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USB Menorah

Fiver-rah writes "There's USB Christmas trees; lame acrylic things with LED lights that are powered by your computer. It's an amusing idea, but it doesn't really take advantage of being attached to a computer. Enter the USB Menorah. It can correctly calculate the dates of Hannukah for at least the next few thousand years (or any historical date back to 2 B.C.E.). As well as 'lighting' the candles based on when the sunsets (I set the default geography for San Francisco/Berkeley, but you can enter any latitude/longitude and (assuming you don't live too close to the arctic circle) it will be correct to within a few minutes. Furthermore, the shamas (candle you use to light the other candles) can blink out any morse-code message you want--it'll convert the words to morse code for you! And you can even put it into Kwanzaa mode! Each candle can take three different colors (Red, Green & Yellow), allowing you to do some animation. Software is a GPL command line program for Mac OS X. Basically only the USB communication stuff needs to be ported for other OS's. Delcom (the manufacturer of the USB interface chip) supplies drivers for Windows, and a few people have written Linux drivers, so it wouldn't be too hard for a motivated individual."

254 comments

  1. Saddam would love one of these by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    +5 Confusing

    1. Re:Saddam would love one of these by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Remember: the tinfoil hat only works if you put the shiny side of the foil on the OUTSIDE.

      HTH!

    2. Re:Saddam would love one of these by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      How do you ignore it when it is front page news that Saddam was held by Kurdish forces, drugged and left for US troops.

      The previous AC poster is right you need to loosen your tinhat.

    3. Re:Saddam would love one of these by gantrep · · Score: 0, Informative
    4. Re:Saddam would love one of these by superyooser · · Score: 1

      He already has a menorah. In his palace.

  2. uh.. by xrn0id · · Score: 1

    nice idea, but I think the plastic look isnt to attractive.

    --
    -------- Could we (as a /. whole) be considered a DDoS attack? Think about it.
    1. Re:uh.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, some stone, hardwood, stainless, wrought iron, aluminum, silver, gold, platinum & cultivated diamond options would be nice.

      Maybe someone can make versions with torch flames in farious colors too!

  3. USB toothbrush by fabio · · Score: 5, Funny

    i saw a usb powered toothbrush at some obscure japanes page, are there anything YOU cant power with usb?

    --
    *resistance is futile, or fuzzy, i dunno*
    1. Re:USB toothbrush by Savatte · · Score: 3, Funny

      how about a USB-powered UPS battery

    2. Re:USB toothbrush by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You laugh, but I power my entire home with USB connections. USB lamps, duplex outlets, etc. Everything except for the heating/ac (which runs on a firewire) is USB. The whole kit-n-kaboodle is daisy-chained into my old Powerbook (Pismo) with 128 megs of RAM and one huge-ass battery. Whole thing's running better since Panther, BTW.

    3. Re:USB toothbrush by alangmead · · Score: 2, Informative

      anything YOU cant power with usb

      Yes, anything needing more than 500mA of power.
    4. Re:USB toothbrush by donkeyoverlord · · Score: 1

      How about a USB powered back massager for the girlfriend...

    5. Re:USB toothbrush by Refrag · · Score: 1

      Yes, a hard drive.

      --
      I have a website. It's about Macs.
    6. Re:USB toothbrush by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      She'll never have sex with you if you keep looking for machines to do your job for you.

    7. Re:USB toothbrush by broken · · Score: 3, Funny

      You mean like this one? (link NSFW)

    8. Re:USB toothbrush by Guppy06 · · Score: 1

      "i saw a usb powered toothbrush at some obscure japanes page,"

      Any USB-powered Hello Kitty "personal massagers?"

    9. Re:USB toothbrush by JeffSh · · Score: 1

      not true, i have a 40 GB laptop hard drive that connects and runs over USB 2.0 in a mini portable enclosure.

    10. Re:USB toothbrush by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Or 100mA for non-powered hubs.

    11. Re:USB toothbrush by djupedal · · Score: 1

      are there anything YOU cant power with usb?

      Yes, you can't power anything that needs more than the lame 5 volts USB makes available.

      Give me Firewire w/12 volts any day.

    12. Re:USB toothbrush by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      From the link:

      My boyfriend bought me this vibe and I really didn't think it would be up to much!
      I was so surprised when we plugged it into my laptop. It's great! The different vibration settings mean I can change the buzz it gives my button in a flash. The heavy pulse of one pattern actually gave me a huge orgasm before my boyfriend could get in me! I swear I could feel it even in my nipples. The patterns are very varied and really excellent. I love it and he does too.

      Best......geek....toy...e.e.e..eeeeeeevveerr!! ooh.

    13. Re:USB toothbrush by Captain+Nitpick · · Score: 3, Informative
      Yes, anything needing more than 500mA of power.

      Amps are for measuring current. You want watts.

      Given that USB's power is at 5V DC, that comes out to 2.5W of power.

      --
      But then again, I could be wrong.
    14. Re:USB toothbrush by SEE · · Score: 2, Funny

      Hello Kitty? No. But the Matrix Vibe is available . . .

    15. Re:USB toothbrush by cuban321 · · Score: 1

      The computer itself!

    16. Re:USB toothbrush by Reece400 · · Score: 1

      what if you plugged it into TWO usb ports! or ever 5!! :D,,

      bwahahaha... or maybe not

      Reece,

    17. Re:USB toothbrush by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      wrong. use a wall wart. USB still makes a delightful connection for high speed, high powered devices. (better than parallel or serial)

    18. Re:USB toothbrush by Captain+Nitpick · · Score: 1
      wrong. use a wall wart. USB still makes a delightful connection for high speed, high powered devices. (better than parallel or serial)

      Which misses the point about powering things from USB entirely.

      --
      But then again, I could be wrong.
    19. Re:USB toothbrush by Lispy · · Score: 1

      Finally a xmas present for my girlfriend.
      You saved my life.

      cu,
      Lispy

    20. Re:USB toothbrush by Sepper · · Score: 1

      There's this one but it's not USB-powered

      --
      I live in Soviet Canuckistan you insensitive clod!
  4. Judging from the pictures.... by trotski · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ... they need an industrial designer to make a candle stick shaped body for these suckers. A bunch of LED lights on a bread board a minorah do not make.

    Couse what do I know, I'm not Jewish.

    --

    "Entropy is the bad-guy, and he is everywhere"
    1. Re:Judging from the pictures.... by Savatte · · Score: 3, Informative

      as long as all 8 candles are at the same elevation, and the Shamash (the candle you use to light the others is higher), it's all kosher.

    2. Re:Judging from the pictures.... by cliffy2000 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Well, LEDs on a menorah could very well suffice, depending on the circumstances.
      I mean, the lighting of the candles might be awkward, but it certainly can be done. Judaism is not really so much of a methodical religion as much as it is a spiritual one.
      Of course, what do I know? I'm a very bad Jew.

    3. Re:Judging from the pictures.... by Monkelectric · · Score: 1

      My thoughts exactly. He could make his own with plastic resin (avaliable at most hobby shops). Then of course the problem would be making a Minorah mold -- which now that I think about it really is a problem :D

      --

      Religion is a gateway psychosis. -- Dave Foley

    4. Re:Judging from the pictures.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not Jewish?

      If you only knew what I know!

    5. Re:Judging from the pictures.... by Otter · · Score: 3, Informative
      I think it's that the candles need to be in a straight line at the same elevation with the shamash out of line in any axis. But, yes, you're essentially right.

      The key word is candles, though, or preferably olive oil. LED's don't count as fire even for prohibitions against lighting fires on the sabbath or similar things and are certainly subotimal for candles.

    6. Re:Judging from the pictures.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      The key word is candles, though, or preferably olive oil. LED's don't count as fire even for prohibitions against lighting fires on the sabbath or similar things and are certainly subotimal for candles.


      Are you sure? Orthodox jews will not turn on electric lights on the sabbath, and surely you've seen the menorahs with the little light bulbs that you screw in? Why wouldn't LED's count?
    7. Re:Judging from the pictures.... by Dun+Malg · · Score: 1
      The key word is candles, though, or preferably olive oil. LED's don't count as fire even for prohibitions against lighting fires on the sabbath or similar things and are certainly subotimal for candles.

      Are you sure? Orthodox jews will not turn on electric lights on the sabbath, and surely you've seen the menorahs with the little light bulbs that you screw in? Why wouldn't LED's count?

      The obvious answer to "why wouldn't LEDs count" is "because light bulbs don't really count either". An electric menorah is about as true to judaism as a glow in the dark plastic virgin mary is true to catholicism.

      --
      If a job's not worth doing, it's not worth doing right.
    8. Re:Judging from the pictures.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Judaism is not really so much of a methodical religion as much as it is a spiritual one.

      Which is of course why the Torah is full of highly detailed rituals, a vast body of law, a handful of stories (often lewd), lots of genealogies, and a minimum of spiritual guidance. Which are then followed by books of histories.

    9. Re:Judging from the pictures.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Mmmmmmmmmmmm. Glow in the dark plastic virgin mary, nice.

      Apologies to Homer.

    10. Re:Judging from the pictures.... by sometwo · · Score: 1
      Judaism is not really so much of a methodical religion as much as it is a spiritual one

      Um no:
      "On a theological basis, one of the differences between Judaism (as a religion) and Christianity is that belief is extremely important in Christianity. One must BELIEVE to participate in the religion, and that's about all one need do. Moral behaviour is preferred, of course, but one who behaves immorally but than repents and comes to BELIEVE is forgiven and accepted. Christianity thus modelled itself as a religion for the world, where anyone can join by professing BELIEF.

      Belief is almost irrelevant to Judaism. Abraham is not told to BELIEVE in God, but to walk with God. What is important to Judaism is action, not belief. Doing the right things for the wrong reasons is viewed as sinful (or at best, ambiguous) in Christianity; but in Judaism, doing the right things for the wrong reasons still means you've done the right things. Thus, being Jewish is not about believing in God, but about doing the right things. "

      I got this from an article on the internet because I thought it was better said than what I had to say. Being Jewish is about DOING things: making different foods for the holidays, lighting candles, fasting on Yom Kippur, reading Torah, washing hands, building sukkot, etc.

      Why do we do these actions? Because our ancestors have done them for 3000 years and, especially now, if they are not done, they will be forgotten.
    11. Re:Judging from the pictures.... by Feztaa · · Score: 1

      Why do we do these actions? Because our ancestors have done them for 3000 years and, especially now, if they are not done, they will be forgotten.

      Wow, that's a terrible explanation. The only reason you do these crappy things is so that you don't forget how to do them. Is forgetting so bad? If it's so crappy, don't bother with it, and it won't be any trouble.

    12. Re:Judging from the pictures.... by Zachary+Kessin · · Score: 1

      We do these things because G-d told us to. 3300 or so years ago we were given the Torah at Saini it gave us 613 commandments of things to do and things not to do. Those that can we still can do (there are some that are not done anymore) we do.

      For christians it is important to Belive. For Jews it is important to do the mitzvot.

      --
      Erlang Developer and podcaster
    13. Re:Judging from the pictures.... by Alan+Partridge · · Score: 1

      "We do these things because G-d told us to."

      And if G-d told you to jump off a cliff, would you do that too?

      If your spiritual beliefs are founded on a basis as weak as that cited, what the fuck is the point of EVER fighting with ANYONE about it?

      --
      That was classic intercourse!
    14. Re:Judging from the pictures.... by Chacham · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The obvious answer to "why wouldn't LEDs count" is "because light bulbs don't really count either".

      According to many, it would count. However, not everyone holds of it, and traditionalists would go for oil, to match the original.

    15. Re:Judging from the pictures.... by Chacham · · Score: 2, Informative

      Orthodox jews will not turn on electric lights on the sabbath,

      Not really because of the "fire" aspect. It's actually because it completes a circuit. And such completion would constitue "Binyan", or building, of of the 39 forbidden activities.

    16. Re:Judging from the pictures.... by Zachary+Kessin · · Score: 1

      Who said my spiritual beliefs are in any way weak? I gave you a 30 second blurb on something not a long discorse. One could write a long book on Jewish belief and practice (and I can point you at many) but I didn't feel like taking up a huge debate on slashdot of the laws of Hannuka or what have you.

      However the foundation of Jewish Belief (Exodus 24:7) is when the Jewish people say "We will do and we will understand" to the presentation of the Torah at Saini. The doing is the fundimental thing. It is not enought to believe if you don't lite the mennorah for hanukka you have not observed hanukka. In order to observe the holiday of sukka you have to dwell in a sukkah and do lullav and etrog and so forth.

      --
      Erlang Developer and podcaster
    17. Re:Judging from the pictures.... by CiaranMc · · Score: 1

      Actually that's not true for all Christianity. In Catholicism man cannot be redeemed by belief alone, he has to do good works as well.

      I think you still have to believe as well, though.

    18. Re:Judging from the pictures.... by superyooser · · Score: 1
      There is not as much difference as you think.

      James 2:14-26

      Faith and Actions

      14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith but has no actions to prove it? Is such "faith" able to save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food, 16 and someone says to him, "Shalom! Keep warm and eat hearty!" without giving him what he needs, what good does it do? 17 Thus, faith by itself, unaccompanied by actions, is dead.
      18 But someone will say that you have faith and I have actions. Show me this faith of yours without the actions, and I will show you my faith by my actions! 19 You believe that "God is one." [Deut. 6:4] Good for you! The demons believe it too -- the thought makes them shudder with fear!
      20 But, foolish fellow, do you want to be shown that such "faith" apart from actions is barren? 21 Wasn't Avraham avinu declared righteous because of actions when he offered up his son Yitz'chak on the altar? 22 You see that his faith worked with his actions; by the actons the faith was made complete; 23 and the passage of the Tanakh was fulfilled which says, "Avraham had faith in God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness." [Gen. 15:6] He was even called God's friend. [Isa. 41:8, 2; 2 Chron. 20:7] 24 You see that a person is declared righteous because of actions and not because of faith alone.
      25 Likewise, wasn't Rachav the prostitute declared righteous because of actions when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another route? 26 Indeed, just as the body without a spirit is dead, so too faith without actions is dead.

    19. Re:Judging from the pictures.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In a sense you are correct. In others, well...

      One is not saved by grace plus works, but by grace alone. Paul makes it clear that one must choose either one or another. "Both" is not a valid option (Romans 11:6).

      Belief is the primary of Christianity. In confessional, they say "Go forth and sin no more." By living as Christ would live, one is reaffirming the commitment to the belief, even though good deeds don't amount to a hill of beans in the end (despite what thousands of "St. Peter at the gate" jokes would have you think). If good deeds really WERE all one needed, there would be no need of Christ (see Galatians 2:21).

    20. Re:Judging from the pictures.... by Descartes · · Score: 1

      I don't get it. If God came to me and told me to jump of a cliff, of course I'd do it. I mean is that really a good argument?

      Have you ever had God tell you to do anything personally? No, and I'm sure you'd be damn surprised if "he" did.

      To keep this on topic: IANARabbi but I don't think there is anything in jewish tradition that says a USB powered LED menora doesn't count. Technically it should be oil lamps, I think.

    21. Re:Judging from the pictures.... by Descartes · · Score: 1

      An electric menorah is about as true to judaism as a glow in the dark plastic virgin mary is true to catholicism.

      So, it does count then.

  5. Same kind of thing by Kethinov · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This story goes well with this story.

    --
    You're right, I wouldn't steal a car. But if it were possible, I sure as hell would download one!
  6. Morse code, eh? by Hanji · · Score: 1

    Anyone got a translation of the video he's got linked? I may try if I get really bored, but if there's someone who's got experience dealing with morse, it'd prolly be a lot easier for them.

    The Message

    --
    A Minesweeper clone that doesn't suck
    1. Re:Morse code, eh? by Odin's+Raven · · Score: 4, Funny
      Anyone got a translation of the video he's got linked?

      Let's see, I believe it says:

      Help...me...

      Obi...Wan...Kenobi...

      You're...my....

      only...hope...

      ;-)

      --
      A marriage is always made up of two people who are prepared to swear that only the other one snores.
    2. Re:Morse code, eh? by atrader42 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It says "Morse-Code-Message". (Yes, I can do morse code, but I prefer to just read the page that links to that and says what the message is.)

    3. Re:Morse code, eh? by orthogonal · · Score: 2, Funny
      Let's see, I believe it says:
      Help...me...
      Obi...Wan...Kenobi...
      Actually, I believe that's:
      Help... me...
      Eleazar... ben... Yair...
    4. Re:Morse code, eh? by calyphus · · Score: 1

      .avi on a .Mac site!?!

      --


      The potato it is uninformed.
    5. Re:Morse code, eh? by Danovitsch · · Score: 1

      If you'd really know morse you'd have seen it doesn't say "morse-code-message" at all.
      The avi says :
      "Love you pi pi" (repeatedly)

      grtz,
      Daan

  7. Next Poll ... by lemonjus · · Score: 4, Funny

    The lamest USB gadget you can think of :

    1) USB machine gun
    2) USB umbrella
    3) USB Inflatable doll
    4) USB stapler ...
    help me out here...

    1. Re:Next Poll ... by Dasaan · · Score: 1
      3) USB Inflatable doll
      Whoa a geek's dream girl!
      --
      XP is basicly 98 with a lot more extra features to hunt down and disable. --Dram
    2. Re:Next Poll ... by way2trivial · · Score: 1

      I found 1, 2, and 4 mentioned on the internet. no kidding

      --
      every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
    3. Re:Next Poll ... by Ztream · · Score: 1

      Me too. On a site called Slashdot, just minutes ago. No kidding.

    4. Re:Next Poll ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      USB catheter

    5. Re:Next Poll ... by Chanc_Gorkon · · Score: 1

      Hmmm...wonder if anyone made it work with a IM program or IRC? Kind of makes cybersex a bit more satisfying....although weirder.

      --

      Gorkman

    6. Re:Next Poll ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      although weirder because realer? hehehehe.

    7. Re:Next Poll ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      how about USB powered medical equipment for third world countries? really does bring a whole new meaning to the term "blue screen of death" LOL

    8. Re:Next Poll ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      how about USB powered medical equipment for third world countries? really does bring a whole new meaning to the term "blue screen of death" LOL

      Note to self... design and market USB Powered Mortician's Starter Kit.

  8. Yeah, well... by Faust7 · · Score: 5, Funny

    My FireWire Christmas tree beats the crap out of that!

    Though perhaps "FireWire" isn't such a good word to use in the context of combustible wood...

    1. Re:Yeah, well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > My FireWire Christmas tree beats the crap out of that!

      Ah - but does your christmas tree kill Arabs?

    2. Re:Yeah, well... by Spazholio · · Score: 3, Funny

      As opposed to the non-combustible variety? =)

  9. Why 2BCE? by panurge · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Why does thing go back to only 2BCE? The origins of Chanukah go back further than that, to about 2300 years ago if I remember correctly.

    I'm just curious. It's like a program to work out the day of the week on which Christmas Day fell that only went back to the time of Constantine.

    --
    Panurge has posted for the last time. Thanks for the positive moderations.
    1. Re:Why 2BCE? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why does thing go back to only 2BCE? The origins of Chanukah go back further than that, to about 2300 years ago if I remember correctly.

      Well, most computers run into the infamous Y.001K problem when attempting to calculate dates prior to the Common Era.

    2. Re:Why 2BCE? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      currentTime=SystemTime()+YearsToSecs(2300);
      setTi me=inputTime()+YearsToSecs(2300);

      Surely the real problem is the Y10k problem?

    3. Re:Why 2BCE? by sigxcpu · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The current Jewish calander is only about that old. (give or take a century).
      Before that the dates were decided apon witnesses of the new moon coming before the Sanhedrin. (the high court)
      So any exact date before that is meaningless, as there are no records for the length fo each historical month. (29 or 30 dayes - this is a moon month)

      --
      As of Postgres v6.2, time travel is no longer supported.
    4. Re:Why 2BCE? by Stigmata669 · · Score: 4, Interesting
      No clue about the software limitation, but I learned a little about Chanukah from a Rabbi who visited my highschool Western Religious Cultures class.

      Apparently, there is strong evidence that the myth of the eight days was actually developed some 500-800 years after the events of Syrian oppression that began the Chanukah celebration. The Rabbi explained that the current theory (he is a Reform Jew if that makes a difference?) is that some religious celebration was not observed because the group of Jews were in hiding and that after they felt safe to come back into the open, that they celebrated over the course of 8 days rather than just one, and the tradition stuck. The Menorah was adopted as a Rabbinic invention several hundred years later, so perhaps it is intentional (or appropriately coincidental) that it only goes back to 2BCE.

      --
      Yawn.
    5. Re:Why 2BCE? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      about 2300 years ago if I remember correctly.

      Jeez, how old are you?

    6. Re:Why 2BCE? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      (he is a Reform Jew if that makes a difference?)
      I don't want this to trun into a flame war but...
      Being a Reform rabby means that:
      1 he can say whatever he wants - no need to be supported by tradition.
      2 He _must_ discredit the traditional story.

    7. Re:Why 2BCE? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's impossible, quite clearly the earth is only 4000 years old, so therefore anything older than 2000 BCE does not exist. Stop allowing the scientists and evilutionists propaganda to warp your mind.

    8. Re:Why 2BCE? by sigxcpu · · Score: 3, Interesting

      We are not talking about a prehistorical time.
      There are outside confirmations that the battles against the Greek (Greek not Syrians) did in fact happen.
      About The candle lasting eight days, this is another matter.
      There is strong evidance that the religious leaders of later years moved the center of the story from the war victory to the re-opening of the Temple.
      This was done because they did not like the royal family, who were decendants of those who had led the revolt.

      --
      As of Postgres v6.2, time travel is no longer supported.
    9. Re:Why 2BCE? by Stigmata669 · · Score: 1
      Right, i included that bit so everyone would take my comment in its context, no flame about it.

      As far as "_must_ discredit," i'm not so sure about that, but he made no attempt to hide his own selective appreciation of the mythos in Judiaism.

      --
      Yawn.
    10. Re:Why 2BCE? by Stigmata669 · · Score: 1

      Right, that was the point of my comment. (sorry about the Greek Syrian mix up. Was it the Greeks oppressing in Syria? For some reason Syria popped into my mind) I'm not refuting the existance of the events on which the myth was based, but I am saying that the tradition of the candles and the accompanying shift in myth and moral, with all probability, only goes back to 2ish BCE.

      --
      Yawn.
    11. Re:Why 2BCE? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As someone already noted the batles are historicaly confirmed (by Roman sources if I remember correctly).
      So the guy was basically ignoring established facts to be able to tell his own story.

    12. Re:Why 2BCE? by Stigmata669 · · Score: 1

      Uhhh, no. The Rabbi did not say there was no historical basis for the holiday!! Rather, he explained that the myth of the 8 days of oil that inspired the Menorah/8 nights celebration was concieved some 600 years after the battles. The original feast/8 day celebration was to celebrate a victorious battle and a missed Jewish observance rather than an oil lamp burning for 8 nights

      --
      Yawn.
    13. Re:Why 2BCE? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I will not argue about the 8 day story.
      but the 600 year thing is made up.
      By the time of the romans (about 200 years after the war) everything was allready over and the modren version of the story was allready the official history.
      And we don't need miths to explain it. we know there was a _political_ reason....

    14. Re:Why 2BCE? by self+assembled+struc · · Score: 1

      actually, a lot of recent research and theological tradition has come to show that likely the celebration of hannukah was really a celebration of a decisive (yet very bloody) battle against the maccabes. it was later turned into a festival of light to help further the connection with a bloody battle, and instead connect it to a tradition of peace and friendship.

    15. Re:Why 2BCE? by MobyTurbo · · Score: 2, Informative
      The current Jewish calander is only about that old. (give or take a century).
      Rabban Hillel II, if I recall correctly; but that wouldn't explain 2BCE, Rabbi Hillel II (not to be confused with his more famous namesake and ancestor, Rabbi Hillel the Elder) was at least early in the second century CE, IIRC, after Sadducees and other sectarians interfered so much with the Sanhedrin's ability to get truthful witnesses that the calendar had to be judged automatically.
    16. Re:Why 2BCE? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Quite insightful - Christmas is of course nowhere in the Bible, and was not a holiday until Constantine introduced all the abominations of the Babylonian mystery religions, and blended them with Christian terms to produce the Roman Catholic Church. The RCC is not a biblical church, it has many places where it is flagrantly at odds with the Bible.

      So a clock that calculated Christmas just to the days of Constantine would in fact be perfectly accurate as to the extent of time useful to do so.

      Anyway, Christ was born when there were shepherds in the fields; this would be at latest the end of September. They came in from the fields then, as the rainy season started. No way they were in the fields in December. Most likely Christ was born during the feast of Tabernacles.

    17. Re:Why 2BCE? by MobyTurbo · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Reform Judaism rejects the accuracy of Oral Torah, which is where we get (in mesechta Shabbos and Megilla Taanis) the information of the holiday, so yes it's likely that claiming that Rabbis a few hundred years later pulled Channukah out of a hat, in spite of there being a lot of *real* and credible historical evidence for the Maccabees and earlier Channukah celebrations, would be something that is part of his bias. After all, one of the cornerstones of Reform Judaism is that the Oral Torah is inaccurate, so there's a theological reason for him to discredit Channukah, the only holiday legislated solely by Rabbinic law. Just because he's a liberal theologian doesn't mean that he doesn't have any biases.

    18. Re:Why 2BCE? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Jesus Christ, you find all kinds on /. Any other Judaica geeks out there?

    19. Re:Why 2BCE? by TheMidget · · Score: 1
      rather than an oil lamp burning for 8 nights

      Fortunately, they didn't know about this light, or else we'd have Hannuka cermenonies lasting one century each!

    20. Re:Why 2BCE? by MobyTurbo · · Score: 2, Insightful
      you find all kinds on /. Any other Judaica geeks out there?

      To be a good Jew you have to be a Judaica geek, there's no other way to understand the 613 commandments, their derivations, and millenia of folklore and halachos (laws) other than through intense study. Now you know why there are so many Jewish scientists.

    21. Re:Why 2BCE? by werfele · · Score: 1

      You were not hallucinating about Syria. After Alexander the Great's death, his Greek empire was split into three territories, one of which became the Selucid empire. This empire was centered more or less around modern Syria, and they were occupiers the Maccabees were fighting against.

    22. Re:Why 2BCE? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Erm, against the Maccabes? Good ol' Hammer and his family were the leaders of the Jews who threw the Selucids out of Jerusalem and re-lit the lamp.

    23. Re:Why 2BCE? by MobyTurbo · · Score: 2, Informative
      There is strong evidance that the religious leaders of later years moved the center of the story from the war victory to the re-opening of the Temple.

      The war victory is celebrated with Al HaNissim added to the Shemoneh Esrai (daily prayers), and Birkas Hamazon (the blessing after a meal); you must be refering to the answer to "Mai Channukah" in Talmud Bavli, Mesechta Shabbos 21b. That does make the reason for the holiday occuring when it does and how many days it does because of the miracle - but our sages found ways to celebrate both aspects of the holiday. Even this often-quoted-as-support by some scholars passage mentions the millitary victory somewhat parenthetically "when the kingdom of the Hasmoneans became strong and overcame them."

      Of course, our Rabbis did oppose the Hasmoneans in retrospect - one answer given as to why their reign gave way to Roman domination was that the Hasmoneans when victorious gave the kingship to the hereditary priesthood (kohanim) rather than to the Davidic line.

    24. Re:Why 2BCE? by spotter · · Score: 1

      just because it wasn't in the book of macabees, doesn't mean it didn't happen. I would agree that the rabbis deffinitly did try to change the focus from a military victory to a purely spiritual realm, but not mentioning doesn't mean it doesn't exist and was purely a later invention, just that they felt it wasn't important enough to write down.

      We don't say the Illiad and the Odyssey were invented when they were written down, we accept that there was an oral tradition going back even though we have little if any evidence for it.

      When a person makes statements which they can't prove (such as "it was invented....") it shows their bias and how they are blinded by it.

    25. Re:Why 2BCE? by panurge · · Score: 0, Offtopic
      Shock horror. Genuinely informative responses to a query posted on /.

      Thanks to the people who took the trouble to respond.

      --
      Panurge has posted for the last time. Thanks for the positive moderations.
    26. Re:Why 2BCE? by Alan+Partridge · · Score: 1

      I am 2003 this year, my son.

      --
      That was classic intercourse!
  10. Re:Hmmm... by Some+Clown · · Score: 3, Funny

    Now I just feel silly... and slow. I must need more coffee. Or maybe a USB Menorah.

    --
    "...The mice will see you now..."
  11. Amazing by jshark · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    An article appears on /. and I get to the site before it gets /.'ed. Must be the season.

    --
    If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough.
  12. Pervasive computing by DuSTman31 · · Score: 3, Funny

    While basically gimmics, stuff like this USB powered menorah and the USB toothbrush may be looked back on historically as the dawning of the pervasive computing age..

    Next thing will be to make them interface via wireless ethernet.

    1. Re:Pervasive computing by Kippesoep · · Score: 1

      Interface these two devices specifically? I wonder, would that mean brushing your teeth only once a year with Chanukah, or having your USB toothbrush using morse code to brush your teeth. I can feel it now, my toothbrush going dash-dot-dash-dot dot-dash-dot-dot dot dot-dash dash-dot dot-dot dash-dot dash-dash-dot / dash dot dot dash dot-dot-dot-dot.

    2. Re:Pervasive computing by Kippesoep · · Score: 1

      "cleaning teeth", in case anybody was wondering...

  13. As my mother would say... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oy...and for this I sent you to MIT?

    1. Re:As my mother would say... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Oy...and for this I sent you to MIT?

      ...ahh, the woes of the privileged.

  14. All I want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Is a USB FM Radio. They seem to have made them a few years ago, but there don't appear to be any widely marketed now.

    1. Re:All I want by Midnight+Thunder · · Score: 2, Informative

      I woud love one too. Maybe there is some electronics magazine with the schematics for one? If you don't mind going over the top, then there is WiNRADIO and for Linux LiNRADIO which makes use of it.

      --
      Jumpstart the tartan drive.
    2. Re:All I want by madhippy · · Score: 2, Informative

      http://www.usbgadget.com/usb-misc.htm

      I got mine for 10 from www.maplin.co.uk - they don't seem to carry them anymore tho ...

    3. Re:All I want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      USB Pocket Pussy

    4. Re:All I want by EverStoned · · Score: 2, Funny

      I actually have one, made by D-Link. The hardware works fine, but the accompanying software is crap.

    5. Re:All I want by FreezerJam · · Score: 1

      Use this to run the D-Link USB FM radio instead

      http://flesko.cz/radiator.htm

  15. Re:Put the Mudslums in camps - nat'l alert is rais by macmaniac · · Score: 1

    ummmmmmmm.............the menorah is JEWISH, not muslim..........[offtopic]and anywho the us will not be safe until idiots like you figure out that the us is all made up of immigrants from all over the world......what would you do if they asked for the same to happen to you? [/offtopic]

  16. Planning by fiskbil · · Score: 5, Funny

    I hope the people buying this tree realize that they have to keep an old computer working for a few thousand years and pass that computer to their children and so on and so forth. It would be a shame to not take advantage of its ability to calculate a thousands years into the future.

    It would be really cool though if it could masquerade as something else when it's not christmas (holidays whatever). Both me and some of my friends are usually too lazy to take away decorations after christmas and you usually end with some smartass comments during summer.

  17. lame acrylic things? by Scrameustache · · Score: 4, Interesting

    How about lame LEDs on a circuitboard?

    Jeez, if you're gonna be making fun religious hacks, don't knock the other stuff for being lame until your stuff doesn't look like it was ripped out of something else.

    Here I was expecting some fun candle-shaped thingy...

    --

    You can't take the sky from me...

    1. Re:lame acrylic things? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Excellent point.

      This isn't as cool as the sound controlled xmas light project. No link, because I can't find the site anymore. Anyway, IIRC, it's a pic16f84 controller which takes serial input from a custom winamp plugin, and controls the brightness of numerous strings of xmas lights using triacs. It ends up being something like an 8-band spectrum analyzer.

    2. Re:lame acrylic things? by Phosphor3k · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      How is a Xmas tree religous in any way? Last time I went to church it had nothing to do with the celebration of Christ's birth. Perhaps if he knocked a USB powered Advent wreath or Nativity set you might have something to get uppity about. The tree and gift giving crap is purely secular, however.

    3. Re:lame acrylic things? by General+Alcazar · · Score: 1
      When the Christian missionaries brought their faith to the people of northern Europe, they ran into some resistance, as the Christian faith did not mesh well with the local customs. So, being adaptable fellows, they conflated the idea of the cross as a focus for worship with the European's focus on the tree as an object of worship - making the tree and the cross one and the same symbol.

      One of the reasons that Christianity spread so far and wide, is due to this creativity on the part of those spreading the gospel.

    4. Re:lame acrylic things? by YOU+LIKEWISE+FAIL+IT · · Score: 1
      optional LED bleeding heart of Christ for Catholic buyers.

      Around where I live ( Newtown/Glebe ), you can buy things much like this in the discount shops. Prints of the sacred heart, nativity, saints, etc, with either small LED's or fibre optic studded into them that twinkles. I thought they were fabulously tacky, but my GF won't let me put any in the house. Interestingly, these aren't a christmas special, they're there all year around, right next to the kinky batman statues.

      YLFI
      --
      One god, one market, one truth, one consumer.
  18. Re:Don't forget... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    why pay? USB devices rarely work under Linux.

  19. Up next by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    A dreidel with Bluetooth?

    1. Re:Up next by Ilan+Volow · · Score: 3, Funny


      I had wondered why the guy who won all my chocolate coins kept fiddling with his sony-ericsson phone.

      --
      Ergonomica Auctorita Illico!
  20. Menorah by mabu · · Score: 4, Funny

    Think anyone's going to pay retail for that?

  21. USB Menorah? who cares? by corbettw · · Score: 1

    I'm waiting for the USB dreidl. Now that's a fun idea!

    --
    God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
  22. Advent Wreath by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How about an Advent Wreath for those of us who are Catholic? Only 4 candles on that one. Granted, someone finding a cheap pink LED might make things tough...

  23. Re:Put the Mudslums in camps - nat'l alert is rais by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Dumb fucking troll. Zionism and Judaism are mutally exclusive to one another. Surprise surprise, the largest group of acknowledged zionists today are fundamentalist american christians. You won't understand that because you haven't the slightest clue what zionism is.

    Now go piss off to indymedia.

  24. And the Hebrews celebrated... by CptChipJew · · Score: 4, Funny

    for their UPS kept their menorah lit for 8 full nights after the Syrian army cut the power!

    Thus thou shalt celebrate for 8 days, lighting one LED each night.

    --
    Vonal Declosion
    1. Re:And the Hebrews celebrated... by Guppy06 · · Score: 1

      No no, Syria wasn't involved. Those were Hezbollah freedom fighters.

      </SARCASM>

  25. Heil Hitler! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    You already invoked the Godwin rule by uttering neo-nazi trash.

    You've got to "live and let live" when it comes to Israel. Obsession with hating the Jews will bring you to no good end.

    1. Re:Heil Hitler! by Patrik_AKA_RedX · · Score: 1

      Now if you would just use 1488 as your sig, you could almost convince a few people you're an actual Neo nazi instead of a frustrate teenager. Until they ask you what it stands for ofcourse.

  26. Re:Put the Mudslums in camps - nat'l alert is rais by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Very interesting post.

    Could you please explain the difference between zionism and Judaism? I always thought they were the same.

  27. US population = mostly native by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "idiots like you figure out that the us is all made up of immigrants from all over the world"

    Just a little correction: only a small percentage of the population of the United States is immigrant. The rest are natives.

    To be exact, according to census figures, only 1 in 10 in America was an immigrant in 1997. No doubt this has increased in 6 years, but it is surely between 1 in 10 and 2 in 10 now.

    1. Re:US population = mostly native by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Tell that to Little Big Horn, without a smile on your face.

  28. Unfortunately it does not fulfill the requirement by DJStealth · · Score: 3, Informative

    (For those who are interested)

    Although, most people who use this would probably know that this should not be intended to replace the actual lighting of a menorah.

    In order to fulfill the religious requirement of lighting the menorah for the 8 nights of Chanukah, you need to use either candles or olive oil (to burn). (the other requirement is that all the candles except for the one used to light the others, must be at the same height)

  29. Custer was a native by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Custer was not an immigrant. He was born and raised in Monroe, Michigan. He was surely a native. Native-born non-immigrant Americans, then, as now, came in many varieties (black, white, and the nations such as the Dakota).

  30. Re:Slow news day? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    anti-semite?!

  31. hmm by silicon1 · · Score: 1

    I have some lights on my 'power station' that flicker and kind of move around like a candle light, don't know what these bulbs are but they could be used for the candle lights, if of course they all don't overdrive the usb power.

  32. Re:Put the Mudslums in camps - nat'l alert is rais by Stigmata669 · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Well, here's my 2c on the topic. Zionism refers simply to returning to The Holy Land (tm), and has been branded as distinctly Jewish the same way anti-semitism refers to being anti-Jewish rather than against the semite race. The current government in Israel is a secular Zionist movement, and some of the first settlements in Palistine were actually Christian Zionists. In 1866 43 families American Mormons (The Church of the Messiah) moved to Palestine to make ready for the "Second Coming of Christ". There were several other Christian Zionist movements, but all of them failed in short order. Many orthadox Jews in the 20s were strongly against Zionism.

    I'm not Jewish and I don't pretend to be an expert on the subject. All of the specifics in this post come from a book i've been reading, "War Without End" by Anton La Guardia, a reporter for The Daily Telegraph in the 90s.

    --
    Yawn.
  33. Re:Correction: it is BC, not "BCE" by CALBIZ · · Score: 0

    BRAVO, I could not agree more !!!

  34. Re:Hmmm... by flewp · · Score: 1

    Or maybe just some karma.

    --
    WWJD.... for a Klondike bar?
  35. Re:Correction: it is BC, not "BCE" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I believe the distinction is that historically, Christ was probably not born in exactly the first year AD so BCE is intended to address that inaccuracy rather than increase political correctness. Though I do agree with the sentiment of your post in general.

  36. Re:How Loving by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I love Sundays on Slashdot. Spending the day with a massive hangover, reading the bizarre amount of racial epithets, etc. Highly entertaining.

  37. Re:Unfortunately it does not fulfill the requireme by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why is the above post flamebait? I think it is very informative to those who seriously consider using the device for religious purposes.

  38. iBrator by grioghar · · Score: 0

    That questions makes me think of the iBrator:

    http://www.sleeplessknights.com/Pages/itheater.h tm l

    http://www.flamingmailbox.com/maccomedy/movies/i br ator.html

    --
    Can you ping me now? Gooood! | Manhappenin.Net - Things to do
  39. "Menorah..." by BTWR · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Just to be precise, the device that is used during Hannukah is not a "Menorah," but rather a "Chanukiah" [Chah-noo-kee-yah, with "Ch" pronounced gutterally]. A "menorah" is the seven-branched candelabra that was around in the ancient temple (and often used today in synagogues as decorations). A "Chanukiah" is a nine-branched candelabra that is used on Hannukah to celebrate the 8-day "hannukah miracle," where legend had it the temple candles burned for 8 days and nights with oil that should have only lasted one night (so therefore a chanukiah has 8 candles plus one candle to hold the shamash, the candle that lights the other 8). Sometimes the nine-candled version is called a "Hannukah Menorah," but just "Menorah" is technically the seven-branched one, not the one used druing the holiday.

    No, I'm not someone who goes around correcting people about this. I really don't care either way, but rather just in case anyone was interested...

    1. Re:"Menorah..." by tekiegreg · · Score: 1

      There is that story about Hannukah, the more practical one as well is that after the Temple was reclaimed from the Syrian army, the liberators of the temple (or the Maccabees (sp?)) forgot to celebrate Sukkot (a 7 day holiday in the Jewish calendar that is the months before Hannukah give or take). So they made up for the lost holiday over that time.

      Sukkot for those of you who are wondering is the 7 day holiday commemorating the wandering the Jews did in the Sinai Peninsula for 40 years. Using temporary "Sukkot" shelters for shelter.

      Anyways believe what you will, it's nice to hear about miracles more than a bunch of forgetful liberators so let's carry that story instead :-)

      --
      ...in bed
    2. Re:"Menorah..." by BTWR · · Score: 1

      I can't wait until each and every one of you is deported to Israel!!!!

      well, at least we know that this guy supports there being a state of Israel :)

    3. Re:"Menorah..." by BTWR · · Score: 1

      as far as skeptics go, I always felt the "Hannukah Miracle" was the most believable if someone doesn't believe in that sorta stuff. I mean, how many times in history has a big army been beaten by a smaller army? And the whole oil lasting a week thing, while very difficult, doesn't require a parting-the-seas or flooding-the-world level of supernatural powers.

    4. Re:"Menorah..." by Umber+Hulk · · Score: 1
      well, at least we know that this guy supports there being a state of Israel :)

      Who was it that said something like the following:

      In the 1950's everybody was saying "Jews, go to Israel.".
      Nowadays people are yelling "Jews, out of Israel".

    5. Re:"Menorah..." by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Well, I don't know where you got your information, but my Master's Degree in religious studies and my Jewish mother both tell me that a "Menorah" means any candle holder of any shape, size, or sort, while a Chanukiah is the specific one used for the holiday of Chanukah.

  40. im surprised by the by emoticon · · Score: 1

    ignorace...

    i would think that this would be a well recieved hack, but it seems that you guys have nothing but brainless negativity. Who cares if its just in its preliminary stages? he ordered the parts, put it together, a wrote the code in about one week. besides he already has a case designed for someone else to make.

    i hope everyone that posted something stupid\bigotous feels good about themselves.

    --
    -Emoticon
  41. Well except that its all true by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yes Israel is neo-fascist trash this is true.

    Israel is BASED ON ETHNIC CLEANSING, Israel HAS WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, Israel continously FLAUNTS UN RESOLUTIONS.

    It's all TRUE.

    You invoked SHUT THE FUCK UP's law by being an apologist for zionist human rights violations.

  42. Re:What about Ramadon by Guppy06 · · Score: 1

    Ramadan ended weeks ago. Now who's the insensitive clod?

    Heck, it conveniently ended shortly before US Thanksgiving...

  43. Re:Put the Mudslums in camps - nat'l alert is rais by DJStealth · · Score: 2, Informative

    (to start, this may be offtopic, but I am merely responding to the above question to settle this issue which seems to come up every time something Jewish or Israeli appears on Slashdot)

    There are many kinds of zionism.

    Zionism is a political point of view; Judaism is a religion which may incorporate some kinds of Zionism.

    The term Zionism comes from biblical verses referring to Jerusalem as Zion (or Tsion in Hebrew). At its core, Zionism is the belief and aspirations that the Jews should have a homeland in Israel.

    As I stated at the beginning, there are many kinds of Zionists..

    - Political Zionism - there should be state that can be used to protect Jews from violence (i.e. holocaust, etc.) and will give them a sence of normalicy

    - Cultural Zionism - Israel should be the cultural centre of the Jewish people.

    - Labour Zionism - To express the love for the land through working it (i.e. agriculture)

    - Religious Zionism - Certain Jewish laws can only be kept in Israel, as a result, in order to fulfill these laws, one must be in Israel

    - Socialist Zionism - To build Israel as a socialist state where all classes can unite and overcome anti-Semitism.

    It should be noted there are other Zionists that are not Jewish that believe that all the Jews need to return to the Holy Land in order to fulfill the messianic prophecies

    I hope this helps.

  44. Facts about Israel by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Israel is BASED ON ETHNIC CLEANSING

    Yes, Israel was formed out of a reaction to the ethnic cleansing of the Jews.

    Israel HAS WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

    So? WMD's are only a problem when the aggressive ones have them.

    Israel continously FLAUNTS UN RESOLUTIONS

    When these resolutions are touted by those who want to exterminate its people, the resolutions should be ignored.

    "You invoked SHUT THE FUCK UP's law by being an apologist for zionist human rights violations"

    I apologize for no human rights violations. By wanting to wipe out the Jews (and lying about Israel's people), your intent of human rights violations is quite clear.

    1. Re:Facts about Israel by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Shouldn't you be helping to build the Apartheid Wall instead of posting to Slashdot?

      Or are you relaxing at your war criminal settlement today?

  45. Let me be the first to say... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Baroch Ato ashem Alokenu Melech Haolam Asher Kideshanu Bemitzvotaz Vezivano Lehadlik Ner Shel Hanukah
    Amen!

    Baroch Ato ashem Alokenu Melech Haolam Sheasa Nisim Laavoteinu Bayamim Hahem Bazman Hazeh
    Amen!

    Latces anyone? What about Sofganiyot?

    1. Re:Let me be the first to say... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And a hi-dee-ho to you too

    2. Re:Let me be the first to say... by tugfoigel · · Score: 1

      Please pass the sour cream!

  46. Where's the USB Santa? by tjstork · · Score: 3, Funny


    All this religious stuff, and here Chris Kringle is getting oppressed! I want my USB RUDOLPH

    --
    This is my sig.
  47. make menuconfig by EdMcMan · · Score: 2, Funny
    Holiday Fesitivities
    ---
    USB Menorah (Y/M/N) Y

    Why not?

    1. Re:make menuconfig by Dachannien · · Score: 2, Funny

      You should probably build that one as a module. I mean, you never know when you might want to convert.

  48. Why complicate? by attackiko · · Score: 1

    Why can't you just use the computer's clock to see what date it is?

    1. Re:Why complicate? by aap · · Score: 2, Informative

      He is using the computer's clock. But that's not quite enough. This year Chanuka began on the evening of December 19. Next year it will begin on the night of December 7. Computing the phases of the moon doesn't seem to be built into my BIOS, is it in yours?

  49. dude! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    --it'll convert the words to morse code for you!...

    schweet! now we can combine this with steganography to encrypt messages in candle flickering! l33t! imagine a beo--ack!!

  50. Re:Slow news day? by TehHustler · · Score: 0

    Thats not what i meant, i meant, is there nothing more interesting/newsworthy today that could have been posted...

    --

    TheHustler
    http://www.elmarko.org/ - Useless bilge
    http://www.asylum-games.co.uk/ - Co-Founder
  51. Re:Fucking jews by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    But...wasn't jesus a Jew?

  52. Apartheid wall? No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Apartheid Wall? Only in South Africa. The wall in Israel is to keep foreign invaders out. You can thank the Palestinian Government for its construction (they forced the issue).

    1. Re:Apartheid wall? No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The only foreign invader in Palestine is the zionist entity.

    2. Re:Apartheid wall? No by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The wall divides Palestine from Israel. Yes, Israel is a foriegner in the Palestinian territories. However, the Palestinians forced Israel to invade and stay.

  53. Catholic bashing? No, please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "The RCC is not a biblical church, it has many places where it is flagrantly at odds with the Bible."

    It is as biblical as any other sect. In fact, it had more of a role than any other sect in putting the Bible together.

    1. Re:Catholic bashing? No, please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Catholic bashing is when one bashes a member of the RCC. Such is certainly not my intent.

      However the RCC is non-biblical, and in many ways, anti-biblical.

      Examples:

      1. Christmas is not in the Bible, it was started by the RCC
      2. Mass giving of gifts is only in Revelation 11:10, a highly negative context.
      3. Our Lord Jesus Christ had half-brothers and sisters, Myriam (Mary) was not a perpetual virgin.
      4. Myriam (Mary) was not sinless.
      5. Celibate priests are explictly warned against.
      6. The RCC has added to the Bible, this is strongly warned against.

      There are many other examples, those just come to mind quickly.

  54. Picture of USB toothbrush by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    USB Toothbrush

    For those who are too lazy to search Google for this exact image.

  55. Fucking amazing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is the most fucking amazing thing. slashdot is set as my homepage. I opened my browser to search for a datasheet on none other than a 74164. I will be using 8 of them for a keyboard encoder for a MAME cabinet. The USB menorah link caught my eye, so I clicked on it. Amazingly he is using the 74164 and has the datasheet on his page. That was an interesting coincidence. I haven't been this baffled by an unlikely turn of events since I found a willing female.

  56. Hanukkah (New Encyclopedia of Judaism) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hanukkah ("Dedication"). Festival celebrated for eight days commencing on 25 Kislev, commemorating the victory of the traditionalist Maccabees over the Hellenistic Syrians, who attempted to eradicate the Jewish religion as part of their plan to hellenize their entire kingdom. The main events associated with Hanukkah took place between 165 and 163 BCE, although the Maccabees continued a military struggle with the Syrians for many years until the Jews of Eretz Israel had gained de facto independence. Hanukkah is thus a post-biblical festival, and the historical events it commemorates are described in the apocryphal book I Maccabees. It is not a full festival and there are no restrictions on work or other activities.

    The Greeks took various steps to achieve their goal, among them the desecration of the Temple in Jerusalem. I Maccabees (4:36-59) reports that the altar was defiled, the Syrian ruler, Antiochus Epiphanes, having commanded that sacrifices to pagan gods be offered on it. After a three-year struggle, the Maccabees under Judah Maccabee conquered Jerusalem, and demolished and rebuilt the defiled altar. They also produced new vessels for the Temple service, including a candelabrum, an altar for incense, a table, and curtains. According to a talmudic tradition, a small quantity of consecrated oil, for use in the candelabrum (Menorah), was found within the Temple precincts. Although it was only enough to burn for one day, the oil lasted for eight days, and the festival was established for this length of time to commemorate the miracle. The Books of Maccabees do not record this tradition. In II Maccabees, it is noted that the eight-day festival was instituted by Judah upon his rededication of the Temple, in accordance with the precedent of Solomon's eight-day dedication of the First Temple. Some scholars have advanced the theory that the festival was established for eight days owing to the Jews' inability to observe the eight-day festival of Sukkot during the fighting. With the Maccabean victory, this omission was rectified, and a celebration was held that combined Sukkot with thanksgiving for the victory and the rededication of the Temple.

    The main observance of Hanukkah is the kindling of the festival lamp (Hanukkiyah) each night of the holiday. This practice gave the festival the additional name of Hag ha-Urim, "the Festival of Lights." The Talmud explains the lighting as publicizing the miracle (pirsume nissa; Shab. 23b) and in ancient times the lamp was put in the doorway or even in the street outside the house for this purpose. The lighting takes place immediately after dark except on Friday evenings, when it must be done before the kindling of the Sabbath lights, i.e., approximately half an hour before sunset. The candles are meant to burn for at least half an hour and must be kindled in a conspicuous place. They may be lit any time during the night as long as someone other than the lighter will see them. The practice of kindling the lights appears not to have been instituted until many years after the events which it commemorates.

    The accepted procedure for kindling the Hanukkah lights is to light one candle (or oil lamp) on the first night and one additional candle on each following night (going from left to right), until the last night when eight candles are lit (kindling them from left to right). An alternate tradition is recorded whereby eight candles are lit on the first night, seven on the second, and so forth, until only one candle is lit on the eighth night. An additional candle called the shammash ("serving light") is used to kindle the other lights. The practice is essentially a home ceremony, but candles are lit also in the synagogue. Children are usually given a gift of money (hanukkah gelt) for the festival.

    Hanukkah is expressed in the liturgy in a number of ways, the most important being the introduction of the Al ha-Nissim prayer in the Amidah and Grace after meals. Hallel is recited at the morning s

  57. Re:Slow news day? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Because it finally spells the end of free media. A story like this could only make it on slashdot if the jews control the whole media. Damn. I guess it's true.

    BTW the menorah looks like ass. Comparing it to a commercially made USB christmas tree is a joke.

  58. Yes. by Faust7 · · Score: 4, Funny

    As opposed to the non-combustible variety?

    Ever tried to burn wet wood?

    1. Re:Yes. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Sure. And succeeded. You obviously weren't using enough accelerants.

    2. Re:Yes. by double_h · · Score: 1

      Repeat the experiment with *petrified* wood and I'll be genuinely impressed.

  59. Re:Correction: it is BC, not "BCE" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    I think it's not so much about being BCE as it is about being CE instead of AD. Ie, I don't care saying "today is Thursday, the day of Thor" or saying "this is the 3003rd year since Christ". But I do have a problem saying "This is the 2003rd year of OUR LORD.".


    So, 2003 CE is fine. And naturally with that comes BCE. Personally, saying BC is just as fine, I don't care either or.


    But AD does imply forcing the Christian religion on someone.

  60. No, it does not by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But AD does imply forcing the Christian religion on someone.

    No, it does not in any way.

    1. Re:No, it does not by calyphus · · Score: 1

      Yes it does! It might be the year of your lord, that doesn't mean I have to include him/it as mine.

      --


      The potato it is uninformed.
    2. Re:No, it does not by Hrothgar+The+Great · · Score: 2, Insightful

      No, actually sometimes phrases adopt a meaning which is not implied in the basic definition of the words involved due to colloquial use. Fox holes in the Vietnam War come to mind as they for instance did not ACTUALLY contain foxes.

      AD and BC are generally inoffensive to anyone unless they have a specific problem with Christians. Many of those people may not admit, even to themselves, that they hate Christians because they don't have a problem with individuals of that faith but instead associate the group as a whole with other things they dislike.

      Disclaimer before you jump on me about this: I am an atheist. I just also happen to be an individual who doesn't like to see stupid, unnecessary language changes because of extremely whiny people who like to stereotype others of particular groups.

  61. Happy Seasonal Gifting Period! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Allow me to take this opportunity to wish all of you on Slashdot a happy and healthy December (if your calendar calls this period of time "December").

    Note: use of the term "happy" and/or "healthy" is not meant to single out one group at the expense of others, or to imply that only happy or healthy individuals are worthy of good wishes during the Seasonal Gifting Period.

    Note: If your usual practices do not involve giving or receiving gifts, you may request a version of these good wishes with all references to the word "gift" removed, at no charge. Simply contact our office.

  62. Re:Put the Mudslums in camps - nat'l alert is rais by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I think it's pretty fucked up that the Jews can create a Zionist state through repression and terrorism of Palestinians that have lived in the region for millenia. While I'm not real big on cheering for the underdog, the Palestinians have a pretty hard time just surviving day to day. They don't receive billions from the US government each year to spend on defense. They don't get Israeli subsidies just for moving to Israel and joining a settlement.

    I don't pretend to understand the whole situation there but it seems like the Israelis have a pretty good thing going. They probably still have billions in the bank from post world war II paybacks from the German and other governments and the US donates to them constantly. In return they provide the US with feedback on the effectiveness of new weapons and tactics. There's no doubt that the Israeli military is one of the best in the world...with an unlimited budget and daily live target practice, I imagine they should be great.

    The weird thing is, is that Israel is about the only country that can get away with this style of shit. Anyone else would get bombed in an heartbeat. If tomorrow, Russia started pushing the Chinese border back and killing Chinese, there would be a huge fucking backlash. If the US denied immigrants the right to be buried here, no matter how long they live here, there would be a backlash. But since the western world feels sorry for the jews, it's ok. Israel always smells rosy no matter what they do.

    Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that all jews are evil bla bla bla, I'm just wondering why Israel is so special.

  63. Wow by Laconian · · Score: 4, Funny

    That's the nerdiest thing I've ever heard about. Seriously. And I've used /. for almost six years.

  64. Oh jeez... by No+Such+Agency · · Score: 1

    I get the joke, I know it's funny, but my little PC gentile heart just won't let me laugh...

    --
    Freedom: "I won't!"
    1. Re:Oh jeez... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That joke was invented by the Jews. People need to lighten up. I promise if you dare to laugh, it will be at least a week or two before anyone comes to get you to take you to a prison camp. Nothing to worry about. Self-deprecation is one of the hallmarks of our heritage. Chill.

    2. Re:Oh jeez... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Here's a joke from Woody Allen:

      Two old Jewish women were vacationing at a Catskills resort.
      One woman says to the other, "The food here is really terrible!"
      The second woman replies, "How true, and such small portions."

  65. Splitting hairs by fleener · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Not to split hairs or anything, but plenty of Jewish people wouldn't touch a USB menorah because they forego use of electronics on holy days. Also, no one lights menorahs during Hanukkah. They're called hannukiahs. A menorah has a completely different spiritual meaning and was kept lit in the Jerusalem temple. People like hannukiahs at home.

    1. Re:Splitting hairs by MobyTurbo · · Score: 2, Informative
      Not to split hairs or anything, but plenty of Jewish people wouldn't touch a USB menorah because they forego use of electronics on holy days.

      On Channukah, except on those days that fall on Shabbos, handling electricity, going to work, driving a car, etc, are all allowed. Although important, important enough to warrent the majority of the seven non-biblical commandments, Channukah does not have the status of a "chag" or festival, such as Pesach or Rosh Hashanna, so most activities are permitted - though many poskim forbid work by women while the menorah is lit because of Judith's key role in the victory of the Maccabees.

    2. Re:Splitting hairs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Perhaps in your observance.

    3. Re:Splitting hairs by evanbro · · Score: 1

      Like the guy above me said, it only applies during Shabbat. However, if the computer was on before Shabbat started, then technically you'd be fine.

      I'm splitting hairs too, but isn't that what being Jewish is about? :)

  66. Amazing- Can't contain myself by MikeyG79 · · Score: 1

    Wow, blinking LED's.. too bad my freshman year college blinking LED projects didn't make it to /.
    The USB interface has got to be the only /.-able part of this project.

  67. Re:Put the Mudslums in camps - nat'l alert is rais by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well theres nothing really special about Israel, but keep this in mind, there are over one million muslims living Israel proper today. When Israel gained independence, they didn't expell any one.. repeat, ANY ONE. These muslims hold valid israeli passports and are free to travel to and from.

    Israeli aggression is targetted at Muslim Fanatacism, which is a widespread phenoneon in the terroritories. Can you blame them ? They've been attacked by this anti-israeli philosphy four times since 1948, five times if you include the latest intifada... (which may or may not qualify as a proper war.)

    Now imagine what measure the U.S. would have taken if Canada/mexico were as religiously anti-american as the muslims in the middle east are of the israelis. You can bet they'd be bombing canada and mexico right now.

  68. Alexander the Great was not Greek by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You were not hallucinating about Syria. After Alexander the Great's death, his Greek empire was split into three territories

    Alexander the Great's empire was not Greek as such. He himself was a Macedonian (then, as now, a territory close to, but outside of Greece), and his armies were described as "half- Macedonian, half-Greek"

  69. US is not immigrant nation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ummmmmmmm.............the menorah is JEWISH, not muslim..........[offtopic]and anywho the us will not be safe until idiots like you figure out that the us is all made up of immigrants from all over the world......

    Only 1 in 10 in the US is an immigrant.

  70. uh.. Menorah-what? by keeboo · · Score: 0

    What for would I want this Menorah-thing ?

    Sounds like some Lord of the Rings stuff...

  71. My USB Christmas tree broke :( by qed123 · · Score: 1

    I got a couple of those trees for myself, and I stuck them up on my PS2 for a little holiday cheer :) Then yesterday I kicked the cable and one fell onto my concrete floor and broke in half :( A little superglue will fix it up though I think, for now it's just balanced on top and still looking good. The trees are awesome, very very pretty, shifting from color to color :) I got some for all of my family, they like them a lot.

  72. Re:Put the Mudslums in camps - nat'l alert is rais by adam613 · · Score: 1

    Many Orthodox Jews in the 20s were strongly against Zionism, because they were waiting for Israel to be given to them by God, and the vast majority of non-Orthodox Jews were against Zionism until the 40s because they were citizens of their home countries (Germany, Poland) and had no intention of leaving. It was only when Jews could no longer live in Eastern Europe (where the majority lived before WW2) that Zionism gained any sort of acceptence in mainstream Judaism.

    It's kind of like how the Palestinian Liberation Organization was only formed after Egypt realized that the Arab countries in the Middle East couldn't get rid of Israel by traditional military force.

  73. Re:Put the Mudslums in camps - nat'l alert is rais by MobyTurbo · · Score: 1
    The current government in Israel is a secular Zionist movement

    True.

    [...] and some of the first settlements in Palistine were actually Christian Zionists. In 1866 43 families [of] American Mormons
    That's pretty late considering that the first wave of modern Jewish migration to Israel were students of the Vilna Gaon in the first decade of the 19th century, also early Chassidim went there with the prominent Rebbe of Vitbesk along with a large group of other Chasidim at around the same time. They were far more than 43 families of a small fringe group; in fact they were emmissaries, including prominent leaders, of both Chasidim and Misnaggedim, the two largest Jewish groups of Eastern European Jews both then and now.
    Anton La Guardia, a reporter for The Daily Telegraph in the 90s.

    Which is a very antisemetic paper, regardless of it's other possible merits in British journalism.

  74. Re:Put the Mudslums in camps - nat'l alert is rais by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    > Which is a very antisemetic paper, regardless of it's other possible merits in British journalism.

    I think you may be confusing the Telegraph with the Guardian (being American myself, I sometimes mix up the British papers too ;>)

  75. Kosher elevators by Animats · · Score: 3, Interesting
    There are Kosher elevators. Really. Two features are required, and both operate only on the Shabbat. The elevator runs endlessly, stopping on every floor. No user interaction is allowed.

    The other required feature is that regenerative braking isn't allowed to dump power back into the power line. It has to dump it into a resistor bank, so as not to do "work" with the energy of descending riders. This is normally enabled only on the Sabbath.

    Of course, these features combine to use far more energy than normal mode, so they don't comply with the spirit of the Shabbat, not to do work. Just the letter.

    1. Re:Kosher elevators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The prohibition isn't simply about doing work. It's about a particular type of work: work that is creative in nature, work that can lead us to forget who the real creator is. The problem with turning on the light on Shabbat is not the mere fact that it's analogous to lighting a fire, but that it's analogous to what a fire implies -- the feeling that we control our environment and destiny by right. It's a weekly reminder of where we stand in the great scheme of things.

    2. Re:Kosher elevators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How rediculous. Things like this give religion a bad name.

    3. Re:Kosher elevators by Animats · · Score: 1
      There's a whole industry for Shabatt workarounds.

      • "Ask the Rabbi" describes the problems of the Kosher elevator.
      • Here's a Shabbat-compliant countertop water heater. Because it's an always-on heater, it's considered OK.
      • Wired has covered this. The Internet has been banned by the ultra-Orthodox leadership in Israel. They don't like TV, either. (The extreme Muslims, the extreme Christians, and the extreme Jews have rather similar positions on this.)
      • There's a certification authority for this stuff, the Institute for Science and Halacha.
    4. Re:Kosher elevators by Platinum+Dragon · · Score: 1

      The Internet has been banned by the ultra-Orthodox leadership in Israel. They don't like TV, either. (The extreme Muslims, the extreme Christians, and the extreme Jews have rather similar positions on this.)

      I'd ask what they all do for fun and enlightenment, but I don't think I want the answer.

      On another "I can't believe it's banned there!" note, I heard from a visiting Israeli last summer that WiFi and Bluetooth were banned in Israel until last September, because the 2.4 GHz range was being used by the military.

      --

      Someday, you're going to die. Get over it.
    5. Re:Kosher elevators by TheTomcat · · Score: 1

      The irony here is that you must pump the water out of the pot.

      These people are called Pharisees.

      S

  76. Re:Kwanzaa is not a holiday by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Good point. I never thought of it that way, but I don't want Negroes celebrating Christmas. Turnabout on the Negro is fairplay: "It's a White thang ... you wouldn't understand."

    Frankly, Negroes don't belong anywhere outside of their native tropical central Africa. They are a primitive species who have been totally unable to adapt to the human world.

  77. Re:Put the Mudslums in camps - nat'l alert is rais by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Well, you have some good points, and you're wrong on others. I agree with you that the Palestinians really should receive more aid and foreign investment dollars. However, their current problems are of their own making - foreign investment dollars were substantially increased in the years prior to the Second Intifada - money was finally starting to flow in as investors perceived stability coming. Then the "uprising" started, and all the money ran the hell away - nobody wants to invest dollars in a people in a perpetual state of uprising.


    Now I don't think the US government has ever given the Palestinian Authority the kind of aid dollars they should - but the problem is the current PA is corrupt as hell and tends to divert funds for their own use at the expense of the Palestinian people. This is why the US really wanted to negotiate a peace agreement, agree on a final status that would lead to state formation, and then be able to funnel dollars to a more legitimate and stable and democratic government for the Palestinian people.


    I support this, and I think a lot of American Jews (and Israeli Jews) do as well. I don't think we think that Israel is "special" (other than in a spiritual or cultural sense). The Indians and the Pakistanis have a massive ongoing border dispute over Kashmir that has nearly led to nuclear standoff in South Asia - they regularly slaughter each other's civilians and push through borders. The US government chastises both sides and encourages them to solve problems peacefully - same as they do with Israel and the Palestinian people.


    The problem is that you are casting the Palestinians in a sympathetic eye because they don't have a modern, well-funded military. The problem is that such a military isn't terribly useful for countering "assymmetric" threats, which is why Palestinian terrorism continues to be a reality. So your casting it as a one-sided "pushing back of borders" and killing of civilians is pretty ridiculous. However, I think since September 11th, Americans as a whole have quite a bit more sympathetic to Israel because we understand the concept of living in fear of terrorism quite a bit better, and we understand the frustration of trying to counter a threat that can't be defeated with traditional military superiority.

  78. A bit of clarification by LittleVito · · Score: 1

    Here is a bit of clarification as to the parent. First, I'd juest like to clarify that this theory is the one adopted by most conservative and reform rabbis, and at least some Orthodox rabbbis, so critiques of the reform movement are at best off-topic here. The original Chanukkah celebration had nothing to do with 8 days of oil. In the original celebrations (i.e. the Book of Maccabees), the Jews were celebrating the holiday of Sukkot (a harvest festival), which they had been precluded from celebrating earlier because the Asssyrian Greeks occupied the temple. Sukkot was one of the three pilgrimage festivals where the entire population would travel to the temple, so the temple's occupation pretty much nixed the whole holiday. Therefore, it was observed after it's liberation, and was simultanioulsy a celebration of the victory and the Sukkot holiday. This later celebration is what we now know of as the Chanukkah holiday. The Chanukkah Candelabra is called a Chanukkiah, not a Menorah, because a Menorah is 7 branched whereas a Chanukkiah, what is used an Chanukah, is 9 branched. The 9 branches came because of the 8 days, not the other way around. Sukkot, the aforementioned holiday, was an 8 day festival. The parent post got the idea right, just a bit backwards. The 8 days came first, the myth came later. As to the myth about the oil, I don't know about it's exact origins. I believe it has some textual origins, although I don't know how vague. My guess (remember this is a guess) is that it started like many traditions, in that a Rabbi began doing it, other people liked it, so they began doing it, and everyone passed it on to their children. Eventually, it spread throughout the community. I'm fairly sure that the 2BCE has nothing to do with this, but is probably something in the technical limitations of his calculations.

  79. USB? Riiiiight by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is just like what they had in the old days when the Temple still stood. The miracle was that the electricity lasted for eight days.

  80. Re:%!@\) jews by G.+Waters · · Score: 1

    No, he was an Israelite. Modern Judaism shares lineage with the Pharasees and later exposure to the mysticism of Babylon. Most Israelites during the time of Jesus were considered "goyim" by the ruling Pharasee tribe.

  81. No karaoke mode? by rice_burners_suck · · Score: 1
    Hmmm... This sounds like a very innovative product: LEDs that were supposed to have an MTBF of 100,000 years lasted 800,000 years. That's a miracle if you ask me.

    One thing this product doesn't do though... it doesn't sing the blessings for you. It should at least have a karaoke mode.

  82. USB power? Bah! by superyooser · · Score: 1
    The U.S. military powers their menorahs with jet fuel!
    A menorah was also lit in South Korea, where U.S. military officials said a ten-foot-tall jet-fuel-powered menorah was lit late Friday afternoon, the first night of Chanukah.
  83. Rules... by DrCode · · Score: 1

    Those rules were made by people. I'd guess that originally, only olive oil was permitted, and that it took a while before candles (which were the high-tech lighting method) were allowed.

  84. Re:Put the Mudslums in camps - nat'l alert is rais by Stigmata669 · · Score: 1
    >Which is a very antisemetic paper, regardless of it's other possible merits in British journalism.

    Interesting, because the book has a rather pro-Jewish slant actually.

    --
    Yawn.
  85. What's next by BluedemonX · · Score: 1

    A USB Mohel?

    Input the parameters pertaining to the size of the infant in question and bada boom bada bing, the unguarded fan blade does its work.

    No thanks. I'll pass.

    --

    --- Jump!! Fire!! Bullet time!! - Lego version of the Matrix
  86. Re:Put the Mudslums in camps - nat'l alert is rais by DJStealth · · Score: 1

    With respect to Palistinian foreign aid:

    It is my understanding that the EU has given the Palistinian Authority a few billion dollars a year. Unfortunately, most of that money went to fund Arafat's palaces, terrorism, and some went to anti-Semitic text books.. i.e. (true story), in their gradeschool math textbooks, they have examples like this "if you have 10 Jews and you kill 3, how many Jews do you have left?"

    The Palistinians need to make some major changes before there is any chance for peace.