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Everyone talked about it already but honestly, is this really anything to get worked up about? Are we not Michiganians/Michiganders? I didn’t even have to brush the Jeep off.

Oh, right, October. Way too early.

Jeff Han is a research scientist for New York University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences . Here, he demonstrates-for the first time publicly-his intuitive, “interface-free,” touch-driven computer screen , which can be manipulated intuitively with the fingertips, and responds to varying levels of pressure. (Recorded February 2006 in Monterey, CA. Duration: 09:32)

Link (requires Flash)

Shady’s back, tell a friend!

Kidding. And don’t ever call me slim anything.. someone’s bound to die laughing.

I am back in town, pets are alive (Grandma was happy to spend time with her grand-dogs and grand-cats). This trip was for pleasure. I have a feeling many more trips to come will not; hopefully more on that in the future (job stuff).

I hear the Tigers made the World Series. Friends, family, I have to ask you… are you right with God? Because if they win, it’s likely that fire, brimstone, and a seven-headed dragon will lay waste to the planet. Or San Fran will fall off the edge of the coast. Or snow will fall in Houston.. I can’t remember how it ends, just make sure that, should the Tigers win 3 games you pray extra hard the night before Game 4.

That said… Go Tigers!

As many people have shown, it snowed here for the first time. While I’m not thrilled, snow really doesn’t bother me that much. I like the cold and I like the quiet that winter brings as everyone hides inside. I don’t ski or anything, so I’ve always found winter to be a slower season.

That said, I’m really not looking forward to driving up North tonight. Every moron from here to Charlevoix will be freaking out at the first freezing temps and snowflakes. Yeah winter.

Ottawa County, Michigan will have to spend $40 to reprint 170,000 ballots for the upcoming election. Why?

The “L” was left out of “public.”

As a former resident and voter in Ottawa County, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! 

Link

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]

You must be this smart…

.. in order to use the self check-out lanes.

That is all.

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.