2/15    How many watts does a typical desktop (not counting monitor)
        use when it is completely idling (top shows at most 1-2% CPU),
        assuming normal SATA HD, video card, 2-4G RAM?
        \_ Google did a published study where they determined that the
           largest consumer of energy in a computer is the power supply
           itself. Figure that if you have a 400W power supply you are
           using at least half that if not more even when idle.
           \_ that totally blows. Laptop #1!!!
              \_ Power supply manufacturers need an incentive to make more
                 efficient power supplies. It's probably not hard to do.
                 Google was talking about pushing manufacturers on that
                 issue, but one company is probably not enough.

2/15    Whatever happened to http://inpassing.org? Was that run by a CS student?
        \_ whois says it is owned by Benjamin Stewart and HuffPo says that he
           works as a software engineer at http://A9.com, so it is likely.
           \_ It was run by a female. I can't remember her name... Leah?

2/15    This appears to be the rain we were looking for. Is it having
        the effect we'd hoped to see?
        \_ While the recent storms have been good news for the region's water
           outlook, hydrologists say they still aren't enough to erase a dry
           January.
           The snowpack water content in the Tahoe basin is running about
           70 percent of average for the date.
        \_ "It's not unreasonable to assume if we stay wet, we'll catch up to
            normal by the end of the week," said Steve Goldstein, a forecaster
            with the National Weather Service in Sacramento. "I'm somewhat
            optimistic we'll end up with a near normal or even slightly above
            normal winter," in Northern California.

2/15    If Venezuela votes down Hugo's referendum this time, what are
        the odds he won't run it again?
        \_ And aparently irrelevant; they went for it this time, and it
           looks like he gets to run again. C'mon, Hugo, hang it up
           already, you daft punk!