Megatome - Latest Comments

Re: Open PDF in New Window with Seam

Contact — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 06:00:12 -0000

thanks a lot, very interesting!

Re: Flicker Vertigo Revisited

Winkslandscape — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:18:22 -0000

Dr Bucha 1950's "bucha" effect he discovered it

Re: Raising Beef is not Killing the Environment

iamthechad — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:35:43 -0000

One thing that I've been unable to find so far is exactly why the amount of water for beef is so many orders of magnitude larger than for other animals and foodstuffs. I don't know if their digestive systems are less efficient at turning food into mass, or if it's something else.

I certainly won't argue that there are lots of other consumables that require fewer resources, but I also think it's worthwhile to keep in mind that those other foodstuffs can't be grown one for one in the same places where cattle are raised. My dad's ranch has a lot of sloped and rocky area that can grow grass for cattle to eat, but it would be nearly impossible to grow a crop in this places.

Re: Raising Beef is not Killing the Environment

iamthechad — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:30:39 -0000

I took a look at the article cited in your link, and at the 2004 follow-up. The 2004 version cites a 43,000 l/kg number. If we convert the liters to gallons, this gives us around 11340 gallons, but that's still per kg. Making the necessary conversion to pounds gives us an estimate of ~5100 gallons per pound of beef. This is indeed larger than the 2,500 estimate, but it's not the nearly fivefold increase you're reporting.

Re: Raising Beef is not Killing the Environment

Blm — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:44:40 -0000

2,500 gallons / pound is a gross under-estimate. 12,000 gallons is reported by a Cornell researcher calculating the amout of hay and grain going into a typical cow and the amount of water required to produce that feed.

http://www.news.cornell.edu/re...

Re: Raising Beef is not Killing the Environment

Zifnab25 — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:38:07 -0000

While 441 gallons is substantially less than 2500, I would ask what the ratio is of beef to a non-beef substitute (chick, potatoes, etc).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E...

From the list to the right, it looks like meat consumes 4x as much water as poultry and around 15x as much water as most vegetables.

I'd also ask "Is this expenditure valuable?" as I've read a number of health articles stressing the importance of a protein and fat rich diet. Finally, I'd ask "Can we make the beef production process more efficient?" as we may be able to save more water by improving the beef industry as a whole rather than by trying to guilt die-hard tree huggers into becoming die-hard tree eaters.

Re: Flicker Vertigo Revisited

Priya — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 02:30:46 -0000

I have been living with this for the past 30 years or so thinking it an anomaly that I can share with noone else...everytime I sit near the window of a moving vehicle with the sun playing hide & seek with the trees, I feel myself losing control over my eyes(increased flickering of eyelids) & loss of awareness of surroundings; then last week, I came across an episode of "House", where epilepsy is induced in a patient by making her face a rapidly flickering light ....it made me sit up and realise that mine may not be an isolated case as I have thought before; but.. it is not a debilitating condition so far; all I need to do is scrunch my face up tight or turn away from the pretty sight and I'm allright; still, its nice to know that I'm not alone with this "condition"!

Re: Flicker Vertigo Revisited

Jsolodar — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:35:38 -0000

If you do a search on photosensitive epilepsy, you'll find quite a bit of information about "flicker vertigo," a term I only recently came across. The prevalence is clearly much higher than people realize. The majority of physicians are not familiar with it, either, although a good amount of research has been published.
See my site: www.videogameseizures.org
Jessica Solodar

Re: Make It A Good Day

Robert Dundon — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:36:20 -0000

That's a good principle to live by, especially on a bad day!

Re: Make It A Good Day

affordabletermquote — Mon, 11 May 2009 04:14:35 -0000

Good way to learn from a simple "quote". We really should try very hard to make every day a special day and feel it like our birthday. Isn't it wonderful?

Re: Flicker Vertigo Revisited

iamthechad — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:03:06 -0000

Thanks for the heads-up about Bucha effect. It sounds very similar to flicker vertigo, and it actually has some supporting documentation.

Re: Flicker Vertigo Revisited

Aquarius — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 12:41:27 -0000

Googled my way here. I can just add that I also have the problem with sunshine through trees while driving (or in a train). It gets unbearable after a while. There is another wikipedia article named "Bucha effect" about it.

I have also had to leave several musical concerts (which I had payed quite a bit of money for) as the stroboscopes where in that "annying" frequency range :(

Re: Why I Hate Working in Cubicles

Used Cubicles — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 02:30:31 -0000

...a makeshift roof? That sucks! Try sunglasses? Maybe a type with only a mild tint?

Re: Flicker Vertigo Revisited

iamthechad — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:08:03 -0000

It's frustrating that doctors refuse to acknowledge flicker vertigo. The times that I did see a doctor for dizziness, he never thought that it could be the flickering lights causing the problem. At my last job, we kept the overhead lights off. At my current job, the ballasts are new enough that the lights don't flicker. I haven't had dizziness issues at my last two jobs. I certainly don't think it's a coincidence. I wish you luck with your vertigo - hopefully you have a doctor who's willing to look at the evidence.

Re: Flicker Vertigo Revisited

iamthechad — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:25:15 -0000

Ugh. No thanks. Makes my head spin just thinking about that!

Re: Flicker Vertigo Revisited

susy — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:18:12 -0000

I just had an episode of Vertigo that I believe was caused by my bathroom light fixture going out.
While I was in the shower, it started flickering, and after 5 minutes of this, I became really dizzy and sick to my stomach. The vertigo lasted for about 20 hours. I saw a doctor and he dismissed the strobing light as a cause. I was so sure he was wrong, that I got online to see if anyone else had experienced something similar. I saw the articles you mentioned on Flicker Veritgo and I'm convinced this is what happened to me. As an aside, I also drink a lof of drinks with aspartame.

Re: Flicker Vertigo Revisited

Jason Dempsy — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 13:41:15 -0000

Ther are several methods of inducing Flicker Vertigo, two of which are to close your eyes in a darkened room and flash a flashlight across your eyes at varying frequencies or--of a more exotic nature--use a stoboscopic tachometer at low frequencies. You will experience some interesting results; unusual shapes, interesting sensations...etc. I don't recommend doing it.

Re: Moving to Agile: Inertia

chad — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:12:13 -0000

I feel ya bud, remember sometimes the best motivator is a bloody example

Re: Is Refactoring Really That Scary?

iamthechad — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:26:38 -0000

I know I'm guilty of bringing my ego into this, but I've been doing my best to try to see the situation from more viewpoints than just mine.
This system has been my lead's baby for the last ten years, so there is some inertia involved as far as "that's how we've always done it." Regardless of how it's been done up to now, I agree that his definition of OO design seems to a bit different than the commonly accepted norm.

Re: Is Refactoring Really That Scary?

Jeff L. — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 18:35:53 -0000

Your lead has some unfortunate ideas about the point of OO design and refactoring.

I think the word "fear" is an interesting choice. Many people, if not most, fear having to admit that the way they've been doing things all along isn't ideal. Couple that with the ego of one of us (i.e.g developers), and you get this sort of cocksuredness.

Re: Activision Screws Up Again

Matt — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:22:45 -0000

Do me a favor... Reply all and say that activision is a bunch of little bitches for not allowing rock band to use their guitar controller on PS3.

Re: Why I Hate Working in Cubicles

Eldred Coot — Fri, 09 Dec 2005 23:03:28 -0000

I have had same problem some time back. Did find where Department of Navy warns against Aspartame for its pilots. My doctor is clueless. I have the problem when the wife flips channels and just about go crazy when the sun is shining through trees on the highway. The problem is more noticable on the left side. A friend has a daughter with the condition who passes out cold from the condition. I also can find almost nothing on the subject.