“This is not rocket science.”
I would not have done it this way. The teacher on the couch concurs. What would you do?
Monthly Archives: March 2009
Michele Bachmann sneaks a correction into the record
From Dump Bachmann:
In the beginning of this video Bachmann says she is a “former federal tax litigation attorney”. Bachmann was introduced on a Fox talking heads show recently as a “federal tax attorney”.
Actually, if I recall correctly, Bachmann’s J.D. is from Oral Roberts (since de-accredited), and her LL.M. in tax law is from William and Mary’s Marshall-Wythe School. She has not been legally able on the bar, or whatever they call it, for a long time.
Best Comment Of The Month!
… comes from D.C. Sessions.
HERE
…
Bat Escapes Into Outer Space!
The space shuttle Discovery launched from Cape Canaveral on Sunday with a stowaway -a bat hanging on the outside of the external fuel tank! NASA had hoped the little guy would fly away before launch, but he held on, even after the engines roared, and held on at least as far as observers could follow.
Electrons have free will
Assuming that the electrons are not, themselves, part of an elaborate computer simulation taking place somewhere, somewhen.
The Free Will Theorem can be read here.
Why Linux is Better
Why is Linux the coolest erector set in the world, that you should be willing to pay for? In part because Linux lacks the kind of freaky design oddities that arise when the makers of the software must go to meetings with a marketing department and a bunch of liability conscious lawyers, alternatively. In part because the fundamental design of the system is such that it is powerful yet lean at the same time. In part because basic security is so much easier to manage in Linux that it is not necessary for the processor to spend a sizable amount of time (using big chunks of memory) fighting viruses and other threats.
You know how spam works: It does not matter if one in one thousand people are annoyed by spam, as long as one in a thousand responds in the way the spammer wants. If you send out a million spamoids, that will yield one thousand positive results. Not bad.
If a committee of managers and marketers sits down and makes decisions about how the software everyone will be using works, how it looks, how it operates, they will sometimes (often, perhaps) make decisions that actually cause harm. They will opt for features that will annoy many users, if they know they can get away with it and that it will produce some positive effect that may have nothing to do with what the end user is looking for. A relatively innane example, but one that illustrates this principal well, is the feature of Window’s Help that provides, as an answer to almost any question (sometimes as the only answer) “Would you like to tell if the software you are using is pirated?” WTF?
In contrast, OpenSource software is designed, built, and deployed in an entirely different manner. Yes, there are committees, or small groups that actually are making most of the decisions, but these groups are generally open in their communication and anyone can get involved. The decision making process is fundamentally different for OpenSource than it is for Commercial software.
(Note: OpenSource does not equal Linux. Linux IS an OpenSource operating system, and Ubuntu Linux and a couple of other versions are especially well designed for people just cutting their teeth on the penguin, but OpenSource software is also available to run on Windows and Macs.)
If you want to see how this works, and get a feel for how open this process is, pick up a copy of Linux Journal (the one meatland computer mag I read regularly) and read the column they have every month on what is going on with the Linux Kernel. If you are like me, you’ll understand a very small percentage of the technical detail, but you will see things being discussed of the type that are not discussed openly in commercial context. If you came apon a document discussing this sort of detail for Windows, you would either be a very very deep insider or you would be followed by guys in a black helicopter until they hunted you down and killed you. Like in that movie.
That is a pretty remarkable difference. And it is one of the main reasons that Linux is better.
Obama Addresses Gaffe, Still Good President
President Obama has apologized to the chairman of the Special Olympics for his late-night talk show quip equating his bowling skills to those of athletes with disabilities.
…”He expressed his disappointment and he apologized in a way that was very moving. He expressed that he did not intend to humiliate this population,” Shriver said
….
On Friday, the top bowler for the Special Olympics said he could beat Obama easily.
“He bowled a 129. I bowl a 300,” Michigan’s Kolan McConiughey, who is mentally disabled, told The Associated Press. He has bowled five perfect games since 2005.
Good for Obama for apologizing. Let’s also note that there was an entire conversation, of which this fragment of a sentence was a tiny fraction, in which our new president demonstrated a real understanding of the plight of the American people as a result of the Republican Depression, and also demonstrated that the Obama administration has a reasonable chance of actually moving things in a very positive direction.
Let me tell you something: Obama is going to be out there all the time, compared to Regan, Bush, the other smarmy republicans who could not really be trusted ‘out there’ with ‘the message’ because they were, well, dumb fucks. So folks, get ready for the occasional gaff among a sea of common sense, helpful commentary, hopeful rhetoric, and most uniquely and insanely novel, real policy explanations that are detailed and honest. How strange to hear that coming from the prez zee dent .
The funniest thing on the Internet this year …
…. could be Survivor Pharyngula. If you have not seen it you must check it out. ‘
If you miss it, don’t worry, the’re going to start showing it on the TV Guide channel.
Transcendent Man
The trailer, not the actual man:
I’m pretty sure we did stay on the planet.
The Verdict on the new Dora the Explorah
Julia and I looked into this and we have concurred, and this Jury of Two is prepared to pass judgment.
This is the original Dora the Explorer:
And here (below the fold) is the new Dora:
Texas Creationists Pwned By Genie Scott
This is why we love Genie Scott:
The NCSE now has a channel on You Tube, and at this time you can see most, probably all, of Genie’s testimony in Texas. It is very instructive.
GENIE SCOTT IS A MACHINE!!!
All corporations are inherently evil.
First, check this out, then I’ve got a story of my own:
“Last week, LAPTOP reported that Office Depot employees were routinely lying to customers about notebook inventory, telling them that systems were out of stock if they didn’t want to buy extended warranties or tech services. Now LAPTOP has spoken to more Office Depot associates, one of whom goes by the name Alex and reports widespread altering of prices in his region. He says he even Photoshops higher price tags on clearance notebooks so that associates can tell customers that they’re getting a free warranty or tech service, when the price has been raised to cover it. LAPTOP also talked to a representative from the FTC, who would not comment on Office Depot specifically, but said that the sales practices described by LAPTOP clearly violate federal law.”
So, Julia and I were in an Office Depot. There was a computer advertised for about 500.00. The sticker said “Computer: $500. X Ram, Y processer speed, Z whateverwhatever, Monitor, Printer.”
So, I asked the nearest employee looking person what kind of monitor came with the 500.00 computer.
“Oh, no monitor with that, sir.”
“No, this computer here. See?” … pointing at sticker that indicated that a monitor was included.
“No, no, see this blank part of the sticker here?” He’s pointing at some blank part of the sticker. “This is where the words “Monitor and Printer are supposed to go, underneath the words ‘don’t forget to buy'”
“I see,” said I. “So, which monitor are you going to include with this computer if I buy it. Because this sticker says there’s a monitor with the computer.”
“None. See, there is not monitor with the compu…”
“Yes there is. If the sign says there is, there is. This is the way the law works in Minnesota. You have merchandise, you label it with a price, that’s what it sells for. This is a clear case.”
“But…”
“I want three of these computers. Which monitor goes with them. And the printer, don’t forget the printer.”
“No, you see, this was a mistake. The central office printed the labels out wro…”
“Get the manager. Now.”
“I am the manager.”
“Good, then fix this.”
Within seconds, all the price tags were gone. He took them price tags off o’ them shelves as fast as a weasel could eat a lemming, as they say.
“I’ll be back.” I said. “If these stickers are in place, you’re selling me a computer with a printer and a monitor.”
“As you wish, sir…”
“And my lawyer.”
“Your lawyer?”
“I happen to know she’s in the market for a computer. Or two. Or five.”
Blank stare. Julia is laughing hysterically. We left without buying anything.
Aimee Mullins: How my legs give me super-powers
The Employee Free Choice Act
Stephanie Zvan of Quiche Moraine Dot Com has just posted an item on the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) … the bill that affects how workers can form unions, which is so controversial in a very partisan way at the moment.