Search results

  1. M

    x16 slots on socket 1156 motherboards

    I want to build a P55-based micro atx system. I need to use 3 pci express cards: video card, a sound card, and a wireless adapter. Right now I'm leaning toward the Gigabyte P55M-UD4 (link). My question is, does it matter whether I plug the video card into the upper or lower x16 slot? Will the...
  2. M

    Taxes for individuals and corporations

    Would it be possible to have a simple tax plan that is consistent for corporations and individuals? Its something I've been thinking about and haven't come up with an answer - just wondering whether someone thinks they have one. I suppose the fair tax would be a suggestion. My understanding...
  3. M

    Weird fund performance (financial)

    I'm puzzled. Take a look at this fund's performance last Thursday: cgmfx The value went from 50.84 to 45.72, a decline of 5.12, which according to the math I know works out to a 10.1% decrease. However, Google Finance (and others) report a decline of 0.87, which is a 1.90% decrease...
  4. M

    Too pretty to fly?

    CNN This is too funny. :D Do ya think so?
  5. M

    PSA: new South Park tonight

    Text Le Petit Tourette Cartman discovers the joys of having Tourette's syndrome in the new episode "La Petit Tourette," this Wednesday at 10p / 9c!
  6. M

    Bush cries on the job

    Text Lots of gems in there but does anyone else find the crying bit slightly disturbing?
  7. M

    Study: ADHD is 'underdiagnosed and undertreated'

    Text I caught this on the radio this morning, I think it was a CBS affiliated program. They had some 'expert' commenting on the study, who urged parents to visit a mental health professional to discuss their child. At the end of the segment the host thanked the expert for their 'good...
  8. M

    The threat level for domestic/international flights is orange

    The U.S. threat level is High, or Orange, for all domestic and international flights (DHS). However there continues to be no credible, specific intelligence to suggest an imminent threat to the homeland at this time. Obviously in reality we can't vote on what the threat level should be, but...
  9. M

    High speed chase at sea

    Text Click start. I would be afraid of that big boat!
  10. M

    How is Monitor Audio for bookshelf speakers?

    I'm looking at getting a nice set of bookshelf speakers and a stereo integrated amp. I don't know much about speakers, but I have been to an audio store once. The salesman demoed some Klipsch and Boston Acoustics speakers for me, and then played the Monitor Audios. The difference to me was huge...
  11. M

    What is the ideal age for a president?

    It seems like there is quite a spread this time around, so I'm curious as to what the thinking is around here...
  12. M

    Iraq war supporters: would you still support the war if not for modern medicine?

    Thanks to modern medicine, many troops severely injured in battle still make it home alive. The ratio of wounded:killed is 16:1. In Vietnam and WW2 it was 3:1 and 2:1, respectively. If this ratio were still around the Vietnam mark there would be over (3000*(16+1))/(3+1)=12750 dead Americans...
  13. M

    For those who oppose an inheritance tax ...

    How is inheritance any different than a gift? In both cases the wealth is not earned, it is transfered. As far as I know, gifts are taxed, so why should inheritance not be taxed?
  14. M

    Got kicked out of a pub ...

    I was gearing up for a pretty low-key Saturday night. The university pub here has trivia Saturday nights and I showed up just before it started. Now the pub is also running this "beer crawl" thing where every week for about 10 weeks you drink the beer-of-the-week, cross your name off a list, and...
  15. M

    Going skiing with the GF...

    My girlfriend is an awesome skiier (she was an instructor for a while) and this winter I am spending over a week skiing in north Idaho with her. I did it last year as well and it was a blast. I was using her brother's old gear most of the time, except for the skis and boots which I rented. Some...
  16. M

    The future looks bleak

    GAO video presentation Unfunded commitments are at $46.4 trillion, up $25 trillion in the last five years. That works out to $156,000 for every man, woman, and child in America. Drastic measures are called for. Government programs from defense to social security need to be severly cut...
  17. M

    Should we get rid of congressional districts

    Some of the recent developments have got me thinking... should we get rid of congressional districts? What if there was just a certain number of representatives per state and it would be up to the representatives to decide which group of people to court (ie city, suburban, rural). A voter would...
  18. M

    Bush administration tries to silence released terrorist suspect

    Ridiculous. cnn So we imprison him based upon what must have been a hunch at best, then we keep him locked up for three years while using interrogation methods that allegedly border on tourture, don't get any evidence against him and so run out of reasons to keep him locked up, and now we...
  19. M

    More allegations of voting fraud

    KFDM How hard can it be to come up with an electronic voting booth that actually works properly? Claims like this should be unheard of. People need to have faith in the system and this destroys it whether it happens to them directly or whether they hear about it in the news.
  20. M

    Israel threatens, fires over german ship

    I just came across this today ... obviously its being reported to a greater extent in the German media but I found some english speaking sources as well. It seems there has been some hostile behavior between the Israeli air force and german navy helicopters and a vessel sent there recently as...
  21. M

    Anyone else get the feeling that 9/11 would probably not have happened if we hadn't elected Bush?

    With Richard Clarke being demoted, and Rice giving the CIA people the runaround among other revelations from Woodward's book, doesn't it seem like there is a good chance we would have stopped 9/11 if Bush hadn't taken office? I get that feeling ...
  22. M

    Any mid tower cases with only 1 or 2 5.25" bays?

    I'm planning on building a new computer one of these days but its not urgent so I've had a lot of time to look at different components. I've come to the realization that there really are very few good-looking cases out there. One pet-peeve of mine is the large number of external bays found on...
  23. M

    This information does not exist on the internet

    I need to find some information about transmission through a polarizer at non-normal incidence. I can't seem to find any help anywhere. Basically, given a beam with polarization [px py pz] incident upon a polarizer in the xy plane, what is the transmitted polarization (and amplitude). For the...
  24. M

    Scythe Infinity Mounting Orientation

    I'm thinking about an Asus P5B - E6600 - Scythe Infinity combination, and cramming it all into an Antec Solo. I want to make sure that I can mount it so the wider side is facing the back of the case, as opposed to pointing up. That way the Scythe fan and the rear exhaust fan will be in-line...
  25. M

    If a nuke went off in New York City

    A nuke goes off in New York City, and we know that it was ordered by the Iranian regime. What should the US response be?
  26. M

    Do you support ...

    I bet a majority of Americans would say yes, just like they are supporting the illegal wiretapping going on now. It all depends upon how the question is asked.
  27. M

    My Keyboard Annihilated Itself

    This morning I boot up my computer, and as I hit Ctrl-Alt-Del to enter my password, my computer starts beeping randomly. I stop hitting keys, but the beeping doesn't stop. So I turn off my computer, let it sit for a while, and when I go to turn it on, it gets to the logon screen. The mouse works...
  28. M

    Bush Assertion on Tax Cuts Is at Odds With IRS Data

    Article Yeah, that sounds about right.
  29. M

    People who are voting for Bush...

    Do you genuinely want the guy, or do you feel you are voting for the lesser of two evils? Lets see if my first poll works...
  30. M

    Army to be increased by 30,000 .... under "Emergency Powers"

    http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=1896&u=/nm/20040128/us_nm/arms_usa_troops_dc_1&printer=1 Does that mean a draft?
  31. M

    Free Trade ... Good or Bad?

    I want to start up a discussion about free trade. What are the pros, cons, etc. Here's my take: In the past few years, over two million manufacturing jobs have been lost here in the US (source). The majority of these jobs have gone to nations where production costs are much lower than they...
  32. M

    Dean pressures ABC to supress Domestic Violence story

    Here's the source for that little tidbit: link Here's the actual story: Text
  33. M

    What people who have worked with Clark have to say

    Check it out... "Wes Clark has been a superb battalion commander and will be a superb brigade commander. He is an officer of the rarest potential and will clearly rise to senior general officer rank. He will be one of the Army's leaders in the 1990's." - General Colin Powell "Professional and...
  34. M

    QWIP

    Anyone have any idea how to solve for the quantum efficiency of a QWIP (quantum well infrared photodetector)? I don't expect so but we'll see.
  35. M

    I need awesome 2D, better 3D. Which Card?

    I am looking to upgrade the video in my PC, and need something with great 2D, and better 3D than my current GF3. Right now I have a Leadtek GF3, whose output starts getting blurry at 1600x1200x85Hz, and only gets worse above that. I have had a system with a G450 hooked up to this monitor (iiyama...
  36. M

    Something is changing my IDV3 tags

    Just what the title says... Something is changing my ID tags on my MP3s. I am suspicious of Windows Media Player 9, but I can't find any settings which would allow it to do something like that. Any ideas?
  37. M

    Critique my photo...

    Some of these recent threads have motivated me to show some of my own photos. Here is my favorite one: favorite for the res-challenged Any thoughts? I think that the person on the bottom left really makes the shot. Also take a look at some more of my collection.
  38. M

    Tough physics question...

    I wonder if anyone can figure this out. What is the function that describes an infinitely long rope (lets say it starts at the origin and continues on to positive infinity) whose end is picked up to a finite height at the origin. I am not sure how to derive this, but am curious because it...
  39. M

    How many pushups can you do? Com'on, try!

    I will report back in a little while. Give it your best shot, and no cheating. I will be watching you.