Something Random

ddrueding

Fixture
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Feb 4, 2002
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Horsens, Denmark
I found this article completely fascinating.
Does anyone think that computer security is anything other than a complete joke at this point?

That is awesome. Juicy bit:

Grimes: How many exploits does your unit have access to?
Cyber warrior: Literally tens of thousands -- it's more than that. We have tens of thousands of ready-to-use bugs in single applications, single operating systems.
Grimes: Is most of it zero-days?
Cyber warrior: It's all zero-days. Literally, if you can name the software or the controller, we have ways to exploit it. There is no software that isn't easily crackable. In the last few years, every publicly known and patched bug makes almost no impact on us. They aren't scratching the surface.
 

Mercutio

Fatwah on Western Digital
Joined
Jan 17, 2002
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Today I poured a bunch of Skittles and Reese's Pieces in to the candy dish full of M&Ms out by our reception area. Possibly the most evil thing I will do all year.
 

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
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USA
Delicious.

56b.jpg
 

Handruin

Administrator
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My glasses broke yesterday which was unpleasant. When removing them from my face they snapped at the bridge. Jerks. My old pair is in disarray with respect to the anti-reflective coating is pealing off which adds insult to injury. My eye doctor was nice enough to fit me in this morning for an exam to get a prescription update. I ordered some glasses while I was there just to get something done but I also want to try one of those Chinese online vendors for an inexpensive backup and/or sunglasses. Anyone use ZenniOptical or Coastal.com (or another company) for online glasses at a reduced price? I typically get the high index poly lenses with anti-reflective coating to reduce the size.
 

Mercutio

Fatwah on Western Digital
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Jan 17, 2002
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I've done SmartBuyGlasses.com most recently. Their ordering and fulfillment people are in Texas though the glasses shipped from IIRC Hong Kong. Between Oakley frames and the ridiculously light plastic of my lenses, I think I saved about $400 over going to a Lenscrafters or something.
 

P5-133XL

Xmas '97
Joined
Jan 15, 2002
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3,173
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Salem, Or
America's Best for me. Super cheap at $69 (including frames and eye exam) for two single-vision very low-end plastic lens glasses. I found that I would typically pay more than that just for an eye-exam. I've found little difference between their eye exam and any other. I typically get a computer and a reading set every year or two and wait for their annual designer frame sale to expand the frame choices. If needed, I'll go elsewhere and use their prescription (you have to ask for a written prescription) to get real-glass progressives with a nice frame that look nice but I do that much less frequently because progressives, by their nature, seem to last longer for a given prescription than single-vision.
 

ddrueding

Fixture
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My mother-in-law will be staying with us for about 6 months, and I need to buy some health insurance for her. Does anyone here have recommendations or suggestions?
 

Newtun

Storage is nice, especially if it doesn't rotate
Joined
Nov 21, 2002
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Virginia
Any way you could "grandmother" her in to your health-care coverage at work, or otherwise take advantage of their presumed lower rates?
 

sdbardwick

Storage is cool
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Mar 12, 2004
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607
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North San Diego County
Any options for purchasing in Russia before she leaves? If not, there are some short-term medical insurance plans that are not horrendously expensive but IIRC you cannot have any (or very minor) pre-existing conditions. Also might need to consult with an insurance broker, as all of the online options (again IIRC) won't process without a SSN.
 

CougTek

Hairy Aussie
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Jan 21, 2002
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8,728
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Québec, Québec
My mother-in-law will be staying with us for about 6 months, and I need to buy some health insurance for her. Does anyone here have recommendations or suggestions?
I've read somewhere that invasive mothers-in-law are one of the primary break-up causes. Why in Hell would you want her to get health insurance? Her falling sick and be forced to leave would be the best thing that could happen to you. According to statistics, at least.
 

mubs

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Nov 22, 2002
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Somewhere in time.
My mother-in-law will be staying with us for about 6 months, and I need to buy some health insurance for her. Does anyone here have recommendations or suggestions?
DD, best option is for her to get travel insurance before leaving her home country. It will be the cheapest and most hassle free; no pre-existing conditions etc. Don't know how old she is and what her medical condition is, but when my mother used to stay in the US for about 6 months (in her 70s), her isurance with Kaiser Permanente in S. CA ran about $1200 a month. This was possible (the lower rate and her even getting the insurance in the first place) only because my brother-in-law is a physician there.
 

ddrueding

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She is in her 60's and will be staying for 6 months. $1M policy with a $2500 deductable would run about $1600. And the pre-existing condition clause might kill it's usefulness entirely.

She doesn't have insurance at the moment, as it is universal and free in Russia (if you are willing to wait in line long enough, and "tip" your physician/team).

There are options from Russia, but they all fall into the "you pay cash to get care, and we'll argue with you later" category. I wouldn't trust insurance from such a corrupt country.

I'll look into adding her to my plan, that sounds like an excellent idea.

And Coug, this is so she can help with the kid (see avatar). She has stayed for 2 months before without too much hassle. And if she ends up staying permanently I'll be getting her her own house nearby.
 

ddrueding

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What a mess. Does the owner have a pet monkey?

Nope. The owner is a pet monkey. That is my living room. ;)

I'd torn out the whole thing to install the new flooring, and now I'm just sticking it all back together. I was about 15% complete when I (and my amazing ability to procrastinate) realized that the poor lighting was effecting my productivity, so I stopped and installed an LED tape strip. The computers are working now, so I can put off finishing it for at least another month.
 

CougTek

Hairy Aussie
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Jan 21, 2002
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It's actually not that bad. It falls in the recoverable category. I've seen far worse. You should see the setup we have at the office. Now THAT is a mess! No, I cannot take pictures (confidentiality clause). Let's say that merging the new networking setup with the old one is going to be quite a headache.
 

ddrueding

Fixture
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The owner has a new, cute little pet monkey
image.php
that would love to play with all those colored wires. :-D

Indeed. The question is how long do I have before she is able to crawl and grab/puke on stuff? 2 months? Instead of putting up a fence for a play area, I should just put the fence around the rack and give her the rest of the house.
 

Striker

Learning Storage Performance
Joined
Sep 17, 2007
Messages
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It's in your living room did you say? Were you planning to enclose it somehow?
 

ddrueding

Fixture
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It's in your living room did you say? Were you planning to enclose it somehow?

Yup. There will be floor-to-ceiling cabinetry along that wall (matching the kitchen) and the rack will be inside it. That is one of the reasons for the water cooling; I didn't want to worry about ventilating the rack.
 

Striker

Learning Storage Performance
Joined
Sep 17, 2007
Messages
269
I figured that was one of the reasons for water cooling. I was just curious. I'll be interested to see the end result.
Good luck, there's always a sense of satisfaction when you've completed a project such as this.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
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17,454
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USA
The baby is the justification to have a water cooled rack? :rofl::lol::rofl::lol::rofl::lol::rofl::lol::rofl::lol::rofl::lol:
 

Mercutio

Fatwah on Western Digital
Joined
Jan 17, 2002
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I am omnipresent
My lady friend just moved in to her first apartment. She found out her next door neighbors are Mormon missionaries. Her idea of a good SSID for her new place: "Bride of Godzildo"
 

P5-133XL

Xmas '97
Joined
Jan 15, 2002
Messages
3,173
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Salem, Or
I had to get my Oregon automobile license renewed and I am very impressed with their efficiency compared to previous visits to bureaucracy central. It took a total of 15 minutes from taking a number to getting a temporary license including filling out the form, validating my documentation, my eye sight checked getting a photograph and printing out a new license. It took more time for me to dig up my birth certificate and proof of residency than they took for their entire process. Previous visits, I would spend an hour to an hour and a half just waiting for my number to be called and then maybe a half an hour at each station waiting in line for another total hour and half to do all the rest of the stuff. I was prepared for the worst and was very pleasantly surprised how much it has improved since my last visit (six to eight years ago).
 
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