The all-knowing, all-seeing DonkPunch looks into his crystal ball and sees the responses to this story:
"Let's port Linux to it" "Let's make a Beowulf cluster" "I remember using a Z80...." "My company is developing embedded software for Z80s...." "Why? It's an 8-bit processor! Who uses that anymore?" "First Post"
Drug Dealers, Terrorists, and Children
on
CALEA update
·
· Score: 5
Am I the only person who is starting to view these words as red flags?
At the height of the War on Drugs, it seemed that the fastest way to get something passed was to say that it was designed to thwart drug dealers. Now that the American public has grown a little more skeptical of this rhetoric, we've moved on to terrorists. Terrorists are the new boogeymen -- we must do whatever it takes to stop them. You, the citizen, need to forget the Constitution for a while because we, your leaders, are trying to fight terrorists.
We did this with McCarthy (sp?), too. The Reds had to be stopped -- First Amendment be damned. Haven't we learned? What is the next boogeyman? Will it be those porn-downloading, foul-mouthed Anonymous Cowards on the internet?
And then there's legislation for "the children". Long after we've come to our senses with "Commies", "Drug Dealers", and "Terrorists", we'll still be passing stupid laws to "protect the children". It's too dangerous politically to oppose anything cloaked in a "protect the children" argument. It inspires a nice emotional knee-jerk response in the voters and shuts down the higher reasoning and skepticism functions of their brains.
I'm not denying the presence of drug dealers or terrorists in our world today, but I'm tired of leaders who can't come up with better ways to protect me than to force me to give up freedoms and privacy. It has the characteristics of a power-grab disguised as "protection". That is not "protection", it is "manipulation".
If this the only protection they can offer, I prefer to watch out for myself, thanks.
An actual count of the cells in the cortex, a key area in the thinking part of the brain, shows that very few cells are lost with age, he said.
So what unfortunate assistant had the job of counting brain cells?
"One million seven hundred thirty seven thousand four hundred and fifty ONE, one million seven hundred thirty seven thousand four hundred and fifty TWO...."
Sure drinking kills brain cells, but only the weak ones.
Deja vu all over again -- the same interview was on javalobby earlier today and I just had to bite on the "incompatible Linux distribution" bait.
I assume that the "incompatibilities" he describes were differences in kernels (2.0.x vs. 2.2.x) and libraries (libc/glibc). If that's the case, I would simply suggest writing for the most recent stable version. It is possible to upgrade kernel and libraries, as we all know. Admittedly, upgrading is a drag -- especially on known-to-be-rock-solid systems. Version control is a problem on every platform, though. Let me tell you about Windows and oleaut32.dll one of these days....
While "Java vs. Linux" does not rank quite as high as "BSD vs. Linux" or "KDE vs. GNOME" on the flamewar meter, it is getting just as tired. More importantly, it is counterproductive to both sides. There is no reason to pick one or the other, either -- Linux works well as a development platform for Java. The only drawbacks right now are somewhat sluggish performance with some JVMs (I saw where IBM's alphaworks JVM actually scored pretty well on the Volano benchmark), and the annoying tendency to be 6-12 months behind the latest version (which may not be a problem if you like waiting for the bugs to shake out first).
I'm going to walk into the flamepit now:
The Java vs. C arguments are also silly. I like C, I use C, C is my friend. If I need to do system programming (OS-level, device drivers, etc.) or anything where speed is absolutely, positively the overriding concern, give me C.
But there is also application development. Here, I want short development time, easy maintenance, and a whole lot of functionality already built in. In this case, Java starts looking really good.
Insert tired "right tool for the right job" cliche here.
The "Java will soon take over" hype from 4 years ago has turned into a huge burden for the language. There are just some languages that do what they do so well that there is no need to replace them with anything (Perl, for instance). Java does have the potential, though, to move into areas where there are still some gaps. I think that Java has tremendous potential in distributed applications, for example. This is also an area where I would like to see BSD and Linux start playing larger roles. The combination will work if the two sides can quit flaming each other long enough to get it done.
Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Back to work for me, now.
I was under the impression that 3Com kept tight control of the PalmOS. Did they license the PalmOS from 3Com, recreate it themselves, or am I just misinformed?
I have inside information that Lucas saw The Blair Witch Project and was very impressed. He feels that the Star Wars movies have become huge money-wasters and wants to try a different approach. Here is the plan for Episode II:
Episode II will take place entirely in the Dagobah swamps. There will be only three characters -- Jar Jar, Yoda, and Jedi-in-training Anakin Skywalker.
Yoda is recording Anakin's progress on a Sony Handycam. Most of the film is shot from this perspective.
Here is a portion of the script:
Anakin -- "I kicked the map into the swamp." Yoda -- "Kicked the map into the swamp, did you? Why you kick map into swamp? Map we need!" Jar Jar -- "Oh no! Weesa gonna die!" Anakin -- "You're a Jedi master! Just use the force and get us out of this!" Yoda -- "Powerful is the force, but map we need! Foolish you are!" Jar Jar -- "Weesa gonna die!" Anakin -- "Wait! What was that? Did you hear that?" Yoda -- "Do not change the subject. Map you lost!" Anakin -- "Where's Jar Jar?" Yoda -- "Standing here he was. I know not where he went."
Then again, I could just be making the whole thing up because I'm bored.:)
I agree that comparing SAT scores from year to year is inappropriate. The problem is that school boards, governments, and the press like to do it.
At least once a year, you can find an "SAT average scores are up/down this year" story. Governments and school boards love to use year-to-year comparisons:
1) SAT scores are down. We need more money. 2) SAT scores are up. We're doing a good job.
Would a ten-year downward trend in SAT scores really mean that students were getting stupid? If we assume that today's students are the beneficies of 20 years of progress in education (dangerous assumption), then the trend in SAT scores for the last 20 years should generally be UP. Realistically, the test will be "adjusted" before this trend ever shows up.
We put WAY too much emphasis on this silly, subjective bubble-coloring test.
There is a book which may interest you called None of the Above by David Owen. It was last printed in 1985 and I believe it is about to be reprinted this month. Fatbrain did not show it, but Amazon is taking orders.
It's a very interesting expose of the SAT and the pseudo-science behind it. I highly recommend it to anyone who is about to take the SAT, LSAT, or any other standardized test.
I live in Dallas, Tx. Here, our school board meetings are often attended by political activists. These people are more concerned with getting their pictures in the news than with education. I believe that education is starting to become the practice field for aspiring politicians and activists.
These clowns will rant for hours about values, fairness, and budgeting. If you ask one of them how we should teach a child the formula for finding the area of a circle, you'll get a blank stare. That's the problem.
The first priority should be teaching core materials -- math, science, history, and language. If we're not doing that, we're not educating. We're simply creating an institution to hold kids until they're old enough to graduate. Maybe we'll accomplish some social indoctrination along the way. In Texas, that means you should know the score of last night's game even if you don't know the value of pi.
The politics of American schools are becoming truly disgusting. Everyone wants to get their pet "values" put into the curriculum. This way, they gain mindshare with impressionable future voters. Best of all, they can defend their efforts with, "it's for the children."
The best thing "for the children" now would be for schools to drop the fluff and get back to teaching. It should be so simple, but we make it so hard.
I am requesting $4 million in grant money for the purpose of reviewing the effects of genetically-enhanced mice on the biological ecosystem.
To put more fine a point on it (bonus for referencing old slashdot article), I wish to study what happens when mice become smarter than their feline predators.
My research will consist of several hours of reviewing Tom and Jerry cartoons. Sylvester cartoons involving the "giant mouse" (actually a kangaroo) will also be included in the study.
My proposal has already gained support from the Cartoon Network. Johnny Bravo himself has stated, "Well, that sounds like a fine idea you got there, mister."
"Cluster This!" by DonkPunch (electronic - 23 pages)
Join Slashdot nuisance poster DonkPunch as he shares with you a shovelfull of his ASCII output.
Chapter 1 - "Make a Beowulf cluster out of it!" -- with special contributions from Anonymous Coward, PHroD, and others
Chapter 2 -- "You're a Wimp. REAL hackers use _______"
Chapter 3 -- "______ is Dead. Use _______."
Chapter 4 -- "Drooool... and How to Clean It Off Your Keyboard"
Chapter 5 -- "Dealing With Slashdot Story Reposts -- A 12-Step Course in Anger Management"
Special Bonus Section -- "The Ultimate Slashdot Stress Test" -- A fictional Jon Katz article about teachers who support gun control teaching evolution on a KDE desktop using a Red Hat system on which the students are required to use vi.
As I see it, the problem with third parties is that they often hurt one of the two primary parties, but usually not both.
Example: n voters tend to vote Republican, but become disillusioned because they see the party straying from its roots. They support a third-party alternative who draws votes from the Republican party. This results in a Democrat victory. Perhaps the majority did not want a Democratic candidate in office, but their fragmentation put the candidate there.
My example is hypothetical, but I understand that in one case the Green Party actually drew enough votes from a Democratic candidate to put the Republican rival in office.
Nationally, America still sees things as X vs. Y. There is something in our mindset which makes us more preoccupied with "winning" than with finding a solution. Our press tends to promote this view -- who else is frustrated with the assumption that the 2000 race will be Gore vs. Bush? We're not even to the primaries yet and already these two are being treated as the only viable candidates!
I've heard of some success in local elections where "None of the above" was an option. If NOTA wins, they pick new candidates and do the whole thing over. Can you imagine if they did that on a national level? Millions of dollars in campaign money lost to a public vote of "no confidence" -- what a concept!
Americans for Fair Taxation is a group promoting the replacement of federal income tax with a federal sales tax on retail goods.
One of the goals of the group is the repeal of the 16th amendment (the amendment which gives the federal government authority to tax income directly). They also plan to disband the IRS. The proposal is backed by Representatives John Linder (R-GA) and Collin Peterson (D-MN)
I have mixed feelings about a national 23% sales tax. Mostly, I'm afraid that we'll enact the sales tax and never get around to repealing income taxes. At this point, though, I'm starting to think just about anything would be an improvement over the status quo.
I had the exact same problem with MBNA telemarketers. It got pretty rediculous. I called MBNA and told them I wanted the calls to stop or I would cancel the card. It worked -- the calls stopped.
When I was in college, I hoped to become an FBI agent. It's been a few years, but here are some of the basic requirements I remember:
BS/BA Degree (I believe military service will qualify in place of a degree).
Two or more years of full-time employment with a single employer.
Exceptions are granted to the 2 year rule for people with degrees in law or accounting.
Clean criminal history, good character, and good physical condition (special agent training can be fairly rigorous).
Also, the FBI seems to place a lot of weight on academic credentials. I suspect they prefer to get Comp. Sci. grads with advanced degrees for their "computer expert" positions.
Do the math and figure out how many people meet all of the above criteria. Now subtract the number who are willing to accept roughly half of the salary they could be making in the private sector with the same credentials. Do you see a shortage?
Yes, there are intangible benefits to being an agent. Honestly, if a recruiter approached me today, I would still be interested. My experience with FBI recruiters, though, was that they were aloof and arrogant. This attitude is hard to take when private companies are falling all over themselves to hire you.
Slashdot Mirror
So nerd.com is owned by the NAACP? Wow -- I just thought it was owned by some lame squatter.
The all-knowing, all-seeing DonkPunch looks into his crystal ball and sees the responses to this story:
"Let's port Linux to it"
"Let's make a Beowulf cluster"
"I remember using a Z80...."
"My company is developing embedded software for Z80s...."
"Why? It's an 8-bit processor! Who uses that anymore?"
"First Post"
Am I the only person who is starting to view these words as red flags?
At the height of the War on Drugs, it seemed that the fastest way to get something passed was to say that it was designed to thwart drug dealers. Now that the American public has grown a little more skeptical of this rhetoric, we've moved on to terrorists. Terrorists are the new boogeymen -- we must do whatever it takes to stop them. You, the citizen, need to forget the Constitution for a while because we, your leaders, are trying to fight terrorists.
We did this with McCarthy (sp?), too. The Reds had to be stopped -- First Amendment be damned. Haven't we learned? What is the next boogeyman? Will it be those porn-downloading, foul-mouthed Anonymous Cowards on the internet?
And then there's legislation for "the children". Long after we've come to our senses with "Commies", "Drug Dealers", and "Terrorists", we'll still be passing stupid laws to "protect the children". It's too dangerous politically to oppose anything cloaked in a "protect the children" argument. It inspires a nice emotional knee-jerk response in the voters and shuts down the higher reasoning and skepticism functions of their brains.
I'm not denying the presence of drug dealers or terrorists in our world today, but I'm tired of leaders who can't come up with better ways to protect me than to force me to give up freedoms and privacy. It has the characteristics of a power-grab disguised as "protection". That is not "protection", it is "manipulation".
If this the only protection they can offer, I prefer to watch out for myself, thanks.
Sorry for the essay. I'll go back to work now.
An actual count of the cells in the cortex, a key area in the thinking part of the brain, shows that very few cells are lost with age, he said.
So what unfortunate assistant had the job of counting brain cells?
"One million seven hundred thirty seven thousand four hundred and fifty ONE, one million seven hundred thirty seven thousand four hundred and fifty TWO...."
Sure drinking kills brain cells, but only the weak ones.
This reads a little bit like a Request For Comments. Have you assigned an RFC number yet? :)
(Maybe we could call it the "Moderation Manifesto")
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought IBM had invested a significant amount of money in Red Hat back before the IPO.
If this is the case, I'm not too surprised to see them refer to "Red Hat" compatibility. After all, they own part of da' Hat.
The Linux model will also be designed for users who desire a product without the "taint" of Microsoft.
You should know that this is the "Texan" usage of the word taint.
Example: "Bubba, can you come here and fix my Windows terminal? 'Taint workin' no more."
disclaimer: I'm from Texas. I can make these jokes.
Deja vu all over again -- the same interview was on javalobby earlier today and I just had to bite on the "incompatible Linux distribution" bait.
I assume that the "incompatibilities" he describes were differences in kernels (2.0.x vs. 2.2.x) and libraries (libc/glibc). If that's the case, I would simply suggest writing for the most recent stable version. It is possible to upgrade kernel and libraries, as we all know. Admittedly, upgrading is a drag -- especially on known-to-be-rock-solid systems. Version control is a problem on every platform, though. Let me tell you about Windows and oleaut32.dll one of these days....
While "Java vs. Linux" does not rank quite as high as "BSD vs. Linux" or "KDE vs. GNOME" on the flamewar meter, it is getting just as tired. More importantly, it is counterproductive to both sides. There is no reason to pick one or the other, either -- Linux works well as a development platform for Java. The only drawbacks right now are somewhat sluggish performance with some JVMs (I saw where IBM's alphaworks JVM actually scored pretty well on the Volano benchmark), and the annoying tendency to be 6-12 months behind the latest version (which may not be a problem if you like waiting for the bugs to shake out first).
I'm going to walk into the flamepit now:
The Java vs. C arguments are also silly. I like C, I use C, C is my friend. If I need to do system programming (OS-level, device drivers, etc.) or anything where speed is absolutely, positively the overriding concern, give me C.
But there is also application development. Here, I want short development time, easy maintenance, and a whole lot of functionality already built in. In this case, Java starts looking really good.
Insert tired "right tool for the right job" cliche here.
The "Java will soon take over" hype from 4 years ago has turned into a huge burden for the language. There are just some languages that do what they do so well that there is no need to replace them with anything (Perl, for instance). Java does have the potential, though, to move into areas where there are still some gaps. I think that Java has tremendous potential in distributed applications, for example. This is also an area where I would like to see BSD and Linux start playing larger roles. The combination will work if the two sides can quit flaming each other long enough to get it done.
Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Back to work for me, now.
I was under the impression that 3Com kept tight control of the PalmOS. Did they license the PalmOS from 3Com, recreate it themselves, or am I just misinformed?
I have inside information that Lucas saw The Blair Witch Project and was very impressed. He feels that the Star Wars movies have become huge money-wasters and wants to try a different approach. Here is the plan for Episode II:
:)
Episode II will take place entirely in the Dagobah swamps. There will be only three characters -- Jar Jar, Yoda, and Jedi-in-training Anakin Skywalker.
Yoda is recording Anakin's progress on a Sony Handycam. Most of the film is shot from this perspective.
Here is a portion of the script:
Anakin -- "I kicked the map into the swamp."
Yoda -- "Kicked the map into the swamp, did you? Why you kick map into swamp? Map we need!"
Jar Jar -- "Oh no! Weesa gonna die!"
Anakin -- "You're a Jedi master! Just use the force and get us out of this!"
Yoda -- "Powerful is the force, but map we need! Foolish you are!"
Jar Jar -- "Weesa gonna die!"
Anakin -- "Wait! What was that? Did you hear that?"
Yoda -- "Do not change the subject. Map you lost!"
Anakin -- "Where's Jar Jar?"
Yoda -- "Standing here he was. I know not where he went."
Then again, I could just be making the whole thing up because I'm bored.
Well, I want to die quietly, peacefully, in my sleep like Grandpa did. Not screaming and crying like his passengers.
(I know -- this joke is so old it collects a pension now. I couldn't resist.)
Did any of the readings ever shout "FIRST POST"?
My neck is sore. I kept nodding my head saying "yes" while I read your post. :)
The command line is gonna look awesome on one of these! :)
I agree that comparing SAT scores from year to year is inappropriate. The problem is that school boards, governments, and the press like to do it.
At least once a year, you can find an "SAT average scores are up/down this year" story. Governments and school boards love to use year-to-year comparisons:
1) SAT scores are down. We need more money.
2) SAT scores are up. We're doing a good job.
Would a ten-year downward trend in SAT scores really mean that students were getting stupid? If we assume that today's students are the beneficies of 20 years of progress in education (dangerous assumption), then the trend in SAT scores for the last 20 years should generally be UP. Realistically, the test will be "adjusted" before this trend ever shows up.
We put WAY too much emphasis on this silly, subjective bubble-coloring test.
"One alternative is that you and everything else are all figments of my imagination, and I am the only thing in the universe."
:)
Actually, that theory has worked pretty well for me so far.
There is a book which may interest you called None of the Above by David Owen. It was last printed in 1985 and I believe it is about to be reprinted this month. Fatbrain did not show it, but Amazon is taking orders.
It's a very interesting expose of the SAT and the pseudo-science behind it. I highly recommend it to anyone who is about to take the SAT, LSAT, or any other standardized test.
I live in Dallas, Tx. Here, our school board meetings are often attended by political activists. These people are more concerned with getting their pictures in the news than with education. I believe that education is starting to become the practice field for aspiring politicians and activists.
These clowns will rant for hours about values, fairness, and budgeting. If you ask one of them how we should teach a child the formula for finding the area of a circle, you'll get a blank stare. That's the problem.
The first priority should be teaching core materials -- math, science, history, and language. If we're not doing that, we're not educating. We're simply creating an institution to hold kids until they're old enough to graduate. Maybe we'll accomplish some social indoctrination along the way. In Texas, that means you should know the score of last night's game even if you don't know the value of pi.
The politics of American schools are becoming truly disgusting. Everyone wants to get their pet "values" put into the curriculum. This way, they gain mindshare with impressionable future voters. Best of all, they can defend their efforts with, "it's for the children."
The best thing "for the children" now would be for schools to drop the fluff and get back to teaching. It should be so simple, but we make it so hard.
GRANT PROPOSAL:
I am requesting $4 million in grant money for the purpose of reviewing the effects of genetically-enhanced mice on the biological ecosystem.
To put more fine a point on it (bonus for referencing old slashdot article), I wish to study what happens when mice become smarter than their feline predators.
My research will consist of several hours of reviewing Tom and Jerry cartoons. Sylvester cartoons involving the "giant mouse" (actually a kangaroo) will also be included in the study.
My proposal has already gained support from the Cartoon Network. Johnny Bravo himself has stated, "Well, that sounds like a fine idea you got there, mister."
"Cluster This!" by DonkPunch (electronic - 23 pages)
Join Slashdot nuisance poster DonkPunch as he shares with you a shovelfull of his ASCII output.
Chapter 1 - "Make a Beowulf cluster out of it!" -- with special contributions from Anonymous Coward, PHroD, and others
Chapter 2 -- "You're a Wimp. REAL hackers use _______"
Chapter 3 -- "______ is Dead. Use _______."
Chapter 4 -- "Drooool... and How to Clean It Off Your Keyboard"
Chapter 5 -- "Dealing With Slashdot Story Reposts -- A 12-Step Course in Anger Management"
Special Bonus Section -- "The Ultimate Slashdot Stress Test" -- A fictional Jon Katz article about teachers who support gun control teaching evolution on a KDE desktop using a Red Hat system on which the students are required to use vi.
We need a fourth, fifth, sixth, etc. party.
As I see it, the problem with third parties is that they often hurt one of the two primary parties, but usually not both.
Example: n voters tend to vote Republican, but become disillusioned because they see the party straying from its roots. They support a third-party alternative who draws votes from the Republican party. This results in a Democrat victory. Perhaps the majority did not want a Democratic candidate in office, but their fragmentation put the candidate there.
My example is hypothetical, but I understand that in one case the Green Party actually drew enough votes from a Democratic candidate to put the Republican rival in office.
Nationally, America still sees things as X vs. Y. There is something in our mindset which makes us more preoccupied with "winning" than with finding a solution. Our press tends to promote this view -- who else is frustrated with the assumption that the 2000 race will be Gore vs. Bush? We're not even to the primaries yet and already these two are being treated as the only viable candidates!
I've heard of some success in local elections where "None of the above" was an option. If NOTA wins, they pick new candidates and do the whole thing over. Can you imagine if they did that on a national level? Millions of dollars in campaign money lost to a public vote of "no confidence" -- what a concept!
Americans for Fair Taxation is a group promoting the replacement of federal income tax with a federal sales tax on retail goods.
One of the goals of the group is the repeal of the 16th amendment (the amendment which gives the federal government authority to tax income directly). They also plan to disband the IRS. The proposal is backed by Representatives John Linder (R-GA) and Collin Peterson (D-MN)
I have mixed feelings about a national 23% sales tax. Mostly, I'm afraid that we'll enact the sales tax and never get around to repealing income taxes. At this point, though, I'm starting to think just about anything would be an improvement over the status quo.
I had the exact same problem with MBNA telemarketers. It got pretty rediculous. I called MBNA and told them I wanted the calls to stop or I would cancel the card. It worked -- the calls stopped.
Ok -- I actually traded a list of Mastercard numbers (kidding!) :)
At least no one has griped about the price on the motherboard/processor yet....
When I was in college, I hoped to become an FBI agent. It's been a few years, but here are some of the basic requirements I remember:
BS/BA Degree (I believe military service will qualify in place of a degree).
Two or more years of full-time employment with a single employer.
Exceptions are granted to the 2 year rule for people with degrees in law or accounting.
Clean criminal history, good character, and good physical condition (special agent training can be fairly rigorous).
Also, the FBI seems to place a lot of weight on academic credentials. I suspect they prefer to get Comp. Sci. grads with advanced degrees for their "computer expert" positions.
Do the math and figure out how many people meet all of the above criteria. Now subtract the number who are willing to accept roughly half of the salary they could be making in the private sector with the same credentials. Do you see a shortage?
Yes, there are intangible benefits to being an agent. Honestly, if a recruiter approached me today, I would still be interested. My experience with FBI recruiters, though, was that they were aloof and arrogant. This attitude is hard to take when private companies are falling all over themselves to hire you.