Being a young republican myself, im just as pissed off as you are.
I dont understand what is wrong these goddamn Republicans. Theyre communists in dusguise, or something.
You're not too far off there, actually. The "Neocons" who have hijacked your party have roots with the Trotskyites, among others. Conservative, they are not.
I recently built a propane mini-forge. I used Ron Reil's design, with a freon tank as the body of the forge and a naturally-aspirated burner. It gets to about 2000 F, I think, though I haven't yet measured it. It's hot enough to forge steel and when I get around to tuning it, to weld steel.
30 games per PS3 is really a lot. Not being much of a console gamer myself, I don't know what the average games-per-console is, but that seems pretty high. Of course this figure depends on how much Sony can bring the cost of manufacturing down. Did the analysts assume that they would and factor it in, or did they assume a constant cost/console?
Indeed, I can't think of a single good reason companies should be able to give campaign contributions. By their definition compamies follow the profit. There's profit to be had in "influencing" politicians. Companies can't vote, and for good reason, so there's no reason they should be able to influence the outcome of an election by other means.
Yeah, I guess it's a mark of my extreme geekdom that I not only made it through the Silmarillion, but I enjoyed it quite a bit (enough to go back and read it again, and probably again in the future). That said, I would hate for them to make it into a movie. It's such a rich source of material on which to daydream, it would be a shame for it to become more fleshed out. That's aside from it's bible-like unsuitability (is that a word?) for the big screen.
Having read The Left Hand of Darkness and The Disposessed, I'm going to have to disagree. I mean, they weren't bad, but really nothing to write home about. Her view of human nature is way too sterile. Examples: the Hainish are completely flat. They're altruistic, great. That's what they do. An entire civilization that seems to exist solely to help others out. They're the school guidance counselors of the galaxy. It just seems so unlikely and static.
Another example (spoiler warning): TLHoD, when the Ekumen's ship arrives the bad governments fall and all the right people come to power and everything is just hunkey-dorey. What happened to all the ambitious people? They just disappear into the woodwork, never to be heard from again? Just seems like an unlikely, deus es machina ending. And in the The Disposessed, again with the deus ex machina. Shevek gets to the embassy and all his problems are over, the people who cared so much about keeping him or killing him just give up and go home? Come on....
I'll give that she has some interesting ideas/concepts, but I just really don't see anything redeeming in her stuff. If you'd like to suggest anything you think she's written better or would care to challenge my points, please do.
My first reaction is that if GM tried to make Starbucks coffee, they'd probably be sued by Starbucks.
Joking aside, given how giant software companies with lots of money like Microsoft (I'm sure there are other examples, but it's late) like to spread out into other industries, it would make sense for Google to do the same, especially if it benefitted their core business in some way. After all, server farms don't power themselves.
My friend's father is one of the guys responsible for Bussard's (now-dwindling) Navy funding. The few million he got for his first reactors came from them. From what I've heard from him, Bussard is really onto something with his devices. Now, I've never met him myself, nor do I have enough physics under my belt yet to be able to critique the device, but it does sound pretty reasonable.
About the $200 mil, apparently the power output of these scales as something like the 7th or 9th power of the radius of the device (don't quote me on these numbers), so while the prototypes tested so far produce piddling amounts of power, not nearly break-even, they supposedly confirmed the principles, and the $200 mil model should be big enough to be power-positive. I really hope Google decides to sponsor this. I mean, if they can spend $1.6b on Youtube, what's $200m?
So instead of forbidding people to give money, forbid the candidates from taking it.
A campaign contribution (or bribe) requires two actions, the giving followed by the taking. If either of those doesn't happen, the other doesn't happen (well, the taking can happen alone, but that's theft).
Thus, you haven't abridged peoples' rights to give to their candidates, the candidates just aren't allowed to take or spend the money. Underhanded approach? sure, but it's for a good cause and it gets the job done.
They've got planes now that will compensate for say, a damaged rudder in about 30 seconds to the point that you can hardly tell it was damaged. While this is certainly nifty, it's by no means the first time it's been done. Personally, I'd like to see a robot that screams in pain when it's damaged.
Actually the Norse were every bit the master bladesmiths the Japanese were, and arguably better than the Indians and Middle Easterners. While it's true that the Norse used pattern welding instead of Wootz, their blades were still excellent.
I'm in about the same boat as you in terms of blacksmithing. I built a forge and bought an anvil this summer, and now have them up at the nuclear reactor on campus, but just don't have much of a chance to use it.
I bought myself a copy of Dr. Hrisoulas' book "The Complete Bladesmith" about a year ago. He does some really beautiful work, if you look in the chapter on pattern-welded steel. Have you had a chance to look through any of his others?
As a matter of fact, the resistance through my body (hand to hand) is ~10MOhms, ~9MOhms if my fingers are wet. Can't speak to the inductance or capacitance of individual parts, though.:p
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If that private company is handed a monopoly by the government for that express purpose it sure as hell is.
Excuse my Westpondlander ignorance, but what the hell is a TV license?
We need your initials to check. ASS, I presume? Or possibly POO?
I dont understand what is wrong these goddamn Republicans. Theyre communists in dusguise, or something.
You're not too far off there, actually. The "Neocons" who have hijacked your party have roots with the Trotskyites, among others. Conservative, they are not.I think a certain Mr. Crankypants just volunteered to be chauffeur for a certain fucking demographic.
I recently built a propane mini-forge. I used Ron Reil's design, with a freon tank as the body of the forge and a naturally-aspirated burner. It gets to about 2000 F, I think, though I haven't yet measured it. It's hot enough to forge steel and when I get around to tuning it, to weld steel.
Oh please, we all know the RIAA doesn't have truckloads of money heading to the bank. They use a serious of tubes! Sometimes, they get clogged.
30 games per PS3 is really a lot. Not being much of a console gamer myself, I don't know what the average games-per-console is, but that seems pretty high. Of course this figure depends on how much Sony can bring the cost of manufacturing down. Did the analysts assume that they would and factor it in, or did they assume a constant cost/console?
Indeed, I can't think of a single good reason companies should be able to give campaign contributions. By their definition compamies follow the profit. There's profit to be had in "influencing" politicians. Companies can't vote, and for good reason, so there's no reason they should be able to influence the outcome of an election by other means.
Apparently I am too. Nifty.
Bah, hair just gets in the way. Plus, it traps fluids, causing things to become a wet mess down there in short order. That's not fun for anyone.
Hmm, I had heard that Earthsea was good, I didn't realize that she had written them. I shall have to give them a go. Thanks for the helpful reply.
Yeah, I guess it's a mark of my extreme geekdom that I not only made it through the Silmarillion, but I enjoyed it quite a bit (enough to go back and read it again, and probably again in the future). That said, I would hate for them to make it into a movie. It's such a rich source of material on which to daydream, it would be a shame for it to become more fleshed out. That's aside from it's bible-like unsuitability (is that a word?) for the big screen.
Le Guin? *gives you skeptical look*
Having read The Left Hand of Darkness and The Disposessed, I'm going to have to disagree. I mean, they weren't bad, but really nothing to write home about. Her view of human nature is way too sterile. Examples: the Hainish are completely flat. They're altruistic, great. That's what they do. An entire civilization that seems to exist solely to help others out. They're the school guidance counselors of the galaxy. It just seems so unlikely and static.
Another example (spoiler warning): TLHoD, when the Ekumen's ship arrives the bad governments fall and all the right people come to power and everything is just hunkey-dorey. What happened to all the ambitious people? They just disappear into the woodwork, never to be heard from again? Just seems like an unlikely, deus es machina ending. And in the The Disposessed, again with the deus ex machina. Shevek gets to the embassy and all his problems are over, the people who cared so much about keeping him or killing him just give up and go home? Come on....
I'll give that she has some interesting ideas/concepts, but I just really don't see anything redeeming in her stuff. If you'd like to suggest anything you think she's written better or would care to challenge my points, please do.
The "we" represents people of like opinion, obviously.
I, for one, wholeheartedly agree with GP's points and qualms with the changes.......and welcome our new Dark overlords....sigh
I'd say it's more like using blood-letting to treat the fever.
My first reaction is that if GM tried to make Starbucks coffee, they'd probably be sued by Starbucks.
Joking aside, given how giant software companies with lots of money like Microsoft (I'm sure there are other examples, but it's late) like to spread out into other industries, it would make sense for Google to do the same, especially if it benefitted their core business in some way. After all, server farms don't power themselves.
Yup, this is the same Dr. Bussard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Bussard/
My friend's father is one of the guys responsible for Bussard's (now-dwindling) Navy funding. The few million he got for his first reactors came from them. From what I've heard from him, Bussard is really onto something with his devices. Now, I've never met him myself, nor do I have enough physics under my belt yet to be able to critique the device, but it does sound pretty reasonable.
About the $200 mil, apparently the power output of these scales as something like the 7th or 9th power of the radius of the device (don't quote me on these numbers), so while the prototypes tested so far produce piddling amounts of power, not nearly break-even, they supposedly confirmed the principles, and the $200 mil model should be big enough to be power-positive. I really hope Google decides to sponsor this. I mean, if they can spend $1.6b on Youtube, what's $200m?
So instead of forbidding people to give money, forbid the candidates from taking it.
A campaign contribution (or bribe) requires two actions, the giving followed by the taking. If either of those doesn't happen, the other doesn't happen (well, the taking can happen alone, but that's theft).
Thus, you haven't abridged peoples' rights to give to their candidates, the candidates just aren't allowed to take or spend the money. Underhanded approach? sure, but it's for a good cause and it gets the job done.
They've got planes now that will compensate for say, a damaged rudder in about 30 seconds to the point that you can hardly tell it was damaged. While this is certainly nifty, it's by no means the first time it's been done. Personally, I'd like to see a robot that screams in pain when it's damaged.
Actually the Norse were every bit the master bladesmiths the Japanese were, and arguably better than the Indians and Middle Easterners. While it's true that the Norse used pattern welding instead of Wootz, their blades were still excellent.
I'm in about the same boat as you in terms of blacksmithing. I built a forge and bought an anvil this summer, and now have them up at the nuclear reactor on campus, but just don't have much of a chance to use it. I bought myself a copy of Dr. Hrisoulas' book "The Complete Bladesmith" about a year ago. He does some really beautiful work, if you look in the chapter on pattern-welded steel. Have you had a chance to look through any of his others?
As a matter of fact, the resistance through my body (hand to hand) is ~10MOhms, ~9MOhms if my fingers are wet. Can't speak to the inductance or capacitance of individual parts, though. :p
Hmm, interesting. Learn something new everyday.