IdiotprogrammerMusings on Technology and CultureDetails of my September Europe trip.- June 28, 2008 I&8217;ll be leaving Thursday night from Houston and meeting a Ukrainian student friend of mine in Stuttgart Germany Friday night. I&8217;ll stay in Germany for 3 days, go to Ireland for 8 days, return to Stuttgart to catch a plane to Tirana (where I&8217;ll spend 8 or 9 days). I plan to visit friends in ...http://www.imaginaryplanet.net/weblogs/idiotprogrammer/?p=83399860 Unclear Instructions (and other Pet Peeves)- June 20, 2008 I received an email from a friend about the date of an event.&160; the date is July 25, 2008. Phrasing that way is unhelpful. Is this a Monday or Tuesday or Friday or what&160; I cannot understand why people don&8217;t use both bits of data. I don&8217;t remember dates. I remember days of the week.&160; ...http://www.imaginaryplanet.net/weblogs/idiotprogrammer/?p=83399858 Natural Curiosity- June 15, 2008 There is really only one legitimate reason for putting Google Adsense on this blog; to see what kinds of businesses will pop up as a result of keyword buys. Honestly, I have no idea. Ebooks Sexual aids Dating Services SEO consulting Really, your guess is as good as mine.http://www.imaginaryplanet.net/weblogs/idiotprogrammer/?p=83399857 Sweeping landslides of indifference- June 15, 2008 From Jim Hightower&8217;s book, If the Gods had meant us to vote, they would have given us candidates: In 1994, the year of the Republicans&8217; &8220;Big Sweep,&8221; 22% of eligible voters voted Republican and 19% voted for Democrats. In 1998, they reported a &8220;Democratic Party Comeback&8221; when the Republicans dropped to 18% of eligible voters voting ...http://www.imaginaryplanet.net/weblogs/idiotprogrammer/?p=83399856 E-rotic Europop: Mindless, Sexy and Embarrassing (and very fun!)- June 15, 2008 I lived in Albania for 2 years during which I sat in many a bus travelling for hours from one city to another. We were at the mercy of the bus driver&8217;s musical tastes. I remember vividly hearing La Macarena all the time (it was an incessant banality even in Albania ). Every bus driver ...http://www.imaginaryplanet.net/weblogs/idiotprogrammer/?p=83399855 Perils of Mandatory Arbitration- June 15, 2008 I am currently embroiled in a minor dispute about HSBC credit card. They treated me shabbily and then continued to assess fees. And I continue to protest and am willing to bring it to small claims or mandatory arbitration. I am a stubborn SOB when I am in the right. Here&8217;s a news-breaking article in ...http://www.imaginaryplanet.net/weblogs/idiotprogrammer/?p=83399850 |