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Comment Re:Saw it on the news (Score 1) 132

I can't understand why the US places so much importance on their president... They can't even make laws --

No, they can't make laws. But they can and do veto the laws that Congress makes, so they have considerable political influence. They also control the federal government's executive branch, so they and the cabinet ministers under them wield substantial real power, up to the limits imposed by the constitution and enacted law.

Wouldn't it be better if the pres actually served in an armed force prior to election as chief commander?

I don't think so. Despite the fact that it would help immensely for the C in C to have first-hand military experience, it would also exclude a whole pool of folks who for whatever reason haven't served in the military. The founding fathers got this right. The only two constitutional restrictions for presidential candidates a native-born citizen at least 35 years of age.

Comment Re:Considering who this is talking about, so what? (Score 1) 377

Switching to Linux is easier now than ever. I've just tried Ubuntu Natty, and it's a breeze to install with Windows, either dual-boot from the live CD or along side with wubi. I'm a longtime user of Red Hat and it's derivatives, and I'm jealous. In my opinion Fedora 14 is much easier and less time-consuming to install than Win7 with equivalent default apps, but Canonical's latest offering is even easier still, seemingly by an order of magnitude. It's so simple I'm going to try it out on my mother, a total luddite, just for fun.

Submission + - Which CMS is Best For Web Novice?

standbypowerguy writes: So my father, who's in his 70s and a reasonably competent Linux user found out the server I set up in his basement can do more than just act as a firewall. He wants me to set up a CMS so he can write and host his own web site. He's mostly into genealogy, so I imagine he'll want to post articles with embedded pictures, as well as host some kind of photo archive. He's got a small site hosted through his ISP already, but would like expand it, and wants something easy to learn. So what CMS would fellow Slashdotters recommend for him, and why? The server is based on CentOS 5.6, and runs Apache 2.2, MySQL 5.0 and PHP 5.2.
NASA

Submission + - Space Shuttle Endeavour's Greatest Hits (ibtimes.com)

RedEaredSlider writes: On the occasion of the last launch of the Endeavour, is a look at some of the great moments from the space shuttle's history. After one more shuttle mission, it looks like American Astronauts will be hitching rides with the Russians. But it's worth looking back and realizing that it was a worthwhile program, if only because it showed us how to make spaceflight routine — and with luck there will be others.

Comment Re:SELinux type security for Android (Score 1) 198

SELinnux? You're kidding, right? I'm a longtime Fedora user, and it's shipped with SELinux since FC2, I think. Although the policies and tools have improved drastically, some things like Apache, Samba and 3rd party RPMs still require manual intervention, sometimes to the point that it's simply easier to simply disable. It's hardly ready for Joe Sixpack's Adroid phone.

Comment Re:They'd complain about anything probably. (Score 1) 187

I second that. I've traveled to the NYC metro area on business trips for many years, and my company has switched providers three times in the past decade. AT&T was the worst, followed by my current carrier, VZW, although they are a quantum leap ahead of AT&T. I had the best coverage, reception and fewest dropped calls with Sprint, but my experience was only a little better than VZW. Put another way, of the carriers I've used in the NYC area, I found Sprint to provide the best service, VZW a close second, and AT&T a dismally distant third.
Medicine

One Night Stands May Be Genetic 240

An anonymous reader writes "So, he or she has cheated on you for the umpteenth time and their only excuse is: 'I just can't help it.' According to researchers at Binghamton University, they may be right. The propensity for infidelity could very well be in their DNA. In a first of its kind study, a team of investigators led by Justin Garcia, a SUNY Doctoral Diversity Fellow in the laboratory of evolutionary anthropology and health at Binghamton University, State University of New York, has taken a broad look at sexual behavior, matching choices with genes and has come up with a new theory on what makes humans 'tick' when it comes to sexual activity. The biggest culprit seems to be the dopamine receptor D4 polymorphism, or DRD4 gene. Already linked to sensation-seeking behavior such as alcohol use and gambling, DRD4 is known to influence the brain's chemistry and subsequently, an individual's behavior."

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