| I was just called by some survey company, asking about terrorist-fear. "Do you open your mail with gloves on?" "How likely do you think you are to survive flu, if treated immediately?" "Ha! That likely eh? We'll see about that!". Okay, so the last one wasn't part of the survey. Anyway, I've done my part to make the populace at large seem a tiny margin less hysterical and a tiny margin better informed. [04:19] [0 comments]
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Wednesday 28 November 2001
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| Kevan and Tyrethali are bastards, tricking me into playing Rumble instead of writing my novel. They are evil. Supervillains. Bad men! [15:22] [2 comments]
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| Something someone pointed me at ages ago, that's been sitting waiting for me to tell people of it - the freakishness that is Big Gulp. Yes, the mouseover does say "sexual fantasies where someone gets swallowed alive". I have to say, the people whose kink that is are a lot more literate than most - the stories Endless Spiral, Entree With The Vampire and Mirror, Mirror are admirable pieces of fiction. [10:57] [0 comments]
| Synonyms of rapscallion are the best. Villain, rascal, scoundrel, miscreant, caitiff, wretch, scamp, scallawag, ruffian, blackguard, sneak, cullion, varlet, mongrel, vagabond, rogue.
Bad Man! [10:52] [3 comments]
| Via Meander again, comes Dictionaraoke - Bohemian Rhapsody is particularly recommended. [08:46] [2 comments]
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Tuesday 27 November 2001
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A lesson in why one should not try to learn programming from a not-acclaimed source. In an attempt to find a reason to use references in C++ that doesn't suck, I came upon this explanation.
What is the difference between a pointer and a reference?
Even though both pointers and references look similar (as they both hold the address of an object), they are intrinsically different. Creating a pointer to an object creates a new object whereas creating a reference simply creates an alternative name for an existing object.
Note to people learning C++ - the above explanation is complete and utter drivel. Creating a pointer does not create an object. Creating a reference does not simply create an alternative name. There is no difference in the creation. Creating either one will allocate four bytes of storage in which an address will be stored. The only difference is one of syntax - the compiled behaviour of a pointer is exactly the same as the compiled behaviour of a reference. Take heed - the internet is full of lies. If anyone knows of a better reason to use references rather than pointers, other than for operator overloading, let me know.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled reduced-geekery blog. [22:00] [0 comments]
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| Why are website log files so useless? You get a log of all the annoying broken links from other people's sites to yours, that you can't do anything about except hunt the person down and give them a kicking, and you don't get a log of the broken links that you have control over, that go to other people's sites. Except when they hunt you down and give you a kicking. [20:03] [0 comments]
| Another Corpse, unfortunately quite inferior art, though a nice title, Fantastic Journey Through Candlelit Twisted Bodies Of Water. [20:01] [1 comment]
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[20:00] [0 comments]
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| It would be interesting to see a graph of my productivity as compared against various events. What effect does coffee have? What effect does sleep have? What effect do the various musics in my playlist have? I need an impartial recording device to note all that transpires, and to note my wordcount (or code-size, if I'm programming, or framecount if I'm animating, or whatever equivalent measure of progress) constantly throughout the day. I'm quite sure that caffeine is up there on boosts, but does it also have a draining effect when it wears off? I suspect that my older, more familiar music makes me more productive than newer music that distracts me; perhaps faster music makes me more productive too. What influences make me more likely to rehash work I've already done, and what makes me more likely to do work that needs the rehashing? Does taking a break to read blogs and comedy websites increase my productivity when I'm finished? Perhaps I shall write something to make such measurements and produce graphs thereof. But not today. [03:39] [0 comments]
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| If Kinder Eggs were sold in America, they would have to include about 3 miles of warnings and disclaimers. "Warning: Chocolate is not a toy. Toy is not a food. Toy is not a toy. Children under any age should not touch toy or chocolate. Not for contact with idiots or people. Do not approach. Danger, danger, Will Robinson." [03:01] [5 comments]
| And yet still I procrastinate, with such things as this. Horror. [02:18] [1 comment]
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Monday 26 November 2001
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| So, work on the novel continues at last. And I only have to write about 8333 words per day for the next four days. Expect little in the way of bloggery, and lots in the way of cursing and falling over things, as sleep deprivation sets in. And anger. And hatred. And random desire to eat things. [16:29] [4 comments]
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Glancing through my log files, it's time for a game of Search Term Bingo.
First prize goes to variants on "World Trade Center Suicide Jumpers", of which there have been 20 since the beginning of November.
Geekdom searches come in second, with 7.
Somethingawful things score 6.
Perhaps you recall Jennifer Juggs? He's responsible for several hits, due to people unable to spell 'breasts'.
Amusing searches include "How to wear gasmask", "read someone email" and the contradictory "how to fuck up someone's email"... "fake anthrax", "anime girls in scant clothing", "pseudo-image fuck", "schizoid personality disorder seattle", "queue rage", "fucking webhancer", "plate tectonics sucks", "anxiety shouldn't exist", "my fucking eyesight sucks"
Then there are the few things that might have actually given the person what they wanted - "Dye hair white", "mouseover pop-up text", "Antec PSU". That's all there was. From Google, anyway. [03:01] [6 comments]
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Sunday 25 November 2001
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I normally don't do this sort of thing, but I enjoyed my result on this one. I am Rabies, hear me roar!
[07:17] [4 comments]
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Saturday 24 November 2001
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| An annoying similar IQ test, at iqtest.com says my IQ is 164. I'm still hunting the harsh IQ test I found once, that does the requisite statistical analysis using its own results, thus giving you an IQ relative to other internet denizens who are bored enough to take IQ tests. (100 being supposed to be average, and the average bored internet denizen being of higher IQ than the average of ordinary people.) [23:55] [1 comment]
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| Apparently, at 2am on a Friday, my "general IQ score" is 157. I also assign myself 10 "common sense" bonus points for not sending them $15 for a detailed analysis, but subtract those same 10 points for wasting time doing an IQ test by the same people as the second Myers-Briggs test I did that didn't even tell you the full 4 letters of results. But still, the IQ test at least gave the single-scale number that anyone knows what it means. Who cares about the individual ratings for 12 distinct types of intelligence? [10:20] [10 comments]
| Pointless personality test of the day - someone muttered curses upon the INTP personality type, and, wondering whether I was being cursed or not, I performed the first obvious Myers-Briggs test a Google search offered. Apparently I am an INTJ (alt), though only a smidge off from being the maligned INTP. As a Mastermind, I shall now make sure to take a job with Microsoft as a Morg Manager, Master Planner, or Evil Overlord of All I Survey. [10:02] [6 comments]
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| Get your Globe of the United States now, before the rush. Only $100 plus shipping and handling. I estimate 5 years before this becomes the standard in navigation technology. [05:56] [4 comments]
| Oh yeah, it needs to be played on 'loop' or 'repeat' or whatever your media player of choice calls it. Otherwise it's even more pointless than it already was. [04:38] [0 comments]
| Partly as a 3D Studio Max exercise, and partly as a joke inspired by a comment on some TV show, RavenBlog presents The Globe of the United States - if you can't view the AVI, you probably need to install the DivX 4 codec. [04:37] [0 comments]
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Friday 23 November 2001
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More questions to be answered:
Icarus asks: Would I be a good vampire if they existed?
Unfortunately, I have to admit that yes, he would. Which is a shame because I hate the whole Anne-Rice dealy that has caused such a widespread annoying vampire affinity.
Why won't you tell people? is it because it's just that bad and doesn't fit and you got made fun of for it as a child? or a need to have a secret? or something else entirely that i haven't thought of?
All of the above. My summary answer is that one of the reasons I changed my name is that I didn't like the old, and since the first thing everyone asks upon hearing my name is "What's your real name?" (it's Raven Black) "What was it before you changed it?", if I were to tell every time, then there'd have been no point in changing it, as the names would probably get about equal usage. I have to admit, I do also enjoy the little mystique an unknown name affords, since I don't have any other personal secrets. Finally, also, I didn't like having to spell out my name whenever it was going to be written down, and then receiving misspelt mail regardless. Everyone can spell 'Blacke'.
[22:50] [5 comments]
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| A quick note - while my bitching tends to be directed at America, it should be noted that I am aware that England is doing its best to emulate America in every way, including the gradual introduction of lactose into snacks. [22:41] [0 comments]
| Aha, a replacement for the old defunct bottomdollar.com - NexTag for price comparisons which also optionally include shipping. Splend. [12:05] [0 comments]
| Another exquisite corpse in the image to the right, this time consecutively composed by Myself, Kevan, Dedmaus and Eperdu. My apologies to the model whose eyes I stole from an image at whoishottest.com which was, itself, stolen. [10:05] [5 comments]
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[09:59] [1 comment]
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| Oops, I forgot to mention the point of that - that it's not so much that Americans eat like pigs, as that they are fed like pigs. Food manufacturers apparently deliberately make feed that people will eat more of. Conspiracy theory ahoy! [07:48] [0 comments]
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And another question about America answered, thanks to a sharp hypothesis and a confirming google-search. The answered question is "Why is the average American fatter than the average (pretty much any other country) person?" While I had originally assumed it was a cultural difference (eating being strongly encouraged here), I now have an additional culprit. Here's how.
A question: Why is lactose in so many American food products?
Observation 1: It doesn't improve taste or consistency.
Observation 2: It isn't a preservative.
Subtle Observation: It causes a nasty aftertaste.
Hypothesis: Nasty aftertaste is a deliberate effect to make you eat more.
Experiment courtesy of Google; Lactose in pig feed. Whether it's the nasty aftertaste or not, lactose apparently does make you eat more, and gain weight. Also, I enjoy the irony of using an experiment on pigs as my reference. [07:45] [1 comment]
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Thursday 22 November 2001
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An explanation of why America generally has a fucked up view of money arrived yesterday, in the form of a letter to my wife from her credit card company.
I think you'll agree with me --
having more cash makes the holidays merrier.
And the enclosed credit card access checks are like a huge gift box brimming with
...CASH......Holiday Cash for you to use however you see fit. *
(I cut a boring bit here)
You've got the kind of spending power that's bound to make the happiest of holidays for those who mean so much to you.
So fuck up your finances for the next few years, now!
Okay, so that last line was me. [23:08] [2 comments]
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More questions and their answers:
Does the fact that one is searching for enlightenment mean that one is more enlightened than those who don't, or does the active desire for enlightenment negate the purpose of it altogether?
No.
Will you be answering questions asked after you've already answered the others?
See previous answer for an implied answer.
And does this mean I shouldn't ever tell people what your name used to be?
Yes, it does.
[22:36] [0 comments]
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| Microsoft.com have some fantastic-sounding jobs on offer. For example, you could take the career path of "Run Microsoft". Or the job "Morg Manager". Perhaps you would like to be an "Office Evangelist" or a "User Educator"? Alternatively, if you've read the Guidelines, you could be a "Master Planner". [22:34] [0 comments]
| An idea I wish I'd thought of first arrived in a spam today. "...ROCKNROLLSTATION.COM,
has set up a 900 number for Americans to leave messages for Osama
Bin Laden. At a cost of $1.99 per minute...". What a moneyspinner. [22:26] [6 comments]
| Via Meander comes a short Flash animation; Pong. Ha ha, violence is funny! [08:03] [5 comments]
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The questions so far, and their answers:
Have you thought about trying Photoshop Tennis?
Yes, but it seemed less interesting than Exquisite Corpse. And I only started doing a Corpse because Kevan sent me the first part without asking.
Have you stopped writing your novel or just stopped updating the word count?
It's more of a long pause, of both.
What is the one question you won't answer that will probably be asked?
Well, that was one question I knew was coming, but I will answer that one; what my name used to be.
Has it been asked yet?
No. I expect it won't be, now. And even if it is, I won't answer it.
Why does Mr Blog say 'stop that' if I try to post a comment here using Links?
Links is apparently ignoring the query-string component of the <FORM ACTION="stuff"> tag. Very naughty.
If you could have a fight with someone, who would it be?
A really weak, inept mugger who was in the process of robbing a rich generous person. Or Shakespeare.
Would you like to play the question game?
What's the question game?
Are we there yet?
No, and you can get out and walk if we're not getting there fast enough for you.
[07:56] [1 comment]
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Wednesday 21 November 2001
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| Inspired by Meg, but in a somewhat opposite sort of way, I call for questions. Ask me questions that I will be able to answer, and I will attempt to publicly answer them. There is one question I won't answer that will probably be asked. I also won't answer questions whose answer belongs more to someone else than to me. Unless I don't like the person anyway. [22:37] [12 comments]
| Today's music is Sunless. The associated band Per Somnia are also pleasing. And I suppose The Endparty are okay too. [22:28] [0 comments]
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| By golly, RealPlayer has become even more evil than it was last time I got it. The number of boxes you have to uncheck in order to not be spammed is quite insane. And you have to uncheck most of them twice. Then, even having told it not to do anything at all other than play realmedia files, you still have to hunt down the "sod off with your bloody startcenter" option. Twice. I wonder if the paid-for version is as bad. Not that I have any intent of giving money to such a fux0ry company. I'll probably never even use it again. [22:05] [0 comments]
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Tuesday 20 November 2001
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| Thought for America for the day. The precedent has been set that corporations must protect you from your own stupidity. Make $$$$ fast! Here are a couple of suggestions - I'm sure you can come up with many more. 1. Inhale coffee at McDonalds, and 'almost drown'. Sue them for not labelling their coffee "not to be taken internally". 2. Fall over the bottom step of some stairs, and hurt your wrist, so that it 'keeps you from working' - always good in a lawsuit. Sue the building owners for not having big signs reading "DANGER! STAIRS! DO NOT TRAVERSE WITHOUT RAISING FEET!" [19:03] [5 comments]
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Monday 19 November 2001
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| I'm also pleased by the associated article Opportunity Cost - a little trite and contrived, but the point is good. [22:03] [0 comments]
| A fantastic article about credit and debt; Can You Afford It?. Read it and absorb it. And then write it off as a load of nonsense and keep on with your insane spending habits. [21:50] [1 comment]
| Jalen's Curse: "May all your hair grow toe-cheese.". Kevan's Corollary: "And may all your cheese grow toe-hair." [20:47] [0 comments]
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| Also on the subject of DSL - I've changed my mind, lots of bandwidth is good. And it's not slower than I expected - that was either to do with the time of day, or to do with newgrounds.com being a sluggish server. What changed my mind? Going to mp3.com and streaming stuff in high quality without much buffering delay, and downloading songs at the same time, still many times faster than ever before. Mmm. [11:45] [0 comments]
| On the subject of DSL, if any of my Merkin readers are interested in getting the same DSL offer we have, please use this link, so that I get money. [11:16] [0 comments]
| Did I lend you my animation-festival-thing video with the Stain on it? And The Sandman? If so, tell me. Cheers. [08:30] [1 comment]
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| But what good is this higher bandwidth stuff? I don't use a lot of bandwidth. The answer is twofold. First, it means my wife doesn't yell "Are you downloading something big?" every time I go to a website and she detects the 20K being downloaded because of the slowdown of her remote-access email that she refuses to POP. Second, more directly (though it wouldn't have been important if I didn't have more bandwidth - indeed, I only found these things because I was trying to find something to do with more bandwidth), things like this and this. [07:15] [0 comments]
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| There was just a made-for-TV movie on TBS, entitled Invincible. I don't understand why such a movie came via TV rather than 'proper' release - it was better than The One. Can't be lack of industry contacts - it featured Billy Zane and Jet Li, and it had something to do with Mel Gibson. Bit of a weak ending, but Mr Zane was marvellous throughout. I recommend it. It's on again next weekend, so those of you with these Merkin channels, watch it. [06:36] [0 comments]
| Finally got round to setting up the DSL. The DSL bit was easier than I expected, the network card was harder. Experience so far - faster than dial-up, slower than expected. However, as I forgot to mention the other day when speaking of DSL, it's barely more expensive than dial-up, so that's good. [06:30] [1 comment]
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Saturday 17 November 2001
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| Mm, I now quit the AntiHaiku racket, due to it stopping me blogging something yesterday, and then me forgetting what it was that I wanted to blog. Recent events: nothing very interesting, hence plethorae of silence. Watched Spiritual Kung Fu, played Avernum 2 a lot, and really not much else. Oh yes, and I'm UpsideClone again, with my appropriately titled short 'UpsideClones' - that was probably the thing I forgot, come to think of it. [11:49] [0 comments]
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Wednesday 14 November 2001
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| Oh yes, I am angry. My computer has been failing to shut down with annoying scary messages that look not unlike horrible virus things (and, since I recently installed software I downloaded, without even tightening the screws, that could easily have been the case). But no, it's not a virus, it's merely something just as bad but more poorly programmed. Press control-alt-del, dear readers, and examine the list of running things. Do you see whagent? Then despair, and become an angry monster too. [21:02] [5 comments]
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I am an angry monster.
Fucking installers.
Webhancer is a Bad Thing. [20:56] [0 comments]
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Oh yes, and something interesting and amusing I had intended to blog earlier but didn't muster the energy; an email from the NaNoWriMo people that arrived about two hours after I started feeling lethargic about the writing.
Dear Team,
Here we are, a third of the way through. Our apartments are disgusting, our friends are annoyed, and our bosses have started casting suspicious, sidelong glances at our monitors as they walk by our cubicles. If you are like most people, you are behind on your word count. And, like most people, you are entering the dreaded Week of Fatigue.
The Week of Fatigue is the low point of National Novel Writing Month. It's the dastardly seven-day period when the kick-off adrenaline wanes, workloads increase, and downtime becomes a sweet and distant memory.
And on top of that, you've hit a fork in your novel. You've wrapped up the exposition and introduced all the characters. And now something book-like has to happen. Someone needs to fall in love. Or get amnesia. Or go on a road trip. But who? And how? And what ever happened to that soft and luscious thing called sleep? We remember sleep. Sleep was our friend.
We liked it a lot.
All these forces conjoin to create some serious crankiness and general unhappiness. Which is why you need to go ahead and plunder all those treats you stockpiled in the Nano "training" period. Call in sick and sleep late. Demand backrubs from significant others. Whine until friends take you out to dinner. You are writing a novel for god's sake---it's the least they can do.
And know that, if you keep on writing, the Week of Fatigue will end. Your novel will start being kind of fun. You'll find time to sleep again. And, accidentally, through no fault of your own, you may end up with something resembling an actual story. The kind you might let somebody read someday.
But that's getting a little ahead. For now: Treats. Luxuries. Whining.
Next week: Easier.
Three weeks from now: Champagne.
Keep up the great work,
Chris
[01:21] [0 comments]
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| In less cross news, I just got our DirecTV DSL to work (Very briefly, as I was doing with a Windows box. Will set up through the firewall later). Mediocre tech support, not acquainted with people who already have a network set up, I'll warrant, but he did give me the relevant information, which is that the instructions were wrong. After he got sick of me and hung up I determined that the other thing I needed to do was set up DHCP and all that junk that causes tech support folk so much trouble. Tsch. [00:46] [1 comment]
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Tuesday 13 November 2001
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| Grarh. I am disincentived of all. I read over the last two chapters of my novel, and didn't like them. I don't want to rewrite them, because that sucks, but nor do I want to carry on from a pair of chapters I don't even like. I don't even feel like writing an AntiHaiku. And I think I'll go a couple of days without blogging anything or talking to anyone as well, so everyone thinks I'm dead. Oh, I already did that. I also went the last few days without sleeping, which was sort of fun, like being drunk without the nausea. [21:21] [0 comments]
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Saturday 10 November 2001
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| Oh yes, also good on the novel front is that my proof-readers are thus far pretty much entirely complimentary. Jalen compliments with 100% sparklingness, Mrowrr compliments the same but with occasional constructive criticism, and Tyrethali complimented with a little less sparkle. Hopefully the later chapters will inspire universal sparkle. [09:16] [0 comments]
| So, Revelations is still pretty much on track for being a novel in a month. The chapters are approximately averaging their ideal length, now, for the story to end between fifty and sixty thousand words. The storyline is vaguely following the plan, with only minor deviations which I think are improvements - deep evil plots are more fun than just raw sci-fantasy, right? And to top off the good things, I've added a cunning system for making myself write, other than just the pacer and Eperdu; I got myself a roleplaying game, and I allow myself half an hour of play for every 750 words. Cue sleep deprivation. [09:10] [2 comments]
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What do you do when a corpse
knocks on your window?
Hide your brains? Grab a stake? What? [08:58] [3 comments]
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Wednesday 7 November 2001
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| I've added The Brunching Shuttlecocks to my top-of-blog links. Next time there's something new, UpsideClown and UpsideClone will have to go, because they're the only non-daily things up there. Warning: Do not visit the Brunching Shuttlecocks archive unless you have many hours to spare. Or have been there before, in which case you won't want to read the whole thing. [22:09] [0 comments]
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| On an unrelated note, martial arts were being discussed earlier and I found some particularly nice things about Tai Chi. First there was Rem's Tai Chi Page, then I found a set of three articles. If anyone knows of a decent Tai Chi master around MD/DC/VA, or around Seattle, let me know. [10:35] [0 comments]
| Looks like I'm not going to make my two-novels-in-a-month goal, unless I get some particularly fine inspiration soon. I might go for one-and-a-half regardless, and finish the second a little way into December, just because I do want to have written both novels. Otherwise the novel I finish will be lonely, and the other will be jealous. Anthropomorphic bastards. [10:27] [2 comments]
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Is this what writer's block is?
Characters argue.
They want a happy ending. [10:24] [2 comments]
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Tuesday 6 November 2001
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| CDNow have been annoying me regularly with their 'update' emails. I had requested they stop, and their method of doing that is apparently to change the email address to "dead@unchangedhostname", which, of course, still gets to me, since everything@here does. In annoyance, today, I logged in and changed all my details, resulting in two vaguely amusing things. In my email, this: "This is to confirm <snip>... Your new email address: stopemailingme@you.bastards.com.". And on the website, this. [22:50] [1 comment]
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| Novel-writing after midnight is much more effective - with the outside world quiet and dark, and the brain in a funky haze of music and sleep-deprivation, the characters will happily compose the story for themselves, with only my fingers having to partake. On the downside, the characters are all trying to have a happy ending, and fall in love, and nonsense like that, which rather goes against my plan of them being angry and spiteful, and causing armageddon repeatedly. I suppose I might let them have a happy post-apocalyptic world, if they're good. [10:37] [1 comment]
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Christ has come again, again.
This time it's for real.
Not a joke like the first time. [09:46] [0 comments]
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Monday 5 November 2001
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Hell on Earth is not so bad.
Hell in Heaven's nice.
Hello, Lucifer. How's things? [23:06] [0 comments]
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| We did see 'The One' today. It was oddly bland - decent amount of action, nice soundtrack, bearable plot, but it rather required that one's brain be switched off for the duration. Otherwise the production draws attention away from the story and action. "Ooh look, you never see the face of both Jet Li characters at the same time." "Aha, see the soft martial art beating the hard martial art." and suchlike. If you have the choice of this or Iron Monkey, go for the Monkey. I would buy it, because martial arts movies are the best, but I wouldn't suggest that anyone else do so. And I won't buy it, actually, because I haven't got all the other martial arts movies that I want more, yet. [07:51] [5 comments]
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Sunday 4 November 2001
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Crazy spam text for all!
Re: The War Must Go On......Let's there be No Doubt !
In this age of bioterrorism are you adequately prepared for the final eventuality? Click to read more on Anthrax issue: prevention & cure or if not, just DOWNLOAD to play a game of shooting Osama!!
Take care of your love ones Now !
Leave a will, not doubt?
The War must go on....
Click for details! [20:32] [3 comments]
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The boss of heaven is suck.
You knew that before.
He's even worse in person. [20:26] [5 comments]
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Saturday 3 November 2001
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| Mm, yesterday I bought bananas, and one of them was adorned as in the picture to the right. Patriotic bananas unite! Bananas against terrorism! Click on the picture to enlarge your banana. [20:35] [1 comment]
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[20:32] [0 comments]
| Yesterday's attempt to see The One met with failure, as it was sold out. Instead we ended up watching Beowulf - a semi-futuristic rendition, starring Christopher Lambert as hero with a sword. Typecast, anyone? The advantages of him as the star were manifold, all of them related to making mocking MST3K-style comments throughout the movie. [20:20] [0 comments]
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No adversity, no pain.
No death, no darkness.
No contrast, no fun, nothing. [20:15] [0 comments]
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Friday 2 November 2001
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| In the name of helpfulness, I provide here a form for those people using my word-count thing. [21:34] [0 comments]
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| Speaking of NaNoWriMo's crappy code, and as Tom so aptly says in a comment on that entry to my right, their code is so poor that it's been thoroughly hax0red. I sent them an email suggesting things that could be done to prevent the particular form of hax0ring, but I expect there are plenty of other vulnerabilities, if their code was susceptible to one so simple. As Tom says, don't use their word counter. As I say, use mine. [19:19] [2 comments]
| If anyone else I know is writing a novel or two this month, and would like a word count that sucks less than the NaNoWriMo people's word count, let me know, and I'll add you to mine. If you have a website or blog, you can even put it in a frame on there, a bit like I have here, only not quite as good, and probably only working with IE. [09:24] [2 comments]
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After life, oblivion.
After that, a room.
Angels are androgynous. [09:18] [1 comment]
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| Random thought for the day. If you break something in a rented apartment, and you call maintenance, they'll come and fix it, no hassle. If you don't call maintenance, but just deal with the broken thing, then when you move out, it comes out of your damage deposit. There's something quite wrong with that. [02:44] [0 comments]
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Thursday 1 November 2001
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| And then I cleverly waste another hour making a nice NaNoWriMoWoCoStaBa for the top of my blog. Of course, it will only update when I make it, which will probably be once per chapter. [22:08] [1 comment]
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Earth is a simulation.
A test for Heaven.
A test you are not passing. [08:13] [1 comment]
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| Anyone fancy doing some incentive-sponsoring? Give me $10 if I can finish a 50000-word (non-idiotic) novel in 10 days? Or 5 (replacing either 10)? Maybe a few bucks if I complete two novels in the month? No? Didn't think so. Still, worth a try. Money incenses me even better than competition. Especially in the form of a bet. [03:43] [7 comments]
| Less than 5 hours to go, here, until NaNoWriMo begins. Of course, it started in Australia several hours ago. Unfair! Headstarts! [03:23] [2 comments]
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Wednesday 31 October 2001
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Mantissa: Hate any gods.
My life is my own.
Ignorance is not my bliss. [08:13] [3 comments]
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| If you've ever received stock advice in spam, and wondered whether it's actually any good, I have an answer for you, derived from three such 'hot picks'. The answer is, if you buy the stock immediately the spam arrives, and then sell it about two days later, you will make a small amount of money on the deal. If you wait for the high that the spam suggests, you will lose a lot of money. I assume the purpose of such spams is to push the price of something the spammer already has shares in, so they can sell theirs (Witness SWLL many months ago, going at 40c, rising to 50c after the spam, and now being near-worthless. EYPSF a few days ago being $3.50, rising to $4.00 after the spam, and now being on its way back down.). Conclusion: Spam stock-picks can be used to your advantage, so long as you disbelieve the outrageous claims they make. [01:20] [0 comments]
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