* Posts by skeptical i

1194 publicly visible posts • joined 30 Aug 2007

Forget the Jesus Phone, here's the Rude Phone

skeptical i

Remember the WANG HQ building?

It was fairly nondescript except for the large word 'WANG' in the center of the top of each side, and whenever we drove past it my brother and I would snicker -- "heh, heh, it says wang!", "look, its wang is showing!", "does that mean it's full of wang?", &c. We were unparalleled wits, I tell you.

God-blocking web filter ironically hard to find

skeptical i

Sloppy execution?

The hand in the logo would seem to have five fingers plus a thumb ... is this is an accident or deliberate statement that buh- LEEEvers (or deities) are six- fingered mutants?

Council wins motorbike charges case

skeptical i
Flame

Bicyclist, slightly off-topic.

As I see it here (large- ish city in Amurka), too many city/ urban "planners" simply do not entertain the idea that any mode of transport exists outside of cars. It would be a small thing to require builders of public accommodation (shopping centers, administrative buildings, &c) to have bicycle (and motorbike) racks within line of sight of, and close to, the entry (and not hell and gone in the vandalism zone) but they don't. It would be a small thing to require buildings with metal detectors/ security stations (courts, federal buildings) to have lockers where (bi-|motor-) cyclists (and transit users, for that matter) could lock their tools, tire pumps, and other "dangerous" things for the duration of the visit (car drivers can lock such goodies in their trunks/ boots), but they don't. And the list goes on. Unless/ until TPTB actually get it into their overpaid heads that motorbikes, bicycles, Segways (I know, perish that thought) et cetera be used -- and that their use should be encouraged to decrease congestion, reduce pollution, increase fitness, reduce wear- and- tear on streets, and so on which will ultimately save money in the long run -- that we'll see any enlightenment in this area.

<-- Flames for mentioning the Segway, right?

BOFH: Little ups and downs

skeptical i

No 13th floor?

It could randomly replicate the function of any of the other floor buttons.

"You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya', punk?"

Confusion over 'secret code' in US military Cyberforce crest

skeptical i
Thumb Up

mission change -> more embroidery work -> yay!

So the more often they change their logo (and want their caps, jackets, polo shirts, messenger bags, &c updated) the more money screenprinters and embroiderers get to make. Maybe this is part of the "jobs creation" scheme ... unless the bastards send those jobs to China*, Inc., too.

* Or whatever is cheap labor source of the month.

'The internet's completely over', declares petulant Prince

skeptical i

Jehovah's fault.

Michael Jackson? Amazing talent back in the day. Also Jehovah's Witness. His descent into eccentricity (he was too rich to be merely "insane") is well- documented and requires no further comment.

Prince? Ditto.

Therefore, Jehovah cant be good for you. QED.

Nine Inch Nails guy scores Facebook movie... bitch!

skeptical i

It's probably a zombie movie.

Beat 'em or burn 'em.

Suspended-animation cold sleep achieved in lab

skeptical i
Flame

Braaaaaaaaains!

Oop, that only happens when they come back from dead, not cold ... right?

<-- Beat 'em or burn 'em, they go up pretty easy.

Sea turtle steals camera, swims 1770km and takes pictures en route

skeptical i

So simple, even a turtle can do it.

This explains most YouTube content.

Drinking coffee offers no real benefit, say eggheads

skeptical i

In defense of instant coffee.

instant_coffee != real_coffee; # Never is, never was, and I doubt very much it ever will be.

It is a brown caffeinated (60 mg/ cup -ish) beverage that is vaguely coffee flavored, and by those criteria it is not too shabby (especially for those of us who live on iced coffee in the summer, refilling our insulated half- gallon "gargantu- gulp" mugs throughout the day). Comparing it to a cup of fresh roasted, fresh brewed quality coffee (damn, now I want some!) is not entirely fair.

Prince Charles, Stephen Fry and IBM to save the planet

skeptical i

Some comments

* How is a 'summit' != a 'conference' (or a 'round table' for that matter)? 'Summit' sounds a lot more high- falutin, but in the end ain't it a bunch of suits around a table swapping presentations?

* Isn't Asda the UK version of Wal-Mart? If so, they could consider sourcing more of their product from in-country to cut down on the emissions required to cargo-ship stuff from overseas (where environmental regulations tend to be less robust -- great 2 for 1 deal, no?) while also creating more jobs at home (economic stability).

* Too many "environmental" groups seem to have been 0wn3d by corporate polluters (see http://www.thenation.com/article/wrong-kind-green for some examples), so they might not be the great counterbalance one expects.

* "Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell." -- Edward Abbey. Clearly, some growth will be needed to bring developing nations to levels of self- sufficiency, but I am concerned that any money thrown in this direction will be for wheel- spinning and handing out of fish instead of education, infrastructure, and other long-term "deep" foundations needed for residents to fish for themselves.

Steve Jobs fears Nation of Bloggers

skeptical i

Citizen Jobs

"I think it would be fun to run a newspaper."

Call it _WSJ_ for "World of Steve Jobs" (who needs Wall Street?).

Apple opens doors to vanity publishers

skeptical i

celerity | celebrity | celery ...

... better off using an aggregator to get any of 'em out of Apple, given how they treat app developers.

Snails on crystal meth: The facts

skeptical i
Pirate

Alzheimers research? Gram and Gramps on meth?

Oversimplification of course, but still.

<-- as G'mum plays Captain Jack with the lawn tractor

Carrier cans 'jinxed' mobile number after all owners die

skeptical i

Isn't the number '8' supposed to be good luck in China?

Whether this is true in Bulgaria would depend on one's opinion of the deceased.

'Being fat is no worse for you than being a woman'

skeptical i

I've had male bosses, female bosses, and genderqueer bosses.

Some were amazing leaders who tried to grow and develop their subordinates' talents and skills, and some were useless bags of fat content to take credit for what went well and blame staff for what didn't. There's more to it than genitals.

Massachusetts man in vacuum marinade shocker

skeptical i

@Tim #3

Now I get it -- this was a homophobia joke, oh how funny and original.

Man jailed for sex with donkey and horse

skeptical i
WTF?

How did anyone even find out about this?

Did a neighbor ("neigh"-bor, ha ha) happen by and capture some cellphone video/ camera evidence? Did the perp fess up? Did unusual lesions in the perp's nether regions cause his doctor to drop a dime on him? Did the donkey get jealous when the perp started carrying on with the horse and arrange for some belated payback (revenge being a dish best served cold)? This is more puzzling than the acts themselves.

The iPad will doom humanity to painful bog-roll horror

skeptical i

Toilet pisses on man, film at eleven.

That is all.

School secretly snapped 1000s of students at home

skeptical i

At $1000 a pop, it might be cheaper to give the laptops away than settle out of court.

If the school district is really REALLY concerned about the laptops going AWOL, can't they install some kind of "black box" transmitter thingie? I am gobsmacked that somewhere in the bowels of the school bureaucracy, someone said "Well, we can have the laptops take pictures at various intervals" without being gangstomped by the district's lawyers. Pass the popcorn, this oughta be a good one.

Tory £12bn public sector cuts proposal would claim IT scalps

skeptical i

@AC, "True", 09-APR-2010 19:58

In my [admittedly limited] experience with the public sector (and a bit in non-profit), I do not think it's the low salaries that cause lackadaisical performance, per se, so much as the fact that those who have ethics, want to do a good job, and generally bust hump become demoralized when they look into the next cubicle and see some airhead doing precisely nothing all day yet bringing in similar paycheck. (And then when promotions get doled out to management's friends and not to those actually qualified .... ) Raising salaries without raising and enforcing performance standards (firing the seat- warmers, rewarding the ass- busters) will probably not solve the problem.

Google tweaks search results with mystery site speedometer

skeptical i
Thumb Up

As one of the last dialup users on the planet ...

... I welcome any effort to get webmeisters to actually READ their code and edit it with a chainsaw, if need be. Granted, sites for videographers will of course be loaded with "sample" product, but too many websites contain pipe- clogging stuff that is simply irrelevant crap. Site "designers" could at least have thumbnail GIFs linking to the bloat ("click 'here' to see a video of poodles dancing the macarena at our vendor booth" or whatever) so those with no time or bandwidth for the eyecandy can give it a miss.

Bloke threatens BT with giant plywood cheque

skeptical i
FAIL

"convenience fee"

My telco started charging $1.00 U.S. to pay bills online, so I wrote to their customer service folks that if they want to sway people to mail in checks for payment -- meaning that people on the telco payroll will have to enter all the payment info -- instead of letting us customers enter all the information ourselves at no cost to the company, so be it. A few weeks later I got an email joyously proclaiming that the "convenience fee" is being rescinded. Wanna bet the dope who thought of the "convenience fee" is probably still on the job?

Opera alerts EU to hidden Windows browser-ballot

skeptical i
WTF?

"ballot has fag written all over it"?

I assume that in this instance 'fag' refers to cigarettes -- to imply that the ballot should likewise be lit afire -- and is not more tedious homophobia/ ignorance being bandied about under cover of "it's just slang, I didn't mean to denigrate LGBT or any other people, all the kids are saying it, it's just a word, what's the harm" ... right?

Vast 'Cloud 9' sky-wedding balloon destroyed in Vegas prang

skeptical i
WTF?

Petting zoo seems a bit ... un-bling for Vegas, no?

Doesn't every little piss-ant county fair have a petting zoo? True, the balloon folks needed to fill their empty lot with something quick to move in and quick to move out when their airship is rebuilt, but this was the best they could come up with?

Apple 'real cost' comparison shows inflation beaten mercilessly

skeptical i

Leave us not forget disposal costs.

As electronic doo-dads get cheaper, the tendency to replace (and not repair or upgrade) equipment goes up (cost per hour for a tech to diagnose and fix a malfunctioning [whatever] versus schlepping to the nearest Crap Mart and buying a new one, not often a hard choice) and all the discarded things wind up in landfills, possibly leaking toxic stuff into water tables, or incinerated and leaking toxins into the air. While there are responsible firms that recycle many of the components and keep them out of the waste stream, they are too few and do not catch everything. Figure in possible health weirdness costs in successive generations, and also tax increases as municipalities have to site and build new landfills to house our discards.

Tiger Woods' alleged mistress publishes X-rated texts

skeptical i

Since they're clearly fake, I can not imagine anyone taking serious offense.

The societal issue of how the media and its celebutards perpetuate body- image issues among yoofs is another discussion for another day.

US burg renames self 'Google'

skeptical i

Rapid City, SD, suggests itself ...

... as do many other locales whose names no doubt will be (or have already been) herein posted.

Montblanc's Gandhi pen run out

skeptical i
FAIL

If Jesus would have wept ...

what would Gandhi have done?

This is so wrong, words fail me.

Scots unleash world's strongest beer

skeptical i
Pirate

211 Steel Reserve -- the favorite of homeless drunkies everywhere.

We always knew when "our" drunkie was back in our section of town by the pile of 211SR cans piled next to "his" dumpster.

<-- the label for all toxic products

Computer Engineer Barbie coming soon to a toy store near you

skeptical i

Not sure that "reality" is entirely the point.

My guess is that since the majority of Barbie recipients (and buyers, i.e., parents, guardians, grandparents) would not know a real- deal computer engineer from a coffee- shop- resident "creative developer" (since "they all work with computers"), Mattel(R) went lowest common denominator to indicate "computeriness" with an obvious t-shirt, laptop, and cellphone/ crackberry (the specific Bluetooth addition is probably for "marketing synergy"). On the other side, if Mattel can make CE Barbie somewhat stylish [start_optimism] that might push more young women (and trans youth) to pursue math and science [/end-optimism] ... which bespeaks a horrifically sad state of affairs, but given the yoof I see and hear 'round these parts such a strategy stands as much chance as any.

TSA screener plants powder baggie in flier's luggage

skeptical i
Grenade

I hope the lass sues up and down the TSA chain of command.

I hate seeing my tax dollars wasted on bullshit, but someone needs to learn a lesson and since it's illegal to thrash people with a tire iron a lawsuit will have to suffice.

Dadaist user manuals - a call for submissions

skeptical i

Better than many "native" speakers can manage.

At least the folks overseas are trying to convey ideas in a language that is not their primary or first one. I've seen English similarly butchered by folks born and bred on U.S. soil and who, theoretically, should know better: when was the last time a co-worker "lefted" someone a message or "losted" a job to a competitor?

FCC rescues American football fans

skeptical i
Pirate

As long as teams represent their "constituents", sure.

It is my understanding that once upon a time, the Boston Red Sox (or any other sports team) consisted of players mostly (or entirely) from Boston (or the region), so when one root- root- root[ed] for the home team, it really was the "home" team in that the players were friends, family, neighbors, or people one might reasonably expect to see in a local pub. So I get the precedent for the loyalty to one team or another. However, in the day of players being bought and sold across states and countries, of teams picking up and moving cross- country more or less at whim ("If we don't get a bigger stadium -- at taxpayer expense -- with more skyboxes and scantily- clad serving boys and girls, we're leaving" *sticks out tongue* *pouts*), I don't see why there is any team loyalty since the teams themselves don't seem to give a rat's about their fans beyond gate admissions. (Of course, there are individual players who understand the fans == paycheck relationship and are more than gracious about autographs, appearances, charity work, &c, but they do not appear to be the majority.)

The point of this being that I agree with Cliff, but expect the day will come when teams won't be relevant beyond giving fans a chance to cheer for the region the teams notionally represent. At the high school or lower pro division levels that recruit talent closer to home teams might cling longer to relevance unless/until they become more "big league" in their carpetbagging ways.

Vigilantes R US: Private enterprise takes over

skeptical i
FAIL

punishment will never end, ever

I have a friend who went to prison for drug dealing, did her time "honorably" (i.e., did volunteer work, was a good "tenant", worked hard at her prison job, didn't cause problems), and has been clean, sober, and productive for the past ten years since. She can get her right to vote back, but she will never be able to get food stamps or some other forms of public assistance. So if she did not luck into a job upon release, she would have had to either beg for food or go back to the job she knew -- drug dealing -- in order to eat. Also, many apartment complexes subscribe to a "crime free multi- housing" program by which landlords screen potential tenants for criminal records and anyone with such a record can be denied housing by that landlord. I understand that landlords want to protect their tenants, but on the other hand if ex- offenders are more or less herded back to the places they lived before incarceration they will be more likely to fall into bad old habits and re- offend. I certainly don't expect criminal scum to be living large on the taxpayers' dime, and I agree that crims who show no desire to better themselves should be put somewhere far far away, but if we truly want ex-offenders to become productive members of society we don't seem to be giving them a sporting chance to do so.

Aus gov dredges up cuter panic-button for kids online

skeptical i

Too many yoofs not raised by parents but by sperm/egg donors

I agree, treboR, that the state can not (and should not have to) take the place of parenting, but at least here in Amurka there are too many yoofs being housed and fed (I can not say "raised") by parents- in- name- only who couldn't be arsed to use a condom then and can't be arsed to properly raise the outcome now, as our schools, welfare offices, and juvenile justice systems amply demonstrate. So what should we do? An online panic button is far from perfect and does not address the whole of the problem, but if it opens a discussion that includes "Where the heck are the parents?" and then "What should the parents be doing?" it is not a bad idea.

Police smoke out 300-pound frozen turkey thief

skeptical i

storeowner probably donates to Goodwill, Salvation Army, ...

... and local organizations that help with job skills, education, and finding long- term solutions to homelessness instead of giving free food to all and sundry. In my town, we have a handful of soup kitchens who are open to all and give information about where to get real help, plus organizations that work long term solutions for those who want to help themselves (this last bit is key). Giving a homeless guy a sandwich is a great gesture and the compassion behind it should not be squashed, but resources should be put where they will do the most good (most agencies get matching grants or are otherwise able to double or triple the buying power of individual donations, which allows them to help more people).

Also, I doubt the storeowner (or anyone) would foresee that the perp would steal a [still-] frozen turkey -- how did he think he would prepare it? -- let alone from those who showed him kindness (no good deed goes unpunished). The perp's probably off his meds and needs a mental health case worker as well; with luck someone in the justice system will steer him to an agency that can help.

/socially liberal bleeding heart with a fiscally conservative scarred wallet

'Alienated' gamer sues WoW for ruining life

skeptical i
Pirate

Many lawyers will happily run up a bill ...

... consulting with the client and filing paperwork and then, after the judge tosses out the case, hand the client a bill: regardless of outcome, services have been rendered and better luck next time. Other lawyers work on a percentage, taking X percent of whatever the client wins in damages as their fee (and steering far clear of cases like this one, no doubt). Actually, this case could make a lawyer smile: net one consultation fee, filing fees, and other administrivia charges without having to do any real work since this case is clearly stillborn -- it's almost free money.

skeptical i
Pirate

Arauding ... like Marauding, but without the Mmmmmm.

Yaaarrrrrrr.

Replace Bulldog gridiron mascot with robot, PETA demands

skeptical i
Grenade

more protective gear -> more risk- taking -> more injury

Radio article indicated that the number of retired players with serious brain issues is much higher among former American football players than among former rugby players, the hypothesis being that rugby players with no armor will be more careful in who and how they tackle their opponents while American football players are lulled into a false sense of invincibility by their armor and might not be as careful (resulting in more concussions and other injuries with long-term effects). I'll leave it for the sports fan- addicts to argue this one out.

P2P snafu blows lid on secret Congress probes

skeptical i
Unhappy

Crying shame that these dopes have (or had) employment ...

... while better-qualified people are slumming in whatever scut work will pay bills until the economy improves.

Pregnant monkeys on crack - boffins investigate

skeptical i
Pirate

Research industry pandering to zero patience/ ADHD?

Plz also note that the monkeys generally don't have industries either growing out of these traits (videogames, maybe?) or pandering to them ("get it now!"), whereas human apes would seem to be getting rewarded for bad behaviour as long as someone, somewhere is willing to tolerate/ encourage it in order to make a buck. (Yes, a constant stream of banana pellets would also seem to reinforce non- patience, but this is only one activity whereas most human apes are buffetted from all sides by adverts/ marketing/ "culture"/ ad nauseum.)

El Reg launches 'Comment of the Week'

skeptical i

Should we be concerned that the camel is shooting red or pink?

Isn't that usually an indicator that all is not well in the nether regions? Caveat emptor.

Ralph Lauren says sorry for incredible shrinking pelvis

skeptical i
Pirate

Can we leave orientation out of it?

Any designer -- homo, hetero, pan, all of the above, none of the above, whatever -- is going to create what she/he/ze thinks will sell. If enough people clamor for clothes for a Marilyn (Monroe)-esque figure, the fashion world will respond. If people clamor for clothes for a Marilyn (Manson)-esque figure, we have seen the fashion world's ability to supply the demand. When people (some of the male models are also scarily malnourished) stop buying this shite (the clothes specifically, the whole "thin is in" message in general), stand proud in their own bodies, and only support brands that respect all sizes, the fashion houses will respond or risk losing sales.

Bank of America demands thumbprint from armless bloke

skeptical i
Thumb Down

corporate tick-list mentality

It seems that more and more local/ branch/ regional managers are becoming nothing more than glorified cashiers, since they are not being allowed to exercise any local judgement. I'll charitably assume that the bank manager her-/him- self would personally not have had a problem with the two forms of ID, but had to follow Procedure lest s/he get a shitload from higher up the food chain. Also, remember that BofA (and chain banks in general, I'll wager) takes great glee in charging fees every time one turns around, presumably to prop up an otherwise sagging bottom line as customers flee to credit unions, local banks, and other institutions that treat customers like people and not like inventory.

Swedish bloke attempts lactation

skeptical i
Thumb Up

Whatever turns his gears ...

If Senor Mjolkmannen wants to give breastfeeding a whirl, power to him. My recollection of high school biology is quite dim, but I seem to recall that estrogen, progesterone, leutenizing hormone, and follicular something else were part of the female pregnancy/ lactating hormonal roller coaster and so Milkman will have a tough row to hoe without some chemical assistance (maybe HIS mum has some menopausal HRT pills?). Agree with Eliza, though, in that keeping the house clean, the laundry done, the meals made, and the bills paid while Mum recuperates will be infinitely much more useful than tag- teaming on breastfeeding.

Sale talks heat up at T-Mobile UK

skeptical i
Thumb Down

Is that why T'Mob wants to charge $1.50 a month to get a paper billing statement?

Trying to gin up petty extortionate revenue trickles in order to add some spit polish to whatever balance sheets they append to the 'For Sale' sign? Pathetic.

EMC co-founder kills himself

skeptical i

Right to die

Say what you will about Doctor Kevorkian, why is the idea of having the option to end one's life in a quiet, medically sound and sure way (via lethal injection or what- have- you) worse than having the option to end one's life in a less- guaranteed, probably more painful way (e.g., shotgun to the head, bridgejumping, "suicide by cop", &c)? If someone has decided to go, let her/ him go and have the compassion to make the exit as painless as possible, fer crineouts.

Baby-roasting BBQ pulled from Sears site

skeptical i
Welcome

@ shock_wave/ Shame... : no such thing as bad publicity

I'm guessing that any increase in traffic, for whatever reason, is welcome at Sears HQ if there is a corresponding uptick in sales.

Lad passes gruelling 'getting on bus' test

skeptical i

not all kids are raised by real parents

There is a residential high school/ school- to- work vocational training center in my town that does a pretty good job at giving its graduates not just academic schooling but the life skills many kids don't get at "home". To wit, they asked for volunteers to come in and work with youth, saying that ALL skills need to be taught, from cleaning floors to making beds to reading grocery labels because many of these kids were raised by sperm and/or egg donors and not parents in any meaningful sense of the word. So while the cert for using mass transit successfully is probably not useful to the youth in the story, there are many kids who would need to be taught this and other skills that most of us should be able to take for granted. It's a disheartening reality, but there it is.

And then there's the whole world of learning and physical disability.