9/26    Any comments on a problem someone just sent me in the mail:
        'HIMEM.SYS is missing  Please make sure this file is in your windows
        directory' then the computer opens in DOS not windows 95 (which I
        went back to after all my win 98 problems).  Anyway, I've checked
        the wondows directory and the himem.sys file is there so I don't know
        what the problem is.  Any suggestions?
        -DOS ignoramous
        \_ Try to use tabs next time.
        \_ The file may be exist, but might be corrupted. Check it's checksum
           against the one found on the original Windows installation CD.
        \_ Fdisk, reinstall.  Run a non-MS low level disk checker on the
           drive.  No, scandisk doesn't count.
           \_ Scandisk is bad?  I thought it's already better than chkdsk.
                \_ Just because scandisk is better than an ancient piece of
           I'll look at it.
                   crap, doesn't mean you should use it.  Scandisk is the
                   modern crap version of checkdisk.  M$ put it there only
                   to make you feel good.  Get a non-Microsoft disk checking
                   program such as Spinrite at http://grc.com.  Spinrite does things
                   MS would never let a consumer idiot do because you're
                   obviously too stupid in their eyes to know what you're
                   doing.  Spinrite is not part of the "M$ Windows First
                   Time Experience".  You're welcome.  http://grc.com
        \_ if you want, put the following somewhere on soda:  config.sys,
           autoexec.bat, himem.sys, dir listings of C:\ and C:\WINDOWS,
           and msdos.sys.  I'll look at it.
        \_ Ran into this before. Find another Win95 machine and copy the
           HIMEM.SYS file straight into your hozed machine.
        \_ Did you do something stupid like delete the msdos.sys file?

9/27    Anyone know if and when LCD monitor price will drop?
        \_ when people start buying them.  go buy a few million so that
           i can afford one myself.
           \_ Actually, people *are* buying them.  There is and has been
              a shortage of supply, which is preventing prices from
              coming down (and adds to the cost of laptops).  See a good
              story about it at:
              http://www.mercurycenter.com/premium/business/docs/computer28.htm
        \_ prices will drop slowly
        \_ Didn't it take a long ass time for regular 17" monitors to drop?
           I bought mine for $1k and it was that price until about a year and
           a half ago (or something like that).
           \_ I bought a 17" monitor 4 years ago for 600, although it was
              the cheapest model back then.
           \_ I bought a 17" monitor 4 years ago for $450.
              \_ Not new.  Off a truck maybe.  I got one for 650 four years
                 ago this summer.  The lowest on the market was around 600.
                 There weren't any $450 17" monitors four years ago.  Only
                 used, refurbs, and off the back of trucks.  You're either
                 confused or lying.  The high end was around $1300, btw.
                 $450?  Ridiculous!

9/27    Hawaii vacation question.  I'm planning a one week trip to Hawaii.
        I'm wondering if I'd get a better deal booking everything myself or
        buying one of those vacation packages.  Also anybody know of
        hide-away places few tourists go?  I'm NOT looking forward to the
        crowded beach on Waikiki.  Thanks.
        \_ If you're looking to avoid the tourist cattle herds, a vacation
           package is not for you.
        \_ Go into a travel agent wearing your flowered hawaiian tshirt, bad
           shorts, and white stuff on your noise and tell them you're tired of
           pretending.  You want the "Hairiest Chest Contest" cruise to
           Hawaii with 6 days and 7 nights of Guided Island Fun!
        \_ Went on one a few months ago. MAUI is definitely the place if you
           want less tourist. Or KONA (in the big island). Even better, try
           KAUAI. Find your own deal through the Web, my experience says it's
           better that way. Plus, package tour has a lot of restrictions.
        \_ My girlfriend and I went to KAUAI this summer and had a great
           time.  The island was beautiful and there weren't many tourists.
           We stayed at an ocean front condo for about $100/night.
           I booked the condo through Gloria's Bed & Breakfast (forgot the
           phone number but you can call information).  If you go to KAUAI
           you defintly need to rent a car.  I got one for $30/day at a
           local car rental place on the island.  Have fun. -emin

9/27    http://www.kimble.org/kimmovie/kimble_themovie.swf (Anti-Gates movie.)
        \ ".swf" ? sheesh. whats the problem with .mov or something?
        \_ Great.  An "anti-gates" movie that requires his software to view.
           \_ I can see it in Netscape 4.61 ...... under NT though.
           \_ I had no problem with Netscape 4.08 w/SW-Flash on my
              Linux 2.2.10 machine.

9/27    When's the next pburo meeting?  The web's info is two weeks stale!
        \_ shut the fuck UP, cmlee.  -tom
            \_ shut the fuck UP, tom.  -!cmlee
            \_ I see nothing wrong with people wanting to get involved and
               asking when the next meeting is.  Tom has forgotten this isn't
               his personal playpen and some of us want to be a part of
               something bigger than tom's wall rants and motd noise.
                \_ SHUT THE FUCK UP, CMLEE
                   \_ Uh, *not* cmlee.  Cmlee isn't the only person Tom has
                      problems with.  In fact, Tom has deep seated and very
                      generalized socialization problems which are far worse
                      than his idiotic spat with cmlee.  Tom, seek help.  I
                      suggest something simple at first such as, "How to win
                      friends and influence people".  You won't win any friends
                      with it, but maybe you'll see why you're so unlikable.
                \_ you mean "how to win friends who are complete fucking
                   morons like this asshole who's too much of a fucking wimp
                   to sign his name to his insults, and influence idiots who
                   make psychological diagnoses about people they've never
                   met."  -tom
                      \_ I'd go with "How to talk dirty and influence people"
                         I'm sure it is a much better read. -aspo
                         \_ I'm sure you would.
        \_ wall != csua != politburo.  Those interested in the piddly
           dealings of politburo can go away.
           \_ Uhm... ok whatever.  So the csua motd isn't a good place to ask
              about the timing of the csua politburo meeting?  Where can I get
              some of whatever you're smoking?

9/27    San Francisco software localization company needs engineers.
        Many openings, entry level to high end.
        Good things to know: Oracle, jsp, SGML/XML.
        Wanna sunbathe in South Park with startup geeks?
        Contact mgp@soda
        \_ How much do you guys generally offer to a 2-3 year software
           Engineer?  If the money is right, who cares if I have ride bart or
           bus. =)
        \_ which company? do they have a website?
           \_http://www.translate.com
        \_ No thanks.  Only if I already lived in SF.  Parking already sucks
           and thanks to Da Maya! building a stadium down the street and
           destroying hundreds of parking spots to do so, it's going to be
           completely impossible soon.  Your company picked a trendy, but
           stupid place to setup.  I was incedibly happy when I stopped
           working in that area.  Oh yeah, "RIDE LINUX BIKE!" for the
           drones and clones that spew that stuff.
           \_My company picked a cheap place to setup, five years before
             the "trendy" companies moved in, thank you very much.  As
             for parking, if you can't handle a six-block walk from BART,
             you probably need to work from home anyway.  Oh, yeah, I ride
             bike.  15 minutes to work.
             \_ You implied it was a startup, but I guess not.  I can easily
                handle a walk from BART.  You ever tried parking at a BART
                station so you could take BART?  I worked up the street and
                it was faster *and* cheaper to drive and that includes wear
                and tear on my car.  Fuck BART.  It's easy to spout off about
                how easy it is to use BART when you've never done it.
                \_ I guess the 200,000 people who do it every day don't
                   do it either.
                   \_ They do it because they *have* to.  I don't *have* to.
                      No one with half a brain is doing so.  Just because a lot
                      \_ its called poverty you fucking idiot. not everyone
                         in the bay area is a programmer.
                      of other people are stupid and slavish doesn't mean
                      stupidity and slavishness are good.  If they all jumped
                      off the bridge would you use that as a reason to jump
                      off the bridge, too?  I can't believe you're trying to
                      use such cheap high school boy logic.  Fuck BART and fuck
                      stupid people and fuck high school boy logic.  BART is
                      expensive and takes too damned long.  It'll be even
                      worse when they kill more parking and even more people
                      take BART.  And if you're a woman, you'll get harassed
                      on BART.  Yes, it happens.  It happens a lot.  This may
                      not be an issue for the women you know, however.  Come
                      to think of it, SOMA isn't a neighborhood a woman can
                      walk through safely, either.
                \_  Of couse, you can bike to/from a BART station, but that
                    pretty much makes your work hours either late (get
                    to work at around 9:30) or early (before 7am).   IT sure
                    does beat driving to the south bay though.
                        -- been there done that
                \_ you can bike to BART any time, park your bike there and
                   walk to SOMA.
           \_ can you post some job descriptions in /csua/pub/jobs?
                \_ And make sure it's world readable.
                   \_ Done.  /csua/pub/jobs/translate.com