It actually works in the other direction, converting atoms of deuterium into tritium. That's what fusion's all about - combining atoms to make bigger ones. A couple of Utah scientists got drunk one night and put together this experiment in the kitchen. They detected an increase in the number of tritium atoms in their test sample, and concluded that they had acheived cold fusion. The trouble with the experiment is that no one has been able to duplicate their results. That doesn't mean, necessarily, that they're wrong - it just means that no one else can perform that particular miracle at this time. The jury is still out on that one, though I suspect that the verdict will be in favor of Reality. It takes energy to do this stuff, and they weren't using any... I once met a girl from Cape Cod,
Who thought all babes came from God
But it weren't the Almighty,
Who got in her nighty,
'Twas Roger the lodger, by God!

Why does this compile in Arizona, but not California or New York?

#include <Constitution>//Includes Rights.h as well
#include <stdio>

CObject CGunControl(CHandgun pstl, CTarget trgt)
{ CGunControl::CGunCOntrol(pstl, trgt)
{CGunControl,CreateObject(gc);
}
public boolean practice(pstl, trgt)
{int i;
for(i=0;i<5;i++)
{pstl.aim("center");
pstl.squeezeTrigger(1);
}
if(trgt.inTenRing !=5)
{trgt.reset();
pstl.reload(5);
return(False);
}
else
{return(True);
}
}
public void main()
{CHandGun pistol = new(CHandGun);
pistol.load(5);//Initialize Pistol
CTarget target = new(CTarget);
target.reset;//Initialize Target
CGunControl gc = new(CGunControl);
while(!gc.practice(pistol,target));
cout << "Finally!";
return(0);
}

Always be a straight shooter, and the Dean of Men will drop like a rock... - old bumper sticker from the '70s

Is there any way to connect my old entry here with the current one? Remember (of course you don't - it's rhetorical) when I changed PCs and couldn't get back in? You fixed it for me right away (and I thank you much for that). I found my old membership, #3484, and for some silly reason, want to be seen as the early adopter that I am! If it takes more than 30 seconds of your time it isn't worth the effort, but it would be nice to be recognized as one of the first 4,000 people to realize what a great site you put together for us:-D Moderation is for monks - take BIG bites! - Lazarus Long

I don't know what impact it will have on the world, but there's an interesting article in this month's 'Computer' magazine. It seems IBM has a watch in development. Well, not exactly a watch. Actually it's a computer, worn like a watch, and it really does tell time. The cool part is that it runs on Linux, has a combination wheel and touchscreen UI implemented in X11 graphics, 8 MB RAM, and includes a Bluetooth wireless interface. Now I wouldn't suggest duplicating the effort, but something along those lines would be cool. Maybe a door lock equipped with a wireless camera and image recognition code for visitor identification, plus the ability to unlock if an authorized person wearing one of those Linux watches approaches the door. The video system could make an announcement inside if a guest approached that was known and welcome, or a nasty message outside if it was a bill collector. It might also call you at work if someone unknown made an unnecessarily vigorous attempt to turn the knob, and save the image for delivery later to the authorities :laugh: It might even communicate with other such doors and identify where the culprit lived, though if he could afford your device at his house, he wouldn't need to be skulking about your place looking for a way in... Your school library may have a copy of the issue, but the bulk of the work was done by IBM Software, India, and may possibly be found on the Internet somewhere... Let us know what you're working on! I'm working on a telepathic UI that will detect my thoughts and input them in the computer without me typing anything, but so far all it does is draw a blank balloon...

Great... it took three years for me to save enough to buy VS6! I'm tempted to go over limit on a a couple of credit cards for the new product, but then if I wait 6-8 weeks, Microsoft will have a new "vision" and an entirely new and incompatible product line:laugh: I'll wait... You have to ask, "Is it a new product, or just a new revenue stream?" And another, "Does the old product suddenly not work?"

Absolutely:-D Think of the monitor resolution you'll need to read it, though...

I've never tried that - does it work?

Having had some experience coding some AI stuff, I have to agree - how do you target your nanodevice? Do you make it general purpose, scanning for anomolies and fixing deviations from the norm (and who defines the norm?), or do you custom design machines to attack specific abnormalities? This is a field in it's infancy, full of promise, yet unclear about its mission. Perhaps we can help to define it more specifically... I'm trying to imagine a rule-set, Prolog style, that could begin to describe the question-space, but I'm failing miserably. I suspect that an expert system approach would be inadequate. But a neural net, given sufficient input for training, could provide answers to, at least, a few of my questions. I think, therefore I am, confused...

qomi wrote: but if he's not joking then I find that a little creepy I think we all assume that he was joking, and trust that it is so. So far all of the folks I have met here seem to be relatively decent people, Nish included. But keep in mind that we are crossing cultures here, and mores differ - what may sound harmless and perfectly acceptable at home could be interpreted as a reprehensible comment by others. That's one of the great things we have to gain from this site, a bit of education about a world larger than we're accustomed to. But learning is, at best, a hit and miss thing, and most of us learn best from mistakes. Be patient... we're learning. And making mistakes as we go... ho hum:) BTW, you are a very lovely young woman, and I thank you for sharing your picture with us. It is nice to have a visual in mind when writing to him/her. I wish you luck in your ventures, and am grateful to have gotten to know you a wee bit. Women and children first. Any society based upon any lesser rule is doomed to collapse...

Whoops! Sorry, Martin, but I'll have to revise that last post. I just skimmed the first 40 pages or soo of the Who's Who, and all of the ladies present are highly attractive. Better yet, they appear top be quite capable as well. We'll both look fairly lame in comparison, I'm afraid:laugh: And to all of those above who think that an attractive lass in the office is distracting, I can assure you it is not. Having worked many years in a mixed office, I not only was undistracted, but enjoyed the intelligent interaction with all of my teammates, regardless of gender. And the women, to the best of my knowledge, enjoyed the same. There were a few neanderthal males among the crowd, but we all ignored them and had a godd time despite them. Fear not the mixed office - savor, instead, diversity:laugh: Time doesn't play favorites - Figures sag, teeth and hair fall out, the days get longer and the nights colder for all. In the end, all you have are your love and your knowledge - share both widely!

No worries, Martin. One of these days I'm going to post mine; you'll be looking like Prince Charming by comparison:laugh: I still can't decide whether I prefer the buckskins and tomahawk look, or the turban and AK-47 ensemble... Beauty is only skin deep - ugly goes clear to the bone!

We're rather low tech out here in the desert. And pumpkins don't grow here. But the kids have great fun building potato mortars. A piece of 3" ABS DWV pipe with a cap on one end, and a spud rammed home on the other, and in between a couple of squirts of starter fluid and it's time to knock down some walls. "Would you mind holding this while I light it?"

Jason Jystad wrote: Somehow playing with a soldering iron while drunk doesn't seem the wisest thing to do though. I don't know... it doesn't seem any more foolish than installing Win2K Beta3 on one's only computer - without a backup - knee walking blitzed, but I managed... And I know quite a number of folks who manage to safely fling sharp, pointy missiles at colorful circles on the wall in that state :-D I'll bet you $5 I can knock that cigarette out of your mouth from clear back here! - Famous last words at a darts match

z=pi. The rest is left as an exercise for the student. I suspect that Numberscope may be a program that solves them... could be very handy! Especially if it's cheap! BTW, the trick to solving polynomial problems is that you need at least as many known-true equations as you have variables to solve for. Without that, you're doomed. I'm out of ideas for a sig, Nish.... Make one up for me, and claim it. Any child support involved is your problem, though.... G'nite... I'm going to sleep...

Nish [BusterBoy] wrote: He weighs over a 100 KG. Do you know this for certainty? My goodness, I weigh at least 4 stones less. Perhaps 6. Yet I can still tap code into a PC. Amazing what technology has done for us, isn't it? There are three kinds of women - one-bagger, two-bagger, and the coyote. A one-bagger you place a bag over her head so you don't have to look at her; a two-bagger, you put one over your head, in case hers falls off. A coyote you wake up with on your arm - you gnaw it off to avoid waking her. (sorry all, it just came to mind...)

Nish [BusterBoy] wrote: Check out what? Polynomials are equations that use more than one variable. Like balancing a checkbook. Not hard, but totally beyond the grasp of most of my neighbors... How can I be out of money? I still have checks left! - My ex-wife, sadly (sigh...)

Colin Davies wrote: Maybe people would behave with more proprietary if that were to happen. I've seen very little here that I would consider to be in poor taste - a little, perhaps - but nothing rampant. Some of the posts have gotten a bit carried away, but I can't fault enthusiasm... May I ask, what have you found objectionable? I, too, would enjoy the input of our many female peers - and don't any of you believe for a moment that female programmers are rare - they just choose not to hang around the likes of us. There's a reason for that, but at the moment it escapes me... I'll get back to it when the memory returns. I'm fairly new here, Colin, but I already see that your opinions are highly regarded, despite the jokes sent your way. Or perhaps, because of them. Please elaborate... There ain't no such thing as a miracle - overheard at a bar in Arizona... Right... so how do you explain a baby girl? I have a new cousin - six weeks old - her Daddy's older than I am! Don't tell me there's no miracles! I got to hold her at Christmas! I look forward to spoiling her rotten:-)

Making, well actually copying old viewgraphs, while enjoying some fresh donuts... lauren's pic for an upload is gorgeous - I wish I was twenty years younger... I'm middle-aged finally, but not so old that I can't appreciate a beautiful young woman with an excellent mind. Check her pic, Nish, but please don't hound her for a date... Bravo, young lady, keep on being smart and beautiful! Is your mom single?

Nish [BusterBoy] wrote: he/she might be able to apply the filter and browse through the girl-pic-section. Whoa. Yesterday you were trying to sell us on the idea of travelling to Triviadoldrum, or some such, on the argument that the women are so hot. Now you want to troll CP for potential dates? If things are so hot at home, why are you pursuing this? I've already sent in my $9.99 USD for the catalog of available Indian brides, upon the strength of your recommendation, and the surety of your integrity. Are you telling me that my hard-earned funds were, in fact, squandered on a sham? Shame on you, Nish:laugh: When in doubt, date an ugly woman. Her appreciation will inspire her to adore you, and the love that you will discover her to be capable of will far exceed your expectations. In fact, you'll wake one day to discover that she is truly beautiful - you just hadn't noticed it before...

No idea... sorry.