1/16    Has anybody written perl scripts that translate CAD related data
        files (all in text) from one format to another?  Or know of one?
        I'm just looking for an example of this type of program.  Thanks.
        \_ Which CAD software?
           \_ from some PC program whose name I don't remember to berkeley's
              MAGIC.  The translation is straightforward.  There's a set of
              keywords and numbers following keywords.  I'm looking for an
              sample program that does something similar.
              \_ Magic was a piece of shit. Even with its so-called "user
                 friendly" Tcl/Tk GUI Max it still stunk. Fortunately, in
                 the real world, you use real CAD tools (which unfortunately
                 Synopsis will charge you 7 digits for).

1/16    Informal poll for active student only:
        \_ what about professional applying to grad school?
        Taking GRE general:     .
        Taking CS subject:      .
        Taking other subject:
        Applying grad skool:    .
        \_ This is hte csua.  most of the people here barely shed the major.

1/16    Luxury apartments for rent/lease in East Bay other than The Landing,
        1200 Lakeshore and Pacific Park Plaza? (Don't say Bridgecourt or
        Emery Bay)

1/16    There are a million anti-spam procmail filters out there. Which
        one have people had the most success with?

01/16   pburo election/gen meet 1700 1/18/01

01/17   Stop nuking the motd.  I am looking for for any materials on
        OS and kernel architecture--preferably something online like
        course lecture notes or handouts, doesn't matter how theoretical
        or practical.  I have a friend who's interested in Unix (and
        other) OS design, and am hoping one of you folks can maybe
        give me some pointers in this direction.  -John
        \_ It's not online but The Design and Implementation of 4.4
           BSD is supposed to be a good book. For online papers you
           can do searches at http://www.acm.org/dl and hunt down
           the actual PDF yourself.
           \_ Thank you!  Duly passed on.  -John
           \_ I saw this book listed as req'd for 162.  Are they using BSD
              for projects or are they still with NachOS?

              \_ Was that this semester? bh taught it one semester with
                 BSD, and the book was required then. AFAIK, they haven't
                 done that again since. -bz
                 \_ From everything I've heard, it's *REALLY* unlikely that
                    they'll ever do it again...    -mice
        \_ if they want any more current stuff, check out papers online
           for spin-os (u washington) and exokernel (mit).
        \_ For practical, there's a new Solaris Kernel Internals book out
           from SunSoft press that gives excellent descriptions of Solaris's
           VM, filesystems, etc.  (Say what you want - Sun must have done
           something right, since even Linux has modeled parts of their kernel
           on Sun's work.)
           \_ Who is the author?
                \_ Mauro & McDougall
           \_ "Even Linux."  Are you trolling?
                \_ No one trolls the motd.  Are *you* trolling?
           \_ Linux's VM sucks big donkey dick
              \_ Well, there's a very persuasive argument.
              \_ Probably cuz you booted up without a filesystem.
                        \_ It was a linux box.  I didn't need a filesystem.
                           I store my files on something stable.

01/16   Readable version of .official post above:
        Politburo Elections & CSUA General Meeting
        5:00pm, Thu 01/18/01
        337 Soda (the CSUA lounge)

1/16    Anyone have any empirical evidence on which is currently more in
        demand: java or c++ programmers?
        \_I'm dealing with that exact issue right now, and it seems that both
          are highly in demend (VC++ more than C++), but Java jobs pay slightly
          more.

1/17    To the person who inquired about sub-notebooks last month: did you
        ever buy one?  If so, which did you get, and how is it?

1/17    Another CAD tool question.  I have spice files with multiple layers
        of circuits.  I understand that spice flattens the circuits down to
        a single level before running it.  But it doesn't produce that single
        layer circuit in a file.  Is there a tool out there that will flatten
        a spice file?  I want to use this one layer circuit file as input
        to another program, not spice.  Thanks.

1/17    Ergonomically speaking, how far should you be from the
        computer/laptop monitor?
        \_ The fingers you have used to type are too fat. To obtain a
           special typing wand smash the keyboard with your palm now.
        \_ I've heard that 18 inches is the ideal.  -mice
           \_ Pyea, right. I heard 8.5 inches is too much already.
              \_ I'm not a big believer in most of that ergonomics crap,
                 but here's a URL that might be useful.  *shrug*  whatever.
                 http://www.office-ergo.com/viewing.htm       -mice
              \_ At that range, I'd have to turn my head to see half my
                 screen real-estate.  I'd be getting motion sickness just
                 following the mouse-pointer around.  What you using, a
                 10" monitor or something?  Stop being such a cheapskate
                 and buy a real monitor, punk.
        \_ For laptops, since the display is generally smaller and since LCDs
           don't emit radiation, I think you can stay closer to the display.
        \_ the bigger the breast the farther you need to sit to prevent
           from getting breast cancer.
        \_ At least 100 ft, then you won't be damaged by trying to stare at
           the screen or use the keyboard.
        \_ Ergonomically speaking, no one has a real clue about what the best
           ergonomics are.  Do something comfortable and don't remain in the
           same position for extended periods.  The rest is urban legend.

1/17    I don't understand this whole electric deregulation thing. If
        consumers are suppose to have choices, how come I never got
        any info on changing my suppier?
        \_ Because you're dense as a rock - the rest of us were flooded with
           mail, PG&E bill inserts, & ads from alternate power companies when
           they first started letting people choose.
           \_ oh, come on, there are other explanations.  the poster could
              be from another state where power is not deregulatesd, have
              graduated cal years and years ago, and live in a sealed room
              with no access to newspapers, internet, or phones and no
              mailbox.  having emerged after years of hibernation, he
              has now read a newspaperr, and has turned to the motd for
              understanding.
        \_ Commonwealth Energy Corp, http://www.powersavers.com 1-800-electric.
           Supposedly it provides electricity that's both from renewable
           sources and cheaper than PG&E.
        \_ i don't think there ever were any viable energy provider
           alternatives
        \_ Of course there were.. PG&E still runs everything though. These
           alternate providers just buy elecricty from somewhere else or
           generate it themselves and feed it into the PG&E power grid.
           They are of course only allowed to resell as much power as they
           are bringing in...
           \_ you are only reinforcing my original statement
           \_ Why would they be allowed to sell more?

1/17    Rolling blackout in effect in Northern Claifornia.  Please help
        conserve power by turning off unused monitors, computers and lights
        at your offices/classrooms/labs.  Thanks.
        \_ Just go flip the switch at Yahoo. Aren't they the number one power
           consumer in the Bay Area?
           \_ Really?  I'd think bigger companies like IBM use more power.  Or
              even BART and MUNI.
              \_ I think MUNI generates its own power for the electric trains
                 and busses.
           \_ Doubtful.  Exodus is #1 in Santa Clara due to all their co-lo
              facilities, but only when Great America is closed for the winter.
        \_ pull the plug on a place like Fresno!
         \_  are some people really cranking it up, just to cause the blackout
             in hopes of getting days off?
        \_ pull the plug on SF.  No one important would care.

1/17    Next dot com demise-- WebVan. News at 11.
        \_ tell us more... or tell http://fuckedcompany.com
           \_ WebVan still has over $100 million in the bank, it's not
              near doom yet.  There are questions about its viability in
              the mid-term.  -tom
        \_ Put your money down.  Sell short.
           \_ peon investors can't short stocks trading below $5.  -tom
           \_ peeon investors can't short stocks trading below $5.  -tom
                \_ well, not entirely true.  between $1 and $5, you just
                   have lowered margin requirements.  below $1, your
                   statement is true.  (so it's still true for WBVN)

1/17    http://acm.org digital library has a lot of good articles. Where else
        is a good place to find similar things submitted to sigmod/sigX/ACM?
        \_ The ACM dl is good only if you're a member. Otherwise you need
           to do a second search on the university where the paper
           originated from.  http://citeseer.nj.nec.com/cs is another
           good site. No membership is required. These are great for
           people who want to do graduate level research papers.
            --helloworld jeff
        \_ <DEAD>iel.ihs.com<DEAD> has all the ieee publications online. see if your
           school is a member. citeseer is great, but it only has images
           for a few papers. -ali

1/17    Lila has nice creamy warm & cushy breasts.
        \_ Lila is ugly.
         \_ but her breasts are pretty, and when it's dark it doesn't
            really matter who's ugly or not.
            \_ Her breasts are not pretty.
                \_ have you seen them?
                   \_ The more relevant question when in the dark is "have
                      you felt them?".
          \_ you guys are so crude. judging from the infamous amihotornot
                lila-holding-black-phalus photo, she is atleast not ugly.
        \_ Indeed.
        \_ URL, please
           \_ me too
           one in pants)
             \_ me three
           \_ http://www.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU/~lila/pics/selfportraits/lila10.jpg
              http://www.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU/~lila/pics/selfportraits/lila11.jpg
                \_ any breast shots?
                   \_ Make one yourself.  <DEAD>www.ragart.com<DEAD>
        \_ You be the judge: http://www.dis.org/seric/defcon/VIII/100.jpg (the
           one in black pants)
           \_ this seric fellow sure is hot
              \_ seric is not one of the people in that picture
           \_ not the one in my pants
        \_ What are her measurements?
           \_ 40dd
        \_ wow, ran out of trolls so now my breasts are a motd topic?  -lila
           \_ Yes.