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Comment Re:So, they're sending like, 6 multimeters? (Score 2) 250

Unless you are getting multi-meters that "fell off the back of the truck" I don't think anyone is going to confuse a $3000 MM with a cheap knockoff. It's not like buying a fake Rolex, people don't drop 3 large for a MM unless they have very specific requirements, like drop-proof, water-proof, dust-proof, etc. for use in a heavy industrial environment. Most of Fluke's MM's can be purchased for a few hundred USD (depending on your definition of few).

I checked Fluke-Direct.com and there are 2 models over 1000 USD, an industrial strength RED one for $1500, and a bench model for 1065 USD. They had dozens of models less than 500 USD. Lowest price 130 USD.

Comment Re:There real reason ... (Score 5, Insightful) 290

I've read a number of different estimates for deaths related to coal pollution, 10-15K annually in the US, 150-300K globally. Even if those estimates are 10 time actual, it is hard to beat coal pollution as the top killer for industrial activity. Disasters like collapses of mines, dams, coal ash pond get a lot more attention.

Turning off every coal plant today would be a much bigger disaster -- people freezing, starving, diseases, etc. would be far worse, but hey, I am all for replacing coal with safer nukes, etc. All major systems will results in accidents and deaths, it is kind of the way it is. Even today, $/kwh from coal is generally cheaper than the viable alternatives. Arguably, a new generation of nuclear power could be cheaper than coal (fuel costs on the order of 15-25% of coal), but this is certainly not guaranteed.

You still need transportation fuels (hard to replace jet planes with battery operated or nuclear).,

Comment Re:This should be amusing. (Score 1) 48

The predominant theory among creationists is that the water of the flood is mostly most in the oceans -- The elevations of the continental masses where raised, allowing the water to flow to the oceans. This is kind of the same as the scientific opinion except for the timeframe of months vs. millions of years. Well, that and the scientific opinion that there was no world-wide flood/

Comment Re:30 years later. This isn't that hard. (Score 1) 162

While an admirable attempt, the password "nicht schiessen" reports a crack time of centuries, yet it is a simple phrase seen in many movies -- It is german, meaning Don't shoot (using ss for the ß character). Using ß is reported as having more entropy, even though logically it would be a simply dictionany pair.

"don't shoot me now" claims 4 years to crack

I use a similar approach on websites I control, but there is really not a simple algorithm that prevents all human stupidity in terms of password selection. My point is not "don't try to test for entropy" but rather know that your test will no be perfect.

Comment Re:God (Score 1) 794

Well, not really. Ex 20 is the delivery of the 10 command, literally a few weeks later at most, we have the Israelites making a golden calf to worship while Moses is back on the mountain communing with God.

The thing is, they still believe in Jehovah (Yahweh) as God. They just wanted something a little more concrete. You see this throughout Jewish history up until the time of Babylonian captivity. They just love their idols too. It is really surprising to the modern reader, but even many of the great reformers praised for their god-fearing ways do not really give up the idols completely, they allow them to co-exist.

They were not very good monotheists. Jehovah took a dim view of this of course.

Archaeologists digging up Palestine find idols everywhere until the time of Babylonian captivity and then they stop very suddenly

Comment Re:leaded gas (Score 1) 266

If you don't use lead, you have to raise octane in ways that are more expensive, more highly refined gas and more expensive octane raising additives are your options, both are more expensive than using lead.

Back in the 70's, there was an additional factor. Existing infrastructure used lead to raise octane rating -- there were transition costs and some scarcity during the transition away from lead. And of course, as a new product, you can generally charge that otherwise.

Comment Re:They still have not caught a single terrorist. (Score 1) 289

I think that the TSA would advertise far and wide the successful detection and capture of a terrorist, as the "TSA has not captured a single terrorist" statements has been raised repeatedly. So yeah, I think it safe to conclude that the gun-toting people involved were not terrorists.

Comment Re:Work on the basics (Score 1) 387

Your preferences were identical to mine, but I kept reading about how Python was actually a pretty useful and powerful tool. So, I decided to started working through the Euclid Project using Python (I am up to #45) -- Only invested a few days so far, but since this process is very fresh in my memory, thought I would share.

My brain is starting to get to used the both of my objections -- There is quite a bit a built in goodness especially when you factor in all the libraries out there.

My long term goals are to benefit from the cross-platform scripting -- Python beats the pants on Perl IMHO -- having used Perl primarily for this purpose, I always tend to find myself wondering how a Perl script works a few months after I wrote it.

Cross platform GUI is tempting, but have not investigated yet.

Comment Too late to burn him as a false prophet? (Score 1) 385

Deu 18:20-22

But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.'
And if you say in your heart, 'How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?'--
when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.

Being dead has not prevent exhuming the body and "punishing it" in the past. And to be honest, I don't recall anywhere the Bible calls for burning false prophets in the general case (though there are examples of putting them to death)

Of course Asimov never claimed to be a prophet, just a prognosticator. Jean Dixon on the other hand ...

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