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User: SunTzuWarmaster

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  1. Re:Makers and takers on 70% of U.S. Government Spending Is Writing Checks To Individuals · · Score: 1

    I hate to rain on your parade with facts, but here are some relevant facts:
    The Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) for someone currently in the workforce is around 57 (or any age with 25 years of service).
    Payments don't start until you actually hit MRA.
    The average federal worker makes 78K/year (let's not debate this too much, as president Obama is in these numbers).
    While you can start payments at MRA with only 5 years in service (woo!) the amount of that pay is 1% of your average salary for your three highest salaried years per year. In other words, you'd get less than 5% of your ending salary (about $325/month).

    The person in your example works for 20 years (let's say 18-38), "retires", begins receiving payments at 57 (no inflation adjustments during this time period). Let's pretend that this is the first year they receive payments (they retired in 1995) and that they made average salary ($61,000) at that time. They are now entitled to begin those lucrative payments you speak so highly about... $12200/year.

    Your point that they will receive this payment until the end of their life is accurate, and they may receive this $12K/year (which is now adjusted upwards yearly for inflation) until they are 90 years old.

    Sources:
    https://www.opm.gov/retirement...
    https://www.opm.gov/retirement...
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
    www.cato.org/pubs/tbb/tbb-0605-35.pdf

  2. Re:PowerPoint? on Physics Forum At Fermilab Bans Powerpoint · · Score: 1

    Perhaps by using this: http://tx.technion.ac.il/~zvik...
    Also, by drawing it in a drawing program and saving it as an image (http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/physics/fimg88.gif).

    Note: I am a scientist and use PowerPoint daily. There is a place for each goal:
    Giving a scientific talk at a conference (20 minute presentation, 10 minute Q/A) - PowerPoint
    Giving a project/program briefing of monthly activity - PowerPoint
    Giving a classroom presentation - PowerPoint

    It is a good format for one-way presenting. It is not a substitute for dialogue, decision making, collaborative pro/con analysis, or documentation. There are other solutions for that (whiteboard, whiteboard-handout combo, briefing-whiteboard combo, whitepaper, respectively).

  3. Re:Reading vs writing on The Neuroscience of Computer Programming · · Score: 4, Insightful

    In this case, reading, writing, listening, and speaking a foreign language should all be different tasks. The neuroscience doesn't lie: the region of the language processing center lights up; portions of programming are similar to foreign languages.

  4. [fuckbeta] Re:Now thats a performance... on Skinny Puppy Wants Compensation For Music Used in US Interrogations · · Score: 1

    Amazing playlist. All my favorites in one place!

    Please listen at: http://grooveshark.com/#!/play...

    Best. Playlist. Ever.

  5. Re:Now thats a performance... on Skinny Puppy Wants Compensation For Music Used in US Interrogations · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is awesome! All the best music in one place!

    I've made this my Grooveshark playlist! See it here: http://grooveshark.com/#!/play...

    You. Are. Welcome.

  6. [fuckbeta] on Build an Open-Source Electric Car In About One Hour · · Score: 1

    Missing option: I'm jumping ship to the first replacement that comes up. Slashcode will likely do a good job.

  7. Re:Fork Slashdot on Build an Open-Source Electric Car In About One Hour · · Score: 1
  8. Re:Peak "platform" on The JavaScript Juggernaut Rolls On · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Words have meaning and purpose. What words would you use to express the following concepts?

      - a collection of tools which allow you to build a new component through their leverage, while not contributing significantly to the overall effectiveness of the tools (or won't particularly be used in operation)

      - a collection of functional components which you will use as part of the operation of a new component

    Currently, the words are "platform" and "system". I'm happy to switch to other words if they express the concept better.

  9. Re: It might be an unpopular opinion... on Ask Slashdot: What Does Edward Snowden Deserve? · · Score: 1

    The premise of this post is factually inaccurate. You can be pardoned prior to being brought to trial. As a famous example, famously, President Ford pardoned Nixon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W...

    Additionally, you don't have to be pardoned for crimes. As an example, please read the text of the pardon (proclamation 4311).

    Now, Therefore, I, Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States, pursuant to the pardon power conferred upon me by Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, have granted and by these presents do grant a full, free, and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 20, 1969 through August 9, 1974.

    The above is quite clearly a pardon for crimes which he "may have committed" during that time. He could have killed a million people with his bare hands, the pardon would still stand.

  10. Re:No. 404 is important! on Fixing Broken Links With the Internet Archive · · Score: 4, Interesting

    So let's say that my company has three lines of products on three different webpages. We decide to discontinue two of the lines of products for being unprofitable, and remove the pages. Google search results still show the pages, and archive.org still shows them to users. These products are still shown to my potential customers, who experience frustration when they attempt to get them.

    Alternately, I create a temporary webpage for displaying some demo content to a potential client. It is a demo page, and ridden with bugs, holes, and other areas that need improvement. Archive.org still shows this page as part of search results? What will potential clients think of my company, given that it put up a buggy/terrible page?

    Alternately, let's just say that I rename a longstanding webpage (technology.slashdot.org to tech.slashdot.org) and delete the old URL. Should archive.org redirect to false content?

    Or, let's say that my restaurant decides to take down its 2013menu.html page, and doesn't wish customers to be able to compare its new and old menu side by side to see where prices inflated.

    Error messages have purpose. While the most common case is that the page/server went offline, there are many times where a page URL changes as a result of regular website updates, where you don't want users to obtain old content.

    Sometimes things are deleted for a reason.

  11. Re:Just wow. on The True Color of Ancient Sea Creatures · · Score: 1

    Consider this situation:
    Kid: What color was the ichthyosaur?
    Parent: "We don't know, but it was probably dark-colored because it lived deep in the ocean. However, it may have been brightly colored to attract a mate, may have glowed in the dark to attract prey, or may have had tiger-like patterning to hide in native vegetation. We may never know."
    ...
    Scientist: "We have found out! It was dark grey. You should cheer because we have answered a fundamental question about the ichthyosaur. We can use this method to discover what color the other dinosaurs were, if you would want to know."

  12. Re:Bigger than Jesus? on Why Charles Stross Wants Bitcoin To Die In a Fire · · Score: 1

    I'd just like to say that the Beatles haven't been bigger than Jesus since 2004, when Google started recording search results...
    http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=%2Fm%2F07c0j%2C%20Jesus&cmpt=q

    Also, that they weren't bigger than Jesus, in text, at any time:
    https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=the+Beatles%2CJesus&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cthe%20Beatles%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2CJesus%3B%2Cc0

    Jesus is still bigger than bitcoin... for now...
    http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=bitcoin%2C%20jesus&cmpt=q

  13. Re:Still becomes a brick. on Google Is Building a Way To Launch Chrome Apps Without Installation · · Score: 3, Informative

    It mostly works the way that you have represented. The majority of your post in on the back-end propagation of updates, which works well, and obviously doesn't work when offline. Generally apps work offline by default (like a saved webpage), unless your app needs to reach to an online site.

  14. Re:We all slated Windows for doing this on Google Is Building a Way To Launch Chrome Apps Without Installation · · Score: 1

    Chrome apps are submitted in a manifest along with all of their files to Google, which charges a fee to be a developer ($5), establishes a limit on the number of apps, and has automated checks to make sure that security precautions are applied.

  15. Re:Still becomes a brick. on Google Is Building a Way To Launch Chrome Apps Without Installation · · Score: 3, Informative

    I am a Chrome app developer (a bad one, but whatever), and all of the apps I've made work offline.

  16. Re:Still becomes a brick. on Google Is Building a Way To Launch Chrome Apps Without Installation · · Score: 5, Informative

    This isn't true at all... I made a "Mirror" app yesterday (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/mirror-tds/fapfdhoailemkonegpjdhngmjfpmdjdj) on my Chromebook which works just as well as a "flipped webcam image" offline as it does online.

    My other app to graph relationships between objects (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/tensity-grapher/keomiemppflejbjkafeaepbdhigggifd) also works offline.

    As does Google Docs (Offline), as the calculator, as does a timer, and my calendar, and many of the apps I have installed (I'm frequently offline).

    I don't have a GSM subscription (I use wifi), Google Chrome doesn't sell such a subscription (try it with your own laptop, with whatever wifi/service you have), and many apps work without internet connection.

  17. Re:TFA leaps to strange conclusions. A bad questio on A Math Test That's Rotten To the Common Core · · Score: 1

    Someone at Pearson came up with a bad question.

    Whelp, we might as well never have common standards than!

    You hit the nail on the head. Numerous but relatively minor details in a large program rollout are to be expected. The benefit of establishing standards outweighs the difficulties of establishment.

  18. Python on Ask Slashdot: Best Language To Learn For Scientific Computing? · · Score: 1

    I am a scientist who dabbles in data mining problems. I use Python with a healthy dose of C++ and the occasional Java. These are probably the three most common languages among the community. I see people using R and Matlab relatively frequently. A bunch of people in this topic have suggested Fortran, but I've never seen anyone use it seriously.

    I haven't run into anyone who who doesn't use a minimum of two programming languages (Python/C++, Matlab/Java, etc.).

    Note that Kaggle.com (the data mining competition site) frequently posts their example solutions in Python. Failure to understand the Python solution starts you out at a healthy disadvantage.

  19. Re:One size does not fit all... on How Data Analytics In Education Could Create a New Class of Haves and Have-nots · · Score: 0

    If only there were some sort of public sector approach to the same initiative. Wherever would you find it?

    https://gifttutoring.org/ [gifttutoring.org]
    http://www.adlnet.org/ [adlnet.org]
    http://learningregistry.org/ [learningregistry.org]
    http://www.darpa.mil/Our_Work/DSO/Programs/Education_Dominance.aspx [darpa.mil]
    http://www.tutor.com/military/eligibility [tutor.com]
    http://www.learnlab.org/ [learnlab.org]

    And if only some research laboratories were working on the problem... Like Arizona State University, Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia Teacher's College, the University of Memphis, the University of Central Florida, and others...

  20. Re:Meet the new boss, same as the old boss... on How Data Analytics In Education Could Create a New Class of Haves and Have-nots · · Score: 1

    If only there were some sort of public sector approach to the same initiative. Wherever would you find it?

    https://gifttutoring.org/
    http://www.adlnet.org/
    http://learningregistry.org/
    http://www.darpa.mil/Our_Work/DSO/Programs/Education_Dominance.aspx
    http://www.tutor.com/military/eligibility
    http://www.learnlab.org/

    And if only some research laboratories were working on the problem... Like Arizona State University, Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia Teacher's College, the University of Memphis, the University of Central Florida, and others...

  21. Re:When they want to. And ONLY when they want to. on How Early Should Kids Learn To Code? · · Score: 1

    IF AND ONLY IF THEY WANT TO, AND ONLY WHEN THEY WANT TO

    My favorite subjects are Lunch, Nap, "Free Play"/Gym, and Sex Ed., which I believe are in line with all of humanities favorite activities.

    (Bonus points for a Pip & Flinx reference to the Ulru-Ujurrians, the advanced race who simply wants to "eat, sleep, mate, and play games".)

  22. Re:Makes sense on Bill Gates Acknowledges Ctrl+Alt+Del Was a Mistake · · Score: 1

    I use the Start key all of the time. Seriously. I use it in the following manner, essentially as a keyboard shortcut and linux holdover:

    *Start* (type some keys) (enter) to launch a program.
    Frequent uses include "cal" for Calculator, "not" for notepad, "wor" for Word, and "add or remove" for the Program Manager

    *Start* (# key) to bring up window #.
    One uses include Start+1 (Currently set to the Google App Launcher) (then used as the first example)
    Another is Start+2, which is always my E-mail application (across multiple computers)

    *Start*+R to bring up the "Run" dialog
    Frequent uses from the Run dialog are "dxdiag", "cmd", and "regedit"

    *Start*+D to "Show Desktop"
    Admittedly used less now with the prevalence of two monitors

    *Start*+E to bring up Explorer
    Used ALL THE TIME

    *Start*+CTRL+TAB to bring up a listing of all windows
    Admittedly, this is mapped to a StrokeIt Gesture shortcut (but the point stands)

    *Start*+DirectionalArrow (Up/Down/Left/Right)
    Used to move, maximize, and restore a window. Try it, Start+Left will put a window at half of your left screen. SUPER USEFUL. USED ALL THE TIME. EXTRA POINTS ON A BIG MONITOR. This is the fastest way to move windows to a second monitor.

    I probably do 90% of these every day. I use the Start key as much as CTRL and ALT.

  23. Re:So why continue it... on Bill Gates Acknowledges Ctrl+Alt+Del Was a Mistake · · Score: 5, Informative

    I use the Start key all of the time. Seriously. I use it in the following manner, essentially as a keyboard shortcut and linux holdover:

    *Start* (type some keys) (enter) to launch a program.
    Frequent uses include "cal" for Calculator, "not" for notepad, "wor" for Word, and "add or remove" for the Program Manager

    *Start* (# key) to bring up window #.
    One uses include Start+1 (Currently set to the Google App Launcher) (then used as the first example)
    Another is Start+2, which is always my E-mail application (across multiple computers)

    *Start*+R to bring up the "Run" dialog
    Frequent uses from the Run dialog are "dxdiag", "cmd", and "regedit"

    *Start*+D to "Show Desktop"
    Admittedly used less now with the prevalence of two monitors

    *Start*+E to bring up Explorer
    Used ALL THE TIME

    *Start*+CTRL+TAB to bring up a listing of all windows
    Admittedly, this is mapped to a StrokeIt Gesture shortcut (but the point stands)

    *Start*+DirectionalArrow (Up/Down/Left/Right)
    Used to move, maximize, and restore a window. Try it, Start+Left will put a window at half of your left screen. SUPER USEFUL. USED ALL THE TIME. EXTRA POINTS ON A BIG MONITOR. This is the fastest way to move windows to a second monitor.

    I probably do 90% of these every day. I use the Start key as much as CTRL and ALT.

  24. Re:As a citizen of this planet... on DARPA Launches Military Spaceplane Project · · Score: 1

    Research Development Evaluation and Test part of the Department of Defense portion of the president's budget. The budget is available at http://www.darpa.mil/newsevents/budget.aspx.

    For those in the acronym game: President's DoD RDT&E funding, cross-service.

  25. Re:Was Java a good choice for the AP requirement? on Murdoch's AP Computer Science MOOC Goes Live · · Score: 1

    I took the AP CS course in 2003 in C++, and again in 2004 in Java. "Slack off in the computer lab and learn a new programming language", count me in! Later, this proved to be a wise choice.