* Posts by Dax Farrer

86 publicly visible posts • joined 25 May 2007

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Russia wins World Cup bid in parrot-sickening travesty

Dax Farrer

Blah Blah Blah

"Even though I live in the UK I don't appreciate the remarks about Russia not having built stadia yet and allegations of bias from FIFA."

Hmm .. so you haven't read either the technical proposals OR the wikileaks saga OR the Panarama doc ..

Suggest you do .. just saying like, then you can have a grown up opinion.

Google slips $3.1bn through 'Double Irish' tax loophole

Dax Farrer

Tax Avoidance

"Google has its faults, but making use of a legal tax loophole isn't one of them. ®"

Actually it is evil.

Tax avoidance is just tax evasion that hasn't been found out yet.

iPhone v Pre - the celebrity smartphone deathmatch

Dax Farrer
Stop

@AC 6:46

Lets not include the Blackberry, as the Storm is absolutley crap.

Chicago Bears fan hit for thirty grand for a bit of Slingbox

Dax Farrer

@ RichyS

Septic Tank = Yank

also "Listerene" ..thats sorta like a disinfectant .. someone who is not keen on Americans

Europe gives temps same rights as permanent staff

Dax Farrer

Contractors....

Seem to come across as antisocial loners with a penchant for violent behaviour and an unhealthy fixation on money.

Just read the posts above, don't let your daughter marry one.

Emails show journalist rigged Wikipedia's naked shorts

Dax Farrer
Boffin

@GrahamT

You analogy of betting for short selling is not a good one. You can back a horse to lose and you can do it at betfair.com.

Because betfair matches punters who want to bet you can take the losing position in that bet.

eg.

I want to bet £50 on a horse to win, betfair allows someone else to take the losing position on that bet. A traditional bookies would normally take that position.

This has of course caused a lot more cheating at the tracks as it's easier to engineer a horse to lose than it is to make sure a horse wins.

Windows experiment meets the bottom line

Dax Farrer
Thumb Up

Thanks

As a DB admin/developer I really appreciate the series. Even if I haven't read it all yet it will be a handy resource to pick at in the future.

Romanian and Turkish scientists turn circuit boards into oil

Dax Farrer
Boffin

@M. Burns

You are misinformed

What's Auntie for, exactly?

Dax Farrer

Sacred Cows ?

What is that phrase supposed to mean, I'm secretly a Brahmin high priest ?

Of course I can't prove that global warming is man made, luckily I don't have to. I just have to posit the theory, if it holds up I win. Its called science and it works by disproving stuff. If you can find a decent peer reviewed piece that shows that global warming is not man made, you win. Unfortunately all that the sceptics link to is highly politicised crap churned out by far right senators from the US.

As to population being the cause, where is the pollution coming from ? Since the industrial revolution its been us. The only sensible way to look at this is per capita, and that puts the blame squarely on the Americans and Europe. Even China the largest single polluting country (now) doesn't even dent the amount we and the yanks have pumped out.

Yes, population increases will have a dramatic effect (just as it did when we went through the demographic transition). But it hasnt yet, the lifestyles of the majority have not improved to the level where they start to affect anything. When they do its time to panic. Watch China in this regard and India/Indonesia. They are the big population centers.

So Mike Street, wheres your links, where is your proof. Cos there is more than enough on my side pointing to the fact that its yours and mine and everyone else in the Western Worlds fault. You don't like it ? Then show your proofs.

As an aside the New Scientist has a very good selection on the latest in this debate. As they are a science publication they are of course on the side of MMGW in this debate. But like all good science publications, if something dents the model they will publish that too.

http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/climate-change/

Dax Farrer
Flame

@mainstream != agrees with me

Actually no, I go by the IPCC which last time I looked had a few signings against it of world known scientists that could agree with the findings. Which certainly would make that document non-contrivertable in my book. The real rates of warming are likely to be far more aggressive.

Nothing in science is ever "proved", of course doubt remains. But we are talking about scientific uncertainty which should not be parleyed into political uncertainty. Otherwise the status quo is maintained, and there are far more voices in favour of Man made global warming than the reverse. By orders of magnitude.

If you are a sceptic, fine, I note you have Dr in front of your name, and Im hoping thats for a Phd, in which case, get off my back and go and produce some peer reviewed work which debunks the theory. Thats your job and you are not doing it.

If, on the other hand, this is not your area of expertise why should I care what you think ? You dont debate the issues, you just attack your straw men. Stop whinning its bloody pathetic, and also try and avoid non-peer reviewed articles its embarrassing that someone with Dr in front of their name links to shoddy crap that wouldnt turn up in Nature Watch, nevermind Nature or Science.

P.S. Annonomous Cowards keep their jobs

Dax Farrer

@Risky

Good point, there are so many things that people could be doing, but lets face it they are not.

It would be lovely to imagine that the world will keep to the promises they have already made on debt, fresh water, childhood literacy, economic development etc etc. But its not going to happen now is it ?

The Russians have a saying about Marx ...

"Everything he told us about Communism was wrong, Everything he told us about capitalism was right"

Well I am looking forward to seeing how we "consume" our way out of this one. Most peoples idea of global warming extend about as far as maybe having to buy a hybrid car, fitting insulation and maybe having a small wind thing perched on the side of the house. Good luck with that.

As so many commentors have said in so many different words. "Its never been better to be part of the problem". In a world where so many exist on less than a dollar a day, you will never starve, for you are rich.

Enjoy your hols ; )

Dax Farrer
Stop

@AIDAN

So, care to hazaard a guess when this will happen ?

Can I suggest that far from being in "the near future" it will never happen. Tell you what I will put a beer on it, any pub any time in the next 5 years. That gives you a bit more time than anyone elses "near future" that I know of.

Tell me, I would really like to know where you get your information. What insightful government policy or thinktank dreamt this up for you ? If it was a complete "in my backyard production" can I suggest you stick to coding HTML cos your opinion is like wading through treacle. Sweet, but very, very thick.

Great War diary reveals original Captain Blackadder

Dax Farrer
Stop

Meh

The web 2.0 Utopians are on again banging on about FREE. I can only think they have turned up for work out of the goodness of their hearts. (actually I doubt these wasters have jobs)

Personally I have transcribed a handwritten book and its not something I would like to do again. Its boring laborious and thats just when you can read the sentence, when its bloody illegible then in the spirit of web 2.0 you just make it up. So there is a considerable creative input as well.

Swede with UK betting licence held in Amsterdam for 'breaking' ancient French law

Dax Farrer
Stop

My God

What a lot of xenophobic middle englanders. Get you to the Mail and be gone from these pages.

Again, even more proof that a knowledge of ASP does not make one any great shakes in politics. Geeks, stick to twiddling your iPhones and stealing from the creative classes, cos that is what you are good at.

Judge rules Gore's film an inconvenient catalogue of errors

Dax Farrer
IT Angle

@Andy Wager

No, because that was a load of crap and was found to be crap.

@Dan

No, there is no substantial debate in the science community. There is some right wing nuts that have a problem with what the consequences of global warming. They have spent a lot trying to manufacture an illusion of debate. But we actually got through most of the debate 10-15 years ago. Sorry you missed it, it was entertaining the first time, these repeats are becoming a bit of a boor though.

Apple slashes iPhone prices

Dax Farrer

Mike

Its 2 months, not a year, not even 6 months. It has not been superceeded. It just hasn't sold as well as Stevie $ Jobs would like.

Your idea of economics is a bit skewed Mike. If you think the device was worth $600 why isnt it still. 1 Million certainly is not enough to reach any sort of volume price reduction. If someone is prepared to pay $600 for a device worth $400, then they are a prat, and Stevie $ Jobs has made a bundle on other people bad economic decisions.

Bottom line, the iPhone was not, is not and never was worth $600 you paid a tax for brand cool, and now we know what that tax cost, $200 or 33% of the phone.

The question really is now, how much cool tax is left in the iPhone at $400 ?

Eurostar inaugurates UK high-speed track

Dax Farrer

Why it dont go north

I worked on the CTRL during the design phase, basically after the tunnel crash the design company, who were supposed to making the money to extend the line through finance generated through trains going through the tunnel made a loss. The whole thing was cut back .. just the Stratford to Kent bit would be high speed and the expensive bit from St Pancreas through to Stratford was canned. Along with my job.

That was about 10 years ago now, and you are seeing the results through this piecemeal approach to extending the high speed links.

I doubt it will ever get further than St Pancreas. No one has a serious design to get it out of London anyway.

UK online gambling regs go live tomorrow

Dax Farrer

least skilled ....

Absolute rubbish .. only in no limit holdem can you change the received odds for your opponent.

You can not make a program that will do well at hold em, its the borderline between art, skill and luck.

For sure the rules of hold em are simple, compared to say Omaha high/low. But as they say, "a minute to learn, a lifetime to master".

Poker should never have been part of the Safe Harbour act, for the simple reason it is not a game of chance but primarily one of skill. Otherwise, why do I see the same people getting into the money, getting to the final tables and winning, day after day ?

Racist Reg hacks slammed for 'vitriolic hatred'

Dax Farrer

The right to take offensive

.. and the right to be offensive

Viral epidemic strikes Spain's Mediterranean dolphins

Dax Farrer

@JP

Not really counter-intuitive, unless your thick.

As they have only seen 1 dolphin, (they saw 13 back in 1997) then there is not much they can do.

The obvious hope is that they capture one, then another and start a captive breeding program which has been successful for many other species. Thompson Gazelles springs to mind.

Though there will be issues with genetic diversity, I cant see this species surviving myself, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't give it a go. Leaving them there is obviously a crap idea, there population has crashed and they are dying out.

@A.Merkin

I think you will find those sophisticated bioweapons will be humans under mind control by our cetacean overlords.

Genghis Khan didn't much like gays

Dax Farrer

Hackney lot of old bollocks

You can see that the wisdom on crowds is not working, how much mis-information has just been bandied around in the posts above.

1. GK was very successful. So successful he managed to completely wipe a couple of nations from the earth. So, even better than the Nazis in genocide.

The Mongols were also successful after GK, Kublai Khan was the ruler of even more than GK and its actually him that runs into the Russians and scares the shit out of them. Kublai was more Chinese than GK, you have this absorbtion thing going on, there were a lot fewer Mongols than Chinese, and the Chinese were much more advanced. Though not in things like stirrups, but in things like useless fireworks (lol) and soap and water.

The romans didn't burn homosexuals at the stake, but they were not so keen on it as the Greeks. They were also worried that the patrician families were fucking the slaves all day and not getting down to some serious procreation.

@Graham Marsdan - thanks mate - some sanity out there

As for the IT angle ... sigh... there is more to life than a fucking computer. There's fucking for a start ! See how important its been through the ages. If we want geeks in the future, they should start shagging like rabbits now, otherwise rather than the geeks inheriting the earth they will die out and the inevitable rise of our robot masters assured. There will be no one left to stop them.

Aussie gov anti-porn filter 'useless', says teen

Dax Farrer

@John Naismith

I think you will find we invented detention camps (aka concentration camps) in South Africa during the Boer War. Hardly a claim to fame, but shows we are a hundred years or so in front of you. Not 5 years behind as claimed.

Its just a rush to the lowest common denominator

Xbox 360 Elite games console

Dax Farrer

Its the games stupid ...

Relative specs are all very well but, as always, consoles will succeed or fail based on the quality of the games available.

The news that Blizzard are doing a port of WoW to the Xbox360 should be a real wakeup call. At last, something thats worth playing !

Gonzo a goner, but NSA surveillance here to stay

Dax Farrer

And we care because....

Stuart has a catastrophic failure of his funny bone, as well as having his moral index removed by a malicious user.

Is Stuart ...

1. Morally lacking in human decency

2. A bit of a cunning stunt by the neocon menace to derail legitimate comment.

Hey Stuart, stick to commenting on the articles, leave the editorial direction to the register. They seem to run a successful news website, you do not.

Northrop enters US Army monster raygun lorry race

Dax Farrer

death ray

its a frikken death ray "laser", post me one along with my flying car

Dolphins abandon Bay of Biscay

Dax Farrer

Dolphins

Maybe the Japanese whaling fleet got confused, should have turned right after the Panama Canal but, you know, these things happen, and really they were all over the place, eating the fish, hogging the sofa.

Dax Farrer

Stuart

I fear many of the commentators are refusing to maintain the "IT only" policy. Stuart is a prime case, scurrilously using "IT" but in a manner where no "IT" is actually referred to.

In future could all commentators keep their comments directly relating to "IT" and refrain from off topic issues.

There should be no OT in IT

Naomi Campbell piles into Vogue

Dax Farrer

Why ?

Bah .. for all you first timers this piece follows a long history on El Reg for following the exploits of the aging, blackberry throwing Streatham Clotheshorse that is Naomi Campbell.

Naomi Campbell, the focal point where technology, style, politics and the crackberry assault phone all meet.

I'm looking forward to the follow up special interest pieces ...

Streatham, gateway to the Sarf

Me and My Crackberry - a history of addiction, love and betrayal in Sarf London

Vogue, why naked is never in style

Worn out your vibrator? Relief is at hand

Dax Farrer

Edit

"How seriously are you taking the WEEE?""

should be ...

How ? Seriously, are you taking the WEEEEEEEEEEE"

love it .. keep these rolling. El Reg has not only a reputation for sourcing the best in IT news. BUT more importantly keeping the punters sane at work with humorous articles like this.

Compact Disc: 25 years old today

Dax Farrer

iTuneski

I think you will find do a very credible CD quality encoding.

Agree with Robert Long on LP's, only the ones I wouldn't like to admit I have sound any good. Because they have not been played !

Foxy Brown cuffed on Blackberry assault rap

Dax Farrer

Hmmm

"Recovering Blackberry launch platform Naomi Campell was unavailable for comment today"

SCHTOP - this article is not finished yet.

Surely the tag line "The Streatham Clotheshorse" is missing.

I'm sorry but El Reg has a high profile in the world of internet journalism and this has rocked that profile. I am shocked !, shocked I tell you.

US airforce in $500m push for better jet turbines

Dax Farrer

Moller

Seen it, tell me ... where can i buy one ? Answer - you can't, a fatal flaw in your arguement.

Where my frickin flying car ! I clearly remember Tomorrows World promised me one by 2000 at the latest.

iTuneski boss escapes the gulag

Dax Farrer

FFS

Why does the RIAA want to kill the only sensible music distribution channel available. You want to grab them by their coke covered nasal hair and shake some sense into their fat, moribund, sorry arses.

NFL enlists Christian soldiers in anti-gambling fight

Dax Farrer

Greed

So the answer to greed is to remove temptation ? Oh dear, thats not proof of faith now is it. I expect a lot more suffering from right wing god botherers.

Telstra sex romp woman back on the job

Dax Farrer

Repressed Housewife gets a Shock

She probably thought they were just playing with a bath duck or something.

friendly game of bath water polo

Earth will feel the heat from 2009: climate boffins

Dax Farrer

Biosphere

The key is in the title. The biosphere is produced by life. How could man not have an effect.

@GrowUp - because we have free speech you cunt

Free software darling SugarCRM blasts OSI

Dax Farrer

Badgers ?

We don't need no stinking badgers

World Poker Tour goes, er, global

Dax Farrer

Poker

As American as apple pie and extraordinary rendition. Whats that black helicop.....

AK47: the open-source weapon that took the world by storm

Dax Farrer

@Vladimir Plouzhnikov

"Does that make me a villain?"

No, but it does make you a potential nutter.... Oi Nutter !

Miserable Brits declare War on Comfort

Dax Farrer

Article

= crap

MIT in Matrix 'Crowd Farm' plan

Dax Farrer

SI ?

Sooo....

How much electricity would you generate if you covered the Albert Hall with these things, and then filled said hall with people and made them jump up and down for an hour, you can see what Im getting at here, YES ! a standard measurement of work.

"Cor thats a bloody great big fridge mate, how many Alberts does that require"

or ...

"Blimey the wifes rampant rabbit gets through 3 Alberts a night"

,... I'll get me coat .

The terrorists I party with

Dax Farrer

FUD

Used extensively to keep people in line in every era. Sad innit.

El Reg issues Satan word alert

Dax Farrer

Mobe

We demand a recount !

Reader succumbs to apostrophe apoplexy

Dax Farrer

Umlat

Surely unless a umlat is involved its just not grammar.

EC cuts replacement deal with US on passenger data

Dax Farrer

Coming to America ?

Nope

Oz convict ancestor database goes online

Dax Farrer

Aus v NZ

Which reminds me of the time when NZ was experiencing some net emigration to Australia, the then PM said that it was OK as it was raising the average IQ in both countries.

Can Osama keep Bush afloat?

Dax Farrer

America slipping in "Leader of Free World" stakes

The land of the brave is becoming the land cowering behind a big fence. FUD !

Breakfast with bin Laden

Dax Farrer

Title

Yeah, we voted in Blair and on several fronts the guy was OK. He just failed in some key areas, Bush's poodle (he should have made the same response that Heath made to the yanks on Vietnam .. fuck off, where were you in Suez). Political "donations" or rather cash for honours, your honour. But, Tony, he's just this guy you know.

Things he isn't is stupid, he is also one of the best orators of a generation. He also has not got Cheney's hand up his arse.

There were damn good reasons to continue to vote NL in, domestic reasons, we have had the longest, most sustained period of growth recent history. Though debt inflation is a worry, its the way the capitalist system works. Can't really cry foul.

But you voted Bush in after he fucked up the National Economy, hes stripped the working Joe and given it to his rich chums, who are all doing very nice indeed. I can't see one thing this guy has done right. You tell me, what ? Hes universally hated with the lowest popularity stakes of any president since .. hell ever ?? He personally ripped up America's reputation and now your a torturing, renditions, international pariah. On a par with Saudi Arabia. You kidnap people from their homes and streets and give them to people to soften up using techniques that the rest of the world deplores, but to Cheney and Bush its a "no brainer".

Now I know your average American is actually a pretty friendly guy, I speak to a bunch of them every night. He doesn't seem to represent anyone, does he represent you Bert ?

As for Rick, keep wearing that tin foil hat mate. Period. I think there are brain cooling versions now available with a little fan. Tell me, lol, what do you think about global warming.

As for El Reg not doing politics, well, everything is politics baby, everything.

Dubai claims world's tallest building title

Dax Farrer

Oil

No Dubai never had much, which is why its trying to turn itself into a holiday destination. Its real problem is water rather than power.

Good luck to em

Microsoft tells Ultimate Extras fans to 'hang on'

Dax Farrer

Vista 64 bit Ultimate

Ok, I admit to buying it, well with a new computer and I choose ultimate cos it really didnt seem much cost difference with an OEM copy. £60 v £100 .. something like that.

Can we get a few things straight. Vista is an important upgrade for graphics and sound, I know Mac's have had the vector type graphics for a while but seriously, if M$ wanted to move this platform on it had to happen. Though the features that they have implemented to show off this new tech are poor, the carousel thing, well, its not useful.

Right ... to the problems ...

1. Computer will not come out of sleep mode, well comp does but it cant wake the monitor/mouse back up

2. Cant use a combined VGA/HD (what ever its is called) monitor. You have to strip out the HD signal

3. Services stop working randomly (who knows why). Had great fun when the authentication service stopped working, making me think my key had expired. Cue loads of fun with M$ support. I think I now have 3 or 4 different keys for Vista, they just kept handing them out for me to try.

4. UCI is crap

5. Everything seems less robust than XP, actually many of the same problems of 64bit XP are still around in Vista

6. Some font problems when you change resolutions/window size. Looks shit, often have to restart the application, whereby it looks fine again.

Hmm, thats about it. XP was a worse release.

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