1/17    When I send out mail on soda using pine (yeah, yeah, I'll switch to
        mutt one of these days), my outgoing messages have:
           X-Authentication-Warning: http://soda.csua.berkeley.edu: <user> owned
              process doing -bs
        in them.  Can anyone explain what this means and how to fix this
        (other than switching to mutt)?  Thanks.
        \_ Never mind.  I found the answer:
           http://www.slingcode.com/pineauthenticationwarning.php
        \_ I still use RMAIL.

1/17    So, the outstanding 'issues' with new Soda are:
        * X11 forwarding
        * SMTP AUTH
        are these problems being worked on?
        \_ smtp auth is being worked on, whats the issue with x11?
        \_ i just noticed that wget doesn't work.
           \_ /usr/local/bin/wget seems to work fine for me. What
              is the problem you are having?

1/17    This is pretty cool Beavis:
         http://csua.org/u/enk
        Ok tnx.

1/16    The medicare drug plan fiasco:
        http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/007451.php

1/17    Java compiler help please.  I have some code like this:
        import com.foocorp.foolibrary;
        class myClass {
          private static final boolean useFooLib=false;
          {
            if(useFooLib)
              foolibrary.FooClass.doStuff();
          }
        }
        And the problem is that if I turn off useFooLib and try to compile
        with out foolibrary.jar the compile fails.  Is there any way I can make
        this work without distributing foolibrary.jar with every build?
        \_ I haven't had to think about this for a while, but maybe you
           can use a custom class loader?  What about reflection?
           \_ Yeah, I went with that, starting with Class.forName() as
              suggested below.  Between reflection and commenting out multiple
              blocks it seemed like the lesser of two evils. Thanks.  -OP
              \_ Interesting I was not aware that javac allows you to delay
                 type checking, to see whether method doStuff() exists or not.
                 Thanks for pointing this out. Motd is great!
                 \_ Um, that's not what I said.  I used Class.forName() to
                    dynamically load the class, then I used reflection to
                    get the methods I want, then invoke those methods on
                    the class object (thet are static methods).
              \_ I think the cleaner way to do this is to create an
                 interface -- FooClassInterface. Include that in your
                 normal code path, but you don't need to provide an
                 implementation. Make FooClass implement that interface
                 then you can do:
                   if (useFooLib)
                        FooClassInterface foo =
                          (FooClassInterface) Class.forName(...).newInstance();
                        foo.doStuff();
                 I think that's preferable. - guy who made below suggestion.
                 \_ Won't work.  FooClass is a partially-obfuscated JAR
                    licensed from another company.
        \_ Java is not C. If this were C, the statement "if ..." would be seen
           as dead code due to constant propagation. However javac does flow
           analysis before optimizations so requires method/var resolution
           first and you can't possibly compile with safety without foolibrary.
           If you must include such a dead code, manually comment out the dead
           code or just include the foolibrary.class|java with the distro.
           Go compilers!!!
        \_ Don't import foolibrary. Do this:
                if (useFooLib)
                  Class.forName("com.foocorp.foolibrary.FooClass").doStuff();

1/17    Someone sent me this asking to see if it was a scam or not:
        http://www.payformyhome.com
        Should websites like these be sent to the BBB or FTC or where?
        \_ BBB or FL Attorney General.
        \_ http://csua.org/u/enw
        \_ the menu on the left makes me think of a pre-canned website
           builder.

1/17    Iraq, the petrodollar, and the upcoming Iranian oil bourse ... This
        article ties it all together neatly:
        http://energybulletin.net/12125.html
        \_ Not to diminish the article's theses, but when I watch anime
           with an apocalyptic backstory, they always seem to invoke this
           style of storytelling.  Art - life - art?
                \_ We're running out of reasons for the Iraq invasion.  Since
                   "bringing democracy" to the Middle East means Hamas and
                   other pro-terror hardline Islamic being to run the show,
                   which is way worse (for the USA) than the repressive
                   regimes we currently support -- and every other reason
                   was just a lie or BS -- supporting the petrodollar seems
                   like a reasonable theory.
                   \_ Coherent yes, reasonable maybe, likely no, a contributing
                      factor, yes.
                      IMO the most likely explanation is, Part One, that 9/11
                      changed everything:  We now knew terrorists would blow up
                      a nuke in a U.S. city if they had one.
                      \_ See, 9/11 didn't _change_ that.  It might have changed
                         it for Bushco (i.e. woke them up), but we've known that
                         for decades.
                         \_ It is either disingenuous or ignorant to claim
                            that 9/11 caused the Bush administration to care
                            about invading Iraq.  See:
                    http://www.newamericancentury.org/iraqclintonletter.htm
                            (letter to the Clinton administration, dated
                            1/26/1998, signed by Rumsfeld, Cheney, Wolfowitz,
                            Perle, on why we should invade Iraq).
                            After the election, the administration was clearly
                            building up for an invasion of Iraq; 9/11 actually
                            delayed their plans.
                            Their statement of principles:
                            "As the 20th century draws to a close, the
                            United States stands as the world's
                            preeminent power. Having led the West to
                            victory in the Cold War, America faces an
                            opportunity and a challenge: Does the
                            United States have the vision to build
                            upon the achievements of past decades?
                            Does the United States have the resolve to
                            shape a new century favorable to American
                            principles and interests?"
                            Invading Iraq is about showing the world that we
                            can do pretty much whatever we want, pretty much
                            whenever we want to.
                             -tom
                            \_ I agree completely.  Above, I was addressing the
                               distinct point of "terrorists would blow up..."
                         \_ Of course you knew, but how about for most
                            Americans?  How about, let's say:  a possibility
                            became a real concern after 9/11.
                            \_ I posit that it shouldn't need to be a "real
                               concern" for "most Americans".  It's something
                               that we pay the government to do for us.  That
                               whole "provide for the common defense" thing.
                               It's only a "real concern" because Bush
                               propogandized it after he FAILED his first
                               time around.
                               \_ ob blame Clinton for 9/11, but then we
                                  start getting off topic ...
                                  \_ ob read the 9/11 commission report, and
                                     look up project bojinka
                      Part Two, Dubya, boy genius, did not question the reports
                      that Saddam had WMDs.  That, combined with Saddam's
                      previous "misbehavior" -- deploying chemical weapons in
                      the Iran-Iraq war, invading Kuwait, trying to kill
                      Dubya's dad and other potential unsettled scores with the
                      U.S., killing/torturing Kurds like nobody's business, and
                      having two sons who would continue the tradition -- all
                      combined, led Dubya to make the call to invade Iraq.
                      That's the most likely theory, IMO.
                      (Then again, Dubya, master diplomat, didn't exactly get
                      the entire world on the same page, since he based his war
                      on "no doubt" Saddam had WMDs, and never showed damning
                      evidence to this effect.  You know he has them, you know
                      he does -- so why doesn't the evidence you provided show
                      this?) -moderate/liberal

1/17    How can you beat demonlords in ularn/ilarn?  They keep thrashing
        me.

1/17    CGI or PHP, which one is better?
        \_ PHP.
        \_ CGI is actually the method by which pretty much all dynamic web
           applications function.  If you mean "CGI scripts", then that doesn't
           really say anything about what language/system you're using.  Perl?
           /bin/sh?  C?
           \_ Uhm, no. That was ten years ago. PHP is usually built into the
              webserver, so you don't need CGI anymore. Use PHP.
              \_ What do you mean "build into the webserver"?  You mean mod_php
                 like mod_perl?
                 \_ Exactly, vs. using mod_CGI.
                    \_ PHP is a language.  It can be loaded as a module
                       into the web server, or not.  Same with perl.  -tom
              \_ need is subjective.  If you trust everyone and every app they
                 install, yes, you don't need cgi.
                 \_ What? You think CGI is inherently more safe than something
                    that is a module to apache? On what basis? CGI is only as
                    safe as what you allow people to hook into.
           \_ More proof above that most motd posters don't have real jobs.

1/17    Ray Nagin: God is angry with america, and God wants New Orleans to be
        black.  Welcome to the Pat Robertson club.
        http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4622038.stm
        http://www.bayoubuzz.com/articles.aspx?aid=5994
        \_ Transcript of the speach:
           http://csua.org/u/eno
           I don't see "God wants NO to be black."
           The "God did this" claim is stupid, as ever, but you're putting
           words in his mouth.
           \_ The Bayou Buzz link says "This city will be a majority African
              American city. It´s the way God wants it to be."
           \_ "This city will be a majority African American city. It's the way
               God wants it to be."
              \_ Majority Aftican American != black.  NO was "majority African
                 American" before.  Misquoting him as saying he wants NO to
                 be "black" is race-baiting
                 \_ No one said "all black"
                    \_ By misquoting/miscontexting, this is what is
                    \_ By misquoting/miscontexting, this is exactly what is
                       suggested.
                       \_ I didn't get that.
                          \_ "majority black" vs. "black" doesn't strike you
                             as a distinction?

1/17    Has anyone tried adding water heater blankets to the water heater?
        Does it really save on gas prices and pay off in 1-2 years?
        \_ Feel the exterior of the water heater.  Is it warm to the touch?
           Then get a blanket.  Most modern water heaters have plenty of
           insulation.
           \_ Agreed.  Feel the exterior of the water heater and the washing
              machine at the same time (when the washing machine hasn't been
              used for at least a few hours.)  This is a good comparison
              because the exterior of the two are made of the same material.
              If the water heater feels warmer, it's leaking heat and a blanket
              will help.
           \_ I turned my water heater down to 'vacation' while I was away for
              xmas holidays. I was gone for a week, came back and had forgotten
              to turn the heater back on, took a shower and the water was still
              very hot. Course the next day the water was quite cold..
              \_ Was the pilot light still on in "vacation" mode?  The pilot
                 light was keeping the water hot.  Back in 1997, one pilot
                 light in a wall heater plus four pilot lights on a stove
                 costed me $10/mo.  So it probably means that your water heater
                 cost me $10/mo.  So it probably means that your water heater
                 is leaking $2/mo worth of heat.
        \_ Another way to reduce heat loss is to adjust the thermostat
           downward.  For example, if you usually use 50% water from the hot
           tap and 50% from the cold tap when you take a shower, you can adjust
           the thermostat downward such that you'll be using 100% water from
           the hot tap.
           \_ True, but bad idea in a busy household, as you're reducing your
              available supply of mixed water at temperature X.

1/17    We need to get one of these Boon-Ga Boon-Ga machines for the CSUA
        office.
        http://www.syberpunk.com/cgi-bin/index.pl?page=boonga
        \_ Google kancho
           \_ Awesome.
        \_ Actually Korean for the Japanese market.

1/17    Yup, federalism is dead.
        http://www.scotusblog.com/movabletype/archives/2006/01/court_takes_no.html
        \_ Can the feds still enforce anti-pot laws in CA? Then, no, not dead.

1/17    Does anyone have experience with Pacific or Sakura brands of range
        hoods?  Are they really much more powerful than the American brands as
        advertised on TV?  I do a lot of Chinese stir-frying, and my Nautilus
        hood is inadequate.  Thx.
        \_ I have a Thermador hood, and it sucks like a $1000 hooker on speed.
           It's been able to handle pretty much everything I've thrown at it.
           The fans have developed some nasty vibrations at lower speed (it
           hums), but at max it's rock solid.
           \_ Which model is it?  And how much did it cost?  Do you happen to
              know the CFM?  Thanks!
              \_ The hood is a H36HQS.  I think the ventilators are 600 CFM.
              \_ The hood is a H36HQS.  I think the ventilator is 600 CFM.
                 No clue on cost.
                 \_ Thx.  My Nautilus NV-D is only 160 CFM.

1/17    I noticed some gas smell the other day on the side of my house
        where the gas meter is, when the gas heater was running inside.
        Is that normal or should I call PG&E or something?
        \_ it's not normal. you have a gas leak. call 'em ASAP.
           \_ Agreed.  Bad time to stop for a quick fag.
           \_ And turn off the gas heater NOW!  And don't turn on or off any
              electric switches near the gas smell, including phones.
        \_ call the 24 hour emergency line and they'll come out asap.
        \_ dang, thanks guys... this was outside the house btw
           \_ If you're smelling gas outside the house, odds are the leak is
              really bad.
              \_ by now it is either fixed or we should plan a funeral.
                 \_ Don't worry.  It only takes an Ionic Breeze 30 minutes to
                    clear up an outdoor gas leak. :-)
                    \_ Is the IB gas powered?  That would be very economical
                       in this situation. :-)
        \_ So, to update all my worried anonymous friends: I called PG&E and
           the nice man came and sprayed soap solution on all the pipes to look
           for bubbles from gas. It was raining by then and dark. He couldn't
           seem to find anything. I couldn't smell it either for a while but
           then I could again. At some point he claimed to find a tiny leak
           but then we were talking and eventually he just left saying call
           them back some other time when it's not raining if I still have a
           problem. The meters didn't seem to move while we were there. But
           I noticed the smell more when the furnace was running anyway.
           Maybe they like that I'm wasting more expensive gas. The End.
            \_ Where do you live samli? If you live in certain places like
               Foster City, Hayward, or elsewhere that used to be a landfill
               (they used to be literally a dump) then methane gas released
               from underground is not unusual.
               \_ Well samli, that could be. There is also a little sewer
                  access hole thingie near there that could cause it. I
                  hope so. It didn't seem like it though and natural gas
                  has a pretty specific odor.
           \_ Not quite the end.  It sounds like you're still at serious risk
              of blowing up.
              \_ Yeah, well it's the end of this episode. I also posted about
                 the bomb-threat at my building. My odds of getting blown up
                 are steadily increasing. It must be a conspiracy.

1/17    Dear Postfix experts: In order to comply with SPF when
        forwarding email, it looks like the envelope sender needs to
        be written before an email is forwarded. Is this possible to
        get Postfix to do this for virtual alias domains and/or
        virtual mailbox domains? I can't find the answer on the web.

1/17    Guardian article on Muslim imams sexual advice.  Scroll down for much
        hilarity:
        "It is precisely to avoid having too many children that some Muslims
        practice anal sex. One man, writing to the Islamic Q&A website, says
        that his wife doesn't have any problem with it. 'I think this is the
        best way of family planning instead of using condoms,' the man writes,
        though he adds that many of his friends have told him otherwise.
        'People are confusing me so please tell me what to do.'"
        http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,7792,1688285,00.html?gusrc=rss
        \_ Scroll down?  Right at the top Dr Rashad Khalil is advocating
           always wearing clothes during sex.
           \_ Maybe he means a hat?
              \_ A cowboy hat?
                 \_ lower.
        \_ Oral sex is much more effective than anal sex if birth control is
           the goal, because the anus is too close to the vulva.
           \_ Anal sex might hurt the female more.  Then you don't have to
              beat her as much.
              \_ Geeks who refer to women as "females" need to be hurt more.
              \_ If it hurts, you aren't doing it right.