tiatia

"Is that sarcasm? I genuinely can't tell. Direct conflict with the US is a terrible idea, and both countries know that."

The US has not enough soldiers in South Korea to face CN or RU. RU could probably take out US carriers and planes "at will" with their unmatched rocket technology. The last thing I heard was that RU jamming technology is also far ahead of the curve. And they have a nuclear arsenal to match the US. At the same time, RU has a boarder with NK while the US supply lines would be far stretched.

By the way, it was the end of the German Empire when the king decided to "kick the Serbs in the nuts"

"In retrospect, invading North Korea in 2003 would have been a far better choice than Iraq."

Yeah. Sure. With Seoul in range of NK artillery and poison gas grenades. By the way, do you know why NK still exists and will exist for a very long time? Because it has 2 boarders with superpowers, China and Russia. And both powers have zero interest that the US soldiers, stationed in SK, move close to their boarders. Invading NK looks easy on paper. But the long tail risk is enormous. Do you know why 2 Korean states exits at all? It was not the North Koreans that brought the US army to halt. But yeah, for sure this time the Russians and Chinese won't bother.

Are you sure you understand the concept AND the limitations of PCR? I predict: No.

There are many forms of DNA. Single stranded, double stranded, circular etc. etc. I assume we were talking about non-circular DNA. ds/ss does not matter, for PCR you would have to go ds anyway. You realize that strand shortening would be a problem? I could think about ways to correct this but it is not trivial.

"Almost unlimited coping of recoverable data using PCR"

Actually, this would not be as trivial as it sounds. Especially the unlimited coping.

A marriage certificate?

The question is, do people from Romania and Bulgaria need a visa? Looks to me they can not just move to the UK but maybe the UK has different agreements with this countries.

Just checked: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_Romanian...

Looks like they don't need anything but a passport to go to the UK.

Actually, I am 100% sure that Romania IS NOT Schengen. And the UK is also not Schengen. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area

I nearly f. this up when I was traveling with my Non-EU girlfriend who was on a single entry Visa and I was about to book a flight for us from Vienna to Sofia to travel in East Europe.

The question is: Can citizens of Bulgaria and Romania just move to the UK without further requirements? Looks to me they would need a visa.

Real estate always goes up...

Is this true?

Bulgaria and Romania are both EU countries, neither is Schengen.

"The point is that a majority of all violence and sexual crimes is performed by immigrants "

This makes you a "right wing thug" for many people in Europe. Europe is lost. They lost their immunity for enemies of their open society. Uneducated immigrants from violent tribal societies will first make the social system implode, then the society.

How about a company that you pay and that you can call? (and maybe submit a passport copy if need be or something)

They sell email for your own domain (you can also buy a domain there): https://www.infomaniak.com/en

Bonus: Based in Switzerland, no EU or US jurisdiction.

Gmail is shit. Gmail is Email Extraordinaire but if something goes wrong and you lose access, good luck gaining it back. Try to call somebody. This, and all the privacy issues.

"I am especially amused by the claim that at one point there was a compromising picture on the internet, as if there is a viable way to eliminate such a thing from continued existence on the internet."

Suprisingly, you are right. https://antilobby.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/merkel_im.jpg

If you can read German, read this, despite the source http://www.pravda-tv.com/2013/11/platzt-die-bombe-war-angela...

"I have no idea. I don't know why being in the outskirts of Berlin seems questionable." Because there war nothing to do there. No Pubs. No Bars. Nothing. And his house was observed around the clock, including by many unofficial state security helpers.

Why does she not say what she was doing there?

Why does the publication of the picture violate her privacy?

It was media from Switzerland that asked the serious questions. Not German media. So what was she doing there? Nothing? Just chance? Take her word for it! She admitted she was requested to become an unofficial state security member but never signed (still was admitted to University). Take her word for it! Her father was a pastor, something that was not liked in the GDR. Still she was allowed to study in the UdSSR as an exchange student, a huge privilege. Just luck, take her word for it! Later as a scientist she was allowed to visit conferences abroad, again a huge privilege. During the break-up of the GDR she walked "by chance" by church were all the dissidents met and thought "why not let's have a look?"

Look, do I know that Merkel was working for the Stasi? No. Do I like her? No. But I think there are many serious questions to be asked and basically for all answers we have to take her word.

One thing I wonder. The Russians prefer that Merkel does not stay chancellor. If she worked for the State security it is likely that the Russians have compromising material. We may now before the next elections.

Democracy is one thing. For example I can be democratic to kill people. The constitution is the tool to prevent this. Merkel is currently breaking the German constitution and EU contracts (e.g. Dublin III)

Spiegel is THE MAJOR German magazine.

Here is a bad English translation of some information: https://antilobby.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/stasi.pdf

This picture in front of Havemann actually IS in the pdf. 1. What was she doing, far in the outskirts of Berlin, in front of the house if this dissident?

2. Why does this picture violate her "privacy rights"? (What in fact proofs that it is her on the picture)

As far as I remember, the picture was discovered by a government founded TV station.

There was a report and the picture was shown (I've seen it!) in a Swiss magazine. The website does not work anymore: http://schweizmagazin.ch/news/336/ARTICLE/4283/2008-05-29.ht...

Ms. Merkel disputed the publication of this image since it would violate her "privacy rights". http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/vorab/a-377389.html

Otherwise, just google "IM Eirka" https://www.google.com/#q=%22im+erika%22+merkel

On a discussion board someone asked if the German chancellor could be blackmailed if someone had this information? Answer from another user:"How? Everybody knows already she was working for the state security..."

It is very well possible that the German chancellor Merkel worked for the former East German State security under the name "IM Erika". The once was a very compromising picture of her her on the internet, showing her in front of a house of a former "dissident". Possible doing "observation" work.

I was born in the EU, got my PhD in the US and finally hard to start as an illegal immigrant in China and worked my way up. This being said, there are opportunities everywhere.

China. Angola. Colombia. Even Ethiopia. There are opportunities out there for the people who are willing to try or who are forced to try. Places, where there is still some growth, some opportunity and the government does not strangle you.

The best incentive may be if there is something that you like. Be it the weather, culture, language, women. Something that touches you. I saw too many people fail in China. This were the people who wanted to eat every day McDonnalds or Subway instead of Chinese food and called the Chinese "savages". Immerse yourself in that culture. Become that culture. Or how the Chinese say: What you can't avoid, welcome!

With asses price inflation, depressed wages, insane taxes and and overaged population it is very hard in the EU. Only few make it. By plain luck or maybe by ability.

But you can leave. Best decision I ever made.

" I'm a fan of LibreOffice"

I am not. But you can run MS Office with Wine, if need be. I do this on occasion since it is the only reliable way to make sure the document will look the same at your client.

For all other stuff, I use Softmaker for Linux. http://www.softmaker.com/en/softmaker-office-linux

You mean, like WMD in Iraq? Or Libya? "We came, we saw, he died"?

Ukraine is not in the Nato. If Putin had serious interest in "claiming" it he could do it. And it would make more sense than occupying the Baltic states. He would be able to take the Baltic states. But the Baltic states ARE in the Nato. And they provide little advantage.

How did a Russian say about the Crimea Island? "Another poor region we have to feed...".

I currently see very little interest on Russia's side for geographic expansion. But geography is still on their agenda since "buffer states" have always and will always be part of Russian military strategy.

"Russian law is not recognized outside of Russia. Besides, that logic would give him legal authority to conquer half of Eastern Europe." In a way it does. But how are "Russians" in danger in Easter Europe? https://www.loc.gov/law/help/russian-georgia-war.php#Russia%...

"Do you have any idea what occupation means? " Actually I do. And I don't think it would be a big issue. Please consider that the regime currently in power in Ukraine is liked only by a small part of the population. The background and intent of the "color revolutions" in such countries is very questionable. Besides that, the military of Ukraine is basically non existent.

Do you know what the Ukrainian military bases on the Crimea Island did? They just raised the Russian flag.

And don't forget, Russia has troops even in the West of Ukraine. (Transnistia).

"they need some pretext." Russian law would give this pretext. Putin would be obligated by the constitution to protect "Russians" abroad. Ukraine has a huge Russian minority.

" Also even if they wanted to, they don't have the forces to occupy Kiev." Ukraine is currently on the level of a 3rd world country. Russia would have air superiority within 24 hours. And the Russian military is still a formidable opponent, even for the US. I think the argument that Russia can't occupy Ukraine, if she wanted, is absurd.

Why is this getting downvoted? Use your brains. Ok, I was wrong. Two weeks. Mea culpa

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/03/world/europe/ukraine-cris...

"There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that any country in the NATO umbrella being hit would lead to the United States retaliating decisively."

How?

http://defense-and-freedom.blogspot.com/2016/07/how-to-invad...

Also, do you know what the UdSSR "ax theory" was? Or the "ed-escalation" strategy of the 90ies?

Look at the map. The Baltic states can't be defended. At least not with the military that is there in the moment. Could they be taken back? Unlikely because Russia would immediately retaliate tactically (nuclear).

"is currently fighting in and occupying a European country." If Russia were fighting Ukraine, the war would be over in 1 week.

Not really but I looked at my windshield a lot. Where have all the insects gone? The decline in insect biomass is insane! http://e360.yale.edu/features/insect_numbers_declining_why_i...

How long do you need to build the Robot?

How long do you need to build an MD?

I don't think IBM build Watson to win Jeopardy.

Apropo Emulator.

1. Is there any way to run SGI/IRIX and some IRIX software?

2. Would a simple IRIX Software run on BSD/MIPS? I heard they are quite similar.

This project seems to be discontinued: https://www.vanheusden.com/miep/

They claim to be able to have an emulator, but as far as I know, expensive as f.... http://www.vhware.co.il/

Any other ideas?