Month: August 2004

I’m Sick Of Beach Volleyball

Am I the only one that doesn’t give a rip about beach volleyball, let alone women’s beach volleyball, in the Olympics? Why is NBC, with their already crappy coverage, force feeding me women’s volleyball every night? Yes, there are scantily clad women, and that’s obviously a ratings boost, but what about the other 30+ sports (with multiple levels and categories in each sport) that are going on during these games? You can pretty much sum up NBC’s coverage in a few words: Phelps, Gymnastics, and Bikinis. I think that’s all I’ve pretty much seen so far. They make me get up at the crack of dawn or skip work to watch anything other than that, and since I don’t have a Tivo, I’m stuck watching the prime-time crap.

At least there are two things that I know: 1) Kerri Walsh and Misty May win the gold tonight, so hopefully that’ll be the last I see of them, and 2) NBC will, at some point in the next 30 years, hopefully lose the rights to broadcast the Olympics (I can’t remember how long their contract is now — until 2010, maybe?). Maybe then I’ll get better coverage.

Meanwhile I’m off to pirate the videos I want.

August 24, 2004

Where was John Kerry?

You have to love great satire:

A new Republican-financed negative ad is accusing Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry of fleeing to Vietnam to avoid serving in the Alabama National Guard.

The ad, airing in most of the so-called battleground states, attempts to contrast Sen. Kerry’s alleged guard-dodging with the storied Alabama National Guard heroism of the Republican nominee, President George W. Bush.

In the ad, a narrator asks, “When the Alabama National Guard called young Americans to serve, where was John Kerry? Thousands of miles away, in Vietnam.”

The commercial ends with a black-and-white freeze-frame of Mr. Kerry, over which the narrator asks, “John Kerry. reporting for duty?”

Priceless. Link from Barney.

August 24, 2004

Kerry Denies Performing Gay Weddings On Swift Boat

Another wonderful piece of satire:

One Million Anti-Kerry Boatmates March on Washington Democratic nominee John Kerry today blasted a just-released attack ad in which a new group of swift boat veterans accuse him of performing hundreds of gay weddings on the boat he commanded during that conflict.

The ad, financed by a group calling itself Swift Boat Veterans For Truth About Gay Weddings On Swift Boats, accuses Sen. Kerry of using his status as commanding officer on his boat to perform gay weddings on an almost non-stop basis.

Link from Barney.

August 24, 2004

Your Moron Crook For The Day

If you’re going to steal a car, make sure you don’t steal one with a Rottweiler-Doberman pinscher mix named “Diablo.” Just for future reference.

August 24, 2004

That’s a Load of Crap — Literally

The rear gate broke on a truck carrying 15 tons of treated sewage sludge, dumping it all over the road. According to the story, the Department of Health and Environmental Control says the sludge posed no hazard to the community, but I certainly wouldn’t want to be swimming around in the stuff.

August 24, 2004

Cool URL Tool

The interface could use some CSS prettying-up, but otherwise if you want to have a pile of information about a URL all accessible from one place, head to URLinfo. Nothing that it does is done by itself, as it relies on outside tools, but it does put it all in one place for you. More in-depth article on the tool.

August 24, 2004

Outsource Your Own Job

From the article:

Says a programmer on Slashdot.org who outsourced his job: “About a year ago I hired a developer in India to do my job. I pay him $12,000 out of the $67,000 I get. He’s happy to have the work. I’m happy that I have to work only 90 minutes a day just supervising the code. My employer thinks I’m telecommuting. Now I’m considering getting a second job and doing the same thing.”

Disturbing, and hopefully the employer(s) never find out about the practice. Link via BBSpot.

August 24, 2004

The War Medals of George W. Bush

Quoting this site:

George W. Bush doesn’t flaunt his hard-won war medals. Occasionally he will wear them if he is attending a formal or military event, but for the most part, they are tucked away in his trophy cabinet.

Due to a large number of requests for information about his wartime heroism, I began studying his medals. What I found surprised me, and I felt it was my duty as an American to spread these remarkable findings.

I like the “Leadership Star.” Link via Waxy.

August 24, 2004

Real Women Are Much Easier To Deal With

Folks in Asia love their cell phones. So much, in fact, that Artificial Life, Inc., has come out with a software-based “girlfriend” that lives in your phone. The high-maintenance lady requires constant pampering and constantly demands virtual gifts (which, unfortunately, must be paid for with real money). The desperate idiots who pay for these gifts are in return given attention — you talk to her via SMS, and she talks to you with a computerized voice. If you don’t give her the attention she needs, she’ll give you the silent treatment, just like a real girlfriend.

Link via the Raw Feed.

August 24, 2004

Searching For and Getting Rid Of Stuff

I’ve got a few cell phones and accessories up on eBay. It’s mostly Sprint PCS stuff, but there are some other chargers and such on there.

I also have an HP LaserJet 1000 sitting here in my office that needs a home. Had a co-worker who wanted to get rid of it because she couldn’t get it working, though I have a feeling it works fine but it just didn’t work with her ancient computer. Make me an offer, and it’s yours to pick up locally.

I’ve got an older 12-port SMC Hub (part number SMC3512TP). It’s 10mbs, manageable, rack-mountable, and sitting on my desk taking up room. You want it? Come out to Sunriver, buy me lunch (joking … sort of), and you can have it.

I’m also looking for some Atec Masterview Pro KVM Cables (they look something like this). Basically, they’re a 25-Pin plug on one side with PS2 Mouse/Keyboard and VGA plugs on the other end. I know there are other companies that make cables like this that aren’t necessarily built for Atecs but will still work. Just let me know if you have something like this.

August 23, 2004