This is stupid

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**Ensis Ferrae**

sebster wrote:Technological innovation is built around competition, but its also built around long term stability. While war is a hyper competitive environment so you get lots of development, most innovation tends to be re-engineered concepts and the like. But big steps forward, starting with entirely theoretical concepts and decades of development, just doesn't get changed by war. A war won't bring us a quantum computer any quicker.

I think war just accelerates specific technologies ahead a few years, but doesn't really do anything to the overall rate of progress.

granted, but in some cases, many of the technological marvels of today were borne from war. The modern GPS unit, while IMHO is no substitute for a map and compass, was generally developed because of the difficulties in using said map/compass while in a moving vehicle. Computer networks within the military structure led to the creation of the internet.

and i believe that some technology was definitely changed by war, without the decades of research. Think of the Jet fighters that we now have, during WW2, Germany and the US (and probably just about anyone with an air force) were trying to develop a better fighter, a German designer had the idea to make a rocket powered aircraft, they had no idea whether or not it would fly and eventually they came up with the Me-262, which is not rocket powered, but rather jet...also there was a project in the US that involved trying to bomb the main industrial hubs of Japan, using bats. The problem with loading a bat was the weight it could carry... in a matter of weeks they took a theory, and came up with Napalm. Of course, the bat project was never used in combat, as the program got canceled in favor of the Manhattan Project.

also, if im not mistaken IV bags are now plastic because of Vietnam, or Korea.. since glass bottles with life saving fluids freeze easier, are harder to pack, and break more easily than a plastic bag. But, if someone can show when/how the plastic IV bag came about, then please do share

**dogma**

Ensis Ferrae wrote:
granted, but in some cases, many of the technological marvels of today were borne from war. The modern GPS unit, while IMHO is no substitute for a map and compass, was generally developed because of the difficulties in using said map/compass while in a moving vehicle. Computer networks within the military structure led to the creation of the internet.

But the mathematical models which underpin GPS would not exist without Einstein's theory of relativity, and that was the final result of Pax Europa.

The internet is kind of a funny thing because it was directly tied into scientific research during the Cold War, and while most research was connected to the military due to budgetary allocations it was most certainly a period of peace.

Ensis Ferrae wrote:
and i believe that some technology was definitely changed by war, without the decades of research. Think of the Jet fighters that we now have, during WW2, Germany and the US (and probably just about anyone with an air force) were trying to develop a better fighter, a German designer had the idea to make a rocket powered aircraft, they had no idea whether or not it would fly and eventually they came up with the Me-262, which is not rocket powered, but rather jet...also there was a project in the US that involved trying to bomb the main industrial hubs of Japan, using bats. The problem with loading a bat was the weight it could carry... in a matter of weeks they took a theory, and came up with Napalm. Of course, the bat project was never used in combat, as the program got canceled in favor of the Manhattan Project.

The idea of a turbine engine had been around since the mid-19th century. It took a war to see the idea put into practice on a large scale, but it isn't as though the Germans spontaneously discovered the jet engine. In fact, the first jet aircraft was designed by a British engineer in 1929, though it was never actually produced.

Napalm, while it was a chemical formula of necessity, was just a modern realization of the concept behind Greek Fire. Something which had been around since Byzantium.

Ensis Ferrae wrote:
also, if im not mistaken IV bags are now plastic because of Vietnam, or Korea.. since glass bottles with life saving fluids freeze easier, are harder to pack, and break more easily than a plastic bag. But, if someone can show when/how the plastic IV bag came about, then please do share

Same thing here. Plastic had existed for some time, but no one was willing to foot the bill for its enhanced durability vis a vis glass. The military had a significant need for such an improvement, and so paid the extra money.

The government, and the military, are major forces in modernizing consumer goods because they have the capacity to pay what is always a very high initial cost. This frequently requires deficit spending, and so is normally only justified in times of war. At least in our history.

**Aztralwolf**

focusedfire wrote:Irish have St. Patty's Day.

Oh c'mon not like I really care but seriously... St. Patricks Day is a generic excuse to wear green and get bombed, it doesn't actually mean anything to anyone. I dare you to ask joe schmoe off the street who St. Patrick was. 9/10 times you will get a dumb answer. But again I don't really care I was just trying to make a point about there being too many holidays.

**chaplaingrabthar**

I'm waiting for Saint Solar Macharius' day myself.

**Grignard**

Ensis Ferrae wrote:
Grignard wrote:
Eh, there are all kinds of discrimination, and you can say what you want, but we all know the focus was on Black/white racial tensions, as is everything in this country. Probably most Americans don't realize there are all manner of Caucasian minorities, and they probably don't realize, for instance, Gypsies are the largest cultural minority in Europe. What about poverty, which is really what racial tensions boil down to today, or what about weight discrimination.

I don't feel like he did anything for me, but if it floats people's boat, make him have a holiday. Why him other than Malcom X or, and here is what it should be, those three black kids that got killed in Mississippi, I don't know, that is up to whoever makes these rules.

i agree that MLK was doing his speeches and travelling, ultimately for all human rights, not just blacks in the south. i think that Malcolm X did not get a holiday because of the 2 civil rights leaders, MLK was a christian, mr. X, a muslim. Additionally, MLK preached peaceable solutions, whereas malcolm X was more militant about gaining civil rights.

It's something of a personal beef with Columbus Day, but i dont think that He should get a holiday, as he didnt really find the US, that honor goes to the Vikings. But, apparently no matter how much truth is brought out in history, we cant allow "white men" to have too many holidays, as if most of the latino population is going to sympathize with columbus? Maybe its just too much to ask to "fix" the American history books, that still insist on Columbus "finding" these new lands.

personally, i have ZERO problem with weight discrimination, if you're very overweight, thats your problem, you put yourself in that situation. Don't get me wrong, if you are abit, erm, plump, but you are happy with that, then i have no problem. i start having problems when you start complaining about how big you are, and how its other people's fault, whether its mcdonalds, burger king, the government, or the wife's cooking (ok, the wife can be blamed for that, along with many other things ), just own up to you being lazy. And yes, if you make it damn near impossible for someone to sit next to you on an airplane, then yes you SHOULD have to buy two tickets!

Just a quick note on the fat people thing... there is a large difference between a "big" person and a "fat" person.. a big person, is someone who is large, possibly fat, but they are athletic, dont complain about their weight, and if they decide they dont want to be as large any more, they figure out how to eat better/ excercise. a fat person, in my book, is one who is generally lazy, and complains about their plight, they probably cant hold down a job, and they blame everyone but themselves for their appearance.

On the first point that is why I don't think MLK did as much as we think. I don't think anything would have changed until there was that subtle threat of violence to back up that "nonviolent resistance".

On the second part, at risk of derailing the topic, which apparently I'm good at, it isn't fair to assume that it is always someone's fault they are obese. Research shows that most people will eat what is put in front of them, and don't necessarily have a cut off point. Also, you can't assume that people's bodies utilize energy the same way as everyone else. I can attest to this not because I am obese, but because I am not. My ex ate the same meals I did for two years, and lived more or less the same lifestyle. At the time I never exercised, though I run on a regular basis now. I was slightly overweight at the time, but she never could get her weight below 280, and she was probably more active than me at the time. Now, I'm definitely not one to say the government should be regulating what I choose to eat or not, but I think a blanket statement that obesity is always "your fault" is unreasonable.

Frazzled wrote:I think the fact the former Confederates had to again swear allegiance to the US to get amnesty is prima facae evidence of their treason. They took up arms against the lawful government at the time. Thats treason folks. There were even plenty of witnesses...

Again they were pardoned so all is good. But they were traitors.

Having a gun to your head is great encouragement to swear allegiance.

**BloodofOrks**

Grignard wrote:

Frazzled wrote:I think the fact the former Confederates had to again swear allegiance to the US to get amnesty is prima facae evidence of their treason. They took up arms against the lawful government at the time. Thats treason folks. There were even plenty of witnesses...

Again they were pardoned so all is good. But they were traitors.

Having a gun to your head is great encouragement to swear allegiance.

Don't forget the assassination of Lincoln. That act horrified both the north and the south alike. Many likely swore allegiance to disassociate themselves from those particular Confederates who went so far as to kill a sitting head of state.

**orkishlyorkish**

reds8n wrote:Starts Friday night from memory...when the first stars appear in the sky "officially", until the same time Saturday.

Almost right

It starts from around sunset or i think like you said when the first 3 stars appear and ends about 25 hours and 5-10 minutes after that when it's fully dark.

**warpcrafter**

What the hell. I always celebrate January 8th. (Elvis's birthday.) I dare you to stop me!

**halonachos**

Vietnam and korea were also responsible for a certain silver piece of adhesive, yes that's right, duck tape. Not "duct tape" duck tape.

Personnally I think that you can group the CSA dead with others on memorial day. Memorial day honors the fallen, but doesn't say which fallen to honor so if you are so inclined to honor them, go ahead.

Also, many southerners were poor and didn't own slaves, its just that some had 100+ slaves. Of course there were middle-ground slave owners who had maybe 1 or 2, but the vast majority of families owned no slaves. They fought at the hope of maybe one day owning a slave as they thought it was part of the whole "pursuit of happiness" thing.