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User: megaditto

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  1. Re:Like leaving the front door open on US Scraps Virtual Fence Along Mexican Border · · Score: 0

    How it worked out for the Native Americans: free land, free American citizenship, free education, affirmative action.
    All these casinos and shops they own tax-free.

    You should put things into perspective: there are about three billion people in the world right now who would LOVE to suffer the way AmerIndians "suffer."

  2. Re:We are all suspects, welcome to the police stat on Feds Warrantlessly Tracking Americans' Real Time Credit Card Activity · · Score: 1

    Our current commander-in-chief is the guy that signed the previous warrant-less wiretap pardon. Link

    This is a democracy. You people voted for it all, now bend over and take it.

  3. Re:This is simply misguided -- don't we know bette on The Future of the Most Important Human Brain · · Score: 1

    My minivan is different from your eighteen wheeler. Which one is defective? How do their differences contribute to their respective abilities?

    The amygdala (a brain part) in males is much larger than in females. The reverse is true for Broca's area. Which gender's brain is defective? Do these differences matter? Which one would you fix? I guess these are the sort of questions these guys try to understand.

  4. Re:Wow on WikiLeaks Releases Cache of 400,000 Iraq War Documents · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    This is gonna get modded down as usual, but what the hell... One mitigating fact is that 100k of mostly-bad guys is better that 500k mostly-good children.

    Bush chose direct confrontation that saved countless lives. Bill Clinton knowingly chose the indirect warfare method that killed millions:

    Look for "price is worth it" quote on Clinton's Sec. Albright

  5. Only one real reason on Why Silicon Valley Won't Be the Green Car Detroit · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Too many liberals. And I am not even trolling...

  6. Re:The devil in the details on Google, Apple and Others Accused of 'No Poaching' Deal · · Score: 1

    One of the reasons I quit IEEE is because I got tired of reading articles from them about how the government needs to allow more H1B1 visas

    IEEE has never advocated an increase in H1B as a long-term solution. What they did ask for is to replace temporary visas for engineers with permanent green cards, which actually makes sense because that would allow the employees to change jobs easily.

  7. Re:why? on Microsoft & Intel Get a Pass On Higher H-1B Fees · · Score: 1

    A mere $2k is peanuts to these Indian "chop shops" that will pass the tax to their employees, who will be even more indentured.

    The real problem here is that the visa ties your "rockstar" to the employer, which undercuts similarly (or better!) qualified Americans. H1b people should be able to change jobs or start their own businesses.

    If Schumer was serious, he would push the startup visa bill (hire 10 Americans, get a green card) which would go a long way towards fixing visa abuse.

  8. Re:why? on Microsoft & Intel Get a Pass On Higher H-1B Fees · · Score: 2, Interesting

    What else is Chucky Schumer to do?

    In an election year, the voters have three priorities: jobs, borders, and deficits.

    Like any good Democrat he knows that you can't tax the illegal immigrants: they are already poor, and you will piss off many liberals.
    You also you can't tax regular citizens because they might vote you out!

    But by taxing work visas it looks like you are creating more jobs for Americans, while funding the borders, while reducing the deficit! Killing three birds with one stone!

  9. Re:To be replaced by...? on Will Ballmer Be Replaced As Microsoft CEO? · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Their investors would be happier if some new MS CEO fired their skilled developers, sold off the pipeline to Apple, and did a stock swap with Altavista or some other yahoo-like shitcan. Yes, the stock would go through the roof, long enough for the CEO to take his golden parachute and bail.

    The investors would be happy, but that's because your average investor is an idiot that wants some "change" she can believe in. How's that working out, by the way?

  10. Re:Needed crouwd thinning?? on Gonorrhea As the Next Superbug · · Score: -1, Troll

    Please; don't throw around Fox News memes.

    What does it even mean? Pigeon-holing me into your straw-man?

    if I wanted to believe that the majority of the world was killing itself because of health care it's had[...]

    1) You list China as a country with "ideal" healthcare? A country where they inject formaldehyde into a baby if it's a second pregnancy? But hey, "for the greater good" and all that, right, Comrade? For fuck's sake, be carefull what you wish for
    2) Majority is always wrong. Being a leader means by definition not being a part of the majority. Innovation/invention means breaking away from the majority.

    Besides, it's not my job to demand people die.

    We agree on something at least.

  11. Re:Needed crouwd thinning?? on Gonorrhea As the Next Superbug · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Here is a take on your intellect: You are a fucking retard.

    Thank you for your opinion. There are at least two ways of dealing with the problem at hand: the right way, and the wrong way.

    The problem: a dangerous, infectious, irresponsible person posing a huge thread to the public.

    Solution 1: pay the bioterrorist his "protection" money. promiss to keep paying in the future. [Obamacare]

    Solution 2: pay the CDC/police/courts to take care of the current treat. Educate the children and the public at large. Encourage biomedical research (invent vaccines and cures).

  12. Needed crouwd thinning?? on Gonorrhea As the Next Superbug · · Score: -1, Troll

    Are you actually advocating some personal responsibility?

    Well, here is an Obamacare's take on personal responsibility: some asshole sleeps around without a condom, and you are the one responsible for his health bill.

    Can you believe it now?

  13. Re:Consumer's fault, not Amazon's on Calling B.S. On Amazon's Taxation Arguments · · Score: 1

    Dr. Ferris:

    There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted and you create a nation of law-breakers and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system, Mr. Rearden, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with.

  14. Re:Poor QA on Why Computers Suck At Math · · Score: 1

    Rounding errors do not accumulate, but the rounding error becomes larger as the count increases. Once you accept that, the rest follows.

    Say your software calculates a time interval as uptime2 minus uptime1 (rounded to 5 significant figures):

    t1 = 0.90000
    t2 = 0.94000

    t2-t1 = round(0.94000) - round( 0.90000) = 0.04000

    If same calculation is performed 30+ minutes later, you fuck up:

    t1 = 2222.90000
    t2 = 2222.94000

    t2-t1 = round(2222.94000) - round( 2222.90000) = 0.00000 = 0

  15. Re:Poor QA on Why Computers Suck At Math · · Score: 1

    Are you sure this was clock drift? My reading of it was that the precision of the clock deteriorated, not the accuracy.

    They used a limited number of bits to store an unlimited integer, so the precision got worse as the least significant digits were rounded.
    A crude example, if you only have 4 digits to store uptime in seconds, as the time progresses:

    0.000 to 9.999 s -- precise to 1 millisecond, 0.5 ms rounding error
    100.0 to 999.9 s -- precise to 100 milliseconds, 50 ms rounding error
    1000. to 9999. s -- precise to 1000 milliseconds, 500 ms rounding error

    Presumably, at some point the error in distance: (time rounding error error) X (target speed) would place the target outside the targeting envelope of the radar, and hence the target disappears.

  16. Re:Thanks for the link. on Study Says US Needs Fewer Science Students · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    Here is the original quote I replied to in my post with links here

    The reason for this situation is that science funding by the federal government has been more or less flat for about a decade but the number of professors has increased and the expectations of the universities from professors have gone up.

    So when I insert [flat for] into your "about a decade" is an exaggeration, you cry foul?
    Sorry guy, but your ability to follow a conversation just plain sucks. And so does your crying over a strawman, while you are the first to bring politics into our discussion (Bush in GP, and now Fox News).

    But going back to facts, NIH funding did double in one decade, with 60% growth under Bush (15 to 24 billion from 2000 to 2008). And you complaining about Bush given the decade doubling is like me saying Well, I got a buffet dinner 4 hours ago, but they were starving me after that (except for a few snacks).

    Since this is all going to get modded down, let me bring in a strawman of my own: the reason I support increasing skilled immigration is because we need someone to do actual work and create value, to give handouts and support to the dumb crybaby liberals like yourself.

  17. Thanks for the link. on Study Says US Needs Fewer Science Students · · Score: 3, Informative

    And while [flat for] "about a decade" is an exaggeration

    Bet your ass it's an exaggaration. From the link you gave me:

    1998: 11.49 billion
    2008: 23.84 billion

    That's DOUBLE by any reasonable standard, not "essentially flat."

    The year-over-year increases barely kept pace with inflation in most cases, and sometimes fell behind. I don't know about NSF and other non-DoD scientific funding agencies, but I'm guessing they suffered the same fate.

    Actually, everything went up faster than inflation. Not even talking about Bush being the
    first president to fund stem cell research, or push through actual tests of student/teacher performance.

    The only problem I see with Bush's science policy was that he actually gave TOO MUCH to all the Lysenko wannabes over at DoD.

  18. Re:More articles like this please on Study Says US Needs Fewer Science Students · · Score: 1

    The reason for this situation is that science funding by the federal government has been more or less flat for about a decade

    I was going to give a 'you are full of it' reply, but realized you might actually believe this.
    So here is some info on the Federal science funding:
    NSF funding history
    NIH funding trends
    Defence funding (PDF file)

    I know it's tough, but we must have competition! Unfortunately, that also means that many (most?) people will have to re-tool... Best of luck with your career though.

  19. Re:personally on Barack Obama Wins the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize · · Score: 5, Informative

    Which accomplishments would those be?

    Probably it's for canceling the plans for the ABM (missiles/radar) in Europe, which he did last month. While it pissed off a lot of Poles, it sure made Russia feel safer.
    So the Russians canceled their new short-range nuclear missile deployment in turn, which made a lot of 'Old' Europeans feel safer.

    Now, since Obama got a Nobel Prize, he should have no problem applying for an O-1 visa, leading to a green card, and eventually, one day, a US citizenship. I keed, I keed...

  20. Re:You can say it all you want on China Dominates In NSA-Backed Coding Contest · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's just a question of priorities. I believe this is evolution at work. With some huge generalizations, here is what I think happens:

    In China/SU people will suffer or even starve to death unless they get a skilled/high-tech job. Therefore, one's intelligence is highly valued (by parents, wifes, society in general, etc.)

    In America, there is no danger of starvation. Even the unemployed get to have a house, a car, a TV, 5 meals a day, and a dimebag. Therefore, the people focus on more relevant (at this time) things such as personal appearance and personality.

    The good news is that us humans are highly adaptable, and our priorities will be adjusted as needed (when the circumstances change).

  21. Re:Why parent insightful? on Clemson Staffer Outlines College Rankings Manipulation · · Score: 2, Funny

    I think you missed a lesbo joke.

  22. You are confusing facts with attitudes. on Chinese Social Websites Go Under "Maintenance" · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Your mistake here is thinking that these "middle class" Chinese people are not aware of Tiananmen/June 04. Indeed they all know about it, and are still supportive of the government's action. These people are voluntarily chosing to supress dissent and bring down their own blogs to support their government. They are being "patriotic" and that is the attitude, which you have to work to change.

    The whole thing is kind of similar to the Iraq War issue over here. My liberal friends think that none of the war supporters are aware of the "Missing WMDs" and related issues. They brandish these as some kind of a trump card, thinking that the moment they mention "missing WMD," any supporter will change their mind. Of course that never actually happens as the other side sees these facts as no big deal. We all agree on the facts, it's just that we disagree on their meaning and context. (Another example: Clinton blowjob/impeachment. We all got the same facts, yet there is a wide disagreement about their significance.)

    Or consider forced abortions in China. While injecting formaldehyde into a fetus is highly objectionable to most people in the West, a typical Chinese person will find it a "regrettable" yet appropriate means for population control. They would tell you that the parents were to blame for an unauthorized conception, and the abortion was needed to maintain peace, prosperity, equality, whatever. You need to help the Chinese place knowledge into its proper context, not simply "add it to every message."

  23. Re:'Bout time! on High-Tech Start-Ups Put Down Roots In New Soil · · Score: 1

    That's just stupid. How many Americans do we have in Iraq? How many in NYC? You can't compare murder rates unless you adjust per capita.

  24. Re:Its definitely the exception, and a rare one on High-Tech Start-Ups Put Down Roots In New Soil · · Score: 1

    "must have 5 years networking experience, cisco preferred. Be able to build and administer our 50-person network. References required. $10/hr, contract only." I'm seriously NOT kidding.

    Is that really unreasonable? Except for an occasional hands-on network lag testing (quake, UT, half-life), your scripts should be able to run the whole thing. Am I right?

  25. Re:Can somebody explain how it works? on A Widescreen Laser Projector In Your Pocket · · Score: 1

    Convex mirrors would do it.

    You pretty much don't want a perfectly collimated beam coming out because of all the safety and health regulations. Since this projector's lasers would have power on the order of tens of watts, you would get nice burns in your retina the moment a scanning mirror fails.

    I am still not sure how they would stop people losing eyesight by staring up close into the beam...