Phi for All

I suppose a very Spartan self-sufficiency could be achieved but you would still need a very large colony to extract and process materials to manufacture a broad range of technological necessities eventually. Imports being trade and therefore not damaging to the self-sufficient model, is that the deal? You'd still need something to trade. Mars rocks at $5000 each will only be popular for so long (eventually knock-off Moon rocks will ruin the market). As far as a Mars colony being eventually self-sufficient, I'm still somewhere between your 50 years and Sayonara³'s "never". I don't like your idea that total independence could happen that quickly in a colony that is most likely research-based and would require the absolute bleeding edge in Earth technology. And I don't like Sayonara³'s idea that Blair would be Earth President.

Sounds like the Burbclaves from Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. Like-minded people living in guarded communities while working for various "franchises". I think compound mentality would eventually spell disaster for these private societies. Not enough diversity, a dearth of new ideas, new thinking. Believe it or not, when people get along too well creativity can suffer. And I just don't like putting like-minded people all together in one place. A little too Waco for me.

I think the term "self-sufficient" is causing problems here. When I think of self-sufficiency with regards to a teenager moving out of the house, if he can pay his own bills I'd call him self-sufficient even though he comes back every once in a while to do laundry. A Martian colony that calls itself self-sufficient better be able to make *anything* they need without calling home. Do you think a 50-year-old Martian colony could make it's own computers and specialty tools? You're still talking about a division of labor that would require this Martian colony to be enormous to be self-sufficient. And remember, the bigger it is, the more resources it needs. So if we can't change the planet to suit ourselves, we change ourselves to suit the planet? That's going to meet with some resistance. I think you need to give it more than 50 years, a lot more.

The American colonies had resources I'm not sure Mars can duplicate, including helpful natives who knew the dangers inherent in the territory. Plus it's one thing to grow your own food and another to be completely self-sufficient. 50 years wouldn't be enough time to gather materials and manufacture the kind of structures and machinery necessary for a growing colony without some assistance from Earth. The American colonists could get along with pretty crude shelter or even sleep out under the stars while exploring. Besides, if a colony is even semi-successful there will be regular visits from Earth. There will be resources and equipment that is simply easier and cheaper to get from the next Earth shipment rather than make it yourself.

Nature's Miracle is a good product and this is a good place to buy it. You can get it at PetsMart but it's a lot more expensive. I have a cat that did the same thing. This is a good product.

Funny story. The janitor at the SFN World HQ building buffs the floor under the letters but stops short of the atom. He claims his union won't let him go near anything radioactive. That's why the atom doesn't reflect. Another gem for the FAQ. As far as we know, it *was* you. We aren't telling blike because you two were close. No, there are absolutely only three Admins at SFN, and when I say absolutely three, I mean more like four.

It's about time. Finally I can tell everyone that that's you and blike in blike's avatar!

My mighty Haiku, yourdadonapogos, tick- les the minds of all.

But there's only three Admins and they all think it's hip to be horrid. I think the blue needs to be lighter to contrast better but you're right, the blue on blue will work.

I'm starting to come around too. And I agree about the contrast for quotes. If the usernames are causing problems maybe increasing the kerning between the letters will help legibility. There's certainly plenty of room on the blue bar for longer names. Bolded they all look a bit scrunched now.

I'll get the two of you some coupons for para-veggie-sailing in the broccoli forests of Brazil as a wedding present. I trust Sarah is well aware of your thrillseeking tendencies.

So don't. Instead protest even more quietly. Or stack up like dave does so your sig takes up less height. I know how it is to give up something you like a lot.

Ooooh, I hope you have a backup of your avatar, pink-boy. I feel a switch to Teletubbies coming on.... And clean up that signature, man! It looks like my desk!

Tired of ho-hum bungee jumps? Bored with BMX? Try Satellite Roping off one of the Space Elevators!! I realize you were talking about what was up there. I think that replacing them won't be a problem because you'd have a bunch of towers to attach equipment to so there would be less need for satellites, wouldn't there? How many elevator towers would you need to provide global coverage? This assumes that such a massively expensive undertaking would be funded by many countries so that each could have equipment on every tower built.

If we can build one we'll build more than one. Wouldn't a series of these elevator towers replace the need for satellites? There's most of your junk problem gone.

Absolutely. Thanks! With this new compressed style I think members with lots of spaced lines in their signatures should do some housecleaning. Some sigs are longer than most posts. dave's has a lot of info in it but it's tightly laid out and doesn't take up much vertical space.

I agree. The way we use it politics *is* a science, or is approached and discussed almost like one. Like the Philosophy / Religion forum, Politics can be approached scientifically and that's what makes our discussions different from other sites with similar sub-fora.

Besides splitting up the User info, I'm also not liking the feng shui of the post layout. My eyes tend to go diagonally across a post so the upper left and the lower right corners are dominant and tend to get the most attention. I like that I start right out with what the poster is saying (I still glance right to check avatars) but then my eye is lead to the lower right where Join Date and Post Count are prominent. I'd prefer to have the Response buttons (Quote, Edit, Multi-Quote, etc.) in the lower right. Join Date and Post Count can switch places with them. I think it would make response a tiny bit easier.

Breaking up the block of info that tells me who is writing before I start reading is very hard to overcome. Having the avatar and the username on opposite sides of the screen doesn't sit well with me.

If we were in an elevator I'd be pushing all the buttons.

I notice we're in a default vBulletin style as well. Must be a server upgrade coming or tweaks to the format.

You asked for "a way to stop a 10m high wave coming at you". Do you have to stop it from coming at you or stop it from affecting you? As Cap'n and MolotovCocktail suggested you could build a barrier in front of you (I'd build a triangular wedge facing the wave with me behind it). It doesn't stop the wave from coming but it stops it from affecting you.

Bump! the Haiku Thread! A Spanish Inquisition that no one expects! Counting on fingers to get the syllables right; Digital poem!

If you're looking for someone to play Gilligan, I'm your man! Good to see you back, O desert flower!

System Colonization Immigration Examiners and Nomination Acceptance Requirements Agency (SCIENARA) to the rescue! We have a full range of tests and certifications to determine suitability for all applicants for off-world migration. From mega-corporations to plucky individuals, SCIENARA certification is your passport to other-worldly dreams! I have a business plan but I need exam criteria. How do we make sure the right people get the green light to be part of the colony? Would any group or type of person be automatically excluded from consideration (that's going to cause many problems)?