12/29   What is Progressive Scan DVD player? Looking for a nice region-free
        DVD player with multilingual OSD menu features. Recommendations?
        \_ word of advice? by 40 dollar dvd players from Costco,
           anything above 100 bucks breaks down too fast and too
           expensive to replace..
        \_ What is OSD menu features?
           \_ On screen display.
        \_ Progressive scan means it can output non-interlaced video,
           thereby providing better resolution.  It doesn't matter if you
           don't have an HDTV.
           \_ The resolution shouldn't change but the way the image is
              displayed will.  Regular TV sets display an interlaced image,
              which is one reason why computer monitors have always had a
              better picture compared to regular tv sets (computer monitors
              display non-interlaced video).  If you don't have a TV set that
              can display non-interlaced video, then the progressive output
              will look like garbage.  Many TV sets cannot display
              non-interlaced video, newer "HD ready" or "Digital" sets
              usually can.
              \_ The resolution of the video data on the DVD doesn't change,
                 but the resolution perceived by the viewer will, which is
                 what I meant. (480 scanlines at one time versus 240 scanlines
                 separated across 2/~60ths of a second.)
                 \_ Yes, technically the same resolution but presented in a
                    less crappy fashion.
        \_ I've had good luck with the cyberhome 300S - very cheap ($30 on sale
           at radio shack), region free, small profile.  Make sure you get one
           built after March/April 2004, previous versions had heat issues.
           \_ I have a few minor gripes with the CH300S.  The remote is hard to
              use in the dark (small, uniform buttons).  There's a long-ish
              pause during a layer change.  The JPEG viewer will not show any
              more than 255 images in a single directory.  On the plus side,
              you can enter a secret remote-code to make it region-free.
        \_ Unless you are going sub $50 or so, get an upconverting DVD
           player.
        \_ Philips DVP642. I saw it at Target for $70. You have to unlock
           region-free yourself via the remote.
           \_ I bought this and then returned it the next day.  The remote
              feels like a toy, and on my DivX files it was unable to FF or RW
              (not to mention in one case the sound wasn't synched).  Also, the
              max FF/RW speed was 8x.
              \_ can you suggest better? that thing looked good to me. -!op
                 \_ I'm afraid not.  I currently have an old Aiwa XD-DV170
                    which has great OSD menu features, but can't play some
                    newer disks (the extra disks in The Two Towers:EE don't
                    play for instance).
        \_ I've had a Toshiba 5-disc DVD player from costco, really nice
           unit, which turned out to be a region free one. Had I known that,
           I would've gotten 2. I don't think they carry it anymore. I also
           got a Daewoo DVP480 player from Costco, which I got it because it
           is a region free player. But the Toshiba is much better in terms
           of build quality and operating noise. Get a cheap DVd player from
           costco, it may be region free. Don't get the Sony one, I am sure it
           is NOT region free.

12/29   I love using text based browser but neither links nor lynx understand
        javascript.  What else should I try?
        \_ try facing reality.
        \_ LOL, so what do you need the javascript for, allowing popup
           windows rendered in ncurses? bahahahahaha...
           \_ You should pose this question to those who designed
              websites with javascripts when they could do without it.
           \_ Often buttons, fields, etc. use Javascript to check the inputs
              and submit them.  -not op
        \_ w3m has some patches for javascript:
           http://w3m.sourceforge.net
           http://www2u.biglobe.ne.jp/~hsaka/w3m
           http://abe.nwr.jp/w3m/w3m-js.html

12/29   What's the difference between a CD with a bunch of JPEGs vs. a
        Kodak Picture CD? I'm asking because the Mintek 5" portable DVD

        player plays the Kodak Pic CD which is really cool, but I'm wondering
        if I can stick any CD with JPEGs in it to view. Thanks.

12/29   http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=370107
        ZipCars, totally cool. We need it in CA.
        \_ Anyone here had any luck with the CityShare VW Bugs in Oakland?
           There's one parked in the parking lot near the Grand Lake Theater.
           Whoops, it's apparently called CityCarShare:
           http://www.citycarshare.org
        \_ Price is too high, average of what, 9 bucks per hour? Say you
           do an average of 2 hours a day driving, that's 18 bucks a day,
           that's like $400 a month. Only useful if you live in the city.
           For $400 a month you can buy/lease a pretty nice car. The only
           rationale is if you don't have a parking space in the city.
           Then it makes sense. Most of the commuters I know, though,
           have company parking spaces or just take BART...
           \_ City CarShare isn't designed for people who drive 2 hours a
              day, it's designed for occasional drivers.  -tom
              \_ Like who? People who travel into the city? Wouldn't they
                 just usually rent a car or just take taxis? If you travel
                 only occassionally why don't you just call a cab? The
                 ZipCars appear to require a deposit and a background check,
                 which would signal a long commitment. I just have trouble
                 with their business model.
                 \_ Consider someone who lives near public transportation
                    and wants to do home improvements.  Or is looking for a
                    job.  Or is a performer who has infrequent gigs out of
                    town.  There are a large number of niches for whom this
                    works out just fine.
                 \_ dude, chill! Point 1-- if you build it, suckers will come.
                    Point 2-- car rental is usually a whole day, and it's a
                    hastle since you need to go to the specific car rental
                    place, limited by time and unpredictable availability.
                    ZipCar interface lets you get what you reserve. Point 3--
                    cab is a good idea for really short hops but at some point
                    it gets more expensive, and besides, not everyone wants
                    to pay tips to the driver.
                 \_ CarShare is non-profit; we'll see how ZipCar fares...

12/30   Slate article on modern casualy rates vs. 1966:
        http://csua.org/u/aj2
        \_ The math kicks ass!  "Let's just multiply the figure by this
           ratio here..." -- ilyas
        \_ This is a non-article. The bottom line is, it wil take 72 years
           to reach the same casualty level that we had in Nam, and in Nam
           we didn't even take the whole country, we were only dealing
           with the South. You can spin the numbers anyway you want, the
           casaulty rate is about 1%. The only war where the rate was lower
           was the Spanish-American war.

12/30   And a Slate article on Sontag. Hitchens wrote it so it's safe for
        liberals and conservatives alike.
        http://www.slate.com/id/2111506/12/30
        \_ Sure, it slandered cancer patients.
        \_ A surprisingly touching eulogy from the man who described Mother
           Teresa as a twisted Albanian dwarf and Gandhi as a Hindu
           fundamentalist. [Edited to reflect psb's comment.]
           \_ Like I said. Hitchens has something for everybody.
           \-Hindi = language. Hindu = religion. Hine = Cognac.
             \_ It looks like the above was a typo, but accroding to this
                http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=hindi
                hindi: adj : of or relating to or supporting Hinduism
                There is another meaning of the word "hindi" in English
                besides the language.
                   \-hitchens is a pretty good essayist and debater evaluated
                     in terms of form. content is sometimes suspect. e.g.
                     the johnson quote is nice. the t.s. eliot reference
                     is nice. his description of CHIRAC in terms of the
                     character from L'Education Sentimental [someone who
                     would gladly pay for the pleasure of selling his own
                     mother] was also great. ok tnx.

12/30   Has something changed with newsreading?  Now if I set aside my login
        (putty session) for a while (10-20 minutes) I get a closed socket.

12/30   According to a Chinese website.  Thailand's officials heard of the
        earthquake Sunday morning but decided not to take action, fearing
        that it would affect tourism.  A 2002 7.6 quake in Sumatra did
        not result in any tsunami, so they thought this one won't be a
        problem either.
        \_ if they hadn't cut down all the coastal mangrove forests
           to build sets for that goddamn movie THE BEACH and built
           tourists resorts... ON THE BEACH, maybe casualties would
           have been a bit lower.  barren sand has a lot more
           difficulty absorbing floodwaters than the original jungle.
           \_ but there would be more debris like trees hitting
              into people and killing them...
              \_ Mmm.. flaunting ignorance.
                 \_ Yeah, I know -- the idea of mangrove trees stopping a
                    tidal wave is a fuck-stupid notion.
           \_ If humans don't reproduce as much, there are less casualties.
                                                           \_ fewer
              \_ Australian leaders urge citizens to breed more:
                 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4115829.stm
                 \_ Aussie leaders are rabidly anti-immigration and yet
                    recognize that they need more people to keep their
                    economy alive.  Solution?  Close your eyes and think
                    of Australia, Sheila.
                \_ yes I AGREE!!! I have this theory that if there were less
                                                                        \_ fewer
                   people, there would be less conflicts in regard
                                          \_ fewer
                   to land (sharing land), in regard to religion
                   (less physical proximity thus contact), less
                                                           \_ fewer
                   resources (oil, food, minerals) to fight for, etc.
                   However, most of the people I've talked to disagree.
                   \_ And there would be less people to disagree with you,
                      too.  It's scary that I'm only half joking.
           \_ you seriously have know idea of the destructive forces of
              30-60 feet of water moving at 50-100 mph.  mangroves stopping
              it?  sand absorbing it?  the only ones that survived
              were on high ground or lucky enough to be thrown forcefully
              to high ground.  -alum in thailand (the dry part)
              \_ Dear AiT, where are you?  Are you on vacation or are you
                 working?  Are you blogging your experiences?
                 working?  Are you blogging your experiences? Genuinely
                 curious.

12/30   http://www.economist.com/world/na/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3518560
        America less and less meritocratic.  Social mobility declining.
        \_ In the forseeable future the Senate, Congress, and the Presidency
           will be controlled by an elite few whose wealth and power will
           slowly subvert the democracy until one day there will be a
           crisis of sorts  requiring the invocation of dictatorial powers.
           This will lead finally to the formal creation of Imperial
           America, and through its ruling elite it will subvert all
           nations as either subservient allies or will brutally
           controlled through the military. We will have a complete
           professional merchant army, and we will employ the armies
           of other nations as merchant armies also. Then we will
           have established the Pax Americana on Earth, before we
           start exploiting other planets. The Pax Americana will
           result in an eventual stagnation of Earth, until the
           succession of the Imperial Presidency becomes unstable
           and aliens from other worlds begin to incur on the outskirts
           of the multiplanetary empire.
           \_ You obviously have a poor sense of U.S. history when
              back then senate seats were bought and even fewer people
              controlled all the money. Who bailed the USG out in 1895,1907?
        \_ Welcome to the ownership society.
        \_ And to think the motd questioned my support for John "son of a
           meeeel worker" Edwards
           \_ Could you please elaborate on your point?  Are you saying we
              should have supported Edwards in the primary out of some sort
              of class loyalty even if we thought he was an inferior candidate
              on the basis of his position on the issues and his (lack of)
              experience?  Would you have voted for Dick Cheney for the same
              reason?  I'm picking on you because I loathe Edwards.
        \_ no duh, the wealthy ones inherit via land or business monopoly
           while keeping the lower class down. Take my landlord for
           example. His dad (now 60) owned 17 super-mega apartment
           complexes in Westwood, all within 2 miles of UCLA, and
           quite a few properties and land outside as well. His dad
           just recently retired and now he inherits 8 apartments.
           And when he retires, he will hand his properties to his
           children, so on so forth. Basically the rich people have
           made it and don't have to do much to maintain what they
           have while the poor will always get screwed. That is the
           basis of capitalism. Fuck everyone else, it's every man
           for himself.
           \_ Which would be fine if the field had started level, but it's
              a rock-throwing contest, and they were born on top of all of
              the rocks.
           \_ You are pathetic.  Here you have a man who spent his
              entire life accumulating wealth.  You act as a jealous little
              worm who wants to impose your version social justice via
              the government at the point of a gun.  Moreover, how sad that
              your definition of success is how much money or power one has;
              though I suppose for leftist atheists in the end thats all
              there really is.
              \_ I'm not the above poster, and I'm no socialist, but when it
                 comes to slumlords, I'm in favor of the death penalty
                 administered by individuals outside of the government.  I
                 don't give a shit about whether it makes a better society or
                 not.  I have a list of landlords that have fucked me over, and
                 if civil soceity starts to break down enough that risks become
                 tolerable, they're all dead men.  Fuck the landlords.
                 \_ You talk big, but I bet you wouldn't be able to kill a man
                    when the time came. -- ilyas
                    \_ Ilya, you're challenging some random twerp on the motd
                       to drop trou on whether they can kill or not.  And yet
                       they say irony is dead Post-9/11.
                       \_ I am fined one credit for the violation of the motd
                          morality statute.  *boggle*  People who talk about
                          killing and violence, like our friend aaron, are
                          a long standing pet peeve of mine. -- ilyas
                          \_ Ah, Ilya, you must learn that these are simple
                             farmers, the clay of the new West.  You know.
                             Morons.
                             \_ What?  MorMons?
                          \_ To paraphrase Leon Trotsky once again, "Every
                             man is allowed to be stupid on occasion, but
                             Comrade Ilyas abuses the privilege."
           \_ Studies have shown that there is great class mobility in
              the USA. Within about 3 generations great wealth is lost
              and great wealth can be gained. As an example, I know a very
              wealthy widow with several kids. When she dies she will
              split the fortune among them. None of them are doing well
              at all (in spite of 1 or 2 went to Cal) and need her just to
              get by. I am sure they won't grow the fortune. Then they
              will split their share amongst their kids and her
              accumulated wealth will become merely middle class. It is
              common for rich kids to blow their entire inheritance.
              Another example is someone I know who inherited $200K and used
              that as an opportunity to just not work until it was gone.
              Some kids take a fortune and grow it (Rockefeller), of
              course, but some buy a $500K boat and sail the Caribbean
              getting drunk and laid until they are bankrupt (another person
              I met).
              \- The Economist and others have repeatedly ack-ed social
                 mobility is higher in the US than much of Western Europe
                 (the chief criticize). The point of this article is, "this
                 is now changing for the worse." e.g. repeal of inheritance
                 tax.
                 \_ Cf. David Brin's comments on such:
                    http://xent.com/FoRK-archive/oct00/0281.html
                    \_ hmm, this post is really quite stupid, which is
                       surprising because brin's political writings on
                       his website are interesting.
                       (e.g. http://www.davidbrin.com/realculturewar1.html
                    \_ Two questions:
                       1: What is this thing with science fiction authors
                       thinking they have something to say politically?
                       2: Why do we bother listening?  -tom
                       \_ tom, this is one of the stupidest things I've seen
                          you say, and that is saying something.
                       \_ For the same reason we listen to you, tom: on the
                          off chance that something interesting will escape
                          from your frothing drivel.
                          \_ thank you, anonymous coward.  -tom
                             \_ You're welcome, alleged tom.
              \_ Did you even read the article in question? The point is
                 that there used to be quite a bit of social mobility in
                 the US and that is less and less true with every passing
                 year. Things like free or extremely cheap secondary education
                 are gone, making it very hard for the poor to move up anymore.

12/30   So I missed my CC bill last month by maybe 2 days and now
        they're charging me $35 for late fee and $20 finance charge.
        It's an honest mistake, is there anything one can do about
        it, like explaining something happened at the mail box,
        mail delay, etc?
        \_ What company is this and what card?
        \_ Call 'em and ask-- they'll usually let you slide on a couple
           small misses each year.  Be nice, but if they won't budge then
           cancel the card on that same phone call.
           \_ Agreed.  As long as that you don't do this too often.  On a
              side note, if you tend to pay all the balance off every
              month, consider using some sort of automatic bill pay (either
              from the CC company itself or your bank).  Saves on stamps
              and not have to worry about mail lost in transit.
              \- they will cancel the late fee but not the finance charge.
                 \_ Your CC sucks.  I've done this twice now once with Bank One
                    (who suck in most other ways imaginable) for VISA and once
                    w/ Discover.  Neither one batted an eye: refunded late
                    and finance.
        \_ If it is with a bank and you obviously had enough money in
           your checking acct to pay the bill, you can probably convince
           them to waive the charges if you go to your "home" branch and
           talk to them in person.

12/30   EcoBot II eats flys as a source of energy:
        http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/12/27/explorers.ecobot/index.html

12/30   Useless fact of the week. If you're flying and both the pilots
        are incapacitated and you're taking over, don't forget to squawk
        7700 and broadcast on 121.5 on the main channel, *not the
        stand-by channel*. If you've subdued the hijacker, then squawk
        7500.  Ok bye.

12/30   RIP Artie Shaw
        \_ I wonder who the third one will be?
           \_ You've got about 120,000 in SE Asia to choose from.
           \_ get a fucking clue.  -tom
                \_ why? !op
                   \_ the idea that people die in threes is ridiculous. -tom
                      \_ [30-Dec:19:09 scotsman] Jerry Orbach, Susan Sontag,
                         and Artie Shaw
                         \_ Uhm, yeah, see, you can always find people to add
                            to your list, then conveniently stop counting
                            when 3 is reached.  Yer dumb.  Hell, I'm dumb for
                            even talking to you.  This whole thread is dumb.
                            You go to Hell and you die!
                         \_ so what?  People die all the time.  -tom
          \_ my dream list: kinney, tom, ilyas
             \_ What is wrong with ilyas?