Didn't I see this when it was an episode of Sliders. For once, my watching an obscure science fiction show comes in handy. There was a parallel earth where a pulsar was heading towards earth and was gonna irradiate it and cause a mass extinction event.
Good show, had some hot geeky chicks on it for awhile.
The routing software used by UPS, Fedex and USPS all can be used to minimize different turning directions. I used to work at Fedex home delivery and this would be a prime parameter for drivers with larger trucks. The software also can plot you to specific points during the day, like avoiding downtown during rush hour. Although it can minimize left turns, it sometimes makes you drive in circles to do so, makes you go far out of the way, down little streets (since like GPS it doesn't really know any better).
The article is actually about how UPS is going to lessen global warming or some such silly thing like that. They aren't, the increased distance the route can plot makes you drive as long (it doesn't truly matter if your diesel truck is idling at a light or driving in a circle). It is, however, easier for a driver to make less left turns and probably has some sort of psychological effect on other drivers to not see them in the left lane.
"Last year, according to Heather Robinson, a U.P.S. spokeswoman, the software helped the company shave 28.5 million miles off its delivery routes, which has resulted in savings of roughly three million gallons of gas and has reduced CO2 emissions by 31,000 metric tons."
The software is excellent, it makes great routes, can cut down on any number of hassles, but seriously the main point is NOT to eliminate left turns. The software is meant to get more packages out, more quickly, to more people, with less drivers, and more profit.
I think that you and I must have watched two completely different movies. I hate, in general, Leo DiCaprio, his movies in the past have been horrendous pieces of tripe. However, this year, he has been in two very good movies, one a comedic dramatic type thing with Tom Hanks named Catch me if you Can. It was a good movie, not a waste of money, and had some very good acting on the parts of both Hanks and DiCaprio at some points.
Gangs of New York, was a wonderful epic drama. It had love, hubris, a Cathartic ending, action up the yin yang. It was incredibly violent, but the violence didnt detract from the rest of the movie, rather it strengthened it. The historical innaccuracies are quite glaring, but I, for one, didn't go out to see a documentary. Granted this is no Braveheart or Gladiator, but it is an excellent movie.
This years best pictures are a mixed bag. LOTR:TTT was a very well done adapation, I loved it. Chicago, The hours, and The Pianist weren't up to par. So, including Gangs of New York was definitely a good decision on the part of those oscar folks. Even if their mascot is naked.
I will not deny that some professors inflate their grades and some departments inflate their grades at some universities.
And as to the rest I got into a few top national universities, and I'm at Duke because it is a small, private university with a beautiful campus. Most of my friends are at public universities because they are great schools, just not quite as good as Duke, or some of those other private school-elitist ones you point out. Also, because they're giving me almost a full ride. So, I'm paying less for my degree than you, I got A's in calculus in high school, I'm getting A's here. Last semester I got an A+ in advanced physics.
It was pointed out in one of the other comments to my piece that I have no validity as a freshman. And would like to say thank you, I am aware that I am a lowly freshman, who can only read the articles, talk to his friends, his professors and provide an opinion backed by alot of research into the subject.
Lastly but obviously not least to the crowd which reads slashdot, thanks for correcting my grammar, sometimes my word usage is slightly off. I hope no one has trouble reading my posts.
I am currently a freshman at Duke and can attest to the fact that there is not grade inflation of any type. In my humanities classes they give out D's, F's and whatever else happens to be earned. First year calculus is the most failed class at the University.
Barring the fact that there have been a slew of articles both at duke and about it published in various newspapers, its still easy to see why any such claim is wrong. In this day and age it is getting harder and harder to get into the "good" colleges. Duke is ranked as the number 4 national university in the country. So, the people applying and gettiing into Duke are very bright, very qualified, motivated students. These students go into classes and EARN high grades. They are getting a B+ at Duke when they could easily goto a top teir national public university and earn an A.
The people who would be earning the lesser grades aren't even attending Duke anymore. The travesty is that some people who work hard, do great work and have earned a high grade are sometimes forced to fail a class because their teacher has been accused of grade inflation and must now enact some arbitrary grading system.
I will not deny that some professors inflate their grades and some departments inflate their grades. Other professors deflate grades, make arbitrary curves, or assign nonsensical course material to get a curve more to their liking.
Here at Duke, I am an Econ/Physics double major, working my ass off. Some jaded professor not even working at Duke currently writes an article for the washington post and we're all supposed to take note? He doesn't teach at Duke, doesnt know whats going on there. We have more important issues, like rising tuition, an administration out to destroy social life on campus, and a certain department having a terrorist come and speak on campus. We don't need to worry about the fact that really smart people are working hard and getting good grades.
In Southfield Mediaone gives great cable access. Even at peak access times download speeds of 1.2Mbps can be expected. When usage is lowest, like at three in the morning reading slashdot, I have been able to get upwards of 4Mbps. Reliability can be an issue if it rains, but what can you do. Anyway comparing US bandwith to european makes no sense. Cities and internet access are setup quite differently in some parts of the world.
Well all us geeks out here understand the need for fast processors. Why? So that in 4 months i can buy it dirt cheap and overclock it to where processors are at that time. I like my athlon 500 cuz its overclocked to 750. Now it requires a decent heat sink and a 1/3 l2 cache multiplier but who cares when i can pump out an average of 63fps in Unreal tournament.
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Wow, props for the immediately ignorant first post.
Mass Effect was ALWAYS planned as the first in a trilogy telling a larger story.
Good to know that you actually pay attention before spouting off ignorance.
Didn't I see this when it was an episode of Sliders. For once, my watching an obscure science fiction show comes in handy. There was a parallel earth where a pulsar was heading towards earth and was gonna irradiate it and cause a mass extinction event.
Good show, had some hot geeky chicks on it for awhile.
The article is actually about how UPS is going to lessen global warming or some such silly thing like that. They aren't, the increased distance the route can plot makes you drive as long (it doesn't truly matter if your diesel truck is idling at a light or driving in a circle). It is, however, easier for a driver to make less left turns and probably has some sort of psychological effect on other drivers to not see them in the left lane.
"Last year, according to Heather Robinson, a U.P.S. spokeswoman, the software helped the company shave 28.5 million miles off its delivery routes, which has resulted in savings of roughly three million gallons of gas and has reduced CO2 emissions by 31,000 metric tons."
The software is excellent, it makes great routes, can cut down on any number of hassles, but seriously the main point is NOT to eliminate left turns. The software is meant to get more packages out, more quickly, to more people, with less drivers, and more profit.
Silly NY Times writers.
I think that you and I must have watched two completely different movies. I hate, in general, Leo DiCaprio, his movies in the past have been horrendous pieces of tripe. However, this year, he has been in two very good movies, one a comedic dramatic type thing with Tom Hanks named Catch me if you Can. It was a good movie, not a waste of money, and had some very good acting on the parts of both Hanks and DiCaprio at some points.
Gangs of New York, was a wonderful epic drama. It had love, hubris, a Cathartic ending, action up the yin yang. It was incredibly violent, but the violence didnt detract from the rest of the movie, rather it strengthened it. The historical innaccuracies are quite glaring, but I, for one, didn't go out to see a documentary. Granted this is no Braveheart or Gladiator, but it is an excellent movie.
This years best pictures are a mixed bag. LOTR:TTT was a very well done adapation, I loved it. Chicago, The hours, and The Pianist weren't up to par. So, including Gangs of New York was definitely a good decision on the part of those oscar folks. Even if their mascot is naked.
Alright, I forget to add in to this statement
I will not deny that some professors inflate their grades and some departments inflate their grades at some universities.
And as to the rest I got into a few top national universities, and I'm at Duke because it is a small, private university with a beautiful campus. Most of my friends are at public universities because they are great schools, just not quite as good as Duke, or some of those other private school-elitist ones you point out. Also, because they're giving me almost a full ride. So, I'm paying less for my degree than you, I got A's in calculus in high school, I'm getting A's here. Last semester I got an A+ in advanced physics.
It was pointed out in one of the other comments to my piece that I have no validity as a freshman. And would like to say thank you, I am aware that I am a lowly freshman, who can only read the articles, talk to his friends, his professors and provide an opinion backed by alot of research into the subject.
Lastly but obviously not least to the crowd which reads slashdot, thanks for correcting my grammar, sometimes my word usage is slightly off. I hope no one has trouble reading my posts.
I am currently a freshman at Duke and can attest to the fact that there is not grade inflation of any type. In my humanities classes they give out D's, F's and whatever else happens to be earned. First year calculus is the most failed class at the University.
Barring the fact that there have been a slew of articles both at duke and about it published in various newspapers, its still easy to see why any such claim is wrong. In this day and age it is getting harder and harder to get into the "good" colleges. Duke is ranked as the number 4 national university in the country. So, the people applying and gettiing into Duke are very bright, very qualified, motivated students. These students go into classes and EARN high grades. They are getting a B+ at Duke when they could easily goto a top teir national public university and earn an A.
The people who would be earning the lesser grades aren't even attending Duke anymore. The travesty is that some people who work hard, do great work and have earned a high grade are sometimes forced to fail a class because their teacher has been accused of grade inflation and must now enact some arbitrary grading system.
I will not deny that some professors inflate their grades and some departments inflate their grades. Other professors deflate grades, make arbitrary curves, or assign nonsensical course material to get a curve more to their liking.
Here at Duke, I am an Econ/Physics double major, working my ass off. Some jaded professor not even working at Duke currently writes an article for the washington post and we're all supposed to take note? He doesn't teach at Duke, doesnt know whats going on there. We have more important issues, like rising tuition, an administration out to destroy social life on campus, and a certain department having a terrorist come and speak on campus. We don't need to worry about the fact that really smart people are working hard and getting good grades.
In Southfield Mediaone gives great cable access. Even at peak access times download speeds of 1.2Mbps can be expected. When usage is lowest, like at three in the morning reading slashdot, I have been able to get upwards of 4Mbps. Reliability can be an issue if it rains, but what can you do. Anyway comparing US bandwith to european makes no sense. Cities and internet access are setup quite differently in some parts of the world.
Well all us geeks out here understand the need for fast processors. Why? So that in 4 months i can buy it dirt cheap and overclock it to where processors are at that time. I like my athlon 500 cuz its overclocked to 750. Now it requires a decent heat sink and a 1/3 l2 cache multiplier but who cares when i can pump out an average of 63fps in Unreal tournament.