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User: twiddlingbits

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  1. Re:duh on Spysats Keeping Watch on the U.S. · · Score: 2, Funny

    "What I want to know is what we are doing to stop them from continuing their infiltration into our personal lives that we live behind closed door"... Haven't you lined the inside of your roof with tinfoil or lead yet? It works great on those thought sensors the Sattelites have now. The lining will also stop the mind-control rays the aliens are using to get you to buy the things you see on the Home Shopping Network. I haven't bought a thing from HSN or had any visitors from three letter Government agencies in a long time.

  2. Re:RTFA! on Amec Working on Long-Term Nuclear Waste Solution · · Score: 1

    Just launch it into the Sun. The Sun wouldn't mind. Of course then you get those who worry about the rocket malfunctioning or sabotage and coming down on a populated area/blowing up. Those issues we pretty much know how to handle with proper planning. What's going to keep someone away from those storage areas in a couple hundred years?

  3. Re:Funny... on Soviet Space Shuttle Found In Bahrain? · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The link to astronautix.com has a great history of the effort, how they copied the STS (without engines) and how they developed the N-1 Launch Vehicle. The test flight discussed seemed to a bit odd with a very eccentric orbit of like 150km x -20km, so they barely got into LEO. And I don't think they tested payload delivery either. The big debate was if the first flight was to be manned or unmanned. Unmanned won. I am assuming with the fall of the Soviet Union that the history of Buran is pretty solid by now free of the typical Soviet mis-information about success OR failure.

  4. Re:Funny... on Soviet Space Shuttle Found In Bahrain? · · Score: 1

    Lots of other differences too, namely STS actually made it to orbit!! I was told by an old Shuttle guy during my days at NASA that the Buran had a number of stability issues as well as a lack of advanced computers to handle the automatic flyback. The program was cancelled due to those issues. IIRC, the Thermal Protection System (Tiles) was never really tested either. So, it was a LONG way from ever going into orbit. The cost to complete the Buran was very high and thus it was never finished. Hmmm..seems like the Russians were smarter that the USA. We are STILL paying for the Shuttle problems and we have lost 14 astronauts as well. If Russia wants to launch some guys into orbit they pull out a tried and true (yet simple) Soyuz, fuel up an Energia and off they go, we on the other hand take up an old very high mileage school bus held together with chewing gum.

  5. Re:also on Camera that Sees through Smoke and Fog Underway · · Score: 1

    Not new stuff really, they have had seekers on missiles that used different wavelengths to determine the target in the dark, thru dust, fog or rain. Some systems even combined the seeker types to improve performance in certain cases. The fact that it is coming to the consumer market about 15 yrs later means to me that the DOD must have some awesome good new technolgy that makes this stuff almost obsolete. Night Vision, GPS, Advanced Composites for Airplanes, Body Armor (Kevlar) all by-products of the defense budget over the past 25 years.

  6. Re:Quickly! on IT (And Other) Salaries On The Rise In The U.S. · · Score: 1

    The US Government is setup with a balance of power, the President PROPOSES policies via his budget, but Congress makes the LAWS. Sometimes the President gets what he wants, sometimes he doesn't. The true power is in Congress[just read some of the papers fo the Founding Fathers], the Senate Majority Leader is at least as powerful on DOMESTIC issues as the President, with the President coming out ahead on Foreign policy matters. If the President and Senate can work together then we can have a great system. When they are at each others throats nothing gets done.

  7. Re:Bush's Fault on IT (And Other) Salaries On The Rise In The U.S. · · Score: 1

    So, you are not happy with a 2.5% growth rate? If that rate continues for a while and we don't have another recession then the net result is we are ahead. The key is SUSTAINABLE growth, which is very difficult. As I'm sure you know the Fed also plays a role by setting Interest rates and the Fed is NOT elected even though the leader serves at the discretion of the President. However, Greenspan is only one vote.

  8. Re:Quickly! on IT (And Other) Salaries On The Rise In The U.S. · · Score: 1

    Control in the Senate really requires 60 votes, which is required in break a filibuster. Neither party has had that number in quite a few years. Learn how the process really works before you go making stupid statements. Oh wait, this is /. where stupidity is held in high regard.

  9. Re:keep in mind that on IT (And Other) Salaries On The Rise In The U.S. · · Score: 1

    Howard? Howard the Duck is running for President? Thats kewl!! Is he on the Mickey Mouse party ticket?

  10. Re:Bush's Fault on IT (And Other) Salaries On The Rise In The U.S. · · Score: 1

    When will those on /. grow up and understand that the economy is one HELL of a lot more than just the IT sector. And where do you get the 3Qs of "downturn"? That is not a fact. If you mean downturn in IT jobs that I might agree with, and not all of those are going to India. I see a LOT of bloated IT departments that are eventually going to have to cut back. "Bleak Outlook"? Where do you get that one? Got some facts to support the economic output goes UP in an Election year? If so, then why was Bush I hammered about the economy in an election year in 1996?

  11. Re:Bush's Fault on IT (And Other) Salaries On The Rise In The U.S. · · Score: 1

    Ramen is 10 for $1 where I shop and on sale it is 12 for a dollar. You are getting ripped off ;) Inflation is pretty tame these days excepting gas prices and there are a number of reasons behind those prices, and the situation in Iraq is NOT one of them.

  12. Re:Bush's Fault on IT (And Other) Salaries On The Rise In The U.S. · · Score: 1

    What recession? A recession is defined as 3 consecutive quarters of DECREASING Gross National Product. That has certainly not happend. If you will recall, Bush took office in JAN 2001 with a first year budget, etc. that was from Bill Clinton. The first year of any Presidents' term he will be working under a lot of things from his predecessor's days. Since Bush took office, things haven't been that bad for me in the IT biz, but then again I'm long past being a programmer whose job can be shipped offshore.

  13. Re:Step 1: tethered balloon on The Space Elevator - Public or Private? · · Score: 1

    The 100 day limit comes from searching several sites about high altitude ballooning. The NASA CREAM experiment was up about that long on a ultra-large helium ballon (zero pressure type) and the site I saw said 125-130 days (give or take based on weather) was the limit. 130K feet is not really high enough to help much, it's really the bare lower edge of space. LEO is considered anything above about 100 miles up. The ISS is considered to be in LEO and is about 400ish miles up and does require reboosting. It's a LONG way from there to GeoSynch at 22,300 miles. Your idea might work with long duration UAVs that can hold position.

  14. Re:Step 1: tethered balloon on The Space Elevator - Public or Private? · · Score: 1

    A Space Station isn't "supported" by anything, it's in Orbit. It's own motion keeps it there. Anything in LEO needs a boost on occasion to keep up with the effects of atmospheric drag decaying the orbit. So how do you do that with helium? How do you plan to attach the tether sections to each other? The plans I have seen call for 1 continuous length of nano-tube cable. Splices may become weak spots. Helium ballons can't reach LEO anyhow, the record is about 130,000 feet with one as tall as the Empire State Building with 40M cubic feet of helium. As the air temp lowers at altitude the helium gas has less lift, but the pressure expands due to lower atmospheric pressure so lift is still there, but the pressure eventually bursts the ballon. Even the zero pressue ballons have limits to the altitude and duration of a flight (130K feet and 100 days). All told I think your idea of a LEO Space Station with Ballons is not going to work. If you have data to prove me wrong let's see it.

  15. Re:Towel (and I) on First of 6 new HHGG episodes, Tonight! · · Score: 1

    Got your Babelfish too?

  16. Re:Innovation on IBM Tech Detects & Changes Spin of Single Electron · · Score: 1

    IBM gets the most patents every year of any company in the US, and is in the top 10 in the World in yearly patents granted. IBM invents in many areas, not just computer hardware/software, and then licenses the invention. It's a nice revenue stream for many years. IBM has some brilliant people scattered all over the world (and some really dumb managers/executives).

  17. Re:Give me something tangible, not bullshit. on Libertarian Presidential Candidate Michael Badnarik Answers · · Score: 1

    I also found some other Hemps doing a Google search which are NOT members of Cannabis. The "Colorado River Hemp" is something completely different. My IR idea will still work, i don't think many folks are going to plant Hemp in a cornfield or in a National Forest. :)

  18. Re:Of course on Libertarian Presidential Candidate Michael Badnarik Answers · · Score: 0, Troll

    Calling people names is not going to build any goodwill towards your party. People look at those who claim to represent a party/candidate and form opinions based on that perception. My perception in now that Hell would freeze over before I would vote for a Libertarian. If you have no hope of making your goals happen then you are only blowing smoke. Set realistic goals. Go ahead and vote for him. You are NOT going to get anyone leaning in the Lib. direction with a few 1000s of votes. Get say 5% of the popular vote and you may get some attention. Mainstream political candidates know they need to have help in the House and Senate, that is why they campaign for and with the candidates of thier party in House/Senate races. Coatails can be powerful.

  19. Re:So is IBM on IBM Tech Detects & Changes Spin of Single Electron · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nope. SCO still owns that title and will for a VERY long time. It's just that now IBM can measure the spin and quantify it with a number.

  20. Re:Republicans for Badnarik on Libertarian Presidential Candidate Michael Badnarik Answers · · Score: 1

    The SS "Trust Fun" is already loaned to the General Fund. I think SS sucks but I can see that you can't just take the money everyone put in give them nothing, its a great big Ponzi Scheme but it's been around so long that folks are addicted. I'm not sure you can remove it ALL with one move, that's why I like the more gradual approach of GWB, but the risk there is that is will not be continued by those who come after. BTW, the quote about "poor elderly" is commonly used by the Demo's when mentioning Republicans. You don't want to be seem as mean to the elderly..those folks VOTE!! Not that they are any more deserving than other special interests, just they tend to deliver the votes for the $$.

  21. Re:Republicans for Badnarik on Libertarian Presidential Candidate Michael Badnarik Answers · · Score: 1

    Gawd..what a misrepresenation of the facts. $1T in tax CUTS and $2T Less in SS payments (invested privately) is NOT $3T in EXTRA spending. I'm all for Tax Cuts (By God it's MY money) and investing my SS money in the market (By God it's MY Money). Plus your source is one of the most liberal rags in the world. You call yourself a Republican who turned Liberatarian? I can you a Liberal in Liberatarian clothing. Or a Troll.

  22. Re:Give me something tangible, not bullshit. on Libertarian Presidential Candidate Michael Badnarik Answers · · Score: 1

    I thought MJ and Hemp were the same plant family not the same PLANT. Here is what I found on Google. I think my idea is worth a shot based on this info from http://chetday.com/hemp.html he industrial hemp plant, Cannabis sativa, should not be confused with the marijuana plant, which is its cousin. The appearance, planting patterns, and uses of the two plants are quite different. Cannabis sativa is an annual belonging to the nettle family. It grows from 5 to 15 feet in height with rich dark-green leaves composed of 5 to 9 serrated, narrow, tapering leaflets that are pointed at the end and measure 2 to 5 inches in length and approximately one-sixth as wide. Hemp is tall, thin plant with most of its leaves concentrated at the top. The plants are planted only inches apart: 900 plants to the square yard. The staminate, or pollen-bearing flowers, and the pistillate or seed-producing flowers are on separate plants.

  23. Re:Republicans for Badnarik on Libertarian Presidential Candidate Michael Badnarik Answers · · Score: 1

    Wanta give a source for that $3T number? That's a LOT of money, you sure that isn't the budget for all of Government in 2005?

  24. Re:Of course on Libertarian Presidential Candidate Michael Badnarik Answers · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    I skimmed it..I quit reading in depth about 20% of the way thru with all the BS he was slinging. The guy is a "populist" not a Libertarian. Besides it's my God Given /. right to post without RTFA! ;)

  25. Re:You changed my vote. on Libertarian Presidential Candidate Michael Badnarik Answers · · Score: 1

    Your arguments make no sense. Why vote for someone you think of as a cartoon character? And why NOT vote if you are sure your guy is going to win, because if enough like you stay home then he loses. If you have to "vote your conscienc" then you won't be voting as you can pretty much find an issue in any candidate that violates something you hold as a core belief.