Like you, I consider myself agnostic on the global warming. But I'm a little confused at your response to the parent post. How does one offer "substantial evidence" when one feels that the evidence is inconclusive? What type of evidence would he offer?
The whole subject of global warming being caused by people would seem to me to fall under the heading of an "inferred best explanation," which suggests a strong probability, but falls short of being proof according to the Scientific Method.
The main problem with global warming isn't that there isn't some empirical data--it's that the inference isn't completely testable. Computer modeling of a chaotic system, no matter how good, is merely an approximation and will always fail to account properly for some number of factors. It's not that it's not valid, it's just not proof.
The tricky part is figuring out what our response to all of this should be.
...constructing this hypothetical nation-state where everyone works for $10,000 per year, drives around in Mercedes, and are all IT outsourcing workers for the US.
Way to set up that straw man and knock it down. No wonder you posted AC.
At some point, China will have to crack down on this problem, or risk very damaging WTO sanctions. The only question is in how long western nations will wait before coming to a consensus about how to deal with the problem.
True enough. One thing is certain though, when the West does come to a consensus, the little dictator in North Korea will suddenly burst back on the world stage with his missile-rattling. He's China's pawn, whom they use as a bargaining chip when we object to their crap.
If you are implying that China will be the one to cause "The West" to fall, I believe you are mistaken.
Not at all. We will be the cause of our own demise with our Byzantine laws, greed and decadence. If it weren't China that was taking all of our manufacturing capacity, it would be someone else. Perhaps the Goths, Vandals or the Visigoths?
Sorry to reply to myself. Why can't they move the "submit" button to the other side--away from the "preview" button. It's actually 20 times higher, not 200. Again, sorry.
Agreed. I just read in my most recent issue of Bicycling, that the death rate (% of population) for traffic accidents in China is an incredible 200 times higher than in the US. 250,000 per year.
And maybe those risks are too much for a us in a developed nation but I just think that we should stop wasting all of this effort and hours doing totally unproductive things.
IANAE (economist) so, for all I know, if SCO won this lawsuit and IBM had to pay up, it might be counted towards the GDP too. Juking the stats to create a perception of growth is meaningless except if you're running for reelection.
At least in the case of the Exxon Valdez cleanup, something constructive was done. What would happen with this SCO thing? A big chunk of cash moves from one party to another, with a hefty percentage for the lawyers, of course. But when all is said and done, what benefit will be realized, except to the winning party and the lawyers? No new technology is created, no goods produced--a lot of heat and no light.
By the way, excellent quote from EA, one of my favorites. Here's another good one: New Yorkers like to boast that if you can survive in New York, you can survive anywhere. But if you can survive anywhere, why live in New York? New Yorkers, don't hate me, ILNY as much as anyone else--it's just such a clever quote.
I simply cannot believe how long this has gone on. What a staggering waste of time and resources. This is probably as good an example as any of why the West is probably going to fall. While China is ramping up production and making huge economic strides, we here in the US are arguing over lines of code as our manufacturing base continues to crumble. Changing over to a "service economy?" Please.
How many hours have been wasted on this type of crap? What useful item has been produced out of this or any of the other spurious "copyright" or "intellectual property" cases?
Trial lawyers giving money to politician lawyers, who make laws so trial lawyers can argue cases against rival trial lawyers in front of judge lawyers. So, what's the common denominator and who benefits? Follow the money.
Are you aware that local governments already set construction standards? Or do you think that companies should just be able to build whatever, whenever and however, without regard for safety? Have you never heard of Mrs. O'Leary's Cow (please, I know that it was an apocryphal story)?
Because that's the new global economy. China is the new 800lb gorilla and everybody knows it.
Whenever anyone in the West starts making a big deal about their human rights abuses, trade policies, rampant piracy or whatever, Beijing trots out that little whiskey-swilling porno addict from North Korea to show us that we need China's cooperation on the world stage. What, you thought that Kim Jong-il was doing this on his own? Please. That clown couldn't find his ass with both hands.
Point well taken. This is probably why local governments should get involved and set zoning standards--namely that screws be used on all new construction--so that every contractor has to pay the same costs for materials and labor.
...but there are still some dyed-in-the-wool attitudes where people don't think you have done a good day's work unless you are staying late...
This is how employers pit employees against each other to milk them for free labor. If employee A wants to get ahead, he's going to put in an extra half-hour. Employee B also wants to get ahead so he decides to outdo employee A by working an extra hour. And so on and so on. And then, in the end, the boss' lazy nephew or some other politically-connected individual--who rarely puts in more than 35 hours per week--gets the promotion.
And what are employees A & B left with? Heart disease and diabetes from eating crappy convenience food, getting no sunlight and no exercise. Some bargain.
I worked in a union workplace for many years and thought it sucked, but I have to admit that it's probably a good thing that the unions are there.
Greed and overweening pride. Greed on the part of employers; overweening pride on the part of employees who accept a title instead of what they are due (money).
So many people I know are in this position of being forced to work unpaid overtime and are constantly bitching about it. But I think that a lot of them get off on it because they think that it makes them feel like they have an important job. I actually think that it makes them unimportant--if their time was so valuable, you'd think that they would get paid for it.
Others act like they *have* to because they need their high salary (even though the hourly rate sucks) to afford their lifestyle. Then you look and see that their family of four lives in a five bedroom, 3.5 bath, 5000 square foot house. Often they say that they're "doing it for the kids," as if their kids wouldn't rather actually see their parents once in awhile instead of having stuff.
Anyone salaried worker making 80 grand who works 80-hours every week should find a job more to his liking or start a union, not complain about unpaid overtime.
No kidding. That's less than $20/hour. You wouldn't need to go to college to make that. Both of my high school education brothers-in-law make way more than that and are home in time for supper.
I agree. These stories sound like the movie Office Space. There is no way that I am going to get used like that.
I used to work for a Fortune 100 company and my boss worked a minimum of 90 hours per week. She came in at 5am and left at 7 or 8pm M-F. On Saturdays at least ten hours and a six-hour day on Sunday. When I figured her hourly rate, she was the lowest paid employee in the department.
I don't understand this whole unpaid overtime anyway. If these companies are so bought into capitalism, then they ought to buy more of your labor when they need more.
Pffft...if you want some advanced Frogger action, I suggest that you go to Beirut. In Beirut, not only do you risk your life crossing the street due to the widespread disregard for traffic laws and signals, but when initiating your street cross, you're not even allowed to look at the oncoming traffic. To do so is considered unmanly.
Right now, we must concentrate on steering Russia towards developing a true democracy...
Especially one where people are no longer being assassinated, poisoned, "disappeared" or otherwise shut down. Is there any country on the planet that is become more free and its citizens getting more rights?
Damn. Please tell me that you didn't see all of those movies. I feel like a slacker.
Munich Good, but to me a little overrated. Decent story with dialog that was clumsy at times. Capote Outstanding. The Upside of Anger Very good--a pleasant surprise. Does anyone play a better dumbass than Kevin Costner? Chronicles of Narnia Very Good
I often wonder how one's expectation of a film affects one's enjoyment of it. For instance, I expected great things out of Munich and Brokeback Mountain only to be disappointed; whereas I had zero expectations from The Upside of Anger, and enjoyed it very much.
Agreed. I think that it comes from where the starting point is and where it isn't. Starting Point=Will it make money? Starting Point !=Is it a compelling story? I'm trying to decide if that is a recent phenomenon or not. I can think of some great movies made in yesteryear: Cool Hand Luke Apocalypse Now Rear Window Citizen Kane Insert Your Movie Here
All in all, I guess we get the movies that we deserve. If we stopped paying for crap there would be no crap.
What if rogue clowns from some other planet drove their flying space armadillo to the UK, abducted this guy and used an anal probe to implant the polonium in his ass?
Slashdot Mirror
Like you, I consider myself agnostic on the global warming. But I'm a little confused at your response to the parent post. How does one offer "substantial evidence" when one feels that the evidence is inconclusive? What type of evidence would he offer?
The whole subject of global warming being caused by people would seem to me to fall under the heading of an "inferred best explanation," which suggests a strong probability, but falls short of being proof according to the Scientific Method.
The main problem with global warming isn't that there isn't some empirical data--it's that the inference isn't completely testable. Computer modeling of a chaotic system, no matter how good, is merely an approximation and will always fail to account properly for some number of factors. It's not that it's not valid, it's just not proof.
The tricky part is figuring out what our response to all of this should be.Artist: Isaac Hayes
Song: Theme From Shaft Lyrics
Shaft!
Who's the black private dick
That's a sex machine to all the chicks?
(Shaft!)
You're damn right
Who is the man
That would risk his neck for his brother man?
(Shaft!)
Can ya dig it?
Who's the cat that won't cop out
When there's danger all about
(Shaft!)
Right on
You see this cat Shaft is a bad MoPho --
(Shut your mouth)
But I'm talkin' about Shaft
(Then we can dig it)
He's a complicated man
But no one understands him but his woman
(John Shaft)
...constructing this hypothetical nation-state where everyone works for $10,000 per year, drives around in Mercedes, and are all IT outsourcing workers for the US.
Way to set up that straw man and knock it down. No wonder you posted AC.
At some point, China will have to crack down on this problem, or risk very damaging WTO sanctions. The only question is in how long western nations will wait before coming to a consensus about how to deal with the problem.
True enough. One thing is certain though, when the West does come to a consensus, the little dictator in North Korea will suddenly burst back on the world stage with his missile-rattling. He's China's pawn, whom they use as a bargaining chip when we object to their crap.
If you are implying that China will be the one to cause "The West" to fall, I believe you are mistaken.
Not at all. We will be the cause of our own demise with our Byzantine laws, greed and decadence. If it weren't China that was taking all of our manufacturing capacity, it would be someone else. Perhaps the Goths, Vandals or the Visigoths?
Sorry to reply to myself. Why can't they move the "submit" button to the other side--away from the "preview" button. It's actually 20 times higher, not 200. Again, sorry.
Agreed. I just read in my most recent issue of Bicycling, that the death rate (% of population) for traffic accidents in China is an incredible 200 times higher than in the US. 250,000 per year.
And maybe those risks are too much for a us in a developed nation but I just think that we should stop wasting all of this effort and hours doing totally unproductive things.
IANAE (economist) so, for all I know, if SCO won this lawsuit and IBM had to pay up, it might be counted towards the GDP too. Juking the stats to create a perception of growth is meaningless except if you're running for reelection.
At least in the case of the Exxon Valdez cleanup, something constructive was done. What would happen with this SCO thing? A big chunk of cash moves from one party to another, with a hefty percentage for the lawyers, of course. But when all is said and done, what benefit will be realized, except to the winning party and the lawyers? No new technology is created, no goods produced--a lot of heat and no light.
By the way, excellent quote from EA, one of my favorites. Here's another good one: New Yorkers like to boast that if you can survive in New York, you can survive anywhere. But if you can survive anywhere, why live in New York? New Yorkers, don't hate me, ILNY as much as anyone else--it's just such a clever quote.
I simply cannot believe how long this has gone on. What a staggering waste of time and resources. This is probably as good an example as any of why the West is probably going to fall. While China is ramping up production and making huge economic strides, we here in the US are arguing over lines of code as our manufacturing base continues to crumble. Changing over to a "service economy?" Please.
How many hours have been wasted on this type of crap? What useful item has been produced out of this or any of the other spurious "copyright" or "intellectual property" cases?
Trial lawyers giving money to politician lawyers, who make laws so trial lawyers can argue cases against rival trial lawyers in front of judge lawyers. So, what's the common denominator and who benefits? Follow the money.
Are you aware that local governments already set construction standards? Or do you think that companies should just be able to build whatever, whenever and however, without regard for safety? Have you never heard of Mrs. O'Leary's Cow (please, I know that it was an apocryphal story)?
Because that's the new global economy. China is the new 800lb gorilla and everybody knows it.
Whenever anyone in the West starts making a big deal about their human rights abuses, trade policies, rampant piracy or whatever, Beijing trots out that little whiskey-swilling porno addict from North Korea to show us that we need China's cooperation on the world stage. What, you thought that Kim Jong-il was doing this on his own? Please. That clown couldn't find his ass with both hands.
Sweet Jesus! How many people that you know would spend $525 for a desk lamp? Maybe I can apply for a government grant or something.
Point well taken. This is probably why local governments should get involved and set zoning standards--namely that screws be used on all new construction--so that every contractor has to pay the same costs for materials and labor.
Duh...it's a poem:
Sell these products do
especially in Asia where the prices are low
few questions are asked and in many cases,
the quality is actually pretty good.
It's profound, don't you think?
Ha--p0wn3d!
...but there are still some dyed-in-the-wool attitudes where people don't think you have done a good day's work unless you are staying late...
This is how employers pit employees against each other to milk them for free labor. If employee A wants to get ahead, he's going to put in an extra half-hour. Employee B also wants to get ahead so he decides to outdo employee A by working an extra hour. And so on and so on. And then, in the end, the boss' lazy nephew or some other politically-connected individual--who rarely puts in more than 35 hours per week--gets the promotion.
And what are employees A & B left with? Heart disease and diabetes from eating crappy convenience food, getting no sunlight and no exercise. Some bargain.
I worked in a union workplace for many years and thought it sucked, but I have to admit that it's probably a good thing that the unions are there.
I always wonder how we've gotten to this point.
Greed and overweening pride. Greed on the part of employers; overweening pride on the part of employees who accept a title instead of what they are due (money).
So many people I know are in this position of being forced to work unpaid overtime and are constantly bitching about it. But I think that a lot of them get off on it because they think that it makes them feel like they have an important job. I actually think that it makes them unimportant--if their time was so valuable, you'd think that they would get paid for it.
Others act like they *have* to because they need their high salary (even though the hourly rate sucks) to afford their lifestyle. Then you look and see that their family of four lives in a five bedroom, 3.5 bath, 5000 square foot house. Often they say that they're "doing it for the kids," as if their kids wouldn't rather actually see their parents once in awhile instead of having stuff.
Ooops! Looks like I went off on a rant. Sorry.
Anyone salaried worker making 80 grand who works 80-hours every week should find a job more to his liking or start a union, not complain about unpaid overtime.
No kidding. That's less than $20/hour. You wouldn't need to go to college to make that. Both of my high school education brothers-in-law make way more than that and are home in time for supper.
I agree. These stories sound like the movie Office Space. There is no way that I am going to get used like that.
I used to work for a Fortune 100 company and my boss worked a minimum of 90 hours per week. She came in at 5am and left at 7 or 8pm M-F. On Saturdays at least ten hours and a six-hour day on Sunday. When I figured her hourly rate, she was the lowest paid employee in the department.
I don't understand this whole unpaid overtime anyway. If these companies are so bought into capitalism, then they ought to buy more of your labor when they need more.
Pffft...if you want some advanced Frogger action, I suggest that you go to Beirut. In Beirut, not only do you risk your life crossing the street due to the widespread disregard for traffic laws and signals, but when initiating your street cross, you're not even allowed to look at the oncoming traffic. To do so is considered unmanly.
The frightening thing is that I'm not joking.
Right now, we must concentrate on steering Russia towards developing a true democracy...
Especially one where people are no longer being assassinated, poisoned, "disappeared" or otherwise shut down. Is there any country on the planet that is become more free and its citizens getting more rights?
Damn. Please tell me that you didn't see all of those movies. I feel like a slacker.
Munich Good, but to me a little overrated. Decent story with dialog that was clumsy at times.
Capote Outstanding.
The Upside of Anger Very good--a pleasant surprise. Does anyone play a better dumbass than Kevin Costner?
Chronicles of Narnia Very Good
I often wonder how one's expectation of a film affects one's enjoyment of it. For instance, I expected great things out of Munich and Brokeback Mountain only to be disappointed; whereas I had zero expectations from The Upside of Anger, and enjoyed it very much.
Agreed. I think that it comes from where the starting point is and where it isn't. Starting Point=Will it make money? Starting Point !=Is it a compelling story? I'm trying to decide if that is a recent phenomenon or not. I can think of some great movies made in yesteryear:
Cool Hand Luke
Apocalypse Now
Rear Window
Citizen Kane
Insert Your Movie Here
All in all, I guess we get the movies that we deserve. If we stopped paying for crap there would be no crap.
What if rogue clowns from some other planet drove their flying space armadillo to the UK, abducted this guy and used an anal probe to implant the polonium in his ass?
Seriously, have you never heard of Occam's Razor?
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/11/24/061124134 543.qth288nm.html 8 474759&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull = 5870183&subject=economic&action=article
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=116237
http://www.iii.co.uk/news/?type=afxnews&articleid