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Interesting article on how to have a constructive debate: http://barryeisler.blogspot.com/2010/11/how-to-argue.html Chris (It would be awesome if folks read this article, then sent this thread into the spin zone with their responses...)

Classified data (as in US Gov't classified), or just proprietary? If you have a proper VPN setup, you can pretty much ignore the security of the network you are on -- as long as you get bits, you can get your data, and nobody else can sniff it. Chris

I've had my credit cards cloned 3 times in the past 3 years. It gets pretty annoying when that happens. (My corporate visa card was stolen within 1 hour of the first time I used it ever -- it was pretty easy to identify which restaurant had the skimmer...) I have had nothing but great...

I think you are making my point here. Data from the city I live in is here. See page 6. Average response times for medical calls in 2005/2006 (the data I could find) is 5:13 from receipt of 911 call, 94% of calls arrive within 8 minutes, 99% arrival within 12 minutes. It sounds to me...

I have to admit that I've only actually timed this once. I witnessed a car accident in downtown Toronto, and called 911. After about 2m15s, the first tow truck arrived. After about 2m45s, the second tow truck arrived. Then an ambulance showed up at 3m30s. I currently live less than 2...

An interesting question: who is cowering in fear more? The person who is not comfortable unless they are armed, or the person who is perfectly confident they can handle everything life throws at them without resorting to carrying a gun? Chris

I think you've pretty much nailed it. I feel that the odds of encountering me encountering one of these situations is low enough that carrying a gun (which I would find very inconvenient, and has its own risks) is nowhere near worthwhile. Oh, I'm not claiming that rural environments are...

I'd actually argue that this is not the approach I am taking. Let me draw an analogy: training for spin avoidance vs. recovery in aircraft. Some folks believe that the best thing to do for student pilots is to train them on how to avoid any situation where they might get into a spin near...

True -- if you live in an society where you are in constant fear of being stalked by assassins then this is a valid concern. I don't have that fear. I live in a community with a rather low violent crime rate. The criminals we have, even the violent ones, are somewhat incompetent. I'm kind...

FYI -- Since 2001 I've held a PA, MA, and CA driver's license. I am not a US citizen (and only recently became a permanent resident). Nowhere on my driver's licenses does it state my citizenship. There was no indication on any of them that I am not American. I travel frequently to Canada...

I think you are seeing the difference between rural and urban life. In the suburbs where I live in California, help is at most 10 minutes away, more likely 3-5 minutes for an urgent situation. If you live in an urban environment where that is true, then the risk/benefit tradeoff of personal...

Just a clarification: if you read the linked article, it does not say that this ends the debate, but that the debate continues to rage on, even at the highest levels, and is re-visited weekly. In particular, the closing quote from President Obama: Chris

"Report 3 mile right base" is not an uncommon call at KPAO (where I fly). My interpretation: Please skip the downwind leg of the pattern, and if we forget to call you up when you get close enough for us to care, give us a shout to make sure we don't forget you. They almost always give me...

Prices vary based on the doctor. I went to one of the better known (and more expensive) doctors in my area ($2500/eye?), and after taking some measurements he clearly explained that I was not a Lasik candidate, and I was a slightly riskier-than-average-but-doable PRK candidate. The two...

No contest. Emacs is wonderfully powerful when you have it available. Vi is useful for all the times when emacs is not there. Many folks believe the reverse is true, and they are right too. Huh. Is there a better book? I learned C from K&R when I was in grade 8, and I have to admit that...

My faves: Rock Band and Wii Fit. Sadly they both require extra plastic crud which litters your TV room. Chris

Most unusual hotdogs I've bought from a street vendor: http://www.japadog.com/menu/index.html You _have_ to check these guys out if you are in Vancouver... Chris

For a basic set of tools required to build a kit (say, a RV) you will spend about $2k. If you go all-in and get everything (including a small drill press, band saw, pneumatic squeezer, etc.) you'd have to work pretty hard to spend more than $5k. So it can be expensive, but the tools are far...

One thing I've never gotten a good feel for from Glasair's web site: when you complete this plane to taxi readiness, what construction tasks are left? Is it ready to fly (sans paint), or are there still major tasks (such as getting the rigging right, completing panel installation, engine...

Last time I bought a car (a Prius, back when the California Prius market was crazy) here's what I did: a) looked up the dealer cost on consumerreports.com b) used that to compute what I thought was a reasonable price, including all taxes and fees, giving the dealer a 5% profit margin...