2011 archive
Lord Love a Duck! 0
From the country that gave us Hello Kitty:
Japanese inventors have devised a gadget to make you prick up your ears – electronic cat’s ears.
Strap on the furry headgear, and its ears are programmed to move in ways that reflect the user’s inner mood.
Video at the link.
Twits on Twitter 0
Open laptop, insert foot.
Social media specialist Vanessa Williams lost her job with the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. after she used the agency’s official Twitter account on Friday to tweet: “We start summer hours today. That means most of the staff leave at noon, many to hit the links. Do you observe summer hours? What do you do?”
(According to the agency, no one left early that day.)
“Social media specialist.”
Yeah.
Right.
I think that public agencies would be well-advised to avoid twits.
They don’t need to twit, the public doesn’t need them to twit (except possibly for “utility work 8th and Oak use alt. rte.”), twitting doesn’t advance their mission, and there’s an excess of twits in the world already.
And who wants their sewage utility on Facebook, for Pete’s sake? There’s enough sewage on Facebook alrea–oh, never mind.
Update from the Foreclosure-Based Economy 0
Strong indicators for continued foreclosures:
The firm’s quarterly report said 22,967 more mortgages in the region will be underwater if home prices decline 5 percent from current levels.
Economists and real estate experts say that owing more on a home than it is worth is one of the most common precursors to foreclosure.
As Duncan frequently points out, our Galtian overlords have broken the economy and are not bothering to put it back together.
Rather, they’re off looking for the next bubblelicious con.
QOTD 0
Lawrence Lessig, from the Quotemaster (subscribe here):
It might be crazy to expect a high government official to speak the truth. It might be crazy to believe that government policy will be something more than the handmaiden of the most powerful interests. It might be crazy to argue that we should preserve a tradition that has been part of our tradition for most of our history–free culture. If this is crazy, then let there be more crazies. Soon.
Facebook Frolics (Updated) 0
Twisted coverage:
What the author leaves out is that Facebook doesn’t let anyone “friend” anyone else without permission.
Follow the link to read the entire tirade, unless you’ve got something better to do, like get a root canal.
If parents can’t control the “off” switch on the device, their kids are already out of control, and phony phacebook phriendships won’t make a difference. Keyloggers, anyone?
Afterthought:
This occurred to me as I drove to downtown Norfolk this evening:
If permission were not required, what kind of creeps could “friend” kids by claiming to be their parents?
There aren’t many creeps like that out there (despite the sensational press), but one is one too many.
Goldman’s Sacks 0
Deals designed to fail–Responsible fiduciaries doing the duty dirty (it’s a little wonky, but worth the 10 minutes):
The Internet Is a Public Place 0
Some persons don’t know how to act in public.
This one gets some time alone to contemplate his actions.
Holcomb was convicted last year in Virginia Beach of knowingly communicating a written threat. He was sentenced to a year in jail, with most of it suspended. In his appeal, Holcomb claimed the writings were song lyrics and not intended as threats. However, he admitted at trial that the postings, if taken literally, “would be very horrifying,” the appeals court said, quoting Holcomb’s testimony.
Afterthought:
Back in the olden days, when I was a young ‘un, folks misbehaved behind closed doors.
Now they do it in public, then wonder why they end up in trouble.
It may not be fair that Kongress kritters are held to different standards from Kardashians and Hiltons and Lohans, who profit from prurience, but it is the way things are.
Look Away, Look Away Back
0
Chancey DeVega considers Little Ricky Santorum’s nostalgia for the days before the Voting Rights Act 1965.*
Most important to the White Soul, there wasn’t all of this “political correctness” stuff. Good white people could say what they want and about whoever they wished without any consequences.
_________________
*Sometimes the mask slips, does it not?
QOTD 0
Thomas Hardy, from the Quotemaster (subscribe here):
While much is too strange to be believed, nothing is too strange to have happened.
Opera Winfrey 0
Opera Software ASA, the Norwegian company responsible for the Opera browser, honors Oprah Winfrey by opening its archives of emails sent to them by Oprah fans who apparently believe that, in addition to being Queen of All Media, Oprah is also the world’s best web browser.
It’s a giggle.
Parallel Universes:
Opera provides their own news server with newsgroups about Opera products. Occasionally persons stumble into one of the newsgroups promoting the next performance of La Boheme. We usually suggest that they check out the Opera browser, then look two floors up and to the left for altos and tenors.
Via the Linux Outlaws.
Twits on Twitter 0
Tweet of the Day, courtesy of Mr. Feastingonroadkill.
Drinking Liberally Tomorrow in Norfolk 0
Drinking Liberally is a support group for liberals, where you can realize you are not alone.
When: 6 p., Wednesday, June 8.
Where:
Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub
241 Granby Street
Norfolk, Va. (map)
More about Drinking Liberally.
Street parking is tight at the tail end of rush hour, but the Freemason Street Parking Garage is two blocks away.
I have some copies of Linux Mint for anyone who’s interested, first come first serve, just because I can.