3/11    What's soda's smtp server?
        \_ <DEAD>smtp.soda.berkeley.edu<DEAD>?
            \_ host -t MX http://soda.csua.berkeley.edu
http://soda.csua.berkeley.edu mail is handled (pri=20) by http://scotch.csua.berkeley.edu
http://soda.csua.berkeley.edu mail is handled (pri=10) by http://soda.csua.berkeley.edu
                (Soda is the primary, scotch is the secondary.  Soda also
                handles its own pop and imap services).  -crebbs

3/11    At least it looks watchable:
        http://www.starwars.com/exclusive/clonewar/clonewar_md.html
        \_ It wants me to register. What's the CSUA group login/pass again?
           \_ cypherpunk@cypherpunk.com ; cypherpunk
           \_ motd/motd should work also
        \_ Barely watchable.  I think they strung together all 2 minutes worth
           of action sequences for that trailer.  Of note was what they
           *didn't* show.  I spotted no new obvious toy-aliens for the kids.
           Since we know SW is nothing more than a gimmick to sell junk to
           kids, the lack of any makes me that much more suspicious of this
           trailer.  It's a scam to steal your 9 bucks.  This'll be the first
           one I'll be skipping unless it gets fantastic reviews from people
           over age 8.
          \_I like how the california department of corrections
            hates star wars so much, they actually shot an ILM
            employee - danh
           \_ y'know, there's easier ways to scam people out of 9 bucks.
              \_ That's probably true -- but this has proven to be
                 GL's M.O.     -mice
              \_ correction: to steal your 9 bucks and sell lots of toys to
                 your kids and make shitty PC/PS2/Xbox games, pull in ad
                 revenue from bad cartoons, etc.  Better?
           \_ By watchable I ment that once I dl it and watch it, I won't
              regret having wasted the time and bandwidth. Note that this
              did not apply to eps 1.
              \_ Since it insisted my 5.00 Qt wasnt new enough and their
                 scripts weren't working well with my browser, I had to pull
                 the qt.exe installed from akamai, etc, so I'm not sure the
                 time was worth it for me and what's up with needing the qtPro
                 \_
                 version to see the larger movie?  Scam, scam, scam.... I can't
                 wait to see more Jamaican frogs fighting and defeating the
                 pre-Empire's forces.
                 \_ I wasn't talking about the trailer, I was talking about
                    the divx of the movie which should be out in a few mos.
        \_ I know a buncha folks over at ILM. They say the first half
           hour blows goats, but the last two thirds are crazy chaotic
           action. Lucas ruined Star Wars, now it is just another
           scifi action movie. Enjoy it for what it is, now that the
           legacy has been crushed. Hey, at least you get to watch
           swarms of clones exterminate the Jedi. [moved was here]

3/11    Are mose/all auto/portable mp3-cd players limited to playing 128kb
        encoded mp3's?  Any pointers for comparison shopping?
        \_ The iPod will play MP3s encoded at a higher bitrate than
           that. It will also play raw AIFF audio.
           \_ Thanks.  Not interested in iPod.  I'm interested in playing mp3's
              off a cd.  I'm especially interested in playing mp3's encoded at
              64 kb/mono.
              \_ I don't know anybody who wants to listen to AM radio
                 quality songs.
                 \_ I'm deaf in one ear.  I do!

3/12    Hey, does the term "race condition" refer to a thread deadlock or some
        weird condition that happens sporadically when multiple thread interact
        just right (due to improper locking, etc.) ?
        \_ "race condition" just means that your code behaves differently
           depending on the order of execution of threads.
           \_ That's what I figured.  Thanks.

3/12    Anybody know if homeowner's insurance premium or home warranty
        insurance is tax deductible?  I'm using turbo tax and I couldn't
        find any mention of that.  Thanks.
        \_ No they're not tax-deductible. Only your points (the whole thing if
           you bought the house last year) and your mortgage interest are.

3/12    Anyone used the Gnu Hurd stuff before?  I was thinking of playing
        with debian/gnu but I'd have to start from scratch since I don't have
        a debian or even a linux box to play with.  I'd be wiping an openbsd
        box.  Is it worth it?  Is there anything interesting in it?  Would I
        notice any changes as a user or as the sysadmin?  Obviously I'm not
        going to put it into any sort of use.  This is just for my amusment
        at my desk.  Thanks!
        \_ "Is it worth it?" In a word: No.

3/12    Why is changing channels over digital cable and satellite much slower
        than over regular cable?
        \_ mpeg-2 decode latency?

3/12    Work has been kind of slow and there just isn't enough work
        to keep me here 8 hrs a day.  My manager aknowledges that too.
        But on the other hand, he keeps on harrassing me for not
        being here full 8 hrs a day and they pay my salary base on the
        fact of me working 8 hrs a day.  As a salary employee and
        a software engineer on a project-based schdule, I am sure he
        is wrong.  But I can't find any information to prove him
        incorrect.  Any url please?
        \_ Here's the deal.  Like the others say below, he can keep you there,
           you're not entitled to overtime, etc, etc.  That's all true.  Now
           then, the real deal has nothing to do with overtime or paying you
           or whatever.  It has to do with making your boss look bad.  If
           you're not there his cubes look empty and *his* bosses start
           asking ugly questions about why your boss is there getting paid so
           much.  As long as your boss is ok with you surfing, or *quietly*
           playing some game, you have no problems and nothing to bitch about.
           I'm guessing this is your first job or maybe your second?  This is
           the way the world works.  I'm sure you'll make up for the paid-to-
           -surf time later with plenty of 12 hour days of hard coding or
           whatever.  It's karma.  It balances.  Show your face 8 hours and
           don't worry about it.  --been there before and now
           \_ Actually, I have been working 8 yrs.  I just never worked
              with quite a boss like him.  His boss now "works at home"
              4 days a week since it's so slow.  I do play games/surf web/
              etc, but he gets on my case for these too.  He gets on my
              case for 1 hr and 15 mins lunches.  He wants me to "work"
              8 hrs a day while not giving me enough work and akwnoledges
              the fact that he hasn't given me any project.  I am going
              nuts.
              \_ Wow, your first idiot manager in 8 years?  You're lucky.
                 You need to learn how to better manage your manager.  When
                 he tells you he wants you to be "working" you have two basic
                 choices: 1) say you are.  keep lots of windows available with
                 source code on them.  you're a) debugging, b) working on a
                 more efficient algorithm, c) adding comments, d) writing
                 documentation, e) sticking your thumb up your ass.  Or 2)
                 you can risk throwing it back at him by asking him if there
                 was some project deadline we're not meeting that requires
                 more attention or ask him if he'd like to raise the priority
                 of one of your (non-existent) projects and ask him which one
                 he'd like you to be working on now.  I've used the latter
                 method successfully and it's a more permanent solution bc
                 it makes your boss not want to harass you anymore but there's
                 political risk.  He might feel you're being insubordinate and
                 can your ass.  You know your boss better than the motd so
                 you'll have to decide which route is more effective and safer.
                 You don't want your boss to ask to see all that documentation
                 you've been working on if you've really been clock watching
                 and picking your nose for weeks.  Good luck!
        \_ go work in India or Russia... this doesn't happen there.
        \_ He is not wrong.
           \_ Really?  If he is not wrong, then based on labor codes,
              they also have to pay me 1.5x my salary when I work
              overtime, which they never did.  Am I not an "exempted"
              worker?
                 \_ There's a "Highly Compensated Computer Professional"
                    exemption...  No overtime if paid at least $41/hr.  The
                    federal equiv is $27.63, so the Calif law (A.B. 88)
                    overrides that.  -nevman
                    \_ Since when does state law override federal law?
                       \_ legalized marijuana, for example.
                          \_ prop 215 was suspended by a federal judge, as was
                             187 - states can not make federal-level policies
                          \_ Which is why the feds did a pot bust in SF a week
                             or two ago?  Got a real example?
                       \_ Being paid $41 satisfies both laws. So it is not so
                          much an "override" (like pot), but a superset.
                \_ I think a lot of managers get away with
                   not paying their workers over time in tech jobs,
                   but you know what, we're all overpaid anyway,
                   who cares.
                   \_ i'm not!  oh, wait.  i'm a grad student. nevermind.
                \_ If you were paid hourly you'd be eligible for time and a
                   half. But your status as a full timer exempts you from that.
                   http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/.html/lab_table_of_contents.html
                   Section 226: ..."total hours worked by the employee,
                   except for any employee whose compensation is solely based
                   on a salary and who is exempt from payment of overtime
                   under subdivision..."
         \_ You are exempt. As your boss, he can keep you there 8
                 hours or even 12 hours if he wants to. Stop whining
                 because he wants you to look busy for 8 hours and enjoy
                 the fact that you're getting paid for just sitting there.
                 Do your taxes or play Tetris or something. --dim
        \_ here is a thought. Why don't you work on your on projects (c,
           java, etc) which will look like you're coding hard. Or read
           publications from ACM. Or take classes from SITN. You did get
           into Comp Sci for the love of science right?
           \_ Yeah, I second that.  I would love to have free time like that
              where I can learn interesting stuff on my own and upgrade my
              skills.  Mostly bogged down with gnarly stuff lately,
              unfortunately.
           \_ good idea.  why not do something good for the company while
              learning new skills? - !original poster
           \_ someone tell me with SITN is?
                \_ Take courses from Stanford remotely.  Could lead to
                   an MS in CS.
                   \_ How much does that cost?
                        \_ it is almost equivalent to the cost of a Stanford
                           non SITN Master's.  Your company may sponsor part
                           or all of the cost.