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Todd Hoff › Comments
Dang, the last time the Warriors won in San Antonio, Latrell Sprewell was still playing for them.
Jennifer Dittrich, Rodfather, .LAG liked that and Bubba was a rollin stone liked this
...pre-choking-the-coach-era Warriors!
- .LAG liked that
They didn't choke tonight!
- Todd Hoff
Any good suggestions for a nice fiction book that would be a good weekend read? looking to get lost in it for this weekend.
Steven Perez, Lisa | #TeamMonique, Kelli H. and Betsy #TeamMonique liked this
Odd Thomas Series
- Janet:#TeamMonique
from FFHound!
Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat books are fun and Richard K. Morgan's Takeshi Kovacs novels are excellent.
- Anika
On Chesil Beach. Cutting For Stone. Kindred. Pattern Recognition. Moses, Man On The Mountain.
- MoTO #TeamMonique
from Android
A Dortmunder book by Donald Westlake? Comic crime fiction.
- Andrew C (✓)
I just re-read Westlake's The Hot Rock. Always funny.
- m9m, Crone of FriendFeed
A Prayer for Owen Meany. A Confederacy of Dunces.
- Akiva
50 Shades of Gray? :P
- DAMMIT, MR. NOODLE
from WinForFeed
Wool would be a door choice
- Todd Hoff
After Homophobic Remark, Niall Ferguson Lashes Out at 'Bloggers' - Crooks and Liars http://crooksandliars.com/blue-te...
Steven Perez, Andrew C (✓) and Hieronymous Boob liked this
Another "victim" of "political correctness".
- Victor Ganata
A good mirror is a bad friend.
- Todd Hoff
"Ay-yi-yi. Another wingnut who thinks 'free speech' means 'I get to say whatever I want and no one gets to say anything mean about me.' So pathetic."
- Victor Ganata
"bloggers"! Oh, that's adorable. He's stuck in 2004.
- Andrew C (✓)
How is that row is something you do with a boat and an argument?
Heteronyms: r-OH (the boat) vs (there was a) r-Ow!
- Gimminy
They aren't pronounced the same. It's not easy to confuse them.
- Anika
Anyone know if there's a common derivation or are they completely separate? The argument version of row is great word but it's so confusing I probably wouldn't use it.
- Todd Hoff
Apparently all three uses of "row" have different derivations entirely http://www.etymonline.com/index...
- Victor Ganata
Cool, thanks. I like rousel better.
- Todd Hoff
It's Not So Easy to 3D Print a Gun - The Atlantic Wire http://www.theatlanticwire.com/nationa...
ʎəlɹoɯ uəʞ, John (bird whisperer), Brian Johns and 2 other people liked this
Holy crap, even if you're not buying the printer yourself, just printing the gun parts themselves would cost $1,500.
- Victor Ganata
Also turns out that there are *already* various laws that govern the ability to print a gun and to carry the printed gun around, and, unsurprisingly, most people involved in 3D printing aren't particularly keen about testing the legal boundaries.
- Victor Ganata
Print bad, stamping good, sounds like anti competitive behavior to me.
- Todd Hoff
"The panic that this is causing is completely unfounded. It's not that hard to build a crude, working firearm, call it a zip gun, call it whatever you want. It is a lot easier and would be a lot easier to fabricate something with existing materials than it would be to set up a printer and build one of these things. Home manufactured firearms are a next-to-non-existent problem anywhere. I don't think this changes anything very much."
- Victor Ganata
Yeah, I'm pretty sure this isn't going to displace the underground paltik industry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki... in the Visayas
- Victor Ganata
"Zip guns — firearms manufactured from materials like rubber bands and pipe and wood — have been around for decades. They are probably less tedious to assemble, being composed, as they are, of things you can get at a hardware store. They're less ambiguously illegal, of course, but they have another distinct advantage: They may be safer."
- Victor Ganata
"Since the lifespan of the roughly-finished weapon is described in the instructions as '1 round' — primarily because of internal damage to smaller parts — it seemed like a good thing to test first."
- Victor Ganata
"The Defense Distributed announcement may indeed be symbolic of some near future when 3D printers become more commonplace, designs for printable weapons become more refined, and the legal boundaries become more obvious and well-known. But as of right now, printing your own gun is not a feasible enterprise. At least not for your average guy who writes for websites."
- Victor Ganata
Why not just torrent designs of guns, period, and skip this printing crap? It sounds just as feasible to buy raw materials from the hardware store or scavenge old parts and just make a real gun yourself that won't explode in your hand. Well, besides the IP infringement issue. And that it's more definitively illegal than printing plastic guns. But when has that ever stopped people?
- Victor Ganata
Happily, many using 3D printers are more altruistic: http://youtu.be/WT3772yhr0o
- ʎəlɹoɯ uəʞ
What Health Insurance Doesn’t Do - NYTimes.com http://www.nytimes.com/2013...& - an exercise in the grotesque misuse of data
Anne Bouey, Hieronymous Boob, Steven Perez and 2 other people liked this
The Oregon Medicaid study was not *designed* to determine if current treatments of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes are effective. We know from vast countless other studies that, yes, keeping blood pressure, LDL, and glucose levels/HbA1c in control decreases your mortality risk. The n of this study is insufficient to either prove or disprove this.
- Victor Ganata
single payer universal health care is cheaper than the current private for profit american health care system, for the nation as a whole. That it also eliminates the possibility of medical bankruptcies is almost an unintended consequence. And people with reliable, inexpensive, health care can manage their diabetes. So, few diabetics going blind or having amputations. The machine is really moving into high gear trying to kill the damned thing.
- DJF
Power calculations for the Oregon Medicaid study - Incidental Economist http://theincidentaleconomist.com/wordpre...
- Victor Ganata
That is actually one of the definitive findings of the study: Medicaid in fact protects Americans from the crushing financial hardships of requiring catastrophic medical care.
- Victor Ganata
A1C is the worst example to use ever. There's 0 incentive physically to lower your A1C because the effects are so long term and there's every incentive in the environment to eat carbs. It would be a shocking surprise of epic proportions if they had succeeded in lowering A1C. It's like studying drug addicts and wondering why they don't quit with a trivial little intervention.
- Todd Hoff
Be that as it may, other studies demonstrate that medications can keep HbA1c under control, and patients with controlled HbA1c have a lower mortality risk. But regardless of all that, the number of people with elevated A1c at the onset of the Oregon Medicaid Study is insufficient to determine if Medicaid coverage has a statistically significant effect.
- Victor Ganata
Be that as it may, most diabetics have poor control, it takes immense dedication to keep your A1C normalish. Not something that most people have. It's bogus for that reason. Nobody would think a simple intervention would be sufficient to cure drug addiction, it's not sufficient to control your A1C either.
- Todd Hoff
Agreed, blood sugar control in DM2 can be extremely difficult. I think it is possible, however, to design a study that can determine if some intervention can make an impact. But my only point in the context of the Oregon Medicaid study is that, no, this study didn't have an adequate sample to determine one way or another if being on Medicaid helps someone with DM2.
- Victor Ganata
It's possible, but so unlikely that designing a study around it is setting up the test for failure, regardless of power.
- Todd Hoff
Well, that's a different thread entirely.
- Victor Ganata
Which is why I brought it up. Any conclusions are invalid because the study was doomed to failure, which makes me wonder why it was used as an example.
- Todd Hoff
Studies frequently analyze secondary end-points, even when they're not adequately powered to do so. Subgroup analysis can be helpful to direct further research, but they can definitely lead to untoward conclusions.
- Victor Ganata
I mean, it's one thing to argue that DM2 is difficult to treat, an entirely different thing to argue that since this study cannot demonstrate any benefit to treatment, we should stop covering medications for the purpose of treating DM2, stop covering glucometers, test strips, and lancets, stop covering DM retinopathy screening, and stop covering foot care and foot wear.
- Victor Ganata
This post further dissects the findings of the study: Oregon and Medicaid and Evidence and CHILL, PEOPLE! - Incidental Economist http://theincidentaleconomist.com/wordpre...
- Victor Ganata
"Non-statistical significance does not mean failure. It means that either (a) there is no treatment effect or (b) the study is underpowered."
- Victor Ganata
"The percent of people with diabetes with a high A1C went from 5.1% off Medicaid to 4.2% (p=0.61)" "No statistically significant effect" is not necessarily synonymous with "no effect whatsoever". All this really means is that we need a more focused study.
- Victor Ganata
"Most of these measures are still process measures. A1C is a marker. So is cholesterol. Did real outcomes change? Patient centered ones, like health related quality of life, did. Did mortality? Did morbidity? We still don’t know. That would take more time to see."
- Victor Ganata
I think this is the key here, though: "Financial hardship matters. Here Medicaid shined. It hugely reduced out of pocket spending, catastrophic expenditures, medical debt, and the need to borrow money or skip payments."
- Victor Ganata
Forget the medical issues, the article misses a fundamental point. The Oregon study specifically indicates that outcomes of "common medical conditions" is unaffected by Medicaid, but doesn't say (or at least the article doesn't mention it) whether people who were *not* on Medicaid sought and received treatment for these conditions. Perhaps everyone got treated for heart disease, but only some could pay for it, the others went bankrupt.
- Tudor Bosman
From the study itself: "Medicaid coverage… nearly eliminated catastrophic out-of-pocket medical expenditures."
- Victor Ganata
That's another important caveat, actually. The study certainly doesn't look at outcomes. Two years is grossly inadequate to measure morbidity and mortality risk reduction for hypertension, dyslipidemia, or DM2.
- Victor Ganata
Perhaps people aren't as stupid as we sometimes think, and they don't forgo routine medical care even if they can't afford it. In that case, a system of tax credits to help pay for routine care + insurance to pay for catastrophic events would work.
- Tudor Bosman
Does the study mention expensive, chronic diseases, such as treatable forms of cancer? I'd imagine insurance to help a lot in that case.
- Tudor Bosman
No, we do know from other studies that people *do* forego preventive and routine care if they can't afford it. What most people don't do is forego catastrophic care. (Which is why the idea of shopping around for a surgeon to take care of your ruptured appendicitis or a cardiologist to keep you from dying from your anterior wall MI is absurd.)
- Victor Ganata
How to Build a Working Digital Computer… out of paperclips | Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories - http://www.evilmadscientist.com/2013...
Private Sanjeev, Jennifer Dittrich, Brent Schaus and 3 other people liked this
"How to Build a Working Digital Computer is both an introduction to the “new and exciting field of digital computers” and a set of plans to build one. What’s especially interesting is that the plans don’t call for any specialized electronic components, but instead show how to build everything from parts that you might find at a hardware store: items like paper clips, little light bulbs, thread spools, wire, screws, and switches (that can optionally be made from paper clips)."
- Todd Hoff
from Bookmarklet
It's switches all the way down.
- Todd Hoff
A Coffee Date with Michael Pollan [Interview] - Minneapolis - Restaurants and Dining - The Hot Dish - http://blogs.citypages.com/food...
Kelli H., Me and Jennifer Dittrich liked this
"Last week New York Times best selling author and one of Time Magazine's 2010 Top 100 Most Influential People, Michael Pollan paid a visit to the Twin Cities to promote his new book, Cooked; A Natural History of Transformation. The book walks readers through a history of cooking while drawing attention to the greater implications of the industrialized food movement which has lead to an overall decline in home cooking."
- Todd Hoff
from Bookmarklet
Wither Global Warming? Has It Slowed Down? | The Yale Forum on Climate Change & The Media - http://www.yaleclimatemediaforum.org/2013...
"The bottom line, Santer says, is “there are multiple, not mutually exclusive interpretations of modeled versus observed differences, and claiming that there is only one explanation is not scientifically accurate.” “We study the signal. If others want to study the noise, let them.”"
- Todd Hoff
from Bookmarklet
Where there ozone depletion deniers back in the day?
Jennifer Dittrich, Heather, Hookuh Tinypants and Hieronymous Boob liked this
Yes.
- SteVe C
I wonder how we got around them and managed to ban CFCs?
- Victor Ganata
I don't think the infrastructure existed at the time for turning every issue into a divisive political issue.
- Todd Hoff
they weren't "in the mainstream" back then. now? they hold political offices and dominate Congress.
- Hieronymous Boob
Another Germ Theory Victory - Back Pain? - In the Pipeline http://pipeline.corante.com/archive...
Jennifer Dittrich and Stephen Mack #TeamMomo liked this
Antibiotics could cure 40% of chronic back pain patients - The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/society...
- Victor Ganata
100 day course of antibiotics?!? How many people will die from toxic megacolon, I wonder?
- Victor Ganata
Antibiotic treatment in patients with chronic low back pain and vertebral bone edema (Modic type 1 changes): a double-blind randomized clinical controlled trial of efficacy - European Spine Journal http://link.springer.com/article...
- Victor Ganata
This doesn't really look like it will help everybody, though. You have to have specific abnormalities on MRI (you can't see bone edema on x-ray). Although since 100 days of antibiotics is way cheaper than spine surgery, I bet you it won't be long until HMOs require you try it before approving a referral to a back surgeon.
- Victor Ganata
Followed with a fecal transplant would it be less horrible? If you have chronic back pain you are pretty much game for anything.
- Todd Hoff
Toxic Megacolon = excellent band name.
- SteVe C
Group Petitions White House to Ban Google Glass | TechnoBuffalo - http://www.technobuffalo.com/2013...
Kol Tregaskes, AJ Batac, ᏓᏰ #team Monique and 5 other people liked this
"Should Google Glass be banned? There’s certainly an argument to be made, especially if you’re concerned that anyone can be walking around snapping photos of you or recording your every move. In fact, we talked a bit about this during our latest Tech on the Range podcast. There’s enough concern that some people have recently created a petition with the White House to ban the technology until “clear limitations are placed to prevent indecent public surveillance.” It’s not so much a worry of government surveillance, but a worry of surveillance from our peers who are lucky or, perhaps, wealthy enough to afford the new tech. “Google Glass is a new twist on technology which hasn’t had clearly stated limits on the locations in US communities where it can and cannot be used,” the petition argues. “In order to protect our communities we need limitations to prevent indecent public surveillance of our friends, children, and families. It is hard to prevent it because the hardware gives no...
more...
- Me
from Bookmarklet
so are they gonna ban surveillance drones as well?
- Hieronymous Boob
LOL, this is about the dumbest thing I've heard in a while. The tech isn't going to sit still, will have a lot of future uses and eventually will become so small that you won't be able to tell a normal pair of glasses from one with this tech. This is a perfect example of people wanting a law that just isn't workable with the way technology works.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
BAN ELECTRICITY!
- Hieronymous Boob
I'm going to go the other way and say that that I'm happy they put up the petition. Not because I agree with it or think it will succeed, but because it's one small piece of a large conversation that needs to keep happening. I think society will have to struggle with how existing concepts of privacy and photography exist in a hyper-connected, hyper-recorded world (to say nothing of the...
more...
- Brian Johns
Well said, Brian.
- Tinfoil 2.0
Cristo, what is photography? Is it only the rarefied stratum of pictures deemed by someone as art? Do Robert Scoble or Thomas Hawk do photography? What about photography simply as a means of recording and preserving sights or moments?
- Tinfoil 2.0
From the perspective of someone who feels like I just took their picture without their permission, crappy images are photography. As in: "That stranger just took a photo of my kid!"
- Brian Johns
When Glass are outlawed only outlaws wil have Glass... I wonder why people such a visceral reaction to Glass? I suspect it's a conversation we should have had long ago about our "always ON" technology,
- WarLord
yeah this conversation will need to happen. Theres a much bigger issue at hand. Seems that only 20 people have signed the petetion
- Peter Dawson
Banning is too drastic, how about backround checks before purchase? Level 3 Sex Offenders would be prohibited of course. Obviously if you want to wear Glass there is added scrutiny because...look at that picture Really!?! So I think there's a middle ground here.. Maybe a permit allowing you to use Glass if you take a class and pass a proficency test and pay a fee...
- WarLord
Having a conversation and putting up a petition to ban these devices are two separate things. The petition is absolutely unnecessary to create the conversation and undercuts any serious conversation because of how ridiculous it is as a notion.
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
Wouldn't it be more true to the premise if they tried to ban tiny cameras? Problem is, the camera tech small enough to fit in Google Glass is also small enough to fit in a cell phone.
- Andrew C (✓)
It's not a "ridiculous" notion, but it is a negotiating position. Better conversation now, or would you rather walk up to your favorite bar, coffee shop, gym, or restaurant and find a sign on door banning Glass right along with smoking.... #secondhandglassiswhenitspostedoninstagram
- WarLord
So we like photons. Photons should be free. How about audio waves? Can we ban the ubiquitous interception and rebroadcasting of audio waves?
- Todd Hoff
It's negotiating like saying all public schools should be closed to stop government competition with private schools is a negotiating position.
- Andrew C (✓)
No It's negotiating position like saying this device is a luxury and intrusive, lets decide if its worth the pain to allow it in the wild. I'm guessing backround checks and wearing licenses might appease the Glass Banners
- WarLord
Many states already have two-party consent on audio recording. Plus, it's a whole lot more plausible to sue someone for stalking or harassment if you catch them secretly spying on you with a pen-cam or something. But the insidious thing with Glass is that it's an arrogant push (just like Facebook constantly pushing the privacy envelope) to assert new norms that it's "OK" for private citizens to opaquely and frictionlessly surveille each other any time they're not in the protection of their own homes.
- Tinfoil 2.0
Why would we have consent for audio waves and not photons?
- Todd Hoff
maybe the "banning pettion" is a tiny indication that people are tired of living in a world where one fuck up gets a viral you tube video not of your own making... #whyiwontdrinkinabarthatallowsglass
- WarLord
Todd, you're asking me to explain why our legal system isn't rational. I can't do that.
- Tinfoil 2.0
Alt-J (∆) - An Awesome Wave (FULL ALBUM) - http://www.youtube.com/watch...
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ᏓᏰ #team Monique and Goran Zec liked this
Reminds me of Yeasayer's first album (the second one is pretty horrible IMO).
- Goran Zec
Dear United States Air Force, I see your Lt Col in charge of sexual harassment prevention program was arrested for "GROPING" a woman. How fucked up is that? I'm guessing you have one of those rape Cultures in full bloom!
ωαřмaiden ❤Marrit Woman❤ liked this
Wigs has an interesting show, Lauren (http://www.youtube.com/watch...), that explores this subject in a most powerful way.
- Todd Hoff
Physicists Show Time Flows Asymmetrically at the Electron Level | DiscoverMagazine.com - http://discovermagazine.com/2013...
Andrew C (✓), ʎəlɹoɯ uəʞ and Victor Ganata liked this
"At the level of tiny particles, the laws of physics are symmetrical in time. A reaction that proceeds in one direction (such as particle A transforming into particle B) is just as likely to occur in the reverse direction (particle B transforming into A)."
- Todd Hoff
from Bookmarklet
This changes everything, no?
- Victor Ganata
Oh. B mesons violating CP symmetry. Definitely interesting. Not sure if it breaks physics-as-we-know-it, though.
- Victor Ganata
Time will tell VIctor
- Todd Hoff
Indeed.
- Victor Ganata
Are Modern Football Helmets Any Safer than Old-School Leather Ones? | Surprising Science - http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science...
Victor Ganata liked this
"But now, fans who find their desire for a safe game at odds with their love of it can take comfort in a new study, published today in the Journal of Neurosurgery, that determines otherwise: Compared to “leatherheads,” new helmets are indeed much more effective at protecting the human head. Researchers from Virginia Tech came to the finding by using an automated head impact simulation system to test the effectiveness of a pair of vintage Hutch H-18 leather helmets from the 1930s against 10 plastic helmets currently in use, and found that, depending on the force of impact, modern helmets reduced the concussion risk by anywhere from 45 to 96 percent."
- Todd Hoff
from Bookmarklet
World’s first 3D printed canal house in Amsterdam | Impact Lab - http://www.impactlab.net/2013...
"The Dutch studio DUS Architects is planning on developing the first 3D-printed house which is meant to become a full-size canal house in Amsterdam, alongside the Buiksloter-canal. The process will be made possible by employing a special printer called the KamerMaker. “This year we want to print the entire facade and the first room bit by bit. Then in the following months and years we will print other rooms.”-architect Hedwig Heinsman explained. (Pics)"
- Todd Hoff
from Bookmarklet
Extreme altruism as an existential risk? - http://kruel.co/2013...
"systematic effort to actually be effective about what they say they care about" - is that really the only true proof of belief?
- Todd Hoff
What in the world does Mark Jackson say to @stephencurry30 at the halftime of games?I might need that in an audio book.
SteVe C, Monique the crochet freak and Rodfather liked this
Maybe he could say the same for the fourth quarter?
- Todd Hoff
Or overtime
- Todd Hoff
Or he could've given him and Klay Thmpson some rest so they still had legs/fouls at the end of the 4th. And give Jarrett Jack more plays to run besides isos.
- Jason Toney
I guess the Warriors didn't want to win this one decisively. Gotta have drama in the last 2½ minutes instead.
LOL. Just, LOL.
- Victor Ganata
Argh
- Todd Hoff
"The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door…" - http://marklr.com/post...
Eivind, Akiva, Stephen Mack #TeamMomo and 2 other people liked this
“The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door…” - Fredric Brown, “Knock.” A complete short story contained in two sentences.
- Mark Trapp
The saddest six word story. "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." ~ Ernest Hemingway
- Gimminy
...it was Eve.
- Todd Hoff
Though not as short as six words, if we're talking about saddest microstories, Achewood's "Saddest Thing" series must be mentioned: http://achewood.com/index... http://achewood.com/index... http://achewood.com/index... http://achewood.com/index...
- Mark Trapp
CIA Official Breaks Silence on UFOs (+Video) - http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3...
Private Sanjeev, Iván Abrego, ᏓᏰ #team Monique and 2 other people liked this
"After the screening Linda Moulton Howe authenticated the former CIA official’s credentials and his account, telling the hearing she had spent three days with him in which she had recorded eleven 90 minute audio tapes in 1994. She said on her return to her home after the three days she had received a phone call from him saying he and his wife had been threatened with retaliation if they went public and she could not release the tapes."
- Sean McBride
from Bookmarklet
This still does not constitute substantive proof of the presence of ET-controlled UFOs on our planet -- his statements haven't been verified by multiple reliable sources or supported by concrete evidence. But there is a chance he may be telling the truth. We don't know.
- Sean McBride
What muddies the waters in UFO controversies: the intense emotional need of some people to believe in ETs, which springs from the same psychological urge to believe in God and religions of all types. People who are under the control of this psychological compulsion are capable of believing anything, no matter how false or absurd.
- Sean McBride
But unexplainable sightings keep pouring in from sometimes highly reliable witnesses.
- Sean McBride
The possible psyop angle on this controversy: certain players are deliberately encouraging a public belief in ET-controlled UFOs by pretending to cover up facts and evidence that don't exist. If this is the case, what would be their motives and objectives? To amuse themselves? To set the stage for the creation of a worldwide dictatorship based on stage magic?
- Sean McBride
It's a big leap from unexplainable to UFOs that don't want to make contact yet manage to be seen by hoards of people. Without concrete proof they are like ghosts or a drug before trial testing.
- Todd Hoff
Todd -- how much do you know about this controversy? Which specific books have you read on it?
- Sean McBride
Here is the core issue: when high-level government insiders claim to know that ETs exist, through direct personal experience, are they telling the truth or lying? If they are lying, why are they lying?
- Sean McBride
When did you stop beating your wife Sean? Simple double blind testable proof. Not layers of indirect evidence spun into a frenzy.
- Todd Hoff
I agree: without concrete physical evidence to support the claims of these high-level government insiders, there is no good reason to believe them. But then the interesting question becomes, why are they making these statements?
- Sean McBride
Perhaps they are miscellaneous delusional lunatics, bound together in their lunacy? Members of a cult? Or are we looking at an organized psyop? If it's a psyop, it has been incredibly effective -- popular culture worldwide is now permeated with this meme -- and it keeps growing in intensity.
- Sean McBride
Where there is this much smoke, there is some kind of fire -- but one doesn't know what kind of fire.
- Sean McBride
Which is exactly why "the not telling the world because it will destroy us" is bogus. 60% of the world would be sure, of course. 30% would go play a game. And some will stick to whatever for whatever reasons haunt them.
- Todd Hoff
It is difficult to know how the human race collectively would react to the certain knowledge (if this were the case) that we are being visited by beings that are much more powerful than we are. Certainly established systems of authority might be threatened and crumble. There are many possible scenarios.
- Sean McBride
Most of humanity already believes in much more more powerful beings. We call them gods, angels, devils, etc. Hardly a world crumbling revelation.
- Todd Hoff
But those beings are not driving around in physical vehicles and wielding advanced technologies beyond our comprehension. :) Actually, religious ideologies based on beliefs in gods, angels, demons, etc. have caused major authority systems to collapse throughout history. These kinds of beliefs are immense factors in human affairs.
- Sean McBride
Billy Graham ==> http://thestrongdelusion.com/index...
- Eric
They burn bushes, ride in chariots, and take on many other physical manifestations. If we've seen anything in our history it is that faith is not a victim of facts. People would roll on just fine. This bedrock tennet of the conspiracy that all is being withheld because we can't handle it is delusional.
- Todd Hoff
It's interesting that Billy Graham is trying to shoehorn the UFO phenomenon into traditional Christian ideology. But there is a possibility that he has this precisely backwards.
- Sean McBride
Todd: again: what do you think is motivating some high-level government insiders to promote a delusional belief that has acquired enormous traction in popular culture?
- Sean McBride
We've had thousands of years of reports of ghosts and ferries and gods and sprits. Why is it any different? If a person who potentially should have proof just makes statements then why should any positive factual weighting be given to their statements at all?
- Todd Hoff
We have a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency now with a 5 billion dollar budget less reports of UFO'S not more and the reports we do get are basically the same as they where in the 1950's non verifiable.
- Eric
If they do exist the must be benevolent or disinterested.
- Eric
Todd -- the Phoenix Lights incident (to name one among many similar incidents), which was witnessed by many people, is not remotely comparable to supposed individual ghost sightings. And no defense minister of a major Western nation (like Paul Hellyer of Canada) has ever argued for the existence of ghosts. UFOs are a radically different order of controversy than ghosts.
- Sean McBride
They are a modern technological version of ghosts. More acceptable to the modern psyche and just as real without proof. None of the reasons you give for keeping UFOs secret make any sense in the modern age, especially when the UFOs seem to be showing more skin than an exotic dancer on burbon street. You can't care about secrecy if you flash the world every other day. And if you don't care about secrecy then there's no reason to avoid contact.
- Todd Hoff
Eric -- how do you know about what data NGA possesses on UFOs (or any other subject)? How much NGA data in general is classified?
- Sean McBride
Still no answer to my question: what is motivating government whistleblowers on this subject?
- Sean McBride
I know that the evidence is no stronger today despite the fact that the agency and it's sensors and budget exist. Non disclosure for this long a period is a non sequitur for me. Somebody would blow the the whistle and provide evidence.
- Eric
You aren't a real whistleblower if you don't give proof, you are just a blowhard, which is very different.
- Todd Hoff
What motivates you to believe what you do ?
- Eric
So your explanation for the behavior of the 77-year old gentleman interviewed in the video cited above is that he is a blowhard? He doesn't strike me as a blowhard. Nor does Paul Hellyer strike me as a blowhard.
- Sean McBride
That he doesn't should set of your internal alarm bells Sean.
- Todd Hoff
If this alleged whistleblower is a fraud, the mainstream media have the investigative resources to debunk and expose him in short order.
- Sean McBride
Eric -- I form my beliefs about the world on the basis of the most reliable facts I can put my hands on. And I constantly challenge my own beliefs and assumptions about the world.
- Sean McBride
That's easy: did this guy really work for the CIA or not? What has he been up to during his life? Who knows him?
- Sean McBride
Based on what evidence Sean would you find him a fraud? And he may be perfectly truthful, but it's not a truth that moves anything forward. It just keeps the frenzy flowing. And if he worked for the CIA that would prove what exactly?
- Todd Hoff
If he didn't work for the CIA, that would be a quick and easy way to debunk him.
- Sean McBride
Eric wrote: "If they do exist the must be benevolent or disinterested." That is an anthropocentric projection on possible life forms that may be far beyond the reach of our psychological understanding. You need to extend your imagination. How well do ants understand human beings?
- Sean McBride
Todd wrote: "And he may be perfectly truthful" -- did you pay close attention to all the claims he made in the video?
- Sean McBride
Far from being a "blowhard," the interviewee above comes as across as shy, quiet, modest and someone who has no desire for personal publicity -- quite the contrary -- that is why he is anonymous. Nor does he appear to be insane, a cult fanatic or someone who is into playing head games. He seems to be trying to divulge some astonishing facts to the best of his ability. Perhaps he is a superb actor -- I don't rule that out. If that is the case, the mainstream media could easily uncover that fact.
- Sean McBride
"the mainstream media could easily uncover that fact." LOL
- Greg GuitarBuster
Greg -- what was your full thought there? LOL has a number of possible interpretations. My first thought was that the mainstream media often go out of their way not to uncover certain facts. :)
- Sean McBride
Here you go more evidence. ==> http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopo...
- Eric
Eric -- what is your one-sentence summary of that document? And who is Vince Johnson?
- Sean McBride
The Aviary was an old intelligence agency attempt to use UFO enthusiast's as cover for real classified operations.
- Eric
Regarding the media, I doubt that they,for the most part, have the investigative skills, impartiality or inclination to uncover facts.
- Greg GuitarBuster
They are not much in the fact business -- they are in the propaganda business. Witness their behavior with regard to the Iraq War, or most recently, with regard the Boston Marathon bombings. Often they appear to be in the anti-fact business.
- Sean McBride
Most mainstream media outlets during recent years seem to have unburdened themselves of all investigative resources -- they simply read official government handouts and scripts.
- Sean McBride
Eric -- so you're saying that the Aviary has been behind the Phoenix Lights sighting and other major mass sightings all around the world -- in Russia, Europe, China, Mexico, South America, etc.? That's one powerful group of conspirators. :)
- Sean McBride
That's not what I am saying. The Aviary was used to see what evidence was gathered on real classified research by people who reported sightings and was a disinformation campaign which included the publishing of books and periodicals and the creation and infiltration of agencies like MUFON etc.
- Eric
I'm not sure that the fact (alleged, and perfectly believable) that the Aviary has promoted disinformation on UFOs clears up all the open questions about what is going on with this phenomenon. Separating out misinformation, disinformation and true information about UFOs is still quite a tricky problem. But the Aviary is an important piece of the puzzle.
- Sean McBride
Eric -- does the American government possess huge triangular black craft that can hover or move slowly in silence and suddenly accelerate at impossible rates of speed? Is that the kind of classified technology that the Aviary was trying to conceal under the cover of fantastical tales of ET-piloted UFOs? I dunno. Where is the proof for that claim?
- Sean McBride
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technol... can see how some of these could be mistaken for something alien at night with reduced visibility and no doubt are...particularly the "Spirit'. However I see nothing they list that resembles what I saw in the 50's...the only thing close to it would be the 'Dark Star'' and that was not developed until ' 96 and then not even used and still you would have to remove the wings to even get close to what we saw..
- American
I just watched the video again focusing on vocal tone, eye movements, facial expressions, speech delivery, speech tempo, body language, etc. -- I think I am fairly good at spotting liars -- I had no problem immediately dismissing and laughing at all the claims of Bush administration leaders about Iraq as obvious lies -- and this guy strikes me as the real deal -- I can't detect a single tell or indicator of deception. He's an authentic salf-of-the-earth type -- he reminds me of my grandfather.
- Sean McBride
book; AUTHOR Nick Cook TITLE The Hunt for Zero Point: Inside the Classified World of Antigravity Technology DATE 2003 PUBLISHER Broadway AMAZON http://www.amazon.com/Hunt-Ze... {book; *PROPERTY *value+}
- Sean McBride
# The Aviary (id=UFO group): lists 1. articles on by author 2. articles on by impact 3. articles on by newest 4. books on by author 5. books on by impact 6. books on by newest 7. facts 8. facts by importance 9. facts by newest 10. facts by oldest 11. members by affiliations 12. members by code name 13. members by importance 14. members by last name 15. notes 16. questions 17. quotes on...
more...
- Sean McBride
o; The Aviary (id=UFO group); members; Bob Collins, Bruce Maccabee, Christopher "Kit" Green, Dale Graff?, Dan Smith, Ernie Kellerstrauss, Hal Puthoff, Jack Vorona, Jacques Vallee, John Alexander, Richard Doty, Ron Pandolfi, Scott Jones {o; *o[bject]; *property; *value}
- Sean McBride
I mean, is the NRA going to start agitating to prevent government regulation of 3D printers? To stop government regulation of plastics? The idea that it will be somehow easier and/or cheaper to Torrent plans for a gun and hit print instead of going to Walmart and just buying a gun is preposterous.
Stephen Mack #TeamMomo, Hieronymous Boob, Jennifer Dittrich and ʎəlɹoɯ uəʞ liked this
For one thing, there isn't a constitutionally guaranteed right to print arbitrary 3D objects or to purchase and store arbitrary chemicals.
- Victor Ganata
Since it is about the money this seems like the natural direction. When guns are free I suspect tactics will have to change.
- Todd Hoff
The plans for guns are free. I seriously doubt anyone is going to be giving away 3D printers or pounds of ABS any time soon. Gun manufacturers can still probably make guns from metal way cheaper than anyone could print a gun out of plastic, so they might not worry until prices start coming down drastically. But if the government decides to take a direct interest in ABS or any other durable plastic, prices may never come down.
- Victor Ganata
And, sure, people can probably synthesize their own ABS in their basements, but I still don't see how this will be cost-effective.
- Victor Ganata
I don't know that cost is the main point for many of the 'print your own gun' enthusiasts, really. I think it is more that they can do so, on demand, as long as they have plans and materials. They don't even have to be connected to the grid if they're setup beforehand.
- Jennifer Dittrich
Of course, cheaper might be relative, if you've got something like this in your setup: http://reviews.cnet.com/3d-prin...
- Jennifer Dittrich
Printers and materials are a trivial cost Victor. The effect won't be immediate but there will be one relatively quickly. It will be fun to see the twisting and flipflopping necessary to now say guns that don't deliver profit into our sponsors are actually a bad idea, we didn't really mean what we said before.
- Todd Hoff
I suppose you could grind up whatever ABS you can find, but that is still probably not going to be cheaper than just buying ready-to-print ABS.
- Victor Ganata
The goal of gun control is not to get rid of all guns (despite what the NRA is saying as a scare tactic) but to reduce the amount of guns out there, especially in the hands of dangerous folks. 3D printing is still a pretty high barrier to entry and will likely be for a few years. The Diamond Age this is not.
- Tudor Bosman
I could be naive and say this development could sap some of the profit motive out of war, but that would be silly.
- Todd Hoff
True $50/kilogram for materials is cheap, but I just have a hard time of thinking that a one-time cost of $1,299 is equivalent to "free." I am not convinced we're going to be living in a world where everyone will have a 3D printer even if that price drops down considerably.
- Victor Ganata
Their friend will have a printer or kinkos or the local shop. Or you just tell someone in india to print it and send it to you next day mail. This is an exponential curve effect so the changes will be surprising.
- Todd Hoff
Oh, I'm not saying no one is going to do it, or that it's going to be impossible. I just don't see how printing out homemade plastic guns will ever realistically compete with gun manufacturers who can churn out far higher quality products for way cheaper. I still think that, say, an ex-con, for example, would still rather get a real gun somehow than to try and print a gun. It just seems like more of a novelty than something actually practical.
- Victor Ganata
I don't think that it is meant to compete, more provide a wholly different avenue. I don't see someone who wants to buy a gun doing this any time soon in the future, but I do see militia and preppers stocking away plans and supplies for this alongside their current arsenal in case more are needed when they can't be had. WHEN THE GOVERNMENT TAKES OUR GUNS, or somesuch thing.
- Jennifer Dittrich
We see the cheeper and crappier then domination lifecycle all the time. The market is entered with a far inferior product yet it's much cheaper or convenient or X and it quickly iterates, improves, and then ends up winning the battle. We are very early in the cycle, but it's following the same pattern.
- Todd Hoff
Sure, it's possible. But I don't think it's inevitable. This seems more akin to arguing that open source OSes will someday inevitably power 95% of desktop and notebook computers, completely displacing every proprietary OS. But sometimes crappy and impractical simply evolves to robust but still impractical for the majority of people.
- Victor Ganata
Be that as it may, it's not inevitable that open source or open source printable gun plans will take over the world for a variety of reasons, not least of all because of the vested interests of existing OS and gun manufacturers.
- Victor Ganata
Energy harvester that creates power from ambient vibrations finally comes to market | ExtremeTech - http://www.extremetech.com/computi...
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"MicroGen’s energy harvester, dubbed Bolt, provides power like a battery — but uses a very different means to get there. Housing a piezoelectric microelectromechanical system (MEMS) inside the casing pictured above, the unit creates energy from vibrations in the surrounding environment. Ambient vibrations cause a flap on the device (pictured below) to move back and forth, which in turn creates a current that dumps energy in to either a capacitor or a thin rechargeable battery next to the flap."
- Todd Hoff
from Bookmarklet
Finally some silver lining to the assholes across the street turning their amps to 11 for every rehearsal...
- Spidra Webster
Billions of Cicadas Emerge in Noisy Mating Scene - http://www.youtube.com/watch...
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Jennifer Dittrich and Shevonne liked this
Why Do We Feel Hot In Temperatures Lower Than Our Body Temp? - Mental Floss - http://mentalfloss.com/article...
SophiaAnne88, John (bird whisperer), Russian Space Lizard and 3 other people liked this
This is also related to why feeling someone's forehead is not that helpful, and why you ought to get a thermometer.
- Victor Ganata
There's also the change where it seems possible to feel like you are boiling while in a freezer. Strange stuff.
- Todd Hoff
When the bulbs cost the same, and even when the CFL cost more, conservatives and liberals were equally likely to buy the efficient bulb. But slap a message on the CFL’s packaging that says “Protect the Environment,” and “we saw a significant drop-off in more politically moderates and conservatives choosing that option,” said study author - http://silas216.tumblr.com/post...
Piaw Na, WarLord, Russian Space Lizard and 8 other people liked this
Your choice, Cristo: mercury in CFLs or lead in LEDs: http://www.science20.com/news_ar...
- Steven Perez
The study result just illustrates Atrios' point that for a lot of people, politics is way more about punching hippies than it is about seeking positive outcomes.
- Andrew C (✓)
That's a good way of putting it, Andrew.
- Spidra Webster
That comment wasn't directed at you nor the opinion you're expressing. It was directed at what the study found - that while conservatives bought CFLs, they more often opted not to if the package had an environmental message on it. So it's not about CFL versus LED or incandescent. It's about CFL with "Protect the Environment" printed on it vs. one without that message.
- Spidra Webster
I like the light from CFLs, I don't get the issue with them. Chris has a dim able floor lamp with a 3 level dimmable bulb, works great. I think this article emphasizes that many people (not all) don't actually have issues with the bulbs, it's mostly the idea.
- Heather
+++Andrew
- Kelli H.
Yep, they figured it out. Americans have extreme knee-jerk reflexes. God help us all.
- Bubba was a rollin stone
Why do people actively not want to protect the environment?
- Todd Hoff
It's not that people do not want to protect the environment as much as they are afraid of the change needed to do so.
- Bubba was a rollin stone
But absent the "helps protect the environment" message on the box, conservatives were more willing to buy CFLs. Like I said earlier, it's purely about a cultural struggle with them; they don't want to even coincidentally buy something they associate with the left wing.
- Andrew C (✓)
from Android
Bubba, I think that is a big part of it. And people often don't like finding out that the ways they were taught weren't always the 'best' or aren't the best for all time.
- Jennifer Dittrich
The fascinating dichotomy for me: The charts are compelling on CFL and LED bulbs as dar as longevity of bulb and energy usage/cost - penny pinching conservative gives up real money in order to prove disdain for pinko Liberal ideas...
- WarLord
The reason I don't like CFLs is the mercury. Since my critters have a habit of knocking lamps over (one time breaking the outer shell of a CFL bulb), I don't want to risk a mercury leak, especially if they break the bulb while I'm at work and can't clean right away. I'd love to do my part to help the environment, but not at the expense of my and the cats' health and safety.
- Russian Space Lizard
I've been switching over to LEDs , the LED lights over my computer are much cooler and outdoors of course and as you say no mercury I still haven't sorted out recycling dead CFL bulbs
- WarLord
Some retailers in your area might have CFL recycling programs. I need to take care of my dead CFLs too.
- Andrew C (✓)
CAN'T. UN. SEE. This Photo Of A Man Showering With Google Glass Will Haunt You For The Rest Of Your Life - http://www.buzzfeed.com/jwherrm...
Angel, Kol Tregaskes, Harold Cabezas and 18 other people liked this
"Unrelenting internet human Robert Scoble recently declared that, as one of Google's Glass "Explorers," he would never take the headset off, except to let strangers try it. Today he posted this picture. "You thought I was kidding," he wrote alongside it."
- Brent Schaus
from Bookmarklet
"Scoble is an indiscriminate evangelist; he embraces virtually any new technology with inhuman enthusiasm. This makes him useful as a sort of reductio ad absurdum product processor: he takes a new service or thing and gives himself to it, both testing it and inadvertently demonstrating the logical conclusion of its creators' visions."
- Brent Schaus
"This photo of a drenched middle-aged man recording himself as he screams into his shower mirror,* then, may the purest expression of the Google Glass concept yet (and perhaps of Scoble, too)."
- Brent Schaus
BRAIN BLEACH REQUIRED
- Headless Gnad Kicker
(Tad has a private feed, and I'm not subscribed.)
- Brent Schaus
god help us all.
- holly #ravingfangirl
dyrs
- bde
It's just a previous showering photo of Scoble, showing he has a history of showering for the public. ;-)
- Spidra Webster
:(
- Victor Ganata
OHNONOTAGAIN
- Hieronymous Boob
he scares becos he cares.
- Hieronymous Boob
Congratulations, you've just been #scobleized.
- Adrian
Is it bad that I recognised Robert before I read the description? I know there's another shower pic on FF somewhere....
- WoH: Professor MOTHRA
Oh. Someone has already linked to it :)
- WoH: Professor MOTHRA
OHH SWEET MEGATRON WHY
- Mo Kargas
DAMN YOU B.S., DAMN YOU!!
- Micah
Doin' my part?
- Brent Schaus
Yes you are. ;)
- Micah
I think I've seen this play before.
- Eric - seven eleven
I blame Brent. http://friendfeed.com/micahwi...
- Micah
OP: "He is, by the nature of what he does, almost always wrong." ...and probably voiding his warranty too by getting the stupid thing wet.
- Tinfoil 2.0
I thought showering was dead.
- Eivind
LOLOL Soooo TMI(Too Much IMAGING), Sooo Funny...!
- Harold Cabezas
Eivind is right, showering is dead and I'll tell you why
- Greg GuitarBuster
More information here:
- WoH: Professor MOTHRA
Alex! Please control your brother. Nobody wants to see him showering. (Also, Higlet, I recognized him, too, sadly)
- DAMMIT, MR. NOODLE
Never, eh? I'm sure his soon to be ex-wife is happy about that.
- Kevin (aka ThreadKilla)
smh
- David Cook
I just totally jerked off.
- Akiva
CAN'T. BREATHE. LAUGHING. TOO. HARD.
- Headless Gnad Kicker
His wife took the picture, just sayin'. And sorry, I have zero control over my brother. :D
- Scoble, Alex Scoble
The thought of what might be happening below the fold continues to frighten me.
- Todd Hoff
If only I was subbed to you I could see that!
- WoH: Professor MOTHRA
I forgot how.
- WoH: Professor MOTHRA
Is this how you break the news to me that I'm one of the Final Five Cristobots? #allalongthewatchtower
- WoH: Professor MOTHRA
The Boston Bombing: Made in the U.S.A. - Atlantic Mobile http://m.theatlantic.com/nationa...
Iván Abrego, Steven Perez and Stephen Mack #TeamMomo liked this
Yeah, I've always thought things like the Thirty Years War and the Reconquista and even the Crusades were primarily motivated by political and territorial concerns. Religion was just an easy way for historians to sort the combatants out.
- Victor Ganata
from iPhone
"Fanaticism is not religion pushed too far. It is tribalism without a tribe."
- Victor Ganata
from iPhone
"Calling these conflicts 'wars of religion' gives us a phony understanding of those warriors and their motivations and promotes radical misunderstanding about the nature and role of religion in history and public life."
- Victor Ganata
from iPhone
People who already want to fight and kill will always find some convenient way to justify violence.
- Victor Ganata
from iPhone
You're taking this a bit far, Victor. Religion with its afterlife is a powerful tool for the rulers, with great benefits for the fallen foot soldiers. That's motivation. Good article, though.
- Eivind
I don't see how that contradicts the idea that war is primarily political and territorial in nature, with religion being merely one of many tools for leaders to prod their subjects with.
- Victor Ganata
It doesn't. I am in agreement with your last formulation. Not the first comment in this thread.
- Eivind
Well, that first comment is simply a concrete version of the last comment.
- Victor Ganata
Or war is primarily in the limbic system. Nelson Mandela brought two sides together by recognizing the symbol systems of the other side and meeting them more than half way. That helped soften the hate. It wasn't political or territorial as much as a human need for respect and to be heard playing through those forces.
- Todd Hoff
There's a difference between religion just being 'an easy way for historians to sort the combatants out' and religion being a tool for leaders.
- Eivind
I think that still stands. Maybe not all historians. But the ones responsible for the dominant narratives of so-called religious wars.
- Victor Ganata
This is too minor of a disagreement for me to disagree anymore. We've never been so close! :)
- Eivind
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