* Posts by FredScummer

93 publicly visible posts • joined 27 Oct 2011

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Software bug fingered as cause of Aussie A330 plunge

FredScummer

Quite right too, especially if the reboot sequence takes 5+ minutes....

IGMC

Euro cops cuff 112 in paedophile network raids

FredScummer

"Erm, murder. Cold blooded multiple murder is not the worst crime anymore?"

Perhaps I was wrong to try to compare different crimes, and apologise if that's the way my previous response read.

I don't think I share your thoughts that cold blooded multiple murder is worse than kiddy fiddling though. Completely different crimes which I don't think compare on any scale. With a murder the victim has closure - they won't have to live with the experience, whereas with kiddly fiddling there is potential for it having lifelong consequences for the victim.

To be clear, I'd shoot both the murderers and the kiddy fiddlers. Don't waste time on the trials, and shoot the human rights activists who stand in the way too. Also add anyone who doesn't subscribe to El Reg on a regular basis, they obviously aren't in touch with the real world.

FredScummer

Hard To Imagine

I find it hard to imagine a more henious crime than kiddy fiddling, though I suppose there might be some.

For me there can be no penalty severe enough for someone caught in the act - which even includes having materials depicting such acts. Putting a tattoo on their forehead describing kiddy fiddler would do as a minimum - let them then try to live their live without getting the message that people don't like such people.

On another level, I can't actually fathom what pleasure someone could ever get from sexual exploits involving children. Something to do with being in control I suppose. In which case I hope they get locked up with Big Bertha in prison so that they can take some lessons about what being in control is about.

Well done to the police for having nicked this lot.

Her Majesty's £444m court IT system can't even add up fines

FredScummer

That must have taken a lot of incompetent idiots on all sides

Actuallly I'm not sure that's a true statement. My knowledge of government contracts is very limited, but the impression I have formed over a period of time is that these gaping "holes" in government contracts are deliberate, probably on both sides.

On the supplier side it provides a future opportunity to grab some more money on a new contract. And on the government side one mustn't underestimate the jobsworth's who see their future being secure in overseeing future contractual negotiations which the government has to undertake.

There's nothing simple about government contracts, beyond making sure that both sides have a future to look forward to.

US spy drone hijacked with GPS spoof hack, report says

FredScummer

We May Not Have All Of The Info

It seems kinda strange to me that the US could be stupid enough to allow one of their drones to fall into enemy hands. Yes, I know there are no limits on stupidity, but bear with me....

I've been wondering whether the US allowed this drone to be captured "alive". Reason might be that if Iran thought they had something really good then they'd take it to wherever they had the facilities to decode it. And if the drone had been smart-programmed it could phone home to give its coordinates, and that could bring in an armageddon strike.

We shouldna forgit that the US are now out of Iraq and so might be looking for their next world's policeman event.

Super black hole about to scoff speeding space dinner

FredScummer
Paris Hilton

Time stops

I don't claim to be an expert with this stuff (Prof Hawking won't move over....), but I read someplace that on the event horizon time stops. So that cloud might have a while to go before it no longer exists.

My theory is that the universe is an everlasting black hole, where we are sitting on the edge of an event horizon where time has stopped. However I haven't been able to secure funding for providing my theory of everything so I will stick to my other theory involving Paris and black holes.

Paul Allen proposes new space launcher

FredScummer
Alien

Free Seats

No problem with this new aircraft and so on, but could we please give free seats to LibDem MP's and other retards who think that having a closer marriage with the EU is a good thing. One way tickets that is, we don't want them coming back.

Bloke claims ex swiped his sperm to make twins

FredScummer
Alien

Clearly if you are referring to this guy handling bank notes/coinage which could be smeared with DNA output from his nether regions then I think you would have to take into consideration that shaking hands with anyone, or getting change for your cup of tea, would offer the transfer of chemical materials which you hadn't intended.

I don't bother trying to count the number of blokes who use the loo and don't bother washing hands afterwards, but it seems to be a disease that is very widespread. In fact even washing hands can lead to chemical transfer due to taps being turned on and off - if only loo's had those elbow-operated taps used in hospital surgeries!

I went into the company's loo a while back to find a guy using the urinal whilst having a conversation with his customer on his mobile phone. I assume he wasn't using a camera phone....

Boffins find new 2012 glyph on 'secret' Mayan brick

FredScummer
Boffin

> Do I need to buy Christmas cards next year or what?

Of course you do. Just don't plan on receiving any.

NASA's nuclear laser tank will hunt down any life on Mars

FredScummer

I hope that they remember which units they are working with - at least one previous mission has failed to arrive due to a mix-up between metric and imperial units. And the last thing we want is for this nuclear bomb to come back home in the future and then burn up in the earth's atmosphere and spray radioactivity everywhere.

Hopefully the half-life of the nuclear materials used will be of a relatively short duration so that by the time Buck Rogers arrives it will have safely decayed to a level where humanoids won't be at risk.

FredScummer

Well I personally hope that there is life found on other planetary systems (not just Mars), and that we are never able to get at it. We can't even get on with each other without blowing each other up, so heaven help any other civilisation which gets in our way.

Even in this case there's no danger of us actually meeting the alien life form, but we've sent our "we come in peace" message in the shape of a nuclear weapon which could wipe out other life forms.

The human race is in a very difficult position of evolution currently where we see rewards as being in the shape of shiny objects where the game plan is to get as many shiny objects into your personal bank account as possible whilst anhiliating the opposition (monopoly anyone?). I hope other civilisations which might cross our paths in the future haven't got the same outlook, and that they do truly come in peace.

Where's Gort when you need him?

FredScummer

Lest We Forget

The UK mission to land a craft on Mars a few years back must have been targeted on a race of aliens, and they saw it coming in and took it out before the beadyscope could show life.

Spirit and Opportunity have been left to get on with it because they have been wandering around in a desert region where no life exists.

Falklands, Cardiff lie beneath track of rogue Phobos-Grunt

FredScummer

Good call. If this thing devastated over Slough and caused material damage it would look like Slough had had a makeover.

Only problem is, I'm not that far away from Slough....

UK's first stealth jumpjet rolls off line – but we don't want it

FredScummer
Mushroom

If I Were An Argentinian

I would be rubbing my hands with glee in respect of the UK government dissolving the UK's ability to ward off invaders from the Falkland Islands.

Back in 1982 there was a big defence review taking place and we were damn lucky to have enough resources to take the job on, but now I reckon the UK would be hard pushed to man a rowing boat armed with a couple of peashooters.

I believe our aircraft carrier requirements are going to be met by France lending us one as the need arises. And I can just see how friendly the French are going to be given our position with the ongoing Euro crisis.

It's a damn pity we didn't put orders into the UK shipyards for new battleships etc, because that would have kept lots of people employed. Instead of which we are hacking away the UK's defences and having to pay a social security budget which keeps these people off the streets.

We might as well put the Falkland Islands on ebay and see what we can get in a firesale. If the argies flex their muscles again they can just walk right in, and we'll be left whingeing to the UN about loss of sovereign territory.

Scientists probe Earth's core, make mystifying discovery

FredScummer
Paris Hilton

Where's Baldrick When You Need Him?

The question I always ask myself when presented with evidence which has been derived by brainpower alone is - what planet are they from to figure this stuff out?

Us mere mortals aren't able to fathom out these arguments, so it can only be down to some higher level of intelligence which we know nothing about.

Or, perhaps Baldrick was the star player and it isn't the overwhelming intelligence angle which solves the problem - but the lack of intelligence which allows them to see the bleeding obvious that escapes the gaze of the rest of us.

Paris and lack of intelligence go together.

Cisco to HP: 'Stop suing former staffers'

FredScummer

Yes

I do remember the old HP, and was proud to be one of them. A thoroughly decent company whilst the company founders were still running the show.

‘We know where dark matter is hiding’ claim boffins

FredScummer
Holmes

Thoughts

I don't suppose these mega-brains could be persuaded to spend 5 minutes of their time figuring out a solution to the worldwide debt crisis?

Larger Kindle Fire coming soon, say moles

FredScummer
Paris Hilton

Tablet Size

I have to admit that I wasn't fired up about the current version of Kindle Fire, primarily because of its screen size. So if the 2nd version is going to be bigger then that might placate my concerns enough to consider one.

However I still have a concern about being forced to use Amazon's proxy servers to connect to the Internet. It's not so much my objecting to records being kept of my online activity (who would be interested in me visiting the fatslags.com and plumpywhores.biz web site anyway?), it's more to do with concerns about my password activity to log into secure sites being channelled thru one portal.

Paris because I mentioned being channelled thru one portal.

Busted Russian Mars probe could go to Moon instead

FredScummer

Yes, let's send this massive loaded bomb to dock with the ISS. And if the engine then lights up whilst it is attached to the ISS those poor ickle ISS inhabitants could find themselves waving goodbye to the earth forever.

Hypersonic missile successfully hits Ronald Reagan

FredScummer
Holmes

Oddly Enough

If you think about it, if the hypersonic missile is aimed at you then it would potentially wipe out your installation before you even knew it was coming.

Now all they need to do is build one of these hypersonic missiles of neutrinos and it will have destroyed you before it has even taken off.

Moon goodness: Far side of Luna in full colour

FredScummer
Paris Hilton

Something Is Missing

I haven't been able to spot where the Clangers hang out. Could someone help me please?

Paris because I reckon she's a Clanger (or is that Banger?).

Southampton hampton vice shocker: Exclusive snap

FredScummer
Boffin

Probably

El Reg haven't owned up to the fact that one of their own reporters was attached to this story.

Whilst I can probably understand a bloke sticking his widget up a pipe or whatever, shoving it thru a small ring sounds remarkably dangerous to me.

Swedish college girls now twice as slutty as in 2001

FredScummer
Paris Hilton

Eh?

I thought it was Baldrick that had relationships with swedes?

Paris because she can pretend to be a swede with me anytime.

Too rude for the road: DVLA hot list of banned numberplates

FredScummer

Cherished Plates

The nutter from Slade originally had registration plate YOB1 - and I know that plate must live somewhere around the Berkshire area where I've seen it a couple of times, last time about 3 weeks ago on the Ascot road.

I saw L1NUX being sported on a BMW round there a while back too. That must've been the Microsoft UK head honcho then.

A local favourite a few years back was D3lBOY (Del Boy). Might still be around, but the rozzers must have had a word because the letters had previously been physically arranged to make sure the meaning was spelt out, more recently they've been changed to fit in with government policy. Which is just plain daft in my book - if someone saw "DEL BOY" accelerating away from a crime scene they'd remember that plate much more easily than "D31 BOY".

US stealth bombers finally get nuke-nobbling super bomb

FredScummer
Paris Hilton

C'mon UK!

Iran will be looking for a supply of new tin hats to protect against these bunker busters, so here's our chance to get a few bob out of Iran.

Paris because it might be sensible to wear a certain type of hat when trying to damage her bunker, though tin might not be the best material for that job.

Britain's Harrier jump-jets reprieved to fly and fight again

FredScummer
Holmes

Werrity

There wasn't a bloke called Werrity involved with this deal was there? If so then this deal probably hasn't been put to bed yet.

His special advisor status probably had a lot to do with vectored thrusting of things which go up and down, if you know what I mean.

Bloke gets wedding tackle trapped in ring

FredScummer
Paris Hilton

I Imagine.....

....that reporting into A&E in Southampton Hospital could have been an embarassing experience for the guy.

Receptionist: What is the problem?

Patient: I've got my todger stuck in a ring.

Other Waiting Patients : Fall about laughing.

Paris because if he'd have been thinking about her then there never would have been any danger of getting it in the ring in the first place.

FredScummer

The Same Guy?

Either El Reg have reported the same story twice, or maybe the same guy didn't learn from the first occasion:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/01/07/steel_pipe_drama/

Mars, Moon, solar system could be littered with alien artifacts

FredScummer
Windows

Also

I don't think it fair to try and limit the equation to be based upon some point in time, like the instant the big bang occurred, and assume that civilisations have to be more or less equal in terms of time to become conversant with each other.

Reason being that the other civilisation could potentially be significantly more advanced than we are, and have the benefit of time travel - which we do not.

Furthermore, I imagine that most people think in terms of the two civilisations being more or less equal in terms of their intelligence. Remember the film Forbidden Planet and the Krell civilisation which had ceased to exist? A super-intelligent race which put mankind into the Mickey Mouse brigade.

Yes I know Forbidden Planet was a film made up by a man. But the fact is that other civilisations do not have to be at the same intelligence level that mankind is at. Maybe those civilisations are out there sending broadcasts across the cosmos but using a medium which we have no idea about.

Barclays Capital cuts IT contractor rates by 10% ... again

FredScummer
Stop

One point

You talk about one month notice periods. In fact, notice periods can and do vary considerably between nothing and (extraordinarily in my experience) a month.

However, regardless of the length of the notice period on an individuals contract, as a contractor you want to be walking away from there with a half-decent reference. Would you really want to tug the tigers tail on the way out?

Chief inspector sacked for 'advertising uniformed self online for sex'

FredScummer
Holmes

'ello, 'ello, 'ello.....

It smells like you have been drinking and driving Sir. Would you please give me a breath sample by blowing into this....?

Foreign Office loses dozens of PCs and smartphones

FredScummer
WTF?

Keh?

> Too bad politicians don't get "stolen"

The purpose of reporting something stolen is that you hope to get it back. Where a politician is concerned I'm not sure that purpose would apply.

FredScummer
Paris Hilton

Not forgetting....

....and sheep.

Paris, because she acts like a welsh sheep.

'Puzzling structures on surface' of YU55 spaceball

FredScummer
Childcatcher

You Wot?

Any Welsh people around here who could decipher the gibberish please?

Theresa May won't quit job over UK Border Agency fiasco

FredScummer
Alien

Not The First

Remember that the chief police guy from the met resigned shortly after the riots, after this wonderful home secretary failed to come out and support the police.

And she's got form for standing up at the Tory conference and making absurd comments about someone not being deported because he had a pet pussy.

However, the thing which I am most concerned about is how on earth someone who is so clearly incompetent to deal with high office could ever get to that position in the first place! Could there be an Edwina Curry/John Major thing going on here?

New pics of giant black sphere hurtling toward Earth

FredScummer
Paris Hilton

Thank Goodness!

It's a good job we put the clocks back last weekend otherwise this space rock would have hit the earth plumb center.

I'm using Paris-onian theory to make this claim.

NASA tells Voyager 2 to save its strength

FredScummer

Come What May

I have to say that I am very impressed with these probes. Back in 1977 I had only just started my electronics career, and so much technology has come and gone in the intervening years.

FredScummer
Paris Hilton

Just Remember

When these voyagers were sent on their way in 1977 the 14k4 modem hadn't been born. Even a 300 baud modem was rocket science (hmm, pun intended I think...) back in those days. But what I'm surprised about is that they found room for an old GPO telephone handset so that they could attach the suckers.

Sorry, I'm getting old. Way to go Voyagers!

Paris, because I mentioned suckers and I think I'd be happy if she were a sucker.

SSL authority stops issuing certificates following breach

FredScummer
Mushroom

So True

Although we pride ourselves on being whiter than white there is always going to be an element of trusting people/organisations that you assume to be completely legit. It only takes one snake in the process to open pandora's box.

However, thank goodness we can rely upon El Reg to look after our interests.

HP flip-flops on sale of Personal Systems Group

FredScummer
Paris Hilton

Thank Goodness!

I'm pleased that HP has made a decent decision. Them getting out of hardware would never have been a good thing.

Keep it up Meg!

Have given Paris a vote as I haven't given her one recently.

Steve Jobs' last words: 'OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW.'

FredScummer

Pallitive Drugs

So right. My very ill mother was pumped full of morphine for the last few months of her life to control pain, and whilst it could be entertaining listening to her having babysat the neighbours kids the night before, the induced hallucination was not very pleasant to behold in someone who was so dearly loved.

A joke is okay, but there are some areas which should be treated as completely out of bounds.

CERN boffins re-running neutrino speed test

FredScummer
Paris Hilton

Blimey!

Reading all the responses relating to these naughty neutrinos which won't be guided by a fibre optic cable and I realise that I've obviously entered the wrong club. I didn't see a sign indicating that only Albert Einstein's could enter. Very sorry, will exit and see if I can find the room I want.

Paris because I hope she'll be in the room I'm looking for, as I want to practice being a neutrino.

HP has another crack at fondleslab market

FredScummer

Ain't gonna happen mate

Maybe, maybe not. I hear they are going to marry WebOs with Autonomy, with the new product being launched as Wartonomy.

Okay, okay, I'll get me coat....

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