Posts by Austin Troxell

Israel gets kosher phone service

And what about Shabbos?

So, will this "phrum phone" power-down between the two evenings? Can it be programmed to recite the Havdalah at the conclusion?

100Mbit/s sewer broadband rollout coming your way

TCP... IP... UP... WeP... CDP?... OSICDP!

Hey, this new "tunneling" method isn't as far-fetched as one might imagine.

If you REALLY want to see a clever transmission proposal, look up RFC 1149 - "Standard for the transmission of IP datagrams on avian carriers."

For 100mbs, I'll give TCP/IPoo a try...

Microsoft tries to CTRL-W WordPerfect lawsuit again

@A/C Re: Dear Drum D

The reason so many U.S. attorneys still use WP is that they crafted their original templates eons ago using WP with its nice macro-creation features. Re-creating those macros in Word is not a task for the faint-of-heart.

Today's attorney (In the U.S.) needs to learn about e-Discovery, keep up with changes in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the new Federal Rules of Evidence, legal ramifications of HIPAA, GLBA, SOx, SB 1386 (if you do "bidness" in Cauliflowernia)....

And you want them to port and debug their trusty macros to Word?

Puh-leeeeze!

BTW, for you trivia buffs: Those popular keyboard short-cuts many of us love from DOS-days, such as "CTRL-B", "CRTL-C", "CTRL-V", et al, all originated in... WordSTAR!

Remembering the Commodore SX-64

And Now a Word from A Dinosaur...

In 1969 I got my first "computer," a German-made kit called the "Logikus." You wired your own logic circuits and used slider-switches to input your "data." The "output" was presented via a display comprised of small flashlight bulbs. See it here: http://www.logikus.info or Google the wiki.

When I bought my Commodore 64 some *15* years later, I thought I'd landed in "computer heaven." I had the base unit, a floppy drive, a cassette-tape storage drive and a printer. Man, I was hot! I soon was writing batch-processing programs on the thing for my job as an industrial chemist. I even had it generate production-cost analysis and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). Just before I quit that farkiing company, I sold them the whole system for more than I paid for it... and "neglected" to hand over the program floppies. When they balked later, I said "Gimme my unused vacation pay and the programs are yours. Otherwise, YOU figure it out!" I'm still waiting for that payout....

Gawd, anyone here remember "RUNDY" errors? ;)

US colon cancer risk blamed on English couple

RE: Binge on popcorn...

Not to "pooh-pooh" the "popcorn flush" idea, *butt* there are numerous potential "pitfalls."

If you purchase the "butter-flavored" variety, you run the risk of respiratory ailments from the diacetyl added to improve the taste. If you use real butter, you run the risk of coronary artery disease. You also run the risk of breaking a tooth on any un-popped "old maids." As if Brits and their progeny need any more dental "issues!"

And, of course, many folk are allergic to corn.

-"Cornholio"

US tech support outfit seeks pocket sniffer

No, No.. He really meant "pOcket"

Of course, more than just a sniff will be necessary. The tech will need to request a complete pocket dump. It goes without saying that he will also need to closely examine the "headers" of "I Pee" streams!

Recording industry puts stake in ground with Jammie Thomas case

Non-random Musings

To @P. Lee: A digital play-back device only buffers a relatively small portion of the work being played and not the entire piece. This is acceptable under current US Fair Use guidelines as you are not creating a "copy" but only "sampling" the work. Also, I believe manufacturers of CD and DVD players must pay a license for each such device. This allows us, as consumers, the "right" to play the media we purchased.

To Darling Dearest Jammie in a Jam: Were your "copies" in a lossless format, such as FLAC or Monkey Audio? No? You mean to say your files were in MP3 format? Then they weren't true *copies;* they were lossy "representations" of the original work. This is no different than recording over-the-air broadcasts to cassette tape for personal use. Ask the judge for a summary dismissal and to vacate all penalties. And while your at it, also ask that the judge recommend the RIAA nolle prosequi any current and future cases involving MP3s.

To the RIAA: Do you really think alienating consumers is ultimately good for your business?

Brits declare Paris most pointless celeb

"Talented heiress"???

That's an example of Brit "humour," right?

Right.

Shampoo boffins decode dandruff fungus' DNA

And What Happens...

... when a naturally-occurring mutation or a lab goof creates a resistant strain of Mala-simon-sez-ia? We're already seeing what happens when something ubiquitous like Staph. aureus develops multi-drug resistance.

I can just picture it now: scientists tweak the genetic code of dandruff fungus and the resultant strain is no longer content to feed on just the surface of our scalps.

Hey, Tobe Hooper! I'll sell ya the movie rights!

CDW's flight into private equity is complete

The Pendulum Swings

Thanks to US regs, viz. Sarbanes-Oxley, more and more companies are going private in an effort to avoid the expenses, hassles and potential penalties of compliance (or lack thereof).

In typical fashion, when legislators (over-) react to an event that generates a massive public outcry (Enron, WorldCom, Adelphia, ...) they rush to enact ill-conceived Draconian laws that only force companies underground.

"So, you wanna punish us as being a publicly-traded company? Fine. We'll stop being a publicly-traded company!"

Doh!

3Com - a company built on ether

And Let's Not Forget...

...3Com's foray into VOIP, sort of: their NBX line of ethernet telephone switches. In the early 00s I was "certified" to install and configure these clunkers. They were ugly, unpredictable and built around VMWorks, the worst *NIX ever.

Ah, but 3Com's NICs are the best. I can't count how many "network" problems I've solved by disabling the integrated network interface (Intel chipset) on a PC and installing a 3C905B! I still keep a couple on hand. Just in case.

Dead woman's medical records case could undermine FOI law

Can we no longer carry our secrets to the grave?

In the past it was not uncommon for individuals (especially public figures) to have a proviso in their Wills stating that personal information shall not be released until 50, 75 or 100 years after their death. Presumably, this is to protect the privacy, reputation or mental well-being of the decedent's survivors.

Saying the equivalent of 'OK, she's dead... let's go through her stuff!' comes across as rather like vultures scavenging a carcass. (My apologies to families and friends of any departed loved ones who've had to face this issue.)

Here in the States, this topic is undergoing continuous debate, thanks to the infamous "Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act" or HIPAA. To read an excellent discussion of the issues, Google "HIPAA Till Death Do Us Part?" from May 2004 HIPAAdvisory newsletter. Does a surviving child have the right to overturn the dead person's wishes? Does the survivor represent the deceased *or* their estate?

Stay tuned....

-Austin

Florida uni cops taser shouty student

@it could have been worse

Indeed, it could. Am I the only one reading this who vividly recalls Kent State?

(You young'n's should Google "Kent State shootings" and read the wiki)

This recent Florida U. kerfuffel is another case of "stupidity meets excessive force." The young lad was abusing the privilege of being able to ask *a* question. He was not granted a forum to carry on a verbal harangue. When asked to cut it short, he copped an attitude.

Ah, but then the wannabe constabulary decided they had to "show their stuff." They decided to drag the chap away from the mic, tackle him to the ground and *once he was down* taser him!

Thank G-d these rent-a-goons ONLY had tasers!