"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" – Latin Phrase
I'll let you do the research on this one. I gave you the language – you'll figure it out. Google for the win.
Save the Internet.
If you haven't heard about the efforts of the telecom companies to end net neutrality and provide your internet experience based on which websites are willing to pay premiums on bandwidth and preventing you from using services that compete with their own – you may want to educate yourself here. I also encourage you to use the site's built in form to sign the petition and email your local representatives about your dismay at the damage to American freedom and the flow of information. This isn't China. Don't be evil.
In rebuttal.
(1:24:31 PM) Henry: I just finished reading your rant and I have one thing to say:
(1:25:08 PM) Henry: Why do you hate America? If we as Americans start discussing things rationally instead of dividing ourselves into Us vs. Them camps, then the terrorists have already won
(1:26:15 PM) Me: hahaha
(1:26:24 PM) Henry: Stop hurting America man.
Aha! A worthy opponent.
UPDATE:
(1:29:54 PM) Me: i updated my blog once again
(1:30:56 PM) Henry: I can't believe you posted what I wrote. Why do you hate freedom?
I also hate puppies and lollipops.
Are all of you people retarded?
Seriously. I cannot believe how hung up people get over this ridiculous feud between people who define themselves as "liberals" and those who think they are "conservatives." It's gotten to the point where people are incapable of having a rational thought, let alone debate, on any subject without it turning into an US versus THEM flamewar. Can we sit back for just one freaking second and realize that we are all Americans and are in this together?
Let's take illegal immigration for instance (because Danner has been talking about it recently over on his blog). This is a problem. I think so-called "liberals" and "conservatives" would agree, at the least, that this is an issue that has significant moral, financial, and logistical challenges for modern day America. A few hot-button topics off the top of my head include illegals driving without a license, citizens paying taxes to cover the expenses of illegals, and health-care for illegals and their families. The "liberals" cry out for immediate nationalization and the full rights of citizenship without ever considering the mind-bending difficulties in providing effective government for a largely migratory population or the burden hefted on our current citizens and economy. The "conservatives" apparently have no problem showing each and every illegal the door without ever considering the hypocrisy of claiming that as a nation we have a moral obligation to free the Iraqis (a country that 87% of young Americans can't find on a map) from the grip of a violent dictator, but apparently no such obligation to ensure that a young Mexican girl in the U.S. is properly vaccinated and cared for in the event of a medical emergency.
You know what I think? I think you are all IDIOTS. Each and every last one of you who has the nerve to call yourself a "liberal," "conservative," "Republican," or "Democrat." You people are what is wrong with America. Those terms don't even mean what you so vehemently stand for! "Conservatives" define themselves as such because they are against abortion and homosexuality and support President Bush. Well guess what? NONE OF THOSE THINGS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH CONSERVATIVISM! The conservative ideals that founded the concept are based on the principal that government should be inherently weak so that it can't overpower the voice of the people. Big government should stay out of the affairs of the individual. The agenda of the Bush administration has been an utter betrayal of conservative values. But at least "conservatives" can define themselves even if they do it totally wrong. The term "liberal" has been stretched and blown out to the point that it refers to everything that isn't "conservative." "Liberals" get consumed by fighting both "conservatives" and the other "liberals" who aren't as far along on the spectrum as themselves. And no I don't intend to stop putting those terms in quotations until the people who use them drop them entirely.
People, the fate of our country does not hang on the eventual supremacy of one politcal party or the other or the left or the right eventually emerging victorious. Our country is based on the principal that everyone has a say; everyone is represented. But how can any sort of rational debate take place when our nation remains divided by intellectual partisanship? How can one group legitimately have their say when others are going "La la la – I can't hear you – la la la. I don't have to listen to what you say to know that it's wrong." The collective spirit of our country has morphed into a bunch of snotty two year olds determined to get their way certain, in the completeness of arrogance only achievable by an infant, that our way is the one and only right way and all others be damned.
I am an American. I have my doubts about the rest of you.
Drinks all around then, eh?
Well it certainly seems as if the good news is coming from all quarters lately. So I suppose some congratulations are in order.
Elise and Craig got engaged a while ago amidst lots of Elise-Squeeling and plenty of Sparklies. I’m so happy for the two of you. You’re great for one another and I know that you’ll make each other happy for the rest of your lives. And also a belated congratulations to Elise for, you know, graduating college.
Red! It seems pretty much everyone I know works for Apple in some capacity or another now. Congratulations bro – you worked your ass off the past few years and now it’s finally paying off. I hope you have a blast and wish ya well with all your success. You deserve it.
Well done all of you and I look forward to seeing everyone in the very near future.
What is your major malfunction!?
Wow, pretty cool news today. Apple announced the beta for their new Boot Camp software. It is a partition management and resizing tool, boot loader, and driver setup program all rolled into one. And to think, if only they'd done this a couple weeks ago they could have won $13,000.
My favorite quote is off to the side a bit:
Macs use an ultra-modern industry standard technology called EFI to handle booting. Sadly, Windows XP, and even the upcoming Vista, are stuck in the 1980s with old-fashioned BIOS. But with Boot Camp, the Mac can operate smoothly in both centuries.
Hehe. Nice.
Bah.
So I was forced to use VI today. The reasons why are unimportant. What is important is that this is the most anti-intuitive and convoluted program ever written. Text editing should just not be something I need to consider at any deep or meaningful level. So yea, use Emacs. That's right – I went there.
Don’t even think about it.
I defy my wireless connection to dip below excellent status. Last night I installed a set of 7 dBi high gain antennas on my router and set up a wireless repeater on my desk out in the living room. The repeater was kind of annoying to set up as its documentation is basically a one page plastic sheet that says something to the effect of “Don’t you wish something helpful were written here?” The real pain was getting it to play nice with WEP, but eventually I was victorious. Hopefully side effects from all this boosted signal are minimal in terms of spontaneous genetic mutation – or at least I hope I mutate into something cool. Like Nightcrawler.
Now that’s just wrong. (Part I)
Here you will find a collection of stories from people who have at some point in their lives confused the Real World for the World of Warcraft.
My personal story? It went something like this:
Nicole (after a day working at Sunglass Hut): We got a new pair of sunglasses in today. They’re pretty cool.
Joel: Yea? Where’d you get that recipe?
In my defense she woke me up to tell me this. I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse.
