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Living Room / Re: Peer Review and the Scientific Process
« Last post by Renegade on July 12, 2014, 03:02 AM »Yay. The supposed results of the skeptical process need to be skeptically questioned because... just... ::facepalm::
Recent Posts
2. My GF likes the contrast of texture and flavors the watermelon/tomato combination provides. I find it distracting. Fortunately, the tomato flavor doesn't invade the watermelon all that much, so I just pick around them when I'm filling my dish. This is a win-win since I don't care for tomatoes in this particular dish - and my not taking any leaves more for my GF, who really does enjoy having them in there.-40hz (July 11, 2014, 02:12 PM)
Steamed baby potatoes taste awesome hot or cold.-Renegade (July 11, 2014, 11:03 AM)
Little baby red potatoes, in a pressure cooker for about 7 minutes, then chilled. Eat them like apples. They are quite sweet.-app103 (July 11, 2014, 11:13 AM)
I'm a fan of normal gingerale soda, so i need to get my hands on some store-bought alcoholic gingerale and see if it tastes good enough to brew my own.-mouser (July 11, 2014, 11:10 AM)
THREAT LEVEL
DARK WALLET
Amir Taaki and Cody Wilson are cruising north through Texas on Interstate 35 in the 4:30 am predawn darkness. One of the headlights on the aging BMW Wilson’s driving is burned out, and he’s wearing sunglasses. “They’re prescription,” he says drily.
It’s May Day, every anarchist’s favorite holiday, and the two 26-year-olds have marked the occasion by releasing a piece of software that represents their best attempt so far to undermine every government in the world. A call from a lawyer friend has reminded them that creative US prosecutors might hit them with conspiracy or other charges. So they’ve decided to skip town.
Half an hour earlier, they pulled out of Wilson’s apartment in Austin and began the long nighttime drive to Dallas, where Wilson has booked Taaki a last-minute flight to Barcelona. Taaki has friends there living in a squat in an abandoned police station. Wilson himself plans to lay low in his hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas. A 29-year-old Canadian friend, cryptographer Peter Todd, is riding along in the back seat.
Mind you, if one was a proponent of Transnational Progressivism, one might not want to stop TPP just yet.-IainB (July 10, 2014, 11:45 PM)
Microsoft regrets any inconvenience these customers may have experienced.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
...the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government...
(I lied above! But I do hope to have amused someone out there!) Here we go again.
This thread started out focused on an interesting new academic debate about whether there was scientific evidence of a mis-transcription and its ramifications.
And now has very predictably drifted into yet another discussion of politics.
Can we please try to keep the rants about government in the basement so they stop taking over threads?
And if you absolutely cannot stop yourself from posting about politics in a thread -- just make your point and move on -- it's not fair to the rest of us when these threads become just one or two people arguing (or more often agreeing) back and forth over and over about off-tangent political points that have nothing to do with original topic.
I'm not saying these political topics are not important things for citizens to discuss -- and i'm not saying you aren't providing useful information -- but I am saying that they should not make up such a high percentage of the posts on this forum. And it's especially harmful when such posts drown out the conversations that otherwise could be taking place.
Please.-mouser (July 10, 2014, 07:37 AM)
And there, some manuscript experts say, existing high-resolution images show little evidence of a period.
, you can pay for your ISP service in BTC now!Slingshot now accepting bitcoins
Internet provider Slingshot has begun accepting payment in Bitcoins.
General manager Taryn Hamilton said he expected the ability to pay in the virtual currency would appeal to the "small, but passionate Bitcoin user base".
"We're a web company, so it seems fitting to accept the world's premier web currency," he said.
You're trying to be rational. Stop.-Renegade (July 09, 2014, 10:21 PM)
Wait...what? You thought that was rational?
I am not too sure how I should interpret that.-app103 (July 10, 2014, 01:51 AM)
You would have a better chance of success messing with the Constitution and the last will & testament of George Washington to do it, than a punctuation mark in the Declaration of Independence.
The Constitution is the foundational document of U.S. governance. In some corners, though, it's considered outmoded. Is the Constitution really out of date?
Is the Constitution Out of Date?
Americans across the country can all agree that the United States runs on the same set of rules, the Constitution. When the Constitution was adopted by the Constitutional Convention on September 17, 1787, it was written as a guideline to follow for the American people. The Founding Founders drafted and edited a document that was relevant for the times and would distinguish the United States from the country it broke away from. In the year 2012, the Constitution appears too vague for many Americans and politicians use its vagueness to fit their political agenda.
Let’s Give Up on the Constitution
Does the Constitution Mean What It Always Meant?
Why not attack the Constitution itself... You would have a better chance of success messing with the Constitution...than a punctuation mark in the Declaration of Independence.-app103 (July 09, 2014, 08:34 PM)
Just days after a report published by researchers at Facebook revealed that users of the social media site had been manipulated for science,
The Guardian reports that DARPA - the Pentagon-run Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency -
has in one way or another funded several studies recently that set out to explore that social networking site,
as well as users of Twitter,
Pinterest,
Kickstarter
and others.
DARPA told the Guardian that the studies it has funded are essential to US defense interests.
On the Pentagon’s part, DARPA told the Guardian that the studies it has funded are essential to US defense interests... Orwell would be proud
But it doesn't matter.
Perhaps I'm not being clear enough.
The psychopaths out there will read anything and come up with anything. That it is the declaration of independence doesn't matter -- it is good enough that it was written in the same century by the same basic group as the fellows who wrote the Constitution. Logic doesn't matter. Reason is irrelevant. The psychopaths follow the same basic patterns all the time. They grasp at straws and bray like donkeys until they get their way. We see this regularly. The entire SOPA/PIPA/etc. thing was a good example. The same nutjobs came back with the same nonsense again. They latch onto anything remotely related to any issue and pursue it until they get it. They don't take no for an answer. This will be the same basic deal because it's "close enough".-Renegade (July 09, 2014, 06:46 PM)
But why bother with the Declaration of Independence, which predates the founding of this country, when there are so many better documents to mess with that have much greater potential for accomplishing so much, in the way of a psychopathic power grab? Why not attack the Constitution itself, and reveal it as a complete fraud, and produce a document declaring your family as the rightful royal heirs to the crown of the USA, as willed to your family by the childless George Washington himself, this country's first King? Then march your gun nut psychopathic patriot army right into Washington DC, kick the President, Congress, and the Supreme Court off your brand new property, put yourself in charge of everything, and either shoot or lock up anyone that disagrees with you (without a trial), and make everyone live by your psychopathic rules?
If you are going to distort history and use its historical documents to do it, might as well go all the way with your psychopathic distortions. You would have a better chance of success messing with the Constitution and the last will & testament of George Washington to do it, than a punctuation mark in the Declaration of Independence.-app103 (July 09, 2014, 08:34 PM)
So do not come into this place, Senator Wong, with your hypocrisy and tell us about intergenerational burden, when you left our children and our grandchildren with an enormous debt and deficit disaster.
Renewable energy technologies are doing well, not only as a new innovative form of industry but also in providing a benefit to the environment, to the community, to our children and to future generations.
...
There I was reminded about future generations and about the importance of these bills in creating a sustainable future for our young people and for their children to come.
My only comment on the debate is that the hard work of the Abbott government in fixing the financial mess that our government finds itself in because of the previous government will mean that those leaving us will live a better future—their future lives will be better, as will be those of their children and grandchildren.
I have included a picture of Russell with his two children
at the end of my testimony and the reason I've done that is, I
think it is important for all of us, when I read the Suicide
Data Report, the one thing that is missing in this Suicide Data
Report are the names of the individuals, the names of the
families, the names of the loved ones that are affected and
impacted by these tragic deaths. And I think it is important
for all of us to remember that.
This January, under government pressure, many of the United Kingdom’s internet service providers (ISPs) — together providing over 90 percent of the country’s home broadband connections — turned on “porn filters” for all of their customers, requiring them to actively turn off the filters to view any content deemed unsuitable. Prime Minister David Cameron pushed the program through under the guise of protecting the “innocence of children,” but as warned by opponents of Internet regulation, the filters are now blocking large amounts of clean content.
Heh Giampy I don't even know what that pic means : )-TaoPhoenix (July 09, 2014, 04:20 PM)
The government and legal community may still be arguing over whether bitcoin can be defined as “money.” But the judge presiding over the landmark Silk Road drug case has declared that it’s at least close enough to get you locked up for money laundering.
In a ruling released Wednesday, Judge Katherine Forrest denied a motion by Ross Ulbricht, the 30-year-old alleged creator of the Silk Road billion-dollar online drug bazaar, to dismiss all criminal charges against him. Those charges include narcotics trafficking conspiracy, money laundering, and hacking conspiracy charges, as well as a “continuing criminal enterprise” charge that’s better known as the “kingpin” statute used to prosecute criminal gang and cartel leaders.
I’ll give $10 to @Free_Ross for each RT. If guilty, he’s a hero. If innocent, he needs help. http://freeross.org/...gephoto-from-prison/ …
But unexpectedly he asks the waiter to take away his cellphones, fearing Snowden-style eavesdropping. And then the scion of America’s most enduring banking family lets it fly: “I feel like citizens are fed up with banksters,” using a term the Occupy Wall Street crowd would surely approve. Politicians receive similar disdain: “We need to live in a more transparent, free democracy. The more secretive America becomes, the more dangerous it is.” The solution, Mellon says, is Bitcoin, and he’s invested $2 million to start an incubator for Bitcoin companies, convinced virtual currency will replace the dollar bill. “The banks are going to be scratching their heads,” he says, a smile encroaching on his high cheekbones.
...the digital currency has increased in prominence, prompting Moy to declare bitcoin “a disruptor to the traditional notions of currency” in May.
...
Why US bitcoin regulation is failing
Despite the promise of bitcoin technology, an unclear regulatory landscape makes it difficult for businesses in the US market to develop. At the heart of the problem, says Moy, is a lack of cohesive regulatory language that defines digital currency.
He said:
“Bitcoin is not just one thing. It’s not just currency, it’s not just a payment system, it’s a protocol – there’s multiple things that cross over into many different turfs of government.”
...
“Every agency has to look at bitcoin from the perspective of what their agency does. So the Commodities Futures Trading Commission looks at bitcoin as a commodity, because it complies with all the issues that commodities applies with. The Federal Trade Commission looks at this as a bartering issue, as a trading issue; the FEC looks at it from an investment perspective; the IRS looks at it as a taxable event.”
HUSTLER.com, the leader in adult entertainment, is offering an unprecedented level of member discretion thanks to a partnership with digital currency payment processor, GoCoin.
Starting today, anyone who pays for their HUSTLER.com subscription with digital currencies bitcoin, litecoin or dogecoin will receive a special lifetime membership for just $500. To take advantage of this exclusive offer, visit www.HUSTLER.com.
...
"It's well known that the adult entertainment industry is often an early adopter and driver of new technologies," said GoCoin Founder and CEO, Steve Beauregard. "HUSTLER is continuing this trend by embracing not only bitcoin, but other emerging digital currencies as well."
Purpose:
Bitcoin is one of the most impressive innovations of our lifetime. #lovebitcoin is about sharing and educating the world about the benefits and showcasing the passion. CAVIRTEX and Saucal believe in the spirit of Bitcoin are proud to sponsor this contest.
Rules:
- Record a video telling the world why you love bitcoin and upload it to YouTube or Instagram with the hashtag #lovebitcoin in the title.
- All videos will be automatically entered.
- Keep it short and sweet.
- Keep it classy (no swearing, no nudity, no racism, etc).
- Use the hashtag #lovebitcoin to create awareness and promote your video.
- Post a bitcoin public address in the video description so we know where to send the prize if you are selected.
- The video’s should be recorded in English or have English subtitles.
- Winners will be selected by a panel of 3 judges chosen by CAVIRTEX and Saucal.
Prizes:
The prize pool will begin at 1 BTC but in the spirit of Bitcoin the pool will be a public address that is open for additional sponsorship. Don’t you #lovebitcoin?
- Ultimate Grand Supreme Bitcoin Lover – 50%
- Grand Supreme Bitcoin Lover – 25%
- Supreme Bitcoin Lover – 10%
- Super Bitcoin Lover – 5% (3 available)
Criteria for judging:
Videos will be judged with the following in mind:
- Originality & Creativity
- Popularity & Virality
- Passion & Enthusiasm
- Quality
Global Jihad 'Could Be Funded With Bitcoin'
Donations supporting "violent physical struggle" would be "untrackable" by Western governments, says an ISIS-linked blog.
A new blog associated with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has said that bitcoin could "enable jihad on a large scale" by sending "millions of dollars" to fighters.
In a post called "Bitcoin and the Charity of Violent Physical Struggle", the author argues such donations would be "untrackable" by Western governments.
