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User: Lawrence_Bird

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  1. Re:Small-scale, real-time. on Why Morgan Stanley Is Betting That Tesla Will Kill Your Power Company · · Score: 1

    You quote from another brokerage report - who undoubtedly has interest in pushing this out to clients of certain stocks it holds positions in. In addition, the figures for solar are for the SouthWest US only. And with other caveats.

    A neighbor recently had me sit in on a presentation by a local solar installer. Were it not for the various rebates and credits (some of which are lost if you are low income) the "pay back" period would be significantly longer, on the order of 10 years. We were also not clear that he had the correct figures concerning transmission costs from the local electric (they realize you will still get power from them). And I wonder who will be around to make good on those 25 year guarantees?

    Further, solar DOES NOT WORK IN A BLACK OUT because it feeds back into the grid. We were told refrigerator sized batteries were available at substantial cost which could be used in a power outtage. Most people do not realize that solar power does not equate to always available power without significant additional cost and inconvenience.

  2. Administrators with too much time on MIT Considers Whether Courses Are Outdated · · Score: 1

    on their hands. Trying to find some way to justify their astronomical pay and benefits.

  3. You believe MS? on Why Morgan Stanley Is Betting That Tesla Will Kill Your Power Company · · Score: 1

    I mean really, come on. When a broker tells you to buy, it is time to sell (and vice versa).

  4. Re:Small-scale, real-time. on Why Morgan Stanley Is Betting That Tesla Will Kill Your Power Company · · Score: 3, Informative

    That's great that you believe your own bullshit. Solar is not cheaper than nuclear. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C...

  5. Re:Gee, isn't Iron Dome supposed to be worthless? on Hackers Plundered Israeli Defense Firms That Built 'Iron Dome' Missile Defense · · Score: 1

    Don't assume that it is the Chinese that did this hack (if the details are even true). Attribution is very difficult in the world of cyber crime/espionage.

  6. Taking them at face value eh? on Satellite Images Show Russians Shelling Ukraine · · Score: 1

    At least by the headline it seems so. I took a look this morning at two of them and you can clearly see some areas in the "pre" that had "bomb craters" just as the purported second "post" image. Also notice differences in resolution.

    These images - just like anything the Russians or Ukranians give - should not be taken at face value.

  7. AP is a scam on AP Computer Science Test Takers Up 8,000; Pass Rate Down 6.8% · · Score: 1

    these classes are not equivalent to a college class and have been debunked often. You want to show you know how to program on your college application? LIst the apps you have created for Android/iOS. List your involvement in open source projects.

    Any student considering AP (anything) would do better to take a summer class at the local community (or better) college. Calc, physics, etc... Get an A and you can probably a) transfer the credit and b) do better in the next class

  8. Re:Good luck with that on China Plans Particle Colliders That Would Dwarf CERN's LHC · · Score: 1

    interesting, thanks

  9. Finally off the government dole. Let private industry develop the technologies. If there really is a market they will exploit it better than our wonderfully efficient government does.

  10. Re:Good luck with that on China Plans Particle Colliders That Would Dwarf CERN's LHC · · Score: 1

    I doubt that China could build the magnets in use now at LHC on their own and certainly you will need at least that much for a super proton/proton collider.

    Can you really compare the sophistication/complexity of Atlas/CMS or even D0/CDF to neutrino dectors?

    Does China have the systems capabilities to handle the data output of these types of experiments?

    The biggest problem China faces is they are not likely to get much help from western governments due to the technology transfer aspects.

  11. Shocking! on For Half, Degrees In Computing, Math, Or Stats Lead To Other Jobs · · Score: 2

    And you know what? I bet the same holds true of accouting, finance, marketing and certainly humanities degrees too.

  12. Good luck with that on China Plans Particle Colliders That Would Dwarf CERN's LHC · · Score: 2

    LEP operated around 209 GeV in 27Km so this Chinese proposal of 240 GeV at 52Km is.. underwhelming. Realize things like labor cost less in China but this isn't a high rise they are making. LHC cost amost $5B to build. Where is China getting the magnets? I'm not sure US export controls will allow a sale. And then there are those pesky detectors which are technological marvels themselves.

    Still unfortunate that we can't scale up anti-proton production to levels necessary for high luminosity.

  13. Re:More hosts than that... on A New Form of Online Tracking: Canvas Fingerprinting · · Score: 2

    blocking cloudfront is going to be a problem as it is a CDN from Amazon.

  14. Stick with stock android on Why My LG Optimus Cellphone Is Worse Than It's Supposed To Be · · Score: 1

    on low end phones and you will have the fewest issues.

  15. Re:Why fly over a war zone? on Malaysian Passenger Plane Reportedly Shot Down Over Ukraine · · Score: 1

    er no, I am saying primary fault is with the airline. secondary "fault" are the combatants. If you, as a civilian, go into a known war zone and then are shot (intentionally or not) the primary blame is with you for going where you clearly should not be. That you perceived the area of the war zone you were traversing to be "safe" is immaterial. You went into a warzone, you take the risk of death.

    I have heard some on the news say that the plane was rerouted because of "weather". Again, there were many other rerouting choices which would not include flying through this region but they all probably cost a few bucks more. And it is not like a tornado suddenly emerged, this was a large weather system and known prior to departure.

    Sorry, this is an airline risk management fail first and foremost. Arguing that combatants (and probably poorly trained ones) should know the difference between an AN-26 and a commercial jet misses the point.

  16. Rogers is a serial liar on The Hacking of NASDAQ · · Score: 3, Informative

    He has lied, willfully exaggerated and generally acted like a complete piece of shit countless times. Do not believe anything out of that man's mouth, ever.

  17. Re:Why fly over a war zone? on Malaysian Passenger Plane Reportedly Shot Down Over Ukraine · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Planes have already been shot down as part of the hostilities. To assume that because your commercial flight is flying higher than those it can't possibly be targeted is the height of stupidity. Likewise falling back on the 'well, Ukraine never closed their airpsace'. Just because a road is open does not make it wise to take it.

    I'm sure flying over Ukraine is a cheaper route for the airlines. Until something bad happens and your bird drops. This is all about a failure of risk management. It is one thing if your final destination is in/near the hostilities. Then you make a decision if you are going to fly that route, well thats the only way to go and everyone knows whats what before you start. But to do a fly over when you can easily route around it (even within Urkraine) is stupid.

  18. Re:Another boondoggle on US Marines Demonstrate Ultra Heavy-Lift Amphibious Connector Prototype · · Score: 1

    Kuwait: bombing went on for a month prior to that. Grenada: Operations were already well underway before a small Marine amphibious landing

    Few landings of Marines happen in contested zones and one of the only reaons they continue to try to build things like this is the ego of the Marine's who feel without the amphibious capability they are just Army. Rather than think of better ways of delivering equipment they just try to make a new spin on an old story.

  19. Why fly over a war zone? on Malaysian Passenger Plane Reportedly Shot Down Over Ukraine · · Score: 1

    Is it really a good idea to continue flying your normal route when it now goes over a war zone? And one where planes and helis have already been downed? Its not like there aren't any number of safer alternatives.

  20. Another boondoggle on US Marines Demonstrate Ultra Heavy-Lift Amphibious Connector Prototype · · Score: 1

    And the last time Marines stormed a beach was? The last time US ground forces were put in the fight prior to aerial decimation of the opposition was?

  21. See whatever you want to see on The Last Three Months Were the Hottest Quarter On Record · · Score: 1

    Take the same chart from Forbes that goes back to 1900. Cut 1995- present and insert in the middle of the series. Do you still see a trend? Or do you just see a lot of noise around the median?

  22. Re:Standard for the Brits on Hacking Online Polls and Other Ways British Spies Seek To Control the Internet · · Score: 1

    Please read some histories of MI-6 and UK Prime/Foreign/Defense ministries. Pay particular attention to their actions in north Africa and the middle east on out to the subcontinent..

  23. Re:user error on People Who Claim To Worry About Climate Change Don't Cut Energy Use · · Score: 1

    Fail there too. Studies have shown that as miles per gallon go up, people drive more.

  24. Re:So what? they can be tapped to. on German NSA Committee May Turn To Typewriters To Stop Leaks · · Score: 1

    Contradictions do not exist. Whenever you think that you are facing a contradiction, check your premises. You will find that one of them is wrong.

  25. Re:Or maybe ... on Geographic Segregation By Education · · Score: 2

    You could say the same thing about reports (or lack thereof) of rural crime of all times. I spend a large part of the year in a fairly remote rural area. We have no police department. The only option is the state police who can take up to 45 mins to respond after 8pm. End result is a lot of shit goes unreported, not just because it seems pointless to do so, but also beause of potential retribution.