DanTheLewis - Slashdot User

Western Union Blocking Money Transfers to Arabs 904

Posted by timothy on Thursday July 06, 2006 @12:50PM from the no-get-the-even-broader-brush dept.

lowrydr310 writes "Western Union is blocking money transfers to people with Arab names. They have delayed or blocked thousands of cash deliveries on suspicion of terrorist connections simply because senders or recipients have names like Mohammed or Ahmed. 'In one example, an Indian driver here said Western Union prevented him from sending $120 to a friend at home last month because the recipient's name was Mohammed.' Western union claims they are merely following U.S. Treasury Department guidelines that scrutinize cash flows for terrorist links. I agree that Western Union shouldn't allow anyone supporting terrorism to use their service, however I'm fairly certain there are millions of people named Mohammed or Ahmed who aren't terrorists. I wonder if any other financial companies such as banks are doing the same thing."

Manual Writing Tools? 139

Posted by Cliff on Monday June 19, 2006 @05:55PM from the from-code-to-printed-man-pages dept.

Saulo Achkar writes "I've been recently assigned the task to rewrite the user's manual to a piece of relative complex software. Today, the existent manual used was developed with reStructuredText, a very nice piece of software; unfortunately, we're not able to create classes or templates for things like similar interfaces (that share the same functions), which means we need to write more code and that means more editing. XML formats aren't very friendly to code or edit in, either. What kind of techniques or tools are there to make writing manuals a bit friendlier and faster?"

Scientists Respond to Gore on Global Warming 1496

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on Wednesday June 14, 2006 @05:38PM from the climatologist-pit-fighting dept.

ArthurDent writes "For quite a while global warming has been presented in the public forum as a universally accepted scientific reality. However, in the light of Al Gore's new film An Inconvenient Truth many climate experts are stepping forward and pointing out that there is no conclusive evidence to support global warming as a phenomenon, much less any particular cause of it."

Vast DNA Bank Pits Policing Vs. Privacy 275

Posted by Zonk on Saturday June 03, 2006 @04:40PM from the you-have-nothing-to-hide-right-citizen dept.

schwit1 writes "Today a Washington Post story discusses the vast U.S. bank of genetic material it has gathered over the last few years. Already home to the genetic information of almost 3 Million Americans, the database grows by 80,000 citizens a month." From the article: "'This is the single best way to catch bad guys and keep them off the street,' said Chris Asplen, a lawyer with the Washington firm Smith Alling Lane and former executive director of the National Commission on the Future of DNA Evidence. 'When it's applied to everybody, it is fair, and frankly you wouldn't even know it was going on.'"

Recipe for Making Symetrical Holes in Water 174

Posted by CmdrTaco on Sunday May 21, 2006 @10:09AM from the welcome-to-sunday-morning dept.

scottZed writes "Danish researchers found a simple way to make curiously shaped air holes in a bucket of water. Simply rig the bucket to have a spinning plate at the bottom, and depending on the speed, you can get an ellipse, three-sided star, square, pentagon, or hexagon. The effect may help explain such shapes seen in atmospheric disturbances on Earth and other planets. One practical use: really trippy washing machines."

Colbert New Comic-in-Chief 939

Posted by Zonk on Monday May 01, 2006 @01:31AM from the that's-the-word dept.

scottzak writes "Hail to the Chief! Stephen Colbert addressed the White House Correspondents Dinner Saturday (attended by the President, the elite of Washington politics, and the White House Press Corps) and told the truth. Jaws dropped. Eyes popped. The live audience gasped. Scalia laughed his ass off. You want to see a brilliant comic display some real courage? Look no further. Enjoy the reaction shots, and Colbert's audition for Press Secretary job." The BBC covers the act just prior to Mr. Colbert's, where the President and a look-alike took turns making fun of his speaking skills.

Environmentalists Coming Around to Nuclear Power? 1092

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on Monday April 17, 2006 @05:58PM from the background-research-results-just-coming-in dept.

Heywood J. Blaume writes "In a Washington Post editorial Patrick Moore, a founder of Greenpeace, now says he was wrong about opposing nuclear power 30 years ago. In the article he addresses common myths about nuclear power, and puts forth the position that nuclear power is the only feasible, affordable power source that can solve today's growing environmental and energy policy issues. From the article: 'Thirty years on, my views have changed, and the rest of the environmental movement needs to update its views, too, because nuclear energy may just be the energy source that can save our planet from another possible disaster: catastrophic climate change.'"

Useful Apps for First-Time Windows Users? 980

Posted by Cliff on Tuesday April 11, 2006 @11:29PM from the stuff-your-desktop-shouldn't-do-without dept.

pauljoyce asks: "I'm a Mac fan who is intrigued by the possibilities of Apple's Boot Camp software. Now that I have a chance to painlessly dip into the Windows world, what I'd like to ask you is, what Windows software amazes you? I want to build a list of unique, elegant, can't-do-without apps, so all us new Boot-Camp babies can finally experience some of the great innovation happening over on the Windows platform. I roughed in a quick blogpage to collect the info, and to house any useful discussions. It'll probably deteriorate into a flame war at some point, but hopefully I can get a few contributions to each category before then. Would those interested please chime in with their list of favorites?"

Audio Broadcast Flag Introduced in Congress 200

Posted by Zonk on Friday March 03, 2006 @04:55PM from the flagged-for-pvp dept.

Declan McCullagh writes "We found out in mid-2004 that the RIAA was lobbying the FCC for an audio version of the broadcast flag. But because a federal appeals court slapped down the FCC's video version last year, the RIAA needs to seek formal authorization from Congress. That process finally began today when the audio flag bill was introduced. It would hand the FCC the power to set standards and regulate digital and satellite radio receivers, and RIAA Chairman Mitch Bainwol says it strikes "a balance that's good for the music, good for the fans, and good for business." The text of the bill is available online."

Journal Journal: Philosophical Maunderings

Journal by DanTheLewis on Thursday June 24, 2004 @05:05PM

We've had a philosophy book come through the plant. It's gotten me thinking about the kinds of philosophies that are self-defeating. I've been inspired by Locke, who is saying something to the effect of, if you (the empiricist) run into a guy who says that the world is but a dream, tell him to go stick his hand on a hot furnace. That sort of thing.

Journal Journal: My "Pirate" Voyage

Journal by DanTheLewis on Friday March 12, 2004 @02:50PM

As a music "pirate", I have some good words for all of you at the RIAA.

I don't buy it. I don't understand how downloading music has hurt music buying. The overpackaged, overpriced product that pays for a bloated bureaucracy of marketers, managers, service charges, record executives was never going to survive a little competition.

Journal Journal: "The Passion of the Christ"

Journal by DanTheLewis on Wednesday March 03, 2004 @03:01PM

I finally got around to seeing the Mel Gibson movie. I was one of the throng that made it the biggest five day opening in history (beating Return of the King by a million dollars or so). I saw it on Saturday.

Journal Journal: What am I going to do?

Journal by DanTheLewis on Wednesday February 18, 2004 @02:29PM

I have many musings about this, but I still don't know. Especially reading the Neil Gaiman web and seeing how much he just enjoys writers and stories, I find it hard to say to myself that I don't enjoy writers and stories, and that this computer stuff, however lucrative I hope it becomes, will be a colossal waste of life.

So what's the deal? Where do I go for these burning questions? Even more, why can't I write a simple story?

Journal Journal: Delete Entry for Today

Journal by DanTheLewis on Tuesday February 17, 2004 @05:31PM

I got up this morning and got in a fight with my wife on the way to work. We made up.

Then I found out I had left my keycard at home and showed up almost an hour late. I ate my lunch for breakfast.

Then I went home for lunch and burned it to the pan. I got back from lunch late.

My neck hurts.

Journal Journal: School Stuff

Journal by DanTheLewis on Thursday February 12, 2004 @02:35PM

Basically, I am worried that money will get in the way of my getting a degree. The Expected Family Contribution on my FAFSA is 7000+ dollars! 600 a month. No way.

I'm basically stuck with it though. I don't know how much money the school will provide. I suppose they expect me to pay with money from the job I will be going to half time at most while I study math and science. Or from my wife's job, that she'll have to leave soon here (for private reasons).

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