November 2003

  • Shopping Time Again

    I'm sorry, but I don't get it. Every year, on the day after Thanksgiving, millions of people head to the mall. That's right, the mall. Why in the world is this our tradition? As if the mall weren't bad enough, you've got millions of other people there for…

  • Can SprintPCS Read?

    I went over to the SprintPCS website the other day, to find that there are a number of rebates that they offer. In the text of at least one of those rebates, you’ll find this wording: “Customers purchasing a phone without a PCS Free & Clear Plan with…

  • Modifying MT Search

    As I mentioned yesterday, I recently managed to hack the Movable Type search module in order to provide Last-Modified dates on my search results. This is useful, as it may help save in bandwidth costs. Instead of having a Last-Modified date of whenever the search was run, the…

  • Caveat Emptor?

    In this latest example of waste, we see the government spending $7-9 million to replace sand on a beach. Why? Among other reasons, so people like B.J. Fersner can continue to own their beachfront property. Where is the logic in that? Listen, I don't fault people like Ms….

  • How Is Your Driving?

    Last night on my way home I found myself behind a truck that had one of those stickers on it. You know the kind – it asks you how they are driving, has a serial number of some sort and gives you a phone number to call and…

  • Over and Over and Over

    Seems like there are times when I get on these projects that never end. It wouldn't be so bad if there were at least some progress now and again. Luckily I have Dilbert to comfort me: My project has no progress and no hope for progress. Appeared in…

  • Will We Ever Learn?

    For more than two years, I've felt that any small coalition of people, be it two or twenty, can wreak havoc if they are willing to die for their cause. It used to be that hijacking meant robbery. The culprits wanted something in return for setting the plane…

  • I Hate Rebates

    I refuse to shop at at least one popular computer retailer who would not honor their rebate. Even worse, they didn't mention this until about the fifth time I visited the store to attempt to get my promised rebate. This was even with proof of purchase and proof…

  • Quills

    Last night, we visited the Off Tryon Theatre Company for their production of Quills. I actually enjoyed this stage production much better than the 2000 movie of the same name. Unlike the innerVoices production of Rocky Horror that we attended a couple of weeks ago, this production was…

  • The Art of War

    The Way means inducing the people to have the same aim as leadership, so that they will share death and share life, without fear of danger. Last night on NPR, I heard an editorial piece about the use of designer steroids. Specifically, how the Olympics have spent $25…