Posts by Joel Bjorge

Prehistoric titanic-snake jungles laughed at global warming

middle ground

re: coward, Robinson, & Mark Jan - don't you think there's probably some middle ground between "we're destroying the planet" & "Global Warming is a scam"? Climate change is obviously a natural thing and it's going to happen (colder, warmer, and everything in between), but don't you think that things we do could be speeding it up, making it more extreme that it would otherwise naturally be? I think, in the climate change argument, about the only thing as ridiculous as "Earth's climate should never ever change and if it does it must be all our fault" is "Nothing we 6+ billion people are doing could possibly affect the climate, so f*ck all and throw another whale on the fire!".

The North Face trips over The South Butt

it's the logo, stupid

It's not the name that's a problem, it's the logo. Of course no one is going to be confused between "The North Face" and "The South Butt", but the kid used the same colors, same basic icon (flipped), and same basic font/text layout. That's what *could* be labeled as confusing, and the reason that TNF *has* to follow up to show that they're protecting their trademark. Oh, and responding to Aristotle, I grew up in Montana and live on the North Dakota/Minnesota border, where we care more about our winter gear performance than it's looks, and I've ALWAYS found TNF stuff to be way better than Columbia - IMHO.

Twitter profile hack pwns Mormons

@Spread the word

and along those lines, can we please stop calling these "hacks"? A hack implies that a vulnerability was found and exploited in the code - that's a lot different than someone using an insecure password.

Summer debut for Judge Dredd computer smart-rifle

@Klaus

I'm guessing it's a very short range wireless tech, along with some good encryption (unique key for each shell randomly generated by gun when clip is loaded would be cool). Also, there are probably safeguards built into the shells that prevent them from detonating until AFTER they've been fired.

US mulls clicks for cameraphones

will never pass

This isn't a new law or even serious attempt to make it one, just a Bill submitted to a committee with no co-sponsor that will die long before it ever gets a single vote. The only reason it was put out there was so this idiot from New York can list it as something he actually did when he tries to get re-elected.

Google OS gOS - if at first you don't succeed...

fantastic idea

I think this gOS is a fantastic idea - this author is either trolling for arguments or completely misses the point. Press power and you only have to wait a couple of seconds to do a quick email check, adjust a Google document, update your blog, or surf the net without having to wait a couple of minutes for Windows and any startup apps to fill your RAM. Need Word, Photoshop, or WoW? Click the Windows button and THEN go through the wait of loading a full OS, but ONLY when you need to. I love it and will be installing on my laptop as soon as it's released. Who knows if the implementation will be any good or not, but the idea is great!

North Korea photoshops stroke from Kim Jong Il

not entirely convinced

I'm not entirely convinced this is faked. Not because I don't think they would, personally I think he's probably in a coma and everything they say about him is a lie, but I'm just not sure this picture is faked. First, the platform they're standing on is obviously angled and comes to somewhat of a point at the middle where he's standing - that explains the groove that isn't seen behind him (also, the groove isn't in the shadow of the guy to his left- if photoshopped it would be much easier to add the groove behind Kim than to remove it from the rest of the picture). Second, to me it seems he's standing just a little further forward than the guys next to him, that, along with the peak of the platform and the straightness of his legs, could account for the differing shadow. Third - the rest of him looks perfect - the lighting and shadow on his coat/body, the color and tone of his clothes and skin. If you're going to photoshop someone into a picture that perfectly, you're not going to screw up that bad on something as easy as a shadow. Fourth, as others have mentioned, it would be MUCH easier for the North Koreans to either use a look-a-like for a picture from that great a distance, or just pull out an old picture that no one's seen before. You know they must have LOADS of those on hand just for situations like this. I think everything that they say is a lie, but I don't think this picture was faked - just not taken recently or taken with a stand-in.

Fake feet trip up Olympic opening coverage

they didn't try to hide it

not sure if I was the only one paying any attention, but, in the US broadcast at least, the announcer (Costas, I think) said that those footprint fireworks where fake while they were showing them. I don't see anything wrong with using some CGI as long as you're not trying to pull it off as real. I think you Brits are just a little intimidated ;-)

US nuke missile crew falls asleep on the job

So what?

I live about 300 miles from this base, so heard about it early this morning. I don't see the big deal. Three guys with *outdated* launch codes, locked in strong boxes only they had the code to (and that I assume were chained to their wrists), fell asleep in a very secure locked room above the silo while waiting for their transport to come pick them up and take them back to the base (after, I'm guessing, finishing their shift). So what's the catastrophe?

Bush tests Castro with mobile phone gift barrage

Re: toasters and other basic appliances

They aren't allowed toasters because of the drain on the very inadequate power grid. Same goes for electric ovens, microwave ovens, and air conditioners.

Jihadi-sniffers blame White House for leaking secrets

Not the point

Wasn't SITE's complaint that releasing the video early tipped off terrorists that their network had been hacked, not that someone else got to be the first to publish the video? Sounds like a valid complaint to me.