If only I'd listened:

A long time ago, in the mid-80’s, I got my first corporate job. I was going to be employed by one of the biggest real estate firms in NYC, working in a gleaming midtown tower and doing Important Things in a suit and tie. The shirt whose buttons could withstand my pride had not yet been invented. To celebrate before I started, I went home to bask in the glow of accomplishment amid family. In short, I imagine I was thoroughly insufferable.

Anyway, shortly before I left to return to New York and begin my corporate career, my old man took me aside. “Brian, congratulations again, and I mean that,” he said, smiling. “I just want you to understand one thing before you start. The company will ask for your loyalty — demand it, in fact. It will give you none in return. The company will ask for your sacrifice, and give you none in return. The company will ask for your trust, and give you none in return. How much of these things you give the company will depend on you and your judgment. Just don’t expect anything back except the paycheck. Do your best, but expect nothing in return from the company.”

...you can't beat bamboo strips. The oldest original versions of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching are written on rolls of bamboo strips. Not sure how they scan electronically, and you will have to keep your pet pandas away from them, but for document durability, you can't beat that format...

One of the most underrated of all professions. Consider: must be strong yet gentle; analytic yet intuitive; a scientist and an artist. Must have psy skills to deal with the phobic behavior of all who come into that chair. Must be handy with power tools in very small spaces. I'm always astonished to encounter someone who performs that occupation capably.

Agreed: in the widest context the question arises, "so what?" I'm not bothered in the least by the ads, and I usually push them a few bucks when I notice one. And if I'm bothered by the ad, I scroll past it -- oh, the pain! Really now, for what wiki has given to the Web, to society, to journalism, to education -- and compared with the depredations of Wall St. and corporate America -- how can this be even vaguely construed as a scandal?

wait, is this the same thing as the Yes Men Survivaball?

I don't know, this sounds a lot like a Korbomite Maneuver.

Dogs have masters. Cats have staff. (and no one knows who really said that first)

I hope Chris Carter's paying attention -- he may want to work in a revision of his earlier view by that name (opening of season 7 of X Files) as he prepares the neXt big thing for FoX. That whole ancient alien astronaut theme could use some dusting anyway.

BTW: Unless your editors enjoy creating neologisms, "existant" is not a word that is existent.

Caution is a healthy attribute of self-assessment. I too said "intermediate" of myself, though I know a dozen people at work who would protest that I'm under-estimating myself. But to be cautious in such things is to keep the door open wide for improvement, which is what we all naturally desire.

From something I wrote a while back:

Stupidity, typically, is not a product of Nature but of impudence. It has little or nothing to do with intellect: some of the most obtuse idiots I have met in my life have had above-average IQs.