Comments for RayBenjamin.Com http://www.raybenjamin.com/wordpress Adventures of an aspiring writer. Thu, 16 May 2013 16:33:12 -0400 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Comment on Google Nexus 10 Screen Locking Mystery Solved by so http://www.raybenjamin.com/wordpress/2013/04/07/google-nexus-10-screen-locking-mystery-solved/comment-page-1/#comment-3619 so Thu, 16 May 2013 16:33:12 +0000 http://www.raybenjamin.com/wordpress/?p=259#comment-3619 Thank you for this post! I had a similar mistery and you just solved it for me. That's what happens when the smart devices are smarter than you think. :-) Thank you for this post! I had a similar mistery and you just solved it for me. That’s what happens when the smart devices are smarter than you think. :-)

]]> Comment on Why You Care About Net Neutrality by rben13 http://www.raybenjamin.com/wordpress/2010/09/21/why-you-care-about-net-neutrality/comment-page-1/#comment-3375 rben13 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:34:30 +0000 http://www.raybenjamin.com/wordpress/?p=117#comment-3375 The proposals for net neutrality do not allow the government to filter or restrict content. What they do is require that all carriers provide the same service for the same price to all customers. The Internet carriers are controlled by huge media conglomerates that want to use their control of the Internet to pick who can and can't have their voices heard. They want to be able to use the leverage their control gives them to raise prices for access. Eventually, this could turn the Internet into a read-only medium for anyone without the money to buy access. I worry far more about what corporations are doing than what my government is doing, right now. At least with my government, I have some say, in theory. But when you are dealing with virtual monopolies, there's nothing you can do. Since all these companies tacitly agree not to compete in areas where it would hurt profits, you can't simply change carriers. You and I believe the Internet is important and everyone should have access. Net Neutrality is critical if we really want the Internet to remain open. I agree that the censorship if the Internet by many governments is deplorable. Remember, though, that they would have a hard time doing so, if not for the cooperation of corporations that get huge checks in exchange for helping governments like China restrict access. Google is usually one of the good guys, but initially they worked with the Chinese government restricting access to the Internet for Chinese citizens. We have to watch both governments and corporations if we want to keep the Internet free. The proposals for net neutrality do not allow the government to filter or restrict content. What they do is require that all carriers provide the same service for the same price to all customers. The Internet carriers are controlled by huge media conglomerates that want to use their control of the Internet to pick who can and can’t have their voices heard. They want to be able to use the leverage their control gives them to raise prices for access. Eventually, this could turn the Internet into a read-only medium for anyone without the money to buy access.

I worry far more about what corporations are doing than what my government is doing, right now. At least with my government, I have some say, in theory. But when you are dealing with virtual monopolies, there’s nothing you can do. Since all these companies tacitly agree not to compete in areas where it would hurt profits, you can’t simply change carriers. You and I believe the Internet is important and everyone should have access. Net Neutrality is critical if we really want the Internet to remain open.

I agree that the censorship if the Internet by many governments is deplorable. Remember, though, that they would have a hard time doing so, if not for the cooperation of corporations that get huge checks in exchange for helping governments like China restrict access. Google is usually one of the good guys, but initially they worked with the Chinese government restricting access to the Internet for Chinese citizens.

We have to watch both governments and corporations if we want to keep the Internet free.

]]> Comment on Pitch a Tent – Show Your Support for Occupy Wall Street by scott http://www.raybenjamin.com/wordpress/2011/10/22/pitch-a-tent-show-your-support-for-occupy-wall-street/comment-page-1/#comment-1437 scott Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:49:24 +0000 http://www.raybenjamin.com/wordpress/?p=166#comment-1437 I went to Occupy Los Angeles 11-1 day after LAPD police raid and i heard them ask families that could not attend to "Pitch a Tent in Your Front Yard"……! LiveStream here http://OccupyOurHome.org i ran with your idea... scott I went to Occupy Los Angeles 11-1 day after LAPD police raid and i heard them ask families that could not attend to “Pitch a Tent in Your Front Yard”……! LiveStream here http://OccupyOurHome.org

i ran with your idea…

scott

]]> Comment on Wind Turbines, Birds, and Bats by rben13 http://www.raybenjamin.com/wordpress/2007/11/21/wind-turbines-birds-and-bats/comment-page-1/#comment-1317 rben13 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:18:56 +0000 http://www.raybenjamin.com/wordpress/?p=15#comment-1317 But you can still farm below them, raise cattle, or even have an entire city, if you use the right designs. Besides, we have more than enough windy areas that are under-used to produce enough energy to power the country. Wind power is already cheaper than nuclear, and cheaper than coal, if you figure in the health costs of coal usage. But you can still farm below them, raise cattle, or even have an entire city, if you use the right designs. Besides, we have more than enough windy areas that are under-used to produce enough energy to power the country. Wind power is already cheaper than nuclear, and cheaper than coal, if you figure in the health costs of coal usage.

]]> Comment on Whatever Happened to Straight Talk? by rben13 http://www.raybenjamin.com/wordpress/2008/09/16/whatever-happened-to-straight-talk/comment-page-1/#comment-1316 rben13 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:16:01 +0000 http://www.raybenjamin.com/wordpress/?p=30#comment-1316 I think John McCain tries hard to take care of his constituents. The problem is that he sees the lobbyists and bankers as his constituents, not the people who are being ripped off and left homeless. He used to be reasonably honest, but since letting his ambition get the best of him in the last election, he's lost all credibility with me. I think John McCain tries hard to take care of his constituents. The problem is that he sees the lobbyists and bankers as his constituents, not the people who are being ripped off and left homeless. He used to be reasonably honest, but since letting his ambition get the best of him in the last election, he’s lost all credibility with me.

]]> Comment on Where’s the Plug? by rben13 http://www.raybenjamin.com/wordpress/2007/09/20/wheres-the-plug/comment-page-1/#comment-1315 rben13 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:14:20 +0000 http://www.raybenjamin.com/wordpress/?p=10#comment-1315 Most electric and hybrid autos already use advanced battery technologies. The big problem is that none of the battery technologies in production has the high energy density we get from gasoline. Gas just packs more energy per kilogram. On the other hand, a lot of that energy is wasted as heat. If you are going to burn gas, it still makes more sense to do it as a generator for the electric motors, since then you can run the engine at it's most efficient speed. That's one of the reasons electric is better, even when the electricity is generated by burning oil, the generators are run much more efficiently than an engine in a car can be. Most electric and hybrid autos already use advanced battery technologies. The big problem is that none of the battery technologies in production has the high energy density we get from gasoline. Gas just packs more energy per kilogram. On the other hand, a lot of that energy is wasted as heat. If you are going to burn gas, it still makes more sense to do it as a generator for the electric motors, since then you can run the engine at it’s most efficient speed. That’s one of the reasons electric is better, even when the electricity is generated by burning oil, the generators are run much more efficiently than an engine in a car can be.

]]> Comment on Where’s the Plug? by rben13 http://www.raybenjamin.com/wordpress/2007/09/20/wheres-the-plug/comment-page-1/#comment-1314 rben13 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:09:09 +0000 http://www.raybenjamin.com/wordpress/?p=10#comment-1314 Most batteries used in current automobiles are lead-acid because that's an inexpensive battery design. Most electric and hybrid vehicles use more advanced types of batteries like lithium-ion or lithium-polymer. Like many batteries, these have to be disposed of properly in order to avoid contamination problems, but that's true of the lead-acid batteries, too. There are some interesting new battery technologies in the labs, like carbon-sulfur and many that use carbon nano-tubes. These are more environmentally friendly, but aren't yet ready for production use. I think our best strategy is to incorporate end-of-life processing into any product that requires special handling, so that those costs are built-in. Of course, that would mean we'd have to add in the projected costs of climate change to fossil fuels, which seems unlikely right now. Most batteries used in current automobiles are lead-acid because that’s an inexpensive battery design. Most electric and hybrid vehicles use more advanced types of batteries like lithium-ion or lithium-polymer. Like many batteries, these have to be disposed of properly in order to avoid contamination problems, but that’s true of the lead-acid batteries, too. There are some interesting new battery technologies in the labs, like carbon-sulfur and many that use carbon nano-tubes. These are more environmentally friendly, but aren’t yet ready for production use. I think our best strategy is to incorporate end-of-life processing into any product that requires special handling, so that those costs are built-in. Of course, that would mean we’d have to add in the projected costs of climate change to fossil fuels, which seems unlikely right now.

]]> Comment on Using a Latin Dictionary in Open Office by Jason Harris http://www.raybenjamin.com/wordpress/2008/08/12/using-a-latin-dictionary-in-open-office/comment-page-1/#comment-1311 Jason Harris Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:32:51 +0000 http://www.raybenjamin.com/wordpress/?p=28#comment-1311 Thanks. I'm a theological post graduate student and so my papers are always stuffed to the gills with Latin, German, Greek, Hebrew, French and on and on. It takes an annoying amount of time to individually exclude every single non-English word from the spell check protocol. This helps with the Latin. Thanks. I’m a theological post graduate student and so my papers are always stuffed to the gills with Latin, German, Greek, Hebrew, French and on and on. It takes an annoying amount of time to individually exclude every single non-English word from the spell check protocol. This helps with the Latin.

]]> Comment on Discussing Sarah Palin’s Foolish Ideas About Birth Control Is Not Picking On Her Family by Arthur Stemmerman http://www.raybenjamin.com/wordpress/2008/09/02/discussing-sarah-palins-foolish-ideas-about-birth-control-is-not-picking-on-her-family/comment-page-1/#comment-1198 Arthur Stemmerman Wed, 29 Jun 2011 02:13:09 +0000 http://www.raybenjamin.com/wordpress/?p=29#comment-1198 Great write-up, continue the good work! Great write-up, continue the good work!

]]> Comment on Wind Turbines, Birds, and Bats by Personalized Mugs : http://www.raybenjamin.com/wordpress/2007/11/21/wind-turbines-birds-and-bats/comment-page-1/#comment-1004 Personalized Mugs : Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:52:32 +0000 http://www.raybenjamin.com/wordpress/?p=15#comment-1004 our hometown already have wind farms and it is great to know that we have a reneawable electricity source.:" our hometown already have wind farms and it is great to know that we have a reneawable electricity source.:”

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