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User: CrackHappy

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  1. Re:It's Open Mic Night at the Astrophysics Lounge! on Melting Europa · · Score: 0

    Oh crap - are you telling me that dihydrogen monoxide is dangerous? Damn... I should stop snorting that up my nose I think. I've heard if you ingest enough of it you can die.

    Are there any "detox" clinics available for this terrible substance? I think I need to end my dependence on it now.

  2. Re:My story as a "digitician" on Plumber, Electrician... Digitician? · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Believe it or not, we were raking it in. Of course, I was working 10-14 hours a day, pretty much 7 days a week. The taxes here are no sweat, doesn't cost much to incorporate, and I didn't need an accountant - my accounting was pretty simple.

  3. My story as a "digitician" on Plumber, Electrician... Digitician? · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Several years ago (1995), my best friend and I started up a "computer consulting" company. Basically we did the so-called "digitician" thing, as well as doing full IT support for a number of smaller businesses as well. We were very successful with it, and had a number of good clients. We charged $35 per hour, for on-site work. We almost never would bring a machine back to our shop for fixing, it was almost always done on-site. Our customers really loved it, as we were both the cheapest in town, and the only ones who would not require that they bring their computers to us.

    We were very much the pioneers of this type of service in my home town (300,000 people), and now everyone is doing it, albeit at twice or three times the cost.

    I'm currently thinking about doing it again (I quit about 5 years ago - too much stress), on a smaller scale. I enjoy fixing stuff, but not on a full-time basis.

    I've done a few small jobs so far - still at $35 per hour - but am not sure how much time I really want to spend on it. The money's ok, but I just mostly do it because I enjoy it.

    Seems almost a crime to charge money for something I love to do (and I already do this 8 hours a day at my day job!)

    Just my thoughts on this, having gone through it all when it wasn't common.

  4. Re:Linux Has Travelled Far... In The Wrong Directi on Linus on Linux in 1994 · · Score: 1

    I recently spoke with my Mother who is admittedly one of the majority of people who really don't care much about operating systems, back-ends and god knows what else. We discussed the idea of putting Mandrake on her machine. The reason this is not really an issue is because there is no reason I can't set it up to dual-boot into Windows as well. This will give her a safe place to go when she's having trouble, but at the same time, I will set up Mandrake to be super user friendly and easy to deal with for the applications she'll need. Mozilla, Evolution (or Thunderbird), some simple card games, OpenOffice. I will also set it up so that she has access to her Windows partition from Mandrake so she can keep all her files in one place and won't have to worry about it. Gradually she should come to like and use Mandrake much more. I know that this will work as I did the same thing with my wife at home, and now she won't touch Windows with a ten foot pole.

  5. Just want to point out something on Seattle Times Reviews Desktop Linux Distros · · Score: 1

    The author mentions that Linux is not free - i.e. $60 for Lindows. He is seemingly oblivious to the numerous free distributions out there, some of which are just as easy to use for the average user as Lindows.

  6. Re:Wow on Leaked Memo Says Microsoft Raised $86 million for SCO · · Score: 1

    By that reasoning, because there are murderers out there murdering people, I should be able to go murder people too.

    This kind of reasoning is a load of crap. Businesses, just like individuals should be responsible for their own actions and responsible for have a sense of ethics and morals. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate Microsoft's products, and I purchase them in some cases because they are the best at some things.

    Competition is wonderful, but this is tipping the scales and that is something that we should all be very concerned about. The more leeway that they get, and the more they get away with this kind of behaviour, the worse it will get. It's just like raising a child, if you're strict and keep them in line, they'll not push the boundaries as much.

    Sorry, but I feel very passionately about this.

  7. Re:Microsoft has never used a patent offensively on Microsoft Receives XML Patent · · Score: 2, Insightful

    You have a good point. Microsoft is as a whole quite evil. Is everything they do, by default then evil? Do we just always automatically assume that and not look at the facts first? Sure, it can make us quite suspicious of their motives, but my point was more about the people who need to RTFA and the second they see the "Microsoft" in the title they immediately start slinging cliche after cliche and using Microsoft as a way to bolster their own ego.

    Don't get me wrong, I truly believe that Microsoft IS the evil empire. However, that doesn't mean that every time they do something I automatically assume that it must be evil as well. Microsoft is made up of people, and I'm certain that the majority of them are not bad people. As such, it is entirely possible that some things the company does may actually be good.

    Just something to consider.

  8. Re:Microsoft has never used a patent offensively on Microsoft Receives XML Patent · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I know the parent is a joke, but at the same time it points out something rather sad about this community. It is rather regrettable that justified or not, anything related to certain companies, ideas or processes is mostly automatically shunned and villified just at the mention of it. Don't get me wrong, I disagree with and sometimes outright dislike Microsoft, but I also try to keep an open mind regarding them. They have proved time and time again that they can and will maliciously perform acts to disrupt competitor's business and livelihood.

    That said, I just want to say that these kinds of patents are absolutely ridiculous. I am really wondering if there is prior art regarding this sort of thing (XML specifically) that can refute Microsoft's patent claim from 2000.

    Anyone have information on that?

    I'm waiting for Groklaw to jump in on this one.

  9. Re:it's true on Windows 2000 & Windows NT 4 Source Code Leaks · · Score: 3, Funny

    Uh... you might want to fix your keyboard or your fingers as you cannot seem to hit the "l" key correctly.

    kots of kuck to you!

  10. Re:Same as last year on The Best and Worst Technologies of 2003? · · Score: 1

    OH man.... that just conjured up an image of Gollum crouched over a computer on the desk, glaring and spitting on George Bush as he approaches to take the computer away.

    "Nasty BUSHESSES! Tricksy and false! "

  11. Re:Dreamcatcher on The Best and Worst Movies of 2003? · · Score: 1

    You obviously haven't read the book, but I also agree with you. I cannot imagine that anyone would like this movie without having read the book first, simply because it is a pretty damned literal translation, and as you know, books do NOT translate well to film.

  12. Re:What about abuse? on Largest Citywide Wi-Fi Deployment · · Score: 1

    Crap - change "may be open access" to "may NOT be open access". My fingers are rebelling against me! HELP.

  13. Re:What about abuse? on Largest Citywide Wi-Fi Deployment · · Score: 1

    Sure, the AP may be open access. But how hard is it to crack WEP to get access to usernames and passwords, which you can then hijack and start using to spam?

    Trust me, it's NOT HARD TO DO.

  14. Proud to be a Nevadan on Cringley on E-voting · · Score: 1

    I have to say I'm proud to be a Nevadan, so far the only state that is REQUIRING a paper trail for auditing purposes for electronic / touch screen voting.

    So NYAH NYAH all you other states, we kick ass.

    Not only that, but we love standing up to the Federal Government, just look at the Yucca Mountain project, everyone here is raising holy hell about that, as we don't have ANY FUCKING NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS, and they're wanting to foist all of THEIR waste in OUR state, and with not too much concern for the safety of over HALF our citizenry, who do not live very far from this proposed nuclear waste dump.

    Good job Nevada government!

  15. They are smoking crack! on Microsoft: Patches, Patches Everywhere! · · Score: 1, Redundant

    Microsoft says that they are going to do patches monthly. Are they basically saying that they'll only issue patches once a month? So when a malicious coder writes an exploit of a flaw, and they know about it, they're NOT going to issue a patch in a timely manner, instead they're going to make it more "intuitive" by making it MUCH easier to exploit security vulnerabilities.

    WTF? I just don't get it. Anyone have information to the contrary?

  16. Re:From my high school physics teacher... on So You Think Physics is Funny? · · Score: 1

    Man... I'm an idiot. I said it aloud and I still don't get it..

    *banging head on desk*

  17. Re:Gee I wonder why... on Peter Jackson Hints At The Hobbit · · Score: 1

    I find it very interesting that Tolkien, an environmentalist to his core, is responsible, by publishing LOTR, for cutting down a large multitude of trees to publish it!

    Just a thought... so he is now the thing he hates?

  18. Re:Hobbit? Nay, Silmarillion! on Peter Jackson Hints At The Hobbit · · Score: 1

    You have GOT to be kidding. Don't get me wrong, I love the Silmarillion, but there is NO way I can see that being adapted as a whole to the screen.

    Now, I don't see a reason they couldn't do sections of the Silmarillion as films, independent of each other, because you have to realize, it may be written as a single book, but it encompasses thousands and thousands of years of time!

    On top of the fact that what you read in the book may work very well in your imagination, but there is no way it would work on film. Remember, when filming vs. writing, you have to show, not tell.

  19. My .02 on Malaysian Police Not Roping Longhorn Rustlers · · Score: 1

    I just want to say, regardless of how much I dislike Microsoft's OS, I truly believe this is a terrible thing to happen.

    Piracy, in whatever form, is never warranted.

    There are plenty of alternatives that cost much less and work just as well.

  20. Re:PJ and OB rock! on Wired's LOTR III Tech Breakdown · · Score: 1

    He may be fifty, yes, but remember, he's had the Ring for quite a long time. The ring gives you essentially immortality while you hold it (whether or not it's actually ON your finger). This perfectly explains the fact that Frodo still looks 20. Also remember that most hobbits live to 100 without a problem!

  21. Re:similar thing happened to me last night on iPod-Jacked · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Oh come on... this isn't a troll, I found that funny... I'm still laughing actually...

  22. Re:Urchins are well protected on Red Sea Urchins Nearly Immortal · · Score: 1

    Having lived on Bali and Java for some time, any idiot knows not to go walking around the ocean without sandals or shoes of some sort! That's just plain stupid, there are stone fish, sea snakes, urchins, rays, etc. etc.

    Hell... it's not wise to even walk on the ground without shoes, as there are many organisms that live in the soil that will get you too.

    Having said all that, I still love the place, my favorite country in the world.

  23. Re:it WILL be on the EE on Slashback: Princeton, Terror, Farscape · · Score: 1

    I have to... I'm such a goddamned hypocrite too.... I just cannot wait. I'm such an American consumer, always instant gratification...

    *sigh*

  24. Re:Petition on Slashback: Princeton, Terror, Farscape · · Score: 1

    Does anyone here realize that putting your name on the petition is a complete waste of time? They're already making the copies to send to the theatres, there is NO WAY they could possibly re-edit the movie in time for release. I bet you anything though, that it WILL be on the EE edition... so just be patient guys... sheesh

  25. Re:**SPOILERS** My thoughts on the movie on 'Matrix Revolutions' Opens Today · · Score: 1

    Thanks for the reply to this.

    I pretty much agree with your comments too, but I still can't accept the arguments presented by the Architect, it just doesn't make any sense to me. You accomplish the same goal by just killing them instead of letting them get out. Once they're out of the Matrix, they don't affect anyone else, until they jack back in, and all the machines care about are the people still in the Matrix.

    Just a thought.