Well, sorry to burst your bubble everyone, but I think the fact that Obama can't get even the support of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, and has had to distance himself from his church pastor, well he sounds like he has people issues. Haven't we had enough of unlikable Presidents already? http://neinuclearnotes.blogspot.com/2008/01/barack-obama-on-nuclear-energy.html http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TjDmyToTYBE
Obama is "in the middle" on the subject, if you listen comparatively to McCain talking Nuclear Power. Not as in the middle as Hillary's "Amerikan Ingenuity" blather, though.
You know, the Republicans don't like McCain much, do they? I wonder if that's bad. Republicans are not happy about the direction their party is going. Oh, and hey, for all the non-Americans who read this message, I want to apologize in advance for the outcome of the election. I voted in my caucus and it did not turn out in favor of my candidate.
So how many times are Republicans forced to vote for a lesser candidate, simply because the desire for at least competent leadership outweighs wanton vote-flushing and "giving it to the other side?" In clear conscience, I should be writing in someone who lost in the primaries. McCain has me on one topic alone: he's pro-nuclear power. This is the 1980 election all over again: energy crisis, problems with Iran (no hostages, at least), the economy is in the tank because of housing (failed mortgages this time, instead of 20% interest rates), the Republican candidate is over 70, the Democrats control Congress, and the Democrat policy positions are vast and above being viewed as not a solution. It reminds me of Jimmy Carter's speech telling America to get used to living with less. The only thing missing is long lines at the gas pump.
Now all we need is a cable channel called MTV to start playing music videos for the first time, and we will be all set.
Okay, I won't call you a racist, but I will call you a sociologist. Try living near that border without a gun sometime. See what happens to your home, your dog, your family on a picnic. The folks running the border are committing an imprisonable federal offense, and many of them are content to also commit misdemeanor theft and the occasional violent bit. When they drive a car, they are doing so without a valid Driver's license (although Californians will legalize anything if it is provocative enough). Here's a fun fact: Identity Theft is being heavily used by illegal aliens. Still like that business model, Sociologist?
I have a co-worker with whom I share many traits, including the fact that he's on Slashdot. He happens to be from Mexico. He is well-educated and hard-working. What he tells me about scares me though: the "Manana attitude." In Mexico (just Mexico here, not the rest of Latin America), there is this attitude of laziness and apathy abound. It breeds crime. Crime is an easy living, with certain risks. When I was in college, I was required to read a book for my Ethnic Studies class. It was an auto-biography that described a young man who crossed the border illegally, worked hard, but still fell into a life of crime, and eventually made some sort of life for himself after that.
The same swarthy millions of trespassers that work in the ADM/Cargill fields harvesting our food, you want them to learn a new skill? One that requires literacy and an advanced degree? Wow. Socialize the cost of college education, and expect who to pay for it? This is the same people group that is too busy to be bothered with learning English, despite all the other immigrants to the US being obligated to do the same. Build the robots, build a fence, deport the trespassers, and arrest the criminals. If Mexico wants to compete in the world market for something, Mexico can do something about it. The USA does not need to provide welfare for every hand that sticks out, asking for a freebie. Government is not efficient or smart about charity. Leave charity to the charities.
Gutters are overrated unless they are hooked up to a cistern. Just let the water run off the roof. If you have an entry door, get one of those metal "v" bars and attach it on the roof ahead of the entry. I use a hose with a pressure nozzle (like what you get when you buy Blue Coral car wash detergent) and a ladder. Speaking of which, my gutters are clogged again, and I really should get either rid of them or clean them. Or, I heard there are these gutter sleeves that also work.
Thanks for bringing "it." Brevity, courtesy, fluency, balance of word sounds... you do rise to the occasion! And to poke me by asking if I'm in the legal field, that above everything else sparkled of the sort of wit I have not felt in a long, long time. Thank you. And may those with mod points refrain from tarnishing a good effort like that.
Widen your circles, I am not Mr. Thompson. I am, simply, Vexar.
So you're basically countering my argument with an example of government meddling ? Congrats! Just because you share the homophobic views of the uneducated, the overly religious and the plain old arrogant, does not mean your government is just and "balanced".
In an age where basic human rights are subject to state legislation, government is anything but balanced. No, I'm not countering your argument with "government meddling." The State of California has sovereignty over the City of San Francisco, and San Francisco's Mayor was simply arrogant of that fact. It was about checks and balances, that's all. Incidentally, I think eBay might fall under the government of California, yes? Furthermore, I did just point out that they recently introduced same-sex unions in California, so I really don't know why, when you responded, you hurled epithets of that sort, and then whipped out some anti-religious slurs to ice the cake.
Kindly indulge a divergence in my response to the subject of your first slur. I'd just like to point out that the term you used means, in Greek, "Fear of the same." It is a lousy term that never seems to apply the way in which it is meant. To say someone fears being sodomized is one thing. Would that make the person a "sodophobe?" But I don't think that's what people even mean. Realistically, that's rape, and if I'm not mistaken, that's a preference-unspecific, general fear. Of the intolerant people I have met, I can't safely say they are specifically afraid of homosexual men and women, either. It just isn't a fear. An abomination, abhorrence, disgust, distrust, disdain, or dislike, but never fear. This is why I'm careful not to use such a mean-spirited, poorly coined phrase. I hope this concludes your use of the term, and I sincerely hope you will do better next time.
Not the best effort, either. It is like you weren't even trying to insult me. When I was younger, flamebait was an art. Now, it is just a degenerate hodge-podge of a couple dozen hateful yet uninspired utterances, wedged in and around sloppy grammar, poor spelling, and an unimaginative thrust of ideas. If you can learn to curb that tendency of yours, or at least wait until it is mature, you might actually get good at it one day. Slashdot mods down for flamebait, primarily because almost no one is any good at it anymore.
Returning to the topic, in the state in which I live, our Governor decided he was going to go on a "trade partnership" visit to Cuba. He wanted to sell them our tractors, and wanted to buy their cigars. Guess what? The State Department gave him a what-for, President Bush said something to the effect of "Don't do this," and the voters said "you're a jerk, don't even think about re-election, and a few of us are seeking your impeachment." Checks and balances again, like our comment moderation system, control the power. You say you want a more libertarian government? Vote for it, and rally your cause. Do I think eBay should be told what to sell and not sell? No. Do I think eBay should have prerogative over what goes on with their systems? You betcha. Should eBay decide to allow slave trafficking on their website? No. But hey, that's just "black market," right? What I do think eBay should do is cooperate with international law enforcement so that the market for ivory from poached elephants is curtailed. I also think elephants should be farmed, like llamas and bison and ostrich. I just don't know how much of a comeback those goofy umbrella stands will make.
This doesn't make sense. There is a reason the Anonymous developer is working the free, unpaid overtime. Anonymous person: bump up your estimates or do something to get that time back. The next time I hear about a programmer whining about their free overtime, I will interrupt their cathartic soliloquy with these two statements:
Work only 40 hours a week. If someone complains, say "Go ahead, fire me. These are not the terms of my employment. If you want me to work more, pay me more."
If you don't have the nerve to say something like that, try this one: "You know, if you're looking to save money on labor, you can always send my job overseas and lay me off. I hear they write really good code over there. And, the ones in China never, ever put back doors in their code."
The allied forces of 64 countries ousted a dictator responsible for the civilian deaths of almost 100,000 Kurds. This was the reason that the new self-established government of Iraq chose to execute that dictator. Gun control there didn't work so well, you made your point.
If Bush were to outlaw the Qur'an You are either not an educated American, or you are ignorant of our laws, because our governmental structure is taught in high school here. We have a bi-cameral legislature, and a series of checks and balances to prevent one arm of the government from getting too much power, although I'm noticing the Supreme Court has had a bit too much fun making laws these last few years.
Even if a theoretical president Obama were to attempt to use executive powers to outlaw cheeseburgers, it just wouldn't float. A good example of that was the "homosexual union" efforts in the city of San Francisco. The State government said "nope" and invalidated the 1800 marriage certificates issued by that fair city on the left side of the Union. I recall that has since changed, by adoption through the State legislature, but the fact remained: checks and balances.
Incidentally, if you aren't in the United States, I do encourage you to learn the difference between our government and a plain Democracy, like in India. I think you will find it worth the study.
On topic, does this mean EBay won't allow us to sell pianos with ivory keys, or other antiques? This is the sort of short-sighted reactionist behavior associated with fear-mongering extremists, and I have difficulty giving that crowd anything more than the time of day.
Other than the painful suspicion I have that satellites fail due to a collision, fried circuit, or malfunctioning power system long before they run out of maneuvering propellant, I would see the value here. I've never heard of a "refueling" mission on a satellite, save the International Spending Station, maybe Hubble? We all know that the Voyager mission went well past expected end of life, as did the Viking landers, and the Mario Kart twins Spirit Mario and Opportunity Luigi. They had some pretty long-lasting power sources: the Sun (minus dust) and a nuclear thermocouple. If the new system weighs less than the mass of the thruster system and 10 years of propellant, then yeah, it is a worthwhile advancement. Typically, folks tend to want to do upgrades on satellites as it is. Otherwise, unless they are trying to be environmentally friendly and cut down on their toxic hydrazine emissions, it just seems like more NASA hobby science at this point.
I thought Lorentz effect looked familiar. This is another one of those deep space only propulsions. It builds over time, like the plasma drives the Russians built. This is not a launch technology, and no matter how much NASA spends on "hey, here's something kinetic to fiddle with," they aren't focusing on the #1 problem: up. Not out.
Oh come on, you honestly think you'd forget a cataclysm like that? I don't care how hard you rammed that stick into your soft palate, or hit your head on the staircase, You just don't forget tragic accidents. They build character. You know, there's this one scar I've got on my knee...
See what I mean? Listen, life is boot camp for eternity as far as I'm concerned. Live through it faithfully, and well, at least you've got some good stories to swap in heaven! I'm sure these NASA scientists are going to end up in heaven, meet the astronauts that they've sauced (fourteen now, right?), and get lots of grief:
"so, did you guys ever figure out what wrecked it? A piece of Styrofoam? You're kidding, right? What about the other one? You said that was a blown O-ring. Okay, so what's the next one going to be? Self-inflicted lighting blasts? No stop, you're killing me! Wait..."
Yes, that's the right project name, and US President George Bush naively named another project that of late. As far as your memory is failing, I'd like to point out that your brain still contains the memories, but you've managed the fuse the pathways (short the wires) with too much caffeine or asbestos or whatever fluff they use to make Teletubbies.
Tell your co-worker if he's going to dry something that used an adhesive with an alcohol or benzene base (or did he spray it down with Aqua Net?) to get a brushless fan next time. Darn thing creates a lot of EM interference... and internal sparks every once in a while. The desiccant played no part in the reaction. Still, if you have got a picture of the hole, I'd say it is worth sharing.
The leadership of US President Bill Clinton sent a Tomahawk missile into the lands formerly known as Yugoslavia. Said Tomahawk missile cruised into and utterly destroyed the Yugo factory. Apart from the more relevant ethnic cleansing going on there, it was the single most globally-significant event to the Balkan wars, although the irony of using Olympic facilities for executions made for some eternal news photos (wall with Olympic rings, and below, bullet pock marks at the height of someone's head, when kneeling). I also think that the destruction of the Yugo factory was a defining legacy of the Clinton administration.
Which is the end of the "epoch" for the Amiga OS 3.1 and I think some versions of Solaris. It should be dubbed Y2K #2, if you ask me. So, Hawk, the question is, will anyone notice, or is this really going to be the end of the world scenario we missed out on in 2000?
I'm glad someone else out there noticed the havoc created by moving Daylight Savings Time. Thanks, GW Bush! Whatever electricity savings were intended by this energy policy, they got measurably diminished by all the extra IT work that was created. Speaking of which, my cell phone calendar is no longer synced right with my office calendar server at work, for a few weeks on either end of DST transitions. Does anyone want to hazard a guess as to where the code change would be? Is it my cell phone calendar, my work collaboration server, or the sync software on the cell phone?
For what it is worth, Cubic Defense Systems, when they did update the code for the Voyager probe program, used a punched card machine. I know this because I saw it at their San Diego office. Dusted and running.
We export Redwood and Douglas Fir. I believe we import finished wood products, such as furniture. We have more forestation in California and where I live in Minnesota than we did before "the evil white man came and ruined the planet, etc, etc" because at some point, hundreds of years ago, someone said "hey, these tree things, they are like a big, complicated crop." We import softwoods from Canada, but do so primarily because the Canadian government subsidizes their lumber industry.
I think we need to focus on our Cypress lumber more. stuff grows like weeds, and it is rot-resistant.
As for electric rail, you are assuming a remote supply, which is too presumptuous. Russia used to have nuclear trains. No change in property tax for the land, just new engines. Existing technology, existing infrastructure, just re-manufacturing, and you're there. Even if it wasn't nuclear-based, and was battery-based (which I think you could do), you would still be in better shape.
Just for effect, I asked my darling wife whether she would like 25 gallons of flammable, vaporous liquid in the house, or an ounce of uranium, both appropriately shielded/contained. Guess what? She picked the uranium. A few years back, there was a fire in our garage from a can of gasoline that ruptured and leaked over to an ignition source.
If this ethanol plant system gets widespread, we are going to have more house fires, simply because accidents will happen with flammable liquids.
Yesterday, I saw a guy with an E85 car at McDonald's, and he dressed himself complete with a matching custom embroidered hat and shirt. He looked like a farmer to me. Ethanol is a crop subsidy. If we can demand ethanol instead of oil, we have a more contained energy market. Sure, it's going to be more expensive, but at least it is ours. The trouble is, that guy was immensely proud of his corn-powered vehicle (except for that 15% that nobody seems to notice in E85), and I wouldn't be so proud. I do think farmers should be using ethanol-powered farming equipment. I'll bet you ANYTHING his John Deere runs on diesel.
As for the rest of us? We need something more compact, less polluting, and quite frankly, we should seek something a little more high-tech than the Internal Combustion Engine. Hybrids are transitional vehicles, and I do not expect them to become mainstay for more than 10 years at most. Why? Does anyone remember the 50MPG Geo Metro? It had a 3-cylinder engine, much like these hybrids do. It did not have a large battery array and a series of electric motors and heavy regenerative braking systems. I wonder if you stripped out all that gear whether you'd get more fuel economy than with the gear, but lower acceleration.
Hybrids will transition into all-electric cars. We are seeing it now. There's a trickle-charge kit for the Prius. I've even seen a solar charge adapter for it. These are market add-ons to boost the vehicle's electric range. I'm seeing nothing that boosts the performance of the ICE. Who is out there using a turbocharger to get better fuel efficiency, or swapping out fuel injectors with higher-performing atomizers? No one is working on turbochargers for a Prius, right? I mean, come on, tell me you aren't laughing at the notion!
We already know that clean generation of electricity is vital to our environment. We've figured out that energy demand is more readily recognized in kilowatt-hours than it is BTU's. The Hybrids will bump up our electric technology to the point that either existing auto manufacturers will decide that all-electric is the way to go, or companies like Tesla and eBox will sneak into the mainstream and unseat the market incrementally.
Ethanol should be in farm equipment. The fact that it is not suggests a lack of innovation.
If you are referring to the FutureGen initiative, I note that the Dept. of Energy withdrew funding in January 2008 due to cost overruns. If you are referring to something else, please tell us more.
That's why power plants like Palo Verde are so clever. They cool the reactor with sewage. With a continuous flow of sea water to a reactor built in the center of the continent, you could produce a lot of fresh water. 20 billion gallons per year = a lot. On a sober day, the Australian politicians might vote for it.
Ok, that's not entirely true about the humans. I think "Dateline" was the show that went and interviewed a woman who never left Chernobyl. Old, sure. Scruffy? Among the most. Alive? Well, she has no neighbors, and the place is overrun with wolves and other dangerous animals, so heck, I bet she's always on the run. Wussy newscasters had to bring a 'guide' into the area. I bet she could take Stone Phillips in a bare knuckle knock-down. I wonder if she makes her own soap from the fat of the animals she kills to stay alive.
Slashdot Mirror
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TjDmyToTYBE
Obama is "in the middle" on the subject, if you listen comparatively to McCain talking Nuclear Power. Not as in the middle as Hillary's "Amerikan Ingenuity" blather, though.
You know, the Republicans don't like McCain much, do they? I wonder if that's bad. Republicans are not happy about the direction their party is going. Oh, and hey, for all the non-Americans who read this message, I want to apologize in advance for the outcome of the election. I voted in my caucus and it did not turn out in favor of my candidate.
Now all we need is a cable channel called MTV to start playing music videos for the first time, and we will be all set.
I have a co-worker with whom I share many traits, including the fact that he's on Slashdot. He happens to be from Mexico. He is well-educated and hard-working. What he tells me about scares me though: the "Manana attitude." In Mexico (just Mexico here, not the rest of Latin America), there is this attitude of laziness and apathy abound. It breeds crime. Crime is an easy living, with certain risks. When I was in college, I was required to read a book for my Ethnic Studies class. It was an auto-biography that described a young man who crossed the border illegally, worked hard, but still fell into a life of crime, and eventually made some sort of life for himself after that.
The same swarthy millions of trespassers that work in the ADM/Cargill fields harvesting our food, you want them to learn a new skill? One that requires literacy and an advanced degree? Wow. Socialize the cost of college education, and expect who to pay for it? This is the same people group that is too busy to be bothered with learning English, despite all the other immigrants to the US being obligated to do the same. Build the robots, build a fence, deport the trespassers, and arrest the criminals. If Mexico wants to compete in the world market for something, Mexico can do something about it. The USA does not need to provide welfare for every hand that sticks out, asking for a freebie. Government is not efficient or smart about charity. Leave charity to the charities.
Gutters are overrated unless they are hooked up to a cistern. Just let the water run off the roof. If you have an entry door, get one of those metal "v" bars and attach it on the roof ahead of the entry. I use a hose with a pressure nozzle (like what you get when you buy Blue Coral car wash detergent) and a ladder. Speaking of which, my gutters are clogged again, and I really should get either rid of them or clean them. Or, I heard there are these gutter sleeves that also work.
Widen your circles, I am not Mr. Thompson. I am, simply, Vexar.
Kindly indulge a divergence in my response to the subject of your first slur. I'd just like to point out that the term you used means, in Greek, "Fear of the same." It is a lousy term that never seems to apply the way in which it is meant. To say someone fears being sodomized is one thing. Would that make the person a "sodophobe?" But I don't think that's what people even mean. Realistically, that's rape, and if I'm not mistaken, that's a preference-unspecific, general fear. Of the intolerant people I have met, I can't safely say they are specifically afraid of homosexual men and women, either. It just isn't a fear. An abomination, abhorrence, disgust, distrust, disdain, or dislike, but never fear. This is why I'm careful not to use such a mean-spirited, poorly coined phrase. I hope this concludes your use of the term, and I sincerely hope you will do better next time.
Not the best effort, either. It is like you weren't even trying to insult me. When I was younger, flamebait was an art. Now, it is just a degenerate hodge-podge of a couple dozen hateful yet uninspired utterances, wedged in and around sloppy grammar, poor spelling, and an unimaginative thrust of ideas. If you can learn to curb that tendency of yours, or at least wait until it is mature, you might actually get good at it one day. Slashdot mods down for flamebait, primarily because almost no one is any good at it anymore.
Returning to the topic, in the state in which I live, our Governor decided he was going to go on a "trade partnership" visit to Cuba. He wanted to sell them our tractors, and wanted to buy their cigars. Guess what? The State Department gave him a what-for, President Bush said something to the effect of "Don't do this," and the voters said "you're a jerk, don't even think about re-election, and a few of us are seeking your impeachment." Checks and balances again, like our comment moderation system, control the power. You say you want a more libertarian government? Vote for it, and rally your cause. Do I think eBay should be told what to sell and not sell? No. Do I think eBay should have prerogative over what goes on with their systems? You betcha. Should eBay decide to allow slave trafficking on their website? No. But hey, that's just "black market," right? What I do think eBay should do is cooperate with international law enforcement so that the market for ivory from poached elephants is curtailed. I also think elephants should be farmed, like llamas and bison and ostrich. I just don't know how much of a comeback those goofy umbrella stands will make.
This doesn't make sense. There is a reason the Anonymous developer is working the free, unpaid overtime. Anonymous person: bump up your estimates or do something to get that time back. The next time I hear about a programmer whining about their free overtime, I will interrupt their cathartic soliloquy with these two statements:
Work only 40 hours a week. If someone complains, say "Go ahead, fire me. These are not the terms of my employment. If you want me to work more, pay me more."
If you don't have the nerve to say something like that, try this one: "You know, if you're looking to save money on labor, you can always send my job overseas and lay me off. I hear they write really good code over there. And, the ones in China never, ever put back doors in their code."
The allied forces of 64 countries ousted a dictator responsible for the civilian deaths of almost 100,000 Kurds. This was the reason that the new self-established government of Iraq chose to execute that dictator. Gun control there didn't work so well, you made your point.
Even if a theoretical president Obama were to attempt to use executive powers to outlaw cheeseburgers, it just wouldn't float. A good example of that was the "homosexual union" efforts in the city of San Francisco. The State government said "nope" and invalidated the 1800 marriage certificates issued by that fair city on the left side of the Union. I recall that has since changed, by adoption through the State legislature, but the fact remained: checks and balances.
Incidentally, if you aren't in the United States, I do encourage you to learn the difference between our government and a plain Democracy, like in India. I think you will find it worth the study.
On topic, does this mean EBay won't allow us to sell pianos with ivory keys, or other antiques? This is the sort of short-sighted reactionist behavior associated with fear-mongering extremists, and I have difficulty giving that crowd anything more than the time of day.
Other than the painful suspicion I have that satellites fail due to a collision, fried circuit, or malfunctioning power system long before they run out of maneuvering propellant, I would see the value here. I've never heard of a "refueling" mission on a satellite, save the International Spending Station, maybe Hubble? We all know that the Voyager mission went well past expected end of life, as did the Viking landers, and the Mario Kart twins Spirit Mario and Opportunity Luigi. They had some pretty long-lasting power sources: the Sun (minus dust) and a nuclear thermocouple. If the new system weighs less than the mass of the thruster system and 10 years of propellant, then yeah, it is a worthwhile advancement. Typically, folks tend to want to do upgrades on satellites as it is. Otherwise, unless they are trying to be environmentally friendly and cut down on their toxic hydrazine emissions, it just seems like more NASA hobby science at this point.
I thought Lorentz effect looked familiar. This is another one of those deep space only propulsions. It builds over time, like the plasma drives the Russians built. This is not a launch technology, and no matter how much NASA spends on "hey, here's something kinetic to fiddle with," they aren't focusing on the #1 problem: up. Not out.
See what I mean? Listen, life is boot camp for eternity as far as I'm concerned. Live through it faithfully, and well, at least you've got some good stories to swap in heaven! I'm sure these NASA scientists are going to end up in heaven, meet the astronauts that they've sauced (fourteen now, right?), and get lots of grief:
"so, did you guys ever figure out what wrecked it? A piece of Styrofoam? You're kidding, right? What about the other one? You said that was a blown O-ring. Okay, so what's the next one going to be? Self-inflicted lighting blasts? No stop, you're killing me! Wait..."
Yes, that's the right project name, and US President George Bush naively named another project that of late. As far as your memory is failing, I'd like to point out that your brain still contains the memories, but you've managed the fuse the pathways (short the wires) with too much caffeine or asbestos or whatever fluff they use to make Teletubbies.
Tell your co-worker if he's going to dry something that used an adhesive with an alcohol or benzene base (or did he spray it down with Aqua Net?) to get a brushless fan next time. Darn thing creates a lot of EM interference... and internal sparks every once in a while. The desiccant played no part in the reaction. Still, if you have got a picture of the hole, I'd say it is worth sharing.
The leadership of US President Bill Clinton sent a Tomahawk missile into the lands formerly known as Yugoslavia. Said Tomahawk missile cruised into and utterly destroyed the Yugo factory. Apart from the more relevant ethnic cleansing going on there, it was the single most globally-significant event to the Balkan wars, although the irony of using Olympic facilities for executions made for some eternal news photos (wall with Olympic rings, and below, bullet pock marks at the height of someone's head, when kneeling). I also think that the destruction of the Yugo factory was a defining legacy of the Clinton administration.
Which is the end of the "epoch" for the Amiga OS 3.1 and I think some versions of Solaris. It should be dubbed Y2K #2, if you ask me. So, Hawk, the question is, will anyone notice, or is this really going to be the end of the world scenario we missed out on in 2000?
I'm glad someone else out there noticed the havoc created by moving Daylight Savings Time. Thanks, GW Bush! Whatever electricity savings were intended by this energy policy, they got measurably diminished by all the extra IT work that was created. Speaking of which, my cell phone calendar is no longer synced right with my office calendar server at work, for a few weeks on either end of DST transitions. Does anyone want to hazard a guess as to where the code change would be? Is it my cell phone calendar, my work collaboration server, or the sync software on the cell phone?
This sounds like an argument from a Java programmer for maintaining the "garbage collection" approach to memory management.
For what it is worth, Cubic Defense Systems, when they did update the code for the Voyager probe program, used a punched card machine. I know this because I saw it at their San Diego office. Dusted and running.
I think we need to focus on our Cypress lumber more. stuff grows like weeds, and it is rot-resistant.
As for electric rail, you are assuming a remote supply, which is too presumptuous. Russia used to have nuclear trains. No change in property tax for the land, just new engines. Existing technology, existing infrastructure, just re-manufacturing, and you're there. Even if it wasn't nuclear-based, and was battery-based (which I think you could do), you would still be in better shape.
If this ethanol plant system gets widespread, we are going to have more house fires, simply because accidents will happen with flammable liquids.
Yesterday, I saw a guy with an E85 car at McDonald's, and he dressed himself complete with a matching custom embroidered hat and shirt. He looked like a farmer to me. Ethanol is a crop subsidy. If we can demand ethanol instead of oil, we have a more contained energy market. Sure, it's going to be more expensive, but at least it is ours. The trouble is, that guy was immensely proud of his corn-powered vehicle (except for that 15% that nobody seems to notice in E85), and I wouldn't be so proud. I do think farmers should be using ethanol-powered farming equipment. I'll bet you ANYTHING his John Deere runs on diesel.
As for the rest of us? We need something more compact, less polluting, and quite frankly, we should seek something a little more high-tech than the Internal Combustion Engine. Hybrids are transitional vehicles, and I do not expect them to become mainstay for more than 10 years at most. Why? Does anyone remember the 50MPG Geo Metro? It had a 3-cylinder engine, much like these hybrids do. It did not have a large battery array and a series of electric motors and heavy regenerative braking systems. I wonder if you stripped out all that gear whether you'd get more fuel economy than with the gear, but lower acceleration.
Hybrids will transition into all-electric cars. We are seeing it now. There's a trickle-charge kit for the Prius. I've even seen a solar charge adapter for it. These are market add-ons to boost the vehicle's electric range. I'm seeing nothing that boosts the performance of the ICE. Who is out there using a turbocharger to get better fuel efficiency, or swapping out fuel injectors with higher-performing atomizers? No one is working on turbochargers for a Prius, right? I mean, come on, tell me you aren't laughing at the notion!
We already know that clean generation of electricity is vital to our environment. We've figured out that energy demand is more readily recognized in kilowatt-hours than it is BTU's. The Hybrids will bump up our electric technology to the point that either existing auto manufacturers will decide that all-electric is the way to go, or companies like Tesla and eBox will sneak into the mainstream and unseat the market incrementally.
Ethanol should be in farm equipment. The fact that it is not suggests a lack of innovation.
If you are referring to the FutureGen initiative, I note that the Dept. of Energy withdrew funding in January 2008 due to cost overruns. If you are referring to something else, please tell us more.
That's why power plants like Palo Verde are so clever. They cool the reactor with sewage. With a continuous flow of sea water to a reactor built in the center of the continent, you could produce a lot of fresh water. 20 billion gallons per year = a lot. On a sober day, the Australian politicians might vote for it.
Ok, that's not entirely true about the humans. I think "Dateline" was the show that went and interviewed a woman who never left Chernobyl. Old, sure. Scruffy? Among the most. Alive? Well, she has no neighbors, and the place is overrun with wolves and other dangerous animals, so heck, I bet she's always on the run. Wussy newscasters had to bring a 'guide' into the area. I bet she could take Stone Phillips in a bare knuckle knock-down. I wonder if she makes her own soap from the fat of the animals she kills to stay alive.