Generally they're a huge pain in the ass, and I try to avoid them, but I've only been denied a rebate once, for an SMC Router. I got some letter stating I bought it from an unapproved source or something to that effect, even though the store (buy.com maybe?) was clearly listed on the rebate form. I then barraged SMC, the store, and the rebate processing address with a series of angry letters. Several weeks later, the check arrived. (I should note this was a significant rebate -- $50 or more? For $5-10 I probably wouldn't have bothered.)
I also once nearly gave up on a d-link rebate, but it too materialized, just a month later than the other rebates I sent in at the same time.
I've been looking into the exact same thing, and stumbled across WebPlay. I haven't played with it that much, but it seems to have everything I was looking for. (Local play, web interface, etc..) Developed for OpenBSD, so should fit your specs pretty well.
Hops are great for the Beer Geek
on
Gardening for Geeks?
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Any slashdotters also into homebrewing might consider planting hops. They'll take a year to get established, but if they're planted in the right conditions, they'll really take off. Of course this means you need the vertical space to accomodate them.
I have 2 varieties (Cascade & Nugget) that have now grown about a foot each in the last 2 weeks (3 weeks ago they weren't even visible). If their performance last year was any indicator, they should be doing 1-2 feet a week shortly.
Now if I just had time to start brewing again, I'd actually be able to do something with them....
If I had mod points, you'd get them. As one of few mothers actually commenting here, your insight is sorely needed.
Anyway, thanks for the info. My wife and I are looking forward to our own natural (hopefully) birth in about a month! Sadly, we were not able to find a birthing center, but our Doula should keep those docs in line.
Regarding the doctor stuff, don't be afraid to look into getting a doula. A doula is like a mid-wife, but her focus is on the mother's well-being (who often gets overlooked by doctors more concerned about getting the baby out) Not a lot of people know what they are, but they can be very helpful and supportive in the face of sometimes domineering medical opinions. Many women don't know that there are sometimes other less invasive options to C-sections and epidurals.
The doula field still seems a bit 'crunchy,' but I think it's gradually becoming more mainstream, and the one we picked seems pretty down to earth.
Anyway, my wife insisted on one, and anything that makes her more comfortable at this point is a good thing.
I can attest to the nesting instinct. We're expecting in about 5 weeks, but for months my wife would suddenly wake up in the middle of the night and freak out that we didn't get a crib mattress yet, or that we only have a dozen onesies, or we didn't get 3 zillion diapers yet. And it only seems to be getting worse the closer the date gets..
Anyway, at least we're somewhat prepared at this point.
Curious -- I took a class almost exactly like that, only it was at Tufts about 10 years ago. (actually, 12 years ago now that I think about it). Anyway, some really great stuff. The professor was Argentinean, so the Borges stuff got a lot of emphasis. 'Literature of Chaos' or something to that effect.
(FWIW, Forever War is also one of my favorite books of all time.)
Re:Is the media making anyone else sick?
on
Strike on Iraq
·
· Score: 1
I'm sick of their lack of decent friggin reporting. The job of the press is to investiagte, question, and present alternate viewpoints, not just regurgitate whatever the gov't feeds them. Liberal Media Bias my ass. These days everything sounds like Fox'News'.
They're reporting on the troops because that's what the average joe sixpack wants to see, and that's all the command will give them access to. Clearly nobody seems to want a thorough analysis of how screwed up (or rather, non-existant) Bush's foreign policy is.
Related Thread -- Computer Flea Markets & Hamf
on
Great Surplus Stores?
·
· Score: 1
There was related Ask Slashdot story I submitted a while back which turned up a number of great links to Hamfests, surplus stores, flea markets, etc.. (BTW, anyone who responded to that story, now 1 1/2 years ago, thanks -- got some great leads for stuff in the DC area!)
Heck, when I was there, there was only a handful of terminal rooms. You needed your advisor to sign an approval form just to get an account on the system (pearl? emerald? all the old servers were named after gemstones or something). Needless to say, trying to explain email to my English advisor who used only a typewriter (and probably still does) was challenging to say the least...
Anyway, disappointing to hear of this, but hardly surprising.
Does this remind anyone of the DJ 3000 from the Simpsons episode "Bart gets an elephant" ?
Boss: This is the DJ 3000. It plays CDs automatically, and it has three distinct varieties of inane chatter.
[presses a button] DJ 3000: [stilted] Hey, hey. How about that weather out there?
Woah! _That_ was the caller from hell.
Well, hot dog! We have a weiner.
Bill: Man, that thing's great!
Marty: _Don't_ praise the machine!
Boss: If you don't get that kid an elephant by tomorrow, the DJ 3000 gets your job.
[Marty punches it]
DJ 3000: Those clowns in congress did it again. What a bunch of clowns.
Bill: [laughs] How does it keep up with the news like that?
FYI -- This pertains to potential regulations being considered by Federal Agencies -- not potential laws being considered by Congress.
Re:Errors, Cheating, Good Investment, and Old Age
on
PC Baangs In America
·
· Score: 2, Funny
Your points about not being able to keep up with the frag-kiddies hit close to home. I sure didn't have the reflexes when I was 16, and now I'm 31 and completely hopeless.
I've been playing No One Lives Forever in the hopes that the stealth required in the single-player campaign would be mirrored in multiplayer games, but no such luck -- just a bunny-hopping frag fest.
If only there was a way to filter games based on age...
I think that's part of the weakness of a class action. (IANAL, and really know nothing about class actions..)
Anyway, as I was telling my sister-in-law, (who is a lawyer), it seems like distinctly communistic resolution to what's possibly the most unrepentently capitalistic crime. No doubt conceived of by some big corporate lobbyist...
The payments to _you_ could be nullified, but that doesn't mean the guilty parties in question will get off the hook. They'll still pay out the same $$ -- it will just get distributied to charities, non-profits and educational programs.
someone please mod the parent up, as it provides more background for the original question. (assuming anyone would care to actually respond to this guy instead of flaming him...)
Most hardware manufacturers make it pretty clear that if you use non-approved 3rd party parts and have problems, it's your fault -- whether it's toner or brake fluid. But they don't generally prohibit you from doing it either.
And I'd say this is pretty general knowledge. I know the risks when I tell my mechanic to use a generic replacement alternator versus Honda's OEM version, and I'm not about to blame Honda if my car doesn't start the next morning.
Simply protecting a brand name doesn't entitle them to use anti-competitive business practices.
This is a big problem -- they're doing a lot of damage to the reputation of bona-fide non-profits. I love how so many 'non-profits' are very interested in the specific amount of my credit card debt. It's notable that several of these places (lighthouse credit 'foundation') are actually under investigation by a number of states' A.G.s.
For the record, I don't really think legitimate non-profits should be exempt from these lists either, at least for fundraising. Opinion polling, survey research, and political campaigning fall into a 1st amendment gray area, and can serve useful functions, but if someone's asking for $$, do-not-call means do-not-call.
Excuse me -- 'Disposal??' All three of my cars are still residing somewhere in my parents' house, probably in tissue-lined shoeboxes, thank you very much. Disposal indeed.
And not to dismiss the issue, but there's plenty of other 'everyday' lead crap out there that people don't think twice about, without covering the relatively rare occurance of discarded pinewood derby cars. How many forests are full of lead shot, or lakes with lead sinkers?
But good points about safety and lead alternatives. I don't even know where you'd find bulk lead these days...
Good for you for getting the kids more involved in a hands-on way. It always seemed to me that this was a much bigger deal for the fathers than the kids. (I should talk -- I usually came in the top 3 thanks to my dad's 'guidance')
Seemed like they needed to emphasize the parental guidance factor over actual labor.
You could always tell the kids whose fathers didn't help, had no woodworking skills, or as you point out, weren't available, and they'd get totally hosed.
I wish I could say you saw more mothers involved in this aspect too, but again, sadly not. Kids' fathers whom you'd never seen before would materialize for this one glory-hogging event, then disappear back into the woodwork, leaving the mom to attend all the less-glamorous meetings. This was 20+ years back, though. Hopefully it's improved.
Slashdot Mirror
Generally they're a huge pain in the ass, and I try to avoid them, but I've only been denied a rebate once, for an SMC Router. I got some letter stating I bought it from an unapproved source or something to that effect, even though the store (buy.com maybe?) was clearly listed on the rebate form. I then barraged SMC, the store, and the rebate processing address with a series of angry letters. Several weeks later, the check arrived. (I should note this was a significant rebate -- $50 or more? For $5-10 I probably wouldn't have bothered.)
I also once nearly gave up on a d-link rebate, but it too materialized, just a month later than the other rebates I sent in at the same time.
anyway, YMMV...
I've been looking into the exact same thing, and stumbled across WebPlay. I haven't played with it that much, but it seems to have everything I was looking for. (Local play, web interface, etc..) Developed for OpenBSD, so should fit your specs pretty well.
Any slashdotters also into homebrewing might consider planting hops. They'll take a year to get established, but if they're planted in the right conditions, they'll really take off. Of course this means you need the vertical space to accomodate them.
I have 2 varieties (Cascade & Nugget) that have now grown about a foot each in the last 2 weeks (3 weeks ago they weren't even visible). If their performance last year was any indicator, they should be doing 1-2 feet a week shortly.
Now if I just had time to start brewing again, I'd actually be able to do something with them....
If I had mod points, you'd get them. As one of few mothers actually commenting here, your insight is sorely needed.
Anyway, thanks for the info. My wife and I are looking forward to our own natural (hopefully) birth in about a month! Sadly, we were not able to find a birthing center, but our Doula should keep those docs in line.
Regarding the doctor stuff, don't be afraid to look into getting a doula. A doula is like a mid-wife, but her focus is on the mother's well-being (who often gets overlooked by doctors more concerned about getting the baby out) Not a lot of people know what they are, but they can be very helpful and supportive in the face of sometimes domineering medical opinions. Many women don't know that there are sometimes other less invasive options to C-sections and epidurals.
The doula field still seems a bit 'crunchy,' but I think it's gradually becoming more mainstream, and the one we picked seems pretty down to earth.
Anyway, my wife insisted on one, and anything that makes her more comfortable at this point is a good thing.
I can attest to the nesting instinct. We're expecting in about 5 weeks, but for months my wife would suddenly wake up in the middle of the night and freak out that we didn't get a crib mattress yet, or that we only have a dozen onesies, or we didn't get 3 zillion diapers yet. And it only seems to be getting worse the closer the date gets..
Anyway, at least we're somewhat prepared at this point.
This is splitting hairs, but that's probably a British soldier, not an American.
Biggest clue is his rifle: it's a 'bullpup' configuration, where the clip is inserted behind the grip.
Curious -- I took a class almost exactly like that, only it was at Tufts about 10 years ago. (actually, 12 years ago now that I think about it). Anyway, some really great stuff. The professor was Argentinean, so the Borges stuff got a lot of emphasis. 'Literature of Chaos' or something to that effect.
(FWIW, Forever War is also one of my favorite books of all time.)
I'm sick of their lack of decent friggin reporting. The job of the press is to investiagte, question, and present alternate viewpoints, not just regurgitate whatever the gov't feeds them. Liberal Media Bias my ass. These days everything sounds like Fox'News'.
They're reporting on the troops because that's what the average joe sixpack wants to see, and that's all the command will give them access to. Clearly nobody seems to want a thorough analysis of how screwed up (or rather, non-existant) Bush's foreign policy is.
There was related Ask Slashdot story I submitted a while back which turned up a number of great links to Hamfests, surplus stores, flea markets, etc.. (BTW, anyone who responded to that story, now 1 1/2 years ago, thanks -- got some great leads for stuff in the DC area!)
0 50255
http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/08/07/0
Heck, when I was there, there was only a handful of terminal rooms. You needed your advisor to sign an approval form just to get an account on the system (pearl? emerald? all the old servers were named after gemstones or something). Needless to say, trying to explain email to my English advisor who used only a typewriter (and probably still does) was challenging to say the least...
Anyway, disappointing to hear of this, but hardly surprising.
Bart: How are those berries, Ralph?
Ralph: They taste like burning...
I suspect these topics and other related research will all be investigated in "Son of Jackass," coming to a holodeck near you in 2080...
Does this remind anyone of the DJ 3000 from the Simpsons episode "Bart gets an elephant" ?
Boss: This is the DJ 3000. It plays CDs automatically, and it has three distinct varieties of inane chatter.
[presses a button]
DJ 3000: [stilted] Hey, hey. How about that weather out there?
Woah! _That_ was the caller from hell.
Well, hot dog! We have a weiner.
Bill: Man, that thing's great!
Marty: _Don't_ praise the machine!
Boss: If you don't get that kid an elephant by tomorrow, the DJ 3000 gets your job.
[Marty punches it]
DJ 3000: Those clowns in congress did it again. What a bunch of clowns.
Bill: [laughs] How does it keep up with the news like that?
FYI -- This pertains to potential regulations being considered by Federal Agencies -- not potential laws being considered by Congress.
Your points about not being able to keep up with the frag-kiddies hit close to home. I sure didn't have the reflexes when I was 16, and now I'm 31 and completely hopeless.
I've been playing No One Lives Forever in the hopes that the stealth required in the single-player campaign would be mirrored in multiplayer games, but no such luck -- just a bunny-hopping frag fest.
If only there was a way to filter games based on age...
I think that's part of the weakness of a class action. (IANAL, and really know nothing about class actions..)
Anyway, as I was telling my sister-in-law, (who is a lawyer), it seems like distinctly communistic resolution to what's possibly the most unrepentently capitalistic crime. No doubt conceived of by some big corporate lobbyist...
my sister-in-law emailed me not 1 hour ago about this exact thing.
I suggested she post it to slashdot, and she was like -- "Are you kidding? I want my $20 -- I don't want to share it with those geeks!"
The payments to _you_ could be nullified, but that doesn't mean the guilty parties in question will get off the hook. They'll still pay out the same $$ -- it will just get distributied to charities, non-profits and educational programs.
I think the parent poster is experiencing an 80% failure rate... (8 in 10 bad).
someone please mod the parent up, as it provides more background for the original question. (assuming anyone would care to actually respond to this guy instead of flaming him...)
Most hardware manufacturers make it pretty clear that if you use non-approved 3rd party parts and have problems, it's your fault -- whether it's toner or brake fluid. But they don't generally prohibit you from doing it either.
And I'd say this is pretty general knowledge. I know the risks when I tell my mechanic to use a generic replacement alternator versus Honda's OEM version, and I'm not about to blame Honda if my car doesn't start the next morning.
Simply protecting a brand name doesn't entitle them to use anti-competitive business practices.
This is a big problem -- they're doing a lot of damage to the reputation of bona-fide non-profits. I love how so many 'non-profits' are very interested in the specific amount of my credit card debt. It's notable that several of these places (lighthouse credit 'foundation') are actually under investigation by a number of states' A.G.s.
For the record, I don't really think legitimate non-profits should be exempt from these lists either, at least for fundraising. Opinion polling, survey research, and political campaigning fall into a 1st amendment gray area, and can serve useful functions, but if someone's asking for $$, do-not-call means do-not-call.
Excuse me -- 'Disposal??' All three of my cars are still residing somewhere in my parents' house, probably in tissue-lined shoeboxes, thank you very much. Disposal indeed.
And not to dismiss the issue, but there's plenty of other 'everyday' lead crap out there that people don't think twice about, without covering the relatively rare occurance of discarded pinewood derby cars. How many forests are full of lead shot, or lakes with lead sinkers?
But good points about safety and lead alternatives. I don't even know where you'd find bulk lead these days...
Good for you for getting the kids more involved in a hands-on way. It always seemed to me that this was a much bigger deal for the fathers than the kids. (I should talk -- I usually came in the top 3 thanks to my dad's 'guidance')
Seemed like they needed to emphasize the parental guidance factor over actual labor.
You could always tell the kids whose fathers didn't help, had no woodworking skills, or as you point out, weren't available, and they'd get totally hosed.
I wish I could say you saw more mothers involved in this aspect too, but again, sadly not. Kids' fathers whom you'd never seen before would materialize for this one glory-hogging event, then disappear back into the woodwork, leaving the mom to attend all the less-glamorous meetings. This was 20+ years back, though. Hopefully it's improved.