Comment 14 year olds? (Score 1) 87
Get 'em young
Where's Chris Hansen (or John Beard for the AD fans) when you need him?
Comment Re:Shipping. (Score 2) 150
And each edition will arrive 10 days later than he would have liked.
Comment Plants and animals? (Score 1) 696
Plants and animals? That's me!
Comment Re:Terroristic Threats (Score 1) 573
By common I just meant it's on the books using this definition in many states. I have seen it applied to situations where the perp waves a gun at people on the street (even when the intent was not to actually shoot anyone, even if it's not a real, loaded gun if the intent to cause fear is there) or makes threats to use deadly weapons (but mostly threats more specific than the one in the article).
Comment Re:Terroristic Threats (Score 1) 573
I never said I agreed with the way it's used in this case. It's a little scary that art (if that's what rap lyrics fall under) can so easily be construed as a real threat, if that's all this kid did. I just see the title of this article as flaimbait because of the words "terrorist" and "lyrics." The lyrics just mention the Boston bombing and that he will top it, so it does seem like usual rap bragging than anything. Apparently authorities think "too soon"" on that topic.
Comment Terroristic Threats (Score 2) 573
Come on now, no need to go into armchair revolutionary panic mode. Terroristic threatening is a common statutory criminal offense. It doesn't imply that the perpetrator is a member of a terrorist cell or that our liberties are being attacked. It's sort of like an assault, just a little more specific and serious.
Generalized definition of a terrorist threat:
1. Willfully threaten to commit a crime that will result in death or great bodily harm.
2. Make threat with the specific intent that it be taken as a threat.
3. The threat is so unequivocal, unconditional, and specific as to convey a gravity of purpose and immediate prospect of execution.
4. The threat actually caused fear in the victim.
5. The fear was reasonable.
Generalized definition of an assault:
1. Intent to create the state of fear or danger in the victim.
2. The victim had a reasonable apprehension (belief) that they would be harmed.
3. The victim must experience fear in response to a threat that is imminent, or immediately about to occur.
4. The conduct must present either a threat of physical harm or offensive behavior.
Comment Re:Turns out (Score 1) 473
Warning: don't google Log Cabin Republican unless you want Google to know what you are.
Comment Re:T-100, huh? (Score 1) 159
I thought the robots were the enemy in that reference?!? The last thing I want to hear about are turtlebots with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads.
Hell, the Big Dog is scary enough for me.
Comment The Mayans were correct? (Score 1) 336
And lo, Nostradamus predicted this:
"In the twelfth year of the second thousand,
The race of the small thinking machines shall disappear,
Ignored by their creators, their essences recharged by their masters no longer,
Cursed to exist only in the great waste heaps and in the hands of the computer illiterate."
Comment Re:So the Big Dog is deployed... (Score 1) 210
Hadn't seen that spoof. That was the funniest thing I've seen in quite a while, thanks for that. The real Big Dog always creeps me the fuck out.
Submission + - Black Mesa: Source Actually Nearing Completion (blackmesasource.com)
slimjim8094 writes: Black Mesa the long-in-the-running total-conversion mod recreating Half-Life 1 for the Source engine, has been discussed on Slashdot before. At the time it was described as "nearing completion" and "confirmed out in 2009", but now they've given a date: September 14th. The first part of the game (through Lambda Core) is apparently what's being released now; it looks like they're still finishing up the Xen and some other stuff for later release. The soundtrack is available for download over at the official announcement on the forums.
Submission + - California to license self-driving cars (tgdaily.com)
DevotedSkeptic writes: "Californian senators have passed a bill that looks set to make the state the second in the US to approve self-driving cars on its roads.
The bill was passed unanimously by state senators, and now hits the desk of governor Jerry Brown, who's expected to sign it into law.
It calls on the California Department of Motor Vehicles to start developing standards and licensing procedures for autonomous vehicles.
"This bill would require the department to adopt safety standards and performance requirements to ensure the safe operation and testing of 'autonomous vehicles', as defined, on the public roads in this
state," it reads.
"The bill would permit autonomous vehicles to be operated or tested on the public roads in this state pending the adoption of safety standards and performance requirements that would be adopted
under this bill."
Until these standards are developed, though, it's unclear precisely under what conditions driverless cars will be allowed to operate. It's pretty certain that a driver will be required to sit behind the steering wheel at all times, as in Nevada.
Google's already been testing its autonomous vehicles on California roads for some time. In a recent blog post, engineering lead Chris Urmson said that the company's cars had now completed more than 300,000 miles of testing without a single accident.
Don't expect to be riding in a self-driving car any time soon, though.
"To provide the best experience we can, we’ll need to master snow-covered roadways, interpret temporary construction signals and handle other tricky situations that many drivers encounter," says Urmson.
"As a next step, members of the self-driving car team will soon start using the cars solo (rather than in pairs), for things like commuting to work. This is an important milestone, as it brings this technology one step closer to every commuter.""
The bill was passed unanimously by state senators, and now hits the desk of governor Jerry Brown, who's expected to sign it into law.
It calls on the California Department of Motor Vehicles to start developing standards and licensing procedures for autonomous vehicles.
"This bill would require the department to adopt safety standards and performance requirements to ensure the safe operation and testing of 'autonomous vehicles', as defined, on the public roads in this
state," it reads.
"The bill would permit autonomous vehicles to be operated or tested on the public roads in this state pending the adoption of safety standards and performance requirements that would be adopted
under this bill."
Until these standards are developed, though, it's unclear precisely under what conditions driverless cars will be allowed to operate. It's pretty certain that a driver will be required to sit behind the steering wheel at all times, as in Nevada.
Google's already been testing its autonomous vehicles on California roads for some time. In a recent blog post, engineering lead Chris Urmson said that the company's cars had now completed more than 300,000 miles of testing without a single accident.
Don't expect to be riding in a self-driving car any time soon, though.
"To provide the best experience we can, we’ll need to master snow-covered roadways, interpret temporary construction signals and handle other tricky situations that many drivers encounter," says Urmson.
"As a next step, members of the self-driving car team will soon start using the cars solo (rather than in pairs), for things like commuting to work. This is an important milestone, as it brings this technology one step closer to every commuter.""
Submission + - GOP opposes net neutrality, internet piracy (patexia.com)
ericjones12398 writes: "While GOP candidates won't stop publicly disavowing it, all eyes are on the Republican platform. The convention, which closed Thursday, inserted a number of controversial planks regarding abortion, English-only laws and a committee to examine the possibility of returning to the gold standard. Receiving considerably less attention was the downright Orwellian naming of the "Internet freedom plank," which opposes net neutrality."
Comment Curse you science! (Score 1) 381
Shame on all of you for ruining the dream of flying cars, what with all your technical problems and common sense!
Comment Re:Before the trolls start (Score 1) 605
It's been the hottest and driest summer in my part of the world (middle of the U.S.) since the 1930s I think, following a very temperate winter.
Therefore, this year I believe global warming is real. If it snows here in the coming winter we'll know if global warming stopped again. :)
Therefore, this year I believe global warming is real. If it snows here in the coming winter we'll know if global warming stopped again.
