1) I'd bet real money that you're not cleaning all the spyware off your parent's PC, which is why it keeps coming back even though they use Firefox. Firefox isn't the problem -- Windows is the problem. Some spwayre leaves pieces on the hard drive, a part of the program you can't remove from within Windows, for the same reason and using the same 'Windows feature' which doesn't allow you to remove the '\System Volume Information' folder from within Windows. Get the connection?
2) Cleaning spyware off your parents PC (or, in your case, the failure to do so), does not make you an expert on spyware or antispyware programming. It only qualifies you to have your comments ignored, which is what I would've done if I'd known you didn't have a clue. Your posts have shown you have very limited knowledge of the subject, and I'm wondering why you even bother posting such ridiculous nonsense. Furthermore, I'm wondering why I'm even bothering to reply to your posts.
Try fixing your parents up with a Linux box, and see whether they get spyware... they won't! Go here and try this: http://www.knoppix.com/. Linux *IS* usable by non-computer experts. More so than Windows, with its virus/worm/spyware/adware security issues.
Otherwise, just keep doing what you're doing and keep posting useless ignorant drivel to slashdot. You'll be satisfied, and you'll doubtless get lots of comments about your posts.
Maybe you can't remove them, but I can remove anything that's on my system.
Try removing the "\System Information Folder" from within Windows.
I fail to see how an open-source kernel makes the creation of products to clean spyware any easier.
I can see how your lack of knowledge would make you fail to see that.
It "suffers" from the ones that matter, namely the ability to allow users to execute unsigned software on one's machine.
Actually, the ones that matter run under Internet Explorer and Outlook Express. Fully 95% of the spyware that cause problems for the end user (like Cool Web Search, etc) install via security holes in IE/OE. As you know, IE/OE only runs under Windows, IE/OE are part of the OS, IE/OE are required for Windows Update, and IE/OE are not un-installable.
Executing unsigned software is not the issue, users that click yes to the 'Do you want to run...' deserve what they get. Those aren't the spyware I'm talking about -- generally those aren't the ones that cause the problems.
I have yet to see a Linux distro that will execute items without user notification, while I see this time and again using IE/OE in regards to virus, spyware, and email attachments.
If that were true it'd be a bug, not a feature...
I never claimed it was a feature. It's a consequence of not having identical distibutions for all Linux. Homogulation is beneficial to spyware and virus. Being able to program for a single OS (Windows XP) as opposed to programming for an endless array of possible OS based on the same kernel (Linux distros) makes their job much easier.
Throw in the mix an endless array of exploitable security issues (Windows) and their job becomes child's play. What do you think spyware uses now to install in Windows? They use bugs, not features.
The vast majority of linux distros use one of a very few systems for bootup.
The boot loader isn't the point of infection any spyware or virus would use for Linux, because its the most locked down for any distro during normal Linux use.
The point of infection would be the user space in Linux, and nearly every distro has minor differences in where programs get started automatically, where settings are stored, etc.
Every desktop for Linux has vast differences in both capability and configuration.
All this adds up to a system that's difficult to program for illicit products like spyware.
So, Spyware makers would need the help of the Linux community in general to get their products to work. That's something that, given enough money, might happen, but there'll be even more in the Linux community working against them.
Using a nintendo solves the spyware problem too...
I'm not sure what point you're making here, but there are Linux distros that run on Nintendo boxes, and connect to the Internet. Virutally spyware proof they are...
The complete removal of spyware can be very difficult;
1) Some 'Spyware Shops' actively mutate their products, to thwart removal programs and those removal instructions available on the 'net.
2) More tenacious spware programs cannot be removed from within Windows. They also have components that check settings in Windows, and make sure their settings are always present and correct. They can also involve components that, after a period of time, re-download and re-install spyware that's been removed.
That's not to say that Symantec couldn't provide a removal solution, but its typically a more involved task as these programs are installing via accepted methods typically as a trojan within another software product -- There's not going to be a patch available that's going to stop the re-installation...
3) There's a litigation factor involved. Many spyware makers set about suing companies that call their programs 'spyware', and suing companies that provide removal instructions or expertise that would violate the terms of the license agreement that accompanied the product that originally trojaned the spyware onto the users PC. No matter the suits are outrageous and maybe unfounded, they're still expensive to defend against.
So, Symantec's position of not removing certain spyware might have several reasons behind it.
Linux is the answer, and you don't need to lock down anything. While Windows has a built-in affinity for Spyware (you can't even remove many spyware suites from within Windows, no matter how hard you try), Linux has a built-in resistance to spyware because...
1) Linux is open-source, making the creation of products that'll clean spyware infinitely easier 2) Linux doesn't suffer from the limitless vulnerabilities present in Windows and IE that make it such an easy target for spyware. 3) Even if one did want to create spyware for Linux, they'd likely need to create a version for each Linux distro out there, as minor differences in each distro make even getting legit apps to run prove challenging without the assistance of people or faqs or other info from the originator of the distro.
Where to begin. I suppose I have to rip apart everything you said one at a time.
Read and understand your lengthy, rambling, off-topic tirade passed off as a rebuttal... just wanted to know if or when you're actually going to rebutt anything said in the original post? You know, with facts rather than your opinion, arguments rather than your cynicism, and links to sources... the things reasonable people of better than sub-human intellegence generally use to hold meaningful discussions.
The windmill idea does work, as countless cultures the world over have proven for over 2000 years with the building of Water Wheel powered mills of all types and sizes. Here's an illustration for those more visually inclined: http://www.angelfire.com/journal/millbuilder/album 6.html
Water, flows downhill past and interacting with a wheel, which is connected to and turns a variety of mechanical contraptions to provide work. The water is replaced at the top of the run by precipitation or a natural spring (or in some cases a man-made contraption). If a natural replenishment of water, then the resulting system would be a pollution-free generator of power.
But, in your post: '... this energy would never cease to exist...', well there we have a problem. That's not how it works.
We need the water to flow downhill, the exit end of the tube must be lower than the entrance (it will not flow uphill... well, actually it will, if the tube were small enough, but then it won't flow out...), and then we need a mechanism to input energy into the system to move the water back up to the top of the run. The energy input in this effort is greater than the energy that is generated by the wheel (due to friction loss and a host of other less significant factors).
The same holds true for my example. It is not a perpetual motion machine. The sun is providing most of the energy to move the water back to the top of the run -- more energy than we can get out. But, the sun is a good source of clean energy...
You're overlooking an important fact regarding Burst product sales: Sales would likely be larger if Microsoft had paid for the rights to distribute their technology...
In the US, every lawsuit is a threat. Even frivilous ones. I think Burst has a case based more on M$ action in discovery than they had in their original argument.
It's likely because M$ decided it was worth the risk to disobey a court order, because the evidence gleened from discovery would've been very damaging...
I'm not sure there are even 5 posters here that know what the heck they're talking about.
1) Mark Hyman (http://www.newscentral.tv/station/bios/mhyman.sht ml) from Sinclair (http://sbgweb2.sbgnet.com/index.shtml) says they haven't finalized anything, but they're thinking about an hour-long show with 30 minutes of clips from the Stolen Honor documentary, and 30 minutes of discussion with Senator Kerry, if he's interested. Or 40 minutes with Kerry and 20 minutes of clips...
2) It's not a 90min documentary -- the Stolen Honor video is a 40min documentary
3) It's a real documentary, with real evidence and real witnesses that backup statements in the film. Not a bunch of made up crapola backed up by manufactured evidence like Micheal-Moore-Money's media-pollution extravaganzas.
4) Most of the pro-Kerry-anti-Bush posters here haven't seen the film, don't know anything about it other than its Vietnam War POWs and Vets, but are against it airing. Why? Because they know the content will be bad for Kerry. How to they know that? Because what Kerry did in the early 70's was bad.
Personally, I'm hoping they can get some Vets and POWs to don gloves and come out swinging against Kerry and his Election Campaign staff. That would make a great special.
I mean, improved security was the reason to move from Win95 to Win98, and from Win98 to Win2000, and from Win2000 to WinXP.
Now, surely people have learned that security isn't going to get better with Longhorn, but actually get worse.
The only way to safely use a Windows PC on the Internet is to use a hardware firewall, get the best antivirus protection, and refrain from using *ANY* M$ software. Period.
... because its too hard for them to catch individuals breaking it. They're trying to get the Courts to legislate from the Bench (which is another argument entirely) and shut down all use of P2P filesharing so they can line their own pockets...
The courts are ruling correctly.
What's the real reason that everyone flocks to KaZaA and Morpheus, despite the Virus, Worm and other dangers there? Because, MUSIC CDs ARE TOO DAMNED EXPENSIVE!
Rather than subvert Copyright Law to their will, these folks ought to look at lowering their level of greed, so that people might be inclined to purchase a CD rather than steal one. Once you've stolen one, what's another 50 or so?
The Movie industry caught on. I think its amazing that a movie DVD costs only twice what a Music CD does. A Music CD involves just a fraction of a fraction of the production costs -- a fraction of a fraction of the investment that a typical movie does.
When Music CDs start selling for $2, the piracy issue will only be a nuisance. I know plenty of people selling downloaded music CDs for $5 each and making a small fortune. How many are they gonna be selling if they can only get 50 cents?
If you're competing in a marketplace, and you don't respond well to competition, the courts can't come to your rescue -- that's not their job.
Let's just hope the Legislators in DC don't get the idea to help...
My mistake, the helicopter was equipped "with a winch, hydraulic capture pole and hundreds of feet of line", and "would have followed the capsule by radar until it snagged the parafoil."
NASA is just like most Federal Gov't programs. The cost is way too high for the benefits and results obtained.
Back in the 60's and 70's, they had something going for them -- although the cost was quite high. Nowadays, its a boondoggle.
Here's an example (there are plenty to pick from): Genesis. NASA decides to have the Genesis capsule return from space on a parachute to be caught by two helicopters using a net strung between them. "This daring retrieval method would have protected the samples and sensitive instruments during reentry." (http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/09/08/genesis. entry.cnn/)
Show me someone who thinks that's a good way to retrieve a capsule from space, and I'll show you a lunatic. It's just asking for someone to get killed. The capsule is unmanned, so they've got to find some way to put actual people in harm's way.
Not to mention that the capsule didn't even open the chutes! They could've saved themselves lots of trouble and us lots of money if they'd just designed the thing to slam into the desert in the first place.
Look, it doesn't matter how much money the Feds take in, there will never be enough, and they'll always spend every cent they have. If they don't, that's only by accident -- don't worry, they'll make up for it the following year.
There's plenty of people in the US with their hand out ready to jump on the dole. Ride the Federal gravy train. There's plenty of Career Politicians up on Capitol Hill buying votes for their next term.
Therefore, I'm all for squeezing the Congressmen to try to cut costs from the Federal Budget by requiring a balanced budget, and then taking in as little in taxes as is possible to get passed through the Congress.
Unless the deficit gets way out of control with respect to GDP, it matters little one way or the other. The Federal Gov't is always the least efficient entity to get anything done -- and any taxes that get there are always a drag on the economy.
Some candidates SHOULD BE REMOVED from the main political process.
The last thing I want to see on my TV is Leonard Peltier/Barry Bachrach, David Cobb/Pat LaMarche, or Michael Badnarik/Richard Campagna. Not to mention the fairly long list of other wackos 'running' for POTUS. http://www.us-election.com/index.php
... depending on your interpretation of the phrase 'isn't Catholic'.
To say it has not been confirmed is just not true. Unless you want to argue the semantics of the phrase 'not been confirmed'...
We've got the transcript of Clinton's testimony, the testimony of Monica Lewinski, the physical evidence (a dress with Clinton's semen) and the investigation into the matter by a Federal Prosecutor. The only proof we're missing is the conviction of Clinton for Perjury.
Fact is that there was strong evidence that Clinton perjured himself -- the Federal Prosecutor recommended an indictment on the matter. The Congress debated impeachment on the matter. No one who's stated that Clinton lied under oath has ever been prosecuted for liable.
The only reason there wasn't a trial was that he was pardoned by G.W.Bush.
Iraq did participate openly in the Cash sponsorship of terrorism. Saddam and cronies openly paid $25,000US cash bounties to the families of Palestinian Homocide Bombers. It's a well known fact. That's cash sponsorship of terrorism.
That said, ongoing investigation into the UN Oil-For-Food program is finding that Iraq was pumping millions into companies that are direct sponsors of Al-Qaeda.
The United Nations did next to nothing while MORE THAN ONE MILLION people died. Including Iranian soldiers and civilians, Kuwaiti soldiers and civilians, and Iraqi soldiers and civilians.
Then, to add insult to injury, the United Nations failed to properly oversee the Oil-For-Food program, which was supposed to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Iraq, and let it turn into a Whatever-Saddam-Wants-Saddam-Gets free-for-all where Saddam could import whatever he wanted, while the Iraqi people got little in the way of humanitarian aid. Certain French, German, Chinese, Russians, and select people at the UN all got richer, while Iraqi civilians continued to die.
Clinton didn't just lie -- he lied under oath during testimony at a trial. That's serious, especially for the leader of the Free World.
Bush didn't lie.
Saddam Hussein was a bad guy -- someone the world will be better without. Fact is Saddam's regime never complied with the terms of the Cease-Fire Saddam agreed to after the first Gulf War:
1. Violation of the 'No Fly Zone', continued attacks on U.S. and U.K. pilots.
2. Violation of U.N. Trade Sanctions at every opportunity.
3. Violation of mandatory UN Weapons Inspections
4. Finally, but most significantly, cash sponsorship of terrorism in the region.
Here's detail on how Saddam Hussien thwarted the UN efforts at containment at every opportunity: http://www.usembassy.it/pdf/other/RL31641.pdf We now know that he bought the help of the French, German, Russian, Chinese gov'ts, and even people inside the UN, with fat contracts under the Oil-For-Food program.
While these particular tubes might've been dual use, that doen't even fit into the equation. You can place these aluminum tubes where the sun don't shine.
Saddam and his cronies had 500 tons of yellow cake Uranium, which is only used to create enriched Uranium for a Nuclear Reactor or Nuclear weapons. Iraq has had no functioning Nuclear Reactor since the first Gulf War, and was not working on building one. 500 tons of yellow cake is enough to produce enriched uranium for 1 nuclear bomb.
The only reasonable conclusion available is that Saddam DID have their sights on a nuclear weapons program.
Now, thanks to the Coalition, he no longer does.
BTW - Clinton killed thousands by not protecting the American People in the face of Al-Qaeda threats. Lobbing cruise missiles at shadows, State Dept mix-ups and his cut-and-run in Somalia, and various non-responses to the many terrorists attacks abroad during the Clinton administration left terrorists around the world with the impression that the U.S. could be pushed out of the way with terror. If he could've kept it in his pants long enough to think, maybe he could've dealt with terrorists effectively. That whole Al-Qaeda-Afghanistan thing went on while he was in office.
Fact is, until recently Windows Viruses could EASILY gain administrative priviledges, even when the logged in user was only granted User Priviledges.
The Data Execution Prevention feature installed with SP2 might, someday, maybe, mitigate this to some extent, but right now has not been demonstrated to be effective.
Adware and Spyware have no trouble installing via pop-up ads through Internet Explorer EVEN WHEN THE USER HAS 'USER' ONLY PRIVELEDGES. Virus have the same easy route to installation.
Slashdot Mirror
1) I'd bet real money that you're not cleaning all the spyware off your parent's PC, which is why it keeps coming back even though they use Firefox. Firefox isn't the problem -- Windows is the problem. Some spwayre leaves pieces on the hard drive, a part of the program you can't remove from within Windows, for the same reason and using the same 'Windows feature' which doesn't allow you to remove the '\System Volume Information' folder from within Windows. Get the connection?
2) Cleaning spyware off your parents PC (or, in your case, the failure to do so), does not make you an expert on spyware or antispyware programming. It only qualifies you to have your comments ignored, which is what I would've done if I'd known you didn't have a clue. Your posts have shown you have very limited knowledge of the subject, and I'm wondering why you even bother posting such ridiculous nonsense. Furthermore, I'm wondering why I'm even bothering to reply to your posts.
Try fixing your parents up with a Linux box, and see whether they get spyware ... they won't! Go here and try this: http://www.knoppix.com/. Linux *IS* usable by non-computer experts. More so than Windows, with its virus/worm/spyware/adware security issues.
Otherwise, just keep doing what you're doing and keep posting useless ignorant drivel to slashdot. You'll be satisfied, and you'll doubtless get lots of comments about your posts.
Try removing the "\System Information Folder" from within Windows.
I fail to see how an open-source kernel makes the creation of products to clean spyware any easier.
I can see how your lack of knowledge would make you fail to see that.
It "suffers" from the ones that matter, namely the ability to allow users to execute unsigned software on one's machine.
Actually, the ones that matter run under Internet Explorer and Outlook Express. Fully 95% of the spyware that cause problems for the end user (like Cool Web Search, etc) install via security holes in IE/OE. As you know, IE/OE only runs under Windows, IE/OE are part of the OS, IE/OE are required for Windows Update, and IE/OE are not un-installable.
Executing unsigned software is not the issue, users that click yes to the 'Do you want to run ...' deserve what they get. Those aren't the spyware I'm talking about -- generally those aren't the ones that cause the problems.
I have yet to see a Linux distro that will execute items without user notification, while I see this time and again using IE/OE in regards to virus, spyware, and email attachments.
If that were true it'd be a bug, not a feature ...
I never claimed it was a feature. It's a consequence of not having identical distibutions for all Linux. Homogulation is beneficial to spyware and virus. Being able to program for a single OS (Windows XP) as opposed to programming for an endless array of possible OS based on the same kernel (Linux distros) makes their job much easier.
Throw in the mix an endless array of exploitable security issues (Windows) and their job becomes child's play. What do you think spyware uses now to install in Windows? They use bugs, not features.
The vast majority of linux distros use one of a very few systems for bootup.
The boot loader isn't the point of infection any spyware or virus would use for Linux, because its the most locked down for any distro during normal Linux use.
The point of infection would be the user space in Linux, and nearly every distro has minor differences in where programs get started automatically, where settings are stored, etc.
Every desktop for Linux has vast differences in both capability and configuration.
All this adds up to a system that's difficult to program for illicit products like spyware.
So, Spyware makers would need the help of the Linux community in general to get their products to work. That's something that, given enough money, might happen, but there'll be even more in the Linux community working against them.
Using a nintendo solves the spyware problem too ...
I'm not sure what point you're making here, but there are Linux distros that run on Nintendo boxes, and connect to the Internet. Virutally spyware proof they are ...
1) Some 'Spyware Shops' actively mutate their products, to thwart removal programs and those removal instructions available on the 'net.
2) More tenacious spware programs cannot be removed from within Windows. They also have components that check settings in Windows, and make sure their settings are always present and correct. They can also involve components that, after a period of time, re-download and re-install spyware that's been removed. That's not to say that Symantec couldn't provide a removal solution, but its typically a more involved task as these programs are installing via accepted methods typically as a trojan within another software product -- There's not going to be a patch available that's going to stop the re-installation ...
3) There's a litigation factor involved. Many spyware makers set about suing companies that call their programs 'spyware', and suing companies that provide removal instructions or expertise that would violate the terms of the license agreement that accompanied the product that originally trojaned the spyware onto the users PC. No matter the suits are outrageous and maybe unfounded, they're still expensive to defend against.
So, Symantec's position of not removing certain spyware might have several reasons behind it.
Linux is the answer, and you don't need to lock down anything. While Windows has a built-in affinity for Spyware (you can't even remove many spyware suites from within Windows, no matter how hard you try), Linux has a built-in resistance to spyware because ...
1) Linux is open-source, making the creation of products that'll clean spyware infinitely easier
2) Linux doesn't suffer from the limitless vulnerabilities present in Windows and IE that make it such an easy target for spyware.
3) Even if one did want to create spyware for Linux, they'd likely need to create a version for each Linux distro out there, as minor differences in each distro make even getting legit apps to run prove challenging without the assistance of people or faqs or other info from the originator of the distro.
Where to begin. I suppose I have to rip apart everything you said one at a time.
... just wanted to know if or when you're actually going to rebutt anything said in the original post? You know, with facts rather than your opinion, arguments rather than your cynicism, and links to sources ... the things reasonable people of better than sub-human intellegence generally use to hold meaningful discussions.
Read and understand your lengthy, rambling, off-topic tirade passed off as a rebuttal
That's Hilarious! I couldn't have typed that in -- I'd have been laughing so hard my fingers wouldn't have found the keys!
KEY-RICED! That's the funniest thing I've read on Slashdot for MONTHS!
... you left out granola-munching tree-hugging subaru-driving brain-dead green-peacer socialist ...
Water, flows downhill past and interacting with a wheel, which is connected to and turns a variety of mechanical contraptions to provide work. The water is replaced at the top of the run by precipitation or a natural spring (or in some cases a man-made contraption). If a natural replenishment of water, then the resulting system would be a pollution-free generator of power.
But, in your post: '... this energy would never cease to exist ...', well there we have a problem. That's not how it works.
We need the water to flow downhill, the exit end of the tube must be lower than the entrance (it will not flow uphill ... well, actually it will, if the tube were small enough, but then it won't flow out ...), and then we need a mechanism to input energy into the system to move the water back up to the top of the run. The energy input in this effort is greater than the energy that is generated by the wheel (due to friction loss and a host of other less significant factors).
The same holds true for my example. It is not a perpetual motion machine. The sun is providing most of the energy to move the water back to the top of the run -- more energy than we can get out. But, the sun is a good source of clean energy ...
Look, John, we know its you. It does you no good to post anonymously ...
In the US, every lawsuit is a threat. Even frivilous ones. I think Burst has a case based more on M$ action in discovery than they had in their original argument.
It's likely because M$ decided it was worth the risk to disobey a court order, because the evidence gleened from discovery would've been very damaging ...
I'm not sure there are even 5 posters here that know what the heck they're talking about.
1) Mark Hyman (http://www.newscentral.tv/station/bios/mhyman.sht ml) from Sinclair (http://sbgweb2.sbgnet.com/index.shtml) says they haven't finalized anything, but they're thinking about an hour-long show with 30 minutes of clips from the Stolen Honor documentary, and 30 minutes of discussion with Senator Kerry, if he's interested. Or 40 minutes with Kerry and 20 minutes of clips ...
2) It's not a 90min documentary -- the Stolen Honor video is a 40min documentary
3) It's a real documentary, with real evidence and real witnesses that backup statements in the film. Not a bunch of made up crapola backed up by manufactured evidence like Micheal-Moore-Money's media-pollution extravaganzas.
4) Most of the pro-Kerry-anti-Bush posters here haven't seen the film, don't know anything about it other than its Vietnam War POWs and Vets, but are against it airing. Why? Because they know the content will be bad for Kerry. How to they know that? Because what Kerry did in the early 70's was bad.
Personally, I'm hoping they can get some Vets and POWs to don gloves and come out swinging against Kerry and his Election Campaign staff. That would make a great special.
Free Speech Rules!
I mean, improved security was the reason to move from Win95 to Win98, and from Win98 to Win2000, and from Win2000 to WinXP.
x .com
Now, surely people have learned that security isn't going to get better with Longhorn, but actually get worse.
The only way to safely use a Windows PC on the Internet is to use a hardware firewall, get the best antivirus protection, and refrain from using *ANY* M$ software. Period.
www.openoffice.org
www.mozilla.org
www.knoppi
gaim.sourceforge.net
The courts are ruling correctly.
What's the real reason that everyone flocks to KaZaA and Morpheus, despite the Virus, Worm and other dangers there? Because, MUSIC CDs ARE TOO DAMNED EXPENSIVE!
Rather than subvert Copyright Law to their will, these folks ought to look at lowering their level of greed, so that people might be inclined to purchase a CD rather than steal one. Once you've stolen one, what's another 50 or so?
The Movie industry caught on. I think its amazing that a movie DVD costs only twice what a Music CD does. A Music CD involves just a fraction of a fraction of the production costs -- a fraction of a fraction of the investment that a typical movie does.
When Music CDs start selling for $2, the piracy issue will only be a nuisance. I know plenty of people selling downloaded music CDs for $5 each and making a small fortune. How many are they gonna be selling if they can only get 50 cents?
If you're competing in a marketplace, and you don't respond well to competition, the courts can't come to your rescue -- that's not their job.
Let's just hope the Legislators in DC don't get the idea to help ...
My mistake, the helicopter was equipped "with a winch, hydraulic capture pole and hundreds of feet of line", and "would have followed the capsule by radar until it snagged the parafoil."
Equally as dangerous though.
How about going for private funding ...
NASA is just like most Federal Gov't programs. The cost is way too high for the benefits and results obtained.
Back in the 60's and 70's, they had something going for them -- although the cost was quite high. Nowadays, its a boondoggle.
Here's an example (there are plenty to pick from): Genesis. NASA decides to have the Genesis capsule return from space on a parachute to be caught by two helicopters using a net strung between them. "This daring retrieval method would have protected the samples and sensitive instruments during reentry." (http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/09/08/genesis. entry.cnn/)
Show me someone who thinks that's a good way to retrieve a capsule from space, and I'll show you a lunatic. It's just asking for someone to get killed. The capsule is unmanned, so they've got to find some way to put actual people in harm's way.
Not to mention that the capsule didn't even open the chutes! They could've saved themselves lots of trouble and us lots of money if they'd just designed the thing to slam into the desert in the first place.
Intellegence of any kind ...
... loaded with intellegence of any kind ...
...
To dream, to dream
Look, it doesn't matter how much money the Feds take in, there will never be enough, and they'll always spend every cent they have. If they don't, that's only by accident -- don't worry, they'll make up for it the following year.
There's plenty of people in the US with their hand out ready to jump on the dole. Ride the Federal gravy train. There's plenty of Career Politicians up on Capitol Hill buying votes for their next term.
Therefore, I'm all for squeezing the Congressmen to try to cut costs from the Federal Budget by requiring a balanced budget, and then taking in as little in taxes as is possible to get passed through the Congress.
Unless the deficit gets way out of control with respect to GDP, it matters little one way or the other. The Federal Gov't is always the least efficient entity to get anything done -- and any taxes that get there are always a drag on the economy.
That's an easy solution for a scheduled program.
I want to be able to watch the news without getting physically ill.
Some candidates SHOULD BE REMOVED from the main political process.
The last thing I want to see on my TV is Leonard Peltier/Barry Bachrach, David Cobb/Pat LaMarche, or Michael Badnarik/Richard Campagna. Not to mention the fairly long list of other wackos 'running' for POTUS. http://www.us-election.com/index.php
... depending on your interpretation of the phrase 'isn't Catholic'.
To say it has not been confirmed is just not true. Unless you want to argue the semantics of the phrase 'not been confirmed' ...
We've got the transcript of Clinton's testimony, the testimony of Monica Lewinski, the physical evidence (a dress with Clinton's semen) and the investigation into the matter by a Federal Prosecutor. The only proof we're missing is the conviction of Clinton for Perjury.
Fact is that there was strong evidence that Clinton perjured himself -- the Federal Prosecutor recommended an indictment on the matter. The Congress debated impeachment on the matter. No one who's stated that Clinton lied under oath has ever been prosecuted for liable.
The only reason there wasn't a trial was that he was pardoned by G.W.Bush.
You're the one who needs to do his research.
Iraq did participate openly in the Cash sponsorship of terrorism. Saddam and cronies openly paid $25,000US cash bounties to the families of Palestinian Homocide Bombers. It's a well known fact. That's cash sponsorship of terrorism.
That said, ongoing investigation into the UN Oil-For-Food program is finding that Iraq was pumping millions into companies that are direct sponsors of Al-Qaeda.
See more on that here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,132682,00.html
I know you don't like where the facts lead, but that doesn't give you liberty to misrepresent them ...
Wanna talk about a tragedy?
The United Nations did next to nothing while MORE THAN ONE MILLION people died. Including Iranian soldiers and civilians, Kuwaiti soldiers and civilians, and Iraqi soldiers and civilians.
Then, to add insult to injury, the United Nations failed to properly oversee the Oil-For-Food program, which was supposed to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Iraq, and let it turn into a Whatever-Saddam-Wants-Saddam-Gets free-for-all where Saddam could import whatever he wanted, while the Iraqi people got little in the way of humanitarian aid. Certain French, German, Chinese, Russians, and select people at the UN all got richer, while Iraqi civilians continued to die.
Where were you when all that was going on?
People with short memories should not post on /.
Clinton didn't just lie -- he lied under oath during testimony at a trial. That's serious, especially for the leader of the Free World.
Bush didn't lie.
Saddam Hussein was a bad guy -- someone the world will be better without. Fact is Saddam's regime never complied with the terms of the Cease-Fire Saddam agreed to after the first Gulf War:
1. Violation of the 'No Fly Zone', continued attacks on U.S. and U.K. pilots.
2. Violation of U.N. Trade Sanctions at every opportunity.
3. Violation of mandatory UN Weapons Inspections
4. Finally, but most significantly, cash sponsorship of terrorism in the region.
Here's detail on how Saddam Hussien thwarted the UN efforts at containment at every opportunity: http://www.usembassy.it/pdf/other/RL31641.pdf We now know that he bought the help of the French, German, Russian, Chinese gov'ts, and even people inside the UN, with fat contracts under the Oil-For-Food program.
While these particular tubes might've been dual use, that doen't even fit into the equation. You can place these aluminum tubes where the sun don't shine.
Saddam and his cronies had 500 tons of yellow cake Uranium, which is only used to create enriched Uranium for a Nuclear Reactor or Nuclear weapons. Iraq has had no functioning Nuclear Reactor since the first Gulf War, and was not working on building one. 500 tons of yellow cake is enough to produce enriched uranium for 1 nuclear bomb.
The only reasonable conclusion available is that Saddam DID have their sights on a nuclear weapons program.
Now, thanks to the Coalition, he no longer does.
BTW - Clinton killed thousands by not protecting the American People in the face of Al-Qaeda threats. Lobbing cruise missiles at shadows, State Dept mix-ups and his cut-and-run in Somalia, and various non-responses to the many terrorists attacks abroad during the Clinton administration left terrorists around the world with the impression that the U.S. could be pushed out of the way with terror. If he could've kept it in his pants long enough to think, maybe he could've dealt with terrorists effectively. That whole Al-Qaeda-Afghanistan thing went on while he was in office.
... *ANYTHING* can acquire a Slashdot User ID.
Fact is, until recently Windows Viruses could EASILY gain administrative priviledges, even when the logged in user was only granted User Priviledges.
The Data Execution Prevention feature installed with SP2 might, someday, maybe, mitigate this to some extent, but right now has not been demonstrated to be effective.
Adware and Spyware have no trouble installing via pop-up ads through Internet Explorer EVEN WHEN THE USER HAS 'USER' ONLY PRIVELEDGES. Virus have the same easy route to installation.
Switch to Linux on the Desktop. Quick!