3/11    Which non-commercial Linux 64bit distro is most compatible with
        enterprise tools (in particular the Cadence/Synopsys tools?)
        \_ Probably CentOS b/c it is RHEL recompiled from SRPMS.
           \_ I didn't like CentOS 4.2 very much.  (64-bit).  It's possible
              it was misinstalled, but I found it lacking in polish.  It was
              hard to compile things for it, things wouldn't work...  --PM
              \_ Knowing some of the people behind CentOS and cAos, I'm
                 very nervous to build on them. I am pretty sure at least one
                 of their core people will not know what Cadence and Synopsys
                 are. You are probably best off asking the Cadence/Synopsys
                 communities about their Linux experience rather than Linux
                 users about their experience with these "enterprise tools".
                 BTW, if you hadn't clarified, those are not the tools I would
                 have assumed you were referring to. We also found a number
                 of other weird behaviors and possible file systems bugs in
                 64bit AssOS, but I think that's expected with their lacking
                 quality control and testing systems [e.g. file with diff
                 sizes having the same md5 hash] ... but that was at least 6mos
                 ago. Lately the bugs I am dealing with are in more obscure
                 areas like infiniband drivers, and it's possible nobody is
                 perfect there.
                 perfect there. Linux works ok for some of my integer crunching
                 projects which can be naively parellelized. My colleagues
                 doing more complicated MPI stuff see wierd, hard to reproduce
                 problems.
                 \_ They both recommend Redhat Enterprise.  I have run the
                    32bits variant with not much problem.  Not sure what it's
                    like in the 64b env.  RHEL 32b works fine.  Trying to
                    see if RHEL 64b exists and works fine.
                    \_ RHEL 4 + most recent update seems to work pretty
                       well on our dual opterons in 64b mode. Try it out.
        \_ Stupid question, but I'm not familiar with either of these--got
           a URL that actually describes what they do?  Looks like sort of a
           set of cost management tools (aka part of SAP)  -John
           \_ iirc, cadence and synopsis make circuit/chip design and
              verification tools.
              \_ Yes, very expensive tools. If you are using such expensive
                 tools then why not shell out for a commercial OS like RHEL?
                 To do otherwise seems penny wise and pound foolish.
                 \_ He might want to avoid the cost of the license if
                    he is running a very large (100+ system) cluster.
                    Personally I agree, just run RHEL. Another option
                    is to try Slowlaris x86, it runs fairly well on
                    x86_64 (opteron) systems.
                    \_ If he's running a large cluster then the cost of
                       the licenses is even less per node. It's silly to
                       spend, say, $100K on hardware and $100K on tools
                       and then worry over $2K/year for RHEL.
        \_ In my experience, the 64-bit RHEL 3/4 and it's CentOS derivative
           aren't as polished as the 32-bit versions. The package managers
           often get confused about 32/64-bit issues and throw weird
           unimformative errors. They're supposed to be 100% compatible
           with 32-bit software, yet some libraries come only as 64-bit
           objects and there is no rpm for 32-bit (but you can grab those
           manually from the 32-bit distribution). Of course, I am using
           Linux in a different environment, so my comment might not be
           very useful to you.
           \_ I agree w/ this. I've seen a lot of libc6 issues in 64bit
              mode on RHEL 4, but the same problems do not occur in 32bit
              RHEL. Another option for OP is to try SuSE's Enterprise
              Linux Server (SLES).

3/11    Alan Moore, pissed.  No surprise there.
        http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/12/movies/12itzk.html?8hpib
        \_ I love these quotes:
           "If I had raped and murdered a schoolbus full of retarded children
           after selling them heroin," he said, "I doubt that I would have
           been cross-examined for 10 hours." -Alan Moore on his deposition in
           the trial that claimed LXG was ripped off from some other
           screenplay.
           He ...  is a firm believer in magic as a "science of
           consciousness." "I am what Harry Potter grew up into," he said,
           "and it's not a pretty sight."
           -dans    Disclaimer: tom believes I am Paolo's stooge/tool.  If
                    you're not with tom, you're against him, so you may want
                    to ignore the preceding, lest you incur tom's wrath.

3/12    Looking for 2 things:
        1) a bicycle for casual use on mostly flat land. Prefer a hybrid
           so that I can go to the beach and ride around my neighborhood.
           Prefer light weight and above all, CHEAP ($300 or less). I like
           the weight of those fancy composite racing bikes but not the
           price $$$, and the wheels are so thin that they don't look like
           they'll ride well in the sand. I like the ruggedness of mountain
           bikes with nice suspensions but not the weight, and they cost a
           lot too. Costco bikes are shitty, and so are Target bikes. Where
           should I go, and what brand should I be looking for?
           \_ Are you looking for a new bike? You can probably get a decent
              used mtb/hybrid on cl for ~ $300. I bought a 3yr old  Gary
              Fisher Montare (sp?) for a little under $300 on cl.
           \_ Check out a cyclocross bike, they are basicly road bikes meant
              to be taken off road.  No suspension usually though.  You could
              get a used surley crosscheck for about that price.  A new one
              would be $600+.  -scottyg
        2) a tandom bicycle, cheap, light weight. Which ones are good?
             \_ tandem
                \_ tandum
                   \_ No.
                      \_ Know.
                   \- Tan Dun
        \_ The only bikes which will ride well in the sand are bikes which
           are made to ride in the sand; single speeds with balloon tires.
           A cheap hybrid would not be able to get through the sand, and
           the gearing would get fouled almost immediately.
           You can use a beach cruiser for other kinds of riding, although
           it's not ideal.
           You won't find anything light for $300 or less.
           If you really want to ride it on the beach, call up your local
           bike stores and ask for single-speed beach cruiser bikes (or
           with an internally geared hub).  Most beach cruisers
           are under $300, but none are light.
           There are no cheap, light weight tandems.  Weight isn't really
           that much of a concern on a tandem anyway; durability and
           stiffness are much more important.  Any tandem that is under
           $1000 is not suitable for anything more than futzing around town;
           a ~$1000 tandem (like the Burley Zydeco) will be acceptable
           but heavy and whippy.  You have to get above $1500 before tandems
           start getting really decent.  Some people swear by the Cannondale.
            -tom
        \_ If you want a cheap tandem, get it used.  There's a tandem and
           recumbent shop near Sacramento that tends to have used tandems:
                http://www.tandems-recumbents.com
           If you buy something from them, I'd recommend having a good bike
           mechanic look it over (I bought a new bike from them once that had
           some assembly problems).

3/11    Americans full of contradictions, and as stupid as ever:
        http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060312/ap_on_re_us/abortion_views
        \_ Stupid?  Why?  Because a bunch of them don't share your black/white
           views on a very complex and highly charged topic?  If only the
           world was really as simple as you see it....
           \_ The OP is not alone.  http://www.slate.com/id/2137775

3/12    Oil spill in AK:
        http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4795866.stm

3/12    OBL's niece gets her own TV show:
        http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/03/10/leisure.binladen.reut/index.html
        \_ Lots of people get their own TV show.  So what?
        \_ link:tinyurl.com/hwhnv  -John

3/12    If there is a draft, what's the best way to avoid it? Get a tatoo.
        Yep, you can't have them in the military!
        http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060312/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/uncle_sam_wants_you
        \_ Draft?  There is no draft and there won't be one without some sort
           of catastrophy like the US mainland getting invaded or a nuke
           exchange or some other unlikely scenarios.  If we ever do have
           another draft, there won't be an easy way to avoid it because the
           circumstances will be so dire.  Drafted soldiers are against
           everything the top brass believes in for the last 30 years.
           \_ The "military experts" on the motd are just as annoying as the
              draft hysterics.
              \_ You don't have to be an expert to read newspapers and
                 understand the most trivial aspects of current military
                 doctrine.
                 \_ Ahh yes, newspapers.  Let's just fire all the generals
                    and leave the military decisions to the Sodans armed with
                    the New York Times!
                    \_ That's a weak strawman.  I said nothing of the sort.
                       If you can't address what was said, then don't.  It
                       is ok to be wrong sometimes.
                       \_ You weren't addressing my point either, which was
                          general annoyance at all the ridiculous undergrad
                          pontification that goes on around here.  Certain
                          topics seem to attract this sort of thing, like
                          flies on shit.
                          \_ The irony here is rich:  you're criticizing
                             the other guy for maybe having clue when you
                             clearly have none.  Nice.   Train harder,
                             young trollhopper.
                    \_ Sounds better than firing the generals and leaving
                       military decisions up to a moron frat boy who doesn't
                       even read the paper.
                       \_ Ahh, name calling.  Thanks for playing!
                          \_ Right, and likening people to "flies on shit"
                             is sooooo much better.  Grow up, man.
        \_ "I am gay."

3/12    http://www.streetwars.net/la2006.php#playarea
        http://csua.org/u/f84 (latimes.com)
        Geeks grow up.  ~ 200 L.A. residents in game of "Assassin / Killer".
        Obtain a card with your target's work and home locations, and photo,
        and attempt to soak them with water (water gun, balloon, hose, etc.),
        after which you take over their target.
        Not too good if you have a SO / kids, since it appears that your home
        is a valid place where you can be "killed".

3/12    It's only been two years and I miss having really wild honeymoon
        sex. Now there's no sex. The good thing is that things can't go
        worse. What about you married folks? You miss having honeymoon sex?
        \_ Join the game above.  Think Mr. & Mrs. Smith!
        \_ Hahahahaha! Forget honeymoon sex. As you say, you're lucky to
           get any at all.
           \_ Especially when your infant starts crying as soon as the bed
              squeaks.  Drove me crazy for the past two years.  Now I had less
              sex then when my wife was pregnant.
              \_ Geez, get a new bed.  They aren't THAT expensive, and
                 you'll probably be more comfortable anyway.
              \_ Or buy WD40 or have sex on the floor, couch, table, etc, or
                 move the kid further away or pretty much do anything a
                 college educated person should have been able to figure out.
                 \_ Has your wife become fat and unattractive?  If you are
                    successful and not fat yourself, you can have affairs,
                    if your wife doesn't control your finances.
                    \_ Ironically, my wife controls all aspects of my life
                       except my finances.  I can buy whatever high-tech toy I
                       want (even though I don't), but I can't stay at work
                       late except when she works late, can't stay up late to
                       watch TV except when she wants to watch, can't get up
                       late on weekends except when she wants to get up date,
                       can't stay away from my in-laws except when she also
                       wants to, etc.  I also have to do dishes and the clean-
                       up every night.  She has become unattractive, although
                       not fat.  The problem is not the bed squeaking.  The
                       problem is that my wife and my 2-yr old son are so
                       attached to each other that they won't leave each other
                       alone.  He starts crying when either the shaking of the
                       bed wakes him up (he refuses to sleep in his crib), or
                       when he sees that I'm thrusting on top of my wife.
                       Maybe he thinks I'm going to hurt his mom or something,
                       I have no idea.