The Evil Eyebrow

Category: Opinion

  • Comcast Does not Like Us

    If it did, it would make our web browsing experience more usable, not less.

    For example, if you’re a corporation looking to steal browsing by unethically redirecting traffic to your own search page, you might use your monopoly of the cable network to force people to do so. Perhaps, for example, when they mistype a URL in the address bar.

    “Not so!” you exclaim. “Surely Comcast wouldn’t do such an annoying thing?”

    Alas, they are. Comcast is participating in DNS hijacking. Read about it here.

    I’ve found a way around it, though. The problem arises when you mistype a URL, not when you mistype key words. Those key words still get processed by your search provider of choice, in my case Google. However, if instead of typing “Best Blog EVAH” into your address bar, you type “eveileyebrow.com” (note the misspelling) you’ll get shoved to a Comcast Search engine (powered by Yahoo!) instead of Google.

    You can instead type in “eveileyebrow com” (note the lack of a “.” in the address) and google will handily sent you to the blog, or to the google search engine if it can’t find it. No Comcastic crap to worry about.

    For the record, this is a hack and not a solution. Typing in a long URL with spaces instead of dots will just get you to a search page rather than your actual URL

    I am not a fan of the Comcast right now. As evidenced by my twitter posting of a few minutes ago. When I’m dropping F-bombs on line, you know I really mean it.

  • To Mac or not To Mac

    Mac Book Pro
    I am going to buy a portable computing device. Yes, I know, I just bought an Evo 4G which definitely qualifies, but I have some additional specifications that are required.

    1. Must sync with my M-Audio Fast Track Pro (for voice recording, i.e. Podcasting)
    2. Must be able to run Idimager better than my current desktop (which I purchased in 2005)
    3. Must not screw up my life with respect to my workflow

    Item number one is fairly simple. Pretty much any computer nowadays will fit the bill, it just has to have enough oomph to be able to record without too much latency. I ran a test with my friend David Tyberg’s Asus EEE netbook and it seemed to work well. I also ran it on a Macbook Pro (belonging to yet another member of The Extraordinary Contraptions, The best Steampunk Rock Band in this or any other universe!) and that worked just fine as well.

    Before all you insane audiophiles get up in a dander, yes I realize there will be a quality difference between running Qubase on a Macbook vs. Audacity on a netbook, but it generally won’t matter until I start putting in a sound-deadened room with excellent quality compression mics and better pre-amps than the M-audio has.

    Item two is actually more of a general statement about Windows-based programs. I cannot survive without MS Office. I need it for my job and have developed an expertise level with it that I would be stupid to abandon. Likewise I have utilities such as Idimager that only run in a Windows environment and I’m not interested in finding their Mac-based replacements (although I just discovered that MS Money, which has all of my financial information since 1993, has been discontinued and I better get a copy of Quicken anyhow).

    Item three is the big one. I am not a Mac user. I have limited knowledge of how Macs function. I’ve been a Dos-then-windows user since 1985 when we got our first PC. I know an awful lot about the windows environment and I have a lot of stuff around here that was purchased for windows-based computers. I’m frightened that if I jump to the Mac, I’ll have some serious growing pains with trying to get everything talking to each other (if it will at all).

    So, what do you think? Should I pay the extra and go with the smaller form factor, nicer feeling track pad, more reliable environment and sexier-in-general computer, or should I stick with a Windows-based laptop of one sort or another.

  • Sans Serif Can Be Evil

    Headline: 'Senator Byrd is Ill' in a sans-serif typeface

    This was the top posting on FiveThirtyEight this morning. I stared at it for a good ten seconds before going to the text and realizing that the posting was talking about Byrd’s sickness, not the fact that he was a Third. Sans-Serifs can be such a pain.

    This is something I go into with new recruits around work. We do a lot of numbers and letters in our reports; capital “I”s and the numeral “1” and lowercase “L”s can get themselves discombobulated. I always insist that people use serif typefaces for body text of reports I’m working. Likewise, I also insist that when we’re labeling things alphabetically, we never use the letters “I” or “O”, just to avoid confusion. Yes, my appendices go from H to J without passing go.

  • Meetings as Sabotage

    Bruce Schneier linked to a declassified sabotage manual from WWII (pdf). It’s an easy quick read if you’re interested.

    It contains a lot of general ideas of how to be a pain in the ass to an occupying power. It mainly advocates low-level irritation and minor sabotage that, if combined with the actions of other people, would make a drain on the enemie’s war-fighting effort.

    However, I was struck by this passage (page 32 of the linked pdf). For context, the person being instructed would be an employee that wishes to resist an occupying invader. Here’s how to subtract value from an organization:

    (11) General Interference with Organisations and Production
    (a) Organizations and Conferences
    (1) Insist on doing everything through “channels.” Never permit short-cuts to be taken in order to expedite decisions.
    (2) Make “speeches.” Talk as frequently as possible and at great length. Illustrate your “points” by long anecdotes and accounts of personal experiences. Never hesitate to make a few appropriate “patriotic” comments.
    (3) When possible, refer all matters to committees, for “further study and consideration.” Attempt to make the committees as large as possible — never less than five.
    (4) Bring up irrelevant issues as frequently as possible.
    (5) Haggle over precise wordings of communications, minutes, resolutions.
    (6) Refer back to matters decided upon at the last meeting and attempt to re-open the question of the advisability of that decision.
    (7) Advocate “caution.” Be “reasonable” and urge your fellow-conferees to be “reasonable” and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on.
    (8) Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon.

    I don’t know about you, but that describes quite accurately some weeks I’ve had at work.

    I think there is an opportunity here for a teachable moment. The next time we’re discussing how to make meetings and the job more efficient, I should whip this out.

  • More Noise and Smoke from the GOP

    You know what I hate? What I really really hate?

    I hate sounding like I’m a mouthpiece for the Democratic party. Unfortunately I can’t let stand certain things, like when Conservative mouthpieces just plain make stuff up.

    Did you know that the Democrats are planning to steal your 401(k) funds? I didn’t either. Until yesterday.

    From the IBD:

    Hair says a “backdoor bull’s-eye is on your 401(k) plan and trillions of dollars the government would control through seizure, regulation and federal disbursement of mandatory retirement accounts.”

    Leaving aside for the moment whether it would be possible for a Democratically controlled congress and presidency to pass legislation to this effect, let me point out to you where they’re getting the dire news of a jackbooted seizure of your retirement savings. Again from the article:

    In January, Bloomberg reported the “U.S. Treasury and Labor Departments will ask for public comment as soon as next week on ways to promote the conversion of 401(k) savings and individual retirement accounts into annuities or other steady payment streams, according to Assistant Labor Secretary Phyllis C. Borzi and Deputy Assistant Treasury Secretary Mark Iwry.”

    Ok. That doesn’t sound quite so dire, but let’s go check the source. From Bloomberg (January 8, 2010):

    The Obama administration is weighing how the government can encourage workers to turn their savings into guaranteed income streams following a collapse in retiree accounts when the stock market plunged.

    …

    “The question is how to encourage it, and whether the government can and should be helpful in that regard,” Iwry said.

    I pulled out what I thought were the most relevant items but don’t believe me, go read the source for yourself!

    What we have then is thus:

    • A admininstration stating five months ago that they’re seeking ways to encourage people to opt for more stable income post-retirement, with no real details or plan.
    • A conservative editorial which cites itself (read the source!) shouting about how the sky is falling and the liberals are coming to take your money without any independent reporting or confirmation.

    I don’t object to rhetoric; I object to blatant obfuscation to score political points.

    The GOP has no direction or real ideology right now therefore they’re creating problems and strawmen that they can view with alarm and hope to carry some momentum into the midterms. It’s kind of sad, actually. I miss the GOP of the late 80’s and early 90’s.

  • Maine GOP Jumps the Shark

    The Maine Republican party has voted in a new platform filled with buzzwords, diatribe and just plain craziness.

    Usually, I don’t care too much about other state’s political doings, but my in-laws mostly live in Maine and it’s sad to me when one of a state’s two major (and very important) political parties gets hijacked by right-wing nutjobs.

    If you think I’m being harsh, I invite you to go read the platform. I had to dig around to find the document, but I’m pretty sure this is the real deal.

    Some criticisms:

    • Whoever drafted this has never seriously studied the history of US politics or political discourse. Either that or they’re flat out misrepresenting themselves (that’s politician speak for “lying”).
    • The drafter(s) also need to have their bag of air-quotes revoked. There are way to many terms with “quotes” around them.
    • I call attention to this item:

      • II. To Establish Justice:
      a. Restore “Constitutional law” as the basis for the Judiciary.
      b. Reassert the principle that “Freedom of Religion” does not mean “freedom from religion”. [emphasis added]

      I’m very curious why they felt the need to place this religious call out under a Justice heading? Oh, right, because there’s nowhere else to put it, the U.S. constitution specifically divorcing government from religion. Silly me. I suppose you could put it under a heading titled “We made this up because we’re scared of non-christian people” but that doesn’t have the same ring of fear that “Justice” does.

    • My final criticism is to the actual republicans in Maine. Shame on you for allowing the Tea Party wackos steal your party. This is not what the Republican party stands for. Or at least, it’s not what it should be standing for. I’m sure you all found it great when the Tea Party was a fringe element drawing fire away from your amorphous appeal to a past time, but now they’re coming front and center. If you ever want to win a national election again, I suggest you shoot your own dog, like a real party.

  • Youtube Favorites of Recent Vintage

    Molly Lewis does Lady Gaga. I find this video fun to watch for several reasons, one of which is that Molly Lewis has one of those faces that lights up when there’s a smile on it. See for yourself.

    Time Machines and Paradoxes (and Humor). I love it.

    Multi-part, overdubbed personal music recording (with excellent production quality). I really like this genre of DIY music.

    Speaking of Multi-Track recording:

    …and of course, make sure you check out his ode to the Penis.

    That’s all I have for now. There were a few others I can think of, but I can’t find them. Silly me. Need to use those Delicious bookmarks better.

  • These People are Insane…

    …and are trying to kill you through lack of sleep

    You may recall my recent post about Unclutterer and the person who was advocating less sleep to get more done.

    Well, they’re at it again. I say to Unclutterer, by posting something like this on your blog, you’re tacitly approving of a practice that undermines the health of the people involved. Stop it.

    I call your attention to #1 of the linked list:

    1. Oversleeping. Waking up just 10 minutes late has the ability to throw your entire day off schedule. Use a timer for a week and determine how long it actually takes you to get ready in the morning, commute to your office, and start working on valuable action items. Are you waking up early enough to get everything done?

    The only way I would approve of this item is if it said “Waking up just 10 minutes late, after already receiving your required minimum amount of sleep, has the ability to throw your entire day off schedule.”

    That and anyone who can’t incorporate a 10 minute snooze into their daily schedule without dire consequence needs to cut back on what they’re doing. If 10 minutes of unplanned time ruins your day, you need another plan.

  • 2010 Hugo Nominations

    The 2010 Hugo Nominations are out and I haven’t read a single one of them. Nada. Zilch.

    This is surprising to me. Not that I’m a grand peruser of all that is scif/fantasy, but usually I manage to read something that hits the list, if only by accident. Last year I got three of the novels under my belt without even trying. China Miéville’s The City & The City is in the house, but I haven’t read it yet. Jenn is currently talking on that chore.

    I was a tiny bit surprised that Steven King’s Under the Dome didn’t get a best novel nomination. Only a tiny bit, though, because while I suppose it could be considered scifi (or fantasy, depending), it may not have been very good. I only got through the first four chapters before it lost me.

    So I guess I have books and stories to go find or buy. Five months until the actual awards come out.

  • Observation on Ebay

    New Lens

    I find it fascinating when something can be bought new for less than what the reserve price is on ebay. Weird.