Another reason why not to shop at Radio Shack

I used to like Radio Shack. They always had all the cables, connectors, and other miscellaneous knick-knacks that any wanna-be geek who didn't have way of getting cable TV in his room without snaking a cable from his roommate's room. And come the Christmas Season, they always had the kick-ass RC toys. That was a few years ago. Then they shifted there strategy. Now it's just cell phones, and a bunch of overpriced big-tickets items that you could for less than half the the price (without even going on to the Internet) by just looking around.

And now they've stooped to firing people by e-mail. If you're going to fire/downsize someone, then at least have the decency to say it in person. Treating your employees like they're burdens and inconviences will not do anything to improve the bottom line (demoralized employees are not that productive).

FSM reveals himself in APOD

A recent Astronomy Picture Of The Day (brought to you by NASA) picture had a real treat in it . The Noodly Master revealed Himself.

Pluto gains midget status

Pluto is now considered a midget planet. Now, the New Horizons probe just needs to find a mountain and some trees on it, and then we'll have proof that The Flying Spaghetti Monster created it.

Ramen.

A letter to Soundtransit

(CC'ed to main@soundtransit.org)

I would like to drop you a line on the quality of your service, and in particular, your operators. I've never had reason before to complain about Pierce Transit operators or the Soundtransit routes they operate. But let's talk about the King County Metro operators. My first ride today was on the route 550 from Seattle to the Bellevue Transit Center. I assumed that all buses when they make stops at Transit Centers, they actually go into the transit center to make passenger drop offs (as previous experience on 564 has shown me). The route 550 (which I had never ridden before) didn't actually stop at the transit center, and since I don't know the 'lay of the land' in Bellevue, I wasn't aware where I was initially, and so I got off the bus right before it pulled out. Please tell the driver that I can do without the dressing down and the rude comments. That is inappropriate, unprofessional, and in most other occuptations, grounds for on-the-spot termination (not to mention that agencies, government and otherwise, do get sued on quite a regular basis for crap like this).

After concluding my business at Bellevue, had to take the 564 to Puyallup. The coach I got on was #9024, boarding at the Bellevue Transit Center. As we pulled out, I heard him mutter something about Friday afternoon traffic, which is understandable. The commute during rush hour is never a walk in the park. As we went through the transit centers en route to Puyallup, I noticed that nobody could hear what the dirver was saying over the intercom. That wasn't an issue until we got to the Sumner Train Station, when the driver apparently asked if there was anybody on the bus who wanted to get off at Sumner. There where two passengers sitting behind me who wanted to get off, but didn't hear the driver's question over the intercom (note: muttering is not an acceptable form of communication). They were not amused when the bus drove by he sumner train station without stopping. The driver did stop the bus a couple of blocks away form the train station, but i doubt my fellow passengers were able to make their connections. I then proceeded to the front of the bus, as the driver appeared to be havin navigation issues. In between his profanity laced tirade about the route (and how he should've already been home), his job, and how he's never going to drive a 564 route, he was able to get back on the freeway and get to South Hill. In my profession, I'm in a position of management, and if I see any of my employees as 'lost' as this driver, I would make see to it that they knew the task at hand, and how to perform it. That's basic management. If I heard my employees complaining to customers about how they don't like their job, I would see to it that would be their last day on the job. I've heard the rumors that Metro drivers on Soundtransit routes can be jackasses. These two drivers today only reinforce that opinion.

Happy Birthday, Beauregard T. Shagnasty

My happy Birthday message to you was transmitted last night via the New World Odrer, Mind-Cntrol Division ( aka AT&T Ellen Norberg), which/who then relayed it to the blue-tooth enabled Black Helicopters, and these have finally been relayed the various Mind-Control devices at play in you home (ie the subliminal psycho-troninc, background programing in Firefox, the Mind-Control chips located in your motorcycle helmet [where they are strategically positioned to defeat you AFDB], and the chip located on your motorcycle seat [thusly positioned to neutralize any nomex boxer shorts]). I've sent you a new package of shorts. You can pick them up in Belgium.

I'm going to regret this, probably

You may not notice this, but I migrated the blog from blogger to blogger beta. Really the only difference I see so far is that instead of using my blogger id to sign in, I now use my google id to sign in. Given google's tendency to keep and track search history and the like, I may regret this. Shiny side out, people (if you weren't already wearing for the New World Order, Mind-Control Division).

What troubled webs we weave with a simple hardware upgrade...

[Sorry if this looks different form my normal posts, but the Blogger for Microsoft Word plugin is having issues tonight].

Ok, this all started out as an attempt at a hardware upgrade. I wasn’t going for all the latest bling-bling. Just a better video card. Then I realized that I had to get a beefier power supply for it, as I was getting crashes and reboots while playing Flight Simulator 2004. So I put a 300w power supply in. Then I realized the new power supply doesn’t have a fan. Heat was building up, and I was getting crashes and reboots while playing Combat Flight Simulator 3. Solution:

1. With 300w power supply and Radeon 9250 installed (actually the easy part), take side off the computer tower.
2. Take nightstand fan off of nightstand.
3. Set fan next to tower, pointing at the processor and video card.
4. Turn fan on, and set to maximum.
5. Finally enjoy your games with better graphics and no more reboots.

I know it doesn’t look pretty. But it works. Or better yet, the next time I go by a CompUSA store, I’m just going to run away screaming, “Get Thee Hence, Satan!”

The lesson I’ve learned for this is that there are three ways to part with your money:

1. Gambling is the quickest.
2. Women are the most fun (generally).
3. And IT is the surest,

Ramen.

One last Ramen before I retire for the night...

The Flying Spaghetti Monster is starting to reveal Himself to swimmers in Rhode Island. How blessed are they.

For once, an honest man gets his due

That homeless guy in Detroit who returned $21,000 so far has gotten over $4,000 from across the country.  My hat goes off to him.  Honesty does have its rewards.  Too bad not every one is capable of doing the Right Thing (like politicians and elected officials, for example).  

The obvious being restated.

I know this is restating the obvious, but Lance Bass is gay.  Who would’ve figured?

Calvin And Hobbes finally gets it.

All your base are belong to us.

A bunch of stuff in one post.

A lot has happened this week:

1. So I added a second monitor today. I should’ve done this a long time ago (btw, I ditched the Nvida video card for an ATI Radeon 9250. Yes, I know I’m going with the cheap-ass, budget series, but I can’t afford top-of-the-line components). Out-of-the-box, it has two ports: one vga 9for crt monitors, and a dvi for lcd monitors. Since I have a dvi to vga adapter (from the original AIW Radeon that was the first to get yanked), it was simple matter to add a second monitor. I can now run the TV application in the second monitor, and use the first monitor for important stuff, like writing blog entries.


2. The Anti-Christ has officially ended support for Windows 98/ME. This means no more patches, updates, or support. You’re on your own. Windows update is still up (as of this morning, when I was able to check it from my Mom’s computer, who still run WinME).


3. The history of Windows. From the Anti-Christ itself.


4. For once today, I was able to get a day off with out my boss trying to call me in. After being told no three days in a row, I guess they got the point. I don’t mind coming to work (in fact I look forward to it). But, when I’m not the schedule, I do make plans, and I like to follow through on them. I’m willing to work six-day weeks, and go sun-up to sun-down, but it needs to put on the schedule.


5. The Hobby Shop in the South Hill Mall is now closed. Bob and Ray, the owners, are my best friends, and I think I’ve single-handedly funded their retirements with all the models I’ve purchased and ruined over the years. They say they will reopen in a while (either in downtown, or on South Hill).

Coincedence or??????

Is it me, or does Davy Jones look too much like Kit Fisto? Perhaps it is possible for Jedi to still have careers after getting killed by the Sith.

The Mariners are winning?!?

The Northwest Regiment of The New World Order, Mind-Control Division are at 18-7 this month. Overall they’re .513 and two games out of the division lead. It almost makes the game interesting. Wait a minute… <changes Tin-Foil hat>….. It’s still a boring game.

The Anti-Christ is in the news again

The Anti-Christ is getting sued over the Windows Genuine Advantage fiasco. I can tolerate Product Activation and ensuing telephone call to India every time I rebuild my system. But calling home every day is going too far. If my operating system is legitimate when I activate it, how is it going to become pirated the next day?

Oh, and IE 7 Beta 3 is out.

Take the pledge!

Have you taken the pledge yet?

<quote>

Under no circumstances will I ever purchase anything offered to me as the result of an unsolicited e-mail message. Nor will I forward chain letters, petitions, mass mailings, or virus warnings to large numbers of others. This is my contribution to the survival of the online community.

<\quote>

This is why Best Buy, Amazon.com, Cingular Wireless, KISS, Classmates.com, and various other companies will no longer see any of my business. My email inbox is private property, and is not there just for you to advertise in it. Spamming is theft. I don’t do business with thieves.

371 uselss fact and other stuff.

Here are 371 totally useless facts.  I make no guarantee for accuracy.  But then again, Elvis does love and Belgium doesn’t exist.  Speaking of Belgium not existing, one should also be on the lookout for the Black Helicopters, and be shiny side out.

To all the Dads out there....

I hope you have a happy Father's Day. Anybody with the right hardware in their shorts can be a father, but it takes a special person to be a Dad. I think I'll give mine a call.

Another lawyer discovered

The bbc is reporting that a news species of shark was disocvered in America. No details yet on the name of the species or wheher or not it has already been admitted to the bar.

If you still insist on ruunning Win9X..

Like i've been known on occaision, at least depoly a firewall. Seriously. The Anti-Christ has stopped supporting it early.