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User: Hank+Reardon

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Comments · 265

  1. Re:Too Bad It's Unconstitutional on Proposal to Update the Electoral College · · Score: 1

    Right. Like the Constitution really plays into what happens in US government any more...

    ...sigh...

  2. Wonderful... on VisiCalc Creator Developing WikiCalc · · Score: 1

    Now managers everywhere will have a Web-based, collaborative application to use in place of a database...

  3. Re:Why I love Apache on Why I Hate the Apache Web Server · · Score: 1

    One of my favorite books, actually.

    What I can't understand is why so many "tech dweebs" haven't read it.

  4. Re:Why I love Apache on Why I Hate the Apache Web Server · · Score: 2, Informative
    How's the meTAL thing going Hank?

    Oh, you know... Always a struggle getting things to market -- especially with the political climate the way it is... Gotta worry about how people will feel about it.

    The good news, though, is some chick who runs a railroad wants a metric fuck-ton of the stuff. As long as some extremist dork doesn't blow up my factories, and there's no trouble with boats delivering my copper, I should be shipping next week.

    ...

    Man, I need to get out more...

  5. Re:Why I love Apache on Why I Hate the Apache Web Server · · Score: 1
    Granted, it is getting a little long and should be separated into different config area files.

    Heh. Full circle...

    I seem remember early versions of Apache using three config files: httpd.conf, srm.conf and one more; the name escapes me at the moment. If I remember correctly, they decided to move the configuration file functions into directives to make the whole config process the same.

    If you really must split out the functionality, just use the include directive; it's really handy for things like V-hosts and the like. include also supports relative and absolute pathing, so you can have as much heirarchical granularity as you'd like.

  6. At the laser lab... on 'Xtreme' Equipment That You Have Borrowed? · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ...where I used to work, I borrowed their huge laser powersupply to try experiments with nonstandard lasing devices.

    I also borrowed a toothbrush, some of the boss' expensive pens, his chair, and his desk lamp.

    We discovered that, given enough energy, you can make just about anything lase.

  7. Re:You still haven't given any good examples. on Michael Robertson Says Root is Safe · · Score: 1

    For the MS bashers out there, Windows 2K and XP has admin privileges... has it helped?

    Considering that under XP the first "user" created on the system is the admin user, and that most people use that account for their day-to-day activities, I think this makes a great case for exactly why day-to-day operations should not be run on an administrative account. Unless, of course, said activities are administrative in nature.

    The vast majority of Win2K machines out there are in business use and are normally comprimised in different ways; SQL-Slammer, unplugged NetBIOS holes, etc.

    On my kids laptop, I switched their access privileges from "Power User" to "User" and all spyware and virus infections disappeared. If a program they want to use requires Admin privileges to run, they don't get access to it or they get it hosted in an RDP connection to another box.

  8. Re:Intoxicated root on Michael Robertson Says Root is Safe · · Score: 1

    Bah! It's good practice!

    If, when you login after the box "turning off" in the middle of intoxistall, you can figure out where you screwed up in the install process and fix it, you'll be able to fix any Gentoo problem you run into!

    :)

  9. Re:No. on DC Power distribution - Nix the Transformers? · · Score: 2, Informative

    Why not one voltage (the highest required by the system) with oodles of current behind it, then simply regulate it down for each voltage.

    I seem to remember from my electronics courses, many years ago that the LM series of regulators work similarly to a resistor; they dissipate over-voltages as heat. Now, while you do need some overhead voltage for the regulator to function properly, too much and you'll fry the thing. The TO220 package also had a maximum current rating of somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.5 ampres with a 6-volt DC input last time I used one and the current rating went down the higher the input voltage.

    Also, don't forget you just can't hook any DC power regulator right up to the transformer as a transformer is an AC device. You'll need to add a half-wave (bleah!) or full-wave rectifier and some filtering caps to feed your regulator with. Figure .7 to 1.5 volts of voltage drop across the rectifier, and I high voltage mark of 12 volts. The LM7812 will work with 13.8 volts on the input, but you'll probably want more like 15-18 volts. At this point you're talking dropping the voltage 10 to 13 volts with the LM7805. I'd be willing to bet the regulater would, at best, smell really bad while operating and, at worst, burst into flames under significant load.

    I tried many times in my youth to make some regulated circuits for running various 12-volt equipment that required anywhere from 3 to 30 ampres of current. The high-current regulators were always incredibly expensive and the lower-current (read: affordable at Radio Shack) devices always ran out of smoke.

    As other people have mentioned in the articles, it's just not something that anybody other than the Telecom industry uses. The equipment is expensive as all hell and, while it makes the UPS system more simple (think 48-volts right off of huge bank of lead-acid cells), effecient, high-current DC-to-DC regulators are typically out of reach of the low budget tinkerer.

  10. Re:is it time for 2.0.x over 1.3.x? on Apache 2.0.53 Released, Fixes 2 Security Problems · · Score: 2, Informative

    The answer is...

    It depends.

    What are you going to do with it? What modules are you going to run? Have the modules been ported from Apache 1.3 to Apache 2.x yet? Are you going to use mod_perl? Unix or NT?

    If you're looking at a PHP/Apache solution, ignore the "PHP doesn't work with Apache 2" screaming; most times it's only half right. If you want to run PHP on Apache 2, make sure you use the Prefork model instead of threads. The problem PHP has is most of the add-on libraries aren't thread-safe - the prefork MPM works like Apache 1.3's process model and you'll be OK.

    If you're using mod_perl for a production system, you'll probably want to wait a couple of months until MP2 stabalizes.

    As for pitfalls, the only big ones I've run into was trying to run mod_perl on Apache 2 and finding that I had to rewrite most of the handlers to use the new module layout and trying to run PHP under a threaded model.

  11. Re:DONT DO IT. on Revenge for the Foil Apartment? · · Score: 1

    Hmm... Where did you get "You need these for your garage" out of the original post?

    I originally said:

    About 30% of our personnell grounding equipment, mainly wrist straps and heel straps, were sold to companies who had high-dust environments.

    We're dealing with companies, typically they have a bit larger of an environment and higher power tools than those delt with in your typical rec.* newsgroups.

  12. Re:DONT DO IT. on Revenge for the Foil Apartment? · · Score: 1

    You are correct, sir.

    I used to work for an ESD protection company. About 30% of our personnell grounding equipment, mainly wrist straps and heel straps, were sold to companies who had high-dust environments. Grain silos and particle board operations were at the top of that list.

    In high enough concentration, it takes a small spark or flame to yield explosive results

  13. Whoa... on Human Animal Hybrid Created in Lab · · Score: 1

    Visions of Peter F. Hamilton dance in my head...

    Not too far off from Edenists and Adamists. Now all we need is the affinity gene.

  14. A Quick Google Search... on Rolling Your Own Jukebox System? · · Score: 1

    ... for the following:

    mp3 jukebox kiosk "client server"

    And I found this as the fourth link.

  15. Re:quality of the audio output on Inside the iPod, Past and Present · · Score: 5, Informative
    ...it's all about the headphones/speakers and recording/compression...

    You forgot one crucial piece in the first part of that: the amplifier stages.

    The crappiest set of speakers and headphones will sound much better through a decent preamp and amplifier than the most expensive speakers and headphones will sound through a $19.99, underpowered clearance special.

    If, in fact, all media players have identical, real-world response, then you'd be correct. This is seldom the case, though. A lot of manufacturers skimp on the preamp and amplifier stages in audio equipment to save a few bucks because, after all, digital is digital.

  16. Is it just me... on Korg's New Keyboard Powered by Linux · · Score: 1

    ... or is that little JavaScript-driven hover-scrollbox to read the specs one of the worst information display tools ever?

    I want to read the frigging specs, not do the hover-unhover stupid graphic in a miniscule window trick...

  17. Re:no on Blogging and Sponsorship and Openness · · Score: 1

    Ah, gotcha... The whole "users moderate the content" thing. It does have it's uses.

  18. Re:Very transparent. on Blogging and Sponsorship and Openness · · Score: 1

    Heh. Ya think?

    Was he hired from Kuro5hin or something?

  19. Re:Special glasses is the easy solution on U.S. DOT Launches Laser Illumination Reporting · · Score: 1

    The problem you run into with this is dealing with coherent light; It's not just a matter of coloring the glass. Different materials behave differently at various wavelengths and power levels. Most also behave differently depending on the angle that the light strikes the surface.

    I think you might be better off working with some sort of auto-tinting in the glass that opaques above a specific power level at whatever wavelengths seem to have the most chance of causing harm.

  20. Re:like smoking a doobie behind the local Kroger on Inside the Shadow Internet · · Score: 1

    Translation:

    Smoking a marajuana cigarette behind your local grocer.

  21. Stupid Policies, Not Stupid Users. on Password Security Not Easy · · Score: 4, Informative

    What I've noticed lately is that it's stupid policies rather than stupid users that cause the problems.

    For example, my current employer requires a monthly password change, minimum of 8 characters, one must be in caps, at least one number and one punctuation mark. 13 months worth of history is also kept.

    I have 4 strong passwords that I use regularly (and I come up with new ones every year or so), each consisting of 16-25 random characters, numbers and punctuation (think pound the keyboard and select a bunch of characters from the result). I can't use them because they repeat too often.

    The policies also prohibit using the same password multiple services like email, NT Domain logins, *nix servers, web applications and the like. The result is that I have to generate some 20 passwords per month.

    What this does is force me to use stuff like "WebApp-01!", "NTLogin-01!" just to be able to remember everything.

    I wish we'd switch to RADIUS.

  22. Re:How about... on Reducing RFI at Home From Lighting Fixtures? · · Score: 1

    You've got to admit, though.... Tinfoiling the walls would be much more fun!

  23. Re:Thank you, president Bush on President Bush's Money For Space Cometh · · Score: 1

    So, basically, no matter what Bush does, it's to be used as attack fodder? "He's GW Bush, therefore he can do no good!"

    Nice to know that we've moved beyond the era of blind hatred and into the arena of "tolerance".

  24. How about... on Reducing RFI at Home From Lighting Fixtures? · · Score: 1

    Since you're "building" your own studio, I'm guessing your're going through and soundproofing the walls and the like.

    Why not try making the walls a faraday cage. Line the interior of the walls with a good layer of aluminum foil or fine brass screening.

  25. Re:Here's what I do... on How Do You Deal w/ User Induced Stress? · · Score: 1

    Not my problem. There's another department that handles security. I'm not in it and, according to my boss and the boss of the security department: "Don't even think about security, it's not your concern."

    I've given up on the whole "IT Career" deal and it's just punching a clock at this point. Any attempts to go above and beyond for the company have been met with blank stares, at best, and disciplinary action, at worst. I do exactly what I'm told, no more, no less.