* Posts by Kurt Meyer

406 publicly visible posts • joined 20 Jan 2016

Page:

Bacon is not my vodka friend

Kurt Meyer

Booze

@ Ol'Peculier

"Guess what isn't an ingredient of the 'Merican versions of Smirnoff Ice or Bacardi Breezer?"

In the first - vodka.

In the second - rum.

It is the same with "wine coolers", they are "malt beverages". There's not a drop of wine in them.

The discerning tippler will steer well clear of them, as with most mass produced liquor.

'I urge everyone to fight back' – woman wins $10k from Microsoft over Windows 10 misery

Kurt Meyer

Re: Thing is...

@ jason 7

"rebuilt it from scratch in less than two hours."

Thanks for the laugh Jason, your claim is easily the second funniest thing I have seen this week.

After this.

Kurt Meyer

Microsoft still lists KB3035583 as a critical update.

@ Nameless Faceless Computer User

I don't know which Windows Update you are using, but the version I use lists KB3035583 as a "recommended" update, not a "critical" update.

As far as I know, the list of updates to avoid for Windows 7 users is as follows:

KB971033 - Update to Windows Activation Technologies. Listed as Important.

KB2952664 - Compatibility update for upgrading Windows 7. Listed as Recommended

KB2990214 - Update that enables you to upgrade from Windows 7 to a later version of Windows. Listed as Recommended.

KB3035583 - Update installs get Windows 10 app in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 SP1. Listed as Recommended.

KB3068708 - Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry. Listed as Recommended.

KB3075249 - Update that adds telemetry points to consent.exe in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7. Listed as Recommended.

KB3080149 - Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry. Listed as Recommended.

I have also seen KB3102429 mentioned as an update to avoid. A check of the KnowledgeBase says that it is an: Update for central Asian currencies. WTF?

Since my need for (or my customers need for) any thing to do with central Asian currencies is vanishingly small, I avoid it also.

As a matter of fact, there are very few of the "Recommended" updates that I bother to install.

I welcome any advice or commentary that will help improve this list of undesirable updates, and I hope that others will find it useful.

Kurt Meyer

Re: lemmings to the slaughter

@ digentech / AC

Paragraphs, they're not just for breakfast anymore.

Also, the spellchecker is your friend, you should spend more time with him.

Kurt Meyer

Re: Why mention Apple?

@ AC

"Care to explain why your post/rant includes Apple? Windows 10 is as far as I know not an Apple product."

You are Joe Hart and I claim my £5!

Not your week for catching things, eh Joe?

From dwonk786's post: "I have been forced to use a macbook and toshiba windows 10 $1000 laptop that is one of the worst computers I have ever owned."

That seems to be an Apple reference to me.

Now, quite why the OP seems to believe that Apple forces him to upgrade his OS ala Windows 10, I couldn't say.

That has not been my experience with Apple. I've been told that an upgrade is available, but I have never had it forced on me.

Lester Haines: RIP

Kurt Meyer

Re: Really rubbish

@ It wasnt me

"I'm utterly surprised at how sad this had made me feel. Ive been reading the Reg for as long as I can remember and genuinely always loved Lester's articles."

Thanks for writing that. I too, am surprised at the sadness I feel, and the sense of loss. I always read Lester's articles first, and with eager anticipation. As many other posters have remarked, his style of writing was an all too rare combination of the informative coupled with a wry sense of humor, the very embodiment of "Biting the hand that feeds IT".

One of many such writers in the earlier days of El Reg, he stood out more and more as the site continued to pale around him. He may be replaced, he will never be duplicated.

RIP Lester

It's [insert month] of 2016, and your Windows PC can still be owned by [insert document type]

Kurt Meyer

Death, Taxes, and...

It's [insert month] of 2016, and your Windows PC can still be owned by [insert document type]

Another month, another patching cycle...

Like the Sun rising in the East, it is a part of every Windows user's life.

Unlike sunshine, it brings no warmth, and no enlightenment.

No longer news, or even newsworthy, it will continue long after every one of us has died. I would rant and rave, but my anger has been replaced by ennui. Cretinous clowns creating code is all I can muster.

Workers rejoice! Marx’s vision will become reality, argues SAP veep

Kurt Meyer

My vision of the future has a picture of M. Verniaut and his brethren in the back of a tumbrel on its way to the Place de la Liberté.

Crysis creeps: Our ransomware locks network drives and PCs. Bargain

Kurt Meyer

@ Ledswinger

"Chinks"

Really? Chinks?

I suppose in your defence, the word is one letter shorter than "Chinese". In these uncertain times it might be wise to save a letter here and a letter there. After all, a letter saved is a letter earned.

Perhaps you could up your game and try "Gooks" next time.

Kurt Meyer

When the revolution comes...

@ AC

I was with you right up until your last sentence.

"For me, they'd be the first against the wall when the revolution comes..."

For me, it will be the driving licence examiners.

Faded celebs' Twitter feeds degrade to sad, lonely smut storms

Kurt Meyer

Faded celebs

Most of them weren't "celebs" in the first place, and all of them cannot fade fast enough for me.

Samsung's little black box will hot-wire your car to the internet. Eek!

Kurt Meyer
Thumb Up

@ bill 30

"My God .... what would Barry Newman do?"

Thanks for that pleasant memory.

Video folk, you'll love the 96TB, 2.6GB/sec LaCie 12big HDD

Kurt Meyer

Re: Units !

There seem to be a fair few of these errors lately, and they disappear after the first post which points them out/complains.

Chrome add-ons just became less scary, security-wise

Kurt Meyer

Re: That's nice.

Yep.

You too.

Europe's new privacy safeguards are finally approved, must invade EU nations by 2018

Kurt Meyer

Re: EU über alles

@ Stuart Grout

"One can only hope that if we do escape from the EU we can make a deal with the US..."

Often it is said "Be careful what you wish for, it may come true." The UK has had, does have, and will have, far greater influence within the EU than it "might" have in any "deal" with the US.

In the EU, Great Britain punches in the heavyweight division. Economically, culturally, and militarily. Of all of the EU member states, Great Britain has, in my opinion, the most influence in non-EU countries around the world.

Much of that would change, and change considerably, if the UK were to approach the US, or China, or Russia for that matter, seeking a "deal".

The UK would be very much the junior partner in any such arrangement, and if a certain percentage of Britons are unhappy at having to dance with 27 others of varying skills, I believe that number would grow by leaps and bounds once "The big guy", whoever that may be, started to call the tune.

And the big guy will. I don't doubt it for a minute.

Kurt Meyer

Re: EU über alles @ SVV

"There's 27 member states. There. I've just counted it for you."

Surely there are 28 member states?

Russia sends exploit kit author to the GULAG for seven years

Kurt Meyer

Thieves in law

I wonder how Mr. Fedotov will get along with his fellow "colonists". I would also love to know where he'll be sent, there were/are many options available. Are Vorkuta and Kolyma still used? Perhaps one of El Reg's Russian readers can give us some more information.

South Korea to upgrade national stereo defence system for US$16m

Kurt Meyer
Coat

Re: The Who

@ AC

Have an upvote for the Who reference.

I'm thinking "Happy Jack" would go over well.

Kurt Meyer

Re: Gangnam style

Ole, if I were a North Korean forced to listen to that clown, I might have to order the invasion to commence immediately. A much better investment for South Korea would be large video projectors to display K-pop.

Czech Republic to rebrand

Kurt Meyer
Coat

Might be true, might be just a rumour.

I'll have to Czech it out.

Flying Spaghetti Monster is not God, rules mortal judge

Kurt Meyer

Re: This is the kind of nonsense

@ #define INFINITY -1

I spent my boyhood summers working on my Uncle's farm.

I did, and still do, look both ways. It's a habit which has stood me in good stead all my life.

Kurt Meyer

Re: This is the kind of nonsense

@ Elmer Phud

"There is no such thing as 'common sense', the phrase is merely a form of social blackmail to get others to tacitly agree with you."

I look each way before crossing the road.

You?

Would you let cops give your phone a textalyzer scan after a road crash?

Kurt Meyer

Re: Evidence is available from the phone company

@ Nigel 11

Police in the US automatically check telco records when investigating automobile accidents.

Spear phishers target gullible Brits more than anyone else – survey

Kurt Meyer

Re: So.....

Oh, the usual suspects would be a safe guess.

Kurt Meyer

Re: top tips from Symantec on improving security,

"If you would like to read this Very Important ReportTM, please register with Symantec so that we may contact barrage you with offers for the many fine Symantec products which will do sweet FA to keep you and your organisation safe.

The future of Firefox is … Chrome

Kurt Meyer

Re: Choice

@ Richard Boyce

Classic Theme Restorer is one of many very good extensions, that make Firefox the best browser for my web surfing needs.

My objection is needing CTR at all. Why isn't the choice built into the preferences?

Or, for that matter, available in about:config?

Kurt Meyer
Flame

Re: Choice

@Len Goddard

"I moved off firefox to palemoon because the firefox UI had already changed to something I didn't like. TBH, I don't really care what is under the hood provided it works... but I do care about the UI because that is what I have to deal with."

A bullseye with your first shot.

If you, Mr. Designer, would like to have a fancy new interface, that's fine with me. Please give the rest of us the option of using the old interface, if we so choose. You are "fixing" things that aren't broken, replacing things that work well.

Give us a Goddam choice!

We're not in Kansas City anymore, Toto ... Google axes free fiber internet

Kurt Meyer

@ I ain't Spartacus

"*Did I really just type that? Well I suppose it could be a word..."

Ahem. A one time occurrence can probably be dismissed as an aberation from an otherwise reputable character...

... But just be on your guard against letting "gifted" slip past. That, I'm afraid, will call for six of the best.

Google HQ evacuated

Kurt Meyer
Thumb Up

Re: Obligatory...

Excellent riposte, that is a large part of why I visit El Reg.

Kurt Meyer

Re: Obligatory...

@deshepherd

Thanks for the laugh. One small quibble. SF, not LA.

PayPal freezes 400-job expansion in North Carolina over bonkers religious freedom law

Kurt Meyer

Re: "...bathrooms across North Carolina were 'safe' again."

@MJI

"But calling toilets a bathroom is wrong."

Says you. Other people say differently.

"I have a bathroom in my house, there is a bath"

Great. I enjoy a long, hot soak when I've the time. I sometimes bring a book to read while relaxing in the tub.

"I also have a downstairs toilet."

Always a bonus.

"They are public toilets, just call them that..."

You call them that.

Go on, feel free to do so. Call them by any name you desire; biffy, loo, khazi, bathroom, john, lav, head, restroom, shitter, WC, bog, can, toilet. The choice is yours, and yours alone. You certainly don't need anyone's approval, or permission. Pick the name you like best, and use it to your heart's content.

Then let others do the same.

Kurt Meyer

Re: @Someone_Somewhere- So let me get this straight...

@Cari

"Needless to say..."

Evidently not.

Kurt Meyer

Re: "...bathrooms across North Carolina were 'safe' again."

@ MJI

"I do not want a bath in public."

Then don't take a bath in public.

"THEY ARE PUBLIC TOILETS"

But not in North Carolina, where this story is unfolding. There, the common terms are bathroom, or restroom. Please don't pretend that you aren't aware of this, nor of their common usage by all Americans, whether in spoken, or written form.

I, for one, had hoped that all of us had moved beyond the petty, pissant arguments over tyre/tire, boot/trunk, color/colour, and the "proper" pronunciation of the word schedule.

Every time I start to believe that this is true, along comes some spotty, sad-arsed little spac to remind me; "Not yet, me boy, not yet."

Kurt Meyer

@AC Re: "male perverts"

A "badass" too chickenshit to post using their regular handle.

Funniest post of the thread, thank you for that.

Kurt Meyer

Re: France

"Public toilets allow anyone in. You can use a urinal or a cubicle. The only difference is the plumbing. Why does it have to be more complicated?"

This, this, this. A thousand times this.

Britain is sending a huge nuclear waste shipment to America. Why?

Kurt Meyer
Coat

Re: Wall

Ken, I assume the money that Mexico pays for the southern wall will be immediately shipped northward.

Kurt Meyer

RE:real waste

@Boldman

"The only real waste in this article is the electricity used to create and transmit it."

Not true, your presence here disproves your statement.

Kurt Meyer

Re: Deep Disposal

@Nigel 11

" Nobody can tell you where(*)... "

"(*) unless they have access to top-secret military data, of course."

"Come in Nigel, and have a seat"

"Thank you Sir."

"Right. The security bods have informed me that the vetting process is complete. Congratulations, you now have access to top-secret military data."

"Thank you Sir, it is a great honor."

"Righto, off you go."

Kurt Meyer
Headmaster

Re: Odd Decision & Odd Timing

@Smooth Newt

"... the adage that "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't"."

The adage goes - "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

Bavarian town rescinds Hitler's honorary citizenship

Kurt Meyer

Naive

@naive

"...the whole discussion about war crimes in the Eastern front is moot, since Stalin never gratified the Geneva convention."

Stalin didn't gratify too many people, unless you count those sturdy zeks with a deep and abiding interest in constructing log roads in the Kolyma region. Then his numbers take a rather sharp upturn.

Anyone interested how it was, should read "The Eastern Front" written by Leon Degrelle.

Léon Degrelle? Three time winner of the "Most Popular Man in Belgium", 1946-49? That Léon Degrelle? Did some travelling after the war? Is that the fellow you're referring to?

Kurt Meyer

Re: only 71? bah!

I ain't Spartacus,

You are entirely correct to point out the assumption of, if not the out right seizure of, dictatorial powers by von Hindenburg and Ludendorff in 1916.

The only mitigation I can see at this distance, is an apparently complete absence of any desire for self-aggrandisment, i.e. the military dictatorship was for the benefit of Germany, not for his own benefit.

Ludendorff's motives, especially in light of his post war behavior, seem, at first glance, much more murky, although I am probably doing him a disservice vis-à-vis his actions in 1916.

There seems to be no dispute by scholars of the period that von Hindenburg disliked and distrusted Hitler from their first meeting, and no change in these views has come to light in all the years since then. There also seems to be a consensus that he was suffering from periods of dementia by 1932, if not somewhat earlier.

It is a matter of record that he was reluctant to serve a second term as President, and was only persuaded to do so on the grounds that he was the only man in Germany who could defeat Hitler.

His repeated refusal to appoint Hitler to the Chancellorship is also a matter of record, and the fact that he finally did so in January of 1933, speaks to me, at least, of senility, rather than a change of heart. We may never know the real story.

I will not suggest that von Hindenburg's was a stainless life, I don't possess any knowledge that would lead me to think so. Nonetheless, it seems to me to be a sad endcap to a life spent in the service of his country.

As Lester says, it will be discussed and debated for a long time to come.

I ain't Spartacus, it has been a pleasure to have this "discussion" with you, perhaps some day we'll have the chance to enjoy a pint or two.

Kurt Meyer

Re: only 71? bah!

It seems to be a knee-jerk overreaction by the good burghers of Tegernsee to include von Hindenburg in this removal of honorary citizenship. A loyal servant to crown and country, pushed and prodded in his dotage into actions he would have flatly rejected as a younger man still possessed of a sound mind.

BTW Lester, Hitler was appointed Chancellor in January of 1933.

Oculus, why do you need to record our every move? Al Franken asks

Kurt Meyer

Al, they're going to sell it.

"A US Senator wants to know what the Facebook-owned Oculus is planning to do with all the user data it collects with its Rift virtual reality (VR) headset."

Any chance to monetize the data you supply will be (or has already been) explored.

What else?

Congressman called out for $1,300 video game binge

Kurt Meyer

Re: Blame game

@2+2=5

"However, I don't think the kid submitted the expense report and ticked the box at the bottom saying "I certify that these are genuine expenses incurred carrying out the duties of my elected role blah blah etc"."

You cynic, you. ;-)

Kurt Meyer

Re: What a tool

@ kain preacher

"Hmm when is the last time you her of a Democrat sexually abusing minors ?"

It is always a good idea to look before you leap.

Fire up your Google, and have a look at Gerry Studds, and Mel Reynolds.

One hetero, one homo, both sexual. To pay further homage to the spirit of diversity, one did it with boys, one did it with girls.

Kiddy fiddling doesn't follow political lines, There is no high ground here, not for Democrat or Republican, Labor or Conservative.

Ubuntu plugs code exec, DoS Linux kernel holes

Kurt Meyer

Re: Updates issued for still-supported OS version!

@handle

"Are you new here?"

No BS, I really cannot tell if yours is a serious question or not.

If, indeed, it is a serious question, I would urge you to observe the small bronze badge just to the right of dajames' handle.

Continuous Lifecycle: Just ten conference tickets left

Kurt Meyer

Re: Too expensive

@davenewman

Perhaps El Reg could have contest to disburse the last few tickets. Something along the lines of: Finish this sentence - DevOps is important to the future of IT because...

!st Prize = A free ticket to Continuous Lifecycle London

2nd Prize = Two free tickets

And so on.

Ultra-rare WWII Lorenz cipher machine goes on display at Bletchley Park

Kurt Meyer

Optional

Grumpy, even though DevOps is the Life Giving Spunk O the Gods, even the hardiest must needs recuperate. It may help to think of this article as the post-shag ciggie. I've little doubt they'll be back at it shortly.

OpenBSD 5.9 released

Kurt Meyer

RE: OpenBSD 5.9 released

I'll have to work on my timing, I had just downloaded 5.8 the week before.

1980's_coder, I have wanted to try one of the BSDs, and from my perusal of several of the flavors, OpenBSD looked the most interesting.

I will freely admit to no prior experience with Unix/BSD, and I would appreciate your opinion, if you are willing to give it.

Ted Cruz slams DNS overseer ICANN a second time

Kurt Meyer

Re: Republican presidential frontrunner Ted Cruz

@Throatwarbler Mangrove

I agree with you about the realization dawning on the Republicans. In my opinion, there is no possibility that they foresaw this turn of events, and other than a belated, half-hearted, backing of "anybody but Trump", they appear to have no clue what to do about his so far successful campaign.

I don't think Cruz is going to overtake Trump before the convention, but I believe he will continue to gain ground. Kasich, alas, has two hopes. Bob Hope, and no hope.

Perhaps the Republican leaders are pinning their own hopes on a brokered convention, once a very common occurrence in US presidential campaigns.

Page: