6/18    Is anybody else not able to log into their office account?
        My password is rejected.
        \_ It looks like ypserv crashed on scotch; I've restarted it.  Could
           you please try logging in again?  --mconst
           \_ It seems to be working now.  Thanks mconst!
        \_ REQUEST DENIED.

6/17    Someone asked me to write them a letter of recommendation. Is there a
        recommended cookie cutter formula like
        1. They did A, B, C. 2. They excelled at D. 3. They left for reason E?
        I've already asked the person to give me a list of the accomplishments
        that he would like me to focus on.
        \_ Academic or industry?  For managerial position or grunt work?  It
           matters.
           \_ industry grunt work.
              \_ Then you want to write something about what a good employee
                 they are, good team player, always on time, good contributor,
                 and always rose above the call of duty and how much you would
                 like to work with the person again.  Yes, lie if you like the
                 person and want them to get the job.
        \_ Google "writing letter of recommendation."  There are lots of
           resources out there for you.

6/18    Caucasian chicks are special. They are the cross between Greek
        goddesses and the Amazon Warrior. I am ready to do battle with
        them..
        \_ You need a chat with BDG.
        \_ Do you mean white girls, or those from the Caucass Mountains?
           \_ I like Big Butts and I cannot lie!
              \_ You other brothas can't deny...

6/18    Is this a good game? http://www.atari.com/axisandallies/us/thegame.php
        \_ It looks pretty in the demo movie and they claim historically
           accurate equipment, etc, but combat itself looks like the standard
           RTS "crank em out, rope em in, send em into enemy base, repeat
           until victory".  Not that that is a bad thing.  I like games like
           that but I don't see anything super original here.  The RTS genre
           hasn't changed in many years.
        \_ It looks interesting, but it also looks suspiciously like WarCraft
           with different units.
           \_ If you want a game which approximates the combat of the era
              better than the obviously stupid RTS model, check out the
              Combat Mission games. -- ilyas
              \_ I like RTS games but they're really best with fantastic
                 weapons, special units, etc.  The ones where they try to be
                 historically accurate always suck because it pisses me off
                 when stupid AI destroys the realism.  Like why is my American
                 soldier just standing there and not running for cover when he
                 sees a German tank coming up the road firing at him?  Why
                 does the Japanese soldier shoot at the APC with a rifle while
                 5 US marines casually stroll up next to him and kill him at
                 point blank?  ARGH!
                 \_ It's true.  Combat Mission is really fun against another
                    human though.  It is also RTS, but not like Starcraft.
                      -- ilyas
           \_ What are some of the original RTS'? Were Dune II and
              Warcraft RTS'?
              \_ yes.
              \_ Yeah, I think Dune 2 was the first one of its type.
              \_ After Dune II, there was Warcraft and Command & Conquer.  WC
                 was all about a small number of units with special powers for
                 some of them.  C&C was about piles and piles of rock/paper/
                 scissors units, building as many of each type as possible and
                 flooding the enemy base with them.
           \_ You should check out Rise of Nations.  It combines a lot
              of elements from Turn based strategy games into RTS. RoN
              rocks!!  It has completely changed the RTS genre.  It is
              THE BEST RTS out there right now.
              Gamespot Review: http://csua.org/u/7tc
              \_ RoN was ok.  Where does the turn based part come in?  Did I
                 miss some vital part of the game?
                 \_ Borders, Attrition in enemy territory, no running
                    out of resources (rather commerce limits), cannot
                    destroy cities (you assimilate your opponents
                    cities).  Single player RoN is very good, but in
                    multiplayer games is where it really shines. Gone
                    are the days where you can rush your opponent and
                    crush (although it is fun), you can choose to have
                    a peace period in the beginning where no one can
                    attack another.  You can also win the game by
                    other means than crushing your opponent by expanding your
                    nation's presense (territory victory) or create
                    multiple wonders and achieve a wonder victory. I
                    can go on, but I'll stop here.
                    \_ I think we have a different idea of what turn based
                       implies.  If I can't stop and think about my move for a
                       few minutes and beat my enemy with superior strategy
                       rather than tactics then it isn't turn based, imo.
              \_ Did anyone ever play Robosport? That was one of my favorite
                 games of all time? Unfortunately, I can't get OS X to run it
                 because the ROM I have only works for 16 color mode.
                 \_ I couldn't get the playable demo to run on my PC.  There
                    was some stupid activation issue and I guess their server
                    is permanently down or something.
        \_ Gamespot Preview: http://csua.org/u/7t5
        \_ Looks cool but I can't imagine being able to finish a game.
           5 players, multiple battles each turn,  1 RTS game within each battle.
           5 players, multiple battles each turn,  1 RTS game within each
           battle. [formatd]
           it's going to take days to finish a game.

6/18    I've read a few message boards and articles from professional black
        jack players who make it seem like their only problem with making
        unlimited cash is getting kicked out of casinos.  It was my
        understanding that even with 'perfect play', the odds are still in
        favor of the house slightly and thus over time a player is going to
        lose money just like the average shlump, just slower.  How are these
        guys making money playing a game that doesn't favor them in the long
        term?  Of course they don't tell you how unless you buy their book.
        I'm just curious, I don't want to buy someone's $99 book.
        \_ With a contant size bet and perfect play, the odds are against
           you in most versions of blackjack and you will eventually go
           broke.  The key in counting cards is to bet lots of money when
           there are many high cards in the deck (this is when you have
           the advantage) and bet as little as possible otherwise.  By
           varying your bet based on the count, you can consistently make
           money.  The tricky part is (1) counting cards effectively enough
           that you don't get flustered by the lights and the action and
           make an error and (2) concealing from the casions that you are
           counting.  I've read that even one mistake an hour is enoough
           to destroy the benefit of counting.  Check out a book from the
           library for more info.  I recommend "Blackjack your way to
           riches" by Canfield as a readable intro.  -emin
           \_ Estimated edge for most systems are 1-1.5%. Conditions might
              raise that to 2%. One mistake an hour will wipe your profit.
              See http://www.faqs.org/faqs/gambling-faq/blackjack for an
              See http://www.faqs.org/faqs/gambling-faq/blackjack for an
              intro to basic strategy and simple counting systems.

6/18    New army combat uniform:
        http://www4.army.mil/ocpa/read.php?story_id_key=6042

6/18    Bear killed in Hospital:
        http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3818747.stm

6/18    Still need a Gmail invite?  Email me. -dgies
        \_ OK, they're gone for now.  More should come later.
        \_ you realize that you can make $40 a pop on eBay right?
           \_ They're going for more like $5.  And I'd feel like a jerk for
              charging for what I got for free. -dgies
              \_ If only hookers felt the same way....
                 \_ But I can't catch a virus by giving you gmail.
                    \_ but I can by getting it from you.
                       \_ USE LINUX!
        \_ Next time you could give them to the troops:
           http://www.wilwheaton.net/mt/archives/cat_computers.php

6/18    Reagan's cyber-war:
        http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2004/0426/feat-strange-04-26-04.asp
        \_ The same sort of tech-theft and crap is going on now, but with
           China instead of Russia.
           \_ Why do you hate China?
              \_ MSG gives me a headache.
                 \_ MSG is Japanese, not Chinese.
                    \_ Why do you hate Japan?
        \_ huh huh, turns out US owns the French a big favor.
        \_ Here it is.  Direct action from Regean's Security Policy Directive
           #75.  http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/nsdd/nsdd-075.htm

6/18    Russian intel on Iraq, Bush polling data re: Reagan, Iraq, 9/11.
        The polling data (yahoo link) shouldn't be a big surprise to anyone.
        This is the first I've heard of the Russian intel (first link, myway):
        http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040618/D839DV0O1.html
        http://tinyurl.com/2zrg8 (news.yahoo.com)
        \_ It seems grudgingly given.  "Hey Putin, my man, back the ol'
           Dubya up, will ya'?"
           \_ Putin has to be the most cynical and venal of all politicians.
              You can practically hear the greenbacks changing hands.
              \_ Would either of you like to quote Putin being grudging or
                 cynical in this article?
                 \_ On the "grudingly given" front, dewd, do you really need
                    to be told?
                    \_ Why do you ask?  Yes.  I need to be told.  It would
                       have been easier for you just to answer instead of
                       pretending to be smart.  My father always said no one
                       likes a smartass.  He was right.
                       \_ The issue here, is that IMO, it would have been
                          easier for you to think.  I don't think you need
                          your father to tell you that.  And I don't feel
                          like answering to you, and that's my prerogative.
                          \_ Jesus Christ, just answer the guy's question or
                             shut the fuck up.  It's not that hard if you
                             actually have anything to say.
                          \_ Ok, so it wasn't grudingly given.  Thanks for
                             playing.
                    \_ Yes, you really do need to back up your assertions if
                       you want to be taken seriously.
              \_ I'm really curious where you guys are getting your feel
                 for Putin.  Are there some websites I can check out?
                 \_ Cue Ilya, re: Russian politicians.
                    \_ I meant aside from the fact the Russian
                       politicians are always venal.  Russia would have
                       been the greatest power in the world from 300 years
                       ago, if they could ever figure out how to govern
                       themselves.
                       \_ What's this have to do with Putin and his alleged
                          grudging statements in the URL?  What you say is
                          probably true but not on topic.
                    \_ I meant aside from the fact the Russian politicians
                       are always venal.  Russia would have been the
                       greatest power in the world from 300 years ago, if
                       they could ever figure out how to govern themselves.
                       \_ What does this have to do with Putin or the URL?
                       \_ It also might help if the Russian men came out
                          of the bars now and then.
                          \_ Bars?  You confused man.  'Bars' are a western
                             europe thing. -- ilyas
                             \_ In Soviet Russia, party comes to YOU!
                                \_ In Soviet Russia, vodka consumes YOU!
                                     -- ilyas
                \_ As the majority of Russians would attest, Putin is probably
                   the best President/Ruler Russia ever had after a centuries
                   long succession of drunkards, incompetents, and tyrants.
                   Back to the topic, it is a well known fact that Bush and
                   Putin have become good friends and like each other a lot.
                   Have you noticed they have been seeing each other about
                   every two months in the recent times?

6/18    So what do google use to store all the shit they archive?
        HD? Tape? Enlighten me...
        \_ googlefs

6/18    AH-64 Apache engineer beheaded and photos uploaded with head placed
        on his back.
        \_why dont you so called hackers destroy their islamic websites?
          \_ why don't you so-called nationalist hawks destroy their ability
             to wage war on us?
             \_ Workin' on it.
             \_ working on it.  what have you done for the country lately?
                \_ great! and by "working on it" i suppose you mean supporting
                   a president who lied to the american people and the world
                   to divert our military efforts from fighting terrorism to
                   carrying out a war of personal vengance in iraq?
                   good for you! keep wasting time at your sysadmin job while
                   posting to the motd and freerepublic and we'll have those
                   islamists under control in no time!
                   \_ Nearly all Republicans think Dubya did it to protect
                      America, not as a matter of "personal vengeance".
                      \_ Since 50% of Americans think Saddam Hussein conspired
                         with Al-Qaeda, a lot of Republicans are misinformed,
                         to say the least.
                         \_ ... could be half Democrats, half Republican.
                            Anyway, the far more believable scenario is Bush
                            not being tall enough to cut through the crap and
                            seeing that there was no WMD threat, in spite of
                            Cheney/Wolfowitz/Rumsfeld/the CIA/Chalabi.
                            \_ Assuming Republicans are at least as likely to
                               believe the lies of a Republican administration
                               as Democrats, then 50% of Republicans are
                               misinformed.
                               \_ I already said that
                         \_ Well, the 9/11 commission is in that 50%.  Not
                            conspired to commit 9/11, but there were many
                            Iraq-Al Qaeda links.
                            \_ They said there is no credible evidence of a
                               collaborative relationship between Iraq and
                               Al Qaeda.  "Links" means Al Qaeda formally
                               requested Iraqi support, and Iraq never
                               responded.
          \_ Point me to some Islamic Websites to take down.  (No
             Al-jezzera)
             \_ in progress.  you let them get strong enough that it's going
                to take a while.
        \_ the beheading is part of terrorist's propaganda campaign.
           should the media keep on hyping this event?

12/31   What does Dubya mean?

6/18    Has anyone tried renting a car for one way? Is it more expensive?
        It is relatively easy?
        \_ They usually add a separate drop-off charge, which is a one time
           fee and not a daily charge.  But I believethe cost is related to
           the distance between the two places and market conditions(are the
           pickup and dropoff places in popular destinations?  Then it'll be
           cheaper than if you were dropping it off at some boonie place.)
           \_ It is usually a *lot* more expensive, because the drop-off
              charge is often high.

6/18    CNN The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) resolution, submitted
        by three European powers -- France, Germany and Britain ... In harsh
        language, the resolution approved by the 35-member board of
        governors of the IAEA "deplores" that "Iran's cooperation has not
        been as full, timely and proactive as it should have been," and
        notes "with concern that after almost two years" since Iran's
        undeclared program came to light, "a number of questions remain
        outstanding." ... it states it is essential for Iran to deal with
        issues "within the next few months."
        The irony is that Dubya will probably get credit for this (building
        a coalition, Iran will probably back down, and the U.S. will avoid
        using force).
        \_ Why should Iran back down?  "Ooh, please don't hit me with that
           strong language again!"
           \_ Compare and contrast:
              Iraq -
              Other nations:  Iraq is contained, there is no smoking gun
              U.S.:  Iraq has WMD and may give them to Al Qaeda
              Iran -
              Other nations:  Iran looks like it wants nukes, and we will stop
                              them.
              U.S.  Iran looks like it wants nukes, and we will stop them.
              \_ It's all rhetoric so far.  What happens when Iran says
                 "Pppphhhhhpppt!"?
                 \_ You're entitled to your analysis, but mine is still that
                    the other countries are all on-board, Iran will probably
                    back down, and Dubya will probably get credit.

6/18    can anyone suggest what software to use to make a 3 foot by 6 foot
        poster?  powerpoint is frustrating for stuff like this, illustrator
        seems to become somewhat broken when your file is this big with
        a lot of images, and latex seems like the wrong tool for the job.  i
        already have my graphics as seperate files, i just need to do layout
        and put some text on, but i'd like to be able to work in real units.
        tia.

6/18    WHY DO YOU HATE AMERICA?
        What's the matter. Are you sick of people using the one quote
        you have against liberals and turning it into a joke?
        \_ What quote?  I didn't even know it was against liberals.  I never
           "got it".  You toss it around at random so it never means anything.
           \_ Are you fucking blind? "Why do you hate America?" is the most
              overused attack either on the motd and in the FoxNews media.
              That, followed by "Why do you support terrorists?"
              \_ On the motd it isn't an attack.  It's just spewed around at
                 random.  Maybe you thought it was some bit of cleverness.  I
                 am simply stupid because as I already said, I never got it.
                 I've *never* heard the line from any Fox media outlet or
                 any other place in the world outside the motd.  Has the motd
                 become a Fox media outlet?
                 \_ This post, just one week after 9/11:
                    9/19    Another one for the America haters
                            http://www.FreeRepublic.com/forum/a3ba89ffd1b40.htm
                    \_ That's it??!!  A single motd post from 9/19/2001 with a
                       freeper URL?  *That* is the source of all america
                       hatred??
                       \_ No, I'm not talking about the source of all
                          "america hatred" but the accusations of others
                          hating America when they never admitted to it.
                          Go do your own homework. I'm not going to look
                          up all the motd entries for you. But just in case
                          you're too lazy, here's another one
                          7/4 Happy 4th of July!  (even to you America haters)
        \_ WHY ASK WHY?

6/18    Reality show application:
        http://www.cbs.com/info/user_services/application2.shtml

6/18    Has anybody looked at gmail's javascript library?  Is that the root
        of all the cool functionality, or is there some other tech behind
        it?

6/18    Laura San Giacomo is hot!
        \_ not really.  she's kind of weird looking with a touch of girl-next-
           door.
        \_ s/is\(.*\)\!/was\1 15 years ago\!/
        \_ who?
        \_ stop staring at her jugs and look up at her face.
           \_ Her jugs more than compensates for her face.
           \_ Her jugs and her petite body more than compensate for her face.
              \_ There are lots of big tits around attached to better faces.
                 Better tits, too.
                 \_ Plus petite body?  Big tits on Amazon women don't count.
        \_ http://csua.org/u/7ti
                    \_ Oh so you want a chick with average face, big tits and
                       anorexic?  Can't be too hard to find.  Check out the
                       'anna' message boards.
                       \_ Big tits and small body.  A 6' anorexic woman is
                          still big.
        \_ link:csua.org/u/7sn
           \_ Oh, how could I have forgotten Eva Sonnet?
        \_ She's aged well. Wasn't she in the incredible lightness of
           being? (1980's?)
           \_ Like my old shoes aged well.

6/18    Alright, dear motd spy program guy, which idiot is not obeying
        80 columns per row? Can we please make a petition to squish? There
        hasn't been a SQUISHFEST since the 90s. We need to teach these
        bastards a lesson so that they will preserve the spirit of our
        sacred motd.
        \_ You don't like the idea?  It reduces the number of badly
           wrapped lines.
           \_ set it to 85 because a lot of times it wraps only a char or 2
        \_ dear sodans and politburo. People think that editting motd is
           a right, but we need to make it clear that it is a privileage
           that one should treat with respect and consideration for
           others. Therefore, I propose the following amendment to
           others. Therefore, I proposition the following amendment to
           our constitution, and ACT upon it ASAP. Add to the list
           as you see fit.
           -Person not obeying 80 columns/row should be squished for
           -Person obeying 80 columns/row should be squished for
            1 week. Repeated offender will be squished for 1 year.
           -Person modifying motd should be squished for 1 month.
           -Person nuking motd should be squished for 2 months.
            Repeated offender should be be squished forever.
           -Person changing a word or two to "make it funny" should
           -Person making funny demands like this one should
            be squished for 1 month.
           -Person caught posting to the motd regularly will be forced to
            waste hours of time while at work engaging in childish flamewars
            and being mercilessly mocked by their fellow cal alumni for
            one month.
            \_ "modifying motd = squish for 1 month"?  I don't think you're
               saying what you think you're saying.  As for the rest, 1) you
               need to prove it which is often just not worth the effort and
               2) who wants to have endless meetings and appeals over the
               motd?  I want the motd to be a place where people can discuss
               things and I don't like it when people screw up the motd, but
               squishing them for it?
            \_ I don't think anyone on the current politburo even reads
               the motd.
               \_ they're way smarter than us, then.
                \_ in the good 'ol days the politburo read the motd and
                   squished anyone in the way of preserving the motd values.
                   I guess the current politburo SUCKS. We need to squish
                   a few scapegoats so that others will obey.
        \_ What's the reason for the 80-column limit?  I personoally like it
           since I set all my xterms to 80 columns, but I don't see an excuse
           to force everyone else to agree with me.  -- yuen
           \_ Because 80 columns is an ancient terminal width standard.  If
              you violate it, it fucks up the format for most readers.
              \_ So why not add an extra 6 characters?
                 \_ Because it will wrap around to the next line, eh?
                    And look like shit, eh?
                    And people will deleted your posts for being annoying, eh?
                    And people will delete your posts for being annoying, eh?

6/18    Bubba whines:
        Clinton wrote that he came to learn that his upbringing had made
        certain things more difficult for him than for other people, and
        that he was particularly prone to self-destructive behavior when he
        was tired, angry or feeling lonely.
        Give me a fucking break, Bill.
        \_ Why do you hate ex-America?
        \_ You are such a big strong manly Neocon. Can I suck your cock now,
           please?
           \_ Your cock is so BIG and TAX FREE! -Ann Coulter
           \_ It doesn't take a Neocon to call "bullshit!" when shit stinks.
              \_ In fact, most Neocons are so desensitized to the smell that
                 they hardly ever call bullshit when it's appropriate.
        \_ You forget what he says in his 60 Minutes interview:
           "I'm not making any excuses. I have no excuse and as far as I'm
            able to explain it to myself, here's my explanation: ..."
           \_ which really just means, "i did it because i wanted to and just
              didn't give a flying fuck about anyone else".
              \_ Contrast this to GWB who does give a flying fuck about
                 anyone else?
                 \_ That's an opinion.  You could slap that charge on anyone
                    in power in any country at any time.  Policy is different
                    from personal failure.
                    \_ In other words, when it comes to national policy, it's
                       okay not to "give a flying fuck about anyone else"
                       but when it comes to personal matters, it isn't.
                       That makes sense.
                 \_ GWB can believably say he is acting to protect America.
                    Clinton has no defense for Monica deep-throating him.
              \_ He actually said:  "I did something for the worst possible
                 reason. Just because I could. I think that's just about the
                 most morally indefensible reason anybody could have for doing
                 anything."  Which echoes what you wrote, but he said it
                 before you just did.
                 Your thesis is Bill is making excuses.  Bill says pretty
                 clearly, "I have no excuse", but he is providing some kind
                 of explanation:  "Because I could", etc.
                 It's how you apologize.  You say you fucked up, then you
                 explain why in the world you did.
                 \_ I didn't have a thesis.  I only wrote the 2 lines above.
                    Anyway, having or not having an excuse really doesn't
                    matter.  Some behaviour is inexcusable and if he was really
                    all that sorry about it, he could have apologized years ago
                    without earning $10m off a book to do it.  I wish I could
                    get $10m for writing a book about how I cheated on my wife
                    just because, for no particular reason, really meaning
                    that I'm just an asshole.  Can any asshole get $10m for
                    cheating on his wife and not having a reason?
                    \_ All right, then I challenge the thesis from the
                       original post.
                       As for the $10 mill, it's your right to think that
                       he's only apologizing for 10 million dollars and
                       royalties.
                       \_ There is no 'thesis' in the original post except
                          that Billy is whining, which is pretty obvious.
                          \_ Are you op?  If you are, good.
                             "Whining" and "Give me a fucking break, Bill"
                             clearly implies the poster thinks Bill is making
                             excuses.  I am pointing out that Clinton has said
                             he has no excuse for Monica blowing him.
                             \_ So why is he still whining?
                       \_ Oh yeah, I forgot he gets royalties for being an
                          asshole, too.  The $10m was 'just' the advance.
                    \_ Hillary is reason enough to cheat. It's between the
                       two of them anyway. Sex isn't evil.

6/18    Ronald Prescott Reagan:  "My father never felt the need to wrap
        himself in anybody else's mantle or pretend to be anybody else. I
        don't know what's wrong with these people -- they have to keep
        invoking him. It is their administration, their war. If they can't
        stand on their own two feet, they're no Ronald Reagans, for sure."
        \_ Why does Reagan's son hate America?
           \_ RR's gay son loves his dead father.
              \_ Is he actually out?  Or is it just assumed that he's gay?
                 \_ A WORLD EXCLUSIVE!  MICHAEL REAGAN 'OUTTED' ON CSUA MOTD!

6/18    Going to Arizona, what are some cool places to visit?
        \_ The Grand Canyon.  Do not let anyone talk you out of going.  The
           grandeur is overwhelming, especially at sunset.
                \_ http://csua.com/?entry=10510
        \_ Stay indoor to stay cool.  Arizona is quite hot this time of year.
        \_ TPC Scotsdale, great golf course.
        \_ what do you want to do/see?  There are many National Parks there.
        \_ Sedona is nice. Arizona is a big state, though. From Monument
           Valley to Bisbee is a long way! *WHERE* in Arizona? Flagstaff?
           Tucson? Phoenix?
        \_ Scottsdale Gun Range. You can rent a G36, Glock 18, MP5, UMP, P90
           all real, all full auto. None of that airsoft crap.
           \_ what the hell does that have to do with Arizona?  Why not go
              to a movie theater while you're at it?
              \_ have you tried to rent a fully auto gun at a range in
                 california?
        \_ Meteor Crater:
           http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/images/meteorcrater.html

6/18    When renting a car is it necessary to buy their insurance if
        you already have auto insurance?
        \_ The insurance on your regular car rolls over to your rentals, at
           least with GEICO.
        \_ Your credit card might cover you.
        \_ for international, it might not.
        \_ no. they just trying to sell you something you don't really need
        \_ For liability, no. For collision, yes, if you want to be
           covered. Like someone else said, some credit cards cover this.
           Collision coverage stays with the vehicle covered.
        \_ Some credit cards include collision. You should research this.

6/18    What's going on with http://soda.csua.berkeley.edu?  Email keeps bouncing
        back because soda refuses connection from scotch.
        \_ My daily spam seems to make it thru ok.

6/18    What's the best way to ship a motorcycle from LA to Berkeley?
        \_ Borrow or rent a pick-up truck.
        \_ Ride it up Highway 1.  (If it works, of course....)
           \_ to minimize pain, I-5. Less time, less butt pain.
              \_ Depends on the bike.  If it doesn't have decent wind
                 protection, I-5 is gonna be a PITA.
                 \_ Do you mean for frontal/road wind, or side winds?
                    (And if the latter, how do you protect from that?)
                        \_ Frontal/road wind.
                           \_ and bugs!
                              \_ grin and save money on lunch.
              \_ If you want to go fast, 5's your answer.  But why not take
                 in the incredible view along 1 instead?

6/18    What's your favorite fanless firewire 3.5" HDD enclosure?  I want
        something high quality. I just ordered a CoolMaxUSA CD-309-FW and
        the quality sucks. As far as I can see, there is nothing mechanical
        holding the HDD onto the ATA connector
        \_ http://csua.org/u/702
           3.5" hard drive, this one is USB 2.0 and FireWire.  I got one last
           week and it works fine with my Hitachi 160 GB.  Read the user
           reviews.  90% tool-less, convenient to swap HDs if you want,
           light-weight, no fan, and space efficient is nice.  The one with
           the neon lights blocks the air vents.  For me the main issue is
           that it uses a power brick.  It does use two screws on the bottom
           to secure the HD, which I think is fine.
           \_ I am very happy with mine, and I coughed up the extra $3 for the
              neon lights.  Its great for mood lighting my room.
              Its true about the air vents tho it hasn't gotten THAT hot.
              I have a 250gb drive in mine, and I like it way better than
              my other enclosure with a fan because that one gets pretty loud.
              I don't think you can get around having a power brick.
              \_ no power brick:  See the pic for the coolmax.
        \_ When you're hard, it's only 3.5"?
           \_ Yeah, but it's 7200RPM!
              \_ vibrate at 7200RPM! and has neon light.
                 \_ plus subwoofer and oversized spoiler.
           \_ Do all the connections maintain quality if you wiggle them?
        \_ 7200 RPM HDDs can get pretty hot, and high temperatures typically
           reduce the lifespan of the drive.  A fan helps a lot...

6/18    [reposted] What is the best software to use for making large posters?
        I have found that Illustrator goes crazy when you have too large a file
        with too many bitmaps imported, and obviously powerpoint kind of sucks.
        It's been suggested that i use latex, but that seems like a silly way
        to do graphical layout.  i  don't object to buying expensive software
        (i won't be paying for it) but I want to know what the *right*
        software is.
        \_ talk to someone at Kinko's. They'd know.

6/18    New York Times 1998: Bin Laden and Iraq Made a Deal
        NY Times 2004: No Al Qaeda Iraq Connection
        http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1155977/posts
        \_ what kind of link?  the US originally passed billions
           in weapons and supplies to afghanistan via pakistan
           in the 80s, i'm sure some of it ended up with al-queda.  so
           we have a link to al-queda.  should we torture ourselves?
           \_ what?  huh?  what does the us giving weapons to the anti-soviet
              forces have to do with Iraq today or in 1998?
              \_ it has nothing to do with iraq.  it has everything to do
                 afghanistan and the early stages of the forming of
                 al-queda.
        \_ It's the NYT.  They have an agenda.  They push their agenda.
           Everyone knows it.  Why bother stating the obvious all the time?
           \_ What kind of agenda are they pushing if they're not even
              consistent among themselves?
              \_ It is very consistent.  In 1998 Clinton needed support for
                 his bombing campaign and distraction from his other issues
                 so there's this big link and deals are made and the NYT is
                 there as the big fly on the wall.
                 In 2004, Bush is the President so suddenly there was never
                 any connection.  Agenda.  See?  All the news that's fit to
                 print and fits the agenda.
        \_ 9/11 comission says link: http://csua.org/u/7tl
           Chairman Thomas Kean has confirmed: "There were contacts between
           Iraq and al-Qaeda, a number of them, some of them a little shadowy.
           They were definitely there."
           Following news stories, Vice Chairman Lee Hamilton said he did not
           understand the media flap over this issue and that the commission
           does not disagree with the administration's assertion that there
           were connections between al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein's government.
           \_ Links, but no credible evidence of a collaborative relationship.
              \_ There's a shitload of evidence of a collaborative relation-
                 ship.  What there isn't is proof either way that Iraq was or
                 was not involved in 9/11.
                 \_ Dude, you should really stop parroting Cheney's line:
                    "We just don't know."  "No credible evidence", "no
                    convincing evidence" works much better.
                    \_ Anyone who could read a newspaper or URL was aware of
                       the truth before Cheney said it.  Should I invent my
                       own truth just so I'm not saying the same thing as him?
                       The truth it the truth.  You've said nothing to dispute
                       what I said.
        \_ Hey loser, the NY Times was reporting on what the 9/11 commission
           said.  The NY Times did err in having the headline "No Iraq-Al
           Qaeda link", but in the lead paragraph, they say, "no credible
           evidence of a collaborative relationship".  They shouldn't have
           pushed it, when they already had something good.
           They served it right up for Cheney and the Republican spin machine.
           \_ It isn't spin if you're correcting a media error.  That's called
              being right.
              \-I think this discussion is largely pointless without some
                threashold for what "involvement" involves ... otherwise you
                can claim there is a link between 9-11 and 7-11 because
                Md Atta bought a Super Big Gulp one night. For example,
                France denied overfly rights when the US went to bomb Libya.
                How does that compare to the level of support given to AQ
                w.r.t. to 9/11. I think you need to keep it focused to 9/11
                because if you just use the general standard of support of
                assorted terrorist groups, well then we've known about that
                all along [e.g. Abu Nidal] and it sort of seemed an expedient
                case of being "shocked, shocked". Keep in mind, the "western
                powers" have certainly harbored their share of thugs ...
                from Noreiga and the US, to the many African thugs and
                criminals with their "palaces" or hotel suites in various
                European capitals [Paris, Brussels, London], or on the Cote
                d'Azur. --psb
                \_ Moral equiv.  Good move.

6/18    Does anybody have experience with setting up a small wiki server on
        a win2k machine (possibly using Cygwin)?

6/18    Goddammit! What is up with soda's spam blocking??? 50 German messages
        in a day! Didn't happen last week!
        \_ you only got 50?  lucky you.  i'm getting 300/day...
           \_ Try saving a bunch of them (at least 50) to a file, and run
              sa-learn --mbox --spam filename
        \_ and I'm getting them at work now...
        \_ Forward all of them to uce@ftc.gov.

6/18    Ilyas will probably end up like this dude:
        http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200406/s1135562.htm
        \_ In high school someone told me I ll end up starting my own cult.
             -- ilyas
        \_ w00t!
        \_ I think you mean Geordan.