Odd times of night????? It shuts down at 0:00 (or shortly thereafter)!!!!! That's not even night!
Although I do have to say that on Fri and Sat nights you'll find more drunk people than sober ones using the tube. And how they manage to mind the gap is beyound(british spelling intentional) me.
Wasn't there a program to find digitally-manipulated images? Or is it that all of their images are at least somehow digitally manipulated that make them indistinguishable from the real ones?
Every time I read about a topic I know extremely well I am amazed/amuzed at the number of flaws that are in the story. This makes me wonder about the stories on topics that I don't know much about.
http://www.newbaybridge.org/
This is being built to replace the existing bridge built in 1936. The eastern span was damaged in the Loma Prieta quake and is now seismically unsafe.
While the design is relatively simple compared to anything mentioned in TFA politics has played a major role in stalling construction.
1. Cost overruns are discovered
2. Arnie (Terminator) desides to 'simplify' the project, stalls it, later it's found that existing design will be cheaper. 8 months down the drain
3. Steel workers pissed off at their union/coworkers say rebar welds are unsafe. FBI goes in to investigate and finds that "these welds should be used in the classroom to show HOW TO WELD."
4. Caltrans takes the longest time selecting a contractor to build the cable-stayed "self-suspension" span.
5. It's recently discovered that a lower quality concrete was used on another project on the same bridge (replacement of all approaches to the bridge from the western end which date back to 1936).
All of this stuff is/(is influenced by) politics which has crept into construction in the U.S.
We won't be seing too many marvels any time soon.
BTW. I got a chance to take a tour of the construction site last year. Pix are here: http://palal.net/baybridge.html
This takes a very interesting aspect of monopoly out of the game! I loved counting and feeling the bank notes. This sort of loses personal touch with the user. And you can't teach little kids what money is and how to use it with the card. THIS SUCKS!
Data plan is required - I'm not paying the rip-off fees for that. If I want to check traffic conditions and speed maps I simply go on http://www.511.org/ (In the SF Bay Area) and check the maps before I leave work. If I'm really desperate and none of the local radio stations are of any help, I just call 511 and get the same info as on the website.
You need: 1. A question/problem to be resolved 2. All neccessary paperwork 3. Phone with unlimited usage (Skype also works)
1. Call up the company 2. Get a CSR in billing. 3. Explain the problem. 4. Tell them exactly what you want them to do (think about this one beforehand). 5. If they don't budge go at it for about 15-20 minutes, running around in circles if you have to, but MAKE SURE YOU DO IT FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES. 6. Ask them to point out the details in your contract EXPLICITLY. Ask them to show the exact wording stating something. The burden of proof is/should be on them. 7. If the problem is not resolved to your satisfaction request a supervisor. At this point you've been talking for 15-20 minutes. 8. Explain the situation again. Go through every detail. Make sure you take up as much time as you need and then some. 9. Repeat steps 4-6, if necessary - numerous times. If you have questions about specific items in the bill (e.g. specific calls on a phone bill), point out specific calls on a phone bill. AFAIK CSRs are incentivised to keep calls short. Your job is to keep them on the phone as long as possible. 10. If that doesn't work (you should be 1-2 hrs into your call) request to go one level higher. 11. Wash rinse repeat
At some point the accessible ladder will end, so pick your moves wisely. Because the CSRs are incentivised to keep calls short, they'll normally start giving in by 1.5-2 hrs into the call.
If they offer a partial resolution you can take it or you can try to pursue the matter further. Be aware if you do the latter, you may be taking a gamble and you may not get anything at all in the end.
General tips: 1. Speak in an "attractive" voice tone (i.e. don't bark) and be polite Note: Polite and nice are not the same thing. You don't have to be nice to them (since they're not nice to you) although most of the time it doesn't hurt but you do have to be polite to them to show the kind of respect that you would like. 2. Be persistant. 3. Know exactly what you want in advance 4. Be aware of your rights in advance and point out your rights if the other person doesn't know them. But make sure to do it in a non-intimitading way (don't threaten them with your rights). 5. Get names/employee id #s/badges/call times and dates of all people you talk to and what the resolution was. ("Can you provide a reference to this call if I have to reference it in the future?") 6. Ask for more than you want, then settle for about half to three-quarters of your questions
BTW. As an aside, if you're upgrading your cellphone outside of contract, call your cell provider and tell them you're gonna cancel. When they ask why, tell them that so-and-so is offering a deal where [you fill in the blank the deal you want, whether or not it's realistic is up to you. You have nothing to lose here]. They will probably match it. (I've had the CSR actually call me back a few days after a better deal became avaliable and asked me if I wanted to switch to that plan). Use your wits to bargain with them. If you don't like a deal that's being offered to you, tell them you'll re-think your cancellation and give them a call back to get a different CSR. Make sure you call during normal business hours so you're transferred to a US retention dep't and not an off-shore facility that can't offer you much.
You can lower your cable bill in the same manner - call and say you want to cancel, "because it's too expensive." If they don't give you the deal you want, say you'll re-think, call back.
"If you're suggesting running commercial trucks on electricity, forget it for the foreseeable future. It's definitely been considered. Not only is there the conflicting speed issues I mentioned above, but you run up against the energy density limitations of batteries fast.
If you have a steady flow of trucks, make them powered by electricity from overhead wires. Sure it's expensive to maintain, but for corridors like the I-5, the 580 in the bay area or the 110 in LA it may be worth it. Why not take it a step further and electrify train networks here in the US like smart people in Europe have done a long time ago!
Oh and we already have electric buses. They're called trolleybuses - developed along with the streetcars but used in the US mostly during the era of streetcar abandonement. Europe still uses them with great success. In case you never saw one and live in the US just visit San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Boston (actually Cambridge) or Edmonton.
The longest trolley bus line runs from between Simferopol, Ukraine and Yalta, Ukraine in Crimea - about 50 miles long (just that one line, not including local networks in both cities).
This goes to the point of another batteries not being reliable. I was seriously looking at the new Camry Hybrid, but was turned off of it for two reasons:
-It's less than the 45 MPG required here in CA for solo carpool lanes
-It's not a plug-in hybrid (although Toyota is working on one AFAIK)
I would LOVE to get a plug-in hybrid and be able to charge it from the 600-volt trolley bus network in San Francisco. Now THAT would be a cool mod!
In any case - we either need to invest in electric transportation (network of electric wires, rail electrification, trolley buses) and/or we need to invest in plug-in hybrids until a better technology comes along that can provide cheaper, more effective energy storage.
One year ago a number of explosions rocked the Tube in London. As you know, the tunnels weren't damaged for the most part. All that would happen (God forbid) if anyone tried to blow up a tunnel would be to cripple the traffic in Manhattan (which pretty bad as is) but it would take a lot of explosives to actually destroy a tunnel from within if it's a tube.
Another example - Moscow Metro Feb 6, 2004, when an explosion happened in a packed rush-hour train. Also no damage to the tunnel.
However, when some idiots were installing a billboard illegally above a metro tunnel (also in Moscow), they successfully managed to penetrate the tunnel using a pile that was being driven, right into a train that happened to be in the tunnel at that exact moment. Thankfully nobody was hurt in this incident.
See this
Pictures of the pile: here and here.
View topside and another pic
You're also forgetting the fact that the system we're using is decimal and is NOT base 12.
If we used something similar to: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 2A 2B 2C (basically a shortened hex notation with A B C replaced by newly-invented integers) then it would be easier to use the imperial system because of the division simplicity (Divide by 12 by moving the decimal point, everything is a factor of 12, etc.) as well as other factors. However we use a decimal system and the metric system is based on the decimal system. Just because it was used before doesn't mean it's the most efficient way to do things given what we have. And to the average Joe elsewhere in the world, dividing by 10 is much easier than dividing by 12. Of course, like I mentioned, it will be hard for people to visualize (or visualise. or is it visualice...no that sounds like a software product mixed with lice) what a meter is (or a metre if you prefer to be Frenglish).
Given the fact that most of the world uses the metric system, I think it's only time before we in the US switch to it. The switch has to be gradual.
That's why you don't buy a Sony. Many cheap players allow you to skip no matter where you are as do some more expensive players.
I personally hate the previews too and the FBI warning. No wonder so many are downloading things off the internet so they don't have to deal with this crap.
1. French have done it. See this. Microsoft was one of the driving factors.
2. Russians did it in 1917 by dropping the "hard sign" in most places and getting rid of the letter "yat'" as well as changing the spelling of some words, which made everything more readable.
Hauever, if Inglish woz tu bi chen'gd intu a fonetic len'gwich, it wood soon bikam eether simil'ar tu Dzhermun or Dutch in spelin'g were it origineited.
I speak/write/type Russian, Ukrainian and English. The hardest part about learning English was the vocabulary and getting the patterns of spelling (through, though, etc.). Once that and the grammar rules were down, it wasn't hard from that point forward. Moving to the US at a young age also helped.
I think simple changes such as through=>thru, though=>tho, borough=>boro should be widely adapted as they're easy to implement and people already use them widely.
If big changes were made to a language, we'd experience a couple of problems:
1. Current speakers won't be able to read the new spelling (we read words, not syllables, remember?)
2. Kids in school now will have trouble learning the language their teachers don't know. Then, some teachers will force students to learn the new spelling, while others will prefer the old spelling, and given the fact that we don't have a standardized educational system we won't have a single standard for a couple of generations(why does everything have to be individualized??? France and Russia got right, why can't we adopt their system?!?!?!).
3. Gradual implementation will have to take place. You teach kids spelling from day one in first grade and you go through with it until they graduate from school. You teach the new spellign every in subsequent year, but you don't touch the kids that have already learned spelling and let them re-learn it later, or not learn it at all.
4. For 50 years we need to be willing to accept both types of spelling.
People will have trouble typing using the new spelling. I constantly have trouble typing transliterated words in Russian, using an English keyboard because I know how to type using a real Russian layout and constantly want to switch - think of Dvorak vs. Qwerty - you'd need to change the layout to make typing easier. Even if you don't change it, it will still be harder to type.
As for the metric system - it's much easier. Everything has to be industry-driven. First places that need to change are city planning departments and construction firms. If things change from feet to meters (or metres, if you prefer) everyone will follow. Again, this will have to be done gradually and to an extent it is already done in some industries. Personally, I have a big problem with feet. I can't picture how long 2000 ft is but I can picture 600 m... but that's a matter of preference. I can see it happening the other way around too. Don't get me started on conversions.
In the end, it's hard to do reforms and what you need is an event for the reforms to happen suddenly (like a revolution) or a gradual implementation over a number of years (something we in the US don't seem to be able to do since we like instant gratification so much and we don't like to use our brainz).
In eni kejs, itz never too erli to start so wi better start nau wi litl ings.
The Barcode DB is nice, but CueCats were even nicer. I made a lot by selling the modified versions on eBay in High School.... nothing like pure profit:).
Did you know that a male USB-B connector will fit into a RJ-11 jack? That was a fun one to troubleshoot over the phone.
And Make USB-A fits perfectly into RJ-45... I've had to straighten out some pins on my laptop after someone tried putting in a USB shtick without looking at what they were doing.
While all of the glory is nice and neat, let's look at the drawbacks:
1. For all the money spent on the interstate system, we could've built up our public transportation infrastructure, which needed a makeover, and have enough money to invest in cities, which also needed a makeover.
2. Sprawl and Suburbia: Now we are faced with sprawl and suburbia. While some may find this a good thing, I personally prefer the European lifestyle in large built-up cities. Suburbia is not self-sustaining. A public transportation system is not feasible in surubria. Do you know of a suburb that is not next to a city? If so, it's not called a suburb, but a rural area.
3. Strip Malls: they existed in very limited quantities before the interstate system.
4. Bad Maintenance: While we built the highways we don't know how to maintain them... pieces are going to crumble bit by bit until we have a makeover or until everything's gone
5. America is a gas-guzzling addict: Even Bush said so. The first step to fighting this adiction is admitting it. Before the interstate, we relied less on cars and more on public transit. Of course, it was harder to get around too.
6. Ever try breathing in L.A.? Yeah... you know what I'm talking about.
7. Trucking Industry - transporting things by train and using trucks for the last n miles is far more efficient, and using electric trains is even more efficient.
8. American teens are now forced into cars at the age of 16, which not only promotes bad lifestyle habits, but also continues the sprawl and suburbia.
9. Declining health/obesity: I admit, I'm not thin as a string. I tried both walking and driving to work for 6 months at a time... after 6 months of walking/public transit (which increased my commute by about 20 mins) I found amazing results - not only had I lost weight but also started feeling better, less stressed ("Ah another train will be along in 7 minutes, no big deal, no need to rush") and I also got some work done on the train/subway. Talk about benefits
Of course some may find these things as benefits, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder (or however the saying goes).
Now for the benefits:
1. Easier to get around the country.
2. Drivers are independent from public transit's schedules (of course this is a chicken and egg question: if there were more passengers, the service would be more frequent).
3. Americans can enjoy their suburban dream (although I don't think suburbia is a dream.... even considering the fact that crime rate in suburbia per 100K people is higher than it is in the city; also, in the city you know where most of the crime's happening and you can avoid those areas if you so desire).
4. Cars are not a luxury anymore, but rather a necessity.
5. American teens can break out of their shell when they turn 16.
6.......
In the end, it's all about what kind of lifestyle you want to lead and whether or not you're a typical suburbanite or the new urban type.
Judging by the way American Electorate makes its decisions, I concur with the OP that the adults are getting dumber and electing duby... sorry dumb people.
If this privacy policy change applies to AT&T Yahoo DSL and/or Cingular Wireless then I believe you have a free pass => no fees to terminate your contract as stated in your contract. Now I'm not sure if this applies 100%, but I believe there's a clause for terminating your contract if it's changed. Don't know if this applies to privacy policy changes though.
Do you ever get the feeling that people in congress are techie amatuers trying to collectively build a windows box without realizing the consequences of their work?
My biggest problem with the point-and-shoot digital cameras (not the DSLRs) is the lack of decent focus. Many images come out blurry and the focus mechanism takes forever. On the DSLRs it's a different story and pictures come out near-perfect every time.
In a book by a Russian author (who was exhiled from Soviet Union for "anti-Soviet propaganda") titled "Moscow 2042," the author describes "Communism" in 2042 in Moscow.
To paraphrase, "Oil has long been pumped dry and the pipeline that carried oil to Western Europe now carries sewage, which ordinary citizens must turn in in order to get coupons to be exchanged for food."
It seems his predictions are coming true:
First, the coup d'etat that happened in 1991, now this:)... Will newspapers, printed on toilet paper be next?
I highly recomend reading it! Very ironic and funny, and (unfortunately) true.
I still have a few problems with it though, the main one being the following:
When typing in a multiple-word query and wanting to delete just the first word of that query, doing so using keyboard shortcuts (home, ctrl + shift + RightArrow) to select just the first word, selects the entire query and deletes it. Of course, doing this with a mouse is not a problem, but it's annoying as hell when doing it with a keyboard.
This is also true with middle words if you select them from the left.
In Soviet Russia there was a joke...
An American and a Russian meet... the American says:
"You have no freedom of speech here... I can go up to the white house and say that my president is an idiot."
The Russian replies:
"So what! I can go to the Red Square and also say that your president is an idiot!"
Not funny... but true.
Slashdot Mirror
Odd times of night????? It shuts down at 0:00 (or shortly thereafter)!!!!! That's not even night! Although I do have to say that on Fri and Sat nights you'll find more drunk people than sober ones using the tube. And how they manage to mind the gap is beyound(british spelling intentional) me.
Wasn't there a program to find digitally-manipulated images? Or is it that all of their images are at least somehow digitally manipulated that make them indistinguishable from the real ones? Every time I read about a topic I know extremely well I am amazed/amuzed at the number of flaws that are in the story. This makes me wonder about the stories on topics that I don't know much about.
Note to self: select "Plain text formatting" next time or add some br tags
http://www.newbaybridge.org/ This is being built to replace the existing bridge built in 1936. The eastern span was damaged in the Loma Prieta quake and is now seismically unsafe. While the design is relatively simple compared to anything mentioned in TFA politics has played a major role in stalling construction. 1. Cost overruns are discovered 2. Arnie (Terminator) desides to 'simplify' the project, stalls it, later it's found that existing design will be cheaper. 8 months down the drain 3. Steel workers pissed off at their union/coworkers say rebar welds are unsafe. FBI goes in to investigate and finds that "these welds should be used in the classroom to show HOW TO WELD." 4. Caltrans takes the longest time selecting a contractor to build the cable-stayed "self-suspension" span. 5. It's recently discovered that a lower quality concrete was used on another project on the same bridge (replacement of all approaches to the bridge from the western end which date back to 1936). All of this stuff is/(is influenced by) politics which has crept into construction in the U.S. We won't be seing too many marvels any time soon. BTW. I got a chance to take a tour of the construction site last year. Pix are here: http://palal.net/baybridge.html
This takes a very interesting aspect of monopoly out of the game! I loved counting and feeling the bank notes. This sort of loses personal touch with the user. And you can't teach little kids what money is and how to use it with the card. THIS SUCKS!
Does anybody know what the requirements are to get off the list, or if there is a timeout period?
There are none. It's just like microsoft's WGA - once installed, it takes a lot of effort to uninstall it and it has a lot of false-positives.
Data plan is required - I'm not paying the rip-off fees for that. If I want to check traffic conditions and speed maps I simply go on http://www.511.org/ (In the SF Bay Area) and check the maps before I leave work. If I'm really desperate and none of the local radio stations are of any help, I just call 511 and get the same info as on the website.
You need:
1. A question/problem to be resolved
2. All neccessary paperwork
3. Phone with unlimited usage (Skype also works)
1. Call up the company
2. Get a CSR in billing.
3. Explain the problem.
4. Tell them exactly what you want them to do (think about this one beforehand).
5. If they don't budge go at it for about 15-20 minutes, running around in circles if you have to, but MAKE SURE YOU DO IT FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES.
6. Ask them to point out the details in your contract EXPLICITLY. Ask them to show the exact wording stating something. The burden of proof is/should be on them.
7. If the problem is not resolved to your satisfaction request a supervisor. At this point you've been talking for 15-20 minutes.
8. Explain the situation again. Go through every detail. Make sure you take up as much time as you need and then some.
9. Repeat steps 4-6, if necessary - numerous times. If you have questions about specific items in the bill (e.g. specific calls on a phone bill), point out specific calls on a phone bill. AFAIK CSRs are incentivised to keep calls short. Your job is to keep them on the phone as long as possible.
10. If that doesn't work (you should be 1-2 hrs into your call) request to go one level higher.
11. Wash rinse repeat
At some point the accessible ladder will end, so pick your moves wisely.
Because the CSRs are incentivised to keep calls short, they'll normally start giving in by 1.5-2 hrs into the call.
If they offer a partial resolution you can take it or you can try to pursue the matter further. Be aware if you do the latter, you may be taking a gamble and you may not get anything at all in the end.
General tips:
1. Speak in an "attractive" voice tone (i.e. don't bark) and be polite
Note: Polite and nice are not the same thing. You don't have to be nice to them (since they're not nice to you) although most of the time it doesn't hurt but you do have to be polite to them to show the kind of respect that you would like.
2. Be persistant.
3. Know exactly what you want in advance
4. Be aware of your rights in advance and point out your rights if the other person doesn't know them. But make sure to do it in a non-intimitading way (don't threaten them with your rights).
5. Get names/employee id #s/badges/call times and dates of all people you talk to and what the resolution was. ("Can you provide a reference to this call if I have to reference it in the future?")
6. Ask for more than you want, then settle for about half to three-quarters of your questions
BTW. As an aside, if you're upgrading your cellphone outside of contract, call your cell provider and tell them you're gonna cancel. When they ask why, tell them that so-and-so is offering a deal where [you fill in the blank the deal you want, whether or not it's realistic is up to you. You have nothing to lose here]. They will probably match it. (I've had the CSR actually call me back a few days after a better deal became avaliable and asked me if I wanted to switch to that plan). Use your wits to bargain with them. If you don't like a deal that's being offered to you, tell them you'll re-think your cancellation and give them a call back to get a different CSR. Make sure you call during normal business hours so you're transferred to a US retention dep't and not an off-shore facility that can't offer you much.
You can lower your cable bill in the same manner - call and say you want to cancel, "because it's too expensive." If they don't give you the deal you want, say you'll re-think, call back.
Hope this helps (sorry for the long post)
Why are we reinventing the wheel?
:D
"If you're suggesting running commercial trucks on electricity, forget it for the foreseeable future. It's definitely been considered. Not only is there the conflicting speed issues I mentioned above, but you run up against the energy density limitations of batteries fast.
If you have a steady flow of trucks, make them powered by electricity from overhead wires. Sure it's expensive to maintain, but for corridors like the I-5, the 580 in the bay area or the 110 in LA it may be worth it. Why not take it a step further and electrify train networks here in the US like smart people in Europe have done a long time ago!
Oh and we already have electric buses. They're called trolleybuses - developed along with the streetcars but used in the US mostly during the era of streetcar abandonement. Europe still uses them with great success. In case you never saw one and live in the US just visit San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Boston (actually Cambridge) or Edmonton.
The longest trolley bus line runs from between Simferopol, Ukraine and Yalta, Ukraine in Crimea - about 50 miles long (just that one line, not including local networks in both cities).
This goes to the point of another batteries not being reliable. I was seriously looking at the new Camry Hybrid, but was turned off of it for two reasons:
-It's less than the 45 MPG required here in CA for solo carpool lanes
-It's not a plug-in hybrid (although Toyota is working on one AFAIK)
I would LOVE to get a plug-in hybrid and be able to charge it from the 600-volt trolley bus network in San Francisco. Now THAT would be a cool mod!
In any case - we either need to invest in electric transportation (network of electric wires, rail electrification, trolley buses) and/or we need to invest in plug-in hybrids until a better technology comes along that can provide cheaper, more effective energy storage.
There I've used up my RANT points.
Ask Slashdot: Why do gov't 'puters have net access?
One year ago a number of explosions rocked the Tube in London. As you know, the tunnels weren't damaged for the most part. All that would happen (God forbid) if anyone tried to blow up a tunnel would be to cripple the traffic in Manhattan (which pretty bad as is) but it would take a lot of explosives to actually destroy a tunnel from within if it's a tube. Another example - Moscow Metro Feb 6, 2004, when an explosion happened in a packed rush-hour train. Also no damage to the tunnel. However, when some idiots were installing a billboard illegally above a metro tunnel (also in Moscow), they successfully managed to penetrate the tunnel using a pile that was being driven, right into a train that happened to be in the tunnel at that exact moment. Thankfully nobody was hurt in this incident. See this Pictures of the pile: here and here. View topside and another pic
You're also forgetting the fact that the system we're using is decimal and is NOT base 12. If we used something similar to: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 2A 2B 2C (basically a shortened hex notation with A B C replaced by newly-invented integers) then it would be easier to use the imperial system because of the division simplicity (Divide by 12 by moving the decimal point, everything is a factor of 12, etc.) as well as other factors. However we use a decimal system and the metric system is based on the decimal system. Just because it was used before doesn't mean it's the most efficient way to do things given what we have. And to the average Joe elsewhere in the world, dividing by 10 is much easier than dividing by 12. Of course, like I mentioned, it will be hard for people to visualize (or visualise. or is it visualice...no that sounds like a software product mixed with lice) what a meter is (or a metre if you prefer to be Frenglish). Given the fact that most of the world uses the metric system, I think it's only time before we in the US switch to it. The switch has to be gradual.
That's why you don't buy a Sony. Many cheap players allow you to skip no matter where you are as do some more expensive players.
I personally hate the previews too and the FBI warning. No wonder so many are downloading things off the internet so they don't have to deal with this crap.
1. French have done it. See this. Microsoft was one of the driving factors.
2. Russians did it in 1917 by dropping the "hard sign" in most places and getting rid of the letter "yat'" as well as changing the spelling of some words, which made everything more readable.
Hauever, if Inglish woz tu bi chen'gd intu a fonetic len'gwich, it wood soon bikam eether simil'ar tu Dzhermun or Dutch in spelin'g were it origineited.
I speak/write/type Russian, Ukrainian and English. The hardest part about learning English was the vocabulary and getting the patterns of spelling (through, though, etc.). Once that and the grammar rules were down, it wasn't hard from that point forward. Moving to the US at a young age also helped.
I think simple changes such as through=>thru, though=>tho, borough=>boro should be widely adapted as they're easy to implement and people already use them widely.
If big changes were made to a language, we'd experience a couple of problems:
1. Current speakers won't be able to read the new spelling (we read words, not syllables, remember?)
2. Kids in school now will have trouble learning the language their teachers don't know. Then, some teachers will force students to learn the new spelling, while others will prefer the old spelling, and given the fact that we don't have a standardized educational system we won't have a single standard for a couple of generations(why does everything have to be individualized??? France and Russia got right, why can't we adopt their system?!?!?!).
3. Gradual implementation will have to take place. You teach kids spelling from day one in first grade and you go through with it until they graduate from school. You teach the new spellign every in subsequent year, but you don't touch the kids that have already learned spelling and let them re-learn it later, or not learn it at all.
4. For 50 years we need to be willing to accept both types of spelling.
People will have trouble typing using the new spelling. I constantly have trouble typing transliterated words in Russian, using an English keyboard because I know how to type using a real Russian layout and constantly want to switch - think of Dvorak vs. Qwerty - you'd need to change the layout to make typing easier. Even if you don't change it, it will still be harder to type.
As for the metric system - it's much easier. Everything has to be industry-driven. First places that need to change are city planning departments and construction firms. If things change from feet to meters (or metres, if you prefer) everyone will follow. Again, this will have to be done gradually and to an extent it is already done in some industries. Personally, I have a big problem with feet. I can't picture how long 2000 ft is but I can picture 600 m... but that's a matter of preference. I can see it happening the other way around too. Don't get me started on conversions. In the end, it's hard to do reforms and what you need is an event for the reforms to happen suddenly (like a revolution) or a gradual implementation over a number of years (something we in the US don't seem to be able to do since we like instant gratification so much and we don't like to use our brainz).
In eni kejs, itz never too erli to start so wi better start nau wi litl ings.
The Barcode DB is nice, but CueCats were even nicer. I made a lot by selling the modified versions on eBay in High School.... nothing like pure profit :).
Did you know that a male USB-B connector will fit into a RJ-11 jack? That was a fun one to troubleshoot over the phone.
And Make USB-A fits perfectly into RJ-45... I've had to straighten out some pins on my laptop after someone tried putting in a USB shtick without looking at what they were doing.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/artic le/2005/10/20/AR2005102001931.html
This guy wanted to build 3 bridges in Alaska to tiny islands where nobody lives with more funds than it would've taken to give those people speedboats and gas for the boats for life! He's an idiotic moron!
While all of the glory is nice and neat, let's look at the drawbacks: 1. For all the money spent on the interstate system, we could've built up our public transportation infrastructure, which needed a makeover, and have enough money to invest in cities, which also needed a makeover. 2. Sprawl and Suburbia: Now we are faced with sprawl and suburbia. While some may find this a good thing, I personally prefer the European lifestyle in large built-up cities. Suburbia is not self-sustaining. A public transportation system is not feasible in surubria. Do you know of a suburb that is not next to a city? If so, it's not called a suburb, but a rural area. 3. Strip Malls: they existed in very limited quantities before the interstate system. 4. Bad Maintenance: While we built the highways we don't know how to maintain them... pieces are going to crumble bit by bit until we have a makeover or until everything's gone 5. America is a gas-guzzling addict: Even Bush said so. The first step to fighting this adiction is admitting it. Before the interstate, we relied less on cars and more on public transit. Of course, it was harder to get around too. 6. Ever try breathing in L.A.? Yeah... you know what I'm talking about. 7. Trucking Industry - transporting things by train and using trucks for the last n miles is far more efficient, and using electric trains is even more efficient. 8. American teens are now forced into cars at the age of 16, which not only promotes bad lifestyle habits, but also continues the sprawl and suburbia. 9. Declining health/obesity: I admit, I'm not thin as a string. I tried both walking and driving to work for 6 months at a time... after 6 months of walking/public transit (which increased my commute by about 20 mins) I found amazing results - not only had I lost weight but also started feeling better, less stressed ("Ah another train will be along in 7 minutes, no big deal, no need to rush") and I also got some work done on the train/subway. Talk about benefits Of course some may find these things as benefits, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder (or however the saying goes). Now for the benefits: 1. Easier to get around the country. 2. Drivers are independent from public transit's schedules (of course this is a chicken and egg question: if there were more passengers, the service would be more frequent). 3. Americans can enjoy their suburban dream (although I don't think suburbia is a dream.... even considering the fact that crime rate in suburbia per 100K people is higher than it is in the city; also, in the city you know where most of the crime's happening and you can avoid those areas if you so desire). 4. Cars are not a luxury anymore, but rather a necessity. 5. American teens can break out of their shell when they turn 16. 6. ......
In the end, it's all about what kind of lifestyle you want to lead and whether or not you're a typical suburbanite or the new urban type.
Judging by the way American Electorate makes its decisions, I concur with the OP that the adults are getting dumber and electing duby... sorry dumb people.
If this privacy policy change applies to AT&T Yahoo DSL and/or Cingular Wireless then I believe you have a free pass => no fees to terminate your contract as stated in your contract. Now I'm not sure if this applies 100%, but I believe there's a clause for terminating your contract if it's changed. Don't know if this applies to privacy policy changes though.
Do you ever get the feeling that people in congress are techie amatuers trying to collectively build a windows box without realizing the consequences of their work?
My biggest problem with the point-and-shoot digital cameras (not the DSLRs) is the lack of decent focus. Many images come out blurry and the focus mechanism takes forever. On the DSLRs it's a different story and pictures come out near-perfect every time.
In a book by a Russian author (who was exhiled from Soviet Union for "anti-Soviet propaganda") titled "Moscow 2042," the author describes "Communism" in 2042 in Moscow. To paraphrase, "Oil has long been pumped dry and the pipeline that carried oil to Western Europe now carries sewage, which ordinary citizens must turn in in order to get coupons to be exchanged for food." It seems his predictions are coming true: First, the coup d'etat that happened in 1991, now this :)... Will newspapers, printed on toilet paper be next?
I highly recomend reading it! Very ironic and funny, and (unfortunately) true.
In other news, Google Suggest has just emerged from BETA! So, jump on over to http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=1&hl=en and start using it.
I still have a few problems with it though, the main one being the following: When typing in a multiple-word query and wanting to delete just the first word of that query, doing so using keyboard shortcuts (home, ctrl + shift + RightArrow) to select just the first word, selects the entire query and deletes it. Of course, doing this with a mouse is not a problem, but it's annoying as hell when doing it with a keyboard. This is also true with middle words if you select them from the left.
In Soviet Russia there was a joke... An American and a Russian meet... the American says: "You have no freedom of speech here... I can go up to the white house and say that my president is an idiot." The Russian replies: "So what! I can go to the Red Square and also say that your president is an idiot!" Not funny... but true.