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User: dark+grep

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Comments · 159

  1. Re:sounds simple enough on Creationist Bets $10k In Proposed Literal Interpretation of Genesis Debate · · Score: 2

    A lawyer told me once 'No case is judge proof' - which was very true, as our 'iron clad' case was shot down by the judge because she thought we had been delaying proceedings, whereas it was the other side, and the judge got is mixed up.

  2. Makes a Comeback.... on Direct-to-Vinyl Recording Makes a Comeback (Video) · · Score: 1

    TEN YEARS AGO!

    This news is about as current as 9/11. Double pressed vinal records have been in my local music store for at least the last 10 years,and I first heard about them at least 15 years ago. Turntables have never stopped being manufactured and there have always been specialist high end audio shops selling them, along with valve amps.

  3. Re:The difference between science and religion on Study Finds Universe Is 100 Million Years Older Than Previously Thought · · Score: 1

    "Christianity is the youngest religion on the block and certainly not the largest. What makes their version of the unexplainable the correct one?"

    Except for Islam, which post dates Christianity by about 400 years. There are plenty of 'younger' religions than that too, even if you don't count sects of a main religion. Scientology for example is not even 50 years old.

    Christianity is however the largest religion, with 1/3 of the worlds population, and has the largest single denomination - Roman Catholic - with 1 Billion people.

    Nor are supernatural powers only attributed to ancient leaders. Today, most reigning monarchs are considered to be appointed, and anointed' by God. The King of Thailand is the Avatar of Vishnu. The Emperor of Japan is of divine descent. And anyone beatified is both the provider and receiver of supernatural miracles.

  4. Beta on European Parliament Decides Not To Ban Internet Porn · · Score: 0

    I suppose if a government wanted to go the way of Betamax, banning porn would do it.

  5. Only 99 Years on Bomb Blasts Alter Brain Lipid Levels · · Score: 1

    So it has only taken 99 years to come up with an explanation for what was bleeding obvious since WWI. Shell shock is nothing new.

  6. Time to save on Golden Spike Working On Private Moon Flights · · Score: 1

    I expect something like a 30 year time from project start to launch. Which is good news - because it gives me time to save the $1,4bn. On the other hand, will septuagenarians be able to go?

  7. Obvious High Risk on Experts Warn About Security Flaws In Airline Boarding Passes · · Score: 1

    I don't know about 'hidden codes' - a few years ago I took my family on an around the world trip, traveling west from Australia via Dubai and London. All our US boarding passes were stamped with big red 'SSS' letters, except for my wife, who has a British passport.

    At every security gate my three kids and I got the full treatment of pat-downs and extra screening, even being pulled out of the normal line and taken aside in some cases.

    The reason, I supposed, was because we came to the US from Dubai arriving on the east coast of the US, we clearly posed a 'high risk' in the view of US border protection. My wife, being on a British passport, posed no such risk, coming that way from London.

    The ever alert US border security did prevent my 8yo son bringing a pair of paper scissors into the country.

  8. Re:Handy on Chinese Man Builds His Own Prosthetic Hands · · Score: 3, Funny

    Hey, at least he has come to grips with the digital age.

  9. Handy on Chinese Man Builds His Own Prosthetic Hands · · Score: 2, Funny

    He must have become progressively handy over the years, since he did it himself and no one gave him a hand. I wonder if we will hand off the project now? I guess if nothing else, he has become more handsome as a result of his efforts.

  10. Good Kids on Ask Slashdot: How To Best Setup a School Internet Filter? · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Many years ago I connected an Internet feed for a private girls school - a very conservative, christian, and very well respected one - in Sydney. During the setup I was talking to the Headmistress about if she had any concerns regarding the content the girls might access. I thought her response was particularly enlightened; her comment was something like 'Whatever you try to restrict will make them want to access it more, which they will do secretly and unguided. If we don't make any restrictions then it will never be a big deal, and anything they feel uncomfortable about they can discuss with their teacher. Good kids will know to do the right thing, and all our girls are good.'

    If I had a daughter, I probably would have sent her to that school.

  11. Why so hard? on Indian Prime Minister Formally Announces Mars Mission · · Score: 1

    I don't know why it would be so difficult to put a spacecraft in orbit around Mars, or land on the place. I mean, it's not rocket science... hey, wait a minute...

  12. Hammer and Stripes on Sci-fi Author Harry Harrison Dies at 87 · · Score: 1

    Let's not forget the 'Hammer and the Cross' and the 'Stars and Stripes' series. Both well researched and great alternate history trilogies. Even if he does indulge in a bit of Britt bashing, Stars and Stripes is still one of my favorite Civil War alternate history novels, and as I recall HH was regarded as an authority on that era too.

  13. Yellow and frail on Sci-fi Author Harry Harrison Dies at 87 · · Score: 1

    Very sad to hear this news. He was too one of the authors I most read during my teens. It is clearly time to crack open the yellowing pages of my old paperbacks and give the SSR and Deathworld novels are re-read - possibly the last before they fall apart. Then probably off to Amazon to replace with whatever's available in hard cover. For some reason I would rather pay $50 for hard cover copy of the 'old classics' than $2.50 for the ebook edition.

  14. None at all on Peter Jackson Announces Third Hobbit Movie · · Score: 1

    I don't want to see Jacksons 'interpretation' of Middle Earth. The more I see Jacksons LOTR, the more it irritates me. The parts that follow the book are great, and the casting, effects and cinematography are fantastic. I completely get that things like Tom Bombadil and the scouring of the Shire had to be left out. But it's the things he put in, completely unnecessarily, that cause growing annoyance over time. Dwarf tossing, Orcs swarming like cockroaches, men of Gondor no more than orc fodder. Bah I say.

    It's like Jackson thought 'well here's a pretty good book, by a talented writer, but I am more creative, and I can improve the story.'

    What a conceited idiot he is.

    LOTR was polished and perfected over more than 30 years, by the mind of a shining intellect. LOTR movie is brilliant because of the strength of the story it is based on, and lots and lots of money. LOTR movie totally fails because of what some Kiwi yob with a degree in ego has added to it.

    I am very sad to hear he now wants to spread his ruin to other parts of the tale. He is doing the work of Sauron if you ask me.

  15. The ghost of Phil on Study Finds New Pop Music Does All Sound the Same · · Score: 2

    No pun intended, but Phil Specter knew that 49 years ago. The son 'Da doo Ron Ron' was deliberately made to be the sum of all pop songs, which was the theory behind the Wall of Sound', and IMHO has artistic merit for that point alone.

  16. Jargon makes sense.. on Should Journalists Embrace Jargon? · · Score: 2

    It depends on the audience. A physics review journal or a medical publication for doctors is going to be very unappealing if it's written in laymans terms. On the other hand magazines like New Scientist and Scientific American do a pretty good job of making scientific news accessible to everyone, and take the effort to explain jargon terms when used.

    OTH, IMHO, I LMAO at the irony of where journalism is heading in general. DUCY?

  17. Re:Philanthropy on Melinda Gates Pledges $560 Million For Contraception · · Score: 2

    So your point was?

    My point was; I would like to be rich enough to give away $500M too.

  18. Philanthropy on Melinda Gates Pledges $560 Million For Contraception · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Many may well consider such acts of philanthropy completely altruistic. Whether you agree with the cause or not, only the most cynical of people would view it as 'marketing' or 'self promotion', and even if it actually is that; so what? The people who will benefit from it wont care - it doesn't matter what the motivation for doing it is, the end result is what is important.

    Personally, I think the motivation is truly altruistic and comes from a genuine desire to do good in the world. The point I would make is; anyone 'richer than God' is going to acquire the same philosophy. Why are mega rich people altruistic? Because they can be. When every conceivable want and desire is met, what is left but to be generous to your fellow man?

    I for one would welcome the opportunity to do exactly that myself. If only I had some software I could sell to IBM.

  19. Re:Could not have been... on Has a Biochem Undergrad Solved a Cosmic Radiation Mystery? · · Score: 1

    In those days, the earth was still stationary at the centre of the universe. Under those conditions astronomical phenomena may have only been visible from and effect some parts of the earth and not others. I guess it would depend on which crystal sphere the supernova occurred in.

  20. Re:I couldn't find anything in the Chinese chronic on Has a Biochem Undergrad Solved a Cosmic Radiation Mystery? · · Score: 1

    In those days, the earth was still stationary in the centre of the universe. Under those conditions astronomical phenomena may have only been visible from some parts of the earth and not others.

  21. Voyager return on New Signs Voyager Is Nearing Interstellar Space · · Score: 2

    I thought it had already returned from the Delta quadrant 10 years ago?

  22. Re:Google more powerful than Oz government on Australia Drops Second Google Investigation · · Score: 1

    lol - don't even know what an astroturfer is. Nice title though.

  23. Re:Google more powerful than Oz government on Australia Drops Second Google Investigation · · Score: 0

    I don't know why this got modded down. I live in Australia and it's a perfectly accurate observation. +1 informative.

  24. A fool proof method on Study Finds 1 in 10 Used Hard Drives Contains Old Personal Data · · Score: 2

    A few years ago I resigned from a company on less than perfect terms. They took the laptop I had been using and sent it for forensic analysis (for some paranoid reason I can only guess). Anyway, the day before I left I had reformatted the drive and loaded Ubuntu to replace the Windows 2000 OS that was on there.

    The report from the (so called) forensic lab was that I had 'used powerful encryption to hide the contents of the hard drive'. Hell, I didn't even use a proper overwrite format, just the fast format option.

    So there you go. Either a 10 minute Linux install will beat a professional forensic investigation, or it's proof against fools. I favor the latter.

  25. Sucked in... again on Federal Judge Rules P2P Users Aren't In a Conspiracy · · Score: 2

    It's already April 2 hear, so alert mode for April Fools has been switched off. 2nd story I have been sucked in by. 2nd -1 for off topic too I guess.