User: TimeZone

Re:Really good book: Simarillian

On: Tales From The Perilous Realm

Just a word to the wise, it ain't exactly light reading. Its practically the ME equivalent of the Bible, and reads similiarly in terms of style.

Agreed, it is very dense. On the plus side, the whole of LotR is condensed into about 3 pages towards the end. ;)

TimeZone

Re:Military Industrial Complex

On: Secret Empire

Eisenhower's presidency was always marked by contrasts. He really did build up the military to avoid war. He spied on the Soviets in order to prevent misunderstandings. The Soviets knew this. When the U2 with Gary Powers was shot down, Krushev initially wanted to allow Eisenhower to save face, as he knew Ike's motives.

The coverup that was proposed (and indeed attempted) claimed that the U2 was a NASA weather aircraft. (isn't it always?) But Kruschev didn't let it go by. Pics of the U2 with NASA markings

Re:or vice-versa

On: Top Physicist Advocates Scientific Self-Censorship

my second point, the nihilist one, is in regards to the 'gray goo' that nanotech could turn the planet into. could I stipulate that some sort of evolution could continue, but instead of carbon based cellular processes being the basis, the nanobots would be instead. just a thought.

Maybe so, but then it wouldn't be us. I don't know about you, but I've got some self-preservation instincts.

TimeZone

Re:As a programmer 20 some years ago...

On: Eleventy What?

You must work for IBM. It's the only place I've heard the able-baker-charlie notation. confused the heck out of me at first (being used to the NATO standard alpha-bravo-charlie). There are in fact many phonetic alphabets, and (as others have indicated), they have changed over time, and many are regional. For a good list, look here: http://www.columbia.edu/~fuat/cuarc/phonetic.html

TimeZone

Re:I'll take terrorism over totalitarianism

On: Snooping on VOIP

Too bad not all deluded wackos are from the third world. You really think there aren't plenty of them here too? Ever hear of domestic terrorism? I don't think the executive branch should have unrestricted intercept rights either, but OTOH, I just don't think your argument holds water.

TimeZone

Re:DRM rant

On: Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 2 Reviewed

I stand corrected. Nice piece of hardware. The corresponding receiver is, however, the only one I've seen (yet) capable of decoding DSD and DVD-A.

TimeZone

DRM rant

On: Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 2 Reviewed

If you have concerns about DRM, then simply do not buy DRM enabled media. This has nothing at all to do with Creative's sound card. DVD-Audio and SACD are DRM enabled and no player anywhere has digital output for these formats. (Actually, I think there are a couple that do, but they're proprietary. ie you have to have the corresponding device from the same manufacturer on the other end, which is really not much better.) There's no spec for digital output of DRM technologies because they don't want it. Duh. Again, nothing to do with the sound card. So just don't buy SACDs or DVD-Audio. Personally, I think there's way too much noise (audio as well as electrical) in computer systems to bother putting a high end sound card in them anyways. I get really nasty 60Hz hum from my sub when I plug my Live card into my receiver. TimeZone

Re:What he says

On: Software Craftsmanship

We're all going to die and the apps you pump out - in the grand scheme of things - will be ultimately forgotten. So don't you think it would be better to leave something beautiful behind in the world, if only to fulfill you? (and by doing so, fulfilling the people you love)

There's something to be said for finding a job you like and are good at and can contribute to society through, but I don't think that jobs necessarily are how you should make your mark on the world. Perhaps, I'm old-fashioned, but I think that's what families (and propagation of genetic material) are for.