Wednesday February 15, 2012

JohnBecker's past comments

  • 4

    JohnBecker

    I wish JT would go back to reporting daily results throughout the basho.

    Posted in: Estonian ozeki Baruto wins New Year tournament

  • 1

    JohnBecker

    Not to be insensitive, but they'll have a lot more success if they equip the area with unmatched decontamination prowess first.

    Posted in: We hope to help recover tourism demand in the region by equipping the area with unmatched hospitality prowess.

  • 0

    JohnBecker

    For right around the same price (in the U.S.), I got an Epson Perfection V500 Photo that scans negatives and slides at a native resolution of 6,400 dpi. Does a great job, too.

    Just be prepared to handle dust on your negatives - you won't see it on this unit's little screen.

    Posted in: Film scanner

  • 2

    JohnBecker

    I'm all about protecting intellectual property, but these laws are positively draconian. I think this outcry (and it has become very widespread) will actually work. I don't think these laws will pass in their current form.

    Posted in: Wikipedia goes dark, Google blots out logo to protest Internet bills

  • 1

    JohnBecker

    @WilliB - Ali didn't "get away" with anything. His case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which allowed his petition. For his trouble, he was stripped of his titles and lost nearly 4 years of the prime of his career. That hardly sounds like he came out ahead on the deal.

    Posted in: Ali at 70: Legacy endures for new generation

  • 2

    JohnBecker

    Ranger, let me educate you a bit. I'm a former smoker, having had my last cigarette on July 26 last year.

    It's true that smokers remember to grab their cigarettes before they go anywhere, just as you would remember to grab your keys and wallet. It's so ingrained a part of their lives that smoking is as natural as breathing. For people who have never smoked, it's hard to understand that smokers are dealing with both an addiction and a habit. That's what makes it so incredibly difficult to quit. Smokers grab a cigarette not just when they feel they want one, but also when they find themselves in certain locations/situations. Speaking from experience, it was hard for me to talk on the phone, get in the car or finish eating without lighting up. (Other situations too, though I don't need to give more examples.)

    Patches and gum can replace the nicotine, but not the actions and sensations of smoking. That's why Mabo was compelled to smoke/chew/use a patch all at the same time. (You're lucky you didn't have a heart attack, Mabo.) If it were as easy as just sticking a patch on their arms, every smoker would successfully quit. We know that's not the case. Patches and chewing gum address the addiction, not the habit.

    I smoked almost a pack a day, for about 30 years. (I did quit once for about 5 months. I was the most miserable sonovabitch you've ever seen.) What allowed me to quit was an e-cigarette. I was still getting nicotine, but not all the tar and other chemicals the tobacco companies put in cigarettes. And I was still going through the motions of smoking. I could use it whenever I would have normally smoked, so the habit was taken care of. I gradually reduced the dose of nicotine I got from the e-cigarette, until I was down to zero. Once I was good with that, I stopped using the thing. I'm now about two weeks free of the e-cigarette. I'll never smoke another cigarette in my life. But I still catch myself sometimes, on my way out the door, slapping my shirt pocket to make sure I have my cigarettes with me. When I find that I don't, I just smile and move on.

    As for your bitching about inconsiderate smokers ruining your life... Yes, there are plenty of inconsiderate smokers. Most, however go to great pains to be very considerate. I was one of the considerate ones. But if I was officially allowed to smoke in a particular area, I had no qualms about lighting up, non-smokers be damned. Go somewhere non-smoking and get over it.

    (Full disclosure: About two months after my last cigarette, my system had cleared out enough for me to realize that cigarette smoke STINKS. I'll avoid it when I can, but I'm going to try not to bitch about it.)

    Posted in: Nicotine could ward off memory loss

  • 0

    JohnBecker

    This "Pro" is nothing new. This sort of thing has been sold for years, but it was always made to attach to walls.

    Posted in: Gadget turns table-tops into stereo speakers

  • 0

    JohnBecker

    Japan should organize events where leaders of the world gather and should then exploit the gravitational power of these events to promote Cool Japan.

    .....and here to promote Cool Japan, 4 tarento and a kawaii character mascot!

    Agreed with most above -- forget about anime and manga, those genres already have fans around the world who have no need to come to Japan. They're already getting what they want, where they are.

    Promote real artists of all fields. Lionize them. Japan doesn't need My Little Pony, it needs Vaclav Havel. There are people of substance in Japan's arts who should be household names. Johnny's won't promote them, it's up to the government. Does Japan have something along the lines of a MacArthur Grant? If not, maybe it's time.

    Posted in: Creating a Vision of Japan: Promoting Cool Japan

  • 1

    JohnBecker

    Tatanka, that's why I was allowing for his ERA to go up by as much as a full point. NPB hitters aren't MLB hitters, but the man still is going to be successful. IF his years in NPB haven't already ruined his arm.

    Posted in: Rangers have until Jan 18 to sign Darvish

  • 0

    JohnBecker

    I have a Samsung Charge, which is a little bit bigger than an iPhone. It fits nicely in my pants pocket. I can't imagine going any bigger - something that big would even be in the way if it were in a holster.

    Posted in: Samsung bringing super-size smartphone to U.S.

  • 1

    JohnBecker

    Instead of raising taxes, how about selling government bonds, with 5% interest, to individual Japanese citizens only? (No banks, no foreign investors.) Use the money exclusively for tsunami recovery (NOT for TEPCO). With that kind of interest, people will clamor for them. The debt will remain domestic. It'll raise the money needed for cleanup, housing, etc.

    This is just a half-baked idea that I came up with in 5 minutes. I'm sure it's full of holes. But it seems like this is more the direction the J-gov should go.

    Posted in: Noda orders all ministers to attend Friday meeting

  • 1

    JohnBecker

    I think the Iranians are just trying to make a scene.

    The timing makes me think this young man just became a bargaining chip.

    Posted in: Iranian judge sentences American to death for spying

  • 0

    JohnBecker

    I have to believe Darvish is the real deal. A 1.44 ERA is astounding, and even if it were to go up to 2.5 in MLB, it would still be among the league's best.

    If the Rangers get him, they have to be favorites to win this year.

    Posted in: Rangers have until Jan 18 to sign Darvish

  • 1

    JohnBecker

    You know, that well-known actress who had a part in a sequel to a Gary Busey movie no one ever heard of.

    So... she's going to sue Amazon for making publicly available information... more available? Yeah, that's a winner.

    Posted in: Actress who sued Amazon over age IDs herself

  • 0

    JohnBecker

    Red Asgard, the "faster and more efficient" bit is what these nano-wires are about. Faster, if they make quantum computing possible. More efficient both in making things smaller and in using less copper, which is a good thing.

    I'd have to guess that these wires can only handle vanishingly low current, which could mean even lower power consumption for our laptops - there's efficiency for you.

    As for repairable - the chips made with these nano-wires will be every bit as repairable as the ones in your current computer, Red. No worries.

    Posted in: Tiny wires could usher new computer era

  • 0

    JohnBecker

    That does not look like a Subaru. And I do mean that as a compliment.

    Let's see... 200 hp, pretty low weight, high-revving engine, 6-speed manual... This could be a pretty good performer. I'm surprised there was no mention of projected MSRP.

    Posted in: Subaru BRZ sports car to make U.S. debut at North American International Auto Show

  • 0

    JohnBecker

    It seems the only companies willing to take advantage of affordable U.S. labor are from Japan and Europe.

    Posted in: Mercedes, Nissan to produce engines in U.S.

  • 3

    JohnBecker

    From early on, I kept raising the possibility that, more than anything else, this was a power play by Mr. Woodford. His actions seem to confirm this.

    Posted in: Woodford to sue Olympus, citing lack of investor support to get his job back

  • 0

    JohnBecker

    No huge surprise. After years of repression from Saddam and attempted peacekeeping from the U.S. and allies, civil war is just about inevitable. I hope Iran doesn't try to worm its way in, but that seems inevitable too.

    Posted in: 61 dead as Iraq bombs hit Shiites

  • 0

    JohnBecker

    Wanna bet that Harry Potter will win every award for which it's been nominated? Kind of like the "coronation" of LOTR after the last installment.

    Posted in: 'Potter,' 'X-Men,' 'Apes' vie for visual Oscar

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