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User: Metrollica

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Comments · 360

  1. Articles at Microsoft.com on One Runtime To Bind Them All · · Score: 3, Informative

    There are a few articles at Microsoft on this topic here and here.

  2. Re:More linux ideas on Running Linux On Your Swimming Pool · · Score: 0, Offtopic
  3. Re:MS is finished on Running Linux On Your Swimming Pool · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Don't worry about Microsoft's future, Windows CEMeNT is on its way.

  4. Re:More linux ideas on Running Linux On Your Swimming Pool · · Score: 1

    No. IBM did that job.

  5. Re:Overkill????? on Running Linux On Your Swimming Pool · · Score: 1

    Come on! The last thing Slashdot readers want is an article with Linux running on a computer.

  6. Re:Yeah, but on Running Linux On Your Swimming Pool · · Score: 3, Funny

    Thought this would be appropriate

    Homer: Ah, there's nothing like rising with the sun for a quiet,
    peaceful dip in your very own pool.
    [cheers, dives in]
    [comes up covered in algae, yells and sputters]
    [Lisa walks out] Lisa, the Blob has got me! Don't touch me or
    he'll get you too.
    Lisa: Dad, you have to put chlorine in the water every day to keep it
    clean.
    Homer: Chlorine, eh?
    [later, all the kids scream and rub their bloodshot eyes]
    Ralph: [coming up] Ow, my face is on fire!

  7. If this is recent... on 9th Circuit: Thumbnails Are Big Enough For Fair Use · · Score: 2, Informative

    Then tell me what this thread is doing discussing bascially the same thing but is dated back to Dec 1999.

    And these other articles as well dating back to Nov 1999.

    Note 276 In Kelly v. Arriba Soft Corp., a California federal district court ruled that the defendant's use of "thumbnail" images in its search engine was fair use and did not infringe on the rights of plaintiff photographer.


    * Thumbnail photo not infringing *
    Ditto.com uses an automated program to crawl through the web collecting and building a database of images. When a user puts a specific term into Ditto.com's search engine, thumbnail reproductions of those images pop up. A California photographer who specializes in images filed a copyright infringement suit. A Southern California federal judge handed a preliminary ruling in favor of Ditto.com

  8. Re:It's irrelevant on Followup To Bohr-Heisenberg Meeting · · Score: 1, Interesting

    From Could Germany Have Won the Second World War?

    The answer: yes.

    I think that the USA, and to a lesser extent the USSR, held what might be called the decisive advantage in WW II. By which I mean that these two countries, singly or together, had the resources, manpower, and material to decide the war in favor of either the Axis or the Allies. Had neither become involved in the war in Europe, it would likely have become a stalemate; Germany and Italy would not have been able to conquer the British Empire, and the British Empire would not have been able to conquer Germany and Italy. Whichever side either of these two countries joined would have the advantage.

    Once Hitler opened a second front by attacking the USSR, the Nazis were doomed. They did not have the resources in terms of people or material to defeat both the British Empire and the USSR simultaneously. The USSR probably did more than any other combatent to drain the German war machine. The Third Reich was bleeding to death in front of Leningrad, Moscow, and Stalingrad, even before it was pulverized from the air by the Western Allies.

    Probably Germany's best (though slim) chance to defeat the USSR would have been to talk Japan into attacking the USSR from the east (and leaving the US strictly alone). Initally, I suspect that Hitler was too arrogant to ask his Asian ally for help, even though he needed it desperately. Later, it was too late for both Germany and Japan. Also, the Japanese did not want to fight a war in Siberia that they probably could not win, especially as their Army was heavily engaged in China. They were a naval power, and the IJN could not contribute much to a war against the USSR. Of course, the IJN could have contributed a lot to a war against the Royal Navy in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, but that would have almost certainly brought the US into the war, an event that Germany was trying to avoid. Ultimately, Japan had less to contribute to a German victory than the USSR had to contribute to a British victory, so any Japanese strategy would probably have failed.

    Similarly, once the US entered the war on the Allied side, Germany was doomed. Even if Hitler had refrained from attacking the USSR, America simply had too many resources. Just as in the First World War, the US and the British Empire (plus most of the rest of the Western Hemisphere) would have eventually won a war of attrition.

    Again, probably Germany's best hope would have involved Japan and the USSR. If Hitler had refrained from attacking the USSR (Japanese diplomats were trying to get the USSR to join the Axis when Germany attacked, thereby demonstrating that at least some in the Japanese government had a much better concept of global strategy than Hitler did), and instead convinced both Japan and the USSR to join the Axis and help Germany, Italy, and their allies against the British Empire, the US, and their allies, it would have been a long and bitter war indeed, perhaps another stalemate. The posibility of stalemate or Axis victory would have been enhanced if Hitler also forced Spain into the war on the Axis side, taking Gibralter, driving England from the Mediterranean, and protecting Italy.

    In fact, of course, Hitler did open a second front by attacking the USSR, and the US and UK made the European war their first priority after Japan drew the US into the war on Dec 7, 1941. So even though Germany gained Japan as an active ally, she was doubly doomed. By which I do not mean to imply that defeating Germany (and Italy and Japan) was easy. In fact, it was a long, costly, dangerous, bloody road to victory. But, the odds favored the Allies.

    Fortunately, none of the Axis heads of state had any plan or strategy for a joint war effort, so the Allies were able to defeat them piecemeal. And the Japanese, who at least had a pre-war grand strategy in the Pacific, over extended themselves after their unexpectedly easy initial victories, and hastened their own defeat.

    Since I have considered the possibility of the USSR fighting on the Axis side in WW II, it is only fair to examine the scenerio of the US joining the Axis. Had Hitler not attacked the USSR (and the USSR remained neutral), and had the US unexpectedly joined the Axis, then:

    A major war would have been fought in North America, as Canada was already at war with Germany.

    After (if) the US defeated Canada, plus Australia, New Zealand, and the rest of the British Empire outside of the UK (maybe with the help of Japan [!] in the Pacific and Indian Oceans), the US Navy could neutralize the Royal Navy in the Atlantic, and the US and German Armies and Air Forces together could defeat the RAF, invade the UK, and win the war for the Axis. Then, Germany could have attacked the USSR with a reasonable chance of success. Of course, politically, there was zero chance of such a thing happening. I would like to make a few comments about Adolf Hitler, since he personified the Third Reich, and made all of the strategic decisions. I regard Hitler as a superb (if evil) politician with great political insight. This allowed him to gain power, re-arm Germany, and gobble-up parts of Europe with impunity.

    Once the war started, however, his weaknesses became evident. He had some tactical sense, probably due to his experience in WW I as a combat infantryman. But, he was a very poor strategist. As far as I can tell, he never had a "grand strategy." By which I mean a clear set of goals for the war and a plan to reach them. Hitler was, in fact, taken by surprise when England and France declared war on Germany. He had expected to partition Poland without fighting a major war, and had no plan beyond defeating Poland. Hence the period of "Phony War" after the defeat of Poland, while the German generals planned the campaign against France. When Italy joined the war, Hitler and Mussolini made no serious attempt to devise a common strategy. In fact, Mussolini's military mis-adventures in Greece and North Africa drained away valuable German military resources. After the defeat of France, Hitler seemed to have no idea what to do next, no plan at all for defeating the British Empire. Instead, he formulated his plan to attack the USSR, against the advice of his generals and without consulting his allies, and sealed the fate of Germany. Hitler fought the whole war on an "ad-hoc" basis, a campaign at a time. This lack of any coherent strategy cost Germany dearly. After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and brought America into the war, Hitler made no attempt to formulate a common strategy with Japan. Again, he was taken completely by surprise (In truth, the Japanese leaders did not consult with Hitler, either, and may not have had much respect for him. Before the war, Admiral Yamamato declined an offer to meet with Hitler when the Admiral was traveling across Germany). I have always blamed this failure to consult with his allies, at least partly, on Hitler's arrogance. Hitler generally seemed to believe himself superior to his allies, as if he knew more. In fact, in terms of overall strategy, he knew less.

  9. Atom Bomb Links on Followup To Bohr-Heisenberg Meeting · · Score: 3, Interesting

    There is a link here of history of the atomic bomb. Oh, and it includes directions on how one is built as well.

    On August 2nd 1939, just before the beginning of World War II, Albert Einstein wrote to then President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Einstein and several other scientists told Roosevelt of efforts in Nazi Germany to purify U-235 with which might in turn be used to build an atomic bomb. It was shortly thereafter that the United States Government began the serious undertaking known only then as the Manhattan Project. Simply put, the Manhattan Project was committed to expedient research and production that would produce a viable atomic bomb.

    This and this link describe the Japanese atomic bomb program. Germany sent a submarine to Japan carrying uranium oxide, a needed element in building an a-bomb, but it surrendered after Hitler's defeat and was confiscated by the U.S. This uranium could have been used in the atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

    Another good link is here.

    There was reason to fear that Germany might win the race to produce the bomb. Fission had been discovered in Germany, and German scientists were at least as able as anyone else to assess its significance. Moreover, it seemed ominous that Germany had stopped the sale of uranium ore from the rich mines in Czechoslovakia. Up until mid-1941, concern over a German bomb had been stronger in Britain than in the United States. About that time, however, the sense of urgency began to pervade U.S. nuclear scientists.

  10. Army of Children? on Testing Technology on a Veritable Army of Children? · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    This better not be like Stephen King's book Children of the Corn, where children follow a greater force than God... technology!

  11. Re:highlights... on PostgreSQL v7.2 Final Release · · Score: 1

    Right here... jackass!

    Sorry, I couldn't help myself...

  12. Re:highlights... on PostgreSQL v7.2 Final Release · · Score: 1

    There is also a new version of PostgreSQL AutoDoc v0.31 available that works with the new PostgreSQL.

  13. Re:Zeptosecond? on Lasetron to Produce Zeptosecond Flashes of Light · · Score: -1, Troll

    Finally! A word to describe my attention span!

    You sir are wrong. A zeptosecond would better describe how long you can last in bed.

  14. Please join me in an all out karma burning! on Perl Foundation Awards Perl Development Grant to Larry Wall · · Score: -1, Troll

    Just when you thought it couldn't get any more annoying... now page lengthening posts at +2!

    Back by unpopular demand, more random letter, number, and punctuation crapflooding!

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  15. Imitation on Future Pocket P2P - Discreet Data Sharing? · · Score: 0, Troll

    Yes, very nice post. Especially on that imitation cum loving post of me.
    And what makes you think you have a voice? ACs post at a higher score than you... jackass!

    Now that I have a voice, I suggest you go to jack off!

  16. Addiction on What Games are You Addicted To? · · Score: 2, Funny

    Does Slashdot count?

  17. Low budget home recording studio on Constructing a Home Recording Studio on a Small Budget? · · Score: 2, Interesting

    There is a book on Amazon here that might be what you're looking for.

    Book Description
    Practical guidance in the design, construction, and operation of your own affordable acoustics studio. Every aspect of designing and building an audio studio is fully discussed: floor plans, control rooms, wall and ceiling treatments, reverberation time, air conditioning, noise considerations, and more! The authors carefully describe procedures, necessary equipment, likely cost, and possible design parameters. Emphasis is placed on low cost studios designed with your specific needs in mind. From studio plans, sound lock and acoustical treatment, to studio proportions and noise factors, this revised edition provides everything needed to:Set up a listening room, a recording studio, and a control room.Achieve good sound in a listening room, a recording studio, and a control room.Control background noise in these rooms.Make acoustical measurements. Learn how the new type RPG diffusors work. Use the new Tube Traps and more.

    If you don't want to buy a book, look at this site that explains how to use a PC in a homestudio.

    Another few sites are here here and here.

    Hope that helps.

  18. Other Information on iCEBOX on A Kitchen Computer That's Actually Useful? · · Score: 2, Informative

    Since the iCEBOX link is Slashdotted, you can go here instead. You can order the iCEBOX from this page for $3,500.00.

    iCEBOX Flipscreen
    A complement to any contemporary kitchen, the iCEBOX is the first web-enabled entertainment center designed specifically for the kitchen. This sleek new space-efficient device combines cable-ready television, DVD and Audio CD Player, Internet access and household monitoring - all delivered to you seamlessly and with push-button simplicity. the iCEBOX also comes equipped with a waterproof, wireless keyboard and remote. The perfect union of elegance and innovation, the iCEBOX fits conveniently under a kitchen cabinet and features an adjustable LCD monitor that flips up and out of the way when not in use. Finally, an appliance that recognizes you do more in the kitchen than cook.

    Screen Size: 12.1" LCD TFT
    Resolution: 800 x 600
    Aspect: 4:3
    Contrast: 400:1
    Weight: 40lbs.
    Dimensions: 23.54" x 11.8" x 3.8"
    Power: 110Vac, 60 Hz, 230Vac, 50Hz
    Ships in two business days
    CMI-ICEBOX-000
    $3,500.00


    There is a news article at USA Today.
    Another article on Cnet
    And there is the press release here.

  19. Does this mean on Vibrating Controller Alert · · Score: 1

    Does this mean Apple will have to stop selling their iBrator?

  20. Re:Vibration Isn't Always Bad on Vibrating Controller Alert · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    There is a better link here.

  21. Vibration Isn't Always Bad on Vibrating Controller Alert · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Like for instance in this game.

  22. Re:Question: on Benjamin Herrenschmidt On PPC/Linux, Apple and OSS · · Score: 2, Troll

    How about speed? Linux uses a monolithic kernel while OS X uses a microkernel, and we all know monolithic kernels are MUCH faster than microkernels. Even old outdated Linux kernels outperform brand new builds of OS X as a webserver and at other important tasks which is what OS X is really geared at doing. OS X can however be modified by optimizing device drivers but do you really want to spend all that time? Linux is fast right out of the box. I don't have to mention the GUI do I. Apple's is terribly slow and most of it is in fact useless.

    How about system requirements. Linux needs very little to run while OS X needs 128 MB RAM min. Linux can run on old macs while OS X cannot (without being hacked).

    How about price. Linux is free while OS X is not. OS X costs $129.00 at the Apple store.

    How about for the advanced user. OS X hides many admin tools deep in the GUI while Linux does not. OS X is built for newbies while Linux is built partly for both advanced and newbies.

    Apple should have built OS X off of Linux if they were smart. It is better in many ways than Darwin/Mach.

  23. Make your own boot screen on Animate Your LILO · · Score: 5, Informative

    Here are instructions on how to make your very own LILO boot screens.

    But to do this you need a few prerequisites.

    ... know what The GIMP is.
    ... have already installed and activated The GIMP.
    ... know how to accomplish simple drawing activities.
    ... have already installed the LILO Splash Screen Script-Fu.
    ... know how to activate the LILO Splash Screen Script-Fu.
    ... know what you want ;)

  24. More Info and Warning on Animate Your LILO · · Score: 3, Troll

    There is more info on the animated boot screen here with a nice large screenshot.

    There is also a warning on the site for people planning on trying this out:

    Before you try this, have a boot floppy ready. If something doesn't go as planned, you could RENDER YOUR SYSTEM UNBOOTABLE. You have been warned.

  25. First Goatse Windows Theme Post on Animate Your LILO · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    GO HERE to give Windows a Goatse makeover!