..is only part of the story; it's not the first time people have tried taking-on gambling houses.
The bit that defeats me is the nerve to attempt the sting - and for large stakes. Face it, when large sums of money are in play, people get protective about it. I'd expect that's why this was tried in the UK, despite lower potential returns than the big US casino scene; in the UK outfitting unwanted punters with concrete boots is comparatively rare...
Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if gang money was behind developing this little con.
It's not because their skills are in demand, so much as they are willing to turn up at god-awful hours and make your messy problem go away. That, to most people, is worth a largish one-time fee.
Truth be told, there is not a great deal of skill involved in plumbing - apart from the old-fashioned, wiped-leadwork which is definitely a specialist's task. But it can be a messy and, um, antisocial job; the rewards are there for those who are willing to just get on with it.
Here you are unlikely to see ads on ATMs because they qualify as illuminated advertisements. As such they would require Planning consent. This becomes a marginally stickier process if in a Conservation area, and pretty unlikely if attached to a Listed Building - which a surprising number of Town centre banks in our cities are, where civic pride and a "pickling everything that's old" mentality prevail. Oh and by the way, each application is unlikey to cost less than 1500quid by the time you've paid the fees and engaged an agent to handle it all.
That said, the damn ATMs are slow enough already.
(disclaimer, I'm an architect who has done a lot of work for a major UK bank)
..is only a Bad Thing if the enforcer actually has teeth and imposes a lasting, negative impact on your current business model.
Otherwise the 800lb, cash-rich Gorilla that is Microsoft could view the fine(and other measures) as an acceptable price to pay for doing business in the EU.
It comes from the mongol verb slash'dut, meaning to commandeer trade routes. First known user was Genghis Khan, who successfully conducted a DDOS across most of the known world 1215-1227.
It's cheap and the ethanol feedstock can be made from renewable resources
So we have an economically-viable process using materials we can multiple-source... this looks like a big step in the right direction.
The only way is Up, right?
Well I Am An Architect... and I have to say this is by no means the first attempt at such things - for example: http://archnet.org/library/documents/one-document. tcl?document_id=4473.
What amazes me is that we are still attempting rapid construction with unsuitable (dense, energy-intensive) materials assembled piecemeal when there are many composites that may be better suited to prefabrication and rapid assembly. Assembly on site can be arbitrarily-fast, if the sections are fabricated offsite where detailing issues - fit, finish, technical performance - can be fully resolved on a production-line basis. There's no reason why such processes should even preclude custom design; thats the benefit of any modular system; just look at Lego. It's all in how you put detail and assemble the elements.
The reasons these techniques are yet to be widely accepted are as much cultural as technical; here in the UK people are hung up on owning 'bricks and mortar' - insert your own regional preference here.
BTW the technical problems have to do with moisture control and fire mainly; the trick is to use the equivalent of fire-resistant Goretex with some structural integrity. Buldings has to resist the effects of inhabitants each adding a couple of litres of water vapour daily without condensation but without excess air infiltration (= heat loss). And we want it to behave in a predictable way when something catches fire to allow safe evacuation - so regular FibreGlass doesn't cut it.
Funnily enough good ol' fashioned timber is difficult to beat. And we are using it right now to sectionally prefabricate Student housing units in large numbers here in the South West UK. I won't post the link because the my employer's IT dept. wouldn't appreciate a 'slashdotting'
..that you should get checked (by a professional), but the earth impedance (grounding) too. Socket by socket.
All modern IT devices that draw significant power use switch mode power supplies, which tend to have horrible power factors. One of the side effects is a large amount of noise injection back onto the mains supply, harmonics of which end up on the grounding wiring via the capacitors in the input filters on every piece of kit.
Why you should care: obviously safety first, but potential differences between local grounds can end up having nasty effects on networks. Every piece of wire and connection presents some impedance, so two items of kit grounded some distance apart can end up with small but significant potential differences between them. Common-mode noise problems can result. Ever had problems with, say, USB hubs that don't behave properly, or reset when you turn the monitor on, only to find they are plugged-in remotely from the attached kit? This is one reason.
As an aside, drawing high power using a bunch of SMPS can lead to problems with harmonic currents overloading the neutral; fires have resulted in the past. Google for 'triplen harmonic problems'; in both the US and Europe it is becoming common practice in new-build offices to specify grossly-oversized neutrals for this very reason (yes I am an architect).
I've found that pre-migraine consumption of coffee helps me avoid the worst of it. Seriously, when I start getting mild 'aura' - that impending sense of doom that differs from mere headache - a two or three shots of espresso in time can actually avoid a migraine. This has worked for me multiple times over the last 6 years at better than an 80% hit rate I'd say.
In fact it's the one time I break my 'no-caffiene' rule. I love coffee, but caffiene on the whole really doesn't suit me.
Apart from avoiding $tarbucks, try taking a break from coffee altogether.
I don't mean give it up - just avoid it for a week or two or three. Plenty of others things out there to drink, some of which are even better for you (red wine anyone? OK, maybe not at work...). After a short break, any coffee tastes good, and great coffee is a real treat. Same as anything in life - variety is the key.
If you really feel that strongly, post under your own nick.
Yes there are armchair-environmentalists who bang on about 'saving the planet' without the guts to admit that actually this is about merely preserving a semblance of our present way of life.
However there are many many of us who would rather leave this planet for all its future inhabitants in better condition than we found it. Technology is essential to this, as is an open mind.
Truly understanding the biosphere and the part we play in it also poses a real challenge which appeals for its own sake - isn't that the essence of being a geek?
Actually I suspect you're close to lacking the will to make a decision for yourself as to which way to jump, and are stirring for/. responses meanwhile. Oops I just fed a troll.
Aha. Good question I can only partially answer in a roundabout way.
Studies like this are only part of the whole issue - lifecycle costs. Taking into account the total energy use over a product's typical lifecyle can be quite an eye-opener; it is surely a better measure of environmental impact, in that - so far - we're crap at exploiting renewable energy sources in industrial quantities.
Short answer on cars: the last study I saw (sorry, can't locate a reference right now) came to the conclusion that a car uses 8-10times more energy during manufacture the said car will use, in fuel, over its lifespan.
Think about that for a moment.
It means that a 10% increase in that great marketing goal, fuel economy, effects a whole 1% saving over the lifecycle of the vehicle. Surprising sideffect: keeping an old vehicle going is far more energy efficient and therefore possibly less polluting...
Example #2, one I'm more familiar with (I'm an architect by profession): Building hospitals is an expensive business, mostly due to high HVAC/ services content. Suppose a regional, 500-bed hospital cost 100million quid to build, over about 5 years. The real shocker is that this same hospital will cost a further 100million to run in energy costs over just the first five years of operation. Savings in 'greener' servicing methods (e.g. using natural ventilation where possible) tend to be more than offset by higher energy consumption led by increasing requirements in terms of environmental control, single-use equipment, and particularly lighting.
Bottom line is that energy sources have to be our long term concern. Reducing waste and pursuing alternatives are surely an immediate priority while we try to get a grip on the next necessary move.
To SCO's surprise, with shares down from an all-time high Lawyers getting loose now, getting down on the proof I tell ya', Slashdotters wuz screaming, they was, they was outta control, It was so entertaining when the courtroom started to explode I heard somebody say
(burn Darl burn) SCO inferno, (burn Darl burn) burn that mother down (yeah) (burn Darl burn) SCO inferno, (burn Darl burn) burn that mother down.
Satisfaction, it came in a chain reaction Kevin couldn't prove enough, so SCO had to self-destruct I tell ya', i tell ya' now, now... The heat was on, it was a rising under Red Hat Well now, Linux' going strong, yeah that's when Darls' ass got hot I heard somebody say
(burn Darl burn) SCO inferno, (burn Darl burn) burn that mother down (yeah) (burn Darl burn) SCO inferno, (burn Darl burn) burn that mother down.
Up above my head I see McBride ashes in the air That makes me know There's a party somewhere...
Satisfaction, it came in a chain reaction They failed to pump'n'dump, so SCO got to self-destruct I tell ya', i tell ya' now, now... The heat was on, it was a-rising to the top Well now, Linux' going strong, yeah that's when Darls' ass got hot I heard somebody say
(burn Darl burn) SCO inferno, (burn Darl burn) burn that mother down (yeah) (burn Darl burn) SCO inferno, (burn Darl burn) burn that mother down.
Slashdot Mirror
The bit that defeats me is the nerve to attempt the sting - and for large stakes. Face it, when large sums of money are in play, people get protective about it. I'd expect that's why this was tried in the UK, despite lower potential returns than the big US casino scene; in the UK outfitting unwanted punters with concrete boots is comparatively rare...
Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if gang money was behind developing this little con.
..you can see up to seven miles; so assuming you mean 'cross form horizon to horizon' say across the Salt Flats - less than ten seconds.
In average visibilty, and on normal rolling countryside - probable about 1-2secs. Whoosh!
Score: +2, stiff-assed Brit
Truth be told, there is not a great deal of skill involved in plumbing - apart from the old-fashioned, wiped-leadwork which is definitely a specialist's task. But it can be a messy and, um, antisocial job; the rewards are there for those who are willing to just get on with it.
Score one for excess Planning control in the UK.
Here you are unlikely to see ads on ATMs because they qualify as illuminated advertisements. As such they would require Planning consent. This becomes a marginally stickier process if in a Conservation area, and pretty unlikely if attached to a Listed Building - which a surprising number of Town centre banks in our cities are, where civic pride and a "pickling everything that's old" mentality prevail. Oh and by the way, each application is unlikey to cost less than 1500quid by the time you've paid the fees and engaged an agent to handle it all.
That said, the damn ATMs are slow enough already.
(disclaimer, I'm an architect who has done a lot of work for a major UK bank)
..is only a Bad Thing if the enforcer actually has teeth and imposes a lasting, negative impact on your current business model. Otherwise the 800lb, cash-rich Gorilla that is Microsoft could view the fine(and other measures) as an acceptable price to pay for doing business in the EU.
It comes from the mongol verb slash'dut, meaning to commandeer trade routes. First known user was Genghis Khan, who successfully conducted a DDOS across most of the known world 1215-1227.
So we have an economically-viable process using materials we can multiple-source... this looks like a big step in the right direction. The only way is Up, right?
Well I Am An Architect... and I have to say this is by no means the first attempt at such things - for example: http://archnet.org/library/documents/one-document. tcl?document_id=4473.
What amazes me is that we are still attempting rapid construction with unsuitable (dense, energy-intensive) materials assembled piecemeal when there are many composites that may be better suited to prefabrication and rapid assembly. Assembly on site can be arbitrarily-fast, if the sections are fabricated offsite where detailing issues - fit, finish, technical performance - can be fully resolved on a production-line basis. There's no reason why such processes should even preclude custom design; thats the benefit of any modular system; just look at Lego. It's all in how you put detail and assemble the elements.
The reasons these techniques are yet to be widely accepted are as much cultural as technical; here in the UK people are hung up on owning 'bricks and mortar' - insert your own regional preference here.
BTW the technical problems have to do with moisture control and fire mainly; the trick is to use the equivalent of fire-resistant Goretex with some structural integrity. Buldings has to resist the effects of inhabitants each adding a couple of litres of water vapour daily without condensation but without excess air infiltration (= heat loss). And we want it to behave in a predictable way when something catches fire to allow safe evacuation - so regular FibreGlass doesn't cut it.
Funnily enough good ol' fashioned timber is difficult to beat. And we are using it right now to sectionally prefabricate Student housing units in large numbers here in the South West UK. I won't post the link because the my employer's IT dept. wouldn't appreciate a 'slashdotting'
hmm... on the other hand...
<i>Now if only I could think of a clever way to start emailing Juliet</i>
Maybe you could write a script not unlike:
#define "Spam Juliet"
#include "Duke.h"
#include "Curio.h"
#include "Musicians_attending.h"
void if_love(void)
{
if (music() = food_of_love)
{
next();
give me("excess_of_it", ALWAYS);
Surfeit(music);
appetite_wither();
}
}
...which works well enough, provided you keep an eye on the oil level.
..that you should get checked (by a professional), but the earth impedance (grounding) too. Socket by socket.
All modern IT devices that draw significant power use switch mode power supplies, which tend to have horrible power factors. One of the side effects is a large amount of noise injection back onto the mains supply, harmonics of which end up on the grounding wiring via the capacitors in the input filters on every piece of kit.
Why you should care: obviously safety first, but potential differences between local grounds can end up having nasty effects on networks. Every piece of wire and connection presents some impedance, so two items of kit grounded some distance apart can end up with small but significant potential differences between them. Common-mode noise problems can result. Ever had problems with, say, USB hubs that don't behave properly, or reset when you turn the monitor on, only to find they are plugged-in remotely from the attached kit? This is one reason.
As an aside, drawing high power using a bunch of SMPS can lead to problems with harmonic currents overloading the neutral; fires have resulted in the past. Google for 'triplen harmonic problems'; in both the US and Europe it is becoming common practice in new-build offices to specify grossly-oversized neutrals for this very reason (yes I am an architect).
I've found that pre-migraine consumption of coffee helps me avoid the worst of it. Seriously, when I start getting mild 'aura' - that impending sense of doom that differs from mere headache - a two or three shots of espresso in time can actually avoid a migraine. This has worked for me multiple times over the last 6 years at better than an 80% hit rate I'd say. In fact it's the one time I break my 'no-caffiene' rule. I love coffee, but caffiene on the whole really doesn't suit me.
Apart from avoiding $tarbucks, try taking a break from coffee altogether. I don't mean give it up - just avoid it for a week or two or three. Plenty of others things out there to drink, some of which are even better for you (red wine anyone? OK, maybe not at work...). After a short break, any coffee tastes good, and great coffee is a real treat. Same as anything in life - variety is the key.
If you really feel that strongly, post under your own nick. Yes there are armchair-environmentalists who bang on about 'saving the planet' without the guts to admit that actually this is about merely preserving a semblance of our present way of life. However there are many many of us who would rather leave this planet for all its future inhabitants in better condition than we found it. Technology is essential to this, as is an open mind. Truly understanding the biosphere and the part we play in it also poses a real challenge which appeals for its own sake - isn't that the essence of being a geek? Actually I suspect you're close to lacking the will to make a decision for yourself as to which way to jump, and are stirring for /. responses meanwhile. Oops I just fed a troll.
Aha. Good question I can only partially answer in a roundabout way.
Studies like this are only part of the whole issue - lifecycle costs. Taking into account the total energy use over a product's typical lifecyle can be quite an eye-opener; it is surely a better measure of environmental impact, in that - so far - we're crap at exploiting renewable energy sources in industrial quantities.
Short answer on cars: the last study I saw (sorry, can't locate a reference right now) came to the conclusion that a car uses 8-10times more energy during manufacture the said car will use, in fuel, over its lifespan.
Think about that for a moment.
It means that a 10% increase in that great marketing goal, fuel economy, effects a whole 1% saving over the lifecycle of the vehicle. Surprising sideffect: keeping an old vehicle going is far more energy efficient and therefore possibly less polluting...
Example #2, one I'm more familiar with (I'm an architect by profession): Building hospitals is an expensive business, mostly due to high HVAC/ services content. Suppose a regional, 500-bed hospital cost 100million quid to build, over about 5 years. The real shocker is that this same hospital will cost a further 100million to run in energy costs over just the first five years of operation. Savings in 'greener' servicing methods (e.g. using natural ventilation where possible) tend to be more than offset by higher energy consumption led by increasing requirements in terms of environmental control, single-use equipment, and particularly lighting.
Bottom line is that energy sources have to be our long term concern. Reducing waste and pursuing alternatives are surely an immediate priority while we try to get a grip on the next necessary move.
..Happy Trials.
To SCO's surprise, with shares down from an all-time high
Lawyers getting loose now, getting down on the proof
I tell ya', Slashdotters wuz screaming, they was, they was outta control,
It was so entertaining when the courtroom started to explode
I heard somebody say
(burn Darl burn) SCO inferno,
(burn Darl burn) burn that mother down (yeah)
(burn Darl burn) SCO inferno,
(burn Darl burn) burn that mother down.
Satisfaction, it came in a chain reaction
Kevin couldn't prove enough, so SCO had to self-destruct
I tell ya', i tell ya' now, now...
The heat was on, it was a rising under Red Hat
Well now, Linux' going strong, yeah that's when Darls' ass got hot
I heard somebody say
(burn Darl burn) SCO inferno,
(burn Darl burn) burn that mother down (yeah)
(burn Darl burn) SCO inferno,
(burn Darl burn) burn that mother down.
Up above my head
I see McBride ashes in the air
That makes me know
There's a party somewhere...
Satisfaction, it came in a chain reaction
They failed to pump'n'dump, so SCO got to self-destruct
I tell ya', i tell ya' now, now...
The heat was on, it was a-rising to the top
Well now, Linux' going strong, yeah that's when Darls' ass got hot
I heard somebody say
(burn Darl burn) SCO inferno,
(burn Darl burn) burn that mother down (yeah)
(burn Darl burn) SCO inferno,
(burn Darl burn) burn that mother down.
Just don't stop...
(sorry, it's a desperately slow day)