If the theory of numbers could be employed for any practical and obviously honorable purpose, if it could be turned directly to the furtherance of human happiness or the relief of human suffering, as physiology and even chemistry can, then surely neither Gauss nor any other mathematician would have been so foolish as to decry or regret such applications. But science works for evil as well as good (and particularly, of course, in time of war); and both Gauss and lesser mathematicans may be justified in rejoicing that there is one science at any rate, and that their own, whose very remoteness from ordinary human activities should keep it gentle and clean.

-- G.H. Hardy, 1940, oblivious that the "theory of numbers" would become the basis for modern day cryptography.

MOO_COW: I've noticed that.

ME_MYSELF: To which my boss answers "so if you get a 15% coupon, just throw it away."

MOO_COW: I generally consider a 4 to be standard and fully satisfied.

MOO_COW: A 5 is reserved for truely exceptional.

MOO_COW: Vise versa for 1 and 2.

ME_MYSELF: ::nod::

ME_MYSELF: Otherwise, you have no slot for truly exceptional.

MOO_COW: But many people say anything less that extrordinary and exceptional is unacceptable.

ME_MYSELF: And if you're normally exceptional, then thats NOT VERY MOOING EXCEPTIONAL, is it?

MOO_COW: Well, you can be exceptional by comparison to others.

ME_MYSELF: Usually that means that others are just incompetent.

MOO_COW: Shrug.

MOO_COW: Example:

ME_MYSELF: And when it does, it just means that you yourself are very competent.

ME_MYSELF: ::nod:: I have thought through several examples.

MOO_COW: In the past, when I've gone to get the jeep serviced, general procedure is to drive it up, and hand the tech the keys.

MOO_COW: The dealership has a nice lounge (coffee) and people you can talk to and will look up parts or can do quick checkups if you ask.

MOO_COW: Which is over and above the standard.

ME_MYSELF: That's better, but I wouldn't call it exceptional.

MOO_COW: There is another shop that I've taken it to though, that photographs it.

MOO_COW: Before rolling it into their garage, has it ready early, and leaves a signed thank you note with a coupon on your next service in the passenger seat and ready to go.

MOO_COW: And that, to me, add in when you meet the mechanics too, and can tell they know what they are doing, and will talk to you strait, does qualify as exceptional.

MOO_COW: The dealership, too, impresses me that the service rep knows me by name.... really impressive since I've only been there twice in the past 2 years.

ME_MYSELF: Actually, that is impressive.

ME_MYSELF: The name part.

MOO_COW: Last time was for a mundane state inspection too.

MOO_COW: So he knows me by name over a $21 job.

MOO_COW: Prior to that was a tune up, which was a bit higher though.

ME_MYSELF: If you were assigned your own personal guide, who sang car-repair ballads to you, made you a cappuccino, looked up parts on a personal heads-up-display, gave you back rub, repaired your car overnight, washed it, cleaned out the trash in the back seat, and then hand scribed the gold-trimmed letter in fine calligraphy, I would take exception.

MOO_COW: You may be able to find such a service in NEIGHBORING_CITY, but you'll pay for it.

I don't know what's up with this. Some guy made a version of DooM that lets you kill your own computer's processes. He bills it as a GUI to ps, kill, and renice.

They just need a multiplayer version. ::chuckle::

MY_MOMMY: Sure. Expecting company?

ME_MYSELF: No, just cleaning. I've filled five trash bags so far.

MY_MOMMY: Ok. Just be careful. It doesn't like nails or . . . sharp metal objects.

ME_MYSELF: No nails. Just dirts, scraps, stuff running under the counter.

MY_MOMMY: :disgusted look:: uhhgggggg.

ME_MYSELF: Nothing that disgusting. Just stuff that falls along the walls and tables.

MY_MOMMY: Oh. I was thinking you had little four-legged things crawling around.

MY_MYSELF: Not four legged things, no. A few six and eight legged creatures, but none of the four legged kind.

MY_MOMMY: Whew.

ME_MYSELF: Ever seen Home Fries?

-- Conspiracy Theory comes on --

RATED_R: Heavens no. That has Drew Barrymore in it.

RATED_R: Why? Should I?

RATED_R: I think I found CAFE_DUDE's web page, but I bet he took it down tonight after I threatened to google his name.

RATED_R: Because it doesn't come up.

RATED_R: Stop multi-tasking. Should I see Home Fries or not? Because I'm thinking of signing up with NetFlix.

RATED_R: How terribly rude.

RATED_R has signed off.

-- Conspiracy Theory finishes --

ME_MYSELF: Ohhhhhh . . . freaky cow. I forgot RATED_R. Doh. Screwed. Oh well. I'll have to come up with some clever way to apologize.

Editors note: With regards to Home Fries, if you have a thing for combat helicopters, carrying red heads, or Shakespearian-esque mistaken identity comedies, go for it. With regards to to Conspiracy Theory, I cannot resist the raw power of Patrick Steward with a scarred nose. I just can't. Sorry, RATED_R.

ME_MYSELF: Ninety. Four. Dollars.

MOO_COW: -- and I'm thinking after four and a half years --

ME_MYSELF: Let's see, that's like four hundred dollars plus . . .

MOO_COW: -- I don't think I really want to know . . .

ME_MYSELF: . . . four times eight is thirty two so that's four, five, six, seven hundred and then there's that last semester, probably eight hundred . . .

MOO_COW: I figure if I'm going to spend that much money on athletics I should at least go to a game before I graduate.

ME_MYSELF: Dude that'll be like a nine hundred dollar football game, plus whatever you pay for the ticket.

MOO_COW: ::sigh::

RATED_R: The thing about the Barenaked Ladies is, they just don't have the whole rock & roll debauchery thing.

ME_MYSELF: Hrm. Rock & roll debauchery thing?

RATED_R: Like you don't expect them to go home after a concert and shoot heroin and have sex with underage girls.

ME_MYSELF: Uhhhhhh.

ME_MYSELF: One doesn't really associate that with the Barenaked Ladies, no.

RATED_R: ::plays a Led Zeppelin song::

Crazy Apple Rumors

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/662397.stm