You are within regulation Zone 4. You are using the patents described in the attached appendix without paying the required fees. You are to appear in court in another solar system in 2 months or judgment will be found against you. The required fees to become current for the use of all patents are shown in the attached appendix. Failure to make a representation at a fee payment hearing will result in bench warrants for seizure of all assets.
Anyone thinking about how we greet aliens should realize several things
a) anyone in orbit is in a very powerful position. Essentially the ultimate higher attack position.
b) anyone arriving in orbit has very advanced technology
c) kinetic energy
Storms like those encountered by the flight have very strong up and down drafts. The warning issued by air bus about flight speed indicates the plane was flying close to stall.
A very strong down draft + slow flight == crash. As the recovery for a crash is a dive. But in a strong downdraft your fall speed can't get you the lift needed to overcome the stall.
-- Forth is a simple yet extensible language; its modularity and extensibility permit the writing of high-level programs such as CAD systems. However, extensibility also helps poor programmers to write incomprehensible code, which has given Forth a reputation as a "write-only language". Forth has been used successfully in large, complex projects, while applications developed by competent, disciplined professionals have proven to be easily maintained on evolving hardware platforms over decades of use -- Forth is still used today in many embedded systems (small computerized devices) because of its portability, efficient memory use, short development time, and fast execution speed. It has been implemented efficiently on modern RISC processors, and processors that use Forth as machine language have been produced --
The problem with economics is that is probably more a sociological study than a idealized science.
Economics talks of supply and demand and perfect markets. Yet we all know the advertising and social herd behavior affect purchases much more than any real needs or demands.
There are potential technology applications that could really enhance performance.
a) regenerative braking to store power would extend fuel performance even if regular fuel performance was identical to regular car. draw back would be battery cost. Best performance would be small quick draw thin film back to absorb curve braking and allow additional out of curve power spike
b) independent 4 wheel drive. a lot of electronics required but would be able to improve road grip and reduce tire wear
I don't see electronics, drive or breaking mentioned in the article.
You can still use paper in the voters hands and collect it for a fully scrutinized and auditable system. You then mass scan the paper votes and electronically tally them. This gives fast results.
Then you do hand counted audits of the ballots that can take a day or two to verify the electronically counted tally.
The problem with the electronic system is the question of is a recorded vote the voters intent and is the record valid. Nothing beats paper (except scissors).
http://www.radix.net/~bobg/faqs/sea.level.faq.html ---
In terms of the ice, there are five identifiable reservoirs, only one of which is expected to be able to have catastrophic effects on sea level. They are sea ice, mountain glaciers, the Greenland ice sheet, the East Antarctic ice sheet, and the West Antarctic ice sheet. The one expected to be potentially catastrophic is West Antarctica. Catastrophic is taken to mean meters of sea level in a few hundred years or less.
First, why can't the other four be catastrophic? Sea ice cannot change sea level much. That it can do so at all is because sea ice is not made of quite the same material as the ocean. Sea ice is much fresher than sea water (5 parts per thousand instead of about 35). When the ice melts (pretend for the moment that it does so instantly and retains its shape), the resultant melt water is still slightly less dense than the original sea water. So the meltwater still 'stands' a little higher than the local sea level. The amount of extra height depends on the salinity difference between ice and ocean, and corresponds to about 2% of the thickness of the original ice floe. For 30 million square kilometers of ice (global maximum extent) and average thickness of 2 meters (the Arctic ice is about 3 meters, the Antarctic is about 1), the corresponding change in global sea level would be 2 (meters) * 0.02 (salinity effect) * 0.10 (fraction of ocean covered by ice), or 4 mm. Not a large figure, but not zero either. My thanks to chappell@stat.wisc.edu (Rick Chappell) for making me work this out. ---
As an indicator of other things 1 year sea ice thickness is relevant on a second order. It is an indicator of the local winter average temperature. Local temperature changes are not global. I say that this indicator of a more cold winter shows an increased polar air circulation which is actually a positive indicator for global warming in general.
Actually the bit about snow was misleading. The article was about sea ice thickness. Sea ice is caused by cold air flowing from a pole toward the equator and cooling the ocean. More about that in a bit.
Now back to the article. The article described 1 year sea ice thickness. This is ice that forms on the sea over one winter and is essentially a measure of how cold the air was that winter. So first thought is that more ice implies a colder winter. Yes I agree with that. The question is what is the average global temperature. Global warming (called climate change by those who think explaining all the details will confuse people) does not mean it warms up everywhere.
Fact: Cold air does not come from the polar regions. Cold air comes from high in the atmosphere where air radiates heat to space. Warm air comes from contact with sun warmed ground and sea. http://www.rcn27.dial.pipex.com/cloudsrus/wind.html
So the polar regions are cold because they get more cold air dropped on them from high in the atmosphere. What pushes the whole cycle is "heat". We like to think of hot and cold as relative to our norms. Real tempeature is degrees Kelvin. So the polar regions just have less heat than the equatorial regions.
Back to the circulation putting more heat into the system results in a global warming but also in an accelerated wind system. This will push more cold air down at the poles. Essentially making the poles colder and the polar winds colder. This will make the polar regions colder --- when they are not heated by the sun.
So from global warming we can actually expect colder winters at the poles. Overall they will be shorter due to the added heat. There are lots of balances and more complex things. Particularly the global air circulation is not 1 cycle equator to poles, but banded. But the general idea is there.
The antarctic is supposed to be a desert because it is too cold to snow. The fact the central area is now accumulating snow points to warming and accompanying increased precipitation.
The ice sheets have increased their outward flow. Also another indicator of increased precipitation and warmth.
One has to be very careful what one looks at for indicators of global warming/cooling.
What this quiet time is doing is failing to pressure us into hardening the electrical grid against electromagnetic storm events. So in 5 or 10 years when we pull up out of this point we will all have electrical cars pulling power from desert and off shore wind farms over long lines. Then the electromagnetic storm will take out the continental electrical grid.
No matter how much the RIAA wants you to think otherwise. Indexing or making other available of where to find something is very different from actually making it available.
Also making it available is not the same as copying it. People who put a movie up on a server are not violating copyright. Digital media must be copied to temporary storage to be played.
Do not listen to the RIAA and their weird interpretation of what is a violation of copyright.
Common knowledge has always been allowed and accepted as background. The law just has to catch up to the fact that the contents of the internet, right or wrong, form the background of common knowledge.
Also note that before the internet common knowledge was probably just as likely to be right or wrong.
"Someone decided to trash the one part of Windows that was usable? The file system is no longer usable. The registry is not usable. This program listing was one sane place but now it is all crapped up."
Thought #1: Microsoft forced the registry, DLL hell, and activeX on the world when they started with a really the nice VMS security model as the basis for NT.
Thought #2: Java is an application language with structured layered protections. And Java is pretty much now an open standard and embedded in modern browsers.
Summary: Sure the idea is right. Why don't we all just work on making Java better?
Caution: From Microsoft this message sounds like a joke. They fought against Java and invented all that other crap that led to the creation of the Viris protection industry. If they had done it right 10 years ago we would not be here now.
Before the days of IT technology producing sound from text required a performance.
Now sound from text is a programmed translation. No more different or complex than the rendering of the book PDF information on the screen.
Welcome to the information age. Data is data and rendering translations are done all over the place, ascii to display bits. HTML to display. GIF, JPEG to images, MPEG to sound, MPEG to video. ascii, pdf or html to sound is no more difficult or complex. Just a little newer.
Slashdot Mirror
I see the aliens have successfully tested their aiming mechanism.
We should expect the full barrage any time now.
You are within regulation Zone 4. You are using the patents described in the attached appendix without paying the required fees.
You are to appear in court in another solar system in 2 months or judgment will be found against you. The required fees to become current for the use of all patents are shown in the attached appendix. Failure to make a representation at a fee payment hearing will result in bench warrants for seizure of all assets.
Anyone thinking about how we greet aliens should realize several things
a) anyone in orbit is in a very powerful position. Essentially the ultimate higher attack position.
b) anyone arriving in orbit has very advanced technology
c) kinetic energy
Read Footfall, it posits aliens with the barest of interstellar travel capabilities arriving
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footfall
Storms like those encountered by the flight have very strong up and down drafts.
The warning issued by air bus about flight speed indicates the plane was flying close to stall.
A very strong down draft + slow flight == crash.
As the recovery for a crash is a dive. But in a strong downdraft your fall speed can't get you the lift needed to overcome the stall.
Downdrafts are serious business
http://www.arm.gov/publications/proceedings/conf09/extended_abs/xu_km.pdf
So if I see a person or corporate entity using a spider/URL reference to some copyright material I can log the action and report them. great.
So I create a 6Gb data file. Size of movie, link it from my home page. If I see a google spider hit it I report the download to the IRS.
Fun times.
Time to create some tiny URL's and seed them in appropriate places.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forth_(programming_language)
--
Forth is a simple yet extensible language; its modularity and extensibility permit the writing of high-level programs such as CAD systems. However, extensibility also helps poor programmers to write incomprehensible code, which has given Forth a reputation as a "write-only language". Forth has been used successfully in large, complex projects, while applications developed by competent, disciplined professionals have proven to be easily maintained on evolving hardware platforms over decades of use
--
Forth is still used today in many embedded systems (small computerized devices) because of its portability, efficient memory use, short development time, and fast execution speed. It has been implemented efficiently on modern RISC processors, and processors that use Forth as machine language have been produced
--
The problem with economics is that is probably more a sociological study than a idealized science.
Economics talks of supply and demand and perfect markets.
Yet we all know the advertising and social herd behavior affect purchases much more than any real needs or demands.
There are potential technology applications that could really enhance performance.
a) regenerative braking to store power would extend fuel performance even if regular fuel performance was identical to regular car. draw back would be battery cost. Best performance would be small quick draw thin film back to absorb curve braking and allow additional out of curve power spike
b) independent 4 wheel drive. a lot of electronics required but would be able to improve road grip and reduce tire wear
I don't see electronics, drive or breaking mentioned in the article.
That would be a killer to try and ride with that much chain slack.
Likely the tension wheels are just temporarily missing.
It is the small details in photos (especially the street views) that cause the problems. The overall intent does not matter.
If the governments would refuse to buy insecure software then the software makers would have a big reason to make their systems secure.
The government needs to lead not push the people.
The government requirements would create a secure purchase option which people could select.
Newspapers should offer wireless enabled ebooks with 1 or 2 year subscriptions.
The newspaper will save on print and distribution costs.
People will still be able to read the news with breakfast.
You can still use paper in the voters hands and collect it for a fully scrutinized and auditable system.
You then mass scan the paper votes and electronically tally them. This gives fast results.
Then you do hand counted audits of the ballots that can take a day or two to verify the electronically counted tally.
The problem with the electronic system is the question of is a recorded vote the voters intent and is the record valid. Nothing beats paper (except scissors).
Sea ice has a minimal affect on sea level. So anything about more or less sea ice is to a first order irrelevant to global sea level.
http://moregrumbinescience.blogspot.com/2009/04/ice-and-sea-level.html
http://www.radix.net/~bobg/faqs/sea.level.faq.html
---
In terms of the ice, there are five identifiable reservoirs, only one
of which is expected to be able to have catastrophic effects on sea
level. They are sea ice, mountain glaciers, the Greenland ice sheet,
the East Antarctic ice sheet, and the West Antarctic ice sheet. The one
expected to be potentially catastrophic is West Antarctica.
Catastrophic is taken to mean meters of sea level in a few hundred years
or less.
First, why can't the other four be catastrophic? Sea ice cannot
change sea level much. That it can do so at all is because sea ice is
not made of quite the same material as the ocean. Sea ice is much
fresher than sea water (5 parts per thousand instead of about 35). When
the ice melts (pretend for the moment that it does so instantly and
retains its shape), the resultant melt water is still slightly less
dense than the original sea water. So the meltwater still 'stands' a
little higher than the local sea level. The amount of extra height
depends on the salinity difference between ice and ocean, and
corresponds to about 2% of the thickness of the original ice floe. For
30 million square kilometers of ice (global maximum extent) and average
thickness of 2 meters (the Arctic ice is about 3 meters, the Antarctic
is about 1), the corresponding change in global sea level would be 2
(meters) * 0.02 (salinity effect) * 0.10 (fraction of ocean covered by
ice), or 4 mm. Not a large figure, but not zero either. My thanks to
chappell@stat.wisc.edu (Rick Chappell) for making me work this out.
---
As an indicator of other things 1 year sea ice thickness is relevant on a second order. It is an indicator of the local winter average temperature. Local temperature changes are not global. I say that this indicator of a more cold winter shows an increased polar air circulation which is actually a positive indicator for global warming in general.
Did a more detailed reply above. See that. Article was also about sea ice and not snow so my stuff about snow and desert does not apply.
I agree that it is colder at a specific location for a the winter.
Local cooling near the poles is expected as a result of global warming.
> Besides, the idea of it being too cold to snow is a myth:
The article you quoted says --
Once it drops below -20F, your chances of snow are virtually nil (but still possible).
I will take that "virtually nil (but still possible)" and say that effectively it does get to cold to snow.
Actually the bit about snow was misleading. The article was about sea ice thickness. Sea ice is caused by cold air flowing from a pole toward the equator and cooling the ocean. More about that in a bit.
Back to the bit about "to cold to snow". Really cold air carries very little water vapour.
http://www.theweatherprediction.com/habyhints/222/
Now back to the article. The article described 1 year sea ice thickness. This is ice that forms on the sea over one winter and is essentially a measure of how cold the air was that winter. So first thought is that more ice implies a colder winter. Yes I agree with that. The question is what is the average global temperature. Global warming (called climate change by those who think explaining all the details will confuse people) does not mean it warms up everywhere.
Fact: Cold air does not come from the polar regions. Cold air comes from high in the atmosphere where air radiates heat to space. Warm air comes from contact with sun warmed ground and sea.
http://www.rcn27.dial.pipex.com/cloudsrus/wind.html
So the polar regions are cold because they get more cold air dropped on them from high in the atmosphere. What pushes the whole cycle is "heat". We like to think of hot and cold as relative to our norms. Real tempeature is degrees Kelvin. So the polar regions just have less heat than the equatorial regions.
Back to the circulation putting more heat into the system results in a global warming but also in an accelerated wind system. This will push more cold air down at the poles. Essentially making the poles colder and the polar winds colder. This will make the polar regions colder --- when they are not heated by the sun.
So from global warming we can actually expect colder winters at the poles. Overall they will be shorter due to the added heat. There are lots of balances and more complex things. Particularly the global air circulation is not 1 cycle equator to poles, but banded. But the general idea is there.
The antarctic is supposed to be a desert because it is too cold to snow.
The fact the central area is now accumulating snow points to warming and accompanying increased precipitation.
The ice sheets have increased their outward flow. Also another indicator of increased precipitation and warmth.
One has to be very careful what one looks at for indicators of global warming/cooling.
Not now the sun is quiet.
What this quiet time is doing is failing to pressure us into hardening the electrical grid against electromagnetic storm events. So in 5 or 10 years when we pull up out of this point we will all have electrical cars pulling power from desert and off shore wind farms over long lines. Then the electromagnetic storm will take out the continental electrical grid.
http://www.niburu.nl/index.php?articleID=20577
http://richarddawkins.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=76911
Fun times.
repeat after me indexing is not copying.
No matter how much the RIAA wants you to think otherwise. Indexing or making other available of where to find something is very different from actually making it available.
Also making it available is not the same as copying it. People who put a movie up on a server are not violating copyright. Digital media must be copied to temporary storage to be played.
Do not listen to the RIAA and their weird interpretation of what is a violation of copyright.
Common knowledge has always been allowed and accepted as background. The law just has to catch up to the fact that the contents of the internet, right or wrong, form the background of common knowledge.
Also note that before the internet common knowledge was probably just as likely to be right or wrong.
- does a witch float?
If the three laws of robotics ever applied to any relationship with a human the robot would be frozen into inaction immediately.
Anything you do is possibly going to emotionally damage someone.
Get to close.
Stay to aloof.
Obey.
Disobey.
The three laws would need such a fuzzy boundary that they might as well not exist at all.
Looks like a great way to regression test a software application or even the operating system itself.
> #1. Registry is fine
Nope. Bill Gates says it is crap.
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/microsoft/archives/141821.asp
"Someone decided to trash the one part of Windows that was usable? The file system is no longer usable. The registry is not usable. This program listing was one sane place but now it is all crapped up."
Thought #1:
Microsoft forced the registry, DLL hell, and activeX on the world when they started with a really the nice VMS security model as the basis for NT.
Thought #2:
Java is an application language with structured layered protections. And Java is pretty much now an open standard and embedded in modern browsers.
Summary:
Sure the idea is right. Why don't we all just work on making Java better?
Caution:
From Microsoft this message sounds like a joke. They fought against Java and invented all that other crap that led to the creation of the Viris protection industry. If they had done it right 10 years ago we would not be here now.
Before the days of IT technology producing sound from text required a performance.
Now sound from text is a programmed translation. No more different or complex than the rendering of the book PDF information on the screen.
Welcome to the information age. Data is data and rendering translations are done all over the place, ascii to display bits. HTML to display. GIF, JPEG to images, MPEG to sound, MPEG to video. ascii, pdf or html to sound is no more difficult or complex. Just a little newer.