I don't know who this Prescott is but I would suggest you avail yourself of one of the most important books on politics, economics and history ever written, namely Max Weber's "The protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism". Probably in some sort of top 5 list with Capital and On Liberty. You will realise that the religion plays a very large part indeed in everything American, particularly attitude towards work.
I've lived the dream. My local cinema put in a a "premium viewing room" (or something like that). Big seats (a la first class on a Boeing 747), a bar, no kids etc. etc. So its a bit pricey but you do feel you got your money's worth by the end. It works for people who really want to see the damn film or just older adults who don't want the irritations. The kids and chavscum can't afford it.
is because its about fashion this leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy.
You say "forecast" but the nature of the organisation means that they have a habit making what they forecast come true on the basis that they forecasted it.
Why is it "amusing"? Nice attempt at one upmanship, but I don't really care what Wickipaedophiles were discussing, what matters (at least it appears to Mr Wales) is what the wider internet community and media think of it. By all means carry on with your project, but its turned out to be pretty worthless. Everyone likes the idea but simply turning to an entry where one has expertise is enough to cool anyone off. And god help if you if you did try to take advantage of the much-vaunted "anyone can edit" aspect. Serious people don't have time to debate with 15 year old kids, they just decide it sucks and move onto the next thing.
thats why. There is a growing concensus that Wikipedia is failing. For many years there was good will and a gee-whiz-thats-great mentality. But the bloom has gone now, its time to deliver and it isn't delivering in the view of many (although, that Nature article should be born in mind, and is another reason why Wikipedia is very topical this week).
Well its been 10 or 15 years since I last rolled a funny sided die. Back then anyway you could get a box of 10-15 figures (IIRC, Space Marines, Space Orks...I think there was a set of Wood Elves you could get), sometimes more if they were plastic. Thats enough for a small game. They were always ramping up the prices even then, I'm guessing they never stopped. But Games Workshop stuff is aimed at childern. I walk past a branch in the evenings sometimes. They are pretty busy and I think the only adult in there is the guy running the place.
Thats how those games work, planned obsolesence. They are all up to it, its been that way since the late 1980s.
Games Workshop are probably the worst for this, but because their games are generally played by children nobody seems to notice/care (truth be told: the kids grow out of it at around the time they revise everything, it just kills the second hand market and means new customers must always buy new).
That said: Needless to say, I boxed it all up in the garage and haven't played since.
Why is it needless to say? You are going to stop playing a game you enjoy because somewhere in the world someone changed some rules and figures? If only every consumer was like you... Want to stick it to the man, keep playing with what you've got you fool!
because someone who cares so little for the future of the planet that he'd leave a range of electrical appliances on 24/7 for weeks on end is apparently trying to teach them something about ethics and technology. Seriously, unless you are running a server or something, try hitting the "off" key now and again.
Huh? Increasing unemployment? The rate of unemployment is flat and has been for quite some time. The number of people classed as economically unactive has actually fallen. Inflation has been flat for a number of years now, remaing at 2%. Debt has risen slightly (as we learned today) but in real terms is so small as to be the envy of most of the world, we certainly aren't talking about a US-style hocking of the family silver. Current queasiness aside, Brown's Golden Rule has more of less been adhered to, something very few other economies in the UK's league can claim. Finally, the Chancellor of Exchequer has never suggested that the role of Government is to create jobs, indeed he has argued against that view publicly on many occasions and this remains a major part of the UK's ongoing and vitriolic arguments with EU members. The UK is for the market liberalization of the EU, but alas a voice in the wilderness at the present time.
In short I think that was a troll comment and readers more locally focused in their knowledge of these things shouldn't fall for it. The UK is neither to be lazy conflated with "Europe" (read: France and Germany, completely different circumstances and economic philosophies) nor America.
Agree entirely, very, very special games. Perhaps not under-rated at the time they were certainly forgotten rather too soon. A game running on the same "engine" so to speak was "Contact Sam Cruise" which was about a gumshoe dectective rather than school life. As the detective you could venture in and out buildings in the city, answer the phone, wear disguises etc. An early stab at making a "living city", if you didn't do anything everyone else in the game went about their business running errands and so on. Great fun.
Papers schmapers? I take you are not a scientist.
I see from your irrelevant comments about "islamofascism" you are however an idiot. Tell you what, you do something to protect it from Christian fundamentalist legislators and we'll talk about it.
I'd have thought an intelligent person would see comparing the EU15 with the US would give a more reasonable comparison, but by all means enjoy your pedantry. If you can't figure out why this is the case, I suggest it is you that is cartographically challenged. It doesn't make the issue of the US's slippage go away which is a relevant piece of information given the topic of discussion here. Things used to be better for the US, something has changed. Certainly papers alone can't measure science but they are certainly a relevant indicator.
If you want to go country to country, the UK (population 60 million) produces 9.43% to the USA's 33% (population 295 million). You do the sums. Do you think British people are naturally smarter than Americans? Born with silver testtubes in their mouths? I do not. Is British culture more amenable to scientists (no, we are paid significantly less than our American counterparts). Spare GDP and better funding compared with the US (don't be silly, I'd sell my mother into slavery for a generous NIH grant). There is some sort of problem here. Actually I couldn't care less who produces this stuff so long as it gets done, but a major player going into a relative decline and punching below its weight is not a good sign frankly.
Your knee-jerk response defending the national ego does nobody any favours.
I don't think this is quite accurate, nice idea though.
I wish we did this sort of thing.
We have civil servants, and they keep their jobs throughout changes in government. I guess like the Federal Agencies, although there are no "Number 10 staffers" or as such a Blair Administration (although he's accused of trying to do this) for example, all professional civil servants. There are also civil servants who are scientists (or should that be the other way round, anyhow) so perhaps this is what you are thinking of. They then advise the government of the day. Perhaps a neater sort of analogy would be the Joint Chiefs, I don't think they are political appointees but they give direct advice to the President without poltical appointees "filtering" their input(?).
I think the difference might lie in the fact that the guy who briefs Tony Blair (Lab) on global warming will be the same guy who'll brief his successor and maybe even briefed John Major (Cons). Maybe even Maggie. Its an access thing I'm thinking. Also because of our parliamentary system, the opposition of the day can't really duck the issue or reserve judgement, they have to speak to it (and indeed the PM himself) clearly and publicly at the time it comes up, which might in some cases make it harder for them to then change their minds should they wind up in power. I've noticed opposition parties in the US can get away with being a bit "Teflon" about certain issues after the event.
In the 1980s, the United States accounted for about 40 percent of the science papers published in the world. The European Union accounted for 32.3 percent, and the Asia Pacific region 13 percent.
However, by 2004, the EU accounted for 38 percent of the total number of papers; the United States 33.3 percent; and the Asia Pacific region 25.3 percent, according to a study published in Science Watch, the newsletter of Thomson Scientific.
yeah, I'm sure the best person around to take career advice is some kid who graduated from a not very prestigious university only a little over a year ago who then makes sweeping statements based on his epic 12 months of life in the real world. Sorry but someone in his position should just shut the fuck until they have some genuine experience.
Use Brasso, the light abrasive normally used for cleaning brass. A little Brasso will bring a scratched screen up nicely and will also do for the back of the iPod as well. Don't be conned into buying more expensive preparations and products that people are trying to sell.
Thats not really what the main part of the book is about. Its about distributed decision making. Its not a book about making money from the stockmarket, its about optimal decision making by the market. Indeed, the whole point is that markets are "smarter" than any individual who participates in them. Its actually an idea in opposition to the view that individuals can stand to "beat" the market by rejecting conventional wisdom. But furthermore, the fact the market makes "wise" decisions doesn't necessarily equate with anyone getting rich or otherwise getting what they want either.
I'd recommend it, unlike a lot of popular science books it does actually cover the material reasonably accurately and its quite engagingly written as well.
the first rule of Slashdot is don't question the Totem pole. Programmers at the top, then all the "worthless" people below that. BOFH types might try to put themselves higher but we know a janitor when we see one, he needn't have a broom in his hands at the time (and thus the powerless often spend their time mulling over revenge scenarios).
The second is of course that for the average Slashdotter his notion of computer programming is tied up in his own self-identity to a stupid degree. This is in fairness often because Slashdotters tend be relatively young, they are still on their first career in many cases (particularly now with regard the kids that missed the dotcom boom possibly not even fully within their first career and currently mired in working in technical support waiting for a break).
Basically you have to understand any comment about another career or employment path from that perspective. Designers were never going to do better than physicians and pure mathematicians (who get it in the neck just as much) were they.
FWIW I agree with you completely. Best programmer I know also co-edits a Philosophy journal and is a pretty handy watercolorist in his spare time. The funny thing is a friend of his who is a professional photographer is the next best programmer I've seen work. Even in the darker days after the tech boom he was turning down offers in favour of his art. But that would be regarded as somehow "impure" round these here parts.
surely sending any human into space is to some extent done for the sake of it at a level of unncessary expense and risk?
Speaking of fitness, there is a side issue here, the Malaysian climate can be very oppressive; hot and very, very humid. It doesn't give any details, but if they picked the "wrong" day for this then that time would be more impressive than you think in view of the conditions.
You are telling us publicly you've been raising your hand to six month old babies? Seriously, you want to watch what you say when its linked to personal information on the web.
from people who get their philosophy on how to live life from science fiction novels. Heres where you jump up and down and tell me "you don't know the history of spanking children! I do!"
You got your scathing rejoiner wrong. Its because European "socialist" government do look after their people that things like legislation is put in place to limit the maximum volume of consumer electronic appliances like ipods, therefore saving the taxpayer from unnecessary expenditure with regard to hearing loss.
I think you meant to rant about tyrannical Nanny-states and the erosion of personal freedoms.
Slashdot Mirror
I don't know who this Prescott is but I would suggest you avail yourself of one of the most important books on politics, economics and history ever written, namely Max Weber's "The protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism". Probably in some sort of top 5 list with Capital and On Liberty. You will realise that the religion plays a very large part indeed in everything American, particularly attitude towards work.
I've lived the dream. My local cinema put in a a "premium viewing room" (or something like that). Big seats (a la first class on a Boeing 747), a bar, no kids etc. etc. So its a bit pricey but you do feel you got your money's worth by the end. It works for people who really want to see the damn film or just older adults who don't want the irritations. The kids and chavscum can't afford it.
is because its about fashion this leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy. You say "forecast" but the nature of the organisation means that they have a habit making what they forecast come true on the basis that they forecasted it.
Why is it "amusing"? Nice attempt at one upmanship, but I don't really care what Wickipaedophiles were discussing, what matters (at least it appears to Mr Wales) is what the wider internet community and media think of it. By all means carry on with your project, but its turned out to be pretty worthless. Everyone likes the idea but simply turning to an entry where one has expertise is enough to cool anyone off. And god help if you if you did try to take advantage of the much-vaunted "anyone can edit" aspect. Serious people don't have time to debate with 15 year old kids, they just decide it sucks and move onto the next thing.
thats why. There is a growing concensus that Wikipedia is failing. For many years there was good will and a gee-whiz-thats-great mentality. But the bloom has gone now, its time to deliver and it isn't delivering in the view of many (although, that Nature article should be born in mind, and is another reason why Wikipedia is very topical this week).
A place where our currency isn't the dollar.
Well its been 10 or 15 years since I last rolled a funny sided die.
Back then anyway you could get a box of 10-15 figures (IIRC, Space Marines, Space Orks...I think there was a set of Wood Elves you could get), sometimes more if they were plastic. Thats enough for a small game. They were always ramping up the prices even then, I'm guessing they never stopped. But Games Workshop stuff is aimed at childern. I walk past a branch in the evenings sometimes. They are pretty busy and I think the only adult in there is the guy running the place.
Thats how those games work, planned obsolesence. They are all up to it, its been that way since the late 1980s.
Games Workshop are probably the worst for this, but because their games are generally played by children nobody seems to notice/care (truth be told: the kids grow out of it at around the time they revise everything, it just kills the second hand market and means new customers must always buy new).
That said: Needless to say, I boxed it all up in the garage and haven't played since.
Why is it needless to say? You are going to stop playing a game you enjoy because somewhere in the world someone changed some rules and figures? If only every consumer was like you... Want to stick it to the man, keep playing with what you've got you fool!
because someone who cares so little for the future of the planet that he'd leave a range of electrical appliances on 24/7 for weeks on end is apparently trying to teach them something about ethics and technology. Seriously, unless you are running a server or something, try hitting the "off" key now and again.
Huh? Increasing unemployment? The rate of unemployment is flat and has been for quite some time. The number of people classed as economically unactive has actually fallen. Inflation has been flat for a number of years now, remaing at 2%. Debt has risen slightly (as we learned today) but in real terms is so small as to be the envy of most of the world, we certainly aren't talking about a US-style hocking of the family silver. Current queasiness aside, Brown's Golden Rule has more of less been adhered to, something very few other economies in the UK's league can claim. Finally, the Chancellor of Exchequer has never suggested that the role of Government is to create jobs, indeed he has argued against that view publicly on many occasions and this remains a major part of the UK's ongoing and vitriolic arguments with EU members. The UK is for the market liberalization of the EU, but alas a voice in the wilderness at the present time.
In short I think that was a troll comment and readers more locally focused in their knowledge of these things shouldn't fall for it. The UK is neither to be lazy conflated with "Europe" (read: France and Germany, completely different circumstances and economic philosophies) nor America.
Agree entirely, very, very special games. Perhaps not under-rated at the time they were certainly forgotten rather too soon. A game running on the same "engine" so to speak was "Contact Sam Cruise" which was about a gumshoe dectective rather than school life. As the detective you could venture in and out buildings in the city, answer the phone, wear disguises etc. An early stab at making a "living city", if you didn't do anything everyone else in the game went about their business running errands and so on. Great fun.
I'm not sure what the relevance is here.
Papers schmapers? I take you are not a scientist. I see from your irrelevant comments about "islamofascism" you are however an idiot. Tell you what, you do something to protect it from Christian fundamentalist legislators and we'll talk about it.
I'd have thought an intelligent person would see comparing the EU15 with the US would give a more reasonable comparison, but by all means enjoy your pedantry. If you can't figure out why this is the case, I suggest it is you that is cartographically challenged. It doesn't make the issue of the US's slippage go away which is a relevant piece of information given the topic of discussion here. Things used to be better for the US, something has changed. Certainly papers alone can't measure science but they are certainly a relevant indicator.
If you want to go country to country, the UK (population 60 million) produces 9.43% to the USA's 33% (population 295 million). You do the sums. Do you think British people are naturally smarter than Americans? Born with silver testtubes in their mouths? I do not. Is British culture more amenable to scientists (no, we are paid significantly less than our American counterparts). Spare GDP and better funding compared with the US (don't be silly, I'd sell my mother into slavery for a generous NIH grant). There is some sort of problem here. Actually I couldn't care less who produces this stuff so long as it gets done, but a major player going into a relative decline and punching below its weight is not a good sign frankly.
Your knee-jerk response defending the national ego does nobody any favours.
I don't think this is quite accurate, nice idea though.
I wish we did this sort of thing.
We have civil servants, and they keep their jobs throughout changes in government. I guess like the Federal Agencies, although there are no "Number 10 staffers" or as such a Blair Administration (although he's accused of trying to do this) for example, all professional civil servants. There are also civil servants who are scientists (or should that be the other way round, anyhow) so perhaps this is what you are thinking of. They then advise the government of the day. Perhaps a neater sort of analogy would be the Joint Chiefs, I don't think they are political appointees but they give direct advice to the President without poltical appointees "filtering" their input(?).
I think the difference might lie in the fact that the guy who briefs Tony Blair (Lab) on global warming will be the same guy who'll brief his successor and maybe even briefed John Major (Cons). Maybe even Maggie. Its an access thing I'm thinking. Also because of our parliamentary system, the opposition of the day can't really duck the issue or reserve judgement, they have to speak to it (and indeed the PM himself) clearly and publicly at the time it comes up, which might in some cases make it harder for them to then change their minds should they wind up in power. I've noticed opposition parties in the US can get away with being a bit "Teflon" about certain issues after the event.
In the 1980s, the United States accounted for about 40 percent of the science papers published in the world. The European Union accounted for 32.3 percent, and the Asia Pacific region 13 percent.
However, by 2004, the EU accounted for 38 percent of the total number of papers; the United States 33.3 percent; and the Asia Pacific region 25.3 percent, according to a study published in Science Watch, the newsletter of Thomson Scientific.
http://www.physorg.com/news5531.html
yeah, I'm sure the best person around to take career advice is some kid who graduated from a not very prestigious university only a little over a year ago who then makes sweeping statements based on his epic 12 months of life in the real world. Sorry but someone in his position should just shut the fuck until they have some genuine experience.
Repeat after me: Its not a bug, its a feature
Use Brasso, the light abrasive normally used for cleaning brass. A little Brasso will bring a scratched screen up nicely and will also do for the back of the iPod as well. Don't be conned into buying more expensive preparations and products that people are trying to sell.
Thats not really what the main part of the book is about.
Its about distributed decision making. Its not a book about making money from the stockmarket, its about optimal decision making by the market. Indeed, the whole point is that markets are "smarter" than any individual who participates in them. Its actually an idea in opposition to the view that individuals can stand to "beat" the market by rejecting conventional wisdom. But furthermore, the fact the market makes "wise" decisions doesn't necessarily equate with anyone getting rich or otherwise getting what they want either.
I don't think you've actually read the book.
The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowieki.
I'd recommend it, unlike a lot of popular science books it does actually cover the material reasonably accurately and its quite engagingly written as well.
the first rule of Slashdot is don't question the Totem pole. Programmers at the top, then all the "worthless" people below that. BOFH types might try to put themselves higher but we know a janitor when we see one, he needn't have a broom in his hands at the time (and thus the powerless often spend their time mulling over revenge scenarios).
The second is of course that for the average Slashdotter his notion of computer programming is tied up in his own self-identity to a stupid degree. This is in fairness often because Slashdotters tend be relatively young, they are still on their first career in many cases (particularly now with regard the kids that missed the dotcom boom possibly not even fully within their first career and currently mired in working in technical support waiting for a break).
Basically you have to understand any comment about another career or employment path from that perspective. Designers were never going to do better than physicians and pure mathematicians (who get it in the neck just as much) were they.
FWIW I agree with you completely. Best programmer I know also co-edits a Philosophy journal and is a pretty handy watercolorist in his spare time. The funny thing is a friend of his who is a professional photographer is the next best programmer I've seen work. Even in the darker days after the tech boom he was turning down offers in favour of his art. But that would be regarded as somehow "impure" round these here parts.
surely sending any human into space is to some extent done for the sake of it at a level of unncessary expense and risk? Speaking of fitness, there is a side issue here, the Malaysian climate can be very oppressive; hot and very, very humid. It doesn't give any details, but if they picked the "wrong" day for this then that time would be more impressive than you think in view of the conditions.
You are telling us publicly you've been raising your hand to six month old babies?
Seriously, you want to watch what you say when its linked to personal information on the web.
from people who get their philosophy on how to live life from science fiction novels.
Heres where you jump up and down and tell me "you don't know the history of spanking children! I do!"
You got your scathing rejoiner wrong.
Its because European "socialist" government do look after their people that things like legislation is put in place to limit the maximum volume of consumer electronic appliances like ipods, therefore saving the taxpayer from unnecessary expenditure with regard to hearing loss.
I think you meant to rant about tyrannical Nanny-states and the erosion of personal freedoms.