News You Can Bruise for 2002 August 9

Fri Aug 09 2002 06:47: Am I so out of touch with the people that I find it strange that befuddled indifference is the attitude toward GPS of the populace at large? Or is it merely an impression conveyed by the author, so fascinated by GPS that anything less than obsession is seen as wanting? Of course, this is Australia we're talking about, so some national stereotype may come into play. (Joe? How do the Ozzies feel about GPS?)

Fri Aug 09 2002 09:58: Back from the dentist. I was worried about my teeth (this dentist visit was a referendum on my post-braces dental hygiene habits), but they're fine. It helps that I spend all night, every night* cleaning my teeth.

* A slight exaggeration

Fri Aug 09 2002 10:25: Ruben Bolling shamelessly attempts to cash in on Tonight's Episode in "A Death Most Fatal".

Fri Aug 09 2002 12:45: Motto for Perl AI network agent of the future: "The friend you extend".

Fri Aug 09 2002 12:54: Among the most persistent spammers from whom I recieve spam is some organization that likes to put on parties at a club. It may be from the club itself. Their spams have two glaring flaws:

• They give the address of the club, but they don't say which city or state it's in! Is that not important? Is the club a chain with an outlet on the same street in every city in the English-speaking world? Ed, on the basis of this, says that the club is in New York City, because New Yorkers assume that theirs is the only city in an otherwise rural, unpaved, club-bereft world.

• The people who are going to be at this club are the people who received the spam and thought "Oh, what a great idea. I'll go to this disturbingly-themed trance disco night at this club that just sent me spam." Who would want to hang out with these people? It's as though responding to herbal Viagra spam required that you actually meet all the other people stupid or desperate enough to buy herbal Viagra. It kills any possible interest you might have had in the idea, even as a joke.

Fri Aug 09 2002 18:56: I think my life will become complete the day Salon uses the phrase "his rock 'n' roll jihad" in an article teaser.

Fri Aug 09 2002 21:20: Interested in assembling a survival kit? (always a good idea) You'll have to go to page 2 of the Google search results, because the first page is entirely composed of metaphorical "survival kits" containing only information, like the HTML Survival Kit and the Tax Season Survival Kit. However, here's a big list (known affectionately as "The Big List") of instructions for actual survival kits from various sources.

Fri Aug 09 2002 21:38: Sumana, watching an elaborate Twix commercial: "I remember when the appeal of Twix was just that you got two candy bars."

Fri Aug 09 2002 22:24: Possibly the two funniest Boxjam's Doodles ever: 1 2. I love the way the artist does storylines.

Fri Aug 09 2002 22:25: I fear that Seth has been kidnapped by DEF CON crax0rs, who are compelling him to put rootkits into the new BBCs. They can do this because they compelled him to answer a question truthfully and they asked him "Will you answer this question 'no' and refuse to stay with us to put rootkits into the new BBCs?"