Slashdot Mirror


User: VShael

VShael's activity in the archive.

Stories
0
Comments
843
First seen
Last seen
Profile
(view on slashdot.org)

Comments · 843

  1. Re:Most insightful department ever on Two Senators Call For ACTA Transparency · · Score: 1

    Bills aren't drafted in public and debated on the floor -- they are written behind closed doors by the Congressional leadership

    No, they aren't written by the Congressional leadership. They merely oversee and approve what their staff write.

  2. Re:You must remember on Shedding Your Identity In the Digital Age · · Score: 2, Insightful

    He seemed to have a need to keep track of the people tracking him, and he certainly got sloppy with tor.

    You know, if the police were after you, and you had a police band scanner, or some other way to see what the police were doing in their efforts to track you down, I think you wouldn't be able to resist the temptation to use it. A lot.

  3. Re:Hiding from the government is different. on Shedding Your Identity In the Digital Age · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Where's Osama?
    Hiding seems to be working for him

    An Egyptian newspaper ran his obituary a while back. I don't know how credible the newspaper is though.

    And Benazir Bhutto, while being interviewed on the BBC by Sir David Frost (yeah, that Frost. Of the Frost v Nixon fame) mentioned in passing that Bin Laden was dead. (This was Nov 2nd, 2007, shortly before she was killed by the way.)

    Frost didn't say anything, didn't even acknowledge it (which might lead some to believe he already knew this) and the interview carried on as normal.

    Later, the BBC transcript of the interview left out the references to Bin Ladens death.

    When numerous complaints were sent to the BBC from viewers who saw the interview live, the BBC didn't deny that the section had been edited from the interview. They simply claimed there was nothing nefarious about it, and that interviews were frequently trimmed for length. They didn't comment at all, about the Bin Laden aspect of it.

    True story. Video is online, google has multiple copies, etc...

  4. Re:Your power convertor should handle UK power on Geek Travel To London From the US — Tips? · · Score: 1

    The wild yeast, as you call it, is actually very region specific. Even amongst all the wild yeast variations (and there are many) the flavours can change quite a bit from area to area.

    In any case, there's more than enough beers to suit every palate, even those who claim they don't like beer, can usually find one here that they enjoy.

  5. Re:Sorry to disappoint... on Geek Travel To London From the US — Tips? · · Score: 1

    I've been to the Greenwich Observatory planetarium. And it's rubbish, to be honest. Aimed at kids who know nothing about anything.

    The rest of the Observatory, including the museum, is much better. Plus, Greenwich is a lovely town to spend the day in, and you can get a boat ride back up to Thames towards Westminister very cheap.

    Also, Greenwich is the only place where you can walk under the Thames. And that's pretty cool.

  6. Re:And In Unrelated News... on Obama Kicks Off Massive Science Education Effort · · Score: 1

    he educated lot needs to get some safeguards in place or 5 generations down the road, our children will be mindless sheeple.

    I'm afraid that observation is about 6 generations too late.

  7. Re:Wishful thinking on After 35 Years, Another Message Sent From Arecibo · · Score: 1

    I think you'd find that the translation of 4kb of info from a page in an alien encyclopaedia, would be a far bigger issue than either the bandwidth or the 200 year lag.

  8. This was known for some time on Federal Judge Says Corps of Engineers Liable For Katrina Damage · · Score: 1, Interesting

    While Katarina was ongoing, there were plenty of independent news outlets running video footage of professionals warning what would happen. It made the Bush mantra of "No one could have predicted..." out to be just as much of a joke as the "No one could have predicted..." 9-11 version. (And then the Aug 6th PDB title was released.)

  9. Re:Use Thorium-based reactors instead on CERN Physicist Warns About Uranium Shortage · · Score: 4, Interesting

    "The people working on ITER clearly don't agree."

    Er, no.

    There are plenty of people working on ITER who do agree. But they figure that it's a worthy endeavor without necessarily being a commercially viable final product. (ie They think we'll learn a lot from doing it.)

    Plus, it's funded by the EU and they're just throwing money it at with very little expectation of anything in return.

  10. Re:Maximizing copyright != maximizing producers on MPAA Asks Again For Control Of TV Analog Ports · · Score: 1

    I will then use multiple computers/servers spread around the globe to pirate every fucking thing I can get my grubby ex-consumer neo-pirate hands on, even if it means going to jail.

    The way things are going, you'll get less jail time if you just shoot some of them dead.

    Not that I'm advocating piracy or murder... I'm just saying, if you're going to go to jail anyway, you might as well do us all a favour.

  11. Re:If True, Fascinatingly Bizarre Logic on Whistleblower Claims IEA Is Downplaying Peak Oil · · Score: 1

    Missing Option : US denies it is invading countries to secure oil supplies, because they claim oil is not in short supply. Large segments of America, still watching Fox, believe that their country is bringing "freedom" to the smoking ruins of the Middle East. People who try to point out the facts, are dismissed as fags, pansies, commies, libruls, and repeatedly asked why they hate America and hate freedom. SUVs continue to sell.

  12. Re:Dear Brittish friends, why do you want Stasi? on In the UK, Big Brother Recedes and Advances · · Score: 2, Insightful

    to stop child pornography. Maybe it was to catch copyright infringes

    Yes, we must stop the digital copying of child pornography, because it will lead to an explosion in child pornography production.

    And we must stop the digital copying of Hollywood movies, because it will lead to the cessation of Hollywood movie production.

    Wait ... what?

  13. Re:The reason he wants to do this on Murdoch To Explore Blocking Google Searches · · Score: 1

    "Who knows who they are or where they are. They don't suddenly become loyal readers of our content."

    That says more about the laughable quality of the content.

    I mean, I remember the first time I came across xkcd. I became a loyal reader.
    I remember the first time I came across PVP and Penny Arcade. Crooksandliars.com and aintitcoolnews.com Dailykos, theRegister, slashdot. etc...

    Loyal readers will go where they find good content, worth reading.

  14. Re:This is NOT baffling! on Murdoch To Explore Blocking Google Searches · · Score: 1

    Unfortunately for Fox News, that would mean that they could not quote anyone or use excerpts from books or speeches without prior approval. He'll find that he can't have it both ways.

    He's one of the wealthiest men in the world. I think you'll find he can have it both ways, all ways, and any way he wants.

    That's how governments and the courts work. They are subservient to wealth and power.

    Are you new to this planet, or have you not been paying close attention? :)

  15. Re:"Big" question? on The Big Questions · · Score: 1

    Most people don't behave like there is death at all. Most people don't want to talk about death, don't want to hear about death, and don't even want to think about death. Many people "defy" death and live like they won't die.

    That *may* be a purely American thing. In a country obsessed with youth, cosmetic surgery, etc... all symptoms of a refusal to accept death and growing old.

    Years ago, when I lived in Ireland, my brothers American girlfriend was over visiting with the family. She seemed shocked and stunned by how frequently we mentioned death, dying, growing old, etc... and usually with a joke to go with it. (Not that the Irish are obsessed with death or anything.) In the years since then, I've travelled quite a bit. Of all the people I've met, the only ones who seem overly death-averse are the Americans.

  16. Re:If the power grid is so vulnerable, why hasn't. on Massive Power Outages In Brazil Caused By Hackers · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Yet it hasn't happened here or Western Europe or most modern Asian countries. Why?

    Because the enemies you keep hearing about, are neither as a numerous nor as powerful as your government would like you to believe.

    It suits the agenda of those in power, to have a public who are so shit-scared about terrorists, that they will accept any indignity, any intrusion into their lives, any loss of freedom... just to make the terrorism fear go away.

  17. Re:This guy was lucky. on Malware Can Download Child Porn To Your Computer · · Score: 1

    But am I going to get arrested in the US for a non-crime that never happened??? ----- Or what about American nudist sites? http://www.nude2000.com/Family_Pageant_Activities.htm (nudity again). Is daddy going to get arrested because he took a photo of his underage daughter or son???

    In the UK, especially in the pre-digial camera age, there were many cases where a parent had taken a photo or two of their newborn, or young child in the bath, or whatever. And the person developing the photos contacted the police. They felt it was better to err on the side of caution, and treat any nudity as potentially sexual.

    It never made sense to me, because what paedophile would be dumb enough to drop his photos off at the local chemists for development?

  18. Re:Don't kill predators on Swarm of Giant Jellyfish Capsize 10-Ton Trawler · · Score: 1

    Cows that are fed grass (as opposed to grain), give milk that tastes far better than what you'll find in the American supermarket aisles.

    Absolutely true. Any time I've been in the states, I've found that the milk I buy there is undrinkable.

  19. Re:How can that be? on Why Doesn't Exercise Lead To Weight Loss? · · Score: 1

    Then there is the issue of converting fat to muscle

    Pedantic as all hell, but this is a commonly held myth (even if you don't hold it yourself personally). You can't convert fat to muscle.

  20. Re:Yep on Pirate Bay Closure Sparked P2P Explosion · · Score: 1

    Did the people who made Paranormal Activity on a $15,000 budget actually think it was realistic that they'd make $84,780,000 (and counting) back from it?

    If you think the people who made P.A. have themselves made anything like 84 million dollars, then you sir, are crazy.

  21. Re:Slow news day. on Intergalactic Race Shows That Einstein Still Rules · · Score: 1, Insightful

    That would be big news, if some smart people had put forward the idea that water, at the molecular level, isn't wet.

    (Which it isn't, by the way.)

  22. Re:humans on Neanderthals "Had Sex" With Modern Man · · Score: 1

    Neanderthals primary were in Europe and the middle east. The 2 likley canditates of current ethnicicities with possible Neanderthal DNA would be Arabs and Caucasians.

    Or the French.

  23. Re:Riiight on Trojan Kill Switches In Military Technology · · Score: 1

    I'm pretty sure Mossad agents can only be killed once as well.

  24. Re:Can't Wait on "Three Strikes" To Go Ahead In Britain · · Score: 1

    They'd just make themselves exempt. Anyone could predict that. It's not like they haven't done it before. (The RIPA laws, see http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/08/11/ripa_iii_figures )

    What you need to do is target their kids, spouses, partners or loved ones.

  25. How long before posthumous postings are allowed? on Facebook To Preserve Accounts of the Dead · · Score: 1

    Suppose I give my password to a sibling. Can the account still be accessed? As an atheist, I would be amused if my brother updated a facebook entry maybe once a year on my birthday. "Still dead. Still no sign of god."