT IS THERE.
Mod the parent up. And I second the airlock proposal;-)
Let me spell this out for you:
Two types of relationships exist between people: Voluntary and Coersive.
I prefer voluntary. Thats it. End of story.
You can run on and on about me being a vampire and what not, and please do, but what I don't think you get is I don't care what you think, because you are wrong about me.
Go ahead and run your mouth all day. I'm gonna go out and hang out with my friends and family, church, and community. NYC can fall off the face of the planet for all I care.
YOU ARE REALLY NOT THAT IMPORTANT. THE INTERNET IS NOT THAT IMPORTANT. SLASHDOT IS NOT THAT IMPORTANT.
Meritocracy is a good word for this. I suppose I am referring to events as you mentioned prior to the Frence Revolution, those being rebellions against entrenched power structures. Same thing is happening in the US, only on a more subtle level than the, "Let them eat cake" of Marie Antoinette.
My previous stattement "those of us who were born with better brains than others should be allowed to exercise those brains without fear of reprisal by violent means" refers to the current system of taxastion in the US.
If you do not pay income tax and refuse the services the government provides, you are thrown in jail. One could nitpick this statement by saying that they receive security through the armed forces, police, et.al, but if US history is any judge, these are new developments. The income tax was enacted to finance WWI, and shortly around that time the US reliance on the gold standard also was lessened.
I guess my point is that if you can provide for your own security, water, power, internet, etc, you still have to pay tax in the US. You were right in your previous post, getting rich takes more than brains, but those who hae the determination and focus and talent shouldn't be penalised for it.
Thats where I agree with ayn rand's basic premise. Where we diverge is on the issue of altruism, becasuse I do believe in altruism.
Eh. More mental gymnastics. Talk to you later, gotta run.
That is a pretty good post, and it does verbalize my own conflict with objectivism or whatever philosophy. Mothers are altrustic towards their children, men save each other in courageous situations, sometimes risking everything to save a friend or family member.
And the little Randroids piss me off too. But I am none of the groups you mentioned, and I still believe that those of us who were born with better brains than others should be allowed to exercise those brains without fear of reprisal by violent means. Sometimes that seems like paying tribute to a larger entity/group who would "remove" me if I got out of line.
well, so what. Life is short, and I think we are better off if we are nice to each other and cooperate. Screw this country [USA] if they can't figure it out. I'll move to Canada (or where ever, plaese don't start some dumb flamewar over which country(s) are better/worse.)
I tend to agree with several other posters in that this is potentially not nearly as bad as feared. We are not talking Microsoft here:-)
Perhaps the best example I can cite is the Lockheed (now Lockheed-Martin) Skunkworks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunkworks. In short, Skunkworks was essentially as company within a company, with its own budget and most importantly, corporate mentality.
If The Management at NG do not recognize the value of this type of organizational structure within their advanced research division, well, let both Burt Rutan and NG collapse.
I hardly think Rutan was in this venture to make money. And now he's got the resources to make everyday space travel a reality.
I get an inappropriate sense of glee when I tell clients that they can't do this or that or they have to spend x^2 dollars to make something obvious happen because of DRM issues.
eg.: Windows Media Center will not stream from a server to a client laptop. You can buy an xbox and a "media extender" but that removes any mobile functionality (unless you want to lug a DC->AC inverter and battery pack with you, or appropriate DC mobile power supply.)
So what am I doing now? Setting up a test box with MythTV.
I think the inappropriate feelings stem from watching non-standard and poorly implemented DRM wreaking havoc on MS/RIAA/MPAA customer loyalty.
A previous post mentioned, "shooting oneself in the foot." Fine by me. I sell OSS every chance I get. It's only us hard-core gamers that need MS [for the time being.]
Perhaps I should get straight to the point instead of beating around the bush, because this discussion is starting to piss me off:
I have been institutionalized. And not of my own free will. And now I take pills and am in therapy and probably will be for the rest of my life.
And it was not my fucking choice! Who on earth would decide to have my condition? Throughout history, because of ignorance, religion, lack of scientific data, whatever, folks with both physical and mental (I make no distinction, because there is none) illness have been shipped off, written off, etc. NOT ANY MORE. While there are no cures, there are treatments, and these treatments allow those with illness to become functioning members of society.
I think I understand your point of segregating those individuals who are an immediate danger to themselves or those around them, and mental health crisis care is vital for that purpose. This I also understand far too well; the current state of crisis care in my area is in a horrendous state of affairs, mostly due to political incompetence.
Hopefully you realize that I am quite close to this topic, and not simply by way of personal anecdotes. My whole point, in summary, is that those with physical illness that was unexplainable at that time have gotten the short end of the stick. Its a bummer, we're not asking for our 40 acres and a mule, but we do demand respect. Some of us have become murders, some have taken their own lives. So have "sane" folks, and they get (usually) put in institutions [prisons] too. But those institutions do not rehabilitate. Properly instituted, mental health institutions and medications rehabilitate. No longer are we conveniently locked away, forgotten as failures, and left to rot. And having seen this truth, should society go backwards, it will be society that is the failure, not the mentally ill.
I speak as one who has a family member with a (now controlled) mental illness.
me too. However, your logic can be applied to cancer as well. Skin boils? Leprosy. Must segregate or eliminate. not conforming to societal norms? Stick them in an institution.
Sure you can. They are called psychotropic medications, SSRI's, mood stabilizers, etc.
you can only identify them and limit their actions.
Ick. Sounds like sticking the crazy uncle in the attic a-la 1800's to 1950ish. Neurological research advanced a bit since then.
that works far more than altering society itself to fit the needs of crazy people, when all you really do in such a situation is inconvenience noncrazy people.
Now that I can agree with. However, while on my high horse, I would like to say that the stigma associated with mental illness is something society needs to alter. You can't "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" if you have cancer, right? Well, since when is a neurochemical imbalance anything different?
Absolutely. At my alma mater (Colorado School of Mines, for those interested in me tooting my own horn) this kind of safety training was KEY. An old friend at the geology museum at Mines set up quite the modern blasting techniques display, and we regularly took MSHA (Mining Safety and Health Administration, the mining counterpart to OSHA) courses to maintain certification. And I got my HAZWHOPER cert several years ago so I can safely handle hazardous materials. This type of course gives these young adults just the thing they need to realize what a potentially dangerous and [resultingly] highly regulated environment explosive handling and usage is. Good for U of M.
Heck, CSM should be doing this, what with Rolla getting a one up on them. Get those kiddos young and they will be hooked for life:-)
I had an interesting thought the other day at work. I asked to see something that was propitary knowldge that I couldn't take out of the buliding. Then I thought, "but I am leaving the building with this information in my mind. Is that not wrong?"
Wish I had some mod points now. That is excellent reasoning.
In addition, I would like to throw on the table Kim Stanley Robinson's idea of doing a trial run in Antarctica. External environmental conditions similar. Though the true sense of isolation may not set in until actual mission time.
It is too bad we did not have telemetry on the Columbus et. al. crew.
Exactly. Kazakhstan has everything a budding space tourism company needs without the burdensome regulations.
Also, why are these laws exactly necessary? Honestly, FCC?
Slashdot Mirror
For the most part I work for myself, but even when I am doing my steady [for now...] job (framing houses) we take breaks whenever they are needed to do whatever: shoot the shit, catch up on our personal lives, take a smoke break, rehydrate (it is HOT out there.)
The end result? A better product, happier employees, higher productivity than any other builder I have worked for.
I credit our enlightened employer and almost familial relationships among the crew. I also credit the fact that I am not stuck in a cubicle (been there, done that, hat, t-shirt, engineering degree to prove it.) Every day has adventure of the physical kind. I reserve my mornings and nights for more intellectual pursuits. -OJ
There are no starving environmentalists.
Pithy statements such as, "cut and run" and "homeland" and "embolding the enemy" are simply political catch phrases, nothing more.
This poison of "wedge issues" will need to be purged from American politics before true healing can occur. Other than that it will be business as usual. -OJ
that was a beautiful post. Thank you very much.
I hate engineering.
Its not the work, the calculations and design stuff, it was the arrogance and corruption I ran into with the people I worked with.
Now I am my own boss, thanks to Invent-Tech http://www.invent-tech.tv/inventionsnew/index.lass o?sc=Google&key=inventors&ad=inventors&disp=test&g clid=CJud2fus-40CFRUHWAodJXL5Kg!
And to paraphrase Charles Krauthammer in a somewhat recent article, BECAUSE IT IS THERE.
Mod the parent up. And I second the airlock proposal ;-)
I prefer voluntary. Thats it. End of story.
You can run on and on about me being a vampire and what not, and please do, but what I don't think you get is I don't care what you think, because you are wrong about me.
Go ahead and run your mouth all day. I'm gonna go out and hang out with my friends and family, church, and community. NYC can fall off the face of the planet for all I care.
YOU ARE REALLY NOT THAT IMPORTANT. THE INTERNET IS NOT THAT IMPORTANT. SLASHDOT IS NOT THAT IMPORTANT.
Get over it.
Dude, did you even read my post? Man you are an asshole.
My previous stattement "those of us who were born with better brains than others should be allowed to exercise those brains without fear of reprisal by violent means" refers to the current system of taxastion in the US.
If you do not pay income tax and refuse the services the government provides, you are thrown in jail. One could nitpick this statement by saying that they receive security through the armed forces, police, et.al, but if US history is any judge, these are new developments. The income tax was enacted to finance WWI, and shortly around that time the US reliance on the gold standard also was lessened.
I guess my point is that if you can provide for your own security, water, power, internet, etc, you still have to pay tax in the US. You were right in your previous post, getting rich takes more than brains, but those who hae the determination and focus and talent shouldn't be penalised for it.
Thats where I agree with ayn rand's basic premise. Where we diverge is on the issue of altruism, becasuse I do believe in altruism.
Eh. More mental gymnastics. Talk to you later, gotta run.
And the little Randroids piss me off too. But I am none of the groups you mentioned, and I still believe that those of us who were born with better brains than others should be allowed to exercise those brains without fear of reprisal by violent means. Sometimes that seems like paying tribute to a larger entity/group who would "remove" me if I got out of line.
well, so what. Life is short, and I think we are better off if we are nice to each other and cooperate. Screw this country [USA] if they can't figure it out. I'll move to Canada (or where ever, plaese don't start some dumb flamewar over which country(s) are better/worse.)
need mod points. Please mod parent up insightful. You nancy boys.
Perhaps the best example I can cite is the Lockheed (now Lockheed-Martin) Skunkworks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunkworks. In short, Skunkworks was essentially as company within a company, with its own budget and most importantly, corporate mentality.
If The Management at NG do not recognize the value of this type of organizational structure within their advanced research division, well, let both Burt Rutan and NG collapse.
I hardly think Rutan was in this venture to make money. And now he's got the resources to make everyday space travel a reality.
Hats off to you, good sir.
Touche.
eg.: Windows Media Center will not stream from a server to a client laptop. You can buy an xbox and a "media extender" but that removes any mobile functionality (unless you want to lug a DC->AC inverter and battery pack with you, or appropriate DC mobile power supply.)
So what am I doing now? Setting up a test box with MythTV.
I think the inappropriate feelings stem from watching non-standard and poorly implemented DRM wreaking havoc on MS/RIAA/MPAA customer loyalty.
A previous post mentioned, "shooting oneself in the foot." Fine by me. I sell OSS every chance I get. It's only us hard-core gamers that need MS [for the time being.]
-OJ
Chicken.
I have been institutionalized. And not of my own free will. And now I take pills and am in therapy and probably will be for the rest of my life.
And it was not my fucking choice! Who on earth would decide to have my condition? Throughout history, because of ignorance, religion, lack of scientific data, whatever, folks with both physical and mental (I make no distinction, because there is none) illness have been shipped off, written off, etc. NOT ANY MORE. While there are no cures, there are treatments, and these treatments allow those with illness to become functioning members of society.
I think I understand your point of segregating those individuals who are an immediate danger to themselves or those around them, and mental health crisis care is vital for that purpose. This I also understand far too well; the current state of crisis care in my area is in a horrendous state of affairs, mostly due to political incompetence.
Hopefully you realize that I am quite close to this topic, and not simply by way of personal anecdotes. My whole point, in summary, is that those with physical illness that was unexplainable at that time have gotten the short end of the stick. Its a bummer, we're not asking for our 40 acres and a mule, but we do demand respect. Some of us have become murders, some have taken their own lives. So have "sane" folks, and they get (usually) put in institutions [prisons] too. But those institutions do not rehabilitate. Properly instituted, mental health institutions and medications rehabilitate. No longer are we conveniently locked away, forgotten as failures, and left to rot. And having seen this truth, should society go backwards, it will be society that is the failure, not the mentally ill.
-OJ
me too. However, your logic can be applied to cancer as well. Skin boils? Leprosy. Must segregate or eliminate. not conforming to societal norms? Stick them in an institution.
Ignorance, friend. Simple ignorance.
-OJ
Sure you can. They are called psychotropic medications, SSRI's, mood stabilizers, etc.
you can only identify them and limit their actions.
Ick. Sounds like sticking the crazy uncle in the attic a-la 1800's to 1950ish. Neurological research advanced a bit since then.
that works far more than altering society itself to fit the needs of crazy people, when all you really do in such a situation is inconvenience noncrazy people.
Now that I can agree with. However, while on my high horse, I would like to say that the stigma associated with mental illness is something society needs to alter. You can't "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" if you have cancer, right? Well, since when is a neurochemical imbalance anything different?
-OJ
Heck, CSM should be doing this, what with Rolla getting a one up on them. Get those kiddos young and they will be hooked for life :-)
-Joe
Point is, who's gonna police my memory? -Joe
Whoops. Sorry about that! :-)
He must be using a neutrino based sensing device. Obviously.
Wish I had some mod points now. That is excellent reasoning. In addition, I would like to throw on the table Kim Stanley Robinson's idea of doing a trial run in Antarctica. External environmental conditions similar. Though the true sense of isolation may not set in until actual mission time. It is too bad we did not have telemetry on the Columbus et. al. crew.
um, FAA. sorry, got my burdensome US regulatory agencies mixed up it seems.
Exactly. Kazakhstan has everything a budding space tourism company needs without the burdensome regulations.
Also, why are these laws exactly necessary? Honestly, FCC?