I'd like to say sometimes... I'm having some serious issues trying to create a nice clean circle. If only I could design all my UIs using squares.

I am a fucking retard magnet. I see too many stupid ass people doing the dumbest things you can ever imagine a person doing for it to be a coincidence. Oh wait, that's what a coincidence is! Fuck you, too.

Luckily this time when I left the confines of my office or house it was purely humorous and not dangerous stupidity. And people wonder why I don't like going out...

This is frustrating me to no end. CUPS is crashing, and Michael Sweet insists that the fact it isn't printing has nothing to do with CUPS and won't actually read the bug report. So, fuck him.

I'm sorry, but when software responds with, "server-error-internal-error" while using their GUI, it's a fucking bug in your software. Not Epsons. Not foomatic. Not gimp-print. And you charge money for this shit. I used to have a high opinion of Michael Sweet, years ago in the FLTK days. Now I think he should just be a Slashdot editor.

Anyway, I got this printer. Epson StylusPhoto 925. My mom traded me for my HP inkjet, because she hates it. I can't imagine why... oh yeah, I can. The thing is fucking impossible to work with. Apparently even under Windows, which is why she traded me. Ironically, she gave me my previous printer for helping her out with her computers. I'm not the type of guy who has printers, but the GF is the type of girl who needs printers. I suppose she is worth it.

I plug it into my Vaio that runs Mandrake, and bam, out of the box it works and prints a test page. The Gentoo box (bench-built) recognizes it, configures it, and when I try to print somewhere between CUPS and the printer, the process dies. This is annoying me to no end. Especially when I post a bug report about CUPS not working (with either printer driver.. that sounds a touch suspicious to me) and get a rude response back. Well, fuck Mr. Sweet and his Easy Software. Sluts, the both of them.

Any print gurus, I will gladly send you pictures of my girlfriend naked* if you can get this shit working. Right now I'm installing KDE on the gentoo server just so I can use their print configuration tool because it fucking works. Unlike your shit, Mr. Sweet. And they don't charge for it. (And yes, if CUPS could actually be configured, I would take issue with foomatic/gimp-print/Epson drivers, but as I can't get to the printer configuration I blame CUPS first.)

* Not actually my girlfriend, but they all look the same anyway.

I was just thinking about something, and decided to step on Em's toes.

I am a:

1. Programmer, Professional.
2. Programmer, Student/Intern
3. System Admin
4. Network Admin
5. Tech. Writer
6. QA
7. Tech Support
8. Customer Service
9. Other.

This is for you sebi, and anybody else.

http://www.xboxgw.com/

I don't think it has any game finder services, but I haven't actually downloaded it and checked it out. It is being ported on Mac OSX, so hopefully that'll be done soon. Since they don't have source, they're fucking dorks, but maybe if everybody sends them an email telling them to GPL it, they will.

What's the point in releasing free software without GPL'ing it? That's like downloading porn movie and not masturbating.

I submitted the story, it will probably be accepted tomorrow by someone else. Who needs a subscriber bonus when ... wait a second, all the stories are on other sites!

CNN is running a story about a man, Jesse Sullivan, who lost both of his arms in an electrical accident. He has recently been fitted with a bionic arm, by grafting the remaining nerve endings into his pectoral muscles. Sensors then read and perform the equivalent actions. I, for one, welcome our new bionic overlords.

2003-09-25 22:44:03 The start of bionic limbs (articles,science) (rejected)

sebi and I were supposed to play some Halo. Then he disappeared. I'm guessing his internet connection went down again, or maybe he just decided that he doesn't like Halo. I can understand that, because there is only like 2 levels and you just play those over and over again. Multiplayer is better.

Anybody out their with an XBox and broadband who wants to get some Halo action on? I'm thinking cooperative play.

Stupid bitch backs into GFs car while she is at school. She gets out, surveys that her license plate posts did in fact do some unorthodox things to the bumper. One might say that they knew each other, in the biblical fashion. To ensure that she was in fact a stupid bitch, she hops back in her car and drives off. Thankfully there are 2 witnesses that have a thing against stupid bitches and non-consentual vehicular bumping.

Filed a police report, waiting...

Or, How I learned to stop worrying and love backups.

Except it's important to keep track of what exactly is backed up. MySQL databases are not backed up, no matter how hard I try to pretend that they are. This presents a problem for me, as the stable mail system I have in production on nerdfarm was only available in... MySQL.

I have the dump files for the unstable (read: not working) branch in the dev directory. This directory is backed up. I don't backup mysql databases because I keep the schema for whichever project I am working on. Any project that is on this server is not in production, and can be whiped out and I don't mind. Oops, not email.

I am running email off of this damned server. And the nerdfarm.org website, which is mostly static at the moment.

I'm an idiot. I'm rebuilding the nerdfarm server. It's coming along nicely...

We've just returned to the land of the wired and powered. We had about 20 minutes of brownouts. For those not familiar with the expression, walk to your light switch and flick it on and off as fast as you possibly can. If you do it right, the circuits will never actually gain full power before they drop in power. It fucks up electronics like nothing else. Even with surge protectors.

So, soon as that started happening I frantically sprint through the house unplugging everything I can see. Luckily, virtually everything (except the bedroom clock and lamp) is plugged in via a surge protector so it was easy to unhook 3-4 devices in one go.

We then decided to go walk to the mailbox and just putter around until the power came back on. So, we come back and decide that we'll walk to a Starbucks about a mile away. This was short-sighted, because I was thinking it was just my grid. I'm very possessive of that grid. It was my grid, and it was down. I was unhappy about this, but I assumed it would get up quickly.

So, we get across the freeway and I notice their lights are also not behaving as they should. At this point I'm thinking it isn't isolated ot my grid. There is a strip of restaurants along the road we are currently walking on, and inside we see the silhouette of interrupted patrons. That was a good giggle right there, I assure you.

As we get to the Starbucks, we realize that their power is out. The chance of getting a corporate America-unstirred-premade mocha was slim. We had some fun watching people try to navigate one of the major intersections in Vancouver without lights. Let me assure you of the hilarity. People, for whatever reason, were hellbent on waiting until they had a clear shot then not going. Soon as the other cars decided this game got old, and they wanted to go, the other cars would gun forward with their horns blazing.

Amazingly, we saw not one accident. I am rather disappointed. So, we walked back to the apartment, got the video camera, and walked back out to the intersection and puttered around. At which point we encountered a blind woman walking around. I informed her of the power situation, and said for her to be extremely careful because the stoplights were out. She wanted to get some batteries because there wasn't much to do at her apartment with the power out.

I'm thinking that is even more aggrivating if you are blind. Do they have cards in brail? That just has to be a tough situation. She asked a Washington State worker to take her to Walmart to buy some batteries. Nice woman, and very brave. I'm thinking if I were blind, my ass would be planted firmly in a seat and I would be masturbating or something. I really wouldn't be out where people with full sight can't manage without almost slamming into each other.

So, two hours later, the lights come on in a very majestic way. The hum of electricity cascading through the neighborhoods as we strolled back home was quite comforting. Now, my feet are a touch sore from walking around 5 miles in worn out Ecco's. It really is time for new shoes.

Because I'm a whore, I think you all should check out sebi's journal and friend him. It's usually a pretty good read, anyway.

"With your help, these lonely slashdotters can have fans, too. All you need to do is just donate a few clicks a day, and help save a life."

Sally Struthers, eat your heart out. Please.

I think I need to let it loose.
Let her looose
She only wants me for my pimp juice.

Not, my pimp juice!

I think I need to cut her loose.

Now I'm clean as a whistle, sharp as a razor.

This song never ceases to make me chuckle.

I don't buy into the "Random Acts of Kindness" bit. Have you ever noticed the people who have those bumper stickers on their cars are usually the dumbest sons of bitches (or bitches, as it usually turns out) on the road? Why is that? What is it that causes correlation between not being able to drive and putting happy bumper stickers illustrating your stance on being nice to people.

I went to a comedy club before going under the knife, and this comedian who absolutely sucked except for this bit, had a great idea. Urban Assault bumper stickers. Don't get me wrong though, I didn't like this guy. Most of his act was him screaming in a very angry way things that don't need to be said in an angry way. Things like, well, I don't remember because it was all so abso-fucking-lutely ridiculous.

I need some of these bumper stickers. The next time I see some overly happy and chearful asshole driving the wrong direction down a major 3-4 lane one way street I'm going to plaster their cars with "I can't drive for shit" bumper stickers.

The next time I see someone weaving through rush hour traffic in a very exaggerated attempt to gain about 25 feet per fucking hour, I'm going to put a bumper sticker that says, "Honk if you want to see my tits."

Or when you see these cock-mongers in their brand new Saturns, made for college students, taking up 3 and a half parking spaces because they don't want their paint dinged, "I can't park for shit."

That last one just amuses me to no end. I see this type of idiocy all the time. I very rarely see it with a car that warrants that type of attention, because those people park away from other cars. That's because they are obviously smarter than these smacktards with their first-brand-new-economy cars. I've had a high end luxory car. I parked that shit the furthest I could from other people. I still got a fucking door ding. It happens. Taking up more than one parking space is just a sign that you are obviously not mature enough to own whatever car it is you think is so fucking hot. It's not. And everybody is laughing at you. Seriously, after you get out, they all laugh at you. They go, "What a dumbass, thinking his $15,695 car is worthy of two parking spots. I remember when I was that young and retarded."

Same thing with you ricecapade "racers." You aren't cool. You are a joke. Your $12,000 used civic isn't ever going to be a sports car. Your SI doesn't stand for "Sport I-can't think of something funny that starts with I." Especially when it's an aftermarket sticker plastered next to your "Roush Racing" stickers. Maybe in your little gaggle of friends you get mad props for having your plethora of stickers and a wing that could have inspired the Wright Brothers. Maybe your parents really are proud of you. Or maybe you really are just a touch above racing in the Special Olympics.

I think that's it. I just had to get that off my chest.

I'm back, with more force than the california governor election. Well, maybe not quite that much but I am here. I'm a lot more coherent, which is probably due to the ability to cut down my dosage of pain killers. The last week has been a blur of sleeping, dealing with work issues in a very disinterested manner, building a new server at home, and watching a lot of movies.

It's been enlightening, for some reason I'll pick that word. I got a new server up to work on a semi-secret project. Remember the news thread? Well, this is the extrapolation of it. I can assure you all, it's not what you think. I'll write up a few details when I actually have something solid. I'm still fleshing it out a lot and designing. And no, I haven't touched QShogi at all. Doing actual programming is a little bit ahead of my mental capacity at the moment.

I'm still having fun, and being very dehydrated.

I've missed a few of the JEs but lurked through most of them.

I am so incredibly hungry right now. Holy hell. I haven't eaten since 9pm last night, and I seriously am starting to think if I'm going to make it until Monday. Potato soup is my friend, but it hurts like hell to eat. Since I hate codeine, they gave me vicoden. Which doesn't really do all that much for pain, at least not with me.

Oddly enough, I feel mostly ok. It hurts like hell, but that's only secondary to starving.