Jack was a COBOL programmer in the mid to late 1990s. After years of being taken for granted and treated as a technological dinosaur by all the Client/Server programmers and website developers, he was finally getting some respect. He'd become a private consultant specializing in Year 2000 conversions.
Several years of this relentless, mind-numbing work had taken its toll on Jack. He began having anxiety dreams about the Year 2000. All he could think about was how he could avoid the year 2000 and all that came with it. He tried getting a job with an Orange County web development firm, but couldn't hack it in the end.
Jack decided to contact a company that specialized in cryogenics. He made a deal to have himself frozen until March 15th, 2000. The next thing he would know is he'd wake up in the year 2000; after the New Year celebrations and computer debacles; after the leap day. Nothing else to worry about except getting on with his life.
He was put into his cryogenic receptacle, the technicians set the revive date, he was given injections to slow his heartbeat to a bare minimum, and that was that.
The next thing that Jack saw was an enormous and very modern room filled with excited people. They were all shouting "I can't believe it!" and "It's a miracle" and "He's alive!". There were cameras (unlike any he'd ever seen) and equipment that looked like it came out of a science fiction movie.
Someone who was obviously a spokesperson for the group stepped forward. Jack couldn't contain his enthusiasm. "Is it over?" he asked. "Is the year 2000 already here? Are all the millennial parties and promotions and crises all over and done with?"
The spokesman explained that there had been a problem with the programming of the timer on Jack's cryogenic receptacle, it hadn't been year 2000 compliant. It was actually eight thousand years later, not the year 2000. Technology had advanced to such a degree that everyone had virtual reality interfaces which allowed them to contact anyone else on the planet.
"That sounds terrific," said Jack. "But I'm curious. Why is everybody so interested in me?"
"Well," said the spokesman. "The year 10000 is just around the corner, and it says in your files that you know COBOL".
I agree, no point. Especially no point in having the same alert level throughout the entire US. I'm sure the threat level in Middle of Nowhere, Kansas should be green while Major City, US could be orange. Furthermore, leaving the alert level at one color for eternity means nothing, it cheapens the value of the whole system. If, IF mind you, something happens, or a threat is received, or "chatter" indicates something, then raise it for that area, otherwise keep it green.
You forgot to mention that this would have never happened if Ted Kennedy was still around. Of course that kind of sarcasm would be lost on a lot of the/. populous.
I've seen a man do the same thing. My home room teacher in ninth grade screamed like a little girl and jumped on a chair when a mouse ran through our classroom. That was thirty plus years ago, and it still makes me laugh.
Somehow they still manage to fall for dangerous guys. Don't tell me they're not animals, because those bad boys that girls seem to fall for are most certainly animals.
I'm sorry you have to put up with such nonsense. If Patrick Henry and his peers were around today, I'm sure they'd be calling for a revolution. Problem is, most people don't care as long as they can watch TV and eat at McDonalds. I am truly bothered by what you foreigners have to put up with, and certainly troubled by what we citizens have to put up with.
Yeah, whatever. There are still plenty of people in the US, mostly rural areas, that understand firearms and responsibilty. An eleven year old boy in WVA probably goes hunting regularly, I know I did when I was his age. The urbanization of our country has created many problems, and added to many others. Your typical urbanite is afraid of guns, and figures no one has any reason to own one. As a US citizen I have a right to keep and bear arms, and in my opinion that means anything, unfortunately our government believes differently, and I am unable to own a fully automatic weapon, switchbalde knife (well in my state I can own, just not carry), short shotgun, brass knuckles, and a bunch of other stuff. Some states and cities are even worse. At least I can currently own an assault rifle. I see no reason he shouldn't have a cannon.
Points taken, and I'm in agreement. Your phrase "rudimentary knowledge" is exactly what I was trying to get across, but I did it poorly. I'd also say that a Government would rather rule pacifists and sheep, so people who play violent games may have a tendancy to be outside the governments' model of an ideal citizen.
How about that Windows Distro, it doesn't seem to work like that. Also, is Windows Debian Based? I've heard that Debian is always way behind in updates and usability.
Slackware is (for us) the easiest to do these things with, and "Just Works".
Hi, Steve Jobs here, please don't use my slogan, everyone knows that only MAC OS X "Just Works".
By the way, please get Snow Leopard, it was just released today. You'll love it, I promise.
Yep, have to agree. I haven't had cable in over eight years. I also use OTA, Hulu, and DSL. It just doesn't make sense to pay so much for cable to have a lot of channels I couldn't care less about just to have the very few I do care for.
I have to disagree. I also own several weapons, and I learned to shoot long before computers were ever "personal", but surely you would agree there's a certain amount of hand eye coordination involved, and surely one could collect some knowledge of gunsights from a video game. Understanding recoil, loading, clearing, etc probably would not be learned from a game, but the coordination and sight issues could be. The main problem may be that the citizen would expect to take several hits before he loses a life, and that's a lesson you only learn once.
I assert that this is the government trying to protect itself. A citizenry that is armed, or even unarmed, and has a clue as to how to defend itself or create a revolution is a threat to a government bent on total control. Citizens playing Tetris or Solitaire wouldn't know what to do when confronted with the need to wield a weapon, but a citizen playing a first person shooter would have a leg up when it comes to weapons use. A totalitarian government cannot allow its citizens to be more than mindless automotons.
Whatever happened to "Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me"? Besides, if an anonymous poster says something bad about someone, where's the credibility? If her husband or boyfriend, or relative called her a psychotic, skanky ho, then there would be some credibility and folks might just believe it.
Instead you're a relatively unknown Slashdot poster who, if you meet the stereotype, is in your thirties, over weight, and live in your parents' basement.
Slashdot Mirror
"As a MS/Phd engineering student..." There are several clues in that statement as to why he didn't get it.
Jack was a COBOL programmer in the mid to late 1990s. After years of being taken for granted and treated as a technological dinosaur by all the Client/Server programmers and website developers, he was finally getting some respect. He'd become a private consultant specializing in Year 2000 conversions. Several years of this relentless, mind-numbing work had taken its toll on Jack. He began having anxiety dreams about the Year 2000. All he could think about was how he could avoid the year 2000 and all that came with it. He tried getting a job with an Orange County web development firm, but couldn't hack it in the end. Jack decided to contact a company that specialized in cryogenics. He made a deal to have himself frozen until March 15th, 2000. The next thing he would know is he'd wake up in the year 2000; after the New Year celebrations and computer debacles; after the leap day. Nothing else to worry about except getting on with his life. He was put into his cryogenic receptacle, the technicians set the revive date, he was given injections to slow his heartbeat to a bare minimum, and that was that. The next thing that Jack saw was an enormous and very modern room filled with excited people. They were all shouting "I can't believe it!" and "It's a miracle" and "He's alive!". There were cameras (unlike any he'd ever seen) and equipment that looked like it came out of a science fiction movie. Someone who was obviously a spokesperson for the group stepped forward. Jack couldn't contain his enthusiasm. "Is it over?" he asked. "Is the year 2000 already here? Are all the millennial parties and promotions and crises all over and done with?" The spokesman explained that there had been a problem with the programming of the timer on Jack's cryogenic receptacle, it hadn't been year 2000 compliant. It was actually eight thousand years later, not the year 2000. Technology had advanced to such a degree that everyone had virtual reality interfaces which allowed them to contact anyone else on the planet. "That sounds terrific," said Jack. "But I'm curious. Why is everybody so interested in me?" "Well," said the spokesman. "The year 10000 is just around the corner, and it says in your files that you know COBOL".
I agree, no point. Especially no point in having the same alert level throughout the entire US. I'm sure the threat level in Middle of Nowhere, Kansas should be green while Major City, US could be orange. Furthermore, leaving the alert level at one color for eternity means nothing, it cheapens the value of the whole system. If, IF mind you, something happens, or a threat is received, or "chatter" indicates something, then raise it for that area, otherwise keep it green.
You forgot to mention that this would have never happened if Ted Kennedy was still around. Of course that kind of sarcasm would be lost on a lot of the /. populous.
Whatever the attire, the couple must wear matching items.
"Following a torrent of customer complaints" Is that torrent available on the Pirate Bay? I have been unable to find it anywhere.
Duh, but it doesn't stay clean long does it?
So showers are unhealthy, and I'm sure laying around in a tub full of dirty water taking a bath is unhealthy, so what's left, a sponge bath?
I've seen a man do the same thing. My home room teacher in ninth grade screamed like a little girl and jumped on a chair when a mouse ran through our classroom. That was thirty plus years ago, and it still makes me laugh.
Somehow they still manage to fall for dangerous guys. Don't tell me they're not animals, because those bad boys that girls seem to fall for are most certainly animals.
If we the readers don't even read the articles, why should we expect the editors too?
I'm sorry you have to put up with such nonsense. If Patrick Henry and his peers were around today, I'm sure they'd be calling for a revolution. Problem is, most people don't care as long as they can watch TV and eat at McDonalds. I am truly bothered by what you foreigners have to put up with, and certainly troubled by what we citizens have to put up with.
Corporations vote with their wallets, and those votes carry much more weight than the vote of a person.
Yeah, whatever. There are still plenty of people in the US, mostly rural areas, that understand firearms and responsibilty. An eleven year old boy in WVA probably goes hunting regularly, I know I did when I was his age. The urbanization of our country has created many problems, and added to many others. Your typical urbanite is afraid of guns, and figures no one has any reason to own one. As a US citizen I have a right to keep and bear arms, and in my opinion that means anything, unfortunately our government believes differently, and I am unable to own a fully automatic weapon, switchbalde knife (well in my state I can own, just not carry), short shotgun, brass knuckles, and a bunch of other stuff. Some states and cities are even worse. At least I can currently own an assault rifle. I see no reason he shouldn't have a cannon.
Points taken, and I'm in agreement. Your phrase "rudimentary knowledge" is exactly what I was trying to get across, but I did it poorly. I'd also say that a Government would rather rule pacifists and sheep, so people who play violent games may have a tendancy to be outside the governments' model of an ideal citizen.
Whooooosh?
How about that Windows Distro, it doesn't seem to work like that. Also, is Windows Debian Based? I've heard that Debian is always way behind in updates and usability.
Slackware is (for us) the easiest to do these things with, and "Just Works".
Hi, Steve Jobs here, please don't use my slogan, everyone knows that only MAC OS X "Just Works". By the way, please get Snow Leopard, it was just released today. You'll love it, I promise.
Yep, have to agree. I haven't had cable in over eight years. I also use OTA, Hulu, and DSL. It just doesn't make sense to pay so much for cable to have a lot of channels I couldn't care less about just to have the very few I do care for.
I have to disagree. I also own several weapons, and I learned to shoot long before computers were ever "personal", but surely you would agree there's a certain amount of hand eye coordination involved, and surely one could collect some knowledge of gunsights from a video game. Understanding recoil, loading, clearing, etc probably would not be learned from a game, but the coordination and sight issues could be. The main problem may be that the citizen would expect to take several hits before he loses a life, and that's a lesson you only learn once.
I assert that this is the government trying to protect itself. A citizenry that is armed, or even unarmed, and has a clue as to how to defend itself or create a revolution is a threat to a government bent on total control. Citizens playing Tetris or Solitaire wouldn't know what to do when confronted with the need to wield a weapon, but a citizen playing a first person shooter would have a leg up when it comes to weapons use. A totalitarian government cannot allow its citizens to be more than mindless automotons.
I'm not sure it is charisma. I think It is because he is black; we cannot make fun of Black People in the United States.
Whatever happened to "Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me"? Besides, if an anonymous poster says something bad about someone, where's the credibility? If her husband or boyfriend, or relative called her a psychotic, skanky ho, then there would be some credibility and folks might just believe it.
Instead you're a relatively unknown Slashdot poster who, if you meet the stereotype, is in your thirties, over weight, and live in your parents' basement.
... without loosing signal.
Losing, the word is losing.