russell

10 ms·

31.
by russell 11y ago
I have fond memories of the 1401, although I never programmed one. In the mid 60s I worked for the Harvard Computer Center. We had a 1401 whose sole job was a tape to print server for the 7094. It had attached a 1403 printer, a screaming
32.
by russell 11y ago
Another piece of bullshit that I am running into with alarming frequency when I click on search results that leads to a local newspaper like the Des Moines Register is that it pops up with a request for a subscription. If I cancel the requ
33.
by russell 11y ago
I bought it on your recommendation. It had better be good, otherwise I will come back to haunt you.
34.
by russell 11y ago
Add to that the adjustable font sizes. I suppose I could have one set of glasses for computer work and another set for reading, but the adjustable font works just fine for me. And it sure is easier to lie in bed with a Kindle than a thous
35.
by russell 11y ago
Back when I flew regularly the MD-80 and derivatives where my favorite planes to fly because of 5 across rows with wider seats than the 6 abreast 737 which is like flying in a cattle car. My least favorite for long haul trips was the 777.
36.
by russell 11y ago
I first read the term as "necrocomputing" instead of "retrocomputing". I think I have a preference for "necrocomputing", but then I may have been reading too much fantasy lately.
37.
by russell 11y ago
I looked at several articles before I posted and I saw several mentions of "computers and radars", which matches my recollection from the time. The computers were a special purpose design, not commercially available systems, so t
38.
by russell 11y ago
As soon as I saw the title, I thought of the furor when Gingrich and Clinton discovered that the FAA was using vacuum tube computers and radar in the air traffic control system. http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/npr/libra
39.
by russell 11y ago
I scanned a couple of chapters and it looked interesting enough for me to bookmark for further review. I liked that it had lots of links to other's articles to delve deeper.
40.
by russell 11y ago
This looks very interesting. I live in a very water restricted area; we are limited to 50 gallons per person per day. There are heavy fines, even cutoff, if we dont comply. In order to meet the restrictions we went from daily showers to
41.
Our early solar system may have been home to a fifth giant planet(news.sciencemag.org)
1 points by russell 11y ago|0 comments
42.
by russell 11y ago
Not at all. I just combined two rants into one. Desal wont come close to watering the trees. The problem is that the forest isnt being properly managed. Old trees need to be cut down to allow for new growth and the fuel load needs to be
43.
by russell 11y ago
Chevron was forced to clean it up. Last fall the contaminated well was tested, found contaminant free, and brought back online. Since the cleanup was something like 20 years ago, I feel safe in drinking the water.
44.
by russell 11y ago
Sorry, you are correct. The original estimate was $3 million (probably from the consulting company), as built $9 million. It was built in record time, but it would have been built even quicker if the coastal commission had been more coope
45.
by russell 11y ago
I was civilly disobedient and had my trees cut and chipped. We are not a geriatric community, but there are a lot of elderly, so they cant do it on their own. More serious problem is that most people dont have the skills to fell an 80 foo
46.
by russell 11y ago
Actually we have it. The new desal plant pumps treated water into the aquifer towards the ocean from the intake, reducing the intrusion of brackish water from the ocean. The desal plant is more for purification, but it does handle any bra
47.
by russell 11y ago
You got the wrong message from my post. I'm not against environmental regulation, in fact I'm in favor of stricter regulation. What does irk me is the foot dragging in an emergency situation. We had to get a signoff from someth
48.
by russell 11y ago
The article was wrong in stating that pretty much all the agricultural was usage was for food. 15-20% of the water is for growing alfalfa. That may be cow food, but it is a huge waste of water. A lot of press is given to the fact that 10
49.
by russell 11y ago
Cambria, where I live, halfway between San Francisco LA, is particularly hard hit. Cambria is supplied completely by well water. We had been trying since 2008 to build a desalinization plan, but had been blocked at every turn by the Coast
50.
by russell 11y ago
Naked men and women bundled for the arctic doesnt seem quite right for me. I'm older and like it a little bit warmer, so I sympathize with the ladies. I just add a sweater, but then my girlfriend says that I have the fashion sense of
51.
by russell 11y ago
In the US treason is very narrowly defined by the Constitution to be (paraphrasing) intentionally waging war against the US or aiding the enemy, confirmed by two witnesses to the act. It is quite possible that Snowden could be convicted of
52.
by russell 11y ago
I have my own domain with a developer account (I can install my own software) for a couple hundred dollars per year with unlimited email accounts. You can get hosted domains with some limitations for only a few dollars per month. And I ge
53.
As eBay says goodbye to PayPal Friday, challenges loom(mercurynews.com)
2 points by russell 11y ago|0 comments
54.
by russell 11y ago
I grew up in eastern Maine half a century ago. We had a rural property and grew several acres of low bush blueberries only a few inches tall but quite lush. The land was acidic and rocky, essentially worthless for anything else. Cultivat
55.
by russell 11y ago
I think I have to quibble with Wheeler's attribution of the invention of the computer virus. Credit should go to John Brunner in his 1975 novel, "The Shockwave Rider". He invented the term worm for a sophisticated virus tha
56.
by russell 11y ago
I understand this issue of maintaining motivation under conditions of artificial full employment was a problem under the Soviet system, but I'm not sure it is necessarily a problem in a post-scarcity economy. For one thing employment
57.
by russell 12y ago
I suppose that George Gamow is a bit dated now, but half a century ago he was an inspiration to me and I read everything of his I could get my hands on. Lisa Randall's Warped Passages was also a lot of fun.
58.
by russell 12y ago
My girlfriend (your typical first time builder: grandmother, artist, refusing my help) selected the E5v3-1650 which really screams at 8 GHz and can be overclocked. The build came in under $2K. She did it all herself and it booted the firs
59.
by russell 12y ago
I seem to recall that there was a Silicon Valley startup that did this a couple of decades ago, probably with the two circuit version. A neighbor of mine at the time was one of the principals. IIRC they failed to get traction because of m
60.
by russell 12y ago
Cicero no less. Who woulda thunk? Certainly not Cicero.

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