In a story that seems fitting for Valentine’s Day tomorrow, I have a web page to share, courtesy of MSN: Barbie and Ken Split. Even worse than the story it reports – that Barbie is now sporting a more JLo-friendly image, plans to hook up with Blaine-the-Aussie, and that Ken is moving on to greener pastures – is the fact that this story has been made into a story in the first place. In fact, I only saw it because it was listed on MSN’s home page as a “story to be noticed”.
Continue reading Barbie versus Ken
Category Archives: Rant
No More, Please No More Damned PowerPoint!
Rare statement warning (and I’ll deny it if anyone ever quotes it back to me) but I have to say it: I have a bit of respect for marketing people that are forced to rely on slides for their livelihood. It’s not PowerPoint’s fault because I’ve got nothing against the application. I’m just so sick to death of making slides at the moment that I never want to see one again – trust me, I would even hate Keynote by now. And if one more piece of text randomly tries to FlyIn at me, without my telling it to, I’m tossing the ThinkPad into Starbucks’ sink.
Continue reading No More, Please No More Damned PowerPoint!
Atkins Friendly Blog
OK, so finally people have begun to realize that carbohydrates are key to adding fat to their bodies. Every where I look these days I see “carb-blocker” pills and “Atkins Diet Friendly” menus and wonder where the hell has everyone been for the last ten years?! This “carbs-are-evil” mantra that everyone is chanting is not a new idea – I just wonder how they sold the mass populous on it lately because I’d love to corrupt that marketing machine and use it for my own nefarious efforts.
Continue reading Atkins Friendly Blog
Congratulations to…
Congratulations to Papa Steve and Mum Liz and Tyler Jacob! Both parents and bambino neonato are doing well, although rather tired after their delivery experience… anyone else see a software development parallel? Seeing it myself, it might be an indication that I may need more down time in my life. And Tyler, you best not be reading this here site for at least another 17 years from now… well at maybe if you had permission from both your parents and we both know they’re too smart to give it to you, so seeya in a couple of decades. [too many Randy-isms can be very dangerous to the young, after all]
Offensive? Hardly
Here I am at my local Starbucks – shocking, I know – working on some class slides, when I noticed the woman mother sitting next to me breast feeding her baby. You’d think this would draw a comment from me, wouldn’t you?
Continue reading Offensive? Hardly
And I Ask: What DID You Expect?
NeoWin: Seventeen year-old Mike Rowe thought it would funny to add soft to the end of name and register the domain, Microsoft, however, is not amused. It has demanded that he give up his domain name. In November, Rowe received a letter from Microsoft’s Canadian lawyers informing him he was committing copyright infringement.
“I didn’t think they would get all their high-priced lawyers to come after me,” Rowe said.
Continue reading And I Ask: What DID You Expect?
Happy Starbucks Moment!
Had a pretty happy moment during tonight’s visit to Starbucks – I didn’t have to make a decision. I usually end up getting something different each time that I’m in there – which drives the Baristas nuts because I don’t have a “regular” drink like most regulars do – and that usually involves a bit of thought. Tonight, however, I was introduced to something new and entirely custom: an Almond White Mocha.
Continue reading Happy Starbucks Moment!
Have People Stopped Reading on eBay?
If ever there was a need for a study! I recently put a notebook up for sale on eBay. I bought it in March and needed some more power and less heat, so I upgraded. Now I wanted to sell it. I’ve sold lots of other stuff on eBay before, but it’s only recently that I’ve become convinced that most people have entirely stopped reading the listings of items…
Continue reading Have People Stopped Reading on eBay?
Spam Insight
Ever since I switched to Outlook 2003 I’ve benefitted from a 90% drop in Spam. At least 90%. Might be more but I’m unwilling to do the math. What I do know is that the Junk Mail filter has done a great job with cutting out the stuffs – and I’m not even as bothered by Spam as most people seem to be. True, I do get over 400 messages across a dozen mailboxes that are Spammish in nature each day, but I’d rather get virtual types of ads than getting a dozen phone calls or real junk mail. The funny thing is the Spam that does get through the filter:
Continue reading Spam Insight
Jet-ah?
Jeter traded to the Red Sox for Kevin Millar and five minor leaguers? That’s what I drove into work today listening to i-95. Ah, the joys of radio.
Continue reading Jet-ah?
Priceless
Gas uesd to get to to Mike’s Deli: $1.50.
Chicken cutlet sandwich with cheese: $6.15.
20oz bottle of Diet Coke: $1.25.
Waiting in line long enough to see that the New York Post has refered to Britney Spears as a “Pop Tart”: priceless.
Site Feedback
I don’t often share the email that I get from readers from my site, if only because I don’t get much in my mailbox. I get a lot of comments (as you all can see) but it’s seldom that there’s anything non-business related in the Inbox – seldom does not mean never. Below is an email that I got from one particular reader that calls herself “Sista_Respect”. I thought I’d share it with you all because a) my response is ever bit a potential post here on it’s own but b) she has yet to answer my reply, which has pissed me off, so I’ll out her publicly.
Continue reading Site Feedback
Best Michael Jackson Commentary (To Date)
Classic – from JimFormation: “That girl’s ugly,” said my six-year-old son as he looked up from his handheld video game and saw Ed Bradley interviewing Michael Jackson.
Ouch.
I can empathize with Rory on his Christmas Eve of 1999. Not from a bad Christmas Eve point of view – and I’ve never been to France – but in the “universe is out to get me” and “God has a sense of humour because he put me on this planet” sort of way. [Still locked out – 67 minutes and counting – if no one shows by 9:30, I’m going back home!]
A Late Christmas Gift
An unforeseen Christmas gift was dropped in my lap today and I’m absolutely giddy about it: I didn’t come out of a sixth gear the entire length of my commute on i-95 this morning! You have to understand – a good commute most mornings is one where I don’t have to shift back into first and it takes less than an hour to get to work. To get to work in under a half an hour, not hit any lights, nor traffic, and stay in sixth is a divine act – most people too the week off, I’m guessing but this is divine enough for me. Of course, I got to the office before everyone else (so I can’t get in) and I forgot to turn my PC at home on this morning (so I won’t have access to most of my email all day) but I’m still basking in the post-commute euphoric glow. (And it also proves that I’m correct: remove every third driver on the road and there will be less problems every morning!)