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Posted by CmdrTaco on Monday December 11, @06:06AMfrom the cheesy-alliteration-is-where-it's-at dept.
Way back in October we solicited ideas for Christmas presents for geeks. This was done with Wired, and the results appear in the current issue (the lime-green colored one: unless you're blind, you can't miss it. You'll only be able to find the first copy, tho). The authors' money will be a nice Christmas present to the EFF. Thanks go to Paul, who did all the really hard work compiling the final list from all your ideas. Now read on to see the list.
- PlayStation2 - Sony list price $299.99; winning bids on eBay $550-1,375. Supplies are extremely limited. CowboyNeal has been waiting for his for months.
- Beowulf parallel computing cluster; 3 nodes for $1,305.95. A build-your-own supercomputer: three bargain PCs with Ethernet cards ($415 each), one four-port network hub ($16), and one Building Linux Clusters book from O'Reilly and Associates ($44.95), which includes Red Hat Linux and cluster software on CD. Perfect for trolls who lack a single iota of creativity, or that guy you know who always wants to simulate weather patterns.
- Car MP3 player - empeg $1,199 (and it even runs Linux, if you're into that sort of thing).
- IC-R3 handheld wideband radio/TV receiver - Icom America $599. 500-kHz to 2.4-GHz spybox tunes in to everything but cell phones. Voyeurism isn't just for breakfast anymore.
- iPAQ H3600 Linux-compatible handheld - Compaq $499, but good luck finding one. Apparently there is quite the shortage.
- Nomad Jukebox - Creative Labs $499. Give this, instead of a CD player, to your loved one in the Napster T-shirt ...
- Matrix- and Blade Runner-styled trench coats - TrenchCo. $375-482.
- CD-RW drive, $150-350. No drive fits all machines, so verify compatibility before you buy. Many popular drives have to be back-ordered, but others are always in stock.
- Voodoo5 5500 AGP or PCI graphics card - 3dfx Interactive $299.99. Better graphics than PlayStation2, on your computer instead of your TV.
- Klein Bottle - Acme $25-250. Designed by astronomer-author Cliff Stoll.
- MindStorms - Lego MindStorms $50-200. Classic Lego building blocks, updated with motors and microchips.
- GlobalMap 100 GPS - Lowrance Electronics $199.95. I get lost in my backyard. I wonder if this thing has a map of my back yard.
- TiNi Pocket PowerPlier - SOG Specialty Knives and Tools $84.95. Just keep those fingers free of extra holes.
- Broadband Internet access $39-50 per month (plus installation charges). Check for availability in your area. Consider moving. I know I do almost every day.
- Interactive Yoda - Tiger $39.99. A Jedi craves not these things. But if he gets one for Christmas, that's different.
- Non-computer games - Looney Labs $5-35. Card games that modify their own rules, and board games for the brainy.
- EverQuest - Sony $29.95 (plus $9.89 monthly service fee). Addictive multiplayer game lets you collaborate with others on the Net. Suitable even for a 200-MHz PC with a 28K connection. And the graphics look like ass. But I have many friends who've lost countless productive hours all for the lucrative reward of being able to take a bear by yourself in a virtual world.
- Tech-book gift certificate - Fatbrain.com $10-25. Let her choose her own robot-building manual.
- Klein Bottle knit cap or Mobius ear band - Math Hatter $12-22.
- Penguin Caffeinated Peppermints - ifive brands $12 (four-pack). Essential fuel for all-night hacking: sugar and caffeine wrapped in a handy breath mint. I'll never forget the time Trae ate a whole tin at ALS and traveled forward through time.
< Intel Says 10GHz By 2005 | PlayStation 2 Software Synopsis >
Slashdot Login Don't have an account yet? Go Create One. A user account will allow you to customize all these nutty little boxes, tailor the stories you see, as well as remember your comment viewing preferences. Features The latest installment of Geeks in Space is up at The Sync. Listen to CmdrTaco, Hemos, and Nate talk about the latest events to happen - or not happen in the computer world.
Perhaps you are seeking Emmett's series of articles about making music with Linux. These articles include We're Getting There, Mastering, Bandwidth, and Synthesis and Notation And Alphabet Soup.
For something different, try reading the Jon Katz essay Showdown With The Pinkertons about his encounter with the Pinkerton Special Services Group.
Also, be sure to check out Katz's feature on Napster and Metallica, entitled Metallica's "Justice" And Napster
Update: 05/02 05:10 by CowboyNeal:
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted. A Slashdot Christmas (Score:1, Insightful)
by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 11, @06:14AM EST (#4)
What I'd really like is a slashdot free from trolling. Just for one little day .. how hard could it be for you guys to let up?
(I'll admit some trolls are funny, but the most majority are unadulterated crap.)
Who's with me?forward through time ... (Score:2)
by rlowe69 (rlowe69@hotmail.com) on Monday December 11, @06:14AM EST (#5)
(User #74867 Info)exactly one minute if I recall correctly ...
oh wait, that was Einstein in the Hill Valley Mall parking lot ...
rL - 2000Re:forward through time ... (Score:3, Interesting)
by brianvan on Monday December 11, @07:49AM EST (#69)
(User #42539 Info)That was the Twin Pines Mall.
(UPDATE Hill Valley SET TREES = (TREES - 1) Where FAST MOVING DELOREAN = TRUE)
Ooops, it was the Lone Pine Mall.Re:forward through time ... (Score:1)
by rlowe69 (rlowe69@hotmail.com) on Monday December 11, @06:27PM EST (#300)
(User #74867 Info)Interesting indeed ...
rL - 2000I don't quite get this.... (Score:2, Insightful)
by Beowulf_Boy (lstrunk@myrealbox.sirspamalot.com) on Monday December 11, @06:15AM EST (#6)
(User #239340 Info)I remember this from last year too,
what is it, like a geeks wish list or something?
How about a set of Klipsch Promedia speakers and a SBLive?
Actually my christmas list goes as such-
1. SBlive
2. AltecLansing 5 speaker system set
3. Cambridge Subwoofer
4. Java: a beginers guide -by Herb something or other
5. I still have 50$ bucks left, and idea's for a 15 year old computer enthusiast?
Confuscius say-"Man who go to bed with itchy butt, wake with smelly finger"Re:I don't quite get this.... (Score:2, Funny)
by The_Messenger (kmfms.com@drew) on Monday December 11, @07:13AM EST (#51)
(User #110966 Info) http://soldc.sun.comI still have 50$ bucks left, and idea's for a 15 year old computer enthusiast?
You can buy a lot of Vaseline and Kleenex for $50.00...Oh, and FONS.
All generalizations are false.
:wqRe:I don't quite get this.... (Score:1)
by Grab (ratelect@(no.spam.here.)hotmail.com) on Monday December 11, @03:13PM EST (#267)
(User #126025 Info) http://(no.spam.here.)www.rational-electronics.co.ukWell Vaseline and Kleenex will sort out the problem in his sig anyway...
Grab.Re:I don't quite get this.... (Score:1)
by Jainith on Monday December 11, @07:31AM EST (#62)
(User #153344 Info)Hey Thats pretty much what I got this summer, and it's really cool, just make sure you put it somewhere where you can turn it up. Damn neighbors always complain, butthe sound is awesome. Re:I don't quite get this.... (Score:1)
by Kool Moe (koolmoe@crosswinds.net) on Monday December 11, @02:47PM EST (#256)
(User #43724 Info)$50? A webcam and Powergoo (if they still make that). Oh, wait, 15 eh? The maybe two webcams so he and his gal can waste the evenings bit'ing into each others eyes...
Or just buy Quake3 ;-p
Kinda like Moe, but just a little more KoolRe:A contribution to the EFF would be a timely gif (Score:1, Interesting)
by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 11, @02:47PM EST (#257)
Or your mod points would do just as well.
You know, it's really sad, here I am actually giving what I consider to be a useful and thoughtful suggestion and I get modded down from (score:0) just like when I'm trying to be an obnoxious asshole. Way to go mods, now you know why there are so many abrasive jerks on /. , you'd rather dump on someone be they troll or just idiot rather than ever mod someone up.
So what was it:- You don't like the EFF
- You think anyone making such a suggestion can't possibly be sincere, therefore obviously a troll
- The implied anticorporatism just made you see red
- You just mod down all posts tagged "Annonymous Coward --"
- The stupid ::Cue::Cat reference gave you hairballs
HEY TACO! howzabout having two classes of mod points, positive and negative? Then there'd be mod points only usable for modding up good posts. Obviously the moderators aren't concerned with promoting quality discussion and much prefer punishing evildoers. bah, neither are you apparently.
Annnonymoose Cowtard -- "(score:0) -- that's for me"Hm. I still have no idea what I want for Christmas (Score:1)
by Seumas on Monday December 11, @06:16AM EST (#7)
(User #6865 Info) http://www.seumas.comSome of the things in that list sound interesting, but the majority would either grow tiring after a short period, have no functional use to start with, or I would be completely embarassed to ask someone to indulge in purchasing for me in the first place. Then again, I'm one of those people who likes buying gifts for the holidays, but is embarassed when receiving them and will go out of his way to avoid receiving them.
And no, I don't think being agnostic has anything to do with being uninterested in gift-getting. I guess I just do not feel comfortable allowing other people to spend their hard-earned money on me just to convey a sense of warmth and friendship.
---
seumas.com
gothicauctions.comRe:Hm. I still have no idea what I want for Christ (Score:1)
by xmedar on Monday December 11, @12:03PM EST (#198)
(User #55856 Info)How about the ultimate geek gift? Space travel pre-book here its £100K = ~$160K deposit, and they don't guarentee it will happen or that you won't have to cough up even more money, but its still the coolest present I have seen.
Any sufficiently advanced man is indistinguishable from GodPlaystation 2 (Score:1, Redundant)
by rde (rde(at)ireland(dot)com) on Monday December 11, @06:21AM EST (#11)
(User #17364 Info) http://robertelliott.orgThis comment is an attempt to call a lot of people names, but without being a troll.
Here goes...
About a month ago, the Playstation 2 was released in Ireland. On the day of its release, thousands of people queued up overnight outside shops all over Dublin, frantic in their hopes. People outside were offering hundreds of pounds over the odds to people who were walking out of the shops with their little blue boxes.
THen I wandered in around lunchtime, handed over the receipt, and walked out of the shop minutes later. No hassle, and all it took was a reservation two months before the fact.
So Cowboyneal, and thousands of others worldwide writhing with jealousy: I've no sympathy. But I do have a playstation.
Oh, yeah. The topic. If anyone wants to buy me a present, I'd love a Twiddler 2Re:Playstation 2 (Score:1)
by CowboyNeal (pater@slashdot.org) on Monday December 11, @09:56AM EST (#122)
(User #4 Info) http://cowboyneal.orgI did reserve well over 2 months in advance. What did you think, I was sitting outside the local toy store waiting for a shipment to arrive?
--
pater@slashdot.orgRe:Playstation 2 (Score:1)
by rde (rde(at)ireland(dot)com) on Monday December 11, @10:56AM EST (#161)
(User #17364 Info) http://robertelliott.orgI did reserve well over 2 months in advance. What did you think, I was sitting outside the local toy store waiting for a shipment to arrive?
Okay, so I was a little harsh. If you like, I can try and make it up to you by describing some games. I really like smuggler's run, for example. I can describe at length what you can't play until Easter.
But if you reserved one, why haven't you got one? My understanding was that orders were based on initial reservations. Of course, it's probably different in the US. I understand your population is slightly larger over there.Re:Playstation 2 (Score:1)
by blackcoat on Monday December 11, @11:03AM EST (#165)
(User #254261 Info)Yes, AFAIK reservations for the first shipment ran out sometime around march/april. At the time I was working for Software Etc, and ours ran out in Feb. I still have no sympathy for anyone that doesn't have one however. Re:Playstation 2 (Score:1)
by dingbat_hp (dingbat@codesmiths.com) on Monday December 11, @10:45AM EST (#155)
(User #98241 Info)One of my cow-orkers reserved a PS2 for his kids. Seems that sprog #1 was rather geeking-out with his DreamCast though, so he decided that Junior wasn't going to get that PS2 for Xmas after all. Another of my cow-orkers is very happy about this, as she bought the "surplus" PS2, as soon as it arrived.
Of course, in years to come when Junior finds out, he's going to be one pissed-off adolescent,
"You won't believe what my parents did to me one Xmas !"Re:Playstation 2 (Score:1)
by gruppa on Monday December 11, @01:53PM EST (#244)
(User #165733 Info)If anyone wants one, go to the Netherlands. They have shitloads. I'm just kicking myself, 'cos I didn't think to bring any back to the UK and sell them for extortionate prices. I must be blind (Score:5, Informative)
by DeadSea (1010SD@LegOstermillerArm.com (Amputate to email)) on Monday December 11, @06:24AM EST (#12)
(User #69598 Info) http://www.ostermiller.com/The only thing that is lime green on the wired page that I see is the search box. Searching on the front page for christmas, gift, or geek, turned up nothing. Searching their headlines for christmas, gift, or geek turns up nothing relevant. Maybe what Taco means is that its only in the dead tree version of Wired? For those of you that are interested, CNN also has a geek gift list.
Web sites should be compiled.
Re:I must be blind (Score:1)
by biglig2 (biglig@cyberdude.com) on Monday December 11, @06:46AM EST (#30)
(User #89374 Info) http://www.bigwig.net/biglig/Well, he does say "latest issue" which is a strong hint. Perhaps they're not very..er...wired.
Penguin Mints !=sugar (Score:1)
by redback (redback@spicedporkandham.theoffspring.net) on Monday December 11, @06:24AM EST (#13)
(User #15527 Info) http://redback.jumpcomputers.comif you read the website they say that there is no sugar in penguin mints, and its on the tins too
first thing i bought when i got a credit card :PRe:Penguin Mints !=sugar (Score:1)
by Paul Boutin (boutin@wired.IHEARTSPAM.com) on Monday December 11, @11:51AM EST (#190)
(User #102375 Info) http://www.well.com/user/mrpaulNo wonder I keep falling asleep even after ten of those things. :-) Thanks for the correction.
Paul Boutin | Senior Editor | Wired magazineChristmas isn't about presents (Score:2, Insightful)
by Dan Hayes on Monday December 11, @06:27AM EST (#16)
(User #212400 Info)It's nice to see that even /. is wholeheartedly promoting the idea of Christmas as a time for getting expensive presents and shiny new toys rather than a time for reflection and family, when you come together to celebrate something other than the usual materialistic way of life that we revel in in America.
Just look at the list. It reads like a "gimme" list of things that you want from people, a list of toys that you want. It totally misses the point of Christmas, which is to make other people happy, not to gratify your lust for electrical goods.
Rather than spending days searching the net for things you want, why not spend that time thinking of how you can make other people happy? Christmas should be a time when you don't think of yourself, but instead go all out to bring happiness to other people.
Come on people, can't we stop thinking of ourselves at least once every year? Make the effort to turn off the computer and do something that will make your loved ones happy.
Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:2, Funny)
by theDigitizer (Digitizer@my_own_digital_universe.org) on Monday December 11, @06:35AM EST (#22)
(User #239913 Info) http://www.geocities.com/theDigitizerThat's right! Send geeks these wonderful things and I don't know who wouldn't be happy for months and months!
"What I told you was true. From a certain point of view." - Obi-Wan Kenobi from Return of the JediRe:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:2, Interesting)
by rde (rde(at)ireland(dot)com) on Monday December 11, @06:36AM EST (#23)
(User #17364 Info) http://robertelliott.orgCome on people, can't we stop thinking of ourselves at least once every year? Make the effort to turn off the computer and do something that will make your loved ones happy.
Humbug.
Have you considered the number of geeks who are maladjusted socially? The sort of people who, when thrust into the middle of a bunch of relatives they don't like and whom they only meet once a year, are going to be less than socially acceptable?
THey'd be doing themselves and their families a favour by staying at the computer.
Oh, and Christmas may be a time when you don't think of yourself for you, but for may others it's a time for thinking only of themselves. For others still, it's a time of peace when they can have the office to themeselves. For many more, it's a time to get pissed.
Why am I going through all this? Because Christmas may have its origins in religous festivals, but these days it's no more about Jesus than it is about Saturnalia.
It pisses me off to see people talk about Christmas as a time of good cheer and of being nice to your neighbours, as if it's perfectly acceptable to be an asshole for the rest of the year.Geeks need to make the effort (Score:1)
by Dan Hayes on Monday December 11, @07:00AM EST (#36)
(User #212400 Info)Have you considered the number of geeks who are maladjusted socially? The sort of people who, when thrust into the middle of a bunch of relatives they don't like and whom they only meet once a year, are going to be less than socially acceptable?
Nonsense, surely they can make the effort for at least one day every year? It's not like it's that difficult to socialise, especially with people who are closer to you than anyone else. Sure, there may be some relative strangers there, but there will also be the people you grew up with.
Oh, and Christmas may be a time when you don't think of yourself for you, but for may others it's a time for thinking only of themselves. For others still, it's a time of peace when they can have the office to themeselves. For many more, it's a time to get pissed.
And what, we should encourage people to be this selfish and/or introverted?
Why am I going through all this? Because Christmas may have its origins in religous festivals, but these days it's no more about Jesus than it is about Saturnalia.
Hence the lack of religious references in my post. Just because you don't believe in Jesus doesn't mean that you have to deny everything Christmas should stand for - family, giving and happiness. People who deny the validity of Christmas just because of their lack of religious beliefs are missing out on an important part of humanity.
It pisses me off to see people talk about Christmas as a time of good cheer and of being nice to your neighbours, as if it's perfectly acceptable to be an asshole for the rest of the year.
Of course it isn't acceptable to be an asshole for the rest of the year, but at Christmas everyone has the chance to get together and celebrate the things that make us human. To avoid this is to admit that something is seriously lacking in your life.
Re:Geeks need to make the effort (Score:1)
by rde (rde(at)ireland(dot)com) on Monday December 11, @07:41AM EST (#66)
(User #17364 Info) http://robertelliott.orgAnd what, we should encourage people to be this selfish and/or introverted?
What's so wrong with being introverted? If it wasn't for introverts, we'd still be in the stone age.
Again, I come to the point: just because you (and, indeed, millions of others) think that being outgoing and extroverted are good things doesn't make it so. More specifically, it doesn't make introverted 'bad'.
I'll be going home on Christmas day. But my family have reconciled themselves to not getting much by way of pressies. It's taken a decade, but they finally accept that if I see something that someone I know would like, I'll buy it; I won't forbear just because it's not Christmas or a Birthday. Equally, I won't buy a present for someone just because I'm required by tradition to do so.
...celebrate the things that make us human.
Don't get me started on this...
To avoid this is to admit that something is seriously lacking in your life.
Can you elucidate on this? I've no idea what you mean.Introverted isn't *bad*, but it isn't healthy (Score:1)
by Dan Hayes on Monday December 11, @08:06AM EST (#78)
(User #212400 Info)Again, I come to the point: just because you (and, indeed, millions of others) think that being outgoing and extroverted are good things doesn't make it so. More specifically, it doesn't make introverted 'bad'.
No, being introverted isn't a bad thing, but at the same time it isn't really a healthy state to be in psychologically speaking. Humans are social animals and we thrive on interacting with other people - this has been the case since before we had language, and modern culture certainly hasn't changed this.
Just look at the internet - despite it's potential for creating sad, lonely people the main use it is put to is communicating between people, through email, newsgroups, IRC, ICQ or weblogs. People want to communicate.
It is people that have difficulties in relating to other people that generally end up with emotional problems. Serial killers in particular don't possess this emotional connection with other people, making them maniupulative and unable to empathise with their victims. Sure, introverted geeks aren't this bad, but it's still not healthy, and people shouldn't be encouraged to hide themselves away as a "valid life choice".
Can you elucidate on this? I've no idea what you mean.
See above, the human need for companionship and love is part of what we are. Whether or not we admit to it, we all crave that feeling, and people that deny it are punishing themselves and those that love them, to the overall benefit of nobody.
It takes little effort to make the attempt just once a year, and it can make people very happy.
Re:Introverted isn't *bad*, but it isn't healthy (Score:1)
by rde (rde(at)ireland(dot)com) on Monday December 11, @08:32AM EST (#87)
(User #17364 Info) http://robertelliott.orgit isn't really a healthy state to be in psychologically speaking
I've no doubt that for the majority of the population, you're right; but that doesn't mean it applies to everyone. Even for the people to whom it does applay, it isn't the case all the time. Equally, for those of us with distinct misanthropic tendencies, we still enjoy the occasional conversation.
Serial killers in particular don't possess this emotional connection with other people, making them maniupulative and unable to empathise with their victims
And I thought I was capable of spurious arguments. I don't really want to start on this one; I doubt I could give anything approaching a complete answer in less than a few thousand words. Instead, I'll just say that it's rarely wise to illustrate a point by telling of how one character trait - introvertion, for example - can lead to nastiness (serial killing, in this case). Every trait humans possess can have its negative consequences; religous belief can lead to a willingness to believe in pseudoscience, intelligence can lead to disdain for the, ahem, cerebrally challenged... the list is endless.
the human need for companionship and love is part of what we are.
It's certainly what we were, and it's pretty much certainly still in our genes. But it's no longer necessary for our survival, and as such is expendable. We can do without it.
But we're straying from the point, here, which was Christmas/Saturnalia/Whatever. Let me ask you this: you advocate being nice to one and all at Christmas, and tolance for those we'd normally ignore. Which of these actions can we dispense with for the rest of the year?Re:Introverted isn't *bad*, but it isn't healthy (Score:1)
by Dan Hayes on Monday December 11, @09:11AM EST (#98)
(User #212400 Info)I've no doubt that for the majority of the population, you're right; but that doesn't mean it applies to everyone. Even for the people to whom it does applay, it isn't the case all the time. Equally, for those of us with distinct misanthropic tendencies, we still enjoy the occasional conversation.
But you're not making the distinction between people who don't need social contact and people who don't get social contact. I'd opinion that the former is a very rare occurance and indicative of serious mental disorders, whereas the second is what a person who is "introverted" suffers from. Hence their occasional foray into the world of conversation and relationships. They want this contact but are just too shy to know how to get it. They still need such contact and suffer from its lack. Online relationships just don't offer what real world relationships do, no matter how intense they seem.
Instead, I'll just say that it's rarely wise to illustrate a point by telling of how one character trait - introvertion, for example - can lead to nastiness (serial killing, in this case).
*sigh* That's not what I said. What I said was that serial killers had a lack of ability to emphasise and relate to other people. Whereas the introvert wants to but cannot the serial killer cannot and doesn't even want to; they just don't have that need. But in either case, a lack of social contact is a bad thing.
It's certainly what we were, and it's pretty much certainly still in our genes. But it's no longer necessary for our survival, and as such is expendable. We can do without it.
In the strictest sense it never has been; there have always been hermits and holy men who survived perfectly well on their own. But at least they had a calling and chose to exclude themselves from society.
And besides, in order to perpetuate our genetic makeup we need to find a mate. This is, and always has been, a very socially demanding task and somebody that excludes themselves from social activities is always going to be at a distinct disadvantage in this particular endeavour. So in this sense, social interaction is just as necessary as it ever was.
But we're straying from the point, here, which was Christmas/Saturnalia/Whatever. Let me ask you this: you advocate being nice to one and all at Christmas, and tolance for those we'd normally ignore. Which of these actions can we dispense with for the rest of the year?
When did I say you could dispense of them for the rest of the year? All I said was that most people don't make the effort the rest of the time, which is a sad state of affairs, and that people should make that effort at Christmas even if, or especially if, the rest of the time they indulge their selfish whims at the expense of others.
Re:Introverted isn't *bad*, but it isn't healthy (Score:2, Interesting)
by rde (rde(at)ireland(dot)com) on Monday December 11, @09:39AM EST (#111)
(User #17364 Info) http://robertelliott.orgI'd opinion that the former is a very rare occurance and indicative of serious mental disorders, whereas the second is what a person who is "introverted" suffers from
I think you're underestimating the flexiblity of the human beastie. I'd contend, for example, that most of us have the potential to become world-class nerds, but those who do only do so because of the lack of human interaction during the pre/teen years.
Eventually, this lack of ability becomes lack of desire. Every introverted nerd realises eventually that s/he's quite capable of carrying on without trying to spend the day on inane conversations with coworkers/whatevers.
*sigh* That's not what I said.
Sorry for misunderstanding, but see above.
social interaction is just as necessary as it ever was.
From an individual POV, certainly. But the species is in no danger of dying out from underbreeding, so there's no imperative on indiviuals to procreate. Adolescents don't think in such terms, but as we get older, we realise that we're capable etc etc.Re:Introverted isn't *bad*, but it isn't healthy (Score:2)
by Lemmy Caution on Monday December 11, @12:39PM EST (#214)
(User #8378 Info) http://localhost/Re: introversion/extroversion and 'the natural,' humans (and the aspects of their physiology that create emotions and language) evolved to be in moderately sized, fairly stable clans, analogous to the way baboons live. And for most of our history, most of us had a relatively stable social environment in which you knew the same group of friends and neighbors over a lifetime - the changes were slow (except for historical cataclysms - pogroms, invasions and the such.) Now, we have a socially accelerated culture to at least the extent that we have a technologically accelerated culture - we have mobile careers with new colleagues every couple years, our families move constantly, our school lives are often as fractured - and just as some people have difficulty managing a technological environment they were never made ready for, others have the same difficulty with this social environment. I sometimes think that the moves towards introversion and extroversion as such pronounced character traits are really a sort of reaction to trying to live in an environment for which humans are not really optimally designed. We are geared for a lot more social continuity than we can expect.
Re:Introverted isn't *bad*, but it isn't healthy (Score:2)
by Richy_T (slashdot@perihelion.demon.co.uk) on Monday December 11, @04:08PM EST (#276)
(User #111409 Info) http://www.nashvillegazette.comExactly. These days it seems that when I meet new people, I can't be bothered to make the effort to get to know them. I catch myself thinking "What's the point, I've met loads of people before and they're all off living other places now. Why put in the effort when I might never see this person again". Of course, if people do stick around, I do get to know them better and become more socially active.
Having just moved to the USA from the UK, I now know virtually noone so it's important that I socialize more and yet old habits are hard to break.
Rich
Sig: Hey, how come the sigs suddenly shrank?Re:Geeks need to make the effort (Score:2)
by TheGratefulNet (bryanFNORD@gratefulFNORD.net (-FNORD)) on Monday December 11, @10:19AM EST (#136)
(User #143330 Info) http://www.Grateful.Netbut at Christmas everyone has the chance to get together and celebrate the things that make us human. excuse me, but last time I studied set theory:
setof(christians) {is-subset-of} setof(humans)
putting it another way, not all humans believe as you do. fortunately.
--
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."Re:Geeks need to make the effort (Score:1)
by wnissen (Walter_Nissen@nospam.alumni.hmc.edu) on Monday December 11, @11:56AM EST (#193)
(User #59924 Info)Ahh, 'tis the season. Normally this would have been an easy "Overrated," since it's snippy and misses the obvious non-religious nature of the parent post. But seriously, I am an atheist and I still celebrate the togetherness of Christmas. Yes, there's a lot of commercialism, but it's fun to buy or make gifts that other people will enjoy.
If you still want to make the point that not everyone is from a cultural tradition that doesn't celebrate Christmas, fine. But then it wouldn't be an issue, would it?
Just think, I passed up the opportunity to mod the Dan Hayes troll account down to post this. What strange things Christmas does to us!
WaltRe:Geeks need to make the effort (Score:2)
by FFFish on Monday December 11, @11:59AM EST (#195)
(User #7567 Info)Oh, don't be a dork. Christmas has bugger all to do with Christians these days, and everything to do with crass commercialism.
--
Moderators: You should be browsing at -1, (Newest|Oldest) First, Nested, not +2, Highest Scores, ThreadedRe:Geeks need to make the effort (Score:1)
by LordNimon on Monday December 11, @01:11PM EST (#226)
(User #85072 Info) http://www.warpstock.orgI know plenty of Muslims who don't celebrate Christmas at all. No tree, no fancy dinner, no gifts, no cards, nada. And yes, they live in the United States and have Christain friends.
--
I use OS/2 Warp at home because I think it's a superior desktop OS to Linux, BeOS, Windows, and everything else.Re:Geeks need to make the effort (Score:1)
by FFFish on Tuesday December 12, @03:09PM EST (#330)
(User #7567 Info)And your point would be...??
Like I said, it's nothing to do with Christ, and everything to do with consumer orgies.
It's not that your Muslim friends aren't celebrating Christ-Mass, but that they're not engaging in the gift-giving orgy of greed.
Commendable, but nothing to do with religion (and everything to do with good taste).
Wish my family would let me be a Grinch. I'm disgusted by the gift thing.
--
Moderators: You should be browsing at -1, (Newest|Oldest) First, Nested, not +2, Highest Scores, ThreadedRe:Geeks need to make the effort (Score:2)
by falloutboy (ben@nospam@cloud9.net) on Monday December 11, @10:51AM EST (#156)
(User #150069 Info)Of course it isn't acceptable to be an asshole for the rest of the year, but at Christmas everyone has the chance to get together and celebrate the things that make us human. To avoid this is to admit that something is seriously lacking in your life.
Something lacking in my life?! I should call my Rabbi and ask him what it is.
-- In case of fire, don't use elevator. Use water.Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:1)
by Paulo (paulsen@rocketmail.com) on Monday December 11, @07:24AM EST (#59)
(User #3416 Info)Have you considered the number of geeks who are maladjusted socially? The sort of people who, when thrust into the middle of a bunch of relatives they don't like and whom they only meet once a year, are going to be less than socially acceptable?
Actually, that happens not just to geeks, but pretty much to anybody.Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:1)
by nasty_penguin (windows@crashes.every.ten.minutes) on Monday December 11, @12:49PM EST (#217)
(User #248387 Info) http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Ridge/2544/Christmas never had anything to do with that mythical figure known to christians as jesus christ. In europe it was an old pagen winter festival. If you look at cultures around the world (christians are incapable of understanding non-western culture), it is almost universal to have some festive occation around the time of the winter solstice. The sun is very important to peoples over the world, and many cultures will recognize the day of the year that the sun appears furthest south in the sky.
And remember, today is the first day of the rest of your life.Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:2, Funny)
by daniel_isaacs (dani_at_uglyfish.dhs.org) on Monday December 11, @06:45AM EST (#28)
(User #249732 Info) http://uglyfish.dhs.org/~daniI agree with you %100. That's why, in my house, we don't celebrate Christmas. We celebrate the Dave Barry-inspired "Athiest Children Get Presents Day". It's everything that's enjoyable about traditional American Christmas celebrations, but without having to go to church.
- Dan I.Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:1)
by mazur (mazur@sara.nl) on Monday December 11, @10:27AM EST (#141)
(User #99215 Info) http://www.xs4all.nl/~mazur/And if that gives you stange look, you could always go back to the source, and celebrate the present giving party on the eve of the death of saint Nicolas, the bishop of Myrna, 6 december 340. And thereby undo the embrace and expand of whoever it was, that decided the combination with the supposed birthday of Christ and the heathen Yule celebrations would do some extra good or whatever. Maybe some pope deciding it would help extinguish Hanukah (that's a Jewish gifts celebration about the same time, isn't it?). Over here in the Netherlands we do the gifts on the evening of the fifth of december, without a church anywhere near, though the tradition is crumbling under the weight of foreign traditions combining it with Christmas.
Stefan.
It takes a lot of brains to enjoy satire, humor and wit-
-but NONE to be offended by them.(The Midnight Skulker,BC)Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:1)
by radja (oldshoe@itookmyprozac.com) on Monday December 11, @10:38AM EST (#149)
(User #58949 Info) http://www.ankh.morpork.net/~nobbs/err..unfortunately, it was us dutchmen who turned sinterklaas into santa claus, because it was cheaper (well.. what other reason did you expect?). Santa claus allows you to skip an expensive holiday. coca cola made up the silly outfit. And I have no idea who made up the elves, although I would like to know what they'd been smoking (and where I can get it)
//rdj
Tiara is a recursive acronym.Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:1, Funny)
by M. Silver on Monday December 11, @10:27AM EST (#142)
(User #141590 Info) http://www.phoenyx.net/Athiest Children Get Presents Day What about the children who are only athy, or perhaps just a little athier? Don't they get presents, too, or is it some kind of competition?
Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:1)
by daniel_isaacs (dani_at_uglyfish.dhs.org) on Monday December 11, @10:53AM EST (#158)
(User #249732 Info) http://uglyfish.dhs.org/~daniI Am an American. Only the Best deserve to get stuff.
- Dan I.Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:1)
by aug24 on Monday December 11, @06:45AM EST (#29)
(User #38229 Info) http://www.aug24.demon.co.uk/Mail this page to your non-geek family members to make their Christmas shopping easier - see I *am* thinking of my family!
-- You're only jealous cos the little penguins are talking to me.Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:1)
by FatOldGoth (XoYo@transform.obligatorynospamthingy.to) on Monday December 11, @06:54AM EST (#33)
(User #207461 Info) http://transform.to/~xoyo/Come on people, can't we stop thinking of ourselves at least once every year? Make the effort to turn off the computer and do something that will make your loved ones happy I don't see how turning off the computer would make my loved ones happier. Almost every time I see them the first thing they say is "Can you sort out this computer problem for me?"
Now, as far as making me happier is concerned...
--
There is no real FatOldGoth. There are only faulty simulacra.Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:1)
by Dan Hayes on Monday December 11, @08:32AM EST (#86)
(User #212400 Info)I don't see how turning off the computer would make my loved ones happier. Almost every time I see them the first thing they say is "Can you sort out this computer problem for me?"
That's hardly very healthy is it? Sure, it's nice to be able to help people out, but when that seems to be all they're asking you for then I'd step back and take a look at the status of your relationships...
Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:1)
by spudnic (jamesb@no.spam.lsg.net) on Monday December 11, @11:11AM EST (#172)
(User #32107 Info) http://www.isd-tx.netI don't know how I feel about this. I am in a similiar situation. I usually make it home about once a month for a weekend. Invariably there will be someone in my family who needs some kind of help... installing hardware/software, problems, etc.
Sometimes I feel like just saying, "Hey, I'm not a hardware guy any more. I sit and write code all day. We've got kids we hire to do that stuff. Anyway, I'm not at work. I just want to be around family."
But they are there for me and help me whenever they can. I don't think that if I was unable or unwilling to help them with their computer problems that they would hate me or something. I know when I was younger (and poorer) my older brother spent many nights with me trying to keep my old junker car running.
Now maybe I can return the favor. Everybody's good at something. And if it helps other people, all the better.
Now not-close friends bugging me for help, that's a different story! ARGH!
load "linux",8,1Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:1)
by The_Messenger (kmfms.com@drew) on Monday December 11, @07:08AM EST (#47)
(User #110966 Info) http://soldc.sun.comI agree. And I'm willing to help you make me happy by allowing you to send me copious amounts of money and merchandise. Email me for my address. *Sniff*... you're right, this is what the holidays are all about. I'm feeling so sentimental and generious right now, I just may let everyone give me presents. Happy holdidays, guys. Gimme gimme gimme. PS - If I had mod access, I'd give you +1 for effort. Next time, try to make it less obvious.
All generalizations are false.
:wqIt's a great Pagan holiday fscked up by Christians (Score:2, Troll)
by farrellj (farrellj@hotmail.com) on Monday December 11, @07:35AM EST (#63)
(User #563 Info) http://www.courts-of-chaos.com/mozilla/Look, we celebrate Yule, the Winter Solistice, etc. as a time when we finally ahve all the prep. done for the winter, and all we have to do is wait it out. We celebrated this Holy Day tens of thousands of years before the Christians came along. It is a time of Celebration sort of like what you do at the end of a big programming crunch to get a product out. You go a little crazy, have some fun, partake of some recreational chemicals (booze mostly), and celebrate a job well done.
This whole Buy Buy Buy has been perpetrated by the Christian culture that treats religion like a commodity. Stop being so uptight about it! It is supposed to a celebration. If you celebrate by giving gifts, then fine...just don't make a big show about it. Gifts are given from the heart, not because you are hoping to influence the opinion of someone!
Blessed Be, Kallisti, 93!
Farrell McGovern
--- Fnord!Re:It's a great Pagan holiday fscked up by Christi (Score:5, Funny)
by Steve B (steveb@NoPinkStuff.Radix.Net) on Monday December 11, @07:54AM EST (#72)
(User #42864 Info) http://www.radix.net/~stevebWe celebrated this Holy Day tens of thousands of years before the Christians came along. What, did you think Bill Gates invented "embrace and extend"?
/.
If the government wants us to respect the law, it should set a better example.Re:It's a great Pagan holiday fscked up by Christi (Score:1)
by basse (djupsjob@yahoo.com) on Monday December 11, @10:43AM EST (#153)
(User #64014 Info)Could you please elaborate? I can't understand why you connect Christianity with insane commercialism, they actually have nothing what-so-ever in common.
Get paid without surfing!Re:It's a great Pagan holiday fscked up by Christi (Score:4, Insightful)
by Azog (slashmail@arnor.net) on Monday December 11, @11:03AM EST (#164)
(User #20907 Info) http://www.arnor.netThis whole Buy Buy Buy has been perpetrated by the Christian culture that treats religion like a commodity
Slow down there. I don't think you can fairly blame Christianity for turning Christmas into a huge commercial buy-a-thon. Blame Capitalism for that.
From the Christian point of view, Christmas is to celebrate God's gift of Jesus to the world, and to look back at the Christmas story of Mary and Joseph travelling to Bethlehem. The angels and the shepherds, the three wise men, and "Peace On Earth".
Listen to the words of some old Christmas carols to see what Christians think Christmas is supposed to be about.
It's true that some Christian organizations do treat religion as a commodity, but that unfortunate fact is recognized and condemmed by many Christians, who know that it's not supposed to be that way. It's also true that many aspects of the western european style Christmas celebration were ripped off from pagan winter festivals. But that's not really relevant to the question of why Christmas has become so commercialized.
Most sincere Christians hate the whole commercial aspect of Christmas even more than you do.
Torrey Hoffman (Azog)
"HTML needs a rant tag" - Alan CoxRe:It's a great Pagan holiday fscked up by Christi (Score:2)
by Pink Daisy (fingas.^H@.^Hecf.utoronto.ca) on Monday December 11, @11:48AM EST (#186)
(User #212796 Info) http://www.ecf.toronto.edu/~fingasWe celebrated this Holy Day tens of thousands of years before the Christians came along. I hope you don't mean literally. I don't know anyone who was even alive tens of thousands of years ago. Personally I'm a Christian, so if you somehow placed me way back when, I wouldn't celebrate the Pagan holiday.
Not that I'd celebrate Christmas, either... I'd probably forget the date and die before it happened, anyway.
If you are modding me down because you disagree with me, use the "Flamebait" category, not the "Troll" one.Interesting comment (Score:4, Insightful)
by Galvatron on Monday December 11, @08:01AM EST (#76)
(User #115029 Info)Christmas actually is one of the few other examples, aside from open source software, of the "gift culture" mentality at work that ESR is always talking about. Sure, there are some people who view Christmas as a time to get presents (especially children who don't really have the means to get themselves what they want). I think for most of us though, we enjoy giving presents more. The fact of the matter is, anything that costs little enough for someone to give it to me as a Christmas gift, I could buy for myself. However, it does feel good to get someone that perfect gift. And, if someone gives you a really good gift, defined as something that you want, but can't justify buying for yourself, it makes you feel positive things about the other person, because it shows that they really know you.
The point is not to spend as little as you can get away with, while guilt tripping others into getting you things. The point is to demonstrate what a great person you are by getting your friends even better gifts than they get you. Likewise, with open source software, the point isn't to contribute just enough to keep the movement alive, so you can keep getting free software, the point is to contribute more than everyone else, so you will be worshipped like Linus.
I apologize for the rambling nature of this email, but I've been up all night, and I'm tired.
I don't like the 120 char sig limit, I had a great quote about the Devil, but then I edited it, and now my sig doesn't fBoth (Score:1)
by Kohath (bwhite AT linkdead DOT com) on Monday December 11, @08:30AM EST (#85)
(User #38547 Info)Just do both. Make other people happy and think of yourself too. If you try to do one or the other, you'll end up accomplishing neither.
you're missing the point (Score:1)
by SkyIce (dangelo(a)ntplx.net) on Monday December 11, @09:31AM EST (#107)
(User #184974 Info)Most slashdotters who contributed to the list were doing it only to make others happy by making them not have to work too hard to make slashdotters happy :-) Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:2)
by TheGratefulNet (bryanFNORD@gratefulFNORD.net (-FNORD)) on Monday December 11, @10:13AM EST (#130)
(User #143330 Info) http://www.Grateful.Netof course christmas isn't about presents. its about paid time off from work whilst you play with said presents.
--
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:1)
by screamager (scrm-at-scandal.org) on Monday December 11, @10:54AM EST (#159)
(User #196521 Info) http://www.scandal.orgOn the subject of what is morally correct for us to be doing around Christmas-time, allow me to digress a little and share with you my Katz-style analysis of the good-will behind Christmas. ______________________
Anyone that sees the words 'Christmas' and 'commercialism' in the same sentence will already have a pretty good idea of the mindless preachings to come. Or how about 'Christmas' and 'sellout'? Hm, let's analyze it and clear away some of the mystique.
What do we enjoy about Christmas? Firstly, Christmas boosts morale (to use the most horrible of sappy phrases) and gives us something to look forward to. I know this because of the feelings of anticipation that run through me when I think of leaving my wonderful place of study in the Greatest of Britain to venture on home to Luxembourg for the three-week family and friends event. Not that I'm a 'family' style cosy-on-the-couch-watching-the-9-o'clock-news sort of person at all, but, for me and others that I know, going back represents something exciting, an annual event the details of which remain under wraps (forgive the pun) until I'm actually there.
The more 'traditional' of us cry out that Christmas is simply a time where everyone spends and spends to each other's material gain. My oh my, what a horrible idea it must be to stimulate the (often depressed) economies of the Christian world for a couple of weeks. The religious meaning of Christmas is far from lost - on the contrary, it's something we are submerged in from beginning to end, from television broadcasts to omnipresent Christmas carols and Christmas-tree figureheads. In fact, one must wonder if the festive period is not simply the time deemed most appropriate by the more conservative Christians to air their frustration at the dwindling numbers of their flock, via the usual channels of accusations of distorting religious events into capitalist spending sprees.
'Peace and good will to all men' (okay, I've taken off the faded argyle pullover) is actually realized at Christmas, but perhaps not in the manner of which The Flock might approve. Instead of walking around with painted-on toothy grins and shaking hands with yesterday's enemies to form temporary pacts, we hit Christmas parties (oh, the shame) like it's everyone's birthday, reunite with old friends at such occasions and enjoy the double-hit of simulateously giving and receiving chosen items. What can do that, if not Christmas?
The worst of it is that, in the end, the majority of those that spoke out against the commercial side of Christmas (which, ultimately, is a means to a more noble end) also attend the gathering and reap the benefits I described. Wiping the words 'hypocrite' and 'bigot' from my vocabulary - at least for the next couple of weeks - I shall promptly opt for the Route of Good Will and party myself insane.
More where this came from at www.scandal.org.
Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:2)
by istartedi (comments@vrml3d.com) on Monday December 11, @11:17AM EST (#173)
(User #132515 Info) http://www.vrml3d.com/Right. it's about large checks from wealthy aunts.
Father Christmas, give us your money.
We've got no time for your silly toys.
We'll beat you up if you don't hand it over.
We want your bread so don't make us annoyed...
So, the manager turned to the engineer who designed the first modem and asked why he wanted to build two prototypes...well... (Score:2)
by dR.fuZZo on Monday December 11, @11:56AM EST (#192)
(User #187666 Info) http://www.corngolem.com/john/Who says the list is all about personal greed and making yourself happy? Maybe I want to read the list for ideas on what to buy my geek friends and geek relatives.
And besides, even if you disagree with the materialistic undercurrent of this article, a lot of what /. is about is technology (i.e., material goods) and it is a relevant article. The day /. puts up the article "how to tell your friends and relatives you love them" will be a strange day indeed!
-- dR.fuZZoGive Your Loved Ones a Goat (Score:2)
by FFFish on Monday December 11, @12:08PM EST (#201)
(User #7567 Info)For a price of US$10 to US$500+, you can donate to one of the few global charities that puts by far most of its money toward helping people, instead of paying the executive directors outrageous salaries.
[http://heifer.org/] -- where you can donate everything from honeybees to heifers, to an impoverished third-world villages. The animals are not directly used for food: they will be used as breeding stock and the beginning of a business foundation that will ensure an increased standard of living for the community.
It's a good gig. Checkitout, and help make the world a better place.
--
Moderators: You should be browsing at -1, (Newest|Oldest) First, Nested, not +2, Highest Scores, ThreadedRe:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:1)
by clare-ents (spam@clare-ents.com) on Monday December 11, @12:22PM EST (#209)
(User #153285 Info) http://www.ex-parrot.com/peter"
Rather than spending days searching the net for things you want, why not spend that time thinking of how you can make other people happy? Christmas should be a time when you don't think of yourself, but instead go all out to bring happiness to other people.
"
Maybe, geeks have friends that are other geeks and they'd like to buy them some presents?
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. (Einstein)Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:1)
by Fyndo (moore@fyndo.myip.org) on Monday December 11, @12:30PM EST (#211)
(User #11748 Info) http://fyndo.myip.org/Well, actually, it's a list of things to get geeks to make them happy (Gifts for geeks). What do you want? Slashdotters advice on things to get sensitive artsy types? That's almost as dumb as going to slashdot for legal advice. Or is it geeks don't deserve gifts? What's your problem anyway? Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:5, Interesting)
by dmorin on Monday December 11, @12:56PM EST (#218)
(User #25609 Info)You know, I used to think this way too, and then something occurred to me. I figure there's at least three (* somebody pointed out to me years ago that there's a fourth) stages of looking at Christmas (or gift giving in general): - Greed. Give me everything.
- Anti-greed. "No, no, nothing for me...I just want to get everybody else things."
- Other-awareness. Realizing that when you tell your mom not to buy you anything, that makes her *unhappy*, and that if you really want to concentrate on other people's happiness it won't kill you to make a Christmas list.
Duane
P.S. The fourth state is "Now go do something nice for a total stranger, like volunteer at a soup kitchen, instead of thinking that your friends and family are the only ones that merit your help this year." Not a lot of people get to this one, unfortunately.
Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:1)
by chown on Monday December 11, @02:55PM EST (#258)
(User #62159 Info)You know, I used to think this way too, and then something occurred to me. I figure there's at least three (* somebody pointed out to me years ago that there's a fourth) stages of looking at Christmas (or gift giving in general):
This used to actually be my attitude, but it's a little different this year. I don't really do the whole Christmas thing at all - personally I think it's a pretty ridiculous holiday (I'll gladly take the days off of work though :). But far be it from me to ruin it for everyone else. For the past 5 years or so, I've just told everybody not to get me a present, I don't want them, thanks for the thought, but please, I really don't want one. Well, every year they give them to me anyway. That's nice and all, but I honestly do not want to be given presents on Christmas. So this year I told everybody if they really felt like blowing some of their money around Christmas, just use the money you would have spent on my present, and give it to charity. Just pick one, they need it more than me. They seem to be a bit more accepting of it. I'd suggest it to anyone else who shares my views on Christmas, besides, isn't it really more in line with the "Spirit of Christmas"?
Just my $0.02.
Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:2)
by Hard_Code on Monday December 11, @03:09PM EST (#264)
(User #49548 Info)Well, I'm not Christian (I was nominally "Christian" until I realized I wasn't practicing, and didn't really agree with much of the religion; this happened to coincide nicely with adolescence), but plenty of other religions have a mid-winter "gift-giving" sort of holiday. Now, I'm as rabidly anti-consumerism as the next trendy leftist, but I realize that whatever I think of this holiday, it means something to others.
So I guess I'll just have to come up with some religion neutral name for this gift-giving thing I do.
Big corporations got the hurt on you? Vote NaderRe:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:1)
by Eil (dincht [@] uswest [.] net) on Monday December 11, @06:54PM EST (#303)
(User #82413 Info) http://www.users.uswest.net/~eilrahc/
Hmm.. I'd be at stage 3 as well. However, I don't think I *ever* had a stage 2. I might go on to stage 4 if I was bored enough, though. :P
Seriously, I really *really* REALLY am beginning to dislike this whole gift-giving stuff. It was fun when I was a child (yay, things for free!), but now all I wind up with is a whole buch more stuff that I have to find space for. I've already bought all the things that I want. Anything else is much too expensive to give me as a gift.
All of the above, of course, doesn't even touch on the fact that I really suck at buying presents. I don't like spending money to begin with, and I'm claustrophobic in malls and stores. This year I've bought about half of my gifts online. Next year, I think I might shoot for damn near all.
[IM: burstlag, IRC: Eil on slashnet]I was inspired to make a sweet greeting card! (Score:1)
by greedobutts (greedoWILDSPAMSEXbutts@hotmail.com) on Monday December 11, @06:55PM EST (#305)
(User #194388 Info) http://www.andru.netHi :-) I was touched by your post and would have sent the pic to you directly, but alas I cannna figger out your email address. So I'll share this greeting card I just cooked up in photoshop... awfully cheesy but hey :-) it's pretty. Image here. Happy holidays! You can build a man a fire and keep him warm for a day, or you can set a man on fire and keep him warm for the rest of his life.
Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:1)
by sulli (slashdot_comments at sulli dot org) on Monday December 11, @12:58PM EST (#220)
(User #195030 Info) http://www.sulli.orgWait a minute! I for one have lots of geek friends. Wouldn't it be good to make them happy by buying them geek toys?
sulliRe:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:2)
by rw2 on Monday December 11, @01:29PM EST (#237)
(User #17419 Info) http://www.poliglut.comJust look at the list. It reads like a "gimme" list of things that you want from people, a list of toys that you want. It totally misses the point of Christmas, which is to make other people happy, not to gratify your lust for electrical goods. So your position is that it won't make other people happy to buy me cool stuff?
But if you're going to get all meaning of Christmas on me, I guess I can't pass the chance to point out that the 'point' of Christmas is a little deeper than even you claim.
Try reading a bit of this for some background.
--
Poliglut, because the oval office has no corners.Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:2)
by ErikZ on Monday December 11, @01:36PM EST (#240)
(User #55491 Info)Just look at the list. It reads like a "gimme" list of things that you want from people, a list of toys that you want. It totally misses the point of Christmas, which is to make other people happy, not to gratify your lust for electrical goods.
Sorry, in their attempt to make me happy, my family is driving me crazy. Not a day goes by that I don't hear "What do you want for Christmas?"
I don't understand. I've lived with these people for YEARS! I have almost no trouble buying them gifts.
Sheesh,
ErikZChristmas is about giving. But giving WHAT? (Score:1)
by beernutz (beernutz@hotmail.com) on Monday December 11, @02:33PM EST (#249)
(User #16190 Info) http://beernutz.orgThere are others in our lives that would like to get something special for some geek they love. Being that we can be hard to buy for (unless you are into the same kind of technology), I personally appreciate this kind of effort.
Think about it: If you REALLY wanted to get something special for someone who's life revolved around say Electronic Engineering, but you had no idea what a transistor was even, wouldn't you find a guide helpfull?
Programming is an art form that fights backRe:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:1)
by susano_otter on Monday December 11, @05:52PM EST (#293)
(User #123650 Info)Bizarre. See, I interpreted this list as things to give to others. As a socially-maladjusted geek, I'm having difficulty figuring out what some of my local peers (friends) would truly enjoy. A list of gifts that would bring them happiness is a great boon to me. Were you reading it as Taco saying "I want I want I want, gimme gimme gimme"?
Who's going to have a happier Christmas, here? The geek who can't wait to see the smiles on his friends' faces when they discover what perfect gifts they've received, or the geek who resents all those gift-grubbing rat-bastards that he has the misfortune to associate with?
On an off-topic note, I'm giving my 1.5 year-old nephew a set of cardboard tubes wrapped in bright contact paper. I'm sure he'll get a kick out of 'em.
Plan B: Skinner, Smoking Man, and a monkey ride around in van solving mysteries.
Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:1)
by dynamo_mikey on Monday December 11, @06:54PM EST (#304)
(User #218256 Info)Goodness, step down off the high horse. I think someone may be projecting their own insecurities on me... I cringe everytime I get the question "What do you want for Christmas?" because I don't know the answer! If I could think of something I wanted, I would buy it :) So I saw the geek list as some good ideas to give my family (who won't stop asking)
dynamo
Christmas == Winter Surplus Exchange?! (Score:1)
by oxytocin (oxytocin@@NOSPAM@@hyperactive.net) on Monday December 11, @08:04PM EST (#311)
(User #39448 Info) http://hyperactive.netA friend metioned this as the original economic motive behind the winter gift activity.
Because each group had some specialty, by gifting your surplus out, everyone is better covered for the rest of long winter.
It makes sense.
Maybe open/free source software will help us get through an upcoming computer/economic 'winter'?
#> man win98^M COPYRIGHT NOTICE: by reading this notice you agree to say "boson" 3 times fast -- go ahead just say it.Re:Christmas isn't about presents (Score:1)
by Omega996 on Tuesday December 12, @12:56AM EST (#323)
(User #106762 Info)as if... it's all about me, and what i can accumulate in a show of my capitalist wealth earned on the backs of blue-collars the world over...
Re:Christmas isn't about presents, nor Christ (Score:1)
by jgennick (jonathan@gennick.com) on Monday December 11, @08:36AM EST (#89)
(User #59014 Info) http://gennick.comChristmas was originally a pagen holiday. So it isn't really about Christ either. Re:Christmas isn't about presents, nor Christ (Score:1)
by Flavio (flavio@hackpalace.com) on Monday December 11, @08:55AM EST (#94)
(User #12072 Info) http://www.hackpalace.comChristmas was originally a pagen holiday. So it isn't really about Christ either.
Oh, *RIGHT*, I wonder why it's called Christmas, then.
As to the pagan holiday, it's just one more of them. Pagans have one large holiday for each season and one month for each goddess.
Christmas is about Christ and not about some forgotten goddess.
If things carry on, though, perhaps Christmas will be just about happiness and presents, despite it's name.
Anyway, it's not like you're doing it unknowingly.
FlavioRe:Christmas isn't about presents, nor Christ (Score:1)
by aidoneus (aidoneus1976@hotmail.com) on Monday December 11, @11:23AM EST (#175)
(User #74503 Info) http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/spaceghost/cod/brak/index.htmlDrawn into a debate by what sounds like a troll... But anyway.
Christmas is a holiday based on many of the traditions of numerous european pagan religions, many of which go back prior to ancient Greek civilization. Now unless Christ was around prior to 500BCE, there is no way that Christmas was originally about Christ, no matter what the name has to do with it.
Personally, I myself am and agnostic buddhist, but before that I spent a fiarly significant amoutn of time (about 5 years) studying the religions of the world (just to see what every side had to say).
First, if you hold the "shepherds guarding their sheep" part of the Christ's birth story to be true, then you should also realize that the only time shepherds guard their sheep are in the spring. In the middle of the first millennium CE (about the year 500 or so) the still young Catholic Church decided that if they could not stop people from celebrating Saturnalia, they'd incorporate it into a celebration of the birth of Christ. Saturnalia is (essentially, apologies to Pagans for abridging it so much) a holiday about birth, specifically the rebirth of the Sun and ending the winter. This birth theme made a convinient starting point for the co-oping of Christ.
There's a lot more involved, like the Horned God, the tree, and all the other trimmings associated with Christmas that have nothing to do with Christ. For a quick introduction, please read this page to learn at least an introduction to the true meaning of the holiday.
The Horned God is the reason for the season...
Happy holidays everyone.
-Jason
"Never trust a monkey." -Brakempeg? yikes.... $$$ (Score:3, Insightful)
by Sodakar (kjmori_at_yahoo.com) on Monday December 11, @06:28AM EST (#17)
(User #205398 Info)The list looks great - an honorable mention should be, IMHO, the Aiwa mp3 car player. Seems easier to transfer songs via burned CD's vs. USB/etc... Not only is the media cheaper, the Aiwa unit only costs $299, and is in stock at Crutchfield.
Not picking a fight or arguing - just making a (what I see as) a reasonable alternative. Sure, it runs Linux, but functionality is so limited, I'm not sure I see the point. (other than the seemingly unwritten standard of, "It runs Linux, therefore we must choose it.") I mean, it runs Linux, but practical application-wise... so? It doesn't really enhance the current use of "play music in car," although it does open up doors for expanded use...
This coffee maker runs Linux, and the CPU load average is 0.0, 0.0, 0.0 - you must buy it.Re:empeg? yikes.... $$$ (Score:1)
by 87C751 (pbqrjunpxre@lnubb.pbz) on Monday December 11, @07:04AM EST (#45)
(User #205250 Info)I second the AIWA MP3 unit. I've had mine for a month, and it's very nice. It does tend to be picky about media, preferring 4X burns to 8X, but the 192 KBps MP3's are so close to actual CD audio that I can't tell the difference when the truck is running. And the blue lighting is awesome at night.
ROT-13 to send me email
Re:empeg? yikes.... $$$ (Score:1)
by maX_ on Monday December 11, @12:07PM EST (#199)
(User #46318 Info)And the blue lighting is awesome at night.
I have to disagree with that. I disabled the blue on the edges of my player because it was anoying me at night.
Now if I could just get rid of the blinking when the volume is changed....Re:empeg? yikes.... $$$ (Score:2, Informative)
by PGillingwater on Monday December 11, @07:22AM EST (#55)
(User #72739 Info) http://www.actrix.gen.nz/users/paulAs a happy owner of an Empeg in-car MP3 player since more than a year, I have to defend its value to me. - The emptool, which is used for synchronization, has been open sourced with the GNU Public License.
- The new player has Serial RS232, USB and Ethernet connections, which makes it real easy to link to. I even have the DB9 in my car, in case I want to hook it up to my laptop or GPS.
- It runs Linux, and is extensible, so you can write your own projects.
- The Staff are very helpful and friendly, and have built a strong community of users through their mailing lists and BBS.
- The company was just bought by Sonic Blue (formerly S3) and will therefore join the RIO family of products.
- My model has 10 Gb of a laptop-spec hard drive, (resistant to vibration/impact) which means hundreds of hours of my favourite music, nicely organized into categories or just at random.
- The head unit is removeable within 1 second, and can then be used (with the remote control) as a useful component in a standard home HiFi system, and as a great anti-theft option.
- Warranty works -- I dropped my unit, breaking the display (great graphic visualizations BTW!) and they fixed it and returned it within a few days.
--
Paul Gillingwater
Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)Re:empeg? yikes.... $$$ (Score:1)
by The_Messenger (kmfms.com@drew) on Monday December 11, @07:30AM EST (#61)
(User #110966 Info) http://soldc.sun.com. . . a great anti-theft option . . .
One would think the OS would be deterrent enough. Even the average car thief can sniff Linux's awful threads a mile away... probably sends most of them screaming, too.Oh hi, Paul, is that you?
All generalizations are false.
:wqRe:empeg? yikes.... $$$ (Score:1)
by kligh on Monday December 11, @09:06AM EST (#97)
(User #178809 Info)I beg to differ. I've got one (18 gig, amber). I bought mine for the explicit reason that I was tired of carting CDs around, having em get scratched, etc. No, I don't care it runs linux. It makes me geekier in my friends eyes, which is always a good thing, though. Fine, you go buy your Aiwa car CD player, burn CDs of mp3s (Uh oh, what if you want a different playlist!) and be happy. I'm thrilled that manufacturers are building car MP3 players.
As for limited functionality, what's limited? At least with a hard disk and an OS there is room for upgrades and improvements, where as if you purchase a factory unit that decodes mp3s off of CDs, ok, that's all you get. This can be patched in the future for ogg, wma, wav, any new format. I can use the software and build playlists that include beastie boys, classical, kid rock, and natalie merchant without having to swap CDs. It's great.
True, it's pricey. I'm just glad that at the time when my number came up in the queue, I had the money and was willing to spend it.
KlighRe:empeg? yikes.... $$$ (Score:1)
by envisionary (eat@joes.com) on Monday December 11, @09:32AM EST (#109)
(User #238020 Info)A question on this...
How resistant is this to temperature changes? Up in the Northern US and Canada, it gets well below zero. How well will the internal hard drive function when the temp. is below zero?Re:empeg? yikes.... $$$ (Score:1)
by DiGNAN17 on Monday December 11, @03:34PM EST (#271)
(User #262868 Info)I believe there are 2 users on the empeg BBS (http://empeg.comms.net) who live in Alaska. At least one of them performs regularly in IASCA competitions. For those of us who have no ... (Score:1)
by cfish on Monday December 11, @11:01AM EST (#162)
(User #61161 Info)For those of us who have no rich parents and no car to drive around for mp3 amusement, Amazon.com is selling Philips eXpanium CD mp3 player for $150 after coupon code. it's much better than mptrip. You know, with an Aiwa/Philips/Apex combo... (Score:2)
by isaac (slashdot at isa.ac) on Monday December 11, @03:08PM EST (#263)
(User #2852 Info) http://isa.acWith this Aiwa car unit, the Philips Expanium portable, and the Apex or other similar DVD/VCD/SVCD/MP3 player (Raite 715, etc.), you could have MP3 functionality with media compatibility across all listening environments for under $1000. That wouldn't be a bad gift package! -Isaac
-- My employer thinks my opinions are crap.Re:empeg? yikes.... $$$ (Score:1)
by zzyzx on Monday December 11, @03:43PM EST (#272)
(User #15139 Info) http://www.ihoz.comHow about the Neo 35 (
http://ssiamerica.com/products/neo35/)?
I don't know if it runs under linux, but it sure does give bang for the buck.Screw empeg and Aiwa (Score:2)
by tswinzig on Monday December 11, @08:29PM EST (#312)
(User #210999 Info)Those are nifty devices, but here is what every true music/technology geek wants in their car:
A smart music device, with an interface similar to the empeg, but which:
- Starts up instantly.
- Has a slot to play regular CD's or MP3 CD's. Offers to store the music on the inserted disc on the internal hard drive.
- Can be pulled out and connected to your computer with USB like the empeg, BUT more importantly, has a built-in 802.11 wireless connection! You pull into your driveway, and sync up your car with your computer or Intertainment Appliance[TM]. That's at least 10 times faster than USB, and much more convenient.
I've been thinking of this dream device for a while now. I even tried building it using spare parts and BeOS R5, but the main stopping point for me was getting it to connect to my car audio system. I wanted to use a small tower in my trunk, and hook that up to the CD changer cables. Then I'd write a custom program to turn the CD changer commands into navigation commands... it got too expensive and too complicated so I gave up.
Then I read empeg would eventually be adding 802.11 wireless support... WHEN WHEN WHEN!?
I wouldn't touch Microsoft.NET with a .TEN-foot pole!Re:Screw empeg and Aiwa (Score:1)
by DiGNAN17 on Wednesday December 13, @12:56PM EST (#331)
(User #262868 Info)I just thought that I'd point out that an average start-up time for the empeg is about 2-3 seconds. If that's too slow for you, then booting your PC must feel like an eternity.
About the wireless connection - you can do it yourself.
As for everyone in this thread claiming to know things about the empeg player, how about all of you actually do some research before complaining about things that already exist, are already conceivable, or are not what you think. Check out the unofficial BBS at empeg.comms.net and do some searches.
Then again, spewing backless statements around is alot easier.Fancy? (Score:1)
by Ravagin on Monday December 11, @06:32AM EST (#19)
(User #100668 Info) http://pearwood.webprovider.comThis seems to be mostly fanciful. A bit heavy on the amazingly expensive stuff.
To be a bit more down to earth, why not some accessories that geek you know who just got a handheld computer? Depending on their budget and the handheld, getting a handheld can potentially be a dent in the wallet, so to speak, preventing them from getting accessories for a little while.
This has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I want a Kodak PalmPix for my PalmIIIxe...
-J
Damn that rising entropy...Re:Fancy? (Score:1)
by dogkow (rob_at_420word_dot_com) on Monday December 11, @08:14AM EST (#80)
(User #210471 Info) http://www.420word.comThis seems to be mostly fanciful. A bit heavy on the amazingly expensive stuff. Yeah really. Not all of us are on a Slashdot Editor's salary.
The more you own, the more it owns you. -Henry Rollins
Presents (Score:2, Funny)
by buttfucker2000 on Monday December 11, @06:37AM EST (#25)
(User #240799 Info)Why don't, instead of spending a thousand dollars on something to make you happy (a Playstation 2), you contribute some money to a turkey sanctuary?
I don't think people think enough about turkey at Christmas. It's so selfish to go around buying presents and partying while, somewhere in Norfolk, turkeys are starving.
Is it only when you see those poor turkeys on TV, with their pot bellies looking fat, but actually a sign of their poor nourishment, that you can feel sorry for them.
Do we need to get Bob Geldof involved for you to do anything? Do you only care about yourself? Is your own amusement more important than the happiness of a turkey?
Have you not considered that while you're drinking the night away, there are millions of turkeys that won't even have a Christmas?
Please, don't buy any presents this year - just think how many turkeys you could save with the money.
And, please remember, a turkey is for life, not just for Christmas.
Like cats? Check out these great pictures.Re:Presents (Score:1)
by X-Nc on Monday December 11, @12:22PM EST (#208)
(User #34250 Info) http://www.x-nc.netBeing of Italian decent I never could understand having turkey for the Christmas dinner. Hell, the turkey from Thanksgiving still has leftovers that'll last through next week. We always had manacotti for dinner. My mom would cook both cheese and meat manacotti so everyone would be happy.
---
If I actually could spell I'd have spelled it right in the first place.Re:Presents (Score:1)
by ebh (ebh at hyperreal dot org) on Monday December 11, @05:02PM EST (#291)
(User #116526 Info)We always had manacotti for dinner. But do you pronounce the trailing 'i'?
OBTopic: Fluxx -- highly recommended! "Starbucks" == coffee + money.
Offtopic? (Score:1)
by Anoriymous Coward on Monday December 11, @11:28AM EST (#180)
(User #257749 Info)<rant>
Oy, Mr. (or Ms.) Moderator. How can a post with Christmas in the title, that references a well-known seasonal campaign, be offtopic in a discussion about Christmas gifts?
</rant>
Taco, maybe we need a "-1: Not Funny" moderation option for humor-impaired losers like this one.oh, the consumerism.... (Score:1)
by alphapartic1e on Monday December 11, @06:43AM EST (#26)
(User #260735 Info)Looks like even geeks now are overtaken by consumerism... Most of the items on the list are consumer electronics, which, personally, I live fine without. I computer and a few books on the shelf is good enough for me, buddy. -alpha out Re:oh, the consumerism.... (Score:1)
by ReverendGraves on Monday December 11, @10:14AM EST (#132)
(User #233320 Info)Now? I hate to break it to you, but if it weren't for the bigger-better-stronger-faster mentality concomitant to the meta-culture of capitalism, we geeks wouldn't exist. Geeks were spawned as technology began to reach beyond the complexity at which a single human could fully understand the complexity of a machine... that means -all- the bells and whistles, from the hardware (be it gears and motors or quietly humming electronics) to all the various kinds of software, from loom patterns (and I'm not talking Jacquard looms, either) to opertating systems. There are geeks because there are people who take advantage of the technology we have, only to create more technology. What, after all, were geeks before the mass advent of megatechnology? Those of us who are educated were the scholars, the mathematicians and the philosophers, and those of us who are not were the shopkeepers, bumbling apprentices, and nobility. Wait, that means geeks are just like everyone else! So of course we've been overtaken by consumerism. It's a viral meme. It propagates itself with little or no effort -- as the Christian missionaries taught indigines that they were "dirty" and "sinful" by demonstrating that their own ways were holy, we show non-capitalist societies that our way is the Right way by purchasing them with technological gadgetry, saying that life is better when you work less.
Life is -easier- when we work less. Easier isn't necessarily better, it's just easier.
End Rant.
MCH(RU) S* W(-) N++++ PCM/NO(++) D A->++ a>++ C*(+++++) G+(++) Q++ YSometimes I hate being a geek around Xmas (Score:3, Funny)
by MatBurt (no-spam@mat-burt.wha) on Monday December 11, @06:47AM EST (#31)
(User #261227 Info) http://www.matburt.netMy girlfriend loves everything about Christmas except for one thing.... buying a present for me. My family isn't too keen on it either, but then... they can just give me money and I'll be happy. It's always good People coming up with these lists... it saves me the trouble of saying "Okay Sweety, what I really want is a 21inch Trinitron to beat the 19inch I bought myself last year." and then smiling while she looks at me like I'm crazy.
Still, I think the greatest gift I get every year is socks. I have one friend who buys me that every year because I annihalte them all by July and then walk around in flip-flops or sandals for the rest of the year claiming that I'm boycotting them.
....I hate finals....
lim brain -> meltdownRe:Sometimes I hate being a geek around Xmas (Score:1)
by sharkey (die_goober@spambait.hotmail.com) on Monday December 11, @01:15PM EST (#229)
(User #16670 Info) http://www.act1.net/users/sethStill, I think the greatest gift I get every year is socks. I have one friend who buys me that every year because I annihalte them all by July and then walk around in flip-flops or sandals for the rest of the year claiming that I'm boycotting them.
How familiar is that? I used to do the same thing, but then I got married, and my wife bought me a pair of socks for EACH DAY OF THE WEEK! And she washes them after I wear them for a day! Who woulda thunk it?
--
"Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.Re:Sometimes I hate being a geek around Xmas (Score:1)
by AppyPappy on Monday December 11, @04:44PM EST (#285)
(User #64817 Info)I want a really geeky tie. We have a casual office so I started wearing ties again to be different. Gimmee a really wide-ass tie with penguins on it. I want, like, a bib.
And some new speakers for my PC. Something like minature DCM Time Windows. I want teenagers to call and complain about the noise.Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic....Arthur C Clarke
Re:Sometimes I hate being a music geek around Xmas (Score:1)
by sporktoast (moc.oi@reywda) on Monday December 11, @06:02PM EST (#296)
(User #246027 Info)Somebody mod this one up!
And that guy back there, who turns that thing around... God Bless him! - George H.W. BushBeowulf (Score:3, Informative)
by tribbel (/.pVxZcdolLyE) on Monday December 11, @06:53AM EST (#32)
(User #103363 Info) http://www.tribe.eu.org/Assuming the Beowulf thing is supposed to refer to the parallel computing project, and not to some guy, the link should point to: http://www.beowulf.org/ and not http://www.beowulf.com/.
But fortunately the some-guy has linked to the project too. Thank you, some-guy.
Why a hub and not a switch? (Score:2, Informative)
by sanemind (spamme@rhodes.mine.nu) on Monday December 11, @07:01AM EST (#38)
(User #155251 Info)You can now get a 5 port 10/100 ethernet switch for only slightly more then the cost of a hub. If you're going to be doing any serious MPI [or other parallel] programming, why limit total bandwidth by using a hub? Seems silly.
---
man sigWhynot: no hub or switch, use (x^2)-x NICs? (Score:1)
by PhilosopherKing on Monday December 11, @11:05AM EST (#166)
(User #7890 Info)As long as your going for a small cluter; i.e., the cluster size less than or equal too a single board's number of pci slots plus one; why don't you go with all NICs and crossover cables. Can't get faster than that. Even if you outgrow the PCI+1 limit, there's a calulator (lost url, search for cluster topology calculator) that will give you the most bandwidth with max NICs, min switches. It's not too unreasonable a price increase. (especially if your using 100bT, or Gig)
US-Democracy is 270 million YESes and NOes a day, not one every four years.Re:Whynot: no hub or switch, use (x^2)-x NICs? (Score:1)
by drinkypoo on Monday December 11, @06:09PM EST (#298)
(User #153816 Info)So. Please dont be a moron and continue connecting your big ciscos and other crap with crossover cables. and remember if your crossover cable is more than 6 feet long, its out of spec and you will be recieving runt frames shortly
Hell, I've been using 20' non-crossover cables (and then some) with a little 6" crossover adapter that we had a bunch of made, and never had problems between odd pieces of cisco hardware. But maybe I'm just special.
You are what you do when it counts --SteakleyUtility Belt? (Score:3, Funny)
by shik0me on Monday December 11, @07:02AM EST (#40)
(User #235948 Info)heh...I know what I need for Christmas. Let's see here....Palm Vx, cell phone, pager, Minidisc/MP3 player, Leatherman...anyone see Batman costumes on sale? 'Cause I could really use one of those belts... :D Re:Utility Belt? (Score:2, Funny)
by alecto (mwp@acm.org) on Monday December 11, @07:47AM EST (#68)
(User #42429 Info) http://www.cstp.umkc.edu/~mpasserA bandolier with that Palm, cell phone, pager, MP3 player, Leatherman, along with a MagLite and batteries (AAA & AA) filling the rest like ammo would be cool. Sort of a Nerd Rambo effect. Re:Utility Belt? (Score:2, Interesting)
by ckd on Monday December 11, @09:45AM EST (#113)
(User #72611 Info) http://www.ckdhr.com/ckd/bandolier with that Palm, cell phone, pager, MP3 player, Leatherman, along with a MagLite and batteries (AAA & AA) filling the rest like ammo would be cool. Sort of a Nerd Rambo effect.
Check out e-Holster. Not quite the same thing (it's more for those "I wanna look like a geek FBI agent" moments :-) but fills a similar need.
And, yes, I'm getting to the point where I need a Sam Browne belt for all my gear. Cell phone, pager, Palm, Swiss Army knife--and that's just the everyday stuff! There's also the GPS, the digital camera, the walkie-talkie, the MP3 player....
Re:Utility Belt? (Score:1)
by whyDNA? (whydna@fuckspam.hotmail.com) on Monday December 11, @10:15AM EST (#134)
(User #9312 Info) http://dcaff.comdude... that's so sweet... I could handle looking like an FBI agent at times... BIGGG pimpin'
-andyRe:Utility Belt? (Score:1)
by DesignMerc (designmerc@mac.com) on Monday December 11, @12:11PM EST (#202)
(User #210372 Info) http://home.att.net/~d.madrilejoI actually have an e-holster rig myself and I must say it's exceptionally bad-ass. I just have a few caveats for those of you who are thinking about it: - Eddie Murphy has this line in a Beverly Hills Cop movie; "you know; if you guys get your jackets cut fuller your guns won't stick out the back like that." I now understand what he's talking about. A cell phone and a PDA in a conceal holster add about 4-6 inches to your chest measurement.
- I have the full leather rig and the flaps on the holsters are pretty long and big. Since the flaps are velcro, they can get hung up on your jacket/coat.
- Especially when it's warmer, I usually wear my rig openly. Only once has a cop actually come over and talk to me about how people could misconstrue my rig. However, YMMV depending on where you live.
Re:Utility Belt? (Score:1)
by WillAdams on Monday December 11, @02:12PM EST (#246)
(User #45638 Info) http://members.aol.com/willadamsI gave up on wearing things on a belt, 'cause I got tired of things snagging on coats, banging on car doors, etc. and trimmed down to things which'd fit in pockets, then had a set of shirts tailored with pockets to hold the things which wouldn't fit elsewhere (Newton MP 100 and leather pouch for fountain pens and note cards).
William
--
Lettering Art in Modern Use
Sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow.Leatherman? (Score:2)
by oneiros27 on Monday December 11, @10:44AM EST (#154)
(User #46144 Info) http://www.annoying.org/Blah. You have the problem that when you try to use the pliers, you're gripping against the tool side. [Same problem with SOG, which made the list of toys].
If you search around, you can find them significantly cheaper, too. With a quick check, I found a place that seems to have everything 30% off or so (I've never ordered from them, so it's at your owk risk) -- http://www.wholesalehunter.com.
They don't have the TiNi one, but they do have about as complete of a line of Gerber tools as you can get, without the BYO stuff -- http://www.wholesalehunter.com/product/gerber/gerb home.htm
Personally, I normally carry the original SOG Power Pliers, [but I've changed out some of the blaces], as it has a great phillips for small screws, a Gerber MultiPlier 600 [better for larger phillips, such as when rack mounting stuff, and better pliers], a Latshaw PocketWrench II, and a Leatherman Micro on my keychain. If we're pulling cable, then I may also carry a Mini Mag Lite, and Gerber MultiLite [better scissors, as only my Leatherman Micro has scissors on it]
Oh...and I don't carry a pager as my cell phone does text paging. Unfortunately, I think the Palm IIIc is the heaviest/bulkiest thing I carry. But I don't keep those two on my belt.Re:Utility Belt? (Shameless Simpsons Quote) (Score:1)
by cstew on Monday December 11, @07:43PM EST (#309)
(User #96019 Info) http://go.to/Stew-TechI would like to return your so-called "Ultimate Belt". doll (Score:1)
by H*rus (NOhorusSPAM@freemail.to) on Monday December 11, @07:02AM EST (#42)
(User #237994 Info) http://www.zwienenberg.comThen the Star Wars action figures must be number 21...
- if you love something, set it free; if it doesn't come back, hunt it down and kill itAnd the graphics look like... ASS? (Score:2)
by AtariDatacenter (comments@netscape.net) on Monday December 11, @07:06AM EST (#46)
(User #31657 Info)EverQuest - Sony $29.95 (plus $9.89 monthly service fee) Addictive multiplayer game lets you collaborate with others on the Net. Suitable even for a 200-MHz PC with a 28K connection. And the graphics look like ass. But I have many friends who've lost countless productive hours all for the lucrative reward of being able to take a bear by yourself in a virtual world. I don't know about you, but why would I want to play a multiuser game with graphics that look like ASS?
Proud owner of a Sega Aero City 26" sit-at Sun Workstation with refrigerator.Re:And the graphics look like... ASS? (Score:1)
by (trb001) (trb@NOSPAMvt.edu) on Monday December 11, @08:38AM EST (#90)
(User #224998 Info)For the same reason that people choose to play games like Tradewars 2002 and MUDs...they're fun and the graphics really aren't that important, it's the ideas behind them. Ever play Bardstale? Great game, pretty shitty graphics. I still enjoy playing it. --trb
Perhaps he meant Elven Ass... (Score:1)
by MO! (oski@DIESPAMMERSDIE.jps.net) on Monday December 11, @10:38AM EST (#150)
(User #13886 Info) http://www.jps.net/oski/index.htmlNothing seems to get a lonely EQ geek more worked up than a newbie Wood or Dark Elf lady. They're rendered with G-String type body suits, with Barbie-style cleavage.
I AM, therefore I THINK!Re:And the graphics look like... ASS? (Score:2)
by jon_c (jonclegg@nospan.yahoo.com) on Monday December 11, @11:40AM EST (#184)
(User #100593 Info) http://www.rogersclassical.combahh.. i should be answering this...
EQ's rendering engine was completed (im' guessing here) 3 years ago. I also belive at first, it was a 3dfx/glide app only, later ported (bady i might add) to DirectX, and recently DirectX 7.0a (for some reason 8.0 was way to cool for them)
The target machine is a P-200 with a TNT1 card, the the performance with that setup is accecptable. but inconsistant. in towns, or fighs you can see the frame rate drop to 1 frame a sec. other times is flows at 20 or 30fps.
But i had a point here. My point is; much like the BAD (bad bad bad) art on Magic (the gathering) cards, you get used to them.. hell maybe even like some of it. Same in EQ, you get used to the tolken campy style of art. maybe even think some of it's "cool". and
...besides if you're playing a game for more then 30 min, your staying because of the game-play, not to see good graphics.
-Jon
...It's a lot of work, and not considered the most interesting thing to our developers. Sorry. - TheoRe:And the graphics look like... ASS? (Score:1)
by nexxed (thecreatoratpipelinedotcom) on Monday December 11, @12:43PM EST (#215)
(User #22387 Info)Right. Actually, I think Kunark looks pretty good. Especially some of the monster models. Granted, the terrain is still blurry and blocky, but hey. I haven't been as impressed with Velious, though. I get the feeling that the real talent has long been moved to other projects and that Velious was mostly done by newer modellers. Still, I think it looks pretty good for such an old engine that has been stretched way beyond what it was meant to. Besides, CmdrTaco's bitterness about EQ has been poorly concealed in the past. I think he was killed by a moss snake or something and never got over it. I got a better idea :) (Score:1)
by cookieman (cookieman.k_no_spam_@usa.net) on Monday December 11, @07:10AM EST (#49)
(User #68302 Info)One word: women !!!
Just another coder...Re:I got a better idea :) (Score:1)
by cookieman (cookieman.k_no_spam_@usa.net) on Monday December 11, @10:51AM EST (#157)
(User #68302 Info)Some moderators do not have the tiniest sense of humor today.
Well,...I'm gona get Overrated for this too ?
Peace,
Just another coder...more games, different games (Score:3, Informative)
by r on Monday December 11, @07:12AM EST (#50)
(User #13067 Info)electronics make fine gifts, but the above reads more like a list of cool concepts than a list of things people would actually want to get. i mean, i love the empeg and drool over the idea of a personal beowulf, but for a christmas gift i would much rather get some cool games, no matter whether or not they're computer-based.
speaking of games, i can't believe nobody mentioned companies like cheapass games, who make really cool and relatively inexpensive card, board, and dice games. make sure to check out 'brawl' and 'button men' - i'd take those over a thinkgeek gift in an eyeblink. :)
another good place for gifts is mayfair games, publishers of such fine products as settlers of catan or the original edition of cosmic encounter. and if you're into small/indie game makers, there's also the wizard's attic, who sell such twisted little games as black death, in which you play the plague trying to wipe out europe, or the non-verbal role-playing game the land of og.
is anybody else on slashdot a fan of non-computer games? if so, post your favorites! the more gift ideas, the better... :)Oldies but goodies. (Score:1)
by Chainsaw76 (chainsaw76@usa.net) on Monday December 11, @09:18AM EST (#103)
(User #261937 Info) http://i40.com/Wizwar from Jolly Games is a Great card/board game for 2-4 Players... and What says X-mas more than a game of Nuclear War? Talk about a great card game.. From back before card games were hot. Check out flying buffalo games for Nuke War and many others.
-Jason
MP3Mystic - a Personal Web Server for MP3 Files (for Windows)Re:more games, different games (Score:2)
by The-Bus (alan_smythee@@hotmail) on Monday December 11, @10:30AM EST (#145)
(User #138060 Info)Settlers of Catan is far and away one of the most brutally addictive games I've ever played. Basically, the jist of the game is that you and at least two others are settlers on an island, vieing vor its resources (grain, brick, coal, wool, wood). You start out with a small town and eventually build trade roads leading to other small towns, all of which border lands with said resources. You can try and block others with your roads, cooperate with another weak player to destroy the strong opposition, and send out thieves to steal resources from the other settlements. It's part politics, part economics, and with all the devious fun of Monopoly without having to wait forever after 80% of the property is bought. Games only last about 30-60 minutes, depending on how good you are. If anyone is into board games, I HIGHLY recommend it. Small potatoes make the steak look bigger.
More Settlers (Score:2)
by skoda (skoda [at] www . shoutingman . com) on Monday December 11, @01:42PM EST (#242)
(User #211470 Info) http://shoutingman.comWhile not a huge strategy game fan in particular, I enjoy games in general, Settlers is great for casual parties with friends. (To me, it's like a board-game version of my fav old-school computer game "M.U.L.E.")
What I really enjoy is playing with 6-8 people using two sets -- you can combine multiple Settlers sets to create larger boards for more people.
-----
D. Fischer
ShoutingMan.comRe:more games, different games (Score:2)
by fishbowl (fishbowl@bigfoot.com) on Monday December 11, @12:15PM EST (#206)
(User #7759 Info)>nobody mentioned companies like cheapass games
Yes!!
Starbase Jeff would make an excellent online game,
or at least I've always thought so.
-fb "but it's a dry heat"Re:more games, different games (Score:2)
by LordNimon on Monday December 11, @12:45PM EST (#216)
(User #85072 Info) http://www.warpstock.orgI second the opinion that Settlers of Catan is an awesome gift idea, especially for people who are bored with games like Monopoly or Life. It is the only board game that I play. In fact, even non-geeks can appreciate it. The only people who don't like it are people who don't like to think or have some perverse fear of anything with numbers in it, and these people shouldn't be your friends anyway. What makes this game even more fun is, after you've played the standard variations, you can search the Internet for even more variations - dozens of them. There are even expansion kits you can get. The latest, Cities and Knights, will become available this week. That's for the English version - the game is originally from Germany so the German version has been out for a while.
--
I use OS/2 Warp at home because I think it's a superior desktop OS to Linux, BeOS, Windows, and everything else.Re:more games, different games (Score:1)
by r on Monday December 11, @02:36PM EST (#252)
(User #13067 Info)yes, the expansion options are cool. the two-board expansion is probably my favorite - although it makes game length increase superlinearly with number of players. :)
i'm also really looking forward to their translation of 'the starfarers of catan' - the german version looks very promising, and it seems the game itself is 'settlers' on steroids... alas, it won't be available till next year.Non Computer Games (Score:5, Insightful)
by Shimrod on Monday December 11, @07:19AM EST (#53)
(User #107031 Info) http://www.fmf.nl/~shimrod/Always a good idea. Other good games for geeks: - Robo Rally: Program your robot to tackle a dangerous factory floor full of escalators, pits, crushers and lasers. Not to mention other robots.
- X Net : Be the provider to offer the most popular content, be it games, recipes or pr0n. Buy a better connection to the backbone and serve even more!
- Mag Blast: Use your fleet to protect your mothership, while simultaneously trying to blast other players ships. It is require to make sounds simulating your attacks (Ptew Ptew! Put Put Put! Zap! Take that evil spacelord!)
- Illuminati: Secret conspiracies everywhere! Do you own the postal service? Who's the man behind the IRS? And what are those damn aliens up to now?
- Chez Geek: Name says it all really. Play with geeks, live with geeks, geeks everywhere
- Hacker: The computer crime card game (Anyone who even tries to remark that the game should've been named Cracker then will get his behind liberally kicked!) With an Interesting read on online free speech in practice.
- Silicon Valley Tarot Another 'name says it all, really' car game. Tell your own Silicon Valley future...
-- 2 beer or not 2 beer, that's hardly a question...Re:Non Computer Games (Score:1)
by rob1imo on Monday December 11, @09:21AM EST (#105)
(User #196470 Info) http://home.postnet.com/~wsl3/Don't get them a game -- get them something that lets the game better! Ratpadz are very awesome, very accurate mouse "pads". I can testify that it's big enough for my mouse, a cup of coffee, AND an ashtray. It's also durable enough to handle a cup of coffee, and if you spill something on it, you can just rinse it with water. As far as mousepads go, it's the last one you'll ever buy. I have actually ordered two, but that's just because I wanted one at work, too :)
Instead of going on about it, I'll throw you a link to the main site. You can buy them there, or find links to other distributors (mainly overclocking/cooling stores like 2CoolTek or Plycon).
Re:Non Computer Games (Score:1)
by Watts (watts@elite.laer.nu) on Monday December 11, @10:55AM EST (#160)
(User #3033 Info)But you've forgotten Netrunner! While it's out of print, a lot of cards are readily available on ebay for a moderate price. A few friends and I picked up playing recently and it's a great game. RR rules (Score:2)
by devphil on Monday December 11, @06:27PM EST (#299)
(User #51341 Info)
RoboRally kicks ass. Lots of ass. A smorgasbord, a veritable cornucopia of ass is kicked by RoboRally.For a grad school simulations course, we did a RR simulator and told it to find the best overall strategy for winning a game. I think move-before-turning won.
You cannot apply a technological solution to a sociological problem. (Edwards' Law)Re:Non Computer Games (Score:1)
by Continental Drift on Tuesday December 12, @01:23AM EST (#324)
(User #262986 Info)Actually, Looney labs sells a set of gaming pieces called an Icehouse Set, and one of the games you can play with it is RAMbots, which is much like RoboRally. I prefer it, personally. I also really like Falling, sold by their Contagious Dreams site. NR 21 (Score:4, Funny)
by H*rus (NOhorusSPAM@freemail.to) on Monday December 11, @07:21AM EST (#54)
(User #237994 Info) http://www.zwienenberg.com21. Bookbundle, The Top 5 thinnest books ever written, contains:
- A Female's Guide To Logical Thinking
- A Millenium Of German Humor
- Blind Dates that Worked Out
- Feminists Worth Marrying - The Complete List
- "On Human Rights" by Fidel Castro
- if you love something, set it free; if it doesn't come back, hunt it down and kill itRe:NR 21 (Score:2, Funny)
by santeri (santeri@vegetarians_do_without_spam.iki.fi) on Monday December 11, @08:56AM EST (#95)
(User #91589 Info) http://www.iki.fi/santeri/As this is /. you certainly forgot few: - Basic Calculus for Florida Schools
- Bug Free Software Titles from Redmond - The Very Complete Edition
______________
OTTERS RULE.Re:NR 21 (Score:1)
by Phloyd on Monday December 11, @01:15PM EST (#230)
(User #95759 Info) http://www.lebaronet.netA complete history of Italian War Heros. Re:NR 21 (Score:1)
by ceesco (ceesco2000@NOSPAMyahoo.com) on Monday December 11, @11:11AM EST (#171)
(User #259588 Info)Also: - The Irish Cookbook - Italian War Heroes yeeha sexist racist humor is funny and on topic (Score:1)
by pezpunk (pezpunk@aol.com) on Monday December 11, @01:01PM EST (#221)
(User #205653 Info) http://www.theslaves.combleah.
pezpunk
Internet killed the video star,
Internet killed the video star...Re:NR 21 (Score:1)
by clutchcargo (clone72@excite.com) on Monday December 11, @03:03PM EST (#261)
(User #96600 Info) http://come.to/clutchcargoYou forgot "French Heroes"
"It is one of the superstitions of mankind to have imagined that virginity could be a virtue" - VoltaireRe:NR 21 (Score:1)
by paul7e on Monday December 11, @03:16PM EST (#269)
(User #17646 Info)>>>21. Bookbundle, The Top 5 thinnest books ever written, contains:
>>>A Female's Guide To Logical Thinking>>>Feminists Worth Marrying - The Complete List
Uh, dude, you forgot
- The Successful Dating History of Slashdot User "H*rus"
Silly Rabbit, sigs are for kids.Grace Murray Hopper could kick your a**! (Score:2, Insightful)
by bulletproof on Monday December 11, @04:55PM EST (#289)
(User #30930 Info)And because I'm sure you don't know why, she wrote the first compiler, invented COBOL, and helped coin the term "bug".
She had MA and PhD degrees in Math from Yale, was the first American to be made a "Distinguished Fellow" of the British Computer Society and the ACM in 1971 instituted an award in her name, won first by Donald Knuth that year.
She passed away in 1992, but I bet she could out-logic you from her grave.
Re:NR 21 (Score:1)
by Butt (db at icvp.com) on Monday December 11, @09:11PM EST (#314)
(User #93557 Info) http://www.icvp.comI think you had that thinnest book list a little wrong:
- The Emotional Intelligence of Geeks: Hackers describe their feelings about love and relationships
- A Treasury of North American Irony - The Slashdot Chronicles
- Knock 'em Down, Knock 'em Up: White U.S. Men Share their Romantic Secrets
- Integrity Under Pressure: U.S. action against human rights abuses by Israel, Indonesia, and other significant trading partners.
Yep, just find an outside group and ridicule how different they are. Instant classic humour! Oh wait, you mean it's not 1952 any more? :7
Re:NR 21 (Score:1)
by ruck (rNuOcSkP1A3M7@hotmail[dot]com) on Monday December 11, @09:19PM EST (#316)
(User #156392 Info)I find it amusing that your signature is a witty quip from German-born Albert Einstein. Re:NR 21proves mods suck (Score:1)
by letchhausen (satanhausen@yahoo.com) on Tuesday December 12, @05:58AM EST (#325)
(User #95030 Info)I can't believe that my humorous post about the joys of giving hard drugs at Christmas (inspired by the recent spate of Bay area articles that portrays the dot.com world as full of junkies) was mod'ed down as "troll". And your utterly offensive sexist idiocy gets mod'ed up to 4 for "Funny"! Man, everybody here must be a buncha white, pathetic fat, socially inept losers with no sense of humor whose only exposure to women is porn on the internet.
Get a clue and get a life please!
Re:NR 21 (Score:2)
by RhetoricalQuestion (who at myURL dot com) on Tuesday December 12, @12:21PM EST (#328)
(User #213393 Info) http://www.rhetoricalquestion.comYou forgot about: Women who get turned on by sexist jokes.
Although they are a minority, I'd like to remind you that there are women who read this site, and as of now, none of them will sleep with you. Neither will their friends.
Many of these women are very sexy. Some of these women are into crazy wild monkey-love that you only see in p0rn. Most of these women are intelligent. Most understand what you mean when you geek out in conversation, and could geek out with you.
None of them will sleep with you.
And you will never know who these women are, because when you post sexist crap like that, many female ./'ers decide that they don't want to reveal their gender because they know it could mean that they next time they post a strong opinion that you disagree with, you're going to argue intelligently about their post, but will instead dismiss them as being dumb girls with PMS who should get back in the kitchen after they get some much-needed lovin' from you to be all right again.
But that will never happen, because none of them will want to sleep with you.
I can spell. I just can't type.
Re:NR 21 (Score:1)
by Rude-Boy on Monday December 11, @11:34AM EST (#182)
(User #25678 Info)Offtopic?
WTF?
I was addressing the above "funny" comment, in which a man who fought to tear his country away from the grip of (mostly US) oppression and restore human rights was being incorrectly portrayed.
Sorry, I don't find that funny...not at all
I realize it was an innocent comment...but that doesn't make it right.
I swear, you moderators must be smoking crack
oh yeah....to make this ontopic...I...uh....want a pony for ChristmasHow much for a life? (Score:1)
by KNicolson on Monday December 11, @07:24AM EST (#58)
(User #147698 Info)...from two perspectives. First, the tired old "get a life" one, get away from the computer screen and get out and live a bit more.
Second, and more importantly, why not cut back on rampant consumerism and just ask for small presents, donate money to charity, hell, tell your friends you want a receipt from their favourite charity as a prezzie. Most of the people here, I would imagine, could buy themselves most of the presents straight off (I just got a 17" TFT) so why not break away from spend, spend, spend, and instead win, win, win with it being better to give than to receive?Re:How much for a life? (Score:1)
by gimpboy (jmh3@penguinpowered.com) on Monday December 11, @09:13AM EST (#101)
(User #34912 Info) http://rmdb.webpipe.netMost of the people here, I would imagine, could buy themselves most of the presents straight off (I just got a 17" TFT)
i dont know about this. i bet i'm not the only grad student who reads /.
however, i do agree with you. christmas is too focused on purchasing crap. the people who really suffer are younger children of poorer parents. it really sucks to go to school and see all of the other kids with their new stuff. it's ok once you realize what is important, but society(at least the society in the us) tends to equate importance with massing alot of stuff.
it's a cyclic thing. the parents let the tv raise their children--> the tv tells the children to be comsumers and aquire stuff they really don 't need-->the parents try to buy their childrens love instead of taking an interest in their lives --> the parents have to work more ....
use LaTeX? want an online reference manager that
exports in BibTeX format? try rmdb.webpipe.netLooks like the /. Trolls didn't vote (Score:4, Funny)
by anonymouse cowerd on Monday December 11, @07:29AM EST (#60)
(User #255367 Info)Did no one want Natalie Portman for Christmas ?
Surely N P would be considered the ulitmate geek christmas present...Re:Looks like the /. Trolls didn't vote (Score:1)
by Paul Boutin (boutin@wired.IHEARTSPAM.com) on Monday December 11, @03:16PM EST (#268)
(User #102375 Info) http://www.well.com/user/mrpaulOne of the requirements for list items was that they be *available*
Paul Boutin | Senior Editor | Wired magazineThanks ! (Score:2)
by mirko (mirko@myfamilyname.org) on Monday December 11, @07:41AM EST (#65)
(User #198274 Info) http://www.vidovic.org/mirkoI was looking for a fine Christmas present for my nephew and you just suggested me the perfect educative gift for all the family : a nice set of Lego/Mindstorms which IMHO is the only thing in your list that has the following qualities: - Useful
- Educative
- Durable (now that he is old enough to play this, I am sure at 40 he will still enjoy these :-)
--
Hi, I'm a .sig Virus, put me in yours :-)rotated text of the print version... (Score:1)
by kisrael (kirk_slashdot@alienbill.com) on Monday December 11, @07:45AM EST (#67)
(User #134664 Info) http://alienbill.comMan, just when I thought Wired might be learning to rein in the typographic madness of issues past with a sense of what's actually readable, they do something like that gift guide, with every description rotated 90 degrees from the pictures. Did some designer think it was cool? Too dumb to figure out how to get it to fit otherwise? Trying to make people reading it look like they were browsing a Playboy centerfold? (An idea with poetic justice, actually, but they could've rotated the pictures as well and still kept most of the effect.) Wired: reading is not supposed to be a physical challenge.
-- tempus fugit, babe. everyone dies youngRe:rotated text of the print version... (Score:1)
by BJH on Monday December 11, @09:53AM EST (#118)
(User #11355 Info)Wired: reading is not supposed to be a physical challenge.
Well, considering that rotating the magazine might be the most exercise some of their readers get that month, that's not necessarily true...
Google results 1-10 of about 65,400,000 for b. Search took 0.04 seconds.Penguin mints are sugar-free (Score:2)
by Galvatron on Monday December 11, @07:51AM EST (#70)
(User #115029 Info)Penguin Caffeinated Peppermints - ifive brands $12 (four-pack) Essential fuel for all-night hacking: sugar and caffeine wrapped in a handy breath mint. Nope, just caffine. On the advice of dentists, Adam Smith (incredibly cool name) and Brett Canfield decided not to put sugar in their mints. Which makes the fact that they taste good quite amazing to me.
I don't like the 120 char sig limit, I had a great quote about the Devil, but then I edited it, and now my sig doesn't fRe:Penguin mints are sugar-free (Score:2)
by FunkyChild (funkychild - at - cyberdude - dot - com) on Monday December 11, @08:42AM EST (#91)
(User #99051 Info) http://www.mattebb.f2s.comYep, I was going to post about this until I saw yours. I have a tin with me right now, and I quote:
* NOT A NON-CALORIC FOOD. SUGAR FREE
I also thought they'd have more caffeine in them, but apparently 3 mints is the same as a standard cola drink. Still, they're really nice, and I'm hooked on them (or is that my caffeine addiction growing..?).
Fow all you residents of Sydney, Australia who want some without having to wait 5 years for them to be shipped from the US, Gowings on George St. (opp. QVB) in Sydney sells them for AU$10 a tin. Not as cheap as ordering in, but you save on postage and it's more convenient (no I don't work for them.. sheesh..).Re:Penguin mints are sugar-free (Score:2)
by Chanc_Gorkon (jmclaug3@columbus.rr.com) on Monday December 11, @09:54AM EST (#119)
(User #94133 Info)Speaking of DA MINTS, I found a source here in the US where I would not have to wait for them, and I can pick them up ANY time of day, any day, except Christmas Day. That would be Meijer! At least the one I go to here in Ohio carries them. If they don't at yours, ASK! I find it IS possible ot get them if you can get enough people asking the management about them, which is probably why they have them at our store. Meijer managers LOVE satisfying the customer. They are also around $2.50 a box too! I save shipping and 50 cents a tine to boot! I get them every week! :) Gorkman
Holy Crap! I am Trapped in a box of Fruit Loops! - From Normal, OH
Re:Penguin mints are sugar-free (Score:1)
by big_cat79 (ccathcart@creativepro.net) on Monday December 11, @11:35AM EST (#183)
(User #156695 Info)Another place to pick up Penguin mints are Sheetz gas stations. They are a Maryland, Virginia, Deleware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia Chain. A box of 12 tins is about $30. Plus you can keep the box. No more waiting for the Fed Ex man with my express shipment.
BigCat79Re:Penguin mints are sugar-free (Score:1)
by Paul Boutin (boutin@wired.IHEARTSPAM.com) on Monday December 11, @03:10PM EST (#265)
(User #102375 Info) http://www.well.com/user/mrpaulYep, we're busted, as noted in an earlier post. Thanks for keeping us on our toes.
Paul Boutin | Senior Editor | Wired magazineTrench coats??? (Score:3, Insightful)
by Flipper (dtweston@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca) on Monday December 11, @07:53AM EST (#71)
(User #32488 Info)Matrix- and Blade Runner-styled trench coats That has to be the most depressing item on the list... That's what geeks want for Christmas?
Sheesh. I'm embarassed to be associated with y'all.
Check out the website, 'cause it's similarly depressing.
Re:Trench coats??? (Score:2)
by Chanc_Gorkon (jmclaug3@columbus.rr.com) on Monday December 11, @09:55AM EST (#120)
(User #94133 Info)Yeah I want one, but not cuz they look cool in the Matrix. I want one because they'd be warm! Gorkman
Holy Crap! I am Trapped in a box of Fruit Loops! - From Normal, OH
Re:Trench coats??? (Score:1)
by Cederic (Cederic@astrakan.hig.se) on Monday December 11, @10:14AM EST (#131)
(User #9623 Info)
hmm. I do actually want a decent trench coat - if you have to wear something to keep warm/dry (and trust me, in the UK that's very necessary) then you might as well wear something that looks good.
And those trench coats look good!
Of course, I'm more likely to stroll down to the local shops and buy a trenchcoat I can try on, that I can examine and feel before I purchase it, and more than likely spend a little less than theirs cost (the leather ones - if they are real leather - are not excessively priced, but I think the "Blade Runner Deckard" coat is seriously overpriced).
If someone bought me one though, I'd be a happy camper.
~CedericRe:Trench coats??? (Score:1)
by jen3505 on Monday December 11, @01:12PM EST (#227)
(User #89907 Info) http://www.eccnet.com/~jen/$954 for *pleather*, though? A bit ridiculous. You could find nicer jackets in actual leather with the 'Matrix-look' from a leather shop or department store from anywhere between $300 (for mid-length) and $600+ (for full-length)...Earth-friendly or not, there's no way any person should dish out almost 1k for pleather *anything*... Re:Trench coats??? (Score:1)
by cfish on Monday December 11, @11:24AM EST (#176)
(User #61161 Info)i thought the site was lame too, All and all it shows you that us fat geeks will not look good even if you get the best clothe on them. until...
check out the video where the coat actually expands when you walk fast. that's oughta get you tons of chix. d-r-o-o-l---
i'm willing to lose 50 lbs for this visualEscape Cleaning Klein (Score:5, Insightful)
by Snowfox (snowfox@snowfox.net) on Monday December 11, @07:54AM EST (#73)
(User #34467 Info) http://www.snowfox.netOkay, the Klein bottle and Klein mug are kinda cool until you realize that - - You try and set the bottle down with anything in it, and you're gonna be wearing it.
- That mug is gonna be a BITCH to clean.
Re:Escape Cleaning Klein (Score:4, Funny)
by .c (coryEAT@SPAMolga.net) on Monday December 11, @10:02AM EST (#125)
(User #115916 Info)Okay, the Klein bottle and Klein mug are kinda cool until you realize that - - You try and set the bottle down with anything in it, and you're gonna be wearing it.
- That mug is gonna be a BITCH to clean.
I think theirs is the geekiest shipping policy I've ever seen:
Canada Shipping: 1st bottle $7, primes (2nd, 3rd, 5th) $3, nonprimes(4th, 6th, 8th) free.
If these things weren't $US 80 a pop... :)
Re:Escape Cleaning Klein (Score:1)
by Zocalo on Monday December 11, @07:39PM EST (#308)
(User #252965 Info) http://www.zocalo.uk.comI think theirs is the geekiest shipping policy I've ever seen OK, it's not exactly straight forward for Joe-Sixpack to grasp, but when you think about this it does, in fact, scale up the discounts quite nicely the more you order. For quite large quantities of things, you get a quite realistic scaling of work/packaging involved vs number of items actually in said packaging. I think this is actually a very neat method of working out realistic P&P for a number of identical items.
I'm still somewhat stunned over spotting this Klein bottle as I'm a sucker for things like this and just had to have one ;-). Then I spotted the name "Cliff Stoll"; and went on the hunt for the answer to the "Cuckoo's Egg" question - as I've just finished re-reading the above book this was quite a nice find; talk about kismet!
This is going to be a good "Giving the atheist kids presents" I feel.
The US Presidential elections: putting the "mock" into democracy!
Re:Escape Cleaning Klein (Score:2, Insightful)
by rthille (rthille@usa.net) on Monday December 11, @02:35PM EST (#251)
(User #8526 Info) http://members.tripod.com/rthille
I've got two of the mugs, and actually Cliff suggests that you not put hard to dissolve things in the Mug. It's fine for beer and wine (ugh!), but Milk/Mochas are a definate no-no.
You can also take care to ensure that the fluid doesn't flow down the neck into the middle (?) part of the mug so you don't have such a cleaning problem.Re:Escape Cleaning Klein (Score:1)
by MicroBerto (roberto@soul.apk.net) on Monday December 11, @02:44PM EST (#254)
(User #91055 Info) http://soul.apk.net/did you notice that klein has been slashdotted? :) -- from http://www.kleinbottle.com/: MondayMorning Dec 11 -- I've just been deluged with orders -- like about 40 or 50. I can't handle all of these (I usually send one or two klein bottles per day). I am trying to take care of these, but don't know how long it'll take - two or three days, I'd guess.
Hahahaha! That's awesome!So please DON'T ORDER UNTIL I REMOVE THIS NOTICE! Apologies, but I'm just one person who does *everything* here -- and I have to take care of my 2 kids when they return from Kindergarten.
-Cliff 10:30AM Monday Dec 11.
Mike Roberto
- GAIM: MicroBerto
My Quotes Page - Submit a Quote!Great some more ideas (Score:1)
by Seri (spamfilter@al-najjar.co.uk) on Monday December 11, @07:59AM EST (#74)
(User #225017 Info) http://al-najjar.co.ukWell I'd been sitting here for the last month trying to think of what to ask people to get me having decided that the race boat is probably outside of my families budget, but I was distressed to see my dream gizmo not on the list, how come the automatic solar powered lawn mower never made it? It can mow the lawn whilst I hack away at the pute.
I choose to look this way, I choose to act this way, I choose to be my own person, and your reasons are?Completely missed: Things that are NOT new. (Score:2)
by AtariDatacenter (comments@netscape.net) on Monday December 11, @08:16AM EST (#81)
(User #31657 Info)Some of the greatest geek toys aren't the things you find right off the shelf. A really good geek gift is to find something suitable to a geek's interest that a project can be made out of. Some good ones are mentioned here. Video game or arcade geek?
Remember the Atari 2600p? (Go back and read the Slashdot stories.) If they've got a video game fetish, how about an Atari 2600 and a handheld television to kick-start a project?Something just as good is one of the old arcade games which can be purchased for far less money than you think!
Best advise for buying for a geek: Talk to another geek who knows your geek well. Admit that you don't know much, but you want to get him something technological, and maybe components to build a project with. (Otherwise, they'll say things like "CD ROM Burner" or ""Electric Cattle Prod".
Best thing to go with a geek present: receipts. They're hard to please! PS: Television watching geeks LOVE having a TiVo, but I recommend NOT connecting it to the primary television in your house, otherwise you'll never see the news (or anything else) because Babylon 5 and Doctor Who are being recorded during YOUR favorite shows. (Unless you get a super fancy model.)
Proud owner of a Sega Aero City 26" sit-at Sun Workstation with refrigerator.Re:Completely missed: Things that are NOT new. (Score:2)
by Chanc_Gorkon (jmclaug3@columbus.rr.com) on Monday December 11, @10:01AM EST (#124)
(User #94133 Info)Just do what I did! Go shopping for yourself (well kind of sort of). My wife knew that I wanted a CD-RW drive, so she let me buy the one I wanted. As it is, we never get time to oursleves anyway (any time we are out, we are usually together...one car, I ride the bus to work which means all I do is go to and form work, no stopping on the way home.). My wife then bought herself something nice. All we care about is seeing our 20 month old's eyes light up with the lights on the tree and the gift Santa just got for him under the tree. That's enough for us! We get gifts, but we don't have to open them! :) Gorkman
Holy Crap! I am Trapped in a box of Fruit Loops! - From Normal, OH
Hacking Yoda (Score:2)
by Alien54 on Monday December 11, @08:36AM EST (#88)
(User #180860 Info) http://vinny.myqth.comI wonder when someone is going to get around to hacking Yoda. Will this be hackable like the Furby?
Young Jedi Geeks want to know!
(the initial looksee seems to be YES!)
_ _ _ _ _Check out the Vinny the Vampire comic strip
My Christmas present....to myself (Score:1)
by eastMike on Monday December 11, @08:54AM EST (#93)
(User #194827 Info)I just bought it last week...it's actually a belated graduation present for myself too.
New parts for a new system. GHz Athlon...would you believe those things are in the $300 range already? Got one of those 32 meg DDR Radeons from ATI...bought it for $290, then realized I got ripped off, took it back and bought one for $200 elsewhere. SBLive Platinum 5.1....VERY nice. 21" monitor...man...I got lots of nice hardware in this machine.
Man...I need to cut work so I can go home and be with it...my baby...
What was the topic again?
"It is well that war is so terrible, lest we grow too fond of it."
-Robert E. Lee, December 13, 1862XmasXmasXmas (Score:3, Interesting)
by SubtleNuance on Monday December 11, @09:12AM EST (#100)
(User #184325 Info)Look here for this post on the 'magical disapearing Xmas post' from 12.05.00. This neat little toy is worth checking out for young Geeks on your list:
I just bought a Cybiko handheld 'Inter-Tainment' (eek Markatroid Buzz alert) computer for my 11 yr old niece. She loves my CasioE100 - so this seems appropriate. Ive been trying to geekify her for years, videogames/build-it-yourself robot (not a big hit)/Legos etc.
This Cybiko device has a decent little screen, a free SDK, 900MHz Adhoc networking (@19200baud), instant messaging & email repeated on the Cybiko Network you are a part of, Email via a internet gateway (ie xxxxxxx@cybiko.com where xxxxx is the unique ID of each Cybiko - requires syncing w/ a PC to Internet), free(gratis) games/software/PIM software daily online, has a vibrating alert and sound.
cheese_announcer_voice(start);
if (buy_right_now) {
recieve(MP3_AddOnModule.free(mail_in_rebate);
}
cheese_announcer_voice(stop);
You can buy them Online @ Cybiko for $90 USF. Pretty reasonable Id say.
Additional Links:
General Info - Hardware Specs - Software Specs - RF Specs
End Plurality Voting.Cybiko warning (Score:1)
by bloodSausage (mh_talkback@mail.com) on Monday December 11, @11:25AM EST (#177)
(User #98859 Info)I've actually tested a pair of these little monsters, and they sound really good given their capabilities and price, but I can't recommend them.
The primary problem is that they have a 40-second boot-up time! This is not a Palm, folks. For some reason, these things are not instant-on, and most of the things you want to do with them (wireless chat, play a cheesy game, etc.) are spur-of-the-moment spontaneous sort of things, and waiting over half a minute to "boot" sucks out all of the spontaneity.
The "keyboard" kind of sucks, and the plastic casing seems like it's really brittle -- the kind that will crack if you drop it from table-height (untested). Even so, I'd forgive these minor problems if it were instant-on. Caveat emptor
PS2 non-shortage? (Score:3, Interesting)
by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 11, @09:32AM EST (#108)
The shortages of PS2's may be artificially created. My nephew works in the warehouse of a well-known toy retailer. He called me Sunday (knowing I've been waiting weeks for a pre-paid PS2 to arrive) and said that they got several unmarked crates shipped in Saturday about the same size as the crates that their last shipment of PS2's came in. No markings as to what they were or where they came from, which is rather unusual. When he asked what was in them he was told they were for a special promotion and that the warehouse crew was not to open them under any circumstance. They were all placed in the secure area where all the expensive stuff is stored. However, one of the crates had a small rip in the outer box which the manager quickly taped over, but not before my nephew saw that it indeed contained PS2's.
My nephew suspects that the toy store is hoping the people who have PS2's on reserve, desperate for a gift for their kids, will go ahead and buy something else in place of the PS2's. Then the day before Christmas, the toy store will call all the people with reserved PS2's and tell them they've "just arrived", come and get it NOW or we'll drop your name back to the end of the list. And a lot of people will probably do it, too.
What a sneaky way to try and increase sales. And they'll probably get away with it, too.
Anonymous because I don't want my nephew to get fired. (even though it _is_ a crappy job)Re:PS2 non-shortage? (Score:1)
by Watts (watts@elite.laer.nu) on Monday December 11, @11:03AM EST (#163)
(User #3033 Info)This sounds pretty likely. Ever noticed that the day after Christmas a bunch of hot toys are on the shelves that were in amazingly small quantity before Christmas? Are we supposed to believe a shipment came in on Christmas day, or what?
As for the Playstation 2 madness, I've heard from several people selling them on ebay that the auction winners mysteriously disappeared. Apparently in some cases people who were selling PS2s were bidding on other auctions to drive prices up, keeping them all artificially high.Re:PS2 non-shortage? (Score:1)
by SuperKendall (kgelner@bigfoot.com) on Monday December 11, @07:43PM EST (#310)
(User #25149 Info)That's why if I were selling a PS2, I'd insist on bidders having five or more positive comments - and then vigorously pursue them if they didn't pay for it after the auction closed (you can just ask the people who listed the five+ auctions they won before for addresses to send legal notices to. Most eBay sellers are delighted to have other people track down bad bidders).
---> KendallRe:PS2 non-shortage? (Score:1)
by AppyPappy on Monday December 11, @04:49PM EST (#288)
(User #64817 Info)I doubt it. The store would have to realize there was a possibility they may buy the other present elsewhere. A bird in the hand is worth a bunch of poop in your hand...or something......anyway, take the money and run. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic....Arthur C Clarke
Give your favourite geek another shirt (Score:1)
by zzendpad on Monday December 11, @09:36AM EST (#110)
(User #84506 Info)They have some nice shirts at http://www.kmflu.com/, they feature a badass cat creature with a napster logo for a head, beating up on lars ulrich. Looks like they got BRUTE! of kmfdm fame to do the art, just like KMFMS $299 Car MP$ Player: Aiwa CDC-MP3 (Score:3, Informative)
by Deven (deven@ties.org) on Monday December 11, @09:56AM EST (#121)
(User #13090 Info) http://www.ties.org/deven/Despite the coolness factor of running Linux in your car stereo, I simply can't imagine spending $1,199 for an Empeg. It seems like a tremendous waste of money to me, and I'm just not in the habit of throwing away money like that...
I'm much more interested in the Aiwa CDC-MP3 system. It's only $299, and can play CD-Rs, CD-RWs and standard CD's, including MP3s. And it's $900 less than the Empeg...
Deven"Simple things should be simple, and complex things should be possible." - Alan Kay
Re:$299 Car MP$ Player: Aiwa CDC-MP3 (Score:2)
by TheGratefulNet (bryanFNORD@gratefulFNORD.net (-FNORD)) on Monday December 11, @10:06AM EST (#127)
(User #143330 Info) http://www.Grateful.Netbeware, I've read a lot of reviews (and a friend of mine owns the aiwa in his car) and it does have a read/skipping problem ;-( other than that, if you can ignore its gawdy looks, it seems quite a nice player.
I'm more inclined to use a hard-disk player, like the NEO 35 . add your own hard drive, order the remote lcd panel and install it and you're good to go. it can be more stealthfully mounted (the aiwa is a detach face - not sure if theives are deterred by this) and you have ALL your music online at all times.
--
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."Re:$299 Car MP$ Player: Aiwa CDC-MP3 (Score:1)
by AubreyTurner (Aubrey@cannedmeat.Turner.org) on Monday December 11, @12:14PM EST (#204)
(User #102032 Info)Two of us here at work got this player at the same time. There are two things to be aware of:
- You have to make sure that it is mounted securely or it will skip.
- It seems that some units are more prone to skipping. Mine is mounted in a '96 Dodge Ram and doesn't have problems (unless I drive into a huge pothole), but my coworker's unit would skip for no apparent reason. He took it back to BestBuy and got another unit that works fine.
Cut the Spam to email.
Fear the Government that fears your Computer.Re:$299 Car MP$ Player: Aiwa CDC-MP3 (Score:2)
by Chanc_Gorkon (jmclaug3@columbus.rr.com) on Monday December 11, @10:13AM EST (#129)
(User #94133 Info)AND it has a radio too! Looks like with EMPEG you'd have to ditch radio for the sake of lost of MP3's. Radio is good sometimes (like trying to figure out what's causing the traffic jam infront of you.). Gorkman
Holy Crap! I am Trapped in a box of Fruit Loops! - From Normal, OH
Re:$299 Car MP$ Player: Aiwa CDC-MP3 (Score:1)
by PGillingwater on Monday December 11, @11:27AM EST (#179)
(User #72739 Info) http://www.actrix.gen.nz/users/paulNope. My Mk I Empeg has an FM tuner with RDS support. RDS means you can receive traffic bulletins from any station that sends them. No AM though, but I don't need to listen to Talk Radio. The $1199 price for the Empeg is justified by the components, the build quality and the added-value you get from your CD collection. Think about it -- with a 40 Gb upper limit, you can MP3 encode *all* of your collection (and your S.O.'s as well), and play tracks which normally never get heard. Most people with 6xCD changers listen to the same six CDs for weeks before changing, and tend to skip over albums which contain only one or two "good" tracks. With the Empeg, you can choose to sequence _only_ the good tracks, and with the random option, you hear parts of your collection that you'd never normally choose. This represents an economic value-added to your existing CD investments, because you're increasing your utilization by reducing opportunity costs.
Furthermore, I can download free upgrades for my Empeg (firmware and PC loader) anytime. Now that they've been bought by the company that makes the RIO, you can bet that the economies of large-scale manufacturing and improved access to the components market will bring the price down, while adding neat new features. Look for a top model to come out next year for less than $999.
Disclaimer: I have no inside knowledge about the Empeg -- I'm just a satisfied customer.
And a post-script for audiophiles -- the Empeg has some great options for shaping the sound. Here's a quote from their home page:
On the audio side, a Philips in-car DSP deals with the DAC and provides digital loudness, bass, treble, balance and fader for the four outputs. It also gives a 20 band fully parametric equaliser which can be arranged as stereo 10-band or quad 5-band. The final stage is provided by Burr Brown pre-amps.
--
Paul Gillingwater
Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)Re:$299 Car MP$ Player: Aiwa CDC-MP3 (Score:2)
by Chanc_Gorkon (jmclaug3@columbus.rr.com) on Monday December 11, @02:46PM EST (#255)
(User #94133 Info)G this sounds real great and all, but when the equivalent can be done with the Aiwa, and other devices in concert, why spend the money? If I wanted to spend that much I can have more then just AM/FM, MP3 and RDS. I could have GPS display (maybe someday when a map program for Linux is available, I could actually use something other then windows.), I can have AM/FM, TV and DVD (passenger only), internet (again passenger only) and the base system, not counting wireless internet cost, would cost LESS the 999 (if u find a cheap LCD source, if not, a bit more the 999). The EMPEG, for all it is and as cool it is, just does not impress me for the cost! Gorkman
Holy Crap! I am Trapped in a box of Fruit Loops! - From Normal, OH
Re:$299 Car MP$ Player: Aiwa CDC-MP3 (Score:1)
by DiGNAN17 on Monday December 11, @04:12PM EST (#278)
(User #262868 Info)I would also like to state my opinions on the empg:
A few quick points:
-empeg is designing an additional AM/FM tuner which, while adding to the price, will give me a better radio than any regular car stereo and the Aiwa I'm willing to bet.
-To those complaining of skipping- the empeg simply doesn't. The HDDs are shock protected and were tested extensively without fail.
-I don't have MP3's on my computer anymore. I bring the empeg inside and hook them up to my line-in or to my stereo system. No more Winamp taking up CPU cycles during games.
-I gladly got rid of all my CD's from my car. My CD collection isn't even within 100 miles from me at school. If I want to listen to a CD, I use the old portable I have connected to the AUX-in cables on the sled connections.
Now, to the person who said it had limited functionality - how? That's absolutely ridiculous. Just from looking at the pics on the Crutchfield and Aiwa sites, it is plain to see that playlist navigation will be limited for the Aiwa player. I imagine it is a bit tough to know exactly what you have on each CD, and will probably take even longer to find the music you want than if you were using a regular CD player! You may say that I don't know that, but you haven't used an empeg, either, so don't judge something you've not done any research on.
The player software is more than I could ask for. I can play "Houses of the Holy" by Led Zeppelin in 5 keypresses, never having to change a CD. I can also put all 2609 tracks that are currently on my 12GB on shuffle and hear songs that I didn't even know I had! If I hear a song while on shuffle and think "gee-I'd like to hear more from that artist", I just press the "2" button on the remote and another song by the same artist is queued right after the current one.
You should also remember that the player software is upgradeable. This is a BIG thing. The current software, IMO, is absolutely fine. However empeg, as we speak, is programming a new version with countless additions suggested on the unofficial BB by the members there. Try getting any of that from Aiwa, who's site is annoying and un-navigatable, not to mention lacking in information. I have also had several one-on-one email correspondences with empeg staff members.
I understand the price of the empeg seems steep. Hell, I spent almost all my summer job money on it. It's worth it for more reasons than I can state here. I suggest that people actually do some investigating rather than saying something uninformed like "you only like it because it runs on Linux". If price is the one concern over all that you must adhere to, don't get the empeg. If you have a choice, get it.Re:$299 Car MP3 Player: Aiwa CDC-MP3 (Score:2)
by Deven (deven@ties.org) on Tuesday December 12, @10:20AM EST (#327)
(User #13090 Info) http://www.ties.org/deven/Kenwood also makes an in-dash MP3 player, the Z919, which should go for around $650. It's in their eXcelon series, so I suspect it has more "audiophile" features than the $300 Aiwa.
I've heard of this one. The thing that surprised me was that the Kenwood, for $650, supposedly doesn't allow you to search within an MP3 song. (You can jump track-to-track, of course.) As far as I know, the Aiwa can search within an MP3 track. So can winamp and xmms. Somehow it seems inexcusable for an "audiophile" system to lack this capability...
Deven"Simple things should be simple, and complex things should be possible." - Alan Kay
vigilant non-nerd watch (Score:1)
by Anomolous Broward on Monday December 11, @10:16AM EST (#135)
(User #255424 Info)wired is not for real nerds. it died that death years ago - along with the 'geek page'. for slashdot to collabbbbberate widdem further deepens its karmic debt. smarten up, losers, before someone comes along and makes a commodore out of youse. I am glad to see... (Score:1)
by Byteme (james@nospam-pronoblem.com) on Monday December 11, @10:24AM EST (#140)
(User #6617 Info) http://www.pronoblem.com...my Kleinbottle (actually I posted Kleinstein) made it to the list. I may buy one for everybody this year. Another great gift for a geek: the TINI (Score:1)
by NRLax27 (sfarkas@nospam.student.umass.edu) on Monday December 11, @10:32AM EST (#146)
(User #123692 Info) http://sfarkas.netCheck out the TINI, a SIMM sized embedded Java device. It has built in Ethernet and serial communications, and can be had for under $100, including the SIMM, and appropriate mounting board. It's also got a built in webserver, and telnet server....and you can write your own Java programs for it, and upload them over the ethernet!! Ian....
Re:Another great gift for a geek: the TINI (Score:1)
by Rackemup on Monday December 11, @11:51AM EST (#189)
(User #160230 Info)TINIs are cool... we use them at work to load-test our servers. You should see what a few hundred of these little things can do! Over the course of a day or two, the lot of them downloaded close to 100Gb. Not bad for something the size of a soundcard... Christmas most wanted.... (Score:1)
by Rage_Matrix (rage@-NOSPAM-matrix13.freeserve.co.uk) on Monday December 11, @10:39AM EST (#151)
(User #261973 Info) http://www.tronsoftware.freewire.co.ukThe Season Three Buffy box set. Pretty cheap and hours of slayer-stylin' fun. Unreal Tournament for DreamCast (yeah, fat chance) Winsock enlightenment so I can finish my videogame before new year. :)
Tron Software -= Kickin' Butt and Writin' Code =-SOG PocketPliers (Score:2)
by ackthpt (wombat@wombat.wombat) on Monday December 11, @11:05AM EST (#167)
(User #218170 Info) http://www.dragonswest.comWhen shopping for a multitool, I passed SOG PocketPliers up for the Victorinox Swiss Tool. The prime reason, which becomes apparent once you have one of these things, is that the blades open outward, rather than inward. Rather nice to not be smacking that thing into stuff while you're cutting, sawing, filing, etc. The SOG Paratool has this flaw corrected. Photon LED light? (Score:1)
by simetra on Monday December 11, @11:07AM EST (#168)
(User #155655 Info) http://www.squirm.netI'd like one of those Photon LED lights, for my keychain. I've never seen one in person though. Are they as cool as they sound? Re:Photon LED light? (Score:2)
by GypC (root@localhost) on Monday December 11, @01:25PM EST (#233)
(User #7592 Info)Yep. I have a yellow one. It is damn bright for its size, next to weightless, and can run continuously for days on a single battery.
I want one of the turquoise or white ones, although the turquoise/white/blue use a lot more juice and the batteries are expensive.
"Free your mind and your ass will follow"
- George ClintonRe:Photon LED light? (Score:1)
by Dahan (khym@bga.com) on Monday December 11, @02:39PM EST (#253)
(User #130247 Info)I got a turquoise one for my friend's birfday (and picked up one for myself too)... I think it's pretty cool--turquoise is a rather exotic LED color (as is blue), and the thing is really bright for a LED. It works pretty decently as a flashlight; certainly not as bright as a 4 D-cell incandescent flashlight, but good enought for walking around in the dark or finding your door's keyhole in the dark :) Got 'em from Action Electronics, btw... they have 'em for $14, which was the best I found after a bit of web searching. (Anyone know of cheaper places?)
Too Expensive (Score:2, Insightful)
by foondog (mat@_NOSPAM_tamu.edu) on Monday December 11, @11:09AM EST (#170)
(User #87662 Info) http://eskimo.tamu.edu/~matttWe need to this again with gifts that are a little less expensive and more practical. There needs to be stuff on this list besides mints that I can give my geek friends...
FoonDogInexpensive suggestions here (Score:1)
by cfish on Monday December 11, @01:33PM EST (#239)
(User #61161 Info)Agreed. Who can say no to a warm, used 1 Meg video card. A case fan is always welcome. Memory modules, too. And how about some bulk ethernet cable, a crimper, and some connectors. they are always good to keep around.
A real sincere gift is a gift that takes a little time and thought. This holiday season, why not burn him your favorite...."picture/video of beautiful ladies."
It's always easy to pick up food for your geek friend. A gift certification from his favorate pizza joint, some of his favorate beer, and your halloween leftover chocolate are will definitely not go to waste.
and who will reject a whole new deck of CDR? You can never have too much printing paper. Just about all of us are too lazy to get haircuts, so you can also give a gift of a haircut.
... i'll post more ideas when I got time. but this get you started.Voodoo5 price (Score:1)
by whistler-z on Monday December 11, @11:17AM EST (#174)
(User #183654 Info)Voodoo5 for $299.99? Shop around.
Buy.com has them for $175.95:
http://www.us.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10247 918&hdwt=31001So...where is the geeky stuff? (Score:1)
by [Marvin] on Monday December 11, @11:26AM EST (#178)
(User #46773 Info) http://www.fnuck.dk/marvinExcept for the Yoda and the caffeinated pills it's just a bunch of computer hardware that we spend all of our money on the rest of the year anyway. What about a deluxe soldering iron? Or perhaps some network anylyzing gadget? I, for one, would like some toys for Christmas. Anyway, there is another serious deficiency in the list IMHO - I guess you all know LEGO started a StarWars line that's pretty complete now... But did you also know that they've started making StarWars scale models? For now the choice stands between the X-wing and the TIE Intercepter -personally I can't wait to get my hands on that Intercepter, what about you? No Eco-Spheres? (Score:1)
by Pseudonymus Bosch on Monday December 11, @11:32AM EST (#181)
(User #3479 Info) http://www.dmoz.org/No Eco-spheres?
__
Marx on software licenses.Penguin Mints (Score:1)
by jonnystiph (will@yogurt66.Ih8spam.org) on Monday December 11, @11:55AM EST (#191)
(User #192687 Info) http://www.yogurt66.orgThe best way I have found to consume these, are by dropping two in a liter of coke and getting that chemical reaction, then you have mint coke, kind of flat, but good nonetheless. a planet where apes evolved from men???
speaking of presents... (Score:1)
by extar-bags (spamisnotmeat@preciousroy.com) on Monday December 11, @11:57AM EST (#194)
(User #161628 Info)...What's the deal with this Cybiko thing? anyone know? It looks rather cool, but 130 bucks for all that seems like a bit of a grift, and i haven't seen much press on it either way. anyone have one/seen one/strongly opinionated about them for no reason that can advise? ----------
"Rock over London... Rock on Chicago..." -Wesley WillisRe:speaking of presents... (Score:1)
by kaitos (kaitos@NOSPAMsubdimensionNOSPAM.com) on Monday December 11, @11:13PM EST (#320)
(User #185784 Info) http://www.8op.com/lexedos/save big money at menards
---
``ask not what you can do for your country, ask what your country did to you'' --kmfdm
-kaitosObservatory (Score:1)
by cosmol on Monday December 11, @12:03PM EST (#196)
(User #143886 Info) http://slack.frop.net/~cosmol/I've always wanted to have an observatory here are the pieces:
- Mead LX200 telescope ~$2500US
- WM-918 weather station
- both run with linux using wx200d and xephem
then you just need a CCD camera and an internet connection for remote viewing :)
Voodoo5? (Score:2)
by Julius X (cliff@-whatkindofspamdoyoutakemefor-cponline.org) on Monday December 11, @12:38PM EST (#213)
(User #14690 Info) http://www.cponline.org/I'm just curious why Voodoo5 5500 went on the list. If we're going for true-geek, which means the fastest and best available, then why not go for the NVIDIA GeForce2 Ultra? It's much faster than the 5500 and has onboard Transform & Lighting abilities.
Not only that, but you'd be secure that you're buying from a company that will definitely support its product....I'm not sure how long 3dfx is gonna be in the biz anymore....
-Julius X
remove "-whatkindofspamdoyoutakemefor-" from email to sendI Definitely agree (Score:1)
by Yam-Koo on Monday December 11, @01:54PM EST (#245)
(User #195035 Info)Even the regular geForce 2's are a better choice than 3dfx... Re:Voodoo5? (Score:1)
by ZiGGyKAoS (ZiGGyKaoS@beer.com) on Monday December 11, @03:52PM EST (#274)
(User #86253 Info) http://127.0.0.1Nvidia support ??? what are you talking about...
uhm I do belive that 3dfx is the only chip manufactuer that will release chip specs to driver writers. so you must not be talking about linux when you mention support because there never has been any support from nvidia as far as that is consernedRe:Voodoo5? (Score:2)
by Julius X (cliff@-whatkindofspamdoyoutakemefor-cponline.org) on Monday December 11, @04:24PM EST (#279)
(User #14690 Info) http://www.cponline.org/Ahem, NVidia Linux support? Try here.
They even have BeOS support finally, here.
-Julius X
remove "-whatkindofspamdoyoutakemefor-" from email to sendRe:Voodoo5? (Score:1)
by beckett (jonw@mypants.telus.net) on Monday December 11, @09:35PM EST (#317)
(User #27524 Info)i guess real men don't play many games then (:
remove "mypants" to reply.Multitools (Score:1)
by QBin on Monday December 11, @01:04PM EST (#223)
(User #25383 Info)You may want to consider a multitool other than the SOG pocket PowerPlier. I recently bought a leatherman wave and I love it. When I was doing some research, I came across http://www.WoodNet.net/toolreviews/multi.html. It had a pretty good comparative review of the various options. Check it out. What do we get Taco? (Score:1, Funny)
by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 11, @01:05PM EST (#224)
We used to be able to feed his Who habbit on CD-Now, however I've not seen much up there. How do we get our favorite and revered /.'ers thier penguin mints (thinkgeek) or for that matter, anything. Oh well... I guess it will just be another for them... Regards, the nutcase. Aquatic Pod Suite (Score:4, Interesting)
by Ellen Spertus on Monday December 11, @01:06PM EST (#225)
(User #31819 Info) http://www.spertus.com/ellenI'd like the Aquatic Pod Suite from Hammacher Schlemmer. It only costs $91,100, and that's including the Bose stereo and diesel generator.
Product promotion (Score:1)
by M-G on Monday December 11, @01:13PM EST (#228)
(User #44998 Info)The inclusion of the Lowrance GlobalMap 100 caught my eye, since I was involved in the development stage of the product. Curious, I looked at the original /. article. There were several mentions of GPS, but none that specifically mentioned any Lowrance products. So did the Wired folks decide that GPS sounded good, and then looked at their stack of press releases for one to include?
The unit itself is good, and has a nice EL backlight. And while including the maps on a CD for transfer to the unit was a great advantage in 1998 when it was introduced, I doubt that much development of the PC software has happened since then. The PC software was mediocre at best, and the layout/display of roads leaves a lot to be desired.Re:Product promotion (Score:1)
by Paul Boutin (boutin@wired.IHEARTSPAM.com) on Monday December 11, @03:07PM EST (#262)
(User #102375 Info) http://www.well.com/user/mrpaulSince none of the posts I read suggested a specific GPS, I contacted retailers and professional surveyors to ask what their favorite was. The GlobalMap 100, which won lots of awards when it was introduced in '98, was a clear favorite, despite newer models on the market. Maybe you should take a little more pride in your work on it.
Paul Boutin | Senior Editor | Wired magazinePlease don't post about Everquest (Score:1)
by GreyFauk on Monday December 11, @01:27PM EST (#234)
(User #18632 Info)First off... yes.. you can play
with a p-200 and a 28.8 connection..
but it's gonna suck so bad you'll hate the game.
They just updated the game engine to use
directx 7.0a so be damn sure your hardware
works with those types of games.
and last. Thanx a lot for posting this on
a public site... the eq servers are mostly
already overloaded. *sigh*
Friends don't let friends buy Compaq's. (Dell/Gateway... same same) You want a good computer? Build it yourself.Other than that.. it really is a nice game (Score:1)
by GreyFauk on Monday December 11, @01:30PM EST (#238)
(User #18632 Info)I've spent over 2 months of play time
on bertoxx server
(one of the oldest and heavily populated now *erf*)
Friends don't let friends buy Compaq's. (Dell/Gateway... same same) You want a good computer? Build it yourself.The best gift ... (Score:2)
by LordNimon on Monday December 11, @01:27PM EST (#235)
(User #85072 Info) http://www.warpstock.org... is something you didn't know you wanted. I make up a gift lift for people who just don't know me well enough to know what I want. However, I'd rather have one unique gift that I never expected but really like, than 10 gifts from my list. In fact, when it comes time to open gifts with my family, it's those unexpected gifts - the ones I get and the ones I give - that I enjoy opening (or watch being opened) the most.
--
I use OS/2 Warp at home because I think it's a superior desktop OS to Linux, BeOS, Windows, and everything else.VOODOO?? (Score:1)
by Evro on Monday December 11, @02:34PM EST (#250)
(User #18923 Info) http://www.evanhoffman.com/If somebody bought me a VooDoo anything, I would no longer speak to them. A 64 Meg GeForce2 Ultra on the other hand... Hell even a 32 Meg GF2GTS would be fine, but don't get me anything with 3dfx written on it. I don't know who suggested a Voodoo but they don't know what they are talking about.
To all the 3dfx zealots who were planning to flame me now: don't! You will never change my mind! I get 125 fps in q3 at max geom detail and max graphical detail at 1024 with my GF2!__________________________________________________ ___
lrwxrwxrwx 1 evro ug 9 Apr 16 20:21 .sig -> /dev/nullNo,no, no... (Score:1)
by gunner800 (gunner800@yahoo.spamisbad.com) on Monday December 11, @03:11PM EST (#266)
(User #142959 Info) http://www.asomethingiknownotwhat.comEspresso machine, bean grinder, and a water line run to my lab. I know not this "sleep" of which you speak.
My mom is not a Karma whore!
Bored? Low standards? Go hereGeek Toys too expensive (Score:2)
by NoWhere Man (ndaines@techie.com) on Monday December 11, @04:10PM EST (#277)
(User #68627 Info) http://www.nixnotes.comI was kind of hoping to find something on the list that wasn't too expensive. But I guess that all Geeks stuff costs a pretty penny. Are there any cheap geek toys out there? (I don't mean 100 floppies for 15 bucks either) :P
Imagination is the weapon in the war against realityRe:Geek Toys too expensive (Score:1)
by Paul Boutin (boutin@wired.IHEARTSPAM.com) on Monday December 11, @05:53PM EST (#294)
(User #102375 Info) http://www.well.com/user/mrpaulThanks, this has been helpful feedback about the gift prices. We were, honestly, striving to find lower-cost alternatives to the PS2 and P4 -- 50 percent of the items are intentionally lower than the PS2's list price of $299, and we asked the O'Reilly Beowulf book author) to spec the cheapest usable cluster he was comfortable suggesting. But I guess we should have lowballed it even futher. I'd be interested to hear what price ceilings we should use if we were to do something like this again. You can post here or email me.
Paul Boutin | Senior Editor | Wired magazineRe:Geek Toys too expensive (Score:2)
by NoWhere Man (ndaines@techie.com) on Tuesday December 12, @12:47PM EST (#329)
(User #68627 Info) http://www.nixnotes.comLike other people have mentioned. Most price ranges for younger people are between $30-$40.
The only thing I could think of were items I listed for a 16y old girl who posted a similar message:
> Tornado Lamp or something else from here (You
>may be able to find something at your local
>store that is similar)
>T-Shirts featuring some geek slogans or high
>tech company logos, Linux shirts...etc.
> Black Lights are cool
>I find hardware is really expansive, so stay
>out of that department. Try visiting a store
>like an "It" store. If it looks cool and not
>cheesy, they he'll prolly like it.
Imagination is the weapon in the war against realityPenguin Mints (Score:2)
by Syberghost (syberghost.NOHAM@NOPORK.eiv.com) on Monday December 11, @04:35PM EST (#283)
(User #10557 Info) http://www.eiv.com/users/syberghostSorry, no sugar in them; it's Nutrashit.
-
Eliminate encryption restrictions & 'net taxes; vote LibertarianI'd rather have.... (Score:1)
by Phloyd on Monday December 11, @05:01PM EST (#290)
(User #95759 Info) http://www.lebaronet.netThe Stowaway portable pocket keyboard. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004TL5Q/ o/qid=976571893/sr=8-1/ref=aps_sr_ce_1_3/107-84509 68-6454919 You can't get a klein bottle just now (Score:1)
by drinkypoo on Monday December 11, @06:03PM EST (#297)
(User #153816 Info)I just called up and talked to the dude* MAKING and selling the Klein bottles. He has about fifty orders for them at the moment which he has not filled, and is not accepting new orders.
* Three cheers for you if you poke around his website and figure out who he is. His initials, though, are "CS".
You are what you do when it counts --SteakleyRe:You can't get a klein bottle just now (Score:1)
by Vanguard(DC) (vanguard444@email.com) on Monday December 11, @06:45PM EST (#302)
(User #203158 Info)"* Three cheers for you if you poke around his website and figure out who he is. His initials, though, are "CS". "
huh? this supposed to be difficult? got it in one click... strange...
oh well, I guess to some, lefty-loosey righty-tighty is a 500 level course...
Vanguard
ps: kidding bro, just %!$%ing with ya...Actually it was in last month's issue. (Score:2, Informative)
by sideshow (nick@trendwhore.com) on Monday December 11, @07:19PM EST (#306)
(User #99249 Info) http://www.trendwhore.comThen green cover is Jan 2001 and mine was delivered yesterday. The TechnoLust Gift Guide was in the Dec 2000 issue.
WWJD? JWRTFMBetter GPS (Score:1)
by Polo on Monday December 11, @09:18PM EST (#315)
(User #30659 Info) file:///etc/passwdCheck out the Garmin Emap. I have one and I'm really happy with it.
It is:- The same price (about $195)
- Expandable, up to 128Mb carts available
- There are lots of maps including cityguide (high detail - search on nearest gas station, nearest ATM, etc...), roads & recreation and even topo maps
- It's small.
Re:Better GPS (Score:1)
by zzach (123 candycane lane) on Tuesday December 12, @12:17AM EST (#322)
(User #177231 Info)i have an emap and its the most bang for the buck!
it has all the graphical maps of highways and greater roads you can download new maps topo,high detail so when your new to the silicon valley you can pinpoit any adddress like my most favorite store FRY's or apple's head quarters i love mine and the battery life is long! about 12 hours on get this on two (2) AA batterys! Now that the government's S.A (selected access i think) is off accuracy is unheard of i got 9 foot accuracy once. i was supprised i had mine before it was turned off and my best was 60 feet usually over 120 feet now i get no more than 80 foot on only the minimum 3 sats!! if your going to buy a gps garmin has the best and the e-map is by far the best the e trex are just too dang simple to be usefull.
well im done ranting and raving so have fun learn as much as you can and keep an open mind
/. FOREVER!!!!!My two bits (Score:1)
by Tsujigiri (dbyrne@techie.com) on Monday December 11, @11:03PM EST (#318)
(User #77400 Info) file:///dev/nullFor me I just want a Spoon watch. In particular the Side Strap. The first human who hurled an insult instead of a stone was the founder of civilization. -Sigmund Freud
i got a (Score:1)
by kaitos (kaitos@NOSPAMsubdimensionNOSPAM.com) on Monday December 11, @11:12PM EST (#319)
(User #185784 Info) http://www.8op.com/lexedos/40 gig harddrive, and candy, im set for armageddon, and yes, i know i dont know how to spell armageddon.
---
``ask not what you can do for your country, ask what your country did to you'' --kmfdm
-kaitosCover of Wired (Score:2)
by suprax (suprax@linux.com) on Monday December 11, @11:45PM EST (#321)
(User #2463 Info) http://suprax.orgOkay, maybe I'm just amused easily, but the cover of January's Wired is pretty cool! At first i thought I had greesy hands when I touched it, but then realized what the huge "TOUCH ME ALL OVER" meant. :)
--
Scott Miga
suprax@linux.com
http://suprax.orgRe:fp (Score:1)
by theDigitizer (Digitizer@my_own_digital_universe.org) on Monday December 11, @06:21AM EST (#10)
(User #239913 Info) http://www.geocities.com/theDigitizerI really do have a comment though. I have found that buying these gifts online, is the only way to show your true geekness, and it's even better if the person you send them too, receives them right from the company, (a.k.a, ThinkGeek, Amazon, etc.) it just shows how much you care, and how much you wish to promote geekness and nerdiness in others. But Personally, my letter to Ol' Saint Nick will include:
Car MP3 player
Lego MindStorms!
AND the Beowulf Cluster (of course)
And forget the Voodoo 5 5500, it's hyped, and way too much money for what you're getting (besides, 3dfx left the video card biz, lest we forget)
Merry Xmas /.!
"What I told you was true. From a certain point of view." - Obi-Wan Kenobi from Return of the JediRe:3dfx: (Score:1)
by MeatHead001 on Monday December 11, @11:09AM EST (#169)
(User #206381 Info)This has been my experience too. I just had a Vodoo3/3000, go out and had to replace it. So I thought I'll get a GF2, they are supposed to be great. The problem is, that the computer kept locking up with this card in, about every 30 minutes, more often if I was doing anything graphic intensive. So I yanked the card out and took it back. The store let me return it and get their last Vodoo3/3000 with no questions asked. I even saved a substantial amount of money. When the card did work, I didn't notice any great improvement worth spending an extra $100 dollars on.
But to get on topic. You could always buy that geek in your life the rest of the Monty Python DVD's that he/she is missing.
Re:Trenchcoats! (Score:1)
by The_Messenger (kmfms.com@drew) on Monday December 11, @07:19AM EST (#52)
(User #110966 Info) http://soldc.sun.comHell yeah. I remember when that shit went down, the trench-goths at school were actually banned from wearing their pathetic black trenchcoats. No long-haired male under twenty will ever again be able to wear a black trenchcoat without provoking visions of schoolyard slaughter. On the other hand, I always thought the whole goth-trenchcoat thing was sort of lame, so maybe it's for the best. Not that I doubt our gothic friends' ability to devise even stupider fashions.
All generalizations are false.
:wqSame problem... (Score:2)
by NoWhere Man (ndaines@techie.com) on Monday December 11, @04:45PM EST (#286)
(User #68627 Info) http://www.nixnotes.comOff the top of my head, you could try these:
Tornado Lamp or something else from here (You may be able to find something at your local store that is similar)
T-Shirts featuring some geek slogans or high tech company logos, Linux shirts...etc.
Black Lights are cool
I find hardware is really expansive, so stay out of that department. Try visiting a store like an "It" store. If it looks cool and not cheesy, they he'll prolly like it.
Imagination is the weapon in the war against realityRe:Weather Modeling? (Score:1)
by Ronin75 on Thursday December 14, @07:46AM EST (#332)
(User #21473 Info)Sorry, should have prefaced it with quote from article:
"Beowulf parallel computing cluster; 3 nodes for $1,305.95. A build-your-own supercomputer: three bargain PCs with Ethernet cards ($415 each), one four-port network hub ($16), and one Building Linux Clusters book from O'Reilly and Associates ($44.95), which includes Red Hat Linux and cluster software on CD. Perfect for trolls who lack a single iota of creativity, or that guy you know who always wants to simulate weather patterns."All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. Comments are owned by the Poster. The Rest © 1997-2009 Geeknet, Inc.
