On my way back from school, I saw a bumper sticker that said: "Don't hold strong opinions about things you don't understand"
In light of the recent Columbia tragedy, I think the general public, and especially the media need to read that bumper sticker. Saying "Space isn't safe" and "NASA screwed up" is irresponsible without weighing in all the facts. Of course, it's easier to just make a blanket judgement, and unfortunately that's the choice many people make.
Since I'm recieving a rather large tax return, I decided to splurge on a high-tech toy. Without a doubt, the Roomba is the coolest gadget available right now. It also has the distinct advantage of appearing to be useful (vaccuum). After forking over the $200 I brought it home and admired it. I had 12 hours to admire it because the first charge takes that long. I'd like to say I was excited enough to wake up exactly 12 hours later (4:00am) but instead waited till I was late for work to start playing with it. First, I made the room "Roomba Friendly" by blocking off loose wires, carpet tassles, and anything else that might jam up in the brushes. Then, I set it in the middle of the room, turned it on, and hit the SMALL button. I'm sure the manual says the approximate size each represents, but I guessed SMALL and let it rip. It starts out doing circles till it hits something, then crawls along that wall to the end. After that I think it uses such a complex algorithim that no human can understand it (random). Unfortunately I didn't have enough time to let it finish, but in 10 minutes it had covered at least 90% of the carpet. I picked it up by the handle (to which it let out an unsatisfied tune) and turned it off. The dirt bin had all kinds of debris (mostly cat hair) and the carpet looked much better, so it definately does it's job as a vaccuum. I was entertained enough to be half an hour late for work, so it also meets the entertainment quota. All in all, $200 well spent.
I created the AutoSurvey for my work, but thought it was such a good idea I'd use it at home as well. So far, Internet Menace and I have created the Myroneware Satisfaction Survey and the Cartoon Survey. Feel free to create your own. The application walks you through the process.
Lastnight we had a blast at cosmic bowling. The first few photos are ones I already had on the camera, but seem to fit in well anyways.
My fears that the media would start claiming "space is unsafe" have so far not become reality. They are instead questioning the vision of NASA, agreeing with the president that NASA must continue to exist and explore. Since the media operates on profits from unfounded speculation, I'm thankful they targeted NASA's vision instead of their integrity. Unfortunately NASA's budget does not allow for the grand vision it once had of landing humans on mars. The ISS was barely given enough funding to be completed and even that was underestimated to get it past congress. I see people becoming aware of their space program, and hopefully this will lead to more funding. It is unfortunate that a disaster like this had to happen to get the spotlight on NASA, but now that it is I hope the end result is positive, and results in more funding.
The RIAA claims to protect recording artists from the evils of MP3 file sharing. Anyone who loves an artist will purchase a CD or go to a concert, so the artists are not suffering as much as the RIAA claims. In reality, the RIAA is protecting profits by attempting to squash all other means of music distribution it cannot control. The latest round involves attempting a blanket charge on all ISP's. Amazingly they are actively promoting this. This surpasses their previous attempt to force major ISP's to censor a chinese site that had MP3's for download. (Their website claimed they "asked for help" which is RIAA speak for threatening a lawsuit against them if they did not comply.) Fortunately, my hatred for the organization is shared by those more technically capable than myself. The site is frequently hacked. Ironically, the RIAA claims these hacks threaten the RIAA's right to free speech. How convienient to say that after you tried to censor a website from all ISP's. It's obvious the RIAA has no clue about technology, and are bumbling around like an upset infant. They have an untold number of lawyers trying to pass all kinds of laws to prevent profit drain, just now realizing the laws have no effect. As a result, they are considering more drastic measures. Assuming this techno-saavy organization actually manages to pull it off, there is already one ISP that plans to prevent it. Hopefully, this signals a change in public opinion in regards to the RIAA. I just hope I live long enough to see them run out of money (projected date: 2067).
At approximately 12:50pm, upon learning I had not shoveled my driveway after the recent snow, InternetMenace made a direct threat. He said if I did not shovel my driveway in 5 minutes "something bad would happen." As can be seen from the webcam, at 12:55pm my already depressed snowman finally had his life ended. I've confirmed the beheading was indeed the terrible act promised by InternetMenace. Now, with a proven threat track record, he has claimed more "accidents" will happen unless I move to Florida and become a Latin Pop Sensation. I can't bear another loss as great as my snowman, so I must comply. Wish me luck with my future career. If you see my album, please buy it so I can become an official "sensation." My life and loved ones depend on it.
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