11/5    It's a little hard to sympathize with Georgia over the Atlanta
        water troubles.  Their population has been growing but they
        have invested nothing in new water infrastructure for Atlanta,
        for ~50 years.  Let's hope other areas learn from the problems.
        \_ The private sector will fix the problem, just like during Katrina.
           If they have problems it's because things weren't privatized enough.
           \_ Katrina was a public corruption problem.  There are a lot of
              examples you could have used.  Katrina wasn't the one you were
              looking for.
           \_ Time for a tax cut!

11/4    Yes, Virginia, waterboarding is torture:
        http://www.csua.org/u/jwk (WashPo)
        \_ This article makes me extremely angry.  Why is Bush still
           in office?  Why haven't the criminals responsible for allowing,
           and administering waterboarding been put on trial?
           \_ What about the invasion of Iraq and misrepresentation of
              "intelligence" about wmd? Waterboarding isn't high on my
              list of shits to give about.
              \_ I'm angry about that too, but this is a black/white
                 issue that cannot be spun and clearly indicts the
                 Administration and the criminals running it.
                 \_ Where's the impeachment?
        \_ Regardless of definitions, I want waterboarding to be used on
           suspected terrorists.
           \_ I suspect you of being a terrorist, can I have you waterboarded
              now?
           \_ What sort of ratio of innocent suspects to actual terrorists
              is acceptable to you?  How many innocents are you willing
              to have wake up screaming every night from having been
              tortured on a waterboard to catch one terrorist?  What if
              there are effective alternatives to torture?  What if
              waterboarding elicits incorrect confessions & info 95% of
              the time?  What then?  I happen to think that the US should
              not be in the atrocity business even if defending ourselves.
              \_ Presumably we're talking about people with a known history
                 of blowing up innocent people, not some geek pulled off
                 the street for having an 'impeach bush/cheney' bumper
                 sticker.  If we lived in that sort of society you'd already
                 be in a re-education camp.
                 \_ "The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one
                     spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is
                     against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed,
                     and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is
                     to be stopped at all." -H. L. Mencken
                     \_ Yes scoundrels like mass murderers.  We heavily
                        enforce those laws in this country.  Seriously, I don't
                        see how your quote applies in this case.  You want to
                        treat foreign terrorists like they're common criminals
                        when in fact they're been at war for decades, you just
                        didn't notice.  I feel like making the obHitler UN
                        War Trials @The_Hague reference.
                        \_ The quote applies like this: you don't _know_ who
                           is a terrorist and who is not. Few people would
                           consider it unjust to torture murderers, but it's a
                           short step from there to torturing _suspected_
                           murderers to get confessions, and then we're all in
                           danger of getting arrested at four in the morning.
                           If you can prove to me (or even a panel of judges
                           with Top Secret clearance) that an individual is a
                           terrorist and that this individual has info that
                           will prevent another 9/11, then you might, *might*
                           have a case for using torture to get that
                           information. Until we're at that stage, the very
                           idea of torturing should be dismissed. Also, this
                           idea of yours that because they think they're at war
                           with us we should abandon the principles on which
                           our society is based is alarmist and baseless.
                           More efficient organization of the information that
                           we had already gathered could have prevented 9/11,
                           so it's not our principles or ethics that must
                           change, it's what we do with what we already have.
                           \_ I don't see random people getting dragged off
                              the street.  You're being alarmist.  As far as
                              our Founding Fathers goes, you'd be hard
                              pressed to find an angel among the lot.  What
                              they wrote did not align with how they acted,
                              especially compared to today's standards.  I
                              also dispute your contention that we already
                              had everything we needed to know to stop 9/11.
                              Are you going to say the lone FBI hero out in
                              podunk knew and if only we'd listened to her...?
                              They get a zillion threats and leads every day.
                              Hers was just one more with no particular reason
                              at the time to put resources into it.
                              \_ Presidential Daily Briefing:
                                 "Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in US"
                                 August 6, 2001
                              \_ The 9/11 Commission disagrees with you.
                                 Our civil society is based mightily on
                                 the ideas of due process, regardless of
                                 the characters of our FF. Some of the Gitmo
                                 detainees were dragged off the street:
                                 http://preview.tinyurl.com/34fteo (AP via
                                 Salon).
                 \_ Someone with a "known history of blowing up innocent
                    people" is not a suspected terrorist, they are a terrorist.
                    Do you know who we have been waterboarding? Many of them
                    have been totally random schmucks who just got picked up
                    for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
                    \_ Who?  Are you saying Jose Padilla is a totally random
                       schmuck and he got water boarded?  Someone else?
                       \_ Maher Arar
                          \_ He's a Canadian citizen.  Everything that befell
                             him was a result of Canada's RCMP's intel failure.
                             http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0919/dailyUpdate.html
                             Got any American citizens dragged off the street
                             and tortured by the Bush admin?
                             \_ What I do have is an administration that
                                refuses to agree that it WON'T EVER drag
                                American citizens off the street and, umm,
                                interrogate them using enhanced methods.
                                Frankly I think that Padilla was tortured,
                                and the Bush admin. fought taking that to
                                trial for as long as possible.
                             \_ Oh, I see. It is okay to toture innocent
                                Canadians.
        \_ I like to waterboard sometimes, but I don't swim that well so
           I only do it when the surf is calm.

11/5    Barack Obama on net neutrality:
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd8qY6myrrE
        I think Obama just got my vote. -dans
        \_ I find it hilarious that I post something related to politics, and
           it generates no response, but I post a job req and it triggers a
           massive flamefest. -dans
           \_ It isn't your job posting that triggered a flamefest.  It was
              your hostile response to very simple, common, and expected
              questions about your company.  I don't recall anyone here ever
              responding in such a manner to simple job questions.
              \_ Really?  Because I'm pretty sure it all started with someone
                 referring to me as 'the motd idiot'.  I'm not sure how I come
                 across as hostile in that regard. -dans
                 \_ That isn't how it started and you know it.  Now you're
                    just trolling.
                    \_ Please stop making shit up. -dans
                       \_ Maybe you're reading a different motd.
                          \_ Apparently.  Try signing your name once in a
                             while. -dans

11/5    sed/awk question.  Let say i have a csv file.  I need to do two things:
        1. insert a comma after first character in the first column
        2. merge 2nd colmun with first, separate by a comma.

        so, original file may look like this
        abc, def, ghi, jkl ...
        it will become
        a\,bc\,def, ghi, jkl

        any idea?
        \_ Stop rolling your own CSV parser!
           http://www.secretgeek.net/csv_trouble.asp
           \_ Sadly the solution he has is .NET, but yeah.  Libraies exist
              for this kind of stuff in every language you would ever use.
              There's no need to reinvent the wheel.
              \_ The advice is good.  I used FasterCSV for Ruby and it's great.
        \_ Hypothetical: the above csv libraries don't exist.  Why use sed/awk
           insead of perl?

11/5    Look, PetroChina is worth $1T! Does this mean GOOG can go up 5X
        and still not be the largest company in the world?
        http://www.csua.org/u/jwl (Yahoo News)
        \_ You think GOOG will stop at 5x?  It can only go UP! baby!

11/5    Free Reiser!
        http://www.freereiser.org
        Trial starts this morning.
        \_ You think he didn't kill her?
           \_ where is the body?
              \_ probbaly vacationing in Russia.
              \_ you don't need a body.  by your question you imply that by
                 properly disposing of a body you can't be convicted of
                 murder.  and good question:  if she's alive, where is she?
                 I've followed this on and off since it started.  Unless
                 something really amazing comes out at trial in his favor,
                 he's going up the river.
                 \_ something amazing like his wife's lover (and his friend)
                    ADMITTING to killing like 8 people already?  I'm not
                    saying he's innocent, but there is plenty of "amazing"
                    to go around.
                    \_ That was just in the Wired intervidew!  Who reads that
                       anymore.
        \_ Maybe he will end up like this cop:
           http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/11/06/missing.woman/index.html

11/5    what good is facebook except for stalking hot chicks?
        \_ Keeping in touch with your friends, some of whom might be
           hot chicks.
        \_ Sounds like a fine use.
        \_ that's enough of a reason for it to exist right there!

11/5    The more you drive, the less intelligent you are:
        http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,1671053,00.html
        \_ Ah, Guardian, the libural outlet of the socialists.
        \_ I just started a job much further away than my previous job.  So
           I'm dumb for taking a better job further away?
           \_ only if you drive there.
        \_ well not exactly, but I love this quote from the article:
                When you drive, society becomes an obstacle. Pedestrians,
                bicycles, traffic calming, speed limits, the law: all become
                a nuisance to be wished away. The more you drive, the more
                bloody-minded and individualistic you become.
            -ERic
           \_ Fuck you eric. Read this:
              http://images.libertyoutlet.com/prod/p-myvehicle.jpg
              \_ Hey, don't attack me, it's not my opinion -- I was just
                 pointing out a choice quote.  -ERic (and yes, I have a SUV)
           \_ America is built because of  individualism. If you hate
              individualism, you hate America.          -Randian
              individualism, you hate America.          -Randroid
              \_ Pretty true actually.  And a shame.
              \_ There was a TV commercial a couple months ago that started
                 with the line "I only care about me, myself and I."
           \_ America is the land of the individuals, the land of the
              uncommon man, the land where man is free to develop his
              genius-- and to get its just rewards. Individualism
              fosters invention and ingenuity. NOW I SHALL GO PUT
              KEROSENE IN MY HAIR.              -Ayn
              fosters invention and ingenuity.          -Ayn
        \_ None of the above jackasses got the Repo Man reference.
           Sad face!
           \_ Actually I did, but it was a bad reference, unless yoy are
              trying to imply that individualistic implies less intelligent.
              -ERic
              \_ It made me want to drive more.  And I live in LA, and fucking
                 hate to drive here. -- ilyas
                 \_ You Go Girl!

11/5    goddamn i just wrecked the company toilet
        I should get an award
        \_ You ever take a dump so big, that after you it you suddenly
           have faith there is a God watching us?
           \_ You need God to help?
        \_ You should weigh yourself before and after
        \_ God might help.  I thought I had finished my ruling for the day,
           but I just went back in and I think I got it all out.  THANK
           YOU LORD.
           \_ If we had transporters as in Star Trek, I'd never take
              another dump.  I'd just "beam it out".
              \_ I've been sitting here enjoying the zen like calm that
                 has filled my body since I evacuated about 5 pounds of
                 crap from me this morning.

11/5    motd enormous bowel movement guy, do you eat wheat gluten?

11/5    http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1677329_1678542,00.html
        iPhone is THE INVENTION OF THE YEAR.
        \_ Yeah, like they know the diff between EDGE and HSDPA.

11/5    sorry i wrote over your change - motd fuming Republican guy

11/5    I'm no bleeding liberal, but I look at the Republican pres candidates,
        and they're all terrible.  I hate having to rate them as "ok this
        guy isnt COMPLETELY insane" or "well this one has said anything lately
        that if i think about it too hard blood will shoot out of my nose."
        In this category are McCain, Romney, Guiliani, Thompson.  Do I have
        to become one of those GO RON PAUL freaks?
        \_ Yes.   GO RON PAUL!!
        \_ To rip off another thread, why does every Republican candidate seem
           to try to out do each other in how PRO waterboarding they are
           (with the always dependable exception of McCain) ?
           \_ Here's a good one:
              http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/03/us/politics/03torture.html
              "As Mr. Romney was preparing for his presidential bid, he
              visited Guantánamo Bay in the spring of 2006 and said he
              came away with no concerns with regards to the fair and appropriate
              treating of these individuals.. In the May debate, Mr. Romney said
              he would .double Guantánamo..
              Mr. Romney has also said that in the event of an extreme terrorist
              threat, he would not rule out even the harshest interrogation
              techniques, echoing comments made by his national security adviser,
              Maj. Gen. James Marks, who is retired.
              When the general was asked, in a 2005 interview on CNN, how far
              he would go if he thought he could elicit information that would
              save the lives of either American soldiers or civilians,
              he replied, .I.d stick a knife in somebody.s thigh in a heartbeat..
              Mr. Thompson has argued that there are circumstances where
              .you have to do what is necessary to get the information that you need.."
              Why'd the obsessed with secrecy gov. even let him go to GITMO?  I
              want to go (AS AN OBSERVER).  Why are morally bankrupt shitheads
              runnings for president?
              \_ The Daily Show will survive the TV writer's guild strike just
                 fine, the jokes write themselves!
              \_ I don't know. Do you trust polls? Why does Romney poll high?
                 I would guess it's because of his looks and charisma. The
                 average person probably doesn't know shit except what he looks
                 like and what they might see on the news which does not tell
                 them to think he is a morally bankrupt shithead, and which
                 treats Ron Paul as comedic relief.
                 \_ I accept that all candidates for pres must say and do silly
                    things to be elected, but this whole chest beating crap about
                    who will do the most to cornhole suspected terrorists the
                    most brutally turns me off of the whole process.  I bet
                    Ron Paul doesn't say stupid shit like this.  Ron Paul is too
                    conservative for me though.  Ugh maybe I should just donate to
                    him.
                    \_ I did. I want my federal government to be as conservative
                       as possible... in the Constitutional sense, not religious
                       fundamentalist sense.
        \_ I'm still mad Bush spoke at Bob Jones University! - motd mixed race guy

11/5    motd not getting laid guy here.  day #something stupid of not getting
        laid.  so the hot 22 year old i met a few weeks ago has forwarded
        me some spam email she got.  I will paste the text here:
        >At last you've got a lass that's hot
        >You wanna hump her moistened twat.
        >She looks so sizzling, she's so nice!
        >But would your penile size suffice?
        >Not sure she will yearn for more?
        >You need a dic'k she would adore!
        >But how to grow it long and thick?
        >Your only hope is MegaDik!
        >You'll get so wanted super-size
        >And see wild craving in her eyes!
        >Your shaft will stuff her box so deep,
        >Tonight you'll hardly fall asleep!
        What should I do?
        \_ Dump your girlfriend and screw the hottie.  In that order.
           Have some balls instead of being a dick.

11/5    King Tut is back.

11/5    why can't everyone be like this guy
        http://delong.typepad.com

11/5    I saw the queen of all butter faces today. She was a hostess at a
        restaurant. Tall and slender. Elegant build. Grace of a model.
        Glided across the floor. Beautiful neck and nicely coifed
        black hair falling on her shoulders. Fair skin. Perched on her high
        heels she had the grace of a gazelle. Nice legs and calves.  Wasp-like
        waist with curvy hips and enough bust to give her an hourglass shape.
        Every man was in awe of this woman as we viewed her from behind. I
        even saw women staring at her.  And then she turned around.  She
        wasn't hideously disfigured or anything, but she was unattractive.
        Not just plain, but homely. I started wondering if, if only looks
        mattered, it would be worth it to be with that incredibly strong,
        lithe, supple, and curvy body. What do you think?
        \_ who cares.  hotties are forwarding me spam emails about my gigantic
           throbbing penis!  are you single?
        \_ Why do you qualify with "if only looks mattered"? She sounds doable
           to me...
           \_ Because more than looks matter, even for a random lay? A
              woman that sounds really stupid, does a lot of drugs, or is a
              cold sack of potatoes in bed doesn't appeal to me even if she's
              smoking hot.
              \_ What is this "in bed" thing?
        \_ "but-her" face, you mean?  In my book, face > body, but not >>,
           I wouldn't date an overfat woman no matter how cute her face.
           \_ I'd date her if she had enormous breasts - you know who

11/5    The Ron Paul spam
        http://www.metafilter.com/66234/Ron-Paul-Spam
        I dunno about you, but any candidate that's got the endorsement of
        Stormfront AND the John Birch Society has got my vote!

11/5    Here's more of that Hillary picture. I remember I saw it first on
        somethingawful.  I still don't know the context.
        http://pinkdome.com/archives/2007/04/caption_this_pi_69.html

11/5    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071106/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_pakistan
        'WASHINGTON - President Bush urged Pakistani President Pervez
        Musharraf on Monday to "restore democracy as quickly as possible,"
        choosing mild disappointment over punishment or more pointed rhetoric
        to react to the declaration of emergency rule in anti-terror ally
        Pakistan...Bush did not speak directly to Musharraf, a leader who
        took power in a 1999 coup but whom he has previously hailed as a
        friend he trusts and as a strong defender of freedom...They were the
        president's first public comments on the situation since Musharraf
        imposed a state of emergency, suspended his country's constitution,
        ousted the country's top judge, stifled independent media and deployed
        troops to crush dissent. He called it necessary to prevent a takeover
        by Islamic extremists.'
        \_ Who would you prefer to see in power in a nuclear-armed pakistan?
           Democratically-elected islamic extremists, or Musharraf?
           \_ Bhutto.
                \_ Who is reputedly corrupt.  She'll just sell the nukes
                   on the black market.
                   \_ They're all corrupt. They're all out to make a buck and
                      may very well sell nuke tech. Now that we've established
                      that, we can move on to the more meaning distinguishing
                      characteristics, like whether they're military dictators,
                      religious fascists, or actual proponents of free
                      elections democracy. Thus: Bhutto FTW.

11/5    so you took out my penis spam, but you left in butter face,
        you took out giant dump, and even took out angry republican.
        thanks for the boring motd.  fuck you