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User: The+Madd+Rapper

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Comments · 28

  1. Re:Why not on Alan Turing Gets an Apology From Prime Minister Brown · · Score: 1

    Siblings procreating has the highest certainty of genetically damaged offspring. 1st cousins next.

    Parent-child is tied for first; {parent's sibling}-child and grandparent-child are in between.

  2. Re:EFF is nice.... on IP Enforcement Treaty Still Being Kept Secret · · Score: 1

    Before any more laws are changed to protect copyright, first and foremost current copyright should be forced to align with current laws ie. "To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts".

    I don't disagree with you, but I must make a correction. The clause you quoted refers to copyrights and patents, respectively. When it was written 200 years ago, "science" referred to something along the lines of "knowledge," while "art" referred to skill or technology. Just read the rest of the clause and you will see that "science" corresponds with "authors" and "writings":

    To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.

    You can argue whether "writings" includes music, but I don't want to steer farther off course.

  3. Re:Yes, and fair use exceeds the 4 codified factor on The Woman Who Established Fair Use · · Score: 1

    The four statutory factors are not exclusive, as you say. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of courts consider those four and only those four. For example, take a look at Barton Beebe, An Empirical Study of U.S. Copyright Fair Use Opinions, 1978-2005, 156 U. Pa. L. Rev. 549 (2008).

  4. Re:it's funny on New X-Files Movie · · Score: 1

    I enjoyed both. I followed the mythology enthusiastically, but to this day, my favorite episode is Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose.

  5. dept.? on Postgres Engine for MySQL Released · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Is it notable that this story doesn't have a "from the ... dept." line? How common is that?

  6. Re:"Unskilled"? on Unrefined "Musician" Gains a Global Audience · · Score: 1

    For some reason while reading your comment I was reminded of when computer-assisted speedruns became popular and the non-assisted speedrunners complained. You're right that the skillsets are different, but the end result is the same. In each case, I enjoy/appreciate both methods.

  7. Next-gen DVD on Classic Star Wars Trilogy Finally on DVD · · Score: 1

    So did people who bought the 2004 DVDs going to buy it now then buy it again when it comes out on Blu-ray? For me it's worth the wait. But as others noted, Lucas is practically printing himself money.

  8. Re:April 1st? on 'True' Video iPod Coming Soon · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The problem is that mainstream news sources pick this up. In general, if one knew that spoilers were only to be found on spoiler websites, then the enthusiasts could get the early scoop, and you could wait to be surprised if you wanted. But you've got banks like Needham & Co. reading Think Secret and spouting it off as their own research.

    But maybe Apple spoilers are just so popular that media companies feel they would lose out by not printing rumors. Does(n't) that legitimize the existence of spoiler sites?

  9. Order... on Space.com's Top 10 Space Movies of All Time · · Score: 5, Interesting

    First Contact before Empire Strikes Back? I liked them both, but c'mon now. Overall I think the top ten are solid choices, but the order leaves a little to be desired.

  10. Oh well on Rubik's Cube World Championships · · Score: 1

    I'm disappointed that my favorite solver, Shotari Makisumi, only placed third. Them's the breaks. I've seen him solve, and as is true for anyone in his league, it's incredible.

  11. Center of mass? on Cow Tipping is a Myth · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Is the center of mass really at exactly half the cow's height? Looking at the image in the article, most of the mass is distributed above the COM. The assumption of people only being able to push their own bodyweight is unexplained as well.

  12. Re:He didn't need DNA to narrow the search down on DNA and Online Search Finds Birth Parent · · Score: 1

    The older you are, the more I would encourage you to give it a shot. Imagine yourself in 16-20 years and how much something like this could affect you. If they're in their late 50s or up, then contacting them probably won't do any harm. Assumedly, both you and they will be less likely to have major life issues which would only be complicated by this, and they can take it for the good gesture it is.

  13. Re:Credibility of Science / Creationists on MIT Professor Fired over Fabricated Data · · Score: 1

    This gives the gives the creationists more fire for their faux-arguments about how science is unbelievable and other garbage relating to Intelligent Design.

    By a similar argument, scientists could say that creationism/intelligent design is wrong because some of its teachers rape little boys.

  14. C'mon, guys! on ISS Orbit-Raising Attempt Fails · · Score: 5, Funny

    This isn't rocket science.

  15. Why? on Why Do You Block Ads? · · Score: 1

    Because I don't like them and because I can. If I had a DVR for TV, I would skip those ads too. I don't because it isn't cheap. With the exception of the Superbowl, I don't try to see ads in my media. In a magazine, it's easier to turn the page than tear it out, but fortunately my magazines either don't have ads or don't have too many. (Some magazines are just gratuitous, what with like 40 pages of ads before the table of contents!)

    My browser is only equipped to block popups. I haven't made the effort to download a browser that blocks in-page ads probably because it's not worth the change for the pages I visit. If I found that my browsing experience were hampered by slower load times or really distracting ads, I would consider the browser or stop visiting that site.

    Overall, I cannot recall a single instance I've intentionally clicked an ad. In-page ads are easy enough to ignore. Popups are definitely annoying, and if I could not block them, I would consider not visiting the site. Thankfully that's a moot point.

  16. Re:blah! on 20 Million Year Old Spider Found · · Score: 1

    Did I misread the article?

    It is a new species from the Filistatidae family commonly found in South America and the Caribbean.

    I interpret this to mean that the 20-million-year-old spider species does not exist today.

  17. Re:1st Admendment Rights lost? on California Legislature Passes Violent Game Bill · · Score: 3, Insightful

    As you have (parenthetically) noted, many laws already exist that restrict the rights of minors. Hey, I wish we could change some of them too. Society has decided, for example, that people under age 18 are not capable of knowing what love is and expressing that emotion through sex--at least with another individual who is over age 18.

    I agree with you that this one is wrong. This seems to be a kneejerk reaction to an industry that older generations do not understand and want to control. It smacks of conservative appeasement to the same crowd that watched Natalee Holloway every night. I hope Arnold does not sign this, or that courts do not uphold it--but good luck with that.

    Of course children ought to be protected, but the hypocrisy and inconsistency with which that protection is applied is downright baffling. I guess you can't tell voters it's their own fault.

  18. All right overall on An Experiment in A New Kind of Music · · Score: 2, Informative

    These sound like video game stage music. Maybe it's just the MIDI. But I don't know; I could envision an RPG or Megaman or fighting game to every tone it generated. Maybe someone's job just got a lot easier.

  19. Re:Madden on Only NFL Game This Year Gets Lukewarm Response · · Score: 0

    but all things being equal, wouldn't you rather play as the guys you watch on TV and follow in the papers?

    If all things were equal, I would agree, but in this case all things are not equal. Keeping current requires a yearly reinvestment, while sticking to one year's roster does not.

  20. Classic midi music on Gaming Music Goes Mainstream · · Score: 0

    Some of the "older" (pre-2000) games have pretty incredible soundtracks, I think. I've made a few ringtones from the midi files at the Video Game Music Archive. It has content from almost every system, including the newer ones. I don't like the trend of licensing popular music, but oh well.

  21. Re:Time attack and Speedruns on The Lives And Times of Speed Runners · · Score: 0

    It's only deception if the tool-assisted speed runners don't mention the tool-assistance part. The presentation as a continuous video is not deception, it's entertainment. Who the fuck wants to watch tens or hundreds of thousands of freeze states? Correct me if you've had a different experience, but I think most people who seek speed runs online appreciate the difference between human skill and tool assistance. Certainly, they require different talents to perform/create. Generally, I prefer tool-assisted runs because they're more entertaining, which might be the real source of your resentment.

  22. Re:oh man i'd be pissed on Retro Totem Tattoo Commemorates Gaming Classics · · Score: 0

    The design he supplied has an asymmetrical pixelation of the triangle, if that's what you were referring to. Otherwise, I didn't notice the areas where it's not perfectly perpendicular until now.

  23. Re:SI, damn it! on Robot Catches High Speed Objects · · Score: 1

    Both of these units are very useful to me. The first allows me to compare the ball to the most common standard I have observed: a moving vehicle. The second gives me a different perspective that I can still make sense of: how far it travels in just one second. (In fact, I would have preferred yards instead of feet because I think better in football fields, but luckily the conversion is pretty elementary. As for your own conversions, someone else already discussed that subject.)

  24. Re:Not #2 yet, and no chance for #1 on March of the Penguins Tops Box Offices · · Score: 1, Funny

    Somewhat of a different issue, but I disagree with boxofficemojo's choice to exclude any "Reality TV movie" from the documentary category. Otherwise Jackass would be #2.

  25. It depends on what you're watching on Consumers Prefer Movies At Home · · Score: 1

    To me they are somewhat different experiences. Most of the movies I've seen in the past year or two are action-oriented, loud films with a lot going on onscreen. I like to immerse myself in the film and let it command the senses. At home, I can't afford the equipment that might best do that: proper sound, TV/monitor, no distractions in the background, etc. (Not to mention the old couple who lives below me who bangs on their ceiling if it's too noisy after 10 PM.) A comedy or romance I'd prefer at home for the reasons other posters listed, but action is different. If I could properly replicate the pros of the theater environment, then I'd reconsider.