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Comment Re:Sunk Costs (Score 1) 288

[...] but getting a fake hand for the sake of a fake hand is just being vain IMHO.

People are vain. People do care what other people think of them, and people do want to make a good impression on others. And it's completely rational; we are being judged by how we look, what we wear, how we behave. What we think of that is besides the point.

So yes, it turns out most people care about what their prostheses look like as much or more than how well they function. Any maker that disregards that is setting themselves up to become a niche within a niche; and most likely a long-term failure.

Comment Re:Sunk Costs (Score 2) 288

Idk about you, but I'd think an obvious robot hand would be easier to deal with than a fake looking piece of plastic mimicking a human hand.

It's probably impossible to know until you are actually in the same situation. There have been highly functional, highly useful hand prosthesis long before robotics - the classical hook is just one example - but the vast majority of patients have always preferred a hand mimic, even when it is completely nonfunctional and even when the mimiry is far from perfect.

Not getting stared at, and fitting in, is critically important to people, in this case as in others. Should'nt be too surprising when you think about it in such terms.

Comment It's all about the dosage level (Score 1) 186

Trouble from religion seems to be associated more with dosage level than theology. Once a week seems to be a safe dose for most people, while several times a day is an overdose. The nuttier religions tend towards the overdose end of the scale. Islam and the haredi branch of Judaism go for All Religion All the Time. Scientology goes in that direction, but more through intermittent intense experiences rather than constant daily obsession.

Fortunately, Scientology is stuck, by policy, with Hubbard's 1930s technology and their skin-resistance meter. If they were keeping up with technology, they'd have mobile apps tied to wristband sensors reporting to HQ in Clearwater, FL, auditing using functional MRI machines, and big data systems analyzing all member communications.

Comment Re:paper...pencil (Score 1) 170

Keepping a notebook is critical, and for most application pen and paper is good enough. I learned that when I was young and working in small business and research. Everyone had a notebook. Some just a spiral bound notebook. Some a real research notebook. Many a Franklin planner with yearly storage cases. I myself keep many various notebooks around that I jot notes in.

Which is to say that not everyone has the same solution, and some find electronics notebooks useful. My main problem is that most electronics notebooks do not handle math and drawings will, which is what I do. I do have some stuff on electronic notebooks. Those listed are what I use. What we don't have are people who are proficient enough to teach the workflow of how to use them.

Comment Re:The Harsh Light of Day (Score 1) 186

It's no more or less believable than any other religion. Do you think people really believe that a dead guy came back to life? How about an entire ocean was suddenly parted so the good guys could get away and then collapsed again on the bad guys? Or that the earth is 6000 years old? Or that the guy who created the entire universe 12 billion years ago and billions of light years large is really really concerned about if human penises wind up in human vaginas before the correct ritual is performed?

You can sort-of understand why ancient religions came about and stuck. People in general, without education, before the formulation of the Scientific Method, living in a very uncertain world where starvation and disease were all about (and life was short and harsh) would invent supernatural explanations for things and perhaps like to believe that there was someone looking over them in judgement all the time.

However, there is absolutely no excuse for Scientology to be as big as it is. It was conceived as a cynical exercise in demonstrating that gullibility, ignorance and superstition, which are fundamental parts of human nature, are every present and easily exploitable (for money) and that society has not advanced to the point that the human race has outgrown its primitive cultural roots.

You have to hand it to L Ron, it was a dastardly,cynical plan to make money out of the stupid, and it has been a soaring success.

As they say, a fool and his money are easily parted. There are a lot of Hollywood actors involved...

Comment Re:So - who's in love with the government again? (Score 2) 397

How about composting it, then? Just a thought, and it may well not be profitable. However, living in the city I have often had the opportunity to observe how, on one hand, there's a lot people with small gardens, who spend small fortunes on expensive soil mixtures - basically peat or compost - while on the other hand, just a few miles away there are livery stables that actually pay farmers to come and take away horse manure, which would have been an excellent basis for production of compost. I can't quite understand this sort of thing.

When in deep shit, sell manure.

Comment Re:Why? (Score 1) 127

That candid picture of your Mom sharing a moment with your aunt would look great if it were not for the Ronald McDonald billboard in the background.

Hmm, perhaps. But I have increasingly over the last few years seen so many, brilliantly clear photos with fabulous colour etc etc which are so achingly dull because the photographer has no sense of the artistic and no experimental curiousity. Despite the fact that with a digital SLR camera it is cheaper and easier than ever to experiment: just try and then throw out the failures.

Personally, I have started on taking deliberately imperfect pictures; I am particularly fond of under-exposure - it is surprising how much structure you can find in a seemingly black photo, using eg. edge-detection in GIMP.

Comment Re:"no indication ... site has been compromised" (Score 2) 81

If only it could have been prevented via a cheap, preventive program, instead of costing so much later! I know! We should lobby them to create a new agency, one tasked with the security of the nation, and when they knew about risks like this, why, they could step in and ensure that no one would unwittingly deploy vulnerable systems in the first place!

Perhaps we could call them the Responsible Agency for Intelligently Securing the Interests of the Nation... R.A.I.S.I.N., for short... or National Organization Securing You... N.O.S.Y. for short... I'm still working on the name.

We could even nominate someone to put in charge of making sure they are doing the job they are supposed to be doing, a kind of Special National Operations Watch Director Executive Nominee... Haven't decided what to call that one yet, either...

Comment "no indication ... site has been compromised" (Score 4, Funny) 81

"no indication ... site has been compromised"

I believe them.

What possible motive would a hacker have for targeting a site containing social security, tax, medical, personal, and financial information?

I'm sure it's all perfectly secure.

Just in case, though, you should probably change your one-factor authentication token so that the next time your "keep me logged in" cookie expires, it's hard to remember.

Comment Re:Not a problem for MGP (Score 1) 397

Here's Frank-Lin's list of products. It's alcohol, deionized water, and flavoring. That's what Frank-Lin does. These are just the brands Frank-Lin owns. They also do contract bottling for another 2,000 products. "With an annual production capability of 15 million cases and on-premise tank storage capacity in excess of 1,500,000 gallons, Frank-Lin has the facilities and expertise to efficiently handle any project".

Frank-Lin is noted for having one of the most flexible automated packaging lines in the world. They can switch from one bottle/ingredients combo to another without stopping the production line. Every product can have a unique bottle. They're next door to the bottle factory. This is what the booze industry is really like, minus the advertising hype.

  Brandy - American
        A R Morrow, Lejon, Potter's Finest Brand, Montanac Brandy

Calvados
        Busnel Calvados - www.halbymarketing.com
        Menorval - www.halbymarketing.com

Cognac
        1st Cru Collection
        Francious Voyer Napoleon - www.1stcru.com
        Maison Prunier
        Marthe Sepia - www.1stcru.com
        Menuet - www.1stcru.com
        Aubade & Cie.
        Francois De Lyon
        Jules Domet
        Maison Prunier

Condiments
        Frank-Lin Farms

Cordials
        Cafe Del Amor, Curacao Liqueur, Destinee Liqueur, Gran Citron, Grand Marquette, Holly Toddy, Jules Domet Orange Liqueur, Kona Gold Coffee Liqueur, Maraska Cherry & Pear Liqueurs, Potter's, Potter's Long Island Iced Tea, Potter's Sour Splash, Vice Rei - Portugal Passion Fruit

Cream Liqueur
        Duggan's Irish Cream, Laddy's Country Cream

Energy Drinks (Non Alcoholic)
      Tornado

Gin
        Barrett's London Dry, Bellringer (England), Cossack, Martini London Dry, Potter's London Dry

Grappa
        Classik Grappa

Liqueurs - French
        Jules Domet Grand Orange

Liqueurs - Herbal
        Agwa, Arak Razzouk - Anise Liqueur, Par-D-Schatz

Liqueurs - Italian
        Ramazotti - www.hgcimports.com

Liqueurs - Lebanon
        Arak Razzouk - www.hgcimports.com

Mezcal
        Don Antonio Aguilar

Mixes
(Non Alcoholic)
        Jero Cocktail mix, Puerto Vallarta, Vinnie's Bloody Mary Mix

Produce
        Pietra Santa Olive Oil - www.pietrasantawinery.com

RTD
(Ready to Drink)
        Pocket Shots - www.pocketshot.net
        John Daly Cocktails - www.johndalycocktail.com
        Puerto Vallarta Margarita

Rum
        Diamond Head, Hammock Bay, Havana Bay, Moraga Cay
        Potter's Specialty Rums, Potter's West Indies
        Prichard's - www.prichardsdistillery.com
        Tanduay - www.tanduay.net

Sambuca
        Ramazotti

Sauval
Scotch Whiskey - Single Malts
        Glenalmond, Glen Ranoch, Muirheads Speyside

Scotch Whiskey - Pure Malt
        Angus Dundee, Tambowie

Scotch Whisky
        Blackburn's, Duggan's Dew, Lloyd & Haig, Potter's

Slivovitz
        Maraska Kosher, Subovorska

Schnapps
        Defrost Schnapps - http://defrostschnapps.com/

Tequila
        Baja
        Baja Tequila Liqueur
        Don Diego Santa - www.dondiegosanta.com.mx
        El Tirador - www.mexcor.com
        Orendain Ollitas - www.tequila-orendain.com
        Gran Orendain - www.tequila-orendain.com
        Potter's
        Puente Grande Tequila
        Puerto Vallarta - www.puertovallartatequila.com
        Quito
        Señor Rio - www.senorrio.com
        Sol De Mexico - www.uaimports.com

Triple Sec Liqueur
        Potter's, Puerto Vallarta, Jules Perchard

Vodka
        Baronoff
        Beyond - www.beyondvodka.com
        Charodei-Russia
        Cossack
        Crown Czar
        Crown Superior
        Ed Hardy-France - www.edhardyvodka.com
        Haamonii-Schochu
        Maggy-Russsia
        Monnema - www.agjab.com
        Monopolowa
        Monopolowa-Austria
        Potter's
        Purity-Sweden - www.purityvodka.com
        Royal Czar
        Spirit of Santa-Finland - www.atlantico-beverages.com
        Tamiroff
        Vampyre-Transylvania - www.vampire.com
        White Wolf

Whiskey - Bourbon
        Black Saddle
        Bourbon Age - Ky
        Bourbon Club
        Buck Bourbon
        Clyde Mays Conecuh Ridge Whisky - www.crwhiskey.com
        Joshua Brook
        Medley Bros.
        Old Medley
        Potter's
        Wathen's

Whiskey - Blended
        Barret's Blend
        Glenwood Blend
        Potter's

Whiskey - Canadian
        8 Seconds - http://8secondswhisky.com/
        C.E.O.
        Campbell & Cooper
        Canadian Crown
        Potter's Crown

Comment Re:"...who exactly is the H1-B police..." (Score 1) 220

Well there's an authority to base your response upon! I especially like the links to payday loans and making sure your H1B sponsor treats you properly. I missed the part where it actually backs up a single thing you assert since the press release it references is not linked.

http://www.uscis.gov/archive/a...

Government press release you could have googled yourself. Feel free to continue whining that nothing is ever enforced in this area of law.

Comment Re:Never forget where you came from (Score 4, Interesting) 390

Ah spaghetti and ketchup. Nice combo.

Some of my favorites from my college days were:

- A boiled potato with a slice of American cheese
- A cup of white rice with a handful of peanuts

I was hungry much of the time the last couple of years in college, but mostly that was from stupidity (losing money for dumb reasons) and hubris (refusing to accept any assistance from my parents).

In Pittsburgh (I went to CMU) there used to be a grocery store that would sell expired food ("Groceries Plus More II" was its name). That was a godsend. You'd never know what you'd get each time you went since their stock was determined by whatever expired goods they could procure that week, but whatever you ended up with was usually for pennies on the dollar. Who cares if a can of spaghetti sauce expired two weeks ago, if it is only a quarter, I'll take it.

Nobody actually starves in college or grad school, and going hungry and living on the cheap is one of the charms of that time of life. So enjoy it.

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