5/30    Best inexpensive computer that i don't have to put together myself?
        Don't need bells and whistles just want to go online with my DSL
        and have netscrape and iexplorer be FAST.
        \_ VA Linux has a cheap offering:
           http://www.valinux.com/systems/configure/index.html?id=23164
                \_ $1075 to surf?  Get real.  He can walk into Fry's and get
                   the same hardware for less and it will run IE which your
                   linux box won't.  MS sucks, but IE >>>>>> NS.
                        \_ you must be blind
                           \_ Uh... yeah because I can read the page and see
                              the quoted price is sans monitor?  Is that why?
                                \_ Monitors are not hard to come by... why buy
                                   one from an OEM?
                                   \_ but they will make it cost more than
                                      $1075.
        \_ imac DV
        \_ Get a Sun Ultra5 workstation under educational discount.
           $1300 w/monitor. It can run latest nutscrape and IE5. <g>
           \_  does <g> mean this is supposed to be funny?
                \_ yeah, apparently you can edit the MOTD from AOL now.  -tom

5/30    Are the city engineers in Berkeley stupid?
        \_ Yes. 'Nuff said. Move on. Really no point on starting a thread on
           this.
        Why is it that the large
        streets (like University Ave. and parts of Telegraph) have their
        traffic lights timed to be red more often than green while the
        smaller streets that intersect them are green longer than red?
        \_ if you were so smart, you'd avoid driving on University and
           Telegraph near the campus and College and the other "big"
           streets
           \_ Even idiots don't drive near campus.  I'm talking about
              right after Jack in the Crack (small street before
              Alcatraz) and the 24 on/off ramp (no big surface streets
              intersecting them).
              \_ That would be Oakland, yes no?
        \_ People who drive or walk on the smallers streets have their
           rights too! -opressed smaller street walker
        \_ They must be. How else can you explain the repaving of Hearst
           east of Oxford after 10 years of disrepair and then promptly
           beginning to tear it up again?
            \_ that's the university doing infrastructure shite, not the city
           \_ No no, you mean every 2 years when city council elections
              come up.
           \_ how about the widening of the sidewalk on Center St. by campus
              a few years ago -- how long did that take? 6 months?
        \_ Duh.  Welcome to Berkeley.  It's *intentional*.  They _want_ to
           make it harder for drivers in Berkeley.  Duh, duh, duh.
           \_ Pshaw.  That implies that there's anything even remotely
               coherent in their 'planning'.  I think blatant stupidity
               applied in the most shortsighted manner possible is closer
               to the mark.

5/31    My CDROM drive is dying, and I would like to replace it with a DVD-ROM
        drive.  I'd like to be able to do digital audio extraction, and of
        course spend as little money as possible (for a decent player).  This is
        on a PC non-scsi system.  I looked at the Panasonic 10X/40X slot loader
        and it's pretty neat (and isn't too bad at $150).  Any suggestions?
        \_ In my experience, slot loaders have a higher mortality rate
           than trays.  The score here, however, is 1-nil. --sowings
        \_  Stick with anything from Yamaha, Philips, or Sony, Yamaha
         being your best bet.  I'm just basing this on choices for cd-burners
         though.
        \_ (For some reason I wrote "Panasonic" when I meant "Pioneer."
        \_ PLEXTOR!  PLEXTOR IS THE STANDARD!

5/31    Any comments on a good portable DVD player ? Thinking about the
        Panasonic DVD-LV75 or DVD-L50 -eric

5/31    New linux kernel:<DEAD>yahoo.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-1987668.html?pt.yfin.cat_fin.txt.ne<DEAD>  with USB support

5/31    I am a shy; non GQ looking guy who has a mad crush on this girl
        in my class. I am white; she is Asian. How do I approach her
        ands not scare her off ?
        \_ What, you DON'T KNOW?  GEEZ.  And you all thought I was a scrawny
           asocial nerd;  now I've got my HAREM OF HOT ASIAN CHICKS!  --set
        \_ Wax on, Wax off.  -John
        \_ THOROUGH understanding of her culture is required. Saying
           I love you in Korean to a Flip girl will surely turn her off.
           Hang out with Asian guys, they're your window to understanding
           the Asian culture (and their cute little sisters).
                \_ Sisters, yes, asian chicks, no.  Reading about the poor
                   success rate of the other asian boys leads one to believe
                   that being white is the best way to get an asian chick.
        \_ You take your fingers, pull the corners of your eyes up, and say
           "see?  I'm curturarry sensitive shy non gq rooking white guy!"
                                                -Shy, nonGQ rooking white guy
        \_ "Hi, my name is Shy Non-GQ Guy. I noticed you in class. Would
            you like to grab some coffee and study for a couple hours?"
        \_ First, young dansielsan, before I can help tell me which one:
           a) HK'ese
           b) Taiwanese?
           \_ Are there any other types of asians besides a) and b)?
              \_ They all look the same to me.
        \_ ask her if she speaks "Asian".
        \_ forget about asian girls, they are generally hard to persue.
           It takes forever to get to kiss them.  Anything takes too long
           is not worth it.
           \_ They're sticklers for good spellers, too.
           \_ Asian chicks are as easy as the rest.  No problem.
        \_ Depends.  Giant lecture, small lecture, or small discussion?
           If it's a giant lecture it's not impossible but good luck.
           Otherwise you might have a shot.  Just sit down next to her
           and talk about the class.  If it's a semi-hard class maybe
                                                   \_ hehe. there's your
                                                      problem, man!
           ask her if you could study together (perhaps in the library
           or something).  Just try to start with random chit-chat.
           Don't be too overt.  Just talk about things that interests
           you (avoid any discussion about sex). And by all means, be
           polite (complement her, open doors for her so long as she's
           not an ultra-feminist, encourage her, etc...). Oh yeah, try
           to sound intellegent (hopefully you are).  People (guys and
                    \_ intelligent.  (You can see how dubious it is to be
                       asking the motd for advice).
           girls) generally don't respect people who base their beliefs
           off MTV or other teeny fad shows. With that said, don't try
                                \_ WATCH FELICITY. FELICITY IS THE STANDARD.
                                   \_ Buffy can kick Felicity's ass with
                                        both hands tied behind her back and
                                        her lesbian witch friends making out
                                        in the background.
                                        \_ Lesbian witches!
                                           \_ that's redundant. either way.
           to be someone you're not.  Just relax and be yourself.
           -- Asian Cal alumn who never got any in his 4 years at Cal.
                                                       \_ how about after?
                ________________________________________________________/
                \_ I just graduated.  I'm basically giving you the
                   advice I followed religiously throughout my 4 years
                   here.  It obviously doesn't work but I still do it
                   anyway just because I've grown used to it. Perhaps
                   this a good reason never to take advice from your
                   parents or your friends.
                   \_ This is the Christmas theory in action.  Keep up the
                      good work; you'll come into your own soon.
                      \_ Coming into your own... nah.
                   \_ Your advice sucks.  No wonder you graduated a virgin
                      from the Easy Sex campus of the universe.
           \_ I met this girl in 60A by saying, "Hey, we have the same
              calculator."
              \_ "Wow! You have a TI-85 too! I didn't think there was
                  anyone else here that had that calculator."
              \_ I envy you!  -- Another Asian Cal alumn who never picked up
                 any gal in class in his 4 years at Cal.
                 \_ You should've been white.  White guys never have any
                    problems picking up asian chicks.  Oh, Hoyt Sze, where
                    are you when your brothers need you???
        \_ you: "im not just an ordinary white guy, i'm a troll!"
           her: "what the hell are you talking about?"
           you: "go to http://www.csua.berkeley.edu/motd and you'll understand."
           her: "wow! you really are a troll! can i go out with you?"
            nothing to it!  god, it's good to be a troll.
        \_ ask her a question about class.  ask if she wants to study.
                \_ Duh.  Might as well not bother.
        \_Tell her you don't think her slit-eyes are funny looking.
        \_ Ask her to fuck.  She'll appreciate your straightforward manner.
        \_ first, stop talking like dans.  Only fools use "mad" in that sense.
           \_ hell, this IS dans
        \_ give up all hope, ya damn rice chaser!  -- Hoyt Sze worshipper
           and fellow slanty-eyed bastard who never got any in his 5.25
           years at Cal
           \_ Asian chicks prefer white guys, sorry but soy flavored china
              boy is out in this lifetime.
           \_ Ya, continue scratching your hairy monkey chest.  You will
              get a she-gorilla someday.
           \_ what does gorillas have anything to do with this?
              and why would i need a woman anyhow?  as a fellow sodan
              once said "you only want a cute gf b/c she's the best
              fasion accessory"   Fuck them all anyhow...I still have
              yet to meet any normal cute Asian woman who's not a
              total psychotic bitch or a total ho, or completely pro-
              filipino and anti- every other asian ethnicity
                \_ What's wrong with a psychotic chick?  If you want a chick
                   that isn't then you better hope there's an afterlife
                   because that's your last best hope for a sane chick of
                   any race.  Getting laid at Cal was eeeeeasy.  What the
                   hell is wrong with all you losers who went to Cal for
                   years and *wasted* it?  There's more to life than GPA.
                   Go get laid you stupid fucks!  It'll *never* be this
                   easy *ever* again.  I got laid all the time and graduated
                   with a C average after 5.5 years at Cal.  No one has ever
                   asked my GPA in industry.  For those wanting to go to grad
                   school... well... I guess you have a different calling in
                   life which doesn't involve sex or relationships anyway, so
                   you don't count.  The rest of you need to put down the
                   books and get lives.  -Cal alum disappointed in the
                        current generation of sexless losers

5/31    In emacs how do you replace something with a newline. What's the
        equivalent of \n?
        \_ Specify \n by quoting it (^Q^J)

5/30    Question revealing ignorance of city politics and traffic issues
        deleted.

5/31    I just got a hand spring.  I would like some (pref. free) software
        for controling the IR capabilities. (I sit cloese enough to the
        TV that i shouldn't need extra hardware)  Anyone know where to get
        it?
        \_ why would you want french software?  i'm confused.
           \_Sorry that should (and now does) say frEE
        \_ See http://www.pacificneotek.com -icrew
          \_Thanks that looks like something i'm looking for ('cept not free :)