You DO realize we're only lighting a candle, not a thermite charge, right?
Yeeeesssssss.... So take it easy with the strange capitalization. People have been doing this technique for hundreds of years, and they generally don't suddenly "get wet and die".
At some point early on, when the writer didn't know much about lasers, he got the idea for laser swords. Ok, fine, I get that. No problem.
But later on, when he had time to think about it, and had probably had the whole "lasers are just light, therefore ephemeral" thing pointed out a few hundred times by well-meaning fans, he could have re-thought the idea and come up with an explanation that actually made sense.
Instead, Lucas et al came up with the concept of a laser beam focused through some special crystal. Uh huh. Yeeeeaaah. Good idea, George.
All he would have had to do was say "Lightsabers are actually plasma weapons, which guide the plasma using a powerful magnetic field emitted at the end of the lightsaber. This is why lightsabers bounce off each other." Or maybe claim that they are actually very small hyperspace generators which curve space in such a way that it superheats and generates a magnetic field. It's so easy to come up with a plausible explanation that doesn't involve lasers.
It's like they couldn't be bothered to make their technology believable.
And what about "midichloreans"??? Here's a better explanation for the force: "People are actually three dimensional cross-sections of ten-dimensional beings, and some of us have more of a connection to our larger selves than others. If our connection to our higher-dimensional component is particularly strong, we can actually affect reality in higher dimensions, with effects in this one that appear supernatural." See how easy it is? I just pulled that right out of my butt, and it's better than midichloreans.
...Dig a cave in a snowbank, pack the snow down nice and hard, wrap up in as many blankets as you can, and light candles. The temperature will get up around 40 or 50 and you'll be ok. It's an old trick, but a good trick -- snow is an excellent insulator.
An alternate technique, if the snow is deep enough, is to dig a circular pit around a tree, down to the base of the tree, and tie a tarp around the top of the hole to keep the wind out. The snowbank trick is better, though, especially because you can pile up your own snowbank, pack it, and tunnel into it.:)
(Lots of shuffling as several dozen rather large men form into a platoon formation).
Sergeant Cole: Ok, ladies, we all know why we're here. You have that certain something that your Uncle Sam needs, and you're going to use it on his behalf. Each of you has tested positive for the Fat Virus. Each of you is in the beginning stages of your corpulence, your blossoming into obesity, your glorious inflation. Each of you is a walking biological weapon and we're going to shove you right down the enemy's throat!
(Some uncomfortable shuffling in the platoon)
Sergeant Cole: Oh, SURE, those damn Europeans and Russians and Japs have been laughing at us. "Look at us," they say, "we're so skinny and beautiful!" SURE they are! FOR NOW! But we're going to take care of THAT little problem, AREN'T WE LADIES?"
Platoon: SIR, YES SIR!
Sergeant Cole: Ok, here are your assignments. Each of you has been set up as a tourist in a significant European, Japanese, Chinese, or Russian city. You are to wander aimlessly, taking pictures of whatever dumb stuff you come across, acting innocent. At a predetermined time, you are going to "accidentally" stumble across a strategically important brothel! These brothels have been carefully selected. They are the ones frequented by enemy special forces, enemy military units, enemy researchers. You will act surprised, you will enter, AND YOU WILL FUCK!
Platoon: (murmuring)
Sergeant Cole: You will pass your precious Fat Virus on to every whore in every brothel we send you to, and in doing so, you will pass the Fat Virus on to the entire enemy armed forces! They in turn will return to their home towns and pass the Fat Virus on to their girlfriends, their wives, their lovers! Our calculations indicate that within ten years they'll all be as fat as us. And then, we will LAUGH! We will laugh a hearty, fat man laugh as the world expands before us! HA HA HA!
Platoon: SIR, HA HA HA, SIR!
Sergeant Cole: Fall out! There are doughnuts and coffee in the back of the squadbay.
Hehehe... Thanks for understanding. I posted too quickly, more or less.
Actually, the class was pretty cool. It scared the crap out of all of us when it came to drugs, venereal diseases, and all sorts of other hazards. Our gorgeous teacher (Oh, you hottie, if only I knew where you were, now that I'm not a sixth grader anymore!) explained in meticulous detail all the symptoms of all the horrible, uncurable venereal diseases we would get if we slept around. Herpes in particular (remember, this was around 1980) loomed as a bogeyman from hell.
She was a good teacher. I hope she's still in the business...
Well, you know... Being a relatively fat person, I think I can confirm that I already feel QUITE lonely and depressed, although I don't feel suicidal. I occasionally feel like killing off all the "beautiful people", in a creative, Dr. Evil sort of scheme ("I shall poison the worldwide supply of Absolut Cranberry while it is enroute to trendy bars, MUHAHAAHAHA!"). But suicidal, no.
Don't forget Europe and Russia -- they aren't going to want to sit that one out. If our government can't handle space exploration, and other governments and private organizations step into the vacuum they leave, that's ok with me. At least our species is still making progress. The question is, ultimately, are we stuck on this one planet or are we going to colonize outwards?
I'd like to see us colonize, even if that means the U.S. isn't really involved particularly. I see it as a species-wide issue, not a national one.
I just read the wikipedia article you supplied, and it seems I'm a little off. Looks like morphine is the active agent in ALL of the materials made from opium, laudanum included.
You're close; when I was in sixth grade, we had a "health" class which taught how various drugs were manufactured, and what horrible side effects you could expect, etc. It was basically a "Don't try this stuff, because THIS is what happens to you when you do" sort of thing. It was very interesting, probably one of my more interesting classes. Also the teacher was TOTALLY hot.
Anyway, basically, it works like this. They start out with opium poppies, which when cut release this black, nasty, tar-like liquid. They dry this out and that's opium, which used to be smoked in "opium dens". This in turn can be refined further into different substances, like heroin, hashish, or morphine. Morphine is the legal, legitimate product, heroin and hash of course are the street drugs. Laudinum, I think, was made from raw opium or hashish, as a sort of liquid solution, but I'm not completely sure about that. Supposedly Victorian ladies often drank laudanum the way modern suburban housewives drop Xanax or valium. And downing a whole bottle of it was a popular suicide technique, wasn't it? I seem to have heard something to that effect.
That's my understanding of it, anyway -- keeping in mind that sixth grade was like, 25 years ago.:)
Ah, but if this is true, we should switch from democracy to technocracy, with the leaders of the country testing in, as in civil service, rather than being elected. Of course this would create problems of its own. You'd have to take steps to make sure that no leaders could act against the best interest of the dopey masses.
Hmm... Brave New World! It might not be bad if they take out the deliberate genetic engineering of classes, and let students test up to their best potential... The real problem with the society Huxeley warned us about was that it was totalitarian and caste-driven. What if you tried for something like that but allowed for fluid movement between classes based on ability?
I like that idea. Let the cream rise to the top and rule.
An IQ test judges your reasoning and problem solving ability, i.e. your ability to solve abstract problems through logic. This is a measure of your ability to participate in the maintenance of civilization - your ability to handle technical, difficult tasks well.
I recently passed a practical test (not an IQ test, mind you, but a practical for promotion within my technical field). I got an almost perfect score, and when it was adjusted for curve, ended up with a 102.5. The next runner up had a final score of 92. This is state-wide, mind you, not just within my agency.
My coworkers all failed the test. None of them had a passing score (70). Eventually, someone said "Well, he's just good at taking tests, that's all." And that person basically assumed he would NEVER do well on the test, and stopped trying.
The test itself was basically a very difficult practical exam. You had to bench-test source code written in a made-up language (whose specifications were provided). You had to solve IQ-type problems involving logical deduction. You had to work through some analysis problems. All in all, I found it a horribly difficult, thoroughly enjoyable test that judged the actual skills a programmer needs on the job.
Now, why did I find the test challenging but enjoyable, but the others found it impossible?
And why did they assume that I was just "good at taking tests", rather than good at my job?
I submit to you that the answer is that when you're good at the skills the test measures, you won't have a problem with the test. When you AREN'T good at the skills the test measures, you'll have a rotten time. And the REAL reason one person does well and another does not is the difference in their actual SKILLS, which of course is what the test is meant to measure.
I.Q. tests measure logical reasoning and problem solving abilities. Being "good at IQ tests" indicates that you're good at what the test is trying to measure -- so the test is doing it's job perfectly.
And, Reagan before that, and so on... At least Bush version 1 had some experience in international affairs. His son is an embarassment.
But, hey, proof positive is the comparative ratings of "The Discovery Channel" and "MTV". People are more interested in that tart Britney Spears than they are Carl Sagan.
Sometimes I think we're an evolutionary dead end. Oh, well. We'll go out with a whimper, not a bang -- I HOPE.
I have to disagree with you here. The problem with "normal people" is NOT that NASA somehow let them down. The problem with "normal people" is that they're MORONS.
How do I know they're morons? Let's see;
1. They voted Bush in, not once, but TWICE. The second time was AFTER he'd already substantially screwed up our relations with the entire rest of the world and managed to do all sorts of nasty things to our civil liberties and plunge us from a surplus into a deep national deficit.
2. They aren't interested in science or math, but rather, idiotic sports statistics. Little Johnny can't be bothered to study physics, but he can recite to you every meaningless number related to major league baseball for the past fifty years. And don't get me started on the schmucks playing fantasy baseball or football, or conjuring up "dream teams" and having endless arguments over which would beat which -- I mean, MY GOD, two professionals arguing over which FICTIONAL TEAM WOULD WIN! It's like two kids arguing over whether Superman could kick Batman's ass, or whether Spock was a bigger badass than Sulu.
3. They care more about which idiot celebrity is fucking/impregnating/cheating on/divorcing which, than they do about the future of their own nation. This is particularly astounding when the celebrities in question don't even know these people exist, and when they ARE confronted with them, react callously.
4. They believe all the propaganda they're fed, and demand more, and they fall back on religion and superstition whenever they're nervous. Notice the surge in "alternative medicine" (which is really just magical thinking). Aunt Joannah thinks her lung cancer is going to be cured by her chiropractor waving his fucking hands over her tits and saying "I'm giving you my energy". Do you really think old Joannah is smart enough to be interested in space?
5. Worst of all, the mainstream culture here in America punishes intelligence and interest in math or science. The quickest way to become an outcast in school is to be interested in physics, math, chemistry, or computer science. You'll get tormented for it. Trust one who knows.
Don't blame this on NASA. People are stupid. They have always BEEN stupid. It's the way of things.
I was in Bamberger's (Macy's used to be called Macys/Bambergers until they finally dropped Bamberger's, and ours had always just been called "Bamberger's") where my mother worked. While I was waiting for her, I wandered into the TV section, where an old guy was watching the shuttle launch on television. We watched the shuttle go up, up, up, and then basically blow up in what looked to me like a cloud of steam with two rockets arcing off it. We were both like, "what just happened?" Then the announcer said something about it and I realized the shuttle had blown up.
At the time, I was 16. I was completely shocked and amazed that such a thing could happen. I literally didn't know what to say or make of it. I don't think the old guy did, either.
I think it's the same sort of thing my mother's generation felt when they heard Kennedy had been killed. She said she cried for hours over poor Kennedy.
When 9/11 happened, I was pulling into my agency's parking lot and the attendant, a scruffy old man (again, an old man -- that's interesting, now that I think about it, if it was a movie it'd be symbolic) told me "Hey, some fucking ragheads just went nuts and flew a plane into the trade center. All hell's breaking loose." We got sent home early because many of the staff (myself included) had family working in the area.
Another interesting note: my father was scheduled to be in a meeting in a building right next to the trade center. He didn't make it into the city because of traffic, and got called back to Yonkers by his boss, who'd heard about the events and recalled all the employees. But my mother and I didn't find out he was ok until later that evening because the phone lines were all screwed up.
Formative moments... Isn't it interesting that now, every generation of Americans for the past fifty years has experienced traumatic, unforgettable, shared experiences due to the reach of our media? I wonder what effect all of this is going to have on us long-term. Culturally, psychologically... It's interesting.
And what was up with the weird, green, kitty-cat aliens? They were some of the worst animatronic puppets I've ever seen.
And why would a bunch of fighter pilots suddenly become GRUNTS??? When I was in the Marines, the pilots never went anywhere NEAR an actual close quarters battle... They bombed the crap out of the enemy from thousands of feet in the air, and LIKED IT THAT WAY.
Sheesh is right!
By the way, about the black chick who got pushed over the side, I didn't see why they didn't just drive the little tractor out and PUSH THE PLANE INTO THE HANGAR. If I was the black chick, I'd be yelling into the microphone, "Hey, motherfuckers! You'd better step the fuck off with that tractor, I've still got missles left! Push my ass back inside, you skanky, bony-ass bitch! You can demote me later!"
Now, THAT is interesting. Theoretically, you could put all your games on the hard drive, and legally use it as a backup of your collection. Hey, how is it implemented? Can you swap out the disk for, say, a 200GB model, or whatever? Replace a bad disk? I'm thinking "long-term collection backup" here, good for twenty years or more...
You like the hard drive? I wasn't sure about it, and didn't get one, myself... I've been doing okay without it. But I can see ways you might be able to use it, for instance, to copy all your games to it and clone them on another machine (is this possible?). If it makes backups possible, then maybe I'd be willing to get one, but otherwise, I don't know what I'd do with it.:)
The slimline is SO much better, though. The disc bay is like a regular cd player, with a door that opens instead of a sliding tray -- less motor-driven parts to break down over time. Also it comes with an ethernet port built in, and has a built-in infrared receiver for the DVD remote.
I'm going to buy a couple of these as backups, stock up on fun PS2 games, and sit out the "next generation" console wars.
I love PS2s!
Of course... The only thing I still use my XBox for is Halo II. When they drop XBox support on XBox Live, I'm going to give up on it... Then I'll be PS2 only.
I heard that some of the people looking at Iraq thought that Saddam's scientists had told him "we need x amount of dollars so we can build you y superweapon" and then, took the money and bought regular research tools, with which they did boring old regular research. Saddam apparently didn't know any better, and kept funding them.
So, considering your link, picture this:
Iraqi General: "O Mighty Saddam, we need several thousand Playstations, with one extra controller each!"
Saddam: "What in hell for? Aren't those videogames?"
Iraqi General: "Uhhhhhh YES! But they contain mighty processor chips, with which we will control a fleet of intercontinental ballistic missles and destroy the infidel!"
Saddam: "Amazing! Yes, I grant you your request!"
(later)
Iraqi Captain: "He bought it???"
Iraqi General: "Yes, yes he did. It was amazing. Here's the money; make sure you get me Dead or Alive II, with the bosoms, praise Allah! And oh, I want copies of Red Faction I and II, for, ah, TRAINING PURPOSES. Distribute one Playstation and several good games, plus some of that dirty Japanese porno, to all of the frontline units. Happy soldiers spare their beloved General when they go bananas and rebel!".
Iraqi Captain: "Just the general?"
Iraqi General: "No, no, of course not -- remember, you are procuring the games and porno! This time next year, we will both be opening a 7-11 in Los Angeles, my friend! Now run along, I hear Gamestop has a special on..."
NEWS UPDATE: Sparkle Sought in Gay Bars; Homosexual Community Outraged By Finnegus McGee (AP)
Here at the Sparkle Moon Lounge, the scene is bedlam. NYPD has come in force, operating on a tip that "Sparkle", who is believed to be a homosexual cross-dressing pre-op transexual, has been seeking sexual partners in the wake of his 2:04AM murder of Flash this morning. Dr. Hamish Bloughhard, a psychological profiler, had this to say:
"We think this 'Sparkle' is a frustrated pre-op transexual who has been denied an operation. We have been checking the records of all local clinics capable of sexual reassignment surgery, but we have not yet found anyone who matches our profile. We're going to keep looking, though, don't worry. Anyway, there's a good chance Sparkle will turn up here. It is rumored that he frequents this area, after all..."
Police have been streaming into the bar for the last forty-five minutes, some coming from as far away as Brooklyn and Queens, and none have left yet. Apparently they're doing detailed strip-searches of all of the dancers inside. We managed to get this impromptu interview with "Sparkly", a 7-foot-tall African American transexual ex-football player. Here's what she told us:
"Well, you know, we haven't had this much excitement since the night all those republicans came in here, you know, during the convention? Apparently some Greens were chasing them and they ducked in here, not really knowing... Boy, oh boy, did we have fun with THOSE geezers! But, this whole Sparkle thing is just sad. They made me do unmentionable things in there, not once, but five times, because the Liutenant hadn't arrived in time for the first set? And just because my name's similar! Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining... But it would have been nicer if the cop had warmed his hands up first. I mean that's just RUDE."
Yes, indeed. There are now over fifty cops inside the bar, and loud techno music can be heard over the sound of the traffic here... One can only wonder what sort of horrible breaches of our civil rights are taking place. Where can the real Sparkle be this evening? One shudders to think...
Well, I do admit that after she started getting nasty with me, I started to respond in kind, but when I noticed that I was getting mad I ended the phone call. One thing about me: I hate personal interaction with other people. I mean, I don't entirely hate it, but I try to avoid it. Short, quiet conversations are comfortable, long, drawn out ones could go either way, noisy conversations just completely freak me out. I hate that sort of thing, it's so... NOISY. And there's so much of the other person all over the place, it's like, "BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH ME ME ME BLAH BLAH YOU YOU YOU" and after thirty seconds of it, I just want to soak in a tub and drink mysterious alcohol.
As far as it being a bad example, ok, I see your point. One psycho staffer does not a trend make. But the point I was making was valid, though -- it seems to me as though a lot of businesses these days are trying to position themselves as though they were doing their customers a favor rather than selling them a service. It feels as though they're playing a sort of power politics, trying to massage the relative status levels of the two participants (business and customer).
But I admit it, the example was a little bit hackneyed.:)
Woah, woah, woah. I didn't abuse ANY secretary. She got abusive with ME. What happened was this:
1. I had to reschedule an appointment due to matters outside of my control.
2. She agreed and rescheduled, and indicated that everything was in order. There was no indication that anyone was unhappy in any way.
3. She sent me a VERY strongly worded letter, basically threatening to kick me off the patient list, admonishing me to soul search and so on, and all kinds of other bizarre weirdness.
4. I was seriously offended by the tone and the wording of the letter. I called up to cancel my appointments and tell her that I didn't think the letter was particularly nice of them. I did so POLITELY.
5. She went completely bananas, trying to chew me out, practically yelling into the phone. She got pretty nasty with me, and I told her where to stick her services. It was entirely uncalled for and I was even MORE offended by her hollering than I was over her nasty letter.
6. I mentioned the incident here on slashdot, and predictably got beat up by all YOU people.
NOW! If you're quite done lecturing me about "abusing secretaries", please explain to me how, in any of this, I've done ANYTHING to deserve the crap I received over it, and while you're at it, demonstrate why YOU would stick with such a dentist.
By the way, I don't live in a city where dentists are as in demand as you suggest. Around here, they're a dime a dozen. You can't walk thirty paces without tripping over one. So around here, we don't have to take crap from them, thank God.
Out of curiousity, where do you live? New York, San Francisco, someplace like that?
God, please tell me you're not such a pussy you PAY your dentist for rescheduling an appointment! GOOD GOD, man.
Look, think about it this way, considering as an example the asshole dentist I just fired: Because I've rescheduled the occasional appointment (something that can't be avoided because of my job), the dentist freaked out and sent me threatening mail. But whenever I made it in right on time, the asshole kept me waiting around with my thumb up my ass for a fucking HOUR because he scheduled two people at the same slot (this was all along, so don't try and say it was a reaction to missed appointments, it's the guy's SOP). I cost more than his hourly rate -- so in my view, I should have billed the bastard for MY time, and gotten my dental work at a profit. But I didn't, because I'm civilized. HE, NOT being civilized, thought he could lean on me over an occasional missed appointment. And he was incorrect.
Stop being such a sheep. Your dentist works for YOU. Man up and act like it!
Slashdot Mirror
You DO realize we're only lighting a candle, not a thermite charge, right?
Yeeeesssssss.... So take it easy with the strange capitalization. People have been doing this technique for hundreds of years, and they generally don't suddenly "get wet and die".
What annoys me about lightsabers is this:
At some point early on, when the writer didn't know much about lasers, he got the idea for laser swords. Ok, fine, I get that. No problem.
But later on, when he had time to think about it, and had probably had the whole "lasers are just light, therefore ephemeral" thing pointed out a few hundred times by well-meaning fans, he could have re-thought the idea and come up with an explanation that actually made sense.
Instead, Lucas et al came up with the concept of a laser beam focused through some special crystal. Uh huh. Yeeeeaaah. Good idea, George.
All he would have had to do was say "Lightsabers are actually plasma weapons, which guide the plasma using a powerful magnetic field emitted at the end of the lightsaber. This is why lightsabers bounce off each other." Or maybe claim that they are actually very small hyperspace generators which curve space in such a way that it superheats and generates a magnetic field. It's so easy to come up with a plausible explanation that doesn't involve lasers.
It's like they couldn't be bothered to make their technology believable.
And what about "midichloreans"??? Here's a better explanation for the force: "People are actually three dimensional cross-sections of ten-dimensional beings, and some of us have more of a connection to our larger selves than others. If our connection to our higher-dimensional component is particularly strong, we can actually affect reality in higher dimensions, with effects in this one that appear supernatural." See how easy it is? I just pulled that right out of my butt, and it's better than midichloreans.
Sheesh.
Wait; is your suggestion along the lines of stuffing Bush into Cheney? Or the other way around?
...Dig a cave in a snowbank, pack the snow down nice and hard, wrap up in as many blankets as you can, and light candles. The temperature will get up around 40 or 50 and you'll be ok. It's an old trick, but a good trick -- snow is an excellent insulator.
:)
An alternate technique, if the snow is deep enough, is to dig a circular pit around a tree, down to the base of the tree, and tie a tarp around the top of the hole to keep the wind out. The snowbank trick is better, though, especially because you can pile up your own snowbank, pack it, and tunnel into it.
Sergeant Cole: Fall in, people.
(Lots of shuffling as several dozen rather large men form into a platoon formation).
Sergeant Cole: Ok, ladies, we all know why we're here. You have that certain something that your Uncle Sam needs, and you're going to use it on his behalf. Each of you has tested positive for the Fat Virus. Each of you is in the beginning stages of your corpulence, your blossoming into obesity, your glorious inflation. Each of you is a walking biological weapon and we're going to shove you right down the enemy's throat!
(Some uncomfortable shuffling in the platoon)
Sergeant Cole: Oh, SURE, those damn Europeans and Russians and Japs have been laughing at us. "Look at us," they say, "we're so skinny and beautiful!" SURE they are! FOR NOW! But we're going to take care of THAT little problem, AREN'T WE LADIES?"
Platoon: SIR, YES SIR!
Sergeant Cole: Ok, here are your assignments. Each of you has been set up as a tourist in a significant European, Japanese, Chinese, or Russian city. You are to wander aimlessly, taking pictures of whatever dumb stuff you come across, acting innocent. At a predetermined time, you are going to "accidentally" stumble across a strategically important brothel! These brothels have been carefully selected. They are the ones frequented by enemy special forces, enemy military units, enemy researchers. You will act surprised, you will enter, AND YOU WILL FUCK!
Platoon: (murmuring)
Sergeant Cole: You will pass your precious Fat Virus on to every whore in every brothel we send you to, and in doing so, you will pass the Fat Virus on to the entire enemy armed forces! They in turn will return to their home towns and pass the Fat Virus on to their girlfriends, their wives, their lovers! Our calculations indicate that within ten years they'll all be as fat as us. And then, we will LAUGH! We will laugh a hearty, fat man laugh as the world expands before us! HA HA HA!
Platoon: SIR, HA HA HA, SIR!
Sergeant Cole: Fall out! There are doughnuts and coffee in the back of the squadbay.
Hehehe... Thanks for understanding. I posted too quickly, more or less.
Actually, the class was pretty cool. It scared the crap out of all of us when it came to drugs, venereal diseases, and all sorts of other hazards. Our gorgeous teacher (Oh, you hottie, if only I knew where you were, now that I'm not a sixth grader anymore!) explained in meticulous detail all the symptoms of all the horrible, uncurable venereal diseases we would get if we slept around. Herpes in particular (remember, this was around 1980) loomed as a bogeyman from hell.
She was a good teacher. I hope she's still in the business...
Well, you know... Being a relatively fat person, I think I can confirm that I already feel QUITE lonely and depressed, although I don't feel suicidal. I occasionally feel like killing off all the "beautiful people", in a creative, Dr. Evil sort of scheme ("I shall poison the worldwide supply of Absolut Cranberry while it is enroute to trendy bars, MUHAHAAHAHA!"). But suicidal, no.
Hey, nobody's perfect. And it WAS 25 years ago.
Don't forget Europe and Russia -- they aren't going to want to sit that one out. If our government can't handle space exploration, and other governments and private organizations step into the vacuum they leave, that's ok with me. At least our species is still making progress. The question is, ultimately, are we stuck on this one planet or are we going to colonize outwards?
I'd like to see us colonize, even if that means the U.S. isn't really involved particularly. I see it as a species-wide issue, not a national one.
Do'h!
:)
I just read the wikipedia article you supplied, and it seems I'm a little off. Looks like morphine is the active agent in ALL of the materials made from opium, laudanum included.
Wow. Well, that's informative.
You're close; when I was in sixth grade, we had a "health" class which taught how various drugs were manufactured, and what horrible side effects you could expect, etc. It was basically a "Don't try this stuff, because THIS is what happens to you when you do" sort of thing. It was very interesting, probably one of my more interesting classes. Also the teacher was TOTALLY hot.
:)
Anyway, basically, it works like this. They start out with opium poppies, which when cut release this black, nasty, tar-like liquid. They dry this out and that's opium, which used to be smoked in "opium dens". This in turn can be refined further into different substances, like heroin, hashish, or morphine. Morphine is the legal, legitimate product, heroin and hash of course are the street drugs. Laudinum, I think, was made from raw opium or hashish, as a sort of liquid solution, but I'm not completely sure about that. Supposedly Victorian ladies often drank laudanum the way modern suburban housewives drop Xanax or valium. And downing a whole bottle of it was a popular suicide technique, wasn't it? I seem to have heard something to that effect.
That's my understanding of it, anyway -- keeping in mind that sixth grade was like, 25 years ago.
Ah, but if this is true, we should switch from democracy to technocracy, with the leaders of the country testing in, as in civil service, rather than being elected. Of course this would create problems of its own. You'd have to take steps to make sure that no leaders could act against the best interest of the dopey masses.
Hmm... Brave New World! It might not be bad if they take out the deliberate genetic engineering of classes, and let students test up to their best potential... The real problem with the society Huxeley warned us about was that it was totalitarian and caste-driven. What if you tried for something like that but allowed for fluid movement between classes based on ability?
I like that idea. Let the cream rise to the top and rule.
NO.
.02...
An IQ test judges your reasoning and problem solving ability, i.e. your ability to solve abstract problems through logic. This is a measure of your ability to participate in the maintenance of civilization - your ability to handle technical, difficult tasks well.
I recently passed a practical test (not an IQ test, mind you, but a practical for promotion within my technical field). I got an almost perfect score, and when it was adjusted for curve, ended up with a 102.5. The next runner up had a final score of 92. This is state-wide, mind you, not just within my agency.
My coworkers all failed the test. None of them had a passing score (70). Eventually, someone said "Well, he's just good at taking tests, that's all." And that person basically assumed he would NEVER do well on the test, and stopped trying.
The test itself was basically a very difficult practical exam. You had to bench-test source code written in a made-up language (whose specifications were provided). You had to solve IQ-type problems involving logical deduction. You had to work through some analysis problems. All in all, I found it a horribly difficult, thoroughly enjoyable test that judged the actual skills a programmer needs on the job.
Now, why did I find the test challenging but enjoyable, but the others found it impossible?
And why did they assume that I was just "good at taking tests", rather than good at my job?
I submit to you that the answer is that when you're good at the skills the test measures, you won't have a problem with the test. When you AREN'T good at the skills the test measures, you'll have a rotten time. And the REAL reason one person does well and another does not is the difference in their actual SKILLS, which of course is what the test is meant to measure.
I.Q. tests measure logical reasoning and problem solving abilities. Being "good at IQ tests" indicates that you're good at what the test is trying to measure -- so the test is doing it's job perfectly.
My
And, Reagan before that, and so on... At least Bush version 1 had some experience in international affairs. His son is an embarassment.
But, hey, proof positive is the comparative ratings of "The Discovery Channel" and "MTV". People are more interested in that tart Britney Spears than they are Carl Sagan.
Sometimes I think we're an evolutionary dead end. Oh, well. We'll go out with a whimper, not a bang -- I HOPE.
I have to disagree with you here. The problem with "normal people" is NOT that NASA somehow let them down. The problem with "normal people" is that they're MORONS.
How do I know they're morons? Let's see;
1. They voted Bush in, not once, but TWICE. The second time was AFTER he'd already substantially screwed up our relations with the entire rest of the world and managed to do all sorts of nasty things to our civil liberties and plunge us from a surplus into a deep national deficit.
2. They aren't interested in science or math, but rather, idiotic sports statistics. Little Johnny can't be bothered to study physics, but he can recite to you every meaningless number related to major league baseball for the past fifty years. And don't get me started on the schmucks playing fantasy baseball or football, or conjuring up "dream teams" and having endless arguments over which would beat which -- I mean, MY GOD, two professionals arguing over which FICTIONAL TEAM WOULD WIN! It's like two kids arguing over whether Superman could kick Batman's ass, or whether Spock was a bigger badass than Sulu.
3. They care more about which idiot celebrity is fucking/impregnating/cheating on/divorcing which, than they do about the future of their own nation. This is particularly astounding when the celebrities in question don't even know these people exist, and when they ARE confronted with them, react callously.
4. They believe all the propaganda they're fed, and demand more, and they fall back on religion and superstition whenever they're nervous. Notice the surge in "alternative medicine" (which is really just magical thinking). Aunt Joannah thinks her lung cancer is going to be cured by her chiropractor waving his fucking hands over her tits and saying "I'm giving you my energy". Do you really think old Joannah is smart enough to be interested in space?
5. Worst of all, the mainstream culture here in America punishes intelligence and interest in math or science. The quickest way to become an outcast in school is to be interested in physics, math, chemistry, or computer science. You'll get tormented for it. Trust one who knows.
Don't blame this on NASA. People are stupid. They have always BEEN stupid. It's the way of things.
I was in Bamberger's (Macy's used to be called Macys/Bambergers until they finally dropped Bamberger's, and ours had always just been called "Bamberger's") where my mother worked. While I was waiting for her, I wandered into the TV section, where an old guy was watching the shuttle launch on television. We watched the shuttle go up, up, up, and then basically blow up in what looked to me like a cloud of steam with two rockets arcing off it. We were both like, "what just happened?" Then the announcer said something about it and I realized the shuttle had blown up.
At the time, I was 16. I was completely shocked and amazed that such a thing could happen. I literally didn't know what to say or make of it. I don't think the old guy did, either.
I think it's the same sort of thing my mother's generation felt when they heard Kennedy had been killed. She said she cried for hours over poor Kennedy.
When 9/11 happened, I was pulling into my agency's parking lot and the attendant, a scruffy old man (again, an old man -- that's interesting, now that I think about it, if it was a movie it'd be symbolic) told me "Hey, some fucking ragheads just went nuts and flew a plane into the trade center. All hell's breaking loose." We got sent home early because many of the staff (myself included) had family working in the area.
Another interesting note: my father was scheduled to be in a meeting in a building right next to the trade center. He didn't make it into the city because of traffic, and got called back to Yonkers by his boss, who'd heard about the events and recalled all the employees. But my mother and I didn't find out he was ok until later that evening because the phone lines were all screwed up.
Formative moments... Isn't it interesting that now, every generation of Americans for the past fifty years has experienced traumatic, unforgettable, shared experiences due to the reach of our media? I wonder what effect all of this is going to have on us long-term. Culturally, psychologically... It's interesting.
And what was up with the weird, green, kitty-cat aliens? They were some of the worst animatronic puppets I've ever seen.
And why would a bunch of fighter pilots suddenly become GRUNTS??? When I was in the Marines, the pilots never went anywhere NEAR an actual close quarters battle... They bombed the crap out of the enemy from thousands of feet in the air, and LIKED IT THAT WAY.
Sheesh is right!
By the way, about the black chick who got pushed over the side, I didn't see why they didn't just drive the little tractor out and PUSH THE PLANE INTO THE HANGAR. If I was the black chick, I'd be yelling into the microphone, "Hey, motherfuckers! You'd better step the fuck off with that tractor, I've still got missles left! Push my ass back inside, you skanky, bony-ass bitch! You can demote me later!"
Now, THAT is interesting. Theoretically, you could put all your games on the hard drive, and legally use it as a backup of your collection. Hey, how is it implemented? Can you swap out the disk for, say, a 200GB model, or whatever? Replace a bad disk? I'm thinking "long-term collection backup" here, good for twenty years or more...
You like the hard drive? I wasn't sure about it, and didn't get one, myself... I've been doing okay without it. But I can see ways you might be able to use it, for instance, to copy all your games to it and clone them on another machine (is this possible?). If it makes backups possible, then maybe I'd be willing to get one, but otherwise, I don't know what I'd do with it. :)
The slimline is SO much better, though. The disc bay is like a regular cd player, with a door that opens instead of a sliding tray -- less motor-driven parts to break down over time. Also it comes with an ethernet port built in, and has a built-in infrared receiver for the DVD remote.
I'm going to buy a couple of these as backups, stock up on fun PS2 games, and sit out the "next generation" console wars.
I love PS2s!
Of course... The only thing I still use my XBox for is Halo II. When they drop XBox support on XBox Live, I'm going to give up on it... Then I'll be PS2 only.
Maybe I'll get the new Nintendo, I dunno...
That's too funny!
I heard that some of the people looking at Iraq thought that Saddam's scientists had told him "we need x amount of dollars so we can build you y superweapon" and then, took the money and bought regular research tools, with which they did boring old regular research. Saddam apparently didn't know any better, and kept funding them.
So, considering your link, picture this:
Iraqi General: "O Mighty Saddam, we need several thousand Playstations, with one extra controller each!"
Saddam: "What in hell for? Aren't those videogames?"
Iraqi General: "Uhhhhhh YES! But they contain mighty processor chips, with which we will control a fleet of intercontinental ballistic missles and destroy the infidel!"
Saddam: "Amazing! Yes, I grant you your request!"
(later)
Iraqi Captain: "He bought it???"
Iraqi General: "Yes, yes he did. It was amazing. Here's the money; make sure you get me Dead or Alive II, with the bosoms, praise Allah! And oh, I want copies of Red Faction I and II, for, ah, TRAINING PURPOSES. Distribute one Playstation and several good games, plus some of that dirty Japanese porno, to all of the frontline units. Happy soldiers spare their beloved General when they go bananas and rebel!".
Iraqi Captain: "Just the general?"
Iraqi General: "No, no, of course not -- remember, you are procuring the games and porno! This time next year, we will both be opening a 7-11 in Los Angeles, my friend! Now run along, I hear Gamestop has a special on..."
NEWS UPDATE: Sparkle Sought in Gay Bars; Homosexual Community Outraged
By Finnegus McGee (AP)
Here at the Sparkle Moon Lounge, the scene is bedlam. NYPD has come in force, operating on a tip that "Sparkle", who is believed to be a homosexual cross-dressing pre-op transexual, has been seeking sexual partners in the wake of his 2:04AM murder of Flash this morning. Dr. Hamish Bloughhard, a psychological profiler, had this to say:
"We think this 'Sparkle' is a frustrated pre-op transexual who has been denied an operation. We have been checking the records of all local clinics capable of sexual reassignment surgery, but we have not yet found anyone who matches our profile. We're going to keep looking, though, don't worry. Anyway, there's a good chance Sparkle will turn up here. It is rumored that he frequents this area, after all..."
Police have been streaming into the bar for the last forty-five minutes, some coming from as far away as Brooklyn and Queens, and none have left yet. Apparently they're doing detailed strip-searches of all of the dancers inside. We managed to get this impromptu interview with "Sparkly", a 7-foot-tall African American transexual ex-football player. Here's what she told us:
"Well, you know, we haven't had this much excitement since the night all those republicans came in here, you know, during the convention? Apparently some Greens were chasing them and they ducked in here, not really knowing... Boy, oh boy, did we have fun with THOSE geezers! But, this whole Sparkle thing is just sad. They made me do unmentionable things in there, not once, but five times, because the Liutenant hadn't arrived in time for the first set? And just because my name's similar! Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining... But it would have been nicer if the cop had warmed his hands up first. I mean that's just RUDE."
Yes, indeed. There are now over fifty cops inside the bar, and loud techno music can be heard over the sound of the traffic here... One can only wonder what sort of horrible breaches of our civil rights are taking place. Where can the real Sparkle be this evening? One shudders to think...
Well, I do admit that after she started getting nasty with me, I started to respond in kind, but when I noticed that I was getting mad I ended the phone call. One thing about me: I hate personal interaction with other people. I mean, I don't entirely hate it, but I try to avoid it. Short, quiet conversations are comfortable, long, drawn out ones could go either way, noisy conversations just completely freak me out. I hate that sort of thing, it's so... NOISY. And there's so much of the other person all over the place, it's like, "BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH ME ME ME BLAH BLAH YOU YOU YOU" and after thirty seconds of it, I just want to soak in a tub and drink mysterious alcohol.
:)
As far as it being a bad example, ok, I see your point. One psycho staffer does not a trend make. But the point I was making was valid, though -- it seems to me as though a lot of businesses these days are trying to position themselves as though they were doing their customers a favor rather than selling them a service. It feels as though they're playing a sort of power politics, trying to massage the relative status levels of the two participants (business and customer).
But I admit it, the example was a little bit hackneyed.
Woah, woah, woah. I didn't abuse ANY secretary. She got abusive with ME. What happened was this:
1. I had to reschedule an appointment due to matters outside of my control.
2. She agreed and rescheduled, and indicated that everything was in order. There was no indication that anyone was unhappy in any way.
3. She sent me a VERY strongly worded letter, basically threatening to kick me off the patient list, admonishing me to soul search and so on, and all kinds of other bizarre weirdness.
4. I was seriously offended by the tone and the wording of the letter. I called up to cancel my appointments and tell her that I didn't think the letter was particularly nice of them. I did so POLITELY.
5. She went completely bananas, trying to chew me out, practically yelling into the phone. She got pretty nasty with me, and I told her where to stick her services. It was entirely uncalled for and I was even MORE offended by her hollering than I was over her nasty letter.
6. I mentioned the incident here on slashdot, and predictably got beat up by all YOU people.
NOW! If you're quite done lecturing me about "abusing secretaries", please explain to me how, in any of this, I've done ANYTHING to deserve the crap I received over it, and while you're at it, demonstrate why YOU would stick with such a dentist.
By the way, I don't live in a city where dentists are as in demand as you suggest. Around here, they're a dime a dozen. You can't walk thirty paces without tripping over one. So around here, we don't have to take crap from them, thank God.
Out of curiousity, where do you live? New York, San Francisco, someplace like that?
God, please tell me you're not such a pussy you PAY your dentist for rescheduling an appointment! GOOD GOD, man.
Look, think about it this way, considering as an example the asshole dentist I just fired: Because I've rescheduled the occasional appointment (something that can't be avoided because of my job), the dentist freaked out and sent me threatening mail. But whenever I made it in right on time, the asshole kept me waiting around with my thumb up my ass for a fucking HOUR because he scheduled two people at the same slot (this was all along, so don't try and say it was a reaction to missed appointments, it's the guy's SOP). I cost more than his hourly rate -- so in my view, I should have billed the bastard for MY time, and gotten my dental work at a profit. But I didn't, because I'm civilized. HE, NOT being civilized, thought he could lean on me over an occasional missed appointment. And he was incorrect.
Stop being such a sheep. Your dentist works for YOU. Man up and act like it!