Old Lady #1: When my ex-husband passed away, the insurance company said his policy didn't cover him.
Old Lady #2: They didn't have enough money for the funeral.
Old Lady #3: It's so hard nowadays, with all the gangs and rap music..
Old Lady #1: What about the robots?
Old Lady #4: Oh, they're everywhere!
Old Lady #1: I don't even know why the scientists make them.
Old Lady #2: Darren and I have a policy with Old Glory Insurance, in case we're attacked by robots.
Old Lady #1: An insurance policy with a robot plan? Certainly, I'm too old.
Old Lady #2: Old Glory covers anyone over the age of 50 against robot attack, regardless of current health.
[ cut to Sam Waterston, Compensated Endorser ]
Sam Waterson: I'm Sam Waterston, of the popular TV series "Law & Order". As a senior citizen, you're probably aware of the threat robots pose. Robots are everywhere, and they eat old people's medicine for fuel. Well, now there's a company that offers coverage against the unfortunate event of robot attack, with Old Glory Insurance. Old Glory will cover you with no health check-up or age consideration. [ SUPER: Limitied Benefits First Two Years ] You need to feel safe. And that's harder and harder to do nowadays, because robots may strike at any time.
[ show pie chart reading "Cause of Death in Persons Over 50 Years of Age": Heart Disease, 42% - Robots, 58% ]
And when they grab you with those metal claws, you can't break free.. because they're made of metal, and robots are strong. Now, for only $4 a month, you can achieve peace of mind in a world full of grime and robots, with Old Glory Insurance. So, don't cower under your afghan any longer. Make a choice. [ SUPER: "WARNING: Persons denying the existence of Robots may be Robots themselves. ] Old Glory Insurance. For when the metal ones decide to come for you - and they will.
Very cool. I actually got a signed copy of Spirit + Flesh. My mom (of all people...) is good friends with some people that run a local suspension group, and she happened to meet Fakir and got a signed copy for me:)
I'm getting a daith piercing by one of his previous apprentices, and I'd love to get my next branding done by Fakir himself if I can ever coordinate my schedule with his.
You seem to be fairly misinformed. Perhaps I can help you a bit.
First, piercings have a very, very low risk of infection. Not only that, but to do _any_ sort of permenent damage with an infection, it has to have been ignored, as even the very early stages of such a thing are more than noticeable by even the most novice of piercees.
Second, a good number of modified individuals (I won't say most, as there are still a very large number of people getting gunned piercings and going to underground cutters) know what they're going into beforehand. Most people with what you call "extreme" peircings (tongue, labret, eyebrow, etc) do a fairly large amount of research ahead of time. Choosing to do something that is risky, no matter the level of risk, has nothing to do with judgement if they understand the risks involved.
Third, if you're willing to judge people on their look before their capabilities (that does not include being able to simply do the job, that includes being able to communicate with your peers and your superiors) then I'd say that your judgement is quite poor.
It seems that there's just as strong an anti-modification community as there is a pro-modification community. That said, the pro-modification community seems to be far more open-minded and do a lot more research rather than spout opinions as facts. (Although this post was a lot of opinion, I believe it was represented as such)
I think everyone needs to take a look in the mirror and see that a lot of the things we accuse others of, we are guilty of ourselves. None of us are exempt from this.
It is quite difficult to do it well, to be honest. I'd recommend anyone interested in branding themselves or others check out Fakir's Intensive course. It's very hands-on and I've heard just fantastic things about it.
Keep in mind that this is coming from a very experienced 17 year-old developer that's just now starting to work in an office, who is also fairly heavily pierced.
First, I believe that being professional has more to do with your actions and your association with your co-workers and the higher-ups. That said, there's a time and a place for everything. I agree that in certain situations, modifications simply aren't appropriate. If you deal with customers who are, for the most part, against modifications, then yes you should take them out. I also believe that you have absolutely no right to a job, and that if you don't agree with the dress code, you shouldn't be there.
Second, you seem to have a very limited view on why people are modified. As I said, I'm fairly heavily pierced, and I also have a number of pieces of scarificiation. Most of the piercings are done due to liking the feeling or the look. Most of the scars are done to indicate something in my life (the death of a family member, getting a new job, etc). I can't say I completely understand the reasons why many people get modified, but I try and keep an open mind to them.
Third, why is it sad? You seem to think that anything that is considered to be a deviation from the norm is a bad thing. Sure, many people do it for the purposes of "rebelling" and in doing so conform to yet another group, but many of us simply do it for ourselves. We enjoy being modified, and we enjoy getting modified.
I liken the body modification community to that of the opensource community. There are many people working on all sorts of different things, for a variety of reasons. Any attempt to group everyone together will fail. The same can be said of the body modification community.
Please, at least attempt to see the point of vew of others before you make sweeping generalizations, if you must make them at all. If you'd like to educate yourself more on the issues at hand, http://www.bmezine.com/ is a great resource.
Not true. Posting links (or the content itself) to a device used to circumvent copyright protection (e.g. an application like DeCSS) is covered under the DMCA, but you can describe a method with no issue. This is why plaintext descriptions of CSS are completely legal.
The majority of the Skype protocol has been reverse-engineered. There's a paper on it available at.
That said, you're correct about it using a patented algorithm for its audio compression. Perhaps they'd be willing to give a Free license to said algorithm... doubtful, but possible.
Speaking from the standpoint of someone who does a lot of reverse-engineering (PyMusique/pyTunes was my baby) I'd say that 99% of the time, neither of those methods are neccesary. Usually you can get what you need from either the source or destination directly. Most people seem to overestimate security in computer systems.
I just can't wait for "quantum cryptography" to be used for DRM keys so we can have a bit of fun;)
This is far from an "unhackable code". In fact, it's not even a code. Please stop thinking that "quantum cryptography" is a form of cryptography. It's simply an interception-resistant media.
Please don't forget the contributions of the other developers. I founded the project and wrote the majority of the code. Jon came in and rewrote a lot of it, but he by no means "wrote musique". None of us did.
What they do is encrypt the file with the rijndael cipher before-hand. The key is given to you in the XML from the store when you purchase it, and the IV is the first 16 bytes of the file that results.
ALAC has absolutely nothing to do with the MPEG-4 lossless encoding. (I should know, as I worked on the decoder as well. See the authors list on the site) This is a common misconception that having an opensource decoder (and encoder soon... I have a prototype already) will hopefully fix.
(I came up with a hackish solution that will work while we work on this stuff, but we need something permanent, which only getting the private key will give us)
What you've described is precisely how multicast DNS (mDNS... branded Rendezvous (now Bonjour) by Apple) does service broadcasting and browsing.
You have a name for the service (foobar.raop_.apple.local. or whatever) and txt records to go along with the service (and an optional service name like 'My webserver')
I'm most productive on Linux. All of the tools I need are either already installed or just an emerge away, I am able to work without things like spyware and viruses getting in my way, and I can run everything I need and more.
In addition, I can use a WM like ratpoison which allows me to work even more efficiently, as well as nest another window manager (usually wmaker) inside it if I need to work with certain applications like The GIMP.
I believe in using the right tool for the job, and Linux is definitely right for me.
Actually, I'm pretty sure Aenima by Tool would be better.
Some say a comet will fall from the sky Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves Followed by faultlines that cannot sit still Followed by billions of dumbfounded dipshits.
Slashdot Mirror
Old Lady #1: When my ex-husband passed away, the insurance company said his policy didn't cover him. Old Lady #2: They didn't have enough money for the funeral. Old Lady #3: It's so hard nowadays, with all the gangs and rap music.. Old Lady #1: What about the robots? Old Lady #4: Oh, they're everywhere! Old Lady #1: I don't even know why the scientists make them. Old Lady #2: Darren and I have a policy with Old Glory Insurance, in case we're attacked by robots. Old Lady #1: An insurance policy with a robot plan? Certainly, I'm too old. Old Lady #2: Old Glory covers anyone over the age of 50 against robot attack, regardless of current health. [ cut to Sam Waterston, Compensated Endorser ] Sam Waterson: I'm Sam Waterston, of the popular TV series "Law & Order". As a senior citizen, you're probably aware of the threat robots pose. Robots are everywhere, and they eat old people's medicine for fuel. Well, now there's a company that offers coverage against the unfortunate event of robot attack, with Old Glory Insurance. Old Glory will cover you with no health check-up or age consideration. [ SUPER: Limitied Benefits First Two Years ] You need to feel safe. And that's harder and harder to do nowadays, because robots may strike at any time. [ show pie chart reading "Cause of Death in Persons Over 50 Years of Age": Heart Disease, 42% - Robots, 58% ] And when they grab you with those metal claws, you can't break free.. because they're made of metal, and robots are strong. Now, for only $4 a month, you can achieve peace of mind in a world full of grime and robots, with Old Glory Insurance. So, don't cower under your afghan any longer. Make a choice. [ SUPER: "WARNING: Persons denying the existence of Robots may be Robots themselves. ] Old Glory Insurance. For when the metal ones decide to come for you - and they will.
Very cool. I actually got a signed copy of Spirit + Flesh. My mom (of all people...) is good friends with some people that run a local suspension group, and she happened to meet Fakir and got a signed copy for me :)
I'm getting a daith piercing by one of his previous apprentices, and I'd love to get my next branding done by Fakir himself if I can ever coordinate my schedule with his.
You seem to be fairly misinformed. Perhaps I can help you a bit.
First, piercings have a very, very low risk of infection. Not only that, but to do _any_ sort of permenent damage with an infection, it has to have been ignored, as even the very early stages of such a thing are more than noticeable by even the most novice of piercees.
Second, a good number of modified individuals (I won't say most, as there are still a very large number of people getting gunned piercings and going to underground cutters) know what they're going into beforehand. Most people with what you call "extreme" peircings (tongue, labret, eyebrow, etc) do a fairly large amount of research ahead of time. Choosing to do something that is risky, no matter the level of risk, has nothing to do with judgement if they understand the risks involved.
Third, if you're willing to judge people on their look before their capabilities (that does not include being able to simply do the job, that includes being able to communicate with your peers and your superiors) then I'd say that your judgement is quite poor.
It seems that there's just as strong an anti-modification community as there is a pro-modification community. That said, the pro-modification community seems to be far more open-minded and do a lot more research rather than spout opinions as facts. (Although this post was a lot of opinion, I believe it was represented as such)
I think everyone needs to take a look in the mirror and see that a lot of the things we accuse others of, we are guilty of ourselves. None of us are exempt from this.
It is quite difficult to do it well, to be honest. I'd recommend anyone interested in branding themselves or others check out Fakir's Intensive course. It's very hands-on and I've heard just fantastic things about it.
Alright, I'll bite.
Keep in mind that this is coming from a very experienced 17 year-old developer that's just now starting to work in an office, who is also fairly heavily pierced.
First, I believe that being professional has more to do with your actions and your association with your co-workers and the higher-ups. That said, there's a time and a place for everything. I agree that in certain situations, modifications simply aren't appropriate. If you deal with customers who are, for the most part, against modifications, then yes you should take them out. I also believe that you have absolutely no right to a job, and that if you don't agree with the dress code, you shouldn't be there.
Second, you seem to have a very limited view on why people are modified. As I said, I'm fairly heavily pierced, and I also have a number of pieces of scarificiation. Most of the piercings are done due to liking the feeling or the look. Most of the scars are done to indicate something in my life (the death of a family member, getting a new job, etc). I can't say I completely understand the reasons why many people get modified, but I try and keep an open mind to them.
Third, why is it sad? You seem to think that anything that is considered to be a deviation from the norm is a bad thing. Sure, many people do it for the purposes of "rebelling" and in doing so conform to yet another group, but many of us simply do it for ourselves. We enjoy being modified, and we enjoy getting modified.
I liken the body modification community to that of the opensource community. There are many people working on all sorts of different things, for a variety of reasons. Any attempt to group everyone together will fail. The same can be said of the body modification community.
Please, at least attempt to see the point of vew of others before you make sweeping generalizations, if you must make them at all. If you'd like to educate yourself more on the issues at hand, http://www.bmezine.com/ is a great resource.
Here is some good info. This covers both tattoos and piercings.
Not true. Posting links (or the content itself) to a device used to circumvent copyright protection (e.g. an application like DeCSS) is covered under the DMCA, but you can describe a method with no issue. This is why plaintext descriptions of CSS are completely legal.
The majority of the Skype protocol has been reverse-engineered. There's a paper on it available at .
That said, you're correct about it using a patented algorithm for its audio compression. Perhaps they'd be willing to give a Free license to said algorithm... doubtful, but possible.
MS doesn't use the "release early, release often" methodology.
The way data is encoded is no moreso a code than PCM audio is, and we don't call that aural encryption ;)
Speaking from the standpoint of someone who does a lot of reverse-engineering (PyMusique/pyTunes was my baby) I'd say that 99% of the time, neither of those methods are neccesary. Usually you can get what you need from either the source or destination directly. Most people seem to overestimate security in computer systems. I just can't wait for "quantum cryptography" to be used for DRM keys so we can have a bit of fun ;)
This is far from an "unhackable code". In fact, it's not even a code. Please stop thinking that "quantum cryptography" is a form of cryptography. It's simply an interception-resistant media.
Please don't forget the contributions of the other developers. I founded the project and wrote the majority of the code. Jon came in and rewrote a lot of it, but he by no means "wrote musique". None of us did.
What they do is encrypt the file with the rijndael cipher before-hand. The key is given to you in the XML from the store when you purchase it, and the IV is the first 16 bytes of the file that results.
There is no "private key" that has to do with the iTMS encryption. Read http://www.asleep.net/blog/Daeken/2004/08/24/315/
Actually, that was a mistake on my behalf... well, it certainly feels like it's been long enough to hit version 1.0!
You're very, very far off.
ALAC has absolutely nothing to do with the MPEG-4 lossless encoding. (I should know, as I worked on the decoder as well. See the authors list on the site)
This is a common misconception that having an opensource decoder (and encoder soon... I have a prototype already) will hopefully fix.
Not yet. There are people working to integrate it into ffmpeg/libavcodec... from there it should work in MPlayer at least.
We need the private key to intercept the stream.
(I came up with a hackish solution that will work while we work on this stuff, but we need something permanent, which only getting the private key will give us)
What you've described is precisely how multicast DNS (mDNS... branded Rendezvous (now Bonjour) by Apple) does service broadcasting and browsing. You have a name for the service (foobar.raop_.apple.local. or whatever) and txt records to go along with the service (and an optional service name like 'My webserver')
I'm most productive on Linux. All of the tools I need are either already installed or just an emerge away, I am able to work without things like spyware and viruses getting in my way, and I can run everything I need and more.
In addition, I can use a WM like ratpoison which allows me to work even more efficiently, as well as nest another window manager (usually wmaker) inside it if I need to work with certain applications like The GIMP.
I believe in using the right tool for the job, and Linux is definitely right for me.
> "Flood" by Tool
Actually, I'm pretty sure Aenima by Tool would be better.
Some say a comet will fall from the sky
Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves
Followed by faultlines that cannot sit still
Followed by billions of dumbfounded dipshits.
Only Janet Jackson's.
I'll send them to you, but only if you give me your studnet ID. I've been looking for studs all day.
Because a _lot_ of the work is done in the driver.