It was recently brought to my attention that Iowa is increasing its max speed limit to 70 mph, effective 01 July 2005. It's about damn time. I can only hope that Illinois will follow suit...
I just had to let everyone know how happy I am that Iowa finally dropped its 65-mph ridiculousness. Omaha folks: The next time I'll see you is now 15 minutes closer. :)
Is there something I don't know about the month of May? I have two personal credit cards, and both of them bumped my credit limit by ~25% in the last couple weeks. I'm not complaining*, but something seems a little fishy.
Are they trying to coax me out of my post-Christmas cheap phase**? Are they that eager to pay for our plastic money infrastructure while I give them exactly $0 for their efforts? Hell, my Citi card pays me. Do they make a significant amount from selling my name to third party "marketing partners"? Enough to take on the extra cost (of a higher credit limit) in order to retain me as a cardholder?
Moral of the story: The credit industry makes no sense to me, but at least this time it makes no sense in my favor.
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*Actually, I might complain a little. I really wish I could transfer the (higher) limit on my old card to my new one, which has cash-back benefits.
**Me? A cheap "phase"? Ha!
I've had my car for almost a year now, so I figured it's time to start modding.
My first improvement is a Joe Z intake. It's the grassroots favorite IS3 mod, and a no-brainer for anybody that wants improved performance while maintaining much of the stock look and sound. Click the pics below for larger versions.
This, by the way, is the reason I needed those tools from Sears.
On 06 May 2005, we Americans won a significant battle (link) in the fight to reestablish our fair use rights for copyrighted media.
Hollywood (and others) had coerced the FCC into restricting what consumers can do with the digital video signals we receive, via a device called the "broadcast flag" (more information here). Do you want to record a show and then burn it to DVD to play in your car's entertainment system? You won't be able to with the broadcast flag.
Even with this victory, the fight is not over. The MPAA lost the case on the basis that the FCC had overstepped its bounds, not on the fact that the broadcast flag is inherently illegal (see the oft-cited "Betamax case", Sony v. Universal Studios). Their next goal is to get Congress to extend the FCC's jurisdiction.
Visit the Electronic Frontier Foundation's website ("EFF" under Nerd Links) for more information on this and other issues that affect your rights in the 21st century. Make sure we keep this one in the "W" column: support the EFF and/or write your congressmen.
I've always felt that Sears is a Man Store. Sears is where you go to buy such masculine devices as lawnmowers, grills, power tools, and car batteries. For that very reason, I recently went to Sears to buy a socket wrench set (click for larger version).
The Sears I chose is attached to a mall, so it has two floors. I walked into the store from the parking lot, which was at the upper level. To my surprise, I was immediately surrounded by tiny, pastel shirts. Little girls' clothes? My shock only grew as I scoped out the rest of the floor: clothes as far as the eye could see, with some jewelry sprinkled in for good measure. Surely, I thought, the real Sears is downstairs.
Wrong. After a quick trip down the escalator my senses were assaulted by more blasphemy, this time in the form of bedding and other Woman Crap. It was only after a solid minute or two of walking around and peeking around corners that I found the Man Store I had come for.
It's true that I was able to escape unscathed (with my new Man Toys, no less), but at what cost? What's next? Ballroom dancing in the Olympics? Justin Timberlake performing at the Super Bowl? ...Aww, f[bleeep]...
After you've finished/accomplished/beaten something you're really proud of, have you then realized that it's a pretty ordinary thing you just conquered? I don't know whether I should (a) feel warm 'n' fuzzy about what I've done or (b) feel like a moron for thinking it was hard enough that I should celebrate its completion.
Is it okay/justified/good to be proud of something that's not unique or rare?
Is success relative or absolute? Is a relative success more motivational or less so than an absolute success?
Vague, yes, but it's a big theme in both my personal and my professional lives right now.
(Link-O-Rama)
Can you help this family across the river?
Pay attention now, here comes the science.
Only the parents and the policeman can operate the raft. Only two people can use the raft at any one time. The policeman has to look after the criminal, who can't be left unattended with the family. The parents tend to get violent with the kids (oh those crazy Taiwanese, they really are the living end), so the mother can't be left in the presence of her sons without the father being there and the father can't be left in the presence of his daughters without the mother being there. You move the family members by clicking on them and you move the raft by clicking the handles on each shore.
After you open the link, click the big blue circle on the right to start the game.
Thanks to Sean for the link and description.
