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User: Mike+McCune

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Comments · 115

  1. Re:Online = good, but done horribly on Neil Gaiman Book "American Gods" Free Online · · Score: 1

    If I wanted to read "American Gods" on my computer, I would download a copy from #bookz on IRC. At least I can read that copy.

    There are also dozens of copies of it at the local (Chicago) library.

    I already have a signed copy of the book, so I won't bother doing either.

    A very readable book with an unreadable online version.

  2. Re:Not really on Quality Open Source Calendaring / Scheduling? · · Score: 1

    What? I've installed several Zimbra servers and it is no more complex that running the install script and setting up users. I'll admit that Zimbra doesn't "officially" support all versions of Linux but it has worked under any version of Linux I have installed it on.

    So, do you have any specific complaints or are you just dissing them with a broad brush?

  3. Re:Well then don't use it on Vista Security The 'Longest Suicide Note in History'? · · Score: 1

    It gives a whole new meaning to Blue Screen of Death (or is that Blue Hair of Death)!

  4. Re:Well then don't use it on Vista Security The 'Longest Suicide Note in History'? · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Venders build mission critical apps on Windows all the time. It is easier to use what you know than the best tool for the job.

    http://www.securityfocus.com/news/6767

    The worst case I ever saw in person was at an assisted living facility. Their pull chains (that the residents pull when they are in trouble) was being monitored by a PC running Windows 95 (this was in 2006).

    >You're not supposed to use a consumer grade OS for mission critical apps anyway. So if you went with a vendor that >builds its apps on such an OS, then you are at fault.

  5. Re:I don't like Ipods on How iPods Took Over the World · · Score: 1

    My wife has a video Ipod. It looks great and is easy to use. I use an MP3 player mostly for audio books. The Ipod works with Audible (www.audible.com) and MP3 but not services that use secure WMA. When the local Library started offering free audio books in secure WMA format (www.overdrive.com/audiobooks), an Ipod was out of the question. I picked up a Sandisk player for $60 and use it exclusively for audio books.

    The Sandisk player isn't as sleek and easy to use as the Ipod but it does play all online audio book formats. I just wish Apple, Microsoft, Real and others would quit their format wars and support each others formats or, better yet, agree on a single format.

  6. I wonder what other campuses he is visiting? on Bill Gates Is Coming To A College Near You · · Score: 1
  7. I just saw it last night... on Serenity Opens Today · · Score: 2

    Some Fox employee was running the projector. He showed baseball game before the film and then played the reels out of order. Oh well, I guess I'll wait for it to come out on DVD.

  8. Details on the KDV500 mentioned in the article. on Ladies and Gentlemen Allow Me to Introduce the Cat Car · · Score: 2, Informative

    Details on the KDV 500 mentioned in the article are here . No mentions of cats, though.

  9. Re:Always thought he was underappreciated... on Walter Koenig Reprises His Role as Chekov · · Score: 5, Informative
    >Sounds like there's some bad blood there.

    Read Warped Factors if you want a good account of why Koenig hated Shatner.

    William Shatner managed to make enemies of most of the cast of TOS. While he was friends with Nimoy and Kelly, the rest of the cast hated Shatner. James Doohan refused to speak to Shatner even to the last days of his life.

    BTW - Koenig really is Russian. His grandparents were Russian Jews from Vilna, Lithuania.

  10. Re:Tonight at 11: on System Exploitable With USB · · Score: 2, Informative
  11. Re:Remembering James Doohan on Star Trek's Scotty Dies at 85 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I met James about 20 years ago. Our high school managed to scrape up enough money to have him come out to our small town. Even though he was in his 60's, he talked for several hours including a long Q&A session. He talked about storming the beaches during D-Day, he talked about his family, he talked about the Star Trek cast and also did several of his accents.

    I was a lifelong Star Trek fan and I realized that James Doohan was about lot more than playing Scottie. He was a very gracious host and his real life was as interesting as anything he played on TV.

    Star Trek is the reason I am working in the technology field. Scottie made engineering cool and in the tradition of Scottie, I am a hands on engineer.

    Even though I only met him once, I feel like I have lost a close colleague. Goodbye, James. You will be missed but not forgotten.

  12. Re:Cue the jokes... on Star Trek's Scotty Dies at 85 · · Score: 1

    Apparently he was doing something right. He fathered a kid at 80.

    "In 1974 he married Wende Braunberger, and their children were Eric, Thomas and Sarah, who was born in 2000, when Doohan was 80."

  13. The MP3 and Video Blog are already online! on Battlestar Galactica Season 2 Premiere · · Score: 1
    The Ron Moores's MP3 of the PodCast are already online:

    Battlestar Galactica PodCast

    As well as David Eick's Video Blog:


    David Eick's Video Blog

    I'll listen to them later so I don't ruin the seaswon opener tonight!

  14. Re:OpenOffice.org Rules. on Associated Press Reviews OpenOffice · · Score: 2, Insightful
    This is not only a problem with OpenOffice, it is a problem with Microsoft Office. Using a differenct version of MS Office, different fonts or even have a different default printer will throw off the formatting.

    Formatting Microsoft Word Documents

    The only way to get a document to appear the same way on different computers is to use the PDF format (which is one of the export formats for OpenOffice).

  15. A couple of extra steps.. on Free, Near-Foolproof Way to Evade Windows Spyware · · Score: 4, Insightful

    1. Don't run as administrator. Create another account as restricted user for daily use. Most spyware requires administrator rights to install.

    2. Download and install Microsoft Antispyware http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/s oftware/default.mspx . Sure is is still beta but it works pretty well. For those anti MS types out there, MS bought this software from Giant Software.

    Any other tips?

  16. Wasn't this an "In Living Color" skit? on Build a House Out of Recycled Cardboard · · Score: 1
  17. The biggest problem is lack of educational program on Bringing Open Source To The Classroom · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I am currently teaching high school students to build computers for schools. We are currently using Linux because we can't afford to put a legal copy of Windows on every PC.

    Most of the computers are going to grade schools. The biggest problem is a lack of good educational software for grade school kids.

    Most schools have educational software that they use. Most of it is very old. I've even seen some DOS programs still in use. Most won't work with Windows XP or Linux, so the schools are stuck with Windows 98 or earlier.

    There is a bunch of educational software listed on sites such as seul.org but most of it is beta quality at best. We've found a few good programs such as debian-junior and gcompris but few others.

    Are there any other good educational programs out there?

  18. When Bill Gate said... on Funniest IT Related Boasts You've Heard? · · Score: 1
  19. The Big Wheel! on Classic Toys For Christmas? · · Score: 1

    I had one of these babies as a kid and passed it down to all my brothers. You can still buy them at your local Wally World

  20. Re:George Broussard of 3d realms' take on this on EA Games: The Human Story · · Score: 1

    >And you can't collect unemployment if you quit.

    Actually, you can if you have a good reason. This is from the Connecticut Department of Labor but other states are similar:

    "9. Can I quit my job and collect Unemployment Insurance Benefits?

    The general rule is that a person who voluntarily leaves suitable work without good cause, attributable to the employer, is not eligible for benefits.

    For good cause to be attributable to the employer, it must relate to the wages, hours, or working conditions of the job. A change in conditions created by your employer or a breach of your employment agreement which is substantial and adversely affects you may be good cause to quit. Also, if the job itself adversely affects your health or aggravates or worsens a medical condition, it could be good cause to quit.

    Regardless of the cause, in most cases, good cause attributable to the employer may only be found if you took reasonable steps to inform your employer of your dissatisfaction and sought to remedy the problem before you left. If you quit, it is your burden to prove that there was good cause for leaving. When applying for benefits, after quitting a job, you will be scheduled to attend a pre-determination hearing to establish whether you had good cause for leaving. Your employer will be notified of this hearing and will be invited to attend or to send in a written statement."

  21. Just put a couple of these in your yard on Home Defense, Geek Style? · · Score: 2, Funny
    After the first burgler gets pulverized, you will never have problems again.

    Phalanx Close-In Weapons System

  22. Re:It's with utmost respect ... on "Scotty" Gets Walk of Fame Star · · Score: 4, Interesting
    He also lost a finger during the battle. You can notice it in some of the closeup shots in TOS.

    James Doohan

    It looks like Scotty will not be with us much longer. What a shame since he inpired so many of us to go into technology ....

  23. I found some pictures of it. on Transparent Aluminum Is Here · · Score: 2, Informative

    Here are the scientist creating tranparent aluminum -
    Creating Tranparent Aluminum

    and here is the final product -
    Tranparent Aluminum

  24. Re:Dishonest on Fahrenheit 9/11 Discussion · · Score: 1

    >Did you see anyone walking up and down the aisles >wearing night vision goggles?

    No but some of the soldiers in the movie were using them ;-0

  25. Re:Dishonest on Fahrenheit 9/11 Discussion · · Score: 2, Interesting
    The movie is supposed to be an editorial and Moore makes no attempt to portray it as unbiased. I don't mind opinions as long as they are clearly protrayed as such. What I find offensive is editorializing news or refusing to cover news that doesn't conform with the management's world view.

    That being said, I saw the movie at a packed house Saturday night (complete with armed cops to control the non-violent protesters). I don't agree with all of Moore's conclusions but he made his arguements with his usual flair and humor.

    On a closing note, if you want to complement or criticise Moore for his movie, he is having a national town meeting Monday evening (June 28) sponsored by MoveOn Pac