Staring at Strangers

What Makes a Good Lawyer?

The New York Times reports on a new evaluation tool which a couple of professors at the University of Berkeley have developed that they believe can answer this question.  They even dare to challenge the LSAT exam used by most law schools to determine whether applicants are worthy or not.

Technorati Tags: University of Berkeley, LSAT, lawyer, attorney, test

When it Comes to Predictions about the Future, Believe No One

In a particularly insightful article in yesterday's New York Times, Ben Stein writes that no one can predict where the stock market is going or what political events will transpire with any kind of consistency. 

He states:

Some humans shine like dazzling stars when their predictions turn out to be true, but those same humans can’t ever be counted on to replicate the feats regularly.

Although "we cry out for someone to tell us the future, like children who want to hear the end of the story," Mr. Stein concludes that the simple truth is that "Life is deeply, terrifyingly uncertain."

Perhaps this is not something to cheer you up on a Monday morning, but it might just give you the proper amount of skepticism the next time you hear some television pundit proclaim where the economy will be six months from now or how the next election will shake out.

Technorati Tags: Ben Stein, pundit, prediction, future, politics, economy

The Sheraton’s Marquis?

Christian “Stuff White People Like” Lander will tell you that little excites white people more than finding grammatical errors in a major publication. While it’ll never be confused with The New Yorker, this morning’s The News sent a cheap thrill in this white person’s direction:

The Sheraton will darken its marquis and ask guests to close their curtains (although they will not be asked to turn off their own lights).

Technorati Tags: grammar, Sheraton Maria Isabel, Mexico City

Eric White’s Redneck Sushi. Hot Dog Heaven.

Mmm. Good. Kraft Dinner. Canned green beans. And are those what we all truly want to be—Oscar Meyer wieners?

Haute cuisine and fine art. It just doesn’t get much better’n that.

 

Technorati Tags: Eriic White, hot dog, frankfurter, redneck

Dell Computers: Maybe This is One of the Reasons Why They Aren't Doing So Well

I had a Dell laptop of mine sent out for repair under my warranty, and it got back after a couple of weeks with a little note saying that they didn't have the hard drive to replace the broken one, but that one would be on its way in a few days and that I should install it myself when it arrives. 

I wondered why they simply didn't wait for the delivery of the hard drive at the repair place and install it themselves, but the drive did arrive in just a few days, so I called up the 800 number they gave me to see if they could guide me through the entire process.

I got the Dell automated recordings, which asked a series of questions until it finally said that it was sorry, but that it couldn't provide me with free support because my warranty had run out.  However, they said that there was support that they would charge me for if I wanted to pull out my credit card.

My warranty hadn't run out, they were just reading my home phone number and matching it up with another computer I had where the warranty had run out.  So there was no way to get thru to the technical support for which I had paid on my home phone. 

"Ok," I thought, "I'll call them on my cell phone." 

I call them on my cell phone and after a series of menu choices they say that they are connecting me to technical support and that I should wait for just a few minutes. So I wait.  And wait. And wait some more. Finally, after 25 minutes a technician comes on and after a few questions apologizes because he does not give technical support on laptops, but only desktop computers.

So the guy promises me that he'll transfer me to technical support for laptops.  I have visions of the connection being lost on my cell phone which is low on its battery charge, but I can't call on my home phone because Dell won't put me thru to technical support because it thinks my warranty has expired. 

Having no choice, I wait again on my cell phone, and after only about 5 minutes a guy comes on the phone and says that he does give support for laptops.

"Alright," I think, "progress!"  Ha.

He shows me how to replace the hard drive, which was very easy to do.  Unfortunately, however, there was no operating system installed so I was going to have to install Windows XP.  He promised to stay on the line and help me thru it.

Well, I'm getting really annoyed at this point, because after 20 years of dealing with PC's, I've got a pretty good idea of what is about to happen, and I let him know exactly what that is. 

"I'm not installing the software.  You have someone from Dell do it.  All that will happen is that I will be on the phone with you for an hour and we'll try to install the software, but something mysterious will happen for which you have no explanation, and we'll try a bunch of times to get around it, but we won't be able to, and Dell will have to take care of it anyway."

Dell Guy tells me that my warranty does not cover Dell installing software, and that I shouldn't worry, it won't be too bad.

This is beginning to sound like a trip to the dentist.  But I've got the guy on the phone, so I said okay, and off we go to give it a try.

I get the Win XP CD into the laptop, press some keys, and the installation begins.  And after five minutes the screen goes completely dark.  Not blank, but dark, as in no power dark.  Yet the brick on the power cord has its green light on, and the power light on the laptop is on as well.

Dell Guy tells me to turn off the computer and try again.  I try again, and after five minutes the screen goes dark again.  Well, we spend about 15 minutes trying various things, including going into the computer bios and messing with the settings, but nothing works.

Dell Guy is amazed. "It happened just like you said," he exclaims with a bit of wonder in his voice. 

"Yea, well, after 20 years dealing with this stuff, you develop an instinct for what probably is going to happen," I replied.

But I felt bad for him, and so told him that it wasn't his fault and I appreciated him trying.  I didn't want to burst his bubble entirely.  He might have some Kafka moment, think all of life is meaningless, tell his girlfriend that he changed his mind about getting married and then go off to some cave and meditate for the rest of his life.  And then his girlfriend would hunt me down and kill me.  So my being nice to him was really in my own best interest.

As predicted, he told me that a Dell technician will have to stop by and fix the problem. 

Why is it that being smart does not always mean being better off?

Technorati Tags: Dell, repair

The Other Side of the World

If I started digging a hole in my backyard on the south side of Morelia with hopes of reaching the other side of the planet, where would I end up? Somewhere in the middle of the Indian Ocean, halfway between Madagascar and Australia. Due south of the Maldives.

Check out the Antipodes Map to see where you’d end up.

 

Technorati Tags: antipodes, map

The End of the Internet, Coming April 1, 2009

Computer experts around the world have been battling the spread of a malicious software program known as "Conficker" for several months now, and it has infected millions of computers which, when lashed together by this program, will create a powerful computer known as a botnet.  Conficker will remotely control this Frankenstein computer monster, and can use it to send spam or even bring down the Internet. 

The millions of computers infected by Conficker are  programmed to try to contact a control system for instructions on April 1, a mere 13 days away, and yet the mainstream press has given little coverage of this impending worldwide disaster.  You can read about it on page A17 of today's New York Times, or read the same article on the Times' web site here.

How serious is this threat?  Microsoft has offered a $250,000 reward for information leading to the Conficker author.  According to the NY Times article, experts say that the skills of the author are "at the leading edge of computer technology."

And get this.  When the 250 Internet domain names that Conficker was planning to use to forward its instructions to millions of infected computers were seized, the author rewrote Conficker so that it could use up to 50,000 domain names, making it virtually impossible to stop. 

What to do? Get as much Internet-related work done as possible before April 1, and on that date disconnect all of your computers from the Internet. 

Technorati Tags: Conficker, botnet, virus, computer, Internet

Everything Good is Bad for You

I deplore broccoli. The sight and smell of ham and eggs send me fleeing from the scene. If chocolate fell off the planet tomorrow, I’d shrug. But I could perform unspeakable acts of depravity for marzipan. And I’d sell my soul for ginger, Coca-Cola Light (a.k.a. Diet Coke in other parts of the world), garlic, and beef, although not necessarily in that order. 

I’m sick and tired of the politically correct gang placing the blame for the world’s woes on beef cattle, tobacco, caffeine, guns, and other fun and necessary drugs. These folks could use a few more doses of trans-fats to offset the wimp factor of their tofu and polyester. Did they ever consider that the preservatives in a single Hostess Twinkie also act to preserve and prolong the lives of the humans? Don’t get me started on the matter of “organic.” Garbage and dog feces are organic, too.

You’ll find out soon enough that we are right, and you are wrong.

 

Technorati Tags: food paranoia

A Letter From a Granddad

Guess you heard that 68% of the youth vote went to Obama. My 20 yr old granddaughter called this morning to tell me she was one of them. I replied with this e-mail:

My Dear Susan,

The election of Obama comes down to this. Your grandmother and I, your mother, and other productive, wage-earning tax payers will have their taxes increased and that means less income left over. Less income means we will have to cut back on basic purchases, gifts and handouts. That includes firing the Hispanic lady who cleans our house twice a month. She just lost her job. We can't afford her anymore.

What is the economic effect of Obama's election on you personally? Over the years, your grandmother and I have given you thousands of dollars in food, housing, cash, clothing, gifts, etc. By your vote, you have chosen another family over ours for help.

So in the future, if you need assistance with your rent, money for gas, tires for your car, someone to bring you lunch, etc. ... call 202-456-1111.
That's the telephone number for the Office of the President of the United States . I'm sure Mr. Obama will be happy to send a check from his personal or business accounts, as we have, or leave cash in an envelope taped to his front door for you, as we have.

It's like this. Those who vote for the President of the United States should consider what the impact of an election will be on the nation as a whole and not just be concerned with what they can get for themselves (welfare, stimulus checks, etc.). What Obama voters don't seem to realize is that the government's money comes from taxes collected from tax paying families. Raising taxes on productive people means they will have less money to spend on their families.
Congratulations on your choice. For future reference, you might attempt to add up all you've received from us, your mom, Mike's parents and others and compare it to what you expect to get over the next four years from Mr. Obama.
To congratulate Mr. Obama and to make sure you're on the list for handouts, write to:

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington , DC 20500

Love you Susan, but call the number listed above when you need help.
Take Care!

Love,
Granddad

 

Technorati Tags: depression, Obama, rape of the taxpayer

Introducing the Fastest Web Browser

I've been fooling around with Apple's latest version of its Safari browser (version 4, beta) on my PC, and it's an absolute speed demon!  Web sites that take several seconds to download under Microsoft's Internet Explorer download in a blink of the eye with the Safari browser. 

Apple just released this new version and you can download it for free for your PC or Apple computer here.

Have fun!

Technorati Tags: Apple, Safari, browser, speed, fast