Just to poke the "government does nothing right" process with a stick :-) we _did_ put people on the moon using government processes, we did manage to build a nation-wide system of highways (that at one time _were_ the envy of the world) and a whole host of other pretty amazing things. All failings of government should be pinned on the guilty party, i.e. - the management structure, you know, the idiots that spend a crapton to get INTO leadership positions then fail miserably at being effective leaders. Too bad we don't have a way to force the morons to accept the project design from the experts and a simple fund/don't fund process (i.e. - no micromanagement of large processes; where they really fail, IMNSHO). The "politics" is truly disgusting.<br>
<br>So letting politicians design an automated highway system does truly terrify me! Having a collection of really bright engineers not hamstrung by funding constraints and politically motivated road placements do the actual design and implementation planning that the (semi) elected crowd then either funds fully or not at all (no more of this half-assed funding compromises: fix things or don't. half fixing means the problems continues and the funds have been wasted.) to the betterment or detriment of all of us (or at least 50% +1).<br>
<br>gag! I'm ranting on political stupidity again. it never ends. aarrrggghhhhh!!!!!! the stupidity!! It Burns!<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Jun 28, 2011 at 9:26 AM, Lightner, Jeff <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:JLightner@water.com">JLightner@water.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">Given how long government leaves potholes I'd be afraid of letting them maintain something this complex. They'd probably set the system to prevent users from exiting their vehicles. When it later broke down everyone would starve to death while the politicians decided on whether to raise taxes or layoff police officers to generate funds for the repairs.<br>
<br>
-----Original Message-----<br>
From: <a href="mailto:ale-bounces@ale.org">ale-bounces@ale.org</a> [mailto:<a href="mailto:ale-bounces@ale.org">ale-bounces@ale.org</a>] On Behalf Of George Allen<br>
Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2011 9:02 AM<br>
To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts<br>
Subject: Re: [ale] dialing on Android and driving will kill you and others.<br>
<br>
On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 9:44 AM, Jim Kinney <<a href="mailto:jim.kinney@gmail.com">jim.kinney@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> And your observations are the base for my fervent desire to have either<br>
> steering wheels removed and cars run on a track or driver isolated from<br>
> non-drivers both visually and auditorily (and probably olfactorily as well).<br>
><br>
<br>
I can't find a reference now, but a few years back I saw this article<br>
on a highway-car-hive concept at a Japanese carshow. Basically, once<br>
the world has only 'smart' cars, they enter the highway and each would<br>
talk to its nearest neighbors over RF. While the driver sits back to<br>
relax, the car would take over. It would communicate its destination<br>
exit to its neighbors, match speed, and arrange itself in a convoy for<br>
optimal speed, safety, etc. IE - cars in near exits would drop to the<br>
exit lane and warn the driver to take over. Cars going further would<br>
stay in faster lanes depending on how far. All cars would maintain<br>
equal speed and spacing, thus preventing traffic jams. Merging is<br>
automatically done by algorithms communicating requirements upstream<br>
so the convoy can pre-adjust spacing. Imagine the difference for<br>
85/75...<br>
<br>
Of course -- people used to be able to do this too, when they were<br>
smart enough to learn how to use the rules, brakes and turn signals in<br>
addition to the gas, wheel and horn.<br>
<br>
> Humans don't multi-task. At best they task-swap. And all of us know there is<br>
> a cost to each swap on a computer and thus can imagine there's also a cost<br>
> for a human. Add to it that 1/2 the population is below average intelligence<br>
> (thus increasing the "I can do this just fine" factor) which adds to the<br>
> "they're trying to kill me" factor of everyone n the road.<br>
><br>
> automatic Jetson's bubble car. I really wish we were pouring as much<br>
> research into making cheap, ultralight, automatic transport devices to<br>
> replace what we have as are into ways to keep the mess we have going.<br>
><br>
><br>
> On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 9:21 AM, David Tomaschik <<a href="mailto:david@systemoverlord.com">david@systemoverlord.com</a>><br>
> wrote:<br>
>><br>
>> On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 8:25 AM, Charles Shapiro<br>
>> <<a href="mailto:hooterpincher@gmail.com">hooterpincher@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
>> > <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-6090342-7.html" target="_blank">http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-6090342-7.html</a><br>
>> ><br>
>> > I think about this every time I bike on Atlanta streets.<br>
>> ><br>
>> > -- CHS<br>
>> ><br>
>><br>
>> I'd really like a study to quantify the level of distraction of an<br>
>> in-car conversation vs. a cell phone conversation. For the moment,<br>
>> let's exclude the obviously dangerous dialing period, and focus on the<br>
>> discussion. Why is a discussion over a cell phone any worse than<br>
>> talking to the passenger next to you? I've seen plenty of people who<br>
>> insist on turning their head to talk to their passenger in the car.<br>
>> (Yes, eye contact during a conversation is good, but not when it<br>
>> sacrifices eye contact with the road/other drivers.)<br>
>><br>
>><br>
>> --<br>
>> David Tomaschik, RHCE, LPIC-1<br>
>> System Administrator/Open Source Advocate<br>
>> OpenPGP: 0x5DEA789B<br>
>> <a href="http://systemoverlord.com" target="_blank">http://systemoverlord.com</a><br>
>> <a href="mailto:david@systemoverlord.com">david@systemoverlord.com</a><br>
>> _______________________________________________<br>
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><br>
><br>
><br>
> --<br>
> --<br>
> James P. Kinney III<br>
><br>
> As long as the general population is passive, apathetic, diverted to<br>
> consumerism or hatred of the vulnerable, then the powerful can do as they<br>
> please, and those who survive will be left to contemplate the outcome.<br>
> - 2011 Noam Chomsky<br>
><br>
> <a href="http://heretothereideas.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://heretothereideas.blogspot.com/</a><br>
><br>
><br>
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>-- <br>James P. Kinney III<br><br>As long as the general population is passive, apathetic, diverted to
consumerism or hatred of the vulnerable, then the powerful can do as
they please, and those who survive will be left to contemplate the
outcome.<br>- <i><i><i><i>2011 Noam Chomsky<br><br><a href="http://heretothereideas.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://heretothereideas.blogspot.com/</a><br></i></i></i></i><br>