11/8    I'm looking for free websites that allow you to dig up information
        on people.  Stuff like phone numbers, email addresses, driving
        records...  Any ideas of sites?
        \_ ever notice how in old comic books they would always
           print the address of people writing letters to the editor?
           I wonder when they stopped.
        \_ google?
        \_ http://find.intelius.com/index.php
           \_ this is so fucked up.  Is there anyway to protect myself
              against this?
              \_ I'm not on it, why not?  [formatd]
                 \_ are you a student?  few students have done enough in life
                    to get into any public records.  when They can start
                    tracking you, you've entered the adult world.  public
                    records are the least of your privacy concerns.
                \_ I'm not on it, why not?
              \_ it's all public information.  you can kill yourself, but oh
                 wait that will get you into the death certificate db.
        \_ http://peoplefinder.com, http://411.com, http://bigfoot.com, or better yet just pay a
           PI $50.  An unscrupulous one won't ask you any questions about
           why you want to know where you ex-gf fled with your dog, car, and
           nintendo and what the butcher knife is for.

11/8    http://www.mensactivism.org
        \_ I was hoping it was Mensa Activisim.  Seems to be the opposite.
        \_ mensa?  yawn.  what's more boring than discussing the pros or cons
           of mensa?  who cares about mensa?
           \_ what's more boring?  watch this space!
              \_ what for?
           \_ obviously you wouldn't qualify for mensa? why? because the
                website is mens activism (not mensa activism). it's about
                mens' rights!

11/8    Does Einstein care about sports? How about Richard Stallman? Or
        K&R? Or Feynman? Or Knuth? I theorize that brilliant minds in general
        don't give a damn about sports and hence people who are fanatic about
        sports are not brilliant.
        \_ I theorize that anyone who wastes time logging into soda
           and posting to the motd is not brilliant.  seriously.
           including me.
           \_ yeah all hobbies, especially social hobbies are bad.  we should
              all spend 100% of our 23 waking hours each day advancing the
              arts and sciences.  you're right about one thing, though: you're
              not brilliant but not because you login to soda.
        \_ personally, i have no problems with sports in general, but think
           professional sports are the worst kind of wellfare for the
           rich.  I'm sick of hearing the absurd lie that spending 100 million
           dollars of public money on a stadium will help a downtown in
           some way.  I think it is fitting that one of the "jobs" our
           corporate whore president had before taking office was owning
           a team.
           \_ "wellfare".  It isn't about jobs, it's about circuses.  Just like
              at school, if "the team" is doing well, few alumni question what
              else is going on.
        \_ Do you have any biographical sources, or are you just projecting?
        \_ brilliant minds also don't waste time with aphorisms on the motd,
           moron.
        \_ I doubt they got much sex either.
           \_ Heh.  Feynman was the player of science.  He got plenty.
              Intelligence is sexy, in case you haven't noticed.
        \_ Einstein doesn't care about anything.  He's dead.  So is RMS, but
           that's another story.  I suspect Albert is less smelly than Richard.
        \_ Ilya, is that you?
           \_ Like I d put RMS in the same list as the others.  Heh. -- ilyas
        \_ I read that Stephen Jay Gould was a big Yankees fan.  Trying
           to find reasons to think people are not brilliant is an odd
           pasttime anyway.  Did a jock pick on you or something?
                \_ yes, I hate jocks
        \_ Chang-Lin Tien loved basketball and ice hockey.
           \_ GO BEAR!  And he's dead now so see what that gets you?
        \_ Hawking is a big Trek fan. Does that mean we all should be?
                            \_ And Simpsons.
           \_ Hawking is also a scumbag who treated his wife as less than human
              while she stood by him before and during his deterioration.
              while she stoof by him before and during his deterioration.
              Being smart, or athletic or handsome or a cripple or whatever
              external characteristics don't make someone a worthwhile person.

11/8    UNIX question: Is there any elegant way to do something like
        command < foo.bar > foo.bar
        where command is something that modifies foo.bar ?
        \_ perl -p -i.bak -e 's/OLD/NEW/g' ?
           \_ not quite. but it's not very hard to write a little wrapper
              program that first renames the file to something else, then
              runs command on it, or something like that.
        \_ in csh: command < foo.bar > out ; mv out foo.bar.  this is hardly
           rocket science.  what sort of elegant were you looking for?
        \_ dd ibs=`ls -l foo.bar | awk '{print $5}'` if=foo.bar \
            | command > foo.bar
           Oh, elegant?  No.  Do the tmp file thing.  --dbushong

11/8    What's the UNIX utility that finds the netblock owner of an IP range?
        Nevermind, it's whois -a.

11/8    This is cool.  We are dropping [a] 500 lb bomb on Iraq to show our
        might.  A fine example of what we considered a[n] act of liberation
        delivered by precision weaponry.
        \_ thanks  --OP

11/10   Does soda keep backups?  I accidentally overwrote a file and I'd
        like to get the version from about one week ago.  Does anyone know
        how to do this on soda?  Thanks.
        \_ Yeah, soda keeps backups on our work and home machines.  Each
           person's homedir is kept somewhere else, just in case, ya know?
        \_ I think the backups are made nightly at about 2am. mail root.
        \_ you fucking lose.
        \_ Right now, Soda only makes disk mirrors at 5am.  Yes, this sucks.
           We (root) are working on a backup server that will provide actual
           backups for weeks.  The hardware has been purchased, and I am
           in the process of installing OS.  So, unfortunatly, you lose
           this time, but in about a week or two, you win big time.
           \_ the rest of us win in 2 weeks.  this guy lost big time.

11/10   Sigh...If only those votes could have been recounted...
        http://www.moveon.org/gore/speech.html
        \_ Does no one else see the irony of a site called "Move On" is carrying
           a speech from Gore whining about Election 2000?
           \_ This speech isn't about Election 2k.  Does no else see the
              irony of opinionated windbags on the motd that post about
              URLs without looking at them?
        \_ Sigh, if only Gore had pushed for a statewide recount instead of
           cherry picking heavily Democratic districts....  Had he pushed for
           that on day one instead of trying to be clever, there wouldn't have
           been any Constitutional questions to raise.
        \_ They were... and in every recount by the major media outlets
           Bush WON.  Sour grapes I suppose, but don't let the rule of law
           get in your way.
           \_ Except for all the ones where he didn't... I guess that can
              be true if you're very selective about how you define
              "major", huh? Did they discuss the last-minute
              disenfranchisement of 90,000 black voters in those nicely
              impartial major media reports? Don't let facts get in your way.
                \_ They could not identify one, not one.  If they
                   could you better believe it would plastered over the entire
                   front page of every newspaper.  Please, give me any name.
                   There was a commission that investigated this, they found
                   nothing.  And please, don't give unsubstantiated
                   demagoguery by Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.  The irony
                   here is that is all of these purported districts the
                   election was run Democrats.
                   \_ Cathy Jackson. Donnise DeSouze. Angenora Ramsey. That
                      enough? If you want more, read
                      http://digital.library.miami.edu/gov/voting.html
                   \_ The report was very damning of the Republicans:
                      http://www.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/06/08/florida.vote
                   \_ The rolls are statewide, but nice try. Care to name
                      your sage commission or maybe make up more stuff?
                        \_ Read the report, did you even bother to read
                           it???  They give no accounts of individuals
                           who wanted to vote but were unable, NOT ONE.
                           Just anecdotal evidence blah blah blah.
                           Here's the worst they can say from the
                           abstract:
                            "Potential voters confronted inexperienced
                            poll workers, antiquated machinery,
                            inaccessible polling locations, and other
                            barriers to being able to exercise their
                            right to vote."
                           \_ I read the entire report and I agree with the
                              CNN summary of it, not yours.
                                \_ Then please, give me the name of
                                   one of the 90,000.  Just one is all I ask.
                                   I'm not talking about someone who was
                                   too stupid to fill out the ballot
                                   properly, rather some one who was
                                   prevented from voting.
                                   \_ Keep begging you racist right wing
                                      fascist!  We won't give up one, not one
                                      victim for you to hunt down and destroy!
                                        \_ So since you cant produce one
                                           you resort to thinly veiled
                                           threats.  Ah yes, the Left.
                                           Nice display of reason and
                                           rational thought.
                                           Let me see if I understand
                                           your argument:  the Democrat
                                           constituency in these districts
                                           are too stupid to fill out
                                           votes properly.  Nefariously,
                                           the Democrat controlled
                                           canvasing boards in these
                                           districts purposely
                                           undercounted the said votes to
                                           hurt Gore.
                                           Is this your contention?
                                           Do you have a personal stake
                                           in this... were you one
                                           the said voters? I just don't
                                           understand.
                                           \_ http://csua.org/u/4y7
                                              includes five. Are you really
                                              a leftist pretending
                                              to be a dumb right winger?
                                    \_ Even a casual google search turns up
                                       dozens. Johnny Jackson Jr, is one
                                       a retired cleric.
                                        \_ Did these three people try to vote?
                                           This is not disenfranchisement,
                                           it is a clerical mistake.  Even
                                           the article admits more whites
                                           were removed than blacks.  Sorry
                                           try again.  Somehow it seems
                                           you guys still came out ahead.
                                           Hundreds of felons cast votes
                                           illegally
                                           http://csua.org/u/4y8
            \_ Not even close to true. A full recount of Florida would have
               given the state to Gore:
               http://democrats.com/view.cfm?id=2300
               But I guess the New York Times and Miami Herald don't
               qualify as "major" in your book, right?
                \_ LOL your article contradicts itself.  Somehow every
                   newspaper they list lied in its headline??  From the
                   article:
                   "And why did the New York Times report:
                    "An Analysis of Florida Balloting Favors Bush""
                   Even the leftwing NYT disagrees with you.
                   \_ "Leftwing NYT"? You crack me up. Read the NYT
                      article. NYT is mildly left of center, at best.
                      Any publically traded corporation with billions
                      in revenue is never going to be left wing, but you are
                      such an extremist, you don't realize that. Thanks for
                      reminding me of the 2000 rip-off. I am going to go
                      donate another $500 to the Dean campaign.

11/10   Has anyone had experience using DVD X Maker?  If so did you like it
        or recommend a different program?  TIA.
        \_ just use dvdshrink.  it's free.

11/10   American Consumerism: Let us honor the veterans during veteran's
        day.  let us celebrate by shopping for clothes!
        \_ Or better yet, shop for some American Gold Eagle gold coins
           from the US mint: http://www.goldinfo.net/gvs.html
        \_ Every other important day has been turned into a lame shopping
           event.  Why not VDay, too?

11/10   I'm bringing a Triple Rock beer ball tonight.  What do you prefer?
        \_ Is the beer ball an object or an event?
           \_ err ok in english:  I am bringing a box of beer to the csua bbq
        Bug Juice: 01

11/10   Dennis Kucinich.  Why is he running for president?  I would think that
        by now people will realize that short men do not get become presidents.
        Michael Dukakis, Paul Tsongas, etc.
        \_ I thought Bush was short.
        \_ neither do motd twits who can use English properly.

11/10   http://csua.org/u/4y1
        GO RALPH! GO!  RALPH'04!  Sock it to 'em baby!  No Dean-lite!
        \_ I guess you want more attacks on American soil.
           \_ There's not a single bear in sight. The Bear Patrol is
              working like a charm
        \_ First of all, learn to shorten your URLs.  I have done it for
           you this time.  Remember this in the future, it makes your
           trolls slightly more credible.
           \_ Sorry, but it's not a troll.  300,000 democrats crossed over and
              y'all bitch out my guy for having the nerve to enter the race.
              This is still a democratic republic the last i checked.
              \_ So you think we're better off with Bush, huh?
                 \_ I think BushGore is the same person.  If it can't be the
                    Real Thing then fuck it.  I refuse to vote for the
                    alternate, not lesser, evil.  It is exactly that sort of
                    non-thinking that gets us the same sort of loser in office
                    every 4 years.
                    \_ I agree!  GO NADER GO!  RALPH'04! -- conservative
                    \_ Well that's just dumb. Now, granted, Al Gore wasn't a
                       very good candidate. Lacked charisma. But it's pretty
                       obvious that he had differences from Bush. Even if they
                       said the same thing before the election, you could tell.
                       This is a democracy, yes. Which is why Nader cannot win,
                       he is simply too far left to appeal to enough people. He
                       wouldn't win the dem nomination either. So forget it.
                       \_ Your own words, "Even if they said the same thing
                          before the election, you could tell" [they were
                          different].  WTF?  That's just plain stupid.  GO
                          GREEN!  We're taking the SF mayor and after the
                          governator fails we're taking CA and then the
                          country.  The reason people don't vote Green is
                          because they believe they can't win, not because
                          they don't like Green politics, platforms and
                          Green philosophy.  --Nader'04!
                          \_ hah, are you for real? what I meant was that even
                             if they might sound pretty similar in the useless
                             debates they had, they were different. Do you
                             really think that a Gore presidency would have
                             been no different? The electoral laws in this
                             country are set up for 2 parties.

11/10   Now that everyone's had ample time to see it, can someone explain
        to me why all the Agent Smith's started to suddenly explode at
        the end?
        \_ okay, after reading a transcript of the final battle, I now fully
           believe in my Trojan Horse theory which is that when the big
           machine jacked Neo in for the battle, it jacked him in as a Trojan
           Horse. So when Smith copied himself onto Neo, the machine now had a
           link to Smith and could then shut Smith down. Note how the machine
           does an electrical surge on Neo's body just before Smith copies
           himself.
        \_ He's exploding because he can't stand the BAD FUCKING ACTING.
           The only worthwhile things in that movie were (a) Hugo Weaving,
           and (b) Monica Bellucci.  "Now, Ms. Bellucci, hold still for
           a moment."  *wrap wrap wrap* *stuff stuff* *loud wet pop*  *another
           pop* "Dammit!"  *stuff stuff stuff* "Now don't breathe!"  *wet
           pop*  *boingg*  "shit!" *stuff stuff stuff* and so it goes.  -John
           \_ John is a very persistant 13 year-old.
           \_ What are you, 13?  Jees.
           \_ Now I *have* to see the movie just to find out what this is
              about.
           \_ I don't recall. Did she even have any lines in the movie?
                \_ Yes, when Trinity has the gun at Merv's head, she says
                   something to the effect of believing that Trinity will pull
                   the trigger because she can see that Trinity will do
                   anything for Neo.
        \_ I've heard two suggestions, neither all that convincing. a) Neo
           or the Source was able to infect Smith with some virus by letting
           Neo be infected. b) Smith's whole purpose was to defeat Neo, and
           once he did, his program got deleted.
           \_ The latter is the better explanation. It also fits with the
              theme of beginnings corresponding with ends. Neo had to be
              defeated in order to complete Smith's purpose. And without
              purpose, he would not exist (see M2).
              \_ So is Neo dead or what?
                 \_ Quite.
                    \_ Probably not dead enough to appear in the sequel.
                           \_ I was bored because I didn't give a rat's ass
                              about the incoherent, incomprehensible story.
                              Contrast with "Oooh, shiny."
        \_ I thought maybe the part where Smith said he remembered standing
           Neo before meant that Neo had trapped Smith in something like a
           virtual machine.  But other explanations would be welcome.
                    \_ Conveyed primarily with overwrought, faux-solemn
                       "dialogue" that made little sense. Great.
           \_ He's defeated the "Neo" six times before. It is his purpose.
        \_ Norton Antivirus?
        \_ every program has a purpose.  When Smith converts Neo, he converted
           the entire Matrix.  The Matrix could end.  Didn't he say:
           Everything has a beginning and an end?
           \_ No, Smith's purpose ends. He has destroyed himself. The Matrix
              never ended. The other programs succeeded in "rebalancing" it.
              If Neo had not reentered the Matrix for the final battle and
              lost, then Smith would have destroyed the Matrix, the machines,
              and Zion while trying to complete it's task.
                                                \_ it is == it's
              \_ Great, so after all that shit it's the same old "GOOD IS
                 NOTHING WITHOUT EVIL!" crap? I was so bored during M3.
                        \_ bored? do you completely lack sensory perception?
                 \_ It's not good vs. evil. It's fate vs. free will and
                    acquiescence vs. sacrifice. If you believe the Ws put that
                    much depth into the film.
              \_ Wait a minute, i thought Smith's purpose like all other agents
                 is to look for and kill anomalies(people that have already
                 broken out of the matrix) in the matrix.  My understanding is
                 that a computer must follow equations, but when Neo broke
                 rules of the equations in the matrix, then the left hand side
                 did no equal the right hand side, so the matrix needed to
                 introduce a new object (the virus/agent smith) to
                 counterbalance the equations.  So when neo died, the virus
                 wasn't needed anymore (i.e no purpose).  But i guess once
                 a program contracts a virus, it cannot by extracted from
                 the program without killing the program itself...
                 \_ It's an alteration of CS as we know it. Smith (virus)
                    used other programs and humans as resources (as opposed to
                    physical CPU or memory). Upon EOP of Smith, all resources
                    were released with the programs perfectly recovered (See
                    Oracle Seraph and Sati). Dunno about about the humans.
              \_ If this was the case, do all programs just explode the exact
                 moment their purpose is accomplished? The Keymaster in M2
                 didn't. I don't buy this explanation, because renegade
                 programs still hide out in the Matrix once they are no longer
                 needed. They don't just explode on their own. They have to
                 get garbage collected.
                 \_ Yes, but if there's any program the system is anxious to
                    do GC on, it would be Agent Smith.
        \_ You're all looking for sense where there is none.
           \_ D00D!!!!1!! URA L2M3R1!!!!1!!! M2TR1X III R0000LZ0000RZ!!!
              I W@|\|T T0 B2NG TR1|\|1TY!!!!!!11!!!!
              \_ Heh, is there an elite-speak program somewhere?
                 \_ |\|0!!1!!! U D0 n0T U53 2 PR()GR4|\/| T0 SP33K 31337!11!!1
                    TH4T W0\/7|> B3 L2M3!!!!1!!!!!11!
        \_ http://www.matrix-explained.com
           \_ I think the correct response is: Get a FREAKIN LIFE!
           \_ Wow. I'm enjoying reading this site. Good stuff.

11/10   Don't post shit about the movie.
        \_ When can we post shit about the movie?  We shouldn't wait until
           EVEYONE has seen it.  I mean, it took me 3 weeks to see Matrix 2 and
           I certainly wouldnt have expected people to withold debate that long
           \_ I haven't seen it yet, but go ahead.  It's my own fault for not
              getting out to see it this weekend.  -op
              \_ Ok, Smith vs. Neo question reinstated.