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User: jbeaupre

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  1. Re:Speaking of statistics on Who won? · · Score: 1

    Note that I posted the same link 30 minutes earlier.

  2. Value of risk on Cancer Drug May Not Get A Chance Due to Lack of Patent · · Score: 1

    Nice post. With you up to the risk part. "Big Pharma" isn't necessarily risk adverse. They calculate the odds and make their bets. In fact, the high degree of risk in their business model may explain the profits. Risk tends to correlate to returns. Anyone who has done an investment portfolio learns right off the bat that low risk investments (bonds, etc) have low returns and high risk investments (hedge funds) have high returns. Derivatives are literally someone buying and selling risk.

    Ok, I'm ignoring barriers to entry etc., but you get the point. So maybe "unnecessary risk adverse" might work better?

  3. Re:May not matter. on Cancer Drug May Not Get A Chance Due to Lack of Patent · · Score: 1

    If it can't be patented or produced under trade secret, then they can't later buy it from a university and claim "intellectual property." No one can. Doesn't matter if a university develops it further, broad patent protection won't be possible. Maybe some narrow protection on some improvement, formulation, etc. But the more this researcher talks about it, the less likely that becomes.

  4. Re:Speaking of statistics on Who won? · · Score: 1

    Let's just hope Jeb doesn't run then.

  5. better link on Who won? · · Score: 1

    Yes, I was aware. Here's more info:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Curtis

    Kind of hard to figure what to make of this guy. It is odd that he claims to have written fraud software long before the machines were in use.

  6. Re:Speaking of statistics on Who won? · · Score: 1

    Twice, by all accounts.

  7. Speaking of statistics on Who won? · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Granted, something needs explaining and voting machines are vulnerable. But what are the chances that a conspiracy of this magnitude has remained secret? Not to say that an election can't be rigged, but wouldn't there be so many people with direct involvement that it would be impossible to keep everyone silent? Until someone steps forward and says "I did X & Y at the direction of Mr Z," I'm going to lump it along side of "The CIA killed Kennedy." Possible, but lacking solid evidence.

  8. Re:Reflect Some Of The Heat on Networking in Extreme Conditions? · · Score: 1

    Keep in mind, a mirror of any sort (even just a piece of polished aluminum) will only work while it is clean.

  9. Or it's a joke... on Bugged Canadian Coins? · · Score: 1

    You comment reminded of when we used to sneak security strips into friend's backpacks. Usually at the school library. Watching them get searched by the librarian was a rare highlight in an otherwise dull day.

    Sooo...

    Maybe someone is just yanking the chain of some Yanks. Plant them on the change of some folks who might detect them, then watch for the fireworks.

  10. Less quickly than you think. on Bugged Canadian Coins? · · Score: 2, Informative

    Two reasons they might not change hands quickly:
    1) Canadian coins don't get unloaded as quickly in the US since not everyone is happy to accept them, so often those coins are the last you attempt to spend. (a minor factor, I admit).
    2) Everyone seems to end up with a pocketful of change at the end of the day that gets dumped in a pile. The pile just grows.

    Still doesn't answer the why ... unless some Canadian is trying to find American stashes of loose change.

  11. A start on The Home Server Cometh · · Score: 1

    Is this a step in the right direction? http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070108-8569 .html

  12. Re:Buy! on Microsoft Gets Help From NSA for Vista Security · · Score: 1

    Doh. Should be "Might just buy a roll myself." I love Firefox's spellcheck, but I'm still waiting on the dumb-ass-comment-check to minimize looking like a fool.

  13. Buy! on Microsoft Gets Help From NSA for Vista Security · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm buying more stock in Alcoa, that is. With the surge in Reynolds Wrap sales, I'll make a fortune! My just buy a roll myself.

  14. Re:Why do we ... on Why Do We Use x86 CPUs? · · Score: 1

    Maybe it was a rhetorical question, but I found it pretty interesting that pedestrians do seem to follow some driving conventions. From my admittedly limited sample of Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and GB, I've noticed people walk towards the left. In the US, Mexico, France, Germany, Italy, etc, they tend to walk towards the right. The one exception is Hong Kong, where you never know what to expect. A colleague explained it's because people in her home town don't like to follow rules.

  15. Re:Let's abandon Linux on Why Do We Use x86 CPUs? · · Score: 1

    Whoa, what's with the crazy talk? I said "sometimes." Let's not get carried away here...

  16. Re:That's nothing on IE6 Was Unsafe 284 Days In 2006 · · Score: 1

    Loose nut behind the wheel?

  17. Re:Why do we ... on Why Do We Use x86 CPUs? · · Score: 1

    I put in the left side reference because some readers are from other countries. There are standards for left hand threads. I've had to specify them for some applications. Very annoying. Divisions of time were widely used around the world before the Catholic church existed. Very interesting history. I agree on the counting thing with kids, but it's been pointed out that some base math is actually easier to work with in the long run. Base 12 is easily divisible by 2,3,4,6. The Espertanto analogy may have been my only one. http://www.succulent-plant.com/ephemera01.html

  18. Re:They forgot Aerogel on 5 Strangest Materials · · Score: 1

    There was even a version saturated with helium that could float in gas. Granted, it was on CO2 or Ar.

  19. Re:Why do we ... on Why Do We Use x86 CPUs? · · Score: 1

    I think I pissed off a someone without a car, a watch, nuts, ability to speak, and has never learned to count.

    I'll give them the benefit of the doubt on the space shuttle.

  20. Why do we ... on Why Do We Use x86 CPUs? · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why do we drive on the right side of the road in some places, left in others?
    Why do most screws tighten clockwise?
    Why do we use a 7 day calender, 60 second minutes, 60 minute hours, and a 24 hour clock like the Sumerians instead of base 10?
    Why do we count in base 10 instead of binary, hex, base 12?
    Why don't we all switch to Esperanto or some other idealized language?
    Or if you're familiar with the story: Why are the Space Shuttle boosters the size they are?

    Because sometimes it's easier to stick with a standard.

    There. Question answered. Next article please.

  21. Chaser on Do Electric Sheep Dream of Civil Rights? · · Score: 1

    This takes ambulance chasing to new to a new low. Need clients? Suggest extending rights to robots then build 'em!

    Actually, is this guy also suggesting they have wage rights? If not, are they treated like minors and the guardian (i.e. Honda) has to pay for legal bills when a robot is beat up by a bigger robot and decides to sue? Or sues for mechanical harassment?

    Ack, the mind boggles at the possibilities...

  22. Re:The Pharmaceutical Industry on Researchers Work Around Hepatitis Drug Patent · · Score: 1

    So you're saying that Pharma is researching irrelevant stuff, but that the patents they have on this irrelevant stuff is holding everyone back? That's some nifty logic!

  23. Re:NICE!!!!!! on Researchers Work Around Hepatitis Drug Patent · · Score: 1

    So antibiotic drugs don't cure disease? Antifungal? Antivenom? Chemotherepy? Guess it's time to take back a few Nobel prizes and give them to you.

  24. Nice .... on Researchers Work Around Hepatitis Drug Patent · · Score: 1

    You managed to slip in an ad hominem attack on anyone who dares disagree with you, before they can even respond. Nice way to encourage rational dialog. Or maybe you're so self centered you believe anyone who ever disagrees with you is defective.

  25. Re:Brilliant! on Wal-Mart Is Pushing Compact Fluorescent Bulbs · · Score: 1

    Dang! Miss the news for a week and look what happens: I now live in the former US, now Sweden! I guess that's cool, but do we get to keep our Taco Bells?