Berkeley CSUA MOTD:2004:September:10 Friday <Thursday, Saturday>
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2004/9/10 [Reference/Military] UID:33454 Activity:nil
9/10    The NY Times has a fair and balanced summary (really) of various
        studies of the effect of the assault weapons ban and its loopholes.
        http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/10/national/10guns.html
2004/9/10 [Transportation/Car, Politics/Domestic/911] UID:33455 Activity:high
9/10    I guess we are learning from Britain...
        http://abclocal.go.com/wls/news/090904_ap_ns_camera.html
        \_ For all Americans who've not yet visited the UK (it's worst in
           London) and who can't imagine why massive CCTV surveillance is a
           bad thing:
           -It hasn't cut down on violent crime (in fact, the various
            face recognition trials conducted in the UK failed to snag a
            single suspect)
           -It's leading to suggestions of even further surveillance (such
            as satellite monitoring of car "black boxes" by the police, or
            even the ability to shut down a vehicle remotely if it's speeding)
           -Most cameras are connected to their equivalent of the DMV which
            will have a ticket printed and in the mail, fully automatic,
            within seconds of nailing you
           -Fantastic amounts of CCTV footage, supposedly kept confidential
            under "trust us"-type privacy legislation, finds its way into
            sensationalist TV shows not even worthy of fox (like people having
            sex in their car, with voiceovers from the cops watching and
            making fun of them.)
          In short, be very very very afraid.  -John
        \_ More taxes, less effectiveness!  w00t!
2004/9/10 [Politics/Domestic/Election, Politics/Domestic/President/Bush] UID:33456 Activity:kinda low
9/10    New poll shows Bush stomping Kerry.  I guess people like it when they
        know where someone stands.
     http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/Vote2004/bush_campaign_poll_040909
.html
        \_ Dubya delivered a good speech, but it's aaaaa-llll baloney.
           Take it from me. -smart liberal
        \_ No, the *new* poll has Bush with a two point lead. Do you really
           only check the poll that Rush tells you to look at?
           http://www.pollingreport.com/wh2004.htm
           Has a survey of all the pollsters.
2004/9/10 [Politics/Foreign/Canada] UID:33457 Activity:insanely high
9/10    A little bit of commentary for the first year of working with a
        Canadian about how things are different in the U.S. and Canada is
        great; more than year of condinued bitching and insults on the other
        hand...is just absurd.  Is there some online resource about things
        that suck about Canada?  In particular, any problems they may have
        had with voting would be very much appreciated.  Things that are
        specific to Quebec or the Quebecois would be particularly
        appreciated.
        \_ Their paratroop regiment kicked the shit out of a bunch of Somali
           prisoners and killed them a few years ago, Paul Martin is a
           prick, the RCMP is in favor of some pretty odious police-state
           chicanery, they claim jurisdiction over international waters for
           the arctic passage, and I suggest you search http://economist.com for
           "Canada", as they have some fairly hilariously negative articles
           about just about any country you could think of.  Plus, they're
           the remora of the US and annexing the bastards would cut missile
           time to Beijing by a few minutes.  -John
           \_ huh?  can't we just put the missiles in alaska?  like I said,
              "John, all guts, nothing else."
                \_ Boy, anonymous insults are sure effective.  I wish I were
                   as intellectually differentiated as you are.  -John
                   \_ Why do you want to kill Chinese people?
                      \_ Kill?  Just get them huffy, like self-righteous
                         Canadians when they get all nationalistic.
                         \_ huh? an american complaining about others being
                            self-righteous and nationalistic?
                            \_ I know you don't travel very much, but
                               nationalism is *NOT* unique to the US.  Really.
                               \_ In my experiance, the US is one of the
                                  least _nationalist_ countries I've been
                                  to.  Of course, I live in CA, so...
                                  \_ you should come to the midwest, and
                                     check out all the american flags flying
                                     everywhere, comparable to nazi germany.
                      \_ he's upset that the "human torpedo" crushed him in
                         bowling.  -chiapet
                         \_ You may have crushed me this time, human torpedo,
                            but ah ha!  I did not sustain massive pin-shaped
                            headwounds or bowling alley chest hair burn! -John
                         \_ what makes someone a "human torpedo"?
        \_ Yeah, stupid nationalism can get pretty annoying.  This guy is
           Canadian, and he's generally pro-canada, but he covers some
           stuff you'd be interested in.  Like why the Canada isn't really
           very democratic, and all the arguments about the constitution.
           See chapeter one, and anything else that looks interesting.  He
           See chapter one and anything else that looks interesting.  He
           also mentions some books you could look up in "Other
           Information."
           http://www.filibustercartoons.com/canguide.php
           \_ that's what I was looking for, thanks.  I mean no disrespect
              to canada, btw, I love Canada; I'm just sick of the
              CANADA GOOD USA BAD crap.
              \_ Yeah, I think that if I was in your shoes and he said,
                 "This election is going to be another fiasco."  I would
                 say, "Yeah, but at least we don't have to wait for Bush
                 to call the election himself."
                 \_ Een America, election eez called by your campaign manager
                    and fishing buddies.
                 \_ Or we can say "At least we don't have the queen of another
                    country on our currency."  (Although technically Canada and
                    Britain have their own separate queens, which just happen
                    to be the same person.)
        \_ Do you work for a company in Marin that handles shipping of autos?
           I'm wondering if I know this guy
           \_ I'm 3000 miles from Marin in a physics lab, but I think
              there are quite a few people like this. -op
              \_ Yeah, even the Canadian I served with on my mission was
                 like this.  He hung a Canadian flag in his room, and was
                 always worried that people would mistake him for an
                 American.  (No one else hung flags in their rooms, no
                 matter where they were from.)  The joke was, he was
                 half-American, had dual citizenship, went to college in
                 the states, and traveled on a US passport.  Go Canada!
                 -jrleek
        \_ There's something about Canadians.  I have similar issues with
           some Canadian friends. So I asked them if Canada is so great,
           why are you here to work???
        \_ Obviously you've never met American ex-pats in other countries.
           They can be just as annoying AND they can't remember the words
           to the national anthem.
           \_ They can be, although I've found the obnoxious ones to be
              either spoiled rich kids (HS & college) on holidays or
              exchange, or expats who band together in clubs.  -John
        \_ Well, we have Dubya as our president.  I don't know how you can
           defend that.
           \_ Who the hell runs Canada? No one even knows.
              \_ The new Prime Minister has passed a law forbidding us to
                 drink wine!  And he has taken away our sodomy!
              \_ http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/chiefs/index.html
        \_ Irritate him even more by playing up his American stereotypes.
           Hang up some NASCAR posters in your cube. Next time you go
           out to lunch with him, order some Freedom Fries. Get a W in '04
           bumper sticker. Respond to his ant-America statements by
           calling him a commie bastard.
           \_ Say "Eh?" a lot as well.
              \_ the only candian I met who really talked like that was from
                 BFE seskatchewan, and he's not a tool about  the US vs.
                 canada thing at all.
           \_ Is there any bumper sticker that reads "Canada - the 51st state"
              or something along that line?
2004/9/10 [Academia/Berkeley/CSUA, Computer/SW/OS/Linux] UID:33458 Activity:nil Edit_by:auto Entry has been invalidated. Access denied.
2004/9/10 [Recreation/Woodworking, Computer/SW/Mail] UID:33459 Activity:insanely high
9/10    Someone reboot soda, "no more process"??? wtf?
        \_ Somebody's imapd spun out of control.  all fixed.  btw, there's
           no reason other than an updated kernel to reboot soda.
           \_ What if there's a runaway process like this?
              main() { while(1) fork(); }
              \_ Then squishy-squishy goes you!
        \_ what does it mean? why do I get this?
           \_ it means too much politics. troll less.
        \_ So now my pine mailbox is inaccessible because i can't
            kill the old running pine.  I can't even seem to kill the old
            pine job. Any ideas? Tx.
            \_ Kill the login that spawned pine.
                \_ Already did - still can't kill that pine job.
                   \_ What signal are you sending to kill?
                      \_ Just "kill ######".
                         \_ Standard kill sends SIGTERM which is equivalent to
                            "Please exit right now".  Try 'kill -9 ####' which
                            sends SIGKILL which is "You die now!"
                \_ /bin/kill -9 -1.  Kills *everything* you are running on
                   the machine.  "It's the only way to be sure"
                        \_ Thanks - worked.
2004/9/10 [Academia/Berkeley/CSUA] UID:33460 Activity:very high
9/10    Someone stop this mrehrer guy and his 3K imapd daemons. Thanks!
        \_ Looks like it's well past time to upgrade soda.  "No more
           processes" indeed...
           \_ Sometimes I wonder what the CS in CSUA stands for.
              \_ It stands for Counter-Strike!  l00s3R5 Win!
              \_ Cum Shot.
              \_ chimp sex
              \_ And then you remember THAT is the kind of computer
                 science they teach at Berkeley.
              \_ Cheney Sucks
              \_ I have a CS degree from Cal!  -- cognitive science major
                 \_ I'm an expert in Customer Service!
        \_ someone explain why this guy isn't squished? In the old days,
           he'd be squished in a jiffy, no warning no appeal.
           \_ Incompetant hoserism is not as bad as malicious hoserism.
2004/9/10-12 [Consumer/PDA] UID:33461 Activity:high
9/10    Can someone please recommend a good palm OS PDA? Preferably
        not too expensive, please. Any positive recommendations on
        that palm/phone combo?
        \_ I have had a Tungsten T for a little over a year and love it.
           You can find a Tungsten T or T2 new for very little and they
           are pretty small. Alternatively you could get a Tungsten E.
           I would definitely stay away from the Sony devices as they
           are getting out of the Palm business, so getting support for
           it will become impossible very soon.
        \_ I have a Palm Tungston E and I'm mostly satisfied.
                \_ Thanks. What don't you like about it?
                \_ I fail to understand having a Palm device
                   that does not have a phone built in. -Treo 600 Owner.
        \_ Samsung's Palm flip phone for SprintPCS works great.
        \_ Treo600 rocks!
           \_ Really? is it really worth the price?
           \_ second that.  I bought it for $450 9 months ago.
              However, I would urge you to wait for Treo 650.  They
              usually have "upgrade special" which will knock
              a hundred or two dollars off.
2004/9/10-11 [Science/Electric] UID:33462 Activity:moderate
9/10    I know what an alpha and beta release are, but what is a "gamma"
        release ?
        \_ That's what happens when The Hulk is your QA engineer
           and the restroom is occupied.
           \_ NERFAMC is back!
        \_ Gamma release?  Do you mean "gold master" release?
        \_ Educated guess: release candidate
        \_ when someone in RE realizes that the product that went into
           beta has changed so much it needs a new name.
2004/9/10-11 [Politics/Domestic/Gay] UID:33463 Activity:insanely high
9/10    What Alan Keyes really said about Gay marriage.  (Interview,
        not one question. Doesn't fit in 10 second sound bite.)
        Particularly interesting in its detailing of media tactics.
http://www.dailyherald.com/special/election/ele_story.asp?intID=38232320
        \_ please promote alan keyes as much as possible, thanks
           \_ Telling the full truth is not promotion.  Everyone will make of
              it what they will but they should have access to the full story
              before deciding.
                \_ why are you trying to defend alan keyes?  he's
                   hilarious but even i will admit he does not speak
                   for the republican party. - danh
                   \_ I'm defending truth and honest debate.  I don't care
                      either way about Keyes.  I would say the same thing
                      about anyone.  I don't know that much about Keyes and
                      don't care to.  But, if people here are going to talk
                      about the man's positions they should know what they
                      are, not a sound-bite.  See the line below calling him
                      a whackjob?  Based on what?  Nothing I can see
                      explained on the motd.  Just the smear.
        \_ He's still a whackjob, whether it's a 10 second sound bit or
           and hour long talk.
           \_ Can you argue that homosexuality isn't inherently
              hedonistic?
              \_ Sure -- why wouldn't you be able to?
                 \_ Go ahead.
                    \_ it's no more inherently hedonistic than any other kind
                       of sex.
                        \_ What's wrong with hedonism? -- ilyas
                            \_ this is the correct question. -phuqm
                               \_ For the question of marriage, I think most
                                  would agree that the main rationale is the
                                  encouragement of stable families. It's up
                                  up to homosexuals to make the case that
                                  society should formally sanction gay unions.
                                  Of course, marriage is already a lot weaker
                                  culturally than it ever was, with premarital
                                  sex expected and divorces near-customary,
                                  and the stigma of "born out of wedlock"
                                  pretty much nonexistent.
                                  \_ Also you can bring up childless marriages
                                     which are sort of pointless except from
                                     a symbolic standpoint, and gay couples
                                     with children.  -John
                                  \_ My proposal is to separate 'marriage'
                                     (a private/religious/personal thing) from
                                     'union' (a public/bureaucratic/legal term).
                                     'Unions' are granted to anyone, 'marriages'
                                     are up to people themselves.  Everyone is
                                     happy, except Christian statists. -- ilyas
                           \_ Exactly.  I think that hedonism has already
                              become a big part of our culture.  But
                              people think of it as a bad word, and so
                              they don't want to call a spade a spade.
                        \_ one could make a reasonable arguement that the sex
                           one has in an attempt to procreate is not
                           "inherently hedonistic".  Not an argument I'd want
                           to be forced to defend too seriously though.-phuqm
                           \_ Ban sex! Artificial insemination only!

        \_ "you're talking a lot, but you're not saying anything"  -tom
           \_ "when I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed.
               say something once, why say it again?" -TH
               \_ Are you the lips that do not speak?
2004/9/10-12 [Academia/Berkeley/CSUA, Politics/Foreign/Europe] UID:33464 Activity:kinda low
9/10    If anyone here can read Arabic, would you mind telling me what the
        gist of /csua/tmp/pic.jpg is?  I got it at a flea market in
        southern Spain (no, it's not a pilot's manual.)  -John
        \_ The first few lines are the start of a prayer; I'm assuming the
           rest follows along.
           \_ Thanks!  It's hanging in my hallway, so I was curious. -John
           \_ It's not just "a prayer". it's al fatihah:
               http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/arabicscript/1/1.htm
              it is the first surah of the qur'an. for an interpretation:
               http://www.geocities.com/thematicinterpretation/001
              -ayatollah ali rahimi.
                \_ Cool, thanks.  I read a translation of the koran a while
                   ago, and didn't think of comparing it.  Is the weird-
                   looking writing at the top of the image one of those bits
                   of arabic at the beginning of every surah that nobody can
                   interpret?  I seem to recall reading something along those
                   lines.  -Rev. John
2004/9/10-11 [Uncategorized] UID:33465 Activity:low
9/10    Listen to Rachmaninoff's variation on Bizet trans. L'Arlesienne,
        Suite No. 1, Minuet. It is lovely.
        \_ misha is that you? -- ilyas
2004/9/10-12 [Computer/SW/WWW/Browsers] UID:33466 Activity:nil
9/10    Is there a way to get mozilla to wrap lines in .txt files?
        \_ u talking about in the browser? or email-client?
2004/9/10-11 [Uncategorized] UID:33467 Activity:nil
9/10    What's the name of the env variable to have tin use a different
        news server? NNTP? NNTP_SERVER? thx.
        \_ try NNTPSERVER -dwc
2004/9/10-11 [Uncategorized] UID:33468 Activity:nil
9/10    buh?
        \_ That's what I say.
2004/9/10-11 [Uncategorized] UID:33469 Activity:nil
9/10    I just got spam with the title: "online dating nweaver"
        ...and I am not nweaver.  Ick.
2004/9/10-11 [Politics/Domestic/California] UID:33470 Activity:insanely high
9/10    Is it legal to shoot somebody who is unarmed, but threatens you? Do
        you have to wait for them to actually harm you? Seems like if someone
        runs at you, and you shoot, it would be hard to prove that there was
        a threat.
        \_ they have hands and feet which are weapons
        \_ Better to be tried by 12 than carried by 6.
           \_ Better carried by 6 than prison raped by 12.
              \_ I'll take my chances on a trial.  Though I've heard
                 more than one cop recommend that if you do shoot, make
                 sure it's a fatal shot, just so it's your word against
                 no one's else's.
                 \_ Police are different, they are given a greater
                    latitude when dealing with potentially deadly
                    situations.
        \_ You must show that you had a reasonable fear for your life and
           safety and that you had no other course of action to defend
           yourself, such as running.  One can presume deadly intent on
           the part of an assailant if it is a "surprise" attack or if
           an asssilant breaks into your home or business while you are
           inside.  If say you were a 4'1" 75 pound person and a 6'5"
           240 pound man charged you, yeah, you'd have an easier time
           showing reasonable fear for life and safety.
           \_ This is pretty accurate.  Mainly, the crux of the case will be
              on whether you can show that a 'reasonable person' would have
              felt in life-threatening danger with no reasonable recourse but
              to shoot.        -POC
              \_ I don't have a clear idea of "reasonable". Also, how about
                 non life-threatening danger? Such as someone trying to rape
                 your girlfriend. I suppose the law requires letting him do
                 so with impunity while you call the cops? And attacking with
                 something other than a gun would be assault? (Never mind that
                 trying to intervene physically could get you killed.)
                 \_ *sigh*  If you're really that worried and clueless, read
                    up on it -- the materials aren't hard to find.  If someone
                    is raping you (or your gf), then I'd be inclined to say
                    that the 'life-threatening' condition has been adequately
                    met (I mean, duh).  Attacking with something other than a
                    gun would also be assualt if you have no proper
                    justification (although it would likely be battery).  You
                    are allowed to defend yourself in CA.  Really.
                 \_ your right to defend yourself also extends itself to
                    others you choose to defend: the gf, your friend, your
                    son, an innocent person you see being held up at
                    gunpoint or knife or being beat up by a group (careful
                    with the last case though)
                 \_ The original poster asked about a situation involving
                    him(or her)self, not someone else.  The answers were
                    given in that context.  Learn to read.
                    \_ So what, I asked a related question.
        \_ You will have a surprisingly difficult time if this was done
           not on your property.  It's even worse in Britain, there's a famous
           case of a guy going to prison for shooting a burglar in his home.
             -- ilyas
           \_ happened in LA just a few months ago. You can only use a
              gun in protection of your life, NOT your property in Cali.
              \_ Are you referring to the one where the guy who broke in left
                 when he saw the gun and was running down the street when the
                 owner shot him in the back?
              \_ I am SO fucking out of Cali as soon as I graduate. -- ilyas
                 \_ there's super-cheap land available in the matsu valley.
                    http://www.matsuvalleynews.com
                    all they talk about in their paper is property rights
                    and you can buy a 0.50 magnum pistol at the 24 hour k-mart.
                    expect to slather your body with DEET for 3 months of the
                    year, though.
                    year, though.  Oh, yeah. and there are NO TAXES! no
                    sales tax, and no state income tax.  they send you
                    a check every year from interest on a fund of money saved
                    up from oil revenue.
                    \_ I was thinking Wisconsin.  Wisconsin's a battleground
                       state, so I can be sure I contribute to a government
                       that will lower taxes, brutalize criminals, despoil the
                       environment, and RULE YOU LIKE A KING. -- ilyas
                    \_ is alaska that bad with mosquitoes? that sucks.
                       \_ it really depends on time of year and how far
                          you are from the ocean, but in the interior in
                          the bad season it's pretty insane.
                          \_ Well, when I think about it there are lots of
                             mosquitoes here in CA. Ran into lots in the
                             Santa Cruz woods and in the some in the Sierras.
                             And we have the West Nile stuff here now.
                 \_ I know--what's up with Cali and all that shite about 'life
                    being valued above property'.  Fucking pansy ass liberal
                    wimps.  Back in the day, not only could you kill a man
                    for stealing your property, if you killed him you were
                    entitled to his property as well.  Bring back the days of
                    the libertarian utopia, I say!!
                    \_ You are confused.  See, criminals, by virtue of not
                       respecting my property rights, give up their rights.
                       For instance, their rights not to be killed like a dog
                       This is why we lock criminals up, and make them
                       work, and don't call that a violation of rights.  Or are
                       prisons a part of a 'libertarian utopia' too?  You make
                       a great impression on behalf of liberals everywhere,
                       buddy.  -- ilyas
                       \_ BWAHAHAHA!  Your prejudices are showing, ilya.
                          I'm not a liberal. I also believe in the right to
                          bear arms, and intend to join the NRA.  It's
                          possible to value life above property (while
                          still believing that criminals should be punished
                          in proportion to their crimes) without being a
                          'liberal'.  You make a great impression on behalf
                          of libertarians everywhere, son.
                          \_ I value life above property too.  Are you saying
                             criminals don't give up rights when they commit
                             crimes?  -- ilyas
                             \_ No, I'm not.  Nevermind, ilya.  Don't worry
                                your pretty little head about it -- just leave
                                California when you graduate, as you suggested
                                earlier.
                                \_ So what ARE you saying?  Are you just upset
                                   someone called you a liberal?  Next time a
                                   big guy without a deadly weapon breaks into
                                   your house and starts looting (without
                                   actually threatening your life, just sort of
                                   pushing you away), you make sure to tell him
                                   how much you value life above property.
                                   As far as I am concerned, if you are in my
                                   house without my invitation, your life
                                   depends on my good graces, I prefer to live
                                   in places that let me defend myself.
                                     -- ilyas
                                   \_ like Wisconson!  Live free or die!
                                      MY cheese!
2025/03/15 [General] UID:1000 Activity:popular
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Berkeley CSUA MOTD:2004:September:10 Friday <Thursday, Saturday>