Interesting. It's possible that stress might actually kill brain cells more than alcohol can. I never really thought about it that way before.
- Victor Ganata
from iPhone
God knows stress has killed them in me...
- Spidra Webster
I wouldn't say that alcohol killing brain cells is a myth, but it's likely your liver will give out long before your brain does…
- Victor Ganata
from iPhone
I always hated the 10% thing. Mostly because of all the spiritual and drug based (some may argue they're two sides of the same coin :)) solutions that are always suggested to utilize the remaining 90%.
- Eivind
Well, according to how some people behave, I think they _choose_ to utilize only 10% (or less).
- Jemm
Victor, I think it depends on the brain...some of those actually have only limited funtionality even without drugs, alcohol or religions. And livers have, like brains do, quite amazing self healing possibilities. (I remember when I quit drinking I was a week or two away from just keeling over and dying from drinking. 6 weeks later my liver stats were back to normal...but I won't judge abotu my brain...)
- Chocolate Connoisseur
Here's one that is not a myth: Chronically high blood sugar, as you would get with uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes, WILL decrease cognitive abilities. That alone could get a ton of people to cut down on the junk food and sugary drinks, if they actually knew about it.
- April Russo
Yeah, everyone's body is different, and I realize that the plural of "anecdote" is not "data" but all I know is that all the hard core alcoholics who I've seen get admitted to the ICU for upper GI bleeding have somewhat functional brains but completely scarred-down non-functional livers.
- Victor Ganata
from iPhone
The main reason why hard core alcoholics get brain damage like Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and probably alcoholic dementia is because of the severe nutrient deficits that result from drinking large quantities of alcohol on a daily basis (and often, the resultant lack of funds to buy food.)
- Victor Ganata
I have an uncle and a cousin who have Wernicke-Korsakoff and they rarely eat. :-/
- Kelli H.
from Android
I will confess, if I could do the Spock eyebrow, it would be to some of your posts. I reference the Spock brow only for him saying, "Interesting."
- Janet:#TeamMonique
[Clarification: I don't set out to create posts that elicit this sort of reaction. Yet somehow, after the fact, I realize that I've done it again. I guess it's in me nature.]
- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
from Android
Is this one of those, "I'm interested to see who actually reads my wall, so leave a one word comment about me and then post it to your wall so your friends can do the same thing for you" kind of things? Cause ... no.
- Kristin
I thought maybe it was one of those complete-the-sentence thingys. "if you're still on Friendfeed you're ... not too cool for school
- Laura Norvig
from iPod
Beyler it is time for you anglo-americans to embrace your Kurdish, Turkish and Italian fetfirint brethren. both the tire stopper and memişko keps giver kinds. Pliz.
- Alfonker Tapir
(Shabuya, sha, sha, shabuya, ROLL CALL!) My name is Chris (Yeah!). Chris of Spades (Yeah!). And I still lurk here (Yeah!). On Best of Day. (ROLL CALL! Shabuya, sha, sha, shabuya.)
- chrisofspades
I so very much wish you were my next door neighbor Rachel. One, so I could steal snuggles with all your foster kittens. Two, so you could take these awesome pictures of my fur-kids.
- Janet:#TeamMonique
LOL! Thanks Janet. Most of the kitten photos are just iPhone photos. :)
- Rachel Lea Fox
were you able to STEM the GRAPE and furious attack? :-)
- Morgan
ROFL...I have no idea where that rolling of my index finger thing even came from. First time I've ever noticed that I do it...and I don't think it was the only time on the video that I did that.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
"A key part of the service is Microsoft's SkyDrive integration that will allow users to store music and playlists in a cloud collection — available across multiple devices. Although Microsoft has plans to offer Xbox Music across multiple platforms, including iOS and Android, apps will not be immediately available we're told. Microsoft is also planning to launch an Xbox dashboard update to support Xbox Music on its console."
- Jemm
from Bookmarklet
"In an email Apple support has confirmed that side-lit phones taken by the iPhone 5 will invariable have a Purple haze, saying this was normal behaviour for the device."
- Jemm
from Bookmarklet
LOL'er cakes, D! Though defense in depth with other techniques is warranted due to "statistical evidence suggest[ing] the use of helmets may in fact enhance the government's invasive abilities" https://friendfeed.com/logical...
- Tinfoil 2.0
"Apple is pretty much the king of the closed PC platforms. This is the company that won't let anyone else make Mac PCs. Yet, Microsoft is still going to allow anyone who wants to build a PC from scratch a way to get an OEM copy of Windows 8. You have a very successful version of Minecraft on the Mac and iOS platforms. You didn't have a problem with Apple's closed systems policy when you launched the iOS or Mac versions."
- Jemm
from Bookmarklet
"During our visit to the company's Tampere, Finland research and development complex, we were given access to a comprehensive testing suite, enabling us to shoot with a Lumia 920 prototype and a handful of competing products in a controlled lighting environment. Technicians dimmed the lights and let us snap a static scene with each handset at just 5 lux -- a level on par with what you may expect on a dimly lit city street in the middle of the night."
- Jemm
from Bookmarklet
Very impressive. I hope it lands on Verizon.
- Rodfather
By confirming that's its not about golf, this thread is now "Never" - "Golf".. So by knowing what it isn't, i am one step further away from never knowing what its about. This thread will always now be <" Never"... You've invalidated your own thread :)
- Johnny
I know what this thread's about and I am quite amused.
- Akiva
This thread is also not about Xanth, but if you thought it was, you are awesome.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Au contraire, Johnny. I said I will never tell you what this thread IS about. I never said I wouldn't say what this thread IS NOT about. By the way, it isn't about an argument about the veracity of the claim of the first comment.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
I don't know what this is about, but those are some good points at the start of the thread!
- Jemm
Could this thread, perhaps, be simply the automatic gainsaying of anything the other person says? This, of course, makes it a contradiction rather than an argument. Not that you ever said it was an argument, but you didn't say it was a contradiction either. And so, you see, it is useless to argue about whether it is a contradiction, because the presence of those contradictory facts...
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- Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ
the OS deserves to do well and phone build quality seems good. but Nokia have a lot to learn about presenting a device to the public.
- Winckel
I agree that their marketing has still a lot to learn. I'm sure the executives/CEO wasn't satisfied at all to the photo/video-fiasco. Luckily the beta-version of the phone's camera has done well on independent tests afterwards, too.
- Jemm
Oh well, Victor, we had to have something to argue about. :D Other than compulsory voting that is, hehe.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Another sue-doo here, as well. Used to be sue-doe for a short time, till I learned what it actually stood for, then sue-doo made more sense.
- April Russo
I think that saying it like pseudo makes more sense since it allows you to act as pseudo root. Of course this means that the original creators had such a sense of humor, but they may not have. I just can't say sue doo after hearing every other UNIX/Linux admin I've ever known for the last 20 years call it sudoe. I hadn't heard sue doo used until yesterday and it struck me as such a comical way to say it that I started this thread in multiple places.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
I don't know how true this is, but the etymology Wikipedia presents is that it's from 'su' and the verb 'do' because it lets you do things as the superuser. I think this is supported by the fact that the config file is /etc/sudoers, i.e., "su doers" which basically lists the users who can do things as the superuser.
- Victor Ganata
Yes, that appears to be true, but it's not nearly as neat plus it makes it sound too close to doo doo. Anyhow, I think this is one of those things where both are now accepted as proper pronunciation. No need for us to create another internet war, unless you really want to have fun and waste a few minutes of your life doing it. :D
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
I think it's also a bit of a slice of life that someone, and I doubt I'm the only one, can go through over 20 years working or living in a space and not be aware of things that happened within that space. So much knowledge is out there that even in a given field we won't encounter most of it.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
I really wish that people would fact check the 9/11 conspiracy crap they post on 9/11. So much utter nonsense on this anniversary of such a tragic event.
I don't think the people who prescribe to conspiracy crap fact check at all.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
That's exactly what THEY would say to hide what REALLY happened and WHY!1!
- Jemm
Could you get them to fact check the political bluster that's posted too ... ya know, while you are on a mission anyway? In other words, I couldnt agree with you more!
- Shannon - GlassMistress
My lack of tv viewing makes me feel like my head is in the sand on this. I haven't seen a single negative ad for either campaign. Are they worse than previous years? It seems like the status quo for campaigning.
- Kelli H.
Yeah, they're getting worse, all right, at least from what I've seen from the few minutes of TV in the break room at work. I've never been happier to not have cable in my life.
- Steven Perez
Nah, I'm not buying the "both sides do it" argument, and I have a strong opinion about who will make our lives the most miserable should they win in November, but I fear that driving away from the polls (especially when coupled with passing laws that will keep valid voters from the polls) is going to ensure the wrong person will win.
- Victor Ganata
Kraftwerk "The Model", Animotion "Obsession", Jan Hammer - Miami Vice Theme, Dead or Alive - You Spin Me Round. Ok there could be no end to this list, you know. :)
- Adrian
@Adrian, I realized that a little late. It seems everybody was doing it in 80s. :)
- Curtis (a) Jackson
But it was sooo cool! They made great songs against all odds... and sense. But somehow it was magic! Someone make a playlist, post a link and wake me in the morning and I will bump it for the next week. :)
- Adrian
One we've been hearing a lot this week: Chariots of Fire by Vangelis
- Spidra Webster
Ministry's "Work for Love" (http://www.youtube.com/watch...) -- it always makes me laugh when thinking of how overly-serious they became later to remember what they sounded like early on. Also the fake British accent at 2:24 is hi-larious.
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
I actually owned that album and was shocked when I heard people refer to them later.
- Spidra Webster
Soft Cell's "Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go" (http://www.youtube.com/watch...) -- interesting details at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...: "Usually, an artist releasing a cover version as a single would opt to write the song that appears on the B-side as this would still entitle the artist to some songwriting royalties stemming from sales of that single. However, as...
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- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
Wall of Voodoo's "Mexican Radio" (http://www.youtube.com/watch... -- that's the 7" version) -- Stan Ridgway is such a distinctive artist; I need to check out some of his recent solo work.
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
I was going to say Haircut 100's "Love Plus One" (http://www.youtube.com/watch...) but I don't think there are actually any synths in it -- the marimba and horns sound synthy/fake, but I think they're real.
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
Spidra, I used to love OMD and had a bunch of rare/import vinyl that unfortunately were stolen from my parents' garage. My favorite song of theirs used to be VCL XI off Organisation (http://www.youtube.com/watch...) -- sounds so dated now.
- Stephen Mack #TeamMomo
Great song. But blocked: "Unfortunately, this SME-music-content is not available in Germany because GEMA has not granted the respective music publishing rights."
- Nils Sandin
All songs mentioned in the comments are great! :-)
- Nils Sandin
Oh... Murray Head - "One Night in Bangkok". One of the most cold-blooded songs ever recorded.
- Adrian
The way I look at it is that, as complicated and time-intensive as it is, landing a truck with pinpoint precision millions of miles away on another planet is the *easy* stuff. If we can't all come together and agree to do the easy stuff, then there's no way in hell we'll manage to come together and do the hard stuff here on Earth.
If we can't get our shit together here on this planet, we can't really be trusted with being on other ones.
- Spidra Webster
Not all Congresses are equal, though. It was a different, more forward thinking Congress that funded Curiosity. If we don't take care with voting this election, the next Congress is likely to oversee the complete dismantlement of NASA.
- Victor Ganata
I think you have to look outward in order to make sure you're still going somewhere. It's hard not to fall down hard if you're just looking inward all the time.
- Victor Ganata
We can look outward just fine without a manned program.
- Spidra Webster
Can we? And there's no guarantee we'll even have an unmanned program next year, the way things are going…
- Victor Ganata
I'm not at all arguing for defunding NASA. I agree that we've been pissing $ down the drain on wars to protect US corporate interests for years and that money would be better spent on education and scientific research & exploration. I'd like to see NASA continue and strengthen. But I don't get the boner over manned space missions that loads of other people do. I think we have plenty of...
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- Spidra Webster
Some day all the non-recyclable resources on Earth have depleted, so I hope they start colonization of other planets before that.
- Jemm
That's what people do. Population control would help on that issue.
- Jemm
I'm pretty sure there are people who work for NASA who think ecological destruction is not a great idea. Like I also said, humanity can both be terrible and wondrous.
- Victor Ganata
I agree, Jemm. But giving people the impression that "it doesn't matter, we'll just jet off to some other planet" is not the kind of thinking that's going to encourage that.
- Spidra Webster
I'm sure there are, Victor, but once those advances are made, we know they don't just stay in the hands of ethical scientists.
- Spidra Webster
Turning inward never helped any civilization on this planet. It's a recipe for collapse and eventual subjugation. It is possible to explore space responsibly. I don't think everyone who works for NASA is some rapacious imperialist colonizer, and I think it does them a disservice to assume they all are.
- Victor Ganata
Can we solve problems by giving up because humanity can be horrible? I really think that's a terrible idea. Every decision is a chance one way or the other. Sure, we'll do wrong. But we can also do right.
- Victor Ganata
I don't see it as giving up. I see it as focusing on the problem at hand instead of going on a dunebuggy vacation.
- Spidra Webster
Well, maybe I've been reading too much dystopian environmental catastrophe science fiction, but I have the sneaking suspicion that it will some day become necessary for the survival of humanity to figure out how to run habitats that use minimal resources and protect us from hostile atmospheres and sterilizing radiation. It's hardly a vacation. We can't see how everything turns out in...
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- Victor Ganata
Odd that it's viewed as "harder" to just take care of your own house. We were born here. This is our home planet. The battle is between our ears. If our species can't get this right, we don't really deserve to be anywhere else, in my opinion. This doesn't mean there can't be space exploration. And if we get our shit together here and stop fucking up every environment we are in, then go on to manned stuff. It doesn't preclude manned stuff. Just get our shit together first.
- Spidra Webster
I don't think it's entirely for lack of trying (although, yeah, there's a lot denialism in the way.) But it's clearly not easy. Curiosity is on Mars. We haven't figured out how to stop global warming (even if people actually wanted to.) Ergo, one is easier than the other.
- Victor Ganata
They knew decades ago how to stop/prevent global warming: live sustainably. People didn't want to do that. Pubtrans was decommissioned, more and more cars were sold, people moved farther from their places of work, etc. We knew how to fix it - people didn't want to do it.
- Spidra Webster
The problem is I think "live sustainably" is impossibly vague. The problem is, how do you get everyone to agree with *any* plan? As long as we're pumping CO2 into the atmosphere and deforesting land, we're not solving it. We'd get here eventually even if we stuck to smokestacks and horse-drawn carriages, though it might have taken longer. So, no, once the Industrial Revolution started, I don't think anyone really had any idea how to maintain a high standard of living but not wreck the environment.
- Victor Ganata
But even before the Industrial Revolution, the sad fact is that the history of Western Civilization has always been about acquiring even more land and exploiting it to the fullest extent, even if that eventually led to collapse. Sure, there are other cultures that have more regard for land and resource management and for ideas of maintaining balance, but I'm not sure how applicable...
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- Victor Ganata
Even if we quickly get ready to launch ships and find settle-able planets/moons, how do you see that playing out in a way that actually benefits the regular ol' folks? Space travel may come down a little in price but if there are limited ships out, you can bet the hoi polloi won't be on them. They'll be left back here dealing with the mess, perhaps increased by the carbon spewed out by loads of rocket launches...
- Spidra Webster
I think it's also a matter of our species of surviving at all. A huge meteor or some other major disaster could be a bigger threat sooner than climate change and pollution. It's better not to keep all the eggs in the same basket if the survival of our entire species is at stake.
- Jemm
Clearly I'm a minority opinion on FF (and probably elsewhere) about manned space exploration and its relative importance. However, I absolutely agree we should have good funding of scientific research, exploration and development in the US budget. I miss the days when US public school students were holding their own in science tests. So in that respect, I can get on board with the NASA...
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- Spidra Webster
It won't. Space colonization can probably sustain humanity on a species level, but it probably won't trickle down (although the frontier *always* needs warm bodies looking for opportunities, whatever that frontier may be.) But I don't think it's impossible that the things we learn how to do out there might translate to things we can do down here to save ourselves. There's always...
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- Victor Ganata
from iPhone
I don't think we're DNR, either. If we get our shit together. Each passing year makes it harder, though. We've been talking about this stuff at least since I was a schoolchild.
- Spidra Webster
I do not think that we should give up on manned exploration of space, because our future depends on it, there's no telling what useful technologies will come out of it, it's a much better use of missiles than war and some things a robot simply cannot do. As to exploiting non-inhabited planets/other astronomic objects, why should anyone care if we take advantage of the resources there?
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
And I agree with Victor that possible misuses of a technology do not outweigh significant possible gains. As long as we keep pushing technology forward, we have a chance to solve the hard problems of the day without depending on even more difficult politics.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
One caveat, though: I do think NASA is intending to be cautious about possibly irreversibly altering the environment of Mars. While there's no evidence of life so far, I don't think it's entirely ruled out yet, and if experiments do find even rudimentary bacteria, I think that will escalate the ethical quandry of exploiting Mars.
- Victor Ganata
And the energy requirements make it extremely unlikely that it will be cost-effective to strip mine a planet with a significant gravity well, anyway, until we've built significant infrastructure and/or developed far more efficient propulsion systems. Mining asteroids seems a more likely thing, and we're still probably looking at the 22nd century at the earliest.
- Victor Ganata
But it does speak to the necessity of staying in the forefront of exploration. Would we rather have NASA do this, or a private corporation that just wants to make money, or another nation that has less regard for potential environmental concerns and is more intent on economic exploitation? If we don't lead, we'll end up following.
- Victor Ganata
Yep, not to mention the fact that a lot of the knowledge that was gained during the Apollo project has been lost due to lack of usage. When put in that perspective, it was a bigger waste of money to not continue to project than it would have cost to keep developing our interplanetary exploration capabilities.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Many of the problems that were solved during Apollo now have to be figured out again since much of the know-how collected has spoiled since then. It's pretty vexing if you ask me. We really squandered the work that was done to get us to the moon.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Well yes, and no. This is somewhat similar to the fact that a lot of non-Western cultures had more sustainable agricultural and animal husbandry practices than we do now, and a lot of that knowledge was lost. While some of the stuff can help, some of that stuff won't be applicable in different circumstances. Non-Western agriculture may not be that helpful with trying to farm completely...
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- Victor Ganata
Also depends if they've recently dropped the price as well. Plus you have to factor in what the prices nearby are going for. So...yes and no. "It depends." :)
- Curtis (a) Jackson
It def depends on the market and how things are done over there. A drop of 13% might be acceptable, or not.
- WoH: Professor MOTHRA
I wouldn't even respond to that offer.
- Lnorigb
from FFHound!
369,000 is WAY over priced... I just hope they know that
- Johnny
from iPhone
If it is overpriced, they'll find out soon enough when no one bids.
- Spidra Webster
The worst that can happen is they say no, and you either look at more houses or make a higher offer. IIRC, we got our house about $20K less than asking price.
- Headless Gnad Kicker