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User: kilodelta

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  1. Is effectively a syndrome. Cellular DNA has telomeres and with each division those telomeres shorten until the cell line finally undergoes apoptosis. But in cancer, a compound called telomerase shuts off the aging of the telomeres and allows cancers to grow uncontrollably.

    But this is interesting - so in essence if we can repair cell damage and suppress this factor then youth is maintainable for a period. Nice!

  2. And it's on Are the TSA's New Electronic Device Screenings Necessary? · · Score: 1

    Security theater at its finest. I've never turned off any devices when I go through checkpoints. In the case of a laptop open it up and it's a login prompt. I refuse to enter my password as that is a security risk. In fact all my devices from laptop, to phone to Fire tablet are password protected.

    More to the point - what is to say that electronic device is the key to say blowing up the concourse? I mean I have Echolink on my phone and theoretically I could use it remotely trigger an event. Hell - even WifI or bluetooth will do.

  3. The only people I've seen on The Case For Flipping Your Monitor From Landscape to Portrait · · Score: 1

    That use their monitors in portrait are DTP types. For we systems types we like the screen real estate that landscape provides.

  4. I just wish on Just-Announced X.Org Security Flaws Affect Code Dating Back To 1987 · · Score: 1

    Ubuntu would fix the X.org problems in their latest version. Nothing like the GUI locking up and then going into a command prompt and seeing xorg sucking up all the system resources.

  5. I love it! on Utilities Face Billions In Losses From Distributed Renewables · · Score: 1

    It's about time the incumbent energy providers get their comeuppance. Of course where I live National Grid - and I'm sure we all know THEIR history and origins in Britain, well here I am in the northeast U.S. paying some of the highest electricity rates. Why? Because National Grid is feeling the pinch from solar and wind projects that keep popping up in my state. They even had the temerity to ask for another double digit rate increase this year. If the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission grants this one I think all the staff and commissioners should be pilloried at a minimum.

  6. And this spells on Microsoft's New Windows Monetization Methods Could Mean 'Subscriptions' · · Score: 1

    The death of Windows. I won't pay subscription for an operating system. In fact I run Ubuntu so there's no need for me to ever use Windows again.

  7. Re:LOL on Displaced IT Workers Being Silenced · · Score: 2

    Well - the cagier employers out there will say your final pay won't be disbursed until you sign.

  8. Interesting on Ask Slashdot: Can a Felon Work In IT? · · Score: 2

    Misdemeanors shouldn't even show up on a criminal record. Only felonies. But then you did say you're in Ohio and they have one of the more archaic legal sysems in the U.S. Time to get the hell out.

    I suggest you have an NCIC check done - if nothing shows up there just move to another state that isn't as ass backward as Ohio and you'll be in the clear.

    I say this because I know in most states the look mostly at NCIC but in some places the look at the state BCI. Thing is, NCIC only records felonies not misdemeanors. So it looks like those rejecting you are running state BCI checks.

  9. My favorite one on Should IT Professionals Be Exempt From Overtime Regulations? · · Score: 1

    I'm an actual I.T. Pro - Linux mostly. That said when I worked for the state our benefits sort of paralleled the union employees. But when it came to overtime we didn't get that - instead we got to comp hours. When we relocated offices I ended up with 400 comp hours. And I exercised them, roughly 10.6 weeks worth. A day off here, a week off there. Took close to two and a half years to tap that out. It resulted in me not working my last month there and being paid for it so that was cool.

  10. Re:clock speeds yes on Orion Capsule Safely Recovered, Complete With 12-Year-Old Computer Guts · · Score: 1

    Yeah I got my smartphone about a year ago.l was sort of forced into it since my carrier made upgrades and my older Android phone wouldn't play nicely. The new phone cost me a total of $3.00 That's right, three bucks! That was the tax.

    It's a dual core processor, I can hit facebook, web, Echolink, Navigation, 5MP camera, etc. It is limited to a max of a 32GB SD card though.

  11. Re:Are they really that scared? on Why Elon Musk's Batteries Frighten Electric Companies · · Score: 1

    Well consider all the big investment houses rate incumbent power providers as a poor prospect because of the threat of solar, wind and storage and you might know why they're scared.

    And we're all pretty aware that the incumbent power companies have been screwing us for the past 50+ years. National Grid for example, got a 31% increase in electric rates last year and now they want close to another 30%. This says they're losing revenue - and if my count of wind turbines and solar installs is right I know why.

  12. Re:Aerial or underground ? on Ask Slashdot: Why Is the Power Grid So Crummy In So Many Places? · · Score: 1

    UG cabling has a few benefits that don't come with aerial cabling. The first is that weather beyond potential flooding isn't a problem. Then of course there's the fact that there is still a critter problem if you don't encase in conduit with UG wire inside the conduit.

  13. Re: Storage on Ask Slashdot: Why Is the Power Grid So Crummy In So Many Places? · · Score: 1

    This isn't surprising at all. Utilities long ago split responsibility for poles fairly evenly between the incumbent telecom carrier and the incumbent power provider. So when something does wrong they just stand there pointing the finger at each other until such time the pole topples over taking all their lines out.

    And let's not talk about construction and rental fees on said poles. It's what tanked a municipal wifi project.

  14. For a modicum of security on Ask Slashdot: Convincing My Company To Stop Using Passwords? · · Score: 1

    Deploy two factor authentication. Now if you're dealing with the Unix/Linux world I recommend setting it up so a min of 12 characters - and explain how to compose passwords. But better yet - ssh keys with passphrase. That's much better.

  15. Actually what reduced crime on 'Moneyball' Approach Reduces Crime In New York City · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Was the banning of tetraethyl lead in gasoline. Since then crime stats have gotten better and better.

  16. My thoughts on Gmail on Google Hopes To One Day Replace Gmail With Inbox · · Score: 1

    Via the Web I hate it. It's slow as crap - has shitty formatting options etc. But gmail is much better over IMAP - then just use the client of your choice and you're good.

    I hate the threading feature too. That takes much getting used to on their web product.

  17. Bigotry is common in the older generation on James Watson's Nobel Prize Goes On Auction This Week · · Score: 1

    I've seen it myself. Now from personal experience I know many African Americans that are brilliant people. The tests Watson refers to are culturally biased and so yes will show certain groups as inferior to others. But it's well known at this point that this is true - the test are culturally biased. So give a test given to white U.S. kids to kids in the various countries of Africa and sure - the kids in the latter will likely test lower.

    Has nothing to do with brain capacity and everything to do with culture.

  18. Despite draconian laws against it on UK Police To Publicly Shame Drunk Drivers On Twitter This Christmas · · Score: 1

    Driving under the influence hasn't stopped. But I'll let you all in on a little secret - once autonomous vehicles are the norm there will be no more DUI charges. And that will reduce the need for traffic enforcement cops too.

  19. Re:What kind of "legacy systems" ? on How the FCC CIO Plans To Modernize 207 Legacy IT Systems · · Score: 1

    I recall when I worked for the Attorney General's office in RI we had an old Wang VS 100 system running a few databases. Stuff that could easily be ported out to MS-SQL and Access. It was like pulling teeth but not from who you'd expect. It was the person on my staff that managed those databases. Finally put my foot down and said here's the date we transition and here's the date we de-commission the VS 100.

    And it got done. She hated me for that. But hey, it's not my job to coddle. If I piss on your corn flakes there's a damned good reason for it.

  20. Re:Good For Him on How the FCC CIO Plans To Modernize 207 Legacy IT Systems · · Score: 1

    I once worked for a state government I.T. unit. There was an ancient Compaq Proliant server that was out NT Domain server. We wouldn't touch that box if you paid us. New I.T. director comes in and decides to put in a new domain cluster. We warned him - both we systems guys left the place before that went off. I hear from people inside that it went horribly. Group policies, memberships etc. were a cluster fuck etc. Spent many nights and weekends getting it all ironed out.

    We systems guys did get out way on one bit though. They wanted to move from Qmail to MS Exchange all because someone in the admin saw that we in I.T. could look at emails to fix problems. We put our foot down - so now there's a Qmail box in front of the Exchange server.

  21. This is only on Bad Lockup Bug Plagues Linux · · Score: 1

    If you're using Xen - which is a virtualization package. I've never run across Xen in the wild - in fact only at one job interview did they actually use Xen.

  22. As a Cox subscriber on Music Publishers Sue Cox Communications Over Piracy · · Score: 1

    I haven't really engaged in heavy duty copyright violation. A little bit but I never shared it out. That said I'm happy that Cox essentially told Rightsorp to go get fucked.

  23. Here in Rhode Island on Montana Lawmakers Propose 85 Mph Speed Limit On Interstates · · Score: 1

    The speed limit on highways varies from 50MPH to 65MPH. And the actual speed people do on the highway, 70MPH to 85MPH. Seriously.

    And of course they just repaved part of I-95 as you get south out of Providence. It's a beautiful stretch on which to do ludicrous speed!

    I recall back in the late 1960's the original speed limit on I-95 even in Providence was 70MPH. Then the gas crunch came around and to save gas they implemented 55MPH. Then the focus changed from saving gas to safety which of course is bovine effluvia.

  24. Re:First rule of computer security!!! on Auto Industry Teams Up With Military To Stop Car Hacking · · Score: 1

    Think about it for a moment, cars were never designed with computer security in mind.

    Your mention of why does the radio need to be on the CAN bus? Like those controls on the steering wheel? Wouldn't be possible without the CAN bus.

  25. Having worked with prosecutors on Hacker Threatened With 44 Felony Charges Escapes With Misdemeanor · · Score: 2

    I'll be the first to admit that they throw everything they think will stick at a defendant. Read through any criminal proceeding and you'll see that most of the trial is about the prosecution getting a little bit out of control and being rebuked by the judge. It's actually funny.