I am curious if anybody else has heard about the energy disturbances near some of the crop circles
Simple, if people find a crop circle, someone may start talking about the "strange energy distrubances" in the area, even when nobody has mentioned anything about the disturbance before.
If we used that logic, then the world wouldn't have half of the things we have now, not to mention many of the scientific advancements. That same argument has been used in opposition to nuclear power, space exploration, military technology, and now government funded software projects.
But this isn't a great scientific achievement like Nuclear Power, Fuel Cells, or Space Exploration, it's a just a video game.
By comparing the two, you're belittling some of our nation's great scientific and govermental achievements.
Besides, this software project created jobs, which in the end helps educations.
But it's still a waste of money.
$7 million could be spent on a project which would benefit a larger number of people and still create jobs.
Two years after becoming President, Steve Jobs becomes fed up with the bueracracy and leaves suddenly to start up his own country in his Palo Alto Garage.
Yes, I am quite aware of that term. I have been a participant a several acts of Civil Disobedience.
I frequently participate in a bicycle rally in San Francisco called Critical Mass. While most activities in Critical Mass are not illegal, we do push boundraries and challenge certain elements of the law ("We're not blocking traffic, we are traffic.").
However, I this falls under my point "a) grow up and realize the legal consequences". If you are going to break the law, fine, but be smart about it. Be careful, do it in an organized fashion with other people, and be aware of the consequences.
If you willingly distribute mp3s of copyrighted material, and you are tracable and are doing it alone, you are going to get smeared.
which is why the RIAA|MPAA should be suing "John Doe" just like every other person who wishes to sue an unknown party
Dude, leave John Doe alone. The guy just woke up on some desert island, lost all of his memory, keeps getting framed for murder, and is being monitored by some big brother organization. Give the man a break!
I don't like the RIAA any more then you do, but nothing new here...
If you break the law, you must face the possibility that you might get caught and face persecution.
It's been this way outside the internet world since the first law were written. The internet simply provided a way in which you could hide.
If you can't deal with that, you need to a) grow up and realize the legal consequences or b) stop breaking the law.
And while you're at it, quit supporting mainstream music, and feel free to support labels who are independant of the RIAA. My favorite is Warp Records.
The Segway is not a bicycle, unicycle or skateboard. It is entirely unlike any other form of motorized transportation, except in that it has wheels. Is that was scares you? Wheels?
No, it's not much different. It's a wheeled vehicle with controls. Fancy geeky controls. Whee! The rider can make mistakes, controls fail, momentum happens. I've seen the segway in action, and while it has fancy controls, I don't see how it's safer then a power walker.
You want to go pedestrian speed in a segway? I have no problem with that. You wanna expand the bike lanes to accomidate these things? Great!
But 15mph on the narrow SF sidewalks? No thanks. I've been hit by many different vehicles, from rollerbladers to wheelchairs going 15mph on the sidewalk. More hazards? I don't think so.
- Speed. They are expecting a slow-moving pedestrian, not a bike. - If they don't see the ped, the ped can often jump out of the way (I've done this a hundred times). A bike has a harder time getting out of the way (Unfortunately, I've done this a few times).
However, pften the driver doesn't notice the pedestrian. Accidents as a car is turning the street corner are one of the most common kind of automobile-pedestrian accident.
Wish I could find the link for you, but the SF Dept. of Transportation and San Francisco Bicycle Coalition did a safety study a few years ago. The conclusion? Bikes get in as many accidents on the sidewalk as they do on the road, and most sidewalk accidents end up being the bicyclist's fault.
A Segway is _far_ more maneuverable than a bicycle, unicycle, skateboard or any other form of motorized transportation
Not sure what your point is. Bicycles, unicycles, skateboards and all other forms of motorized transportation are banned from the sidewalk. Why should the Segway be an exception?
They're no more dangerous than a fat person walking down a crowded street.
They move faster then a fat person.
Where is your factual evidence that a Segway poses a hazard?
Do we really need factual evidence that an (69lb + owner) device moving at 12.5 mph on a crowded sizewalk is a hazard? Common sense will tell you that.
As an SF bicylist I have no issues with Segways using the bike lanes (And while we're at it, lets expand the bike lanes).
Where are you getting your information from? Were you actually present at the meeting? Some of your statments smell of sensationalist tripe... a common occurance in the Bay Area.
I lived in SF for 7 years, and Berkeley for 2.5 years, and have been an avid biker in Berkeley, Oakland and SF for 3 years.
Listen, SF is a crowded city. The sidewalks can be almost impassable during commute and lunch hours.
Bikes, skateboards, rollerblades, scooters, and any other fast-moving wheeled device are banned from the sidewalk. Why should the Segway be any different?
They believe this device would cause everyone to get fat.
Pedestrian advocates are gearing up for a fight as Segway shifts its lobbying from statehouses to city halls.
"We don't want to say that it doesn't ever make sense. But in urban settings there isn't enough room for all the pedestrians," said Ellen Vanderslice, president of America WALKs, a pedestrian advocacy group.
Being a liberal city, a $4000 device is seen as a rich man's toy and rich men should be spending their money on social problems such as the homeless problem, not toys. This viewpoint is pretty common here unfortunately.
*SIGH*. More tripe. If they really wanted to ban it because it was a "rich man's toy", then why aren't they trying to take away other "rich man's toys"? SF is a City *full* of "rich man's toys".
That would hurt the disabled however, so it isn't even considered.
Any ban on wheelchairs in any American city would quickly be declared in violation with the American Disability Act. It has nothing to do with SF PCness as you suggest...
Slashdot Mirror
I am curious if anybody else has heard about the energy disturbances near some of the crop circles
Simple, if people find a crop circle, someone may start talking about the "strange energy distrubances" in the area, even when nobody has mentioned anything about the disturbance before.
Whatever "strange energy disturbances" means.
So you're saying that everyone in the Army joined because they saw an Ad or played a video game?
And again, that money spent on military advertising could be spent on something more productive that benefits a greater number of people.
Not sure about you, but I'm not thrilled by an Miltary force full of people who joined because they played a video game or saw an Ad on TV.
No, but it does need to be intelligent.
watching the faces of the people they kill
With all the robot planes, smart bombs and high-tech weaponry, it's doubtful that many soldiers will ever see the people they kill.
Terrorists are Arab these days. Thats a fact.
Sure they are.
Not to mention that the bad guys always look like someone from the Middle East: Olive skin, beards. The Good Guys (TM) are white or black.
Because we all know that America's Military only consists of white and black people, and all people from the Middle East must be terrorists.
If we used that logic, then the world wouldn't have half of the things we have now, not to mention many of the scientific advancements. That same argument has been used in opposition to nuclear power, space exploration, military technology, and now government funded software projects.
But this isn't a great scientific achievement like
Nuclear Power, Fuel Cells, or Space Exploration, it's a just a video game.
By comparing the two, you're belittling some of our nation's great scientific and govermental achievements.
Besides, this software project created jobs, which in the end helps educations.
But it's still a waste of money.
$7 million could be spent on a project which would benefit a larger number of people and still create jobs.
Atari, did that come with Apple or the Commodore 64?
And proof that Iraq has nuclear weapons...
Hey, what's wrong with that!
:)
My Celeron 366 can run Castle Wolfenstein and Master of Orion just fine, thank you very much.
Oh, you said Master of Orion 3 and Return to Castle Wolfenstein!
Nevermind
But seriously, if my c366 can run Counter-Strike and Baldur's gate, I'm happy.
Two penguins walk into a bar.
The third one ducks.
Wow, with action like this, this technology will make a great vaccum cleaner!
Two years after becoming President, Steve Jobs becomes fed up with the bueracracy and leaves suddenly to start up his own country in his Palo Alto Garage.
You misunderstand. If you want to break the law, FINE, but be smart about it.
If you're participating in an act of civil disobedience, then you will probably have my support.
But if you are pirating copyrighted material simply to make some money, then you have no sympathy from me.
It's the same as someone stealing some GNU software, modifying it, and then selling it as their own software without releasing the source code.
Yes, I am quite aware of that term. I have been a participant a several acts of Civil Disobedience.
I frequently participate in a bicycle rally in San Francisco called Critical Mass. While most activities in Critical Mass are not illegal, we do push boundraries and challenge certain elements of the law ("We're not blocking traffic, we are traffic.").
However, I this falls under my point "a) grow up and realize the legal consequences". If you are going to break the law, fine, but be smart about it. Be careful, do it in an organized fashion with other people, and be aware of the consequences.
If you willingly distribute mp3s of copyrighted material, and you are tracable and are doing it alone, you are going to get smeared.
And for added fun, get a group of 50 lab rats and see which certificates the rats select!
"Who is smarter, the average internet user or a lab rat?"
which is why the RIAA|MPAA should be suing "John Doe" just like every other person who wishes to sue an unknown party
Dude, leave John Doe alone. The guy just woke up on some desert island, lost all of his memory, keeps getting framed for murder, and is being monitored by some big brother organization. Give the man a break!
I don't like the RIAA any more then you do, but nothing new here...
If you break the law, you must face the possibility that you might get caught and face persecution.
It's been this way outside the internet world since the first law were written. The internet simply provided a way in which you could hide.
If you can't deal with that, you need to a) grow up and realize the legal consequences or b) stop breaking the law.
And while you're at it, quit supporting mainstream music, and feel free to support labels who are independant of the RIAA. My favorite is Warp Records.
The Segway is not a bicycle, unicycle or skateboard. It is entirely unlike any other form of motorized transportation, except in that it has wheels. Is that was scares you? Wheels?
No, it's not much different. It's a wheeled vehicle with controls. Fancy geeky controls. Whee! The rider can make mistakes, controls fail, momentum happens. I've seen the segway in action, and while it has fancy controls, I don't see how it's safer then a power walker.
You want to go pedestrian speed in a segway? I have no problem with that. You wanna expand the bike lanes to accomidate these things? Great!
But 15mph on the narrow SF sidewalks? No thanks. I've been hit by many different vehicles, from rollerbladers to wheelchairs going 15mph on the sidewalk. More hazards? I don't think so.
Drivers notice pedestrians more often because:
- Speed. They are expecting a slow-moving pedestrian, not a bike.
- If they don't see the ped, the ped can often jump out of the way (I've done this a hundred times). A bike has a harder time getting out of the way (Unfortunately, I've done this a few times).
However, pften the driver doesn't notice the pedestrian. Accidents as a car is turning the street corner are one of the most common kind of automobile-pedestrian accident.
Wish I could find the link for you, but the SF Dept. of Transportation and San Francisco Bicycle Coalition did a safety study a few years ago. The conclusion? Bikes get in as many accidents on the sidewalk as they do on the road, and most sidewalk accidents end up being the bicyclist's fault.
A Segway is _far_ more maneuverable than a bicycle, unicycle, skateboard or any other form of motorized transportation
Not sure what your point is. Bicycles, unicycles, skateboards and all other forms of motorized transportation are banned from the sidewalk. Why should the Segway be an exception?
They're no more dangerous than a fat person walking down a crowded street.
They move faster then a fat person.
Where is your factual evidence that a Segway poses a hazard?
Do we really need factual evidence that an (69lb + owner) device moving at 12.5 mph on a crowded sizewalk is a hazard? Common sense will tell you that.
As an SF bicylist I have no issues with Segways using the bike lanes (And while we're at it, lets expand the bike lanes).
But sidewalks? Certainly not.
Where are you getting your information from? Were you actually present at the meeting? Some of your statments smell of sensationalist tripe... a common occurance in the Bay Area.
I lived in SF for 7 years, and Berkeley for 2.5 years, and have been an avid biker in Berkeley, Oakland and SF for 3 years.
Listen, SF is a crowded city. The sidewalks can be almost impassable during commute and lunch hours.
Bikes, skateboards, rollerblades, scooters, and any other fast-moving wheeled device are banned from the sidewalk. Why should the Segway be any different?
They believe this device would cause everyone to get fat.
Could you please post your reference?
According to an article at Wired,
Pedestrian advocates are gearing up for a fight as Segway shifts its lobbying from statehouses to city halls.
"We don't want to say that it doesn't ever make sense. But in urban settings there isn't enough room for all the pedestrians," said Ellen Vanderslice, president of America WALKs, a pedestrian advocacy group.
Being a liberal city, a $4000 device is seen as a rich man's toy and rich men should be spending their money on social problems such as the homeless problem, not toys. This viewpoint is pretty common here unfortunately.
*SIGH*. More tripe. If they really wanted to ban it because it was a "rich man's toy", then why aren't they trying to take away other "rich man's toys"? SF is a City *full* of "rich man's toys".
That would hurt the disabled however, so it isn't even considered.
Any ban on wheelchairs in any American city would quickly be declared in violation with the American Disability Act. It has nothing to do with SF PCness as you suggest...
Bikes are not allowed to ride on the sidewalk in San Francisco (Or in most Californian cities).
As an avid San Francisco bicyclist, I agree with this. Bikes on the sidewalk are a hazard to pedestrians.
Also, if you bike on a sidewalk, most drivers on the road will not notice or see you if they decide to make a turn.
Bikes are a vehicle, they must be visible and belong on the road.