what Woz thinks the "new thingy" by apple is going to be?
MP3 player (enuf of those) is one thought, but I personally think the kickin ass device would be a Portable DivX player...Imagine an iBook screen, with a (DPg3?), ffmpeg codec (divx.jamby.net for you X.1 users and get the "old player" divx.max.st to "doctor" the.avi).
DivX, maybe DVD, to go and music... Stripped down OS X...drool.
On a G4-400 DivX is *flawless* videowise.
Sound, depends on the datarate, it seems.
I liked when he called "Dr. Mac" an hourse' d'ourve..heh, cute...and Dr. Mac's comment about X.1 of "it's safe now. He recommend for 10.1 don't pay 129 bucks to beta test.
Moose.
ps. Does the lack of slash dot posts mean there is no enthusiams about these topics, or are all the LOTR/. fans camping out for tickets?
pps. See my rant in the LOTR topic if you feel the need to mod ppl down for joking around.
Get a grip/clue/BJ/sense of humor, something...if you can't appreciate my sense of humor...dammit, that is *your* problem.
there is always going to be *something* that is going to incite/intice die hard fans.
LOTR, Macs, Linux, BSD, Rocky Horror, ect.
Especially the latter, if you think about it. I've seen it and was somewhere between mildy amused and not impressed.
No matter how much you keep your mind open to possibilites, well, some things you'll never be able to explain...like riding a motorcycle..."If you don't know, I can't explain" pretty much sums it up.
Oh, metamoderators out there, we need to keep an eye out a little more...some fuckwit with mod points keeps modding down funny comments. Overrated/troll seems to be "favorite" choice...puns, dry humor, mixed metaphores, seem to be beyond this person(s) sub 70 IQ. It almost approaches censorship'esque levels.
If it is one person, his privelage needs to be revoked/rebuked, if it is many exibiting this moronic tendancy, it still does not make it right. Lack of a sense of humor is *thier* problem.
Sorry for the rant, it has been bugging the shit out of me lately. Just because *you* don't get it/like it does not mean it is not funny.
IMO (in Moose's opinion, naturally).
Heh, I also had a funny comment to post, but the rampant idiocy lately has made me think twice. Pardon the egotistical comment, but you don't get an additional +1 bonus for being a fricking troll, now, do you?
There, I feel better. Like pissing in the wind, yeah it is a bad/pointless endeavor, but sometimes you *just got to!*
(ya, ya, Digital Rights Management... wait a sec, People have Rights, how the #$%^&* do digits/bits/code get Rights?)
Ok, wait just a fscking minute here, a brief recap for those who missed it:
1) Court says "Code is not free speech", correct?
2) Code, on paper (analog), or compiled or not is in 'digital' form, is still not free speech. (yes/no?)
3) if code is not free speech, and free speech is a *human* right, someone explain to me how the phrase/buzzword "Digital Rights" came to be accepted.
Apologies for the lateral thinking and leaps of logic. Sorta like "here, look at the shiny object in my left hand...smack with the right".
When it comes to the "Battle of the Bits" 'we' are winning, but in the arena (no, not q3 arena) of Law and Language, 'we' are losing (or loosing as the incorrect/common use goes).
Two outta 3 ain't bad, but we only got the one win, arugh.
Have you forgotten Sony is one of the big labels? They put things in the market where they can without killing their own other markets...
You can bet any product will have just as much "content control" as any product out there.
No I had not, and thanks for calling me on it, but the point I was driving at was a "Sony-like" company. One that is "ubiquitous", I think is the word I was searching for.
Rambus is/was/will continue to be a IP, and not a technology, bully. One memory mfg stood up and said "enough" and took them to court/countersued.
I don't recall the exact results, but, it came to a draw in court but a win in the court of public opinion. Before anyone stood up, mfg's knew they were being defrauded/flim-flamed or cowed by Rambus' lawyers...all it took was *one* to stand up and fight.
In the game of "j'accuse!" the defendant has the hardest job...win or draw/no contest essentailly gives you 2 out of 3 odds of "success".
Keep in mind the jist of what I said previously because the parallels to Microsoft, RI|MP-AA, Rambus, and yes, even Sony (depending on how this Tivo aquisition goes) are astounding.
(as an aside my thinking on matters such as these are, admittadly, esoteric. I make connections at times so "out there", and get slammed (rightfully so) until I can put the subject into the proper context. I'm trying, so, work with me a little)
IMO, Microsoft has done everything possible *except* publish a proclamation similar to the "Manifest Destiny". I think there will be major battles in the future (DOJ's 'emasculation by administration' aside) but the war is already lost and any victory will be a Pyrric Victory.
The MP|RI-AA's? (and I'm not going to discount Sony or a "Sony-like-company")
More of the same quite possibly.
Kind of gloomy-sounding? yeah.
Have I given up? NOT ON YOUR FREAKING LIFE!!!
I for one *UNDERMINE* if downright *DEFY* these corporations every chance I get, because I am an American after all.
I got an MPAA bitch message once...ok, you can control me on the internet, fine..but not off the internet. When you start using fear tactics on Americans/me, you only piss "us" off even more.
Now, I've always wanted to get a tatoo, but never could find anything appropriate...and it just came to me a second ago. Mickey Mouse's siloette tatooed on the end of my penis. Disney wants me to remove it? Ok, on your knees and suck it off!
Ok, I'm trying to lose the "rant'ish" tone.
Summation:
Sony has the potential to do a lot of good with Tivo by expanding, enrichening and enlightening others "Digital Lifestyle" (apologies to SJ, again and ppl with buzzword intolerance).
If they "Embrace, extend and extinguish" a viable alternative, IMO, they will "piss a lot of us off".
Will it be hacked, reguardless? Yes.
Will doing so be illegal? Remains to be seen.
Keeping this in perspective, the device ain't that important. The implications (dmca/ssca/current events/etc) for and of the future are.
At the risk of sounding trite, we are the revolution(aries).
The question is who/when is going to stand up and say "Just a FSCK'ing minute" on a grand scale.
Yes, we encrypt communications to military vessels. It makes sense.
Why are we allowing it with DVD's/HDTV's/whatever.
IMOFWIW (In Moose's Opinion, For What It Is Worth)
Ok, with apologies to the "Digital Hub" idea of SJ.
Give it some serious thought for a second. If Sony could take ILink/Firewire and ethernet, then add it to a Tivo, or Tivo-like device, it would make a killing, IMO.
A rather nebulous idea, to be sure, but one time I was being rather lazy and needed some images I had snagged...for lack of a zip disk, and rather than emailing them to myself or ftp'ing I simply dragged the images to a digital camera and it had put them on the memory card inside.
Very neat and simple. A device that does what you want w/o any restrictions, encryption, access denied, backdoors, product activation.
Drag, Drop, copy, done. (I hesitate to say I was on a mac, so no flames, pls)
Imagine this applied to a PVR. You've got a dvd/SVCD/VCD/mpg/avi/mov or heck maybe even mp3's for good measure. You drag, drop or pipe it over a wire and it plays by either decoding it or accepting a straight DV stream.
Not only would the coolness factor be a driving force, but the MP|RI-AA "FSCK OFF" factor would make them fly off the shelves.
It could be done by SONY and very few others because SONY, unlike most corporations can, have "someone to point a finger at".
MSFT == gates/ballmer
APPL == jobs
SONY == (I have no idea).
This is what most corps are aiming for, mind you.
Yeah there would be other corps screaming bloody murder, maybe suing, but (IIRC) Sony or a Sony like company would defend itself from the likes of Rambus/MSFT/MPAA. (Was it Sony?...don't remember and too dang tired to look it up, anywho..).
I think, it is a possibility...some corps "get it" when they 'give ppl what they want' *not* "give ppl what they think we want'".
The could use all of the hacked cue-cat scanners to read a bar code off of all those cameras they make and your credit card.
It just might work.
{SEG}
(offtopic-kinda-sorta-rant)
Has anyone else noticed that humorous posts have been getting modded down recently?
I try to metamoderate everyday and invariably have several comments that are funny as heck, but are "troll/flamebait/overrated/redundant".
Advice for metamoderators: look for the above labels, read the context (i've noticed that was recently added, I think) and decide with a "benefit of the doubt" attitude and rate as unfair. Obvious F/R/O/T's, fair...or don't metamod it...your decision.
(ok, this could be considered a "rant-lite", but maybe it is meant to get ppl to browse at -1 for a good chuckle...I dunno)
Moose.
Windows 95 had "Start Me Up" as a theme song. XP needs "Run Like Hell".
No body picked up on this, oddly enough:
(granted this example has been beaten to death, but yet it is so apropos)
Gary Hein, an analyst at Burton Group, said Microsoft has never been shy to influence that evolutionary process where the consumer is concerned.
"It reminds me of the old story about how to boil a frog," he said. "If you throw a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will immediately jump out. But if you put a frog in a pot of warm water and slowly raise the temperature until the water boils, you have frog soup.
"Consumers aren't going to be thrown into a kettle of boiling water from the get-go, but rather enticed into an inviting, lukewarm bath, and then the temperature will be slowly raised over several release cycles."
So, pardon the pun, what it boils down to is:
1)Microsoft is slowly turning up the heat to "boil its customers alive"...those bubbly bits floating at the top are just silly things like, personal freedom, consumer rights et al.
2) If #1 happens, we can no longer tell Microsoft "Sorry, NO soup for you!"
3) The scary part is reading throug the sea of info, you start to realize the people/consumers/revenue streams are (or can be used) interchangably. Neo in the cocoon, anyone?
IMO, XP has the potential to ruin "us", but, as an example, my boss, is so "enamoured" with MS products...however...XP ain't going to happen at all in the future.
(Even after asking my opinion...I said "Oh, HELL NO") Reason? Too many implications and 'Track Record' and the recent worms have hammered the point home of "Every new version of windows == bigger and badder exploits"...heh, maybe that is what MS means by XP(loitable).
And my boss agreed!.
The "pucker factor" is way too high on this one and the cow-nsumers are getting spooked, finally.
I wonder if it is just me, but I *want* expansion, I *want* a big, bad, beige case.
I suppose if this unit could be attached to another of its ilk, it would be what(?) 6U's?
Rack mountable, maybe? Would be interesting.
The most expandable case I'd ever seen could hold 13 (or maybe 15) drives in a mid tower.
This box looks like you could fit 5 in there max...not bad for such a tiny case. Admittadly it would take some very creative engineering and the heat generated in such a small area would require removing the front plate and 3 fans from a drive cooler.
It has potential, I'll give it that, but the lack of PCI slots...ugh, my aptiva has only 2 pci slots...arugh! 3, IMO, is the bare min, but the niche for this box is the limited space catagory.
I like it, personally. It's cute, it functions and it'll do whatever I need/want it to do, I'm sure. But, save one thing: Expandability (ok, internally).
Could I put a GF3 in it? Nope.
Could I put an IDE Raid card in it...Yeah, but where the hell would the drives go?
I dunno...its the "cube" arguments all over again.
It has form, it has function, but face it (this is/. after all) the "chubby/kickass" factor ain't there, IMO.
That finger of blame comment really needed to be said. Far be it for me to state the obvious....oh, wait I did, didn't I?
Reminds me of a history class where the question was posed "Why did more Americans die in the Civil War than any other in our history?"
American agains American, was the answer, but it was so obvious that no one dared voice it, it sounded so stupid.
So anyway, Microsoft is essentially saying "don't blame us for making (insert product) vulnerable, blame the people that show us/you how to exploit/fix it/get you started on a solution.."
That is what I came away with from reading the article.
Point is, the obvious needs stating from time to time to make sure it is not overlooked.
Nes't pas? (is it not so?...my apologies for slaughtering the French language, too)
The people who wrote them have been rightly condemned as criminals.
Ok, I'm going to be snide, the author points to the exploitation tools, but one could also argue that windows (don't laff) "security model", closed source apps, IIS are the *initial* tools of exploitation. Lest I forget, Integration, legislation, co-opting, barriers to entry keep other (maybe better, maybe worse) products from hitting the market and (say it with me) promoting competition.
It's high time the security community stopped providing blueprints for building these weapons. And it's high time computer users insisted that the security community live up to its obligation to protect them.
Why? No one believed that certain (ford/chevy?) trucks would blow up like a bomb when hit from the side...what did they do? Yep, they *Proved IT*, by staging a scenario.
And, not to pick nits or be too smarmy, but "we" are trying to protect users. The fact that PHB's, average users don't *listen* after the 3rd, forth, fifth time of being hacked, wormed, virused, or trojaned via outlook, IIS, IE seem to be nicely sidestepped.
...and if there hadn't been security vulnerabilities in Windows®, Linux, and Solaris®, none of them could have been written. This is a true statement, but it doesn't bring us any closer to a solution.
Uh, yes it does...by choosing the most secure of the bunch! No platform is perfect, but if you choose the one with the best track record, gee, you get...surprise, surprise...less of a chance of being exploited. Once bitten, twice shy... but, then again, see my above paragraph with users/phb's.
...information anarchy. This is the practice of deliberately publishing explicit, step-by-step instructions for exploiting security vulnerabilities, without regard for how the information may be used.
Ok, I'll ignore the buzzword bingo opportunity, and point out that the author does "get it" a little, that the vulnerabilities mentioned had been patched weeks/months ahead of time.
Ok, cool, Correct me if I a wrong, but I recall seeing a recent article that Microsoft said it needs to "Prioritize" its patches, because, heh, it is confusing!!!
The thing to be rememberd in reading this article the dangerous assumption is this:
If an exploit is found and is dangerous "the security community" *needs* these to tear into and discover how to fight whatever threatens the systems in question.
I'd rather have a fulling working exploit in the hands of a "white hat" than a "black hat".
Don't forget, please, that most of the worms propagated as the result of *malicous* intent and were discovered, stopped, slowed by people with *clear/clean* intent.
That fact seem to be missing.
Moose.
If I am right, I am right...but if I am wrong, show me I a wrong.
I read several reviews when building a Tbrird 1.333 system for where I used to work to compare to the latest and greatest Cow-boxen p4's we were getting.
Most of the Reviews said the FOP38 was the most common found to cool Ghz Tbirds, but if you can find an Alpha, get it!
Well, I did (pcnut.com, if you are interested) and it works like a beauty...even had a disclaimer "caution: loud!"...mild understatement.
Under a full load for 5 hours (decoding/converting DVD's to DivX, highest thread priority) the max temp of the processor was 111 degrees F. Some of the newer ones average 110 to 115...not bad for an "oldie but a goodie".
Tho I do admit some of the reviews now use thermal diodes under *and* above/near the top of the processor.
Another reason to go for the alpha is it won't crack those poor durons/tbirds...not so much a problem with the Athlon XP, or so the common wisdom/thinking goes because the new chips use a fiber composite (IIRC) instead of ceramic. So if the chip is under excessive pressure, the base will flex.
Just a satisfied customer here...I plan on getting 2 for a Dualie system I want to build.
MP or XP Tboids (heh, I like saying it tha way, mad props to N.Y. for enhancing the english language!) or whatever their new names will be (sledge/clawhammer?).
Heat sync technology has had to keep pace with the current procs (and the proc's current..err..watttage), so far so good, but a 1lbs heat sync on the P4...oye.
We can only hope they keep up the good work making better syncs, ducts, fans lest things all go up in smoke.
These record companies do not throw money into black holes and the commission fears that if they come together, it could make them into a cartel and make it virtually impossible for a rival model to compete" --emphasis mine
Excuse me? What do you mean *could*?
How bloody stupid can one be...a rival model (Napster, et al) did try to compete... they got E3'd (embraced, extended and extinguished).
And, correct me if I am wrong, did a music company just try this? One of the same that was fighting napster?
As one poster so eloquently put it, Napsters popularity was spurred on not by the "desire to steal" but by the ham fisted approach to music and individual freedoms by the "music cartel".
I could not have said it better myself.
Heck, just look at the "uncopyable" cds that are coming out? Individual freedoms (tossing motion) going out the windows. HDTV...whoosh...bye-bye.
Oh, never mind the law says you have the right to do this, but the moment you excercise that right you are running afowl of the law? Excuse me?
Did I mis-read the first line of a famous document as "We the corporations, in order to form a more perfect monopoly..."
Moose.
Oh, and next election, if you want sweeping changes...put a single selection first on the ballot that reads "Vote *against* all incumbants".
If it is not there, just look, all incumbants are listed...heh.
No wonder there is usually a clause for explosives, knives, chemicals and software to "keep out of reach of children".
If a minor can't be bound by the terms of a Piece of Software's (PoS?) contract, *and* is probably the only one in a household capable of *installing* the thing, it makes perfect sense.
Same thing with HDTV: "You have every right to 'time shift' the content...that is legal, as soon as you try to excercise that right...out come the cuffs/lawyers/MP|RI-AA."
Warning, Mixed Metaphores ahead...
So Microsoft is using an ounce of prevention (on ebay) to extract a pound of flesh?
I don't know why this reply got modded down, especially if there is some element of truth to it (seems like there is) even from an AC.
StarOffice actualy uses a proprietary widget system. This would need to be modified to provide Aqua look-n-feel, which is a load of additional work, or it would end up looking just like Windows.
I don't see this as being too much of a problem.
Did "we" or did "we" not just go thru this with Netscape 6? Using an Aqua "skin" (a no-no, IIRC) vs using the actual UI elements, calls and API's?
It seems like Apple would actually *help* if there were a similar incident...use the same tactic, make an aqua skin, get griped at and then accept an offer for help...help us help ourselves in a rather tactical way.
Unix users might forgive a Windows-clone interface, but Mac users would just refuse unless there was a gun to their head.
Humm, I see your point. However if the above "skin" implementation were tried, I/"we" might have to put up with it for a while, if at all.
The transition from os9's interface to aqua brought about griping, change, redesign or outright tossing of elements of all kinds.
(I *liked* the single window mode, kept the annoying popups out of sight and kept my occasional pr0n/risquee picture surfing hidden from view of kid/whoever was watching)
And, as I said before, I platform hop quite a lot, so, I would notice, but it would bother me less than most, IMO. Look at the Virtual PC users, for instance. As soon as VPC is out of beta for X, the best (and worst, mebbe) of 3 worlds will be there. (OS X/9 and win9X/2k/xp?).
There's also supposedly some huge issues with Apple's GCC compiler.
Ok, this I could see (always surprises with compilers that have had heavy mods/tweaks to run and interface well with the OS and apps).
But even the source code can be tweaked or the makefile. Take the ffmpeg.component (works great, BTW, picture is perfect...sound is off, tho... go to divx.jamby.net, have a peek. OS X.1 recommended). As I understand it the cc calls had to be replaced with the gcc calls...worked perfect after that. Agreed, it is an issue, but one that is easily taken care of (ok, I'm a unix geek, mac/pc/*nix user on a daily basis, so I am a bad example compared to the X neophyte... I'm sure there is a way to pass these things to the terminal to run a scrips of the./configure, make, make install and dump a folder on the users desktop, sorta a unix/mac ease of use melding).
Heh, judging by the comments one thing seems true: Legos are a product that never go out of style.
Consider the Erector set story posted earlier, and the "bringing it back".
I mean boys, girls, the engineers and the artists of the future probably have all played with legos.
If you ever want to know the true power of a product go to a doctors office or place of business with the "Lego Table". The table top is the connector portion of the legos..."I wish we had those when I was a kid" I've said.
Kids of all kinds gather there...even the "big" kids. And it keeps me... err, them quiet for hours.
Even the "special" legos can be use with the other stuff. My son has made some pretty interesting ones with the Starwars ship (forget which one it is) and 3 he got from Mickey D's (originally a boat and 2 prop planes).
Fun stuff, but as a parent we need "Nerf Legos" so when I/we step on them the don't hurt so damn much!
What was the reason for dropping mac support, does anyone know?
I, for one was looking forward to Star/Open Office 6 for the mac. (drooling for it more like it).
It just seems a trifle silly, really, if you think about it.
Everyone that wants an alternative to Microsoft's Office products, but still need the compatability with it.
I'll concede that the Mac has a smaller market share, but, you gotta admit that it has a more "vocal minority" (kind of reminds me of/. in a way).
Add to the above thought, that, it is NO secret that Sun's CEO released S.O. free to tweak Microsoft's CEO's nose. (figurativly, of course).
So, If you see where I am coming from it does not make sense.
heck, I platform hop enough not only to keep up with the tech, but sometimes the politics of distros, tools and apps.
Look at the screenshots and tell me that this would not look good under aqua, and run under osX.1 really nice.
I suppose I understood a little in the 10.0.X days becuse a lot of developers and programmers were griping (rightfully so) about the APIs not being coherent and up to spec/snuff.
These Helped the subsystems more than the gui, but I highly recommend it...YMMV, of course.
Ok, enable root via the Netinfo manager.
enable other logins in sys prefs (assuming 10.1 installed)...
Now logout and login as root and in the/System/Library/StartupItems are several things you can/shoud get rid of to reduce memory/CPU load on older macs:
1) Sendmail (why is this loaded and no way to turn it off via scripts?...at least that I have found).
2) NFS..this loads FOUR times, but if you do not mount network file systems..again...why?
As root you can create a startup disabled folder and just drag these folders in there an reboot. Or in the terminal do a ps -aux | grep sendmail (or nfs) and get the PID's and kill -9 (the PID).
It kind of irks me (this is no OS specific, mind you) that these programs load when I don't need/want them. Granted, I may in the near future, but every other options in os X is loadable/unloadable via a control except sendmail and NFS.
How many new OS X users are going to be spam relays w/o knowing it? Could this be a vulnerability (actual/potential).
(humph...as an aside, you mean to tell me sharing all those links in a previous post did not inform anyone? Pique a little interest?
Oh, well, I tried...just like here)
I saw macosxhints.com, but macosxapps.com was missing from the roster.
Let's see:
Macosxapps.com
macsurfer.com (best place for links to other mac news sights)
www.osx-zone.com is good for filtered "quickies".
www.securemac.com for obvious reasons.
www.greasydaemon.com for *any* *BSD based os.
arstechnica.com (Mac, PC, Linux forums rock, IMO).
And for the PC side.
www.98lite.net (98se running the 95b shell...fast as all get out for windows. Need USB support of 98? Slow computer...get this.)
www.winguides.com for info on all the Win OS's
arstechnica.com, redundant, I know, but the sight and forums rock...mac or pc, don't matter. If you don't waste a full day at that site on a first visit...you ain't a tech:)
www.tech-report.com decent site, some like, some don't. cool, check it out just in case.
Agnostic type sights (always refreshing).
slashdot.org (chuckle, you knew it was coming)
www.osopinion.com
www.osnews.com (just found it recently, no opinion, yet)
Oh, and for all you Mac ppl out there, don't forget macslash.com (links are good and news too...based on/code, naturally).
For everybody: www.macdesktops.com and desktopia.com (good site, but annoying popups recently).
Shit, I should just change my name to 3M (Moronic Moderator Magnet) but it is taken.
Grrrr...man there is one __HUMOR IMPAIRED__ mother f**ker out there....
Ok, metamoderators...do your job, please. I know I do for moderators like this, who, would not know an on topic post if it bit them in the nads.
Has anyone thought of a way to aviod this kind of crap? Like if metamoderators judge 4 out of 5 *negative* moderations as unfair, flag the moderator as "clueless" or needs a smack or something?
"Who Needs a LOUDSPEAKER when we have SLASHDOT"
I thought it was pretty damn funny...*and* no one else said it? If I had been modded as redundant *and WAS* redundant...cool.
Moose.
Slightly paranoid, cause _someone_ IS out to get me. Tis the 2nd time an *ON TOPIC POST* has been modded down.
Maybe I should *drop* my +1 bonus when I type something funny? Heh, it work before... because I get the feeling the humor impaired with mod points browse at +2.
(SIGH) My own damn fault for thinking moderators *might* have a sense of humor...not so, but at least it helps me maintain my sense of irony.
Freedom, Unity and Democracy...FUD...oops, Already taken.
(damn, I had a point and lost it....OOOOoo, those CD's are soooo shiney!)
Oh, yeah, it came back:
Get congress to add a "not-quite-porkbarrel" added to these:
Here is what we do:
Take all the laid off techs from *ell, Cow-way, and Q and train them as air marshals...only after pointing out to them that Sept 11 was the Kick while they were down.
(slight propaganda, slight truth)
You know darn well most of the ppl from Dakota and Texas will be armed already (blatant stereotype, work with me) and pissed about being out of work and filled with patriotism and keep training up for computer systems with them.
Can you imagine getting an email saying "I can pick you off at 1,000 yards or hack your systems in less than a 1,000 seconds...which do you want, Mr(s) Bin Lauden?"
Instead of the Dirty dozen just add a x 1000(0).
Just remember the words of Mark Twain: "Imagine you are an *idiot*, now, imagine you are a member of congress...but I repeat myself."
Slashdot Mirror
what Woz thinks the "new thingy" by apple is going to be?
.avi).
/. fans camping out for tickets?
MP3 player (enuf of those) is one thought, but I personally think the kickin ass device would be a Portable DivX player...Imagine an iBook screen, with a (DPg3?), ffmpeg codec (divx.jamby.net for you X.1 users and get the "old player" divx.max.st to "doctor" the
DivX, maybe DVD, to go and music... Stripped down OS X...drool.
On a G4-400 DivX is *flawless* videowise.
Sound, depends on the datarate, it seems.
I liked when he called "Dr. Mac" an hourse' d'ourve..heh, cute...and Dr. Mac's comment about X.1 of "it's safe now. He recommend for 10.1 don't pay 129 bucks to beta test.
Moose.
ps. Does the lack of slash dot posts mean there is no enthusiams about these topics, or are all the LOTR
pps. See my rant in the LOTR topic if you feel the need to mod ppl down for joking around.
Get a grip/clue/BJ/sense of humor, something...if you can't appreciate my sense of humor...dammit, that is *your* problem.
Now, Now,
Let he who is without sin cast the first Firestone.
there is always going to be *something* that is going to incite/intice die hard fans.
LOTR, Macs, Linux, BSD, Rocky Horror, ect.
Especially the latter, if you think about it. I've seen it and was somewhere between mildy amused and not impressed.
No matter how much you keep your mind open to possibilites, well, some things you'll never be able to explain...like riding a motorcycle..."If you don't know, I can't explain" pretty much sums it up.
Oh, metamoderators out there, we need to keep an eye out a little more...some fuckwit with mod points keeps modding down funny comments. Overrated/troll seems to be "favorite" choice...puns, dry humor, mixed metaphores, seem to be beyond this person(s) sub 70 IQ. It almost approaches censorship'esque levels.
If it is one person, his privelage needs to be revoked/rebuked, if it is many exibiting this moronic tendancy, it still does not make it right. Lack of a sense of humor is *thier* problem.
Sorry for the rant, it has been bugging the shit out of me lately. Just because *you* don't get it/like it does not mean it is not funny.
IMO (in Moose's opinion, naturally).
Heh, I also had a funny comment to post, but the rampant idiocy lately has made me think twice. Pardon the egotistical comment, but you don't get an additional +1 bonus for being a fricking troll, now, do you?
There, I feel better. Like pissing in the wind, yeah it is a bad/pointless endeavor, but sometimes you *just got to!*
where the buff...err..shee...errrr...pent...
damn, I give up.
Copyright means we get to *copy it, right*?
I had to say it, sorry.
But this begs the questions: Why? People lambasted the design of the P4 for bringing us what is in essence a 2Ghz+ 486, right?
Why on god's green earth would someone want to immitate rather than innovaaaa...
Ooops, never mind.
Moose
DRM stands for Doesn't Really Matter?
(ya, ya, Digital Rights Management... wait a sec, People have Rights, how the #$%^&* do digits/bits/code get Rights?)
Ok, wait just a fscking minute here, a brief recap for those who missed it:
1) Court says "Code is not free speech", correct?
2) Code, on paper (analog), or compiled or not is in 'digital' form, is still not free speech. (yes/no?)
3) if code is not free speech, and free speech is a *human* right, someone explain to me how the phrase/buzzword "Digital Rights" came to be accepted.
Apologies for the lateral thinking and leaps of logic. Sorta like "here, look at the shiny object in my left hand...smack with the right".
When it comes to the "Battle of the Bits" 'we' are winning, but in the arena (no, not q3 arena) of Law and Language, 'we' are losing (or loosing as the incorrect/common use goes).
Two outta 3 ain't bad, but we only got the one win, arugh.
IMOFWIW.
Moose
Have you forgotten Sony is one of the big labels? They put things in the market where they can without killing their own other markets...
You can bet any product will have just as much "content control" as any product out there.
No I had not, and thanks for calling me on it, but the point I was driving at was a "Sony-like" company. One that is "ubiquitous", I think is the word I was searching for.
Rambus is/was/will continue to be a IP, and not a technology, bully. One memory mfg stood up and said "enough" and took them to court/countersued.
I don't recall the exact results, but, it came to a draw in court but a win in the court of public opinion. Before anyone stood up, mfg's knew they were being defrauded/flim-flamed or cowed by Rambus' lawyers...all it took was *one* to stand up and fight.
In the game of "j'accuse!" the defendant has the hardest job...win or draw/no contest essentailly gives you 2 out of 3 odds of "success".
Keep in mind the jist of what I said previously because the parallels to Microsoft, RI|MP-AA, Rambus, and yes, even Sony (depending on how this Tivo aquisition goes) are astounding.
(as an aside my thinking on matters such as these are, admittadly, esoteric. I make connections at times so "out there", and get slammed (rightfully so) until I can put the subject into the proper context. I'm trying, so, work with me a little)
IMO, Microsoft has done everything possible *except* publish a proclamation similar to the "Manifest Destiny". I think there will be major battles in the future (DOJ's 'emasculation by administration' aside) but the war is already lost and any victory will be a Pyrric Victory.
The MP|RI-AA's? (and I'm not going to discount Sony or a "Sony-like-company")
More of the same quite possibly.
Kind of gloomy-sounding? yeah.
Have I given up? NOT ON YOUR FREAKING LIFE!!!
I for one *UNDERMINE* if downright *DEFY* these corporations every chance I get, because I am an American after all.
I got an MPAA bitch message once...ok, you can control me on the internet, fine..but not off the internet. When you start using fear tactics on Americans/me, you only piss "us" off even more.
Now, I've always wanted to get a tatoo, but never could find anything appropriate...and it just came to me a second ago. Mickey Mouse's siloette tatooed on the end of my penis. Disney wants me to remove it? Ok, on your knees and suck it off!
Ok, I'm trying to lose the "rant'ish" tone.
Summation:
Sony has the potential to do a lot of good with Tivo by expanding, enrichening and enlightening others "Digital Lifestyle" (apologies to SJ, again and ppl with buzzword intolerance).
If they "Embrace, extend and extinguish" a viable alternative, IMO, they will "piss a lot of us off".
Will it be hacked, reguardless? Yes.
Will doing so be illegal? Remains to be seen.
Keeping this in perspective, the device ain't that important. The implications (dmca/ssca/current events/etc) for and of the future are.
At the risk of sounding trite, we are the revolution(aries).
The question is who/when is going to stand up and say "Just a FSCK'ing minute" on a grand scale.
Yes, we encrypt communications to military vessels. It makes sense.
Why are we allowing it with DVD's/HDTV's/whatever.
IMOFWIW (In Moose's Opinion, For What It Is Worth)
Moose.
(whack) "Shutting Up!" -Molt, In a Bugs Life.
Ok, with apologies to the "Digital Hub" idea of SJ.
Give it some serious thought for a second. If Sony could take ILink/Firewire and ethernet, then add it to a Tivo, or Tivo-like device, it would make a killing, IMO.
A rather nebulous idea, to be sure, but one time I was being rather lazy and needed some images I had snagged...for lack of a zip disk, and rather than emailing them to myself or ftp'ing I simply dragged the images to a digital camera and it had put them on the memory card inside.
Very neat and simple. A device that does what you want w/o any restrictions, encryption, access denied, backdoors, product activation.
Drag, Drop, copy, done. (I hesitate to say I was on a mac, so no flames, pls)
Imagine this applied to a PVR. You've got a dvd/SVCD/VCD/mpg/avi/mov or heck maybe even mp3's for good measure. You drag, drop or pipe it over a wire and it plays by either decoding it or accepting a straight DV stream.
Not only would the coolness factor be a driving force, but the MP|RI-AA "FSCK OFF" factor would make them fly off the shelves.
It could be done by SONY and very few others because SONY, unlike most corporations can, have "someone to point a finger at".
MSFT == gates/ballmer
APPL == jobs
SONY == (I have no idea).
This is what most corps are aiming for, mind you.
Yeah there would be other corps screaming bloody murder, maybe suing, but (IIRC) Sony or a Sony like company would defend itself from the likes of Rambus/MSFT/MPAA. (Was it Sony?...don't remember and too dang tired to look it up, anywho..).
I think, it is a possibility...some corps "get it" when they 'give ppl what they want' *not* "give ppl what they think we want'".
One Moose's opinion.
Moose
The could use all of the hacked cue-cat scanners to read a bar code off of all those cameras they make and your credit card.
It just might work.
{SEG}
(offtopic-kinda-sorta-rant)
Has anyone else noticed that humorous posts have been getting modded down recently?
I try to metamoderate everyday and invariably have several comments that are funny as heck, but are "troll/flamebait/overrated/redundant".
Advice for metamoderators: look for the above labels, read the context (i've noticed that was recently added, I think) and decide with a "benefit of the doubt" attitude and rate as unfair. Obvious F/R/O/T's, fair...or don't metamod it...your decision.
(ok, this could be considered a "rant-lite", but maybe it is meant to get ppl to browse at -1 for a good chuckle...I dunno)
Moose.
Windows 95 had "Start Me Up" as a theme song. XP needs "Run Like Hell".
No body picked up on this, oddly enough:
(granted this example has been beaten to death, but yet it is so apropos)
Gary Hein, an analyst at Burton Group, said Microsoft has never been shy to influence that evolutionary process where the consumer is concerned.
"It reminds me of the old story about how to boil a frog," he said. "If you throw a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will immediately jump out. But if you put a frog in a pot of warm water and slowly raise the temperature until the water boils, you have frog soup.
"Consumers aren't going to be thrown into a kettle of boiling water from the get-go, but rather enticed into an inviting, lukewarm bath, and then the temperature will be slowly raised over several release cycles."
So, pardon the pun, what it boils down to is:
1)Microsoft is slowly turning up the heat to "boil its customers alive"...those bubbly bits floating at the top are just silly things like, personal freedom, consumer rights et al.
2) If #1 happens, we can no longer tell Microsoft "Sorry, NO soup for you!"
3) The scary part is reading throug the sea of info, you start to realize the people/consumers/revenue streams are (or can be used) interchangably. Neo in the cocoon, anyone?
IMO, XP has the potential to ruin "us", but, as an example, my boss, is so "enamoured" with MS products...however...XP ain't going to happen at all in the future.
(Even after asking my opinion...I said "Oh, HELL NO") Reason? Too many implications and 'Track Record' and the recent worms have hammered the point home of "Every new version of windows == bigger and badder exploits"...heh, maybe that is what MS means by XP(loitable).
And my boss agreed!.
The "pucker factor" is way too high on this one and the cow-nsumers are getting spooked, finally.
Moose.
I wonder if it is just me, but I *want* expansion, I *want* a big, bad, beige case.
...arugh! 3, IMO, is the bare min, but the niche for this box is the limited space catagory.
/. after all) the "chubby/kickass" factor ain't there, IMO.
I suppose if this unit could be attached to another of its ilk, it would be what(?) 6U's?
Rack mountable, maybe? Would be interesting.
The most expandable case I'd ever seen could hold 13 (or maybe 15) drives in a mid tower.
This box looks like you could fit 5 in there max...not bad for such a tiny case. Admittadly it would take some very creative engineering and the heat generated in such a small area would require removing the front plate and 3 fans from a drive cooler.
It has potential, I'll give it that, but the lack of PCI slots...ugh, my aptiva has only 2 pci slots
I like it, personally. It's cute, it functions and it'll do whatever I need/want it to do, I'm sure. But, save one thing: Expandability (ok, internally).
Could I put a GF3 in it? Nope.
Could I put an IDE Raid card in it...Yeah, but where the hell would the drives go?
I dunno...its the "cube" arguments all over again.
It has form, it has function, but face it (this is
Moose
ROTFLMAO...3 isightful and 3 overrated...
/. , I really do.
I love
That finger of blame comment really needed to be said. Far be it for me to state the obvious....oh, wait I did, didn't I?
Reminds me of a history class where the question was posed "Why did more Americans die in the Civil War than any other in our history?"
American agains American, was the answer, but it was so obvious that no one dared voice it, it sounded so stupid.
So anyway, Microsoft is essentially saying "don't blame us for making (insert product) vulnerable, blame the people that show us/you how to exploit/fix it/get you started on a solution.."
That is what I came away with from reading the article.
Point is, the obvious needs stating from time to time to make sure it is not overlooked.
Nes't pas? (is it not so?...my apologies for slaughtering the French language, too)
Moose
The people who wrote them have been rightly condemned as criminals.
...and if there hadn't been security vulnerabilities in Windows®, Linux, and Solaris®, none of them could have been written. This is a true statement, but it doesn't bring us any closer to a solution.
...information anarchy. This is the practice of deliberately publishing explicit, step-by-step instructions for exploiting security vulnerabilities, without regard for how the information may be used.
Ok, I'm going to be snide, the author points to the exploitation tools, but one could also argue that windows (don't laff) "security model", closed source apps, IIS are the *initial* tools of exploitation. Lest I forget, Integration, legislation, co-opting, barriers to entry keep other (maybe better, maybe worse) products from hitting the market and (say it with me) promoting competition.
It's high time the security community stopped providing blueprints for building these weapons. And it's high time computer users insisted that the security community live up to its obligation to protect them.
Why? No one believed that certain (ford/chevy?) trucks would blow up like a bomb when hit from the side...what did they do? Yep, they *Proved IT*, by staging a scenario.
And, not to pick nits or be too smarmy, but "we" are trying to protect users. The fact that PHB's, average users don't *listen* after the 3rd, forth, fifth time of being hacked, wormed, virused, or trojaned via outlook, IIS, IE seem to be nicely sidestepped.
Uh, yes it does...by choosing the most secure of the bunch! No platform is perfect, but if you choose the one with the best track record, gee, you get...surprise, surprise...less of a chance of being exploited. Once bitten, twice shy... but, then again, see my above paragraph with users/phb's.
Ok, I'll ignore the buzzword bingo opportunity, and point out that the author does "get it" a little, that the vulnerabilities mentioned had been patched weeks/months ahead of time.
Ok, cool, Correct me if I a wrong, but I recall seeing a recent article that Microsoft said it needs to "Prioritize" its patches, because, heh, it is confusing!!!
The thing to be rememberd in reading this article the dangerous assumption is this:
If an exploit is found and is dangerous "the security community" *needs* these to tear into and discover how to fight whatever threatens the systems in question.
I'd rather have a fulling working exploit in the hands of a "white hat" than a "black hat".
Don't forget, please, that most of the worms propagated as the result of *malicous* intent and were discovered, stopped, slowed by people with *clear/clean* intent.
That fact seem to be missing.
Moose.
If I am right, I am right...but if I am wrong, show me I a wrong.
there are 3 of them pointing at you....
I think the author/Microsoft should not forget this.
Moose
I read several reviews when building a Tbrird 1.333 system for where I used to work to compare to the latest and greatest Cow-boxen p4's we were getting.
Most of the Reviews said the FOP38 was the most common found to cool Ghz Tbirds, but if you can find an Alpha, get it!
Well, I did (pcnut.com, if you are interested) and it works like a beauty...even had a disclaimer "caution: loud!"...mild understatement.
Under a full load for 5 hours (decoding/converting DVD's to DivX, highest thread priority) the max temp of the processor was 111 degrees F. Some of the newer ones average 110 to 115...not bad for an "oldie but a goodie".
Tho I do admit some of the reviews now use thermal diodes under *and* above/near the top of the processor.
Another reason to go for the alpha is it won't crack those poor durons/tbirds...not so much a problem with the Athlon XP, or so the common wisdom/thinking goes because the new chips use a fiber composite (IIRC) instead of ceramic. So if the chip is under excessive pressure, the base will flex.
Just a satisfied customer here...I plan on getting 2 for a Dualie system I want to build.
MP or XP Tboids (heh, I like saying it tha way, mad props to N.Y. for enhancing the english language!) or whatever their new names will be (sledge/clawhammer?).
Heat sync technology has had to keep pace with the current procs (and the proc's current..err..watttage), so far so good, but a 1lbs heat sync on the P4...oye.
We can only hope they keep up the good work making better syncs, ducts, fans lest things all go up in smoke.
Moose
These record companies do not throw money into black holes and the commission fears that if they come together, it could make them into a cartel and make it virtually impossible for a rival model to compete" --emphasis mine
Excuse me? What do you mean *could*?
How bloody stupid can one be...a rival model (Napster, et al) did try to compete... they got E3'd (embraced, extended and extinguished).
And, correct me if I am wrong, did a music company just try this? One of the same that was fighting napster?
As one poster so eloquently put it, Napsters popularity was spurred on not by the "desire to steal" but by the ham fisted approach to music and individual freedoms by the "music cartel".
I could not have said it better myself.
Heck, just look at the "uncopyable" cds that are coming out? Individual freedoms (tossing motion) going out the windows. HDTV...whoosh...bye-bye.
Oh, never mind the law says you have the right to do this, but the moment you excercise that right you are running afowl of the law? Excuse me?
Did I mis-read the first line of a famous document as "We the corporations, in order to form a more perfect monopoly..."
Moose.
Oh, and next election, if you want sweeping changes...put a single selection first on the ballot that reads "Vote *against* all incumbants".
If it is not there, just look, all incumbants are listed...heh.
it is probably the RIAA hacking into phones, looking for mp3's of songs used as cell phone rings.
:\
(ALL YOUR PHONE (and base stations) ARE {sound of one hand clapping}
Owwww, that hurt.}
Heh, or not.
Moose.
(not a troll, just an attempt at humor...if I fail, just ignore me, everyone else does)
No wonder there is usually a clause for explosives, knives, chemicals and software to "keep out of reach of children".
If a minor can't be bound by the terms of a Piece of Software's (PoS?) contract, *and* is probably the only one in a household capable of *installing* the thing, it makes perfect sense.
Same thing with HDTV: "You have every right to 'time shift' the content...that is legal, as soon as you try to excercise that right...out come the cuffs/lawyers/MP|RI-AA."
Warning, Mixed Metaphores ahead...
So Microsoft is using an ounce of prevention (on ebay) to extract a pound of flesh?
Moose.
I don't know why this reply got modded down, especially if there is some element of truth to it (seems like there is) even from an AC.
./configure, make, make install and dump a folder on the users desktop, sorta a unix/mac ease of use melding).
StarOffice actualy uses a proprietary widget system. This would need to be modified to provide Aqua look-n-feel, which is a load of additional work, or it would end up looking just like Windows.
I don't see this as being too much of a problem.
Did "we" or did "we" not just go thru this with Netscape 6? Using an Aqua "skin" (a no-no, IIRC) vs using the actual UI elements, calls and API's?
It seems like Apple would actually *help* if there were a similar incident...use the same tactic, make an aqua skin, get griped at and then accept an offer for help...help us help ourselves in a rather tactical way.
Unix users might forgive a Windows-clone interface, but Mac users would just refuse unless there was a gun to their head.
Humm, I see your point. However if the above "skin" implementation were tried, I/"we" might have to put up with it for a while, if at all.
The transition from os9's interface to aqua brought about griping, change, redesign or outright tossing of elements of all kinds.
(I *liked* the single window mode, kept the annoying popups out of sight and kept my occasional pr0n/risquee picture surfing hidden from view of kid/whoever was watching)
And, as I said before, I platform hop quite a lot, so, I would notice, but it would bother me less than most, IMO. Look at the Virtual PC users, for instance. As soon as VPC is out of beta for X, the best (and worst, mebbe) of 3 worlds will be there. (OS X/9 and win9X/2k/xp?).
There's also supposedly some huge issues with Apple's GCC compiler.
Ok, this I could see (always surprises with compilers that have had heavy mods/tweaks to run and interface well with the OS and apps).
But even the source code can be tweaked or the makefile. Take the ffmpeg.component (works great, BTW, picture is perfect...sound is off, tho... go to divx.jamby.net, have a peek. OS X.1 recommended). As I understand it the cc calls had to be replaced with the gcc calls...worked perfect after that. Agreed, it is an issue, but one that is easily taken care of (ok, I'm a unix geek, mac/pc/*nix user on a daily basis, so I am a bad example compared to the X neophyte... I'm sure there is a way to pass these things to the terminal to run a scrips of the
Appreciate the replys.
Thanks,
Moose
Heh, judging by the comments one thing seems true: Legos are a product that never go out of style.
Consider the Erector set story posted earlier, and the "bringing it back".
I mean boys, girls, the engineers and the artists of the future probably have all played with legos.
If you ever want to know the true power of a product go to a doctors office or place of business with the "Lego Table". The table top is the connector portion of the legos..."I wish we had those when I was a kid" I've said.
Kids of all kinds gather there...even the "big" kids. And it keeps me... err, them quiet for hours.
Even the "special" legos can be use with the other stuff. My son has made some pretty interesting ones with the Starwars ship (forget which one it is) and 3 he got from Mickey D's (originally a boat and 2 prop planes).
Fun stuff, but as a parent we need "Nerf Legos" so when I/we step on them the don't hurt so damn much!
Moose.
Time to clean up your...OW...room.
What was the reason for dropping mac support, does anyone know?
/. in a way).
I, for one was looking forward to Star/Open Office 6 for the mac. (drooling for it more like it).
It just seems a trifle silly, really, if you think about it.
Everyone that wants an alternative to Microsoft's Office products, but still need the compatability with it.
I'll concede that the Mac has a smaller market share, but, you gotta admit that it has a more "vocal minority" (kind of reminds me of
Add to the above thought, that, it is NO secret that Sun's CEO released S.O. free to tweak Microsoft's CEO's nose. (figurativly, of course).
So, If you see where I am coming from it does not make sense.
heck, I platform hop enough not only to keep up with the tech, but sometimes the politics of distros, tools and apps.
Look at the screenshots and tell me that this would not look good under aqua, and run under osX.1 really nice.
I suppose I understood a little in the 10.0.X days becuse a lot of developers and programmers were griping (rightfully so) about the APIs not being coherent and up to spec/snuff.
But now, seems silly.
Help me understand.
Moose.
The left hand (processor 0) needs to know what the right hand (processor 1) is doing.
:)
Reverse if necessary.
Ambidexterous people...just HUSH!
Heh, how about that, computers do have a real life (tm) frame of referrence.
Moose.
These Helped the subsystems more than the gui, but I highly recommend it...YMMV, of course.
/System/Library/StartupItems are several things you can/shoud get rid of to reduce memory/CPU load on older macs:
Ok, enable root via the Netinfo manager.
enable other logins in sys prefs (assuming 10.1 installed)...
Now logout and login as root and in the
1) Sendmail (why is this loaded and no way to turn it off via scripts?...at least that I have found).
2) NFS..this loads FOUR times, but if you do not mount network file systems..again...why?
As root you can create a startup disabled folder and just drag these folders in there an reboot. Or in the terminal do a ps -aux | grep sendmail (or nfs) and get the PID's and kill -9 (the PID).
It kind of irks me (this is no OS specific, mind you) that these programs load when I don't need/want them. Granted, I may in the near future, but every other options in os X is loadable/unloadable via a control except sendmail and NFS.
How many new OS X users are going to be spam relays w/o knowing it? Could this be a vulnerability (actual/potential).
(humph...as an aside, you mean to tell me sharing all those links in a previous post did not inform anyone? Pique a little interest?
Oh, well, I tried...just like here)
Moose.
I saw macosxhints.com, but macosxapps.com was missing from the roster.
:)
/code, naturally).
Let's see:
Macosxapps.com
macsurfer.com (best place for links to other mac news sights)
www.osx-zone.com is good for filtered "quickies".
www.securemac.com for obvious reasons.
www.greasydaemon.com for *any* *BSD based os.
arstechnica.com (Mac, PC, Linux forums rock, IMO).
And for the PC side.
www.98lite.net (98se running the 95b shell...fast as all get out for windows. Need USB support of 98? Slow computer...get this.)
www.winguides.com for info on all the Win OS's
arstechnica.com, redundant, I know, but the sight and forums rock...mac or pc, don't matter. If you don't waste a full day at that site on a first visit...you ain't a tech
www.tech-report.com decent site, some like, some don't. cool, check it out just in case.
Agnostic type sights (always refreshing).
slashdot.org (chuckle, you knew it was coming)
www.osopinion.com
www.osnews.com (just found it recently, no opinion, yet)
Oh, and for all you Mac ppl out there, don't forget macslash.com (links are good and news too...based on
For everybody: www.macdesktops.com and desktopia.com (good site, but annoying popups recently).
Have fun, dudes and dudettes.
Moose.
OFFTOPIC? Who the hell is smoking crack?
GAH...How *freaking ON TOPIC* can a post be?
Shit, I should just change my name to 3M (Moronic Moderator Magnet) but it is taken.
Grrrr...man there is one __HUMOR IMPAIRED__ mother f**ker out there....
Ok, metamoderators...do your job, please. I know I do for moderators like this, who, would not know an on topic post if it bit them in the nads.
Has anyone thought of a way to aviod this kind of crap? Like if metamoderators judge 4 out of 5 *negative* moderations as unfair, flag the moderator as "clueless" or needs a smack or something?
"Who Needs a LOUDSPEAKER when we have SLASHDOT"
I thought it was pretty damn funny...*and* no one else said it? If I had been modded as redundant *and WAS* redundant...cool.
Moose.
Slightly paranoid, cause _someone_ IS out to get me. Tis the 2nd time an *ON TOPIC POST* has been modded down.
Ontopic, interesting, insightful flaimbait, yeah, that's me.
Maybe I should *drop* my +1 bonus when I type something funny? Heh, it work before... because I get the feeling the humor impaired with mod points browse at +2.
(SIGH) My own damn fault for thinking moderators *might* have a sense of humor...not so, but at least it helps me maintain my sense of irony.
Pheh.
Freedom, Unity and Democracy...FUD...oops, Already taken.
(damn, I had a point and lost it....OOOOoo, those CD's are soooo shiney!)
Oh, yeah, it came back:
Get congress to add a "not-quite-porkbarrel" added to these:
Here is what we do:
Take all the laid off techs from *ell, Cow-way, and Q and train them as air marshals...only after pointing out to them that Sept 11 was the Kick while they were down.
(slight propaganda, slight truth)
You know darn well most of the ppl from Dakota and Texas will be armed already (blatant stereotype, work with me) and pissed about being out of work and filled with patriotism and keep training up for computer systems with them.
Can you imagine getting an email saying "I can pick you off at 1,000 yards or hack your systems in less than a 1,000 seconds...which do you want, Mr(s) Bin Lauden?"
Instead of the Dirty dozen just add a x 1000(0).
Just remember the words of Mark Twain: "Imagine you are an *idiot*, now, imagine you are a member of congress...but I repeat myself."
Moose.