[QUOTE]King Arthur: Now stand aside, worthy adversary.
Black Knight: 'Tis but a scratch.
King Arthur: A scratch? Your arm's off.
Black Knight: No it isn't.
King Arthur: What's that, then?
Black Knight: [after a pause] I've had worse.
King Arthur: You liar.
Black Knight: Come on ya pansy.[/QUOTE]
[YOUTUBE]2eMkth8FWno[/YOUTUBE]
[QUOTE]Black Knight: Running away, eh?[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=retina;364598]... there should be a rule that allows anyone that is annoyed to be able to kill/maim/harm others that annoy them. Makes perfect sense. Annoy someone, expect to get shot/beaten/stabbed. Seems like a suitable and sensible balance. [/sarcasm][/QUOTE]

Indeed, perhaps the theater incident is simply another manifestation of evolution doing its long-term thing of preferentially reducing the numbers of weak and idiotic herd members. In this case "natural" selection may have been aided by modern weaponry, but as man is part of nature, so are his inventions. I often feel similarly when I see the latest "wave of muggings target smartphone-distracted victims" stories on the local n00z. Nature has given us a marvelously sophisticated threat-sensing apparatus; we disable it at our peril.

In this case though, since it was an example more of potential-threat provocation than threat-sensing-disabling, the apt analogy may be that of a hyena which goes out of its way to provoke an aged, nearly-toothless lion snoozing in the shade. Perhaps the lion figured, "look, my kids are all grown, my purpose on this here earth has been (mostly) served ... even if chomping this annoying little shit hyena risks a heart attack and costs me all my remaining teeth, it will have been worth it".


[QUOTE=chalsall;364636]I have stood down people with guns, machetes, knives and fists.

Using only words.[/QUOTE]

So on your tombstone we should expect to read as follows?
[i]
Chris Halsall
[dob]
[dod]
Words failed him.[/i]

Not to brag, but I pacified an entire village of hostile Amazonian pygmy wrestlers using just a sardonic glance once...

[QUOTE=ewmayer;364650]So on your tombstone we should expect to read as follows?
[i]
Chris Halsall
[dob]
[dod]
Words failed him.[/i]

Not to brag, but I pacified an entire village of hostile Amazonian pygmy wrestlers using just a sardonic glance once...[/QUOTE]

LOL... :smile:

Although, seriously, I have been quite clear with my family.

When I die I am to be cremated (after useful organs removed and reused), and my ashes flushed down the toilet. No tombstone.

I have asked, however, that a Monty Python preemptive donation skit is not re-enacted....

[URL="http://news.yahoo.com/disaster-making-95-atms-still-run-windows-xp-041533590.html"]A disaster in the making: 95% of ATMs still run Windows XP[/URL]

If the ATM running Windows XP is suitably isolated from the Internet, there is nothing to worry about. And whatever the OS, be it Windows 10.6 or Android Mustard Trickle, if an ATM is connected to the Internet, there is a lot to worry about.

Jacob

German cows cause methane blast in Rasdorf
 

[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25922514[/url]

[QUOTE=xilman;365539][url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25922514[/url][/QUOTE]

Reminds me of a German-language schoolyard joke about the fastest way to get from Darmstadt to Pforzheim.

And of course we must invoke [url=http://www.wilhelm-busch-seiten.de/werke/maxundmoritz/streich4.html]Wilhelm Busch[/url]: "Rums! Da gehn die Kühe los..."

[spoiler]For our non-german-fluent readers, Darmstadt literally translates as "gut city" and Pforzheim pronounces similarly to Furzheim, that is, Fartheim. Now that we had to explain it, it's of course no longer funny - the uncertainty principle of jokesterism, as it were.[/spoiler]

[QUOTE=S485122;365337]If the ATM running Windows XP is suitably isolated from the Internet, there is nothing to worry about. And whatever the OS, be it Windows 10.6 or Android Mustard Trickle, if an ATM is connected to the Internet, there is a lot to worry about.

Jacob[/QUOTE]Back when I worked on ATMs, they were all either on non-Internet leased lines or dial-up, but things may have changed since then. I'd presume there would be some cryptographic security nowadays.

[QUOTE=xilman;365539][url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25922514[/url][/QUOTE]

Continuing in our long-winded theme, but moving from farting Jerry cows to eccentric English inventors whose names are a gas in German:

[url=www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25951029]Colin Furze: Inside the mind of an inventor[/url]

[url]http://www.pinterest.com/mellowdesignuk/the-many-faces-of-pareidolia/[/url]

It is only 164 pages so grab a drink before clicking
 

[url]http://tarckbike.com/node/16533[/url]

[QUOTE=retina;365847][URL]http://tarckbike.com/node/16533[/URL][/QUOTE]

[QUOTE]Grab a drink.....[/QUOTE]

I see what you mean. It is easy to get sucked into the tales.

The story is crap but read the comments
 

[url]http://phys.org/news/2014-01-katy-perry-twitter-milestone-mln.html[/url]

Normally comments on phys.org are crap and the story mildly interesting, but this time the tables are turned and the reverse is true.

The Inside Story Of The Charlatan Who Duped The Nation’s Top Conservatives
 

[url]http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2014/01/30/3134851/conservatives-food4patriots/[/url]

Excerpt:
[QUOTE]On New Year’s Eve, I learned FEMA’s “Dirty Little Secret.”
It was the title of a fascinating email, one that had somehow dodged my spam filter. The message was suffused with breathless concern about the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s recent order of “420 million survival meals;” such provisions are apparently “the #1 most critical item in a crisis.” You see, “FEMA knows that if you control the food supply, then you control the people.”
Normally, such paranoid ramblings merit nothing more than a quick delete and a sad shake of the head. But the New Year’s note stood out because of the source. I was being alerted to FEMA’s nefarious plot by no less than National Review, the nation’s most important conservative magazine.
“Please find this special message from our sponsoring advertiser Food4Patriots,” the publication wrote. “This important support affords us the continuing means to provide you with National Review’s distinctly conservative and always exceptional news and commentary. We encourage you to patronize our sponsors.”
[/QUOTE]

Found During A Check of A Recent Aliqueit (msieve LA) Run
 

[code]
...
linear algebra completed 6538323 of 330178 dimensions (1980.2%, ETA 1237h32m)
linear algebra completed 6540353 of 330178 dimensions (1980.9%, ETA 1237h31m)
linear algebra completed 6542388 of 330178 dimensions (1981.5%, ETA 1237h30m)
linear algebra completed 6544408 of 330178 dimensions (1982.1%, ETA 1237h28m)
linear algebra completed 6546436 of 330178 dimensions (1982.7%, ETA 1237h27m)
linear algebra completed 6548457 of 330178 dimensions (1983.3%, ETA 1237h26m)
linear algebra completed 6550482 of 330178 dimensions (1983.9%, ETA 1237h25m)
linear algebra completed 6552503 of 330178 dimensions (1984.5%, ETA 1237h35m)
linear algebra completed 6554525 of 330178 dimensions (1985.1%, ETA 1237h34m)
...
[/code]

The backlash to Coca-Cola's Super Bowl ad. How many of my neighbors are secretly xenophobic, jingoist, closed-minded bigots? I was very taken aback by the level of backlash (and the color of some of the comments). Thoughts?

[QUOTE=Primeinator;366050]... Coca-Cola's Super Bowl ad.[/QUOTE]What is this? Link?

[QUOTE=retina;366051]What is this? Link?[/QUOTE]

The shortened video:

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=443Vy3I0gJs[/url]

Google searches will reveal some of the backlash... things like "we need to boycott Coca Cola" to "leave America anyone who doesn't speak English" to "so that's the language of the terrorists" and many more (worse).

[QUOTE=Primeinator;366052]The shortened video:[/QUOTE]

"The Adobe Flash Player is required for video playback. Get the latest Flash Player"

Ah, no. But thanks anyway....

[QUOTE=chalsall;366054]"The Adobe Flash Player is required for video playback. Get the latest Flash Player"

Ah, no. But thanks anyway....[/QUOTE]

Try their main website page.

[url]http://us.coca-cola.com/[/url]

At least in the US website the video is on the front page. I can't blame you for not wanting to update Flash.

[QUOTE=Primeinator;366052]... "leave America anyone who doesn't speak English" to "so that's the language of the terrorists" and many more (worse).[/QUOTE]There are many many languages spoken in America. So many countries in South America and they all have their own languages (or variants). Even Canada has two main languages.

[QUOTE=retina;366057]There are many many languages spoken in America. So many countries in South America and they all have their own languages (or variants). Even Canada has two main languages.[/QUOTE]

Exactly! I like it when I am out and hear languages I don't understand being spoken. I like the diversity in America. I don't like that some have this extreme jingoistic, misplaced, hyper-Americanism sentiment however.

[QUOTE=Primeinator;366050]I was very taken aback by the level of backlash (and the color of some of the comments). Thoughts?[/QUOTE]

Is there really so much backlash? [url]http://themattwalshblog.com/2014/02/03/breaking-nuns-babies-puppies-dolphins-spark-fierce-liberal-backlash/[/url]
[QUOTE]The Mediaite piece quotes some fellows by the name of Kip DiEugenio, Chase Floyd, and The Kevin. All three of them expressed disgust at Coca-Cola for having foreigners sing America the Beautiful. All of three of them also have about 350 Twitter followers. Total.

Actually, I think two are kids, but I don’t know. Nobody knows. Nobody knows them. That’s the point. They’re just random people spouting rhetoric on Twitter. And yet they are used by a major online news website to prove a “racist backlash.”[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=chalsall;366054]"The Adobe Flash Player is required for video playback. Get the latest Flash Player"

Ah, no. But thanks anyway....[/QUOTE]

You should be able to use HTML5 if you like [url]https://www.youtube.com/html5[/url]

[QUOTE=Primeinator;366055]I can't blame you for not wanting to update Flash.[/QUOTE]

I /never/ run flash.

Yes, there is a pretty big backlash. My Facebook feed has been flooded with negative and (thankfully) positive comments about it. Most of the extreme comments I have read have come from Twitter links. I would suspect that most who oppose the ad would be pretty far right; however, I find it ironic that they care more about the song being sung in a non-English language than they care about the homosexual couple.

this is a response to Mini-geek (lost the quote somehow)

I notice he doesn't mention that Allen West has 253K followers or Todd Starnes has 40k followers, but limits his discussion to the three with only a couple hundred followers.

He also downplays Breitbart.com's (the 275th most visited website in the US) role as "non-racist."

the funniest thing is nay-saying some of the people because they are "just some guy."

I'm sorry Matt Walsh, you are also just some guy. I've been suckered into reading some of your douchey blogs before...I'm not impressed.

Having said all that, I'm not sure there is a ground swell of racist backlash against the ad. But, Coke has a tradition of marketing toward a world market.

I'm much more offended by the stupid Chrysler/Dylan advert. Hell, I wasn't impressed by any of the ads.

[QUOTE=Primeinator;366067]Yes, there is a pretty big backlash. My Facebook feed has been flooded with negative and (thankfully) positive comments about it. Most of the extreme comments I have read have come from Twitter links. I would suspect that most who oppose the ad would be pretty far right; however, I find it ironic that they care more about the song being sung in a non-English language than they care about the homosexual couple.[/QUOTE]

Yup! I'm 100% American. My ancestors have lived here forever and have never spoken another language other than English. :loco:

What a bunch of morons, and that is probably being kind to people who think like that.

[QUOTE=chappy;366069]
He also downplays Breitbart.com's (the 275th most visited website in the US) role as "non-racist."

[/QUOTE]

And the Breitbart.com article leads off with this gem[QUOTE] "Conservatives instantly lit up social media with objections, with many vowing to boycott the soda company's products."[/QUOTE]

Which pretty much destroy's Matt Walsh's entire argument.

Coca Cola? You mean that company from Lichtenstein? They are even not American, regardless of what most people know, or Wikipedia says...

I wonder if it was properly licensed?
 

[url]http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitzreport/2014/02/gates-spends-entire-first-day-back-in-office-trying-to-install-windows-81.html[/url]

Borowitz is great! Much merriment was occasioned at this location. The link at the top to guest complaints in Sochi is also hilarious.

[QUOTE=retina;366418][url]http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitzreport/2014/02/gates-spends-entire-first-day-back-in-office-trying-to-install-windows-81.html[/url][/QUOTE]

This one is good too:

[url]http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitzreport/2014/01/stephen-hawkings-blunder-on-black-holes-shows-danger-of-listening-to-scientists-says-bachmann.html?intcid=obinsite[/url]

[url]http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-autos-kentucky-sinkhole-corvette-museum-20140212,0,5353012.story[/url]

[url]http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/02/number-the-tiles-why-threes-is-my-latest-ios-gaming-obsession/[/url]

[QUOTE=Xyzzy;366781][url]http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-autos-kentucky-sinkhole-corvette-museum-20140212,0,5353012.story[/url][/QUOTE]As it should be.:ford:

[QUOTE=Xyzzy;366781][url]http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-autos-kentucky-sinkhole-corvette-museum-20140212,0,5353012.story[/url][/QUOTE]
Gives new meaning to the phrase,"You might as well be throwing your money in a hole in the ground."

[QUOTE=jasong;366857]Gives new meaning to the phrase,"You might as well be throwing your money in a hole in the ground."[/QUOTE]

Or, perhaps alternatively...

"You shouldn't undermine the natural super-structure, and suck out materials beneath you, and be surprised when the ground sinks."

"Fracking" anyone? (Sorry; that might come across as Liberal.)

[QUOTE=chalsall;366860]Or, perhaps alternatively...

"You shouldn't undermine the natural super-structure, and suck out materials beneath you, and be surprised when the ground sinks."

"Fracking" anyone? (Sorry; that might come across as Liberal.)[/QUOTE]

I certainly wondered if there were either fracking or waste injection wells in the vicinity.

[QUOTE=kladner;366872]I certainly wondered if there were either fracking or waste injection wells in the vicinity.[/QUOTE]

No; the Corvette Museum is near Mammoth Cave National Park in the middle of the Central Kentucky Karst, a geographic area very prone to sinkholes.

I have driven by the museum numerous times on the Interstate on the way to Mammoth Cave, but I never stopped to visit.

[QUOTE=Chuck;366876]No; the Corvette Museum is near Mammoth Cave National Park in the middle of the Central Kentucky Karst, a geographic area very prone to sinkholes.

I have driven by the museum numerous times on the Interstate on the way to Mammoth Cave, but I never stopped to visit.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for answering my speculative thought, Chuck. So this is just a common occurrence in limestone country.
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karst[/url]

We have always wanted to take delivery of our Corvette(s) at the museum, because they make it very exciting and fun, from what we have read and been told.

[URL]http://www.corvettemuseum.org/ncm_delivery/[/URL]

But it is hard to negotiate a price for a vehicle that is not already at the dealer. The stealership is always willing to make a deal with the inventory on hand. We have owned three Corvettes and in each case we paid about $15K less than sticker on each of them.

The Warden has confiscated our current Corvette and has claimed it as her own. The way she drives, like a grandma going to church, the car will last forever.

We keep records on tire wear for all of our cars and motorcycles. Sometimes we think they put reduced tread tires (like reduced fill toner cartridges in laser printers) as the OEM tires.

New rubber needed:
2009 Z51 - 8,000 miles
2009 Z06 - 3,500 miles (!)
2012 GS - 18,000 miles and ⅓ of the tread left.

There is a (remote) possibility that the driver's actions may affect tread life.

:max:

PS - Check out the laser etched stuff they sell here: [URL]http://store.corvettemuseum.com/services/buildsheet.asp[/URL]

[QUOTE=Xyzzy;366896]The way she drives, like a grandma going to church, the car will last forever.[/QUOTE]You obviously never rode with my Grandmother. Her 1956 Thunderbird was a fun car to ride in.

[QUOTE=Uncwilly;366911]You obviously never rode with my Grandmother.[/QUOTE]
As he is still posting here from time to time, for sure he did not! :razz:

In a couple of months it will be the 20th anniversary of the factorization of RSA-129. The five of us most to blame (Ron for setting the challenge, Arjen, Mike, Derek and I for daring to solve it) met up in NYC for the press conference. I was the only one with international travel; SWMBO and I stayed at Arjen's for the duration and so, of course, we got to ride in his then car. Can't remember the model any more but it was a refugee from the 70's --- enormous, built like a tank and significantly battered. Arjen said he kept it that way because other drivers would give him plenty of room. Their vehicles would come off worse in a collision and it was obvious that Arjen didn't much care about his car's appearence.

Somewhere I still have a scar on my right hand from the inside door handle, but that's another story.

[QUOTE=xilman;366933]In a couple of months...[/QUOTE]
Very nice story, thanks for sharing it! :smile:
I am always interested in this part of the "history", this kind of stories must be collected in a book, somewhere...

[QUOTE=chalsall;366860]Or, perhaps alternatively...

"You shouldn't undermine the natural super-structure, and suck out materials beneath you, and be surprised when the ground sinks."

"Fracking" anyone? (Sorry; that might come across as Liberal.)[/QUOTE]
Not sure I could differentiate between liberal and "too liberal."

For me, right-wing can be nutty sometimes, left-wing tends to come across as nutty unless they're talking about the Internet(arguably, it's a different universe, so governed by different laws). Conservative simply means using commonly accepted beliefs.

Gotta be careful opposing conservatism, you can easily go from kinda wrong to super-wrong.

[QUOTE=jasong;367035]Not sure I could differentiate between liberal and "too liberal."[/quote]... because your view is biased, not balanced.

[quote]Conservative simply means using commonly accepted beliefs.[/quote]... as does liberal.

[quote]Gotta be careful opposing conservatism, you can easily go from kinda wrong to super-wrong.[/QUOTE]What an example of biased conservative egotism!

Get real, jasong. Liberal and conservative are equally valid ranges on the political spectrum.

Cheesehead, you are much nicer than I am. For the record.

Chap.

Australians do it better!

[QUOTE=BudgieJane;367138]Australians do it better![/QUOTE]

:rofl:

I actually laughed out loud for real.

[QUOTE=cheesehead;367063]... because your view is biased, not balanced[/QUOTE]
I'm biased because I reject left-wing ideology? For the fucking ROFL.

Liberal, by it's very definition is new and untried ideas. Just like with new scientific theories, things are going to be wrong more often than they're right. The more extreme the change, the higher the likelihood for something bad to happen.

[QUOTE=chappy;367089]Cheesehead, you are much nicer than I am. For the record.

Chap.[/QUOTE]
Maybe so, but the devil's(I'm talking about the actual devil) called a gentleman more often than he's called a demon. Conservatism means to keep going the way we are, presumably because it works. Liberalism means different things depending on the country, but it ALWAYS means new ideas. It's like with Obamacare, it's such a new idea to the US that the screwups are inevitable. Maybe it's a good idea, but is it such a good idea that it's worthwhile to screw around with millions of people who are already in a good place and want to stay there?

Edit:Plus, I side with the democrats with regard to the open internet, so I'm most definitely not close-minded. So I'm open-minded, but you need to make certain exceptions to the rules of time and space for me to think liberalism is a good idea.

[QUOTE=jasong;367155]I'm biased because I reject left-wing ideology? For the fucking ROFL.

Liberal, by it's very definition is new and untried ideas. Just like with new scientific theories, things are going to be wrong more often than they're right. The more extreme the change, the higher the likelihood for something bad to happen.[/QUOTE]

I miss the days (which were not long ago) when the forums where clean. And this for a so called "christian". LOL

[QUOTE=kracker;367157]I miss the days (which were not long ago) when the forums where clean. And this for a so called "christian". LOL[/QUOTE]
Sin exists in the spiritual realm, by the time it gets to the physical realm, bad things have already happened. Besides, strong language has such a generic definition, how do you know when you're abusing the language?

Did you know that in the 1800s, gonorrhea was called fire-piss? If a doctor told an American or British woman she had fire-piss today, she'd probably slap him. But it was literally a medical term back then.

[QUOTE=jasong;367158]Sin exists in the spiritual realm, by the time it gets to the physical realm, bad things have already happened. Besides, strong language has such a generic definition, how do you know when you're abusing the language?

Did you know that in the 1800s, gonorrhea was called fire-piss? If a doctor told an American or British woman she had fire-piss today, she'd probably slap him. But it was literally a medical term back then.[/QUOTE]

Please don't confuse things more than you have to. You KNOW what I said and meant. The history and past meaning of words I don't care.

Florida man accused of setting fire to apartment complex after masturbation
 

[URL]http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/flordia-man-accused-setting-fire-apartments-masturbation-complaints-article-1.1604149[/URL]

[QUOTE=kracker;367160]Please don't confuse things more than you have to. You KNOW what I said and meant. The history and past meaning of words I don't care.[/QUOTE]

Please be gentle. JasonG is a little confused.

He lives with his parents, but tries to tell other's what they should do....

[QUOTE=kracker;367160]Please don't confuse things more than you have to. You KNOW what I said and meant. The history and past meaning of words I don't care.[/QUOTE]
My point, since I obviously failed to make it, is that words are just sounds, it depends on the particulars whether or not they're offensive or sinful. That's why I said sin happens in the spiritual world. There's nothing intrinsically sinful about the physical world, and sounds are one aspect of the physical world.

Intentions are everything, and a well-placed swear word is like an exclamation point when it's used sparingly.

OMFG... And earthquake in Barbdos!!!
 

So, I've already received two calls from "friends and family" because [URL="http://news.sky.com/story/1213439/earthquake-hits-caribbean-island-of-barbados"]Barbados experienced a 6.7 magnitude earthquake.[/URL]

Fear, under-certainty and doubt (FUD), anyone?

This was actually far from us, and far underground, and very few felt anything. There were no deaths; and no structural damage.

But, of course, the media are masters at scare mongering ("Keep them afraid, and then they might not ask the important questions)....

[QUOTE=jasong;367236]My point, since I obviously failed to make it, is that words are just sounds, it depends on the particulars whether or not they're offensive or sinful. That's why I said sin happens in the spiritual world. There's nothing intrinsically sinful about the physical world, and sounds are one aspect of the physical world.

Intentions are everything, and a well-placed swear word is like an exclamation point when it's used sparingly.[/QUOTE]

I get your point. But that, is [U][I]your[/I][/U], and only your opinion of how swear "words" affect and work etc. I think most others would disagree with what you said.

[QUOTE=chalsall;367257]This was actually far from us, and far underground, and very few felt anything. There were no deaths; and no structural damage.[/QUOTE]I noticed that and decided not to ask you if you were still alive.

'Joe the Plumber" takes Union job at Chrysler
 

[url]http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/02/18/1278483/--Joe-the-Plumber-takes-a-union-job-at-Chrysler[/url]

I started to put in an excerpt, but the story is short and the snark obvious. :devil:

[QUOTE=chalsall;367257]So, I've already received two calls from "friends and family" because [URL="http://news.sky.com/story/1213439/earthquake-hits-caribbean-island-of-barbados"]Barbados experienced a 6.7 magnitude earthquake.[/URL]

Fear, under-certainty and doubt (FUD), anyone?

This was actually far from us, and far underground, and very few felt anything. There were no deaths; and no structural damage.

But, of course, the media are masters at scare mongering ("Keep them afraid, and then they might not ask the important questions)....[/QUOTE]
I never know what to do with the number. What magnitude would you get if a 300-pound person strolled within inches of the machine and kept going?

[QUOTE=kracker;367261]I get your point. But that, is [U][I]your[/I][/U], and only your opinion of how swear "words" affect and work etc. I think most others would disagree with what you said.[/QUOTE]
Well, let me ask you this. An imaginary man is offended by a certain word. He travels somewhere where the word comes up because of phonetic coincidence.

Has the person who offended him committed any sort of offense?

Morality is a difficult concept to discuss because it's impossible for human beings to define it. Inevitably, when we DO try to define it, it gets corrupted.

Off-topic(technically, double off-topic since I appear to have hijacked the thread) This is one of the reasons I assert to people that if there is no God than there is no morality, since if there's no Judge, than discussing morality is basically mental masturbation.

[QUOTE=jasong;367286]Morality is a difficult concept to discuss because it's impossible for human beings to define it. Inevitably, when we DO try to define it, it gets corrupted.[/QUOTE]
Only our forum administrator is permitted to use the royal "we".:huh:

[QUOTE=jasong;367286].....
Morality is a difficult concept to discuss because[U] it's impossible for human beings to define it.[/U] Inevitably, when we DO try to define it, it gets corrupted.[/QUOTE]

On the contrary, the words, and their definition(s) are human constructs from the get-go.

[QUOTE]....... [U]This is one of the reasons I assert to people that if there is no God than [sic] there is no morality[/U], since if there's no Judge, than [sic] discussing morality is basically mental masturbation.[/QUOTE]There is a glaring non-sequitur here (wanking,) wrapped in a circular argument (source of "morality",) based on an unproven assertion (god.)

We wonders, yes, we wonders, my Precious, why we ever does anything other than the utterly selfish? Certainly there are people like that. They are often called sociopaths, or hedge fund managers. On the other hand, there are many people who do the best they can to listen to empathy and act accordingly, without relinquishing personal responsibility for moral choices to some unseen, unknown, and unknowable fantasy. In fact, tail-biting arguments like yours might themselves be described as mental masturbation. Why not take responsibility for the choices you make?

We read a somewhat interesting fiction novel recently, called "Divergent". (The rest of the books in that series were a disappointment, though.)

Anyways, in "Divergent" they have an interesting social structure divided into five factions. One faction in particular stood out to us as the book described how they lived.

[QUOTE]Abnegation Manifesto

"I will be my undoing If I become my obsession.

I will forget the ones I love If I do not serve them.

I will war with others If I refuse to see them.

Therefore I choose to turn away from my reflection,

To rely not on myself

But on my brothers and sisters,

To project always outward

Until I disappear." *

(*Some members add a final line: “And only God remains.” That is at the discretion of each member, and is not compulsory.)[/QUOTE]We are not sure how this relates to the recent posts in this thread but it felt relevant.

:mike:

[url]http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/25/california-gold-coins-buried-treasure/5817179/[/url]

[QUOTE=Xyzzy;367806][URL]http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/25/california-gold-coins-buried-treasure/5817179/[/URL][/QUOTE]

Holy Moley, Batman!

Re: Google Glassholes
 

[url=sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/02/25/woman-wearing-google-says-she-was-attacked-in-san-francisco-bar/#comments]Woman Wearing Google Glass Says She Was Attacked In San Francisco Bar[/url]

I first saw this on the broadcast edition of the above CBS station, part of our oh-so-tech-loving local Silicon Valley news media - best part of the Glass video the woman recorded was the snip where - while she is recording the bar patrons - she says for posterity "...they're reacting as if I were recording them...". Ya think?

She's apparently very into her own victimhood, will probably agitate to get SF prosecutors to declare the incident a "hate crime".

So she thinks it is her natural right to show off marvelous technology by invading the privacy of others? While a bar is clearly a public place, that does not excuse boorish behavior, such as recording people against their will, or at least, without their permission. In addition, it seems that her companion initiated violence, if I read the story correctly. At the very least, she's a total jerk, especially with her "poor me" take on things. Maybe she should take her fancy glasses elsewhere in the future. Anyone she recorded could end up face-tagged all over the internet. I would certainly take exception, though not to the point of violence.

[QUOTE=Xyzzy;367806][url]http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/25/california-gold-coins-buried-treasure/5817179/[/url][/QUOTE]

I estimate that the bullion value alone of this find is around $1.7 million at today's prices. Each $20 gold coin contains about .9675 Troy ounces of gold, so at today's prices of $1300 per ounce, the $27,000 face value hoard is a lot of gold! Numismatic value of common date coins must have decreased over the last few years with the increase in gold coins, but apparently there are a few rare date coins in this collection that increase the total estimated numismatic value to over $10 million. Kagin, the coin dealer entrusted with the hoard, is not revealing what methods he has used to clean and restore these mostly uncirculated coins to original luster, but because gold is much less susceptible to corrosion than copper and silver, he claims that at least some specimens may be worth $1 million each. Reportedly the dates range from 1847 to 1894, but the San Francisco mint did not begin minting gold coins until 1854. Perhaps the one coin from Dahlonega, Georgia could be the 1847 specimen? If the condition of the majority of the coins is indeed uncirculated as reported, I would not be surprised if the sale value goes considerably above $10 million.

So why was this hoard forgotten? One theory may be that the only person who knew about it died suddenly, but another theory is that someone deliberately kept quiet, not wanting an undeserving heir to have it! Other theories?

Anyone here thinking of buying one or more of the Saddle Ridge found coins when they go up for sale? I might consider buying one of the lower-priced ones if the "sekrit stash" premium over a similar run-of-the-mill-graded coin is not outrageous.

Re. the cleaning, in general anything beyond very mild dirt/dust removal is a no-no for high-end coins. Since these are > 90% gold and thus not subject to significant tarnishing I'd be surprised if they were chemically cleaned to 'brighten" them, as that is inimical to the valuation for graded coins.

{I find myself unable to access the official pre-sale website at the moment, was hoping to find details re. the cleaning there.]

[b]Edit:[/b] OK, a browser kill-and-restart later, we see the following from [url=saddleridgehoard.com]Kagin's webpage for the hoard[/url]:
[i]
...somehow, despite being buried for over a hundred years, [u]many of the coins were preserved in pristine condition[/u]; some being finer than anything seen to date.
[/i]
There is no detailed info up as yet, but I added myself to the mailing list. As a Californian, so much of my state's settlement history is tied in with the mid-1800s gold rush that the chance to own such a tangible souvenir of that era [and not just some random 1850s S-mint gold coin bought on eBay] is intriguing. Now I just need to cash in a couple of those Bitcoins I have on Mt. Gox to fund things ... (just kidding, as apparently were the operators of that BTC exchange. :)

[QUOTE=Xyzzy;366791][url]http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/02/number-the-tiles-why-threes-is-my-latest-ios-gaming-obsession/[/url][/QUOTE]

Our best score thus far is attached.

This game skirts a very fine line between fun and frustration.

:bangheadonwall:

isn't that the goal of all those reflexion game? (candy crush, anyone?)

When may I shoot a student?
 

[url]http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/28/opinion/when-may-i-shoot-a-student.html?hp&rref=opinion[/url]

[QUOTE]BOISE, Idaho — TO the chief counsel of the Idaho State Legislature:
In light of the bill permitting guns on our state’s college and university campuses, which is likely to be approved by the state House of Representatives in the coming days, I have a matter of practical concern that I hope you can help with: When may I shoot a student?
I am a biology professor, not a lawyer, and I had never considered bringing a gun to work until now. But since many of my students are likely to be armed, I thought it would be a good idea to even the playing field.
[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=kladner;368264][url]http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/28/opinion/when-may-i-shoot-a-student.html?hp&rref=opinion[/url][/QUOTE]

just about perfect.

[QUOTE=Xyzzy;367806][url]http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/25/california-gold-coins-buried-treasure/5817179/[/url][/QUOTE]

Apparently they might have been [URL="http://mashable.com/2014/02/26/saddle-ridge-gold-coins-stolen-1898/"]stolen[/URL] and would thus have to return them to their rightful owner, the US government.

[QUOTE=rogue;368295]Apparently they might have been [URL="http://mashable.com/2014/02/26/saddle-ridge-gold-coins-stolen-1898/"]stolen[/URL] and would thus have to return them to their rightful owner, the US government.[/QUOTE]

The problem with coins is that, unlike with bills, there are no unique serial numbers, just the date and mint mark. Thus, without actual additional evidence typing the hoard to the 1901 theft - such as remnants of cloth mint bags, which a thief would have been a complete idiot to not discard ASAP - it's all just circumstantial/coincidental/hypothetical.

Makes for a good "Hmmm..." yarn, though, which is of course the theme of the thread. :)

[url]http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/05/living/nj-teen-sues-parents-for-college-education/[/url]

[url]http://promotions.newegg.com/amd/14-0706/index.html?icid=239657[/url]

[QUOTE=Xyzzy;368490][URL]http://promotions.newegg.com/amd/14-0706/index.html?icid=239657[/URL][/QUOTE]
The XFX HD7970-G Edition is a beast when it comes to mining (and mfakto also, I have one which produces 630GHzD/D moving 40M from 68 to 69 bits), the only problem with that kit you linked, is that you waste money for mobo, cpu and memory (they want to get rid of those, that is why the discounts, but there seems to be no discount for GPUs efectively), and even if you decide to [U]use[/U] that mobo, you will need to invest more money to connect those 6 beasts to the (something like only two simultaneous working from 3 or 4 available) PCI slots of the mobo. I mean, PCI extension cables, splits, or external PCI box (something like a [URL="http://www.netstor.com.tw/_03/03_02.php?MTEx"]TurboBox[/URL]) or PCI raiser. Better buy the cards separate, you can get them cheaper now after r290 has hit the markets, and also get big discounts if you buy 6; then buy a good mobo and an (average) decent cpu, and there you are; most probably cheaper. A good [URL="http://www.moddiy.com/products/PCI%252dExpress-PCI%252dE-8X-to-16X-Riser-Card-Flexible-Ribbon-Extender-Cable-w%7B47%7DMolex-%252b-Solid-Capacitor.html"]riser[/URL] you will need anyhow, to "aerate" them, those beasts produce tons of heat...

On the other hands, mining is not anymore as profitable as it was one year ago. But if you get cheap electricity, it is still a good business, you may still be able to make a (poor) living from it. Don't dream to get rich overnight, you will not.

(edit: it is the general "you", not the personal "you")

If the deal is so great them why are they selling them instead of mining themselves? Just like during the gold rush days, the only sure way to make money was to sell the mining equipment.

[url]http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/03/for-sale-on-ebay-one-lightly-used-soviet-bear-bomber-low-mileage/[/url]

[QUOTE=Xyzzy;368544][url]http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/03/for-sale-on-ebay-one-lightly-used-soviet-bear-bomber-low-mileage/[/url][/QUOTE]


sadness

[QUOTE=Xyzzy;368544][URL]http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/03/for-sale-on-ebay-one-lightly-used-soviet-bear-bomber-low-mileage/[/URL][/QUOTE]
[code]
"[B]A little TLC and it could become a supervillain's airborne lair."[/B]

[/code]Retina...

Edit: I just saw chappy's post. retina must have already acquired it...

[QUOTE=EdH;368554][code]
"[B]A little TLC and it could become a supervillain's airborne lair."[/B]

[/code]Retina...

Edit: I just saw chappy's post. retina must have already acquired it...[/QUOTE]I like the AF1 much better. One needs a bit of comfort else how to think up cunning evil plans?

Tesla's (reputed) favorite invention
 

Interesting animated explanation of the (bladeless) Tesla turbine with an 80 krpm model.
[YOUTUBE]mrnul6ixX90[/YOUTUBE]

(not very interesting) demo of a 10 kW, 850 rpm Tesla turbine generator.
[YOUTUBE]EvMLkbnXRPE[/YOUTUBE]

EDIT: When driven through the shaft, it functions as a pump, with the air entering at the hub. Supposedly, on his deathbed, Tesla said "my turbine" was his favorite invention.

There is also a video of such a turbine made from the stacked platters of an HDD.

EDIT2: 20 kW hydro installation using a pump for a turbine, and a 3 phase motor as a single phase alternator.
[YOUTUBE]bRl0ztxn094[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]VucczIg98Gw[/YOUTUBE]

[url]http://www.slingshotchannel.com/[/url]

[YOUTUBE]tIIJME8-au8[/YOUTUBE]

[URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA019000CRH0"]Star Trek Enterprise NCC-1701[/URL] [SPOILER]Pizza Cutter[/SPOILER]

[QUOTE=Batalov;369640][URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA019000CRH0"]Star Trek Enterprise NCC-1701[/URL] [SPOILER]Pizza Cutter[/SPOILER][/QUOTE]

LOL! Both of us here cracked up over this one! :lol:

A bit off-topic, but is anyone watching the fan made web series [URL="http://www.startrekcontinues.com/"]Star Trek Continues?[/URL]

I've watched the first one--though admittedly I was also playing Hearthstone at the same time--and it seems like a pretty faithful rendition of original series with some nods to later developments like holodecks and ship's councilors.

The second episode is out and the third is filming now. Apparently it's a collaboration of a bunch of Star Trek fans who work in the film industry and borrow/steal/create the props.

[url]http://markwagnerinc.com/[/url]

Kudos! Fascinating.
[YOUTUBE]cgzTTJpqTiw[/YOUTUBE]

If I may please rant...
 

If I may please rant...

A friend of mine said to me "my condolences if you get that contract".

I now understand what she meant....