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User: DeanFox

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Comments · 316

  1. Re:They Were Right - I Was Wrong on Man Tries To Use Explosive Device On US Flight · · Score: 1


    Thank you, no. I'll wait for the Daily News version where John Stewart can summarize their hilarity in 6 minutes or less.

    BTW: Why are you people always cowards posting anonymously? Nevermind. The question answered itself :)

  2. Re:They Were Right - I Was Wrong on Man Tries To Use Explosive Device On US Flight · · Score: 1


    I went to a smoking lounge at an airport pulled out my Bic lighter and lit up. Another passenger fiddling with matches asked "How did you get that past security?" ..."In my pocket". How much metal does a Bic lighter have anyway? Apparently not enough to set off the alarms... Anyway, I digress.

    Maybe the sky isn't falling and it wasn't thermite. Maybe it was just something simple that could cause a fire easily put out with fire extinguishers. You know, like what really happened.

    You know, like maybe it wasn't a thermonuclear device - which will probably come next in the what it "could" be catagory. Maybe instead it was what it was. Something that caused a small fire limited to emasculating the person it was strapped to? Maybe it did exactly what it was designed to do?

    I know, how silly of me. It was really a nucular (that's how they say it, right?) device that we, God thank you, was saved from by the miraculous heroics of another passenger. His book will be available within four months. We are lucky to be alive! But next time... we'll probably all perish.

    -[d]-

  3. Re:They Were Right - I Was Wrong on Man Tries To Use Explosive Device On US Flight · · Score: 1


    Yep, you are right; I am wrong. I guess thats what they get for ignoring the "Made in China" label of quality.

  4. Gives a new Definition to Flaiming Queen on Man Tries To Use Explosive Device On US Flight · · Score: 1


    The "hero" pulled a flaming object from his pants and tossed it asside...
    The passenger identified as Nigerian named Abdul Mudallad - now known as Mrs. Mudallad...

  5. They Were Right - I Was Wrong on Man Tries To Use Explosive Device On US Flight · · Score: 1

    ... allegedly attempted to set off a small explosive device --

    My family and I are at odds. My favorite story is watching a grandmother get shaken down at the airport. Knitting needles handled like they were weapons, the hand-held scanner sounding like a horse cat in heat scowling at her huge coat buttons and costume jewelry. I was appalled.

    I can hear my family now. I was wrong. AN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE son, - a bomb! I can also already hear myself - ...But it was a firecracker, you know a firecracker? That even if you hold on to it, it only hurts the one holding it? You know... TNT measured in micro-grams?

    But my best arguments weren't enough before this incident, they certainly won't be enough now. They'll probably be demanding all civil rights now be suspended "for our safety". ...I can't even imagine what Faux News is doing with this one. They must be have a hayday.

    It was a friggin firecracker for Christ's sake.

    -[d]-

  6. An Asteroid is the Least of Our Problems on The Social Difficulty of Saving Earth From an Asteroid · · Score: 1


    "When it comes to stopping a cataclysmic Earth vs." {anything}... We can't agree.

    We're coming up on a perfect storm -
    Used up more than half of all the oil in less than one generation.
    With modern farming this planet can only support about 6.5 - 7 billion (where we are at now) and that's going to double.
    Using all that oil has released all the primordial CO2 gases back in the atmosphere that took billions years to remove back in the atmosphere which will change the growing seasons and locations affecting both farming and likely negating the possibility of supporting a doubling of the population.
    Pollution and over development has already destroyed fresh water resources for hundreds of millions - Spain is already shipping in fresh water from other countries. And half the population (current numbers) will not have access to fresh water in 50 years - but by that time the population will have almost doubled so those numbers are probably moot.

    And this is only the "cold front" of the perfect storm that's coming - And they're worried about a friggin asteroid?! Frankly, IMHO, an asteroid is exactly what this planet needs right about now.

    -[d]-

  7. Title on Do You Hate Being Called an "IT Guy?" · · Score: 1


    All new hires get the title: Imperial Grand Master or Stuff and pay them $200k a year and see if they care.

    I'm a fairly talented guy and I'm not sure I could work for you or anyone else so into "titles" and "diplomas". I remember political fights in one job because a front-end Director had more power than a back-end Director: I.E. Director of XYZ as opposed to XYZ Director. I couldn't find a new job fast enough.

    One V.P. I worked with 60+ years old boasted almost monthly of his "degree", I don't recall, maybe it was a M.A. One meeting I calmly stated that what he was learning in college 45 years ago I was learning in High School 10 years ago. Our meetings went much smoother after that.

    It's just my opinion but if you can only retain your version of "top talent" by giving them "titles" you're in for a wold of hurt on release day.

    -[d]-

  8. How About Those on Wikipedia Disputes Editor Exodus Claims · · Score: 2, Interesting

    And then there are those who won't even try. I have subjects I could contribute too. But a wise man might be described as someone who doesn't make the same mistake once.

    I heard long ago complaints about elitism and the elitist top grand master guru cabal who control the website. New comers are scoffed, 'good 'ol boy' network prevails.

    I suspect the editors who are still left are well suited for their post - elitist power hungry control freaks who validate themselves stepping on others. I want nothing to do with them. [Citation Needed] and [Marked For Deletion] have become memes I suspect from people who have been burned by the wikipedia process and the control freaks who consider themselves demigods.

    I pass. The frustration I hear from others who have tried to contribute I won't accept in my life let alone seek it out. The expertise I have in a subject or two will never make it to wikipedia. I won't even bother to get started.

    -[d]-

  9. Wikipedia Disputes Editor Exodus Claims on Wikipedia Disputes Editor Exodus Claims · · Score: 2, Funny


    [Citation Needed]
    A more robust citation is needed. Marked for Deletion.

  10. Too Late on Software Piracy At the Workplace? · · Score: 3, Informative


    It sounds clear they're not going to change business practices. There's always reporting them to the BSE or some other software piracy watchdog then going through a very painful (from what I hear) audit. You've already made known pirated software bothers you and if all of a sudden a watchdog group shows at your door with a warrant or whatever they use... You're screwed as far as continuing with this company. Likely you'll be fired for some unrelated subjective cause.

    You can shut-up and look the other way or you can leave and report them. You cannot force them to change, you cannot report them and stay. Do your own math...

    -[d]-

  11. Problems Here on Some Early Adopters Stung By Ubuntu's Karmic Koala · · Score: 1


    Moving to 9.04 I could hardly tell the difference. 9.04 to 9.10 - Different story. Immediately started to see a *lot* of crash reports being generated. A *lot* in Ubuntu terms is any number greater than zero.

    However, I have to say. A tweak here and a tweak there and everything seems back to normal. A crash report took me to a blog where the solution had already been found: Turn on ECC Memory in the BIOS was one fix. Conky, a real time desktop updating display thing was crashing... unload and reinstall... A couple other tweaks and my server was back to normal. Another was I couldn't switch workspaces any more with my mouse wheel. The fix was I had to install a GUI control manager and change two values...

    What makes this extraordinary, it seems to me, is this has never happened with Ubuntu before. An upgrade was nothing more than push a button. Post upgrade tweaks are fairly normal with other distros but it's never been with Ubunto.

    In the Windows world what I went through is the equivalent to finding a few new drivers for a couple devices after going from Vista to whatever their new version is...

    But from what I've seen so far this has been worth every tweak I had to make. All the changes I've seen so far are extraordinary. I am in awe. :)

    As is everything else... JMHO
    -[d]-

  12. Re:Public Storage on An Inbox Is Not a Glove Compartment · · Score: 1


    I see. A Master lock only I have the key too and a password only I know are so completely different one requires a warrant and the other does not.

    Because, the owner of a ISP would need to go to his administrator and administrators don't need to know my password to see what's behind the door. A Public Storage owner would need to go to a locksmith and locksmiths don't need my key as they have every Master lock key by number to see what's behind the door.

    That's why they are so completely different one requires a warrant and the other does not. Because one would need a computer administrator and the other a locksmith.

    I would have never have seen this remarkable difference my by myself without you pointing it out. I probably missed it because you're an administrator who gives me the impression looks through peoples email accounts "because you can" thinking that makes it alright. I on the other hand I do not because, well, it's just wrong and immoral. Not only that you like to quote people like: The law is not meant to protect the idiots. Sir, I don't think you're being very well protected.

    This conversation is over, my friend. Have a good one, it's been fun but you're tiring.

    Ciao!
    -[d]-

  13. Re:Public Storage on An Inbox Is Not a Glove Compartment · · Score: 1


    I see. So Google Email has a copy, a plaintext copy, and knows my account password? Hmmm, I didn't know that. I'm so glad that your clear thinking straightened that out for me. Thank you.

    And that, "because it's easier to do it makes it different" thing really got me thinking too. Can't thank you enough.

  14. Public Storage on An Inbox Is Not a Glove Compartment · · Score: 2, Insightful


    So I rent space at a Public Storage facility that only I have the key to for $xx a month. In this 20'x20' storage facility, locker, room, whatever you want to call it are my personal belongings including boxes and boxes of personal financial statements, letters, etc. no different than if I had them at home in the attic had I the space.

    Because I have my belongings stored with a "third party" they do not need a search warrant to search my off site storage facility? I thought they did. If they do, how is this different than me storing bits and bites in a storage facility owned by a third party? Because they're bits and bytes rather than phyiscal boxes of documents?

    How is this different than my apartment? The storage facility labeled APT 2B in building six is owned by a third party. So the apartment where I live can be searched without a warrant? You know... My home is not paid for. Technically it's still owned by the bank, a third party...

    As far as solving all this computer usage eavesdropping and abuse when (in the $@#%@#) are we as programmers going to make encryption ubiquitous. Nothing is on a drive, sent via whatever protocol in the TCP/IP stack, email, P2P that isn't encrypted. Upon OS installation, like the user password we ask for an user/OS passphrase or whatever it takes that nothing and I mean nothing is available in cleartext on the server, in the cloud or traveling over a wire? When? The ASCII standard is what should be made illegal. This is one problem we CAN solve.

    JMHO
    -[d]-

  15. No, you're not being just paranoid on Heart Monitors In Middle School Gym Class? · · Score: 1


    You're not being paranoid for recognizing patterns, remembering history and knowing the motivations of those around you. Frankly I'd tell the school my child doesn't need one and then sign the required waver I'll never sue if Johnny drops during track and field.

    With that said, heart rate monitors are a great tool to teach a child about exercise. Lessons most likely remembered and used the rest of his/her life. Buy two and spend some time with your child.

    Is it for profit? Yes. Some entrepreneur got a great idea and sold it to the districts. Can even be used to defend against wrongful death lawsuits. (motivation)
    Will the data be personalized and retained? Yes. (history)
    Will this data be used "against" your family? Not yet. That probably won't happen for 10+ years. (pattern)

    -[d]-

  16. Let The Owner on Tracking Stolen Gadgets — Manufacturers' New Dilemma · · Score: 1


    Let the owner of the device have some control over it's operation. When I buy [rent] a book from my Amazon user account it would downloaded to the device(s) I bought and have registered to that account. The device by serial number, MAC or whatever is obviously tied to that account.

    Have a 'device' tab on the account giving the user some control over the device. Like a login display message I can set. I could set it to "This Device is Stolen, Contact XYZ..." Maybe allow me to deactivate that device from further updates. I'm the owner, give me some control of my device from my Amazon user account I use to rent books for it.

    The only thing they'd have to resolve is device transfer to another account. They could do the same thing registrars do with domains. Give me, the owner, a transfer confirmation number that must be entered into the receiving account for the transfer to occur. If the transfer confirmation number is entered then the new account now has control over the device.

    If after I sell the device on ebay I refuse to release the transfer authorization that's a civil matter between parties. Amazon could waive responsibility until theirs a court order. I'd be more confident to buy the product because it is theft proof in that the device is useless if stolen. I'd still control the device. Seems simple to me and a great for marketing plus the owners would be responsible to device-to-account maintenance relieving the manufacture from the process.

    -[d]-

  17. Re:Reasonable Doubt on Terrorists Convicted With Help of NSA E-mail Intercepts · · Score: 2, Interesting


    I wonder why the reverse is never true.

    I write an email saying that I'm going to go assassinate someone. Then while under observation they see me leave to go grocery shopping. They never seem to tie the two together that what I "really" meant in my email about killing someone is that what I really said is that I was going shopping. But then that would be unreasonable wouldn't it? Laughable. The reverse however, some people do find reasonable and that I find laughable. I'm just not afraid.

    I'm one of those jurors who'd never convict based on circumstantial evidence. I'd even go as far and say I'm the juror you'd want on your jury if you were ever facing an accusation.

    -[d]-

  18. Re:Reasonable Doubt on Terrorists Convicted With Help of NSA E-mail Intercepts · · Score: 1

    Do you understand nothing about code breaking?

    Do you not understand anything about our judicial system?

    From your own link:

    Of course it may turn out that the Japanese are pulling our leg...

    I'll trust our commanders that their doubt was reasonable. However, in our judicial system we cannot have doubt that's reasonable. The prosecutions evidence must be beyond that. Beyond reasonable doubt. You sir, I would not want on my jury. It's those who think like you who have put hundreds of innocent people on death row of whom we've saved precious few.

    -[d]-

  19. Reasonable Doubt on Terrorists Convicted With Help of NSA E-mail Intercepts · · Score: 2, Insightful
    I don't know if you have reasonable doubt in the UK but if I were a juror I would need more proof than a prosecutors interpretation of the email.

    EMAIL:

    Hey good looking! Had a great time last night at your party! Hope to see you again soon!

    PROSECUTOR:

    This means they successfully completed advanced training at their facility and are planning more training later in the month at the facility in Afghanistan.

    I have doubt that the prosecutor is just making this shit up and I believe my doubt to be reasonable.

    Therefor, as far as I'm concerned this is evidence of nothing except a thank you for a good time at a party. If the prosecutor had "translation table" they obtained from another intercept then that's different but as it stands... They'd have to do better than "let me tell you what it really says"...

    -[d]-

  20. Re:Blood in the water on Korean DDoS Bots To Self-Destruct · · Score: 1


    "So this is how liberty dies...with thunderous applause."

  21. Skipe on Murdoch Paper Reporters Eavesdropped On Celebrities' Voicemail · · Score: 2, Insightful


    Murdock. Rupert Murdock? Wasn't Skype taken over by Rupert Murdoch? Skipe having backdoors that allow undetected eavesdropping? I always wondered what he wanted with Skipe. Now I see the whatever billions he paid for Skipe turning out to be just an old man with a toy.

  22. Reminds me of Kosinski on Steorn's "Free Energy" Jury Comes Back To Bite Them · · Score: 1


    If they're not all careful they may find themselves _Where Bo One Has Gone Before_. http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Kosinski

  23. Circumcision on NIH Spends $400K To Figure Out Why Men Don't Like Condoms · · Score: 1


    Maybe with enough studies like this circumcision rates in the US will continue to drop. If they're looking for it I'm sure they'll find a correlation between condom use and circumcision with complaints of sensitivity.

    Here's a decent link to circumcision rates by region: http://www.cirp.org/library/statistics/USA/ Combined, 73% - 81% are still being cut in the USA. In 1932 around 30% of the USA populations was circumcised. It seems to have peaked in 1965 and will hopefully continue to drop. But it's studies like this that get things going.

  24. Cynicism on RIAA Wants To Bar Jammie From Making Objections · · Score: 1

    let me assure you this motion has nothing to do with the American judicial system; ...snowball in Hell of being granted... , ...that too is doomed."

    I admire your confidence in our legal system. It's kinda cute and adorable :) I'll wait for the rulings. Just this last week I've seen rulings from appointed judges that simply defy reality that were, of course, in favor of their appointees. People seem to be people as hard as one wishes they'd rise to their office.

    You're a very smart and educated man. You're probably right. My lack of judicial knowledge and experience however, affords me some cynicism of the outcome. Frankly the trial shouldn't have made it this far. That's argument one in my favor :)

    -[d]-

  25. Re:My domain on What Do You Do With a Personal Domain? · · Score: 1


    The professional editor missed it probably going cross eyed reading such a harsh assault on their eyes. I think if you made the font color bright green it would only marginally be harder to read. The cool effect is after closing your page there's an after image that lasts 10-15 seconds! Did you pay extra for that?