jcd11235

That's an interesting method of analysis, comparing the probabilities of no one being harmed: 19 > 1. Clearly, submitting the evidence is 19 times more likely to result in no deaths or convictions of an innocent person compared to withholding the evidence. * * * * * When I posted this thread, I was leaning towards the "ideals over nation" choice. The more I think about it, the more I believe withholding the evidence is the better choice. I would argue that it is also the rational choice. If I withhold the evidence, the worst case scenario is three lives ruined, Carl's, Bill's, and my own. Carl goes to prison, while Bill and I could be guilt ridden to the extent of it ruining our lives. That implies the high end of the expected cost is 2.97 lives. If Carl is paroled after 25 years, and Bill and I suffer from no guilt, the low end of the expected cost is 0.33 lives, about 1/3 lives. On the other hand, if I submit the evidence, the lower limit of the expected cost is 0.54*M, where M is the expected magnitude of a fully successful terrorist attack from the cell. The upper limit of the expected cost is 0.81*M. In other words, if a successful attack would have a magnitude of about 4 lives, then the expected cost of submitting the evidence exceeds the expected cost of withholding the evidence. I don't see any reason to consider Carl more important than potential victims of an attack. As much as it would suck to have to choose, I would hope I would make the rational choice. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Could you please provide us with some specific examples of the federal government not following the Constitution? Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

My experience has been that the sound quality is better than a land line, provided both parties are on a computer. There is a small delay, though. Some answers Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

I'm not terribly surprised. They may have just been passing along the wisdom of some viral email they read. Thanks for the debunking.

Doc, Someone once told me that by the time someone realizes they have a cold, they are no longer contagious. Is there any truth to that? How are exposure, incubation, contagiousness, and suffering all related in time w/r/t the common cold? Thanks.

I read that as El 1 de M(a)yo, or May 1st. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Would you mind posting a link to the IRS page to which you are referring, please? If the link has already been posted in the thread, could you please give a post number? Thanks. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Looks more like similar numbers are being analyzed in order to obtain different information. Disagree - let's look at the article again: If all that those politicians mean by "rich" is the small portion of the population at the top of the economic heap, then households making over $250,000 is a fair definition: Only about 5% of U.S. households have annual incomes over $200,000. Incorrect. From CBO, 2006 info: Top 1%: Average Pre-tax income: $1,743,700 Top 5%: Average Pre-tax income: $564,200 Top 10% Average Pre-tax income: $366,400 Top Quintile: Average Pre-tax income: $248,400 So, we've got at least 20% that are above the $200k that the article claims as being "working rich", not 5%. No, we don't. You are making assumptions that may or may not be correct, but are not supported by the data. Specifically, you are comparing the mean income of the top 1, 5, 10, and 20% to the median income of the top 10% (i.e. the minimum income of the top 5%). That's not a meaningful comparison. It appears that all of your comparisons of the numbers suffer from this problem. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

I guess I'm going to have to give Mint a try. I've heard lots of good things. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

That mostly depends on whether you need to accomplish certain tasks or need to be able to run specific software titles. If it's the former, there isn't really any benefit to using Windows over Mac OS X (except for gaming). If it's the latter, then it depends on the specific software title. Some software has Mac versions; some doesn't. Of those that do, sometimes the Windows version is better, sometimes the Mac version is better, and sometimes they're pretty much the same. That's probably an understatement, although things are slowly improving on the Mac side. Open GL and OpenCL offer potential to accelerate that improvement. These days, the risk of trojans is greater than the risk of worms and viruses. Every threat I've heard about on OS X has been the result of a trojan horse (i.e. a file that is downloaded and installed on a computer by way of tricking the user into doing so rather than exploiting a bug in the OS). Another growing risk that is becoming platform independent is that of attacking via browser and browser plug-in bugs. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

When I switched a few years back, the biggest transition problems I had tended to be related to trying to make a process on the Mac as complicated/complex as it was in Windows. Usually, I felt pretty foolish when I realized that the process could be done in fewer steps on the Mac than in Windows. (Note that I'm not claiming that to be a universal truth, only that those were the type processes that tended to be my sticking points.) My general advice to people looking to buy a new computer is to buy a Mac (provided they can find a model with a feature set that resembles the feature set they want/need, which is not always the case). If they just want to switch away from Windows, without buying new hardware, I tend to recommend a version of GNU/Linux. Experimentation with installing *ubuntu Linux and Windows XP (and Win 7) a few times in the past several months has led me to believe that the Ubuntu Linux community has surpassed Microsoft in terms of ease of installation and ease of use. In general, I prefer UNIX and *nix operating systems over Windows operating systems. Of the UNIX & *nix operating systems that I've tried, Mac OS X is my favorite. W/r/t hardware, I've been very impressed with my MacBook Pro, and have enjoyed using Mac minis and iMacs, as well (except for their annoying lack of a trackpad). Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

El = The De = of EL 15 DE 9 DE 1856 = The 15th of the 9th of 1856 -> September 15, 1856 Aha! Thank you for that deciphering! The two numbers are the day and month - makes perfect sense. I've managed to figure out the other inscriptions. "D.E.P." seems to be very common on Mexican tombstones, which is short for ""Dedican Este Recuerdo", which means "dedicated in memory of". On this one (image Cemetery 6s.JPG attached) it's redundant, because it's both written out, and abbreviated. And the dedication is "Su esposa e hijos" - "From his wife and children". Nice touch. I'm pretty sure that DEP stands for Descanse En Paz, which translates to Rest In Peace. 1st stone: Sabás Cuerrero September 15, 1856 ? - October 31, 19?5 His wife and children ded- icate this memorial RIP 2nd Stone: I can't read the top word very well. It appears to be Nina, which could mean girl or be a name. Likewise, I can't do anything with the second line, which appears to (maybe) have letters truncated from either end. It looks to be at least the family name. The next line appears to begin with Que, which means that, giving us: Nina (Girl?) Name She was born (or, perhaps, who was born) February 28, 1920 She passed away May 1, 1920 (Note that I translated Myo as Mayo = May) She was about two months old when she died. Please excuse any translation errors. Hablo español un poco solamente. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Looks more like similar numbers are being analyzed in order to obtain different information. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

You wanted to know the source of the authority; I offered the source. Whether or not you agree with the Congress is something you ultimately must decide with your vote (or emigration). Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

El = The De = of EL 15 DE 9 DE 1856 = The 15th of the 9th of 1856 -> September 15, 1856 Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God; that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship; that the legislative powers of the government reach actions only, and not opinions -- I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between church and State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore man to all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.-Thomas Jefferson (as quoted in REYNOLDS V. UNITED STATES, 98 U. S. 145 (1878)) Also from the SCOTUS decision: Coming as this does from an acknowledged leader of the advocates of the measure, it may be accepted almost as an authoritative declaration of the scope and effect of the amendment thus secured. Congress was deprived of all legislative power over mere opinion, but was left free to reach actions which were in violation of social duties or subversive of good order. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

It's interesting how God could be so explicit w/r/t homosexuality but not provide the first bit of evidence of his/her own existence. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Okay, that seems to place you in the "allegiance to ideals over nation" group. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

As intended. Hardly. The question was proposed specifically to avoid a right or wrong answer. It is only intended to force a scenario requiring a choice between a nation and the ideals commonly believed to make that nation what it is. In case you didn't realize, it is a political (i.e. philosophical) question (and thread). Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Nice red herrings that have nothing to do with my post. That will make Lincoln a capitalist? Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

Interesting how Lincoln predicted the dark side of capitalism so well. I guess he would fit right in with all the others deemed socialists by SC standards, such as President Obama and Adam Smith. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

??? 1857>1803 Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

This thread provides a good amount of information regarding the effectiveness of torture (i.e. that experience suggests torture is an ineffective means of obtaining reliable intelligence). NOT when it comes to post 911 interogations. Yes, even them. What makes you say such a thing? I support interrogation techniques that are both proven to be more effective than torture and legal according to international and US law. Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!