[Landlord] Rental Furnace Failed, Motherboard Has Blown Component

My renter called at 17:00 to report that she had returned home from Christmas celebrations and found no heat.  I made a fast run to the unit and confired that both gas and electricity were working.  I visited the furnace in the crawl space and found total silence and darkness.  I inspected the motherboard controller.  Blown component.  Bad.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all those of you shivering in Colorado and Minnesota and Ohio, and a cheery holiday “Pffffftttt” to Joe and Patti in Hawaii.  J

 

[Christmas] Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus - Reporter-Herald, Loveland, Colo.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus - Reporter-Herald, Loveland, Colo.:

"Loveland Reporter-Herald
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following editorial, among the most famous ever written, appeared in The New York Sun in 1897 and remains appropriate for this holiday season 111 years later.

Dear Editor: I am 8 years old.

Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.

Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun it’s so.” Please tell me the truth: Is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O’Hanlon 115 West Ninety-Fifth Street. Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except (what) they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias.

There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal life with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernatural beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood."

[Astronomy] Happy Winter Solstice

Happy Winter Solstice to one and all.  For those of you who don’t know, Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year.  Starting today, the days get longer until we reach Summer Solstice, which is the longest day of the year.

[Humor] Stork Hot Air Balloon

Proof at last that storks really bring babies.

[Colorado] Complete Colorado News

I just stumbled across this Colorado-news-specific web site. It is laid out similarly to the familiar Drudge Report. It has an RSS feed. It has links to all the Colorado news web sites. I have been looking for a Colorado-specific web site such as this for years.

Non-Colorado readers: yes, I understand that you probably don't care. Please just bear with my enthusiasm. :-)

[Tea] Tea of the Day: Upton's Baker Street Afternoon Blend

Another of my favorite teas for a chilly day. Think of a crisp December morning on Baker Street in London. Brrrr. Slurp. Yummm! :-)

[Tea] Tea of the Day: Upton's Russian Caravan

It just seemed to be the right tea for a chilly (17°F) day.

[Software] Aegisub: If programming languages were religions...

Aegisub: If programming languages were religions...:

"If programming languages were religions...
By amz at 14:52

And now, for some off-topic:

'If programming languages were religions'
(Inspired by 'If programming languages were cars')


C would be Judaism - it's old and restrictive, but most of the world is familiar with its laws and respects them. The catch is, you can't convert into it - you're either into it from the start, or you will think that it's insanity. Also, when things go wrong, many people are willing to blame the problems of the world on it.

Java would be Fundamentalist Christianity - it's theoretically based on C, but it voids so many of the old laws that it doesn't feel like the original at all. Instead, it adds its own set of rigid rules, which its followers believe to be far superior to the original. Not only are they certain that it's the best language in the world, but they're willing to burn those who disagree at the stake.

PHP would be Cafeteria Christianity - Fights with Java for the web market. It draws a few concepts from C and Java, but only those that it really likes. Maybe it's not as coherent as other languages, but at least it leaves you with much more freedom and ostensibly keeps the core idea of the whole thing. Also, the whole concept of 'goto hell' was abandoned.

C++ would be Islam - It takes C and not only keeps all its laws, but adds a very complex new set of laws on top of it. It's so versatile that it can be used to be the foundation of anything, from great atrocities to beautiful works of art. Its followers are convinced that it is the ultimate universal language, and may be angered by those who disagree. Also, if you insult it or its founder, you'll probably be threatened with death by more radical followers.

C# would be Mormonism - At first glance, it's the same as Java, but at a closer look you realize that it's controlled by a single corporation (which many Java followers believe to be evil), and that many theological concepts are quite different. You suspect that it'd probably be nice, if only all the followers of Java wouldn't discriminate so much against you for following it.

Lisp would be Zen Buddhism - There is no syntax, there is no centralization of dogma, there are no deities to worship. The entire universe is there at your reach - if only you are enlightened enough to grasp it. Some say that it's not a language at all; others say that it's the only language that makes sense.

Haskell would be Taoism - It is so different from other languages that many people don't understand how can anyone use it to produce anything useful. Its followers believe that it's the true path to wisdom, but that wisdom is beyond the grasp of most mortals.

Erlang would be Hinduism - It's another strange language that doesn't look like it could be used for anything, but unlike most other modern languages, it's built around the concept of multiple simultaneous deities.

Perl would be Voodoo - An incomprehensible series of arcane incantations that involve the blood of goats and permanently corrupt your soul. Often used when your boss requires you to do an urgent task at 21:00 on friday night.

Lua would be Wicca - A pantheistic language that can easily be adapted for different cultures and locations. Its code is very liberal, and allows for the use of techniques that might be described as magical by those used to more traditional languages. It has a strong connection to the moon.

Ruby would be Neo-Paganism - A mixture of different languages and ideas that was beaten together into something that might be identified as a language. Its adherents are growing fast, and although most people look at them suspiciously, they are mostly well-meaning people with no intention of harming anyone.

Python would be Humanism: It's simple, unrestrictive, and all you need to follow it is common sense. Many of the followers claim to feel relieved from all the burden imposed by other languages, and that they have rediscovered the joy of programming. There are some who say that it is a form of pseudo-code.

COBOL would be Ancient Paganism - There was once a time when it ruled over a vast region and was important, but nowadays it's almost dead, for the good of us all. Although many were scarred by the rituals demanded by its deities, there are some who insist on keeping it alive even today.

APL would be Scientology - There are many people who claim to follow it, but you've always suspected that it's a huge and elaborate prank that got out of control.

LOLCODE would be Pastafarianism - An esoteric, Internet-born belief that nobody really takes seriously, despite all the efforts to develop and spread it.

Visual Basic would be Satanism - Except that you don't REALLY need to sell your soul to be a Satanist...

Thanks to jfs and other people on #aegisub for the suggestions. Keep in mind, this list is a joke, and is not meant to offend anyone. Also, if you're a Muslim, please don't kill me. ;)"

Marc Says: This one from friend Joe. Thanks, Joe.

[Computer] Comcast ISP is Back Up at Marc's House

Huzzah!

[Computer] Comcast ISP is Still Down

Still no Internet at home; still piggybacking on neighbor’s unsecured router (hopefully not for much longer) or visiting the coffee shop with its free WiFi.  Sucks.

Comcast ISP still down

Sucks.

Happy America?s Bill of Rights Day

Today, Monday, December 15, marks America's Bill of Rights Day, the anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution.

Comcast ISP is down.

Happily my neighbor's unsecured router (on Comcast, no less) is up.

[Colorado] 6" of Fresh Snow, More Falling

I just shoveled the driveway for my first pass.  By the time I finished I had nearly an inch on the portions I had shoveled earliest.

[Colorado] 3" New Snow, More Falling

Winter is here indeed.  I have three to four inches of fluffy, fresh snow on the ground, and more falling. 

[Biology] Confirmed: 1969 Meteorite Brought Genetic Building Blocks From Space | Meteors, Asteroids, & Comets | DISCOVER Magazine

#50: Confirmed: 1969 Meteorite Brought Genetic Building Blocks From Space | Meteors, Asteroids, & Comets | DISCOVER Magazine:

"Confirmed: 1969 Meteorite Brought Genetic Building Blocks From Space

More evidence that asteroids may have led to the emergence of life on earth.
by Josie Glausiusz

published online December 13, 2008

In June astrobiologists announced [pdf] they had found a key component of genetic material within a meteorite. The discovery supports the idea that asteroid bombardment four billion years ago may have jump-started the emergence of life.

Zita Martins of Imperial College London and her colleagues identified the organic molecules in the 4.6-billion-year-old Mur­chison meteorite, a carbon-rich rock that fell to Earth in Australia in 1969. Earlier researchers had detected subunits of DNA and RNA, called nucleobases, in the meteor­ite. But nobody could be sure whether the nucleobases were extraterrestrial or were simply soil contaminants.
advertisement | article continues below

Martins found the answer by extracting two molecules from the meteorite: uracil, a nucleobase found in RNA, and xanthine, an intermediate in the synthesis of DNA and RNA. She then compared the ratio of the two isotopes of carbon (carbon 13 and carbon 12) in them and found that the heavier carbon 13 predominated and matched the ratio found in carbon-containing chemicals created in space. By contrast, soil samples from the meteorite’s fall site contained uracil with more carbon 12.

“This is the first time anybody has proved that nucleobases in a meteorite are extraterrestrial,” Martins says. The results imply that prebiotic chemistry may be bubbling up in other parts of the cosmos too. “Meteorites and comets bombarded other planets,” Martins says. “So it means that the building blocks of life were delivered to other points in our solar system. If these building blocks were synthesized in space, they could be widespread throughout the universe.”"

intjlist.org - Articles - You might just be an INTJ if

intjlist.org - Articles - You might just be an INTJ if:

"You might just be an INTJ if
Submitter: lroffey1 Date: 2006/9/10 19:58:24
Source:Leane Roffey's Comedy Collection
Summary: (with apologies to Jeff Foxworthy and 'You might just be an Engineer if...')
You might just be an INTJ if
You might just be an INTJ if

-If you introduce your wife as your spousalunit.com.
-If your spouse sends you an e-mail instead of calling you to dinner.
-If you can quote scenes from any Monty Python movie.
-If you can name all 5 Star Trek movies but don't remember what the 'T' stands for in 'James T. Kirk'.
-If the only jokes you receive are through email.
-If the only jokes you understand are through email.
-If your wrist watch has more computing power than an AMD.
-If your idea of good interpersonal communication means getting the sound byte in the right place.
-If your ideal evening consists of watching favorite movies over again looking for new one-liners to spring on your friends.
-If you can carry on a one-hour debate over a point of trivia and make sense.
-If you are convinced you can build an optical fazer out of your iPod and your mobile.
-If you ever burned down the gymnasium with your Science Fair project.
-If you have never backed-up your hard drive.
-If you are aware that computers are actually only good for playing games, but are afraid to say it out loud.
-If you truly believe aliens are living among us.
-If you have ever saved the power cord from a broken appliance, thinking 'I'll fix that someday'.
-If you have ever purchased an electronic appliance 'as-is'
because you don't care how it looks as long as it works.
-If you see a good design and still have to change it because you can do it better.
-If you rotate your screen savers more frequently than your automobile tires.
-If you have a functioning Epson color printer/fax/copier, but every toaster you own turns bread into charcoal.
-If you have introduced your kids by the wrong name.
-If you have a habit of destroying things in order to see how they work.
-If your I.Q. number runs off the scale but you can't balance your checkbook.
-If you can remember seven computer passwords but not your anniversary.
-If you have memorized the program schedule for the Discovery channel and have seen most of the shows already.
-If people avoid a party where you pick out the music.
-If you can't remember where you parked your car coming out of the local discount store.
-If you have more friends on the Internet than in real life.
-If you spend more on your home computer than your car.
-If you know what XHTML stands for.
-If your three year old asks why we're here and you try to explain quantum entanglement.
-If your 4 basic food groups are: Caffeine, Pizza, Chocolate, and Chocolate.
-If you can identify with the statement “I love it when a plan comes together.”

Leane Roffey Line
c. 2006
URL: http://intjlist.org/modules/article/view.article.php/c5/24
Trackback: http://intjlist.org/modules/article/trackback.php/24"

INTJ Overview | INTJ Central

INTJ Overview | INTJ Central:

"INTJ Overview

Since numerous detailed INTJ type descriptions are already available on the web, we’ll just hit the high points here:

We’re smart.
37% of INTJs have IQ’s that place us in the top 2% of the general population. We are visionaries, strategic (and compulsive) planners, big-picture thinkers, complex problem solvers, adept decision makers, conceptualists, theorists, and pattern recognizers – in short, we are “masterminds” [insert evil mastermind laugh here].

We don’t do feelings.
We use critical thinking, reason, and logic. We have a tough time with people who make decisions based on emotions, and we can often come across as blunt and cold because we ignore the feelings of others. But on the plus side, we take criticism well since we have no feelings to hurt.

We live inside our heads.
We frequently zone out. We get lost in thought and spend much of our time inside our heads. If our immediate reality becomes boring, we will retreat into our minds, and you might have to shout our names repeatedly to get our attention so we will come out again. And no, sorry, but you can’t come into our heads with us. You wouldn’t last five minutes there. You’d be driven insane by the nonstop cacophony of overlapping voices madly free-associating from one idea to the next.

We are self-confident.
No type is more self-confident than the INTJ. We have a very keen awareness of our own knowledge and abilities, and – more importantly – of the limits of our knowledge and abilities. Consequently we can come across as arrogant sometimes. This is your problem to deal with, not ours, since it is a problem of erroneous perception (yours).

We are aloof.
Because we are somewhat detached from reality, because we are introverted (we find interacting with people to be tiring and tiresome), because we are very private, and because we are impassive, we tend to come across as rather reserved and aloof. Okay, we actually are reserved and aloof.

=========

Copyright (C) 2007 by the members of the INTJ Forum (http://intjforum.com). All rights reserved."

Frequently Asked Questions | INTJ Central

Frequently Asked Questions | INTJ Central:

"Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Where can I find an INTJ?

A: We INTJs are über-introverts, so we prefer asynchronous and semi-anonymous forms of communication. We get most of our socialization through internet forums and Usenet newsgroups. Look for us there.

Q: Can I become an INTJ?

A: Unless you are born an INTJ, your only hope is to find a genie lamp while strolling on the beach, rub it, and make a wish. You can fake being one of us by burying yourself in a mound of books, nerding out on a favorite subject (like quantum mechanics, not needlepoint), wandering around by yourself, not giving a damn what others think of you, etc. If this sounds like too much work, just try doing a good robot impersonation.

Q: How can I break up with my INTJ?

A: Tell us the truth. We'll reply, 'Sure, why not?', and go on with our lives.

Q: My INTJ is trying to take over the world. Should I be concerned?

A: Remember, he’s trying to take over the world for the betterment of everyone and everything. Just go ahead and let him. He’ll be happy and the world will be a more organized and efficient place.

Q: My INTJ just told me I’m retarded. Should I take offense?

A: You probably are retarded, by our standards. But don’t take offense. Our standards are so high that even we don’t meet them. We judge ourselves more harshly than we judge others.

Q: My INTJ isn’t sensitive to my feelings. Should I take offense?

A: We aren’t even sensitive to our own feelings. Why should we be expected to be sensitive to yours? We won’t even try to fake it. Insincerity is a pet peeve of ours, and anyway, it would ruin our reputation if we ever showed emotion.

Q: Why doesn't my INTJ ever show emotions or feelings?

A: Because he doesn’t have any. Actually, that’s not strictly true; it’s just that we tend to get emotional about things you might not appreciate. INTJs have been known to cry during the liftoff scene in 'Apollo 13', for example, and there are also many touching moments in some of the Star Trek movies. An INTJ may also smile or laugh at random for no apparent reason; probably one of the voices in his head just made a good joke.

Q: My INTJ doesn’t care about me any more after he tried to explain his idea and I didn’t listen. What should I do?

A: Ideas are of prime importance to INTJs, and disregarding or not listening to our ideas is the highest form of insult. Although INTJs do not hold grudges, neither do we go out of our way to associate with people who don’t give serious consideration to our ideas. You’ll be in damage control mode for quite some time, fighting an uphill battle to get back into our good graces.

Q: My INTJ won’t talk to me. What should I do?

A: What subjects are you trying to talk about? Most INTJs hate gossip, and all of us hate talk of relationships. We also don’t do small talk. Try quantum physics, psychology, or some other deep (but non-touchy/feely) topic. If all else fails, try email instead.

Q: Why does my INTJ keep correcting my grammar?

A: Probably because you are being grammatically incorrect. The next time you tell your INTJ that you’re going to “try and [do something]”, prepare to get bitch-slapped. It’s “try to”, not “try and”. And there’s no such word as “irregardless”. Words have specific meanings, and language has specific rules; please abide by them. And don’t even get us started on your contextually ambiguous use of pronouns.

Q: I have this REALLY good idea… should I tell an INTJ?

A: Sleep on it… for a week or so. If it’s still so appealing, sleep on it for another week. Then maybe run it by one of us and we’ll pick it apart for you. Your idea is more likely to survive our scrutiny relatively unscathed if you have actual logical arguments and sound evidence with which to back it up.

Q: Is it dangerous to annoy an INTJ?

A: First we will ignore you, then we will launch a volley of extremely witty but esoteric insults that will probably go right over your head, and finally we will just engage the 'nod-and-smile' autopilot and go back to ignoring you. Best to leave us alone at this point. If you push us too far we may blow up your head with our telekinetic abilities. So, yes, it can be dangerous to annoy an INTJ.

Q: What are the pet peeves of INTJs?

A: Thanks for asking. Our pet peeves are:

* We dislike surprises.
* We hate having decisions made for us. We’re INTJs; nobody is more qualified to make decisions than us.
* We dislike getting gifts, as it burdens us with the need to reciprocate.
* We hate small talk, gossip, and relationship/people talk. Really anything mundane is beneath us.
* We get particularly annoyed by attacks on our intelligence, competence, and integrity.
* We hate it when people try to manipulate us.
* Insincerity and lying.
* People interfering with our alone time.
* People who are chronically late.
* People who talk incessantly. We will just engage our “nod and smile” autopilot and mentally go somewhere else.
* People who are stupid, arrogant, opinionated, and/or closed minded.
* Crooked/badly placed pictures.
* Superficiality (body piercings, pimped out cars, brightly colored anything).
* Salespeople. INTJs are immune to emotional manipulation and have zero tolerance for lines of bullshit.
* Incorrect grammar and word usage.
* People who waste our time (see Salespeople, people interfering with our alone time, etc.).

Q: My INTJ keeps disappearing. Is this normal?

A: Yes. We need our “alone time” to recharge, more so than any of the other introverted MBTI types. Being around people for very long sucks the life force out of us, and we sneak off to be by ourselves whenever our “low battery” warning light starts to flash. (And in those cases where we can’t disappear physically, we will retreat into our minds.) Consequently we have great stealth capability; we can sit in a corner, observing while being unobserved, and we can escape, unnoticed, when we’re ready to move on.

Q: Why can’t my INTJ remember anything?

A: This is normal. Most of us INTJs are very forgetful. We have too much going on in our heads at any time to remember a lot of new stuff. Also, we zone out and go into autopilot mode quite frequently. We often won’t remember where we put our car keys because we weren’t “there” when we did it.

Q: My INTJ employee consistently strolls into work an hour late and leaves an hour late, every day. He/she seems to make their own hours, however the job gets done rather well. Should I feel disrespected?

A: Time is relative to the INTJ, and getting the job done right is paramount. We do not like wasting our time, so we will often adjust our schedules accordingly to miss AM and PM rush-hour traffic. The more traffic we miss, the more time we have for books, movies, video games, books, message boards, books, etc. You should feel disrespected, although it has nothing to do with them not honoring your work rules; it has to do with them not thinking you are particularly smart or competent. If you were smart/competent, you wouldn’t be going on about getting your wittle bitty feewings hurt by your disrespectful but high-performing INTJ employee.

Q: My INTJ is very pedantic.

A: Strictly speaking, that’s not a question.

Q: Dammit, see what I mean?

A: Yes, the irony was not lost on me as I typed the previous answer.

Q: And sarcastic as hell, too.

A: Sarcasm is a free public service we provide to those within earshot. No need to thank us. We also do irony, hyperbole, word-play and puns, one-liners, quick-witted observations and flippant remarks, and abstract and deep philosophical insights on nonsensical themes. Our sense of humor tends to be dry, warped, and morbid, and not everybody 'gets' us.

Q: Why does my INTJ just “shut down” at the end of the day?

A: Our minds are always buzzing with plans and theories, and we cannot voluntarily get it to stop. But even an Indy 500 car will coast to a halt after it runs out of gas. When we are very tired our brains slow down, and we become normal or even a bit retarded. If we start asking you to repeat what you just told us but more slowly this time, and/or if we can no longer perform simple routine tasks like computing an orbital transfer burn or finding a memory leak in 10,000 lines of C++ code, you know it’s time for us to call it a day.

Q: Why is my INTJ so… well, so freakin’ WEIRD??!?

A: It’s probably just a side effect of the way our brains work. Many of us tend to be rather obsessive-compulsive, for instance ordering our cd’s, dvd’s, and books by genre then alphabetically (by title for dvd’s, by group then title for cd’s, and by author then title for books, except for series which must be kept in appropriate serial order). Most of us have other quirks as well, e.g., always eating M&M’s in a specific color order, naming our children in alphabetical order, etc. It’s a small price to pay for genius, really.

Q: Why does my INTJ just start nodding and smiling after we’ve been talking for a couple of minutes?

A:

Q: I said, WHY DOES MY INTJ START NODDING AND… Oh I get it, you’re being sarcastic again. Does it ever get old?

A: [ hey, more Wayne Newton anagrams… We Want On Yen, Ant On New Yew, Way None Went… ]

Q: Hello? Are you going to answer any more questions?

A: [ … “Hair Salon For Stray Nerd Nuns”, “Larry Moe and Curly’s On”, “Karaoke’s Not That Fun”, “Harry Potter’s Gay Stepson”, … ]

Q: Asshole. I’m outta here.

A: [ works every time ;-) ]

=========

Copyright (C) 2007 by the members of the INTJ Forum (http://intjforum.com). All rights reserved."

Conversing with an INTJ | INTJ Central

Conversing with an INTJ | INTJ Central:

"Conversing with an INTJ

Do’s and Don’ts (mostly Don’t’s):

DON’T ask one of us a question unless you really want a truthful answer. We will not sugarcoat it for you, and we don’t tell white lies to spare anyone’s feelings. Do you really, truthfully want to know if those jeans make your ass look fat? Normal person’s response: “Um, no, you look fine. Really.” Honest person’s response: “Well… maybe a different belt would help?” INTJ’s response: “No, it’s not the jeans that make your ass look fat; it’s your fat ass that makes your ass look fat.”

DON’T express an opinion to us unless you are prepared to back it up with sound arguments and well pedigreed facts and evidence. Otherwise do not be surprised when we logically shred your opinion for you and hand it back to you in tatters.

DON’T be repetitive. We have absolutely no patience for that. There’s no need to cover old ground, and we heard you the first time, unless we were zoning out. And if we were zoning out it’s probably because you started repeating yourself.

DON’T take 100 words to say what could have been said in 10. Content-free speech will cause an INTJ to zone out faster than repeating yourself.

DON’T engage us in “small talk”. Keep in mind that you are competing for our attention with all the voices in our heads, and they are bound to be far more interesting than you. The voices are constantly regaling us with things like anagrams of Wayne Newton (Wanton Weeny, We Annoy Newt, New Yawn Tone, …) and candidate titles for parodies of “Carry On My Wayward Son” (“Cary Grant Was Six Foot One”, “Curry On My Egg Foo Yung”, …). Do you really think your talk of the weather or your six year old’s soccer league is going to be more compelling than that? Please. Be realistic.

DON’T look at an INTJ in bewilderment when he/she discloses an idea to you. Yes, it may have required a double somersault of imagination to reach their conclusion. Ask them to take you through it step-by-step; they will happily oblige. Ideas are of ultimate importance to an INTJ, and it is a compliment for them to share their ideas with you. Similarly, failing to give due attention to an INTJ’s idea is a high form of insult.

DO… um… well, we thought there should be at least one “DO” but we can’t think of one. Oh, how about this: DO keep it short.

=========

Copyright (C) 2007 by the members of the INTJ Forum (http://intjforum.com). All rights reserved."

[Physics] What Happens When You Pop a Water Balloon in Zero Gravity?

What indeed?

[Tea] British Specification for How to Properly Brew a Cup of Tea

The Brits actually have a formal, written specification for how to properly brew a cup of tea. Who knew?

[Telecommunications] Suddenly Shopping for a New Cell Phone and a New Cellular Provider

Qwest has changed its wireless cellular provider from Sprint to Verizon.  For people who foolishly did business with Qwest (that would be me, because I loved having a single common voice mail service between my Qwest hardline at home and my Qwest cellular telephone), there is no recourse.  None.  We are simply screwed.  Qwest will be “releasing me from my contract” as of late January or early February, according to the Qwest store manager.  They aren’t actually releasing me from anything.  They are unilaterally abrogating the 2-year contract I signed with them, and sticking me with a useless phone that I can’t re-use on any other service (including Verizon).  They won’t transition my existing (paid for!) HTC Mogul from Sprint CDMA to Verizon CDMA service, even though both providers support the HTC Mogul phone.  Qwest has convinced me that they don’t want me to business with them, ever, on any terms, in any situation.  I got the message, loud and clear.  I’ll see what I can do about that, including disconnecting my Qwest land line and going entirely to wireless.

 

In the mean time, I burned many hours yesterday journeying to the Verizon and Sprint stores locally.  Each confirmed that although they do use the HTC Mogul, they can’t re-flash or authorize mine; I have to buy a completely new phone (for the second time in less than a year) this time from them. 

 

I am furious beyond words!  Don’t do business with Qwest.  Don’t select Qwest as your vendor for anything, ever.  Sell your Qwest stock now.  Don’t ever buy any Qwest stock.  Let Qwest die a natural corporate death as soon as possible.  Don’t bail out Qwest when they go under. 

[Technology] New research suggests Moore's Law will not cease around 2020

TG Daily - New research suggests Moore's Law will not cease around 2020:

"By Rick C. Hodgin
Wednesday, December 10, 2008 00:04

Teddington (England) - Researchers at The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) have been examining alternatives for extending Moore's Law beyond the upcoming 22 nm process node around 2020. This iterative step is generally considered to be a hard barrier where the laws of physics finally tell Moore's Law 'end of the line.'

While most industry experts believe 22 nm will be the maximum achievable process shrink using silicon, this due to extraordinary quantum and heat effects observed at such levels, there are many researchers looking for alternate solutions to push beyond.

The quantum and heat effects observed at such small feature sizes begin to impede transistor function because there are very small quantities of silicon and copper doing the work. Small quantities of these substances means they use less power and can switch faster, but it also means other effects are far more pronounced as the signal-to-noise ratio is greatly reduced.

NPL researchers believe they may have found a new set of materials which could keep Moore's Law going long after 22 nm and 2020.


Magnetized solution

NPL's solution comes atop a manganese-doped (Mn) germanium (Ge) substrate. There, Ge nanowires are created and artificially magnetized. NPL reports the magnetizing effect exhibits properties which demonstrate 'the potential of using these nanowires as building blocks for electronic devices,' such as 'ferromagnetism above 300 K and a superior performance with respect to the hole mobility of around 340 cm2/Vs and other industrially relevant parameters.'"

[Astronomy] Cancel Christmas - Jesus was born June 17, say scientists | Mail Online

Cancel Christmas - Jesus was born June 17, say scientists | Mail Online:

"It may not be too late to send the presents back, as astronomers have calculated that Christmas should not be celebrated on December 25 - but on June 17 instead.

Researchers tracked the appearance of the 'Christmas star', which the Bible states three wise men followed to find Jesus.

Australian stargazer Dave Reneke used complex computer software to chart the exact positions of all celestial bodies and map the night sky as it would have appeared over the Holy Land more than 2,000 years ago.

He discovered that a bright star really did appear over Bethlehem 2,000 years ago - but pinpointed the date of Christ's birth as June 17, and not December 25."

[Terrorism] (Mumbai) Cops just had 577 rifles, hadn't fired in 10 yrs-Mumbai-Cities-The Times of India

Cops just had 577 rifles, hadn't fired in 10 yrs-Mumbai-Cities-The Times of India:

"MUMBAI: The state constabulary was grossly unprepared to deal with the worst-ever terror attacks on the metropolis because of an acute shortage of weapons and ammunition.

Official records show that for a force of well over 1.8 lakh, the home department procured a meagre 2,221 weapons — 577 for Mumbai, and 1,644 for the rest of Maharashtra.

‘‘Under the centrally sponsored modernisation programme, we purchased almost all types of weapons, but for a state like Maharashtra, the number of weapons was grossly inadequate ,’’ a senior official told TOI on Monday.

In the absence of a firing range and of ammunition for practice, members of the law enforcement agencies have not opened fire in the last ten years. ‘‘I’ve been in the police force for a long time, but I had no occasion to open fire for practice,’’ a senior inspector of police said.

As per the police manual, officials ranking from constable to assistant inspector get rifles with 30 rounds each, and those with the rank of police sub-inspector and above get revolvers, also with 30 rounds each.

Jawans with the State Reserve Police Force are given SLRs or self-loading rifles. In addition, AK-47 rifles have been given to officials posted in areas where there is Naxal activity, while officials on VIP security duty are armed with either revolvers or carbines.

The manual also prescribes mandatory training for all officials, especially shooting practice at the firing range. According to a senior IPS official, the norms prescribed in the manual now exist only on paper because of the acute shortage of ammunition for practice and the non-availability of a firing range.

As per the rules, every district should have a firing range exclusively for the police. But official records indicate that more than half the state’s districts have no independent firing range.

‘‘We have constables who have not opened fire even for practice ever since their recruitment,’’ the official said."

Marc Says: Don't worry. There is no need for you to take responsibility for your own personal safety. The police will protect you.