Re: christian dreams of murder...
On Sat, Nov 15, 2003 at 04:43:34PM -0800, Gautam Mukunda wrote: Their hysteria is fundamentally a product of immaturity - they are like five years olds who want a diamond ring. Adults have to make choices and understand the consequences on both sides of actions. I _don't know_ for sure what to do here. I don't like keeping people indefinitely. I _really_ don't want to release Al Qaeda agents into the world. Military tribunals seem to me the best compromise. But either way they are prisoners captured on a battlefield fighting without state sponsorship - this makes them illegal combatants and they _don't have_ even the rights of POWs, and nothing even approaching the rights of American citizens. What a cowardly and thoughtless attitude. Did you even consider that the US invaded another country, where obviously people were LIVING, and quite likely took among the legitimate prisoners people who believed they were just defending themselves, their families, and their homes? Or maybe people who were hiding or fleeing? I wonder how you would react if an army invaded the US and attacked your home town and took you prisoner. Do you think you should be held indefinitely without a fair trial? Tried by the army's military? What the hell do we do with these guys? We can't demobilize them. Keep telling yourself that. We can't give them a fair trial because their lives aren't as important as American lives, we can't release them because they are guilty until proven innocent, so OF COURSE we are justified in denying them basic rights. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Bizarre baby names
On Fri, Nov 14, 2003 at 01:43:15PM +, William T Goodall wrote: Seven boys were found to have the name Del Monte - after the food company - and no less than 49 boys were called Canon, after the camera. Ummm, there is another usage of canon that might be more likely than the camera brand for many of those 49. And yet another slightly different spelling that may have been the intent, as well. Although the two ESPN boys are rather unambiguous. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Explanation
On Fri, Nov 14, 2003 at 10:20:14AM -0600, Dan Minette wrote: I've noticed a rather interesting asymmetry. People on the list who are Perhaps you forgot that JDG killfiled me for a while, although I may be out of it now, I'm not sure. Anyway, in case you forgot, I'm not religious. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: [L3] RE: religious/political question
On Thu, Nov 13, 2003 at 10:56:30AM +0530, ritu wrote: Not that phenomenal...hmm, how about this: 'In the aftermath of 9/11, a large number of Indian muslims spoke out against the atrocity. In fact, only a few of the 120 million Indian muslims spoke in favour of OBL and they were condemned/criticised/stoned for doing so.' Is that better? :) A little. But I don't put a high value on such anecdotal evidence. A poll of at least 1000 of those people (randomly selected across a diverse range of backgrounds) asking how favorably they view OBL would be more convincing. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: [L3] RE: religious/political question
On Thu, Nov 13, 2003 at 05:51:20PM +0530, ritu wrote: And unlike Pakistan, Indian muslims just don't seem to be included in the international polls on the subject. I have always found that a bit strange as India has the second largest muslim population in the world - only Indonesia has more muslims than India. Maybe an India-based entrepreneur should start a polling organization. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: [L3] RE: religious/political question
On Wed, Nov 12, 2003 at 11:12:42AM +0530, ritu wrote: I remember most of the 120 million muslims of my country speaking out against the atrocity. You must have a phenomenal memory! I can only remember 120 people on a good day, let alone 120 MILLION! -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Scouted: Cocoa Has More Antioxidants Than Red Wine, Tea
On Sun, Nov 09, 2003 at 12:02:48PM -0800, Deborah Harrell wrote: -Cocoa had 611 mg of phenols and 564 mg of flavonoids. -Red wine had 340 mg of phenols and 163 mg of flavonoids. -Green tea had 165 mg of phenols and 47 mg of flavonoids. -Black tea had 124 mg of phenols and 34 mg of flavonoids. Thanks for posting this. Unfortunately, the links are rather sparse on details. Any idea what type and/or form of cocoa they tested? Did they just buy a tin of Hershey's cocoa and test 3 spoonfuls of powder? Did they mix cocoa powder with hot milk and add sugar and then test that? Just wondering, because I drink a lot of Nestle's instant hot chocolate made from packets with cocoa processed with alkali, just add hot water (it has dry milk powder, whey, and some other stuff in it, too). I wonder how the phenol and flavonoid content of the Nestle instant powder compares with straight Hershey's cocoa out of the tin. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Scouted: Cocoa Has More Antioxidants Than Red Wine, Tea
On Sun, Nov 09, 2003 at 02:56:10PM -0600, Robert Seeberger wrote: Judging only by taste they are completely different animals. On the spectrum of tastes, they both taste quite similar, chocolatey. The instant variety is less rich and not as strong, especially if the Hershey's cocoa one is made with whole milk, but to call the instant a completely different animal? Ridiculous. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Web Browser Question
On Sun, Nov 09, 2003 at 06:55:28PM -0500, David Hobby wrote: Still working on my machine, though. It's not dead, just no longer supported! I regret to say the Proxomitron web filter is well and truly dead. --the author -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Web Browser Question
On Sun, Nov 09, 2003 at 06:55:28PM -0600, The Fool wrote: When Mozilla can apply filters to http tracfic like this: [uninformative example deleted] Let me know. Mozilla can already filter everything necessary for a pleasant web experience. If you want to give an example of a URL that you feel is a problem for Mozilla, please do. If you feel the need for something esoteric, you can always fork the code. If your fork is good enough, it may even get into the main branch. If not many people find it useful, well... -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Scouted: Cocoa Has More Antioxidants Than Red Wine, Tea
On Sun, Nov 09, 2003 at 07:22:07PM -0600, Robert Seeberger wrote: You don't taste a distinct difference? You don't read well? -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Scouted: Cocoa Has More Antioxidants Than Red Wine, Tea
On Sun, Nov 09, 2003 at 08:17:05PM -0600, Robert Seeberger wrote: You don't read well? [Nonsense deleted] Apparently the answer is yes. Why do I bother replying to you? Will endeavor for this to be the last time. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Scouted: Cocoa Has More Antioxidants Than Red Wine, Tea
On Sun, Nov 09, 2003 at 09:16:05PM -0600, Dan Minette wrote: Now that you've dissed Julia, You need to pay closer attention if you think that. Out of curiousity, having an off day, Dan? -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Scouted: Cocoa Has More Antioxidants Than Red Wine, Tea
On Sun, Nov 09, 2003 at 08:34:40PM -0600, Julia Thompson wrote:
processing between the animal and the mug. There's a very important
*vegetable* involved, why not use the term different vegetable?
But it is NOT a different vegetable. Or nut or whatever. As I said, the
instant mix DOES contain cocoa (albeit processed with alkali). You
could make your own instant mix out of Hershey's cocoa, sugar, and dry
milk. Would this taste much different than hot chocolate made from
Hershey's cocoa, sugar, and milk from a carton? A little, obviously,
dry milk tastes a little different from milk from a carton. But this is
really silly, and none of this is answering my question which was not
meant to be silly, so I'll stop replying now.
FYI:
Cocoa \Cocoa\ (k[=o]k[-o]), n., Cocoa palm \Cocoa palm`\
(p[aum]m`)[Sp. Pg. coco cocoanut, in Sp. also, cocoa palm.
The Portuguese name is said to have been given from the
monkeylike face at the base of the nut, fr. Pg. coco a
bugbear, an ugly mask to frighten children. Cf., however, Gr.
koy^ki the cocoa palm and its fruit, ko`i:x, ko`i:kos, a kind
of Egyptian palm.] (Bot.)
A palm tree producing the cocoanut ({Cocos nucifera}). It
grows in nearly all tropical countries, attaining a height of
sixty or eighty feet. The trunk is without branches, and has
a tuft of leaves at the top, each being fifteen or twenty
feet in length, and at the base of these the nuts hang in
clusters; the cocoanut tree.
--
Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/
___
http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Scouted: Cocoa Has More Antioxidants Than Red Wine, Tea
On Sun, Nov 09, 2003 at 09:16:05PM -0600, Dan Minette wrote: Out of curiosity, why reply to anyone? Just to clarify. Dan, this is insane. Apparently you weren't paying attention, either. To recap, I wrote: On the spectrum of tastes, they both taste quite similar, chocolatey. The instant variety is less rich and not as strong, especially if the Hershey's cocoa one is made with whole milk, but to call the instant a completely different animal? Ridiculous. I thought that was rather straightforward. Evidently not, since I got the question: You don't taste a distinct difference? How can someone ask that after what I wrote? This is absurd. I start by asking a straightforward question about the phenol and flavonoid content of instant hot chocolate to what was analyzed in the study cited. How do we get to this nonsense? As to your question, I am always hopeful that there will be a discussion that is not nonsense. Which there frequently is, but unfortunately not this one. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Scouted: Cocoa Has More Antioxidants Than Red Wine, Tea
On Sun, Nov 09, 2003 at 10:03:53PM -0600, Dan Minette wrote: Because you brought up an experience that differed from the experience of others, yet you claimed universality. No, I did not. derogatory comments of the ability of the other correspondent. Taking the first, straightforward, readings of those texts (your posts) one would arrive at the reasonable conclusion that the author of the texts (you) feel that those with whom he corresponds have inferior abilities. Or one could arrive at the even more straightforward and reasonable conclusion that when someone writes nonsense when they are capable of writing something that makes sense, then I point it out, and I would hope others would do the same. The reasons I'm fairly sure that you dissed Julia in a post a while ago (maybe 2 weeks or so) is that I was going to mention to her how amazed I was that she was so good at keeping discussions civil with folks the rest of us could not. My memory is that I read a post of yours, and thought to myself, well even Julia isn't perfect (sorry Julia). Dan, you've got dissing on the brain. If you can't get a new concept, could you at least get a new word? -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: One for The Fool
Too many syllables. On Sat, Nov 08, 2003 at 03:05:40AM -0600, Ronn!Blankenship wrote: On the twelfth day of fascism +1 Twelve digital implants +1 Eight surveillance cameras +1 Four airport friskings +1 Three wiretappings +1 Two detained Muslims +1 And a Department of Homeland Security +4 (author unknown) Uh huh. Meter (metrically?) challenged. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Web Browser Question
On Sat, Nov 08, 2003 at 10:06:23AM -0600, The Fool wrote: Proxomitron is better. All hail Proxomitron. Oh wait erik can't use it... Proxomitron is dead. http://www.proxomitron.org/ -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Web Browser Question
On Sat, Nov 08, 2003 at 11:17:32AM -0600, The Fool wrote: Proxomitron needs no more improvement. Yeah, and the web isn't changing, either. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Matrix Revolutions - semi-spoiler seperated at end
On Thu, Nov 06, 2003 at 11:03:36AM -0600, Dan Minette wrote: My son and I saw it together and we were both disappointed. He liked all the films better than I did, and rated them A+, B+, C. I rated them A, B, D. I rated the first one C and didn't see the second (I caught bits of it on TV but it didn't hold my attention). I probably won't see #3. All I want to know is was a better explanation given for the stupid humans as battery thing? I think you had a theory on them revealing that it was actually computation, not energy? -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Matrix Revolutions - semi-spoiler seperated at end
On Thu, Nov 06, 2003 at 01:02:18PM -0600, Dan Minette wrote: From: Erik Reuter [EMAIL PROTECTED] All I want to know is was a better explanation given for the stupid humans as battery thing? Actually, I wrote a backstory to make the storyline more conceivable when the first Matrix movie came out. I had no idea if the brothers were going to worry about how stupid their original idea was or not. Its in the archives...and I may even have it on another computer. Is that a no? -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Web Browser Question
On Thu, Nov 06, 2003 at 11:31:15PM -, Andrew Crystall wrote: He's complaining about perfectly legitimate websites which, when they finish loading, set themselves as the active window. That IS annoying, but hardly the pop ups you're thinking of. Nevertheless, the person who suggested the Mozilla browser, http://mozilla.org/ , had the solution. Just go to Tools/Preferences and then select Advanced and uncheck [Allow scripts to:] Raise or lower windows. (You may also want to uncheck move or resize windows, hide the status bar, change the status bar text, etc.) Mozilla is great, all hail Mozilla! -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: new wonder drug scours arteries clean
On Thu, Nov 06, 2003 at 12:31:47AM +, William T Goodall wrote: I don't know much about economics so feel free to educate me, but isn't a big chunk of the wealth of 'Western Industrialized' countries (USA, Europe, Japan) actually IP ? Levis, Nike, Coke, Raybans is all stuff that costs very little to make (and is made in countries with cheap labour if possible) but has a high value because of IP. The only IP protecting the majority of the products of these companies is trademarks on brand names. You could sell a drink with the same formula as Coke (if you know what it is, I think it is a trade secret) just as long as you don't call it Coke. Same for blue jeans, shoes (the Nike swish is probably trademarked, but if you slightly changed it then it would be legal to sell a nearly identical shoe). I've seen several companies making sunglasses that look just like Raybans except for the name, and that is legal. 'Fakes' are illegal, even if those 'fakes' came out the back door of the same factory that makes the 'real' product. If your fake is identical except that you don't put the other companies trademarked name or symbol on it, then it IS legal. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: new wonder drug scours arteries clean
On Tue, Nov 04, 2003 at 05:44:35PM -0600, Dan Minette wrote: Remember when you said people would still develop things if they couldn't patent them? Now are you saying they won't because its evil? Doesn't this just show that you are wrong about what would happen if patents were abolished? Did he say that? I must have missed it. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: new wonder drug scours arteries clean
On Tue, Nov 04, 2003 at 06:19:44PM -0600, Dan Minette wrote: It's an old dispute between the Fool and myself that you may have chosen to ignore. I'm all but certain (would bet $100 but not my house) that he has stated that patents are evil and that things would be better if they were eliminated. I'm pretty sure (bet $10 but not $100) that these discussions occurred while you were onlist. The reason I ask is because, as stated by you, that position is similar to mine. I'm not that extreme, but I do think (and have stated) that the patent system is way out of control now and that far too many patents are granted, and often should not have been granted (should as in, using the current standards properly if the examiner had done adequate research), and are virtually always for too long a term. I think the system would work much better if as few as 10% as many patents were granted as are now, and if the terms averaged less than 5 years (perhaps variable terms depending on the item and the quality of the invention). I also agree with the statement that people would still develop many things without IP protection. They already do, and in some areas I think government or educational institutions would actually be more efficient, in terms of using available resources and creating beneficial advances for everyone, than the current state of affairs. Some, but not all. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: new wonder drug scours arteries clean
On Tue, Nov 04, 2003 at 07:39:27PM -0500, Jon Gabriel wrote: Out of curiosity, how do you feel about copyright laws? Similarly. Monopoly rights should not outlast the life of the original creator of the copyrighted material. They should definitely not be retroactively extended which is just silly and obviously in contradiction to the U.S. Constitution. I would like to see the system move towards eliminating many copyright protections and instead move towards a subscription and/or large payment for early purchasers model. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Red Hat Cans Linux Distribution
On Tue, Nov 04, 2003 at 10:44:08PM -, Alberto Monteiro wrote: Even the alleged stability is false: That is false. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: new wonder drug scours arteries clean
On Tue, Nov 04, 2003 at 07:23:58PM -0600, Dan Minette wrote: From: Erik Reuter [EMAIL PROTECTED] variable terms depending on the item and the quality of the invention). As far as 5 years go; in the industries that I am familiar with, five years is a short time for patents. It probably takes at least a couple of years to develop, and that just leaves about 3 years of coverage. Remember, the patent application must be made before any disclosure of the ideas in the patent or the first commercial use. But not things with high NRE associated with development. If a lead of a Yes, things with high NRE. How about (D)ARPANET? Drugs are a classic example of this. Once a drug has passed clinical trials, the cost of copying is much smaller than the cost of development. Further, there's no risk in copying. Is there risk in searching for cancer cures? I suppose NIH doesn't take any risks with their billions of $$ spent ? -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: new wonder drug scours arteries clean
On Tue, Nov 04, 2003 at 09:18:49PM -0600, Julia Thompson wrote: NIH is funded by the government, it is *not* a corporation. News flash from Julia! -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: new wonder drug scours arteries clean
On Tue, Nov 04, 2003 at 09:57:09PM -0600, Robert Seeberger wrote: Ass flash from Erik! Butt in from Rob! -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: New Jersey (was Re: religious/political question)
On Sun, Nov 02, 2003 at 01:05:38AM -0600, Robert Seeberger wrote: From this day forward every Mexican I meet will hear about what a wonderful place New Jersey is and how much more money they will make if they move there. Actually, there are quite a few Mexicans living and working in Jersey. It seems most yardwork, snow shoveling, home remodeling work, etc. is done by going to the pick-up zone and hiring a few Mexicans. It sounds rather sad, but all parties involved seem to be voluntarily gaining a benefit of some sort, so it may actually be for the best. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: New Jersey (was Re: religious/political question)
On Sun, Nov 02, 2003 at 08:40:07AM -0500, Jim Sharkey wrote: Can anyone cite me an example of good public transportation *into* a metropolitan area? Chicago and Cincinnati both have excellent buses from the suburbs to the city. But that isn't the issue. NJ has bad roads, few trains, and horrible buses. There is no choice for most people but to sit in traffic. It sucks, no matter how much the apologists compare it to other cities with bad traffic but good buses and/or trains. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: New Jersey (was Re: religious/political question)
On Sun, Nov 02, 2003 at 10:58:52AM -0600, Julia Thompson wrote: and have somewhat more regular work than that. Do you see many Mexicans with more regular employment than just pick-up work? Yes, the townhome associations seem to have all Mexicans working for them. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: New Jersey (was Re: religious/political question)
On Sun, Nov 02, 2003 at 10:55:52AM -0600, Julia Thompson wrote: but the whole thing of not being *allowed* to pump your own gas bugged us. Me too! My first time I got yelled at for trying (there were no signs telling me!) -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: New Jersey (was Re: religious/political question)
On Sun, Nov 02, 2003 at 01:32:28PM -0600, Robert Seeberger wrote: I would prefer a monorail system instead. Umm, how does it go, is there a danger that the track will bend? -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: religious/political question
On Sat, Nov 01, 2003 at 07:36:05AM -0600, Ronn!Blankenship wrote: Cancer bad. Baby may be good news or not, but cancer always bad. Not true. For example, Saddam Hussein and/or Osama bin Laden, cancer good. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: religious/political question
On Sat, Nov 01, 2003 at 01:34:11PM -0600, Julia Thompson wrote: On Sat, 1 Nov 2003, Erik Reuter wrote: On Sat, Nov 01, 2003 at 07:36:05AM -0600, Ronn!Blankenship wrote: Cancer bad. Baby may be good news or not, but cancer always bad. Not true. For example, Saddam Hussein and/or Osama bin Laden, cancer good. Not for Saddam or bin Laden! Cancer always bad for the person with the cancer -- is that a better refinement of the statement, Erik? Don't think small, look at the big picture, Julia! Think globally, you know... -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: New Jersey (was Re: religious/political question)
On Sat, Nov 01, 2003 at 04:17:31PM -0500, Jim Sharkey wrote: Yes, we have toxic waste and obnoxious IROC drivers, but otherwise it's not too bad a place. Either that or I'm beyond help, which is not out of the realm of possibility. Transportation sucks. Traffic is horrible, and public transit has poor coverage unless you just want to go to New York or Philly. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: New Jersey (was Re: religious/political question)
On Sat, Nov 01, 2003 at 08:29:17PM -0500, Jim Sharkey wrote: Traffic's no worse than Atlanta or LA. That would be damning with faint praise? Or like saying Fargo has nice weather compared to Antarctica? -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: New Jersey (was Re: religious/political question)
On Sat, Nov 01, 2003 at 08:36:51PM -0500, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Well, bad traffic and poor public transit are not unique to New Jersey. At least New Jersey *has* New York and Philly to go to...not too many states are situated so favorably between two such terrific cities. If you want to spend hours commuting to and from work, Jersey's your place then! -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: New Jersey (was Re: religious/political question)
On Sat, Nov 01, 2003 at 09:07:26PM -0500, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: You're acting like New Jersey is somehow uniquely bad in this regard. The No, I'm not. And we won't say what you are acting like :-) -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: New Jersey (was Re: religious/political question)
On Sat, Nov 01, 2003 at 09:10:19PM -0500, Jim Sharkey wrote: No, it's that if you are going to say that the place sucks because of the traffic, you're going to have to say that cities people treat as being better than NJ suck too. No, I don't have to. Face it, Jersey sucks! Don't be a Jersey apologist :-) -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: New Jersey (was Re: religious/political question)
On Sat, Nov 01, 2003 at 09:13:29PM -0500, Jim Sharkey wrote: Exactly. You *could* move to Montana and never see two cars at the same time on the roads, but I don't know how many engineers they're hiring. Or Jersey could build better roads and public transportation that doesn't suck! -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: New Jersey (was Re: religious/political question)
On Sat, Nov 01, 2003 at 09:32:03PM -0500, Jim Sharkey wrote: Even a place like DC that has a great public transportation system in the Metro winds up with loads of traffic. But then you have a CHOICE! You don't have to sit in traffic, you can take the subway! New York city and Chicago both have useful train systems and lots of traffic -- I'll choose the train every time (and live close to a train). In Jersey, there just aren't enough train lines to live next to unless you just want to commute to New York or Philly, in which case, I'd rather live in New York or Philly anyway! -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: New Jersey (was Re: religious/political question)
On Sat, Nov 01, 2003 at 09:34:41PM -0500, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: B) Don't bother arguing with Erik - he's baiting us. There's no point responding to his obvious (if lame) attempts at trolling. Wrong as usual, Tom. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: down again?
On Wed, Oct 22, 2003 at 09:33:46AM -0700, Nick Arnett wrote: Anybody seeing similar stuff going on with other mail? I have only seen these delays with brin-l. I run postfix and procmail on my linux box and process 100's of messages a day (most of them spam, unfortunately) and I've never seen a similar problem. Did these delays only start when you switched to your ISP's MTA? -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: iTunes for Windo$e
On Mon, Oct 20, 2003 at 08:52:14AM +0100, William T Goodall wrote: Is there an argument in there that I missed? Yup. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: iTunes for Windo$e
On Mon, Oct 20, 2003 at 02:10:38PM +0100, William T Goodall wrote: So what was it? Go back and read my prior message and try actually answering the questions, then maybe we can get somewhere. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: iTunes for Windo$e
On Mon, Oct 20, 2003 at 11:40:05PM +1000, Ray Ludenia wrote: Back to the netherlander sagas perhaps? If you think that, then you need to pay closer attention. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: iTunes for Windo$e
On Tue, Oct 21, 2003 at 02:54:43AM +0100, William T Goodall wrote: On Monday, October 20, 2003, at 02:17 pm, Erik Reuter wrote: On Mon, Oct 20, 2003 at 02:10:38PM +0100, William T Goodall wrote: So what was it? Go back and read my prior message and try actually answering the questions, then maybe we can get somewhere. If I can find the time I might do that. But it would be easier if you would put the argument yourself since you know what it is :) Already did. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: iTunes for Windo$e
On Sat, Oct 18, 2003 at 09:48:43AM +0100, William T Goodall wrote: On Saturday, October 18, 2003, at 04:35 am, Doug Pensinger wrote: So I'm assuming, after reading this: http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,112983,00.asp, that I can't play tunes downloaded from ITunes on my Musicmatch jukebox? So much for ITunes. 8^P I think the idea is to use iTunes as the player instead of whatever inferior software you were previously hampered by :) So you are buying WHAT, exactly? Seems like a load of crap from the record industry. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: iTunes for Windo$e
On Sat, Oct 18, 2003 at 09:31:18AM +0100, William T Goodall wrote: Some isn't more than none? None isn't none. If you think that it is accurate to call copying music files from a friend stealing, if you think that the only way or best way for artists to make money from creating music is to sell recordings through a recording studio, if you contribute money to a recording industry that does a good job of treating the vast majority of artists as indentured servants, then it is accurate to say that you have been as thoroughly brainwashed by the recording industry as many people have been by the religious establishment. Is it stealing to decline to contribute to a religious charity, despite the fact that this charity has helped some people in the past and will not be able to help as many people in the future if you do not contribute? Does the artist get no money at all if you copy a music file of a new artist, give it to several friends who you think will enjoy it, and they go to the artists concerts and buy CDs directly from the artist? And they give copies of files from the CD to other friends, who give to other friends, who then buy thousands of tickets to the next concert? Do you think these people would have heard of this previously unknown artist at all without copying the files? Do you think the recording companies would have helped the artist if they didn't see huge profits in it for themselves? Do you think when you buy a music recording you actually own the rights to use the recording to listen to your music? Do you think if you had bought a phono record or cassette tape, when CD's came out the recording industry graciously provided you a CD copy of the music you are licensed to listen to, just for the cost of pressing a CD (a few cents) without making a huge profit for themselves? Do you think with iTunes that you will be able to use music you have purchased a license for on new media that may come out in the future, without buying another license? Do you think the license that you purchase actually gives you any important rights to use the music in the best way for your needs? P.S. Do you think it is stealing to download files of television series, like, oh, I don't know, Angel? -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: iTunes for Windo$e
On Mon, Oct 20, 2003 at 02:07:41AM +0100, William T Goodall wrote: The solution to the pie being divided unfairly isn't to throw out the pie. Getting rid of IP seems like Luddism to me, a return to the days of craft work and patronage. IP (copyright in the case of music, books and films) allows ordinary people inexpensive access to a huge quantity of well-made art, and facilitates a great number of the creators of this art to make a full-time living out of creating it. That seems like a good thing to me. Yup, brainwashed. Are you going to become religious next? Record companies aren't charities :) And they don't 'help' people - they pay them. You were the one who brought up the idea of contributing to the artists. How is paying artists not helping them? Concert tours often lose money since they are used to promote CD sales. And what about artists who create studio-based recordings and don't play live or tour? What about song-writers? What about authors? Are they supposed to make a living from speaking tours and charging for autographs? And movie makers - I guess they'd have to start strip-searching everyone on the way into the theatre to make sure there were no cameras. Yup, brainwashed. You have joined the recording industry religion. Preach the gospel, brother! That's capitalism. They should sign up artists they think are going to lose them huge quantities of money? You were the one who brought up contributing to the artists. But I can understand how the brainwashing makes you forget these things. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: iTunes for Windo$e
On Fri, Oct 17, 2003 at 09:28:33AM +0100, William T Goodall wrote: However little money the creators make when one buys the music it is more than the 'none at all' they make when one steals it. Wrong. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: iTunes for Windo$e
On Fri, Oct 17, 2003 at 01:07:32AM -0400, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Do you think it is evil to contribute money to terrorists? Um...non-sequitur? Do you know much about the record industry and RIAA? -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: fire paste
On Thu, Oct 16, 2003 at 08:48:14AM -0700, Gautam Mukunda wrote: My physics is far enough in the past that I'm probably going to screw this up (I'm sure Dan is going to correct me) but this doesn't seem all that remarkable, and I think he's completely misunderstanding what's happening. You can heat (for example) the thermal protective tiles on the shuttle to thousands of degrees and then touch them with your bare hand, as I recall, because they absorb the heat and then _fail_ to radiate it, not because they cool immediately. No, they DO radiate (and convect) the heat away. Those tiles are special due to their extremely low thermal conductivity. There is a famous picture of a person holding a cube of this material. The center of the cube is glowing red hot (indicating it is radiating heat), but the edges are cool enough to touch since the heat at the center has not been able to conduct to the edges faster than the edges can cool in the air. energy transfer that's different. Isn't that all that's happening here? The description is really sketchy, so I am not sure what is happening. Did the fire foam get hot from the torch? The best fire protector I can think of would have very high thermal mass (i.e., it takes a lot of energy to raise its temperature) and very low thermal conductivity. So the outside could absorb a lot of heat without getting too hot, and the middle would not conduct much heat to the inside. Obviously the material would also need to be non-flammable and be able to withstand high temperatures without breaking down. I think you are right that the shuttle's thermal tiles meet these criteria (although I'm not sure how high their thermal mass is). But I think they are quite brittle, right? He said this stuff is a foam, presumably you can spray it on. That would be a huge improvement over all the trouble of the shuttle tiles. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: fire paste
I meant paste, not foam. Duh! -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: iTunes for Windo$e
On Fri, Oct 17, 2003 at 12:50:29AM -0400, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Does it matter? Why rip off from ANYONE? Do you think the record labels ask that question? The RIAA? -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: iTunes for Windo$e
On Fri, Oct 17, 2003 at 12:55:18AM -0400, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: And their iniquity justifies someone else's? Do you think it is evil to contribute money to terrorists? -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Incompetence?
On Tue, Oct 14, 2003 at 08:03:43PM -0400, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Tom wrote: Sometimes, I just get SO FREAKIN' ANGRY at George W. Election-Stealing-Compassionate-Conservative-My-Ass-Draft-Dodging-Deserting-Leave-No-Millionair e-Behind-Where-Are-Those-WMDs-You-Swore-To-The-Entire-World-You-Knew-Exactly-W here-They-Were? Bush, that I just want to scream until they complain about the noise on the Moon. Did you type that all in one breath? :-) Yes, since I type 85 words per minute! You only take 2 breaths per minute? I wish I had that kind of lung capacity! -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Racism
On Sat, Oct 04, 2003 at 10:12:42AM +0530, ritu wrote: Which reminds me, Gautam has sometimes stated on-list that Gandhi's advent postponed the Indian Independence. These days I have some time to spare, so we could debate that idea now Gautam, if you are interested. You might not get a reply, Gautam has written that he is extraordinarily busy these days. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Raceism
On Fri, Oct 03, 2003 at 10:49:13PM -0700, Jan Coffey wrote: Seriously, what is your problem? Oh, Jan, don't worry. I'm only prejudiced against male redskins. Jan is such a pretty name. I'll bet you are a beautiful redskin girl. Want to go out to a movie sometime? -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Return of the King trailer review.
On Sat, Oct 04, 2003 at 03:21:36PM +0100, William T Goodall wrote: On Friday, October 3, 2003, at 11:14 pm, Erik Reuter wrote: How'd you manage to see 5x02 already? On my eMac. Sure, but that doesn't really answer the question. I thought it wasn't even available yet from satellite downlink, so how did you get the digital file to view it on your computer? -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Racism
On Sun, Oct 05, 2003 at 09:54:23AM +0530, ritu wrote: Erik Reuter wrote: You might not get a reply, Gautam has written that he is extraordinarily busy these days. Thanks, Erik. :) I had been extremely busy lately so I missed that mail of his ___ _ Ritu . Gautam = 0 -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Raceism
This is really silly, Jon. If you want to change people's minds, telling them they can't or shouldn't be use a name is a rather dumb way to go about it. Besides, most people don't like whiners. Using or not using the name redskins is not an important battle to fight-- surely there are more effective battles that people could be fighting if they want to eliminate real discrimination against people with red skin. After all, some people's skin DID (and does) have a red tone to it, so the term is a basic description, not an insult. Big deal, who cares about skin color, get over it. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Raceism
On Fri, Oct 03, 2003 at 05:22:10PM -0400, Jon Gabriel wrote: Uh huh. And 'Nigger' comes from 'Negroe', which means 'Black'. I'm sure that with subtle alterations, this argument would go over very poorly with African-American communities nationwide. You're being ridiculous. I refer to black people all the time, no insult intended. Quit your whining! I will now attempt to use the word redskins more than I otherwise would have. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Racism
On Thu, Oct 02, 2003 at 02:50:54AM -0400, Jon Gabriel wrote: Cute, but the name would still be offensive to Native Americans. Personally, I still think it's absolutely ridiculous that the judge ruled against them. What law are they breaking by naming their sports team Redskins? -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Racism
On Thu, Oct 02, 2003 at 12:58:58PM -, Alberto Monteiro wrote: Erik Reuter wrote: What law are they breaking by naming their sports team Redskins? I imagine that the term is offensive, because it reminds us of a time when Humanity was split into Four Races: whites, blacks, yellows and reds. We were talking about LEGALITY. The comment you snipped was about a judge's legal decision. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Racism
On Thu, Oct 02, 2003 at 01:45:47PM -0400, Jon Gabriel wrote: The judge said they weren't, but the Federal law in question was established in 1946 and prohibits the gov't from registering a trademark disparaging any race, religion or other group. I'm quite ignorant on sports matters, but aren't most football teams privately owned? If the Redskins are privately owned, then the MOST that could happen based on the law you quoted would be they would lose their trademark on the name, right? They could still use their name, it just wouldn't be protected by law as a trademark. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: The Eyes Have It
On Mon, Sep 29, 2003 at 11:10:42PM -0400, David Hobby wrote: I wasn't that worried about resolution, just signal to noise ratio. They are related. Good luck resolving fine details with a low S/N. The other issue that comes up is having the system target the eyes of a moving person. Moving the system to track the person seems difficult. So that leaves the other option, which is to constantly record the image from anywhere the eyes might appear, at a resolution fine enough to identify the eyes. NOW you're talking about resolution! I don't believe the optics are that big an issue, since they could be designed to only work well at one wavelength. A lot of the price of good lenses is to make them achromatic, focusing many different wavelengths to almost the same location. Is an iris pattern still as unique if you only look at one wavelength? But anyway, I guess the answer may be to use the lenses that have already been designed and produced for consumer megapixel cameras, those are apparently of reasonable quality. Anytime you can use parts from a high-volume consumer part, you can save a lot of money. Seeing might be an issue. I doubt that you could get better than 1 arc second resolution in a public place, the air would be too turbulent. But taking my 1 mm resolution criterion, we get that the camera could be as far as 200 meters away, since 1 mm spans around 1 arc second at that distance. That should give some room to place cameras in... And I doubt you need as much as 200m. In most public places, you could hide them closer than that. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: The Eyes Have It
On Tue, Sep 30, 2003 at 12:09:16PM +0100, William T Goodall wrote: You make being chipped a necessary form of identification for obtaining a bank account, getting a job, hiring or buying a car, purchasing rail, bus or air tickets, obtaining medical treatment, claiming pensions or other benefits... and then let people choose quite freely whether they want to be chipped or live in a shack in the woods and eat bark :) Who would vote for those laws? I think Andrew has the more likely scenario, some employers could require it as a condition of employment. But in that case, it would be easy to mask or shield the chip whenever you weren't at work so only your employer could scan it (and I guess people would even come up with workarounds in the workplace, so I bet it wouldn't work so well, besides that a lot of highly desirable employees would refuse to work at such a place) As for removal - it would be much easier to insert a rice-grain sized chip deep into the abdomen (say) than it would be to surgically remove it. Could you elaborate? Since these things are (obviously) designed to be scanned, it would be easy to pinpoint the location with a hand-held scanner. So if you know exactly where it is, it seems it would be as easy to remove as to implant. And I can't imagine people consenting to serious surgery for implant -- it would have to be just sub-cutaneous in order to be widely adopted. Anything that is swallowed is unlikely to be permanent enough. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: The Eyes Have It
On Mon, Sep 29, 2003 at 10:04:43PM -0500, The Fool wrote: From: Erik Reuter [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Mon, Sep 29, 2003 at 08:39:24PM -0500, The Fool wrote: You put the chips in their clothes, easy to scan and remove They can put them in riveted buttons, shoe soles, and the like such that you would have to damage your clothing in a significant way to remove it. Of course not, Fool. They are small. Just replace the button, or cut a small hole and remove the tag and replace the divet. Or don't buy clothes with them. their money, money is not unique to the holder -- can't identify someone If all money is RFID'd then stores and banks, etc. will tie specific serial numbers to specific people. They will also be able to work out associations based on who you do business with. Of course not, Fool. Money changes hands. From my experience they are keys with large black plastic encasings. Either way, they are required by the new cars to be able to start them. So don't buy a car with that requirement. Or take out the tag and leave it in your car. It is really amazing how paranoia stifles thought and creativity in people. their food packaging, majority of people will not have packaged food with them when you want to identify them Lots of people carry around lunches, gum, cigarettes, candy bars, soda cans with them. Some people, not a majority, and anyway how can that be used to accurately identify someone, Fool? Do you know how RFID tags work? They are not reprogrammable. Paranoia and ignorance are a tiresome mix. It's mandatory under U.S. law now to have GPS receivers in all new phones. They don't allow you to use older phones with the phone networks. US Law? Cite the law, please. And besides, YOU CAN TURN YOUR PHONE OFF, Fool. And yet they are creating chips that can't be zapped in microwaves or destroy by washing machines and dryers. So it is immune to 2.4GHz radiation, it can't be immune to all. Just get a zapper at a different frequency, Fool. Or how about the printers that require specific brand ink cartridges that must have a chip from their own products to work (printer ink is 17 times more expensive than vintage champagne). How in the world could you be personally identified by an RFID chip in your printer ink cartridge when you are walking around in a public place, Fool? Let's just hope that no one figures out how to implant a paranoia chip secretly into people. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: The Eyes Have It
On Mon, Sep 29, 2003 at 11:07:16PM -0400, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I don't know about getting people to consent to implants, however in animals such as dogs the implants are known to move through the tissues which makes it very difficult to remove (I seem to recall the vet saying even in a small dog they were tough to ever find again). Dee We are talking about RFID's, Dee. Very easy to pinpoint precisely with a scanner. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: a new Br!n: book review
On Tue, Sep 30, 2003 at 10:33:48PM +1000, Ray Ludenia wrote: Australia has tied its economy to US, In what way? Is the Australian currency pegged to the US dollar? I've noticed that the Australian stock market is one of the least correlated with the US stock market. Europe and the Far-East have much higher correlation with the US stock market. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: The Eyes Have It
On Mon, Sep 29, 2003 at 08:43:14AM -0400, David Hobby wrote: Oh. Good to know. Just to clarify, that's around 10,000 Angstroms, and above means of longer wavelength? Yes. The tinting is usually done with a semiconducting material, so light with wavelength longer than the bandgap wavelength will pass. You can also tint by partially silvering the glass, but this introduces reflections which may be distracting. So you think that would be the method? Just pick a wavelength where glasses/contacts are probably transparent, and work there. No idea. Like you, I wonder about resolution. It seems it would take some really good (expensive) optics to get adequate resolution from a distance. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: The Eyes Have It
On Mon, Sep 29, 2003 at 09:21:37AM -0700, Chad Cooper wrote: There is also polarization that may help, No, polarized lenses cannot help stop a system from imaging of the eyes. Polarized lenses only block horizontally polarized light. The vertically polarized light will pass through just fine, and most indoor light is randomly polarized so half will get through. The camera could even have its own infra-red or white light that is vertically polarized so all the light would pass through, but that isn't really necessary since CDD cameras are quite sensitive and half the light is plenty. but I would think principally, you only need to to scatter the light enough to blur the image. Contact lenses can be made to be reflective, to completely obscure the iris, while letting light through to the lens. The silvering could be applied to the contact lens. See http://www.wild-eyes.com/flash.htm . Yes, esp. the black ones could possibly obscure the iris. But it depends on what they used for the pigment. It may not be opaque in the infra-red. But it could be -- unlike tinted glass, this doesn't have to pass any light so they could have used a broad-band absorber. Current video merely captures EM radiation of specific wavelengths. Optics may provide some range, but it would be prone to glare. The first is stating the obvious, the second is unrelated and nonsense besides. Simply stated, this technology is already easily defeated. I could wear contact lenses that appear to look natural, but in fact, appear like someone else's. Good point, very true. Of course, one could also wear false fingerprints. The problem of quickly and accurately identifying people is a difficult one, and one that likely won't be solved soon. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: The Eyes Have It
On Tue, Sep 30, 2003 at 01:28:19AM +0100, William T Goodall wrote: On Monday, September 29, 2003, at 11:44 pm, Erik Reuter wrote: Good point, very true. Of course, one could also wear false fingerprints. The problem of quickly and accurately identifying people is a difficult one, and one that likely won't be solved soon. They could use those chips they put in pets... with a bit of crypto-key stuff and whatever since the pet ones aren't designed to be secure... How do you get people to consent to have chip implants? And if they don't consent, how do you keep them from removing them? -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: The Eyes Have It
On Mon, Sep 29, 2003 at 08:39:24PM -0500, The Fool wrote: You put the chips in their clothes, easy to scan and remove their money, money is not unique to the holder -- can't identify someone their tires, pedestrians don't carry tires their keys, wouldn't work well if encased in a metal key, and if it is on the surface it is easy to remove their food packaging, majority of people will not have packaged food with them when you want to identify them their car parts, see above their phones, turn the phone off and/or don't buy from companies that implant RFID's in them and you make it so these chips can't be removed or disabled without destroying the product they purchased. very difficult to do for most products that people carry with them -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: The Eyes Have It
On Mon, Sep 29, 2003 at 12:02:26AM -0400, David Hobby wrote: Betting that dark glasses really are dark at all reasonable wavelengths. You'd lose that bet. Most dark tinted glass passes light above about 1000-1100nm. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: A bit of a rant (was SFBC)
On Sat, Sep 27, 2003 at 02:50:37PM +0900, G. D. Akin wrote: Jon Gabriel wrote: snip Please have patience! Some of us are really busy and don't have time to read the list more than once a day or two :-) Speaking personally, I'm 300+ emails behind again and am truly thankful the list wasn't that busy while I was away last week. I expect that some will take longer to answer than others, time permitting. My beef was that the first answer (which I received very soon after I sent my original) did not attempt to answer the question, but immediately editorialized the SFBC. My my my, not only does he deserve an answer to his question, but he also deserves to have NO extraneous information added that he does not like. Wow, what can I do to become so privileged? -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Peace through industrial parks
Peace through industrial parks Sep 18th 2003 From The Economist print edition Israeli entrepreneur Stef Wertheimer wants to convert the Middle East to capitalism EVEN an optimist would have to concede that this is an awkward moment to arrange business deals in the Middle East. Political antagonism is nastier than ever, the local economies are worse, and the rest of the world is as polarised about the region as it has been in decades. Yet on September 17th, Stef Wertheimer, a 77-year-old Israeli entrepreneur, arrived in Washington, DC seeking money and support to build industrial parks in the Arab world, and he had a full schedule of congressmen willing to listen, including the House majority leader, Tom DeLay. If they are open minded, it is due at least as much to a despair about past efforts to animate Arab economies as it is with optimism about Mr Wertheimer's plan. It is hard to find any Arab country with an economic model capable of sustaining long-term growth. Those countries that are rich have oil and little else, and oil will not last forever; the countries without oil suffer from widespread deprivation. True, Dubai is turning itself into a tourism and banking hub, and one or two other Gulf states have other niche ambitions, but they are too small to transform the region. The only nation in the Middle East that has a sophisticated, dynamic economy is Israel -- though much governmental meddling there means that even Israel is not exactly a model of free-wheeling capitalism. Still, despite decades of war and terrorism, and lacking natural resources, it has managed to develop world-class companies and a strong middle class. Yet its economic model has not been imitated elsewhere in the Middle East. Mr Wertheimer believes that this need not be so. He hopes to get America to help finance 100 private-sector industrial parks running around the eastern Mediterranean from Turkey to the Egyptian border. (Given America's struggle to finance the rebuilding of Iraq and Afghanistan, this is surely a long shot.) These, he believes, would foster export-oriented entrepreneurship and, ultimately, a change in world view. For a blueprint, Mr Wertheimer points to what he has already accomplished in Israel: four industrial parks with 162 companies, mostly start-ups, using Arab and Jewish workers. Collectively, they produce $600m annually in products, largely for export. Mr Wertheimer is also part-owner of a park under construction in Gebze, near Istanbul, the first of two he hopes to build in Turkey. More strikingly, he has just signed an unprecedented deal that seemed to have fallen by the wayside during the Iraq war: within a year, Mr Wertheimer and a partner expect to have an industrial park under way near the airport in Aqaba, Jordan. Mr Wertheimer says that there are agreements in place for the park to produce components for DaimlerChrysler, Harmon International (audio components), and two machine-tool firms: South Korea's Taguetak and Germany's Gildemeister. Having already secured backing for this park, he wants to build, with local partners, four more in Jordan over the next five years -- with the cost financed by an international consortium of governments he hopes that America will help assemble and by the private sector. Total employment in the parks, he estimates, could ultimately reach 12,500 and revenues could exceed $1 billion. Mr Wertheimer's own experience with these parks dates back to 1982. In northern Israel, in an area inhabited mainly by goats, he built a complex of offices and factories to which he added basic utilities, transportation, schools and a central eating facility: what he calls a capitalist kibbutz. Access is provided to bankers, lawyers and people with business experience who can help other start-ups with taxes, regulations, finance and marketing -- big challenges for entrepreneurs, especially in a tough business environment. Tenants must bring -- and they are screened carefully -- a viable product and likely customers. Rents are subsidised at first, then rise to market rates over five years with big winners encouraged to leave. They get a party when they come, and a party when they go, says Mr Wertheimer. The promised land Talks about building similar parks in Arab areas began over a decade ago. An earlier attempt in Jordan died along with King Hussein in 1999. It remains, however, an attractive location. Jordan has a peace treaty with Israel and fairly good relations. Its population is relatively well educated. It has few natural resources. Average income is $3,870 annually, less than one-fifth of Israel's. Jordan has arranged several deals with foreign firms in recent years, mostly thanks to a favourable trade arrangement with America for clothing and textiles. Mr Wertheimer says his parks will emphasise other lines of business. In 1999, Mr Wertheimer also reached an agreement with the Palestinian Authority to open an industrial park spanning the Gaza border, with a coffee
Re: ADMIN: List weirdness
Thanks for the update. How straightforward is the procedure you use to restart it when it gets stuck? Would it be possible to write a shell script that does it, and then make that a cron job that runs the script, say, every hour? Obviously this isn't a solution, but it would help until the real solution is found. On Tue, Sep 23, 2003 at 10:38:48PM -0700, Nick Arnett wrote: The server acted up again today... I tried getting some help from the Mailman user list, but no answers there, so it'll be on to the developer list now. It seems to be some kind of problem with encoding -- the list server gets a message that it can't decode, shunts it off to a holding area, but then seems to constipate, which it really shouldn't do if it's shunting properly. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Girls more confident of success
On Mon, Sep 22, 2003 at 06:53:44PM +0100, William T Goodall wrote: I had to look up that TLA - we call 'Liberal Arts and Sciences' 'Arts and Social Sciences' here - I assume you meant Liberal Arts and Sciences Yes, you got it -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Girls more confident of success
I'm reading all these anecdotes about bad teachers without identifying very well. Through most of high school and all of college, I found the teachers to be mostly irrelevant. I prefer learning from textbooks. After all, you don't have much of a pool to choose your teacher from, but generally only the better teachers will write a textbook and then you can choose the best of the better by choosing the best textbook. And with a book, you can learn at whatever pace you want, instead of being slowed down by the teacher. In high school physics, I couldn't stand the teacher's lectures, although compared to stories here maybe he wasn't so bad ( he had a Ph.D. in philosophy, though :-) I learned my high school physics from Sears, Zemansky, and Young, and I enjoyed it immensely! -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Equal rights opportunity or numbers?
On Sun, Sep 21, 2003 at 09:05:09PM -0500, Dan Minette wrote: To me, it is obvious that the company decided to get rid of its oldest engineers. The pension liability they would have if they allowed these workers to work till they were 65 was the most likely reason for this action. Another thought was that older engineers were not talented enough because they were old. Do you think it would have happened on a 401(k) type plan instead of pensions? It seems to me this is yet another problem due to pensions. Defined contribution plans beat defined benefit plans in many ways. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Irregulars Question: Linux over Windows XP
On Thu, Sep 18, 2003 at 09:32:06PM -, Alberto Monteiro wrote: Answer: 1) Backup data 2) FW Windows XP. WARNING: when it asks if you want to convert to NTFS [Non Transparent to Free Software?] tell it to go to hell Forgot to reduce the Windows XP partition. It will let you make a smaller than full size partition during the XP install. 3) Install Linux. When it doesn't partition the disk automatically, reduce _manually_ the size of the Windoze [FAT!] partition, then create the /boot partition manually, and then tell it to do the rest automatically No need to reduce anything if you do a re-install like you said. 4) Spend the next 30 hours installing Linux packages that the idiotic Linux installation didn't think necessary [like C compiler] Sounds like Connectiva sucks. I use Debian with apt-get, and installing packages is literally effortless. Want a compiler? type apt-get install gcc and it is installed. Want to install gnumeric (spreadsheet), but you don't have all the gnome libraries installed? No problem, just type apt-get install gnumeric and all the libraries and gnumeric will be automatically installed. If you want to try Debian, I would suggest you use LibraNet which is just Debian with a friendlier install and front-end. It is Canadian Debian :-) at http://www.libranet.com/ Steps 1-3 take about 2 hours, and require you to be constantly changing CDs Hmmm. Not for me. Windows XP took a long time, it seemed to me (I didn't time it, but it was at least 30min, maybe 45min). But when I installed Linux, that only took about 20min. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Irregulars Question: Linux over Windows XP
On Fri, Sep 19, 2003 at 01:38:29AM -, Alberto Monteiro wrote: Forgot to reduce the Windows XP partition. It will let you make a smaller than full size partition during the XP install. No, I didn't. No, it didn't. Yes, you did! Yes, it does! -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Girls more confident of success
On Wed, Sep 17, 2003 at 12:23:26AM -0500, Dan Minette wrote: But, what do we find in the US? For 30-34 year olds (fairly close), the mean income for men is 39,989, while for women it is27,331. For 25-29 year olds the mean income for men is 33,405, while for women it is 24,760. My source is http://ferret.bls.census.gov/macro/032002/perinc/new01_011.htm. Any idea how hours worked compares for the women and men in these groups? -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Girls more confident of success
On Wed, Sep 17, 2003 at 03:21:04PM +0100, William T Goodall wrote: considered 'graduate level' jobs. Vocational degrees have better job prospects, but outside of teaching and health (medicine, pharmacy) men still probably outnumber women in most vocational classes (engineering, science, technology) I suspect. Excellent point. I went to undergraduate and graduate school in the 90's in Physics, Aeronautical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering. In virtually all of my non-introductory-level classes (i.e., those classes taken primarily by the people majoring in the dept.), men outnumbered women 10:1 or more. Classmates told me that the only engineering departments that weren't so skewed were BioMedEng, ChemEng and CompSci, but even there they were skewed towards men, just not to such an extreme. Many of the L.A.S. courses were skewed just the opposite. Engineers joked that if you wanted to meet a girlfriend, take certain L.A.S. courses. (Actually, they weren't really joking...a friend of mine took some Education classes and met his future wife) I wonder about MBA programs. Are those 50/50? They tend to make big bucks. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Irregulars Question: Linux over Windows XP
On Wed, Sep 17, 2003 at 01:34:32PM -, Alberto Monteiro wrote: Erik Reuter wrote: You really need to give a better description of the problem if you want relevant suggestions. Please explain exactly what you did and what error messages you got. If I knew exactly what is the problem, I would solve it :-P I asked for a description of the problem. In other words, what exactly did you do and what did you intend to do, what happened, and what messages did the computer display? If you want relevant help with computer problems, you need to give as much detail as possible about what you did and what the computer did. Your first message was quite vague and misleading...the most reasonable reply to your first message would be wipe the harddrive and then install only Linux since you strongly implied you don't want Windows. We eventually managed to tease the details out of you, but if you really want computer help, next time you should start by providing the details. Otherwise, since you said you don't have any important files, just reinstall Windows XP (I think it will let you choose FAT32, and delete the existing partition and create a new, small partition for XP) I think I will have to do that. But I have no idea about how to do it. The Windows XP installer isn't difficult. I just used it on a new computer that got XP and Linux on it, so if you have any problems, just post a detailed report and I'll be glad to help. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Irregulars Question: Linux over Windows XP
On Tue, Sep 16, 2003 at 09:47:35AM -0400, David Hobby wrote: It can probably be solved by configuring boot loaders the right way. Putting Linux on first, and then making XP install second would probably work. But I bet there's a better way... The problem with that is that Windows installer will blow away your LILO or GRUB MBR boot loader that Linux was using. So be prepared (you'll need a boot disk or CD to recover)! The better way is to install Windows XP first, but create a small partition for Windows XP (the Windows XP installer WILL let you do this). Then install Linux in the remaining space, and use GRUB as the bootloader. GRUB can give you a boot menu to load either Windows or Linux. If you need to keep the current Windows XP data, then you COULD try resizing the partition, by first defragging your Windows partition and then running something like FIPS to do the resizing. But this process is fraught with peril and I would not recommend it. I would recommend another hard drive. But I guess money may be an issue, so if you go the resizing route, be sure to back up your important files before resizing. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Irregulars Question: Linux over Windows XP
On Tue, Sep 16, 2003 at 12:41:13PM -0400, Bryon Daly wrote: It didn't recognize the hard disk at all? Or just not the type of partition on the hard disk? (I assume the latter...) What Linux distro are you using - is it a recent one? Red Hat and SuSe are probably the easiest to install. For ease of install, most people like Mandrake better than Red Hat, but the difference is slight. I use Debian, but that is by no means easy to install for a beginner. What type of WinXP partition is it? Irrelevant. I'm assuming it's probably an NTFS partition, since Linux has supported FAT32 for a while now. Guessing by the infected comment, you don't want to keep XP... If that's the case, you can use XP's boot disk to repartition the disk to FAT32, which Linux should recognize, or just delete the XP partition altogether and install linux ext2 and swap partitions. No, the partition type is irrelavant if he just wants to repartition or blow away the partition. fdisk or any of the variations or front ends will have no problem overwriting the partition table no matter what the partition type. I suspect Alberto has some other problem. As you pointed out, we need more information. What distro/installer is he using, EXACTLY what point did it fail at, etc. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Irregulars Question: Linux over Windows XP
Alberto, You really need to give a better description of the problem if you want relevant suggestions. Please explain exactly what you did and what error messages you got. My best guess from your sketchy description is that you have a computer (possibly a notebook computer? otherwise how are you not allowed to install a second hard drive?) that has Windows XP installed in a full-disk-size partition, which is in NTFS format. You tried to resize the NTFS partition with FIPS and failed (not surprising, does FIPS even claim to support NTFS?) So, I guess Byron was right, your problem is the NTFS partition. If you can find a tool to resize it (does partition magic support NTFS resizing?) then you are set. Otherwise, since you said you don't have any important files, just reinstall Windows XP (I think it will let you choose FAT32, and delete the existing partition and create a new, small partition for XP) and then install Linux. When you install Linux, set up GRUB to give a menu to boot either XP or Linux. Another option, especially if you have a notebook computer, is to try Knoppix first. It is a live from CD Linux distribution with excellent device support. Just boot it and see if all your devices have good drivers in Linux. If you are unhappy with Knoppix (i.e., some important device doesn't have a driver) then you will have a hard time installing Connectiva (which I believe has its origins in Red Hat) http://www.knoppix.net/ or if you prefer German http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-old.html On Tue, Sep 16, 2003 at 12:41:13PM -0400, Bryon Daly wrote: From: Alberto Monteiro [EMAIL PROTECTED] How can I install Linux if my computer is infected by a virus called Windows XP? THe procedure aborted when the partition thing didn't recognize the HD It didn't recognize the hard disk at all? Or just not the type of partition on the hard disk? (I assume the latter...) What Linux distro are you using - is it a recent one? Red Hat and SuSe are probably the easiest to install. What type of WinXP partition is it? I'm assuming it's probably an NTFS partition, since Linux has supported FAT32 for a while now. Guessing by the infected comment, you don't want to keep XP... If that's the case, you can use XP's boot disk to repartition the disk to FAT32, which Linux should recognize, or just delete the XP partition altogether and install linux ext2 and swap partitions. _ Express yourself with MSN Messenger 6.0 -- download now! http://www.msnmessenger-download.com/tracking/reach_general ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Scouted: reconstruction then and now
On Tue, Sep 16, 2003 at 01:40:08AM -, Alberto Monteiro wrote: Uh? Long democratic traditions??? Germany was a democracy from some time after WW1 to 1933+ [Hitler was elected democratically, and remained a democratic ruler until he could blame the Commies for putting fire to the Reischstag [sp? the Congress.de] - so a little over 10 years. Before that, it was an Absolute Monarchy under the Kaisers since 1870 or so, before that it was either under the Absolute Monarchy of the Austrian Habsburgs or local princes since 1000 or so, before that it was an Absolute Monarchy under the heirs of Charlemagne, etc. Ah, thanks for the information. I like your reply much better than Tom's. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Clarke To Address Los Alamos Space-Elevator Conference
On Sun, Sep 14, 2003 at 02:59:09PM -0400, Jon Gabriel wrote: From: Robert Seeberger [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: Killer Bs Discussion [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Clarke To Address Los Alamos Space-Elevator Conference Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003 08:53:53 -0500 http://www.spacedaily.com/news/materials-03za.html *shudder* Somebody at Los Alamos better read KSR's Mars trilogy before they build that thing. A single well-aimed ballistic missile would leave elevator parts killing thousands or millions as they descended at 1000+ mph all over the planet. A space elevator would need advanced missile defense systems, tightly controlled airspace and a battallion of troops at both anchor points at the very least. That's not a problem if you build it as a very thin ribbon, as several others gave references for here previously (I guess you missed that thread?). The real problem is making the material. So far, no one has made any significant lengths of it and tested it to see if it behaves as predicted. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Clarke To Address Los Alamos Space-Elevator Conference
On Sun, Sep 14, 2003 at 06:42:37PM -0400, Jon Gabriel wrote: Yes or no answer is ok, since I'll read the more about it in the archive: Would the proposed tensile strength be enough to handle several hundred pounds of humans equipment at a time? Sure, it has to hold a lot more than that -- the vehicle to lift people and cargo would weigh tons. The material proposed is carbon nanofilament based. But no one has yet made a long length of it to test its properties on a large scale. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Decline in SF?
On Sat, Sep 13, 2003 at 01:44:35AM -0400, Jim Sharkey wrote: I suppose I understand why he acted that way, his believing none of world was real and all, but I never could figure out the point of creating a protagonist no one would like. That was one of the reasons I disliked _Ancient of Days_, too. I can't understand why people only want to read about characters they really like. That gets awfully boring. It is also unrealistic. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Decline in SF?
On Sat, Sep 13, 2003 at 09:52:40AM -0400, Jim Sharkey wrote: Yes, that's exactly what I meant, of course, that one should really like every single character in every book. I can see how you could read that into the phrase a protagonist no one would like. It definitely didn't actually mean what it said, that I couldn't see the point of having a completely contemptible central character be the person your readers are supposed to care about. I see. So if you had leprosy and suddenly found yourself in a dream world where you did not and your actions had no real consequences, you would behave like a saint? -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Decline in SF?
On Sat, Sep 13, 2003 at 12:09:12PM -0400, Jim Sharkey wrote: Not necessarily, though since that's not going to happen any time soon, I don't suppose I'll get to test that theory. And if I didn't behave like a saint, and I acted like a whiny five-year-old the entire time to boot, I wouldn't expect anyone to like me either. Yes, again, duh! He is the anti-hero, you aren't supposed to LIKE him. But I don't see why you must like him to find the book interesting. Talk about whiny! -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Decline in SF?
On Sat, Sep 13, 2003 at 11:41:04AM -0500, Robert Seeberger wrote: H... But I *do* like Covenant. He is much more human than most fictional characters. Most FCs are wish fulfillment/ self substitutes who win it all in the end against enormous obstacles. TC only achieves a bit of balance in the end. I suppose like is too vague a word. I wouldn't want TC as a friend, nor would I try to emulate him in most things, but I do like to read about him. He is a complex character with realistic flaws and some virtues, and he goes through conflicts that I think many people have experienced, albeit to a lesser degree. He is also a strong, rational person who refuses to give up when his life takes a horrible turn for the worse. He certainly has some admirable qualities, and I think he provides a lot of food for thought in considering one's own behaviors. The Unbeliever is a very believable character! Plus, the whole backdrop of a fantasy world that -- rather than being real but obscure as is common in fantasies -- is quite likely just in the main character's mind is quirky and unusual, which I always prefer to cliched, me too stories. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
