I have 3 gigs with my hosting plan, and I can create mailboxes to fill that space, and includes webmail. I have 90 gigs on my computer, and can archive my emails. I have grep to search through said archive for patterns. I have a CD burner, and therefore have unlimited backup for my email. Oh, and my hosting plan includes spamassassin and I use Apple's Mail, which together have caused one false positive in a year of using this combination, with probably a million disgusting spams kept from my sight.
Remind me again, why do I need 1GB of space that puts my personal correspondence in the hands of a corporation, subject to archival and advertising?
Unfortunately, most of us can't afford to live in a city so we can walk anywhere. Suburbs aren't designed for pedestrians. If I need to go to the grocery store, I have to drive a mile to get there, or risk my life walking along a busy road without sidewalks.
It would take a large move by local governments to make walking safe and economical. Zoning would have to be changed, pedestrian over or under passes would have to be constructed for major arteries, and side walks and bike paths would have to be built.
There's a reason we think people who ride bikes on the road are suicidal.
No Manned Space Flight?
on
The Wrong Stuff
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Once we have instant communication between points, and robots that are as intelligent, adaptable and capable as human beings, then I could see a point to stopping manned exploration.
However, there will never be a time when man does not need to be in space. I do not fault manned space exploration, but I do fault NASA for perpetuating the idea that it has to be expensive. (Mostly due to cost-plus outsourcing.)
We must move into space at some time to avoid total annihilation as the sun dies. The amount of resources available in space (not to mention the fact that we wouldn't have to waste land to get at them) are reason enough to push out there. Robots can't do it (for a lot of reasons), but people can.
Encourage people to have power generation in their own homes. Solar panels, generators, etc, designed for home use, would not only ease strain on the grid during hot days in the summer, but would also make their owners money, and make them energy independent.
This would also provide security in an attack, because the entire electrical grid will no longer be supplied by a few power plants that are large targets for any attacker.
The only reason this wasn't implemented during the Cold War is because the technology wasn't there yet, but it is now. And what better way to promote the hydrogen economy that having people put fuel cells on their property to power their house when the main grid fails? People who don't want to have hydrogen in their cars probably won't mind having a tank in their back yard. A lot of people already have tanks of propane for heating and cooking where there's no natural gas service. (Yeah, yeah, I know it's not a cryogenic liquid, but it sure does explode like hydrogen.)
This would create a distributed network of power generation, and no RIAA-like actions by Al Qaeda or Mother Nature would be able to bring much of the grid down at any one time.
This story illustrates one of the great things about Macs; their quality. I've had my Power Mac G4/400 since 2000, and with some RAM upgrades, a Firewire CD burner, and a couple new HDs (total cost: $500 over three years), it still runs the latest OS and does everything I need it to do, and isn't that all you should ask of a computer?
If you want games, buy a Playstation/XBox/Nintendo. You get a bigger screen with better picture quality, and cheaper games. If you don't think you can afford a Mac, finance one. I can guarantee that the $1,700 G5 you buy will outlast 2 Dells with comparable specs. And you won't be a MicroSerf.
Another thing: Anything you see on display in an Apple Store you can take home that day. Instant gratification.
You buy from Gateway Country, and you have to wait to have it shipped. If you want instant gratification, you can go to Best Buy.
Also, people who work at Gateway Country, at least the ones I've encountered, are doing it like they'd do another retail job. Apple's stores are better because the people there care about the product they're selling. Most of them are Mac users. Also, Apple trains them to be the best.
In other words, Apple did what it does best; being the best it can, while Gateway simply rebranded.
I agree that the playground isn't safe. Far from it. However, I'm also not advocating the United States (which is, in fact, the stable empire you speak of) use its military might to further its own geopolitical goals. It makes us no better than the bully who wants to take instead of give.
Also, you ignore the fact that there are peaceful ways to attain goals. Martin Luther King Jr. never raised a hand in anger, and yet was the most respected leader of a culture-changing movement. Ghandi allowed himself to be struck down repeatedly rather than harm someone else. Probably not good examples, because they both got shot, but I challenge anyone to remember the names of their shooters. No googling for the answers, either.
Science is not only thing that should be funded by society. A strong defense is necessary as well. I never said otherwise. However, when leaders are no acting in the interest of their people, abuses set in. The Military-Industrial-Congressional complex in which we now live is an example of the abuses possible in this system. There is no reason for a country to spend $400 billion, more than all other nations combined, when entities such as the UN exist for the sole purpose of easing grievances between nations. If we halve that amount, and spend $100 billion on science, education, health care, and research into alternative energies, I can guarantee that you will not have Chinese soldiers beating down your door, but you will have a better quality of life.
We need to stop letting our fear determine our policies and start letting our hopes have a say.
Maybe the choice of words is wrong: The horizon of space is getting 186,000 miles farther away every second, so stuff within that horizon is now visible to us. That light is more faint (because distance is a factor in light intensity), and that's why exposure times are increasing.
Also, the light we see from the sun is 8 minutes old. It's just that the sun is continuously emitting light, and not turning off every evening.
I think that's a tad misleading. It implies that somehow Hubble is doing something new. The fact is, we're seeing 186,000 miles further every second, because light takes time to get places. A more accurate headline would be we're seeing older things than we've ever seen.
On Scrapping Hubble: We're not pissed because it's getting old and expensive; we're pissed off because those in power would rather break things and hurt people than do something constructive like explore space or feed children. There's more profit in making things that blow things up that you then have to rebuild than making something that will last for years.
What's the school like? What's the area you live in like? What is the major industry? What are some good programs at school and in the community? How is this kid built? Does he look like he could take someone?
I was fortunate enough to a school district that was small enough so that social groups couldn't reach 'critical mass' to create destructive situations for their peer groups. (Those who could bully weren't numerous enough to get away with tyranny over everyone else.) Also, the gifted/advanced placement programs started in 3rd grade and went through to graduation. Finally, the music and art programs were award winning and excellent, with many ways to express yourself. And it helped that I looked like I could take pretty much anybody.
Here's some tips: Talk to the kid; let him know he's different from his peers (but not better). Go in depth into the psychology of adolescents. They're not mocking him because he's wrong, but because he's not one of them. Let him find a group (in school, preferably) where he can fit in. Mine was the instrumental program. Also, put him in a leadership role. This is the best way to create social skills. Just make sure that he doesn't become a dictator.
And, finally, let him on Slashdot. Show him he's not alone in tackling problems that a lot of intelligent kids have to deal with growing up. Feeling like you're on your own is the worst thing that can happen to him.
I say "him" because I have yet to encounter a girl who has had similar issues. They're probably out there, but in such a small minority that my chances are good that I don't have to worry about being wrong in my assumption that the kid's a male.
I've used Visio. I hate Visio. There are way better alternatives to it, including OmniGraffle. Professors would often ask how I created such pretty diagrams in Visio. It was fun to tell them I didn't use that horribly designed program.
they don't run Access;
Access sucks. There isn't anything you can do in Access that's not easier in MySQL, and MySQL is free. And if you aren't 1337 to set up MySQL yourself, there's Filemaker.
they have Entourage instead of a proper, modern Outlook;
Entourage is superior to Outlook in just about every way.
So, really, the only app that's really missing on Mac OS X is Project.
and if you're into such things, they can barely run more games than Linux can.
Will the FUD never end?!? There are thousands of games for Macs, including most of the top games out there. Just because you can't find "Jethro Shoots Stuf Withuh Gun" at Best Buy doesn't mean there's no games for Macs
Also, I find that in most cases it's EASIER to work on my car with a computer. Without a computer you only know if there's something wrong if it's bad enough to cause serious performance degradation. With a computer, you can catch problems way before they become serious. I had a light a few months ago, went to the auto parts store, borrowed their scanner, saw that I had a stuck EGR valve, wrenched it off, cleaned it, and replaced it. Without the computer I'd never have had a clue, just kept polluting more than necessary, and possibly fouling my catalytic converter as well.
And what about those of us who would rather work on our car alone and don't know people with scanners? Are we not supposed to work on our cars on our own and waste money?
And it seems to me that car makers are trying to make it so people can't work on cars themselves. I switched from a 90 Jetta to a 99 Protege recently, and instead of being on the front of the engine, reached easily without jacking, the oil filter on the Mazda is on the back of the engine underneath the intake manifold. How the hell am I supposed to get at that???
Seems like Detroit/Japan should make it so their cars can have the basic maintenance done by their owners instead of by a mechanic who may or may not be ripping you the hell off.
Which is exactly why we should send a manned mission with a microbiologist or two who can spend a year and a half looking at various types of sediment for hundreds of kilometers.
NASA has never lost a human in space, so sending them on a 1.5 year mission is actually safer than throwing them to orbit.
Slashdot Mirror
I have 3 gigs with my hosting plan, and I can create mailboxes to fill that space, and includes webmail. I have 90 gigs on my computer, and can archive my emails. I have grep to search through said archive for patterns. I have a CD burner, and therefore have unlimited backup for my email. Oh, and my hosting plan includes spamassassin and I use Apple's Mail, which together have caused one false positive in a year of using this combination, with probably a million disgusting spams kept from my sight.
Remind me again, why do I need 1GB of space that puts my personal correspondence in the hands of a corporation, subject to archival and advertising?
That's impossible. Michigan can't have worse roads than PA.
Unfortunately, most of us can't afford to live in a city so we can walk anywhere. Suburbs aren't designed for pedestrians. If I need to go to the grocery store, I have to drive a mile to get there, or risk my life walking along a busy road without sidewalks.
It would take a large move by local governments to make walking safe and economical. Zoning would have to be changed, pedestrian over or under passes would have to be constructed for major arteries, and side walks and bike paths would have to be built.
There's a reason we think people who ride bikes on the road are suicidal.
Once we have instant communication between points, and robots that are as intelligent, adaptable and capable as human beings, then I could see a point to stopping manned exploration.
However, there will never be a time when man does not need to be in space. I do not fault manned space exploration, but I do fault NASA for perpetuating the idea that it has to be expensive. (Mostly due to cost-plus outsourcing.)
We must move into space at some time to avoid total annihilation as the sun dies. The amount of resources available in space (not to mention the fact that we wouldn't have to waste land to get at them) are reason enough to push out there. Robots can't do it (for a lot of reasons), but people can.
If not now, when? If not us, who?
But what about the diesel/fuel cell generators? And if the grid is up to snuff, it wouldn't be a problem shipping power where it needs to go.
Of course, you'd have to have it be <gasp> regulated by the government!!!
I never said it would be easy. It's sure easy to leave windows on your machine, but upgrading to Linux is a better solution.
Yes, because we all want 120V flying through our brains.
Encourage people to have power generation in their own homes. Solar panels, generators, etc, designed for home use, would not only ease strain on the grid during hot days in the summer, but would also make their owners money, and make them energy independent.
This would also provide security in an attack, because the entire electrical grid will no longer be supplied by a few power plants that are large targets for any attacker.
The only reason this wasn't implemented during the Cold War is because the technology wasn't there yet, but it is now. And what better way to promote the hydrogen economy that having people put fuel cells on their property to power their house when the main grid fails? People who don't want to have hydrogen in their cars probably won't mind having a tank in their back yard. A lot of people already have tanks of propane for heating and cooking where there's no natural gas service. (Yeah, yeah, I know it's not a cryogenic liquid, but it sure does explode like hydrogen.)
This would create a distributed network of power generation, and no RIAA-like actions by Al Qaeda or Mother Nature would be able to bring much of the grid down at any one time.
Translation: You don't get thrown in jail for pirating open source products.
This story illustrates one of the great things about Macs; their quality. I've had my Power Mac G4/400 since 2000, and with some RAM upgrades, a Firewire CD burner, and a couple new HDs (total cost: $500 over three years), it still runs the latest OS and does everything I need it to do, and isn't that all you should ask of a computer?
If you want games, buy a Playstation/XBox/Nintendo. You get a bigger screen with better picture quality, and cheaper games. If you don't think you can afford a Mac, finance one. I can guarantee that the $1,700 G5 you buy will outlast 2 Dells with comparable specs. And you won't be a MicroSerf.
What kind of godless commie pinko are you??? Advertising is good. Do as your corporate masters say or you get the the hose!
It gives them a chance to get up and take a piss and grab a Cold One(TM).
Vinegar works, too. I use it to disinfect my cutting boards. Smells a bit, though.
Go
Wash
Your
Hands.
So by giving us fewer choices to get our services, they're protecting us from evil people outside of their organization!
Oh what a silly sheep I've been, servicing my car myself for so long!
Another thing: Anything you see on display in an Apple Store you can take home that day. Instant gratification.
You buy from Gateway Country, and you have to wait to have it shipped. If you want instant gratification, you can go to Best Buy.
Also, people who work at Gateway Country, at least the ones I've encountered, are doing it like they'd do another retail job. Apple's stores are better because the people there care about the product they're selling. Most of them are Mac users. Also, Apple trains them to be the best.
In other words, Apple did what it does best; being the best it can, while Gateway simply rebranded.
Will this make IE support PNG?
Didn't think so.
I agree that the playground isn't safe. Far from it. However, I'm also not advocating the United States (which is, in fact, the stable empire you speak of) use its military might to further its own geopolitical goals. It makes us no better than the bully who wants to take instead of give.
Also, you ignore the fact that there are peaceful ways to attain goals. Martin Luther King Jr. never raised a hand in anger, and yet was the most respected leader of a culture-changing movement. Ghandi allowed himself to be struck down repeatedly rather than harm someone else. Probably not good examples, because they both got shot, but I challenge anyone to remember the names of their shooters. No googling for the answers, either.
Science is not only thing that should be funded by society. A strong defense is necessary as well. I never said otherwise. However, when leaders are no acting in the interest of their people, abuses set in. The Military-Industrial-Congressional complex in which we now live is an example of the abuses possible in this system. There is no reason for a country to spend $400 billion, more than all other nations combined, when entities such as the UN exist for the sole purpose of easing grievances between nations. If we halve that amount, and spend $100 billion on science, education, health care, and research into alternative energies, I can guarantee that you will not have Chinese soldiers beating down your door, but you will have a better quality of life.
We need to stop letting our fear determine our policies and start letting our hopes have a say.
Maybe the choice of words is wrong: The horizon of space is getting 186,000 miles farther away every second, so stuff within that horizon is now visible to us. That light is more faint (because distance is a factor in light intensity), and that's why exposure times are increasing.
Also, the light we see from the sun is 8 minutes old. It's just that the sun is continuously emitting light, and not turning off every evening.
I think that's a tad misleading. It implies that somehow Hubble is doing something new. The fact is, we're seeing 186,000 miles further every second, because light takes time to get places. A more accurate headline would be we're seeing older things than we've ever seen.
On Scrapping Hubble: We're not pissed because it's getting old and expensive; we're pissed off because those in power would rather break things and hurt people than do something constructive like explore space or feed children. There's more profit in making things that blow things up that you then have to rebuild than making something that will last for years.
What's the school like? What's the area you live in like? What is the major industry? What are some good programs at school and in the community? How is this kid built? Does he look like he could take someone?
I was fortunate enough to a school district that was small enough so that social groups couldn't reach 'critical mass' to create destructive situations for their peer groups. (Those who could bully weren't numerous enough to get away with tyranny over everyone else.) Also, the gifted/advanced placement programs started in 3rd grade and went through to graduation. Finally, the music and art programs were award winning and excellent, with many ways to express yourself. And it helped that I looked like I could take pretty much anybody.
Here's some tips: Talk to the kid; let him know he's different from his peers (but not better). Go in depth into the psychology of adolescents. They're not mocking him because he's wrong, but because he's not one of them. Let him find a group (in school, preferably) where he can fit in. Mine was the instrumental program. Also, put him in a leadership role. This is the best way to create social skills. Just make sure that he doesn't become a dictator.
And, finally, let him on Slashdot. Show him he's not alone in tackling problems that a lot of intelligent kids have to deal with growing up. Feeling like you're on your own is the worst thing that can happen to him.
I say "him" because I have yet to encounter a girl who has had similar issues. They're probably out there, but in such a small minority that my chances are good that I don't have to worry about being wrong in my assumption that the kid's a male.
Macs don't run Visio;
I've used Visio. I hate Visio. There are way better alternatives to it, including OmniGraffle. Professors would often ask how I created such pretty diagrams in Visio. It was fun to tell them I didn't use that horribly designed program.
they don't run Access;
Access sucks. There isn't anything you can do in Access that's not easier in MySQL, and MySQL is free. And if you aren't 1337 to set up MySQL yourself, there's Filemaker.
they have Entourage instead of a proper, modern Outlook;
Entourage is superior to Outlook in just about every way.
So, really, the only app that's really missing on Mac OS X is Project.
and if you're into such things, they can barely run more games than Linux can.
Will the FUD never end?!? There are thousands of games for Macs, including most of the top games out there. Just because you can't find "Jethro Shoots Stuf Withuh Gun" at Best Buy doesn't mean there's no games for Macs
Also, I find that in most cases it's EASIER to work on my car with a computer. Without a computer you only know if there's something wrong if it's bad enough to cause serious performance degradation. With a computer, you can catch problems way before they become serious. I had a light a few months ago, went to the auto parts store, borrowed their scanner, saw that I had a stuck EGR valve, wrenched it off, cleaned it, and replaced it. Without the computer I'd never have had a clue, just kept polluting more than necessary, and possibly fouling my catalytic converter as well.
And what about those of us who would rather work on our car alone and don't know people with scanners? Are we not supposed to work on our cars on our own and waste money?
And it seems to me that car makers are trying to make it so people can't work on cars themselves. I switched from a 90 Jetta to a 99 Protege recently, and instead of being on the front of the engine, reached easily without jacking, the oil filter on the Mazda is on the back of the engine underneath the intake manifold. How the hell am I supposed to get at that???
Seems like Detroit/Japan should make it so their cars can have the basic maintenance done by their owners instead of by a mechanic who may or may not be ripping you the hell off.
10Mb/sec down and up + static IP for $15/month
Which is exactly why we should send a manned mission with a microbiologist or two who can spend a year and a half looking at various types of sediment for hundreds of kilometers.
NASA has never lost a human in space, so sending them on a 1.5 year mission is actually safer than throwing them to orbit.