pew-pew
GUESS WHAT JUST OPENED IN RICHMOND
fashion firm makes cheeky SFW porn ad
“Ask yourself: how has “elitism” become a bad word in American politics? There is simply…”
“Bush’s claim to Bob Woodward that he consulted a “higher Father” before going to…”
“I’m sure she washes her vagina with a dirtier vagina.”
—–Original Message—–
From: Jim Kubicek [mailto:jkubicek@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2008 10:31 AM
To: Steve Ballmer
Subject: Why doesn’t Microsoft make their own computers?
Morning Steve, I really enjoyed your SXSW chat with Guy. Something I’ve been wondering about for a while now is why Microsoft doesn’t build and sell it’s own desktop/laptop systems, or at the very least somehow restrict PC makers from requiring tons of crapware in order to use their product.
This point recently hit home when I tried to reformat my IBM Thinkpad.
The entire reformat process was hours and hours of installing IBM programs to install IBM drivers and IBM wireless access software and on and on and on. I’ve been told by friends that the Sony Viao process is even more tedious and ill-designed.
I realize that this hassle is completely IBM’s fault (or Sony’s fault), but it negatively colors the entire Windows experience. I buy a MacBook, turn it on and it just works. I buy an XBox, turn it on and it just works. I buy a Thinkpad and it comes stuffed with 500 MB of poorly designed software that just replicates features that are already built into Windows.
Thanks!
Jim
To quote Ballmer from AppleInsider
Among the changes he proposed were a shift in relations with Microsoft hardware vendors designed to mimic the experience offered by Apple’s tightly-controlled Mac platform. Likewise, he called for a similar approach in the mobile phone arena, vouching to create “great end-to-end experiences” akin to that of Apple’s closed ecosystem, where it maintains tight control of nearly every aspect of a product’s design.
Glad to see that Big Steve is amenable to a little advice from dissatisfied customers. Oh, and for what it’s worth, he didn’t respond personally to my email, but he did forward it to Ari Bixhorn. I looked to see who this guy is, but can’t find a reference to him. I seem to remember him being a high-up, though.
“…how can Democrats learn to see—let alone respect—a moral order they regard as narrow-minded,…”
“Stephanie: Stop staring… it’s making me self conscious. Me: At least I wasn’t…”
Uh oh, the b-tards got their hands on Google’s Chrome comic
Palin: wrong woman, wrong message
“I’m not sure what the exact definition of geek is, but I think “enjoys recharging…”
: One flash, waist high. 5 Second exposure at f/18. This was…
“While it’s technically possible to get drop shadows on Windows windows, it comes at an…”
It’s because of douchebags like Jim Wooten and his essay entitled “Our values[sic] reflected[sic] in those[sic] of Palin”
People in the small towns where she grew up, “love their country, in good times and bad, and they’re always proud of America.” It’s not conditional love. It’s not love based on whether we behave and believe as others wish. It’s lasting and unconditional.
How many issues today are caused by a blind allegiance to the United States of America? Would we have drifted so far off our path if a significant percentage of our population was incapable of believing that their precious country to do wrong?
This same blindness leads to the mountains of praise being heaped upon Palin. There is no rational reason for someone to support Palin unless they, as so many do, believe that their party can do no wrong. McCain is always right. If McCain chose her, she MUST be the best possible candidate.
It’s not that there aren’t these sorts of folks on the left. There are hundreds of “if it’s organic is must be better!” retards out there, too. The only difference? They haven’t been running our fucking country into the ground for the last 8 years.
Caution: Don’t read that article unless you want to become enraged at the blatant stupidity contained within.
“fight fight fight fight fight fight fight”
Here’s the Democrats and Republicans.
(via Conscientious)
I’ve been taking pictures for years. I wouldn’t call myself a photographer, more like a dude with a camera. I’ve also been posting my pictures on my website in that time. I do very little editing: I remove pictures that are totally black or totally washed out, I remove pictures that are way too blurry, I remove pictures that make my close friends look like retards (sometimes)… but that’s about it. Everything else goes online.
The problem with an approach like this is that it’s tedious for people who aren’t my close friends (or weren’t at that specific party) to wade through pages and pages of photos.
A few years ago, my friend Mike suggested that I get a flickr account and use it to host only my best shots.
Honestly…I felt guilty about this for a long time. If I’m good at taking pictures, shouldn’t every one I take be a keeper? Why should I need to edit my pics?
Turns out, pros probably erase more photos in a year then I’ll take in my entire life. I mean, just watch these videos of Gerry Winogrand, dude goes through film like I go through PBR.
Part 1:
Part 2:
Mike’s advice was further validated today when I saw this blog today from 37 Signals. Matt talks about how he was once taught that if you get one good shot from a roll (for those younguns, you used to buy this stuff called “film” that came on “rolls”. You would pull out a little bit and put it into your camera and…. forget it. Go ask your parents).
To quote Matt from 37 signals:
What if these people picked out the five best shots instead? The five photos that are the cream of the crop. The five that undeniably kick ass. Then the whole thing shifts. Instead of it being a chore to see how their vacation went, it becomes a pleasure.
It’s true! I can post a link to my picture galleries on 100 different blogs and nobody gives a shit, but I pick out that one picture out of 100 that isn’t boring as hell and all of a sudden people pay attention.
And on that note, I think I’m going to go through my flickr account and remove the least interesting images. This way, when I send someone a link to my site it makes me look like a total badass. Though, to be honest, I really like some of those images. Screw those assholes if they don’t like my photo.
Jon Stewart points out some mild hypocrisy from some cable news talking heads.
Alex set up his camera on our roof deck and had it take a frame every 5 seconds all afternoon. Technical details are on his site. The only thing I’d like to add is that at one point I knock over my glass and shatter it on the deck. The period when Stephanie is all alone up on the roof (and decides to take a nap) is when Alex and I were downstairs fixing new drinks and grabbing a broom for the broken glass.
Time Lapse Roof Deck from Jim Kubicek on Vimeo.
