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User: rtb61

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  1. Re:Balls on Army To Launch Spy Blimp Over Maryland · · Score: 1

    Once it is up there and accepted, mission change is no problem at all. So you could run a betting pool, how many days after is is launched just with radar will high resolution, deep focus, multiple frequency video and cameras be added, so that 'er' 'um' planes identified by radar can be visually identified and recorded, just planes of course and not people's back yards. But, hey, don't worry, that information with be classified under national security so you need not worry about it ;D.

  2. Re:About Fucking Time on In Breakthrough, US and Cuba To Resume Diplomatic Relations · · Score: 0

    How about the more likely reality of a Ukrainian style solution (well, more of a problem really). Where they need to get their foot in the door to forment a coup and insert their corporate preferred fascist government whose leaders will personally cash in on selling off all the nations assets to US corporations and as per the Ukrainian solution authorise the use artillery, helicopter gun ships, tanks and jets on any who protest, so much more publicly acceptable than snipers, well, depending upon how tightly the press/propaganda corps is controlled. Of course when it all screws up they can still blame Russia because, well, they always have to blame someone else. When it comes to the US there is the real problem of perception and that poisoned dagger buried in that all too pretty posy of flowers. Real problem for Cuba is what benefit is there to the US in proper relations versus exploiter and exploited relations and how many Cubans will die should it all go wrong, as it all to often does.

  3. Re:EEE on What Will Microsoft's "Embrace" of Open Source Actually Achieve? · · Score: 0

    That is like completely ignoring the reality of the total dominance of Android over 'loose'phone ( now how could I resist that, hmphm, winphone indeed). The problem M$ faces as part of it's services division is the public denial of expertise in open source software which excludes them from that growing market. To be able to gain space in open source markets they need to be able to demonstrate expertise in open source markets. Their biggest problem is being able to 'sell' it, they have no 'trusted' voices any more, they have all been sold out to maximise profits and they have yet to build up or attempt to buy in trusted voices. Of course just like IBM there is the whole security in essential computer infrastructure market that is now growing and developing as a result of the idiotic predations of the NSA and their partners and competitors in crime. Likely M$ will be forced to do the Google thing and start rebuilding their reputation via much publicised technology based research (cheap advertising) and rebuild their reputation away from software and the damage they have done to their brand in that market.

  4. Re:No different than what we have here on Manufacturer's Backdoor Found On Popular Chinese Android Smartphone · · Score: 1

    'Erm' yeah right, apparently you live in a happy delusional world. All the manufacturers can quite readily install software without the users permissions by the simply expedient of piggy backing the install of the software they want to install on any software or update that you attempt to install from websites they control. They only thing you can do to prevent it, is never update and never install an application from their servers. They can of course also force you to upgrade by purposefully breaking the protocols you need with new versions and slip in what ever they want and they can do this at any time.

    Just like the infamous M$ upgrade cycle where patches cripple and slow down the software you are using when they are trying to force the next version on you.

  5. Re:The biggest problem is fluid dynamics. on NASA Tests Feasibility of 3D Printing on the Moon and Other Planets · · Score: 1

    It is all about the mass ration of the equipment versus the product to be produced. So for a permanent moon base the first and major extruded element will be the soon to be buried (buried as being the quickest way to provide the most protection from micro impacts) structure itself and the more mechanical elements of the moon base would be taken from dismantled landing craft. Of course how do they get back if they take apart their landing craft, easy, the next one that they do not pull apart. So save lots of mass in the trip from earth to the moon by making the landing craft dismantable and become the initial parts of the base, still a lot of mass but a whole lot less than taking the whole structure from the earth to the moon.

  6. Re:Ecology vs archeology on Peru Indignant After Greenpeace Damages Ancient Nazca Site · · Score: 1

    Basically yes, what do you not understand is that eventually they will fade away or via probability destroyed as a result of a storm extreme or geologic event. Even the people who originally made and used it had to walk all around the place, so never 'pristine' but right wing media could not resist the chance to grossly exaggerate and bash green peace. So a mistake but not 'OH MY GOD' the total destruction of a pristine thing that would otherwise last 'forever'. All this was really about was bashing green peace.

  7. Re:It's difficult but on Linking Drought and Climate Change: Difficult To Do · · Score: 1

    Not quite accurate. With climate change there is a definitive lead and lag, that of course being the difference between how quickly the atmosphere changes temperature and how quickly the oceans change temperature, that difference of course directly relates to hurricanes because they form over oceans. What we are really seeing now is not so much about climate change but more about the nature of our coastal cities and how bound they are to a stable climate and what current and future actions we will need to take in order to protect those locations from rising or even falling sea levels. No matter the cause of climate change, we are required to take actions to prevent any significant impact upon major areas of human habitation, END OF STORY.

  8. Re:Ecology vs archeology on Peru Indignant After Greenpeace Damages Ancient Nazca Site · · Score: 1

    Sounds altogether like a gross and extreme right wing exaggeration. Somehow I think it highly unlikely that people and animals avoided walking at that location for thousands of years as well as off course full exposure to weathering, wind and rain, which will obviously return the surface to uniform finish in short order. As for Luis Jaime Castillo, what is the difference between a grave robber and some archaeologists, apparently the number of years between when their targets are buried and when they are dug up, so a bit of don't throw stones if you live in glass house. As for green peace still far preferable to the corporations doing the real damage and I am sure that site is more at far more risk from acid rain and climate change than from a handful of people walking around it. Sounds very much like a purposeful media distortion to attack green peace with no sense of balance to the normal exposure the site receives from weather et al.

  9. Re:And where are all the hurricanes? on Last Three Years the Quietest For Tornadoes Ever · · Score: 1

    Especially as tornadoes unlike say hurricanes are a very localised affect of a larger storm structure and as such a tied down to simple a matter of probability based upon a very complex set of variables, tied to overall weather, local weather, geographic structure, humidity etc. So really with regards to climate you are simple looking at how many days where weather conditions prime for the formation of tornadoes versus how days it was not and whether or not tornadoes form is simply just a roll of the probability die.

  10. Re:Short sighted on Forbes Blasts Latests Windows 7 Patch as Malware · · Score: 1

    When talking about Windows, mostly hibernate is the correct title because sometimes hibernate is not so much hibernate but crash on attempt to end hibernation and reboot. I would be fairly cautious about attempting to hibernate part way through an update. Better to go to Windows updates and change the configuration to download updates but ask before patching.

  11. Re:Image Organization on Ask Slashdot: Best Software For Image Organization? · · Score: 2

    OK simplest software solution. Place all photos in one directory, the create links/shortcuts to those photos in different appropriately titled directories. Now create the appropriate directory structure so as to best access those images and retitle those links/shortcuts as appropriate. It can all be done with a typical file manager even though it is a long, slow process, absolutely no lock in at all, no changes at all to original image, just be careful when you think you are copying images that you are not just copying links/shortcuts ;).

  12. Re:Check your math. on Apparent Islamic Terrorism Strikes Sydney · · Score: 2

    Just a warning about the quality of that survey data. Exactly how do you expect people to answer questions in a country with Sharia law about Sharia law, when for a Muslim under Sharia law, it is akin to blasphemy to critique that particular rather obnoxious book, not that it is obnoxious on it's own, other religious works also should face public criticism for their content, most well known being the bible and Torah. The biggest problems with Sharia law are of course once implemented it is a death penalty to attempt to remove or change them making it extreme undesirable and of course it's laws being subject to religious rather than literal interpretation and subject to extreme corruption.

    Tony Abbott has a shocking history of attempting to manipulate circumstance for political advantage no matter how distasteful. So the first group of targets rather disturbing aligned with with rapidly collapsing political popularity and he wanted conflict to attempt to drive popularity. This second series of raid seems to be an identical effort. One wanders if the person wasn't a victim of the first set of raids and after being victimised that individuals likely unstable mental state was pushed over the edge. You can bet the slime is hoping for the exact opposite outcome of what he is publicly claiming. Just like he new found silence on the Ukraine incident when it is looking more and more like a false flag event that went totally out of control.

  13. Re:This might alienate anti-ISI* Muslims. on US Navy Authorizes Use of Laser In Combat · · Score: 1

    Erm, yeah right because of depleted uranium rounds and agent orange and using personal as lab rats in nuclear bomb tests and, well, you get the gist, where there's a profit in it for the military industrial complex. Safety and security often take a back seat, so far back in fact, when the military bus takes off they often get left way behind but yeah keep believing the military industrial complex public relations double speak for which they are truly well known.

  14. Re:class act on Julian Assange Trying To Raise Nearly $200k For a Statue of Himself · · Score: 1

    A statue on world tour of Manning, Assange and Snowden, should also likely include some random figures of 'Anonymous' as a greater indicator of behind the scenes efforts. The nature of the statue should of course be as irritating and annoying as possible for those who oppose the ideals of freedom of information and the need for the electorate to have full access to the truth when it comes to actions of it's government as well as those corporations and organisations who have a major influence upon the actions of that government. Size would likely work well is this regard, perhaps cast metal might not be the best choice. An inflatable printed display could be made quite large and attract considerably more attention as it could be located in far more opportune temporary locations and of course in more than one location at once, just a reminder that we not only know where they live, we also live where they live.

  15. Re:Is SONY breaking the law with this "defense"? on Sony Reportedly Is Using Cyber-Attacks To Keep Leaked Files From Spreading · · Score: 1

    Gotta be carefull there pardner, there's a huge difference between carrying arms and using arms. Just as you are not entitled to shoot your noisy neighbour, there are no laws that allow computer hacking except for policing agencies with warrants. Of course a denial of service attack is in this guise even worse, guilty until proven innocent based purely upon accusation based upon circumstantial evidence. Of course this really is about a specific level of public corruption where justice is blatant for sale to the highest campaign contributor and offshore account supplier, so major corporations are now actively publicly breaking laws because they know they can get away with it due to the current level of political corruption as lead by the US.

  16. Re:Making him? on Dad Makes His Kid Play Through All Video Game History In Chronological Order · · Score: 1

    The way to 'force' a child to play the limited examples of games of the era in the order they came out is logically only offer the games to play in that order. The child carrying the genetics of the parent and as is the norm in humanity, will want to play the games and as a matter of historical record, children of early computer gaming eras did in fact enjoy playing the games. The big difference between earlier computer games and current computer games is the shift in focus from game play to graphics. So teaching early computer games focuses in on game play rather than being dazzled by graphics

  17. Re:How much is that in F-35s? on NASA Gets 2% Boost To Science Budget · · Score: 1

    Budget discussions should also cover whether this is revolving door funding, making it's way out of NASA to private for profit contractors faster than it made it's way in.

  18. Re:This might alienate anti-ISI* Muslims. on US Navy Authorizes Use of Laser In Combat · · Score: 1

    I have got the feeling that using high energy lasers on boats with the unpredictable reflective nature of the surface of the sea, waves and such, might not be the safest thing to do for anyone involved in those laser shenanigans. Perhaps a rethink might be in order or at least many damn good pairs of sunglasses for the crew of the vessel, crews of any nearby friendly vessels or planes or people on the shore. So what fraction of second for the partial reflection of a high energy laser is required to blind someone or in fact everybody looking in that general direction at the time.

  19. Re:I guess Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking on AI Expert: AI Won't Exterminate Us -- It Will Empower Us · · Score: 1

    Speaking of rich, I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head there. The problem with AI is not artificial intelligence but the natural psychopathic intelligence of the rich greedy idiots and what they try to do with AI and how dangerously destructive, unfortunately, that 'will' become. Let's fire people with expertise because they are too expensive and automate it because it is cheaper and one computer can replace tens of thousands of skilled professionals. Keep in mind professionals can make mistakes but it is some of them some of the time, when a computer or more specifically an AI makes a mistake it will repeat it infinitely.

  20. Re:Another "taking" by the California government.. on LA Mayor Proposes Earthquake Retrofits On Thousands of Buildings · · Score: 2

    So, 'Genius', what exactly is the fair market value of an unsafe structure, not property of course, never property, as the land is not in question, just the structure itself. Which had an originally engineered designed life, which the structures have already gone well past, taking into account 'Tax Depreciation Laws', which allows investors to depreciate the value of the structure over it's designed life. Often properties (structure and land) will be dumped by developers on slum landlords when the structures have past the engineered designed life because that is more profitable than demolishing them and rebuilding a new structure with it new engineered design life. Slum landlords will of course sit on them, avoid all maintenance costs, insure the crap out of them and hope they fall down in an earthquake or go up in flames (when it comes to the residence, meh, as long as the paid their rent right up to the very second they died).

  21. Re:What in the hell was he thinking? on Man Caught Trying To Sell Plans For New Aircraft Carrier · · Score: 1

    No, that is completely illogical, you can not 'steal' an act. the act being keeping secrets. The people can still attempt to keep secrets, whether the succeed or fail is up to them, no one can steal it from them, so a perfectly unacceptable use of the word. Just like the public relations distortion of piracy, where copying something, is related to raiding a vessel at sea.

  22. Re:Diversity is good, especially in SciFi on Overly Familiar Sci-Fi · · Score: 1

    Perhaps this will help explain to you the reason why the noise in science fiction. Science fiction - the art of creating every single other genre of fiction writing within a reader appreciable science fiction schema. So what was once science fiction can in fact cease to be science fiction except as part of the historical record of fiction writing. Of course space pirates will always be space pirates, whether attacking ships in space or making raids on planets.

  23. Re:America, land of the free... on Ask Slashdot: Can a Felon Work In IT? · · Score: 1

    There is no easy and there is no hard, there is only the competition for the position. So are criminal misdemeanour's a block, only if, all things being equal, the person you compete against is as good and does not have a criminal history. Keep in mind when an employer rejects you, they are not working at constructively rejecting you so that you can improve your next job application, they are looking to safely (for themselves) and politely rejecting you for the simplest reasons possible. Criminal record is basically an easy out for rejection, the employer is still saying you are an acceptable person but company policy prevents them from accepting you, so a safe out for rejection.

    Of course without stating the exact nature of the naughtiness and, the age at which it occurred, any judgement about employability or lack there of, remains pie in the sky. Basically it is all down to pluses or minuses, how much better is your skill set and recent employment history than you past criminal history and how does that compare to other people applying for the same position.

    Proving skills is pretty easy in IT, do free stuff for FOSS (free open source software) because if you efforts are good enough you can quite readily gain public recognition by the people you most want to impress. So demonstrate skill by picking the most appropriate FOSS project and then start doing the hard grind to demonstrate your skills, not only will you practise you skills amongst peers who will help and instruct you but you will get to know the right people who will help you get a job or even employ you.

  24. Seriously, we are comparing the effectiveness of public relation social media teams as if it 'fucking' means something, seriously what the fuck. People pointing to this, should be saying, why the fuck bother, it is all public relations bullshit, as completely total and utterly meaningless as it can be. Proof positive that tweeting on the internet has no greater value political than birds tweeting in a tree as certainly far less social value because at least the birds tweeting sounds good, well, most times.

    This article should simply point out the completely pointless nature of twitter politically and socially, as those who make the best use of it, fucking pay others to do it, so twitter is more like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?... than this https://www.youtube.com/watch?.... How much more utterly pointless can communications fucking be when you are no longer listening to the actual person but are only listening to their PR=B$ teams, now, who the fuck are you really voting for!?

  25. Re:The Latter. on Facebook Founder Presents Vision For The New Republic, Many Resign In Protest · · Score: 1

    Now that is exactly what caused the problem. When he bought the company he though he also bought the writers and editors whose efforts created the company he bought. So those people who felt they had not been bought, felt more than a little disgruntled when the company they had created was being changed. This all ties to US celebrity worship, the owner of a company does not create the company, that is an ego feeding public relations lie, the people who do all the work at the company create the company, the owner just selected them and often did not even do that. So just like a snow ball rolling down the hill, the person who started the ball rolling did not make it huge ball of snow, additional snow, gravity and the hill did that, all the person did was initiate a very, very, small part of the process.