Daily dilbert on firefox 4

The extension i missed the most after upgrading to firefox 4 is daily dilbert. This extension has not been updated for quite sometime, so i decided to give it a try by forcing it to install of 4.0. One way is to disable compatibility checking in firefox, but i decided to modify the extension to claim as supporting firefox 4.0. Below are the steps for linux

• Download daily dilbert extension for 3.6 (using older firefox or any other browser like chrome/opera)
• From terminal execute the following steps
• mkdir daily.dilbert
• cp daily_dilbert-2.6-fx.xpi daily.dilbert
• cd daily.dilbert
• unzip daily_dilbert-2.6-fx.xpi
• Use vim or any other editor to edit install.rdf and change 3.6.* to 4.0.*
• zip daily_dilbert-2.6-fx.xpi install.rdf  # this will update the zip file with new install.rdf
• Install the xpi in firefox

I have used it a few times and have not faced any problems

Add/remove programs windows is blank/waiting

I have had problem of Add/remove programs being stuck, in creating list of applications. After searching through microsoft site none of the solutions offered fixed the problem

Finally a solution on tom's hardware had the fix, which is was due to invalid path of java

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/85414-45-remove-programs-program-open

The exact key may be different, but in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Uninstall there should a key for java which has '\\' instead of a single slash. Once this has been changed add/remove dialog opens fine.

Install GPG key on ubuntu bypassing firewall

If you are seeing error while adding a repo to ubuntu, because you are behind some stupid firewall which is not allowing accessing port 11371

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-mozilla-daily/ppa
Executing: gpg --ignore-time-conflict --no-options --no-default-keyring --secret-keyring /etc/apt/secring.gpg --trustdb-name /etc/apt/trustdb.gpg --keyring /etc/apt/trusted.gpg --primary-keyring /etc/apt/trusted.gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv B34505EA326FEAEA07E3618DEF4186FE247510BE
gpg: requesting key 247510BE from hkp server keyserver.ubuntu.com
gpgkeys: HTTP fetch error 7: couldn't connect to host
gpg: no valid OpenPGP data found.
gpg: Total number processed: 0

then you download the key manually from the website and add it to ubuntu. Go to anonymouse.org and visit http://keyserver.ubuntu.com:11371 through the proxy site

Search for the corresponding key on the server as 0x247510BE and download the key, and save it to a text file on local system

Key should be something like below 

-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
Version: SKS 1.0.10
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=exAf
-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----

Then add the key to ubuntu using 'sudo apt-key add ' and then run 'sudo apt-get update' to update the repository which should accept the key

ubuntu in.archive.ubuntu.com server slow

Its been an problem for a long time, every time i run apt-get update, updating from in.archive.ubuntu.com takes a very long time sometimes it even fails. Even though it is the closest mirror it doesn't seem to be having the requiring bandwidth, so i switch to using jp.archive.ubuntu.com. Now its pretty good.

Graeme smith : Interview after loss in 2011 World cup

Resume broken downloads in firefox

After scourging through to resume a broken (downloaded 200MB of 800MB, and desperate not to download from beginning), found a very useful technique at

http://www.moddb.com/forum/thread/broken-download-solution-for-firefox-users

The idea is simple

1- you have two files on the destination folder. One with the original name and one with an extra ".PART" extension. Move both of these files to some other folder (Move! not copy)
2- Start your download again from the beginning (you have access to the download link, don't you?)
3- Let it download a few bytes, just to have those two files created again, with the exact same name. Now PAUSE this download.
4- Go to the folder where you backed up those old files. Copy both of these files to your download folder and replace the new created files when asked.
5- Now go to Firefox's Downloads form and resume the download.

SA vs Australia 434 vs 438 match

Searched for some time to find the full match video, but everywhere there just seem to be highlights. None of these highlights reflect the real match tension we had watching it live in college. It was incredible, the all action game.
The best copy i could find on the net is at http://www.desipad.com/odi-one-day-innings-videos/87799-south-africa-vs-australia-2005-06-5th-odi-434-438-match.html

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=M9P949Z0 (australia innings) (1:30 min)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ANAF5GC5 (SA innings)

comments on slashdot by IgnoramusMaximus (692000)

by IgnoramusMaximus (692000) on Thursday December 17, @12:55PM (#30475942)

Your first mistake is assuming that operations against Al Qaeda in Afghanistan started in 2001. The rest of your argument is rendered moot by that mistake. The US has been operating in Afghanistan since the 90's, as a response to earlier Al Qaeda attacks. The 2001 invasion was just the final commitment in a much longer campaign.

Oh I see, so in addition to being the chief sugar-daddy and arms supplier to Al Qaeda throughout 1980s, the USA then proceeded to meddle directly and covertly in Afghanistan as soon as their "allies" won and the USSR withdrew, showing itself utterly duplicitous and untrustworthy to the locals ... and this is improving your case how exactly?

That, of course, hinges on how you define "victory". If all we care about is maintaining majority control over the country and preventing it from being used as a staging area for further attacks against the west, then we've already won.

By that token the Nazis "won" WWII in 1942 ... I mean they occupied and held a lot of territory at the time, "preventing it from being used as a staging area by the Allies", no?

Under any other reasonable definition we ... we haven't achieved all of the goals we've set for ourselves, but the odds of eventually meeting them are pretty much 100%.

Yes, the time-honoured way of getting your ass handed to you: "fail to declare coherent, logical and testable goals, bloviate endlessly about 'progress' and 'democracy' and whatever other abstract and nebulous feel-good concept you can come up with, declare 'victory' and skedaddle home holding your bruised posterior, having met 'your goals' 110%! - whatever those 'goals' morphed into in the end in order to be met 110%". You did not seriously think you are the first would-be conqueror to come up with this?

The opposite forces have no chance of achieving a military victory - the best that they can hope for is that we get bored and go home.

You have an interesting way of defining "boredom", apparently measured in trillions of dollars, thousands of wounded, dead and maimed on your side and many more on theirs...

And yes, all the defenders have to do is to do what they always have done ... to outlast the latest Empire until it crawls back whence it came from. They have an ample precedent for that, although you are of course the Super-extra-specially-exceptional Empire, the American One, so everything will be oh-so-super-specially-extra-exceptionally different for you, despite no substantial changes in the general conditions of the whole affair. Just because America is oh-so-Speeeecial!

As long as we're willing to stay, we can't lose

Which is pretty much a guaranteed loss for the USA as the "will to stay" (translated to real-life measurements of mayhem and treasury) is far, far, lower than "their" will to outlast you - they are after all fighting for their homes, their "way of life" (as they see it) and their religion (and "zealot" is too kind a word to describe most of them) - and all that on top of their vastly disproportionately lower cost of warfare!

Unfortunately, it seems likely that we will decide to leave, largely due to opinions such as yours.

No, you will leave because that is the only thing you can do. The alternative is "total war" and utter bankruptcy of the US Empire. None of the previous empires left because of nay-sayers either, they left because staying further meant Imperial Collapse (and some, like the USSR, waited a tad too long). No amount of Rah-Rah cheer leading will change basic realities of Afghanistan and the logistics of foreign conquests.

I find that truly depressing. Seems like people didn't learn a damn thing from the American mistakes in the 80's.

What is truly depressing is that Americans didn't learn a damn thing from their own mistakes in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s and the mistakes of all the Empires past: that the by-necessity belligerent Imperial foreign policy doctrine never ends well in the final tally for the Empire. You seem to forget that all of your troubles with Al Qaeda are the result of your own short-sighted, arrogant meddling in the affairs of others! You yourself created most of your own enemies, by steadfastly applying double-standards to your allies-of-the-moment, backing vicious tyrants then taking them down when they upset you, backing some belligerent bullies while condemning others, etc etc etc, whenever and however suited you, all the while braying about "rule of law" (which of course does not apply to the "oh-so-special" you) and "democracy" (which you immediately disregard if the "wrong" sort of people get elected). In some future editions of English dictionaries when one looks up "hypocritical", "duplicitous" or "self-serving", it will have "American" as a synonym.

Comments in slashdot by IgnoramusMaximus (692000)

If your friend shoots one of my family members and then goes and hides in your house, I'm not picking a fight with you when I come to drag him out. If you decide to get in my way, that's your problem.

Well, its a fine demagoguery you got there, but the actual reality was that the Taliban demanded to see evidence of Bin Laden's responsibility before handing him over (remember that Bin Laden is just a "spiritual leader" - read: "pontificating bore that talks hell of a lot but hasn't actually done much directly" as opposed to other, more hands-on operatives who worked out of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and, in the case of the 9/11 crew, Germany) and the USA flatly refused. Following which the USA invaded declaring any and all comers as "unlawful combatants" with no rights of any kind.

So to keep your analogy straight, you have a case of my friend showing up at my house saying that you are gunning for him, following which you show up with a box of explosives and demand that I hand him over or else "because he did me wrong!". And when I say "hold on for a sec, what proof exactly do you have?" you say "I don't have to explain myself to a non-human like you, far beneath my superior Manifest Destiny self! What I say goes or else! You got 10 minutes to comply!" and then set the bomb off 5 minutes later, killing my wife and maiming my kids, following which you get the biker gang down the street to help you rummage through and "govern" the wreckage. And so now you have two mortal enemies instead of one and not exactly what could be called a "moral high ground".

This is how the Afghanistan mis-adventure is seen by "the other side" and it is of little wonder that the fight will likely go on indefinitely, Taliban having quite a bit (and growing by many accounts) of local support and very able to present itself as the victims of a belligerent, arrogant, foreign, religiously-motivated, supremacist aggressor, victims who will defend their ancestral homeland, their religion and their "way of life" against that aggressor to the bitter end.

I'd say the odds of "victory" in Afghanistan for the USA are pretty much on the same level as those of all the previous Empires ... not entirely zero but any Vegas slot machine looks like a guaranteed retirement plan by comparison.

Tension with India disturbing Pak's focus on war on terror: US

http://www.thehindu.com/holnus/001200904221521.htm

That was a good laugh. Pakistan focussing on war on terror ? they must be joking.

Pakistan never focussed on war on terror, even though it affects pakistan too. The government has no control over extremists. All the funds US is providing to Pakistan are only being used for further sponsorship of extremism. How do these idiots even come upto a stage where their comments are published in papers ?

Repost of slashdot comment

I see your problem. You think managers are logical and considerate. You are wrong, sadly.

I worked for the state of Georgia a few years back, during my time there our group cut our districts IT costs essentially in half, not my doing or anything but it happened either way.

At the end of the year we had a large amount of cash left over in our budget because of the ways we came up with to save during the year.

You know what happened? We spent almost every dime we had left over doing stupid training for things we were perfectly qualified to manage already because our next years budget would be based on what we spent the previous year.

So ... rather than doing our jobs well and being rewarded by getting a little more consideration when we actually NEEDED the money in the future, we had to waste it to ensure that we'd get the funds next time around, even though we knew we wouldn't need them unless something unforeseen happened or that we'd need the money in a couple years when the next round of upgrades/replacement needed to occur. You simply can't budget properly in that state because once you've given some money back, getting an increase later is next to impossible, you have to ramp up over several years in order to get some extra for upgrades/replacements of major systems.

It was worse than just that however, not only did we have a surplus that we wasted, we had other groups in our district that had surpluses as well, which rather than losing the funding the following year they would figure out ways to funnel the money to us (legitimately) so we could spend it on new equipment to justify their budget.

The other groups had extra money because they would get grants and federal funding to do projects, but the funding wouldn't be around the following year, so to continue those public health projects in the future, they really needed to keep their allotment for the next year high enough to pay for everthing.

I write this comment and still think it was absolutely retarded, but those poor bastards that were actually doing the work couldn't do 'the right thing' because it would only screw them within a couple of years because managers and politicians up stream are so broken and stupid that they reward wastefulness and punish efficiency.

There really is no reason that your typical government worker wants to be efficient, they just get punished for it later. Try to remember that next time you go to the health department, DMV or whatever government office and you see them doing something that seems like a complete and utter waste of resources. They probably are fully aware of it, but have to do it anyway so they don't get fucked later and end up with too little money and some stupid politician asking them why they ran out.

Another one

I worked as head of Critical Factilities Engineering for a major financial services provider with a 1 MM sq ft campus. There were just over 4000 employees on the campus, each one with at least 1 computer at his/her office/cube. After having a very expensive energy audit performed, a potential savings was (big surprise) shutting down PCs.

Despite calculating that the organization could save $75K annually (this was a conservative estimate), their marketing department put a stop to the idea. Why marketing? Because the company had just gone through a "rebranding" and the marketing department had designed a new screensaver for all workstations with the new logo/slogan. None of these computers were in client facing positions, so effectively, they were insistent on wasting energy to advertise....to themselves!

No, I'm not kidding.

repost of slashdot comment

By definition the world is mostly made up of average people. For those of us that were products of public schools and other institutions that accepted everyone regardless of their abilities or backgrounds we can probably think back on groups that showed exactly what "average" means.

This combines with the most common failure of unfettered democracy, the tyranny of the loud (and perhaps underemployed/bored/obsessed), to create a perfect storm of vitriol, ignorance, and selfishness in places like an open forum online.

Quite simply, people without knowledge or experience in a field deserve less speaking time than those with knowledge and experience. If those people that are excluded from a discussion because they are ignorant or inexperienced want to participate than they should take the time to become knowledgeable and experienced in the field.

I always like to see open discussions but I also like to see comments rated and organized so that I can sift through the crap to get to the gold, something that guyminuslife mentions is missing from the Post's website system.

and some more

The BBC has it's own reader's comments section called "Have Your Say". It's moderated by a BBC team and it's notorious for censoring completely valid and non-abusive opinion. For example, when they had a topic on Google's participation in censorship in China, some posters pointed out that the BBC also censors things. The BBC responded to this by removing their posts (the topic that day had pre-moderation switched off, something that virtually never happens now). This prompted other people to point out the irony of the BBC removing posted about BBC censorship on a topic about censorship. The BBC then quickly pulled those posts. This prompted more similar responses and eventually the BBC gave up.

Police chief quits over blunder

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7991307.stm

secret documents should only be opened in closed containers. Not glassed rooms, or even inside your own vehicle, anyone could use a very high resolution camera to take a picture from far enough and zoom enough to read the text, no wonder there is quite a lot of demand for suitcases

Germany launches Hypo Real Estate takeover bid

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Germany-launches-Hypo-Real-apf-14889108.html

The government's bank rescue fund said it would offer euro1.39 per share of the commercial property lender.

Even germany realises that companies should not be given cash but should be bought to make the right reforms, but US would never realise it.

Japan seeks NKorea debris

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g5bCbd3G8qFoX7H4TvQbUWvBQ08QD97ESFDG1

When i read the title i just felt japan is seeking for NKorea to be reduced to debris, but soon came to senses and reaslised they just want NKorea rocket launch debris.

Why does McCain's statement come into picture here ? He is not president of foreign affairs minister, why does his statement get attached to the title ?

He said, however, that technical difficulties and concerns about cost may make it difficult to renew the search.

It is obvious that searching for debris in oceans are costly, otherwise it would have been already done by curious US or south korea

iF TV science was more like real science

India woman 'divorce scam' arrest

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7986229.stm

seen it movies but never read a article about it.

a 26-year-old woman arrested

His lawyer said the complainant was the woman's ninth husband

wow... that is fast

Vast Spy System Loots Computers in 103 Countries

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/technology/29spy.html?_r=2&hp

A vast electronic spying operation has infiltrated computers and has stolen documents from hundreds of government and private offices around the world

Trust US to hype up any such things even if they never existed

The researchers, who have a record of detecting computer espionage, said they believed that in addition to the spying on the Dalai Lama, the system, which they called GhostNet, was focused on the governments of South Asian and Southeast Asian countries.

recession hits poll campaign ?

http://profit.ndtv.com/2009/03/26220657/Polls-09-Recession-hits-camp.html

Parties like the BJP say corporate funding, which is a big source of funds for political parties, is drying up this time.

They are not recession proof...but they are the solution to recession... unlike US which has to make huge amounts of official govt spending, indian politicians would make huge amount of unofficial politicial spending

US returns taxes to inject money to come out of recession ===== indian politicians give out cash to voters to vote for them
US bailouts banks ===== indian politicians bail out the poor
US ensures banks are not regulated so that they can fail, and govt can bail them out again ==== indian politicians ensure poor remain poor, so they can bail them out

India's emerging power worries China: US or does it worry US

India's emerging power worries China: US
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20090088842&ch=326200925200PM

India's

emergence as an economic, political and military power has left Chinese army worried, even as the two countries in the recent years have increased their economic and military cooperation, a report released by Pentagon said

China fury at US report
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7965084.stm

The Pentagon reported that China was successfully managing to expand its arsenal of sophisticated weaponry, even though Beijing's ability to sustain military power at a distance remains limited.

Chinese "armed forces continue to develop and field disruptive military technologies", including "nuclear, space, and cyber warfare"

Both the articles are based on the same report, which say that china is worried about india, and US is worried about china's growing power... so what does that mean ?????? does it mean US is worried about china, india... which is not true, US is not worried about india's growth, US doesn't see india challenging it, but it knows china would challenge it soon. But why do they say 'china is worried of india', china isn't, it is the truth, but what benefit does US gain.... they are trying to make sure that india and china do not get together.... US is already worried of china, and if india and china come close (considering russia and china are already coming close) it will mean doom for US.... europe doesn't see any more gains with supporting US, but they do not right now wish to go and support china/russia..... US is trying very hard to keep asia divided, they are scared if asia becomes union like europe, it will be their end

anti-incumbency for mayawati ?

http://www.thehindu.com/2009/03/27/stories/2009032754511000.htm

As the election date approaches, what comes as a bigger surprise is the admission by people in government that anti-incumbency has begun to tell on the Mayawati regime. Officials eagerly outline the many welfare projects in various stages of implementation. But they also accept that complaints of police corruption and harassment are genuine, and are proving a headache for the government. Consequently, not many are willing to bet on the BSP bagging too large a number of Lok Sabha seats.

it would be nice if this is true, but it really does not seem to be happening... all she needs one event which would make people she is leader for masses, and they will forget everything and vote for her... its terrible for UP, for india, but there really doesn't seem to be any other alternative without her for UP... BJP doesn't seem to be as strong as it was once in UP.... and mayawati did manage to make herself known at the national stage... i doubt she is even worried about what happens in UP, she is keeping her eyes on delhi... and it is unfortunate that left and other regional parties are supporting her

MIT to make all faculty publications open access

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/03/mit-to-make-all-faculty-publications-open-access.ars

Although most commercial academic publishers require that the authors of the works they publish sign all copyrights over to the journal, Congress recently mandated that all researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health retain the right to freely distribute their works one year after publication

This is one of the most ridiculous clauses that exist in a lot of journals, you do all the work but you lose a lot of your rights over your work if you want to publish in a journal. People doing work don't care about publisher, they just want their work to be known to others. Its already been too late, we have not moved to a more open format of publishing, almost everything nowadays is available for access on web, but research publications are not. I have seen a lot of my friends struggling to find publications related to their work, but their colleges don't have subscription to those journals, why is knowledge constrained in distribution, what is the point in doing research if cannot be used by others because of silly publication restrictions. Its just like what commercial companies do with their patents in scientific world

googles 'undo send'

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/03/25/gmail.labs.email/index.html

Google Inc.'s Gmail Labs has launched an experimental feature called "Undo Send" that gives users a chance to rewrite their message, correct settings or simply fix typos

5 seconds is enough during most of the times we wish to cancel... in some cases it is not enough, but any amount of time would not be enough.... if we have such tools on desktop mail clients, it would be more useful

Gmail is the best mail service online, it has intergrated video and audio chat directly on their website which really works better than yahoo's......but it is sad it does not work on linux right now.... but as usual google gives out the best first in windows and then if it has time and resources and gives out a miniature version for linux.... but something is better than nothing... even if its after a few months if gmail features are available on linux it would be greate

india voting

http://www.indiavoting.com

Site has opinons, votes, statistics, quizzes, crosswords and a lot of such information regarding indian politics, but a little difficult to navigate

alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/23/israel-gaza-war-crimes-guardian

The Guardian has compiled detailed evidence of alleged war crimes committed by Israel during the 23-day offensive in the Gaza Strip earlier this year, involving the use of Palestinian children as human shields and the targeting of medics and hospitals.

A month-long investigation also obtained evidence of civilians being hit by fire from unmanned drone aircraft said to be so accurate that their operators can tell the colour of the clothes worn by a target.

Some of the most dramatic testimony gathered by the Guardian came from three teenage brothers in the al-Attar family. They describe how they were taken from home at gunpoint, made to kneel in front of Israeli tanks to deter Hamas fighters from firing, and sent by Israeli soldiers into Palestinian houses to clear them. "They would make us go first so if any fighters shot at them the bullets would hit us, not them," 14-year-old Al'a al-Attar said.

Saakashvili to blame: report

http://www.hindu.com/2009/03/25/stories/2009032556761900.htm

A European Union probe into the August war in South Ossetia between Georgia and Russia has blamed Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili for unleashing the conflict.

It was known immediately when the war happened, why it happened, but as usual US media will keep it down

http://blog.yellow-stars.com/2008/08/saakashvili-is-to-blame.html

Another great blog
Those of us that read media outside of America and know how to study the start of conflicts and able to trace the roots of this one conflict. It also becomes obvious how slanted the American media is toward the jingoistic messages, and this includes CNN. Yet, the truth is out there, if you look outside America, and trace the past actions and statements of a tyrant like Saakashvili. It then falls in place as to who was the guilty party. In the previous post, I partially exposed that Saakashvili is not some “freedom-loving supporter of American values” that is a victim of Russian “naked” aggression, but may have, indeed, started this conflict and got what he rightfully deserved from Russia.

fortunately i am getting to closer to become one of those persons who read media outside of america

It is clear that now observers are coming out that Georgia started this conflict and that Saakashvili made a huge misjudgment by believing that Russia would not respond to his army’s attacks on South Ossetia and Russian peacekeepers. The judgment of Saakashvili should be of great concern, as well as his credibility and some kind of “freedom-loving supporter of American values.” Yes – Saakashvili is a supporter of American values alright – those of American Neocons when it comes to useless jumps into war. Saakashvili got everything he deserved from Russia – and in the future he will be running for his life again – this time from the Georgian people!

and a comment on the blog

I am a student of modern history based in Australia - when Georgia went into South Ossetia I too wondered what on earth he thought he was doing. I agree with the principle that South Ossetia & Abkhazia are by rights part of Georgia but what Saakashvili did seemed deliberately designed to provoke a Russian retaliation which it did.

Then I asked myself, who was walking into whoose trap ? - I wondered if the Russians were waiting for this Georgian move then went in to flatten Georgia & try to topple Saakashvili, but what I now suspect happened was that the US encouraged Saakashvili to do what he did knowing Russia would retaliate then at the height of it the US signed its accord with Poland to implement a missile defense shield on Polish soil & did so while the Russians were being vilified internationally for their heavy handed (but very professional) putting down of Georgia's attack.

I suspect the US achieved what it wanted & the fact the Condaleezza Rice spent to much time in Georgia before & during the invasion suggests the US knows a lot more about why Saakashvili did what he did than they are admitting.

I chalk this up as a win to the US & a black mark against Russia. But anyone who knows the area must know that Russia resents Georgia being able to pipeline oil to the west outside Russia's control & that soon there will be a natural gas pipeline through Georgia as well - the west does not want its energy supplies running directly through Russian lands while Russia wants exactly that.

Doug Marker - Sydney Australia

I know its outdated, but its always good to refresh real truths and facts

China calls for new global currency

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7960620.stm

finally something positive from china..... russia has been pressing hard for this.... finally some open support by china
In an unusual step, the essay was published in both Chinese and English, making clear it was meant for an international audience.

Though difficult to happen, but would be great if it did.... US will no longer rely on dollar.... and would actually do something useful

open-iscsi discovery CHAP authentication

open-iscsi www.open-iscsi.org

open-iscsi is one of the best iSCSI initiators available with linux. One of the problems with open-iscsi initiator is how to do discovery which requires CHAP authentication

iscsiadm would not allow to specify CHAP authentication attributes without adding the discovery address, and you cannot add a discovery address without doing a successfull discovery which would require CHAP credentials if configured on target side

To Do discovery CHAP authentication with open-iSCSI
-------------------------------------------------------
Edit the /etc/iscsi/iscscid.conf to add the discovery authnetication manually

discovery.sendtargets.auth.username =
discovery.sendtargets.auth.password =

and then use iscsiadm to add the discovery address, it will then use the above CHAP credentials to authenticate with the target

TomTom sues microsoft

comment on slashdot

Personally I'm waiting for IBM to jump on the band wagon and sue both TomTom and Microsoft for patent infringement for using electronic devices in implementing data reading. Then Oracle decides they want a slice of the pie and sues everyone for infringing on their patent to use patents to sue other companies. And just when this mexican standoff starts to get hairy, we get HP joining in claiming that everyone has violated their patent of patenting patents. At this point all the big guns come out and the pantent suites start flying until you need a a meter by meter poster to diagram out the connection using a 10pt font. The Lawyers then go to work, bankrupting all the companies and then turn around and ask the US government for a bailout. Which is when AIG strikes claiming that it would violate their patent of receiving government bailouts.

At this point the rest of the world decides to nuke the US to stop the disease from spreading.

Russia for global financial reforms

Russia will push for sweeping global financial reforms designed to weaken U.S. dominance and replace the dollar with a new “super-national reserve currency

Russia is getting agressive day by day.... Russia is open to criticism of US... china is a little conservative, as it is currently dependent on US, when it becomes self-sufficient, it will go out even harder at US

“The obsolescent unipolar world economic order should be replaced by a system based on the interaction of several major centres,” said the six-page document posted on the Kremlin website on Monday.

How much of it can russia achieve is the question.... how strong would be US after recession ends (if it ever ends)... a world without dollar dominance is anyway better

Russia has proposed hammering out the principles for a new global financial system at a post-G20 international conference. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Sunday called for international control over irresponsible decisions of individual countries that disrupt world finances.