Friday, March 28, 2008

security theater, indeed

This very week, while flying Delta (they of Deltalina, etc) I watched a flight attendant go all fangirl giggly googly over the gentlemen in the seat directly in front of mine.

I can only guess he must have been sort of famous, but not famous enough for me to recognize (and also not famous enough to sit in first class).

But, sufficiently famous for this airline employee to whip out her cell phone during the flight - during the approach into ATL when if there was any chance of the phone messing with the plane's electronics it would have done its worst - and handing it to this guy so that he could save his phone number in it for her. And then take his picture.

How seriously can the public be expected to take the airlines rules, when even the employees don't seem to give a shit?

I wonder if he gave her his real number.

Also on this flight: the pilot had to do a wing-over to avoid another plane, and the young Italian woman sitting next to me barfed in her barf bag.

random selection from meeting notes I don't remember taking

Strategy (not tacos tactics)

Friday, March 21, 2008

o the wonder of wireless abl

This is one of the few times of the year when it is really, really, nice to be able to go outside to surf the web.

Perfectly clear sky, still too cool for bugs, Hank Williams music, the only way this could be better is if I was drunk.

Thomas Paine on software development

I draw my idea of the form of government from a principle in
nature, which no art can overturn, viz. that the more simple any
thing is, the less liable it is to be disordered, and the easier
repaired when disordered
Common Sense (1776)

Thursday, March 20, 2008

you're gonna burn

One of the few examples of psychedelic rock (veering on shock-rock and proto-metal) with NO guitar. Entirely organ and horn-section driven.

Arthur Brown - Fire


mondegreen of the day

The Rolling Stones, "Let's Spend the Night Together"

Let's spend the night together
Mama needs you more than ever
Let's spend the night together now

The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks

"funny".

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

java.util.UUID mini-FAQ

"So these version 4 UUIDs are basically random numbers. Won’t my UUID collide with someone elses?"

Read on to learn the answer to this and other exciting questions.