A 7th-Day violation has occurred. In a raid on the FSF compunt today, evidence of a cloned project was uncovered. All executives, and employees directly involved in this heinous, and sacreligious project have been taken into custody and await arraignment.
Once found guilty, they'll be handed over to the local door-to-door Britannica salesman for "remedial treatment".
Now we too can waste $4000 on an outdated machine with a crappy OS and a hockey puck where they forgot to put a mouse!
Or we could put Linux on it, but that'd negate the one decent feature that makes that titanium boat anchor worth having. The DVD writer.
While I applaud Apple for their "attention" to digital content creators, I still feel their vertical monopoly on hardware and software is damaging them more than it's protecting anything. It's like a sucking chest wound. And if they don't fix it, sooner or later, it's gonna kill them.
And with today's computer market, that's likely to be sooner.
The real problem is California's broken-headed energy polciy. Like the following idiocies.
Due to California's politically correct nuclear power phobia, they've locked themselves into a commodity-driven, non-renewable energy policy with almost COMPLETE dependence on petroleum-derived energy sources.
Additionally, they've been complete laggards about renewable energy sources (solar and wind-driven).
While California has one of the most advanced automotive exhaust mandates on the planet, they still don't see any point to subsidizing the use of newer, more energy-efficient home appliances and environmental control systems.
They de-regulated, yet locked in pricing (till 2002 IIRC). Under the unfounded assumption that the cost of energy would go down and stay down.
Since then, the price of oil has TRIPLED fro $10 to $30 a barrel. So transportation costs rose, storage costs rose, and finally generation costs rose as well.
Now, while market price is skyrocketing elsewhere (and out-of state entities are willing to buy the power at those prices), California's whining and bitching because these companies won't sell their power below-cost. Never mind that the debt load already incurred by these companies for doing business in California has already climbed into the billions of dollars.
Now California is suggesting starting up a state-owned power company. Unfortunately, they aren't going to have any better luck because of the following.
They still have to pay their workers the same wages the other power companies do.
They will have the same operating overhead the others do. So if they want to sell in-state, they'd be doing it at a loss.
They'd have to invest HEAVILY in infrastructure to build their own power grid and link it up with everyone else.
About the only thing they kinda have going for them is they're able to borrow money more cheaply than private companies could. Unfortunately, this debt load would then become the responsibility of the TAXPAYERS. So they'd wind up paying a higher aggregate price anyhow (factoring the power costs, plus the additional tax burden).
Basically, the California government needs to get their heads on straight (and out of their asses) and stop trying to cater to politically correct energy policies. Because how politically correct is it to shut off someone's power in the middle of winter or the middle of a heatwave?
This guy would have been a lot braver to try this 10 years ago.
Nah. He would have been seen as an idiot. And he'd have been like the Biosphere guys.
Seems like the only real problem for the modern online hermit expecting 100,000 dollars is enough room to exercise.
I don't think he did a lot of exercise. Look at some of the banners of himself. He's pretty skinny. Then look at the latest little blurb picture of him on the front page. He's quite decidedly chunkier. All those Dominos pizzas no doubt.
There's things about this type of experiment that really bug me though. I mean, it's like someone's trying to find out exactly how far we can be pushed to become ultimate consumers (people who really produce nothing).
As nice as it may seem for various "hermits", who, besides rampant paranoiacs, REALLY want to lock themselves in their house for years at a time?
I can see it now.
25 million individual web hosts. And I've seen them all....Several times!
--DotComGuy.
Granted. I'm talking from a functionality POV. To compete with Windows, it doesn't have to necessarily become just like Windows.
You are making an assumption that in order to cater to Windows users, one must provide a Windows-esque experience.
No. I'm saying that those who want a Windows-esque experience should use Windows. Those who don't mind a user interface that looks similar to, but doesn't act exactly like, Windows, were not included in the statement.
Also, I'm not saying there aren't a great many things Linux couldn't learn from the Windows system interfaces. I'm basically griping about all the people who whine just because things don't work EXACTLY like Windows.
Set up an NT box as a router? No. I'd rather keep it that way too. A linux router? Yup. Kinda tough the first time I did it (did it during my clueless newbie stage). But the more you do that kind of thing, the easier it gets.
We should be talking about tutorials and training and such...
Yes. But for whom do you write these? From what basic level do you begin at? That's the sticking point. Should Linux's help system be SO exhaustive that it basically encompasses a CompSci degree? Or should the documentation be concise and to the point for those who already know mostly what they're doing? Or should it be stings of "Do this...And this...And this...And this..."?
There's a mistaken assumption that in order to "make it", one must cater to Windows users.
Maybe on a certain level this is true. But if you want a Windows-esque experience, use Windows.
Certain aspects of the GUI will probably be shared. But to completely duplicate the entire Windows UI is ridiculous.
I agree that there should be some fairly comprehensive tutorials for the "Too Smart for "For Dummies" crowd. But a familiarization is all they need, a boost along the learning curve. Not a redefinition of the learning curve.
I'm sorry, but Linux is, for most intents and purposes, Unix. Unix is obtuse, arcane, and very empowering to use. It requires a steeper learning curve than straight WIMP environments such as Windows.
It'd be a mistake to castrate usability in the name of "user friendliness".
Hello! I need some support? I'm using Plex86 on Linux to run Windows so that I can run MAME. =)
Actually there's really no reason you shouldn't be able to do this quite easily. At the LAN Party I attend, the proprietor has several game cabinets. One of which he's outfitted with an old Atari2600 and a multiplexer.
Actually, I'd like to get the one sit-down cabinet from him and convert it into a computer desk for myself. Now how cool would that be?
Admittedly he didn't sneak up on him like a self-respecting theif would. But hey, if Ridley was as good as he was supposed to be, that should be some pretty HEFTY damage with a magical longsword.
Of course the entire blow was wasted. The defenestration alone would have killed baldy.
I'm sorry. This is possibly one of the best super-hero flicks out in YEARS. More than just "I'll defeat you! Lemme have my super-gizmo drop a house on you!"
This is the kind of gritty realism that made Batman so popular before it was spoiled by all these bizarro super-criminals. I'm not saying the Batman movie (at least the first two) weren't good. They were great fun.
The character is basically the Everyman, save that for a slight bit of empathy and the odd little fact that he's almost incapable of being hurt.
Heck. Even the character's name is straight out of comic-bookdom. The simple aliterative (David Dun). Like Peter Parker, or Clark Kent.
The care and attention to detail in this movie stunned the hell out of me. I'm so used to seeing movies where things either:
Explode
Implode
Splatter
Shatter
get run over
slammed into
get so bullet-riddled it's not even funny
or otherwise hyper-mangled
That I've had my fill for the next several lifetimes. Movies like this that actually have SUBSTANCE, not just stuff to tide you over till the bullets fly once more, is a pleasure.
The 'invasive' nature of language tends to cut both ways. Look at how much Spanish has been absorbed into American English in the last 100 years or so. Look at the invasion of terms coming in from Japan now. Plus, how many terms have come in through pop culture?
As someone else pointed out, integration of multiple languages into a 'Common' isn't necessarily a bad thing. Especially for a multinational communications network like the Internet.
Segmenting a portion of the Internet for speakers of this or that language/dialect would be counterproductive in such a circumstance, as it builds barriers to communication instead of breaking them down.
If it creeps into the common usage of a language? Isn't that what schools are for anyways?
C'mon. Stop and think about it for a second. The amount of resources to take out 99% of the net would be astronomical. Also, the associated collateral damage would likely mean that NOBODY'd give a damn about the nodes being destroyed because it'd be almost like Armageddon (the event, not the movie).
For the 1% that DID remain online, they'd notice that lots of major sites were dead. And if they looked out their windows, they'd probably be seeing mushroom clouds off in the distance.
Also, think of this. If 99% of the nodes ARE offline, that means that approximately 99% of the user-base is offline too. So these mental gymnastics about funnelling 99% of the net's traffic through 1% of the hardware/bandwidth are about as useful as doing multiplication tables in your head.
Anyhoo. Wasn't this covered on Slashdot like MONTHS ago already?
Okay. To start off. I don't like Bill Clinton (at least his public persona, I'm sure he's a sweetheart of a guy otherwise). I'm sorry. If he can't give the public the straight truth (instead of "well I don't define it that way") I don't want him in charge of the country!
Second. I firmly opposed national health care. It would have brought the health care industry to it's knees. It's NEVER a good idea to put in place a system that encourages malingering, and then put bean counters in charge of the pricing.
Also, out west, he designated an area as a national park. Now this sounds GREAT! But he destroyed jobs that were in the works there. The area in question was up for development (and yes, some mining). Most of the people in the area were looking forward to the influx of cash it would have given the local enconomy. Then Billsy makes his little speech and there goes the money. There goes the jobs. This country's about democracy, not the hyper-authoritarianism that the Clinton administration and their supporters want.
Of course. The machine doesn't give someone the result they want. So it's 'unreliable'.
Okay.
Also, you people keep harping on the vote in Florida being significantly LESS than 1/1th of 1%.
What you're saying is the margin's insignificant enough (began at 1700 votes) to warrant arbitrary counts (and yes, determining chad positioning is entirely arbitrary) on the ballots by hand. But why is the final difference (500-something votes) so much MORE significant?
Also, you keep complaining about the polling machines. This needed to have been addressed BEFORE the election. Just because such previous margins weren't siginificant enough to warrant such an action isn't an excuse.
I love how some people always want to speak in terms of absoloutes.
"It's CLEAR the people of Florida wanted Gore."
No. It's not. If it were clear, we wouldn't have been subjected to this fiasco. Also, Buchanan pulled down nearly 8000 votes in Florida's Republican Primaries 4 years ago. Also, H. Ross Perot pulled down nearly 30,000 votes in his bid for office in 1992.
Also, griping because people voted for Nader is the worst of sour grapes here. They "WOULD HAVE" voted this way is irrelevant. They didn't. End of story.
"The will of the people."
Must I remind you AGAIN. Both Bush and Gore agreed to be bound by election conventions as they are now. That means the Electoral College. The will of the people could have changed this years ago. The will of the people didn't change this. The will of the people was that the Electoral College process stay in place. It did. Ergo. The will of the people is that George Bush won.
Also, if you don't think the people performing the hand-counts (with lawyers flanking them from either camp) are unbiased, you're not operating on the same level of reality as most of the rest of us.
Fact. Machines don't care who the president is. The people who recounted the votes DO.
The problem is, there wasn't an equal vote in this state.
Bush won.
They recounted.
Bush still won.
They recounted again.
Bush STILL won.
How many times does reality have to slap Gore in the face before he wakes up? That idiot Bill Daley keeps yammering about "the will of the people". Yet the Gore camp disqualifies absentee ballots from military members. And STILL he yammers about "the will of the people".
Well guess what Billy-boy. The will of the people HAS been followed. And despite your best efforts to derail it, you've lost.
Does it suck? Sure. But that's the way the system was designed. He agreed to be bound by the rules of the system. Just because it didn't give him the results HE would have liked, doesn't mean that he shouldn't be bound by the decision after the fact.
And before you start telling me that I'm a hypocrite and wouldn't say the same thing if it was Bush losing. Let me inform you. I voted for NEITHER Bush, or Gore.
And if Bush had resorted to the same tactics (i.e. anything till "we" like the result) as the Gore camp has, they'd be seeing JUST as much derision from me as the Gore camp is getting now.
They're concentrating on building chips and spec'ing out reference boards
They're OUTSOURCING their board fab to 3rd parties so THEY don't have to expend time, money, and effort that is better spent in R&D on managing a stupid fab.
Anyone who didn't understand this as of what, a WEEK ago(?), must be positively bucking for a Darwin Award.
Slashdot Mirror
Looks like some people forgot to read certain HOWTO's on advocacy.
Flaming zealots. Linux has had this 'feature' for a long time now. And you BSD guys are JUST getting them?
How's it feel to be behind the times?
The above was intended to be a joke.
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
When are these guys going to learn you can't copyright common terminology like this?
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
A 7th-Day violation has occurred. In a raid on the FSF compunt today, evidence of a cloned project was uncovered. All executives, and employees directly involved in this heinous, and sacreligious project have been taken into custody and await arraignment.
Once found guilty, they'll be handed over to the local door-to-door Britannica salesman for "remedial treatment".
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
Now we too can waste $4000 on an outdated machine with a crappy OS and a hockey puck where they forgot to put a mouse!
Or we could put Linux on it, but that'd negate the one decent feature that makes that titanium boat anchor worth having. The DVD writer.
While I applaud Apple for their "attention" to digital content creators, I still feel their vertical monopoly on hardware and software is damaging them more than it's protecting anything. It's like a sucking chest wound. And if they don't fix it, sooner or later, it's gonna kill them.
And with today's computer market, that's likely to be sooner.
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
The real problem is California's broken-headed energy polciy. Like the following idiocies.
Since then, the price of oil has TRIPLED fro $10 to $30 a barrel. So transportation costs rose, storage costs rose, and finally generation costs rose as well.
Now, while market price is skyrocketing elsewhere (and out-of state entities are willing to buy the power at those prices), California's whining and bitching because these companies won't sell their power below-cost. Never mind that the debt load already incurred by these companies for doing business in California has already climbed into the billions of dollars.
Basically, the California government needs to get their heads on straight (and out of their asses) and stop trying to cater to politically correct energy policies. Because how politically correct is it to shut off someone's power in the middle of winter or the middle of a heatwave?
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
Nah. He would have been seen as an idiot. And he'd have been like the Biosphere guys.
I don't think he did a lot of exercise. Look at some of the banners of himself. He's pretty skinny. Then look at the latest little blurb picture of him on the front page. He's quite decidedly chunkier. All those Dominos pizzas no doubt.
There's things about this type of experiment that really bug me though. I mean, it's like someone's trying to find out exactly how far we can be pushed to become ultimate consumers (people who really produce nothing).
As nice as it may seem for various "hermits", who, besides rampant paranoiacs, REALLY want to lock themselves in their house for years at a time?
I can see it now.
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
From a certain (i.e. business) perspective
Granted. I'm talking from a functionality POV. To compete with Windows, it doesn't have to necessarily become just like Windows.
You are making an assumption that in order to cater to Windows users, one must provide a Windows-esque experience.
No. I'm saying that those who want a Windows-esque experience should use Windows. Those who don't mind a user interface that looks similar to, but doesn't act exactly like, Windows, were not included in the statement.
Also, I'm not saying there aren't a great many things Linux couldn't learn from the Windows system interfaces. I'm basically griping about all the people who whine just because things don't work EXACTLY like Windows.
Set up an NT box as a router? No. I'd rather keep it that way too. A linux router? Yup. Kinda tough the first time I did it (did it during my clueless newbie stage). But the more you do that kind of thing, the easier it gets.
We should be talking about tutorials and training and such...
Yes. But for whom do you write these? From what basic level do you begin at? That's the sticking point. Should Linux's help system be SO exhaustive that it basically encompasses a CompSci degree? Or should the documentation be concise and to the point for those who already know mostly what they're doing? Or should it be stings of "Do this...And this...And this...And this..."?
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
There's a mistaken assumption that in order to "make it", one must cater to Windows users.
Maybe on a certain level this is true. But if you want a Windows-esque experience, use Windows.
Certain aspects of the GUI will probably be shared. But to completely duplicate the entire Windows UI is ridiculous.
I agree that there should be some fairly comprehensive tutorials for the "Too Smart for "For Dummies" crowd. But a familiarization is all they need, a boost along the learning curve. Not a redefinition of the learning curve.
I'm sorry, but Linux is, for most intents and purposes, Unix. Unix is obtuse, arcane, and very empowering to use. It requires a steeper learning curve than straight WIMP environments such as Windows.
It'd be a mistake to castrate usability in the name of "user friendliness".
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
I was just attempting (unsuccessfully it appears) to be funny.
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
Actually there's really no reason you shouldn't be able to do this quite easily. At the LAN Party I attend, the proprietor has several game cabinets. One of which he's outfitted with an old Atari2600 and a multiplexer.
Actually, I'd like to get the one sit-down cabinet from him and convert it into a computer desk for myself. Now how cool would that be?
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
You do NOT go to a Schwartenegger flick to be truly enlightened. You go to be entertained. Nothing more.
Reading into a an action flick like "The 6th Day" is like trying to find the meaning of life in a thrash metal album.
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
Admittedly he didn't sneak up on him like a self-respecting theif would. But hey, if Ridley was as good as he was supposed to be, that should be some pretty HEFTY damage with a magical longsword.
Of course the entire blow was wasted. The defenestration alone would have killed baldy.
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
- Tom Baker
Did anyone else catch that the healing elf was frickin Tom Baker? w00t!
See! Those jelly-babies are good for SOMETHING.
It also shows exactly how versatile a vehicle a TARDIS can be!
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
He played Jimmy Olsen on "Lois and Clark" after season 2.
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
"You meet in a bar fight." I damn near got up and left when it immediately degenerated into a bar scene.
"Human hits on an elf 10x his age."
"Silly dwarf syndrome."
"The rock in the opposite direction trick."
"The black guy always gets it."
"There is NO honor amongst thieves."
"Item used to control dragons more than faintly resembles a dragon."
"Preordination."
"A guy, a girl, and adventure..."
"The adventure continues......"
"A dungeon out in plain sight."
"Escaping into sewers."
On a gib-scale of 1-5, I'd give D&D 2 gibs. Basically, go see this movie at a matinee. Only pay full price if you have no other option.
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
So they're saying they basically stepped in Linux?
Why those lousy............
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
I'm sorry. This is possibly one of the best super-hero flicks out in YEARS. More than just "I'll defeat you! Lemme have my super-gizmo drop a house on you!"
This is the kind of gritty realism that made Batman so popular before it was spoiled by all these bizarro super-criminals. I'm not saying the Batman movie (at least the first two) weren't good. They were great fun.
The character is basically the Everyman, save that for a slight bit of empathy and the odd little fact that he's almost incapable of being hurt.
Heck. Even the character's name is straight out of comic-bookdom. The simple aliterative (David Dun). Like Peter Parker, or Clark Kent.
The care and attention to detail in this movie stunned the hell out of me. I'm so used to seeing movies where things either:
- Explode
- Implode
- Splatter
- Shatter
- get run over
- slammed into
- get so bullet-riddled it's not even funny
- or otherwise hyper-mangled
That I've had my fill for the next several lifetimes. Movies like this that actually have SUBSTANCE, not just stuff to tide you over till the bullets fly once more, is a pleasure.Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
The 'invasive' nature of language tends to cut both ways. Look at how much Spanish has been absorbed into American English in the last 100 years or so. Look at the invasion of terms coming in from Japan now. Plus, how many terms have come in through pop culture?
As someone else pointed out, integration of multiple languages into a 'Common' isn't necessarily a bad thing. Especially for a multinational communications network like the Internet.
Segmenting a portion of the Internet for speakers of this or that language/dialect would be counterproductive in such a circumstance, as it builds barriers to communication instead of breaking them down.
If it creeps into the common usage of a language? Isn't that what schools are for anyways?
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
C'mon. Stop and think about it for a second. The amount of resources to take out 99% of the net would be astronomical. Also, the associated collateral damage would likely mean that NOBODY'd give a damn about the nodes being destroyed because it'd be almost like Armageddon (the event, not the movie).
For the 1% that DID remain online, they'd notice that lots of major sites were dead. And if they looked out their windows, they'd probably be seeing mushroom clouds off in the distance.
Also, think of this. If 99% of the nodes ARE offline, that means that approximately 99% of the user-base is offline too. So these mental gymnastics about funnelling 99% of the net's traffic through 1% of the hardware/bandwidth are about as useful as doing multiplication tables in your head.
Anyhoo. Wasn't this covered on Slashdot like MONTHS ago already?
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
Okay. To start off. I don't like Bill Clinton (at least his public persona, I'm sure he's a sweetheart of a guy otherwise). I'm sorry. If he can't give the public the straight truth (instead of "well I don't define it that way") I don't want him in charge of the country!
Second. I firmly opposed national health care. It would have brought the health care industry to it's knees. It's NEVER a good idea to put in place a system that encourages malingering, and then put bean counters in charge of the pricing.
Also, out west, he designated an area as a national park. Now this sounds GREAT! But he destroyed jobs that were in the works there. The area in question was up for development (and yes, some mining). Most of the people in the area were looking forward to the influx of cash it would have given the local enconomy. Then Billsy makes his little speech and there goes the money. There goes the jobs. This country's about democracy, not the hyper-authoritarianism that the Clinton administration and their supporters want.
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
Of course. The machine doesn't give someone the result they want. So it's 'unreliable'.
Okay.
Also, you people keep harping on the vote in Florida being significantly LESS than 1/1th of 1%.
What you're saying is the margin's insignificant enough (began at 1700 votes) to warrant arbitrary counts (and yes, determining chad positioning is entirely arbitrary) on the ballots by hand. But why is the final difference (500-something votes) so much MORE significant?
Also, you keep complaining about the polling machines. This needed to have been addressed BEFORE the election. Just because such previous margins weren't siginificant enough to warrant such an action isn't an excuse.
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
"I know that."
That's nice. YOU 'know' that. Would you care to let us know how YOU know?
I can. It's quite simple. It's your OPINION that such happened.
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
I love how some people always want to speak in terms of absoloutes.
"It's CLEAR the people of Florida wanted Gore."
No. It's not. If it were clear, we wouldn't have been subjected to this fiasco. Also, Buchanan pulled down nearly 8000 votes in Florida's Republican Primaries 4 years ago. Also, H. Ross Perot pulled down nearly 30,000 votes in his bid for office in 1992.
Also, griping because people voted for Nader is the worst of sour grapes here. They "WOULD HAVE" voted this way is irrelevant. They didn't. End of story.
"The will of the people."
Must I remind you AGAIN. Both Bush and Gore agreed to be bound by election conventions as they are now. That means the Electoral College. The will of the people could have changed this years ago. The will of the people didn't change this. The will of the people was that the Electoral College process stay in place. It did. Ergo. The will of the people is that George Bush won.
Also, if you don't think the people performing the hand-counts (with lawyers flanking them from either camp) are unbiased, you're not operating on the same level of reality as most of the rest of us.
Fact. Machines don't care who the president is. The people who recounted the votes DO.
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
The problem is, there wasn't an equal vote in this state.
Bush won.
They recounted.
Bush still won.
They recounted again.
Bush STILL won.
How many times does reality have to slap Gore in the face before he wakes up? That idiot Bill Daley keeps yammering about "the will of the people". Yet the Gore camp disqualifies absentee ballots from military members. And STILL he yammers about "the will of the people".
Well guess what Billy-boy. The will of the people HAS been followed. And despite your best efforts to derail it, you've lost.
Does it suck? Sure. But that's the way the system was designed. He agreed to be bound by the rules of the system. Just because it didn't give him the results HE would have liked, doesn't mean that he shouldn't be bound by the decision after the fact.
And before you start telling me that I'm a hypocrite and wouldn't say the same thing if it was Bush losing. Let me inform you. I voted for NEITHER Bush, or Gore.
And if Bush had resorted to the same tactics (i.e. anything till "we" like the result) as the Gore camp has, they'd be seeing JUST as much derision from me as the Gore camp is getting now.
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
As has been the case all along.
Anyone who didn't understand this as of what, a WEEK ago(?), must be positively bucking for a Darwin Award.
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!