Giving the world a hand since February 3rd, 2002. "If you're gonna dine with them cannibals, sooner or later, darling, you're gonna get eaten."




Comments by YACCS

 
USS Clueless has a great post about why Apple Computers is shooting themselves in the foot with their current market strategy. Spot on, as the GC would say.

Personally, I prefer Macs. They're easier to use and they actually seem to make sense (unlike most Microsoft products). Unfortunately, having a Mac is like having a car that runs better than any other car in existence, but it only runs on 5% of the existing roads....
so wrote Leper around about 1:27 AM

 
It figures....



What Was Your PastLife?

so wrote Leper around about 2:21 AM

 
I do some of my best thinking in the shower.
This morning, I was remembering debating the space program with someone somewhere (for the life of me, I can't remember who or where). The other person had stated that first we had to win the war, and only then we could go to Mars. I replied with "Why wait? This country can multitask! We did it with the Apollo program during the Vietnam war." They came back with "Yeah, but we didn't do it well..." (I'm paraphrasing, of course)

Anyway, this got me thinking as the hot water cascaded over my body: does America do anything well?

Hmmm....good question, me.

Let's take as an example the space program, since it was the focus of the debate that brought this topic to my mind. Throughout the entire space program--from Mercury to today's ISS--have we ever really nailed something? I mean, really hit the bullseye? The only thing that I can think of is the launching of satellites, but that's mainly because we've been practicing it for almost fifty years. Mercury? We almost lost a Mercury pilot due to faulty explosive bolts on his hatch (or pilot error, whichever theory you subscribe to). Gemini? We almost lost the first American to spacewalk, as he couldn't get back in through the hatch due to the fact that his suit puffed up in the vacuum of space (or was that the Russians? I'm tired, so give me a break). Apollo? Two examples: Apollo 13 (which everyone knows about thanks to Tom Hanks) and the three astronauts that died inside the capsule during a ground test (Apollo 1?). Space shuttle? Look no further than the Challenger incident. The ISS? Dodgy wiring & guidance computers have plagued it since it went online.

The U.S. is not a subtle nation. In fact, compared to Europe, we're the misunderstood teenager of the world that screams "You guys are all so fake!" at the older nations before running off to sulk in our room. Our method of solving things involves throwing lots & lots of money at a problem until the problem finally gives up. This doesn't lead to good solutions, but solutions that are "good enough". Examples:

1. World War Two - The U.S. outproduced its enemies in materials necessary for warfare. It wasn't that we were better equipped (the Germans had many examples of superior equipment), but that we had much more of the things we did have. That, plus the fact that by joining the war later than everyone else, so our troops were more fresh than were those of the other powers.
2. Cold War - We outspent the opposition. We forced the Soviets to bleed themselves white, until they realized that the chief flaw in Communism was that there wasn't any money in it.
3. Space program - We built amazingly dangerous rockets to send astronauts up into space in untried & untested capsules. We were very lucky (more lucky than the Soviets) that more didn't die. We landed on the Moon to essentially thumb our nose at the rest of the world (and subsequently almost completely shut down NASA when it was realized that we didn't have any plans beyond the Moon--a case of being too busy looking at our feet to focus on the horizon ahead). The cheap, reliable, fast-turnaround Space Shuttle is neither cheap, nor reliable, nor fast-turnaround. (I believe this year there are four scheduled Shuttle launches instead of the hundreds promised by NASA in the late 70's/early 80's.) The ISS was built to justify the continued existence of both NASA and the Russian space program.
4. Afghanistan - Instead of producing "The Gulf War 2: Electric Boogaloo", we sent in Special Forces troops with bushel baskets of cash to buy off the various essential warlords. That was why the warlords overthrew the Taliban: money. Add to this mix a sky full of very capable aircraft flown by highly-trained people, and you've got yourselves the makings of an ass-whoopin'...

All of these tactics were effective, but not subtle.

No, our strength isn't in doing things well, it's in doing things "well enough" that no one else can do (or could afford to do). Our new motto should be: "The United States of America: It Ain't Pretty, But Let's See You Do Any Better!"


so wrote Leper around about 1:26 AM

 
Internet dialup crisis averted. Copper.net finally answered their phone. It ain't fast, it ain't sexy, but it works....and it's cheap.

Whoever did their hold music sure has a sense of humor. It went from the "Minute Waltz" to the Go-Go's, followed by Big Country. Odd, very odd. At least it made me laugh.
so wrote Leper around about 4:25 PM

 
Select Quotes From a 3 1/2 Year Old
by my Godaughter

1. *rubbing bottom after getting paddled* "My Mommy's being bad..."
[All I could do was laugh...]

2. Her: "I don't like wearing my panties because they're too hard to get back up."
Me: "It's a good thing you said that now, as opposed to when you're 17..."
[She's going to be quite the little heartbreaker when she's older. She already has her dad wrapped around her finger]

3. Her: "Are you done yet?"
Me (in bathroom): "Not yet."
*waits two seconds*
Her: "Are you done yet?"
[If an adult did this, they would probably get punched...]

4. Her: "Can I pour water on your head?"
Me: "No."
Her: "Aw, c'mon, it's fun!"
{Apparently, she thinks all men are suckers as big as her dad...]

5. Her (after leaving a wet spot on my sheets from her soaked shorts): "I had an accident..."
[If I make it though the next couple months still wanting to have children, I'll apply for sainthood.]

If only I was as easily amused as she is, my world would be a lot more simple. I wanna be enthralled by the simple act of spinning in a circle for ten minutes instead of making myself ill. I wanna be entranced by cartoons on tv (wait--I already am--skip this one.). I wanna go back to a time when the most pressing responsibility I had was cleaning my room. I wanna go back to the point when I knew that adults had all the answers.

*sigh*

so wrote Leper around about 12:02 PM

 
Also, can anyone recommend a good cheap dialup service? I'm going to give copper.net one last chance, but I want alternatives.

No, AOL is not an option.
so wrote Leper around about 4:23 PM

 
Hmmm.....feeling vaguely grumpy today, not sure why.

My only major accomplishment yesterday was going grocery shopping & playing 18 holes of frisbee golf. Friday, I drive back to CR to (almost) empty my old apartment, and also managed to play frisbee golf with my close friend Perry. Tonight? Laundry. I'm forced to wear boxers, and I hate wearing boxers for anything but sleeping. Things down below tend to get smushed if they are allowed to dangle too much. Boxer briefs are much better. (Yeah, like any of you really wanted to know that, but it's my blog, I can ramble as much as I wanna!)

I will admit to feeling much more optimistic since my move. Again, not sure why. Odd day, odd mood.

Oh, and keep on flirting (this means you, Shell)! It does my ego good.
so wrote Leper around about 4:21 PM