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  1. J

    Do you believe that Human Beings are Salvagable?

    I disagree. Protecting the weak from the predation of the strong and the harshness of the wild is the fundamental (and arguably, only) justification for the formation of government and the abdication of individual freedom that entails. A key component of this is providing for those members...
  2. J

    I've been in a cave for the past ~7 years.

    I've only included games on your list that I've completed. They are listed in the order I would play them (roughly from highest to lowest personal rating as well). I would also add Fallout and Deus Ex. Just my 2cents.
  3. J

    Pa. School to teach 'Intelligent Design'

    Actually, discussion of both ID and evolution is quite appropriate for the science classroom. The controversy can be used as an interesting case study when introducing the principles of the Scientific Method. Students could be shown (at a high level) how observation, hypothesis, prediction...
  4. J

    Matlab on a dual core processor?

    Not dual core, but I run Matlab simulations on a dual-proc (Xeon) workstation on a daily basis. These are pretty substantial Simulink models, containing up to 300 states, that can take hours, or even days, to execute. The main benefit I see from the extra proc is the ability to run two...
  5. J

    Home Heating Help: Steam Boiler Replacement

    That makes sense to me as well, although sizing steam systems based on "connected load" is consistent with what I get when I Google "Steam Boiler Sizing". I guess the theory is that, if your radiators are oversized, you need to generate sufficient steam to ensure it reaches the farthest points...
  6. J

    Home Heating Help: Steam Boiler Replacement

    I am in the process of selecting a contractor to replace the ancient oil-fired steam boiler in my house. I have received two estimates with only $125 separating the two (inconsequential since the job will run 6-7.5 k). The problem is the two contractors came up with different sized boilers...
  7. J

    Can we BAN for fat threads?

    Costing you money? Why are you paying Son of a Noob's medical bills? If you're referring to increased medical claims related to obesity raising your insurance rates, well, lots of lifestyle and activity choices result in increased likelihood of needing additional healthcare. It's apparent...
  8. J

    What Kind of Treadmill Do you have?

    To those who say just run outside, many people do both. For me, at least, the treadmill supplements outdoor running. Sometimes I don't feel like running outside when it's 90+ and humid (seems like everyday lately). Often I find it convenient and preferable to run at night. If it is also...
  9. J

    Anyone here own a Life Fitness treadmill or any treadmill?

    How are you going to use it? Walking or running? Twenty minute sessions or training for a marathon? What is your budget? I picked up this one last summer for around $1700 from Omni Fitness: Trimline T360 It holds up well to the pounding of my 215 lbs but I rarely run more than 2-3...
  10. J

    Rockstar Ceases Manufacturing Of GTA: San Andreas

    I agree with Apoppin and Homerboy that leaving this content on the disk was incredibly irresponsible of Rockstar. Game developers, publishers and players are definitely going to suffer for this. That being said, if we neglect the political ramifications, I do not believe RS was wrong in not...
  11. J

    WASD kb gaming

    Whenever crouch is mapped to C, I remap it to LCtrl. If it's C, I have a hard time crouching and strafing right at the same time (both keys activated with index finger). Do you use your middle finger for the "D" key when crouched?
  12. J

    If you are agnostic why don't you just believe anyways?

    That would be admirable, indeed. Most people will resist new ideas that contradict their decisions and beliefs. They may not be "closed-minded", but there will be resistance, however slight. It's invariably a blow to a person's self-esteem to admit they are wrong.
  13. J

    If you are agnostic why don't you just believe anyways?

    The scenario in your analogy above (and in the drowning situation, for that matter) differs from the situation that I refer to. I am talking about causality investigations after the fact. Taking your scenario a step further, suppose the craft has failed and taken the lives of the astronauts...
  14. J

    If you are agnostic why don't you just believe anyways?

    By not making up your mind you remain open and receptive to new information and further understanding. Those who make up their mind before sufficient evidence is collected predispose themselves to reject new information that counters their established viewpoint. For example, as an engineer, I...
  15. J

    First time home buyers: How long did it take you to close your house?

    Took us about 3 months, a month longer than expected. Turned out the 80 yr old man we bought it from wasn't the title holder. He had transferred title to his sons for estate reasons. Unfortunately, his sons passed away in a car accident and the title was never transferred back. Took awhile...
  16. J

    Canada has now legalized same-sex marriages

    (sigh) This old fallacious, slippery slope argument again... Marriage, in the eyes of the law, is an equal partnership between consenting adults. Homosexual marriage meets this criteria. The following do not: bigamy: not an equal partnership bestiality: neither an equal nor a consensual...
  17. J

    Tom Cruise on Today Show...His statements about psychiatry were right.

    You started out with some good examples of how misused and over-prescribed antidepressant and anti-anxiety meds are. Too bad you finished with a bullsh!t over-generalization. Based on the brief websearch I did on this guy, he does not seem to be in the mainstream of the field regarding the...
  18. J

    Tom Cruise on Today Show...His statements about psychiatry were right.

    Personally, I have no problem with his wacky public declarations of love. And, normally, I wouldn't care how unorthodox or uneducated a celebrity's personal beliefs are. However, I find it very offensive when a public figure uses their stature to ignorantly denigrate an entire field of study...
  19. J

    Do you need a passport to visit a US owned island?

    I didn't get that impression from the site linked below: "Travel between the United States and U.S. territories will not be affected by the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. U.S. citizens traveling between the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam will continue to...
  20. J

    GTA:SA Missions

    I also had trouble with this mission. I found that I had a tendency to "lead" the arrows. My results were much better when I forced myself to wait until the arrows were completely in the circle before pressing the keys.
  21. J

    What program do you use the most at work?

    Matlab/Simulink (although Firefox usage is creeping up)
  22. J

    Best Nirvana/Smashing Pumpkins song?

    :thumbsup: To your taste in music SP: Hummer, Here is No Why, Suffer, Mayonnaise, Window Pain (sp?) come to mind <-- goes to find Gish and Siamese Dream CDs in moving boxes Nirvana: Only really listened to Nevermind and In Utero, fav's off In Utero: Very Ape, Dumb
  23. J

    Our limit

    1) Green 2) 10-11 m/s Swallows
  24. J

    What's a good RPG out now?

    Yet another vote for the Fallout series. You might also give Arcanum a try - I really enjoyed it. Similar "feel" to Fallout (some of the same people worked on it), though not quite as polished.
  25. J

    Proof that hetero and homosexuality are genetic!

    How is this an unequal right? Stripped to its core, when I married my wife, I entered into an equal, exclusive, legal partnership with an unrelated, consenting adult. I did so to secure certain rights and protections for the person I valued above all others. From a legal perspective this is...
  26. J

    First Computer Game you ever bought?

    Console Game: Space Invaders for the Atari 2600 Computer Game: Temple of Apshai (sp?) for the C64 PC Game: Quake 1
  27. J

    My First Instance Experience and relying on team mates.

    I have a level 31 priest, with the exception of 3 points in Spirit Tap, every point I've gotten has gone into the Holy tree. I solo most of the time, doesn't give me much trouble. Maybe at higher levels, Holy priests get worse at soloing? Not condoning the "killer priest" behavior, but keep...
  28. J

    WoW: Shadow Priest attack sequence

    I read this a lot and I've always wondered what the basis for this statement is. If you look at damage mitigated per mana spent, then PW:S is much less efficient than Renew or Flash Heal. The problem is, if you're not shielded, your flash heal and damage dealing spells WILL be interrupted...
  29. J

    What type of games do you play and why?

    Any type, as long as the game is well designed and immersive. My favorites are probably RPG, FPS/"Action" and Strategy, in that order. However, I can think of games in any genre that have sucked me in, including Adventure (Grim Fandango), Sim (Nascar 2) and Sports (High Heat 2001). The only...
  30. J

    Any realtors or mortgage loan people here?

    When we were shopping for a house, the lender guidelines we encountered limited the mortgage, insurance and taxes payment to somewhere between 28-33% of gross monthly income, with total monthly debt payments (mortgage, car payments, student loans, credit cards) at no more than 35 to 41%. Most...
  31. J

    What about PvP "does it" for you?

    I view it more as playing WITH other players, but the point is valid. When I play a computer game, a large part of the appeal for me is escapism, like with a book or movie, only more involved and interactive. I get to be someone else for a while, do things I could never do in real life and...
  32. J

    What about PvP "does it" for you?

    I read the OP as more of a challenge to explain PVP, rather than an insult to PvP'ers. I believe Gurck is saying that he understands how an immature individual can enjoy the ganking aspect of PvP, but there must be some other appeal to engage so many intelligent, mature players. This post is...
  33. J

    .357 Magnum or .38 Special

    I always thought the caliber of the gun referred to the diameter of the bore in inches, i.e. .357 Magnum has a barrel with a 0.357 in diameter bore. Wouldn't a .38 bullet be too wide? Or are the bullets substantially smaller in diameter than the barrel from which they are fired? If so, how does...
  34. J

    WoW 1.4 PATCH released today!

    What is Children's Week?
  35. J

    Wisconsin Considers Legalizing Cat Hunting

    And there would be much less uproar (well, certainly from me), if the proposed ordinance was limited to allow killing of strays on one's own property. Where I take issue is when someone just passing through is allowed to shoot random, collar-less cats on public grounds. What is going to...