Anyone interested in cybernetic eye replacements? I used to think it'd be awesome, and then I read the surgery story in Renraku Shutdown. *cringe*. I wish I could find a legit version on the web to link, as it does a really good job of de-glamorizing the idea of having your eyes taken out and replaced with "better" ones.
a luxury Jet owner CAN do things which will offset their CO2 usage -- plant trees, contribute money to some environmental cause which helps clean up waste, etc
This is important. For people who can afford such luxuries, the cost of charitable contributions are not budget-breaking. Most people (like me) do not feel they can afford to divert money to things like planting trees or funding conservation projects - and often can't afford to live as "greenly" we we might otherwise want to. (I'd love the option of a newer diesel or electric car. Sadly, they're expensive.)
We might ridicule wealthy people for subscribing to carbon credits, but... is it bad to plant trees? I think that's hypocritical. I don't care if someone plants trees (or funds conservation charities) out of altriusm, guilt, or as a full-time job. Look at the effects, not the reasons for it.
I don't see the player taking cover very often -- how will this teach people to be effective soldiers? Is it just meant to be a propaganda piece (like the America's Army game was)?
While there are very good tv shows and movies from 10, 15, 20 years ago (or more), there are ALSO movies from last year or two years ago or five years ago that I'd love to watch via the streaming service. I'd love to watch Action Thriller 1 and 2, but they only stream Action Thriller 3 (and the others are DVD only).
Most people care more about the lives of their countrymen (real losses and potential ones) than they do about people in other countries. It's not very loving, but it seems to be how most people think. Similarly, we're more concerned with our immediate family and friends than we are about people Far Far Away, despite the fact that (to the world) they are rarely any less special.
So yes, it doesn't surprise me that we'd pay $30M/each to "prevent" terrorist attacks, even if we might have been better off (collectively) spending it on programs to prevent child drownings or improve driving safety.
It certainly means they'll have a larger scalar value for the max percentage that they can sock away into a retirement fund, assuming their cost of living scales similarly. Hmm.
I especially liked this about some of the commentary from people like Day[9]. I loved the way they commented on the meta-game, or on fundamental concepts of the game that aren't really visible to scrubs like me until (or unless) we go looking for them.
I thought a fiat currency was one where the value was based on some powerful entity saying "Because I said so", rather than peoples' willingness to trade it for stuff?
Why do you care about exchanging them for real currency? It seems easier to think about it as exchanging them for the sorts of things which real currency could buy: sweaters, pizzas, services (web hosting, programming work, etc). Many of these things are legal, and there's potential that someone might also accept Bitcoins as payment for things that aren't legal (drugs, prostitution).
How often to most people care about exchanging currency? The only time is normally when one is changing borders to go to a place that uses a different currency. If I could do services or trade goods for WoW gold (mowing my lawn, selling my chickens' eggs, etc), would it matter whether I could turn the wow-gold into another currency? I don't think it would. (In practice, Blizzard's terms of service probably prohibit trading my virtual gold for real eggs or a mowed lawn.)
The message seems to be, "This [new currency] is going to be Awesome and Influential, and we think it will change the world". Yes, there's some advertisement, but it does a good job of explaining some of why we should be interested in it.
I think it's fascinating to have a currency like that (though I'm not sure how I'd use it). It's interesting that it predicts that people will USE it even when prohibited, and it seems illogical (but not unexpected) that governments would ban it. I'd expect that as long as I paid use taxes on goods or services I buy/receive that are paid with bitcoins, the government would be OK with it -- just like I should when buying with cash or from an out of state vendor. However, it'll probably be banned under the pretext that it's used by terrorists or drug dealers.
Interesting stuff. I'm still trying to understand how one can assign a value to it.
Are you referring to our history, in which we did drop nukes (but "desperate" is not the right adjective), or to a hypothetical future in which we could become so desperate as to feel nukes were a viable option?
I almost wish I could go through Israeli customs just to experience that. It feels bizarre to even say that, because I really don't enjoy going through customs anywhere, and have no reason to fly over there anyway, but I hear so often about how different + better it is that I'm curious how it feels as a passenger.
If it's not public, how would you have any oversight if there were extreme violations of proper conduct? (Some might say there are, but it could be less professional than it is.)
If you can't justify $250 for it, chances are you don't NEED Photoshop, and can use either the ones in the lab, or free alternatives. If you're a graphic arts student who really DOES need Photoshop, then suck it up and buy it: Consider it equivalent to buying a graphing calculator or a stack of physics textbooks.
We activated it 173 times last year. That's about three to four kidnappings per state. Six of those were hoaxes, and ten were considered unfounded, so 157 kidnappings activated the system.
I'm not eager to have my kid kidnapped, but it sure seems like more kids would be saved (from other dangers) more efficiently by spending the money differently. Then again, how much DO we budget for the Amber Alert system? I couldn't find it on the web with some meager searching.
Just like with Skype, you say, "Hey, go install this program (Mumble, Ventrilo, etc). Connect to my saved server, and Viola!"
That assumes, of course, that you use the pc-to-pc talk feature of skype, rather than the PC-to-phone service they offer, and that voice mail isn't important.
Diablo (1, 2, and soon 3) has enough nerds who like it or want more that it is most certainly news that matters. Hell, I didn't get into D1 or D2 and I would LOVE to get in the D3 beta. It's OK to feed us from the hype machine if it's something we're genuinely interested in.
When I put my glasses on, and look at the night sky in the mountains of southern California, it's VERY visible. Sometimes. When it's above you and you don't have light pollution (rare), it's spectacular. Before I got glasses, I couldn't see it.
Slashdot Mirror
You joke, but yeah.
Anyone interested in cybernetic eye replacements? I used to think it'd be awesome, and then I read the surgery story in Renraku Shutdown. *cringe*. I wish I could find a legit version on the web to link, as it does a really good job of de-glamorizing the idea of having your eyes taken out and replaced with "better" ones.
I think there was an implied, "... compared to a utility truck".
How do you mount the phone for stable recording? It sounds really interesting.
a luxury Jet owner CAN do things which will offset their CO2 usage -- plant trees, contribute money to some environmental cause which helps clean up waste, etc
This is important. For people who can afford such luxuries, the cost of charitable contributions are not budget-breaking. Most people (like me) do not feel they can afford to divert money to things like planting trees or funding conservation projects - and often can't afford to live as "greenly" we we might otherwise want to. (I'd love the option of a newer diesel or electric car. Sadly, they're expensive.)
We might ridicule wealthy people for subscribing to carbon credits, but ... is it bad to plant trees? I think that's hypocritical. I don't care if someone plants trees (or funds conservation charities) out of altriusm, guilt, or as a full-time job. Look at the effects, not the reasons for it.
Some of us use our votes as well as we can, and so far it's done very little to prevent the public gropings and the rest of the security theater.
I don't see the player taking cover very often -- how will this teach people to be effective soldiers? Is it just meant to be a propaganda piece (like the America's Army game was)?
While there are very good tv shows and movies from 10, 15, 20 years ago (or more), there are ALSO movies from last year or two years ago or five years ago that I'd love to watch via the streaming service. I'd love to watch Action Thriller 1 and 2, but they only stream Action Thriller 3 (and the others are DVD only).
Interesting. How can I configure it not to do that?
Most people care more about the lives of their countrymen (real losses and potential ones) than they do about people in other countries. It's not very loving, but it seems to be how most people think. Similarly, we're more concerned with our immediate family and friends than we are about people Far Far Away, despite the fact that (to the world) they are rarely any less special.
So yes, it doesn't surprise me that we'd pay $30M/each to "prevent" terrorist attacks, even if we might have been better off (collectively) spending it on programs to prevent child drownings or improve driving safety.
It certainly means they'll have a larger scalar value for the max percentage that they can sock away into a retirement fund, assuming their cost of living scales similarly. Hmm.
I especially liked this about some of the commentary from people like Day[9]. I loved the way they commented on the meta-game, or on fundamental concepts of the game that aren't really visible to scrubs like me until (or unless) we go looking for them.
I thought a fiat currency was one where the value was based on some powerful entity saying "Because I said so", rather than peoples' willingness to trade it for stuff?
Why do you care about exchanging them for real currency? It seems easier to think about it as exchanging them for the sorts of things which real currency could buy: sweaters, pizzas, services (web hosting, programming work, etc). Many of these things are legal, and there's potential that someone might also accept Bitcoins as payment for things that aren't legal (drugs, prostitution).
How often to most people care about exchanging currency? The only time is normally when one is changing borders to go to a place that uses a different currency. If I could do services or trade goods for WoW gold (mowing my lawn, selling my chickens' eggs, etc), would it matter whether I could turn the wow-gold into another currency? I don't think it would. (In practice, Blizzard's terms of service probably prohibit trading my virtual gold for real eggs or a mowed lawn.)
Holy shit. I should open the suitcase I have in my garage then and see if any of it's worth anything. :D
The message seems to be, "This [new currency] is going to be Awesome and Influential, and we think it will change the world". Yes, there's some advertisement, but it does a good job of explaining some of why we should be interested in it.
I think it's fascinating to have a currency like that (though I'm not sure how I'd use it). It's interesting that it predicts that people will USE it even when prohibited, and it seems illogical (but not unexpected) that governments would ban it. I'd expect that as long as I paid use taxes on goods or services I buy/receive that are paid with bitcoins, the government would be OK with it -- just like I should when buying with cash or from an out of state vendor. However, it'll probably be banned under the pretext that it's used by terrorists or drug dealers.
Interesting stuff. I'm still trying to understand how one can assign a value to it.
Are you referring to our history, in which we did drop nukes (but "desperate" is not the right adjective), or to a hypothetical future in which we could become so desperate as to feel nukes were a viable option?
I almost wish I could go through Israeli customs just to experience that. It feels bizarre to even say that, because I really don't enjoy going through customs anywhere, and have no reason to fly over there anyway, but I hear so often about how different + better it is that I'm curious how it feels as a passenger.
If it's not public, how would you have any oversight if there were extreme violations of proper conduct? (Some might say there are, but it could be less professional than it is.)
If you can't justify $250 for it, chances are you don't NEED Photoshop, and can use either the ones in the lab, or free alternatives. If you're a graphic arts student who really DOES need Photoshop, then suck it up and buy it: Consider it equivalent to buying a graphing calculator or a stack of physics textbooks.
Why did they say you couldn't take the pictures?
Fortunately, wagons or hand-carts work well for transporting loads like that. :D
We activated it 173 times last year. That's about three to four kidnappings per state. Six of those were hoaxes, and ten were considered unfounded, so 157 kidnappings activated the system.
I'm not eager to have my kid kidnapped, but it sure seems like more kids would be saved (from other dangers) more efficiently by spending the money differently. Then again, how much DO we budget for the Amber Alert system? I couldn't find it on the web with some meager searching.
Just like with Skype, you say, "Hey, go install this program (Mumble, Ventrilo, etc). Connect to my saved server, and Viola!"
That assumes, of course, that you use the pc-to-pc talk feature of skype, rather than the PC-to-phone service they offer, and that voice mail isn't important.
Diablo (1, 2, and soon 3) has enough nerds who like it or want more that it is most certainly news that matters. Hell, I didn't get into D1 or D2 and I would LOVE to get in the D3 beta. It's OK to feed us from the hype machine if it's something we're genuinely interested in.
When I put my glasses on, and look at the night sky in the mountains of southern California, it's VERY visible. Sometimes. When it's above you and you don't have light pollution (rare), it's spectacular. Before I got glasses, I couldn't see it.