Perhaps, but please note that I did not ask not to be modded down.
In regards to the... heartfelt exclamations... they are very efficient and compact ways of expressing an opinion. In the interest of efficiency, if I can summarize a 250 word treatise with 'screw you!', I've performed an incredible bit of optimization.
> Is it tasteful or even possible to humorously
> depict Evil Masterminds so soon after a
> chilling reminder of real evil?
I will take my licks if readers of this response feel the need to mod me down, but I need to be clear that this is not intended as a troll:
SCREW YOU! People like you who think that any depiction of anything other then fluffy puppy dogs on TV is inappropriate are continuing the work of the terrorists!
Every time some good for nothing self appointed censor says 'Uh, maybe that is not so tasteful right now.... please think of the children.' and changes stuff to make it less 'scary' or defangs humor to deal with 9/11 they are helping keep our country down!
Get a fucking clue, goddamnit! If we have ANY chance to get back to normal, and ANY chance to defiantly tell the people who hate us that we will not be defeated, we NEED things that violate your precious little ideal of 'tasteful'.
You are part of the problem. Fix that.
(once again, I am not posting this as AC because I strongly feel this way. If you are a moderator who feels the need to mod this down because I used 'bad words', go ahead if it makes you feel better. I'm willing to sacrifice my 50 Karma to prove that I am serious.)
Me: "My computer has been making a strange sound."
Computer Mechanic crawls under my computer, then slides out a few minutes later and wipes oil off his hands with an old shop towel. "Looks like your radiator fan has lost a bearing. I can replace it, but I also have to put on a new belt. The old one is almost wore down. Also, you need an oil change. These new Septium-6 processors can really eat up an oil filter quick, and the color of this stuff is pretty dark now.
Me: "Boy, I remember when computers were so simple, I could just pop off the case and swap out components on my own."
Computer technician: "Ok gramps, whatever you say. You just sit yourself down out in the lobby and I'll have Betsy ring you up once I'm done. Shouldn't take more then a couple hours. Oh, and the tread on your network connector looks a little thin, can I suggest a new pair?"
At my company, we use WEP, but complete the connection you must log in using a VPN. We'll probably just switch to VPN only, but this makes me wonder how many of those networks simply did not have WEP enabled but DID require some other authorization to access network resources?
Just because it does not have WEP does not mean it is secure.
This is actually what the movie industry calls a 'teaser'. In todays movie industry, a trailer is the Cliff Notes version of the movie.
This teaser, on the other hand, is a series of snapshots of different scenes where some fx has been completed. It requires no music, editing, and is basically the cheapest, fastest thing Lucasfilm can put out at this point.
Each time you decide to short stock, not travel, or condemn a movie sequence based on what happened 9-11-01, you are providing validation to the terrorists that performed that act by allowing them to control your actions.
Patriots, spend money! Watch movies with exploding buildings! Go on a vacation! Don't let these bastards win, control your own destiny!
Great! This is excellent! This is something that could have been great about 400 YEARS AGO!
Grr!
What they REALLY need to decode is whatever virus it is that prompts record executives to pull together a group of 4-5 teenage boys and turn them into a 'boy band'. Cure THAT virus, and the world will thank you.
When Handspring Visors first entered the marked, they came with innovations like USB and more built in memory. Heck, even the Springboard module is interesting.
For the last year, their efforts seem to be awfully stagnant. I have a Visor Prism which is neat, but every visor to come out since then has been mainly cosmetic. These two new ones use the old greyscale screen and appear to be Visor Platinum variants.
Taking a product like the Platinum and just offering it in new colored cases is not innovation, it's marketing. Even the Pro (with 16 megs) appears to merely be a Platinum with an incremental improvement, but it is priced awfully high for the difference between the two products.
An innovation path they should be investigating is:
1. Standardize on color for all new Visors. Event he passive color of the Sony Clie (or Gameboy advance, for that matter) is better then the pure greyscale. It is difficult to rationalize STILL having B&W after these years. Color DOES have a purpose beyond multimedia, so "B&W is fine for Visors" doesn't fly, especially in light of how nice it looks on the Prism and Sony Clie.
2. Add onboard wireless networking of some sort. Either bluetooth or 802.11 should be in the hardware (or at least almost ready for prime time).
3. GPS on a chip. There are now GPS circuits available on single IC chips and the cost of this component is dropping rapidly. If Handspring wants to stay relevant, they should figure out a way to fit this into the product line of the future.
With the three above features, the Handspring Visor can move forward and take back (or pre-emptively prevent) market dominance from the prettier (but less efficient) Ipaq's of the world. The CE manufacturers will be doing this, so complacency at this juncture is ill advised.
On reflection, I agree with you fully. You are correct, the best way to involve the public and spark interest in space and science at this point is through means like this.
One modification I might make to my original post that you responded to is that while the Triana would have served the purpose of inspiring interest in space and science, it should not be sold as a 'scientific research' satellite.
Triana was originally built as a political favor. I won't mention to whom, but you might guess by the nickname it was given of "Goresat".
There was originally no science planned. Only when scrutiny increased to it were some basic instruments added to make the excuse of it being a research tool float.
Just a heads up, the only thing Triana would have really done was take pictures of the earth for posting on a website to 'make people feel better about the earth'. For a working alternative, please visit the NOAA website where legions of weather satellites already do this 24x7.
Triana was a waste of a rocket launch. Hopefully the chassis can be adapted to perform some real science.
Gravity is the weakest form of energy, it needs an incredible amount of mass to create a noticable amount of effect.
Magnetism, on the other hand, is super powerful. I suspect that independant verification attempts will not work when using non-ferrous target materials. Trace amounts of iron are probably a likely cause.
Of course, perhaps I'm prejudiced against people who don't submit to peer review....
I just got a Sony Vaio XG-700K, and it's a pretty sweet package. It comes with seperate DVD and Cd-RW drives. The screen is 1024 x 768 XGA and pretty crisp and can be replaced with a privacy screen for cheap off eBay.
It's a 750 megahertz PIII, has built in modem but no ethernet. With two PCMCIA slots, though, you can jam an ethernet card and 802.11b card with no problems.
Downsides? Everything is expensive. Battery is $250 (200 on eBay), extra AC adapter is $100 or so, and so on.
It's a great laptop, and there are linux drivers for the custom stuff (like the Jogdial).
> His employer raised that money? That's great! Talk about dedication! More companies should back their employees in this manner.
> I can hardly believe this; are they hiring???
That would important if I bought my monitor specifically to avoid power consumption, but I suspect that most people are like me, they choose their monitor for the cost and resolution, the specific areas where LCDs are lacking.
I have an 18" LCD monitor on my desk for one of my servers, and it's great for occasional use, but my 21" CRT is king for everything else.
Doesn't anyone find it suspicious that the Russians launch a missile just days after one of their citizens is capriciously arrested in the United States?
They must be firing a warning shot across our national bow! The solar sail story was a sham, we have been served notice!
1. What is the level of evidence you propose to prove that it did happen? The DoD has showed radar tracks, video footage, and allowed reporters realtime access. If they had flown a super duper satellite with a video camera that could observe the impact first hand, you might suggest that was faked as well, so what impossible level of evidence do you need? Your statement is not food for thought, it is a red herring.
2. The first few airplanes did not fly. If all work on airplanes had stopped because the first couple didn't work, we would be in quite a pickle. Failure is a very real presence in any new endeavour, you would be a fool not to realize it. It is upon the backs of failure that success is born.
3. You suggest that if out of 100 missiles one got through that the attack would be 100% effective, and the system would therfor be ineffective. This is akin to arguing that condoms should not be worn during sex because they only reduce the chance of contracting an STD to 5% instead of 0%. Your argument is flawed, and the hundred million people that are or are not killed by the 99 missiles intercepted in your example disagree with you.
4. Any system that rellies on only prevention or only interception is bound to fail. A well structured defense embodies elements of both of those.
5. Citing a Bloom County cartoon as evidence is not very impressive. You would profit from finding better sources. It is a great comic strip, but a debate tool.
6. Your being 'scared' is also not data supporting your viewpoint. Additionally, if you have found a One True Definition to the word 'civilized' as you imply, the world will beat a path to your doorstep so you can settle the whole thing once and for all. If, on the other hand, you have NOT solved this world problem, please don't let the virtual door hit your ass on the way out.
Slashdot Mirror
So true. Also, no way amateur programmers can equal the programming might of those professionals from Microsoft.
When I die, I hope they publish all those half completed letters to Penthouse I was working on.
"I never thought this could happen to me, but when I saw the six buxom cheerleaders knocking at my door..."
Perhaps, but please note that I did not ask not to be modded down.
In regards to the... heartfelt exclamations... they are very efficient and compact ways of expressing an opinion. In the interest of efficiency, if I can summarize a 250 word treatise with 'screw you!', I've performed an incredible bit of optimization.
> Is it tasteful or even possible to humorously
> depict Evil Masterminds so soon after a
> chilling reminder of real evil?
I will take my licks if readers of this response feel the need to mod me down, but I need to be clear that this is not intended as a troll:
SCREW YOU! People like you who think that any depiction of anything other then fluffy puppy dogs on TV is inappropriate are continuing the work of the terrorists!
Every time some good for nothing self appointed censor says 'Uh, maybe that is not so tasteful right now.... please think of the children.' and changes stuff to make it less 'scary' or defangs humor to deal with 9/11 they are helping keep our country down!
Get a fucking clue, goddamnit! If we have ANY chance to get back to normal, and ANY chance to defiantly tell the people who hate us that we will not be defeated, we NEED things that violate your precious little ideal of 'tasteful'.
You are part of the problem. Fix that.
(once again, I am not posting this as AC because I strongly feel this way. If you are a moderator who feels the need to mod this down because I used 'bad words', go ahead if it makes you feel better. I'm willing to sacrifice my 50 Karma to prove that I am serious.)
Me: "My computer has been making a strange sound."
Computer Mechanic crawls under my computer, then slides out a few minutes later and wipes oil off his hands with an old shop towel. "Looks like your radiator fan has lost a bearing. I can replace it, but I also have to put on a new belt. The old one is almost wore down. Also, you need an oil change. These new Septium-6 processors can really eat up an oil filter quick, and the color of this stuff is pretty dark now.
Me: "Boy, I remember when computers were so simple, I could just pop off the case and swap out components on my own."
Computer technician: "Ok gramps, whatever you say. You just sit yourself down out in the lobby and I'll have Betsy ring you up once I'm done. Shouldn't take more then a couple hours. Oh, and the tread on your network connector looks a little thin, can I suggest a new pair?"
At my company, we use WEP, but complete the connection you must log in using a VPN. We'll probably just switch to VPN only, but this makes me wonder how many of those networks simply did not have WEP enabled but DID require some other authorization to access network resources?
Just because it does not have WEP does not mean it is secure.
This is actually what the movie industry calls a 'teaser'. In todays movie industry, a trailer is the Cliff Notes version of the movie.
This teaser, on the other hand, is a series of snapshots of different scenes where some fx has been completed. It requires no music, editing, and is basically the cheapest, fastest thing Lucasfilm can put out at this point.
Each time you decide to short stock, not travel, or condemn a movie sequence based on what happened 9-11-01, you are providing validation to the terrorists that performed that act by allowing them to control your actions.
Patriots, spend money! Watch movies with exploding buildings! Go on a vacation! Don't let these bastards win, control your own destiny!
According to the article, the dailies will be transmitted over the internet and will be Triple DES encrypted plus PGP CAST 128 for the files.
I humbly wish to propose the target subject of the next distributed.net project....
Great! This is excellent! This is something that could have been great about 400 YEARS AGO!
Grr!
What they REALLY need to decode is whatever virus it is that prompts record executives to pull together a group of 4-5 teenage boys and turn them into a 'boy band'. Cure THAT virus, and the world will thank you.
Why do you think his post should be modded down? Just because you've heard it a lot lately doesn't impair its relevance to the current discussion.
The quote is topical and relevant, two qualities your post lacks.
When Handspring Visors first entered the marked, they came with innovations like USB and more built in memory. Heck, even the Springboard module is interesting.
For the last year, their efforts seem to be awfully stagnant. I have a Visor Prism which is neat, but every visor to come out since then has been mainly cosmetic. These two new ones use the old greyscale screen and appear to be Visor Platinum variants.
Taking a product like the Platinum and just offering it in new colored cases is not innovation, it's marketing. Even the Pro (with 16 megs) appears to merely be a Platinum with an incremental improvement, but it is priced awfully high for the difference between the two products.
An innovation path they should be investigating is:
1. Standardize on color for all new Visors. Event he passive color of the Sony Clie (or Gameboy advance, for that matter) is better then the pure greyscale. It is difficult to rationalize STILL having B&W after these years. Color DOES have a purpose beyond multimedia, so "B&W is fine for Visors" doesn't fly, especially in light of how nice it looks on the Prism and Sony Clie.
2. Add onboard wireless networking of some sort. Either bluetooth or 802.11 should be in the hardware (or at least almost ready for prime time).
3. GPS on a chip. There are now GPS circuits available on single IC chips and the cost of this component is dropping rapidly. If Handspring wants to stay relevant, they should figure out a way to fit this into the product line of the future.
With the three above features, the Handspring Visor can move forward and take back (or pre-emptively prevent) market dominance from the prettier (but less efficient) Ipaq's of the world. The CE manufacturers will be doing this, so complacency at this juncture is ill advised.
First, you must steal some eggs....
Crikey! Usenet archives going back even FURTHER? Great, now people will be able to trace me back to my great Usenet roots....
"My name is Dave Rhodes. In September 1988 my car was reposessed and the bill collectors were hounding me like you wouldn't believe"....
For every one story we read abotu a school adopting Linux, theres a few hundred schools that buy Windows.
This is a fascinating story, honest, it's just buried in an avalanche of MS boxen.
On reflection, I agree with you fully. You are correct, the best way to involve the public and spark interest in space and science at this point is through means like this.
One modification I might make to my original post that you responded to is that while the Triana would have served the purpose of inspiring interest in space and science, it should not be sold as a 'scientific research' satellite.
Triana was originally built as a political favor. I won't mention to whom, but you might guess by the nickname it was given of "Goresat".
There was originally no science planned. Only when scrutiny increased to it were some basic instruments added to make the excuse of it being a research tool float.
Just a heads up, the only thing Triana would have really done was take pictures of the earth for posting on a website to 'make people feel better about the earth'. For a working alternative, please visit the NOAA website where legions of weather satellites already do this 24x7.
Triana was a waste of a rocket launch. Hopefully the chassis can be adapted to perform some real science.
Gravity is the weakest form of energy, it needs an incredible amount of mass to create a noticable amount of effect.
Magnetism, on the other hand, is super powerful. I suspect that independant verification attempts will not work when using non-ferrous target materials. Trace amounts of iron are probably a likely cause.
Of course, perhaps I'm prejudiced against people who don't submit to peer review....
Hi guys,
Perhaps the best way to protest their action would be to purchase as many Norton & Symantec products as possible.
Regards,
Ben Hallert
Symantec
I just got a Sony Vaio XG-700K, and it's a pretty sweet package. It comes with seperate DVD and Cd-RW drives. The screen is 1024 x 768 XGA and pretty crisp and can be replaced with a privacy screen for cheap off eBay.
It's a 750 megahertz PIII, has built in modem but no ethernet. With two PCMCIA slots, though, you can jam an ethernet card and 802.11b card with no problems.
Downsides? Everything is expensive. Battery is $250 (200 on eBay), extra AC adapter is $100 or so, and so on.
It's a great laptop, and there are linux drivers for the custom stuff (like the Jogdial).
> His employer raised that money? That's great! Talk about dedication! More companies should back their employees in this manner.
> I can hardly believe this; are they hiring???
Why, you planning on getting arrested?
This is the same technique used by JPAerospace in their CATS prize attempt.
http://jpaerospace.com
That would important if I bought my monitor specifically to avoid power consumption, but I suspect that most people are like me, they choose their monitor for the cost and resolution, the specific areas where LCDs are lacking.
I have an 18" LCD monitor on my desk for one of my servers, and it's great for occasional use, but my 21" CRT is king for everything else.
Remember, a computer peripheral is for the USER.
Doesn't anyone find it suspicious that the Russians launch a missile just days after one of their citizens is capriciously arrested in the United States?
They must be firing a warning shot across our national bow! The solar sail story was a sham, we have been served notice!
(tee hee)
I offer a point by point rebuttal:
1. What is the level of evidence you propose to prove that it did happen? The DoD has showed radar tracks, video footage, and allowed reporters realtime access. If they had flown a super duper satellite with a video camera that could observe the impact first hand, you might suggest that was faked as well, so what impossible level of evidence do you need? Your statement is not food for thought, it is a red herring.
2. The first few airplanes did not fly. If all work on airplanes had stopped because the first couple didn't work, we would be in quite a pickle. Failure is a very real presence in any new endeavour, you would be a fool not to realize it. It is upon the backs of failure that success is born.
3. You suggest that if out of 100 missiles one got through that the attack would be 100% effective, and the system would therfor be ineffective. This is akin to arguing that condoms should not be worn during sex because they only reduce the chance of contracting an STD to 5% instead of 0%. Your argument is flawed, and the hundred million people that are or are not killed by the 99 missiles intercepted in your example disagree with you.
4. Any system that rellies on only prevention or only interception is bound to fail. A well structured defense embodies elements of both of those.
5. Citing a Bloom County cartoon as evidence is not very impressive. You would profit from finding better sources. It is a great comic strip, but a debate tool.
6. Your being 'scared' is also not data supporting your viewpoint. Additionally, if you have found a One True Definition to the word 'civilized' as you imply, the world will beat a path to your doorstep so you can settle the whole thing once and for all. If, on the other hand, you have NOT solved this world problem, please don't let the virtual door hit your ass on the way out.