Posts by Dax Farrer 86 publicly visible posts • joined 25 May 2007
"Even though I live in the UK I don't appreciate the remarks about Russia not having built stadia yet and allegations of bias from FIFA."
Hmm .. so you haven't read either the technical proposals OR the wikileaks saga OR the Panarama doc ..
Suggest you do .. just saying like, then you can have a grown up opinion.
You analogy of betting for short selling is not a good one. You can back a horse to lose and you can do it at betfair.com.
Because betfair matches punters who want to bet you can take the losing position in that bet.
eg.
I want to bet £50 on a horse to win, betfair allows someone else to take the losing position on that bet. A traditional bookies would normally take that position.
This has of course caused a lot more cheating at the tracks as it's easier to engineer a horse to lose than it is to make sure a horse wins.
What is that phrase supposed to mean, I'm secretly a Brahmin high priest ?
Of course I can't prove that global warming is man made, luckily I don't have to. I just have to posit the theory, if it holds up I win. Its called science and it works by disproving stuff. If you can find a decent peer reviewed piece that shows that global warming is not man made, you win. Unfortunately all that the sceptics link to is highly politicised crap churned out by far right senators from the US.
As to population being the cause, where is the pollution coming from ? Since the industrial revolution its been us. The only sensible way to look at this is per capita, and that puts the blame squarely on the Americans and Europe. Even China the largest single polluting country (now) doesn't even dent the amount we and the yanks have pumped out.
Yes, population increases will have a dramatic effect (just as it did when we went through the demographic transition). But it hasnt yet, the lifestyles of the majority have not improved to the level where they start to affect anything. When they do its time to panic. Watch China in this regard and India/Indonesia. They are the big population centers.
So Mike Street, wheres your links, where is your proof. Cos there is more than enough on my side pointing to the fact that its yours and mine and everyone else in the Western Worlds fault. You don't like it ? Then show your proofs.
As an aside the New Scientist has a very good selection on the latest in this debate. As they are a science publication they are of course on the side of MMGW in this debate. But like all good science publications, if something dents the model they will publish that too.
http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/climate-change/
Actually no, I go by the IPCC which last time I looked had a few signings against it of world known scientists that could agree with the findings. Which certainly would make that document non-contrivertable in my book. The real rates of warming are likely to be far more aggressive.
Nothing in science is ever "proved", of course doubt remains. But we are talking about scientific uncertainty which should not be parleyed into political uncertainty. Otherwise the status quo is maintained, and there are far more voices in favour of Man made global warming than the reverse. By orders of magnitude.
If you are a sceptic, fine, I note you have Dr in front of your name, and Im hoping thats for a Phd, in which case, get off my back and go and produce some peer reviewed work which debunks the theory. Thats your job and you are not doing it.
If, on the other hand, this is not your area of expertise why should I care what you think ? You dont debate the issues, you just attack your straw men. Stop whinning its bloody pathetic, and also try and avoid non-peer reviewed articles its embarrassing that someone with Dr in front of their name links to shoddy crap that wouldnt turn up in Nature Watch, nevermind Nature or Science.
P.S. Annonomous Cowards keep their jobs
Good point, there are so many things that people could be doing, but lets face it they are not.
It would be lovely to imagine that the world will keep to the promises they have already made on debt, fresh water, childhood literacy, economic development etc etc. But its not going to happen now is it ?
The Russians have a saying about Marx ...
"Everything he told us about Communism was wrong, Everything he told us about capitalism was right"
Well I am looking forward to seeing how we "consume" our way out of this one. Most peoples idea of global warming extend about as far as maybe having to buy a hybrid car, fitting insulation and maybe having a small wind thing perched on the side of the house. Good luck with that.
As so many commentors have said in so many different words. "Its never been better to be part of the problem". In a world where so many exist on less than a dollar a day, you will never starve, for you are rich.
Enjoy your hols ; )
So, care to hazaard a guess when this will happen ?
Can I suggest that far from being in "the near future" it will never happen. Tell you what I will put a beer on it, any pub any time in the next 5 years. That gives you a bit more time than anyone elses "near future" that I know of.
Tell me, I would really like to know where you get your information. What insightful government policy or thinktank dreamt this up for you ? If it was a complete "in my backyard production" can I suggest you stick to coding HTML cos your opinion is like wading through treacle. Sweet, but very, very thick.
The web 2.0 Utopians are on again banging on about FREE. I can only think they have turned up for work out of the goodness of their hearts. (actually I doubt these wasters have jobs)
Personally I have transcribed a handwritten book and its not something I would like to do again. Its boring laborious and thats just when you can read the sentence, when its bloody illegible then in the spirit of web 2.0 you just make it up. So there is a considerable creative input as well.
What a lot of xenophobic middle englanders. Get you to the Mail and be gone from these pages.
Again, even more proof that a knowledge of ASP does not make one any great shakes in politics. Geeks, stick to twiddling your iPhones and stealing from the creative classes, cos that is what you are good at.
No, because that was a load of crap and was found to be crap.
@Dan
No, there is no substantial debate in the science community. There is some right wing nuts that have a problem with what the consequences of global warming. They have spent a lot trying to manufacture an illusion of debate. But we actually got through most of the debate 10-15 years ago. Sorry you missed it, it was entertaining the first time, these repeats are becoming a bit of a boor though.
Its 2 months, not a year, not even 6 months. It has not been superceeded. It just hasn't sold as well as Stevie $ Jobs would like.
Your idea of economics is a bit skewed Mike. If you think the device was worth $600 why isnt it still. 1 Million certainly is not enough to reach any sort of volume price reduction. If someone is prepared to pay $600 for a device worth $400, then they are a prat, and Stevie $ Jobs has made a bundle on other people bad economic decisions.
Bottom line, the iPhone was not, is not and never was worth $600 you paid a tax for brand cool, and now we know what that tax cost, $200 or 33% of the phone.
The question really is now, how much cool tax is left in the iPhone at $400 ?
I worked on the CTRL during the design phase, basically after the tunnel crash the design company, who were supposed to making the money to extend the line through finance generated through trains going through the tunnel made a loss. The whole thing was cut back .. just the Stratford to Kent bit would be high speed and the expensive bit from St Pancreas through to Stratford was canned. Along with my job.
That was about 10 years ago now, and you are seeing the results through this piecemeal approach to extending the high speed links.
I doubt it will ever get further than St Pancreas. No one has a serious design to get it out of London anyway.
Absolute rubbish .. only in no limit holdem can you change the received odds for your opponent.
You can not make a program that will do well at hold em, its the borderline between art, skill and luck.
For sure the rules of hold em are simple, compared to say Omaha high/low. But as they say, "a minute to learn, a lifetime to master".
Poker should never have been part of the Safe Harbour act, for the simple reason it is not a game of chance but primarily one of skill. Otherwise, why do I see the same people getting into the money, getting to the final tables and winning, day after day ?
Not really counter-intuitive, unless your thick.
As they have only seen 1 dolphin, (they saw 13 back in 1997) then there is not much they can do.
The obvious hope is that they capture one, then another and start a captive breeding program which has been successful for many other species. Thompson Gazelles springs to mind.
Though there will be issues with genetic diversity, I cant see this species surviving myself, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't give it a go. Leaving them there is obviously a crap idea, there population has crashed and they are dying out.
@A.Merkin
I think you will find those sophisticated bioweapons will be humans under mind control by our cetacean overlords.
You can see that the wisdom on crowds is not working, how much mis-information has just been bandied around in the posts above.
1. GK was very successful. So successful he managed to completely wipe a couple of nations from the earth. So, even better than the Nazis in genocide.
The Mongols were also successful after GK, Kublai Khan was the ruler of even more than GK and its actually him that runs into the Russians and scares the shit out of them. Kublai was more Chinese than GK, you have this absorbtion thing going on, there were a lot fewer Mongols than Chinese, and the Chinese were much more advanced. Though not in things like stirrups, but in things like useless fireworks (lol) and soap and water.
The romans didn't burn homosexuals at the stake, but they were not so keen on it as the Greeks. They were also worried that the patrician families were fucking the slaves all day and not getting down to some serious procreation.
@Graham Marsdan - thanks mate - some sanity out there
As for the IT angle ... sigh... there is more to life than a fucking computer. There's fucking for a start ! See how important its been through the ages. If we want geeks in the future, they should start shagging like rabbits now, otherwise rather than the geeks inheriting the earth they will die out and the inevitable rise of our robot masters assured. There will be no one left to stop them.
Stuart has a catastrophic failure of his funny bone, as well as having his moral index removed by a malicious user.
Is Stuart ...
1. Morally lacking in human decency
2. A bit of a cunning stunt by the neocon menace to derail legitimate comment.
Hey Stuart, stick to commenting on the articles, leave the editorial direction to the register. They seem to run a successful news website, you do not.
I fear many of the commentators are refusing to maintain the "IT only" policy. Stuart is a prime case, scurrilously using "IT" but in a manner where no "IT" is actually referred to.
In future could all commentators keep their comments directly relating to "IT" and refrain from off topic issues.
There should be no OT in IT
Bah .. for all you first timers this piece follows a long history on El Reg for following the exploits of the aging, blackberry throwing Streatham Clotheshorse that is Naomi Campbell.
Naomi Campbell, the focal point where technology, style, politics and the crackberry assault phone all meet.
I'm looking forward to the follow up special interest pieces ...
Streatham, gateway to the Sarf
Me and My Crackberry - a history of addiction, love and betrayal in Sarf London
Vogue, why naked is never in style
"How seriously are you taking the WEEE?""
should be ...
How ? Seriously, are you taking the WEEEEEEEEEEE"
love it .. keep these rolling. El Reg has not only a reputation for sourcing the best in IT news. BUT more importantly keeping the punters sane at work with humorous articles like this.
"Recovering Blackberry launch platform Naomi Campell was unavailable for comment today"
SCHTOP - this article is not finished yet.
Surely the tag line "The Streatham Clotheshorse" is missing.
I'm sorry but El Reg has a high profile in the world of internet journalism and this has rocked that profile. I am shocked !, shocked I tell you.
Sooo....
How much electricity would you generate if you covered the Albert Hall with these things, and then filled said hall with people and made them jump up and down for an hour, you can see what Im getting at here, YES ! a standard measurement of work.
"Cor thats a bloody great big fridge mate, how many Alberts does that require"
or ...
"Blimey the wifes rampant rabbit gets through 3 Alberts a night"
,... I'll get me coat .
Yeah, we voted in Blair and on several fronts the guy was OK. He just failed in some key areas, Bush's poodle (he should have made the same response that Heath made to the yanks on Vietnam .. fuck off, where were you in Suez). Political "donations" or rather cash for honours, your honour. But, Tony, he's just this guy you know.
Things he isn't is stupid, he is also one of the best orators of a generation. He also has not got Cheney's hand up his arse.
There were damn good reasons to continue to vote NL in, domestic reasons, we have had the longest, most sustained period of growth recent history. Though debt inflation is a worry, its the way the capitalist system works. Can't really cry foul.
But you voted Bush in after he fucked up the National Economy, hes stripped the working Joe and given it to his rich chums, who are all doing very nice indeed. I can't see one thing this guy has done right. You tell me, what ? Hes universally hated with the lowest popularity stakes of any president since .. hell ever ?? He personally ripped up America's reputation and now your a torturing, renditions, international pariah. On a par with Saudi Arabia. You kidnap people from their homes and streets and give them to people to soften up using techniques that the rest of the world deplores, but to Cheney and Bush its a "no brainer".
Now I know your average American is actually a pretty friendly guy, I speak to a bunch of them every night. He doesn't seem to represent anyone, does he represent you Bert ?
As for Rick, keep wearing that tin foil hat mate. Period. I think there are brain cooling versions now available with a little fan. Tell me, lol, what do you think about global warming.
As for El Reg not doing politics, well, everything is politics baby, everything.
Ok, I admit to buying it, well with a new computer and I choose ultimate cos it really didnt seem much cost difference with an OEM copy. £60 v £100 .. something like that.
Can we get a few things straight. Vista is an important upgrade for graphics and sound, I know Mac's have had the vector type graphics for a while but seriously, if M$ wanted to move this platform on it had to happen. Though the features that they have implemented to show off this new tech are poor, the carousel thing, well, its not useful.
Right ... to the problems ...
1. Computer will not come out of sleep mode, well comp does but it cant wake the monitor/mouse back up
2. Cant use a combined VGA/HD (what ever its is called) monitor. You have to strip out the HD signal
3. Services stop working randomly (who knows why). Had great fun when the authentication service stopped working, making me think my key had expired. Cue loads of fun with M$ support. I think I now have 3 or 4 different keys for Vista, they just kept handing them out for me to try.
4. UCI is crap
5. Everything seems less robust than XP, actually many of the same problems of 64bit XP are still around in Vista
6. Some font problems when you change resolutions/window size. Looks shit, often have to restart the application, whereby it looks fine again.
Hmm, thats about it. XP was a worse release.
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