xkcd

Sero

Skype was acquired by Microsoft after the date of PRISM starting to get data from them in the timeline for the article, so I think it's reasonable. In any case, I think it's reasonable just for clarity, such as in Google/Youtube's case. Youtube isn't under the Google brand, plenty of people aren't a...

Sero

“I realize they have rights too but you can’t take rights away from one group and give it to another.” This quote is fun, taken out of context. If I understand things correctly, what was being taken away was her 'right' to a 6th grade graduation with Christian prayers and no recognition of other re...

Sero

Indeed. Major asteroid impacts are rare, but we're going to feel awfully stupid (and dead) if another dinosaur-killer smacks into us sometime in the next hundred millenia. I think we may be fixating a bit too much on the asteroid aspect of it, yeah. That strikes me more as a 'This will tell us a bit...

Sero

A widespread (several cities? Half the US? I'm not sure what's probable with such an outage) internet outage lasting for an extended period would be a pretty big deal for more than just businesses. A lot of it depends on the specifics of the networks affected, and I don't have the expertise to make ...

Sero

I don't know, I could see it. Treat it similar to continuing education, you need so much every so often. One case a year, or something. Perhaps make it optional, 'doing this counts as part of your continuing legal education for this year'. The problem is that, getting so many hours of up-to-date leg...

Sero

Bring back homesteading! It's even cheaper this time, just an acre a head, not forty. Plus a can of seeds and a pocket knife, as previously listed.

Okay, I'm sorry, with some of the absurdity in this thread I feel the need to edit this lest I mistakenly be taken seriously. I am being sarcastic.

Sero

They're also cancelling (disabling? Not sure the correct verb) hotlines with the US and South Korea. That is a bit more significant. Not necessarily hugely but it makes it just that little bit easier for something in the future to escalate.

Sero

Corrupt, I think Lucrece meant megabits, not megabytes. If you are not aware, divide bits by 8 to get bytes. Unless you meant you were lucky to get 125 KB/s before from your broadband connection. In which case, um, ouch?

Sero

The most interesting to me at least, is that Manning admits to trying Washington Post / New York times first: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/28/manning-washington-post-new-york-times Going to reputable U.S. News sources with a data dump, knowing there's some important, damning information...

Sero

It would be amusing but you know those same bigots would just be 'Look at them violate GODS PLAN even more, how dare they!'

Sero

My sympathies. I've seen just enough of Windows 8 to know I want nothing to do with it. I hear rumor that Microsoft is pushing for a big UI overhaul, which might make things better? I heard 'by the end of summer', but rumor is rumor so yeah. As to your second question, I did a bit of googling. http:...

Sero

One of my biggest disappointments growing up was learning that you only got a 16-fold energy increase from launching from the moon (to the Earth), while Heinlein blithely suggested spoiler for The Moon is a Harsh Mistress "Cheyenne Mountain is now Cheyenne Plains. What should be the next targe...

Sero

Even an underperforming fund still outpace inflation (Unless they're SERIOUSLY underperforming), and thus, net worth is increased. It just isn't increasing as fast. Stick it in an in index fund, and you match market growth, and have instant diversity. Divide it between a few index funds run by diffe...

Sero

No, it really doesn't sound exactly like what you said. What it sounded like you said is, in the same search that resulted in the shooting, they found assorted contraband and evidence. What the article said was that as part of the same investigation, searches of other houses turned up assorted contr...

Sero

Edgar, might I suggest you read that wikipedia article a little more closely, and perhaps follow the citation of the section you're quoting? Because the way you constructed that quote suggests all those items were recovered from the raid on Guerena's house. You left out the bit where the ledger was ...

Sero

we do have certain ethical responsibilities with regards to locking people up. Do we really though? And if we do, are our current judicial and corrective systems fulfilling those responsibilities? Unless you're arguing that a conviction that results in prison time strips someone of their constituti...

Sero

That's not really relevant. The point is that does nothing to quantify the scope of the problem. You can't respond to 'You have no data' by linking someone who shares your opinion, but also has no data, as evidence to support your claims, especially when the opinion you're linking to is one held by ...

Sero

...Okay, Iceman, you really can't refute people's points by saying they're ridiculous without further comment or explanation. Why is it ridiculous to think in a safe, regulated industry you could check up on the welfare ('Are you here against your will?' seems to be a pretty basic 'welfare' point) o...

Sero

Convenience? Sending money digitally is a lot less hassle than physically sending cash to someone.

Sero

From the article: Female veteran groups say that even though the number of women who would pursue combat jobs might be small, having the option is a long overdue step that would bring the United States in line with several of its allies. Not saying that's a cite for the level of interest being low, ...

Sero

I'm not sure if PCIe 4x would be a significant bottleneck for a mid-range video card. http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/HD_5870_PCI-Express_Scaling/25.html is rather dated, but seems to suggest using a 4x slot would only impose a 5% performance penalty. KnightExmplar is pretty much right, I thi...

Sero

The article China appears to be tightening its control of internet services that are able to burrow secretly through what is known as the "Great Firewall", which prevents citizens there from reading some overseas content. Both companies and individuals are being hit by the new technology ...

Sero

Oh dear gods, I made the mistake of reading the comments on that article on Buffet. The predominant opinion is they're either lying about her tax rate, or she must be fantastically well paid to be taxed that highly. Now, I don't know if the latter is true, she works for the second wealthiest man in ...

Sero

This thread is basically a place for people to perpetually butt heads over which side in the I/P conflict is the bigger dick. I find it interesting to read in the same way analyzing propaganda can be informative..This thread might enlighten your opinion of which side you support, but if you want an ...

Sero

It gets more complicated than that, Iceman, because the US legal system, at least, is concerned with more than whether you committed a physical act. Your state of mind also matters, because your state of mind can be the difference between, for instance, manslaughter, murder, and no crime being commi...

Sero

Yeah, but you're talking -long- term. Checking my local bank's rates and five minutes of googling found more like 2%, even for 10-year CDs, even into the six figure range of deposits.

Sero

Source please. Thus wikipedia: The Ministry of Defense (Hebrew: מִשְׂרַד הַבִּטָּחוֹן, Misrad HaBitahon) of the government of Israel, is the governmental department responsible for defending the State of Israel from internal and external military threats. Its political head is the Defense Minister ...

Sero

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Pillar_of_Defense Anonymous attacked many Israeli websites in response to the IDF offensive in Gaza in #OpIsrael and claims to have taken down at least 700 sites as of the 18th of November. The Israeli Defense Forces claim that they have deflected 44 million a...

Sero

Interesting. That makes me wonder if the issue might not be a faulty reading from the battery, rather than the battery actually being unable to hold a charge. This is more wild speculation and mere curiosity than anything, but Arancaytar, I suggest you try going through your laptop's power settings ...

Sero

So, the subscription on my mumble server is just about up, and while I've not been terribly displeased by the experience with my current host, there have been a few rough patches that have me willing to look for alternatives. Does anyone have recommendations for good mumble server hosts? I will say ...

Sero

It's not too bad when our laws are actually being followed, but 'Waaaaaaaaaah' is a mounting issue for us.

Sero

I was also very struck by the closing line of the article, that the single security feature, out of all those in place, that would be most effective in protecting visitors to the memorial? Wearing one's seatbelt when driving there. Opinion, certainly, but I'm not sure I can bring myself to disagree...

Sero

"Does the world trade center site need so much security?" The National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York is a profound, beautiful monument to the lives lost in the 1993 and 2001 terror attacks at the World Trade Center. But the iron curtain of security surrounding the site fo...

Sero

Somebody please invent this: A machine that replaces a consumer dishwasher. It 3D prints dishes, silverware, cups, mixing bowls, etc. based on user selections. People eat off of them or whatever, then place them back into the top rack. There they get melted or regrinded or whatever is needed to rec...

Sero

I also can recommend the 'Microsoft Security Essentials with Malwarebytes as backup' route. MSE has a lot to recommend it. Bear in mind, a paid AV scanner has an interest in convincing you that it's being effective and useful and worth the money, which tends to mean it's more intrusive. Microsoft, o...

Sero

Legal, and doesn't require any special permits or such, according to wikipedia.

Like Sizik said, smokeless powder deflagrates, it doesn't detonate. It's not exactly the safest stuff in the world, but it's not really ideal for bomb making, it was just all there was for a really long time.

Sero

Well, it still has utility for any trip to the moon. Or rather, any trip to the moon that involves a return trip, since you wouldn't have to boost fuel for the (probably) most expensive part of the return trip, lifting off from the moon's surface. Of course, there's no denying an Earth-based space e...

Sero

The strange thing is that Sweden is very clearly not allowed to extradite him to the US. It would be a very flagrant violation of EU treaties, and probably the Swedish constitution as well. By the same token, the UK is not allowed to extradite him to Sweden if they have legitimate reasons to think ...

Sero

Automated mining of asteroids could definitely provide lots of valuable resources.. But then, if you have automated mining machines, why not just set them loose here on Earth? At the very least, that seems like it would be a useful first step. Fundamentally different designs. A machine capable of m...

Sero

I vaguely remember reading somewhere that instead of following orders there would be a chance of the men wanting to 'save' the women instead, thus jeopardizing the mission. I remember seeing this somewhere too. However, if that happens, what is the problem? By which I mean, the problem in that situ...

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