Slashdot Mirror


User: TamMan2000

TamMan2000's activity in the archive.

Stories
0
Comments
919
First seen
Last seen
Profile
(view on slashdot.org)

Comments · 919

  1. Re:Propaganda on Six Bomb Blasts Around Central London · · Score: 1

    There are insane islamofacists that do believe this.

    I don't believe Bin Laden is one of them. If he was, how could he have worked with the CIA in the russian war in afghanistan?

    I also think that any of us who claim to know what motivates Bin Laden is a little too confidant. All I meant to say with my post is that we don't know that what he says is true, and to accept it cart blanche is foolish as best, and dangerous at worst.

    I also beleive that Al Queda can not function without at least some support from broad Muslum communities, this support is rarly based on hatred of everthing western, but rather a desire to have western nations change thier foreign policy. If this support evaporates, then the movment looses it's ability to oporate...

    (I too am non-religous, and I used to consider myself a centerest, but I feel the center has shifted very far to the right lately)

  2. Re:Propaganda on Six Bomb Blasts Around Central London · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Are you kidding me? He's been saying this from way before we knew his name.

    The point of my post, which you appearantly missed, is that stated motivations, and true motivations don't have to match, and in the case of most public figures taking public actions, they ussually don't match. The fact that he has been saying it for a long time only proves he is a good politician and is staying "on message", it says absolutly nothing about his true motivations.

    Remember that he was more than happy to get help from the CIA until the '91 gulf war and the placement of western soldiers in the arabian peninsula? He certainly was not saying these things about Americans (perhaps Russians) prior to '91. So either you haven't known his name as long as some of us have, or you have a poor recollection of history. I hope it is the former...

  3. Propaganda on Six Bomb Blasts Around Central London · · Score: -1, Troll

    Read his own literature! You talk about reading, then do it! He has written COUNTLESS times about fighting ANYONE who's not Muslim! The US is the most obvious target aside from Isreal.

    Don't be confused, this isn't merely about a military event, this is a religious EDICT. As for the rest of the babble that is your post, it's not worth comment.

    Bin Laden and al Qaeada are very clear on their objectives:

    * All non-Muslims OUT of the Middle East (basically any nation that is Muslim or that is CLAIMED by Muslims)
    * Spread Islam throughout the world


    That is even less true than saying we went after Hussein to bring freedom to the Iraqi people.

    Propaganda, and true modivation are seldom the same...

  4. The Ghandi responce on Six Bomb Blasts Around Central London · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If fighting terrorism triggers terrorism, how do you stop it?
    Give in?
    That didn't work well with bullies in grade school, and it won't work with bullies now.

    (Although I have to admit that all the free publicity and credibility that we give terrorism by watching every little news item about terrorist strikes, and discussing them for hours is a VERY EFFECTIVE way to encourage terrorism.)


    When they knocked down the towers, the best thing we could have done, is built taller towers in their place.

    If we can demostrate that their tactics do not successfully inspire fear (that is the point of a terrorist attack), we win. Reactionary wars, and warning systems, and the trumpeting of meassages of fear from the media, and the leadership only help the terrorists acheive their goals.

    To use the bully analogy, there are options besides caving and fighting. After the bully punches you. You stand back up, stick out you chest, and look at him, waiting for him to hit you again (they seldom do). Bullies don't know how to deal with this responce. They actually prefer you swing at them...

  5. I was going to tell him that on Sunscreen Not So Good for You? · · Score: 1
    We have little sunlight in the winter, and it's weak (we're further from the sun), and yet in the summer we have oodles of sunlight, and it's strong (closer to the sun).
    Well, there was me thinking that it was the sun hitting at an oblique angle, plus the longer path through the atmosphere that caused winter.

    I was going to tell him that.

    While you're enlightening us with your astronomical knowledge, perhaps you can explain how the two hemispheres of the same planet can be at different distances from the sun at the same time, in order that Australia can have its summer when Europe is in the middle of winter?

    But you didn't need to be an ass about it...

    Also, they are at (very slightly) different distances from the sun, although it is not the cause for the seasons, it is happening...
    I computed the diference in distances once, when I was having this argument with someone, I don't remember the exact figure, but it is less than a 100th of a percent of the distance to the sun...
  6. Context on Viewing Files on the Web Considered Possession? · · Score: 1

    Lawyers for Edward Ray Barton say they'll ask a state appeals court to decide if a person should be punished for viewing pornographic photos of children online.

    He was most definatly not arrested "for viewing pornographic photos of children online". He was arrested for having said photos, in his browser cache...

    If he had been arrested for the act of viewing photo's there would be no appeal...

    personally, I do not think viewing of 106 kiddy porn pics is a crime higher than 2nd degree murder, or child abuse; look at the sentances people get for these crimes.

  7. State Schools? on Steve Jobs In Praise of Dropping Out · · Score: 1

    the total cost of tuition and fees for 4 years at many good state schools is less than 20K.

    That is far less than room and board for the amount of time that it would take to get your degree. If you can afford to live for 4 years while you get your degree, you can probably afford state schools. And if you can't afford it completely it will not take that long to pay off 20K in loans.

    I went to a state school, and 2 years after I was done I had saved more than 30K, so if I had used loans to pay for tuition I would have been able to get back to even 2 years after graduation. You just have to live frugally for the first few years after school. Don't buy a flat screen TV, keep your old car a couple more years or buy used.

    And before people start complaining about a lack of good public schools, let me list a few (by no means comprehensive):
    UC Berkely (and the rest of the UC system)
    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
    Purdue
    Penn State
    University of Minnisota
    UT Austin
    Certain majors at Cornell

    That list includes top tier (maybe not number one, but consider bang for buck) in math, physics, biology, computer science, and engineering.

    Do some research, many states have residency requirments for in state tuition that can be met by going to a comunity college in that state. If you are serious about getting a good education on your own dime, you can do it (I know, my wife did, and now she is in an ivy league PhD program).

  8. Body maintnance on Nerds Make Better Lovers · · Score: 1

    Taking care of ones body is a lifestyle issue, not an appearance issue. I suspect he is looking for a woman who is compatable with his running habit, and likly to understand him, not just a hottie. I am quite sure you misunderstand the reason that he put that requirement on the list.

  9. Re:naturally... on Nerds Make Better Lovers · · Score: 1

    However, I'm 5'5" and 175 pounds. Mostly muscle although the belly is in the mid stages of disappearance act.

    I guess you are doing more than running 4-5 times a week :)

    I am 8 inches taller than you and only 5 pounds heavier, and I am considered to be very muscular by most people in the local running comunity...

  10. Re:naturally... on Nerds Make Better Lovers · · Score: 1

    I'm a runner too, so I know how hard this would be for you, but...

    Short guys need to bulk up to be attractive. If you stay lean and gain muscle up to about 160-180, the chicks will start diggin' you more...

    Basically, your size is a large factor, but you can compensate for lack of height with muscle mass. Get your ass into the gym.

    There are plenty of good girls out there who will date short dudes. My fiance dated a guy who is 5'5" (but 160) for about a year and a half before me, and was actually intimidated by my height (I am only 6'1"). And a very good friend of mine is 5'6" and ~210, he played college football, never had trouble getting girls...

  11. I don't deny any of what you have said on Airport Screeners could see X-rated X-rays · · Score: 1

    I just think that killing one passanger is far from sufficiant to hijack a plane these days...

    I am assuming that if the objective of the action is to kill one or two people, it would be more easily accomplished on ground. If the objective is to take over a plane, you will need the ability to kill or otherwise incapacitate a large number of people.

  12. Re:not anymore on Airport Screeners could see X-rated X-rays · · Score: 1

    1. you could do that with a finger...

    2. I think people would call the bluf these days...

  13. not anymore on Airport Screeners could see X-rated X-rays · · Score: 1

    I know how you can use a nail clip to cut someone. You probably couldn't kill anyone with a nail clipper easily but you can certainly put them in pain, which is all a terrorist needs.

    Maybe that used to be the case, but it certainly isn't now.

    I doubt that a single hijacker with a handgun could take a large jet these days.

    These days if someone tried to hijack a jet they would have to fight at least half the cabin... to the death...

    Look around on your next flight, do you think you could take them with a nail clipper (or even 15 rounds before you reload)?

  14. Re:How So? on The Feasibility of Star Wars Tech · · Score: 1

    I don't see what other type of weapon you could use from orbit that would be powerful enough to make a sure kill against somebody on the ground besides a nuke.

    Falling from orbit doesn't dimminish the power of a weapon. Any guided conventional explosive would do the job quite nicely.

    I do agree with your point though...

  15. How So? on The Feasibility of Star Wars Tech · · Score: 1

    killing people from orbit with our technology probably implies nukes

    How did you come to that conclusion?

  16. Would you mind if.... on Microsoft Reverses Stand on Discrimination Bill · · Score: 1

    ... the government got out of the marraige business for hetero couples?

    I think most gay rights activists would be perfectly happy if the government only granted civil unions, for straight or gay couples, and left marraige to the church.

  17. Did you read any of the links? on First 96-Node Desktop Cluster Ships · · Score: 1

    Or do you not know much about parallel computing?

    They describe it here

    They mention the version of message passing they use (message passing implies a distributed memory system). They mention what proc they are using. And nobody said this was SMP, they said it was a cluster (which as mentioned by another poster means that it isn't SMP).

  18. American parts on Airbus A380 Completes Maiden Test Flight · · Score: 1

    The A380 is even available with american made engines from the GE and Pratt & Whitney "Engine Alliance"...

  19. You haven't won... on French Courts Ban DRM on DVDs · · Score: 1

    You haven't won until you can pack up and go home.

  20. Re:Correct me if I'm wrong on French Courts Ban DRM on DVDs · · Score: 1

    Literacy tests and grandfather clauses in the South were applied consistently to both white and black voters, too.

    Were they?

    If you were white it was usually assumed that you would pass the test. All Blacks, on the other hand, were tested...

    I realize that the rules were written as you state, but the application was far from consistant.

  21. generals always prepare to fight the last war on French Courts Ban DRM on DVDs · · Score: 1, Insightful

    That is far from being a uniquely french flaw.

    You could say that our (US) preparations for the current war in Iraq were based far too much on the expectation that it would be similar to the 1991 gulf war.

  22. Correct me if I'm wrong on French Courts Ban DRM on DVDs · · Score: 1

    But at least they are being consistant in the matter, and banning the display of crosses, stars of david, yamikas and all other religous symbols...

  23. Cayuga Lake (Upstate NY) on Opera CEO Prepares to Swim across the Atlantic · · Score: 1

    Last summer some local politician swam the length of Lake Cayuga for a charity fund raiser of some kind.

    As I recall it took him about 24 hours, and the lake is ~45 miles long...

    I realize the Atlantic is quite large, but I am having difficulty in determining precisely how long the swim would be. Anyone have an answer?

  24. Same sex child raising on Microsoft Abandons Gay Rights Bill · · Score: 0, Troll

    Is it a natural for a child to have same sex parents.

    If you define parents as adults who raise a child, then yes, it is...

    There are many cultures where entire villages raise children collectivly, the women are all "mother" to all of the children.

    You could say that it isn't normal in western culture for children to be raised by two parents of the same gender, but there is no evidence that it is harmful.

    Additionally there is a practical question to be answered. Is it better to be raised by two people who care for each other and you, or by a long string of different foster parents?

    Kids are going unadopted, is that preferable to adoption by a gay couple? Surely not...

  25. Eureka! on Microsoft Abandons Gay Rights Bill · · Score: 3, Insightful

    But you see, the very act of gay sex is considered harmful to both parties. That's why your argument is flawed.

    Yes! I've got it now... You are oh so right.

    Things that are harmful should be illegal... I don't know why I didn't see it that way before.

    Lets outlaw fatty foods, and smoking, and drinking too, those are all harmful to the parties partaking of them.