The Greedlist lives again! And you can sign up (Those who have existing lists on the old system, you'll need to sign up and re-enter your list. Sorry. but it's better!!! I promise!) The Greedlist.
(click the More link below for additional info)

Un-related, but I feel ike noting, one of the neatest kung-fu flicks I've seen is on. I'm not really a fan of the genre, but the cinematography is really 'cool. It's called 'Nowhere to Hide' or ''. IMDb is here. If it hadn't come out about the same time, I'd have sworn the Wachowski brothers had it in mind when shooting the first Matrix. Shows definite Woo influence, though.

What the greedlist offers:
.Sign up, get an actuvate code, activate, log in (previous users will need to sign up and enter their lists afresh. Sorry. Too much work for me, y'all. It only took me a few minutes to do. It's not painful.)
.You have 25 slots with title, description (no html, get over it) and url.
.You can choose whether you have the ability to look up (in view mode only) who claimed something (it shows in a popup if you click ).
.You can un-claim items when in edit mode (whether you have "see who" on or not).
.You can send users to your list without any funky ass URLs
.Anyone can claim an item on your list, but they must supply their e-mail address. No more robots clicking through and claiming all your items. :)
.When you are logged in, your email is filled in automatically when claiming items for others.
.People will be able to look up what they've claimed (soon... not done yet)
.Your session stays logged in until you close your browser.
.The Greedlist Mk 2 uses a real database, not flat files.
.All you need to know to view a list is a username or email address.
.Monkeys are funny.

I got a mostly working Greedlist online. It's not the final product and can't accept any new accounts right now, but Teq and I are using it and it seems to be OK so far. I still have a bit more work to do on it (It's my weekend project. I've been playing with it in one form or another for ages. Yes, I program to relax from programming. heh ).
Anywhoey, you can take a look at my list or Teq's list in the meantime.

...there are a lot more dead Iraqi citizens, a fair bit of Keystone cops peace-keeping, another 'evildoer' who may or may not be dead and a lot of fat western contracts to rebuild shit we destroyed. And so, in my mind, the CIA re-review of evidence comes as no more a surprise than any of the other examples of Bush getting exactly what he wants with disregard of consequence and advice. I'm expecting merely a bit of double-talk-blame from the CIA or an "Oops, we could have done better. Maybe next time. We fired a couple of people in token response." So far my record is pretty damned good on this... We'll see.

Oh and expect Bush to 'get tough' and tell people to stop bickering and 'pointing fingers' [at him -- he may also use 'laying blame'] and get down to the 'serious business' of rebuilding Iraq now now now. Look! We're even lifting the sanctions [on a country we basically run]. He may actually have true concern about this, especially with the recent 3 Stooges-like handling of the country post-war. "Oh crap... no police, no municipal infrastructure, whadda we do now? I know! We're soldiers, not cops, we'll just start shooting." Besides, Rumsfeld bascially said 'No way! we're pulling out very soon as planned. I don't know who would say otherwise and nothing's gonna change that'. Oh, but wait... maybe not. besides, we've done such a 'stellar' job so far, right? And then there's the ticking time bomb* that is Guantanamo Bay...

Now why do you think this is? Moral obligation? Fuck no. Puh-leaze. Money and oil**. Same as it ever was. Otherwise, do you think Bush would be risking trial under international law? What, you say? PM Blair was recently advised on this by his attorney general and it got leaked. Basically the occupying nations (US & UK), under international laws, are not allowed to undertake any "wide-ranging reforms of governmental and administrative structures", any alterations in the status of public officials or judges except in exceptional cases, changes to the penal laws, and the imposition of major structural economic reforms." You do the math. They currently have authority from the UN to disarm. That's about it. Everything else is a political tightwire over a pool of war crime lawyers. But he's, as predicted, set an example for others that this sort of thing is A-OK.

And it seems the White House has silently admitted its intentions and 'slight misleadings'. The Weapons of Mass Destruction line began it ('we gotta strike not because of WMD'), but evidence suggests there was no evidence (other than a 'this might conceivably have been used for...but we don't know....'). Then it shifted to 'Iraqi freedom' from oppression. Ahhh... the moral highground. Well, had we paid attention back in July, Donald Rumsfeld had our true answer. "The policy of the United States has been regime change for Iraq.... It has not been that for some other countries. And I guess life's just untidy.", his untidy-pissiness said. The "other countries" referred to the original question of 'why Iraq?' when other countries posed a clear and visible threat. So I think we're left with two basic desires; revenge and oil. Yippy-ki-yay, motherfucker. (I bet GW loves that movie).

In other "duh" news, Tommy Franks is 'pulling back the hammer' and leaving the US Army. Expect him to do a Schwarzkopf and be all over your morning bubbly-almost-news programs with a book. Why not? It's not like he's gonna see any of that fat re-construction money. And he may need it if that war crimes suit filed in Belgium goes ahead.

And to re-cap my mention of the whole Private Lynch debacle, the BBC has aired (with evidence, interviews, etc.) their report that there's more lie than truth to the whole 'rescue' story. Ms. Lynch was injured when her vehicle over-turned. She was treated for a broken arm, thigh and dislocated ankle by Iraqi doctors (counter to the wild shooting, stabbing, 'ignored by doctors' and 'fighting her attackers' claims). The Iraqi who supposedly saw her slapped by guard(s) might be a bit busy to verify his story any firther now that he's been given instant asylum, a fat fat defense lobbying firm job and a cool half mil to do a book. I know of prison stoolies who have more credibility. And the 'daring raid'? The hospital notified US forces and arranged to deliver Lynch to allied troops. The only gunfire was when the troops opened fire on the ambulance delivering her _with Lynch inside_. But the video! OK... read this carefully... the video _was STAGED by the Pentagon_ and shot by soldiers with night-vision cameras, not daring hi-tech reporters. Some soldiers filmed a hospital storming in full-on Rambo style and the Pentagon said it was the 'rescue'. Sadly the Made-For-TV Movie will soon go on to perpetuate the lie.

Note to Charlton Heston. "Chuck, the 'free' Iraqis could use one of your patented rallies and your 'cold dead hands' speech would go gangbusters."

I'm so defeated and disillusioned (not that I was particularly 'illusioned')...

* - One of my fave quotes: "What part of 'ticking time bomb' do you not understand?" (Selena Brewington to some boneheads)

** - Oh yeah. So I was saying before how, yes, Russia and France have monetary interests that have influenced their vote. And the short of it is/was that, once the US occupied Iraq, it was under no obligation to honour the previous regimes contracts and debts. Well, it looks like this has played out. It's being reported that Russia has 'sold' its council vote (for favour of the US resolution's passing) in exchange for agreements by the occupying US to honour those contracts and debts (but not until Dec. 2007). Yes, this probably falls under that 'illegal' bit above regarding international law. That's also probably why it was done so quietly.

Next they'll make fun of their clothes and religion.
Article at SMH

"US interrogators in Baghdad are using a mix of heavy metal songs and the Sesame Street theme tune to break Iraqi captives. American officials said subjecting prisoners to long sessions of the "culturally offensive" music encouraged them to talk. "

Apaprently this is OK. (???) I mean... they could be out on the street getting shot, I suppose. I think America's last moral leg just went out from under them. Who's running this war/post-war/occupation? A bunch of 16 year old boys with mullets and Motley Crue t-shirts?

Good stuff:
❤ New Strong Bad email. (Go Dumples!)
❤ Wil's book is shipping to Australia! (Go Wil!) I ordered my copy moments ago. (Thanks, Uncle Willy! Guess you didn't go to Vegas after all. heh)

Bad stuff:
❤ I can't sleep. (Go nobody!)

Other stuff:
❤ Gonna go see Matrix: Reloaded tomorrow.
❤ This is cool and very sweet.
❤ Whay are there so many fat Elvis impersonators? And was grammar an elective for this guy?
❤ I had a [site] visitor from Umatilla. Who was it? Really curious.

Johnnyk. This is for you. http://www.disturbingauctions.com/view.php?item=23

And now...
A picture of a monkey.

(Source: The Onion)

(Sorry about the double trackbacks, Unca Willy. My bad.)

While disucussing my outrage at the Bush administration's actions against Iraq, I've been confronted with the question "are we just supposed to sit by and let Saddam kill his own people?" and others along the line that the US had to step in because it was morally or politically obligated.

My challenge to this idea is this; These assertions rely on the idea that a US occupation will be more just for Iraqis. Let's go so far as to say "completely just" considering how Bush has put forth his moral foot on TV (I have personal feelings on where that foot will end up). That the US will do 'right'. Bush kept telling his constituents and the Iraqis that he was bringing peace, democracy and freedom to Iraq. Well, here's my brief report card on the freedom that the US is doling out as opposed to the former regime.

Saddam killed his own people to instill fear and loyalty:
The US military occupying Iraq is about to be given the authority to shoot looters on sight. No questions asked. On sight. In the US you have the right to a trial. In Iraq, you are judged and executed by a soldier 'on sight'.
According to a US official privvy to the briefing on this, "They are going to start shooting a few looters so that the word gets around".
Previously they only shot, on sight, unruly protesters or crowds of excited civilians (Mosul, April death toll varies from 10 to 30+. 100s were injured).

Irqis were not free to protest/assemble and Saddam ruled as a dictator:
US forces apparently do not feel free speech is a freedom the Iraqis ought to have. According to the Wall Street Journal. "The U.S. Army issued orders for troops to seize this city's only television station, leading an officer here to raise questions about the Army's dedication to free speech in postwar Iraq..." An officer was relieved of duty (this was Mosul, again, ironically) for refusing to seize a television station because the military didn't like what they were broadcasting (al-Jazeera). If you don't know what's wrong with this, hit the library and read up on a bit of the history of dictators. You might look up 'freedom' and 'democracy' as well, while you're there. Censorship is the dictator's tourniquet to stem the flow of dissent.

Iraq's cruel regime mistreated prisoners of war:
Jessica Lynch was a symbol of US pluck and do-goodness. She gave the US a touchstone for indignation about the treatment of POWs. ...and most of it was probably media hooey... According to some unsettled British sources (and upcoming examinations on UK TV), the Pentagon was in charge of the final version of this story and played it like they wanted it played. The truth of the rescue was secondary to how it looked on the news. The Geneva Convention was mentioned over and over and how Iraq was contravening its rules. Besides, the US would never behave this way. Right? Wrong... right now there are hundreds upon hundreds of detainees at Guantanamo who are not even being given the benefit of Geneva Convention observance simply because the US military said so. No one can question it. The US has even hinted they may keep some permanently. The US is still holding many many prisoners/unlawful combatant/detainees/whatever-they-call-them whose home countries are desperate and begging to have them returned. The US has crafted their own definition of when the Geneva Convention applies. Apparently it applies to any US citizen held by someone else, but only to others when the US sees fit. (PS - Saying some other country is worse doesn't change anything. That's a red herring.)

Saddam controlled the state-owned oil industry with no public input:
VP Cheney's continued compensation connections to Haliburton forced a shuffle in who would oversee the Iraqi oil industry reconstruction. So former Shell and Fluor executive Philip Carroll was put in charge. Err, but... Carroll receives retirment payments (tied to performance) and owns stock in Fluor, one of the top bidders for the contract. He also says he'll advise Oraq to keep the oil industry state-owned (apparently privatization is only good for nice capitalists in America). He counters any questions about suitability and says he'll 'keep it honest' despite his obvious conflicts of interest.

In summation: I do believe the Iraqi people [who survive] will, in the end, be better off in most ways [but not all that they've been promised -- including continued life and freedom from fear], there's no doubt of that. But I also believe the hypocrisy and guile of the Bush administration will eventually be exposed. Hopefully sooner rather than later in a sad entry in the history books. In the meantime we're sure to see more of the true nature of the Bush hawks and their plans play out on in the media, for better or worse...

[HOMER] Prove me wrong, Silent Bob. [/HOMER]

Make your own ANSI or OSHA sign:
St. Claire Sign Builder
Here are some of mine:

Proof of Alien Life ;)
"And remember... no laughing..."

If you DO want to laugh, find the connection between
MS Windows CE powers new BMW computers
and
Official trapped in new BMW after computer failure

(Yes, I've been reading Dave Barry's blog again hehe)

...There'd Be Fewer Virus Problems.

How can I make such a sweeping statement?

Do I not understand the needs and realities of modern business messaging? Yes, and yes. I propose a simple solution for large corporations (including the one that some of you reading work for). It's very simple and, you'll find it hard to believe, doesn't require that people stop using Microsoft Outlook (although that would pretty much reduce the bleeding of support funds to a trickle -- businesses these days simply [and stupidly] build into their budgets a bit of padding for 'outlook outbreaks').

So. A simple solution, eh? Yep. And I've even thrown in some Draconian bits to tame the lazy and/or dim-witted staff (who can't seem to get enough Dancing Baby and opening of attachments despite being told they'd have their hands cut off if they did it. "I didn't do anything, I swear! It opened by itself!").

Rule Number 1: Every e-mail containing an attachment must be digitally signed or it is not OK to open it. Period. Every user within the corporation must possess a digital signature and use it any time they include an attachment. A corporate or external keyserver should be put into place.

Rule Number 2a: Employees receiving attachments from outside parties must make it clear to said party that they will need to be able to verify their signature on any incoming attachments. They may exchange keys in plain text (it's ridiculously simple...) or they may use a keyserver. Whatever. Who cares. But they must have said key and be able to show it in case Rule 2b comes into play.

Rule Number 2b: Any employee opening an attachment that contains a virus must prove that:
a) They had the second party's key
b) The e-mail in question originated from said party and is signed
Personally, I would make this a zero tolerance rule to put the fear of god in them. It costs you more money in support to fight it than that person makes in a year, so don't be a wuss about it. Train them, explain it to them and let them know you're serious.

Rule Number 3: Outlook should be forced to NOT include the message body as an attachment (I'm looking at you, Ric) as it sometimes likes to do for those who can't resist a frill jpeg or gif in their signature (I'm looking at you, Russ) or, worse yet, include a background graphic for the message (I'm looking at you, Pamela). All e-mail should be plain text when originating internally. I would, being the bithc that I am, create consequences (say, 3 strikes and you're out).

Suggestion Number 1: Don't use Outlook. Does your company realise that this is the 'gateway drug'? Do you hear viruses being discussed in relation to any other e-mail software? No. And that's because Outlook makes it sickeningly easy for your people to screw up your business and cost you money in support and lost hours. In the end all that moaning about "but the calendaring...." will be for nothing as you'll have spent enough money fighting these outbreaks to have developed your own damned calendaring software. There are other solutions. Look into them and bite the damned bullet. Spend next year's Outlook Virus budget on installing something that will work for you, not against you.

Good night. God bless. And don't open any goddamned attachments unless your damned sure where it came from.

This is our shire. It is partially under water. Fortunately, we live at the top of the hill (behind the ambulance and up the road). It's been raining almost non-stop for the past two days and some roads are/were flooded. It's actually fortunate that Sarah is sick (except for the being sick part... *frown*) or she'd have had to trudge through the wet to catch the train.

Lessee...

I'm making good progress on work. I'm pretty excited about it and Sarah says it looks great.

Sarah's iBook is in need of repair (not to worry, it has about 2.5 years of AppleCare left on it). We need to get it to an Apple store soon. Having a car would be a plus in that regard. Especially with the weather. They don't just mail you a box here like the US does. Her screen goes black if it's moved too far and it takes some monkeying to get it [the screen] to come on sometimes. We need a monitor (The one we have is an old 640x480-only unit ). I need to check eBay to see what's new.

I've been sucked into Big Brother. The shame... I don't wanna talk about it...

I wanted to watch a movie tonight. Sarah's gone to bed. I still haven't found a movie to watch though. Too much on my mind.

Wil. Book. Overseas shipping. Come on, buddy, pal, bubba. Pleeeeease. Hurry! hehehe
Errrr... sorry... don't mean to whinge... (but pleeeeease) ;)

Oh oh oh I need to tell my Krispy Kreme doughnuts box story (and, they were yummy). I'll do that soon.

UPDATE: *GASP!* An email virus? Spread by Microsoft Outlook? That's 'unpossible'! http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/05/13/1052591767028.html
(Hi, Intel. Having fun today? Bet this isn't 'where you wanted to go today'.)

I love this pic. It's at our local mall. According to my monkey mythos expert, and her demonstrations prior to my seeing this, this is what monkeys do when they have their picture taken. ;) When I saw it I was like "he smiles like a monkey!" and had to show her. I hope to later get my hands on one of the larger pics from the mall.

"I hate to say I told ya so..."

But I told ya so. ;) I said this was going to happen and that I'd post [read: gloat] about it when it did. Well... I'm posting...

Friday, May 9, 2003 Posted: 9:20 AM EDT (1320 GMT)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Microsoft acknowledged a security flaw in its popular Internet Passport service that left 200 million consumer accounts vulnerable to hackers and thieves -- an admission that could expose the company to a hefty fine from U.S. regulators.

Further evidence that Microsoft is either blind to their own ineptitude or just don't give a shit about their customers. And further impetus for everyone simply learning how to be more safe without involving questionable shortcuts (remember your own damned passwords. it's really not that hard.).

And now for some salt on the wound...

In other news, Apple lauded by industry for proving online music can be done and be profitable. ;) Two top Technology stories on CNN:
•  Apple's online music coup ignites industry
•  Microsoft: flaw left millions at risk

So most of you know I'm a big fan of Wil Wheaton. Well his first (of 2) book is available... but only in the US. I'm so crushed. I rushed right over to buy it... *sigh*

So I wrote to ask him if there's any chance there will be more than one run and if it will be available outside the US.

Nonetheless, I put a banner here (down ta the bottom) for it. Go buy it. He wishes that you would like it.*

UPDATE: Wil says to check back in about a week and hopefully they'll have it worked out. Yay! =D

* - It's an in joke. Don't worry if it's not funny to you. I laughed. ;)

I'm quite enjoying watching The Bill at lunch these days. I caught some of it back when I wasn't working and it was OK. I started really dis-liking the character 'Jim' as I went along. He was a distatseful alcoholic with a chip on his shoulder. And now... well, he's since quit drinking and they've really brought the character full circle. He's my hero now! Takes really good writing to do that; take you to the brink of disgust and then bring you back cheering.

* - Homer :)

Indiana Jones comes to DVD. Finally!

Good Stuff
The 'program that ate my brain' has turned into the 'program that wants to be your friend'. I've been retained for 3 months by the people who originally contracted me. We sat down and hashed out some details so as to avoid future surprises and they want me to finish up this project as well as work on a related one. So I'm retained through July. :)

Bad Suff
They're headed to E3 next week so I'm writing up a doc about what this system is and why it's cool and whatnot. So I decide to open up MS Word since to create a nice doc... Kernel panic. In the inimitable MS style I am now downloading an update. Big surprise, eh? I wouldn't bother except I paid for the damned thing so I'm gonna use it. heh

Other stuff, added new store banners and a widget to display my open bug list.

Imagine if you told some teenaged gamer boys to design a GUI to compete with Mac OSX. I think it'd look a little something like this. The difference being this was not built by teenagers, but by some hacks at Microsoft. Sorry boys. It's a poor imitation of Mac OSX and some of it is downright stupid looking(although I do like the look of the clock in the system tray).

This is the sweetest thing I've read in ages...

OMG this project is out of control.
It may all be ruined and a waste of time.
If it is, I'll probably be relieved... you know, like when the pain in your knee stops because they amputated your leg....... or just shoot you.

My brain. please find my brain and put it back in.

UPDATE: All is well. As you were. :)