Name once in our history where a party not named "Liberal" or "Conservative" has won at the national level?
We are in effect a 2 party system. We have other parties that leech support from one or the other to make the other win... which if you think about it is the most ass backwards thing ever. This is why the Conservatives have been in power the last several years with like 32% of the popular vote somehow.
Lighting a cross on fire isn't exactly illegal, but doing on the front lawn of an interracial marriage couple while yelling racial slurs in the dark might be, as shown by some douchebags this past year.
Get the media and the media industry to stop referring to copyright infringement as "Pirating" and "Thieves"...
I mean if you want to start being correct about terminology and stop using inflammatory biased language that might be a good start...Oh right, the media. nm.
it enviably comes down to degree to which they want power VS Ideals/Ideology. Compromise is part of the political process on every level.
I am a bit conflicted.
I hate politicians that throw away their ideals, simply to get into power.
I also hate politicians that have ideals yet refuse to compromise to get stuff done or to serve their party rather than their country.
I am a firm believer that you can do both of those things and that they are not mutually exclusive. However from my experience thus far the failure rate seems pretty high, most seem to do what I hate about politicians. It seems most actually like to break both rules, by doing/saying whatever it takes to get the votes to get into power, yet once there not compromise, braying the party/partisan line as hard as they can.
Because both Bell and Rogers (surprise) charge 1.25$ per GB with a 30$ max on their 60GB accounts.
This way the "independent" can actually make 0.13$ cents a GB if they also charge 1.25$. This is to force the "competition" into the exact same pricing models as the Bell/Rogers duopoly. Apparently they can use the "regulator" CTRC to do this. I mean it worked for traffic shaping.
The whole situation is ridiculous. Once again the CRTC shows its true colours...
Not sure how much you track these things but it is all pretty much the same. Any government or regulatory body when giving out fines, is not doing so to punish the offender, but is rather doing it so the public thinks they are doing something about anything. Companies know this and take advantage of it. The only downside to them is perhaps maybe some PR if it is a big enough screw up that makes the media. Mostly they just call it "The Cost of Doing Business", and move on.
Most of my examples I can think of relate to fines for environmental or safety breaches, but I have no doubt that this also applies to consumer protection. When a transport ship dumps waste in the ocean, and somehow against all odds gets caught, they might get a fine of 50,000 dollars, but if on the trip they actually made 1.5 million, then what is the point. Compound that by how many times you can do it before getting caught, and offset that with what it costs to properly dispose of the waste in port, and you have to ask your self why even bother. Look at the Tar Sands, a company was just fined 3 million for killing 1500 ducks in a tailing pond, but made billions... Oh and the same thing happened again like last week. Other than the bad PR (to which the other oil patch companies who were not involved must be really happy about) who cares. The same can be said for the mining industry, metallic, coal, etc... Look at the mine disaster in Chile, that company was previously fined many times for not having proper safety, and yet... Look at even the largest in history, the oil spill down in the gulf, all told what does BP have to look forward to? Maybe 1 billion in payouts if they manage to even do that, and you know over the years as scrutiny decreases, they will fight tooth and nail to reduce that number, when in the end they pull in over 3 billion in revenue PER YEAR. Profit.
So colour me not so surprised. In fact if I am surprised at all it is at them getting a fine at all. I know my first reaction was I wish the CRTC up here in Canada would grow some balls like the FCC and actually take some action against the telcos that are slowing raping and pillaging their consumers.
Its a slippery slope they travel down. First a kill switch for the internetz, then a kill switch for citizens, you know, just in case we turn into a terrorist...
All Hail Baron Vladimir Harkonnen!
Now that I think about it... Climate change may produce more deserts... The Spice Must Flow!
I wish we had politically charged polarized pitched battles in Canadian Politics.
Seemingly everyone is a professional politician, with a whole team behind them. On any important issue, everyone will seem to agree, as no one wants to loose a demographic or a geographic. Then once elected, simply do whatever they like.
The only thing that seems to get any air time is meaningless trivial stuff of "high emotion" but will have very little direct impact on anyone in Canada. For example the current fun topic is the "Gun Registry". It is purely a political pawn. It costs the government only about 3 million to maintain the thing. They probably spend more on paperclips. Yet somehow it is a huge deal. I mean it might be annoying for some rural folks, but is it really the focal point of our political spectrum? I hope not.
This isn't exactly a new tactic. I am pretty sure gaming companies have been using the same AI "cheats" since the dawn of time.
Its much easier to just tack on 150% health, etc... than it is to design AI that is actually smarter.
However in defense of lazy programmers (of which I am debatably one), adding 150% health etc... is also very easy for your computer to do, whereas likely designing a more complex smarter AI would really tax your system, forcing requirements higher, and limiting accessibility and user penetration.
And really that is what this issue is all about. Increasing accessibility and user penetration, can't miss marketing that game to the hopeless. This has nothing to do with programming, and everything to do with business and marketing.
I remember this with Halo 2. Competing against racist seemingly tourette syndrome 14 year olds that must play 26 hours a day to perfect their 'leet skillz', when I just want to play a game and have some fun.
I think at this point I just like arguing with people...:)
However as convincing arguments that climatologists make, and however rational it may be, their science seems to suck at predictability, and their models never seem to get anything right in reality. So while they very well might be right, the nature of their field makes it very hard to prove in any uncertain terms any of the claims they have thus made. Personally I think they have a sound idea, it's just the assumptions and methods that leave me wanting. Of course you've got to work with the best data you have, it's just that the stuff that they have is less than ideal, but such is life.
Of course I live in a Arctic country, so bring it on! Might suck if you live already in a desert zone, or don't have much land mass, but hey if its that important to you, then you can worry about it!
Doesn't anyone else think it is somewhat ironic that the most Major contributor to the CO2 (if we concede that it is causing it, and that its humans as well) is the production of Oil from the Middle East countries (they might not be using, but they are dealing... enablers to be sure!), and they are also likely they most sensitive to climate change. I.E. when the few rivers they do have dry up, they will be even less able to support their populations. Of course you have a few island nations that might go the way of Atlantis, but really none of them really have all that much population anyway, sucks just the same but, when I think of shoveling snow half the year, while they sit on a beach drinking rum and smoking reefer, well my sympathy evaporates, other than a sad feeling when trying to plan my next vacation.
Its a post graduate college course. It was pretty intense. I took it in the late 90's. Now tuition is 1700$ and change, and they even say upfront your books will be 1000$ now (which they are probably on the light side).
That was for 1st Semester, they broke the year in half, so ya I had to pay another 900$ for the second half of the year. However the books I needed to buy for the first half were still 1200$.
This was back in 1999, at Sir Sanford Fleming College in Ontario, Canada. I just checked and its close to double that now. Fun times for students and parents alike.
I still recall having to pay 150$ for a surveying book. I still have it. For 150$ that thing's a freaking heirloom I can pass down to my kids...
I had one year where I went to college and my books cost more (1200$) than my tuition (900$).
Students get swindled by booksellers, particularly campus ones. The markup is outrageous. Coming up with a new "version" of a book is all about screwing the used book market. eBooks is just another way to screw students for more money.
If the government wanted to reduce education costs, and make university/college more available to people, they should take a long hard look at some of the common practices that are pretty criminal. Just like controlling health care costs start at looking at what pharmaceutical companies charge for drugs. If people are forced to make purchasing decisions, its not really market driven anymore.
[Spock notices a elder Vulcan walking in the docking bay] Spock: Father! [the elder Vulcan turns and is revealed as Spock Prime] Spock Prime: I am not our father. [Young Spock, now recognizing who he is, approaches] Spock Prime: There are so few Vulcans left. We cannot afford to ignore each other. Spock: Then why did you send Kirk aboard, when you alone could have explained the truth? Spock Prime: Because you needed each other. I could not deprive you of the revelation of all that you could accomplish together, of a friendship that will define you both in ways you cannot yet realize. Spock: How did you persuade him to keep your secret? Spock Prime: He inferred that universe-ending paradoxes would ensue should he break his promise. Spock: You lied. Spock Prime: I... I implied. Spock: A gamble. Spock Prime: An act of faith. One I hope that you will repeat in your future in Starfleet. Spock: In the face of extinction, it is only logical that I resign my Starfleet commission and help rebuild our race. Spock Prime: And, yet, you can be in two places at once. I urge you to remain in Starfleet. I have already located a suitable planet in which to establish a Vulcan colony. Spock, in this case, do yourself a favor: Put aside logic. Do what feels right. [Spock Prime turns and leaves] Spock Prime: Since my customary farewell would appear oddly self-serving, I shall simply say... [Shows Vulcan hand salute] Spock Prime: Good luck.
Your comparing the 326ppi of iPhone 4's Retina display that currently exists AND is being mass produced to 458ppi fictional one that was "announced" that you can't actually get anywhere, in anything, and is not being produced currently.
Just to let you know... Tech companies announce shit all the time, it doesn't mean all that much. Many times they are less than accurate or honest... GASP!
Slashdot Mirror
Name once in our history where a party not named "Liberal" or "Conservative" has won at the national level?
We are in effect a 2 party system. We have other parties that leech support from one or the other to make the other win... which if you think about it is the most ass backwards thing ever. This is why the Conservatives have been in power the last several years with like 32% of the popular vote somehow.
At least someone here has a sense of humor! :)
Yeah we got hate crimes here in Canada as well.
Lighting a cross on fire isn't exactly illegal, but doing on the front lawn of an interracial marriage couple while yelling racial slurs in the dark might be, as shown by some douchebags this past year.
Get the media and the media industry to stop referring to copyright infringement as "Pirating" and "Thieves"...
I mean if you want to start being correct about terminology and stop using inflammatory biased language that might be a good start...Oh right, the media. nm.
it enviably comes down to degree to which they want power VS Ideals/Ideology. Compromise is part of the political process on every level.
I am a bit conflicted.
I hate politicians that throw away their ideals, simply to get into power.
I also hate politicians that have ideals yet refuse to compromise to get stuff done or to serve their party rather than their country.
I am a firm believer that you can do both of those things and that they are not mutually exclusive. However from my experience thus far the failure rate seems pretty high, most seem to do what I hate about politicians. It seems most actually like to break both rules, by doing/saying whatever it takes to get the votes to get into power, yet once there not compromise, braying the party/partisan line as hard as they can.
Its a crazy world.
You know what they say: "Location, Location, Location!"
Because both Bell and Rogers (surprise) charge 1.25$ per GB with a 30$ max on their 60GB accounts.
This way the "independent" can actually make 0.13$ cents a GB if they also charge 1.25$. This is to force the "competition" into the exact same pricing models as the Bell/Rogers duopoly. Apparently they can use the "regulator" CTRC to do this. I mean it worked for traffic shaping.
The whole situation is ridiculous. Once again the CRTC shows its true colours...
His weight would never degrade, and if Quantum Physics ever tried to mess with him, I'm pretty sure it would get a round house kick.
That's about par for the course.
Not sure how much you track these things but it is all pretty much the same. Any government or regulatory body when giving out fines, is not doing so to punish the offender, but is rather doing it so the public thinks they are doing something about anything. Companies know this and take advantage of it. The only downside to them is perhaps maybe some PR if it is a big enough screw up that makes the media. Mostly they just call it "The Cost of Doing Business", and move on.
Most of my examples I can think of relate to fines for environmental or safety breaches, but I have no doubt that this also applies to consumer protection. When a transport ship dumps waste in the ocean, and somehow against all odds gets caught, they might get a fine of 50,000 dollars, but if on the trip they actually made 1.5 million, then what is the point. Compound that by how many times you can do it before getting caught, and offset that with what it costs to properly dispose of the waste in port, and you have to ask your self why even bother. Look at the Tar Sands, a company was just fined 3 million for killing 1500 ducks in a tailing pond, but made billions... Oh and the same thing happened again like last week. Other than the bad PR (to which the other oil patch companies who were not involved must be really happy about) who cares. The same can be said for the mining industry, metallic, coal, etc... Look at the mine disaster in Chile, that company was previously fined many times for not having proper safety, and yet... Look at even the largest in history, the oil spill down in the gulf, all told what does BP have to look forward to? Maybe 1 billion in payouts if they manage to even do that, and you know over the years as scrutiny decreases, they will fight tooth and nail to reduce that number, when in the end they pull in over 3 billion in revenue PER YEAR. Profit.
So colour me not so surprised. In fact if I am surprised at all it is at them getting a fine at all. I know my first reaction was I wish the CRTC up here in Canada would grow some balls like the FCC and actually take some action against the telcos that are slowing raping and pillaging their consumers.
Bulk subpoena's for John Does is a stupid state that allows for it and then changing states to sue it.
Oh USA your so funny it makes me sad.
Its a slippery slope they travel down. First a kill switch for the internetz, then a kill switch for citizens, you know, just in case we turn into a terrorist...
All Hail Baron Vladimir Harkonnen!
Now that I think about it... Climate change may produce more deserts... The Spice Must Flow!
I wish we had politically charged polarized pitched battles in Canadian Politics.
Seemingly everyone is a professional politician, with a whole team behind them. On any important issue, everyone will seem to agree, as no one wants to loose a demographic or a geographic. Then once elected, simply do whatever they like.
The only thing that seems to get any air time is meaningless trivial stuff of "high emotion" but will have very little direct impact on anyone in Canada. For example the current fun topic is the "Gun Registry". It is purely a political pawn. It costs the government only about 3 million to maintain the thing. They probably spend more on paperclips. Yet somehow it is a huge deal. I mean it might be annoying for some rural folks, but is it really the focal point of our political spectrum? I hope not.
Maximum donation may be 1000$, but I am not convinced that is what actually happens. Do 1000$ a plate dinners count towards that total?
This isn't exactly a new tactic. I am pretty sure gaming companies have been using the same AI "cheats" since the dawn of time.
Its much easier to just tack on 150% health, etc... than it is to design AI that is actually smarter.
However in defense of lazy programmers (of which I am debatably one), adding 150% health etc... is also very easy for your computer to do, whereas likely designing a more complex smarter AI would really tax your system, forcing requirements higher, and limiting accessibility and user penetration.
And really that is what this issue is all about. Increasing accessibility and user penetration, can't miss marketing that game to the hopeless. This has nothing to do with programming, and everything to do with business and marketing.
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2010/9/15/
I remember this with Halo 2. Competing against racist seemingly tourette syndrome 14 year olds that must play 26 hours a day to perfect their 'leet skillz', when I just want to play a game and have some fun.
So I can exceed my download cap in like 60 seconds?!
Jerks, I hate you so much.
DEFAULT! DEFAULT! DEFAULT!
Scientist: [resigned] Well, Homer, I guess you're the winner by default.
Homer: Default? Woo hoo! The two sweetest words in the English language: de-fault! De-fault! De-fault!
[assistant clubs him]
I think at this point I just like arguing with people... :)
However as convincing arguments that climatologists make, and however rational it may be, their science seems to suck at predictability, and their models never seem to get anything right in reality. So while they very well might be right, the nature of their field makes it very hard to prove in any uncertain terms any of the claims they have thus made. Personally I think they have a sound idea, it's just the assumptions and methods that leave me wanting. Of course you've got to work with the best data you have, it's just that the stuff that they have is less than ideal, but such is life.
Of course I live in a Arctic country, so bring it on! Might suck if you live already in a desert zone, or don't have much land mass, but hey if its that important to you, then you can worry about it!
Doesn't anyone else think it is somewhat ironic that the most Major contributor to the CO2 (if we concede that it is causing it, and that its humans as well) is the production of Oil from the Middle East countries (they might not be using, but they are dealing... enablers to be sure!), and they are also likely they most sensitive to climate change. I.E. when the few rivers they do have dry up, they will be even less able to support their populations. Of course you have a few island nations that might go the way of Atlantis, but really none of them really have all that much population anyway, sucks just the same but, when I think of shoveling snow half the year, while they sit on a beach drinking rum and smoking reefer, well my sympathy evaporates, other than a sad feeling when trying to plan my next vacation.
Cheers and flame on!
http://www.flemingc.on.ca/index.cfm/go/programs/sub/display/code/GIA.cfm
Its a post graduate college course. It was pretty intense. I took it in the late 90's. Now tuition is 1700$ and change, and they even say upfront your books will be 1000$ now (which they are probably on the light side).
That was for 1st Semester, they broke the year in half, so ya I had to pay another 900$ for the second half of the year. However the books I needed to buy for the first half were still 1200$.
This was back in 1999, at Sir Sanford Fleming College in Ontario, Canada. I just checked and its close to double that now. Fun times for students and parents alike.
I still recall having to pay 150$ for a surveying book. I still have it. For 150$ that thing's a freaking heirloom I can pass down to my kids...
I had one year where I went to college and my books cost more (1200$) than my tuition (900$).
Students get swindled by booksellers, particularly campus ones. The markup is outrageous. Coming up with a new "version" of a book is all about screwing the used book market. eBooks is just another way to screw students for more money.
If the government wanted to reduce education costs, and make university/college more available to people, they should take a long hard look at some of the common practices that are pretty criminal. Just like controlling health care costs start at looking at what pharmaceutical companies charge for drugs. If people are forced to make purchasing decisions, its not really market driven anymore.
I hear it will come with Duke Nukem Forever pre-installed!
Just watch the movie "Primer".
Best time travel movie easily.
Sooo what happens when you put a time traveling device inside another time traveling device...
It also handles what you do with all the duplicates....
[Spock notices a elder Vulcan walking in the docking bay]
Spock: Father!
[the elder Vulcan turns and is revealed as Spock Prime]
Spock Prime: I am not our father.
[Young Spock, now recognizing who he is, approaches]
Spock Prime: There are so few Vulcans left. We cannot afford to ignore each other.
Spock: Then why did you send Kirk aboard, when you alone could have explained the truth?
Spock Prime: Because you needed each other. I could not deprive you of the revelation of all that you could accomplish together, of a friendship that will define you both in ways you cannot yet realize.
Spock: How did you persuade him to keep your secret?
Spock Prime: He inferred that universe-ending paradoxes would ensue should he break his promise.
Spock: You lied.
Spock Prime: I... I implied.
Spock: A gamble.
Spock Prime: An act of faith. One I hope that you will repeat in your future in Starfleet.
Spock: In the face of extinction, it is only logical that I resign my Starfleet commission and help rebuild our race.
Spock Prime: And, yet, you can be in two places at once. I urge you to remain in Starfleet. I have already located a suitable planet in which to establish a Vulcan colony. Spock, in this case, do yourself a favor: Put aside logic. Do what feels right.
[Spock Prime turns and leaves]
Spock Prime: Since my customary farewell would appear oddly self-serving, I shall simply say...
[Shows Vulcan hand salute]
Spock Prime: Good luck.
So let me see if I got this right:
Your comparing the 326ppi of iPhone 4's Retina display that currently exists AND is being mass produced to 458ppi fictional one that was "announced" that you can't actually get anywhere, in anything, and is not being produced currently.
Just to let you know... Tech companies announce shit all the time, it doesn't mean all that much. Many times they are less than accurate or honest... GASP!