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User: captjc

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  1. Re:Remind me to start a company... on The UPS Store Will 3-D Print Stuff For You · · Score: 1

    I know it was a joke, but yes, there is a filament called Ninjaflex that is both soft and flexible and will print on most types of ABS filament printers. I probably wouldn't recommend it for sex toys but it does make a good material for bracelets and such.

  2. Re:Dissolution of the middle class! on Mark Zuckerberg Throws Pal Joe Green Under the Tech Immigration Bus · · Score: 1

    When I graduated college, I got something like that. I graduated with a BS in Computer Engineering from an ABET accredited college, near the top of my class. I had some projects and job experience on my resume and professor's recommendations out the ass. However, It was also during the recession, so jobs were a bit hard to come by.

    I went to one of those recruiters / contractor agencies and was in no uncertain terms told that no company would hire me (not like I had a criminal record or tattoos or anything) and that all of my skills were not only not in demand but were about 50 years obsolete (I specialized in low level system programming in C++ and programming language design). When he saw that my minimum asking salary was $30,000 a year (research showed that in my area, near the center of a major North-Eastern tech hub, the average starting salary for a Programmer / EE was between $35,000 and $45,000 a year), he laughed for about 5 minutes and told me I was horribly unrealistic.

    After I left, about 45 minutes later, I was called with a job offer scrubbing toilets at a Masonic retirement home for minimum wage. I promptly told him to to shove it but was told that, "that was about the best I was ever going to get."

    About 6 months later, I finally found a job doing systems programming on microcontrollers and robots. So fuck those recruiters.

    \CSB?

  3. Wifi-Dialup Router and Chromebook on Ask Slashdot: Remote Support For Disconnected, Computer-Illiterate Relatives · · Score: 4, Informative

    Apparently there are Wireless routers that are designed to connect via dialup (for instance This Router.) With that, I would go with a Chromebook / Chromebox or an iPad.

    Given the constraints, that is probably the best you can get. However, you could probably experiment with an old Win CE Thin Client or an old WebTV and try to get either to work, but neither are particularly great solutions.

  4. Re:Sweet on Microsoft To Buy Minecraft Maker Mojang For $2.5 Billion · · Score: 2

    I can't wait for the SQL: Data Minecraft!

  5. Re:illogical captain on Why Atheists Need Captain Kirk · · Score: 1

    So should everyone lend credence to any claim that is made? Should every old book of fairy tales be taken as truth until it is systematically proven as false beyond any shadow of doubt?

    If I say there is an invisible tiger patiently waiting behind you ready to eat you the second you did something he doesn't like, would you believe it? I offer you no real proof other than my word that it is written in an old book that I found. Is it arrogant to assume that it is just plain superstition at best and probably just outright lies on my part at worst until some semblance of proof was offered on my end?

    As for the Higg's Boson, it wasn't something whose only basis is, "some guy said it is true". There are mathematical models that suggest its existence which warrants testing (Just as any search for a supposed deity warrants testing.) Few people claim that the Higg's boson is a certainty and those who do are scientific extremists jumping to conclusions.

    A line must be drawn somewhere. The burden of proof is on you to prove the claim is true, not for me to prove it is false. I understand there must be a modicum of faith in a belief to actually test the idea in order to generate evidence. The problem is that too much blind faith in any idea makes it easy to go down a destructive or self-defeating path. What makes things worse is that to question those who believe is heresy, dissent to be destroyed at any cost because those who request evidence are a threat to the faith.

  6. Re:How much money are we talking about? on Unpopular Programming Languages That Are Still Lucrative · · Score: 1

    90% of all the jobs I have seen listed were either Java, SQL, or C#, with the occasional reference to iPhone programming.

    C++ is not even remotely close to being a popular language unless you are looking for jobs that require a masters / Ph.D in electrical engineering.

  7. Re:No pity for him on Deadmau5 Accuses Disney of Pirating His Music · · Score: 5, Funny

    No, it's cool. Deadmau5 is the last of the Deadmaus. Deadmau 0-3 were destroyed by terrorists. Deadmau4 was sent back in time to help fight the first Shadow War. Deadmau5 is Earths last, best hope for funk.

  8. Re:What he should have written is ... on Steve Ballmer Authored the Windows 3.1 Ctrl-Alt-Del Screen · · Score: 1

    No, this is Steve Ballmer, not a Dalek. It would have been, "FUCKING KILL! FUCKING KILL! FUCKING KILL! "(TM)

    There once was a CEO named Steve,
    Who threw chairs at employees for reprieve,
    He shot lasers from his eyes
    To bury other guys,
    And he'll Fucking Kill you if you don't believe.

  9. Re:Prevent damage to your computer on Steve Ballmer Authored the Windows 3.1 Ctrl-Alt-Del Screen · · Score: 2

    We're sorry, Someone threw a chair and smashed your Windows. Please press CTRL+ALT+DEL to reboot.

  10. Re:donate on Mozilla Rolls Out Sponsored Tiles To Firefox Nightly's New Tab Page · · Score: 1

    Maybe, but even assuming that everyone on earth would give them a dollar, do you think they stop their plan or simply pocket the cash and continue anyway?

    I'm guessing they would still do it anyway.

  11. My advice...RUN! on The Grumpy Programmer has Advice for Young Computer Workers (Video) · · Score: 1

    Stay away! Long hours, crappy pay working for a company that will use you for everything you are worth, chew you up, and when you turn 35-40, will spit you out. Only those few who specialized in now ancient technologies will have any prospects beyond age 40. The worst part is, there is no such thing as job security. No matter how much of a rockstar you are, at any time you are at risk of being replace by a kid from India or China, if for no other reason than the CTO needs a few extra dollars to get a new company Lexus.

    Sure, the idea of joining a startup and becoming an overnight billionaire sounds appealing, but except for a very small handful, IT WONT HAPPEN. If you want to join the Video Game Industry, all this same stuff applies, only cranked up to 11!

    For your own sake, stay away. Don't make the same mistake that I made. Get a real job, spend time with your family, go outside and enjoy life.

  12. Re:Amazing on Among Gamers, Adult Women Vastly Outnumber Teenage Boys · · Score: 1

    Really? Here is my anecdotal datem point on the subject. I have been a gamer since the Atari 2600 and NES era. I have been involved in the gaming culture since there was gaming culture (same with the computer and internet cultures as well). Thus far, I have owned and played every major Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft platform made (except the PS4 and XBone due to the still lack of games) as well as many others. My current library spans well over 500 games between consoles and PC (especially Steam). When I go on business trips, my laptop with my Steam library and 3DS goes with me.

    For all intents and purposes, I consider myself a gamer. Being on the backside of the 18-34 demographic, I have a full time engineering job with its own hours and obligations. So while I don't put myself in the league of those who play games as their main and only hobby, I am still part of the core gaming audience.

    With that out of the way, between professional and personal obligations, I am lucky if I can actually play games for 2 hours a week. This is usually when I can block out one night just to sit down with a game until I have to get to bed. Sometimes, I might get lucky and have a lazy Friday night or Saturday to just sit down and play. Meanwhile, my Mom, Dad, Girlfriend, Grandma, and Step-Mom have kindle tablets, and iPhones and can play one of their dozens of free-to-play casual games for 5-15 minutes a piece whenever they have a few minutes downtime. My girlfriend also occasionally plays a few rounds of Mario World or Mario Kart with me on the Wii U.

    Now the question, who is the real gamer My family or myself. Certainly, I buy more games, am a part of the gaming scene, and play hardcore games. Meanwhile they just play games in short bits and pieces many times a day. They don't care about the latest shooter, the next Civ game, what EA is doing to piss-off gamers this week. They don't know who Tim Schafer, Reggie Fils-Aime, Jim Sterling, or Master Chief is, they just play their games.

  13. Re:Really? on Tech Looks To Obama To Save Them From 'Just Sort of OK' US Workers · · Score: 1

    Generally nice, but they damn they like their work spaces cold. They also stink up the break rooms with their fish lunches.

  14. Re:I'm not saying it's aliens... on Spot ET's Waste Heat For Chance To Find Alien Life · · Score: 1

    Since when is Slashdot a text mode version of Fark?

    [Welcome To Slashdot]

    \ I'm surfing on UltraSlashd+++CARRIER LOST+++

  15. Re:Even more disturbing on South Carolina Student Arrested For "Killing Pet Dinosaur" · · Score: 1

    The most disturbing news in all of this is that his neighbor is breeding raptors. The kid was justified in his heroic actions, the deranged neighbor needs to be indicted for crimes against humanity.

    God creates the world. God creates dinosaurs. God destroys the world to get rid of the raptors. God creates man; Man kills god. Man brings back raptors. My god, what have we done!?

  16. Re:Really? on Tech Looks To Obama To Save Them From 'Just Sort of OK' US Workers · · Score: 1

    As an American engineer working for a large multinational electronics company, I have worked with people from every continent. Many are polite, have good communication skills, know their stuff and are very pleasant to work with. I have also worked with incompetent PhDs with huge language barriers who act as if anyone who doesn't have a PhD is a complete moron who doesn't deserve to be on the same planet as them. This pretty much applies to everyone, everywhere.

    The point is, people who are smart and easy to work with are a great asset and I don't care where they come from. I hold nothing against foreigners or Americans. I hate incompetent assholes, both foreign and domestic.

  17. Re:Mario on Swedish Dad Takes Gamer Kids To Warzone · · Score: 1

    "Kids get in the car. We're goin' to the sewers!"

    GTA: "Kids get in the car. We're goin' to prison!"

  18. Re:Gettin All Up In Yo Biznis on Swedish Dad Takes Gamer Kids To Warzone · · Score: 1

    I also grew up with Mario and Zelda. I never once had the urge to jump on a turtle, eat a random mushroom, or go into someones house, smash their pots and vases, and take any and all money that was hidden within after mowing their lawn with my sword.

    I doubt I'm atypical.

  19. Re:It's all Dante's fault on Where are the Flying Cars? (Video; Part One of Two) · · Score: 1

    ...and his friends, after hacking Dante's foot off.

    Some people just can't throw their hat over the wall for the good of mankind.

  20. Reservoir Dogs on Chinese Researchers' 'Terror Cam' Could Scan Crowds, Looking for Stress · · Score: 1

    There is an easy test. Just play "Stuck In The Middle With You." If they pull out a razor and start dancing, they are obviously a Psychopath and you shoot the bastard before he takes off someone's ear.

  21. Re:Picked the wrong day to quit sniffing glue. on Chinese Researchers' 'Terror Cam' Could Scan Crowds, Looking for Stress · · Score: 1

    If stress is probable cause for warrantless attention, Americans have no rights at all, because stress--not liberty--is the cornerstone of our lives.

    Whoa, back the FBI surveillance van up there cowboy. The article has nothing to do with the US. This is about China. Sure, if this technology takes off, there is a good chance that the TSA and NSA would be next in line. However, it is way too early to start decrying the loss of American civil liberties over this story.

  22. Re:This will be GREAT! on Wiring Programmers To Prevent Buggy Code · · Score: 1

    Knowing some of the managers I have met, they would call you up on the phone, multiple times a day and if you'd answer, "HOW DARE YOU ANSWER THE PHONE!? DON'T YOU KNOW THAT THAT CAUSES BUGS!?" However, if you ignore the calls, you will get a face to face meeting demanding why you are avoiding them.

    Managers, can't work with them, can't get paid without them!

  23. Re:It was complete... on Babylon 5 May Finally Get a Big-Screen Debut · · Score: 1

    I wouldn't call it complete. It had plenty of loose ends that could have been picked up. I would have loved to see the Telepath Wars, Garibaldi's revenge on Bester (yes, I know, books). Hell, Call To Arms and the canceled-before-it-aired Crusade left the question about what happens to Earth with the Drakh Plague. Hell, a series could be done on the Galen and the Techno-magi, alone.

    While I would say the main plot was tied up very nicely, It was far from complete.

  24. Re:Why? on Babylon 5 May Finally Get a Big-Screen Debut · · Score: 1

    It is the word "reboot" that gets me. It seems to thrown around willy-nilly these days, everything from dumping the entire source material sans a few loose names and concepts and creating something new (BSG 2003), to remaking the same tired origin story again (Amazing Spider-Man, Hulk), to even creating sequels that follow already established continuity (What is basically being done to the Terminator franchise). Star Wars Prequels and the coming sequel trilogy have been called and are reboots in many ways. Hell, Star Trek TNG is even considered a reboot.

    This is way to early to either get up in arms or celebrate. Personally, I would rather have a Blu-ray remastering of the original series. If this is a proper reboot, I am sure to probably dislike it. I loved the original especially the characters. Peter Jurasic will always be Londo and Bruce Boxleitner will always be Sheridan, just as Leonard Nimoy will always be Spock and Dirk Benedict will always be Starbuck / The Face Man. However, I want to remain optimistic that maybe this will be a side story dissociated enough that it re-invigorate the franchise without tearing it down. Maybe, I might even get that Blu-Ray remastering.

    Only time will tell, of course.

  25. Re:Don't want it on Babylon 5 May Finally Get a Big-Screen Debut · · Score: 1

    I always hoped someone would make a movie of the battle at Wolf 359 - seems to me that there would be so much to work with within that heroic battle complex (I know, Wolf 359 is ST - But I digress)

    Up until Nemesis killed Star Trek, I was always hoping for either A Romulan War or Eugenics Wars movie. Either could be done in a way that could be franchised, wouldn't piss off the fans and could be dissociated enough to get general movie audience.

    A B5 reboot, sounds like a horrible idea. The original was one of the best science fiction shows on TV and (despite the early CGI) still holds up today. However, a movie that takes place in the same universe but in a side story would be great. The Telepath Wars or an Earth-Minbari War would be a great place to flesh out a new story and characters and be dissociated enough to do something new without alienating fans and newcomers, alike.