My Ex-Lover said: "One tends to forget useless things", I said... "What's your name again?"

I love this article by John C. Dvorak, in particular because I agree with him. The iPhone will be a flop and we will look at this article and say "John was right". Of course, some people will nitpick and point out minutia where Dvorak, and I, were wrong. But who cares? The iPhone will pass, like the Treo, RAZR and so many others before it. And, in the middle of it, Gabriel sends word that most Ausralians are: "family-minded, middle-aged manager(s)" and very few are "ambitious young men trying to make their mark." Interesting.

Go and check to see if Dave Winer is blogging or has stopped as he said he would do last year.

Venezuela is number 83rd in technological prowess... I think I am responsible for a couple of those spots

About the only thing that could make my site go completely dark now is a several hour blackout in the building where it's at (undisclosed location). Theoretically this shouldn't be but for a few hours (minus the 45 minutes that my UPS currently lasts). In theory, I would be without electric light and, hence, in a bigger problem than just a site blackout. Well, the difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference... Yesterday someone stole the ground cable of one of the phases of the building, the electric company took hours to repair it (almost 12). In the meantime my UPS went dead about an hour and a half after the theft, placing it at 11:30am and my server went, gracefully out at that time. since UPS would recharge my server may have come back for short periods later on. At any rate, since the electric company belongs to the government, I can officially say that my site went out by (in)action of the Venezuelan government...

Even though I have nothing to do with Kathy Sierra or the insults and threats that got thrown at her, I feel I must speak in disgust. First of all, because it happened in a site (meankids, now down) that pertains to be anarchism, but anarchism doesn't mean violence and disorder. If anarchism means anything is that of the three principles of the French revolution (Equality, Liberty, Fraternity) it puts Fraternity as the most important one (while Socialism puts equality and Liberalism puts Liberty in the top spot). The main thing about anarchism is that people have a right to feel right about the live they are living, for that you have to reduce the input of oppressive governments and institutions and change the way some people behave. Teach that Fraternity is what makes civilization, not laws or economics. The site in question was not anarchist it was mean spirited and useless. Second point hits also close to home. A lot of the threats, I understand, where place in comments, and I feel some people will start back with the idea that comments are bad. Comments are okey, but they have to be moderated. The moderation should be light, but it should include deleting anything illegal, insulting, or off-topic. You can't create a conversation with morons yelling stuff. This is not a free speech issue. Free speech can only be stifled by the government (go read the first amendment: Congress shall make no law... ). It is a question of common sense and for that there is no amendment. Sorry Kathy, but soldier on. This too will pass.

Dave asks about Userland and Radio, I have to answer... Personally I think Userland has lost all its value. I felt betrayed and robbed by the lack of support of Radio. To me Userland die last year when I changed from it to a customized system. I wrote several posts about how bad I got treated by Userland... responses? zero. It is very clear that when you, John and Robert left the company the company stop functioning as such. People are suffering from the lack of support the quirkiness of the comment system (try to write a comment with the word Socialism in it), I just tell them to move on. I don't think anyone can save the company now.

I remember a time when the techno press would fawn over any piece of crap that Microsoft made and then make terribly unfair comparison with Apple products. Oh boy, the tables have turned! At that time I was accused of being a blind Apple fanboy, full of zealotry that didn't allowed me to see what was so obvious: Microsoft could do no wrong even while it was screwing big time. Well, now I guess I'll be accused of being a Microsoft fanboy. Two reviews of the AppleTV came out today. One by Walter Mossberg in the Wall Street Journal (paid subscription required so no link love, but if you want to read it send me an email and I'll send it to you. How's that subscription business working out, guys? ) and the other by David Pogue in The New York Times (subscription required but you can use BugMeNot ). Both reviews make a huge mistake when talking about the Xbox 360. You see, the only thing that Apple TV does is allow you to watch the shows you buy from the iTunes Music Store (silly name for a store that sells videos, isn't it? ) and play them on your TV. The Xbox 360 allows you to play any video in your computer (provided it is in the right format), including those bought in the other video stores out there. In the NYT review the price for the Xbox 360 is put at 400$, but that's the price of the most expensive Xbox 360! The excuse given is that the Apple TV has a (useless) hard disk (40GB), and the most expensive Xbox 360 has a 20GB hard drive only. He also complains later that the 360 doesn't have Wireless connectivity out of the box (it cost a whooping 100$ extra). But wait! The 360 has a DVD player that the Apple TV doesn't have, plus you can buy TV shows and rent movies directly (with the Apple TV you can't, because Steve Job does not understand the TV business as well as he understand the music and movie business). If you include the games is pretty obvious that the cheapest 360 is roughly equivalent to the Apple TV (I would say it's a lot more useful, but since you do need to pay for most games, I'll say roughly equivalent). Mossberg put the price of an Xbox 360 at more than 50% higher than the Apple TV (probably because he is including the wireless adapter). But when this guy complained, Walter Mossberg just flame him saying that he hadn't read the article careful enough! Fanaticism is bad, lies are bad too... Do yourself a favor and don't buy an Apple TV, buy an Xbox 360 instead. Buy the Core system and upgrade it slowly. Yes, it will be more expensive, but also it would do so much more! Let's face it: Apple blew this one.

Stupid things people have said in court:

Q: Did you blow your horn or anything?
A: After the accident?
Q: Before the accident.
A: Sure, I played for ten years. I even went to school for it.

Q: Were you present when your picture was taken?

Q: Did he kill you?

Q: How many times have you committed suicide?

Q: You say the stairs went down to the basement?
A: Yes.
Q: And these stairs, did they go up also?

Q: How was your first marriage terminated?
A: By death.
Q: And by whose death was it terminated?

Q: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
A: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.

Q: All your responses must be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
A: Oral.

Q: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
A: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
Q: And Mr. Dennington was dead at the time?
A: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy.

Q: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
A: No.
Q: Did you check for blood pressure?
A: No.
Q: Did you check for breathing?
A: No.
Q: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
A: No.
Q: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
A: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
Q: But could the patient have still been alive nevertheless?
A: It is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law somewhere.

Q: You were not shot in the fracas?
A: No, I was shot midway between the fracas and the navel.

That somewhere something is eclipsing our sun at this very moment?

This is the answer to my complain from GrandCentral:

Sorry for the inconvenience, we currently are only allowing US sign up because we’re in beta and we really want to limit the usage to people that are located in the US. I believe I had you in chat, and I do apologize for not suggesting at that time to have someone or myself sign you up for an account. It’s just that we got completely swamped with the NY Times article. I have more time now if you want me to sign you up now? I’ll be happy to help, again sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused. I’ll be waiting for your response.

They really do not get it, do they? My point was that being outside the US is different from living outside the US! You still need a US phone number, don't you? She offered to open an account so it means they really do not mind... What's the point?

It has always impressed me how people that should live for objectiveness, people like journalists or stock analysts, for which being objective is the key to profit point (presumably), fail to be objective in a complete and unfair subjective way. I was reminded of this by this article about Apple. After years of trying to explain to people that Apple was not as lost as they thought, now Apple can do no wrong! That's how we get this article, published on March 15, talking about how wonderful Apple is and how amazing its products are, mentioning Apple TV, a product that will ship mid march.. Huh? It is mid march! And the Apple TV hasn't shipped yet. Not only that but originally the Apple TV was offered for February delivery. So, here it is a company that is not performing well. That not only fails to deliver a mediocre product on time, a product for which already there are better and cheaper options. Apple has screwed this one big time and what does it get from the press?... a pass!

Who would have thunk that was the solution to all our problems? Economist are so dumb!

Can twist a headline like this: Hamilton outshines Raikkonen win. Compared with the Spanish and Italian versions.

Amazing! Kimi not only finishes but wins the first race! I lost my bet. What does it mean? Well, first it may mean that Ferrari is more reliable than McLaren was last year, it may mean that Kimi has matured and learn how to drive a car to the finisg line, we won't know until later this year. But both McLaren finished the race, with Alonso providing one of his usual "if you can't win be consistent" performance and Lewis Hamilton having a great debut. Kimi race is amazing, it isn't easy for a driver to win the first race in a new car, in a new team. Are the McLaren more reliable than last year or just lucky? For now the only thing we can be sure of is that Alonso, the overwhelming favorite, will start with a handicap in points. Another salient feature of the race was Massa's amazing effort from 22nd to 6th. That may show the real state of Ferrari in this new times of single marquee tires. BMW did not delivered on the promise and Renault proved to be a team built around a driver they no longer have. Which brings me to my negative comment on the race. The elephant in the room that nobody is mentioning: Team orders. Does anyone really think that Alonso's pit overtake of Hamilton wasn't manufactured by McLaren and ordered by Ron Denis? I prefer the openness of the previous year in Ferrari rather than the unbelievable hypocrisy of this new "no first driver" era.

But he has Alonso at his heels. Massa couldn't qualify. First racers are weird. How weird? Sato is 10th! Right beside Ralf Schumacher,unfortunately, the only Schumy left...

When I was asked to make this address I wondered what I had to say to you boys who are graduating. And I think I have one thing to say. If you wish to be useful, never take a course that will silence you. Refuse to learn anything that implies collusion, whether it be a clerkship or a curacy, a legal fee or a post in a university. Retain the power of speech no matter what other power you may lose. If you can take this course, and in so far as you take it, you will bless this country. In so far as you depart from this course, you become dampers, mutes, and hooded executioners.

As a practical matter, a mere failure to speak out upon occassions where no statement is asked or expect from you, and when the utterance of an uncalled for suspicion is odious, will often hold you to a concurrence in palpable iniquity. Try to raise a voice that will be heard from here to Albany and watch what comes forward to shut off the sound. It is not a German sergeant, nor a Russian officer of the precinct. It is a note from a friend of your father's, offering you a place at his office. This is your warning from the secret police. Why, if you any of young gentleman have a mind to make himself heard a mile off, you must make a bonfire of your reputations, and a close enemy of most men who would wish you well.

I have seen ten years of young men who rush out into the world with their messages, and when they find how deaf the world is, they think they must save their strength and wait. They believe that after a while they will be able to get up on some little eminence from which they can make themselves heard. "In a few years," reasons one of them, "I shall have gained a standing, and then I shall use my powers for good." Next year comes and with it a strange discovery. The man has lost his horizon of thought, his ambition has evaporated; he has nothing to say. I give you this one rule of conduct. Do what you will, but speak out always. Be shunned, be hated, be ridiculed, be scared, be in doubt, but don't be gagged. The time of trial is always. Now is the appointed time.

John J. Chapman
Commencement Address to the Graduating Class of Hobart College, 1900

(republished in The Cluetrain Manifesto )

This sounded great. GrandCentral presumably offers a single phone number that will ring in several phones you could also have a unified mailbox and even configure special greetings for your callers. The features sounded amazing, perhaps too good to be true. I thought that it would be great to unified my Skype number, my VOIP office number, and my cell phone number, all american numbers. Well, since I'm currently out of the US they decided I couldn't do it. How stupid do you have to be to associate where you are to where you live to where you are from? Very stupid indeed. There is no way out (even iTunes has a way out) and all for what? There is zero risk in letting someone from outside the US to register. If they don't have a US phone number the service just won't work! Stupid indeed. I started to suspect the service was crap and to prove it I sent them feedback stating my situation. They claim to respond before 24 hours, they have not responded. Beware, phone service is too important to be left to morons. Avoid GrandCentral

You can't handle Weird!

So, a guy comes to me in the street and says: "Are you Alfredo Octavio?", I told him that I am. He looks relieved and tells me:"Man! It has been so difficult to contact you! I must have sent dozens of emails from different addresses. When you fail to answer each and every one of them I decided to travel all the way from Nigeria! Well, never mind that. Here is the check for 25 Million dollars that we wanted to give you. When you cash it, send our five percent commission to this account. Keep the rest. Nice doing business with you! And check that email account from time to time!" I say "What? What is this all about?", he sighs and says:"Let me start from the beginning... I am the first son of the late Mobutu Sese Seko, the former President of the Congo Republic..."

"The Government that censors the Internet, shall have no Google and no Yahoo, such a government can only be called a tyranny"
- Simón Bolívar

(Yes, he was really ahead of his time)

... they are rated Arrgh! LOL. Sometimes I crack myself right up!

Pick a Number, Any Number (Registration required, use Bug Me Not )

"No person would confess at a dinner party to having never heard of Shakespeare. No one boasts of being unable to write a paragraph. When the subject is mathematics, however, discretion flies out the window. I have listened to public intellectuals and university faculty members unapologetically announce that they cannot manage elementary arithmetic computations and are happily ignorant of algebra and geometry."

He says so himself right here.