The small amount of dollars you'll get for it isn't worth the headaches you'll go through, wondering if you really did clear off all that data.

Take a blowtorch to it. Then a hammer. Then a liquidizer. Add a sprig of mint, some ice and whisk 'til smooth. Repeat. Then bury it in the canal.

I'm one of many slashdotters (I'm sure) who's mother smoked while pregnant, drank (no doubt) as this behaviour wasn't seen as bad in the times (I was born in '59). No drugs, I suspect - can't imagine my mother (she's been gone 30 years) doing that!.

I'm not saying that smoking/drinking isn't bad for the unborn child, but the odds may not be as loaded that way as you'd think. And my parents both smoked all the way to their deaths. I've never smoked.

And yes, I'm normal - why do you ask?

I had a my eyes done by a new process, and it all goes fine but sometimes hegfedufghfkki jjfhfjruubn nhiifiueeutr877u and then it comes back again, mostly. The important thing is ,mdskkpvppop jfvjvj kfjjr8868i ,ll. If that happen's then you're REALLY in trouble. Just remember that, if nothing else.

We've a 'Jean Batten Airport' down here in NZ. People still call it Auckland Airport.

(Who was Jean Batten? She invented the leather strap used on ships to secure loads: hence "batten down the hatches". Not sure why they named an airrport after her)

Finished this book recently: writer catches up with the living 'moonwalkers'. At that time, there were nine. We've lost Neil Armstrong since then (anyone have a website that gives current state of the NASA astronauts? Or the Soviet Cosmonauts?)

Anyhow - author (Andrew Smith) states that it's as if a decade of the 21st century had been dropped in to the 20th century. Good comment, I thought.

Reading the attached article? Now c'mon, this is slashdot. We'll just make random, unsubstantiated statements.

But plants don't vote. Correct me if wrong (just waiting for the first "I, for one, welcome our new vegetable overlords")...

Interesting thought, and I'm sure you're right. We're getting driverless cars, I guess pilotless planes are coming. We already have drones (pilotless attack aircraft), unmanned rockets, unmanned planetary rovers... I'm pretty sure there's unmanned sea vessels (anyone?) out there somewhere.

But a serious question. Is a plane safer or less safe with pilots? (Yes, I know that pilots can save the day sometimes. Other times they cause the crash. MH370 may yet be shown to be pilot suicide).

Once we know the answer to that question, we can follow the odds. Have a remote pilot able to 'log in' when something nasty happens, maybe.

I was watching a firework display with wife and two-year-old daughter (I held latter in my arms for view) at a fireworks party run by a friend, some years ago. The rockets were carefully placed, ready to go up, lit - then fell over and came straight for us. We ducked, dived, covered the youngster - I got some bruises, wife got a burnt pair of pants and daughter (and us) all got a helluva scare.

I've seen professional show since, no more amateur ones. Booze and fireworks, and the casual attitude don't mix.

As for July 4 - hope it all went well for the USAns amongst us. Go 'Murica! Hope y'all had a great night, illuminating, watching or just chilling.

I heard that more people get killed by having a coconut fall on their head, than from shark attack. Anything we can do to alleviate that menace? It's obviously more of a danger than shark attack.

Source (dubious, but so is the shark number... http://paradise.docastaway.com... )

I worked in the UK in the late 90s for a multinational. The company sent me to Philadelphia for an interview. Offer included two weeks holiday a year. I asked the recruiter why this was so low (in the UK it was four) - she replied that the folks there really loved to work.

Uh-huh....

I'm waiting for the Perl 7 release. Then I can really talk about the string of Perls.

(Honestly, it just popped into my head)

I've done my time ... used to work 7 to 5 or so, on call in the evenings and at weekends. That's fine (sort of) when you get paid for it, but I found (and still find) that management come to expect it. And resent it when you don't work the 60-hour week that they want you to, without pay.

So ... I now work a standard day, take some calls and have the occasional late night. Still new at this job, so we'll see how it goes. Trick is not to get manager's expectations too high :)