Right now, in south central Alaska, it is 50 degrees outside. It was in the 80's earlier. I have worked on projects all over Alaska, and it gets hot and humid in the Brooks Range and Fairbanks areas, then drops to -40 for weeks at a time in the winter. Other areas are milder, but humid. I read that Anchorage is one of the sweatiest areas of the U.S., and I'm glad I don't live there. But it is Bikini season here, a ways north.
As for the 'self-sufficient oil', most of our oil is sent to the small states, and we supply 25% of the U.S. oil consumption. OTOH, we have vast supplies of untapped gas, coal, and radioactive materials.
And 'physical security'? Better look at a map. Alaska is not a small island off the coast of California. It's the air crossroads of the world, and within spitting distance of Siberia. It is the only part of the U.S. to be occupied by enemy forces during WWII. Of course, everyones grandma has a gun, and knows how to use it. And we have the greatest concentration of veterans of all the states. I pity the fool who attacks Alaska.
This morning I was outside at 3 a.m., building a rock wall, and noticed the moon was large and orange. Since it is light in this part of Alaska all day (there is no 'night'), that's not unusual. Working outside at 3 a.m., that is. However, this is the first time I recall seeing the moon like that. I managed to get some pics before it went back below the horizon again, in what seemed like less than a half-hour.
That is a mean trick played on newbies in the Army, at least in my first Air Assault unit. An old-timer says "go over to supply and get a skyhook, and some frequency grease for the antenna." He has a rational sounding explanation that the skyhook is the thing under the helo that the slings hook into. The newbie goes over to supply, and the seargent, playing along, sends him to someplace else. Everyone passes the poor newbie around, as long as the game can play.
On a more serious note, this sounds suspiciously like a project I worked on years ago, only this one is not as deep. Or nearly as accurate.
Wow. That's small compared to what I am used to. Last year we had a fire larger than the state of Mass. We have an icefield larger than Switzerland, and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough is larger than West Virginia.
On the other hand, we have thousands of citizens who are currently without electric power, running water, or sewer, and suffer from greedy dentists who wish to deny basic health care. We supply 25% of the U.S. oil consumption, billions of dollars in natural resources, fish, and tourist dollars to the state and federal government. Expect us to 'go nuclear' again soon.
We already have watches that require no power, just the normal arm movement. Some even are solar powered. In fact, I have gotten to within 10 minutes of guessing the correct time just by the position of the sun, no small feat in Alaska, where the daylight changes 5-7 minutes per day in some months.
More importantly, I quit worrying about the time years ago. It was too stressful, and really, arbitrary. I learned this from my Grandfather, a wise old Seminole Indian: He never wore a watch, and said that there are only two times, now, and not now. Then again, he never went diving, and never had to calculate decomp times. When I am diving, I have a good watch. When I have a Court or other important appearance, I have a good timepiece. Otherwise, it doesn't matter. I 'did' have one of those Casio watches that had a calculator (it melted in Panama due to the bug dope), and once had a watch with an altimeter, barometer, and lots of other useless stuff on it, and discovered that mission-specific is the way to go. If I need a compass, I'll carry one, and not on my wrist.
"How come nothing exciting like that ever happens on Earth anymore?"
You're just not getting all the news. While standing in line at the grocery store the other day, I noticed a headline that read "Titanic Docks in New York Harbor". It mentioned something about the ghost ship, etc. My first comment to my fellow shoppers was "Why doesn't anything like that ever happen here in Alaska!?"
"Is navigating a hospital full of moving humans more difficult than navigating the DARPA grand challenge"
Seems like the answer is apparent: if it were less difficult to navigate a hospital full of moving humans, then wouldn't the pharmbot have been entered in the Darpa Challenge?
The way a lawyer explained it to me, I am not actually selling you the bridge, I am merely quit claiming any right, title, or interest I may have in the bridge or other property. Having seen quit-claim deeds in mining, I can understand what he meant.
On another point, why not? There are companies or organizations selling 'rights' to properties on the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere. Will these 'properties' ever rise to validity? Unlikely, unless you, the buyer, can actually establish some open and notorious occupation for some length of time.
Back in 1988, I got a screaming deal on a few hundred pounds of Alaskan-grown potatoes. I stored them in a bus I was converting to an RV, and then the temp dropped to -30 below. One fine day, I got some potatoes out to prepare a meal. They were as hard as rocks, literally. They even sounded like rocks when I tapped them together. I thought "no problem, I'll just thaw them out." I put them in a large bowl of very hot water, and after a few minutes, I noticed that the water was frozen. When the potatoes finally thawed out, they were disgusting. Gray, mushy, and wrinkly. (Insert joke here).
The countless quakes started short after midnight. The biggest one, with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9, struck at 9:10 a.m. Tuesday. There were reports of items falling off shelves in Adak, about 175 miles from the epicenter.
The series of quakes occurred where the Pacific and North American plates collide. Most were in the range of 4.5 and 5.7."
Excellent questions, none of which I have an answer to. I have been following this since the first announcement, which I believe was also posted here on slashdot.
From TFA: ""This is what this funding will allow us to assess in great detail. It's likely the costs are comparable with nuclear power and renewables." "
"Because of Galena's inaccessibility and the necessity to ship diesel fuel by barge, residents pay from 20 cents to $1 per kilowatt hour, while the national average is less than 9 cents. With nuclear power, residents could pay a third of what they now pay to power their homes, Yoder said.
If it's feasible in Galena, nuclear power could be used to lower energy costs throughout rural Alaska, state lawmakers said.
"Nuclear power is something folks might frown on, but it's self- contained," said House Speaker John Harris, R-Valdez. "It has a lot of potential for areas" that have high fuel costs.
"Municipal officials will discuss recent proposals by Alaska Senator Ted Stevens for a national video franchise agreement, the importance of protecting public rights of way, the ability of cities to provide broadband connections for their residents and businesses, and the upcoming rewrite of the Telecommunications Act at a meeting of the National League of Cities (NLC), June 16-18, in Anchorage at the Millennium Alaskan Hotel."
And there are lots of other reasons. Unless you like the idea that a scratch can turn into a very nasty infection, or you like insects that can cause you great pain, or death, or that some plants will ruin your day just by brushing up against them. Then there's the leeches. And the fungus. And the reactions to the malaria drugs. Don't even think about taking a swim. This may be a rumor, but we heard that a parasite would swim into our 'opening' and lodge itself there. I never got one 'there', but I did get some that burrowed into my skin and caused some nasty welts. And I had an adverse reaction to the anti-malaria, anti-yellow fever, and anti-who-knows-what-else shots I was given before I went.
Of course, as the parent poster stated, you could try your chances in the cities. Just have your own army. Then you can travel by armored car with escorts from your gated, walled compound to your office. Yes, Brazil is not Columbia. It's not Paradise, either.
You still have a boss, or if you prefer, a chain of command. While some tattoos will never be acceptable, e.g. those that may suggest racist affiliations, you must remember that those who outrank you can make or break your career, and can make your life miserable. Further, you may find a wall to a higher level security clearance, and to opportunities. I had a potentially identifying mark (not a tattoo) burned off, just in case. I can say from experience that almost any tattoo will create prejudice against the wearer, at least in the military.
At first I read this as "NASA Notices New, Tasty Solar Storm Type"
As for the parents comment, think of all the debris that we are putting in our little part of space. This has been posted before, but the fact remains that every launch adds to the problem. Soon we will have a very serious mess, and no solution. A little paint chip will ruin your day. A loose nut will ruin much more.
The question I thought of is: how much will be paid for adware/spyware removal tools, and who will profit?
I say this because just last week I helped a friend set up his new HP machine, and noticed that it came bundled with 30 day trials of Norton firewall/AV, some anti-adware, and some antispyware. I replaced all three with free/OS versions. But many users don't know about this, don't know where to get it, and don't know how to use them. In fact, removal of these 'trials' was a pain, even for me.
Get one of these, and your dog will be happy. At least my dog will, who has been (sometimes) unfairly blamed for noxious odors. On the other hand, she likes to roll in stinky things, for what reason I can't imagine, and she DOES fart. Not only does it make a sound, but the stench is impressive, especially after she eats some pizza bones.
Your excellent points are reflected in the post A Case for A Traditional Monarchy. It certainly provides some compelling arguments. For example: "Even assuming that elections genuinely represent the wishes of a majority of a country's population, one should consider whether the typical path to power of a president is really morally superior to that of a king. Politicians, even the relatively honest ones, are obliged to engage in a relentless pursuit of funds and to frequently make promises to voters. Conflicts of interest are inevitable; campaign pledges are likely to prove impossible or contradictory and consequently may be broken-the whole system invites corruption. The successful politician, especially if he is not independently wealthy, must be a smooth talker and a frequent compromiser and deal-maker, willing to sacrifice principles for politics. He must be willing to step on others to get ahead, constantly attacking his rivals. If a politician is not dishonest or mean-spirited at the beginning of his career, he runs the risk of becoming so as he immerses himself in the real world of politics. The hereditary sovereign is free from all of this. The fact that he did not have to do anything good to earn his position also means that he did not have to do anything bad. Some kings may not be admirable anyway. But while monarchy offers at least a chance that a decent and well-meaning person will achieve the top post, democracy virtually insures such a person will not."
"Polls show that many Americans do not trust electronic voting in its current form; such doubts are a serious problem in a democracy."
A more serious problem in a 'democracy', or a 'republic', is the apathy. I read that something like 50% or less of people registered to vote actually register, and that many of those that ARE registered don't vote. (I also read the election results, even for 'small', local elections). In essence, those that don't vote are giving power to the minority, to special interests, and to others that they complain about. I suspect that a complaint against electronic voting, despite its flaws, is another excuse to avoid voting.
Slashdot Mirror
KoA
Alaska Man Offers Giant Mecha on eBay-With Videos!
Right now, in south central Alaska, it is 50 degrees outside. It was in the 80's earlier. I have worked on projects all over Alaska, and it gets hot and humid in the Brooks Range and Fairbanks areas, then drops to -40 for weeks at a time in the winter. Other areas are milder, but humid. I read that Anchorage is one of the sweatiest areas of the U.S., and I'm glad I don't live there. But it is Bikini season here, a ways north.
As for the 'self-sufficient oil', most of our oil is sent to the small states, and we supply 25% of the U.S. oil consumption. OTOH, we have vast supplies of untapped gas, coal, and radioactive materials.
And 'physical security'? Better look at a map. Alaska is not a small island off the coast of California. It's the air crossroads of the world, and within spitting distance of Siberia. It is the only part of the U.S. to be occupied by enemy forces during WWII. Of course, everyones grandma has a gun, and knows how to use it. And we have the greatest concentration of veterans of all the states. I pity the fool who attacks Alaska.
KoA
Navy to Test Shape Shifting Catamaran in Alaska
KoA
Alaska men should hit the trail for breasts
On a more serious note, this sounds suspiciously like a project I worked on years ago, only this one is not as deep. Or nearly as accurate.
KoA
Alaska men should hit the trail for breasts
On the other hand, we have thousands of citizens who are currently without electric power, running water, or sewer, and suffer from greedy dentists who wish to deny basic health care. We supply 25% of the U.S. oil consumption, billions of dollars in natural resources, fish, and tourist dollars to the state and federal government. Expect us to 'go nuclear' again soon.
What country is this? Alaska.
KoA
Thousands of Alaskans Face Hardship
We already have watches that require no power, just the normal arm movement. Some even are solar powered. In fact, I have gotten to within 10 minutes of guessing the correct time just by the position of the sun, no small feat in Alaska, where the daylight changes 5-7 minutes per day in some months.
More importantly, I quit worrying about the time years ago. It was too stressful, and really, arbitrary. I learned this from my Grandfather, a wise old Seminole Indian: He never wore a watch, and said that there are only two times, now, and not now. Then again, he never went diving, and never had to calculate decomp times. When I am diving, I have a good watch. When I have a Court or other important appearance, I have a good timepiece. Otherwise, it doesn't matter. I 'did' have one of those Casio watches that had a calculator (it melted in Panama due to the bug dope), and once had a watch with an altimeter, barometer, and lots of other useless stuff on it, and discovered that mission-specific is the way to go. If I need a compass, I'll carry one, and not on my wrist.
KoA
Research on fossils may offer clues on when tsunami will hit
You're just not getting all the news. While standing in line at the grocery store the other day, I noticed a headline that read "Titanic Docks in New York Harbor". It mentioned something about the ghost ship, etc. My first comment to my fellow shoppers was "Why doesn't anything like that ever happen here in Alaska!?"
KoA
Seems like the answer is apparent: if it were less difficult to navigate a hospital full of moving humans, then wouldn't the pharmbot have been entered in the Darpa Challenge?
I'm guessing it's apples to oranges.
KoA
Navy to Test Shape Shifting Catamaran in Alaska
The way a lawyer explained it to me, I am not actually selling you the bridge, I am merely quit claiming any right, title, or interest I may have in the bridge or other property. Having seen quit-claim deeds in mining, I can understand what he meant.
On another point, why not? There are companies or organizations selling 'rights' to properties on the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere. Will these 'properties' ever rise to validity? Unlikely, unless you, the buyer, can actually establish some open and notorious occupation for some length of time.
KoA
Navy to Test Shape Shifting Catamaran in Alaska
Back in 1988, I got a screaming deal on a few hundred pounds of Alaskan-grown potatoes. I stored them in a bus I was converting to an RV, and then the temp dropped to -30 below. One fine day, I got some potatoes out to prepare a meal. They were as hard as rocks, literally. They even sounded like rocks when I tapped them together. I thought "no problem, I'll just thaw them out." I put them in a large bowl of very hot water, and after a few minutes, I noticed that the water was frozen. When the potatoes finally thawed out, they were disgusting. Gray, mushy, and wrinkly. (Insert joke here).
They went into the compost pile.
KoA
Navy to Test Shape Shifting Catamaran in Alaska
" Aleutians rocked by series of big quakes
The countless quakes started short after midnight. The biggest one, with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9, struck at 9:10 a.m. Tuesday. There were reports of items falling off shelves in Adak, about 175 miles from the epicenter.
The series of quakes occurred where the Pacific and North American plates collide. Most were in the range of 4.5 and 5.7."
Seems to be a relation.
KoA
Eagle crashes into living room of a Ketchikan home
Any insights are appreciated.
KOA
Depends on location. From my post "Rural Alaska nuclear power gets legislative backing":
"Because of Galena's inaccessibility and the necessity to ship diesel fuel by barge, residents pay from 20 cents to $1 per kilowatt hour, while the national average is less than 9 cents. With nuclear power, residents could pay a third of what they now pay to power their homes, Yoder said.
If it's feasible in Galena, nuclear power could be used to lower energy costs throughout rural Alaska, state lawmakers said.
"Nuclear power is something folks might frown on, but it's self- contained," said House Speaker John Harris, R-Valdez. "It has a lot of potential for areas" that have high fuel costs.
KOA
"Municipal officials will discuss recent proposals by Alaska Senator Ted Stevens for a national video franchise agreement, the importance of protecting public rights of way, the ability of cities to provide broadband connections for their residents and businesses, and the upcoming rewrite of the Telecommunications Act at a meeting of the National League of Cities (NLC), June 16-18, in Anchorage at the Millennium Alaskan Hotel."
KOA
Of course, as the parent poster stated, you could try your chances in the cities. Just have your own army. Then you can travel by armored car with escorts from your gated, walled compound to your office. Yes, Brazil is not Columbia. It's not Paradise, either.
KOA
Anchorage, Alaska Will Host National Policy Meeting on Technology
You still have a boss, or if you prefer, a chain of command. While some tattoos will never be acceptable, e.g. those that may suggest racist affiliations, you must remember that those who outrank you can make or break your career, and can make your life miserable. Further, you may find a wall to a higher level security clearance, and to opportunities. I had a potentially identifying mark (not a tattoo) burned off, just in case. I can say from experience that almost any tattoo will create prejudice against the wearer, at least in the military.
KOA
Anchorage, Alaska Will Host National Policy Meeting on Technology
On the bottom? A sticker that read "Made in China."
KOA
A Case for Traditional Monarchy
As for the parents comment, think of all the debris that we are putting in our little part of space. This has been posted before, but the fact remains that every launch adds to the problem. Soon we will have a very serious mess, and no solution. A little paint chip will ruin your day. A loose nut will ruin much more.
KOA
Anchorage, Alaska Will Host National Policy Meeting on Technology
That is a safe bet, as Igloo simply means house. It doesn't mean 'house built of wind packed snow'.
KOA
Anchorage, Alaska Will Host National Policy Meeting on Technology
I say this because just last week I helped a friend set up his new HP machine, and noticed that it came bundled with 30 day trials of Norton firewall/AV, some anti-adware, and some antispyware. I replaced all three with free/OS versions. But many users don't know about this, don't know where to get it, and don't know how to use them. In fact, removal of these 'trials' was a pain, even for me.
KOA
Anchorage, Alaska Will Host National Policy Meeting on Technology
There are many reasons. Yes, it can be abused, just as a stick or a rock can be abused.
KOA
Giant Missile Defense Radar Sails
Have I said too much?
KOA
Giant Missile Defense Radar Sails
KOA
KOA
A Case for Traditional Monarchy
A more serious problem in a 'democracy', or a 'republic', is the apathy. I read that something like 50% or less of people registered to vote actually register, and that many of those that ARE registered don't vote. (I also read the election results, even for 'small', local elections). In essence, those that don't vote are giving power to the minority, to special interests, and to others that they complain about. I suspect that a complaint against electronic voting, despite its flaws, is another excuse to avoid voting.
KOA
A Case for Traditional Monarchy