Regarding this article over on Engadget…

I don’t understand what the big deal is here…so the government wants to snoop on communications using wireless devices, so they’re telling RIM to allow them to do it, or be barred from operating in India, on airwaves controlled by the government.

Not that I really care about Indian affairs, but this has to do with consumer ineptitude in general.

People need to get used to their government snooping on them and take matters into their own hands.  There’s a port of GPG for the Blackberry, use it.  Encrypt your own data if you want security; don’t leave it in the hands of someone else.

People are just told “oh, yeah, we use encryption, your data’s secure” without even asking from who their data is safe from snooping.

Get a clue, people.

I just updated Checklist Tree to version 1.2.  Here’s the changes:

• Requirements change. Now requires .NET Compact Framework 3.5
• Hardkeys do things. Left/right expands/collapses node. Up/Down scrolls through. Center button press selects/deselects.
• Last used file is stored in the registry and will open when the app starts up.
• About dialog with support links added.
• Versioning scheme changed to Major.Minor from DATE
• Context menu now has an option to copy the node contents to the clipboard
• HTML Changelog (this file)
• New icon

Go check it out in the software section.  Remember to uninstall any previous versions of the software before you install the new cab.

So lately, my phone has been crashing alot.  It was new since I got the Dutty 6.1 cooked ROM from xda-developers.

Short story, don’t use  the 1.64.08.21 radio ROM with Dutty’s 6.1 if you have North America service, it’s a UK radio ROM that probably doesn’t work right here for whatever reason.  Maybe it’s the network, maybe it’s the Tilt.  Who knows.

The latest (most recent) radio ROM I know works is 1.64.06.04.  It’s a World Wide English (WWE) ROM.  Use that one.

Summary:

Tilt + ATT Wireless +  Dutty’s Official 6.1 + 1.64.08.21 = BAD.

Tilt + ATT Wireless +  Dutty’s Official 6.1 + 1.64.06.04 = GOOD.

So I just noticed the new guy (who shares the name of a certain Captain of the USS Enterprise) has a Starfleet mug on his desk.

I no longer feel bad for ripping on him with my bad imitative rendition of “Rocket Man.”

So Sayeth Google.

It’s official.  My office has now become Dilbert.

Just saw this over on consumerist:

http://consumerist.com/366674/cnet-says-cheap-hdmi-cables-just-as-good-as-pricey-ones

Basically, the $4 HDMI 1.3 cables I’ve been getting at Monoprice.com are just as good as the $100 Monster cables from Best Buy.

I just (well, not just now, but a little while ago) picked up the Xbox 360 Elite I ordered online this morning at Circuit City on Broadway.  The item was in stock, and ready for me to pick up.  All in all, I spent less time in the store than if I had went in and bought it.  An overall excellent experience.  Best Buy should use Circuit City as an example, where if their site shows product in stock, it actually is, in stock.

Plus I get 4x points from MyPoints for buying online. ^_^

Haha…get your mind out of the gutter.

So I’m sitting here blogging from my laptop because they decided at work that our cubicles need to be moved 10 inches because while OSHA requires 36 inches of walkway, we have 46, and that 10 inches could possibly go to another cubicle row.

Wow.

Why do people insist upon rendering niceties upon the unworthy, useless scraps of society?  I’m referring to bums.  Vagrants.  Hobos.  Indigents.  Street people.  Homeless.  Societus Derelictus.

So I’m on my way to the Subway across the street from my office.  I have a ragged, black bum walk up to me, getting in my way, and begging for money, in this raspy, barely coherent voice that just squeaks from years of persistent drug abuse.   I give him my usual “fuck off, you don’t need any more drugs” look and he walks away, probably swearing under his breath, who cares…useless people.

I go into the Subway and get in line.  In front of me is a couple of average looking people, and a nicely put together (read: well dressed, professional) black woman.  All of the sudden, this also, well put-together black man who is clearly with the aforementioned woman walks in with this bum with him.  He proceeds to buy this foul-smelling human trash a footlong sub (and when asked if the man paying wanted to make the bum’s order a meal, the bum interjected vehemently to the affirmative) and a drink, and walk outside and send the bum on his way.

So now you’re thinking, “Tom, you asshole,  have you no heart? No compassion for your fellow man?”  Let’s look at this situation logically:

1. A simple sandwich is not going to miraculously transform this wreck into a useful member of society.  In fact, buying him a sandwich only demonstrates to him, that like the liberals of this country, someone will always take care of him because he chooses not to do so himself.
2. By wasting my time and the time of everyone behind me with this crap, you hurt the economy.  You tied up several productive members of society from conducting business.  Furthermore because I had to write this blog instead of working.
3. If your conscience is so stained that you feel a need to help people like this, you should probably just give him money.  Yeah, he’ll probably buy drugs or alcohol with it, but these are things he’s already addicted to anyway.   The grab is, that he’ll probably mug, murder, or otherwise accost someone to get his drug money.  Maybe he’ll rape his victims for funsies too.  So congratulations, you self-aggrandizing prick, you have a potential rape/murder on your conscience now.
4. It’s really much easier just to push him into traffic in the middle of the night.  We all know people street race on the Tucson streets at night.  Do him (and us) a favor by removing his wretched existence.

Next time you want to help a bum…ask yourself who you’re hurting in the process, and just tell him to get a fuckin’ job like everyone else.