Comment Re:Einstein replied "Check your measurements, son" (Score 1) 1088
Seriously? You think they didn't check that?
A theory is a belief, even if scientific. A scientific theory says, given all the known facts and observations, we believe this explanation to be true. Yes, it carries much more weight and credence than "I believe in something because a 6000 year-old book told me to," but it's still a "best guess" as to the true explanation of the facts.
Like it or not, we never really have a full picture of complex systems, like astrophysics, quantum mechanics, biological systems, and many other examples. The best we can usually hope for is a best guess of the explanation, based on observation, so that we can build on that knowledge and move forward. That best guess is also a belief, and from time to time, that belief is re-evaluated and either confirmed or invalidated for a new set of best guesses. That process and transformation doesn't make it *not* a belief, it just makes it one that we're not scared to change from time to time, unlike an absolute belief in a deity.
What part of what he said isn't true?
Yay for hand-wavy OH NOES GUBMINT IS INTERFEERING! tea-party populism.
If you want to complain about subsidies, I know a corn industry that could really use a talking-to. Or maybe oil & gas company subsidies? A $7k tax break for some people to kick-start a nascent, but promising economy is nothing compared to the kickbacks those corporations get.
The economy did well because Bush could afford to ride a pretty prosperous wave. Typically the effects of an administration only really take hold after that presidency has ended. 8 years is not very long for widespread social and organizational change. If the economy did "pretty well" under GW, it was only because he was riding the coat-tails of past administrations.
The fact that the economy is in such dire straits now speaks volumes for the Bush administration's policies.
I wouldn't be so sure of that. Oracle seems to be doing everything in their power to gut the core of the Java community, so until a strong non-Oracle/Sun maintainer with deep pockets (ahem, IBM) steps in to pick up the slack, I'd stay away from Java as the basis for building a full platform.
How do you know someone won't go homicidal while watching paint dry? Or reading a book? Yes, let's ban everything because it might someday make someone fly into a murderous rage.
The hardest part of climbing the ladder of success is getting through the crowd at the bottom.