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2004/8/16 [Uncategorized] UID:32916 Activity:nil |
8/15 anyone used Dspam? I was going to install it, but "they" seem not to have renewed their domain (http://www.nuclearelephant.com doesn't exactly inspire confidence. |
2004/8/16 [Politics/Domestic/President/Bush] UID:32918 Activity:high 80%like:32924 |
8/15 Why does Bush refuse to release his military records? \_ yermom's record is she's a slut \_ yer reaching. \_ Maybe he's waiting until a few days before election to make the best use of it. That is, if there's nothing wrong with his records. \_ if Nixon had immediately released the tapes, even with editing for "national security interests", chances are that he could have survived Watergate. But instead, he delayed and temporized encouraging the belief (which just happened to be true anyway) that there was a coverup. \_ But nowadays, the media are compliant lapdogs. Just look at formerly hallowed institution of the WaPo, who brought down Nixon. Now they have to run apologies after the fact for their lazy and dishonest WMD reporting. So its in Bush's best interest just to sit on anything he has that's embarrassing, because the media will quickly get bored and return to Bennifer or Laci Peterson or whatever else sells papers and increases ratings. \_ And Kerry's as well for his records but no one asks for those from a man who is running solely on his 4 months of duty on a swiftboat. |
2004/8/16 [Politics/Domestic/Election] UID:32919 Activity:high |
8/15 Excellent! The motd has been stripped of anything interesting enough to inspire more than a single reply. That leaves us all-clear to really get it going! (2 points to Ulysses for the 'resume bombing' comment because sometimes you gotta work with what ya got). \_ There are two groups responsible for this: jive ass motherfucker republicans who post exactly the *same* kerry/swiftboat troll every fucking day, and five ass motherfucer republicans who every fucking day, and five ass motherfucker republicans who like to come in every morning at about 9 am pacific time and delete everything they think is "noise," i.e. almost all politics and most humor. After weeks and weeks of this eventually people stop posting *or* reading since there'll be nothing interesting, and if there is, it'll get deleted by a certain someone within an hour. \_ yermom is useful when stripped \_ is it ecchang? \_ w00t! It's all the republican's fault! \_ *laugh* Anything bad: must be republican. Anything republican: must be bad. I love you guys! BTW, where's the script that tracks motd edits by political party? Does it check the voter registration records in real time or just one per election season? |
2004/8/16 [Politics/Domestic/Election] UID:32920 Activity:very high 66%like:32935 |
8/16 Why is the swiftboat troll so persistent? \_ 3 wounds and you get to go home, Kerry got 3 purple hearts for 3 scratches and got to go home, but also made himself and video taped himself to appear like Kennedy in his reenactments of his wounds. Also, Xmas in Cambodia depends on your definition of "seered" \_ If you were in Vietnam and realized that the war was a mistake (after the burning villages, the carpet bombing, the fact that four times as many civilians were dying as enemy soldiers, etc.), you'd be happy to get three scratches for three purple hearts. You'd still do your job right while you were there, and when you left, even after four short months, you wouldn't be a coward. As for Christmas in Cambodia, his people said he got the date wrong. \_ Stop with the "four short months". He did two tours. \_ if the dumb fuck doesnt know when Xmas is, then he shouldn't be our president \_ Troll. He never said he didn't know when Christmas was, he said he didn't know what day it happened. \_ it was "seered" in his mind that it was Xmas \_ it was a "life changing" moment in his life, so much so that he talked about it in front of Congress so much so that he doesn't know what day xmas is? \_ I believe it is an exaggerated war story. His people have since said he was near Cambodia during Christmas, and in Cambodia in January. In his mind, he thought, what the hey, I was doing the missions, I was in Cambodia under fire from both sides, and it makes a better story to say Christmas. \_ That's fine if you're telling it to your grandkids. But don't you think telling it to congress under oath is kinda dumb? \_ Only if you were testifying on precise dates of when U.S. soldiers were in Cambodia. \_ So lying is ok as long as you weren't asked a direct question on the subject? Okie Dokie! \_ I don't think this is lying, just as much as people say GW Bush is a liar. Kerry was mistaken, and at worst, exaggerated -- lying is something else. Bush was mistaken, and at worst, misled the American people. \_ Getting an unimportant detail (the exact date) wrong does not make you a liar. It may make you sloppy or forgetful, but not a liar. \_ I have nothing against people trying to get out of 'nam. Just don't act like some kind of hero because of it. \_ It still hasn't been documented he even went to Cambodia. \_ Hell, we still say we never had ANY troops in cambodia. \_ I don't have a problem with Kerry using the 3-purple-heart rule. I think there are some legitimate questions about it that haven't been answered, and I get irritated that most of the responses are to (1) label it as a troll and dismiss it, or (2) use a strawman argument. -emarkp \_ The first time it was posted, it was interesting. I'll even grant a second and a third time. However, the repeated posting of a topic without any new information simply for the purposes of encouraging people to yell at one another is textbook trolling. \_ i keep posting it to show how vicious and vile the extreme right can be, sorry \_ Why do you hate America? \_ It isn't extreme if it's true. \_ Because they ask a lot of unanswered questions. Censoring them won't make the questions go away. It only makes it look like Kerry has a critical weakness you're trying to hide. I assume you're the one who censors it given your comment. I've never posted a swiftboat link and haven't seen that many. I think you spend too much time on this. \_ when did you stop beating your wife? \_ I think you meant to ask the OP this. \_ Because work is boring. |
2004/8/16 [Computer/SW/Languages/Java] UID:32921 Activity:nil |
8/16 Does anyone know how to turn off Java automatic garbage collection on java version "1.4.2_01" Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.4.2_01-b06) Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.4.2_01-b06, mixed mode) ? -noasyncgc is no longer supported. |
2004/8/16 [Politics, Academia/Berkeley/CSUA/Troll] UID:32922 Activity:nil |
8/16 http://LastWishes.com discuss \_ yermom \_ What is wrong with it? It's a kind program. \_ I was thinking about this the other day-- does soda have any policy regarding dead members? Can I elect someone to get my home dir upon my untimely demise? \_ "This is the biggest con since Genghis!" |
2004/8/16 [Uncategorized] UID:32923 Activity:nil |
8/16 Chavez declared winner in Venezuela referendum: link:csua.org/u/8lu (NYTimes, csuamotd/csuamotd) OTOH, opponents say electronic voting machines tampered with. Anyone want to take bets on whether or not this is a precursor to the aftermath of the upcoming US election? \_ This isn't a third world banana republic like Venezuela. |
2004/8/16 [Politics/Domestic/Election] UID:32924 Activity:high 80%like:32918 |
8/16 Why does Kerry refuse to release his military records? \_ Why doesn't Kerry sic the FBI on protestors? \_ People always seem to be willing to discuss what Bush hasn't released his records. I was just wondering why the same standards don't apply to the war hero. Just because you don't like the question doesn't mean it's a troll. \_ that's stupid also. two idiocys don't cancel eachother out, especially when one is posted less than once a week and the other is posted more than once a day. \_ Agreed. The swiftboat troll may hold the record for persistence. \_ With enough money and stupidity behind them, these memes last forever. \_ NPR reports radio ads on "black" stations calling Kerry just another "rich, white man" and traced the money back to...a rich, white Republican. You gotta love it. I'd promote the Cynosure method of presidental election if only we could strip the executive branch of any real power.... \_ Yup, a rich white republican who has been active in the black community for decades, attends a black church every week for many years, etc. I'm sure you are more in touch with them than he is. \_ Of course is he. Democrats are always more in tune with the poor black man than any republican. |
2004/8/16 [Academia/Berkeley/CSUA/Troll] UID:32925 Activity:high |
8/16 Let's pool our resources and try to get the Bananasplit Troll a new job, so he doesn't have so much time on his hands. Either that or a RealDoll or something. \_ Isn't that making a deal with the terrorist? \_ Only if someone's afraid of the trolls. \_ Why do you hate trolls? |
2004/8/16 [Computer/SW/Editors] UID:32926 Activity:nil |
8/16 What are the pros/cons of using ctags/etags/cscope? ok thx. |
2004/8/16 [Uncategorized] UID:32927 Activity:insanely high |
8/16 Why is John a Tom Holub lover? \_ why don't you ask yermom \_ Same reason you're a shit-eating knucklehead pillow biter fucknut. Genetics, I guess. -John \_ Americans, all guts, nothing else. \_ Guess that's why all the losers from the lesser nations want to move there. -John \_ Only losers like to move to America? Winners move to Europe? \_ I think you've misread John's comment rather badly. \_ The only thing they have in common is some odd sense of self righteousness about anonymity on the motd. I guess everyone needs a hobby. |
2004/8/16 [Uncategorized] UID:32928 Activity:nil |
8/16 Hey, whatever happened to that pizza delivery guy who was kidnapped and strapped into a bomb? Did they find the guy who did it? \_ http://csua.org/u/8m2 (dated Aug 11, 2004) \_ This is totally unrelated, but the site has a short registration before getting to the article. I wrote that I was a 61 year old woman from Kansas. Do they actually expect to get good results with this stuff? |
2004/8/16-19 [Computer/Companies/Google] UID:32929 Activity:high |
8/19 So when can Google be shorted? Is that possible already? What about options? \_ As soon as it starts trading. You can't short or option it when there's no price. \_ I thought the SEC imposes a waiting period. \_ Why do you think Google should be shorted? -tom \_ Very high P/E ratio, uncertain prospects for growth, and a lot of privately-held stock remaining to be sold. -!op \_ They have been trying their best to diversify, but YHOO is a veteran at this. At or below YHOO within 6 months. -!op \_ In what way is GOOG above YHOO now? -tom \_ share price, buzz, YHOO is time-tested \_ which is completely meaningless. -tom \_ to the knowledgable investor, which would be great in a market driven by said investors. \_ Here's some news for you: people who don't know the difference between share price and market cap are not the ones driving the market. -tom \_ is this how it should be, how it is, or somewhere in between? \_ Ask BRKA. -tom \_ don't ask an exception to the rule for objective advice. In any case, opening price is a big deal for IPOs. Otherwise there wouldn't be so many articles in major publications written about it. Follow your own axiom 1. I even feel stupid writing GOOG goes down because it wants to match YHOO, but I can't help but feel it will end up being true. \_ You feel stupid because it's a stupid thing to say. You want to bet on GOOG vs. YHOO? -tom \_ No, for personal reasons, I won't bet in this specific instance. (But I would still put money on YHOO vs. GOOG. And while I agree it *feels* like a "stupid thing to say", I still say it will probably end up being true.) \_ Okay, okay, you got me. P/E between YHOO and GOOG are similar. I thought they were different. I am lame. Revised, it doesn't make sense if GOOG drops below YHOO in share price -- it could happen, but only if investors are dumb *and* GOOD really messes it up. \_ Google treats options as an expense and books them as such. Yahoo does not. Want to run your numbers again, grasshopper? \_ Hey, I have no credibility now, stop bothering me. Go bother tom. \_ Short YHOO, too. They are both overvalued. \_ according to what metrics? \_ So forth and speculate. \_ This doesn't answer your q, but GOOG peaked a couple hours ago ... \_ A long slow peak at 104 and now settling around 100... \_ I say $80 within a week! $30 within six months! Rationale? GOOG wants to be at or below YHOO in price per shr. GOOG owners want GOOG to go up from $100, of course. \_ Care to put your money where your mouth is? \_ So when can Google be shorted? Is it possible already? \_ why don't you just try it? I personally lack the mindset for shorting. All the shorts I picked eventually turned out to be right (eg. shorted PMCS at above 20), but I always gave up too early. \_ You've got 30 (calendar) days to wait. Right now, I suspect that that the extra 20% of stocks that were held back from the IPO are going to slowly start flooding the market dropping the price. |
2004/8/16 [Politics/Domestic/President/Bush] UID:32930 Activity:high |
8/16 Washington Post columnist: "Who's the Flip-Flopper?" http://csua.org/u/8m1 "Bush would not negotiate with North Korea. He did. Flip-flop. Bush told the United Nations to butt out of Iraq. Now he wants it in. Flip-flop. ... But it is the areas in which Bush's convictions have not changed that are the most troubling, and this includes a religiosity that comforts him in his intellectual inertness and granite-like beliefs that are impervious to logic, such as his tax policy and his relentless march to war in Iraq." \_ In a nonpartisan spirit, I'd just like to mention how the timing of this sort of thing mirrors simple playground politics: "you're wishy-washy!" (wait wait wait) "no YOU are!" (*bell rings*) "damn." \_ Your characterization is significantly more cynical than "non-partisan". \_ In a nonpartisan spirit, I'd just like to mention how GW Bush is perhaps the most inarticulate U.S. President of the last century. Now here's the partisan spin by press secretary McClellan: "... just shows even the most straightforward and plain-spoken people misspeak. But the American people know this president speaks with clarity and conviction, and the terrorists know by his actions he means it." \_ Is our children learning? \_ "They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." \_ "Karen is with us, a West Texas girl, just like me!" \_ Either you or this columnist should really quote where it's clear that "Bush would not negotiate with NK" \_ I'll assume you're serious about this, and I won't need to quote. The Bush administration's whole stink was that Clinton negotiated and appeased; Bush would not, and would only expect NK to back down without any guarantee of foreign aid. Bush realized that he couldn't count on South Korea to side with him on an aggressive posture, and in the mean time, NK had probably built one or two nukes. Bush negotiated. |
2004/8/16 [Politics/Domestic/California, Politics/Domestic/911] UID:32931 Activity:high |
8/16 Orson Scott Card rambling book review/essay, that eventually comes to an interesting synthesis between republican and Democrat views on the war on terror. http://www.ornery.org/essays/warwatch/2004-08-08-1.html \_ Hi emarkp! \_ WRong, but nice try. -op \_ Indeed, I hadn't even seen this article yet (though I read the column, the current one was just posted). -emarkp \_ Wait, let me get my hat and my magic stones! \_ Hi aaron! \_ Hi ilyas! |
2004/8/16 [ERROR, uid:32932, category id '18005#14.1637' has no name! , ] UID:32932 Activity:nil |
8/16 Switching from the banana split stuff to Kerry's Senate record, see the actual legislation he's sponsored: http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docID=134 |
2004/8/16 [Recreation/Computer/Games, Politics/Foreign/Europe] UID:32933 Activity:very high |
8/16 Is it just me or do the Olympic Games in Greece this year seem to really suck? It seems like nobody is really interested in them and the stands are all empty. There doesn't seem to be a lot of promotion either. I remember the games back in 2000 sure seemed a bit more exciting. And it seems like the US, Germany, Russia, traditional Olympic powerhouses are really sucking this year. \_ The USA vs Puerto Rico basketball game was most exciting game! \_ Why do you hate America? \_ "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." \_ Did anyone notice that on the 'Al-Qaeda hard drive' they refered to the CIA and Mossad as 'Foreign Competitors'? \_ I don't get your point. \_ It would be more exciting if something blew up. \_ I'd be interested except I hate the coverage. I don't have a Tivo so it's basically unwatchable. It feels like half the time is spent with commercials, theme music, and random commentators. |
2004/8/16 [Politics/Domestic/California, Politics/Foreign/MiddleEast/Iraq, Finance/Investment] UID:32934 Activity:nil |
8/16 Yermom: discuss \_ Yo mama so dumb she thinks posting the same troll every day for weeks on end will actually change someones vote. \_ Yo mama smells so bad, Saddam tried to drop her on the Kurds! |
2004/8/16 [Politics/Domestic/Election] UID:32935 Activity:nil 66%like:32920 |
8/16 Why is the bananasplit troll so persistent? \_ 3 wounds and you get to go home, Kerry got 3 purple hearts for 3 scratches and got to go home, but also made himself and video taped himself to appear like Kennedy in his reenactments of his wounds. Also, Xmas in Cambodia depends on your definition of "seered" \_ If you were in Vietnam and realized that the war was a mistake (after the burning villages, the carpet bombing, the fact that four times as many civilians were dying as enemy soldiers, etc.), you'd be happy to get three scratches for three purple hearts. You'd still do your job right while you were there, and when you left, even after four short months, you wouldn't be a coward. As for Christmas in Cambodia, his people said he got the date wrong. \_ Stop with the "four short months". He did two tours. \_ While the four months were relatively short, he did his job, and lucked out with three scratches for three purple hearts. If I were one of those guys, I'd be happy. \_ if the dumb fuck doesnt know when Xmas is, then he shouldn't be our president \_ Troll. He never said he didn't know when Christmas was, he said he didn't know what day it happened. \_ it was "seered" in his mind that it was Xmas \_ it was a "life changing" moment in his life, so much so that he talked about it in front of Congress so much so that he doesn't know what day xmas is? \_ I believe it is an exaggerated war story. His people have since said he was near Cambodia during Christmas, and in Cambodia in January. In his mind, he thought, what the hey, I was doing the missions, I was in Cambodia under fire from both sides, and it makes a better story to say Christmas. \_ That's fine if you're telling it to your grandkids. But don't you think telling it to congress under oath is kinda dumb? \_ Only if you were testifying on precise dates of when U.S. soldiers were in Cambodia. \_ So lying is ok as long as you weren't asked a direct question on the subject? Okie Dokie! \_ I don't think this is lying, just as much as people say GW Bush is a liar. Kerry was mistaken, and at worst, exaggerated -- lying is something else. Bush was mistaken, and at worst, misled the American people. \_ Getting an unimportant detail (the exact date) wrong does not make you a liar. It may make you sloppy or forgetful, but not a liar. \_ Come on guys, you know you're just blowing smoke now. \_ No, actually, I believe he helped the CIA, including a drop-off/pick-up in Cambodia. The only question is Christmas, and we've already established he wasn't there then. \_ I have nothing against people trying to get out of 'nam. Just don't act like some kind of hero because of it. \_ He drove his split into enemy fire and personally pulled aboard a fellow soldier while exposed. \_ It still hasn't been documented he even went to Cambodia. \_ Hell, we still say we never had ANY troops in cambodia. \_ That's patently false. \_ I don't have a problem with Kerry using the 3-purple-heart rule. I think there are some legitimate questions about it that haven't been answered, and I get irritated that most of the responses are to (1) label it as a troll and dismiss it, or (2) use a strawman argument. -emarkp \_ The first time it was posted, it was interesting. I'll even grant a second and a third time. However, the repeated posting of a topic without any new information simply for the purposes of encouraging people to yell at one another is textbook trolling. \_ no no no. you don't understand. when emarkp decides that 3/4's of the motd is "noise" and increases SNR by deleting all of it he's being a responsible citizen. When someone outside of the motd brownshirt brigade gets tired of reading the *same* fucking thing every day for three weeks we're being closed minded. get it straight. \_ And there's the predictable anonymous strawman argument. Thanks for the example. -emarkp \_ i keep posting it to show how vicious and vile the extreme right can be, sorry \_ Why do you hate America? \_ It isn't extreme if it's true. \_ Because they ask a lot of unanswered questions. Censoring them won't make the questions go away. It only makes it look like Kerry has a critical weakness you're trying to hide. I assume you're the one who censors it given your comment. I've never posted a bananasplit link and haven't seen that many. I think you spend too much time on this. \_ when did you stop beating your wife? \_ I think you meant to ask the OP this. \_ Because work is boring. \_ Vietnam vets were spit on, called 'baby killers' and generally villified for fighting in a war in which South Vietnam was free until the North invaded again. Kerry LED the appeaser crowd and effectively negotiated for the North Vietnamese. He is a traitor, pure and simple. All of his appeasement rhetoric was proven completely wrong and the Vietnamese, veterans, and Cambodians paid the price for the behavior he exemplified. \_ The "vietnam veterans were spit on" urban legend really needs its own snopes page. Its true that there were specific instances of such abuse, but the general case is the opposite - most veterans were welcomed home with open arms. This meme has perpetuated itself rather well, probably because there are people on both sides of the issue that stand to gain from grandstanding on it. |
2004/8/16-17 [Politics/Domestic/California, Politics/Domestic/Election] UID:32936 Activity:insanely high |
8/16 Question for soda liberals regarding taxing inheritance. The rationale, as I understand it, for taxing inheritance goes as follows: "it is not fair that some talentless, unlikeable shmuck has it easy in life because their parents were rich, while others, much smarter, people have to work hard for everything and still perhaps not be as wealthy in the end." Assume I agree with this. Let's consider a related kind of unfairness. Some people are born more talented than others. For programmers, being gifted can often translate into orders of magnitude difference in performance. In some sense, this is as unfair as being born into money -- it's a complete lottery that occasionally rewards unscrupulous shmucks, etc. Would you support tax-on-talent? Also, (as a purely theoretical add-on) assuming we had the technology to do 'talent redistribution', would you support it on the same grounds of fairness as income redistribution? -- ilyas \_ people who make money based on their talent get taxed on it. what a stupid premise. -tom \_ Sure but talent brings less tangible benefits -- the respect of your peers, academic recognition, etc. Same with things like attractiveness, having perfect pitch, etc. Perhaps same with things like being a white male in american society. Does a certain equalization not seem in order, on grounds of fairness? -- ilyas \_ look, I'm sorry you got stuck with that brain, but really there's nothing that can be done about it. -tom \_w00t! Go tom! \_ [ ad hominem deleted ] \_ you mean like all the promotions, respect and recognition John Nash got? Talent alone desn't get you shit. I've seen some pretty brilliant people basically waste away because that's all they had. This is fundamentally different from simply being born into the right family in that to get rich from talent always requires some effort. \_ Nash's was a sad story with a relatively happy ending. \_ Tom's point is succinct and exact. Everything below it is blather. Kill this thread now, because you have been rebutted. \_ I agree. One thing that can be added to the discussion is the well-known American notion of the safety net, which is supposed to provide hard-working individuals in hard times with something to live by. \_ fairness is just part of it. resources should be managed by more capable and hardworking people. you don't want it to be like good king passing throne to idiot lazy son. why do you keep asking these very basic questions. \_ They may be basic to you, but they are not basic to me. I will ask about reasons other than fairness some other time. I am interested in fairness today. I did hear fairness given as a justification for income redistribution in general, and for \_ wealth redistribution inheritance tax in particular. Thus, I am curious how far this commitment to fairness goes. -- ilyas \_ Simply put, material things, yes. Innate qualities, no. Also, harm to one person is only done to benefit another. Making me blind will not help a blind person. \_ Ok, but assume you were smart and another person was dumb, and there was a way to 'suck your smart out' and give some of it to the dumb person, so now both of you are 'average.' Will you support that? Also you not being as dumb as the other guy _is_ hurting him, since you can compete more effectively for things he wants (jobs, mates, etc.) -- ilyas \_ I *am* my intelligence. I am not my inheritance. \_ ilyas just wants to lead dumb people into arguing with him by creating arguments based upon false dichotomies. \_ Oh boy, here we go again. \_ IMO, this question should be written with less of a sense that op is superior to potential responders, e.g.: "Tax on inheritance (some people inherit money, some don't). Tax on talent (some people inherit talent, some don't). How can you support one and not the other?" \_ Where did you get this from? I don't consider myself superior to responders, otherwise I wouldn't try to debate. Debate has to be between equals or it's not a debate but a lecture. -- ilyas \_ Then why does it sound like a lecture, although it is intended as debate? (rhetorical question) \_ I am asking questions, not normally a part of a lecture. Would you feel more at ease if I used broken english next time like Chicom troll? -- ilyas \_ Socratic method. It is a style which sounds like it is coming out of a classroom, with you as the instructor, does it not? \_ You know, your short version is socratic by that reasoning. Maybe you just don't like to read long paragraphs. -- ilyas \_ ilyas, please argue in good faith, that is, recognize the merits of what other individuals are pointing out to you. Be humble. Don't sound like you know it all, especially on something that's debatable. I know you're talking to the liberals, but please try. \_ Like one of tom's clever zingers above? -- ilyas \_ His first post was fine. The part about the brain, well, that WAS on a personal level. \_ Right, so let's compare. What _could_ have been said: 'I believe unfairness due to talent is remedied appropriately by taxation, and no other remedy is needed' and/or 'integrity of the self is more important than fiscal fairness.' Instead I get a bunch of personal shit. Why are you lecturing ME about how _I_ sound. Go lecture tom and the liberal goonsquad about arguing in good faith. You can say what you will about how I argue, but I at least try to stay civil. -- ilyas \_ I argue that anyone would get a virulent response if they posted with "question for soda liberals" with an intention to compare inheritance taxes with a talent tax. It makes us all sound stupid, like we can't get the obvious similarity between the two, when in fact there is a substantive difference. \_ Right, why don't you channel your concern for the quality of motd posts into where it's needed most. -- ilyas hard times with something to live on. \_ You mistake the argument. It's not that those inheriting are unworthy, but successive generations can create a concentration of money which is akin to inheriting political power. This is (or was) inconsistant with American ideals. Isn't it better that the wealth of individuals be based on their individual talents, acumen, luck, and work ethic? Besides even with taxes, families are left far from destitute. In addition, vast wealth is made on the backs of a stable government and the goodwill of the public. Redistibuting that wealth after the death of that recipient of public graciousness will promote the betterment of Society in general, and, through our government, offer a chance for other dynamic individuals to succeed and advance our society as a whole. Talent, unlike income or wealth, cannot be accurately measured or determined from one point of time to another leading to a completely subjective scale. As a point of taxation, it would be impossible to use as a measure, thus unfair. \- this touches on some deep questions in political philosophy. you may wish to look up "wilt chamberlain argument" and read "anarchy state and utopia" and the article "the procedural republic and the unencumbered self". my short version of the "problem with inquity" is that people change the rules of the game and in some cases equality seem more more desireable than efficientcy ... it's is ok to pay the talented programmer more, but should he be given a priority in a heart transplant? --psb \_ "Only if it's me or someone I know" is the problem answer. \_ Vast wealth does not require a stable government or the good will of the public. If it did then only peaceful democracies would have rich people. \_ This is a stupid (and fallacious) argument. \_ That wasn't even a good dodge. Your reply is useless and makes no counter point at all. If it was really so stupid and fallacious you should be able to trivially refute it in the space you used to descend to the personal. \_ Alright, first thank you for a good reply. Second, let's look at the situation using your argument. 'Talent' is clearly an inherited thing, although its inherited through a less deterministic mechanism than money, etc. Talent can also cause you to make more money, possibly very quickly. Money can be used as a way of obtaining political power. Does this not mean that simple genetic inheritance of traits useful in modern society is contrary to the American ideal of prohibiting the inheritance of political power (although admittedly in a less direct way than inheriting money). -- ilyas \_ [your wish is my command] \_ You are selectively taking one part of his argument and hammering on that, while overlooking the rest. Is there any precedent for taxing of intangable assets like knowledge? Do you get taxed if you learn something from reading a book? \_ Dude, I am not even disagreeing with him. I just want to know where he stands. If he thinks talent is against American ideals, that's interesting. If he thinks talent is different from money in this respect, that's also interesting. Why is everything about violence with you? Relax. We are having a nice chat. -- ilyas \_ "I'm calmer than you are, Dude." Seriously, what's your answer to my question, Mr. "I always debate in good faith?" Taxation of inheritence is an obvious extension of taxation of other forms of income. What would be an analog to taxation of talent? What is an example when some similar intangible asset is taxed? \_ As stated, talent may or may not be inherited and may or may be a learned trait. However, the American ideal does not FORCE inheritants to follow in the steps of their parents. Not all of the talented have the desire, will, luck, or work ethic to find monetary or political success using their talents. This make it a fallacy to tax talent before some form of success and assumes that even a successful use of talent automatically leads to monetary success. Taxation of assumed talent leads to a tyranny of those who "judge" and makes sons and daughters slaves to their parents' legacy. This belies the judgement of individuals on their own merits, while not always socially possible, but held as an American ideal. \_ it's easy to put a price tag on an inherited house; it's harder to put a price tag on talent. Sometimes the value of "talent" is negative -- e.g. if you accept that "talent" is correlated with a higher risk of suicide. Would Alan Turing owe money to the government, or does he deserve a refund? -- misha. \_ I am not sure the value of Turing's talent is negative... and he surely didn't end up like he did because he was talented, but because he was gay (and the UK gvt were assmonkeys). It's true that it's hard to put a value on talent, but let's say we could, and let's say its usually positive (both big assumptions). -- ilyas \_ I do not agree with your assumptions. I do not see how you can defend any specific tax amount -- e.g. in Turing's case. -- misha. \_ You may have noticed that this isn't an entirely practical question to begin with. I am curious about an underlying moral commitment, so I am asking about a non-real situation where we _had_ a way to accurately determine value. If you don't like that setup, how about sticking a big alarm in smart people's ear, and weights on graceful people's legs, like in that Kurt Vonnegut story, so we get a level playing field? I am curious, ultimately, about where the quest for a level playing field ends, and boundaries (be they for property, integrity of the self, etc.) begin. -- ilyas \_ I would argue that many in the far left ARE in favor of an inherited talent tax, although they wouldn't put it that way. How much education your parents had is taken into account in Affirmitive action stuff, since it's true statistically that people who's parents are educated will tend to be educated themselves. \_ That seems grossly unfair. My family makes sure to send all their kids to the best schools they can no matter how much it hurts the rest of the family so it seems only right to take race into account when deciding things like FA. \_ Assuming a perfect method of measuring talent, there should be no way of forcing individuals to exploit that talent against their will. Comparing money to talent as a concept is flawed. It's force vs. potential energy. The waste of talent, while tragic, is not enough to destroy an individual's rights. Vonnegut takes the wrong extreme POV. Instead of disadvantaging the talented, society should aid the disadvantaged. \_ Liberals are in favor of inheritance tax as long as they don't have to pay it. For example: Ted Kennedy. |
2004/8/16-17 [Computer/SW/Security, Computer/SW/OS, Computer/SW/OS/OsX] UID:32937 Activity:moderate |
8/16 Why does it always take apple a couple weeks after realsing a system upgrade before posting the sha digest for the download? -- still waiting for 10.3.5 \_ FWIW, people using Software Update (post 07-12-2002) does have the benefit of cryptographic signature verification. http://www.macmegasite.com/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=228 http://www.macmegasite.com/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=228 \_ Ever since it is released, people on macintouch and macfixit have complained S.U. screws the system and recommend download directly the (combo if possible) updater. They never offered a reason for this but I followed it just to be safe. \_ I use SU on my G5, and all is well with my computer. YMMV. |
2004/8/16 [Computer/SW/Unix, Computer/SW/Security] UID:32938 Activity:very high |
8/16 Some douche changed the password for the csuamotd nytimes account because he said he didn't like political threads. They're not going away and you just inconvenianced a lot of people. Where do you live? I'd like to piss in your swimming pool. \_ if you figure out who it is, post their name. \_ I second that. \_ Is there a "I forgot my password, please email it" option? \_ Yes, and it will probably go to motd@csua.berkeley.edu \_ Yes, and it will probably go to motd@csua.berkeley.ed |
2004/8/16 [Recreation/Humor] UID:32939 Activity:high |
8/16 Please munge the motd only when it's funny, and please restrict it to one inane thread at a time. Thank you. \_ The problem is they think they *are* being funny when the munging is funny about 1 in 10 times. Don't encourage them. |
2004/8/16 [Recreation/Pets] UID:32940 Activity:high |
8/16 psb, tell us about the birds! \_ and the bees! \_ You really want to learn about the birds and the bees from partha? Try http://www.whitehouse.com instead. |
2004/8/16 [Uncategorized] UID:32941 Activity:nil |
8/16 Aluminum is the most rocking badass element ever. you can go ahead and stick your silicon where the sun don't shine because Aluminum rocks my fucking world and it's here to stay! Woooooooo! \_ shopped at Old Navy today eh? \_ OMGWTFLOL! Xenon pwns Aluminum. \_ nuts to your xenon! bicycles! airplanes! superconductivity! and a super-kickass oxide! wo00t! AND it's easy to machine! |
2004/8/16 [Academia/Berkeley/CSUA/Motd] UID:32942 Activity:nil |
8/16 Dear motd checker, can you please check which idiot is not obeying the 80 column/row rule? Secondly, can tom and other motd censorers please come back so that they can clean up the political trash? Thanks. \_ Why do you think tom is a censor? You really think tom would modify the motd and violate his own non-anonymity rule? And why do you care so much what is on the motd? How come you don't just start censoring it if it bothers you so much? 80 columns is a rule? Really? Why don't you just skip those posts. You're really taking this whole thing too far. |
2004/8/16 [ERROR, uid:32943, category id '18005#56.655' has no name! , ] UID:32943 Activity:nil |
8/16 http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docID=134 |
2004/8/16 [Recreation/Dating] UID:32944 Activity:high |
8/16 So does anyone have a link for the supposedly damning material against Kobe Bryant's accuser? \_ http://www.thenationalenquirer.com \_ Kobe is making it okay to rape a slut.. \_ She made me do it, wearing that tiny skirt! --Asshole \_ Because in this he-says-she-says we know the slut is telling the truth? \_ Is it really normal or reasonable for a woman who has just been raped to have sex with other man/men afterward before reporting to the police? What do soda women think of this case? \_ Yeah, what do both of you think? |
2004/8/16-17 [Computer/Domains, Computer/Networking, Computer/SW/WWW/Browsers] UID:32945 Activity:very high |
8/16 Thanks for deleting the one interesting thread, shithead. \_ ilyas making a fool of himself in public is interesting? \_ What's your problem? He has his opinions, which you may not agree with, but he at least rationally backs them up, which is more than one can say for the motd nukers. -John \_ Hey, at least you can find comfort in the fact that your tax dollars aren't paying for ilyas' education... oh, wait. Damn! \_ They paid for a large part of yours if you went to Cal. Can I get my money back for your education? \_ Seriously, can anyone restore it? \_ Easily but no because it's old and done. \_ There are no interesting threads on the motd. -- misha. \_ Ah, but can you construct a reduction such that any Internet discussion thread can be transformed into a thread on the motd, therefore proving that no Internet discussion is interesting? \_ No. I've seen a few interesting Internet discussions. None of them were anonymous, though. -- misha. \_ All of them were anonymous. You have no idea who the hell anyone is on the internet. \_ that's ridiculous. \_ "No one knows you're a dog on the internet". So, you have somehow solved one of the fundamental problems of trust and security on the internet: guaranteed correct identification of remote parties. Will you start a business with me? We can sell it within 6 months and retire. What is it you know that the rest of the security industry doesn't? |
2004/8/16-17 [Computer/SW/Unix, Computer/SW/Mail] UID:32946 Activity:moderate |
8/16 Anybody know of an existing program similar to pop-before-smtp but for IMAP. It wou use a current IMAP connection to allow SMTP relaying from the same IP addres as that IMAP connection? \_ it's the same program, just change the regexp used to search for login lines and change the logfile watched \_ Nope, That does not work. IMAP connections are persistent and the users don't login repeatedly if their mail client is open. I need a program that uses the IMAP connection status something that would use this sort of data to create a db of allowed IP addresses: netstat --numeric-hosts | grep imap If I can't find such software, perhaps I'll have to create it. \_ Actually, I've rethought my previous post. I think pop-before-smtp IS the right program, it just needs a feature to not expire an IP address if that user is still connected on the IMAP port. Simply allowing relay for any IP connected to the IMAP port would be a huge spam opening. -op \_ the "one true way" is to set up SMTP AUTH. The better way to do pop/imap-before-smtp is to get the pop/imap daemon to update your relay tables themselves instead of getting another daemon to watch them and clean up afterward. \_ Run this over SSL if you want to be especially tidy. If you need help under postfix, I can give you a hand. I found it to be tricky when trying to set up under FreeBSD though (prob. due to master.passwd.) -John |
2004/8/16-17 [Uncategorized] UID:32947 Activity:high |
8/16 Whatever happened to http://autobahn.org and GamersExtereme on Shattuck? \_ They're no longer on Shattuck. \_ not true, I walked by the luggage place yesterday and the 2 buttons still say Baycis/GamersExtreme. \_ good thing they last updated their website 7 years ago |
11/23 |