4/24    What's the easiest free way to convert from DIVX to avi or mpg?
        Thanks
        \_ DIVX (all caps) as in the failed Circuit City, DRM'd DVD offshoot?
           Or DivX as in the MPEG4 variant?  Isn't the .divx format basically
           a renamed .avi container?
           \_ yea suppose so.  I just want to be able to play without any
              codecs.  Just used http://www.avi2divx.com successfully.
              \_ Also have a look at http://www.videohelp.com --very very
                 good and complete page.  -John
              \_ If you don't want people to install codecs, then you're
                 pretty much stuck with MPEG1.  Just use any
                 DirectShow-capable MPEG1 encoder (e.g. TMPGEnc).  Be
                 forewarned, though: the picture quality will be much
                 worse.
        \_ Also, saying "avi" is almost useless.  Most DiVX files are
           distributed in AVI containers.  There is not remotely a single
           standard codec used for avi containers.  Ditto MOV these days, too.
           \_ Why is this?  I would think it would be easier if there was
              some kind of .dvx extension or something.  I hate getting an
              "AVI" I can't play and I can't figure out which codec it
              uses.
              \_ Because there are a lot of different codecs, and otherwise
                 you end up with a zillion different file formats and need
                 different file handlers for each of them.  It's just as
                 complex (and it eats away at the file extension namespace),
                 and it makes it harder to write video players, since they'd
                 need to handle different fiel formats.  The single container,
                 multiple codec method allows the player to query the system
                 to figure out which decoder it should use (possibly querying
                 a server and downloading an appropriate decoder
                 automatically).  If you want to figure out which decoder
                 you need, just download gspot.

4/24    Battle for control of the Democratic party
        http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1390299/posts?page=1,50
        [ip address replaced;  fuck you.]
         \_ doesn't everyone know it's http://freerepublic.com by now?

4/24    I have a Nokia 5190 with a SIM. Replacement battery will run me
        $25. Can I simply transfer my SIM to a new GSM phone?
        \_ If it's issued from the same network provider, then yes.
           When they subsidize the phone, they lock the phone down
           to one provider. You can unlock it but it will usually
           cost you about $25. The nice thing about unlocking it
           is that you can take it overseas (given that you have
           the 900mhz and 1800mhz frequencies) and use a local
           SIM calling card.
           \_ You can download free software that will generate the unlock
              codes for most nokia phones.  Look in cell phone forums
              (e.g. howard's forums, etc).

4/24    Today is the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
        \_ Yay!  Let's celebrate!
        \_ We don't care.  Especially when Turkey is our ally.  Just like
           how we don't care about Japan's war atrocities in WW2.
           \_ How you dare sarcatsic equate little Turkey domestic problem
              with China legitimate national grievance?  Typical american.
              \_ You've obviously never served.
              \_ bad fake chicom troll.

4/24    Is a coffeemaker more/less efficient at boiling water than a
        microwave? What about versus boiling water in a pot on an electric
        range? Are they all about the same?
        \_ Most efficient is a coffeemaker because if has a heating coil
           immersed in water.  Stoves and microwaves are both pretty
           efficient.  The stove wastes heat due to it escaping around the side
           of the kettle.  The microwave wastes energy because the magnetron is
           not 100% efficient an converting electricity into microwaves.
           Least efficient though is when you brew using a coffeemaker and
           then leave the coffee warmer on for hours.  You should also
           consider the inefficienty of burning fossil fuels to generate
           electricity.  Best would probably be making coffee with a kettle on
           a gas burner slightly smaller than the kettle.
           \_ I wonder how much fossil fuels get used just to grow, harvest
              and transport the coffee beans to your home.  I'm guessing
              that if you calculated that, the added fuel use of heating
              the water would be insignificant.
              \_ I don't want to make coffee. I want to boil water. --op
                 \_ Uh, coffeemakers don't boil the water.  And if yours does,
                    something's wrong.
                    \_ Uh, yes they do. Just don't put any coffee in it and
                       you get a potful of hot water. It may not be boiling
                       hot, but hot enough.
                       \_ Uh, no they don't.  'Boiling hot' is not boiling.
                          If your coffee maker really boiled water it would
                          make gross bitter coffee.
                          \_ You're just a nitpicking git.
                             \_ If you're going to be correcting someone, be
                                correct yourself. (re: 'Uh, yes they do')
                                \_ Coffeemakers do make hot water, you
                                \_ Coffeemakers do make boiling water, you
                                   dipshit. It's a nitpicking git to say
                                   that they don't because the water only
                                   reaches 210 degrees (or whatever).
                                   reaches 200 or 205 degrees.
                                   \_ So, you're saying it's boiling
                                      water, just at a slightly hight
                                      altitude?
                                      \_ I'm saying you'll think it's
                                         boiling when I dump a pot of it over
                                         your head.
                                         \_ But will it give you 3rd degree
                                            burns like Mc Donalds coffee?
                                            \_ It'll certainly send you to the
                                               hospital after I jam the empty
                                               pot up your ass.

4/24    Does anyone know if the new pope took the oath against modernism at
        his installation?  None of the news sites mention it.  The last 2 popes
        declined to say it but this guy is big on doctrine so I'm wondering if
        he wants to keep the tradition alive.
        \_ Remember that he's big on _JPII's_ version of doctrine. If JPII
           didn't say the oath, BXVI probably wouldn't.

4/23    Can I determine the number of rows and columns available to an
        interactive terminal session from a shell script?  If so, how?
        Thanks.
        \_ On FreeBSD or Linux, run "stty size".  On other systems you can
           usually find it in "stty -a", but that's more annoying.  --mconst
           \_ 'stty size' works on OS X and OpenBSD as well