As opposed to PEBKAC, this one is Problem Exists Between Brain And Mouth.

And I shall call it, Generalized Stupidity Disorder.

Yup, you were right all along about us stinking lying liberal scum and our hidden agenda!

See, Bush didn't need those crazy tax cuts to stimulate the economy, all he needed to do was make sure that Democrats took over Congress and Rumsfeld left his post and the NASDAQ would respond by hitting a 6 year high!

I think that's sound economic advice: when in doubt, fire Rumsfeld.

"If it goes unsaid, it will go undone." -- Me, about five minutes ago.

Be explicit. If you're not and you think the reason is obvious, it won't happen. An extra 30 seconds of explanation will save you hours of pain down the road when trying to figure out why that important task wasn't taken care of.

The 'ugly stick' exists. I need a 'wtf club' to severely bludgeon some people.

That is all.

Slashdot has a survey concerning the new layout which I think most of you know about by now.

Here's my response to them, ignoring what I think of the layout (you made changes???):

What one thing would you most like to change about Slashdot's layout?

Spelling, punctuation, and dupe checking. Seriously.

What do you feel is missing from the new look and feel of Slashdot?

Layout doesn't matter. There needs to be an API equivalent Digg's so that people can add a "Slashdot This!" link to stories on their site and have it automatically submitted.

What do you find unnecessary on Slashdot?

Pudge's journal. I'd rather he took that energy and candor and pursuit of fact checking to the front page than his journal.

Anything else youd like us to know?

Yeah. Slashdot is not just Rob's blog any more. Treating it as such has caused a serious decline in its usage and meaningfulness on the web, and that's a bad thing.

I can now get almost all my news via bloglines from other sources hours or days before it reaches slashdot. And there's no easy way to post stories to slashdot which is why Digg has taken such a jump ahead.

Seriously, sit down with the slashdot team, discuss who your users are, what you're trying to sell to them (I'm a paying subscriber!!!), and who's paying your salaries.

Bottom line, you're getting paid to do this, treat it as a real job and not some lucky soul's massively popular blog. Slashdot is a business now, deal with it. And shape up and listen to your clients or go out of business.

It would be a shame if slashdot disappeared, but it wouldn't surprise me if you don't clean up your act and start taking things seriously.

Of course it won't be taken the way I mean it to, but that's their problem. Oh well, so much for the dot.

New friend: Tablizer for this quote.

Ah, science jokes. They get me every time.

Did the High Holy days just sneak up on anybody else?

They start sundown this Friday and I haven't even found a synagogue out here in the Bay Area yet. Guess I better get a move on.

Oh, for those about to offer advice, I'm in San Jose, not San Fran, so it's a bit more difficult than one would think (or so I'm guessing, I really haven't done any searching yet, just kvetching, sue me).

I mean, sure it sucks when anyone dies. But frankly, I'm more surprised he lived this long than anything else.

And really, wouldn't he have rather been killed by some vicious animal than like, plaque in his arteries? It's how he would have wanted to go!

The man stuck his head in crocodile mouths people! The fact that he survived his first time is astonishing, not alone that he got rich off a career of doing "don't do this at home" type stunts which most people would die from.

I hope the Darwin awards give this guy some kind of special honor for staving off death so long. And plus, in the pantheon of ways to die like a man, I think this guy just skyrocketted to first place by "getting stabbed in the chest by a stingray."

I feel for his wife and kid, but as for him -- I'm neither surprised nor sympathetic. You do stuff like that (particularly on a routine basis), you get dead.

I just wish it had been a crocodile which did him in. I would have loved that extra helping of irony.

So am I being insensitive?

So the mechanic gave me a loaner yesterday while he's fixing my car (due to bullshit noted in previous JE).

I went to take the loaner to the supermarket today (becaues it's been three weeks since I could pick up any food and my place has been emptied)... and it won't start!

Anyone have any good tactics for suing the ass off a mechanic? Preferably ones where I am indemnified from burning his place down (I kid, but I wish I weren't :/).

Gah!

My car's been dead for almost 3 weeks now (if not a month).

The mechanic was supposed to fix my car, it was supposed to be ready early this week. I gave him $600 in cash two weeks ago (he came highly recommended by a friend) and I was supposed to pay the remainder once the car was ready.

I called on Tuesday to see the status, and he said he still hadn't ordered the engine, but he would and the car would be ready Friday, and I'd need to bring the rest of the money on Friday.

Now it's Friday, and I've called him, and he _still_ hasn't ordered the engine because he can't order it until I pay him the remainder of the balance.

WHISKY TANGO FOXTROT.

This was my first car (this is what happens when you live in NYC for too long and then go elsewhere), and I guess I just didn't really get auto mechanics. I should have known. And I should have called every day instead of letting things go and calling at the end when I was told it would be ready.

I'm going crazy, I've been weeks without a car, I haven't shopped for food in ages and am completely out of everything at home... grrr.

Sorry for all the ranty/bitchy JEs lately, it's just been a frustrating month for me.

Thanks for pretending to listen ;)

Snakes on a Plane

That is all.

Seeing blinder's recent JE concerning the ridiculousness that is Web 2.0, I realized I wanted to immortalize a link to a site which pretty succinctly gels with my feelings on Web 2.0 hype:

Wankr Zeta!

Ah yes, more money than sense.

My thoughts on Web 2.0? Stupid overused buzzword which now makes me run away wretching. Remember, the great sites out there and killer new web apps aren't winners because they're "web 2.0", they're winners because they're great sites and apps. Drop the buzzword people, it's just stupid.

My advice? Sink or swim on the strength of your project, not on your buzzword compliance.

Airline Security Rules enacted since 'an alleged terror plot aimed at airliners flying between Great Britain and the United States'

My favorite from Great Britain:

All cabin baggage must be processed as hold baggage and carried in the hold of passenger aircraft departing British airports.

The only items that may be taken through airport security search points and into the cabin, in a single -- ideally transparent -- plastic bag are:

Pocket-size wallets and pocket-size purses plus contents -- for example money, credit cards, identity cards, etc. Handbags are not allowed.

That's right people, no more laptops or ipods or cell phones on your flights in the UK! Need to call someone to pick you up? Only after you retrieve your phone from your bag from baggage claim. And if you're bags are lost...?

Update: Digg: Notebooks, iPods, mobiles, books banned on UK flights

I Am A: Chaotic Good Elf Mage Druid

Alignment:
Chaotic Good characters are independent types with a strong belief in the value of goodness. They have little use for governments and other forces of order, and will generally do their own things, without heed to such groups.

Race:
Elves are the eldest of all races, although they are generally a bit smaller than humans. They are generally well-cultured, artistic, easy-going, and because of their long lives, unconcerned with day-to-day activities that other races frequently concern themselves with. Elves are, effectively, immortal, although they can be killed. After a thousand years or so, they simply pass on to the next plane of existance.

Primary Class:
Mages harness the magical energies for their own use. Spells, spell books, and long hours in the library are their loves. While often not physically strong, their mental talents can make up for this.

Secondary Class:
Druids are a special variety of Cleric who serves the Earth, and can call upon the power in the earth to accomplish their goals. They tend to be somewhat fanatical about defending natural settings.

Deity:


Find out What D&D Character Are You?, courtesy of NeppyMan (e-mail)