2010-02-24, 02:06 | Link #6241 | |
Aria Company
Join Date: Nov 2003
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Well, no one can say I didn't give justinstrife a chance to explain his position.
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2010-02-24, 05:30 | Link #6242 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Interesting read from the Prohibition Era and the steps the Government was willing to take to manipulate behavior...
http://www.slate.com/id/2245188/?GT1=38001 |
2010-02-24, 05:57 | Link #6243 |
Komrades of Kitamura Kou
Join Date: Jul 2004
Age: 39
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I'll just go off and say that there are people in this thread who clearly seem to have never reached a point in their life of economic and social desperation, a point where they run themselves ragged to put food in their stomachs and find a place to sleep in the pouring rain for them and their families, that they become willing enough to accept that which they hate the most just to get by. You need both ends of the spectrum to know why it works and why it doesn't.
There are those who are unemployed because they want to, and those because they can't find a job. Obliterate the system entirely and you have honest to god people placed on the very edge of life and sanity, and you likewise ironically propagate a system of desperation that puts upstanding citizens into a life of crime. Some people steal bread out of greed and selfishness. Some steal bread to feed their families out of desperation. Can a blind overarching alteration of the system make such a distinction? I'd be jealous of countries that have some sort of unemployment assistance. In my third world country if you can't find a job and local charities can't do enough to help you then you're basically fucked. We don't have an unemployment assistance system to help those desperately seeking a way to keep them alive while they find a way for meager income. Our laws are so lax and we have adults and children alike working for half the minimum wage just to put food on the table (and our minimum wages aren't even enough). The manufacturing companies my family own (yes I'm a bit middle-upper I don't deny that) actively pay higher than the minimum of our industry-set standards for the sake of our workers, as my family itself came from worker-class existence only 2 generations ago. Case in point: For a family of 6 in the Philippines, the minimum needed daily earnings to feed a family, keep a roof on their heads, pay bills and put the kids through school is around P700, or about $18 a day. For a family of 4 it's about P500 or $13. For a single man or a couple it's around P300-P350 or less than $10. Most minimum wages here are barely over $10. All this are calculated without savings. Like I said we don't have a safety net help those really in need. We're too poor/corrupt for that right now. Even then I don't need to experience poverty itself to know and be empathic with the plight of those living in utter squalor, doing anything and everything they can to make ends meet. Maybe it is true. Aside from the few who actively make helping the poor and suffering their calling, perhaps altruism really is dead.
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2010-02-24, 12:30 | Link #6244 | |||
Not Enough Sleep
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: R'lyeh
Age: 48
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looks like Europe found someone to help for pay for the greek bailout.
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the billions that Europe will find google should make a nice dent in the greek bailout. Quote:
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2010-02-24, 12:58 | Link #6245 |
Rawrrr!
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: CH aka Chocaholic Heaven
Age: 40
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Cassini spots more water geysers on Enceladus, hinting on the presence of a hospitable liquid ocean beneath it's surface.
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2010-02-24, 13:41 | Link #6246 | |
NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 35
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You know, real democracies are the first step to productive market reforms. I don't see Chav helping his country out of the inflation.
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2010-02-24, 14:03 | Link #6247 | |
Not Enough Sleep
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: R'lyeh
Age: 48
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2010-02-24, 14:32 | Link #6248 |
Pretentious moe scholar
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Age: 37
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China and Singapore also had the advantage of not having abundent natural resources though. Many political scientists consider that an advantage for a developing country.
(If that seems counter-intuitive, the basic reasoning is that countries that export a lot of natural resources of cash crops tend to have high exchange rates, slowing the development of other industries. This also makes them extremely vulnerable to commodity price shocks.) Not saying you're wrong, but I wanted to provide that bit of context since I think its important.
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2010-02-24, 14:46 | Link #6249 |
Hopeless Dreamer
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: On bended knee asking Belldandy to marry me
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Toyota in the spotlight. All of the cable news networks breaking to show the statement being read by CEO Akio Toyoda on Capitol Hill.
Is this getting that much attention in Japan? Up to 34 deaths now attributed to sudden acceleration in Toyota cars. That's pretty serious.
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2010-02-24, 14:56 | Link #6250 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
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If that many has had the same problem, Japan should be notified right away before any more problems occur.
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2010-02-24, 15:05 | Link #6251 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Quote:
a few days ago... Last edited by mg1942; 2010-02-24 at 17:50. |
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2010-02-24, 17:13 | Link #6252 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Bloom Box fuel cell unveiled
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=7295563 Large corporations have been testing a new device that can generate power on the spot, without being connected to the electric grid. Will we have one in every home someday? |
2010-02-24, 17:40 | Link #6253 | |
Asuki-tan Kairin ↓
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Fürth (GER)
Age: 43
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Because even though these fuel cells seem to be very efficient, they are not reliable for long sustained usage with fuels of varying quality/purity. A moddern gas and steam power plant (combined cycle power plant) has an equal degree of efficiency but is far more reliable. Now I read on wikipedia that fuel cells have the advantage of having no moving mechanical parts and this could ensure a reliability 99.9999% (or similar). That is however only half of the truth, because you'ld need extremely pure fuel to achieve that. Any contamination of the fuel makes the fuel cell operate less efficient, a lot hotter and thus less reliable. In industrial applications (non millitary) it is not cost effective to rely on a system that demands such strong prerequisites on the fuel side to operate reliably.
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2010-02-24, 17:56 | Link #6254 | |
Banned
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Let's try to get our power from multiple sources, too.^^ |
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2010-02-24, 18:10 | Link #6255 |
9wiki
Scanlator
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The fuel issue, and the up-front cost, will prevent the Bloom Box from being in every household, but if they make their $3,000 target, it will be in many households.
A quality model generator that could run part of a household in a power outage would cost a large portion of the Bloom Box's cost. A quality generator that had the features comparable to a Bloom Box can cost at least as much or far more. Considering that the Bloom Box will be far more cost-effective for fuel use, it is far more attractive to anyone who would consider buying a generator for home use (which would be any one in areas prone to power outages for snow, storms, etc.), likely converting many with interest to actual customers. The real world change, though, will be putting power in so many places where it currently isn't an option.
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2010-02-24, 18:43 | Link #6256 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: East Cupcake
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The technology is still decades away (hopefully closer to 10 than 20 plus), but still, a solid leap forward.
Does anyone know if anything has been said about the durability of these (Leopold) Bloom Boxes? Specifically, how often would you have to replace a panel? A box? |
2010-02-24, 22:35 | Link #6257 | |
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 66
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2010-02-24, 22:38 | Link #6258 |
Aspiring Aspirer
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I think the idea's quite nice; they're definitely expensive and are picky, but it's as Kaijo said; a step forward. Eventually more versatile methods can be created. Definitely it's something that should be invested on; all the green craze and such and all the money it generates and uses could be put to better use; namely finding alternative energy sources, instead of for campaigning regulations or legislation that takes too long to have an impact or maybe is simply inefficient.
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2010-02-25, 01:41 | Link #6259 | |
Hopeless Dreamer
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: On bended knee asking Belldandy to marry me
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Quote:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100225...ytoyotaculture
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2010-02-25, 10:05 | Link #6260 | |
Banned
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Each side has their merits, though, and there are other aspects of Japanese and American culture that I don't see in as great a light, heh. |
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current affairs, discussion, international |
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