All hail our insect overlords!

A fifty meter bug has been spotted in Germany. Actually, google says that the bug got squished between the film and the plate when the image was scanned. All Hail The Almighty Thrip.

WorldNet members-forum and topics.hot

As some (if not most, or all) of the loyal readers of my blog may know, I am also a member of AT&T WorldNet (wikipedia article here). They were my first 'real ISP'. When I bought my computer from Gateway, they included a years free membership in AOHell, and I tried that for all of a month (in my opinion of ISP's, AOHell doesn't count). I've stayed with AT&T all these years (even after I switched ISP's to Comcast) because of AT&T usenet server, and more importantly, the internal newsgroups that were exclusive to AT&T. In that news server, there are two newsgroups that are the subject of this post:

1. worldnet.members-forum, and
2. wordnet.topics.hot

(note: these are internal AT&T newsgroups, so it would be pointless for me to link to them, as you would need an AT&T account to access them. Firewalls can be a bitch).

Members-forum (or mf) was originally intended to be a 'water-cooler' type newsgroup, for friendly discussions, trivia postings & what have you. Topics.hot was intended for more 'serious' and controversial discussions (not always political, but a great majority is). Since politics tends to be a very polarizing subject, it is strongly encouraged to keep politically related posts in topics.hot. The problem happens when stuff that belongs in topics.hot gets posted to members-forum. In the past when I've seen this, I just simply posted my reply into the correct newsgroup. Last weekend, I posted to a thread which drew a complaint that it should've gone to the other group, and then somebody else didn't like me replying in another (in my opinion, more appropriate group). I decided to to cancel all my posts to the AT&T news server (I still have usenet access through SuperNews, though), and this weekend, I seriously thought about cancelling my AT&T account.

I have decided to keep my AT&T account. Apparetently, I need Martha's approval before I can leave. Beside's, somebody has to keep Beauregard T. Shagnasty in line.

As to the gentleman who first complained about me posting replies to the other group (calling it talking behind his back), I will respect your wishes and not reply to your posts in other groups. Welcome to my kill-file.

As to the other posters who would post material to the wrong group (usually stuff that should be in topics.hot but is posting it to members-forum), I will not post the reply to the appropriate group. I will report it to abuse instead, and you will risk losing your account.

Note to AT&T: It would behoove you to follow members-forum and topics.hot closely. There are usually only 2-3 people who are the main offenders and TOSing them would to wonders to improve the signal to noise ratio as well as reducing the personal attacks and insults that still occur.

One of my favorite all-time characters....

The Great Cornholio. From Beavis and Butthead. Apparently, it is no longer being shown on MTV (but the DVDs are available). It's too bad. I could always count on the MTV moron-a-thon's to get a good laugh.

String Theory (in a nutshell, sorta)

OK, so The Hot Thing going on in Physics is string theory (flash presentation here, originally pointed out to me by Ditty). In a nutshell, it says that superstrings vibrating in the 10th dimension create all the subatomic particles in this universe (and all the other universes). Now, let's make this easier to understand. Instead of super strings, substitute Noodly Appendages. String theory is nothing more than The Flying Spaghetti Monster revealing Himself to select scientists. Ramen.

The bunyip song

The Bunyip song from Dot and the Kangaroo (I'm thinking of the original 1977 movies). Scared the shit out of me. And it still does.

Dammit Scotty, stop making popcorn with the engine!

Found this in today's online travels: A microwave powered 'rocket' engine. Possibly, the next revuolution in space travel. Then again, it could also be time for shiny side out.

A little reality lesson for you......

All of the world's problems can be seen in just a few pixels. Yet another reminder that all of humanity is but a pale blue dot in the cosmos (I actually did read the Carl Sagan book by the same name. You'd be better off with the original Cosmos). With that in mind, all of life's problems pale in comparision. Actually this was taken from the Cassini probe in orbit around Saturn.

Arrrrr. Talk like a pirate today.

Today be International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Get ye yar pirate name here. Then get yar ship's name here. The get yar band and plunder.

I be the Dread Pirate Flint.

Ramen. (Let us also remember that International Talk Like A Pirate Day is a major holiday in the Church Of The Flying Spaghetti Monster).

One final thought tonight.....

If you can't see The Underpants Gnomes, you haven't had enought coffee, yet. But if you start to feel a draft, perhaps you've had too much.

Football!

At long last, football season is upon us again. Forget college football, I'm talking about the National Football League. No longer must I fear The New World Order, Mind-Control Division. But, alas, I have to work at the $dayjob on Sundays (in fact I have to from opening to closing), so I can only catch the fourth quarter of of the evening game (btw the Manning/Manning game was a dandy. Well, at least the last quarter of it). But thank goodness for Monday Night Football. The boss does know that if I have to work on Sundays, I better get Monday night off. Or else.

Five years ago....

Five years ago today (yes, I know it's bit on the late side for this, but I had to work today), I got out of bed, flipped the TV on only to see the news about the first tower being hit. A few minutes later, I saw the second plane hit. I had to leave to go to work (I worked in downtown Seattle at the time, and I took a while to get there by bus). While on the bus to Seattle, I heard of the plane hitting the Pentagon (and I called my brother to put the news on), and of the collapse of the two towers. When I got to work, I received confirmation that the towers had collapsed (at work, I really don't have access the news media, and I had to rely on hearsay and the telephone). My boss showed up, and about an hour after our arrival, building management announced that the Westlake Center (I was in retail at the time) was closing for the day. After going home, I finally saw what had happened in New York, and the reality had dawned on me. Terrorists had struck America. America is a free country, and because of that, there are those who want to see America destroyed. Unfortunately (for them), it will take a lot more than four jetliners to do it.

I once heard it said that wars over religion were basically wars over who has the better invisible friend.

The Hawk-Man is hiring......

Stephen Hawking is hiring. You know, that wheel chair physics guy. Among other things, you'll need to maintain his computer & equipment. You will also travel with him, and assist with with the preparation of his semnars, lectures and public papers. A working knowledge of hard-core gangsta rap is also a must (after all, this is MC Hawking we're talking about...)

RIP Crocodile hunter

Steve Irwin has passed away. Also here. When I first got cable TV, and saw the Animal Planet channel, it mainly was Flipper reruns and The Corocodile Hunter. I looked forward to his appearances on The Tonight Show and on Late Nite With Conan O'Brien, laughing my ass off everytime he was on. There was one particular appearance when he took down and tagged Conan O'Brien like he was a crocodile that will stand out for a long while.

I will miss him.

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.