Comment Re:Shortsighted Thread is Shortsighted (Score 1) 366
Then again, maybe setting up a network is one of the first things they need.
Comment Re:Sudden Outbreak... (Score 1) 175
The original use of bank, in terms of elevation, came into use around 1150-2000 AD.
I can probably narrow that slightly further, as I remember that being used in the 1980s. Perhaps you meant 1200 AD?
Comment In Other News... (Score 1) 172
In other news, car thieves prefer exotic sports cars.
Comment Re:40% or 40oz? (Score 1) 882
According to http://healthyhorns.utexas.edu/bac.html:
BAC
.40% - .50%: You are probably in a coma. The nerve centers controlling your heartbeat and respiration are slowing down, and it's a miracle if you survive.
So, you drive like you're in a coma? Strange...
Comment Re:Put everything in writing (Score 1) 902
The problem is when the network is down and they want you to answer their emails.
That doesn't sound like a problem at all. If the network is down, you won't get their e-mails. When you get those e-mails, the network is up, and you can respond that it is now working. Sounds perfect to me!
Comment Re:DRM - Devil's wRong Maintenance (Score 1) 464
That makes me wonder. What exactly is the region code for orbit? Would that fall under region 8?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD_region_code
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD_region_code
Comment Re:All I have to say is... (Score 1) 859
I'm just looking for other options here, but (according to google) 155 kph = 96.3125348 mph. That sounds low for a governor to me, but not outside of reason.
Comment Re:ask mom (Score 3, Funny) 393
Plug it in at your mom's house, rsync your local fileserver with that one every night at 4am.
But what happens if the fire spreads upstairs? With heat rising, that's likely to happen.
Comment Re:Out of curiosity (Score 1) 623
Is there a correlation with fewer boys raised by single mothers in these low crime states compared to higher crime states?
I'm curious about not only single mothers, but double, triple, and quadruple mothers, too. Seems like we're looking in the right area...
Comment Re:Cut GW some slack (Score 1) 437
Bitches about killing in war as his party wants to dole out abortions to everyone.
How is killing something that isn't alive as bad as killing something that is alive?
First off, it's quite obvious that you can't kill something that's not alive. Second, if you're arguing that a fetus is not alive, you're ignoring science. Whether you believe it is sentient is a judgment call (I believe that since it has unique human DNA, it should not be killed), but it's obviously alive.
Back on topic: I think these e-mails should have never been missing in the first place. I mean, a competent IT person could set it up to archive e-mails as they come in, and copy them to a network server, a tape drive, or DVDs. Realistically, that's a days project with maybe an hour or two upkeep a week. I hope they set something like that up for the next president, and so on. Whether it was intentional or not, there should really be a big push for realistic data retention, and being proactive instead of reactive.
When Teachers Are Obstacles To Linux In Education 1589
jamie found this blog post up on the HeliOS Project, which brings Linux to school kids in Austin, TX. It makes very clear some of the obstacles that free software faces in the classroom. It seems a teacher came upon a student demonstrating Linux to other kids and handing out LiveCDs. The teacher confiscated the CDs and wrote an angry email to HeliOS's founder, Ken Starks: "Mr. Starks, I am sure you strongly believe in what you are doing but I cannot either support your efforts or allow them to happen in my classroom. At this point, I am not sure what you are doing is legal. No software is free and spreading that misconception is harmful. ... This is a world where Windows runs on virtually every computer and putting on a carnival show for an operating system is not helping these children at all. I am sure if you contacted Microsoft, they would be more than happy to supply you with copies of an older version of Windows and that way, your computers would actually be of service to those receiving them..." Starks pens an eloquent reply, which contains a factoid I have not seen mentioned before: "The fact that you seem to believe that Microsoft is the end all and be-all is actually funny in a sad sort of way. Then again, being a good NEA member, you would spout the Union line. Microsoft has pumped tens of millions of dollars into your union. Of course you are going to 'recommend' Microsoft Windows."
Submission + - Homework!?
An anonymous reader writes: With all the talk about Blizzard lately, I was asked a question about Guild Wars and World of Warcraft. While both games address different aspects, how would you get Blizzard to drop the monthly fee for WoW without trying to generate a force needed to compensate for the entropy of the players' need to play the game? After all, the no monthly free works for Guild Wars, so the model itself is fine. Or perhaps the question should be stated, how would you get this model to be the accepted form for all MMORPGs? Also, assume that the person asking me will not accept impossible for an answer. I would like to know your thoughts.
Submission + - NFL Calls Foul on Church Superbowl Parties
Kahlil in Virginia writes: This article (http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID =/20070201/LOCAL/702010431/) from Indiana describes how the NFL is using its lawyers to intemidate and ban churches from hosting Superbowl parties. The NFL claims it is copyright infringement and that the churches are to refrain from hosing a party where the words Superbowl are used. The also cannot use a screen larger than 55". However, bars and other places are able to continue showing the program. This strikes me to be a fairly blatent abuse of a power the NFL does not have. Where is the law that says we, as a people, have a contract with the NFL to host parties and show the prgram? As long as the church is not receiving income from this and redistributing the program the NFL should have no leg to stand on. The NFL also blaims ratings and advertisement revenue as part of its decision.
Submission + - The 10 worst games so far made for PSP and DS
VonSnouty writes: With DS and PSP approaching middle age, handheld specialist Pocket Gamer has taken the innovative approach of warning readers off the 10 worst games released so far for both PSP
and DS.
The latter piece notes that: "The DS has suffered from as many bad games as its Sony rival. Indeed, according to this unbiased evaluation of the PSP and DS game reviews on MetaCritic, DS has played host to even more dreadful, money-sucking stinkers. The reason? Probably the same things we love the DS for — its unique features, such as the dual-screens and the stylus. A lazy PlayStation 2 port might at least result in a mediocre game on PSP, but DS games done on the cheap are likely to be pure evil."
Navy Gets 8-Megajoule Rail Gun Working 650
prototypo writes "The Free Lance-Star newspaper is reporting that the Navy Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia has successfully demonstrated an 8-megajoule electromagnetic rail gun. A 32-megajoule version is due to be tested in June. A 64-megajoule version is anticipated to extend the range of naval gunfire (currently about 15 nautical miles for a 5-inch naval gun) to more than 200 nautical miles by 2020. The projectiles are small, but go so fast that have enough kinetic punch to replace a Tomahawk missile at a fraction of the cost. In the final version, they will apex at 95 miles altitude, well into space. These systems were initially part of Reagan's SDI program ("Star Wars"). An interesting tidbit in the article is that the rail gun is only expected to fire ten times or less per day, presumably because of the amount of electricity needed. I guess we now need a warp core to power them."
