June 2002 Archives

The latest version of Movable Type is out, and I've installed it, Just Because. However, I have not even begun to get my head around this TrackBack thing. Apparently, it's going to change weblogs as we know them forever and ever. I still can't tell if it's going to save weblogging, or collapse it into one massive narcissistic cross-referential singularity. Hell, I can't even figure out which one I'm hoping for.

The crew over at TWOP, left with too much time on their hands during the summer hiatus, is making up their own ads for the new shows of the coming season. Along the way, they provide some much-needed reassurance as well.

For all I knew, there were only a couple of webloggers (including the token A-lister) in the St. Louis area besides myself. Nope. Turns out there's a whole frickin' portal's worth around here. In theory, I should join, but (a) that would seem to involve producing a picture of myself, and (b) I may possibly be screwing around — drastically — with things on this site Real Soon Now. Anyway, it's out there. [via Burningbird]

Have you ever had one of those moments when you can't decide whether someone you're working with is a genius or an idiot? Because obviously, they have to have been pretty smart to get far enough into a task to do something that stupid.

Apparently, all the q00l bloggers are doing this, and it turned out to be far more entertaining than I expected.

Brennan is...
...walking and thinking about talking these days.
...more of an expert on occult spirituality than on Tibetan Buddhism per se.
...the last great American visionary of the 20th Century
...left racing through the corridors and ends up trapped in a large lab.
...Reading the Bones Again, and Still Making Deadly Decisions.
...exploring a potential solution to this unique problem.
...a world-renowned spiritual leader, healer and educator.
...one of the top quail scientists in the nation.

Obviously, Brennan is far too desparate for something to post.

Microsoft seems to be taking one of the old trusims of computer security to heart:

The only system which is truly secure is one which is switched off and unplugged, locked in a titanium lined safe, buried in a concrete bunker, and is surrounded by nerve gas and very highly paid armed guards. Even then I wouldn't stake my life on it.
— Gene Spafford

In other words, if you can actually do anything with your computer, it probably isn't very secure. This may explain why, in its much-trumpeted efforts to improve Windows security, is inluding all sorts of digital rights management features to limit how you can use your computer.

Known subversive David Chess has not been detained as an enemy combatant, but rest assured, consumers, it's only a matter of time. After all, if he continues to publish intelligent criticism of propsed copyright law without a valid content license, the (digital) terrorists will have already won!

One of the disturbing things about retail chain stores is that they often destroy any sense of place. Go into a store with a standardized layout, and you can't tell what city you're in, especially if you're in a major metropolitan area with multiple branches. One time when I was shopping at Target in a distracted mood, I finally finished my shopping and was surprised to find myself in Kirkwood instead of St. Peters (or was it the other way around?) when I walked out.

Naturally, things can get even worse when the stores are almost, but not quite, identical. And even more naturally, the difference is going to be the worst one possible.

Last night, I was pricing some home networking gear at the Best Buy in Bridgeton, when I started feeling ill, and needed to get to a bathroom immediately. No problem; the bathroom's right around the corner by Customer Service...

Oh. That must be the Chesterfield store. That's fine, I'll just run over to the TV section, it's in a corridor right around...

Uh-oh, where's the corridor?

(Unsurprisingly, this is the first time I've been in Best Buy in months when I haven't had two or three "associates" — or whatever the hell they're called — breathing down my neck in an effort to be "helpful" while I'm just trying to browse. Figures.)

Dammit. If it isn't behind the car audio section, I'm in deep don'teventhinkthatword!

Guess what wasn't behind the car audio section? Thankfully, it was just on a different side of the car audio section, and I was sprinting for the Men's room before I even conciously registered that I'd seen it. Phew. Barely made it.

Anyway, that's four different stores, with almost indistinguishable layouts within approximately a ten-mile radius. I'm sure there's some kind of lesson in there for the interface design guys.

Having recently spent time in a region with cellular coverage which can only charitably be described as "spotty", I'd welcome any innovation to improve reception. One research lab proposes automatically linking phones in a peer-to-peer system to provide a chain of connectivity back to the tower. Neat.

SRI's PacketHop software is embedded in the phone. The signal of the device then jumps from handset to handset   which must also have the software   until it reaches its final destination. Theoretically, it could work from New York to California if there were enough phones lined up in the right places. Realistically, this would be a solution for short-distance calls.

(Yes, I know it's been quiet here lately. Perhaps the time has come to shake things up a bit.)

I wanted to leave North Carolina and get back to civilization, but I only made it as far as St. Louis. Oh, well; at least all my stuff's here.

Another Ramone has passed away. Last year it was Joy, now it's Dee Dee.

A few years ago, I got one of those e-mails that everybody passes around because they're funny. The strange thing is, this one actually was funny! Having been reminded of it recently, I figured I'd try a web search, and Lo and Behold! there it was.

"I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. These creatures are the only sentient race in that sector and they're made out of meat."

Turns out it was a short story written by SF author Terry Bisson for Omni, making the rounds unattributed, and arguably in violation of even the sensible copyright laws. Fortunately, he seems to be a good sport about such matters. The story is a hilarious (and short) read, and he's even adapted it as a play.

Apparently, the obnoxious guy in the Verizon ads hasn't spent much time in rural North Carolina.

North Carolina style barbecue doesn't suck nearly as much as I remember from over a decade ago.

According to the latest word from Mississippi, my grandmother is showing some signs of improvement — clearer speech, some movement on her left side, etc. It's still too early to tell how she'll end up, but we're hoping for the best. Meanwhile, I've made it to our plant in North Carolina (after a confusing drive out of Norfolk), and updates may be especially light this week.