Motorcycle insurance cheap? You must not have priced sportbike insurance lately. Even with only basic insurance, for the typical low 20's rider it is in the thousands per year. Add on full coverage including collision and you are looking at multi-thousands. The only cheap bikes to insure are lower horsepower, naked bikes like the Suzuki SV650 (and awesome bike still!). Even Harleys are getting expensive, mostly because replacement parts are outrageously expensive and full replacement cost is so high.
So there is no way this thing is going to be cheap to insure. Insurance has to have a beneficiary in the case of an accident, and is based on the amount covered. If this thing costs $200,000, what would actually be insured? The jetpack? Big bucks. The operator? Given the risk of the activity, big bucks. Anything it collides with? Big bucks!
This is the first version of Ubuntu that works for me pretty much out of the box. I got the CDs on Friday from ship-it and had the AMD-64 version of the system installed on my 20 GB partition within 1/2 an hour. And then about 1/2 an hour later had a VMWare copy of Kubuntu loaded also.
In Native format the Wireless works better and at least recognizes my USB Wireless adapter, though it gives me a Linux version of the BSOD when I try to connect... it just freezes the system entirely.
In VMWare mode it works perfectly, mostly since Windows is handling the Wireless connection for the system. I am not sure whether I'll use it, though, since it doesn't really offer me anything that I don't already have on Windows. In a way I wished that it shipped with Kdevelop or some other IDE so that we could use this as a way to entice young developers to begin coding on Linux rather than using http://kidsprogramminglanguage.com/ or the now free C#/VBasic tools offered by Microsoft.
So if the future holds for consistent increases in power consumption, how long until we a) have to build houses with 20A+ 120V circuits in our office/den/bedrooms or b) plug a dual powercord power supply into 2 separate outlets (thereby using 230V @ 15 A) or c) using a long extension cord and providing power to the PSU by two different outlets on two separate 15A 120V circuits?
I got one yesterday I must say it sounded really compelling. I checked the headers and my initial newbie glance was that none of the URLs were immediately noticeable as faked. Upon second glance I could see some warning messages about mismatching IP addresses.
Regardless of the technicalities, because it didn't have the usual telltale signs it really made me wonder. I then checked into my account the usual way, noticed nothing was wrong and then forwarded the email to spoof@paypal.com, receiving a reply this morning that it was indeed a phishing attempt.
The thing is, on this site we always talk about how clueless people are, and I have participated myself on occasion. But after talking with my wife and in-laws yesterday I realize how *easy* it is to dupe 95% of the computer using population using these tactics. These are people that are educated, smart and generally not clueless in life... but when it comes to computers they are. I had to explain to my sister-in-law why my brother-in-law was receiving Cialis/Viagra emails shortly after posting their clean (well, it was) email address on petfinder.com. My point is, it may seem like there is a low percentage of willing responders to a phone phishing attempt, but I can say from my observation that this new technique should be more successful than ever!
I just wonder isn't it really easy to trace phone numbers?
Maybe the solution is strict driver licensing for auto-drive, much like they do for pilots with restricted visiblity flying. Add into that additional penalties for failure to obey certain rules, like staying awake, or not doing manual drive in the auto drive lane. Then if you give the additional incentive of allowing the car to drive 20mph+ or faster than the posted limit without then folks would have enough self-interest to drive an auto-drive vehicle.
You could even combine incentives -- give the HOV lanes over to auto-drive cars. Then every car that rides in an HOV lane must be in auto-drive, and every car auto-driving must have 2 or more people in it.
So it seems that as long as a police officer objects to being videotaped you can not longer film him/her, at least according to the video link you posted. If you refuse to comply you can be arrested. That seems fair enough, though a little harsh, since failure to comply with a police command usually pissed them off enough that you'll end up in handcuffs regardless of the actual circumstances!
Not me. The online game lost all its fun once they started cracking down on maphack, the only hack I ever used and really liked. The fun of that game is the "skinner box" approach of all the magic items that drop from Mephisto, not from the struggle of navigating yet another layer of twisty mazes.
I never understood why people add this to their posts? I have mod points right now, though I am choosing not to use them to make this comment, and all I see is a challenge. Is it supposed to be a "Go ahead sucker, make my day by modding me down!" type taunt, are you trying to cloak negative Google commentary by diverting the mods away some how?
I just don't get it. I'd mod you down just for that, even though your comment is interesting. Looking at what prior moderators have done, however, they have ignored your comment at the bottom which is why I ask my question -- if the usual behavior of moderators is to ignore these statements, why waste your time typing them out?
Not having any prior knowledge or interest in this story I must say this is going to be a hard one to solve. On one hand I fear my government whenever they get involved in something that is working reasonably well already. On the other hand I know the big Telco's won't lobby for anything unless it is in their financial interest. Reading Slashdot comments above leads me to believe most web savvy people are on the side of net neutrality.
Nah, those raised areas on the helmets are so the girls can wear their ponytails under the helmets during softball! If you are a guy you won't want to be caught wearing one of those girly helmets!
I am a 38 year old past gamer. And the first game I visited after paying my $30 something to get into DisneyQuest last fall was Alladin. What a mistake! I got so motion sick! My eyes were telling me one thing, but since there is *no* movement required at all my ears were telling my brain something different. I almost puked!
So for the next hour or so I walked around with cold sweats feeling really ill, playing tame games to get some of my money's worth, many of which were really really cool! Eventually my ears and eyes got back in synch and I ventured onto the VR rollercoaster. Man, that thing was really cool. They assign a score to your design and mine was off the chart because of all the jumps and loops I put in. Nevertheless it was a real blast!
It is a shame that DisneyQuest is going to close. I can only imagine it was because the games are all rather old and the admission is frightfully expensive. I recently visited Dave and Busters for the first time outside Atlanta and it was a blast, though there were not nearly enough games. I think I dropped $20 in tokens and ended up spending most of the time playing Need For Speed Underground.
I really do miss the arcades, but then again it is a lot cheaper once you have a PC to go out and buy a new game than to blow the money required for an evening or two at the arcade. The games are all $1 or more apiece now.
I am not sure about your state, but in my state, Connecticut, the taxes you pay are based on your adjusted net income, which excludes any deductions, money paid for healthcare, and federal taxes. They are not based on gross income, the X in your example.
So when you overpay your taxes in one year, which comes out of pretax money, you are receiving a refund of pre-tax money. You must then adjust your income up in the following year for that pre-state tax refund.
All in all, it adds up to very little. I paid several hundred in state taxes, and received a decent size refund last year, which equaled maybe $15 in extra tax I needed to pay this year. Of course they made it easy for me by "allowing" me to deduct that $15 from the refund I was expecting to receive.
It is a convoluted system invented by tax accountants and lawyers, but it makes perfect sense to me. It'd be better if they didn't tax me in the first place.
Not a newbie here, but coming back into *nix after a few year hiatus. Getting Ubuntu to work with my new eMachines was painful. Many hours of trying this and that, booting back into Windows so I could access the Web for instructions, only to discover that support for wireless is very poor and my USB antenna is one of those not supported. Dangit!
So I have given up for now. Too many hours invested only to discover a critical flaw in my hardware. Windows just works. I installed my wireless antenna (Linksys USB) *without drivers* and it worked right out of the box. I installed the drivers from the install disk, and it worked just about the same. That is very close to true plug and play.
Now that Microsoft has offered Visual Studio programming environments for free there is very little incentive to work in Linux. I am becoming more of a Windows XP fan every day.
$500 gets you a very nice eMachines AMD64 (3200+?) PC (I just bought one) plus a 500mb memory expansion that runs most current games just fine. Add a $100 video card and it'll run everything very well.
I was not sure why anyone would spend $600 to play video games, and even less so now that I have a similarly priced PC that can connect to the Internet, that I can re-learn to program c++, and that I can boot into Linux occasionally.
I have not tried Python, so I cannot comment how hard or easy it is.
But I have tried Kids Programming Language (now known as KPL) and it is truly excellent for both kids and adults who remember programming in GWBasic. It is simple, and allows graphics manipulation without the need to understand programming abstrations like classes and so forth. It reminds me very much of Atari Basic that I learned on my Atari 800XL.
My son, now 10, is learning to program using KPL. It is very easy and he has been making the typical beginner programs -- moving a graphic around the screen, listening for keyboard inputs that has some effect on the graphic sprite.
All in all it is very nice. The only thing I am not happy about is its reliance upon MS Net 1.0/2.0 in order to run.
Kids Programming Language can be found at http://www.kidsprogramminglanguage.com/ and is not just for kids, like I mentioned above. I am finding it a complete blast from the past!
Gotta give this person big kudos! As a PHB I need to use behavioral interviewing techniques every few weeks and the behavioral interview technique is to ask about past experiences, with the idea being that what you have done in the past is a pretty good predictor of what you will do in the future.
The trouble is, some unqualified people are very adept liars and can make up experiences to fool even the most savvy behavioral interviewer. Along the same lines there are very many interviewees who really stink at behavioral interviews and can't provide a decent example to save their lives.
Here is a hint for anyone expecting to interview, something that is taught in every college interview guide:
Use the STAR technique in every response. S/T - Describe the Situation or Task you were responsible for. If you get stuck for an example, don't worry, most people have experiences *every day* that are suitable answers. For example, once I was asked to describe how I handled a conflict. I was stuck for a good example, so I just pulled one from my experience on the telephone with a client that morning. I got the job.
A - Briefly describe the specific Action that you took. Try to describe the things that you did, not that the team handled or that your boss asked you to do.
R - Describe the Results. Tell the interviewer whether you achieved the results you/your manager were looking for. If not, simply describe what you learned from the less than desired results and how you would do things differently given the same situation.
Behavioral interviews are easy once you learn the STAR technique and come to your interview prepared. Monster and other websites have tons of interview questions. Here are my favorites: - Describe a situation where you had a conflict with a co-worker - Tell me about a time when you had to take initiative - If you have had a project that was going to miss a deadline, how did you handle it. - Tell me what you did to prepare for the interview today. What do you know about my company?
As a "real" guitarist, I can tell you that the Guitar Hero games are a blast!
Way back around '92 or so Aerosmith had a game at EPCOT in Florida where you had to play rhythm guitar to "Walk This Way" and some of their other songs. You were judged on how close you got to the strumming timing and it was *hard*! I played that game for hours, totally having a blast because I didn't have to remember a lot of fingerings and could really concentrate on the right rhythm. I think if I had that game at my house my rhythm guitar would have been that much better since it interactively told you how you were doing rather than either listening to yourself (always suspect) or having to find someone to honestly critique you.
Well it seems you are a perfect candidate for the "new" HRA and HSAs that the health insurance industry is going on about. Each person gets a small account that they can use however they wish.
With HSAs, which are US Federally qualified, you can deduct any expense that falls within IRS 213(d). Which means you can deduct chiropractice, homeopathic, eyeglasses or even massages. But the faster you deplete your account, the faster you are on your own to pay the other bills until the catastrophic coverage kicks in.
HRAs and HSAs are the new "medicine" for the broken healthcare system. Unfortunately the HMO mess created by those crazy Californians has left most American employees used to paying for healthcare with someone else's money. So few people are going to willingly accept being responsible, once again, for buying decisions regarding their healthcare.
This is, in a way, back to the past for this society. Back in the 50s when health insurance was a brand new way to attract and retain quality employees it was very much a pay as you go system. And the co-insurance was typically a straight 20%... so people paid very close attention to how much the doctor or hospital was charging them since that 20% was a really big hit on the wallet.
Reading through the comments in response to this, I have to now imagine we have quite a few health insurance geeks on slashdot Posting from work too! After all, it isn't very often one sees ICD9, CPT or even X12 in slashdot conversations.
Slashdot Mirror
The mods are high and remarkably uninformed. Loved it!
Motorcycle insurance cheap? You must not have priced sportbike insurance lately. Even with only basic insurance, for the typical low 20's rider it is in the thousands per year. Add on full coverage including collision and you are looking at multi-thousands. The only cheap bikes to insure are lower horsepower, naked bikes like the Suzuki SV650 (and awesome bike still!). Even Harleys are getting expensive, mostly because replacement parts are outrageously expensive and full replacement cost is so high.
So there is no way this thing is going to be cheap to insure. Insurance has to have a beneficiary in the case of an accident, and is based on the amount covered. If this thing costs $200,000, what would actually be insured? The jetpack? Big bucks. The operator? Given the risk of the activity, big bucks. Anything it collides with? Big bucks!
This is the first version of Ubuntu that works for me pretty much out of the box. I got the CDs on Friday from ship-it and had the AMD-64 version of the system installed on my 20 GB partition within 1/2 an hour. And then about 1/2 an hour later had a VMWare copy of Kubuntu loaded also.
In Native format the Wireless works better and at least recognizes my USB Wireless adapter, though it gives me a Linux version of the BSOD when I try to connect... it just freezes the system entirely.
In VMWare mode it works perfectly, mostly since Windows is handling the Wireless connection for the system. I am not sure whether I'll use it, though, since it doesn't really offer me anything that I don't already have on Windows. In a way I wished that it shipped with Kdevelop or some other IDE so that we could use this as a way to entice young developers to begin coding on Linux rather than using http://kidsprogramminglanguage.com/ or the now free C#/VBasic tools offered by Microsoft.
You spelled "spelt" incorrectly.
So if the future holds for consistent increases in power consumption, how long until we a) have to build houses with 20A+ 120V circuits in our office/den/bedrooms or b) plug a dual powercord power supply into 2 separate outlets (thereby using 230V @ 15 A) or c) using a long extension cord and providing power to the PSU by two different outlets on two separate 15A 120V circuits?
I got one yesterday I must say it sounded really compelling. I checked the headers and my initial newbie glance was that none of the URLs were immediately noticeable as faked. Upon second glance I could see some warning messages about mismatching IP addresses.
Regardless of the technicalities, because it didn't have the usual telltale signs it really made me wonder. I then checked into my account the usual way, noticed nothing was wrong and then forwarded the email to spoof@paypal.com, receiving a reply this morning that it was indeed a phishing attempt.
The thing is, on this site we always talk about how clueless people are, and I have participated myself on occasion. But after talking with my wife and in-laws yesterday I realize how *easy* it is to dupe 95% of the computer using population using these tactics. These are people that are educated, smart and generally not clueless in life... but when it comes to computers they are. I had to explain to my sister-in-law why my brother-in-law was receiving Cialis/Viagra emails shortly after posting their clean (well, it was) email address on petfinder.com. My point is, it may seem like there is a low percentage of willing responders to a phone phishing attempt, but I can say from my observation that this new technique should be more successful than ever!
I just wonder isn't it really easy to trace phone numbers?
Maybe the solution is strict driver licensing for auto-drive, much like they do for pilots with restricted visiblity flying. Add into that additional penalties for failure to obey certain rules, like staying awake, or not doing manual drive in the auto drive lane. Then if you give the additional incentive of allowing the car to drive 20mph+ or faster than the posted limit without then folks would have enough self-interest to drive an auto-drive vehicle.
You could even combine incentives -- give the HOV lanes over to auto-drive cars. Then every car that rides in an HOV lane must be in auto-drive, and every car auto-driving must have 2 or more people in it.
So it seems that as long as a police officer objects to being videotaped you can not longer film him/her, at least according to the video link you posted. If you refuse to comply you can be arrested. That seems fair enough, though a little harsh, since failure to comply with a police command usually pissed them off enough that you'll end up in handcuffs regardless of the actual circumstances!
Not me. The online game lost all its fun once they started cracking down on maphack, the only hack I ever used and really liked. The fun of that game is the "skinner box" approach of all the magic items that drop from Mephisto, not from the struggle of navigating yet another layer of twisty mazes.
I never understood why people add this to their posts? I have mod points right now, though I am choosing not to use them to make this comment, and all I see is a challenge. Is it supposed to be a "Go ahead sucker, make my day by modding me down!" type taunt, are you trying to cloak negative Google commentary by diverting the mods away some how? I just don't get it. I'd mod you down just for that, even though your comment is interesting. Looking at what prior moderators have done, however, they have ignored your comment at the bottom which is why I ask my question -- if the usual behavior of moderators is to ignore these statements, why waste your time typing them out?
As a resident of Connecticut I would welcome plenty of this state being buried knee deep in excavations from the interstate system.
Actually, come to think of it I think we are well on our way already with the permanent road construction around here.
I did not get to hear the NPR story but did watch the NewsHour on PBS last night. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/media/jan-june06/ne tneutrality_06-22.html is the link to the commentary between Paul Misener and Scott Cleland.
Not having any prior knowledge or interest in this story I must say this is going to be a hard one to solve. On one hand I fear my government whenever they get involved in something that is working reasonably well already. On the other hand I know the big Telco's won't lobby for anything unless it is in their financial interest. Reading Slashdot comments above leads me to believe most web savvy people are on the side of net neutrality.
Maybe, but only if you think a big brushless motor and very large LiPo batteries. :-)
The article talks about a glider, which means no thrust. So unless you live on a really really big cliff and can glide to work, I think not.
Nah, those raised areas on the helmets are so the girls can wear their ponytails under the helmets during softball! If you are a guy you won't want to be caught wearing one of those girly helmets!
I am a 38 year old past gamer. And the first game I visited after paying my $30 something to get into DisneyQuest last fall was Alladin. What a mistake! I got so motion sick! My eyes were telling me one thing, but since there is *no* movement required at all my ears were telling my brain something different. I almost puked!
So for the next hour or so I walked around with cold sweats feeling really ill, playing tame games to get some of my money's worth, many of which were really really cool! Eventually my ears and eyes got back in synch and I ventured onto the VR rollercoaster. Man, that thing was really cool. They assign a score to your design and mine was off the chart because of all the jumps and loops I put in. Nevertheless it was a real blast!
It is a shame that DisneyQuest is going to close. I can only imagine it was because the games are all rather old and the admission is frightfully expensive. I recently visited Dave and Busters for the first time outside Atlanta and it was a blast, though there were not nearly enough games. I think I dropped $20 in tokens and ended up spending most of the time playing Need For Speed Underground.
I really do miss the arcades, but then again it is a lot cheaper once you have a PC to go out and buy a new game than to blow the money required for an evening or two at the arcade. The games are all $1 or more apiece now.
I am not sure about your state, but in my state, Connecticut, the taxes you pay are based on your adjusted net income, which excludes any deductions, money paid for healthcare, and federal taxes. They are not based on gross income, the X in your example.
So when you overpay your taxes in one year, which comes out of pretax money, you are receiving a refund of pre-tax money. You must then adjust your income up in the following year for that pre-state tax refund.
All in all, it adds up to very little. I paid several hundred in state taxes, and received a decent size refund last year, which equaled maybe $15 in extra tax I needed to pay this year. Of course they made it easy for me by "allowing" me to deduct that $15 from the refund I was expecting to receive.
It is a convoluted system invented by tax accountants and lawyers, but it makes perfect sense to me. It'd be better if they didn't tax me in the first place.
Not a newbie here, but coming back into *nix after a few year hiatus. Getting Ubuntu to work with my new eMachines was painful. Many hours of trying this and that, booting back into Windows so I could access the Web for instructions, only to discover that support for wireless is very poor and my USB antenna is one of those not supported. Dangit!
So I have given up for now. Too many hours invested only to discover a critical flaw in my hardware. Windows just works. I installed my wireless antenna (Linksys USB) *without drivers* and it worked right out of the box. I installed the drivers from the install disk, and it worked just about the same. That is very close to true plug and play.
Now that Microsoft has offered Visual Studio programming environments for free there is very little incentive to work in Linux. I am becoming more of a Windows XP fan every day.
$500 gets you a very nice eMachines AMD64 (3200+?) PC (I just bought one) plus a 500mb memory expansion that runs most current games just fine. Add a $100 video card and it'll run everything very well.
I was not sure why anyone would spend $600 to play video games, and even less so now that I have a similarly priced PC that can connect to the Internet, that I can re-learn to program c++, and that I can boot into Linux occasionally.
Um, didn't 2001 come out in the 60's? Not sure of your timeline of "it took until" unless you really meant 2010.
I have not tried Python, so I cannot comment how hard or easy it is.
But I have tried Kids Programming Language (now known as KPL) and it is truly excellent for both kids and adults who remember programming in GWBasic. It is simple, and allows graphics manipulation without the need to understand programming abstrations like classes and so forth. It reminds me very much of Atari Basic that I learned on my Atari 800XL.
My son, now 10, is learning to program using KPL. It is very easy and he has been making the typical beginner programs -- moving a graphic around the screen, listening for keyboard inputs that has some effect on the graphic sprite.
All in all it is very nice. The only thing I am not happy about is its reliance upon MS Net 1.0/2.0 in order to run.
Kids Programming Language can be found at http://www.kidsprogramminglanguage.com/ and is not just for kids, like I mentioned above. I am finding it a complete blast from the past!
Gotta give this person big kudos! As a PHB I need to use behavioral interviewing techniques every few weeks and the behavioral interview technique is to ask about past experiences, with the idea being that what you have done in the past is a pretty good predictor of what you will do in the future.
The trouble is, some unqualified people are very adept liars and can make up experiences to fool even the most savvy behavioral interviewer. Along the same lines there are very many interviewees who really stink at behavioral interviews and can't provide a decent example to save their lives.
Here is a hint for anyone expecting to interview, something that is taught in every college interview guide:
Use the STAR technique in every response.
S/T - Describe the Situation or Task you were responsible for. If you get stuck for an example, don't worry, most people have experiences *every day* that are suitable answers. For example, once I was asked to describe how I handled a conflict. I was stuck for a good example, so I just pulled one from my experience on the telephone with a client that morning. I got the job.
A - Briefly describe the specific Action that you took. Try to describe the things that you did, not that the team handled or that your boss asked you to do.
R - Describe the Results. Tell the interviewer whether you achieved the results you/your manager were looking for. If not, simply describe what you learned from the less than desired results and how you would do things differently given the same situation.
Behavioral interviews are easy once you learn the STAR technique and come to your interview prepared. Monster and other websites have tons of interview questions. Here are my favorites:
- Describe a situation where you had a conflict with a co-worker
- Tell me about a time when you had to take initiative
- If you have had a project that was going to miss a deadline, how did you handle it.
- Tell me what you did to prepare for the interview today. What do you know about my company?
As a "real" guitarist, I can tell you that the Guitar Hero games are a blast!
Way back around '92 or so Aerosmith had a game at EPCOT in Florida where you had to play rhythm guitar to "Walk This Way" and some of their other songs. You were judged on how close you got to the strumming timing and it was *hard*! I played that game for hours, totally having a blast because I didn't have to remember a lot of fingerings and could really concentrate on the right rhythm. I think if I had that game at my house my rhythm guitar would have been that much better since it interactively told you how you were doing rather than either listening to yourself (always suspect) or having to find someone to honestly critique you.
Nice game, nice controller!
That's why we shop at Target. :-) *Slightly* more expensive, less of the mouth-breather types.
Well it seems you are a perfect candidate for the "new" HRA and HSAs that the health insurance industry is going on about. Each person gets a small account that they can use however they wish.
With HSAs, which are US Federally qualified, you can deduct any expense that falls within IRS 213(d). Which means you can deduct chiropractice, homeopathic, eyeglasses or even massages. But the faster you deplete your account, the faster you are on your own to pay the other bills until the catastrophic coverage kicks in.
HRAs and HSAs are the new "medicine" for the broken healthcare system. Unfortunately the HMO mess created by those crazy Californians has left most American employees used to paying for healthcare with someone else's money. So few people are going to willingly accept being responsible, once again, for buying decisions regarding their healthcare.
This is, in a way, back to the past for this society. Back in the 50s when health insurance was a brand new way to attract and retain quality employees it was very much a pay as you go system. And the co-insurance was typically a straight 20%... so people paid very close attention to how much the doctor or hospital was charging them since that 20% was a really big hit on the wallet.
Reading through the comments in response to this, I have to now imagine we have quite a few health insurance geeks on slashdot Posting from work too! After all, it isn't very often one sees ICD9, CPT or even X12 in slashdot conversations.
:-)
Go UCONN!