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  1. Sir, you presume too much ... on Kerry Concedes Election To Bush · · Score: 1

    it would appear that you have made the basic assumption that democracy will still exist in the USA after another 4 years of George W. Granted, however, that there is a very good chance that the USA will be in one war or another in 2008. The question only is in regard to which country that will be: Iraq, Iran, Syria, North Korea, or Venezuela (oil). This does present an opportunity to establish an on-line wager/pool regarding exactly which country the USA will be at war with.

  2. Re:oh my... on Japan's Newest Linux Supercluster: 13TB RAM · · Score: 1

    Would that have been a 6 cell fully static
    CMOS memory bit?

    Your teacher must have been a sadist!

  3. Re:IRIX on Adobe Forming a Linux Strategy? · · Score: 1

    The last version of Adobe Photoshop that I
    installed on an SGI IRIX workstation was v4.3.

    Adobe abandoned all the UNIX platforms in
    favor of WinNT and the MacIntosh. Market
    share drives commercial software development.
    The move by Apple to a FreeBSD/Darwin based
    operating system (OS X) that also runs X11
    might have sparked some new interest by Adobe.
    But, Apple's embrace of F/OSS in the inclusion
    of GNU/GCC and other BSD tools must have Adobe
    looking over their shoulder at GIMP as a totally
    free competitor. As GIMP keeps getting better
    and better, Adobe might be seeing their market
    share on the MacIntosh platform decline. Apple's
    own worthy software that is competing with Adobe
    is also having its effect.

    I wouldn't read altogether too much into Adobe's
    advertisement of two software positions related
    to GNU/Linux -- that only means that they are
    looking at possible ways to increase their
    market share. Microsoft's long delayed release
    of Longhorn and their new filesystem must be
    giving many commercial software vendors a reason
    to explore other markets.

  4. Magnet isn't the best method ... on Shootout: 'rm -Rf /' vs. 'Format C:' · · Score: 1

    since even with multiple over-writes to every
    location on the disk, some data can be read.

    The better method is simple and more effective:

    (1) remove HDD from chassis
    (2) disconnect all cables
    (3) remove cover & PWB from HDD
    (4) remove & separate HDD platters
    (5) put on goggles or other eye protection
    (6) put on MSA-approved dust mask
    (7) put on heavy duty work gloves
    (8) insert 60 grit sandpaper in belt sander
    (9) lock belt sander into the on position
    (10) grind each platter surface until you
    only see bare metal.

  5. How to steal an election ... on Electoral-vote.com Under Heavy Load; Attack? · · Score: 1

    in five easy steps: (1) shell out $4 Billion USD for "new & improved" eVoting machines (with no paper audit trail) (2) buy off, or cook the figures on polling data for the last 3 months of the campaign -- raise public expectations for your result (3) disenfranchise racial minorities in key states, and employ (VOA-RNC) registrar "aids" in other states to foil the registrations of your political opposition party (4) on election day, create just enough problems with the eVoting machines to distract the public's attention from the real crime scene, hacking the backend vote "accumulators" (5) PROFIT! (Enron, Carlyle Group, Halliburton, ChevronTexaco, KBR, & Saudi slush fund)

  6. Re:Not much. on How has the USA PATRIOT Act Affected You? · · Score: 1

    Except that it seems that I can no longer find work in the Metro DC area as a unix systems administrator/software engineer without having a TS/PolySCI security clearance. Of course, the "Catch-22" syndrome kicks in for this new requirement, because it now takes 18 - 24 months to get such a security clearance, and no government contractor will hire someone for that long (including perhaps $25K for the investigation) and pay for sweeping floors until the clearance comes through. If you have such a clearance, especially a transferable one, its worth its weight in gold, and if you don't have one, then you are SOL. (IRIX / Solaris / BSD / OS X / Linux / HP-UX) So sorry if there is some bitterness that has seeped into this note, but YES, it has also affected how I voted ...

  7. Re:Large caches on Latest SCSI Drive Reviewed · · Score: 1

    I'm dreaming of a big fat 300 GB SSD (Solid
    State Disk). On power-up, a disk image would
    be transferred from a sloooow rotating media
    to this SSD for the OS and applications. A
    generously sized battery backup would preserve
    data in case of power interruption, in order to
    gracefully backup the new disk image back to a
    hard disk. Even better still, a RAID-10 array
    of these SSDs and a RAID-10 HD array for backup.

    Of course, that corrupts the very definition
    of RAID as a "Redundant Array of Inexpensive
    Disks". Okay, so I am dreaming.

    A RAID-10 array of these new Maxtor 10K RPM
    300 GB disks on a smart (and battery-backed)
    RAID controller would really rock ...

  8. Considering the source ... on Assessing Network Security · · Score: 1

    the answer is: stay completely disconnected
    from the Internet!

    How can that sentence possibly be finessed
    into something as big as a book?

  9. In late-breaking news, FOX Network ... on Election Day Discussion · · Score: 3, Funny

    has determined that George W. Bush has won, with 2% of the East Coast results tabulated (Bush - 56% // Kerry - 49%). George W. Bush heartily thanks his allies at Diebold for their assistance in bringing these latest poll figures.

  10. No, the start of the race to Mars ... on China Plans 5-day Manned Space Mission · · Score: 1

    and when the PRC does win that race,
    Mars will be called the "Red Planet"
    for more reasons than just the color.

    And when they have fully populated Mars,
    there will be a new Martian invasion of
    Earth! (As everyone knows, history does
    follow in the footsteps of science fiction.)

  11. Re:Wait for Diebold to tell you. on Monitoring the U.S. Elections Online? · · Score: 1

    Excepting that their results only apply for the
    states and voting districts that have been dumb
    enough (or sly like a fox in the henhouse) to
    buy and use their equipment.

    Jeb Bush will pull through for brother George,
    just like in 2000, so Florida is not really in
    play as a "battleground" state. And Diebold's
    CEO has already promised to deliver Ohio to
    Bush, so that state is a given. How many other
    states are using Diebold equipment? Between
    Diebold and and the VOA-RNC registration fiasco,
    exactly how many states are still in play?

  12. This just in ... on High-Tech Crimes Revealed · · Score: 1

    another newer tool that didn't make it
    into the 1st edition of the book is:
    "Google Desktop Search". Doh!

  13. Re:Not all infants on How Infants Crack the Speech Code · · Score: 1

    You insensitive clod!

    George W. Bush spent all of his 20's and
    30's burning up brain cells with alcohol
    and cocaine. Picture a man burdeoned with
    self-induced brain damage, AADD, and early
    onset of alzheimers: that is the man AKA
    George W. Bush. (Why do you think he risked
    censure and/or court martial over failure to
    keep his medical exam appointments with his
    flight surgeon?)

    Be gentle, but be firm (like with a 6 year old).
    Spank his sorry behind back to Crawford, TX, in
    tomorrow's national election.

  14. USAF MASERs VS ... on U.S. Deploys Satellite Jamming System · · Score: 1

    Some up-and-coming third world country's
    version of Reagan's "Brilliant Pebbles"
    weapon (like a 12 gauge shotgun loaded
    with "00", but in space.)

    Somehow, I think a "mesh network" of low
    tech satellites sporting shotguns in space
    will win out over a hi tech MASER weapon.
    They could actually be small enough to get
    lost in a lot of the other space "junk" up
    there.

  15. Only voting once? on Pre-Election Discussion · · Score: 1

    You are obviously not a dedicated
    neo-con Bush supporter. You don't
    really expect all those illegal
    aliens voting to pick up the slack
    for you, do you?
    Slacker!

    I already voted, via absentee ballot.
    I took John Ashcroft and Tom Ridge
    and George Tenet and George W. Bush
    at their word when they said "It isn't
    a matter of IF terrorists will strike
    in the USA again, it's only a matter
    of WHEN." Isn't that supposed to be
    the "October surprise" that W. promised
    us? Isn't that why the FEC floated a
    trial balloon in the press about postponing
    the November elections? You mean to tell
    me that that WASN'T a covert campaign
    promise to the neo-con GOP grassroots?
    Oh my God! W has fooled me again!

  16. I guess this means ... on DoubleClick On The Blocks? · · Score: 1

    that neither Daryl McBride or SCO Group
    will be buying DoubleClick. Somehow, I
    think that they will get bought by a
    front company for the CIA or NSA or DHS,
    rather than any legitimate commercial
    entity like Microsoft or Google.

    The only "cookies" and "spyware" that
    will not be illegal is that used by the
    government to keep an eye on the people.
    Expect the purchase to go through after
    Bush "wins" again, along with the latest
    USA Patriot Act II.

  17. One word -- kaka. on The Votemaster Is...Andrew Tanenbaum · · Score: 1

    Bush, as the "winner" of the 2000 election,
    has used every opportunity to propagandise
    for his position in invading Iraq. This
    is a major source of confusion to the USA
    public, because W's reason for war keeps
    changing (according to the real events on
    Iraqi soil.) It is said that history is
    written by the victors, not the losers.
    That old saw was pre-internet, and past
    Bush pronouncments have come back, in time,
    to haunt him.

    "Major combat operations are over".

    To date, more that 100,000 Iraqi civilians
    have died as a direct result of George W.
    Bush's rash rush to war. USA troops killed
    are now 1,100 plus, with 5 time that many
    seriously wounded. The Iraqi civilian
    infrastructure was nominally operating at
    80% before the war (due to UN sanctions),
    but is now at less than 60%. The primary
    tasks of the US troops was the destruction
    of the Iraqi army, and the seizure of Iraq's
    oil fields & terminals. The composition and
    size of the Coalition Force was tailored to
    those tasks alone, not for bringing peace and
    stability and democracy to the Iraqi people.
    That is also why this Bush/Cheney oil war will
    not succeed, and why a new political leadership
    is needed in the USA. Iraq is not similar to
    Vietnam, it is just exactly like Vietnam. The
    correct description of the Iraq war: QUAGMIRE.
    Bush has destroyed whatever credibility and
    American unity that he garnered after 9-11,
    and is losing both the war on terror and the
    Iraq war at the same time, and from the same
    cause: totally fscking insane mismanagement
    of the strategy, tactics, goals, and exit of
    this war. Iraq has become the locus of terror
    in the Middle East. The vast stores of Iraqi
    conventional weapons have been negligently
    abandoned to the insurgents. US forces were
    not tasked with control and security of Iraq's
    nuclear weapons research facilities, which were
    prompty looted. If the true goals of Bush's
    invasion of Iraq were to secure any/all WMD,
    it doesn't show up in the execution of this war.
    One can only draw the conclusion that this was
    not his real goal there -- actions speak loader
    than words, and Bush's words are pure kaka.

  18. Re:Not the first 20 layer board on World's First Ultra-Thin Multilayer Circuit Board · · Score: 1

    Perhaps not the first 20 layer PCB,
    but perhaps the first one NOT to use
    wirewrap (reflecting on a distant past
    with DEC VAX backplanes and boards).

    One of an earlier generation of prototype
    PWBs was to route out thin wires and epoxy
    over for the next layer -- expensive way to
    get that 9 layer board, but great for 1 ofs.

    Unfortunately (or fortunate for Epson), the
    inkjet printer industry's use of "smart"
    ink cartridges (and the DMCA) will kill off
    any homebrew adaptaion of this technology.
    I have a PostScript HP inkjet printer that
    I would gladly sacrifice for some "silver"
    ink PCB artwork ...

  19. Re:For the Love of God... on 50K Linux Man Bites At Merkey.net · · Score: 1

    Exactly so.

    This Merkey person is obviously one of
    Microsoft's less sharp knives in the
    drawer. But a useful tool, nonetheless.
    Between SCO's McBride and this idiot
    savant, the Microsoft juggernaut's preferred
    tactic of assimilation of competition (by
    destroying the Linux shield of GPL) has
    yet again been revealed.

    Please tell me again how it is that the
    DoJ did not find just cause to carve
    Microsoft up into little pieces? It
    just couldn't have anything to do with
    Gates/Ballmer new appreciation for the
    mother's milk of politics, and how to
    spread that "love" around the neo-con GOP.

  20. Beats reading chicken entrails, on Does Redskins Loss Presage A Kerry Win? · · Score: 1

    but it is also a ridiculous means of
    acertaining the outcome of an election.
    Jeb Bush guaranteed W would win Florida
    in 2000 (and now again in 2004). Diebold's
    CEO has guaranteed that W will win Ohio
    in 2004. Between these assertions, and
    the VOA-RNC voter registration fiascos
    that have been playing out in multiple
    states, I would put my money on a Bush
    "win" (by any means necessary). It isn't
    for nothing that the TX GOP (and Hassert)
    made a complete mockery of redistricting.

    I suspect, however, that a Bush "win" will
    have some serious political and legal
    blowback, not unlike RM Nixon's troubles.
    I will look forward to seeing the whole
    GOP neo-con band of thugs tried before
    the ICC for war crimes, and tried in the
    USA for derelection of duty and treason.

    The 2004 election will not be over until
    the last bullet isi recounted ad nauseum.
    I, for one, welcome our new UN election
    monitor overlords.

  21. DHS is an oxymoron ... on Security Responsibility Without the Authority? · · Score: 1

    Well, I could give you a quite long list,
    but it would be considered OT. Instead,
    consider that DHS settled upon WinXP and
    Server 2K3 for their IT infrastructure.
    Also consider that DHS has NOT been able
    to retain an IT security officer for HQ.

    Be afraid. Be very afraid. The data that
    DHS has on about 50% of the US population
    (and about 25% of the EU population) cannot
    be considered secure. 'Nuff said?

  22. Re:Lack of safety in numbers on NSA Security Guide for Mac OS X · · Score: 1

    Isn't that peculiar. I worked for NASA (as a
    contractor) for nearly five years, and the only
    Mac OS X that I saw was a manager's G.I. laptop
    (as a personal preference). Everything else
    was NT4 workstations migrating to 2K (and
    staying well away from XP). The back-end
    servers were all 2K or 2K3, not *nix, let
    alone linux. The raw telemetry and spacecraft
    (HST) data were all processed on a mix of *nix
    platforms -- HP-UX, SGI, and SUN. The contractor
    was scrambling to migrate these to SUN, and scrap
    the (VME-bus) HP-UX and the SGI's. One of the
    reasons I left (besides end of contract) was
    the prospect of working nearly exclusively on
    Micro$oft boxes.

    I guess it really depends upon which NASA project
    you're on as to what the IT "pointy heads" select
    for their platform of choice.

  23. Re:Of course! on Dept. of Homeland Security Enforces Expired Patent · · Score: 1

    Which is also why Michael Moore's epic
    documentary film "Fahrenheit 9-11" was
    rated "R" (or "Restricted" == 17 or older).
    Can't have youngsters learning to question
    authority before they have been properly
    programmed as witless consumers (of both
    goods & propaganda).

  24. Federal deficit solution #1: on Two New TLD's Near Approval · · Score: 1

    Set up a new TLD called . Organizations
    desiring such a TLD would not pay an annual fee,
    but instead pay $00.05/Connection/Mbyte/Minute.

    Result:
    Total funding of SS and Medicare benefits through
    2178 AD. Ability to provide universal health
    care to every citizen. Total Bush Iraq War and
    Reconstruction funding paid for. Revised the
    tax code to 10% flat income tax.

  25. Also, on The Return of the Sun Workstation, With AMD's Help · · Score: 1

    SGI management made some rather bad business
    decisions (besides WinTel boxen). They
    bought high and sold low on:
    (1) MIPS processor fab,
    (2) Cray Reasearch.
    They followed up more "cost-cutting" with
    the adoption of the Intel Itanium, which
    sucked the spirit out of the company.

    They managed to make some of the best
    servers and workstations around, as well
    as a unix (IRIX) that has a well integrated
    GUI. The difference between sitting in front
    of an SGI and a SUN workstation were like
    day and night. SUN's move from CDE to
    Gnome for their GUI has not been a huge
    success.

    SUN's adoption of the AMD Opteron processor
    does offer some advantages for them -- but
    only in the small (read "commodity") server
    market. I am more excited about SUN's roll-out
    of Solaris 10.