Just a thought -- evil actors do fight each other; and evil is always bad. But I'm therefore not surprised that Sony and M$ are fighting each other, any more than I'm surprised that Al Qaida and the US Government are fighting each other.
I leave it to you to deduce what I think of the US government.
Good people stick to goodness, and (when possible) get out of the way, dodging most of the bullets in the process.
It's very interesting how articles about that bully organization have a tendency to disappear. Google is now down to four of them.
Anyhow, I found one with a bit of a difficult search. If you're really interested, look in old newspapers arouind 1993-1994 [Daily Press of Newport News was one of them], and look for Sears or Allstate cross referenced with lawsuit.
As far as I know, Steve Jobs is not a bad person. The key is *as far as I know*. But to say I won't buy a product from a company does not mean that I'll throw out old equipment I have, anyhow.
It does mean that I'm going to do my best to move away from their products. I forgot to add to that list MS Word. We're now Quark people.
No potatoes? that's already proven
on
Potato Bazookas
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· Score: 3, Insightful
I just think it's interesting that the blunderbuss has been reinvented. But the fact that they're aiming them at people is real bad, I think.
That said, you are seeing the true meaning of the American 2nd Amendment: each amendment prohibits the government from trying to do something that is highly stupid, because it can't.
Governments that try to violate those principles get away with it for a time -- but either they learn, or they fall, or the country fails.
In the case of the 2nd Amendment, you can't prevent people from defending themselves; and arming themselves is part of that.
Yeah, the pointer stick is nice. But you know what would be nicer? The following wishlist [not all of this is new]:
* two back panels that slide out to the sides. What are they? multi-sensing Hall effect touchpads. Instant combo keyboard and mouse, as was previously featured on slashdot.
* nice little applesoft-style programming language. Doesn't have to be fancy, but is a heck of a lot better than a calculator. It can thus be a programmable calculator, with graphics if you wish. I'm an engineer -- come on -- who really wants to find a computer with compiler to write a program?
* User-adjustable clock speed.
* Radio web comm for warchalking is nice -- but you should have an automatic link to an online harddrive [included in purchase price].
* Same radio should be usable for calculator-calculator transmissions at close range. Want to destribute your new program? No problem. Your friend hits "upload", you hit "download", and there you go. MacIRExchange is the idea.
* Speaking of recharging, I'd like rechargeable batteries, and an option where I can just plug the thing into a wall socket at work. With today's power mosfets, such things should not be impossible
* And -- if it's got to be a telephone -- don't put that thing up near my ear. It hurts my ear, and I hear that it gives inner-ear cancer as well. Use a directional microphone, and speakers.
I just have a habit of not buying things from companies that turn evil.
I'm a Mac person, and remember the Sony CDs that break Ibooks. So I decided "Sony's out".
Within the next 6 months, I noticed reports of Sony quality being down, so I don't regret my decision either.
In line with that, I also dropped HP from my list of "good companies" when Lucent's marketing manager was hired as their new president, and all the old management fled. Lucent, if you remember, came up with those wonderful closed architecture WinModems that -- as it later turned out-- died within a year due to quality problems. Now, as it turns out, I find that HP has been short-filling their inkjet cartridges.
Same kind of decision about Sears. When their middle managers had to sue their upper managers for firing them when they refused to continue to attend Scientologist courses that said "cheat the customer..." I decided it was time to give my business to other companies. In the following years, I did not regret it.
It's just too bad that with all the fluid hiring and firing, and stock changing hands, it's a bit hard to keep up with what companies. But when they go bad, it's usually permanent. So once you find an apple going bad, it does make sense to throw it out.
I just bought something on ebay. While I waited for escrow to go through, the price climbed 5%. Need I say more?
BTW... the barbarians did not have better tech. The story of the fall of Rome was one of corruption. The barbarians were Germanic tribes driven from their homelands by war, and looking for food. They stopped north of Italy, and sent a plea for help. The Roman senate voted to give them food, and said "come on down; we'll feed you." Then they gave a contract for providing that food to a Senator who was expected to embezzle most of the value of the contract.
He was not as inefficient as they expected, though; he embezzled it all. So they came through, and ate all the food (picked up some gold in the process). The slaves said "No food? We know who starves first." and joined the barbarians in their sweep out of Italy in search of food. So in less than a year, Rome was cleared out of all its slaves. What remained were patricians who didn't know how to lift a fork to their lips. Thus fell Rome.
Oh, and the Germanic tribes weren't defeated by better technology, as much as by better tactics. Specifically, the tactic was to defeat one tribe, and then allow them a choice: slavery, or freedom without land, if you fight the next tribe over as our front lines.
Okay, I've read the full article [that's what RTFA means, isn't it?], and they say that to defeat priviledge escalation, you have to add to each lock pin a random additional pseudo-master-lock combination. However, they then note that this decreases the security of each individual lock.
What they don't say, but is easily calculated, is that you can raise the security of each individual lock by increasing the number of pins.
Specifically: if you have a single master key, then you have to go up from double-cut up to triple-cut. That means that I'll work with log-base-3 below (for triple cut).
In that case, the number P of additional pins you must add, having formerly had N pins, and having x (let us suppose 9) possible cut heights, then
P = N/[Log3(x)-1]
So if you have 9 possible heights for each pin, single master key, and 5 tumblers, then you can prevent privelege escalation with no further loss in security by going to 5+[5/(2-1)]=10 pins. Not common today, but not impossible. Currently most locks run from 5 pins to 8 pins. Add two pins to an 8 pin lock, and you get your 10 pin security, privilege-protected.
...but what part of the system being circumvented is digital?
I just wanted to note here: digit means finger. You hold the key in your what? Paw?
I know this, because for Christmas 10 years ago, I went so far as to pull this on a foreign language student. "No, really. I can make a five digit calculator out of paper, with scissors..."
(1) cut 6 identical keys to the original (2) In one slot, cut as far down as possible, and drill a hole in that location, where you can put a mobile pin on a spring and a wire. (3) drill a hole along the base, as well, and run the wire through. (4) Now pull on the wire to find the alternate height. No filing required [prework necessary]. Just write down the numbers you get (5) Go home and cut new key.
Also: to get around the lack of a blank:playdoh; wax; metal; plaster; small metal casting. Or digital camera; ruler; grinder; piece of small metal.
I don't take much comfort in those workarounds.
At this point, I think that digital locks with varying codes might be a tad more secure. For example, to get the day's code, the admin takes his phone number [or street address, though a random memorized number is best], adds the date to each digit and the time on the lockbox to the last 4 digits, and that's the code. Before he gets up to go in, he figures out what it will be, in his head. Of course, if he forgets entirely, he can take a blowtorch, melt the plexiglass, and let secretary out. Then call in work crews to replace the plexiglass, and stays there, meanwhile, memorizing the *new* number, and keeping an eye out for ninjas rapelling down from the roof.
Or he can write the code on his desk, the front of his pocket protector, or whatever.
Or how about this? Specialized beeper tied to lockbox, on continuous recharge. Beeper takes incoming code, checks it against security code, checks source phone number against President's code -- and authorizes computerized lockbox to open upon access key, within the next 1 minute.
Now, to go in, you pull out your cell phone, call the company president -- he pulls out his video cell phone, calls a video cell phone watching the hall; makes sure that it's you, and then calls the beeper, enters the code [encrypted, of course], and authorizes you to go in.
Of course, I'm not a cryptologist. I'll be a cryptologist could find a dozen ways to break my idea apart. After all, the more complex a system is, the more flaws it has (doesn't it?)
My brother and father wrote it; and though Geoffrey Ashe, the world's leading expert on King Arthur, said he has other ideas, he also said that this is a very convincing work.
Overall, it isn't fiction -- but it is written with a very dynamic style. Some elements are made up as pure fantasy, but the author is clear about what is fact and what is fiction.
All of the Stephen King books, as far as I can tell, tie in to the Dark Tower series, and some of his screenplays (Rose Red) as well. His short stories may not, though.
More than that, King is a truly *deep* writer, writing philosophy as well as his own physical universe, and on several levels.
My favorite is his naming of the demon "Randolf Flagg" from "The Stand" (an excellent sci fi in its own right, for the first half), in combination with the same character in "Eyes of the Dragon": Randolf Flagg is an advisor to the king; some say he is as old as the country, and others say he *is* the country, and yet others say he merely represents the country.
He never does his own evil--just gets others to do evil in his name.
Think of the song: "You're a Randall Flagg; you're a high-flying Flagg..." and you'll catch the similarity between RF and "Grand Ol Flag".
However, that said, not all of his work is good. The Black House, for example, I dropped in disgust, and did not complete it.
You know, I couldn't get through to the link. So I googled around for "euroseti", and found zetatalk. Once I had unscrewed my head, and screwed it on backwards, I was ablt to understand it.
Actually, it even made sense then.
Of course, in order to write this post, I had to screw it on properly again, so I can't tell you what it said. Go do your own googling, and read it for yourself.
However, having done my own little search, I have come to the conclusion that NASA's clamping up represents a conspiracy to not talk to idiots and nut cases!
Clearly, the orders come from the very top, probably within the cranial region of their spokesmen and scientists.
Meanwhile, we get back to other slashdot news, stuff that matters.
okay, this is slightly off-topic, but I just got this email spam, and it conforms to the Nigerian spam formula -- but look at the reason!
At least they are making it mildly interesting. I, for one, though, am still convinced that the Nigerian spam's popularity is because it is used to fund Al Qaida's "exterminate non-muslims" campaign, but I wouldn't ever be able to prove it.
But that would also explain the jump in Nigerian spam that I seem to get at different times.
---CONCENTRATED EXTRACT OF SPAM BELOW---
I am Andrew Purkis, chief executive of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. Diana, Princess of Wales, devoted herself to a host of domestic and international issues, such as disadvantaged children, the homeless, HIV/Aids, and landmines......Shortly before her death on 31 August 1997, Princess Diana became an ardent and effective crusader against landmines. She gave numerous......In 1997, we opened an account with a security company in the United State of America and we make a deposit of twenty million pounds that was realized from a landmine campaign in Angola and Bosnia.....
Let me suggest something: go to any New Year's Eve "First Night" event (Williamsburg, VA has one, for example. So does Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Norfolk... but I think they're nationwide).
Take a bunch of money with you (the ticket only costs $7, and you'll be able to go to 5-8 shows before the evening's fireworks). Buy CDs -- they'll have been produced by artists too small to get or want RIAA representation. They'll have been hand-produced, essentially. If you hear something you like, then buy it. *Ask* them if they mind you sharing over P2P or internet radio -- they may actually say "Please do."
I think I remember buying something from a group called "Trapezoid". But the group wasn't half as good as the woman and husband team that relaxed from playing by doing performance art. As befits a family event, it wasn't pornographic performance art, either. One performance was a story about her mother's wedding hat; another was a story about her father's singing lessons. *Extremely* entertaining.
But go ahead and buy CDs. Just don't buy RIAA CDs. They aren't worth listening to, anyhow [unless it's classical or jazz... but you still can find good stuff elsewhere].
... way back in the days of Windows 3.1, I noticed that my AMIBIOS code for interrupt 9 (I think it was that... keyboard direct hardware service, anyhow) was byte-for-byte identical to significant sections of Windows' keyboard.drv code.
Now, I used that similarity to find a gap, where I could put special codes in my notebook computer's keyboard code to disable the keyboard while my scanner took data [it was a bug workaround]. But to this day, I wonder: did AMIBIOS know about this? Did they license it to Windows? Or was this just a case of "no, we didn't know, but they stole it"?
There were two questions that asked the same thing.
Of course, I do consider the possibility of validation error.
Nonetheless, here is a basic description of what happened: (1) difficult times, financially speaking. (2) we do give food to beggar children, but decided that we didn't have the money (upcoming) to do so. So we had told the children "no food until August", and they had not come for over a month. (3) Still not satisfied, I was worrying about that. (4) Normally I don't work on Sunday, fully understanding the reasons against it. One Sunday I did, *sortof*. (5) Getting ready for church Sunday evening, I started to face what seemed like self-accusation, and started defensive thoughts, all over #4. But the faster my responses, answers came back shooting the excuses down. At that point, I just said I'm sorry; and all of a sudden, I couldn't stand up -- I had to sit down, and I was sure that God was there. (6) I prayed first over the situation with the children, and prayed "if you want me to, then send them to my door (silent prayer) and I will feed them". I then prayed about my worries, my concerns; but prayed "Each time I have asked for something, you gave it to me. But when life gets hard, I forget. So this time, please give me nothing, except the reassurance that you do see us, and do care for us, and will care for us." (7) Half an hour later, the children came by, asking for food. 5 hours later, I opened up my email, and found an email from my pastor at the previous parish, asking if we needed financial help. Although I had, a week before, turned down a request for a pledge for their new parish hall, saying that times were slightly hard, I had not requested any money. And indeed, times are not hard enough for me to have to say "yes". But later I checked -- our old pastor had sent his email at the same time as I had prayed.
I should note that there have been other events--this is just one, and the other events don't all involve me. In some cases, they involved family friends. But this is recent in my memory, having been just this past summer.
That said, I'm not really sure about one thing, because not too long after that the kids -- I dunno -- one started making dirty jokes about us, and was banned, and others started stealing -- so we said "no more" for a while (2 weeks initially, but each time they violate their punishment it doubles; they've still not been reinstated). So I wonder sometimes what misfired. Was it us? Them? Or maybe it was God's will that they should have something that they lose for a while? I don't know. But it does initiate some doubts sometimes -- not about God, or the miracle, but about us.
Is it possible that this is validation error? I suppose so.
But in some ways, it is an awful lot like what is described in "The Cross and the Switchblade". So when I read that, I have to say I tend to think the story is true. I know the organization does now exist, and still does a lot of good, though it is not needed as much as it was needed when it formed.
The question of exploitation and sweatshops is more about one of an attitude of charity and justice by those in power.
If there is charity and justice, then sweatshops are a good thing -- they are a step towards improving the life of everyone. And sometimes there are costs associated with that.
But if there isn't charity and justice, then sweatshops are a means to enslave, and are a step backwards.
That being the case, more often than not sweatshops that are locally owned and managed will eventually improve, because people cannot often see the person they are hurting every day, without starting to have some charity.
An example of this was CASSCO ICE (now owned by others), the producer of the 7-11's ice in the DC area. CASSCO means "Central Atlantic States Service Corporation", and it was originally a mafia holding company. Anyhow, the mafia bought out a Shenandoah Valley company, and started to milk it and destroy the industry. The people who worked there went to the CASSCO lawyer and complained. The lawyer saw this, turned around, purchased the company from the Mafia, and made it float. What had not been charity, turned to charity.
But when the factory is owned or directed by people in another country... well, it is hard to grow charity for someone you never see.
So I'd say sweatshops aren't all good or all bad. But when a wealthy American corporation regularly uses sweatshops to help their bottom line, then they have an interest in keeping the sweatshop situation going -- and it is more likely going to result in abuses.
Now, I know that the US Constitution says that speech must not be abridged, and that isn't a question of personhood.
But the question of personhood -- or really, the question of who will have rights -- is a real morass, and it's only getting worse.
The obvious ones: do slaves have rights?
Do corporations have rights? [And I know: when you destroy or take assets from a corporation, you are taking assets from people... but the corporation does have existence and power beyond that of its owners.]
How about: do concieved (but not yet born) Americans have rights?
Do retarded people have rights? If not all, then where do we set the bar? How do we measure the intelligence?
How about: do half-born Americans (head out, fully viable, ready to be killed in a D&C) have rights?
Okay, then: do criminals have rights? Where do we set the bar? Do IP-criminals have rights, for example?
Now, with genetic manipulation: does a 4% human-by-genes pig have rights? How about a 99% human, 1% pig? Or is that going to be called property?
Currently, it would seem that the definition used is largely based on power. In the case of D&C abortion, the baby doesn't have the power to defend itself, and the government won't either. In the case of the RIAA, they have more power, and thus *more rights* than a human being.
The list goes on, and it gets worse, not better.
But I predict that we are going to discover that we need better definitions. Power *can't* be the only factor in determining rights; for if power is the only factor, rights are meaningless.
And of course, the sooner people improve their standard to one that is self-consistent and meaningful, the better.
My suggestion? I'd say that anything that is genetically human should have rights, and attacks against humanity, whether they be through murder, abortion, enslavement, or whatnot -- should be illegal. Genetic modification isn't improving a pig -- it is damaging a person; and thus should also be illegal. Likewise, cloning results in genetic damage (including overweight and overgrowth, which seem to be signs of genetic damage) so it should be considered an attack on people.
But anyone should feel free to talk about and argue the point. I just think that if we don't fix things soon, life in the "free world" may grow rather onerous, and less free.
Very interesting. The fact that the DDOS attack stopped so suddenly would imply that the goal was not to attack -- but to test.
Now, that could be an actual government, military operation [including our own], as part of a general preparedness effort for war: when you strike, you use a combination of surprise attacks to make your main attack more effective.
Or it could be terrorists, running a weapons test in the same way.
Or it could be some grad student, testing out a theory of his. It just doesn't sound like a normal cracker.
This outrages me, a person who believes in miracles. Why? Because fraud does make it hard for others to tell where the hand of God is involved.
Why do I believe in miracles? I'll just say: personal *private* experience, supports it -- but I did believe that they occur, long before I had such personal experience.
Is that a reason for you to believe in miracles?
No.
Nonetheless, one place where I don't think there was a scam involved, was the formation of Youth Challenge (or was it Teen Challenge), as written in the story "The Cross and the Switchblade." Do I know that to be a true case of miracles?
No. I was not there.
Do I believe it to have been a case of miracles? Yes. The patterns all indicate to me that it was probably real.
Should the government get involved, and prosecute the pastor who did this? I dunno -- I tend to be pretty libertarian.
Let's see: I had a Mac Powerbook 180c, and the surface-mounted powerplug pulled off the board. Anyhow, I brought it in, they charged me to replace the board, opened it in front of me... everything was fine except for that. It was an Apple-Certified Repair shop. So I got it repaired. Took it home, it worked. So then I set it aside. Later on, I pulled it out to use it: the fix lasted less than 2 weeks. They said "sorry, you waited too long. No warranty." So I got out my soldering iron and did a job myself. In the process, I also noticed, though, that they had busted the hard drive mounts, and just *set* it back in place. It was loose.
I said "no more of them". I went to CompUSA next, which was both Apple Certified *AND* CompUSA Certified. The problem was my PB3400c: the trackpad button was failing. So they got it (opening the computer: $180), and said "Well, the trackpad needs replacing, but we can't get another one for another month or so. We can close it up, and let you have it back, or we can hold onto it for a month. But meanwhile, we jury-rigged a sortof fix that might last for a while."
Hmm. It lasted for about a year. I went back; they said "well, it'll be another $180 to open it up again..." I needed it. They opened it. They replaced the trackpad -- but used a missized screw, so it failed again within 4 months. Tough. It's a 3-month warranty.
You know, certification really means nothing. I've repaired each of my powerbooks since then, I've done a better job, and the cost was a 2-3 hours of labor at most.
Requiring legal certification is just going to ensure that the people who are really good and cheap don't get jobs through us users stumbling on them and then sticking with them.
I say leave it to random chance, and just let people publish like crazy on the web who is good, and who isn't worth the screwdriver they wave around.
Actually, I'm a conservative Christian, and for the reason you stated, I specifically chose not to see the move about Bruce Lee, in which is son was killed. Something about that seemed kindof fishy. Likewise, some of my coworkers were talking about a snuff film, and I immediately made it clear that I felt that was way out of bounds, and left their presence.
Most of us conservative Christians *are* against killing.
It's called hydroponics. Of course, the Federal Government frowns on that sort of thing, nowadays, because it is often used to grow a native American herb that is also used in ropemaking...
Just joking of course. But I do know one guy who was taken down as a "drug dealer" and sent to prison for a combination of a user's amount of mj (a few grams), and having a business that sold hydroponics equipment, and refusing to give records of his sales to the DEA without a warrent. In the end, he got a few years, they got the records they wanted (without a warrant), and that was that.
In reality, it isn't fair to say that all American farmers stole their land or supported the genocide of the indians. They didn't. One of my ancestors, once removed, was the orator Daniel Webster--but I'm not nearly as proud of him as I am of a direct ancestor who was an adopted chief. That is, he was a European-American, but they made him a chief. He was so adopted, because he treated the indians fairly, and helped them get fair deals when they dealt with his compatriots.
Not all were evil. Honestly. Read about William Penn.
That server doesn't seem to allow anonymous posts, and I'm not going to sign up -- but if anyone else wants to copy this to there, feel free:
DISAPPEARING RING (Mending wall) by Robert Frost MickLinux.
Something there is that does not want a ring; that sends the frozen ice-fingers into the land and spills the servant-blood in the sun; and makes it lose itself so anyone can find it. The work of dragons is another thing; I have come after them and made repair Where they have not left one stone on a stone. But they would have the treasure out of hiding, to please their greedy eye. The loss, I mean. Nobody sees it or hears it when it falls But at greatest need we find it gone. I let noone know; my shadow even and set to hunt the ring once again. I keep a secret place for the ring as I go to each, the temptation that has fallen to each; and some are for power, and some for fear There may be a spell to make it stay that way. "One Ring to Rule them all and bind all" or somesuch; We wear our souls to greyness, just handling it. Oh, it's just another outdoor game, The ONE against all; it comes to little more.
Where it is now we do not need a ring. Here is all beauty and gardens and ale. My apple trees will never blacken the hillside and eat Lobelia's flowers, I tell her. She only says "You are an imposter; Bag Hill should be mine!" Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder if I could put a notion in her head. "Why should Bag Hill be yours? Isn't it true that you are an Underhill?" But here there are no Underhills. Before I claimed a thing, I'd ask to know what good I could do it, or it me; and who else might come hunting it. Something there is that doesn't love a ring, that wants it destroyed. I could say "Elves", but it isn't Elves exactly; and I'd rather Gandalf said it for himself. I see him there bringing his staff grasped firmly near the top in his hand, like an old stone wizard armed. I move half-shadowed it seems to me. Not by woods only and the shade of trees. He will not stop that incessant saying "take it to Mordor" secretly he likes having it for his own. He says again "Take it to the Cracks of Doom"
- but his eye gleams at the saying.
Slashdot Mirror
Just a thought -- evil actors do fight each other; and evil is always bad. But I'm therefore not surprised that Sony and M$ are fighting each other, any more than I'm surprised that Al Qaida and the US Government are fighting each other.
I leave it to you to deduce what I think of the US government.
Good people stick to goodness, and (when possible) get out of the way, dodging most of the bullets in the process.
Mmm hmmm... Are you a scientologist, then?
It's very interesting how articles about that bully organization have a tendency to disappear. Google is now down to four of them.
Anyhow, I found one with a bit of a difficult search. If you're really interested, look in old newspapers arouind 1993-1994 [Daily Press of Newport News was one of them], and look for Sears or Allstate cross referenced with lawsuit.
As far as I know, Steve Jobs is not a bad person. The key is *as far as I know*. But to say I won't buy a product from a company does not mean that I'll throw out old equipment I have, anyhow.
It does mean that I'm going to do my best to move away from their products. I forgot to add to that list MS Word. We're now Quark people.
I just think it's interesting that the blunderbuss has been reinvented. But the fact that they're aiming them at people is real bad, I think.
That said, you are seeing the true meaning of the American 2nd Amendment: each amendment prohibits the government from trying to do something that is highly stupid, because it can't.
Governments that try to violate those principles get away with it for a time -- but either they learn, or they fall, or the country fails.
In the case of the 2nd Amendment, you can't prevent people from defending themselves; and arming themselves is part of that.
You know, here's what I really want in a palmtop.
Yeah, the pointer stick is nice. But you know what would be nicer? The following wishlist [not all of this is new]:
* two back panels that slide out to the sides. What are they? multi-sensing Hall effect touchpads. Instant combo keyboard and mouse, as was previously featured on slashdot.
* nice little applesoft-style programming language. Doesn't have to be fancy, but is a heck of a lot better than a calculator. It can thus be a programmable calculator, with graphics if you wish. I'm an engineer -- come on -- who really wants to find a computer with compiler to write a program?
* User-adjustable clock speed.
* Radio web comm for warchalking is nice -- but you should have an automatic link to an online harddrive [included in purchase price].
* Same radio should be usable for calculator-calculator transmissions at close range. Want to destribute your new program? No problem. Your friend hits "upload", you hit "download", and there you go. MacIRExchange is the idea.
* Speaking of recharging, I'd like rechargeable batteries, and an option where I can just plug the thing into a wall socket at work. With today's power mosfets, such things should not be impossible
* And -- if it's got to be a telephone -- don't put that thing up near my ear. It hurts my ear, and I hear that it gives inner-ear cancer as well. Use a directional microphone, and speakers.
I just have a habit of not buying things from companies that turn evil.
I'm a Mac person, and remember the Sony CDs that break Ibooks. So I decided "Sony's out".
Within the next 6 months, I noticed reports of Sony quality being down, so I don't regret my decision either.
In line with that, I also dropped HP from my list of "good companies" when Lucent's marketing manager was hired as their new president, and all the old management fled. Lucent, if you remember, came up with those wonderful closed architecture WinModems that -- as it later turned out-- died within a year due to quality problems. Now, as it turns out, I find that HP has been short-filling their inkjet cartridges.
Same kind of decision about Sears. When their middle managers had to sue their upper managers for firing them when they refused to continue to attend Scientologist courses that said "cheat the customer..." I decided it was time to give my business to other companies. In the following years, I did not regret it.
It's just too bad that with all the fluid hiring and firing, and stock changing hands, it's a bit hard to keep up with what companies. But when they go bad, it's usually permanent. So once you find an apple going bad, it does make sense to throw it out.
Oh, how appropriate.
Well, to answer that, I point you here
I just bought something on ebay. While I waited for escrow to go through, the price climbed 5%. Need I say more?
BTW... the barbarians did not have better tech. The story of the fall of Rome was one of corruption. The barbarians were Germanic tribes driven from their homelands by war, and looking for food. They stopped north of Italy, and sent a plea for help. The Roman senate voted to give them food, and said "come on down; we'll feed you." Then they gave a contract for providing that food to a Senator who was expected to embezzle most of the value of the contract.
He was not as inefficient as they expected, though; he embezzled it all. So they came through, and ate all the food (picked up some gold in the process). The slaves said "No food? We know who starves first." and joined the barbarians in their sweep out of Italy in search of food. So in less than a year, Rome was cleared out of all its slaves. What remained were patricians who didn't know how to lift a fork to their lips. Thus fell Rome.
Oh, and the Germanic tribes weren't defeated by better technology, as much as by better tactics.
Specifically, the tactic was to defeat one tribe, and then allow them a choice: slavery, or freedom without land, if you fight the next tribe over as our front lines.
Okay, I've read the full article [that's what RTFA means, isn't it?], and they say that to defeat priviledge escalation, you have to add to each lock pin a random additional pseudo-master-lock combination. However, they then note that this decreases the security of each individual lock.
What they don't say, but is easily calculated, is that you can raise the security of each individual lock by increasing the number of pins.
Specifically: if you have a single master key, then you have to go up from double-cut up to triple-cut. That means that I'll work with log-base-3 below (for triple cut).
In that case, the number P of additional pins you must add, having formerly had N pins, and having x (let us suppose 9) possible cut heights, then
P = N/[Log3(x)-1]
So if you have 9 possible heights for each pin, single master key, and 5 tumblers, then you can prevent privelege escalation with no further loss in security by going to 5+[5/(2-1)]=10 pins. Not common today, but not impossible. Currently most locks run from 5 pins to 8 pins. Add two pins to an 8 pin lock, and you get your 10 pin security, privilege-protected.
Or you can go open source.
I just wanted to note here: digit means finger. You hold the key in your what? Paw?
I know this, because for Christmas 10 years ago, I went so far as to pull this on a foreign language student. "No, really. I can make a five digit calculator out of paper, with scissors..."
Just offhand:
(1) cut 6 identical keys to the original
(2) In one slot, cut as far down as possible, and drill a hole in that location, where you can put a mobile pin on a spring and a wire.
(3) drill a hole along the base, as well, and run the wire through.
(4) Now pull on the wire to find the alternate height. No filing required [prework necessary].
Just write down the numbers you get
(5) Go home and cut new key.
Also: to get around the lack of a blank:playdoh; wax; metal; plaster; small metal casting. Or digital camera; ruler; grinder; piece of small metal.
I don't take much comfort in those workarounds.
At this point, I think that digital locks with varying codes might be a tad more secure. For example, to get the day's code, the admin takes his phone number [or street address, though a random memorized number is best], adds the date to each digit and the time on the lockbox to the last 4 digits, and that's the code. Before he gets up to go in, he figures out what it will be, in his head. Of course, if he forgets entirely, he can take a blowtorch, melt the plexiglass, and let secretary out. Then call in work crews to replace the plexiglass, and stays there, meanwhile, memorizing the *new* number, and keeping an eye out for ninjas rapelling down from the roof.
Or he can write the code on his desk, the front of his pocket protector, or whatever.
Or how about this? Specialized beeper tied to lockbox, on continuous recharge. Beeper takes incoming code, checks it against security code, checks source phone number against President's code -- and authorizes computerized lockbox to open upon access key, within the next 1 minute.
Now, to go in, you pull out your cell phone, call the company president -- he pulls out his video cell phone, calls a video cell phone watching the hall; makes sure that it's you, and then calls the beeper, enters the code [encrypted, of course], and authorizes you to go in.
Of course, I'm not a cryptologist. I'll be a cryptologist could find a dozen ways to break my idea apart. After all, the more complex a system is, the more flaws it has (doesn't it?)
http://camelot.celtic-twilight.com/rudmin/arthur_c erdic_c1.htm
My brother and father wrote it; and though Geoffrey Ashe, the world's leading expert on King Arthur, said he has other ideas, he also said that this is a very convincing work.
Overall, it isn't fiction -- but it is written with a very dynamic style. Some elements are made up as pure fantasy, but the author is clear about what is fact and what is fiction.
Anyhow, read away -- and enjoy.
All of the Stephen King books, as far as I can tell, tie in to the Dark Tower series, and some of his screenplays (Rose Red) as well. His short stories may not, though.
More than that, King is a truly *deep* writer, writing philosophy as well as his own physical universe, and on several levels.
My favorite is his naming of the demon "Randolf Flagg" from "The Stand" (an excellent sci fi in its own right, for the first half), in combination with the same character in "Eyes of the Dragon": Randolf Flagg is an advisor to the king; some say he is as old as the country, and others say he *is* the country, and yet others say he merely represents the country.
He never does his own evil--just gets others to do evil in his name.
Think of the song: "You're a Randall Flagg; you're a high-flying Flagg..." and you'll catch the similarity between RF and "Grand Ol Flag".
However, that said, not all of his work is good. The Black House, for example, I dropped in disgust, and did not complete it.
Actually, it even made sense then.
Of course, in order to write this post, I had to screw it on properly again, so I can't tell you what it said. Go do your own googling, and read it for yourself.
However, having done my own little search, I have come to the conclusion that NASA's clamping up represents a conspiracy to not talk to idiots and nut cases!
Clearly, the orders come from the very top, probably within the cranial region of their spokesmen and scientists. Meanwhile, we get back to other slashdot news, stuff that matters.
okay, this is slightly off-topic, but I just got this email spam, and it conforms to the Nigerian spam formula -- but look at the reason!
...Shortly before her death on 31 August 1997, Princess Diana became an ardent and effective crusader against landmines. She gave numerous... ...In 1997, we opened an account with a security company in the United State of America and we make a deposit of twenty million pounds that was realized from a landmine campaign in Angola and Bosnia. ....
At least they are making it mildly interesting. I, for one, though, am still convinced that the Nigerian spam's popularity is because it is used to fund Al Qaida's "exterminate non-muslims" campaign, but I wouldn't ever be able to prove it.
But that would also explain the jump in Nigerian spam that I seem to get at different times.
---CONCENTRATED EXTRACT OF SPAM BELOW---
I am Andrew Purkis, chief executive of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.
Diana, Princess of Wales, devoted herself to a host of domestic and international issues, such as disadvantaged children, the homeless, HIV/Aids, and landmines...
You said that you will never buy CDs again.
Let me suggest something: go to any New Year's Eve "First Night" event (Williamsburg, VA has one, for example. So does Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Norfolk... but I think they're nationwide).
Take a bunch of money with you (the ticket only costs $7, and you'll be able to go to 5-8 shows before the evening's fireworks). Buy CDs -- they'll have been produced by artists too small to get or want RIAA representation. They'll have been hand-produced, essentially. If you hear something you like, then buy it. *Ask* them if they mind you sharing over P2P or internet radio -- they may actually say "Please do."
I think I remember buying something from a group called "Trapezoid". But the group wasn't half as good as the woman and husband team that relaxed from playing by doing performance art. As befits a family event, it wasn't pornographic performance art, either. One performance was a story about her mother's wedding hat; another was a story about her father's singing lessons. *Extremely* entertaining.
But go ahead and buy CDs. Just don't buy RIAA CDs. They aren't worth listening to, anyhow [unless it's classical or jazz... but you still can find good stuff elsewhere].
... way back in the days of Windows 3.1, I noticed that my AMIBIOS code for interrupt 9 (I think it was that... keyboard direct hardware service, anyhow) was byte-for-byte identical to significant sections of Windows' keyboard.drv code.
Now, I used that similarity to find a gap, where I could put special codes in my notebook computer's keyboard code to disable the keyboard while my scanner took data [it was a bug workaround]. But to this day, I wonder: did AMIBIOS know about this? Did they license it to Windows? Or was this just a case of "no, we didn't know, but they stole it"?
I answered your question under another person's post, since they both asked the same thing. To recombine the threads, I'm linking you over there.
h ol d=0&commentsort=0&tid=134&mode=thread&cid=5067 162
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=49761&thres
There were two questions that asked the same thing.
Of course, I do consider the possibility of validation error.
Nonetheless, here is a basic description of what happened:
(1) difficult times, financially speaking.
(2) we do give food to beggar children, but decided that we didn't have the money (upcoming) to do so. So we had told the children "no food until August", and they had not come for over a month.
(3) Still not satisfied, I was worrying about that.
(4) Normally I don't work on Sunday, fully understanding the reasons against it. One Sunday I did, *sortof*.
(5) Getting ready for church Sunday evening, I started to face what seemed like self-accusation, and started defensive thoughts, all over #4. But the faster my responses, answers came back shooting the excuses down. At that point, I just said I'm sorry; and all of a sudden, I couldn't stand up -- I had to sit down, and I was sure that God was there.
(6) I prayed first over the situation with the children, and prayed "if you want me to, then send them to my door (silent prayer) and I will feed them". I then prayed about my worries, my concerns; but prayed "Each time I have asked for something, you gave it to me. But when life gets hard, I forget. So this time, please give me nothing, except the reassurance that you do see us, and do care for us, and will care for us."
(7) Half an hour later, the children came by, asking for food. 5 hours later, I opened up my email, and found an email from my pastor at the previous parish, asking if we needed financial help. Although I had, a week before, turned down a request for a pledge for their new parish hall, saying that times were slightly hard, I had not requested any money. And indeed, times are not hard enough for me to have to say "yes". But later I checked -- our old pastor had sent his email at the same time as I had prayed.
I should note that there have been other events--this is just one, and the other events don't all involve me. In some cases, they involved family friends. But this is recent in my memory, having been just this past summer.
That said, I'm not really sure about one thing, because not too long after that the kids -- I dunno -- one started making dirty jokes about us, and was banned, and others started stealing -- so we said "no more" for a while (2 weeks initially, but each time they violate their punishment it doubles; they've still not been reinstated). So I wonder sometimes what misfired. Was it us? Them? Or maybe it was God's will that they should have something that they lose for a while? I don't know. But it does initiate some doubts sometimes -- not about God, or the miracle, but about us.
Is it possible that this is validation error? I suppose so.
But in some ways, it is an awful lot like what is described in "The Cross and the Switchblade". So when I read that, I have to say I tend to think the story is true. I know the organization does now exist, and still does a lot of good, though it is not needed as much as it was needed when it formed.
The question of exploitation and sweatshops is more about one of an attitude of charity and justice by those in power.
If there is charity and justice, then sweatshops are a good thing -- they are a step towards improving the life of everyone. And sometimes there are costs associated with that.
But if there isn't charity and justice, then sweatshops are a means to enslave, and are a step backwards.
That being the case, more often than not sweatshops that are locally owned and managed will eventually improve, because people cannot often see the person they are hurting every day, without starting to have some charity.
An example of this was CASSCO ICE (now owned by others), the producer of the 7-11's ice in the DC area. CASSCO means "Central Atlantic States Service Corporation", and it was originally a mafia holding company. Anyhow, the mafia bought out a Shenandoah Valley company, and started to milk it and destroy the industry. The people who worked there went to the CASSCO lawyer and complained. The lawyer saw this, turned around, purchased the company from the Mafia, and made it float. What had not been charity, turned to charity.
But when the factory is owned or directed by people in another country... well, it is hard to grow charity for someone you never see.
So I'd say sweatshops aren't all good or all bad. But when a wealthy American corporation regularly uses sweatshops to help their bottom line, then they have an interest in keeping the sweatshop situation going -- and it is more likely going to result in abuses.
Now, I know that the US Constitution says that speech must not be abridged, and that isn't a question of personhood.
But the question of personhood -- or really, the question of who will have rights -- is a real morass, and it's only getting worse.
The obvious ones: do slaves have rights?
Do corporations have rights? [And I know: when you destroy or take assets from a corporation, you are taking assets from people... but the corporation does have existence and power beyond that of its owners.]
How about: do concieved (but not yet born) Americans have rights?
Do retarded people have rights? If not all, then where do we set the bar? How do we measure the intelligence?
How about: do half-born Americans (head out, fully viable, ready to be killed in a D&C) have rights?
Okay, then: do criminals have rights? Where do we set the bar? Do IP-criminals have rights, for example?
Now, with genetic manipulation: does a 4% human-by-genes pig have rights? How about a 99% human, 1% pig? Or is that going to be called property?
Currently, it would seem that the definition used is largely based on power. In the case of D&C abortion, the baby doesn't have the power to defend itself, and the government won't either. In the case of the RIAA, they have more power, and thus *more rights* than a human being.
The list goes on, and it gets worse, not better.
But I predict that we are going to discover that we need better definitions. Power *can't* be the only factor in determining rights; for if power is the only factor, rights are meaningless.
And of course, the sooner people improve their standard to one that is self-consistent and meaningful, the better.
My suggestion? I'd say that anything that is genetically human should have rights, and attacks against humanity, whether they be through murder, abortion, enslavement, or whatnot -- should be illegal. Genetic modification isn't improving a pig -- it is damaging a person; and thus should also be illegal. Likewise, cloning results in genetic damage (including overweight and overgrowth, which seem to be signs of genetic damage) so it should be considered an attack on people.
But anyone should feel free to talk about and argue the point. I just think that if we don't fix things soon, life in the "free world" may grow rather onerous, and less free.
Very interesting. The fact that the DDOS attack stopped so suddenly would imply that the goal was not to attack -- but to test.
Now, that could be an actual government, military operation [including our own], as part of a general preparedness effort for war: when you strike, you use a combination of surprise attacks to make your main attack more effective.
Or it could be terrorists, running a weapons test in the same way.
Or it could be some grad student, testing out a theory of his. It just doesn't sound like a normal cracker.
This outrages me, a person who believes in miracles. Why? Because fraud does make it hard for others to tell where the hand of God is involved.
Why do I believe in miracles? I'll just say: personal *private* experience, supports it -- but I did believe that they occur, long before I had such personal experience.
Is that a reason for you to believe in miracles?
No.
Nonetheless, one place where I don't think there was a scam involved, was the formation of Youth Challenge (or was it Teen Challenge), as written in the story "The Cross and the Switchblade." Do I know that to be a true case of miracles?
No. I was not there.
Do I believe it to have been a case of miracles? Yes. The patterns all indicate to me that it was probably real.
Should the government get involved, and prosecute the pastor who did this? I dunno -- I tend to be pretty libertarian.
Let's see: I had a Mac Powerbook 180c, and the surface-mounted powerplug pulled off the board. Anyhow, I brought it in, they charged me to replace the board, opened it in front of me... everything was fine except for that. It was an Apple-Certified Repair shop. So I got it repaired. Took it home, it worked. So then I set it aside. Later on, I pulled it out to use it: the fix lasted less than 2 weeks. They said "sorry, you waited too long. No warranty." So I got out my soldering iron and did a job myself. In the process, I also noticed, though, that they had busted the hard drive mounts, and just *set* it back in place. It was loose.
I said "no more of them". I went to CompUSA next, which was both Apple Certified *AND* CompUSA Certified. The problem was my PB3400c: the trackpad button was failing. So they got it (opening the computer: $180), and said "Well, the trackpad needs replacing, but we can't get another one for another month or so. We can close it up, and let you have it back, or we can hold onto it for a month. But meanwhile, we jury-rigged a sortof fix that might last for a while."
Hmm. It lasted for about a year. I went back; they said "well, it'll be another $180 to open it up again..." I needed it. They opened it. They replaced the trackpad -- but used a missized screw, so it failed again within 4 months. Tough. It's a 3-month warranty.
You know, certification really means nothing. I've repaired each of my powerbooks since then, I've done a better job, and the cost was a 2-3 hours of labor at most.
Requiring legal certification is just going to ensure that the people who are really good and cheap don't get jobs through us users stumbling on them and then sticking with them.
I say leave it to random chance, and just let people publish like crazy on the web who is good, and who isn't worth the screwdriver they wave around.
Actually, I'm a conservative Christian, and for the reason you stated, I specifically chose not to see the move about Bruce Lee, in which is son was killed. Something about that seemed kindof fishy. Likewise, some of my coworkers were talking about a snuff film, and I immediately made it clear that I felt that was way out of bounds, and left their presence.
Most of us conservative Christians *are* against killing.
It's called hydroponics. Of course, the Federal Government frowns on that sort of thing, nowadays, because it is often used to grow a native American herb that is also used in ropemaking...
Just joking of course. But I do know one guy who was taken down as a "drug dealer" and sent to prison for a combination of a user's amount of mj (a few grams), and having a business that sold hydroponics equipment, and refusing to give records of his sales to the DEA without a warrent.
In the end, he got a few years, they got the records they wanted (without a warrant), and that was that.
In reality, it isn't fair to say that all American farmers stole their land or supported the genocide of the indians. They didn't. One of my ancestors, once removed, was the orator Daniel Webster--but I'm not nearly as proud of him as I am of a direct ancestor who was an adopted chief. That is, he was a European-American, but they made him a chief. He was so adopted, because he treated the indians fairly, and helped them get fair deals when they dealt with his compatriots.
Not all were evil. Honestly. Read about William Penn.
That server doesn't seem to allow anonymous posts, and I'm not going to sign up -- but if anyone else wants to copy this to there, feel free:
DISAPPEARING RING (Mending wall)
by Robert Frost MickLinux.
Something there is that does not want a ring;
that sends the frozen ice-fingers into the land
and spills the servant-blood in the sun;
and makes it lose itself so anyone can find it.
The work of dragons is another thing;
I have come after them and made repair
Where they have not left one stone on a stone.
But they would have the treasure out of hiding,
to please their greedy eye. The loss, I mean.
Nobody sees it or hears it when it falls
But at greatest need we find it gone.
I let noone know; my shadow even
and set to hunt the ring once again.
I keep a secret place for the ring as I go
to each, the temptation that has fallen to each;
and some are for power, and some for fear
There may be a spell to make it stay that way.
"One Ring to Rule them all and bind all" or somesuch;
We wear our souls to greyness, just handling it.
Oh, it's just another outdoor game,
The ONE against all; it comes to little more.
Where it is now we do not need a ring.
Here is all beauty and gardens and ale.
My apple trees will never blacken the hillside
and eat Lobelia's flowers, I tell her.
She only says "You are an imposter; Bag Hill should be mine!"
Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
if I could put a notion in her head.
"Why should Bag Hill be yours? Isn't it
true that you are an Underhill?" But here there are no Underhills.
Before I claimed a thing, I'd ask to know
what good I could do it, or it me;
and who else might come hunting it.
Something there is that doesn't love a ring,
that wants it destroyed. I could say "Elves",
but it isn't Elves exactly; and I'd rather
Gandalf said it for himself. I see him there
bringing his staff grasped firmly near the top
in his hand, like an old stone wizard armed.
I move half-shadowed it seems to me.
Not by woods only and the shade of trees.
He will not stop that incessant saying "take it to Mordor"
secretly he likes having it for his own.
He says again "Take it to the Cracks of Doom"
- but his eye gleams at the saying.