Many road projects are finishing up around the state, except one. M-14 will continue to be under construction until early December.
The $38 million project is about three weeks behind schedule and won’t end until early December…
As the Detroit News headline says; “Yay!”Link
This is the pressing issue that is keeping Russia out the WTO? A music retailer?
Russia, a country where oil, natural gas, metals, and timber account for nearly 80% of its exports, a country with 74 million laborers, a country that has existed in some form since the 12th century, is being held up from joining the rest of world’s super economic powers (of which it already is one) over music.
The sad fact is, Russia needs to join the WTO in order to gain some help with their myriad of other problems; a failing banking system, a dying manufacturing industry, and a business environment so corrupt, American reality looks almost as good as the American ideal.
So, what better time to hang the damn Ruskie’s over a barrel, right? I can’t imagine the amount of money being spent by the music industry to have US diplomats threaten a foreign government’s formal acceptance into a group they belong to in all but name.
I have never used AllOfMP3, not out of some sense of idealism, but more because I don’t quite trust the idea of coughing up my credit card number to a business that, it appears, will eventually be raided for information. I do wish I could support them somehow over this strong-arm crap being pulled at the WTO, though. There are far more important issues to worry about than music licensing.
BetaNews | US Official: AllofMP3 Must Shut Down
A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side.
~~Aristotle
[via Crooks & Liars]
In a former life, I was a technical writer. Scratch that, I was a damn good technical writer, the lack of appreciation from one Southeast Michigan-based employer not withstanding. I dreaded every minute spent writing a manual, help system, or technical spec. But I was damn good at doing it.
That said, it’s not hard to be a technical writer. It is hard to be a good technical writer, however. So, to all you struggling tech writers, take this small piece of advice from a tech writer turned pseudo-developer/business process analyst: every blurb of documentation you put out should lead to a measurable outcome. Yes, you have to do the expository “this is why we built it this way” crap, but if I can’t act on the information you put out, that information is worthless – documentative lint, if you will.
This post brought to you by two weeks of frustration caused by bad documentation. Frustration, I might add, that was cleared up by a 5 minutes phone call with a very accessible Subject Matter Expert.
Interesting thing happened today, Google opened its gadgets for placement on any web page (it used to only work on their own properties). Why is this interesting? Because most of Google is open via their API.
As part of the wiki/blog at ThinkNOLA, this opens up a possibility for something that has generated a little discussion in the past, that of a community calendar. Now, with open gadgets and the Google API, ThinkNOLA could create and maintain a public Google calendar of events and publish the mini calendar on the site. Updates to the calendar automatically go on the mini-calendar, which could be placed anywhere. Thoughts?
I never watched Bob Ross, mostly because I never considered myself artistic as a kid.
So, watching this fascinating clip of Bob Ross that someone posted to YouTube made me feel like I was watching clips from someone else’s childhood. I was vaguely aware of Bob Ross and slightly more aware of this painting thing, but I never actually sat and watched this show.
Now, I sort of regret that. For all it’s kitsch, there are so many redeeming qualities to Ross’ work: it was approachable, it was simple, and it was completely for the audience. Ross never tried to make what he was doing anything more than it was. Even in this short clip, you can sense the pride in his voice as he teaches.
Compare this clip with any show on HGTV or your favorite DIY show. You don’t find the simple pride in something done well there, all you get is “see how simple it is” as they hide the complex issues behind jump cuts.
Huh, I think I was just pining.
(Sorry for not posting the video directly; WordPress doesn’t do embed)
I only ask because it might be important to know in the future. Seems that some paleontologists (that would be smart people who play in the dirt) found a friggen huge Tyrannosaurus rex thigh bone in Montana a couple months ago. Unfortunately, when they tried to stuff the bone in their chopper, it wouldn’t fit. So, after spending what was likely weeks dusting off this bone to preserve it, they very scientifically broke it in two.
Luckily, this paid off as they found soft tissue in the middle of this bone. What kind?
This tissue, including blood vessels, bone cells, and perhaps even blood cells, was so well preserved that it was still stretchy and flexible.
If someone teaches Wayne Knight to use bash, we’re in big trouble.
Hmm.. looks like Bloglines. Congrats, Google. You finally made the reader we were all using already.
Buwhahahahaha!
In a dramatic development that has come as a surprise to pundits and the public alike, a youthful technician with Diebold, Inc. has emerged as the unlikely winner of the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. The president-elect, 19 year old Billy Pustule of Green, Ohio, reached via SMS at the garage apartment by his mother’s house in which he currently resides, said he was “real psyched about being the president” and “had big plans for the inauguration party”.
