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You just go on rejecting genetic enhancement, cyborg implants and the like while the rest of us go on to transform ourselves. And may the best species win.

Don't you mean "puffed"?

There's a problem with the girls here on Earth
They stopped acting dizzy wearing miniskirts
Seems like everything wild is in distaste
Gotta get my band off in outer, outerspace

It can't come too soon,
Someone always has to break the rules,
Like a rock n roll cartoon,
First Band on the Moon!

- Motley Crue, "First Band on the Moon", 1999.

Dune II: Battle for Arrakis - Released 1992

Herzog Zwei - Released 1990

I believe Herzog is the oldest RTS game out there. I could be wrong, though...

I had a good laugh at your comment on Grenada, because a friend of mine's uncle was there. He said he was one of the guys who came in on cargo planes to secure the airport. It came down from on high that his ranger unit was ordered to roar out of said cargo plane on freakin' motorcycles at the same moment the ramp touched down--to be more dramatic, not for any tactical reason. Reasoning just out of the movies and typical of Reagan. Anyway, he broke his ankle when another biker smacked into him leading to a four or five motorcycle pile-up. Secured the airfield without any real difficulty, well past the motorcycle pile-up anyway. Hell Grenada was secured without any real difficulty; we had 19 KIA while they had about 40, everybody cheered when they saw an american soldier. Didn't find shit for weapons either, not that the people of Grenada were really interested in picking up a gun for communism anyway. You can read a little about it here, although they've got him listed as breaking his leg, not his ankle.

ritual suicide

The following is my obligatory OT post for the week:

Better known as Hari-kari or in formal language Seppuku as I understand it from the book Shogun.:)
Interesting link here: Seppuku -Ritual Suicide

you must have been hanging around my time. Punch Cards, Paper Tape and Slide Rules

No, I don't know that Atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.

http://www.fortunecity.com/skyscraper/true/882/SS_ Shredder/SS_PGPWipe.htm

There is no direct Internet in North Korea except for one, tiny cybercafe that costs around a years salary for three minutes and is open to foreigners only.. A person I know who travels regularly to North Korea tells me that effectively there is no Internet in North Korea. The colleges have an 'intranet' of sorts, but it is not connected to the outside world. There are no sites in the world that use North Korea's Internet domain.. Read The Official Propaganda In The DPRK: Ideas And Methods and The Repressive System And The Political Control In North Korea

As has been mentioned elsewhere, if you're going to record LPs on your computer you have to pipe your record player's outputs through a phono preamp. You can use an old stereo with a phono input or a discrete phono preamp.

I've been looking into making a discrete preamp for a while. There are many circuits available on the web, some more complicated and some more simple.

My first try is going to be the second one on this page. Interesting note: It looks like maxim thought it was good enough to copy in their application note.

> Is Troy McClure available?

Sadly, no. Phil Hartman, who did Troy's voice, was shot to death by his wife in 1998. :(

Use JAD. It's the best one for Java. If you want a decent GUI front end, get DJ Java Decompiler.

It's even more cool when you realise that to locate its prey, the sharks sensors have to somehow filter out (in real time)electrical signals it makes itself ( e.g. nerve impulses from muscle movement) as it swims to be able to locate signals as low as a five-billionth of a volt.

I remembered the missing slot. It was:
8:00am -> 9:00am: Fat Albert (Bill Cosby's voice)

Also, Friday night's lineup included Bill Bixby as The Incredible Hulk. And in the early 1970s, one of the first shows I remember watching regularly with my friends was Darren McGavin in Kolchak: The Night Stalker. We were absolute rabid fans of that one. Remembering some of those shows still scares me today... Those are truly some classics of a bygone era.

Just curious, but what is the proposed mechanism of action for "colloidal silver" acting as an antimicrobial that doesn't affect human tissue?

And, as for your comment about the FDA and the pharmaceutical companies being against its use, I hope you don't propose a conspiracy encompassing the entire medical community. I know that there are many, many, many doctors and researchers who would love for their to be an antiviral "magic bullet".

Just curious, but what is the proposed mechanism of action for "colloidal silver" acting as an antimicrobial that doesn't affect human tissue?

And, as for your comment about the FDA and the pharmaceutical companies being against its use, I hope you don't propose a conspiracy encompassing the entire medical community. I know that there are many, many, many doctors and researchers who would love for their to be an antiviral "magic bullet".

cool, but I always like the Captain America theme

• Here's Mr. McGuire. And here's Mr. Wheaton. Fair resemblence, eh?
• Both actors are about 30, but can easily play 20.
• Wil Wheaton is the only male cast member from ST:TNG who could still wear a lycra suit without a corset.
• SOMEONE who posts on /. should get a chance to nail Kirsten Dunst. It's only fair.

I know that as of 2001, the world's record for the most retakes of a particular scene was held by Stanley Kubrick -- 160 retakes of one scene in The Shining. If car commercial film retakes count for this as well, these guys have set a new world record by far!

Cowboy Neal is doing well today. Earlier his spam story is a dupe, now this one where he kills a site before there'sa "FIRST POST".

Slashdot needs 1) dupe detection (or at least marking,
2) some way to mirror low-bandwidth sites (give a veto to the owner)
3) spellcheck on submissions (ESPECIALLY for the editors)

A portable NES emulator is still pretty cool, though. It'd be nice to be able to crank up Mike Tyson's Punch Out to alleviate a little bit of aggression when sitting in a traffic jam

So it's a portable NES you want, is it?

Pick up one of those (and dont forget a JAP->US adapter while you're at it). I got one, and it's really pretty damn cool for a 'bootleg' famicom.

(aside)PunchOut is one of those screwy titles to emulate. There are weird glitches with it in pretty much every emu I've used (/aside)

Hear, hear. My wife and I saw this just after moving into our first apartment. It was Memorial Day weekend 1991, and it was around 104F in the shade, humid as hell, and our A/C didn't work when we moved in. All morning and all afternoon. I still can't figure out why my friends who helped us that day still take my calls.

Anyway, we went and sat in the blissfully chilly theater and saw Hudson Hawk because we generally liked Bruce Willis, and the commercials looked funny. Maybe it was just heatstroke, but we laughed until our sides actually hurt. I think I just completely lost it after the whole "Bunny? Ball-ball!" gag with the dog and the bazooka (?). I was howling.

And you know what? I bought the DVD when it came out, and there's probably not a single person I know who hasn't asked, "Why would you buy that?" when they see it on my shelf. Then I lend it to them, and without exception every person to whom I've lent it loved it. Don't get me wrong, Citizen Kane it ain't (I own that too), but it's a hellagood larf.

No doubt.
I think someone should have a cron job that automatically submits stories about dumb patents, Microsoft security vulnerabilities, and case mods every week. You can further enhance this system by automatically having it post *those really redundant and lame* 'In Soviet Russia', 'In other news...', and BSOD jokes. Throw in a few clever ELIZA generated trolls and 'I know I am going to get modded down for this...' posts and you could sell rubber neeeples and rule the world!

At some point you need someone who can say, "This is shit." (Insert witty story about how this phrase becomes, "This product will aid growth and guarantee success in the market")

Copy located at http://www.fortunecity.com/campus/books/845/shitha p.htm

How shit happens

In the Beginning was the plan.
And then came the assumptions.
And the assumptions were without form.
And the plan was completely without substance.
And the darkness was upon the face of the workers. And they spoke among themselves saying: "It is a crock of sh_t, and it stinketh."

And the workers went unto their supervisors, and sayeth: "It is a pail of dung, and none can abide the odor Thereof"

And the supervisors went unto their managers and sayeth unto them, "It is a container of excrement, and it is very strong, Such that none can abide it."

And the managers went unto the directors and sayeth, "It is a vessel of fertilizer, and none can abide its strength." And the directors spoke amongst themselves, saying one to another: "It contains that which aids plant growth, and is very strong."

And the directors went unto the vice presidents and sayeth to them, "It promotes growth, and is very powerful."

And the vice presidents went unto the president, and sayeth unto him, "This new plan will actively promote growth and efficiency of this company, and certain areas in particular."

And the president looked upon the plan, and saw that it was good.
And the plan became policy.
And this is how shit happens.

I'll take it off your hands if you give me US$50 + postage..

Has yours been refitted so the hinges don't crack/pcmcia cards work/catch on fire/display these problems?

Seriously, I have been offered 5300s many times, and won't touch them with a 10ft pole..

That's when they're not treating us like thieves.

the freaks on the Right would rather die than see the Right to Bear Arms/Freedom of Religion touched.

are you kidding? "freaks on the right" sticking up for freedom of religion? I assume you mean freaks like George Bush.
"Bush: No, I don't know that Atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God." how's that for freedom of religion.

and don't even get me started on "freaks on the right" like jerry falwell, rush limbaugh, etc, getting all up in arms any time a nonchristian religion is threatened in any way. The right goes for thier own self interest. I'm not saying they shouldn't, but they certainly don't go out of their way to help anyone else out. And when their religion is that of the majority, they're certainly not gonna stick up for anyone ELSE's freedom of religion.

I'll tell my young self about High School, college, being a virgin at my current age, living with parents, unemployment, George W. Bush... and a comedy "Seppuku" option.

I wonder how long after the build it, that someone will build a solar sail craft.. It's not a hard concept..

I created an alternative keyboard idea back in April of 2001.
I haven't had much success but maybe my idea can give others some inspiration
Since then, I had an idea for an improved layout, but I haven't done much with it...
http://www.geocities.com/e2e2e2e2e/


mirror:
http://members.fortunecity.com/2e2e2e2e/

Steven Shultz
Bellingham, WA

We seem to suffer from a surfeit of fat Army types and bad-ass bikers with moustaches. Even worse, we now get that tart Lisa Rogers instead of the thinking geek's crumpet Cathy Rogers who has buggered off over the pond :-(

I suspect that it stands up well over time because they avoided much that would date the show, while still getting in cute references.

There's even a reference that I only noticed recently. The two body snatchers (in the British pilot, at least) are obviously based on the infamous historical body snatchers Burke and Hare (Interesting story).

Buffy game - great for about 7-8 hours, then once it's beaten, it's done.

Buffy game? Bah.
Buffy boob! Yay!

Damn, MS need to rethink what they're focusing on to sell better. Literally. :-)

Wait until Coke/Pepsi have cd's attached to the can with a horrible game on them.

Pepsi already did this in Japan. They released a game based on their Pepsiman spokesperson.

DRINK!

...but I have to admit that the pranksters have a lot of creativity and talent. Some crop circles out there look downright cool.

Heck, when I first read the headline I thought a new version of MOO had come out.

Umm, MOO stands for Master of Orion in the minds of thousands of times more people than MOO stands for MUD Object Oriented.

But what about Wolverine, the muscular X-Man with the metal claws that jut out from his fists? Wolverine has known many forms in his more than 40 years as a Marvel character.

Huh?
Wolverine's first appearance was in Hulk 180, in 1974. He wasn't an X-man yet. That didn't happen till X-men #94/Giant Size X-Men #1....And that was in 1975.
So....
2003
-1975
------
>40

WTF?!?

Bah. Wolverine was cool way back in the day... Fighting the Brood, fighting the Sentinels, Fighting the Dire Wraiths, fighting various and sundry ninjas...
But then...Then the 90s happened. All comic books went to HELL! (The Demon, which was already in Hell, stayed quite funny and entertaining) They stopped being about a great story with cool pictures and started being pinup books with pretty pictures and no story. Then - in an attempt to gain some story back, they try and be "edgy" and hip....and basically ruin comics.

At least Hugh Jackman does a good "old school" Wolverine in the movie.
"You actually go out in public like this?"
Cyclops: "You'd rather have yellow spandex?"

For Poul Anderson, check out his "Time Patrol" series and "Boat of a Million Years".

For Charles Sheffield, his "Proteus" series is a definite must.

PJF: "Riverworld" series.

Resnick: "Widomaker" series.

Yep, but now that is irrevelent. Microsoft has combined their code bases for home and business OS's into XP (or so they claim). The Windows95 track is dead, NT is dead. The hybrid OS that would serve both business server needs and home user gaming needs that was promised to us in MS timelines in 1993 is finally here with XP. Or so they say. Apparently not?

You got that right! :)

The problem is, although Windows 95/98 and Windows NT (as an add-in for NT 3.51, and integral in NT 4) share a similar UI, the Win32 API that each platform supported was markedly different. Windows 9x lacked the security APIs and (for a long time) OpenGL, whilst NT did not have the direct hardware access that Windows 9x could fall back on. Also, the hardware driver architechture was completely different between the two.

This was one of the problems that caused the release of what would become Windows 2000 to be pushed back - the new Windows needed to support the features and idiocyncrasies of both platforms, in order to support the *applications* that were being used on either platform. This was the crucial part - it didn't matter how technically superior the new Windows was, if the customer's existing applications wouldn't run properly then it would sink, and quite possibly take Microsoft with it. (Remember, Windows 2000 was the *only* option at this point, there was no Plan B waiting in the wings).

Some links for your further enlightenment :

Microsoft Windows History
Another potted history of Windows (warning - pop-ups lurking here!)
The official word on the name-change to Windows 2000, from Microsoft PressPass
An article on the historical links between Windows NT and VMS (They're more related than you think!)
'Why Windows NT 5.0 Will Make the World a Better Place', written in September 1997(!) by Jesse Berst for ZDNet Anchordesk. Gives a run-down of the feature list at that time, and also gives a figure of how long NT 5.0 had been in development at that point.
'New Windows could solve age-old puzzle', courtesy of News.com - a write-up of the (in)famous Cairo project, and where it fits into the Windows story.

Food for thought, I thing you'll agree.

So does this work in reverse? Can I type of a walk I see some place and get an interesting algorithm?

I'd be curios to see what kind of algorithm I'd get by entering Funky Walker Dirty Talker's steps.

I'll admit Ray Harryhausen is a legend in the animation business, and Tom Baker (the best Doctor Who of all time) playing the villian was a huge bonus. And I don't so much mind these references to Black Magic, demons, incantation and the like. Not to mention belly dancing...

But this Allah stuff? It wouldn't be prudent for them to grow up without a rabid xenophobic view of everyone else's beliefs.

With the resurgance of nationalism, I should be able to find something that shows Arabs as Godless heathen terrorists. Any American "action film" should do, unless they've been digitally editing stuff out, like in Back to the Future.

It's satire, for crying out loud!

The last thing we need is a bunch of RF Weapon-armed super-secret flights that can blend in with the newly-allowed "cargo flights"...I mean, can anyone find anything in DoD documents ever even suggesting UAVs would be useful for CARGO????

Good old Lester Thurow. (Or, as others came to call him "Less-than Thorough").

The zero-sum economy is one of those wonderful humanist myths. It comes from the same scientific fatalism that attempts to make every person just a cog in a machine, without any independent choice. (Ergo, the wise, all-knowing leaders who somehow are above this limitation can make the decisions we can't make for ourselves)

Think about it: an economy depends on a collection of individual choices. If enough people refuse to work, or refuse to work as hard as another group, then of course the economy will have trouble. If the government siphons personal effort into non-productive areas, then of course that economony will be strained a little more. But, if everyone works hard, even though they might be "stealing" jobs from one another, the end result is a much more healthy economy than if everyone is carefully protected in whatever mediocre position. It's not rocket science.

In fact, it seems history has proven that the more you limit individual choice, the more you limit your economy. Interestingly, this seems to compare well with work in distributed "swarming" algorithms, etc... in the computer world: you can't absolutely predict the outcome, but it is possible for a swarm of automonous units to do things that could not be accomplished with the old-fashioned 'top-down' approach. (Read Michael Crichton's "Prey", for a good intro to these concepts.).

Thurow isn't the first economist to be a negative boo-hooer. There have always been experts crying that the end is near. Thomas Malthus, back in the 18th century, predicted that within a few decades the world would no longer be able to sustain economic growth, and massive starvation/anarchy/whatever would occur.

These people have all failed to see that through hard work and ingenuity, human beings have consistently managed to do more with less. And, willingness of individuals to work hard, while sometimes affecting others in negative ways, temporarily, has an overall effect of lifting the total economy. Take three people living on an acre of land. If all three till the ground and grow vegetables, they will be much better off than if only one does. If you force the most successful vegetable grower to stop until the others catch up, then the net result is...less vegetables. It's not rocket science.

Anyway, for more than 200 years, Americans have experienced an economic freedom that was unheard of anywhere in the world. For this reason, of course, tough-minded individuals who didn't mind taking their chances emigrated from all over the world to the U.S. I'm not trying to paint a completely rosy picture. Of course there was repression, but that always involved *restricting* personal choice. If we had not repressed women or certain ethnic groups, I am convinced America would be even richer now. But I believe the end result was undeniable: freedom produces more wealth than restriction.

Most of the posts I see for fav games are for Mario Bros 99999 & Shooting Guy in 3-D: the Extreme Bloody version.

I remember truly addicting games like Tetris (how many of you had nightmares about this?), Neuromancer for the C64 and Herzog Zwei for Sega Genesis (the best two person wargame EVER on 16-bit)

or confusing someone for others with the same name.
Yes, very good advice.

For anyone wondering, I AM NOT a teen-aged Canadian actor... and if I get one more e-mail or IM from an 11 year-old kid who wants to tell me how great I am, I may just loose my mind.

And you people think spam is bad...

No, the Enterprise "D" was destroyed in 2372 by a Klingon Bird of Prey under the command of the Duras sisters. Don't you know anything? :) (I don't get many chances to out-geek anyone.)

OK, if you want to be hypertechnical, according to William Shatner in that oh-so-tragic SNL episode the whole Star Trek thing is make-believe. Many of us suspect that he is still under the control of the mind-control device in Episode #37.

I loved this scene:

Quark: "I want you to try something for me. Take a sip of this."
Garak: "What is it?"
Quark: "A Human drink, it's called Root Beer."
Garak: "Ahh, I don't know....."
Quark: "Come on....Aren't you in the least bit curious?"
Quark: "..........What d'you think?"
Garak: "It's vile!"
Quark: "I know. It's so bubbly and cloy, and happy."
Garak: "Just like the Federation....."
Quark: "But do you know what's really frightening? If you drink enough of it you begin to like it...."
Garak: "....It's insidious...."
Quark: "....Just like the Federation."

I run a kite site and am fanatical about the sport, so i should hope to have a little authority on the subject. While i haven't done any KAP myself, i've read extensively on the subject. There are some amazing photos coming back from people lofting cameras on their kites. There is also some interesting tech going into the works too. I've seem plans for radio controlled microcontrollers that will depress the camera trigger, hold it till a beep for the camera to focus, then press the trigger harder to take the photo. There are setups using small video cameras and transmitters that allow the user to see what he's about to take a photo of. There are a bunch of pan-rotate-zoom setups using servos and the like. It's mostly R/C tech, but still quite cool.

My fav site for KAP is here.
My website (in sig) doesn't have much for KAP resources, but it is useful to look at to see some of the other spiffy stuff.

By the way, the kite obelisk folks are still at it, planning an even bigger lift, and with period materials. Should be exciting, but I don't have the full scoop, they are keeping it quiet until they pull it off.