/. does it again. great article on open source

http://linux.slashdot.org/linux/08/04/21/1534222.shtml

"Meaning of life"

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/06/the-meaning-of-life-intro/

Interesting article on a guy going from Catholicism to Atheist. I can relate to much of the "Intro" part of the story. I didnt read further.

It is a very good articulation of frustration with the Christian Religions. Emotionally, I'd be proud to write it. I am not motivated enough to write something like this.

ask a ninja, grandpa.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1sm4jtoB44&NR=1

finally, some good healthy advice.
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http://bash.org/?572066
rofl. hilarious.
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http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/08/04/17/1210250.shtml
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No, I'm not a republican OR a democrat because I enjoy the process of THINKING too much to give it up.
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Real issues: economy, environment, crime, international relations
Distraction issues: file sharing, gay marriage, abortion, drugs, bosnian snipers
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Iron man fights open source? What?

http://entertainment.slashdot.org/entertainment/08/04/15/0037211.shtml

Overview:
Tony Stark = Iron man = good usually.
Zeke Stane = "bad" guy.

From the article:

But Zeke Stane is a very different sort of enemy than what Stark is used to. “Zeke is a post-national business man and kind of an open source ideological terrorist,” explained Fraction, appropriately putting the contrast into software terms. “He has absolutely no loyalty to any sort of law, creed, or credo. He doesn’t want to beat Tony Stark, he wants to make him obsolete. Windows wants to be on every computer desktop in the world, but Linux and Stane want to destroy the desktop. He’s the open source to Stark’s closed source oppressiveness. He has no headquarters, no base, and no bank account. He’s a true ghost in the machine; completely off the grid, flexible, and mobile. That absolutely flies in the face of Tony’s received business wisdom and in the way business is done.

This makes no sense. Why? Because open source is a volunteer activity for the good of the people. It is the ultimate "helping the Grandmother cross the road" by giving her a robot that takes her across when she wants. It is absurd in other words.
This is the equivalent of taking all the people that volunteer for the Red Cross & calling them into terrorists for destroying the business model of the hospital.

Slashdot is the most intellectual nerd site I've ever seen. This is from a comment on an article on the Iron Man movie that is "Anti-Open source":

Yesterday's communist is today's terrorist. Anti Flag said it well in Anatomy of your enemy:

10 easy steps to create an enemy and start a war: Listen closely because we will all see this weapon used in our lives. It can be used on a society of the most ignorant to the most highly educated. We need to see their tactics as a weapon against humanity and not as truth.

First step: create the enemy. Sometimes this will be done for you.

Second step: be sure the enemy you have chosen is nothing like you. Find obvious differences like race, language, religion, dietary habits fashion. Emphasize that their soldiers are not doing a job, they are heartless murderers who enjoy killing!

Third step: Once these differences are established continue to reinforce them with all disseminated information.

Fourth step: Have the media broadcast only the ruling party's information

Iron Man anti-open source movie, anyone? Remember, this is an American movie, and the multinational corporations own and control the US government

this can be done through state run media. Remember, in times of conflict all for-profit media repeats the ruling party's information. Therefore all for-profit media becomes state-run.

Fifth step: show this enemy in actions that seem strange, militant, or different. Always portray the enemy as non-human, evil, a killing machine.

Sixth step: Eliminate opposition to the ruling party. Create an "Us versus Them" mentality. Leave no room for opinions in between. One that does not support all actions of the ruling party should be considered a traitor.

Seventh step: Use nationalistic and/or religious symbols and rhetoric to define all actions.
This can be achieved by slogans such as "freedom loving people versus those who hate freedom." This can also be achieved by the use of flags.

Eighth step: Align all actions with the dominant deity. It is very effective to use terms like, "It is god's will" or "god bless our nation."

Ninth step: Design propaganda to show that your soldiers have feelings, hopes, families, and loved ones. Make it clear that your soldiers are doing a duty; they do not want or like to kill.

Tenth step: Create and atmosphere of fear, and instability and then offer the ruling party as the only solutions to comfort the public's fears. Remembering the fear of the unknown is always the strongest fear.

I remember the "duck and cover" drills. The tactics would be competely useless if there was an atomic explosion, it had no purpose whatever except to create and maintain an atmosphere of fear.

Top 25 Linux Games

http://rangit.com/software/top-8-linux-games-of-2007/

awesome:
http://www.wesnoth.org/
http://www.vendetta-online.com/
http://savage2.s2games.com/

best backup ever: sugarsync

http://www.sugarsync.com/products/sync.html
it is awesome. autosync everything so cheap & easily.
$25/year for 10Gb
up to 250Gb options