Slashdot Mirror


User: mrs+clear+plastic

mrs+clear+plastic's activity in the archive.

Stories
0
Comments
163
First seen
Last seen
Profile
(view on slashdot.org)

Comments · 163

  1. So Long So Long Sorry to See you Go on NASA Gives Up On Pioneer 10 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    So Long
    So Long
    I'm Sorry to See You Go
    I'm So Sad You Are Gone
    I Dearly Miss Your Feeble Little Signal
    You May Be Gone
    But You Are In My Heart Forever
    My Tears Will Follow You Wherever You Go

  2. Engineering Black Box and Whole System on Programmers and the "Big Picture"? · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Here are some thoughts that go beyond programming and include engineering as well. And not just systems vs black block, but concepts as well.

    Here are some random thoughts.

    Take the slide rule. Back in the days before destops, calculators, and palmtops, we had slide rules to do division and multiplication. You slide the rule for the numerator over the denominator
    (I think, its' been so long). You then look at the
    result.

    The thing is, you can see how 'close' the result is to whatever you desire (in a circuit or system). You can intuit how close thing are. You can easily 'play with the numbers' with a slide rule in some cases. Slide it a little to see what it would take to get the desired results. A teeny amount, alot; whatever.

    With digital calculators, it's a harder (for me) to see the changes visualy. All you see is a quanitive value. I can't look at the physical distances on a slide rule and make inferences.

    I can remember doing the same intuiting with meters. In the days before digitization and computers, we had analog meters. A needle would point to the value (voltage, amperage, whatever). Often the 'movement' of the needle is almost more important than the actual value itself.

    Take the tuning of a final output circuit in a radio transmitter. You dip the plate and tune for
    proper power. With an analog meter, you can see the needle do a quick dip. Sometimes with a digital meter, you can miss the dip, espcially if the circuit has a high Q value. The motion of the needle of the meter controls the speed at which I turn the various knobs.

    With a digital meter, I feel removed from the process of tuning.

    Monitoring the electrical service for a facility, whether it be a radio transmitter facility, or even a computer room; I am much more comfortable with an analog voltmeter and amp-probe. It's far easier for me to watch for hiccups (needles jumping rapidly or slowly) to indicate something is happening.

    I feel that all of these examples are important in my desire to be a part of the overall system, rather than being only a blind black box. I use my overall knowlege of what is happening in the system as a whole to get a 'feel' if what is happening right there and then.

    With only abstract figures and a blind black box interface, I would feel much alone and out of touch with the reality of the system.

    I think the same can be said about programming. In all of the projects I have been involved with, I have been fortunate enough to see the overall picture of the system at a high enough level to be able to able to be a 'part of the system' rather than a disconnected black box'. This is certainly true in my background in writing scripts to monitor the health of databases and operating systems.

    Mark

  3. I Hope 'Chicago' Gets Best Picture on Oscar Nominations (LotR, Spirited Away, and more) · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I hope that 'Chicago' gets the best picture award.

    This has been the first musical, that I can recall, that has come out for a long time.

    I have longed for musicals such as 'Sound of Music', 'Singing In The Rain', and 'West Side Story'.

    I can remember going to those movies as a chile and being 'carried away' by the fantasy and joy they evoked.

    I am very dissapointed that these types of musicals are not comming out of the Hollywood machine lately.

    I hope, if 'Chicago' gets the award, that more musicals will start to come down the line.

    Mark

  4. Re:So, You Think RIAA Music Is Crappy? on RIAA Unveils Net Tracking Tag for Online Sales · · Score: 1

    If Hillary joins me, then the music will be so interesting that I will have to take up a collection here on /. to pay the landlord for a whole new bathroom.

  5. So, You Think RIAA Music Is Crappy? on RIAA Unveils Net Tracking Tag for Online Sales · · Score: 1

    Why do you think that RIAA music is crappy?

    Have you heard me sing in the shower lately?
    That would change your mind.

    I just got a $200.00 surcharge on my rent because the landlord had to replace the full length bathroom mirror that broke while I was singing.

    Such as life

  6. Similar to a Custom Watermark on RIAA Unveils Net Tracking Tag for Online Sales · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Could this be similar to a custom watermark on each individual song or piece that's sold?

    How tamper-proof will this be? If all of the on-line sources that will be selling musing/videos/whatever are to be expected to issue these watermarks, the standards would have to be public, or at least very darn near public.

    If the standards are even close to being public, perhaps someone could figure out how to remove and or alter these watermarks.

    Hmm, very interesting. I buy a song from MSN. I read the file into a scrip that I hacked. I change the watermark in some way. I then turn around and sell it under the table. The buyer takes the song and then in turn sells it, or whatever.

    Sometime later, someone gets raided by the SPA,
    MPAA, or whatever. They audit the songs. They find a few with the watermark that I altered. Their trail will be lost or steered into some poor victim whose watermark I 'stole' to alter my songs.

    A possible solution to this would be to have a secret algorithm to generate the watermarks. This would have to be implemented in tamper-proof chips or, perhaps, a tamper-proof device that goes between your computer and the network; ie; a special NIC card. The card would know who you are and what song you are about to release. It would then generate and record the water mark in it's secret way before the song is sent on its way.

    The logistics of this solution would be challenging. The devices would have to be distributed, cataloged, and recorded. Who has which special NIC card would have to be recorded in RIAA'a TIA infrastructure. Of course, this same infrastruction would have to record each subsequent sale/disposal of the card. The security of the cards would have to be impeccible.

    Good luck to you all!

    Luv

    Mark

  7. Dissapointed That This is Non-Theatre on Sci-fi Channel's Children of Dune · · Score: 3, Interesting

    As I read the article, it seems to me (and please
    flame/correct me if I am wrong) that this is not intended for the movie theatres, but intended for television.

    I strongly feel that these type of movies should be on the big screen. Even if there is no decent plot (and I know the Dune will have a plot), magnificent scenes should be seen on a large screen in a decent, comfortable theatre.

    I remember the original Dune. I loved some of the epic scens on the large screen in a decent theatre
    with a good sound system. In fact, even though I am not a Dunnite and did not understand the plot, I still sat through it twice just for the scenery.

    I later saw portions on a TV screen. The small screen does not do this type of movie justice. Only if someone has a decent home theatre type TV system with a dedicated room and good sound would a Dune type picture be worth putting on TV.

    I really feel that these folks should release the series into theatres and then make it available via DVD/tape for the TV crowd.

    I apoligize in advance if I read the article incorrectly.

    Mark

  8. Re:Impact on Park? -- None on New Lucasfilm Campus Breaks Ground at Presidio · · Score: 1

    Good posting. Thank you very much for clerifying what is happening. You are right. I did not know that this project is taking place on a part of the grounds that has been unused for so long and what seems to have been almost an eyesore.

    Mark

  9. Impact on Park? on New Lucasfilm Campus Breaks Ground at Presidio · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I have just read the sfgate article as well as most of the comments on this site about the new Lucas Presidio headquarters.

    It's interesting to me to see that much of the conversation here has turned toward the movies themselves rather than the impacts, both positive and negative of the new facility on the park and the city.

    The article mentions that a group of residents have expressed concerns about the development. In my skimming of the comments, I did not notice any from that group.

    I would like to see what you folks think of the development itself (not the films or the characters) and it's relation to the park.

    Will it affect public access in any way? I know that Lucas has been very security conscous at it's Marin headquarters. Will this paranoia on Lucas's part adversely impace public access to the park?

    Will this add any more jobs to the Bay Area? Or just move jobs from one part to another?

    Being on federal land, will this project contribute anything to San Francisco's tax coffers?

    Mark

  10. Volunteer And Gen In Free? on The Future of Money · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Perhaps you can volunteer at this and get in for free?

    I have volunteered at conferences including Unsenix, Interop, WWW Consortium, and others and have allways received complementary admission.

    It may be too late for this one, but if you become aware of stuff in the future (> 6 Months), you might have a better chance of getting in.

    Especially if you off to do a key role, such as head up registration, logistics, whatever.

    Mark

  11. I Am Not Advertising on Hardware and Software Art · · Score: 1

    I hear you telling me to stop advertising.
    I am not advertising. I am only explaining
    why I wear my clothing the way I do in response
    to another persons query.

    I have absolutely no desire to advertise on
    this forum or any other such forum.

    Mark

  12. For Those Of You Here In Oregon on California Considering More Internet Taxes · · Score: 1

    Please don't be suprised to see the same thing
    happen, or at least, proposed here.

    Measure 28, a temporary income tax hike,was
    defeated during a special election in January.

    The state is looking at some very serious cuts,
    including literaly putting some mental patients
    out onto the streets.

    Things are getting so desparate here that I
    would not be suprised that something like this
    does not happen.

    In fact, I think that I should be suprised that
    it has not been at least proposed by now.

    Mark

  13. Promoting my business on Hardware and Software Art · · Score: 1

    I did this for two reasons.

    First of all, to celibrate gay pride. That is the
    fun part of it.

    The second, and most important reason, is to
    promote my business.

    Now that I can't find a decent IT job after one
    and one half years, I decided to go into the
    fetish clothing business.

    What better way to promote this type of business
    than to wear the stuff in public.

    Between wearing the dress during gay pride and
    wearing some of my other clothing at public
    function, I have received leads and work.

    Look at it this way. It's advertising. Is it
    any worse than the stuff you see on TV/Internet/
    Billboards/etc?

    Mark

  14. Re:Hard Disk Platter Art on Hardware and Software Art · · Score: 0

    What is wron with a guy wearing a skirt.

    You should have seen the clear plastic wedding
    dress that I wore for gay pride last year.

    I even wore it to church the morning prior to
    the pride march.

    This is a full, three piece crystal clear plastic
    wedding dress.

    Perhaps I should have included disk drive
    platters within the outfit. Yes. I will do that.
    Clear plastic wedding dress with an inside liner
    made out of disk drive platters. I'll wear it
    at the next Slashdot conference

  15. Hard Disk Platter Art on Hardware and Software Art · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I have seen some interesting stuff done with the
    platters inside hard disk drives.

    There is a computer recycling organization in town
    where they take old computers, test the components,
    make new computers for those in need, and then
    recycle the defective components.

    One of the things they did was to dissasemble the
    discarded hard drives that do not work. They did
    this for two reasons. One of them was to ensure
    that the data on that disk remains confidential.
    Who knows what personal information (personal
    finances, surfed porn, love letters, etc) is
    left behind.

    The other reason they broke the drives down is
    to make mobiles out of the platters. Those hard
    disk platters were really beautifull. They are
    very shiny; as if they were made out of glass.
    In fact, I first mistook them for glass. They
    also ring nicely when they hit each other. So,
    a few of those hung on nylon fishing line swinging
    in the breeze, make a wonderful sound.

    I also heard a story where someone took a bunch
    of these and fashioned a skirt out of them. He
    attatched them together using monofiliment line.

    When he wore that skirt and did a twirl, it would
    be an awsome sight and the sound could be heard
    from quite a distance away.

    Mark

  16. Re:I'm Confused? on Command-Line Crypto From Phil Zimmermann, Again · · Score: 1

    Thank you.

    I will look into it.

    Mark

  17. I'm Confused? on Command-Line Crypto From Phil Zimmermann, Again · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I am a little confused. Yes, mod me down for
    this, but I could not resist.

    I thought that the last time I used my pgp
    (the oldie from MIT, now updgraded to GPG),
    the whole darn thing is command line.

    I get encryped email. I save it to a file (using
    pine, my mua). I copy the file to my home machine.
    I decrypt it using gpg, which is a command line
    action. I read the message. I make my reply. I
    encrypt it using my command line GPG. I ftp it
    back to my email account. I use pine to include
    the file into the reply email messages.

    Now, I have been doing this both for my personal
    use. I have also been using it to communicate
    with one of my customers who is buying fetish
    clothing from me, but who lives in a place that
    he has to be careful.

    Now, you are saying that I have to pay $5,000
    for the privilege of using this, especialy for
    my business?

  18. I Can Remember This 15Years Ago on Negative Effects of Workplace Net Monitoring · · Score: 2

    This is old. I can remember a few of my jobs
    where monitoring was close, if not closer than
    what I see today.

    One of them was where I was working for the
    Department of Defense. We all worked in an open
    area. The desks were set up like desks in a large
    classroom. There were not deviders or partitions.

    In front of the room was the glass enclosed (not
    frosted glass, mind you, but the clear kind)
    office of the manager. He might has well had
    his desk in front, just like my teacher when I
    was a little boy in school.

    4 people shared each phone. The computer terminals
    were on tables along one side of the room, also
    in plain site of the manager's. office.

    No newspapers were allowed. If you spent too
    much time talking with someone, the manager is
    bound to notice and look up with a frown.

    A buzzer sounded at 7 AM when the workday started.
    The horn of the lunch truck signaled the beginning
    of lunch. A buzzer sounded at 3:30 in the
    afternoon for the day's. end.

    Another job I had was in a high security
    environment. A closed circuit TV camera was
    mounted in one corner of the room, visible to
    all desks. The person at the monitor for that
    camera could see all of us and what we were
    doing.

    IMHO, this is monitoring.

    Mark

  19. Great for Clear Plastic Fetish Wear on Gloss Plastic Could Eliminate Auto Painting · · Score: 0, Funny

    This would be great for some of the clear plastic
    fetish wear that I make.

  20. Ego vs Just Get The Job Done on Why Users Hate IT Products and Developers · · Score: 1

    Perhaps there are two issues conflicting here
    (more than two, but I will limit my comments to
    two).

    You might have a bit of ego on the part of the
    software developers. You have a sense of Just
    Get the Darn Job Done on the part of the users.

    I was a developer. I had to ego. I just had to
    get my unique thing into the code. The feature
    that is **ME**. The unique graphical icon,
    screen, whatever that is uniquely mine.

    I was also a user. I just had to get the job
    done. To get the job done, I usualy needed
    only the basics of the software tools at hand.
    I only needed the fancy word process for the
    same features that Notepad could have provided.

    I have to confess that even when I make something
    for myself, I can see the conflict within myself,
    just the one person.

    Mark

  21. Handy for Advertising on Mid-Air Messages To Your Mobile · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I can see where this can be handy for advertising.

    Because of TIA and other information hoarding
    initiatives, the merchants know what you like
    and don't like.

    For example, I run an on line fetish wear business.
    I contract with bars in the seedier areas of town
    to host one of these transmitters on their premises.
    I do the same with the adult theatres and porno
    shops.

    As you walk past, or into, these businesses,
    and I know (via TIA or other info hoarding
    schemes) that you like fetish clothing, I can
    beam messages to your palmtop about sales of
    certain items (that I can customize for you).

    Since you are in the mood (being in the seedy
    area) this might be just enough to tip you
    over to making a purchase.

    Mark

  22. Security Cleanence Credit Checks on Dealing with Employers Who Perform Credit Checks? · · Score: 4, Informative

    I remember when I had to apply for a security
    clearence back in 1978, I had to provide a lot
    of information including bank and credit
    information.

    They explained to me that one of the things they
    look at is the potential vulurability of the
    person to being given financial help in return
    for some favors (secrets) and then blackmailed
    with exposure.

    I also think they look carefully at all of
    the information; credit history included; to
    try to make certain that the person is not a
    plant; that he or she did live a legitimate life
    here in the United States.

    Mark

  23. This Still Has Holes on E-commerce Sites to Collect Sales Taxes Nationwide · · Score: 1

    Hi:

    I am an etailer with no physical presence in any
    of the sales tax states. My presence is in a non
    sales tax state (Oregon). I deal exclusively over
    the net and over the phone.

    I don't think that this agreement will mean much
    for etailers like myself. I think that all of those
    in the agreement have physical presences in the
    sales tax states (brick & morter sites).

    Furthermore, I think that enforcement of this
    type of set-up will be an interesting challenge.
    I report my income to the federal income tax
    forms as gross income. There is no requirement
    to break it down to which state the income
    comes from.

    Even if I am required to furnish a state by
    state breakdown, I cannot see an easy means to
    verify what I report.

    Buyers of my product do not send me a W2 or a
    1099 or anything else to the IRS or the state.

    I think that alot of people like myself will find
    it easy to fall through the cracks on this one.

    Mark

  24. Re:Thoughts on Movie Pirating on Jack Valenti's Views On The Digital Age · · Score: 1

    Good suggestion.

    Thanks.

    Only place it might not work is if the theatre
    is full, but for a weekday matnae, this would
    work.

    Mark

  25. Thoughts on Movie Pirating on Jack Valenti's Views On The Digital Age · · Score: 1

    Here are some random thoughts about movie
    pirating.

    I recently went to the theater to see a
    move (Chicago). I paid $9.00.

    For that money, I was given the privilege to
    see about 8 commercials and 8 previews before
    the show even started. The commercials were not
    just those for the snack bar and the gift
    certificate for the theater itself. These
    were TV type commercials that I thought that
    I paid my $9.00 to not to see.

    I think that what I am trying to say is if the
    movie-going experience is made a little more
    pleasent, perhaps maybe the piracy might go
    down?

    How about this for a far fetched thought. Back
    in the olden days (golden olden) you went to
    the movies and you had a real experience. A
    guy playing a pipe organ as part of the show.
    A nice gilded theater. You entered a very special
    palace for a very special experience. An
    experience that cannot be easily pireted.

    Now, I look forward to the experience we have
    with Rocky Horror Picture Show. That is something
    that you can't easily pirate.