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Domain: xnewswire.com
Stories and comments across the archive that link to xnewswire.com.
Comments · 96
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Member-Owned CooperativeEvery time this comes up, that's my response. In my member owned coop, and by the way I live 25 miles from town, in Alaska, and I have excellent phone, DSL, even voicemail. And once a year I get the excess back in a check, after the services are improved. I believe we have between 2,000 and 5,000 members.
Why be a sucker and pay for some limp-weiners alimony and mid-life crises? Member-Owned Cooperative, Yeah baby!
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Re:Does anyone realize...How is this offtopic, when the poster is correct? I read about it here way back in January.
"Multiple penguin stories in one day: "A few penguins swimming leisurely at the San Francisco Zoo is nothing new. But dozens of them doing laps in unison for hours has zookeepers perplexed. "We've lost complete control," said Jane Tollini, the zoos penguin keeper. "It's a free-for-all in here. After 18 years of doing this job, these birds are making mincemeat of me." The six penguins from Ohio started it all, Tollini said, apparently convincing the others to join them for the watery daily circuit." Troublemakers.
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Re: earthquakes v. Tornadoes.I used to live in Oklahoma, and went through some tornadoes, one very close. I was on my way to our shelter, but stopped, transfixed, by the action of the storm. Whenever it got near a building I could see the stuff become part of the mass. I stayed outside and watched and caught hell from my mother when it was over. Now I live in Alaska, and we recently had a 7.9 quake not far from my home.
I'll take a quake any day, because at least when I run outside I don't have to be worried about getting sucked into the sky or hit by something flying through the air. Plus, as a geologist who knows where the faultlines are, I can pick a place to live where my risk is reduced. I also know the geology of Oklahoma, and know a quake there of far less magnitude will have far more severe consequences. However, I didn't chose where to live because of the environmental risks; it was just my dream to live in Alaska.
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Re:Not-so-junk yard warsThat depends on your definition of "junk".
I have built machines out of "junk", such as the sprocket and hydraulic drive from a discarded concrete truck, and got the steel from a scrapyard or recycling center for about $60/ton. Yes I used a lot of oxy/acetylene and welding rods.
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Re:What's that smell?I don't see where in my post I mentioned 'shares'. Or is that a take off of Mark Twain? No, I'm pretty sure I meant something I can carry and use, like gold coins and gemstones. Shares are useful as buttwipe and starting fires, but other than that I don't see the value. Kinda like printing your own money, if it isn't backed by anything but faith (as is the U.S. dollar) then the value is whatever you can convince others it is. And that's the reason wall st. tries so hard to convince people that buying stock is better than tangible assets.
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What's that smell?It's the stink of rotten deals on Wall Street, still thick in the air. New stories of other rotten deals are coming out all the time. No, thanks. I'll invest my time and money in something tangible, like precious metals.
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The Most Important partMaking a difference
"How can everyday citizens make a difference on this issue? Who can they contact, and what are their best options for protecting their privacy?"
Of course they can. In fact, they are the only ones who can. It's through pressure from constituents that folks like Sen. Wyden and Sen. Grassley get the message that they need to stand up to the Administration's excessive proposals and that they will have public support if they do. Put the pressure on and keep it on. And while using our activism engine is useful, don't stop there. Go visit your representatives, talk to them about it. And do the same for members of the Administration when you can.
I posted a few days ago about Getting Involved in the Political Process. This is yet another reason to get involved!
Man Gets 70mpg in Homemade Car-Made from a Mainframe Computer
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Or Borg Maturation ChamberI was thinking maybe they saw the Borg Maturation Chamber, and decided to take it one step further. Really it appears to just be another way to part suckers from their money.
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Re:Female-only procreationFemale-only procreation is still unimplemented.
Not for much longer, if you believe Cloneaid's 2 employees and the Raelians Cult: "Boisselier said the group's next endeavor is to construct the ''Babytron,'' an artificial womb."Suckers Lining Up For The "New Religion" Reading the article, I am amazed that people still put superstition over science.
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Here's a better link, without the crappy Flash
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Re:Ummm Yes, actually..."And frankly, it ain't your network. If you want to start up an "all the bandwidth you want for free" ISP, knock yourself out."
In our case, it is. It's a member-owned cooperative. I used to pay for someone else's Hummer and house with a pool, now I get a check back every year, and a vote in the management of the cooperative. I live 55 miles from the city and have excellent DSL service. And I must admit, I have downloaded plenty of Linux ISO's and 'other' big files, even had my "Internet Cafe" with 5 machines running off it, and never a complaint.
I'll say it again: Member Owned Cooperative.
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Ancient Gear-Still UsefulI'm typing this on an AST keyboard dated 1991. I've had wave keyboards and others, but this old AST, while clickety-clackiting, is solid enough to disable any intruders into my home.
Now, my question about the article is "Or a processor from two centuries past?" What kind of processor was available in 1803? Do we have another time traveler or Jules Verne (yes I know-ok X Files) deal here?
And the verticle keyboard has been around for some time now, and IMO, keyboards are little above toggle switches. I'm holding out for a direct neural link, a bioport, or even something we haven't even considered.
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Here's a wide range of portable and wristThey communicate to your pc. Dosimeters and other cool items
Man Gets 70mpg in Homemade Car-Made from a Mainframe Computer
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Nothing new hereWe used to buy our own regulators (for diving), because they were better than the ones the Army had for us. Likewise, we bought our own civilian sleeping bags, arctic underwear, boots, socks, calculators, etc. etc. Don't get me wrong, most military gear was, at the very least, overbuilt and dependable.
Man Gets 70mpg in Homemade Car-Made from a Mainframe Computer
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My Philosophy is......"It is Better to Ask Forgiveness, Than Permission."
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Here's the Real problem..."The trouble with most folks isn't so much their ignorance. It's know'n so many things that ain't so." -- A favorite quote of Richard A. Muller, by 19th century humorist Josh Billings.
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Unintended ConsequencesMy friend just bought a new Hp laptop and it had winxp on it. She kept getting out of memory messages, asked me for advise, and now she is a happy happy Linux user. Fortunately there is Sims for Linux now, so she is even happier. Sux that she had to pay the M$ tax, but it has a way of evening itself out.
Thank you M$
Man Gets 70mpg in Homemade Car-Made from a Mainframe Computer
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Bias or Scam?Scientific bias is a difficult thing to overcome. One must always treat hypotheses and theories as volatile, and not be married to any one maiden, no matter how attractive.
On the other hand, there is always the question of where the line is between bias and fraud. If you believe and the evidence is inconclusive, then you might be guilty of bias. If you make up 'evidence', especially if it is contrary to existing evidence, and then try to sell it (no matter if it is mineral exploration data, or cosmic data), then that is a whole nother kettle of fish.
The bottom line is this: If there are ET's, and they are advanced enough to avoid detection on any large or credible scale, then they are surely aware of our capabilities (including SOHO and
All this is just chatter to those who believe, and no evidence to the contrary will persuade them. Hundreds of millions of people worship gods that they cannot see, touch, or communicate with; others have turned this belief into a big, profitable business.
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Good TrainingWe used a laser system called MILES, which was actually pretty cool. It could sense a hit or near-hit, and like shooting at a tank with real ammo using an AK or M-16 does nothing, so too does the MILES system work. One time when I was playing the part of an infiltrator I 'killed' 40 infantrymen with just my dirty old AK.
The purpose of the game is to teach you about teamwork. If you try and run it like an UT fragfest, you'll get killed, just like usually happens in real life. The game would bore you to tears if it used the "Hurry Up And Wait" standard of military ops, as well as the BOHICA (Bend Over Here It Comes Again) when orders are changed. In real life it is very scary to operate for extended periods of time in hostile terrain, without support, but as a game it would no doubt be very boring. There's just no way to capture to lack of sleep, sand in your asscrack, bugs crawling over you which you cannot swat away or you'll be detected, or running into a damn yapping little dog at night in a hostile city.
In a related story: Front-line troops disproportionately white, not black
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It's their new strategyAs I wrote yesterday M$ new strategy?, it's their new strategy. And today I read this:
Why Microsoft was right about Linux
" Linux on Intel-based computers is now likely to become the dominant platform in corporate data centers, according to a recent report from investment bank Goldman Sachs. That puts even more pressure on Microsoft to persuade Unix users to stick with its Windows operating system on Intel systems rather than move to Linux. (That's no easy feat these days.) Indeed, if it fails to stop the groundswell, Microsoft may be forced to radically rethink its strategy as none of the company's server platform products now run on Linux. One scenario offered by analysts at First Boston has Microsoft switching gears and supporting Linux on key subsystems like Exchange and SQL Server and the
Computerized text bullying opening new chapter in student harassment Weird News
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Re:Call my cynical....I'm in a very heavily regulated field, too, exploration and mining. We deal with 16 state and federal agencies just to get exploration permits, but frequent writing to elected representatives, supporting friendly candidates during their election campaign, and testifying before committees has greatly facilitated the process, and helped us to get noticed. It's also helped to stifle, and even remove, the more petty bureaucrats.
There is no excuse for NOT getting involved in the political process, and I am talking about way more than just voting or dashing off an email. And when a right or freedom is taken away, those who participated little or not at all cannot bitch. See 'The Little Red Hen'.
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Just Say NoBut look at the bright side: you can sell it for 10% of what you paid for it and use the money to support the giant corporations. I've never bought a consol, and probably never will. Also I don't support McDonalds, Micro$oft, Ford, etc. etc., and don't need to impress anyone because I bought the newest thing.
Spend a few bucks on hardworking open-source projects, and screw the conglomerates. Buy a bike, go out on a date, exercise!
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M$ new strategy?From the article: "Not only that, an IBM employee I know personally gave me quite a rant about how I (and other journalists) ought to badger the people in Microsoft's booth unmercifully. "They're only here to tear down Linux," my IBM buddy said. "They hate Linux. They want to ruin us all. They don't belong here."
I read an article at Cnet that had an interview Peter Houston, one of the directors charged with leading the new strategy, shortly before he got on a plane to attend the opening of LinuxWorld.
Speaking of which, over at CNET.com, there's an article about Linux revenues: " "Three and a half billion dollars in revenue--not bad for a free operating system," said James Governor, an analyst at research firm Redmonk. "It is clear that there are real, high-dollar Linux transformations going on" as companies switch from more expensive technology to Linux systems."
Man Gets 70mpg in Homemade Car-Made from a Mainframe Computer
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Not destruction of the Earth" This is one example of how our society is breeding the destruction of mother earth"
That's a common misperception. While we may be able to make life difficult for humans and dogs, cockroaches and bacteria will survive.
For example: Water shortage forces court to pee in bushes
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Enfarcement?Another useless law-to-be.
I mean, really. It's illegal for kids to drink, smoke, and have sex, to name but a few. They are doing it anyway.
Ever notice that when something is criminalized, the people still get what they want, albeit at a premium, and other people turn it into a money-making opportunity.
People, quit screwing around and vote, and write your representatives!
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Dump Verizon...and all other ISP's that treat customers similarly. They were worried about dealing with possibly hundreds of suits, but what of the potential loss of thousands of customers? Might that threaten their bottom line? If service companies won't stand up for their customers against the RIAA nazis, then they aren't worth paying monthly fees to.
Then again, this looks like a publicity stunt by the RIAA et. al. Keep pissing people off, and see what happens.
Cops not amused at drunk hacker's smiley Weird News
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Original Article Link
This site had posted the original story back on 16 Jan. It's about a British Columbia pig farmer who murdered dozens, maybe more, women and fed them to his pigs. The pork producers are also trying to get the story quashed.
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Sounds like a typical /.erDisclaimer: The following post contains humor.
From the article: "The judge found him to be "stout and thick," with "exaggerated troll-like features" and very pale skin -- fitting for someone who lives underground." Ok, all you guys sitting there in your parents basement, are you more mole than human?
Also from the article: "In her chambers at the U.S. Court of International Trade, in New York, the judge examined Prof. X and the rest of his band of X-Men, all of them little plastic figures " 'Nuff said.
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We've had these for at least 2 yearsI work in mineral exploration, and we have had Trimble GPS/GIS systems as well as offerings from Compaq (which the Trimble works perfectly with) and others. The Trimble GPS receiver is just 5 ounces. The real-time data are displayed on the Compaq hand-held.
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"A full-page advertisement..."And little else. It's not really even news. Sure, there are UFO's. Does it mean they are spaceships piloted by intelligent beings? Not even remotely. I didn't see the pic posted to the site, except for the guy in the terrible suit.
Well, they need money now, if only to pay for the massive bandwidth and other problems due to their
Experts explain geometric formations found on Arctic plains Speaking of UFO's and crop circles.
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None for me, thanksIf you already have one of these Xboxes, then fine, do what you can with it. But I say why support microsoft? It's what you're doing when you buy one, or buy one of their games. When you finally get your xbox modded to your taste, microsoft will shut it down.
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Little Real EffectFrom the article: " GIE is alleging trespassing, breach of contract and violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. It is seeking at least $5,000 from Huckaby. The company also wants the judge to bar him from visiting PCT Online."
While the plaintiffs case may very well have merits, based on the TOS nearly every website has (and if not, there are still remedies), the fact remains that in this case, as in so many others I have seen, the ruling, if granted in favor of the plaintiffs (GIE, et. al.) will have little real effect. Everyone knows what happens when you feed the trolls. That is exactly what they thrive on. Further, the defendant (Huckaby) can stall the case for years, run up a huge bill for GIE, and still keep it up. If he is not in violation of any criminal statutes, then he can pretty much keep trolling, and there is little the Courts can do.
It is, then, a question of technology.
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Another articleIs here at space.com and it has details and illustrations. For example: "NASA spokesman, Don Savage, said that the Los Angeles Times story misstated some elements of what O'Keefe discussed regarding the agency's Nuclear Space Initiative (NSI). NASA formally requested the newspaper for clarification of several points in the story that could be misconstrued, he said.
NASA spokesman Glenn Mahone acknowledged that O'Keefe did talk generally about the upcoming State of the Union but did not make a prediction that Bush would use it to make any NASA-related announcements."
So don't start packing your bags, yet. There is also the question of how to keep the people making the journey alive and healthy. Even on relatively short space missions, there is a significant (~20%) muscle loss, and measurable bone loss.
I hope it works.
Man Gets 70mpg in Homemade Car-Made from a Mainframe Computer
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Ever Try 'Postini'?" So far today is a slow spam day for me. Only 81 spam, but its only 9:30."
Since my ISP started using Postini I only get one or two, and as soon as they catch one the rest of the same type are blocked. I can still log into the message center where the suspicious messages are held, and review them just in case. I'd never heard of it before then, and have no interest in the company other than paying
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It doesn't matterDespite all the hoopla, the fact is it won't affect the military bombs.
From the Phrack text: "This device will have no effect on the precise positioning service (PPS) which is transmitted on the GPS L2 frequency of 1227.6 MHz and little effect on the P-code which is also carried on the L1 frequency. There may be a problem if your particular GPS receiver needs to acquire the P(Y)-code through the C/A-code before proper operation. This device will also not work against the new upcoming GPS L5 frequency of 1176.45 MHz or the Russian GLONASS or European Galileo systems. It can be adapted to jam the new civilian C/A-code signal which is going to also be transmitted on the GPS L2 frequency."
Also, there are other ways to deliver munitions. And there are other ways to jam munitions.
Man Gets 70mpg in Homemade Car-Made from a Mainframe Computer
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Bad /.ingHere's the first page, anyway:
Roomba Internals : Nosce Your Bot : 2003-01-10 by Jake Luck & John Ioannidis Internal Components
With the top cover removed, we now have access to the main motherboard and various sensors and control cables.
Here is a closer look of the internal components. Note the interesting 4 pin port (labled in green) that was not used. Perhaps it is a diagnostic/programming interface?
To hot wire the robot to start without the top panel controls, we examined its interface circuitry. [That's all I got]
Man Gets 70mpg in Homemade Car-Made from a Mainframe Computer
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I have the best mobile OSIt's my brain.
I was thinking, if you need a computer or embedded windows OS to open your trunk, then maybe, just maybe you should consider giving up driving. I own a 4WD truck that was manufactured in 1977. Sure, I have to actually get out of the vehicle to lock in the hubs (if I forgot), and *gasp* I actually don't have a remote for my stereo, but instead have "knobs". And, prepare yourself, I actually have a crank for the windows.
I use my truck in off-road as well as not-off-road work. (Mineral exploration). It has been submerged completely (once in mud) several times, frozen for most of 4 years, attacked by gnawing ground squirrels, and shot at numerous times (but only hit once). I could go to the dealer and pay cash for a new one, but I won't. I reject consumerism for the sake of consumerism. I feel no need to impress anyone, do not require peer validation, and don't give a rusty rats ass what anyone else thinks about me.
But, there is also the practicle side: I've never had to reboot the truck. Despite being submerged, its primary systems are intact and ruggedly dependable. It doesn't matter if it gets scratched or dented, because its made of metal (ask your parents what that is), and I can drive from here to Tierra Del Fuego and know I can find parts, cheaply, and do the work myself. And yet, in other areas I apply the latest scientific advances.
Man Gets 70mpg in Homemade Car-Made from a Mainframe Computer
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This is what it's all aboutLessig writes "More importantly, there is a political campaign that must now be waged.
That is the power we have, a power that is woefully un-utilised. Look at the power slashdotting has over websites that are unprepared. Imagine if that were translated into letters to representatives, letters to the editors, and dare I say it, votes. 'If we don't hang together, we shall surely hang seperately.'
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Cool? Yes, but when?From the second article: "For the time being, the communication technique is limited to ultrasonic communication - the electronics necessary for exploiting scatterers with wide-band time-reversal antennas at cell phone frequencies simply don't yet exist. But when they are developed, the buildings that currently hamper wireless communication will become a cell phone user's boon.
There's the bullet: "...Simply don't yet exist"
At least as it is, the plan doesn't call for more clutter. Most cities are ugly enough as they are.
Official North Korea Website Site Still Sucks, and Uses Macromedia Fireworks 3.0
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Not so fastWhile this is good news, it's not gone through the appeal yet; ""If my order doesn't get stayed or reversed (on appeal), it's going to get done," Motz said. Well, that's stating the obvious.
Microsoft lawyers may be able to either stall it, get it reviewed, or even get it overturned. That's the way the law works. Likewise, there may be other avenues outside of the Courts that Microsoft may take.
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Move the site, and fight it.Hand off the main name to someone else and register in Tuvalu or somewhere outside the U.S. Oh, and fight it. Just getting a letter from a lawyer does not a victory make. As users of PCI, we have rights also, and we also have strength in numbers.
Man Gets 70mpg in Homemade Car-Made from a Mainframe Computer
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Civil or CriminalDisclaimer: I am not a practicing lawyer.
While it may be 'criminal' to decieve people in this manner, it does not necessarily mean it is 'illegal'. If there are no laws against it, then quite simply it is not 'illegal', at least from a criminal case standpoint.
However, the test for civil case is very different. As a user, do we, as a class, have a valid claim against Real et. al.? Perhaps. One possibility is for the lost time and service (internet service, for example), caused by spam originating from the real software. Can it be considered deliberate? Certainly. Malicious? That would be much harder to prove.
One thing I have learned is often, companies will settle rather than risk nasty, unintended disclosures through discovery proceedings.
If enough people are serious, then lets turn the tid and take back out rights, or at least place fear in the boardrooms of corporations who would herd consumers about like sheep. I'm up for some Pro Bono work.
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Extending the AnalogyStimulating article, if a bit short. However, and not to try and sharpshoot him, but I feel there is one inportant part missing. He writes: "Look at it this way: A mechanic who checks your brakes is acting to ensure the correct functioning of a system essential to your security.
To which I would add: I regularly check my brake fluids (and other stuff). However, most people I have seen who are not pilots don't even do a walk-around of their vehicles, they just jump in and go. Certainly I am not proposing each user become a "mechanic", but some basic training would go a long way.
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Wardriving taken to a whole new levelLiterally.
Joking aside, this is a good start. My question: Can the aircraft so equipped serve as relays?
Best news: "Connexion by Boeing faces competition from other companies, including Tenzing Communications Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc., which are pushing their own narrowband onboard systems. Competition sure is sweet.
Man Gets 70mpg in Homemade Car-Made from a Mainframe Computer
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Other usesThe ballon could be tethered and used as a relay for wireless net connection. Anybody tried this? Seems like it would overcome some line of sight restrictions. Only limits would be power and cables. Or maybe I am just blabbing away. (I'm not suggesting an 80,000 foot tether).
Man Gets 70mpg in Homemade Car-Made from a Mainframe Computer
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Is Kling the Sphincter?"Arnold Kling, in his article, Content is Crap, writes, snip.
Then does this mean that the drivel he produces is to be flushed down the toilet? Arnold Kling is a nobody trying to be a somebody by stirring up controversy, rather than contributing or creating something new. If content is crap then is he the sphincter?
And trying to filter it out by blogs? Spare me.
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How arrogantMan, that is some arrogance: "They say governments involved will be invited to Redmond to meet w/ security engineers, and view testing procedures. Countries will also be able to incorporate their own encryption schemes 'based on Microsoft's software'."
So, Microsoft need not be bothered going to your country, just send some folks round and we'll give them the hundred ruble tour. When it's over you can use our software, " to help governments and agencies such as Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization improve computer security". How, by installing Linux?
Best part is that Microsoft is feeling the heat, which must be, by the laws of thermodynamics, a good thing for Linux. And maybe even for Microsoft users.
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No Hacking Around!From the description: " The goal of this project is to study human behavior in repeated games, and to find and document the best algorithms available. The goal is not to probe for weaknesses in the Linux operating system. Each participant has permissions to read, write and execute in your own directory (and any subdirectories of it.) You do not have permissions to read, write or execute programs in any other directory on the host computer. Any attempt to read or write from directories to which you do not have privileges will be considered an act of bad faith, and your algorithm will be disqualified from further competition in the tournament. http://turing.ssel.caltech.edu/node19.html
Well! Never mind, then.
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Always room for these games"Is Snood part of a series of tiny puzzley games, like Tetris and Bejeweled, that can still do well in a world of Counterstrikes and Unreal Tournaments?"
Short answer: Most Definately
I've found older people and kids, especially, love Frozen Bubble (in Linux), as well as Tetris, Minesweeper, Tux Racer, etc. There will always be a place for these games. And don't just do it on the hope of making a mint: do it for the challenge, the thrill, the exposure, or even the vanity.
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51% speed-up!An excellent, detailed article. For those in a hurry:
"Conclusion
Intel Xeon Hyper-Threading is definitely having a positive impact on Linux kernel and multithreaded applications. The speed-up from Hyper-Threading could be as high as 30% in stock kernel 2.4.19, to 51% in kernel 2.5.32 due to drastic changes in the scheduler run queue's support and Hyper-Threading awareness."My questions: What's the downside? Is AMD doing anything similar?