Posts by VanguardG

Re: Carbon neutral

Those "advances in battery tech" have been promised for decades and, as yet, we've had only creeping improvements. I hope these promised advances magically appear soon.

As for the Tesla Semi, which doesn't exist yet, there are 2000 or so orders - but as Airbus discovered with the A-380, orders can go away if you don't fulfill them in a timely manner.

Bit late on this, but the charge is generally along the lines of "Failure to obey a law enforcement officer's lawful orders". Key word is "lawful". A police officer cannot order someone to commit an act that abrogates that person's rights otherwise guaranteed. That's not so cut and dried, and the focus of the argument - is a demand to hand over personal information lawful? If it forced self-incrimination? Those questions will generate many more wealthy lawyers before they're decided.

Re: Remind me again.....

This type of thing is not super-common, but it does remain a threat. The best choice is to examine the encrypted files, as the "last modified" flag will usually let you track where the infection got in - even today its usually done by email attachments, tried and true method. Most don't want to put in the effort to actually run an exploit to gain direct access to a network's files if they can get someone who already has access to run their encrypter for them.

Never trust a criminal to do what they say they will. And if they extort the money from you once, they'll be back for more.

Take backups multiple times per day, test them regularly by actually restoring data from the media Try to educate users about attachments - though that's never easy to do.

Stay educated on the topic, and bookmark the anti-ransomware sites on a phone or laptop that's not on the network, so if you're hit, you can identify what you got hit by - there may be a free-to-use decrypter available.

Re: Double ejection

In the USAF, the plane captain (usually a senior enlisted) would be responsible for ensuring the aircraft is ready for flight - the article states that a "mechanic" checked the pensioner's restraints, and the pilot's. This was probably the French equivalent of a plane captain. The pilot doubtless did his walkaround of the aircraft itself, but assumed the plane captain would ensure the passenger was properly settled. The Plane Captain presumed that the pilot had properly instructed the passenger. That said, neither one should have gone on assumptions or "the other person's problem", especially for an older gentleman who wasn't even a retiring pilot...they both should have checked him over at every stage...it might take the pilot x minutes to suit up, but he's done it a few hundreds of times, he should have been monitoring the older man's every move during suit up. Clearly they didn't even test the intercom to make sure the passenger could communicate with the pilot, and THAT should be a checklist item anytime there's a backseater.

I got similar guidance from management back when i was a youngster...."You're too specialized, you need to have more general knowledge". Very next boss, just a couple of years later. "You need to specialize in a niche you can make your own."

Re: Strategy Option?

That would make sense, from a math standpoint. But you would never get a look at the books, no due diligence phase. You could easily succeed in getting a majority of stock and force a takeover, only to find out you bought a house of cards.

Apparently it doesn't work that way. Contractors are "disguised employees" for liability purposes (ie, taxes) but not for benefit purposes (holiday, sick leave, pay reviews)...in short, only in the ways that benefit the government by increasing tax revenue.

Re: The real big joke

Alternatively, the ads are so abundant and crass that you begin to despise the product or service the ads are about. Vehicle insurance companies and political "vote for me!" ads are prime offenders in this area. Instead of tuning them out entirely, they become the opposite of what they're meant to be, because they push you toward opposing products and services (candidates) just so you're not paying extra in order to help fund the ads that annoy you so much.

Re: Stop the Press

Under US law, corporations are considered "legal entities", not people. Should a "company break the law", as in criminal law, the company officers are still liable for jail time. If a company if found to have breached a civil duty, as part of a lawsuit, the "legal entity" prevents the personal assets of each and every employee of the company from being at risk of seizure to satisfy the lawsuit. That's why in many modern lawsuits against companies, the major officers are named separately as co-defendants, to put their assets on the line as well as the company's. Under current law, if a company intentionally mis-states its financial position to gain investor confidence, the CEO can go to jail - the CEO has to sign each financial statement personally attesting that its true. So CEOs become obsessed over accounting - they don't want to go to jail - and lose sight of the actual company business. And it doesn't take being a company to buy votes - wealthy "celebrities" do it all the time too. You never seem to have A-list celebs called up for Jury Duty either, and they *are* people. And it takes a whole lot for one to ever go to jail....even when they're found guilty of actual crimes.

A lot of special interests have claimed "first amendment" rights whenever debate over campaign spending and so called "soft money" comes up. Most of these aren't even actual companies.

For this ISPs to claim First Amendment...it doesn't hold water. They actually DO have that protection - they are allowed express "official company position"s on various topics if they so choose - and nobody can restrict their legal right to do it. They will still face consequences from individuals (customers, pundits, their own employees, etc), just as any human would who takes a view others dislike.

That said, I cannot figure out what convolution or distortion these ISPs applied to make the First Amendment apply here. That's the problem.

Re: Trade deal - test for the UK government

Different company, I was referencing Miniscribe.

Re: Great post

Chlorine gas. And it was pretty bad for the boats under the Pacific, too.

Switch is a Nintendo handheld gaming system. Has a screen and two controllers that can detach from the sides for use similar to the Wii controllers. Billed as "hybrid" since it can be linked to bigger screens or go mobile with the included one.

Re: "We now have to explain to our clients, etc"

To be fair, it *is* a two person company. They're probably working out of shoebox with no proper AC/power for a server

That begs the question of why such a small startup has such big customers so early on, but that's not really relevant

Re: Not sure who is more dull...

"Everyone's stories are dull and boring. Except mine. Share my own stories? Oh no, I'm far too busy for that. I'll just leave condescending comments, because....me.

Re: @Martin Gregorie

There are idiots on both extreme ends of the spectrum, AC. Right and Left both have their share of moonbats all too willing to sacrifice all rights of a few, or a few rights of all, in exchange for the illusion of "security", largely against threats mostly invented, or at least heavily exaggerated, but those in Congress and the White House, regardless of which side of the aisle they lean toward. To focus so ineptly on the threat from one direction would blind you to the equal threat from the other. Our friends over in the UK, where there's a political party for every blade of grass, have the correct of it. A two-party system cannot help but eventually polarize as people are forced into one or the other, though they do not fit into the mold of either, and here we are. Elsewhere, these people would band together and form a new party and become, perhaps, a force to reckon with in time. Here, the titanic two have amassed so much money as the ONLY two that no third party can raise enough to combat them. Long term, getting this nation back means making it easier, a *LOT* easier, for alternate political parties to take on the Democrat and Republican parties, and ultimately, ideally, eliminate *all* parties and make every candidate run as an individual, espousing what they really believe instead of what the "party" makes them say in order to get the "soft money" campaign funds. I'm tired of voting for a candidate knowing its really the DNC and RNC that are pulling the puppet strings.

The United States is a Republic. Why should Democracy get a look in with the chief executive of a Republic?

Re: No fines collected?

I think the inference there is that fines would be assessed, but never collected. All the companies involved go under the moment the process begins, then re-emerge a few months later with new names and resume business.

Re: Simple change to the law will fix it

It boggles the mind how "vote in our favor now, and you'll have a cushy job with us when you retire" isn't viewed as precisely that...instead its just "lobbying". Being absolutely ignorant of a thing has in no way ever slowed any politician's attempt to establish control over it. Often their very ignorance is why they are so dogged about regulating it. Most are intelligent people, but they want an "elevator briefing" on complex topics and then attempt to extrapolate, or intrapolate, the rest on the fly. In my personal opinion, the first thing every nation that elects leaders is term limits for EVERYONE. If every poltiican has the same "shelf life", and is banned from holding office at a certain level ever again after a set number of years, their value to the lobbyists is lower. Also, a politician can only raise so much money for a campaign. Everyone can raise a certain dollar amount for the primary election stage, and if the candidate goes to the general election, any money left from the primary phase counts against their budget for the general phase. If they are allowed "x" million, and reach that, they cannot accept any more donations from anybody. Level the playing field and make the jokers show they can actually work within a budget BEFORE they get elected. If some grumble their rights were trampled, they can contribute their money earlier next time. "Soft" money is harder to regulate, but that doesn't mean we can't start fixing what we can while working on a fix for the rest. The system's broken...citizens need to take it back and fix it, because the nimrods in DC like it just the way it is.

Re: Unfortunately he hits the nail on the head again.

I once tried to get a co-worker's job title changed to Application Support Specialist. I might have snuck it past the boss, who was actually a very good boss, but I got greedy and tried to add "Head of Licensing Enforcement". That made the acronym a little too easy to spot, apparently.

Re: Client support, we've heard about it

Due respect, AC, but a grown adult should be able to rationally address the problems they face...this academic had quite some time to get a leash on his temper (the tech was gone two weeks) and chose not to. While the "technical problem" was possibly just a stray mouse click, the show of rage was unprofessional. Sometimes, one needs to be sniped at in return to realize they're dealing with fellow humans and should offer the respect they expect to receive.

GIven the time frames, he is probably no longer Pimply-Faced, and certainly *not* a Youth anymore.

But yes, he's still the PFY anyway.

Re: Not to put too fine a point on it...

Your teenage daughter probably actually understands social media like Twitter. At least over here, people get addicted to that crap, probably much the same there.

One woman in her 30's actually robbed a bank, WHILE CHATTING ON HER CELL PHONE. Twice, three days apart. Police took her into custody the day after her second "unauthorized funds withdrawal".

I hate the concept of the Security Council where ONE member can vote down a proposed action before the UN in general can know about it, let alone debate it. Nations with despicable human rights scores nonetheless serve on the UN Human Rights commission.

I do not like the United Nations, they really accomplish very little of any value. Some dictator somewhere violates international law? Why, a UN proclamation will set him straight, and if not, we'll sanction him! If that doesn't work, we'll reiterate our sanctions every odd-numbered day until that dictator reforms! Really, its a useless bit of nonsense.

Look at North Korea. The UN wags its forefinger at them and tells them off for being naughty, and North Korea happily wags a different finger right back. Makes me feel safer knowing the UN is doing its usual stellar job with the more recalcitrant regimes out there.

Their peacekeepers did a bang-up job in Syria, didn't they? They could write a textbook on that operation. They also have a contingent in Haiti, because people on the verge of starvation make ideal soldiers. Disclosure: the US didn't do Haiti any favors, at all, by supporting Duvalier, but I was 7 when he was overthrown, so I don't accept any responsibility for that choice.

The UN often seems like it has zero respect for the rights of individuals, or national borders. All too often, the UN seems to operate as if it is in charge and national governments are subordinate to it, rather than it being little more than an advisory body.

As for NATO...well, every country *is* free to choose what percentage of the GDP they contribute to NATO, and this includes money and material - the "expectation" is 2%. But the money is supposed to go to upkeep and improvement over the member's own military forces that are designated as part of NATO's forces should they be called up. So with the largest military involvement in NATO, the US pays in the most. Iceland *has* no military, so they pay very little into NATO. If Germany or the UK *wanted* to raise their contributions, the US wouldn't argue against it, but the nation would need to increase the section of their military that is designated as available for NATO use, to absorb the extra funding, and then politics gets involved. No politician would want to sign off on (potentially) having more of the military taken away from home defense and deployed by, potentially, foreign commanders not even paid by the same government. That caused Pershing and Haig to lock horns during World War One, and wouldn't sit any better in the modern era.

Re: Then King's guitar left him

Its nothing to do with the alcohol content, Sir John of Brown. its how readily the alcohol that is there can transition to vapor - which is the only form that will actually light ... 100 proof vodka chilled will not catch fire. In this scenario, the beer would be heated up already, and spraying in a near-mist form, so yes, it would burn. Not for very long, I grant you - there's not much fuel. But there could be a few flickers of more fire then there already was. One could carry an open shot glass of 90 proof through a house fire without it flaming up, unless you dawdled amongst the flames for an extended period. Still, in my opinion, should you need to transport hard liquor through a fire, I would recommend drinking it first, and carrying it through in your stomach.

Re: Virus on a cd?

I once installed two retail anti-virus programs on one computer. Each saw the other one as a virus.

So I told them both to scan the drive and left for lunch while they fought it out. Neither won...they locked the system up. I called it a draw.

Re: "tumour"

That's fine...in Whitman's case, a tumo(u)r may have triggered his hostility and anger - but they do not claim it affected his cognition...Whitman did not conceal his actions, he was a straightforward "kill until I'm killed" serial murderer.

No bearing on this kid who took NO actions of his own, but got his kicks in making other people scared. That's not some unbearable rage or anger - that's being a jerk.