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  1. Re:final specs on Another Ars Ultimate Budget Box · · Score: 1

    My mother, 66 this year, has been a HAPPY Linux user for over a year. It went like this:
    M: Now that I have more free time, I want one of them computer thingies.
    Me:OK, will make you one and bring it by newxt week.
    (I used my last spare Epia board and assorted bits to make computer for her, loaded Centos on it, and delivered it.)
    M: It looks a little different than the one "friend's name here" has.
    Me: Yeah, I just made it, their is several months old. (Evil grin)

    Everytime she needes "something" I ssh in, and make sure there is a "something" link on her desktop. If she has a problem I fix it. She thinks it's remote magic. :-)

    The only problem is that her friends want me to use my "remote magic" on their windows boxes as well ... I can usually do it, either RDP or VNC, but it's not as easy as I would like it ...

  2. Re:Closing the "analog hole" on Japan to Discourage Sale of Old Electronics · · Score: 1

    Basically, yes. The difference is, Stalin tried to do it to fast/too soon. The Japanese way is way better; "educate" the people and they will willingly do it. Me thinketh.

  3. Re:a "program" isn't needed on Beware the iPod 'slurping' Employee · · Score: 1

    Sure you could; but, how is that headline grabbing? Where is the sensationalism? Yellow journalism at its best ...

  4. Re:Here's to calling the kettle black on Prostitutes Call for a Ban on GTA · · Score: 1

    You are obviously not from AmeriKKKa. As some comic once said, in the US you can't show a boob on TV, unless it has a knife stuck in it.

  5. Re:You're already selling yourself on Prostitutes Call for a Ban on GTA · · Score: 4, Funny

    This morning.

  6. Re:Funny thing on Obesity Contagious? · · Score: 2, Funny

    Oh, come on. What is wrong with haggis?

  7. Re:Funny thing on Obesity Contagious? · · Score: 1

    But we still have plenty of fatties.

    Haven't heard, it's a virus. I saw an article about that somewhere.

  8. Re:Funny thing on Obesity Contagious? · · Score: 1

    I was in your situation in Tokyo - think Summers with temperatures in the mid 30s (C) and humidity in the high 90s - for a couple years. My solution ... short messy hair. Mind you, I was not in a customer facing job, so it didn't really matter what I looked like. If you don't need to face customers in a position where image matters, you could also shave your head.

    I used to bike - about one hour each way - and have a quick wet towel rubdown in the washroom. I then just changed into clean dry clothes and was OK. At least, noone ever complained. Perhaps having a couple real showers a day helped as well, one in the morning to wake up and one at night at the gym.

  9. Re:Doesnt this make us want to... on Obesity Contagious? · · Score: 1

    Yes _we_ are. (Shrug.)

  10. I did this for a while, last year on Are Alternative Sleeping Patterns Effective? · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Basically, I slept when I felt sleepy - it averaged about 50 to 90 minutes every four hours.
    It was REALLY great for me. I definitely got more accomplished. On the other hand, it was driving those around me bonkers. I was either sleeping or going 100 miles an hour at various, and always changing, times of the day/night; so, they could not rely on me for help/conversation/etc unless they could fit it in a certain period.
    Had to go to Europe and a "regular" sleeping pattern for a few months, so I changed back to "night" sleeping.
    When circumstances allow it I will DEFINITELY go back to what I now know to be poliphasic sleep.

  11. Used to see them in Akihabara all the time on A PC Case with External Power Supply? · · Score: 1

    Yup, that's right, full size cases with an external power supply. The "problem" was that the cable was relatively short - about 60-80 cm, if I recall correctly. A bit fuzzy about the details, but I think they were sold under the "Windy" name ... a Soldam company.

    I am not an EE, and all that, but I think the main problem with having long low voltage wires is loss ...

  12. Re:It should be irrelevant on Rack Mount BTX Case · · Score: 1

    Actually, I think it's at least 3U; although, it seems more like 4U to me. As far _I_ am concerned, this would only be useful if I needed a couple full height cards in there. Mind you, I only looked at one picture, so, for all I know, this is too small to allow that.

  13. Boring news ... to many. on Bird Flu May Be Developing Drug Resistance · · Score: 1

    See this, for example, for a quite an interesting analysis of how disease affected history. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385121229/103-89 20737-8104634?v=glance&n=283155

  14. Come to Portland and ... on Best System for Learning a Foreign Language? · · Score: 1

    ...get a job in the construction business. You will be fluent in Spanish and Russian in no time.

  15. Re:Bah. We're a buncha luddites. on Are Americans Addicted to Technology? · · Score: 1

    I was totally with you untill the "gas prices soared" part. I am now paying US$ 1.91/US gallon for gas, and a bit more for diesel. How is that "soared" copared to the rest of the world - this summer paid just over an Euro a litre for diesel all over Europe.
    I am looking around me, curently in Portland Oregon, and I am surrounded by a mass of obscenely big cars/trucks/SUVs. (Mind you, I probably should not be pointing any fingers, as I am driving around in an old GD300.) :-|

  16. Re:Kinda disappointed in the article... on 30 Years of Personal Computer Market Share · · Score: 1

    56K modem? I remember cracking open my Model 100, and soldering an external connector for its modem, which I then proceeded to "overclock" to 450bps.

  17. I am not a parent, but, I have a LOT of friends... on Limiting Kids' Computer Time? · · Score: 1

    ... who have kids. Being a bit of geek I get to make/rebuild/refresh/re_what_have_you a lot of boxes for my friends' kids. So, although I don't have personal experience, I have seen A LOT of cases.

    Basically, as I am sure others will no doubt point it out, YOU have to take responsibility. Don't rely on the box. I can honestly say that _I_ haven't heard about any of my friend's kids have a problem with spending too much time in front of the computer. No doubt it hapens in some cases, but ...

    As an aside, I can tell you for a fact that having free - as in not timed - access to computers has actually improved the grades of quite a few of my friends' kids. Basically, their parents said "After you are done with your chores and your homework you can "play" with the computer." The story I most often hear from my friends is that while it used to take all afternoon for the kids to finish everything, they are now done in a couple/three hours. Also, since they know that they get reduced computer priviledges for messing up, they do a better job of everything. You can take this with a grain of salt, as this is, statistically, a relatively small sample, I think I heard that from about seven or eight of my friends only. Their kids are from about 7 to about 13 years old, and they are involved in a lot of other activities.

    As another aside, some of the kids, mainly boys, but also a couple of the older girls, have asked me about "that Linux" and a few have asked me to load it on their previously Windows running machines.

  18. Re:Mix fav beverages? on Coca-Cola's Coffee Soda · · Score: 1

    Well, I guess it all depends _why_ you travel. I would certainly not want something like that, I would rather take a chance. But, that's me, someone who is often traveliing for weeks, or even months, at a time without ever making a reservation. I go places because I want to experience the "native" life, with all its good and bad points.

  19. Re:Mix fav beverages? on Coca-Cola's Coffee Soda · · Score: 1

    Now that you mention it ... you are right; it is the atmosphere. Also, very much like McDonalds, they offer consitency. One can go pretty much anywhere and get the same, albeit shitty - from my point of view - cup of coffe. I guess there must be people who like that.

  20. Re:Mix fav beverages? on Coca-Cola's Coffee Soda · · Score: 1

    Yet, surprisingly enough, for me anyway, the Starbucks in central Vienna - the one near the opera, for example - were packed with locals, while the "local" shops had only some curious turists.

  21. Re:is google trying to take over the world... on Google Transit Now In Beta · · Score: 1

    I don't have the URL handy - sitting at the "wrong" computer - but this has been available in Japan for a LONG time; at least five years. If, for example, you were to plug in a streetcar station name in Hirosima and a city somewhere in Japan it would give you several options on getting there, combinations of bus streetcar train airplane. A really nifty feature for Tokyo: it lists the transition times in any given station; so, for example going from A to B can be done in 30 minutes if you don't mind changing trains a couple times, or 33 minutes is you want to change just once. Also, prices for all options are included.

    I was wondering when someone woudl do the same for around here. Good on Google.

  22. Re:What did you expect? on Computer Jobs -- How to Resign Professionally? · · Score: 1

    I wish I hadn't posted, so I can moderate you as insightful. This has been my experience every time.

  23. Re:What did you expect? on Computer Jobs -- How to Resign Professionally? · · Score: 1

    When I left my last IT employer, I gave them several months' notice. I then worked with FULL access to ALL resources till the last day of my contract. I guess some companies CIOs TRUST their employees, at least some of them, in spite of what company policy might or might not say.
    By the way, I am having WAY more fun now that I am out of the IT biz, and back to doing it just for fun/friends/small_short_term_contracts.

  24. Re:Geek interests on Have Geeks Gone Mainstream? · · Score: 1

    Yeah, but that's because most of the geeks you know are of the type "geekus oridinaris" not "geekus maximus"

  25. Re:Tin/Aluminium? on Richard Stallman Accosted For Tinfoil Hat · · Score: 1

    I would guess he was just trying to make a point, rather than actually make it work. no?