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User: kartaron

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  1. Re: So much for Intelligent Design on Scientists Find Link Between Parkinson's Disease and the Appendix (gizmodo.com) · · Score: 1

    Or we are.

  2. Re: So much for Intelligent Design on Scientists Find Link Between Parkinson's Disease and the Appendix (gizmodo.com) · · Score: 1, Interesting

    It may not be intelligent but it is common enough that there is an official term for it. Manufactured obsolescence.

    "a policy of planning or designing a product with an artificially limited useful life, so it will become obsolete after a certain period of time."

  3. I can't read the article, pay wall, but this quote seems to indicate what you are saying:.

    2007, when reliable measurements from devices called "Argo floats" were put to use worldwide. Before that, different types of temperature records -- and an overall lack of them -- contributed to murkiness.

    So they rejected the not only the previous findings, but all other methods of measurements. All of this makes it seem it is really hard to get reliable temperature measurements. I mean we really only learned how in 2007.

  4. Anti trust is fraud on 'Break Up Google and Facebook If You Ever Want Innovation Again' (theregister.co.uk) · · Score: 0

    In 1992 the great sin which brought the wrath of government and popular judgement against it was the inclusion of a web browser and multimedia software in standard operating system packages. For free. Google is largely free or marginal in cost. Google's parent company is leading the charge into super discounted medical devices for chronic issues. Facebook is free. I don't know what altruistic endeavors Facebook is involved in but they shouldn't have to justify their existence beyond the great demand which exists for their free platform.

  5. Re: The real problem is on How Facebook Outs Sex Workers (gizmodo.com) · · Score: 1

    This is not a conservative or historically normal american right wing position. European right wing is different and doesnt really apply since there really isnt a european party with even marginally similar conservative positions. What you described is more appropriately a classical liberal or modern libertarian position, where the implication of crime requires primarily a victim. Thus victimless crimes such as prostitution without coercion, and drug use that doesnt contribute to a separate crime are not crimes at all under classic liberalism. This is because classical liberalism is based on the primary demand of freedom of the will of humanity.
      Thus the great crime to the liberal is force.

    American right wing political thought begins not with free will, but with all rights (read freedom from coercion) being granted by God who has authorized a particular order where justice demands adherence to a similarly particular morality and this grants conditional living under certain freedoms. For this reason, that the rights granted are not fundamental, but conditional to a moral and religious people. One primary tenant of conservatism is the inherent uniqueness of man as created by God and for this reason, humanity is to be treated with a dignity beyond other parts of his creation. With human dignity as the foundation of the direction of the law, conservative law resists classical liberal concepts such as freedom to commit suicide, drug use, pornography, prostitution, gambling and other 'victimless' crimes because there is still one victim, even of the victim is also the author of the crime.

    For this reason, legalization is not the pathway for a conservative. The destruction of a human soul through self actuated depravity is no better than the destruction brought by another.

    See Kirk, DeTocqueville, Bastiat, Locke

  6. Not to burst speculative bubbles but... on New Evidence of a Decline In Electricity Use By U.S. Households (wordpress.com) · · Score: 1

    The eia reports consumer electricity usage in the same range it's been stuck in since 2000. Speculating which runs contrary to previous examples, namely that energy efficiencies lead to anything besides increased energy use due to cost savings, would require data, not speculation.

  7. If I buy a server, and a T1 subscription, create a blog and allow you post comments on my setup over the internet... and I say you cant post comments about politics because this isnt a political blog, you have not been harmed. And I certainly havent restricted your rights.

    You had no right to post anything whatsoever before I bought the server, before I paid for the connection, before I setup the software and before I allowed you to sign up. What changed that gave you a right to use my platform for anything I dont agree with.

    If I bought a football and asked Peyton Manning to sign it, and he wrote an anti war screed instead, would it be a violation of his rights to erase the comments and get someone else to sign it instead?

    The answer is not at all. My property is mine. That is completely different from the government, because government is obligated (due to the fact that they are to in existence specifically to guard rights and take direction from the people) to accept reasonable (ethical) public input.

  8. It is interesting to see this argument to be coming up again but reverse from the previous generation. During the 80s it was hard fought on the left in America (at least in print and film) that nudity could be presented acceptably, even in underage girls, if the content was asexual objectively. The right argued against it for ethical reasons and were accused of slippery slope beliefs and moralizing. I dont know Zuckerberg's real politics but he is considered left of center socially. If this was banned as part of a no exceptions policy on underage nudity he would basically be taking the rights position from the mid 80s (Jerry Falwell!) It seems the argument against is the historical importance of the photo, and current modern propaganda (without making a moral judgement either way) against war in general and specific tactics and weaponry. It begs the question however, why is facebook a necessary medium. Facebook is neither a journalistic outlet, a historical medium, or an advocacy group. In fact, to facilitate its goals, it makes sense that facebook would want to avoid becoming an outlet of gruesome war photos, films or images of murders, surgical or autopsy images and the like. If allowing this image, facebook also decided postings of aborted fetuses were also allowed to appear in your timelines, how many would still be on board. All of those would be equally controversial, but also as subjectively valuable to various advocacy proponents.

  9. Re:Doing Trump's work for him on 'The Hillary Leaks' - Wikileaks Releases 19,252 Previously Unseen DNC Emails (zerohedge.com) · · Score: 2

    Been an employee and a contractor. Contractor is so much better and more freeing. I never once thought, Oh if I could only have my taxes withheld... I got to dictate terms for my jobs, I got the benefit of tax exemptions which pay for my working vehicle. All expenses are tax write offs. It was downright pleasant and for once my time put into being better at a job, paid me directly instead of paying my boss. Also, it was government which took the opportunity away from me, forcing me back into an hourly position so they could get that 40% cut from my weekly check.

  10. Re:Doing Trump's work for him on 'The Hillary Leaks' - Wikileaks Releases 19,252 Previously Unseen DNC Emails (zerohedge.com) · · Score: 1

    Outcomes dont determine whether an act is 'slavery' or more accurately an immoral imposition on the rights of a human. The act of imposing is the immoral act. If government takes all the profit from running a business therefore making that business insoluble, (such as $15 minimum wage making entry level workers un-hireable) The government has only indirectly hurt the employee, by harming the rights of the employer to operate his business in an equitable manner. More to the point, If the employee votes to enable or encourage the government to impose heavy demands (such as comprehensive medical coverage) on said business owner, the employee is immorally imposing mob rule impositions on the minority business owner (if he were part of a majority he obviously would have won the majority vote) and the only one harmed by the resulting poor economy would be the business owner since the employee is complicit.

  11. Re:Doing Trump's work for him on 'The Hillary Leaks' - Wikileaks Releases 19,252 Previously Unseen DNC Emails (zerohedge.com) · · Score: 1

    You still have you rights should you choose to express them. Thats the meaning of inalienable. You just have an elected tyranny which seeks to punish you for expressing those rights.

  12. Non-Death of Nintendo continues to baffle experts on Pokemon Go Becomes Biggest Mobile Game In US History (techcrunch.com) · · Score: 2

    Every generation of consoles cause streams of claims the sky has finally fallen in on Nintendo. Sega's (and Turbographics)CD based systems were the initial perceived killer. After that the N64 (still cartridge based) was not powerful enough to compete. Then the Gamecube was again not powerful enough to play the games people wanted to buy. Then the Wii was just the cube put into a new box with fancy shake equipped controllers. At every stage Nintendo causes a rip to form in the 'power is everything' argument. Nintendo clearly isnt working on the same model. Nintendo creates fads and they ride those through the hardware eras. They invest their billions on unique hardware and create opportunities for completely original gameplay. Nintendo brought back gaming in the 80s. They mastered the art of fun immersive long form adventure gaming with Zelda, Metroid and Mario in the 90s. They basically invented party gaming with the Wii in the 2000s. Meanwhile their portable gaming has been on the cutting edge the entire time until phones became portable computers. Despite the loss of control over that portable market they have now found a way to revitalize both the portable gaming industry and Nintedo themselves. In a year there will be a dozen games blatantly copying this new innovation and Nintendo will have the best of them. Part of this is because Sony and Microsoft treat their consoles as an inroad to gaining customers in other branches of technology or services. Nintendo just wants people to play their games.

  13. Amazing how different this is from internet browsing where, except for page breaking and popup/popunder ads, ads are mostly ignored. Web presence of content providers of news or non video content have to force paid patronage by blocking content. I think if they did it clever enough, say they stick star wars movies on the top of action lists when a new star wars comes out... or attach a commercial for the new ghostbusters to the other ghostbuster movies... Trailers in front of movies...Commercials for New seasons of CSI recommended on CSI fans lists... That could work. Not like Hulu where is just spams crappy internet ads every five minutes.

  14. seriously just stop gwx.exe

  15. First US usage of power is about 4 times higher per household than Germany, possibly due to Germans mostly not having or using AC in the warmer months. This makes summer the power usage low in Germany. In the US the summer months are the usage high.
    http://shrinkthatfootprint.com...
    https://www.eia.gov/electricit...

    The government (ie taxpayers) subsidize the tune of 20 billion Euros per year and rising (hiding the actual cost)

    http://www.bloomberg.com/view/...
    http://www.greentechmedia.com/...
    http://www.seia.org/research-r...

    German prices per kwh are higher (~.34 per kwh) vs US (~.15) mostly due to tax/tariff on energy, and regulatory procedures related to the infrastructure payments of solar and other renewables. The prices are rising so fast the government has had to begin a more restrictive path on new solar.

    https://www.eia.gov/electricit...
    https://www.cleanenergywire.or...

    Based solely on price per kwh and predictable capacity, solar is awful. More specifically awful for germany, because of geography and weather trends.
    http://www.forbes.com/sites/qu...

    This unpredictability is causing massive new production plants using coal. This is a reult of shutting down nuclear and building solar which only generates an average of >10% of potential capacity. Altogether the solar plan's end result is not bringing them closer to meeting their climate pollution goals.
    https://carboncounter.wordpres...

    "when the wind suddenly stops blowing, and in particular during the cold season, supply becomes scarce. That's when heavy oil and coal power plants have to be fired up to close the gap, which is why Germany's energy producers in 2012 actually released more climate-damaging carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than in 2011. If there is still an electricity shortfall, energy-hungry plants like the ArcelorMittal steel mill in Hamburg are sometimes asked to shut down production to protect the grid. Of course, ordinary electricity customers are then expected to pay for the compensation these businesses are entitled to for lost profits."

    http://www.spiegel.de/internat...

  16. Original Article and Idealogical Authoritatians on North Carolina Town Defeats Big Solar's Plan To Suck Up the Sun (arstechnica.com) · · Score: 1

    http://www.roanoke-chowannewsh...

    The original article shows several disputes concerning the project including the fact that the community would not receive any benefit from converting the property besides working along with the power company which owns the massive power junction around the town. No tax benefits, no diminshed power bills, unsightly sites all over the place (This was to be another addition to the 4 solar locations in their area). The council disputed the more controversial/uninformed reasons, passed 3 additions and rejected one (for unspecified reasons). Then tabled discussions for further additions. The people primarily objected to loss of taxable business property locations and lack of a tangible benefit to the community (which the town council represents). The sunlight comments arent in quotes which makes them at least questionable considering the rest of the comments are in quotes. If one makes reasonable accomodations to the nature of the objections, you could easily see that the comments about cancer would apply to the GIANT ELECTRICAL ARRAY in town, which the WHO states the that they arent sure why but there seems to be high incidents of correlation to cancer... The article amounts to so much Trolling by the original author, and subsequent hangers on to illegimately bash objectors to the current idealogical correctness.

  17. I dont understand the tone of the article on Reuters Bans RAW Photo Format (petapixel.com) · · Score: 1

    Reuters doesnt want to have to dig so deep to discover manipulated photos. They dont want it to be quite so easy to manipulate those photos without it being easily discoverable. Its an entirely separate issue from having punishment for misdeeds. Ars has no issue with it.

    http://arstechnica.com/busines...

  18. Anthramycin on Why New Antibiotics Never Come To Market (vice.com) · · Score: 1

    "Two years have gone by since Fenical identified anthramycin and no one has shown any interest in taking it from the research lab to the clinic."

    The point of this article seems to be that HIS study on a drug that apparently is as deadly as the disease it cures, isn't a big hit with drug companies. You dont see drug companies pass over anything they might be able to sell to millions of people per year.

  19. Notice the media slam this week on Rand Paul? on The Patriot Act May Be Dead For Good · · Score: 5, Insightful

    From all over the media, political commentators have been slamming Rand Paul since the 'filibuster'. Not just competitive republicans running for office or stumping for their guy either. Fox news left him off the latest poll, Scarboro (former republican analyst) mocks him, Bill Kristol (ancient neocon acolyte) mocks him. Several editorial columns describe his maneuvering of the vote for renewing the patriot act as betrayal. Huffpo implied Rand's 'act' is so tedious that other senators roll their eyes.

    Amazing how this man is so derided for actually acting on one of the biggest issues of our time instead of just going along

  20. It does not say Wind production will double on US Wind Power Is Expected To Double In the Next 5 Years · · Score: 2

    It says If we want the benefits of wind doubling, we should subsidize wind farms. It blatantly says toward the end that this is not the Business as Usual model.

  21. Re:This isnt a study for predicting capacity on US Wind Power Is Expected To Double In the Next 5 Years · · Score: 1

    The Study Scenario is a plausible outcome, representing what could come about through a variety of pathways, including aggressive wind cost reductions, high fossil fuel costs, federal or state policy support, high demand growth, or different combinations of these factors. The resulting Study Scenario —10% by 2020, 20% by 2030, and 35% by 2050 wind energy as a share of national end-use electricity demand—is compared against the Baseline Scenario to estimate costs, benefits, and other impacts associated with potential future wind deployment.

    Given the purpose of the paper and the lengths they had to go to fabricate a reality to achieve a positive outcome, this could easily be seen as an admission that Wind power in it's current form is unproductive.

    The short list of what Wind power requires to be on the path according to this study (10% of power production in US) high gas prices (especially natural gas), Federal subsidation, overcoming low generation periods (alternate sources/short term storage), highly accurate predictive weather models, new long range transmission lines, political opposition to the towers,much higher prices of offshore wind power, higher consumer prices despite subsidation, higher electrical usage (to create a demand for new generation), All other forms of power generation must just stop growing, this study ignores all of the others.

  22. This isnt a study for predicting capacity on US Wind Power Is Expected To Double In the Next 5 Years · · Score: 1

    This a study that makes certain assumptions about usage and capacity and draws conclusions of the realities of what that market will look like into the future. This one is labeled the "Study Scenario' and is paired with the Central Study Scenario' and the 'Baseline Scenario', all of which make differing assumptions about what direction the Wind generation market will become over the next 40 years.

    This study assumes significant investment and growth specifically in GW expansion, breaking down costs, difficulties, consequences and lots of other details. The crux of the study comes at ES.2-3 where it shows, in years where there is no Wind power subsidy from the federal government, there is no expansion of generation.

    From the Article: ES.5.1 The Opportunity: The Wind Vision analysis modeled a future Study Scenario (with various sensitivities) in which 10% of the nation’s electricity demand is met by wind power in 2020, 20% by 2030, and 35% by 2050.

    ES.4.2 Risk of Inaction: Without actions to improve wind’s competitive position in the market, such as those described in the roadmap, the nation risks losing its existing wind manufacturing infrastructure and a range of public benefits.

    This is an Energy Dept rationalization for increased funding most especially of the Wind Power Production Tax Credit. The most entertaining part is the repeated mentions of the limitations of wind power (low wind regions, distance from power grid, unpredictable output). They have to increase power usage significantly to predict lower prices (because of the largely insurmountable technical issues with Wind) even though electricity usage has declined for 6 years. In short, this is a brochure for the best case scenario for Wind Power if everything goes right. The original studies (this is an executive summary) dont seem to be available.

    .

  23. Re:Statistics and.. on As Prison Population Sinks, Jails Are a Steal · · Score: 5, Informative

    The early release and refusal to place new inmates in California is huge. According to federal statistics, California dropped 50k internments per year and are releasing early 13k per month. Just their decline alone accounts for 72% of total US reductions. Depending on the length of sentences, they may well have sent home the entire 200k 'drop' in prisoners. And other major state prison systems admit their lowering of prison sentences for drug crimes is the reason for their drops.

    And the california plan seems to be raising some crimes there

    "By contrast, we find robust evidence that realignment is related to increased property crime. In terms of overall property crime, we estimate an additional one to two property crimes per year on average for each offender who is not incarcerated as a result of realignment. In particular, we see substantial increases in the number of motor vehicle thefts, which went up by 14.8 percent between 2011 and 2012. (Magnus Lofstrom and Steven Raphael, Public Safety Realignment and Crime Rates in California, Public Policy Institute of California, Dec., 2013 at p. 2.)"

    http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub...

    http://www.latimes.com/local/c...

    http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub...

  24. Good for her and her reps on Emma Watson Leaked Photo Threat Was a Plot To Attack 4chan · · Score: 1

    Its like the pedo stories they used to do on tv news shows. Lure offenders to a home and take pictures of their creepy activities and show them to the public. The only thing they didnt do was show who the creepy offenders are. Why 75% of slashdotters want to debate feminism and womens rights in the workplace only shows just how uncomfortable people are discussing this issue. The 25% who are discussing the actual article are apparently the creeps she/they are trying to expose (or at least awaken their moral compass)

  25. Re:In lost the will to live ... on How Our Botched Understanding of "Science" Ruins Everything · · Score: 1

    I agree with everything you said. The problem comes in the stage after the 'theory' is released. When "Assuming that evolution is true, this other idea should also be true; let us find out" becomes "Now we have accepted evolution as THE properly functioning mechanism of living things, we can make assumptions based on this". They take the 'If' off of the consideration. Discussions now start with an assumption of multiple varied (and sometimes non functional or conflicting) theories under one roof, all True. It doesnt matter if the Scientist hold his theory as a theory if the public holds it as a fact. Secondly, the scientific methods encourage an atheistic approach. Theorized unknowns are still unknowns. Dark matter, while scientifically appealing, is complete conjecture beyond the scientific need to have it there as a placeholder. In fact Science as a whole is conjecture and assumptions (carefully measured and considered) despite the fact that they accurately predict the way some things work. Im not discouraging scientific study and exploration. Im all for it. Study and measure it all, Ill continue to read it and try to make sense of it while enjoying the new toys and information that result. I will also continue to doubt any particular theory is the answer when it is announced as such. And I dont have a problem seeing God as author of it all, as He is great and vast and capable of creating the intricacies we enjoy observing. Sorry about the structure, never did figure out how to create line breaks on slashdot.