I'm sure I already posted this last time this subject came up, but the Soviets also prototyped a Moonraker-esque laser pistol for their cosmonauts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_laser_pistol
Readit Newsm_d commented on Soviet Cosmonauts Carried a Shotgun into Space medium.com/war-is-boring/... · Posted by u/vinnyglennon
m_d commented on Cultivated Disinterest in Professional Sports mako.cc/copyrighteous/cul... · Posted by u/luu
i always found Chomsky's take on sports to be quite interesting...
"Take, say, sports -- that's another crucial example of the indoctrination system, in my view. For one thing because it -- you know, it offers people something to pay attention to that's of no importance. [audience laughs] That keeps them from worrying about -- [applause] keeps them from worrying about things that matter to their lives that they might have some idea of doing something about. And in fact it's striking to see the intelligence that's used by ordinary people in [discussions of] sports [as opposed to political and social issues]. I mean, you listen to radio stations where people call in -- they have the most exotic information [more laughter] and understanding about all kind of arcane issues. And the press undoubtedly does a lot with this.
You know, I remember in high school, already I was pretty old. I suddenly asked myself at one point, why do I care if my high school team wins the football game? [laughter] I mean, I don't know anybody on the team, you know? [audience roars] I mean, they have nothing to do with me, I mean, why I am cheering for my team? It doesn't mean any -- it doesn't make sense. But the point is, it does make sense: it's a way of building up irrational attitudes of submission to authority, and group cohesion behind leadership elements -- in fact, it's training in irrational jingoism. That's also a feature of competitive sports. I think if you look closely at these things, I think, typically, they do have functions, and that's why energy is devoted to supporting them and creating a basis for them and advertisers are willing to pay for them and so on."
Here is another quote from Chomsky. It makes a lot of the same points, but it is much less hostile towards sports fans:
"Well, let me give an example. When I'm driving, I sometimes turn on the radio and I find very often that what I'm listening to is a discussion of sports. These are telephone conversations. People call in and have long and intricate discussions, and it's plain that quite a high degree of thought and analysis is going into that. People know a tremendous amount. They know all sorts of complicated details and enter into far-reaching discussion about whether the coach made the right decision yesterday and so on. These are ordinary people, not professionals, who are applying their intelligence and analytic skills in these areas and accumulating quite a lot of knowledge and, for all I know, understanding. On the other hand, when I hear people talk about, say, international affairs or domestic problems, it's at a level of superficiality that's beyond belief.
In part, this reaction may be due to my own areas of interest, but I think it's quite accurate, basically. And I think that this concentration on such topics as sports makes a certain degree of sense. The way the system is set up, there is virtually nothing people can do anyway, without a degree of organization that's far beyond anything that exists now, to influence the real world. They might as well live in a fantasy world, and that's in fact what they do. I'm sure they are using their common sense and intellectual skills, but in an area which has no meaning and probably thrives because it has no meaning, as a displacement from the serious problems which one cannot influence and affect because the power happens to lie elsewhere."
Basically, sports fans aren't stupid, they just don't think they can have any effect on anything more important (ex: politics).
http://www.alternet.org/noam-chomsky-why-americans-know-so-m...
m_d commented on A gun is now more likely to kill you than a car is in the U.S economist.com/news/united... · Posted by u/denzil_correa
Including suicides seems unfair.
> The U.S. Department of Justice reports that approximately 60% of all adult firearm deaths are by suicide, 61% more than deaths by homicide. [1]
[1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence_in_the_United_Stat...
Improving access to mental healthcare in the US would do a lot to reduce gun deaths.
m_d commented on A gun is now more likely to kill you than a car is in the U.S economist.com/news/united... · Posted by u/denzil_correa
For some perspective, check out the CDC's "Leading Causes of Death":
m_d commented on Homeless Lose a Longtime Last Resort: Living in a Car online.wsj.com/news/artic... · Posted by u/coltr
m_d commented on Homeless Lose a Longtime Last Resort: Living in a Car online.wsj.com/news/artic... · Posted by u/coltr
Does Palo Alto have regulations regarding minimum apartment size? If not, lower-cost microapartment complexes might make a good long-term investment.
I've enjoyed banking with Simple over the past couple years, but if they move my account to BBVA, I'll be leaving for a credit union.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBVA#Criminal_charges:_money_la...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBVA#Connection_to_drug_syndica...
I know most banks have some skeletons in their closets, but BBVA seems to be less ethical than average.
m_d commented on Ask PG/HN: Recommended reading on the history of technology · Posted by u/madamepsychosis
Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution by Stephen Levy (http://amzn.com/1449388396)
A great look at the people involved in the early years of personal computing, including Stallman, Gates, Wozniak, etc. Apart from the technology, Levy discusses the basic philosophy and motivations of the personalities involved.