6/25    Maybe I'm way behind the times, but I finally installed Cygwin and
        I have seen the light.
        \_ How many lights do you see, Jean-Luc?
            \_ 14.

6/25    Asian-Americans have nothing to celebrate (Michelle Malkin )
        http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/935037/posts
        \_ Yea, "diversity" pretty screwed up idea in American politics.
           The only diversity that people can understand is skin color
           while its really a lot more.  If you define diversity
           as characteristics that alter the social makeup of a student
           body, it seems that race is one of the least important factors.
           Stuff like religion, politics, personal experience is significantly
           more important.  But of course no one wants to promote real
           diversity and only their own race's interests.
           diversity but only shaping a school's ethinic makeup.
           Sound familiar?
           \_ Your point being?
           \_ Here is perhaps a more balanced article, written by
              someone asian, about Lowell and race-based admissions:
              http://www.arc.org/C_Lines/CLArchive/story2_2_04.html

6/26    Does anyone knows where I can get a copy of the following:
        http://analyst.sourceforge.net
        This is a parser which parse 10K SEC filing, and it was taken
        off because of PWC's patent on parsing number or something
        obvious.
        I am hoping that the project simply went underground instead of
        being completely dead.                  -kngharv
        \_ I want a copy of this software partly for parsing 10k filing,
           but now, I want it mostly for the sake of violating what I
           considered as abuse of intellectual property laws.
                        -- OP
        \_ PWC should be allowed to defend its patents by destroying
           the computers of anyone running this 'analyst' theft
        \_ If they weren't in violation of the law the project would still be
           there.  Are you one of those "the information wants to be free!"
           fanatics who think other people's work should be made available to
           you in exchange for *nothing* from you?  So selfish, so stupid.
           Patents expire.  Childish stupidity does not.
           \_ It is heartening to see one with such abject faith in the system.
              btw, you are right about childish stupidity. -crebbs
           \_ excuse me? patenting parsing?  please.
              \_ nonsense.  did you *read* the patent?  are you qualified to
                 do so?  maybe you've seen LA Law a few times?
           \_ "It was never the object of patent laws to grant a
              monopoly for every trifling device, every shadow of a
              shade of an idea, which would naturally and spontaneously
              occur to any skilled mechanic or operator in the ordinary
              progress of manufactures. Such an indiscriminate creation
              of exclusive privileges tends rather to obstruct than
              to stimulate invention. It creates a class of speculative
              schemers who make it their business to watch the advancing
              wave of improvement, and gather its foam in the form of
              patented monopolies, which enable them to lay a heavy
              tax on the industry of the country, without contributing
              anything to the real advancement of the arts. It embarrasses
              the honest pursuit of business with fears and apprehensions
              of unknown liability lawsuits and vexatious accounting
              for profits made in good faith." --U.S. Supreme Court,
              Atlantic Works vs. Brady, 1882
              \_ motdformatd
              \_ Yes and this is incorporated into the "obviousness" clause
                 used by the PTO to deny many patents today.
           \_ Patents used to expire. The current crop is getting extended
              faster than it is expiring. This does nothing but enrich
              the patent holder, usually long after the inventor is dead.
              \_ I do not think that word means what you think it means.
                 \_ which word? they look good 2 me. -phuqm/nottheposter
                    \_ patent.
              \_ No. Sorry.  Just wrong.  Patents used to be 17 years from the
                 date of issue.  A few years ago they changed to be 20 years
                 from the date of application.  Since it can easily take 3 or
                 more years to issue, patents are actually shorter now.  I'd
                 *love* to see a URL backing up your false and ignorant claim
                 that patents are "getting extended".
                 \_ he's probably getting trademarks and patents confused
                    \_ probably.  that doesn't excuse his clueless scribblings
                       and droolings all over the motd.
                    \_ I do not think that word means what you think it means.
                       In this case, the word would be trademark.
                 \_ Given the pace of (I).technology, particularly things like
                    that which is being discussed, it would be reasonable to
                    cut the patent protection time, not increase it.
                    (even if it is only a nominal increase)  Of course, there
                    is no perfect solution.  It is all a kludge -phuqm

6/25    Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.  This time the people behind the
        movie didn't even bother to pretend to tell a story.  The whole
        thing is nothing more than a bunch of scenes with beautiful
        people in skimpy clothes.  Lots of sexual innuendos, mindless
        H.K wire-styled fightings, and improbable stunts.  This is your
        typical summer sequal.  My rating: I hope you have a theater
        w/ cheap matinee price, because that is all it is worth.
                - Another MOTD movie critic wannabe.
        \_ No story?  No problem.  It's got Lucy Liu.  -John
           \_ Lucy Liu is stupid and not particularly attractive.
                \_ he didn't say everyone was beautiful, just some of them
        \_ beautiful people? so you mean lucy liu's not in the movie?
           \_ "There's no accounting for taste"
        \_ That's exactly the kind of movie I wanna watch. Matrix Reloaded
           pretended it had a story, which made for a miserable experience.
           \_ It had a story.  Shut up and go away.
              \_ No, not really.  Actually, no, not at all.
           \_ I agree too that it had a plot. The sequence with the Architect
              at the end was a revelation (althought lots of hints throughtout
              the movie were pointing at that). I enjoyed the movie a lot
              though the first half of the movie was slow moving and not
              as exciting as the second half.
              \_ It was lame.  There was no depth.  It's an illusion.
        \_ who the fuck needs a story when you've got hot chicks kicking ass
           \_ Amen to that.

        Protect Free Speach! Motd Restored!

6/25    Can anyone recommend agencies for temp/contract programming work
        (Java, C/C++)? I prefer LA area, but Bay Area is good too.
        Thanks.  -ciyer
        \_ Taos?
        \_ Mindsource, http://vitrixinc.com, modisIT?  --chris

6/25    http://www.msnbc.com/news/931304.asp?0cm=c10&cp1=1
        So they find a barrel of beans in a warehouse and call it a bio
        weapons ingredient.  These people are nuts.  I'm tired of being
        lied to!
        \_ But they're CASTOR beans.  They could grind them up for their
           oil and give an entire city block the runs!  Imagine the chaos.

6/25    Does anyone have any day-to-day experience with encrypting
        many (O(100s of MBs)) of files on their hard drives?  For
        instance, if you have a laptop with all of your electronic
        bank statements/etc on it, and wanted to encrypt these with
        a key that you have on a compact flash or something similar?
        I know it is doable, but I'm wondering if it is in a way that
        is still usable?
        \_ why not use an encrypting file system...
                \_ MS EFS has somehighly annoying problems, like making it
                   really easy to accidentally generate new keys (which are
                   not backed up easily.)  Look at CFS under FreeBSD.  -John
           \_ The critical point would still be key management, right?
              You don't want to have the key on the machine if it
              gets stolen, but you still want fairly normal access to
              the files...  Put it on a "secret" web page so that you
              can download it to use?  Or on compact flash?  Does
              anyone do this kind of thing?
           \_ but that would be cheating.
           \_ is there any free/open source encrypted file system?
              \_ pffft.  You might as well just format the drive now.
           \_ Abe's Linux Encrypted Filesystem howto:
              http://www.abeowitz.com/crypto
              Also I've seen similar stuff with windows that uses a
              vxd to add encrypted filesystem support and mounts an
              encrypted block file.
              \_ no relation. -abe
        \_ Just tell your g/f that you look at porn. Stop trying to hide
           it from her.

6/25    In MSVC, how do you re-indent a code region?  Thanks.
        \_ Edit->Advanced->Format Selection (Alt+F8)
        \_ ED!

6/25    When yacc man page refers to "LR(1) parser", is LR(1) a reference to
        some other man page or does LR(1) have some other special meaning?
                -clueless
        \_ some other special meaning, LR(1) is a style of parse tree
           generation that has certain limitatations.  Sort of like how
           reg exps can't search for all the things you want to search for
           because they can only do context free searches (at least I think
           that is the limitation of regexps, it has been a while.)  Take 172
           or 164 to learn more.
           \_ LR(1) -> Left to right (scans input left to right) and builds
              a Rightmost derivation in reverse by looking at one (1) input
              token at a time. (yacc is actually a LALR(1)- Look Ahead, Left
              to right, Rightmost deviation, One input token beastie. See
              also Bison.)
               \_ oooooo!
        \_ Take 164.

6/25    http://csua.org/u/3dc
        The European Union crazies try to turn the world upside down!  This is
        great stuff.  It's so funny watching them destroy themselves.
        \_ Please shorten your url using http://csua.org/u
           \_ And surrender my god given right to motd anonymity?
                \_ then use tinyurl.  It is faster and works better anyway.
        \_ That's simply infantile and self-destructive everyday stuff.  The
           thing that's _really_ worrisome is the EU's fairly quick knuckling-
           under to US State Dept. rules "suggested" for non-US governments
           that require things like biometric identifiers in all forms of
           ID and passports, automatic handover of data on all airline
           passengers to the US the moment they leave the ground, and the
           placement of US customs agents in European ports.  If you're just
           looking for the usual silly shit, search for regulations dealing
           with the curvature of bananas and the likes.  -John
           \_ Biometrics?  Nothing wrong with that.  The current ID systems
              are so worthless that identify theft has become common place,
              destroying the lives of the victims.  Automated handover of who
              is on a flight to the US?  Uhm, hello?  So what?  And what's
              wrong with Americans screening visitors to America?  Give up
              the Swiss passport and return home before you're completely
              brainwashed.
              \_ Wow, you're calling John brainwashed? Just wow.
                 \_ Yes.  I knew him when he was an American and didn't spend
                    half his posts talking about his Swiss passport.
                 \_ Don't you have to have a brain to be brainwashed?
           \_ there are no EU regulations concerning the curvature of
              bananas.  -crebbs
              \_ http://www.quebecoislibre.org/020119-6.htm
                 \_ That's great. My statement stands.  The fact that some
                    media (or in this case some interest group) reports
                 \_ That's great. My statement stands. At the risk of having
                    been trolled, I will attempt some education:  That some
                    media (or in this case some political group) reports
                    something doesn't make it so.  I notice that page refers
                    to other specific EU regulation numbers when mentioning
                    other (presumably real) silly Euro rules, but does not
                    be that there are not regulations concerning the curvature
                    of bananas?

                    (surprise surprise) mention the regulation when referring
                    to the banana thing.  That would be (in case you missed it)
                    because there aren't any. -crebbs
        \_ So I take it you are in favor of demeaning women and offending
           human dignity, is that it?
           \_ Hi troll!  Yes, I am.  I'm also in favor of more hot chicks on
              page 3 and eliminating actuarial tables so the insurance industry
              is destroyed and no one has any insurance anymore.  Or maybe the
              government can insure all the citizens and pay for it with a tax
              increase.  I'm guessing that raising taxes by 40% should do it.
              \_ Dona botta me mang, Imma onna da dole! 40% of nutin is nutin.
                 \_ We can tax your unemployment.
              \_ Oh, that poor fragile highly profitable insurance industry!
                 They'd never stoop to taking goverment handouts if they
                 were about to lose money for a quarter!
                 \_ You're an idiot.  I don't know about Europe but in the US
                    the insurance companies take a bath everytime there's an
                    earthquake, flood, or hurricane.  If it wasn't for Federal
                    help, there'd be no insurance companies.
              \_ So I am a troll for responding to your troll... Uh huh.