Sign of the social networking times
Link: http://www.joyoftech.com/joyoftech/joyarchives/1041.html
Appropriate cartoon from "The Joy Of Tech".
Where's the cite?
One thing I hadn't considered much when I started helping Ritchie on the blog was cites. Other than the few articles that are written purely from scratch, most entries reference some other work. In fact most reference some other work that references the original article. It all gets a bit convoluted.
Princess Bean
Link: http://www.worth1000.com/cache/contest/contestcache.asp?contest_id=17338&display=photoshop#entries
in one of the ongoing "Star Wars" related posting, here's one involving Photoshopping celebrity faces onto characters from the series. The Princess Leia/Mr Bean mix is outstanding.
(Via BoingBoing)
Oh, now who do I cheer for?
This isn't fair. Bete noire #1 (Walmart) tells bete noir #2 (Record Labels) to drop bete noire #3 (DRM).
Give me a few hours to resolve the cognitive dissonances on this one.
(Via BoingBoing)
iPod packaging by Microsoft
Link: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4313772690011721857
Another golden oldie I hadn't seen for a while. This one has the dubious distinction of actually being an inhouse Microsoft effort, although to their credit it was put together as an example of what not to do.
Twenty strange legal cases
Link: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article2741049.ece
Link is to an article on some of the odder legal cases from around the world. My favourite:
3. In 2004, a German lawyer, Dr Juergen Graefe, acted for an elderly pensioner from St Augustin, near Bonn, who was sent a tax demand for €287 million, even though the woman’s income was only €17,000. Dr Graefe fixed the problem with one standard letter to the authorities, but as German law entitles him to calculate his fee based on the amount of the reduction he obtained, his fee came to €440,234 (£308,000). It will be met by the state. There is no evidence that he pushed his luck by writing a thank-you letter.
(Via Antigone)
The PowerPoint Gettysburg Address
Link: http://norvig.com/Gettysburg/index.htm
This one's been doing the rounds for a while, but Wired News just reposted it so I thought I would as well.
Also on the site is a description of the history of the "Four Score" slide show since its creation back in 2000; it's funny and quite illuminating.
Rands' "Nerd Handbook"
Link: http://www.randsinrepose.com/archives/2007/11/11/the_nerd_handbook.html
Hilarious article on interacting with the nerd in your life. It's completely accurate out to lunch and worth reading.
Klutznik Immortalized
If you know what this is, no explanation is needed. If you don't, none will suffice :)
Programmers in management
Link: http://blog.eod.com/post/18462877
I've always wondered if people had the courage of their convictions to insist on a demotion in order to keep their job. Here's a case.
It also leaves me wondering about the general tendency to define managers as more valuable to a corporation than the talented and experienced employees who report to them. The problem for most people is that typically salary and vacations are linked to company status. Without that extra job grade there's no further reward to simply getting better and more efficient at what you do. So, as the article comments, you end up with the Peter Principle in full effect. On the flip side, people who like ordering others around or are indeed good at selling themselves, regardless of capabilities beyond that, rise and succeed. It seems somewhat unjust.
Disclaimer: this discussion isn't pertinent to my current job but certainly reflects past experiences.
(Via Daring Fireball)
"Star Wars" before and after
A few posts ago I made a comment about George Lucas' 'futzing' around with his films. I figured I might dig out a few references showing the more subtle differences.
Oh, ouch!
Link: http://www.thetalentshow.org/2007/11/20/blitzers-folly/
Snarkiest comment I've read all day:
Tuning into CNN these days is like walking into your favorite art gallery and finding all of the walls covered with Thomas Kinkades.
(Wikipedia on Thomas Kinkade. They're far too nice about his art.)
Steampunk Star Trek
Link: http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/11/steam-trek-the.html
Another video from the school of "Might Have Been": Star Trek done in the best 1880s tradition.
(Via Wired)
Ruddy Solaris
I have a serious love/hate relationship with UNIX and LINUX systems. Where I love them is that when they're up and running, they tend to stay that way. However, when they're not, they're nearly impossible to troubleshoot.
