Slashdot Mirror


User: jd.schmidt

jd.schmidt's activity in the archive.

Stories
0
Comments
322
First seen
Last seen
Profile
(view on slashdot.org)

Comments · 322

  1. Drug test at PetSmart on Employers Struggle To Find Workers Who Can Pass A Drug Test · · Score: 1

    The craziest drug testing policy I ever saw was at PetSmart. A sign proclaim they were proud to have a drug free workplace. My immediate first thought was I don't care if the guy selling me dog food was high. I would rather they test my plane's piolet or my surgeon if they test anyone at all.

  2. Re:Study Authors need to learn math on Girls From Progressive Societies Do Better At Math, Study Finds (sciencecodex.com) · · Score: 1

    I know, it is pretty awful of me to want to focus on how to help boys and girls do better in school. But it is the case that one of the defining characteristics of "gender equality" in society is how girls scores in school relative to social averages. There is math involved in understanding the consequences of feeding data back into your model.

  3. Study Authors need to learn math on Girls From Progressive Societies Do Better At Math, Study Finds (sciencecodex.com) · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I have seen the data, yes girls do better in math in progressive societies, relative to boys, but they also do better in language and all areas of schooling relative to boys. In other words, girls do better in school overall and of course one of the measures of a progressive society is how well girls do in school. Thus they found that in societies where girls do better in schools, they do better in math also. What people should ask is how to get the best performance out of boys and girls and which countries have found a formula for that.

  4. I bow to your bureaucratic skills in awe.

  5. Re:NPR is much better than you think on Former Facebook Workers: We Routinely Suppressed Conservative News (gizmodo.com) · · Score: 1

    Maybe stations in different markets have different editorial content, but I hardly found my station dismissive on Sanders, seen many of the accusations again Clinton addressed in a factual matter (as opposed to with more typical hyperbole) and really can't remember anything about Trumps golf game or taco bowl. They aren't perfect, but the point is they genuinely try to get out factual, complete and relevant information. With most other news sources it doesn't take long for me to figure out that information is clearly being left out and/or skewed.

  6. NPR is much better than you think on Former Facebook Workers: We Routinely Suppressed Conservative News (gizmodo.com) · · Score: 1

    You need news sources that actually pride themselves in their accuracy and thoroughness. Also The Economist is pretty good too.

  7. .1% how did they come up with that BS? on Global Catastrophe, Even Human Extinction, Isn't All That Unlikely (theatlantic.com) · · Score: 1

    Really, so there is a 1 in a thousand chance of humanity exterminating itself next year? Like same chance I might roll a 00 to hit and then roll 10 damage? We face real problems, but I think the assumptions behind these numbers should be examined.

  8. Re:Just a Blizzard publicity stunt to stay relevan on AIs vs Humans - Next Battle: Starcraft (businessinsider.com) · · Score: 1

    Actually I think all of their game have been a financial success compared to what would normally be called a success in the game industry. It is just that WoW was a ridiculous juggernaut cash cow. You simply can't plan for every game to give that kind of financial success and if revenue drops off from WoW, they will have no choice but to downsize into a more normal, if still successful, sized company. If anything it looks like they are managing the transition better that many companies in the past.

  9. I go out to dinner, and when I do I talk to the family and friends I go out to dinner with, not the Waite staff, they are very secondary to the experience. Don't pity me, if you have to go to a restaurant to have social interactions, I ought pity you! I have no problem with people working at very up scale restaurants making a living wage, but lots of them are barely getting by and the constant threats that these poor paying jobs might be "taken away by robots" if the poor saps working them won't accept even less money disgusts me. Frankly, you are getting the spillover from my irritation about that attitude, but all in all better to call this bluff and say "hell yes" to robot servers.

  10. I mean, are you talking to the waiter or the guests? Is it to make you feel important? Just force of habit? There was a SciFi book where a tyrant had human servants, to show he could, and everyone was scandalized because they knew full well robots could do it just as well. OK, sure at a super fancy place where the whole experience is a little bit show, but over all, I would be happier to not make a human serve me.

  11. This is great! on California's $15-an-Hour Minimum Wage May Spur Automation (computerworld.com) · · Score: 1

    Yes, please have robots do crap jobs! The Ancient Egyptians had 100% employment, pulling sandstone blocks in the desert. Jobs that don't/can't pay a living wage aren't worth having. Robots will change the economy and we have to help people transition and get real work, but our current situation sound like something out of Oliver Twist were people have the choice of slow starvation working at a McJob or quick starvation on the street.

  12. Re:Nuclear weapons aren't the deterrent on Kim To N. Korean Military: Be Ready To Use Nuclear Weapons At Any Time (reuters.com) · · Score: 1

    The Chinese are, seriously. Yes, this would only be in response to certain types of actions in NK, notably appearing to be trying to reunify with SK, but the Chinese have a contingency plan for that possibility, bank on it. Also, NK doesn't really know that we won't attack them. They know we CAN win a war with them, possibly even if the Chinese rush to their defense, they really only have the deterrent of massive civilian casualties in SK. The problem with a democracy is some who want to invade your country just might be elected, so you can never be sure.

  13. Limiting Population helps a country on Laid-Off Disney IT Workers Decry Offshoring At Trump Rally (computerworld.com) · · Score: 1

    The is a very simple rule that pretty much always is true. The more resources per capita, the better off a population is. There are plenty of examples of poorly run countries that mismanage their wealth, but even they are better off than poorly run countries with no wealth. By limiting population from all sources, immigration and internal growth, the populace of a country will be better off. I wish people could live where they feel like, but until we get a zero population growth problems will continue. Our jobs may be outsourced, but so long as we have high natural resources per capita, we will be better off.

  14. I am so freaking ready... on Internet By Light Promises To Leave Wi-Fi Eating Dust (yahoo.com) · · Score: 1

    .. to not have an exposed microwave in my house and work.

  15. You won't believe me on Snowden Would Return To US If Government Guarantees Fair Trial (thehill.com) · · Score: 1

    Snowden would actually be happier in jail. At the end of the day, this is going to eat away at him and lead to a life of fear and self doubt. Why bother talking about coming back to the U.S. if everything is fine right where he is at and our government is corrupt. Better to make your case and take the punishment than spend a life on the run. His case is so famous I seriously doubt he could be swept under the rug at this point.

  16. I thought the 3 laws of robotics was a joke on Why Sarcasm Is Such a Problem In Artificial Intelligence (thestack.com) · · Score: 1

    Honestly, you guys kill each other so often, how the hell was I supposed to know you were serious about this one. Geez, sarcasm mode off, sorry.

  17. Aren't you actually happy to know what kind of back room deals the politicians are making and who's interests they are really serving?

  18. Freedom is still the best answer on Ted Cruz Wants Minimum H-1B Wage of $110,000 (computerworld.com) · · Score: 1

    Make it easier for H1-B visa's to transfer and a generous grace period, that way good talent can stay and compete in the job market. Make it easy to do business in the U.S., just take away the ability to hold labor hostage to a visa.

  19. He can't cut salaries in the future! on The Story of the CEO Paying Everyone $70k Gets Complicated · · Score: 1

    Maybe, maybe the lawsuit helped motivate him to be more generous, but it isn't like he can drastically cut salaries later without insane backlash. A person can do a thing for more than one reason, it could well be that him fighting with his brother over money made him realize how petty they were both being.

  20. Re:Russia won't retaliate on Turkey Downs Allegedly Intruding Russian Fighter Near Syria Border (reuters.com) · · Score: 1

    Think again, they may not retaliate directly since that really might start WWIII, but with Syria the Russians are in the position of supporting an entrenched government. They are able to start sending all kinds of troops and support to Syria and as they are simply bolstering an existing regime, the assistance will be very direct and effective. What's more the regime, and it ethnic supporters, really have no choice but to fight to survive. Turkey shot down the plane in retaliation for the bombing of Turkmen villages near Turkey's border, this was blatantly to make it hard for Russia to run air missions and no other reason.

  21. We are playing a dangerous and stupid game on Turkey Downs Allegedly Intruding Russian Fighter Near Syria Border (reuters.com) · · Score: 2

    First off, Turkey shot down this plane for reasons important to Turkey. The plane may well have crossed into Turkey, though it sounds like it flew over a spit of land on an irregular boarder area, but the Turkish air force pursued it and shot it down over Syria, that is blatantly clear by where it crashed. Sure they "warned" the plane, for 5 whole minutes, but they obviously had the aircraft right there with the finger on the trigger and at the time of the shooting the plane would have been in Syria. Turkey was looking for an excuse an got one. The reason the plane was so easy to down was because the pilot didn't expect them to shoot. The reason for the attack is Turkey is trying to make it as difficult as possible for Russia to use it's air power, not because anyone legitimately thought Turkish forces or civilians were in serious danger. Had Russia actually been dropping bombs in Turkey, that would be a different matter and there would be undeniable proof. If our top priority was to stop ISIS, we would support Assad and simply do our best to make the support conditional on reforms. He clearly only wants to stay in power and has already agreed to any number of reforms. This isn't to say that Assad is a good guy, but rather a statement that our so called allies in the area are pretty weak to non existent. Plus, at the end of the day I don't know that their priorities really match ours, all we really know about them is they aren't Assad and they aren't ISIS. So why are we doing this? This is feeling more like a proxy war between the U.S. and Russia, and less like anyone actually cares about ISIS one way or the other. We aren't going to bomb our way to peace over there, making the war last longer is going to create more terrorists, not less. I don't know what they will call themselves, but I know we are just going to create more people with a grudge against the West, and I suppose Russia as well.

  22. Re:In other news.... on $70k Salaries Didn't 'Backfire'; Gravity Payments' Profits Have Doubled (inc.com) · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Not too long ago many were saying the common wisdom is the new salaries would ruin the company. Maybe we should all hold our horses and see how it works long term.

  23. Funny thing aobut phone and Web traffic on Americans Show 'Surprising Willingness' To Accept Internet Surveillance (dailydot.com) · · Score: 2

    That is because most people are quite sensible. The simple fact is all this stuff is already recorded, the phone company knows who you called, the Web site knows you visited and the email hosts knows you sent the email. Most people are relying on secure through obscurity and they know it full well. Even if the government doesn't have your records, the vendor always does and everyone knows full well they would have to turn it over to the government if forced. What people really want to know is the rules of the road and what the government is up to and what they are doing with it, just like they want to know what the business is up to and what they business will do with their data.

  24. Bah, you beat me to it. Well done sir!

  25. Re:On the Internet no one knows you are a dog... on Getting More Women Coders Into Open Source · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Eh, I was unaware code was turned away because it came from either gender. Again I don't know how open source projects collaborate, but on the face of it you would think what a person looks likes matters least there. But maybe it doesn't work the way I think it does.