Slashdot Mirror


User: jafiwam

jafiwam's activity in the archive.

Stories
0
Comments
2,275
First seen
Last seen
Profile
(view on slashdot.org)

Comments · 2,275

  1. Re:Here's an idea... on Cable Boxes Are the 2nd Biggest Energy Users In Many Homes · · Score: 1

    Alternately, you can just turn stuff off.

    If you device doesn't have a real power switch, then connect it to something that does like a power strip.

    A cable receiver is totally something that you can completely disconnect from the mains. So idle power is such a total non-problem. You just have to be interested enough to bother.

    You must be one of the "I dropped cable years ago and my live is now tremendous!" guys.

    Those DVR and cable boxes take 30 minutes to 90 minutes to download the show feeds and menus again. They are nigh-useless until that download has been competed.

    Sure, you can flip channels, but you can't start a recording, can't see what's on until after the commercials end, can't flip ahead an hour and plan your watching, etc.

    Turning the thing off is the equivalent of setting up your operating system of choice with a new profile every time you reboot.

  2. Re:Oh, good on Wikipedia Forcing Editors To Disclose If They're Paid · · Score: 1

    this is most probably so if editors who are caught doing stuff when being paid for it and not disclosing it can have all that they have done removed without the need to do a investigation if what they wrote is truth or not

    They should also black-list the payers of this type of activity. A week or two for each infraction. There's one important aspect about Wikipedia and that is it isn't about marketing and selling shit. They have the rest of the entire Internet for that, so it shouldn't be tolerated.

  3. Re:Just imagine "if" on Congressman Asks NSA To Provide Metadata For "Lost" IRS Emails · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Amazing how you have made this into the GOP being slimy when the whole issue is due to the Democrat controlled IRS (during that time-period) losing all relevant emails from a large period of time. That is what is slimy here.

    You forgot about the part where the IRS willingly cooperated with the democratic politicians to commit a crime, violate the constitution, and to use the tools of the state to wield what is essentially, personal political power.

    Nothing is going to happen of course. It never does.

  4. Re:An interesting caveat on $57,000 Payout For Woman Charged With Wiretapping After Filming Cops · · Score: 2

    The proper way to do it is use a camera that is hidden, so the order to cease recording never occurs. They are getting very good and very inexpensive now. A person could carry three or four and not really be noticed.

    Though, it would be hard to argue that someone as a passenger in a vehicle pulled over had a choice about where and when they were when they filmed. The police after all, bring a car mounted camera, and sometimes a body mounted camera. THOSE recordings do not interfere with the traffic stop, how could a passenger interfere with a traffic stop?

    Anyway, score one for the good guys. Too bad the department won't wise up and the idiot cop won't lose his job. This is just the VISIBLE abuse that pig has subjected onto the people. He's done it once and gotten caught that we know of, but one can be nigh certain this is a persistent pattern of behavior.

  5. Re:Obama's police state? on US Marshals Seize Police Stingray Records To Keep Them From the ACLU · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Just another "just following orders" excuse. As usual, it's utterly invalid.

    There is not a more arrogant, self serving megalomaniac equal to that of a cop.

    They do it, because they have the "authorahtah!" to do it.

    It's the same thing that makes actors and sports stars think they have a more valid opinion on world events because... well they are who they are.

    For a cop, it's "I can make you do X or I can destroy your life (or both!)" that gets to their heads

  6. Re:If the feds can... on Local Police Increasingly Rely On Secret Surveillance · · Score: 1

    And on that note, why should civilians need a warrant? We should just start following their lead and perform our own mass spying... Well, not really, because I know what kinds of things they do to mere peons with the CFAA.

    Because individual citizens have no power. If the police decide what you did is illegal, then they'll persecute/prosecute you. Especially if you're spying on them (even videoing them in a public place) or a person or organization with power.

    If you're a large corporation though, you have an army of lawyers and you can do whatever you want. Remember the case when Microsoft stole email form a journalist's hotmail account without a warrant? Their excuse was they could do it because they wouldn't have been able to get a warrant, both because that's law enforcement's role and because law enforcement wouldn't have been able to get a warrant anyway. That translates to, "we know what we're doing is totally illegal because the courts would never let us, but we're doing it anyway because nobody gives a shit about the judicial branch."

    Despite being modded funny, the part about the judicial branch being obsolete was entirely serious.

    Individuals do have power. They can practice jury nullification (look it up if you don't know what it is) in the jury box. They can try to get into office themselves. They can formulate logical and consistent opinions and then share them with others. They can obtain and practice with firearms so they are much harder targets for a government out of control. They can use the same to protect themselves from the free shit army the government has created to prey on the productive people, that conveniently makes the stupids want politicians to be "tough on crime." They can force the government to overcome encryption to spy on them, they can show up at town meetings and vent their anger (this works) and they can show up in the desert as an unorganized mob and dare the feds to do something (this also works).

    The reason we are in this situation is precisely because of individuals like you didn't exercise the power they do have. Maybe it's not the same degree or type of power as "dem ebbil corporations derp derp!" but you still have power.

  7. Holding the entire process in one's head, visualizing a change and then back inferring what that change implies you should do right now in the middle of that process. Both being a chef and being in IT require this skill.

  8. Re:Not a very thorough evaluation on UK Ballistics Scientists: 3D-Printed Guns Are 'of No Use To Anyone' · · Score: 1

    First off, because most of us don't have milling machines. Second, because we can. Third, because most of the world doesn't have such things as legally unregulated uppers or trigger assemblies.

    AR-15 lowers have been made out of wood. Oak works fine as the lower doesn't take most of the force, the upper does.

    Sure they look goofy and are big in a bunch of places where metal would be small. A drill press and a block of good wood is all that is needed.

    The 3D guys are after something that takes zero artisan skill rather than what all the other "low-tech" methods require.

    PS, for you eurotrash in the audience, making an AR out of a block of wood is perfectly legal in most states in the US as long as the intent is to use / have it rather than sell it at the time it was made.

  9. Re: Truecrypt not in archive.org??? on TrueCrypt Website Says To Switch To BitLocker · · Score: 1

    Does archive.org mention anything about the presence of a robots.txt file if a site is blocked that way? The messages appearing do not look like something about robots.txt. Does anyone know? If so, and it is not mentioning robots.txt, where are earlier snapshots?

    Several years ago, robots.txt usage where the webmaster asked not to be archived, did not say anything about robots.txt on Archive.org. It just didn't have it.

    Why not go look at what the robots.txt says and cross reference it with what Archive.org says you have to do?

  10. Re: Fishy on TrueCrypt Website Says To Switch To BitLocker · · Score: 1

    If there's a backdoor I guess we'll discover this when it turns up in a court case.

    It won't turn up in a court case.

    They'll do "parallel construction" and rely on anonymous tipsters (that don't actually exist) to create a case based on what they can infer or dig up after digging through all the information. That stuff will be in the case, the fact that TC is compromised won't be mentioned or implied.

    This seems to be like an ordinary web site defacement at this point. No information indicating it's not just that has been discovered. Yes, speculation abounds but so far it's just someone stirring up trouble with a web site.

  11. Re:Feral pig is excellent, but takes getting used on Should We Eat Invasive Species? · · Score: 1

    Problem with feral pig is tape worm and other type of infections and contagions.

    No. The problem is access to hunting lands. "Oh, you want to hunt on my private ranch? That'll be 2k!" There is very little public land in Texas to hunt on. Also, who in their right mind would would let a bunch of people hunt? (Not sure, we do it all the time up here in dah Nort, but not with pig hunting.)

    So the issue becomes rancher pays a few professionals to get rid of pest pigs. Then turns around and lets one or two parties hunt. But overall, the pigs are left alone.

    COULD we eat more of them? Sure, but it's cheaper and easier by far to plop down yet another pig farm.

  12. Re:This makes sense on Average American Cable Subscriber Gets 189 Channels and Views 17 · · Score: 1

    The problem is the large chunk.

    I'd have no problem paying say $25 for 5 channels I want above basic HD at 5 each. Right now, I gotta pay about $75 per month for about 8 premiums I watch plus a lot of shit. It also seems like over time, the premium channels have gotten less and less valuable. It used to be that turning on the TV, and surfing the premium channels would result in a choice between two or three things I wanted to watch. Now it's 60 channels of "why the hell did they even film that?" stuff.

    The RATE at which the good channels are charged will go up. But. BIG DEAL the overall cost still goes down.

  13. Re:for all of this... on Researchers See a Post-Snowden Chilling Effect In Our Search Data · · Score: 2

    Agreed. I remember an article on slashdot before outlining the process of parallel construction and how it was used against U.S. residents/civilians. They may be mining the data for an investigation and then not using it in court which is illegal, and if it isn't it should be.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P...

    Where do you think "anonymous tips" come from?

    On another site, there was a thread about a guy ranting on his Facebook wall about militias and general right wing stuff. He included something along the lines "you should watch out, people are getting angry" (paraphrased). The FBI called and wanted to talk to him.. Stupidly, he went to them. They had a folder FULL of his online activity, some of it going way back previous to the rant. They had no warrant, and he went willingly (stupid, but whatever).

    The point being, they record everything you do with an electronic communication device, and back fill until they find something or think they "know" you.

    There is likely to be an entire hidden justice system going on. The problem is, because it's hidden, we don't know what makes it work and how it is motivated. (Hint: IRS investigations used as a political weapon.) This "justice system" acts by tipping off the facade justice system out front.

    There has been a HUGE increase in the number of "we got these guys" without a reason HOW they got those guys. I think the hidden system is trying to appear useful. They used to just ignore smaller stuff like drug lords, gang activity, etc. Now they don't. They need people to think it's useful now, where it was just used for political purposes before.

    This stuff is way bigger than just "parallel construction." Whatever it is, it is not us anymore. The grand children of the Millennials (those idiots) will not have a "United States" as we knew it to live in.

    Not posting anonymously, because they'll figure it out anyway.

  14. Subby is talking about general personal DR on Ask Slashdot: How To Back Up Physical Data? · · Score: 1

    DR in this case, is "Disaster Recovery".

    Look up the various tomes and processes for businesses and do the same things for yourself (minus the stupid certifications and $200K transferred to some consultant's hands) or find something specifically tailored for that

    This blog web site was written by a guy that had to move his family during hurricane Katrina, and it has all sorts of processes and things to do to recover in that situation. It's old now, but you can add a modern twist. (I'd recommend an encrypted hard drive at a friend or relative's place as a backup.)

    Here is the link: http://www.theplacewithnoname....

    Warning: Disaster Recovery is a lot of dumb, boring, bullshit work that you have to keep coming back to re-do, that's why people don't do it. Not because it's not useful.

  15. Re:Also, this means... on Male Scent Molecules May Be Compromising Biomedical Research · · Score: 1

    I found plain old alcohol superior to deodorant in every way.

    Amazing stuff. It strips the built up oils and wax on the hair off and kills the bacteria too.

    I found a lot of deodorants actually made me smell worse when they broke down.

    Only down side is on a hot day- I might have to do this again every six hours. But deodorant doesn't even last six hours on me.

    Yup. 91% rubbing alcohol on the pits. Trim now and then.

    Dries stuff out. Kills everything. EXACTLY what I want going on in my pits. Plus, cheap as hell and won't stain clothes or cause reactions from people sensitive to scents.

  16. Re:it's worse than that on 404-No-More Project Seeks To Rid the Web of '404 Not Found' Pages · · Score: 1

    Not to mention copyright issues, trademark issues, "you are stealing my content" "no we are not" issues.

    This is really stupid idea.

    404s have a purpose and a place. If Granny Boomer and Missy Millennial can't figure this out, they should stay the fuck off the internet.

  17. Re:Getting attention at the expense of 3D printing on Cody Wilson Interview at Reason: Happiness Is a 3D Printed Gun · · Score: 1

    This happens regularly. Across America there are regular meetings of people at machine shops, to turn the gun kits they bought online into working guns. Perfectly legal in most places (incredibly illegal to sell the finished product). And these are zip guns, these are perfectly fine AR15s.

    Selling the finished product is only illegal if the INTENT at the TIME OF CREATION was to sell. (WIthout a manufacturing FFL license that is.)

    Use it a few months, then sell it? Totally legal.

  18. Re:never cross the unions on The Design Flaw That Almost Wiped Out an NYC Skyscraper · · Score: 1

    So since the reason for all this was kept secret, did anybody involved in the cutting actually know what it was they were affecting, or is this just another attempt to demonize a natural reaction to what they would have seen as corporations trying to undercut workers yet again?

    From the liberal's mouth.

    Vandalism and destruction of property is a "natural reaction" (and therefore, appropriate, because, it's natural!) by unions.

  19. Re:Better leave now on Kepler-186f: Most 'Earth-Like' Alien World Discovered · · Score: 2

    I know there has to be a book about that, but it's slipped my mind.

    The whole thing of "first wave" colonists who spend generations getting there, and when they do... they find that the third wave colonists have been there for a few generations already, and all the planets habitable by them and their archaic technology are already taken.

    "Songs of Distant Earth" Arthor C Clarke has a set of stories like that.

  20. Re:Over 18 on IRS Can Now Seize Your Tax Refund To Pay a Relative's Debt · · Score: 1

    Inheritors have to go through probate.

    Just like any debtees do.

    If the IRS is asleep at the switch, too bad for them. Obits are publicly posted, as well as probate hearings.

    The IRS seems to have no problem figuring out the political leanings of non profits to selectively harass them, they can figure out how to notify themselves when someone who owes them dies.

  21. Re:Over 18 on IRS Can Now Seize Your Tax Refund To Pay a Relative's Debt · · Score: 2

    10 year old debts DO NOT DISAPPEAR.

    At 10 years in fact, the IRS is legally granted the power to charge you interest. 100%, PER DAY. Thank Al Capone for that one.

    I see you subscribe to the "don't make me beat you any harder, kid" school of life.

    Congress did that. Not Al.

  22. They'll be shot on IRS Can Now Seize Your Tax Refund To Pay a Relative's Debt · · Score: 1

    IRS workers will be killed over this.

  23. Re:Prophylactic immunization on Isolated Tribes Die Shortly After We Meet Them · · Score: 1

    I believe you misunderstand how vaccination works. It does not create a new capacity in your immune system, it activates a capacity that you already had because your ancestors had evolved that capacity. If your ancestors had never come into contact with the pathogen, you would not have that capacity. Immunity to new pathogens takes a long time to develop in the population, by random mutation and harsh selection.

    Vaccinating tribes against pathogens their ancestors have never come into contact with will not do any good, unfortunately.

    Also, I disagree that we're mainly looking for MH370 to avoid the same thing happening to us. I think the main reason why we're looking is because we're curious. We just want to know. It's not very rational and it is, perhaps, morbid. But it's what we are.

    How would vaccinations for completely new diseases work then?

    Your idea about how vaccinations work is completely wrong. Stop posting bullshit, Jenny, and go back to whoring. You are better at that.

  24. Re:nope! on Will Cameras Replace Sideview Mirrors On Cars In 2018? · · Score: 1

    Agreed. Sideview mirrors let you see places a rearview camera won't. Handy to have in traffic on the expressway (a.k.a freeway in Western US).

    I'm guessing you had to look up the term expressway to obtain its freeway synonym because you in fact have never driven a car.

    If you had, you would realize there is a huge fucking blind spot that has existed since the inception of mirrors in cars.

    In fact, it is so fucking huge that they teach you all about it in drivers ed class, complete with diagrams.

    Cameras can easily overcome this problem. I recommend you get out and visit a movie theater once too to understand what "wide angle" means.

    There is room for increased education on drivers (during license test, and perhaps via media) not hanging out in blind spots.

    Even the "don't run me over bro" motorcyclists have a knack for hanging there blipping the throttle instead of you know, moving so the guy in the other lane can move without hitting him.

    I'd guess a full 50% of drivers just don't pay attention to what others can see at all. Let alone taking steps to make sure they can be seen by other drivers.

  25. Re:For all the reasons I've disliked bill gates in on Solar-Powered Toilet Torches Waste For Public Health · · Score: 1

    It all seems trivial if he is successful building this. I suppose it's true that applying tech to poop isn't something a lot of people are researching.

    It looks like the one key feature "how to get the poop hot enough" has some fundamental unworkable problems with it. The fiber optic gets cm square hot, not a big area (say, probably the size of a large stew pot) hot.

    That means, he's just got a toilet with a light in it.

    Those things are going to be huge, hard to build, and need lots of materials from somewhere.

    Neat idea, but won't work. Industrialized countries with problems of "how do we make a trail side toilet work" may be able to use them though.