Tuesday, February 24, 2004
[The following was originally published February 23, 2003]
O.K., here's the deal. [This is the part where I "define" the journal so that later, when it has totally become something else, we can all have a good laugh - except that 1) no one's going to read this blog anyway; and 2) even if some do, no one's going to bother to paw this far back through the archives, unless they're stalking me. Wait a minute - are you stalking me? Help! help! I'm being stalked!]What not to expectWhat you won't see here is a blow-by-blow account of my daily life, which I assure you, wouldn't be worth posting on the web. I won't tell you what I had for breakfast, or that I brushed the dogs' teeth, or that I finally did the dishes (wait, that would be news).All right, what can we expect?(and just who the hell are "we" anyway?)What I will tell you are the things I've seen that I'd want to know about if I didn't know about them already. [huh?] What it looks like at the top of Mt. Mitchell in late February, for instance. [oh.] Or some new study that finds conclusively that eating chocolate in large quantities adds years to your life. [sadly, no such study exists yet] Or the latest covert anti-environmental ploy of the Bush administration. ["Star Wars Imperial March" begins playing] Or things you and I can do that actually could make a difference. [death star explodes]Why you should read thisYou shouldn't read this. You should get back to work.
I'm done for today anyway. I have to go eat breakfast, brush the dogs' teeth and maybe even do the dishes.
Those remain my intentions for this journal. I'll get to the dishes shortly.
Posted by Me at 22:23 link
Monday, February 23, 2004
Hello World!The "Hello World" convention used universally today for teaching programming languages was developed by Bell Labs programmer Bill Rodogna.
That was my first entry, published on this date last year. Still relevant, as I've never seen anyone else give Mr. Rodogna (a brilliant, witty man; I've actually met him) the credit he deserves.
Oh — and Happy Blog-day to me! Gael celebrated hers yesterday; why not stop by and wish her well?
Posted by Me at 21:20 link
Sunday, February 22, 2004
Don't Blame Me—I Voted For StupidDon't blame Ralph Nader. Gore lost in 2000 for a variety of reasons, most importantly because he ran the most inept campaign we're likely to see in our lifetimes.
In 2000, we stood at the peak of the greatest economic expansion in US History, and not once in the campaign did Gore ask the simple question "Are you better off now than you were eight years ago?". Was he so afraid of being "tainted" by association with Bill Clinton that he couldn't even claim his rightful credit for the remarkable achievements of that Presidency, many of which we the fruits of his vision, not Clinton's?
When reporters misquoted him, said he'd claimed to have invented the Internet (only the most famous of several misquotes), why did he let it stand?
You can't blame Nader for Gore's gaffes. Gore should have had a slam dunk. Instead he dribbled the ball out of bounds off his foot. Let's hope Kerry handles his campaign more gracefully.
In a properly-functioning democracy, Nader would represent the mainstream Left; instead, thanks to years of cautious actions by Democrats and aggressive actions by Republicans, he represents the far Left. Don't hate him for running. Thank him for keeping reasonable left wing views in play.
Music In My Head- Henry Mancini — "A Shot In The Dark"
- Led Zeppelin — "Communication Breakdown"
- Bally Sagoo — "Choli Ke Peeche" (Sholay Remix)
- Jimmy Buffett — "Pencil Thin Mustache"
- Korn — "A.D.I.D.A.S." (Synchro Dub)
- Massive Attack — "Teardrop"
To an unknown Statesville motorist: If you endanger my life, I will shout at you. I didn't intend to startle, frighten, or offend you, only to make sure you didn't run over me. Yes, I know I was loud; and no, I'm sure you don't do such things with your mother. Peace.
Posted by Me at 21:34 link
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