1/9     Ultra leftist Warren Buffet hates America:
        http://www.pbs.org/wsw/news/fortunearticle_20031026_03.html

1/8     My laptop display appears to be in trouble.  After about 18 mos. use, it
        all of a sudden looks like every other column has died.  Anyone have
        this trouble?  It's a Compaq laptop with an ATI chipset.  I doubt
        there's anyone in town (I live north of Sacramento) who can fix it--so
        any recommendations on a place that I can send it to for service?
        \_ If you're unable to get it fixed, check ebay for laptop displays.
           Last time I checked, there were hundreds for sale at pretty
           low prices.  -John
        \_ If it's still under warranty, Compaq can probably tell you
           the best "authorized service center" to send it to.
           \_ It's definitely not under warrantee.  And it's probably the
              connection to the screen.  It flickered like that when I was
              tilting the screen.  Also, hooking it up to a monitor shows the
              graphics card is just fine.
              \_ if you bought it with a credit card, check if your card offers
                 extended warranty. that'll usually give you an extra year.
                 \_ I bought it privately from someone else.
              \_ A co-worker had a similar problem with a Dell Inspiron a
                 year ago (video developed horizontal or vertical garbage
                 suddenly after 1-2 years).  He had on-site support, so
                 the tech guy fixed it, possibly by replacing the LCD half
                 of the notebook entirely.
        \_ FYI, my co-worker yanked a part off her notebook.  She called
           Fujitsu tech support and they told her the nearest service center,
           which promptly declared the problem "not covered under the warranty"
           and charged her $13 for parts and $185 labor.
           Coincidentally, another co-worker had a problem with his Toshiba.
           It turned out it was the same place that did repairs, and they
           determined it was a bad CPU fan, that it was covered under warranty
           and they also told him he was using a 3 Amp AC adapter when
           it should have been a 5 Amp and it was probably causing his
           heat problems.  This place is in Venice, CA -- Galaxy Computer
           Center or something.
        \_ buy a new laptop since they're cheap now. Or if Compaq is a
           cool company, they offer parts, so you can fix it yourself.
           I try to only deal with Toshiba and IBM and even then, only
           with the higher-end business laptops -- better service/quality.
           \_ Glad you're made of money, but I'm not.  A laptop with the
              features I need costs well over $1000.
                \_Since the display is probably the single most expensivve
                  part of your laptop, you are going to need to bite the
                  bullet and shell out some cash
              \_ Wow, glad you are made of money. I'd be happy
                 to even have a laptop, broken screen or not.
        \_ It's still under warranty, right? Call Compaq. They'll
           probably tell you what's the best "authorized service center"
           to send it to.

1/8     Hey, what a suprise, President Bush fudge the WMD report:
        http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1589731
        \_ NPR?  Don't even bother bringing that biased shit here.  You're
           no better than the freeper guy.  Find a real source and we'll talk.
           \_ How 'bout that liberal bastion, MSNBC?
              http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3909150
           \_ How 'bout USA Today?
              http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-01-08-report_x.htm
           \_ How 'bout reading the report yourself?
              http://www.ceip.org/files/pdf/Iraq3FullText.pdf
              \_ How about you see who the http://ceip.org is before taking their
                 'report' seriously?
                 \_ The administration obviously took it seriously enough
                    to offer a rebuttal. --scotsman
                    \_ Because it was reported everywhere even though the
                       source is trash but that never stopped the media.
           \_ How 'bout fox's take?
              http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,107798,00.html
              \_ See, we need more fair and balanced articles on the motd.
              \_ All of these are clones of each other, some taking things
                 more out of context than others but none of them backs up
                 the garbage in the so-called "report".  Posting lots of links
                 that say the same thing doesn't prove the crap in the links
                 are true.
                 \_ You expect actual insight in journalism?  You expect
                    unbiased reporting in journalism?  Debunk it if you're
                    bored.
                    \_ Already debunked.  The source is more biased than
                       the freepers.
           \_ Like what?
        \_ Here we go.  NPR is just quoting a think tank.  Let's go see
           their website: http://www.ceip.org and then decide how likely it
           is that their 'report' is in any non-partisan or unbiased.  For
           those who won't bother, it's a ultra left wing .org that makes
           the typical motd leftist look like a right winger.
           \_ NPR is not "quoting a think tank".  They're reporting on a think
              tank's report and the response from the administration.  If you
              haven't noticed this sort of reporting comprises probably 90%
              of "journalism" over the last couple decades.  You don't
              complain like this when it happens in the other direction...
              And calling them ultra-left-wing is pretty knee-jerk.  Not
              all pacifists are left-wing, and vice versa.
              --scotsman
              \_ So you admit it is a pacifist .org?  What are the odds of
                 getting a "report" from a pacifist .org that there was
                 justification for any violent act?
              \_ I thought liberals didn't need tanks to think...
                 \_ Like I said, calling them ultra-left-wing is knee jerk.
                    They seem to have a platform of pacifism.  Who knows if
                    they have a fiscal policy agenda?  Who knows if they
                    supported LBJ but not Nixon?  Do the research and decide
                    for yourself. --scotsman
                    \_ Eh.  The 'religious right' is lumped with conservatives
                       for moderate coalition politics reasons.  I see no
                       problems with lumping irrational pacificts along with
                       irrational fiscal socialists.
                       \_ Quite seriously, calling them "ultra-leftist" just
                          makes you look like a kook. They publish Foreign
                          Policy, the most respected journal of International
                          Studies published. They are financed by such far
                          left organizations as Boeing, Citigroup, GE and
                          Boeing. Their chairman is a venture capitalist!
                          http://www.ceip.org/files/about/about_trustee.asp
                          \_ Indeed.  Have you noticed how campaign finance
                             reform is hurting _democrats_ more than
                             republicans?  Republicans get a lot of their
                             support from ordinary middle class and small
                             business owners.  Democrats rely on big business
                             with a case of white guilt and hollywood.
                             Orson Scott Card was right, liberals are the
                             modern status quo.  Warren Buffet's a liberal.
                             You can't be stupid enough to insinuate that
                             big business or venture capitalists would
                             necessarily fund conservative causes.
                             \_ I am saying that they are not "ultra-leftist"
                                Are you claiming that GE, etc are ultra leftist?
                                Did you look at their board of directors?
              \_ I agree with your comment about journalism 100%.  Now here's
                 the hard question: what the hell do we do about it?
        \_ So, you think this is the ultra-leftist conspiracy? give me a
           a break.  If Bush's WMD report was true, we would of find WMD
           long time ago.  Instead, Bush (and all your supporters) is saying
           that the reason to go to war is "not important" because Saddam is
           a dangerous man at first place.
           \_ No, I'm saying there are WMD and we either haven't found them
              yet, we're still going through millions of documents to find
              and prove them or they were there and moved and need to be
              tracked down.  We *know* he had them.  Everyone in the Clinton
              administration and almost every (D) at the time agreed.  Did
              they just suddenly evaporate when a (R) got into office?  That's
              just plain stupid.  If you believed Clinton, you must believe
              Bush as well.
              \_ Stop believing what politicans tell you.

1/8     Having living in the BA most of my life and never travel to
        cold places, I need some advice on what kind of clothing I
        need to buy if I plan to travel to Quebec this month?
        \_ I bought a thermal long-sleeved t-shirt.  I've also had some
           silk longjohns which work wonders.  -John
        \_ good jacket, gloves, thing to cover your head, thermal underwear,
           snow boots
           \-TNF Baltoro Jacket: To Everest and back ...
             http://home.lbl.gov:8080/~psb/PSB_MISC/PSB_Baltoro-head.jpg
           \_ Any recommendations on particular brands and where to get
              them?
                \_ Dupont Thermax Thermal is incredible. A tiny light piece
                   of top+bottom underwear offers the same warmth as a thick
                   jacket. They're not cheap, but totally worth it. If you
                   want a super warm thermal, get Patagonia R.5. $75 a piece.
              \_ not really.  What about REI/Walmart/Target/Sportsmart/North
                 Face?
        \_ why do you think Quebec is worth a trip?
              \_ Uh, no.  It's the Carnival:
                 http://www.carnaval.qc.ca
        \_ NorthFace goretex and a windproof liner. They make the liners
           with differing warmths, so you can zip in a liner for the
           appropriate weather. Without the liner, you can still use the
           jacket for wet weather (like nowadays). When it snows, the snow
           won't accumulate on your jacket which is kinda nice. And with
           global warming, you might have rain or sleet in Canada. You can
           can combine goretext pants with your jacket and use it for
           skiing...very versatile.
           \- you know i like the jacket/layering too, but if it is ass
              cold, there is nothing like a fleece and thick down jacket.
              these walking sleeping bag jackets arent as functional,
              waterproof etc, but they warm up a hell of a lot faster than
              other things. --psb
              \_ The motd purveyor of outdoor gear knowledge for geeks who will
                 mostly use their stuff in town speaks a little sense! Exactly!
                 The same gear somebody wore on an Everest ascent or for six
                 days in the Sierra backwoods is not necessarily the best
                 choice for walking from your front door out to your car in
                 Milwaukee or, for that matter, Manhattan. Your best bet is to
                 ask somebody local to that area, maybe? One of your future
                 coworkers/neighbors perhaps?
        \_ One thing that I would highly suggest is a good pair of
           waterproof shoes or boots.  If there's snow on the ground, you'd
           be pretty miserable with damp or wet feet.  I also got some nice
           thick socks (I got Thorlos, but you don't have to spend that
           much money) that I used while I was in Beijing last year. -chaos
           \_ Seconded.  I grew up on the East Coast, and the only thing that
              really makes life bearable in winter is warm, dry toes. (Well,
              sure, a good sweater, a thick jacket, warm gloves, and a warm
              beanie also contribute, but don't skimp on the boots!)
           \_ Thirded. I love my Vasque boots (lined with goretex). Keeps
              my feet dry, but not sweaty. Good in the bay area, or out
              east during winter. Plus, they last forever - 21 mos and
              counting. About $200 @ REI.
              \_ Do you hike in the bay area with them?  Aren't they too
                 heavy?
                 \_ Yes, I hike, walk around town, etc. They are actually
                    a little smaller than my original vasque boots (these
                    are the leather chestnut brown version). Once you
                    brush the dust off and reshine them, I've even used
                    them for some casual job interviews.
           \_ 4th'ed. i also lived exclusively in NoCal,SoCal&LoCal before
           appropriate weather.
              heading out to Minnesota. the locals in Minnesota suggested
              Soreal boots to keep the toes warm&dry when the temperature
              goes below 0F (or ice-fishing on a frozen lake.)
        \_ don't forget about something warm for your head, and maybe
           something for your ears, or a scarf if that's your style.

1/8     Are there any mass-production hybrid vehicles that also let you
        recharge it by plugging in to an electric outlet?
        \_ whatever happened to Honda's hybrid vehicles? I gotta say, when
           Insight came out, I was impressed, but its technology is getting
           outdated and obsolete by Toyota. What's up with Honda's research
           team?
           \_ They have had a hybrid Civic out for a year or two. I see a
              lot of them on the roads around here.
           \_ I wish Toyota dadded hybrid to the 2004 Sienna, since they were
              re-designing it anyway.
        \_ It would require an extra component in the car, and wouldn't really
           save fossil fuels or money (unless you had solar cells on your house
           or something like that)
           \_ If you have solar cells on your house and it generates more than
              you consume, PG&E doesn't let you sell the surplus power to
              them.  So recharging a hybrid (or electric) vehical with the
              surplus power will be a good way to save fossil fuel and your
              money.  Or, if you get your power from a green source like
              Commonwealth Energy instead of PG&E, that'd save fossil fuel too.

1/8     Hey, if anyone owns wizardry 8 and wants to do me a favor, can
        you post your login or email me?  -- ilyas
        \_ That reminds me:  I registered DOOM 1 for DOS and my floppies went
           bad a few years ago.  Anyone have DOOM 1?  --dgies
           \_ In my case, one of my cds got really scratched when I moved,
              and I need one of the files from it.  -- ilyas
           \_ http://www.dosgamesarchive.com/download/game/7
              \_ Thanks, but I know where to get the shareware version.  I paid
                 for the full version back in the day and was wondering if I
                 could still get it somehow...

1/8     Follow up the question I asked earlier about record streaming
        contents.  The best way to do this, if you are on Windoze machine,
        is to use this software called Stream VCR. FYI, The entire process
        is a bit more painful than I would like, but it's managable.
        If you are interested in it, email me.          kngharv
        \_ you sure you don't mean Streambox VCR?  It's kind of dated; it
           works well for RealMedia files but doesn't work with some newer
           ASF/WMV stuff.  For those, I prefer SDP.

1/9     The final word on the O'Reilly-Jeremy Glick interview:
        http://www.frankenlies.com/glick.htm
        \_ look at the name of this website
        \_ See... They must have known Glick's position before his appearance.
           O'Reilly pulled him on to make what he thought was a point.  Instead
           of being polite, he turned belligerent.  It's his show.  It's his
           responsibility to set the tone.  This is what the flack is over.
           He's a waste of airtime and should hang up his mic.
        \_ Wow! It's like the having the motd on a website! And about half
           as relevant!
           \_ You learn ad hominem well, grasshopper.
              \_ So did the website author.
        \_ damn, I thought you wrote "Jiminy Glick" and I got all excited
           \_ me too

1/9     Wtf? From an AP story:
        "Apollo was drilled into space with the giant Saturn V rocket, the most
        powerful launcher ever built by the United States. After the Apollo
        program ended, the equipment, tools and plans for building the rocket
        were lost."
        I never heard of that. How could all that stuff just be "lost"?
        \_ I think the author is using 'lost' as an overly-dramatic synonym for
           abandoned or discontinued.
           \_ I've actually heard this before.  As in, in order to recreate
              a Saturn V rocket at this point in time, either one would have
              to be reverse engineered, or all new research would have to be
              done.
        \_ blueprints destroyed. manufacturing capability abandoned, but
           microfilm of blueprints was kept, albeit with exceptions.
           read the pop mech. link, then the addendum.
           http://www.mail-archive.com/europa@klx.com/msg03046.html
        \_ This was a hard nut to crack, but http://popularmechanics.com came to
           the rescue:
           http://csua.org/u/5hz
           The relevant portion is located in the last paragraph of the
           article.
           \_ addendum: http://csua.org/u/5i1
           \_ Thanks, that's interesting. Maybe the Russians got the plans.

1/9     motd poll--who is the most badass Doctor?  Add more as needed.
        (non Dr. Who posts deleted.)
        Jon Pertwee: .
        Tom Baker: .
        J: .
        Teeth: .
        Hook: .
        Phil: .
        NUNEZ (And fuck you for nuking it.): ...
        Doom: .
        Octagon: .
        Pepper: .
        Dean: .
        \_ My phone number is DOCTORB.  The B is for Bargain!
        Nick: .
        Dre: .
        Jon Pertwee: .
        Octagon: .
        Tom Baker: .
        J: .
        Teeth: .
        Hook: .
        Phil: .
        NUNEZ (And fuck you for nuking it.): ...
        \_ probably an overwrite
           \_ no. this was intended to be a Dr. Who flame war about which
              regeneration was the best. -op
              \_ In other words, you were trolling for flames from Dr. Who
                 fans, forgot to specify that you were only interested in
                 Drs. Who, and then deleted the postings that were relevant
                 to the question but not to your ambiguous intentions? And
                 I thought the motd censor was petty....
                 \_ I figured it was obvious because I capitalized "Doctor"
                    and because Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker were first on the
                    list.
                    \_ Who? (No pun intended.)
        Doom: .
        Pepper: .
        Dean: ..
        Kevorkian: .
        Octagon: .
        \_ "Hello this is the offices of Dr. Octagon.
           If you have insurance or medical problems I'm here for you
           for any type of intestine surgery rectal rebuilding relocated
           saliva glands... and chimpanzee acne! And of course moose bumps.
           You can call 1 800PP51 DooDoo. I'm in your corner."

1/9     hey what happened to danh.  I enjoyed his walls of bizarre stories.
        haven't seen those in a while.  -danh #1 fan
        \_ I heard he got married and settled down in Antioch.
           \_ he has a cat and a baby on the way... due in June
              \_ rad!  I love cats!  Is the baby due the same month?
              \_ The cat will steal the baby's breath!
              \_ uhh, you guys are kidding right?
                \_ Dude, "he has a cat and a baby on the way" in a danh
                   context can only mean he's mail-ordered some horrid
                   Mongolian jungle tiger, and a Somali war orphan to feed
                   it with.  -John
                   \_ this is funny.  - motd humor critic
                      \_ no it's not.  John is not as funny as the anonymous
                         motd comic.  -amc #1 fan
                         \_ Yes he is. amc, what have you done for me lately?

1/9     Merc review of Top Dog: 'The best dog in San Jose'
        http://csua.org/u/5hx

1/9     What have you done with your old 5.25" floppies?
        Or even your 3.5" ones?
        \_ coasters
        \_ Threw them away, keeping the ones that looked important.
           It's a shame you can't recycle floppies, CDs, or jewel cases in
           the normal way.
           \_Alameda county will take media: http://www.accrc.org/what.html
        \_ I installed a fdd in my linux box and I'm just about to
           dd image each floppy and keep all those images on disk
           or possible make a single CDROM of them all. then I'll
           destroy the floppies. They are not worth their weight.
           What's the best way to destroy them (w/o using the fdd)
           \_ Crack open the plastic shells, then cut the magnetic media into
              a long thin spiral.  Then thread the metal hubs onto string and
              make a mobile and hang it from the ceiling.  Oh sorry, I thought
              you said funnest.
        \_ They make a fun sleeve for a CD, if you can take the magnetic disk
           out and keep the plastic part surrounding it.