6/17    Interesting comments about oracle and india
        "One potential key to cutting costs could be efforts to shift
        some work to India, where the company can pay workers an average
        of 25 percent of what it pays U.S. employees.
          Over the past 18 months, Oracle has enhanced its operating margin
        by transferring an estimated 5 percent of its operating headcount
        to India, according to B of A analysts"
          What is interesting in here are a few things. How about the
        reason why corps hired indians, so that they could hve easier
        transitions to move the whole business over there later. Believe
        me HR policies at large corps is rocket science stuff. How to
        manage salaries is a big business.
          I was also interested inthe 25% cheaper figure. From what I know
        its more like 75% cheaper, I wonder how they come up with that
        number.  This is something I don't like about media today, they
        just go ahead and publish figures without backup. The reporter
        must have gotten the number from somewhere??? Then they talk
        about BofA analysts and how they have concluded that Oracle has
        transfered 5% of its operation to india. I would like actual
        figures directly from Oracle. What type of operations have they
        transfered?? That is like saying a corp is diversified if it has
        15% mexican working for it. They don't tell you that 85% of the
        mexicans are janitors.
          Anyway there are also interesting comments on sales. But they
        don't go into the details on what actually comprises Oracle
        sales. How liscensing revenue, consulting rev, maintance rev. etc
        are all difference markets and all changing and all have
        different contract types. Honestly I love the dynamics of large
        corporations in their abilities to do such things as work sharing
        with india and have a multitiudeof different contract structures
        and revenue streams, but unless you are a higher up within one of
        these large corps you never get a firm grip on it- and the media
        certaintly doesn't inform us.
          Anyway US 2-0./
        \_ 25% of what they pay US employees == 75% cheaper
        \_ Are you stupid or just stupid?
        just go ahead and publish figures without backup. The reporter
        must have gotten the number from somewhere??? Then they talk
        about BofA analysts and how they have concluded that Oracle has
        transfered 5% of its operation to india. I would like actual
        figures directly from Oracle. What type of operations have they
        transfered?? That is like saying a corp is diversified if it has
        15% mexican working for it. They don't tell you that 85% of the
        mexicans are janitors.
          Anyway there are also interesting comments on sales. But they
        don't go into the details on what actually comprises Oracle
        sales. How liscensing revenue, consulting rev, maintance rev. etc
        are all difference markets and all changing and all have
        different contract types. Honestly I love the dynamics of large
        corporations in their abilities to do such things as work sharing
        with india and have a multitiudeof different contract structures
        and revenue streams, but unless you are a higher up within one of
        these large corps you never get a firm grip on it- and the media
        certaintly doesn't inform us.
        \_ i saw it before it got deleted! yay!
          Anyway US 2-0./

6/17    Warcraft 3 is kind of underwhelming. Age of Mythology will blow it away.
        \_ Thief.  Dumb, too.  Always playing the "the next game will be so
           kewl!" hype thing.

6/17    USA 2  Mexico 0
        \_ Insert your own racist dish-washing related joke here.
           \_ Why is a factual statement of scores racist?  You need to get
              out of Berkeley and get some fresh air.
        \_ What, you just found out?

6/17    motd opinion poll:
        CMOS will be replaced by some other technology for the
        majority of personal computing applications

        never
        next 5 years
        next 10 years      ..
        next 50 years
        next 100 years
        \_ Oh my god no!  Don't take my CMOS!  I think a poll on sibling incest
           would have been more interesting.  This is so nerdy.
           \_ i have 50 inflation-adjusted dollars ridding on this
           \_ i have 50 inflation-adjusted dollars ridding [sp inc] on this
              a nerd.
              in a bet with a co-worker. but then, i am indeed
              a nerd.  [motd spelling bitch was here]
                        \_ ok, jerkoff, you remember how to spell and i'll
                           remember how MOSFETs work and how to make them,
                           and we'll see which is a more usefull skill.
                           \_ it's not possible to know both device physics
                              and spelling?  shrug.  personally, i'm rooting
                              for soi, but i've seen simple cmos do some
                              amazing things i'd never have thought possible,
                              so no bet.  heh.  just flashed back to asking
                              dillon in the old fish bowl what that cmos thing
                              was about for my cs150 project.
                                \_ This narrows down who you are a lot.
                                   Why not just sign your name? -PM
                                   \_ why?  there are a few of us around
                                      who go that far back, and it's not
                                      obvious who i am unless you actually
                                      know us.  if it helps, i think i have
                                      the oldest file on soda.
                                      \_ damn!  defron has older files.  fine,
                                         oldest file amongst guys who still use
                                         soda.
                                         \_ nope, as it turns out donald does.
                                            \_ Actually, root does (unless
                                               you count files with timestamp
                                               0 [a la 12/31/1969 16:00 PST].
                                               See /csua/archive/lib/Fun/song.
                                \_ [deleted for lack of sense of humor]
                           \_ Yet another ESL drone who thinks he has unique
                              skills....  "They can't fire me!  I'm valuable!"
                              Famous last words.

6/17    I heard that DVDs are 17Gig, but why are DVD-RW only 4 Gig?
        \_ DVDs are only 6 Gigs.  stfw.
           \_ YOU search the fucking web. Double-sided, double-layer DVDs
              can store up to 17GB.
              http://www.dvdforum.org/tech-dvdprimer.htm
              \_ Fuck off.  I'm not the one asking the question that is asking
                 questions that are trivially answered by google.
                 \_ Well, maybe you should've just answered with "stfw"
                    instead of responding with a bogus answer.
                    \_ Well Mr. Smarty Pants, you sure showed me.  This is a
                       lesson I won't soon forget.
1) DVD-5 - 1 Layer single side 4.7GB
2) DVD-9 - 2 Layer single side 8.5GB
3) DVD-10 - 1 Layer double side 9.4GB
4) DVD-17 - 2 Layer double side 17GB
        Writers today are DVD-5 only. I'd wait till DVD-17 comes out

6/17    http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,739466,00.html
        Ted Turner, brilliant intellectual thinker of the left, on Israeli
        terrorism.

6/17    Anyone have any opinions about E-trade bank?  They have the highest
        dividends of any bank.
        \_ didnt learn enough after the dotcom thing?
           \_ what are you talking about?
                \_ guess not....
        \_ rate is good, but service is not so good.  I have requested
           a check book from them since last year, and they have only
           sent sheets of check.  They had pretty good CD rates before too.
           \_ For CDs, check out http://patelco.org.  It's a bay area credit union.
              Their CD rates are higher than etrade across the board.  Their
              checking account rate isn't as good as etrade, but their
              savings rate is tiered, so you'd get higher than etrade if you
              have more than 20k in savings.  In May, they were doing a
              special MM rate of 4.25% until end of the year.  I got in on it,
              but they don't allow any more new accounts or deposits at that
              rate anymore.  Many will qualify just by living/working in
              Oak/SF.  Thanks for bringing up etrade, though.  I may switch
              my checking account...
              \_ Replying to my own post: Looks like etrade requires min of
                 5k for interest on checking.  Looks like patelco is still
                 the right place for my checking.

6/17    UCLA ee guy did you get anything from UCLA?
        \_ I got some registration info on Sat. I'm planning to
           figure out my course schedule sometime this week.
           I still haven't heard about housing, so I'm planning
           to go to LA the week after next in order to look for
           a place. - ucla ee guy

6/18    http://msnbc.com/news/768401.asp
        dwallach says windows is not all that bad. <shrug>
        \_ "In the last 15 years alone, software defects have wrecked a
        \_ "In the last 15 years alone, software failures wrecked a
           satellite launch, delayed an airport opening for a year, destroyed a
           Mars mission, killed four Marines in a helicopter crash, induced a
           U.S. Navy ship to destroy a civilian airliner, and shut down
           ambulance systems in London, leading to as many as 30 deaths."  Are
           these all true???
           \_ Arianne was the mislaunched satellite. The US ship Vincennes
              fired at an Iranian airliner over the gulf.
           \_ Yes.
              The 2 above;
              - 4 marines were in a Blackhawk during a routine check-out flight
                prior to full production;
              - the airport (I shouldn't have to tell anyone here) was
                Denver/Boulder;
              - the Mars Mission was the one that smashed into the surface (as
                opposed to Surveyor, which likely burned up in the atmosphere);
                \_ The Mars Global Surveyor is safely in orbit around Mars. You
                   mean Mars Climate Orbiter. The lander was Mars Polar
                   Lander. --dim
                   \_ Thanks.
                \_ Vincennes is very debatable. Captain is ultimately
                   responsible and he was rewarded for the shootdown.
                   [ reformatted - motdformatd ]
                   http://serendipity.magnet.ch/more/lockerb.htm
                \_ http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/7.46.html#subj2
                   Risks on the Vincennes incident.
              The ambulances I don't know about.
           \_ I'm sure human error accounts for a greater percentage.
              \_ Sure, but, as the article says, simple typos shouldn't
                 cause lethal mistakes.  I hear this argument from coders here
                 all the time.  "If they put in garbage, of course it won't
                 work."  Yes, but if they put in garbage, does your code have
        \_ The idea that software is getting worse is ludicrous.  Even Microsoft
           is getting better.  Who would take NT3 over windows 2000?
                 to die a horrible flaming death?  Or does it take too much
                 time to write an exception handler?
                 \_ hmm...  possible research area?

6/18    19 killed on bus filled with school children and office workers.
        Father of bomber tells Reuters he is "very proud".
        http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=586&ncid=721&e=1&u=/nm/20020618/wl_nm/mideast_blast_claim_dc_1
        And here's the mother of a different attacker giving her son a warm
        embrace and good wishes on his way out the door.  Local heroine now.
        http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/newsid_2050000/2050414.stm
        This is not the way to accomplish anything but more death.

6/18    I'd like to do some perl programming on a contract basis.  Anyone
        have suggestions on where to go to get hooked up?
        \_ http://jobs.perl.org --scotsman

6/18    So what's the best domain registrar currently for a .org domain?
        \_ There's nothing special about .org domains.
           \_ So what's a good one?  I've never done this before.
              \_ I use dotster.  It's cheap.  It works.  What more is there?
              \_ I use gandi.  It's cheap.  It works.  What more ... hrm...
        \_ I have two domains under http://stargateinc.com.  Cheaper than most.  I
           think it's about $8 a year.  Godaddy is also cheap, but it gives
           you bare minimum.  Not even a DNS.
           \_ No, don't do it!  They were my first choice after those Evil
              Fucks at Verisign/NS and they were actually worse!  Windows too.
        \_ checkout http://enom.com and easyspace

6/18    I'm moving. Do I need to tell the IRS, DMV, etc? Is there any other
        agency I need to tell, like the FBI, etc?
        \_ mainly credit card bills, and if you are moving across State
           line, consider close bank accounts cuz each states has different
           law regulating banking which made my life relatively miserable.
           I have not figure out how to change address on subscribed magazine
           yet.
           Everything else, including Victoria Secret's catalog, will
           eventually find you without your intervention.
        \_ Bills, credit cards, IRS, DMV, INS, Post office, friends,
           banks, brokerages...
           \_ I don't get anything from the INS, is this necessary?
           \_ And magazine subscriptions and medical insurer.  Also your
              employer so that they'll mail the W-2 to the new address.
              \_ All of my magazines got the new address automatically after
                 I filled out the change of address at the post office.
           \_ You don't have to tell the IRS now. Tell them when you file.
           \_ And don't forget to have your gas/electric/phone etc turned off
              at your old place!
           \_ And cancel all the free catalogs and other junk mail at the old
              place.
              \_ as if this can be done.  They'll leave it as "Or Current
                 Resident".  Spammers and junk mailers suck.
                 \_ Worked for me.  When I moved into my current house, I used
                    to get three or four junk catalogs under the previous
                    tenants' names in one day.  I called them up one by one to
                    cancel, and I also wrote to http://www.dma.org using the previous
                    tenants' names as well as my name.  Now the junk catalogs
                    are down to about one a week.
                    \_ that's http://www.the-dma.org
                       \_ Oops.
        \_ Don't forget your probation officer.
           \_ You can't move without his permission anyway.
        \_ and, of course, the selective service, if you're still of draft age
           \_ What's the draft age now?
              \_ I believe it's still 18-25.  Got yer gun or are all you
                 America-last types going to flee the country?
                 \_ Are green card holders subject to draft?
                    \- they were, but at "low priority". but this does seem
                       a little pecular since i believe "service in a foreign
                       military" is one of the grounds on which you can lose
                       your citizenship. --psb
                    \_ Deportation and imprisonment.
                    \_ Even *non* green card holders can be subjected to the
                       draft, and hence, in many cases, are required to
                       register with selective service.  Otherwise, you may
                       have problem if and when you decide to get your green
                       card or citizenship.  Doesn't make too much sense to me.
                       It's like American expatriates in say Singapore being
                       required to be drafted when there is a war in Singapore.
                       On the other hand, I doubt many people are worried
                       about being drafted in the US given it's low probability
                       and low death rate.  Why not be a "patriot" when
                       so little is at risk.
                       \_ Yeah, my being a pacifist pales in comparison to
                          the prospect of being unpatriotic.
                \_ You talk the talk, but have you walked the walk?
        \_ Megan's law requires you to register with your local law enforcement
           agency.
           \_ heh