What gets me is the mild warming we are obviously going to be experiencing (since large CO2 increase have not shown not to correlate to rapid temperature increases as previously thought) is going to bring an overall boon to the planet, just as it did in ages past - a wider range of arable land.

Sure some land will change for the worse, but overall as a species we will be better off - and the rate the climate is changing allows for plenty of time for people, plants and animals to adapt.

Yeah, they REALLY need to improve the liability laws around things like this. AEDs are designed to be applicable by untrained users, and tests have shown that people generally are able to use them correctly by following only the verbal prompts.

I checked an in the state where I live you're only protected from liability if you hold a current certificate stating that you're trained in the specific procedure you performed (typically CPR+AED). These certificates often cost $40 and last only a year, so most people aren't going to have them. That is just ridiculous - you should not be liable if you make any good faith effort to save a life.

CPR guidelines generally recognize that even improperly-administered CPR is far preferable to not administering CPR. If the person is unresponsive then CPR should be administered. Modern AHA guidelines instruct non-professionals to not even check for a pulse now - you are only supposed to look for signs of breathing. Even medical professionals are only supposed to check briefly for a pulse before assuming one is not present, since pulses are easy for even professionals to miss. The rationale is that far more people are harmed by a delay in starting CPR than from performing it unnecessarily. Certificates should be even less necessary for an AED - they're designed to diagnose the condition and they will not issue a shock unless an abnormal heart rhythm that is treatable is detected. In theory you can attach one to a healthy person at any time and it won't do anything.

The AED instructions (written in the manual and spoken by the machine upon activation) almost always state to remove clothing. Non-professions would almost certainly be covered by a good samaritan law (heck, you're covered if you accidentally kill them, let alone expose them in public). Professionals who disregard the instructions given by the device might even be liable for malpractice. The instructions given by the device are approved by the FDA, and the device is only certified to be effective if used in accordance with instructions.

Sure, the bra might not cause sparks, but you're supposed to do things by the book. The AED is not programmed to argue with an operator - the instructions are streamlined for emergency use and if there is some reason the model might be less effective with a bra on the instructions will not say so - they're just written as if they will be followed.

It has been a long time since I saw that Mythbusters episode and I was not very familiar with AED operation at the time, but something that occurred to me subsequently is that they probably didn't test the diagnostics capability of the AED. If the presence of a wire near the sensors interferes with the diagnostics in the device it may make an incorrect treatment decision, either failing to shock somebody who should be shocked, or delivering a shock to somebody who should not receive one. Either is potentially a life-threatening error. It would not really be possible to test this without proper equipment/etc, since you need to simulate the heart/chest/skin/etc electrically to do it.

In any case, anybody reputable who would testify in court is going to say that the primary consideration should be to take any measure that will maximize the likelihood of saving the patient's life, and that is going to include removing clothing. Why take a chance over something as silly as modesty? If you show up in a hospital trauma OR the first thing they're going to do is chop every stitch of clothing off of you, and for good reason.

The precondition should be that TW and Comcast do not merge at all.

Don't forget the "Ancient Unix" source.

Though with the SCOundrels' demise, it may not be available any more.

Would you consider home address, and phone number also to be a bit of a breach?

Because you can get those and a lot more with just the email address and a call to the CurrentC web service.

they just got a hold of their email mailing list

From registered email addresses, you can get things like home address/phone number, and lots more data that may be of interest.

Basically the breach got a bunch of primary keys they can use to get something more juicy later.

Installing via the command line is nice. But it isn't what I want.

I want a package system that locks the files down so that package X owns abc.dll and will not allow package Y to overwrite it.

And searchable. What package installed abc.dll? What packages depend upon that package?

It works if you select the right statistics. Since 75% of the criminal cases are cleared by the Maricopa sheriff's office without a proper investigation, we really have no idea whether his approach works, or he's just lousy at catching repeat offenders.

You vote for whatever keeps balance. Like you say, both a and b are bad - so if you keep things even then neither side can implement the full extent of their evil plans.

So the best solution is to have neither?

No. The best solution, as I have stated, is to have the books needed to pass the standardized tests.

Look, Apple is offering to donate iPads. They are NOT offering to donate chemistry textbooks.

And that is the problem. By donating the iPads, Apple gets a tax write-off and the schools end up with broken/stolen tech that ate up resources.

a. Apple could pay their taxes and the government could use that money to buy those books.

b. Apple could donate those books INSTEAD of the iPads.

c. Apple could donate a portion of the proceeds of selling those iPads.

Why isn't Apple working on getting the books that would cost a lot LESS than those iPads? Because Apple is looking out for Apple. And using those kids as PR.

To say that "nothing" is better, because the iPads will just get stolen anyway, is just a cynical rationalization by people that want to feel smug and superior, criticizing these donors, while doing absolutely nothing themselves.

I've just given you three scenarios that would be better.

You are the one claiming that Apple's only option is to donate iPads.

Pretty sure NASA has blown more on Constellation, Orion and SLS, launchers to no where that never launch, than SpaceX has spent on successful development of 2 new rockets and Dragon1, and will probably spend on Falcon Heavy, Dragon 2 and their reusable program.

NASA's problem is not insufficient funding. Its inefficiency, bureaucratic bloat, corrupt contractors, and the inability to build or do much of anything in the vacinity of its manned space program. JPL and a few others places are doing fine but they are an exception to the rule.

Some people at Orbital probably do need to be sacked for trying to use 40+ year old Russian engines, the engines are actually that old not just the design. Some people at NASA probably should be sacked for buying in to a contractor proposing such a flawed concept.

An iPad probably has a bit higher black-market value than a textbook on High School chemistry.

And cannot take the same amount of accidental water damage.

Or accidental falling damage.

And requires more infrastructure and support to maintain it.

Meanwhile, the poorest schools cannot afford the books that are written for the standardized tests that those students have to pass.
https://www.google.com/#q=underprivileged+schools+textbooks+standardized+testing
Choose the "Why Poor Schools Can't Win at Standardized Testing" link. They're blocking links from /. for some reason.

First off, I'm amazed that none of them have stolen. I'd have expected at least a few thefts before the criminals realized that they could not be used/re-sold.

Secondly, that's more infrastructure that needs to be maintained and secured. With associated training as the staff changes jobs.

It isn't just the tech. It's the day-to-day support and the annual contracts and such. It's happened before and it looks like it will happen again.
http://slashdot.org/story/07/06/24/1316249/schools-out-forever-at-sv-high-tech-high

"Underprivileged" schools really need basics like text books, notebooks, and pencils for the kids.

And teachers.

If you really have to deploy technology then make it something like a Raspberry Pi. Low theft risk. Easy replacement. And $750 million will buy a lot of them AND books, paper, pencils, teachers, etc.

Wasn't there a recent story about how some schools could not afford the text books with the answers that went with the standardized tests?