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User: Chagrin

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Comments · 574

  1. Re:At that point, the Constitution may fail us on The Failing Right of Laptop Privacy · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    If you depend entirely on your spellchecker, you're going to look like an idiot.

    Comma splice, biznatch!

  2. Re:It boggles my mind on HBO's Hacking Democracy Available Online · · Score: 1

    The documentary isn't suggesting that the systems aren't "flawless" (as far as bugs go), it's suggesting that the voting process, as it exists today, is extremely easy to manipulate. One part of the documentary discusses the voting occuring in Ohio and how the recount process, using punch cards, was rigged with a non-random selection of voting cards.

    Diebold is a big part of the problem, but they're simply just one of the players in an untrustable voting system.

  3. Re:Spamhaus have their problems on Email Servers Will Choke, Says Spamhaus · · Score: 1

    I've had my Spamhaus problems too. Kept finding my smart host listed on the CBL -- I could remove it manually, but mainly I focused my time on figuring out what the heck was causing the block. Spent *a lot* of time looking at messages for spam.

    At the time the CBL specifically ignored any messages sent to them and gave no contact address. When I finally found one, I received a reply and was told that, because my reverse DNS for my smart host looked "suspicious" I was being blocked. We're not talking about a fake RDNS or anything -- it was perfectly legitimate. The problem was I had the IP address embedded in the name. That's enough for the CBL to block you.

  4. Re:A quick history of payment in the industry. on U.S. House to Vote on Anti-Online Gambling Act · · Score: 1

    eBay capitulated to political pressure to stop handling gambling transfers, not because of any sort of morality. Now that other companies are popping up and handling gambling transfers I'm sure that eBay is a little ticked off/frightened that they'll gain enough momentum to bite into PayPal's market share.

  5. Re:Evil Republicans!! on Zimmermann, Encrypted VoIP, and Uncle Sam · · Score: 1

    I thought it was a reasonable point albeit poorly explained. With the current (Republican) administration weeding out Democrats could certainly be seen as a focal point -- and that's one of the problems I see forthcoming: spying between politicians.

  6. Re:Hopefully this will get solved in court on Wired Releases Full Text of AT&T NSA Document · · Score: 1

    Ever wonder why your signature is referred to as your "John Hancock"? Take a look at a picture of the Declaration of Independence some day. You'll see that by far the largest, most prominent signature is that of John Hancock. This was not him being arrogant - this was him making sure they knew his name. This was an act of courage on his part.

    http://www.snopes.com/history/american/hancock.htm

  7. Re:You know what... on NVIDIA Launches New SLI Physics Technology · · Score: 1

    It sounds like you're suggesting that technological innovation needs competition to make it thrive in a Socialist society. If there was no competition, though, then how would you even benchmark innovation? How could you even expect a Socialist state to exist without any sort of competition? Really, is there any society in the world that exists without competition much less a government?

  8. Re:Not unusual, nor should it be a surprise on Are Marines Censoring Web Access for Troops in Iraq? · · Score: 1

    Oh, and when the unit suffers casualties, the Data Chief cuts access to email and the Internet for everyone except a list of critical users. That stays on until the families are notified by the Marines (in the US) who perform the casualty call. The last thing a parent, wife, or fiancee needs to get is an email with a subject line of "John is dead." That would also leave open the door for cruel hoaxes.

    Cutting off email after a unit suffers casualties doesn't block cruel hoaxes. It's only when nobody died (when email is not cut off) that it's a hoax.

  9. Re:Why pass what you know is flawed? I'll tell you on Senate Passes Patriot Act Renewal · · Score: 1

    43,000 deaths per year due to motor vehicles.
    14,900 deaths due to falls
    8,600 poisoning
    4,000 drowning
    3,700 fires
    3,300 suffocation
    1,500 firearms
    700 poisoning from gases

    Basically, you're only slightly less likely to be killed by a terrorist than you are to die from suffocation.

    (well, at least during that one year that there was a terrorist attack)

  10. Re:Let's triple the petrol cost. on Solar Energy Becoming More Pervasive · · Score: 1

    In reality, the most predominate alternative is a wood burning stove (well, for heating only).

    I believe the rule of thumb is that 10 acres of forest will provide enough firewood for a single family for a year while regenerating at the same rate that it is consumed.

  11. Re:What about Stirling Engines? on Solar Energy Becoming More Pervasive · · Score: 2, Interesting

    My main complaint with Sterling engine power generation is that it still relies on the same "buy your power from the power company" principle as it's only more economical than PV at large scales.

    Clean energy is one half of the equation; power independence is the other. If every house's roof could be occupied with a Sterling generation system as easily as a PV system I'd be all for it.

  12. Re:This isn't just about the Bush cabal! on Powell Aide Says Case for War a 'Hoax' · · Score: 1

    Earlier poster's theory has plenty of foundation to back it up. The dollar was slipping fairly hard, and one of the best ways to bolster it was to undo Saddam's switch from the dollar to the euro for oil currency.

    I mean, you did notice that one of the first things to occur after the topple of Saddam was to switch their oil sales from the Euro to the Dollar right? Perhaps you missed that one while you were looking for WMDs.

  13. Re:No particular, but any? on Airport ID Checks Constitutional · · Score: 5, Informative

    Saenz v. Roe, there are three components to the right to travel:

            (1) "the right of a citizen of one state to enter and leave another state";
            (2) "the right to be treated as a welcome visitor rather than an unfriendly alien when temporarily present in the second state"; and
            (3) "for those travelers who elect to become permanent residents, the right to be treated like other citizens of that state."

  14. Re:No particular, but any? on Airport ID Checks Constitutional · · Score: 1

    You don't need your gun license emblazoned down the barrel of your gun so it can be seen at a distance. Cars require a license plate.

  15. Re:Business model on Web Game Helps Predict Spread of Epidemics · · Score: 1

    Knowing that marking up bills is illegal, you stop selling the rubber stamps and instead just encourage the practice of marking up the bills.

    Nice.

  16. Re:KISS on Wisconsin Requires Open Source, Verifiable Voting · · Score: 1

    Correct. The paper ballot is still modifiable or "lost" if need be (it's just more difficult). Since it travels with the same person that collects the electronic votes there's not a whole lot of safety here.

    However, it's better than nothing.

  17. Re:Interesting... on Kansas Anti-Creationism Professor Resigns · · Score: 1

    Because evolution is a *theory* and by definition unproven. Being "pro theory" is nonsensical in the realm of science.

  18. Re:Fron the article... on Kansas Anti-Creationism Professor Resigns · · Score: 1

    His message was sent to a listserv group: "Society of Open-minded Atheists and Agnostics". For crying out loud, don't take it out of context -- he was just pandering to a group of like-minded individuals.

  19. Speech is free in private schools in California on Marquette Dental Student Suspended For Blogging · · Score: 1

    "California is the only state that has enacted a law that prohibits private colleges from making or enforcing any rule that would subject a student to disciplinary action for engaging in expression (on or off campus) that would be protected by the First Amendment or the California Constitution's free expression provision if it occurred off campus."

    http://www.yaf.org/activists/leonard_law.html

  20. Re:collateral damage on Sensitive Data Stolen Via Digital Cameras · · Score: 1

    Walmart and K-mart will not allow anyone to record the prices of their items. This would include walking around with a notepad or with a camera. I'm sure that just about every department store has similar policies.

    This has been in place for *at least* 15 years -- it's certainly nothing new.

  21. Re:Got some bad news for you Mr. Dell... on Apple - What A Difference Eight Years Can Make · · Score: 1

    They're more of the Festool of the computer world.

    Quite a bit different and certainly pricier. Some believe the price is worth it; others do not.

  22. Re:Why hydrogen? Use it for heat.. on Canon's Fuel Cell May Drive Portable Gear · · Score: 1

    Using wind power for heat is a terrible idea. Sure it works, but you're using an expensive and complicated device to do the task that solar heating (water or other) could do four times as well.

  23. Re:Innovation on MySQL 5.0 Now Available for Production Use · · Score: 1

    What kind of hardware is Adler? Just a little curious as to what kind of processor speed/quantity you need to pull of this kind of a stunt.

  24. Re:Jet Blue? on Organizational Practices of an IT Department? · · Score: 1
    Their problem ... is not just that you don't have a clearly defined organizational plan, but that you let the business drive the department.

    Holy fuck! The business is driving IT! What is the world coming to.

  25. Re:BULLONEY!! on Java Urban Performance Legends · · Score: 1

    The K Virtual Machine doc you linked to states that the minimum is 50K for the interpreter.