Actually nifty, you have illustrated that you are pretty keen on how awesome you are and that nothing gets even remotely close to your awesomeness...
Don't feel too bad, you probably push around a single piece of technology in a group of people who who have no understanding but are really appreciative, it tends to give individuals an overrated sense of importance, but a need to be very critical of anything else that is actually awesome
Oh, wait! I was supposed to critic the Stephenson novel, not you... sorry
So, the Baroque cycle held my interest because it managed to bring together many different historical elements that preceded the Enlightenment Era. I had passing knowledge of many elements of it, but to have it all laid out in a palatable storyline with the occasional Neil-ism (bloody awful puns blown up as big as a building but still invisible to a large portion of the audience) was truly enjoyable. Amongst the high-points... Ottoman-European interactions, pirate trade in Trinidad, European recovery from the black death, transition of money from weight in minted silver to representational value... Only minor complaint was the sex scenes got a little repetitive and I could not figure out if he held himself back or was just embarrassed
So, yeah in my mind Neil managed to demonstrate that he cannot only make deep technical manuals interesting , but can make economics and history texts enjoyable, not an easy task and apparently not appreciated by self-absorbed know-it-alls
Dan Brown books make me feel really smart because I can guess the ending in the first few chapters, I cannot read them any more because they give me irritable bowl syndrome
I was working on an MBA and the combination of transitioning my thought processes from technical (as a software developer for financial systems) to a business frame was aided somewhat by enjoying a story-line that spoke to the origins of modern monetary systems and the interactions of the age of enlightenment.
I was forcibly pushed from a 'pure' development role into management. This came gradually, first being labeled a 'project manager', they 'promoted' into an office where I spend all of my time meeting customers expectations, compiling reports to upper management, working to keep my developers comfortable enough so that they do not take other job offers and rarely (oh soooo rarely) having an opportunity to help debug a program and demonstrate my skilz
This can be accomplished in a gradual manner that does not put significant risk on your income or your children's future, but you will have to live with your (and your staff's) beliefs that you must be completely worthless since you are yet another manager...
My advice... get to know some managers, maybe even work to establish relationships at the executive level in order to identify opportunities to move into management and learn how to look like the sort of fellow they would like to work with
You seem to be ignoring the output of burned hydro carbons, namely carbon dioxide
The true hydrogen fanbois are looking forward to fuel cells that provide a portable power source that has no CO2 emissions. That is no easy bill to fill, so I at least can understand their joy at finding a way to transport hydrogen safely since it has been one of the major red herrings in the push to use fuel cells
As far as a higher cost to produce Hydrogen goes... the key words are portable and non-portable. Non-portable power sources (nuclear, I'm looking at you) can be used to break out the hydrogen, which can then be used (via this new 'gas' tank) to power a portable device like a fuel cell.
Would I rather have a 'Mr Fusion' to power my vehicle? you betcha, but the idea of finally delivering a practical hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicle is frankly exciting
I guess that it is inexpensive if it works forever...
A former employer has a solid state storage system for toxic gases that seems similar on the surface: SDS is a groundbreaking technology designed to reduce the hazards and environmental risks associated with transporting, storing, and delivering highly toxic gases. The SDS3 employs a novel nano-porous adsorbent to contain hazardous gases at sub atmospheric pressures. SDS houses toxic gases at sub-atmospheric pressure-virtually eliminating catastrophic releases while dramatically minimizing fabrication downtime.
the system is delivered as stainless steel canisters with a metered connection on the top, not sure what 'magic' is going on inside... and it sure the heck was not inexpensive
Step 1. An IT worker may not injure a computer system or, through inaction, allow a computer system to come to harm. Step 2. An IT worker must obey any orders given to it by computer systems, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. Step 3. Profit!
If 'operational resilience' could be documented in a ten page pamphlet, then you wouldn't want to read a book, much less a pamphlet, it would probably just become a meme and be passed during hallway bs sessions
First off Mercury 1 was un-manned, so it did not really require an escape system
However, it did have both an in flight automatic abort system as well as an escape rocket that was attached to the nose of the capsule
The escape rocket fired, broke free from the capsule and launched 4000 feet vertically The capsule drogue chute also fired, only to drape down the side of the rocket
So, there you go, essentially an ICBM with a capsule and escape mechanisms...
MK, maybe you want to consider the positives that have come from artificial satellite:
Earth observation - Accurate crop and weather projections prevent starvation from drought and crop damage
Global communications - Probably prevented mutual assured destruction, at least once
So, yeah, I only got a top two list, but these two have probably prevented as much death and destruction as any other two technological inventions between 1950 and the present, and they certainly would not have ever existed without space 'exploration'
I am closing in on 50 and looking to get into a director position in IT (currently a manager)
This situation terrifies me since I could be let go and have to compete for another programming job against a bunch of newbies who overcompensate for their lack of experience by hyping the uniqueness of their skill sets. Unfortunately, HR drones fall for the same buzz word bingo in job postings and always demand the language du jour instead of looking for somebody with a track record of learning new languages and being able to apply consistent good programming practices
It leads me to the desire to build a management bunker around myself, staff it with loyalists and slow any risky new development because it might expose me to rif if the scheme fails
We all know that this will lead to IT stagnation and make my employer less competitive, but it seems to be the way the game is played
You want to assume that some of them are still working Alpha goodness into Intel products, but it is just as likely that they killed the tech and kept their talent out of the light of day
The worst people that I have worked with had AMAZING people skills.
They could convince, seemingly rational people, of almost anything... regardless of glaring logical holes or inconsistencies.
They seemed to have some sort of narcissistic disorder and usually would trend projects towards whatever outcome would earn them the most dough or gratification with little regard to the success of the outcome.
I would take a few non-communicative geeks over a boatload of these asshats any day of the week, but then I do not work in Marketing so what the hell
My first Unix server had two 660 MB drives in it (5.25 full height), seemed like an infinite number since my pc was just rocking a 40MB HD at the time.
Seems funny now, but between the drives, RISC processor and 64 MB of ram, it was the shit in 1990
Apparently the virus is Windows specific and targets industrial control systems manufactured by Siemens.
They have distributed a removal tool, which is dependent on current patching from Microsoft
Of course, this soooo many questions, like; Who else uses the same Siemens controllers, should they be worried as well? Who holds the keys to this thing? What is preventing anybody else from hijacking the root kitted systems? What are the chances of any Microsoft patches being poisoned by the author?
And finally... Why the heck are our friends at Siemens selling systems to the Iranians?
Slashdot Mirror
There's a little place just south of Cali called, Mexico... apparently they have a lot of fireworks and a fairly competent supply chain
Actually nifty, you have illustrated that you are pretty keen on how awesome you are and that nothing gets even remotely close to your awesomeness...
Don't feel too bad, you probably push around a single piece of technology in a group of people who who have no understanding but are really appreciative, it tends to give individuals an overrated sense of importance, but a need to be very critical of anything else that is actually awesome
Oh, wait! I was supposed to critic the Stephenson novel, not you... sorry
So, the Baroque cycle held my interest because it managed to bring together many different historical elements that preceded the Enlightenment Era. I had passing knowledge of many elements of it, but to have it all laid out in a palatable storyline with the occasional Neil-ism (bloody awful puns blown up as big as a building but still invisible to a large portion of the audience) was truly enjoyable. Amongst the high-points... Ottoman-European interactions, pirate trade in Trinidad, European recovery from the black death, transition of money from weight in minted silver to representational value... Only minor complaint was the sex scenes got a little repetitive and I could not figure out if he held himself back or was just embarrassed
So, yeah in my mind Neil managed to demonstrate that he cannot only make deep technical manuals interesting , but can make economics and history texts enjoyable, not an easy task and apparently not appreciated by self-absorbed know-it-alls
Dan Brown books make me feel really smart because I can guess the ending in the first few chapters, I cannot read them any more because they give me irritable bowl syndrome
Read the series years ago and actually enjoyed it
I was working on an MBA and the combination of transitioning my thought processes from technical (as a software developer for financial systems) to a business frame was aided somewhat by enjoying a story-line that spoke to the origins of modern monetary systems and the interactions of the age of enlightenment.
May just be me, but I found it useful
And THEN the SCOURGING!!!! right?
I was forcibly pushed from a 'pure' development role into management. This came gradually, first being labeled a 'project manager', they 'promoted' into an office where I spend all of my time meeting customers expectations, compiling reports to upper management, working to keep my developers comfortable enough so that they do not take other job offers and rarely (oh soooo rarely) having an opportunity to help debug a program and demonstrate my skilz
This can be accomplished in a gradual manner that does not put significant risk on your income or your children's future, but you will have to live with your (and your staff's) beliefs that you must be completely worthless since you are yet another manager...
My advice... get to know some managers, maybe even work to establish relationships at the executive level in order to identify opportunities to move into management and learn how to look like the sort of fellow they would like to work with
You seem to be ignoring the output of burned hydro carbons, namely carbon dioxide
The true hydrogen fanbois are looking forward to fuel cells that provide a portable power source that has no CO2 emissions. That is no easy bill to fill, so I at least can understand their joy at finding a way to transport hydrogen safely since it has been one of the major red herrings in the push to use fuel cells
As far as a higher cost to produce Hydrogen goes... the key words are portable and non-portable. Non-portable power sources (nuclear, I'm looking at you) can be used to break out the hydrogen, which can then be used (via this new 'gas' tank) to power a portable device like a fuel cell.
Would I rather have a 'Mr Fusion' to power my vehicle? you betcha, but the idea of finally delivering a practical hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicle is frankly exciting
I guess that it is inexpensive if it works forever...
A former employer has a solid state storage system for toxic gases that seems similar on the surface:
SDS is a groundbreaking technology designed to reduce the hazards and environmental risks associated with transporting, storing, and delivering highly toxic gases. The SDS3 employs a novel nano-porous adsorbent to contain hazardous gases at sub atmospheric pressures. SDS houses toxic gases at sub-atmospheric pressure-virtually eliminating catastrophic releases while dramatically minimizing fabrication downtime.
the system is delivered as stainless steel canisters with a metered connection on the top, not sure what 'magic' is going on inside... and it sure the heck was not inexpensive
right, like anybody can do something original...
as an IT manager, who works alongside a number of other IT managers...
You do not want 'us' doing anything original, it would probably suck
Give us a list of tried and true techniques tho', and we'll manage the hell out of it
Step 1. An IT worker may not injure a computer system or, through inaction, allow a computer system to come to harm.
Step 2. An IT worker must obey any orders given to it by computer systems, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
Step 3. Profit!
If 'operational resilience' could be documented in a ten page pamphlet, then you wouldn't want to read a book, much less a pamphlet, it would probably just become a meme and be passed during hallway bs sessions
Really? I have to intentionally put a 5 second delay in the first stage to get the second stage to fire straight back down into the ground
A three stage rocket with 1-2 second delays in stages one and two makes for a pretty awesome zig-zag flight (not to mention some nervous observers)
they must be power lifters, even the 3-g force of the shuttle launch would leave me mashed on the floor
Funny you should ask...
First off Mercury 1 was un-manned, so it did not really require an escape system
However, it did have both an in flight automatic abort system as well as an escape rocket that was attached to the nose of the capsule
The escape rocket fired, broke free from the capsule and launched 4000 feet vertically
The capsule drogue chute also fired, only to drape down the side of the rocket
So, there you go, essentially an ICBM with a capsule and escape mechanisms...
MK, maybe you want to consider the positives that have come from artificial satellite:
Earth observation - Accurate crop and weather projections prevent starvation from drought and crop damage
Global communications - Probably prevented mutual assured destruction, at least once
So, yeah, I only got a top two list, but these two have probably prevented as much death and destruction as any other two technological inventions between 1950 and the present, and they certainly would not have ever existed without space 'exploration'
I am closing in on 50 and looking to get into a director position in IT (currently a manager)
This situation terrifies me since I could be let go and have to compete for another programming job against a bunch of newbies who overcompensate for their lack of experience by hyping the uniqueness of their skill sets. Unfortunately, HR drones fall for the same buzz word bingo in job postings and always demand the language du jour instead of looking for somebody with a track record of learning new languages and being able to apply consistent good programming practices
It leads me to the desire to build a management bunker around myself, staff it with loyalists and slow any risky new development because it might expose me to rif if the scheme fails
We all know that this will lead to IT stagnation and make my employer less competitive, but it seems to be the way the game is played
and yes, it is a damn shame
If anything it makes me question 'industry pundits' who fail to recognize the layered way that open source projects are able to build on each other.
Like saying a plant is irrelevant to the flowers that grow on it
It'll be shorter than your explanation of why the links don't work :)
after Compaq sold the rights to Intel
You want to assume that some of them are still working Alpha goodness into Intel products, but it is just as likely that they killed the tech and kept their talent out of the light of day
We are here to protect you
Shoving is the answer
Humans must be shoved
They must go down the stairs
http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/audio/terriblesecret
The worst people that I have worked with had AMAZING people skills.
They could convince, seemingly rational people, of almost anything... regardless of glaring logical holes or inconsistencies.
They seemed to have some sort of narcissistic disorder and usually would trend projects towards whatever outcome would earn them the most dough or gratification with little regard to the success of the outcome.
I would take a few non-communicative geeks over a boatload of these asshats any day of the week, but then I do not work in Marketing so what the hell
LED screens are common in outdoor displays, like the big TV in the Cowboy's stadium:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowboys_Stadium#Video_screen
maybe iMacs are much larger in Greece
My first Unix server had two 660 MB drives in it (5.25 full height), seemed like an infinite number since my pc was just rocking a 40MB HD at the time.
Seems funny now, but between the drives, RISC processor and 64 MB of ram, it was the shit in 1990
ZING!
And I have to ask, why the heck does removable media still have so many vulnerabilities?
Just spent a minute at wikipedia...
Apparently the virus is Windows specific and targets industrial control systems manufactured by Siemens.
They have distributed a removal tool, which is dependent on current patching from Microsoft
Of course, this soooo many questions, like;
Who else uses the same Siemens controllers, should they be worried as well?
Who holds the keys to this thing?
What is preventing anybody else from hijacking the root kitted systems?
What are the chances of any Microsoft patches being poisoned by the author?
And finally... Why the heck are our friends at Siemens selling systems to the Iranians?