vmware, UPS, Kippers, larry craig, Ig Nobel, blackwater

[9/29/2007 10:22:05 AM] pD says: say, where is my care package?

[9/29/2007 10:22:16 AM] pD says: btw, how did the new t-shirt come out?

[9/29/2007 10:22:31 AM] pD says: can you score me a couple, i am running low on t-shirts

[10/1/2007 10:22:38 AM] pD says: good day everyone, hope the end of quarter push has not been too brutal

[10/2/2007 2:14:30 PM] pD says: huh, hello?

[10/2/2007 2:15:53 PM] nsy says: well, i guess that answers your question about the end of quarter push

[10/2/2007 2:17:32 PM] pD says: so, it is brutal?

[10/2/2007 2:17:54 PM] pD says: i think we had this conversation a while back, why not create an image that is need to be plugged into?

[10/2/2007 2:18:05 PM] pD is asking for trouble...

[10/2/2007 2:43:10 PM] nsy says: i must have missed that one, sorry. what kind of image?

[10/2/2007 2:43:43 PM] pD says: ? what are you referring ot?

[10/2/2007 2:43:58 PM] nsy says: "why not create an image that is need to be plugged into"

[10/2/2007 2:44:24 PM] pD says: a HD image, i meant

[10/2/2007 2:45:56 PM] nsy says: i missed the backstory, sorry.

[10/2/2007 2:46:09 PM] nsy says: we're doing vmware now

[10/2/2007 2:46:31 PM] pD says: hahahah! this is a bit confusing for me as well

[10/2/2007 2:46:38 PM] pD says: the true spirit of NSA chatters, no doubt

[10/2/2007 2:46:45 PM] nsy says: so, lets start a new one!

[10/2/2007 2:47:01 PM] nsy says: how's everything in the land of leapers

[10/2/2007 2:47:09 PM] pD says: so, i was just wondering out loud about creating a HD image for the appliance, so the assembly process is more streamlined.

[10/2/2007 2:47:22 PM] nsy says: aaaah

[10/2/2007 2:47:42 PM] pD says: as for VMware, has A gone that way? i thought NJ has some reservatino on that idea, or was it YE who was not sure about it

[10/2/2007 2:48:22 PM] pD says: in any case, for the uninformed (moi), VMware seems to add one extra layer of variables into the equation. not sure if it is a good diea

[10/2/2007 2:48:24 PM] pD says: idea

[10/2/2007 2:49:14 PM] pD says: life in the leper colony is a bit slow

[10/2/2007 2:49:38 PM] nsy says: well, somewhere the software would have to be added to the drive anyway - so we talked about having PC connection do that, but there are some custom processes needed for adding drivers to the 250, and they seem to drop the ball on some things, so we don;t trust them yet.

[10/2/2007 2:50:06 PM] nsy says: yeah, vmware was a suprise to us too. but someone wanted it, and they installed it.

[10/2/2007 2:54:48 PM] pD says: who installed it? was it done from SG directly? Frank said soemthing about he has done it before.

[10/2/2007 2:56:36 PM] nsy says: yeah, it was FB and SG

[10/2/2007 5:02:35 PM] pD says: when would the madness subside? i can come back then. no need to be a nuiance...

[10/3/2007 12:19:09 PM] pD says: UPS 19 FedEx 5

[10/3/2007 12:23:38 PM] nsy says: what are the stocks looking like?...

[10/3/2007 12:27:23 PM] pD says: no idea, don't even know their symbols

[10/3/2007 12:28:36 PM] pD says: UPS - ticker UPS - $75.5 - day range 76.19-75.23 - 52 week 79.22 - 68.66

[10/3/2007 12:29:04 PM] AE says: http://finance.google.com/finance?q=fdx%2C+ups&hl=en

[10/3/2007 12:29:42 PM] pD says: FedEx - ticker FDX - $105.11 - day range 106.38 - 104.58 - 52 weeks 121.42-99.30

[10/3/2007 12:30:47 PM] AE says: fedex has increased in value 3000% since it's inception!

[10/3/2007 12:31:05 PM] nsy says: nice!

[10/3/2007 12:33:14 PM] pD says: but, for the last 12 months, both have lagged S&P500 and the technical indicators are not looking favorable

[10/3/2007 12:33:58 PM] nsy says: http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/04/09/ups-vs-fedex-battle-of-the-brands/

[10/3/2007 12:34:18 PM] nsy says: anything untoward

[10/3/2007 12:38:04 PM] pD says: fascinating article

[10/3/2007 12:38:15 PM] pD says: how about an image of the brown

[10/3/2007 12:38:45 PM] pD says: i never quite got the adverts where the office workers oggle at the man in brown

[10/3/2007 12:38:51 PM] pD says: since it is clearly not the uniform that attracts

[10/3/2007 12:39:05 PM] nsy says: hi!

[10/3/2007 12:39:20 PM] pD says: and, unless UPS thinks that they are just a bunch of pretty boys, what is the connection

[10/3/2007 12:39:58 PM] nsy says: i don't know - my fiend had a big crush on her UPS guy for a while

[10/3/2007 12:40:39 PM] pD says: on a related note, let's do an UPS style ad where the delivery person is a dominatrix and all the office workers are nerdy guys in glasses "wanting to be punished" - that would be funny...

[10/3/2007 12:40:42 PM] pD says: hi nsy

[10/3/2007 12:50:07 PM] nsy says: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1995/vp950220/02170010.htm

[10/3/2007 12:51:51 PM] pD says: very disturbing

[10/3/2007 12:52:54 PM] nsy says: indeed

[10/3/2007 12:57:10 PM] pD says: another flick idea - how about an ad on brown *pants*, a delivery person was chased on crazed office workers and brown his pants...

[10/3/2007 12:58:57 PM] nsy says: LOL!

[10/3/2007 1:00:11 PM] nsy says: i bet we could get Troma films to produce that

[10/3/2007 1:00:56 PM] nsy says: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troma_Entertainment

[10/4/2007 9:31:43 AM] pD says: UPS 17 FedEx 1

[10/4/2007 9:32:11 AM] pD says: btw, i think there is an UPS depot/DS around muffet.237, that is why i see a lot of them

[10/4/2007 9:32:24 AM] pD says: btw, whre is my care pakcage?

[10/4/2007 12:48:51 PM] pD says: new buzz word

[10/4/2007 12:48:56 PM] pD says: Kippers – Kids In Parents’ Pockets Eroding Retirement Savings.

[10/5/2007 9:27:43 AM] pD says: UPS 2 Fed 1 - must be a slow day

[10/5/2007 9:27:58 AM] pD says: just heard that Larry Craig ain't resigning from Senate

[10/5/2007 9:28:01 AM] pD says: yes!

[10/5/2007 9:28:22 AM] pD says: this whole public bathroom thing is just silly

[10/5/2007 9:28:49 AM] pD says: it is his wife's problem, not a public issue

[10/5/2007 9:35:50 AM] nsy says: like how clinton's thing was just hillary's problem?

[10/5/2007 9:36:00 AM] pD says: more or less

[10/5/2007 9:36:24 AM] pD says: it sure ain't no political issue as far as i am concerned

[10/5/2007 9:36:47 AM] pD says: unless, larry craig has a specific promise that if he is gay, he would resign

[10/5/2007 9:37:07 AM] pD says: but, even then, it really is an issue of his integrity than anything else

[10/5/2007 9:37:46 AM] pD says: on that note, I am happy to say that News Hour of PBS did not have a single minute of Monica-gate coverage during that whole time

[10/5/2007 9:38:14 AM] pD says: talk about sensational yellow journalism

[10/5/2007 9:38:26 AM] pD says: or, the complete opposite, i should say

[10/5/2007 12:26:42 PM] nsy says: no coverage - wow

[10/5/2007 1:38:36 PM] pD says: yeah, they rock!

[10/5/2007 1:59:30 PM] pD says: Gay bomb! That is brilliant!!

2007 Ig Nobel Winners

Peace - The US Air Force Wright Laboratory for instigating research and development on a chemical weapon that would provoke widespread homosexual behaviour among enemy troops.

Medicine - Brian Witcombe, of Gloucestershire Royal NHS Foundation Trust, UK, and Dan Meyer for their probing work on the health consequences of swallowing a sword.

Physics - A US-Chile team who ironed out the problem of how sheets become wrinkled.

Biology - Dr Johanna van Bronswijk of the Netherlands for carrying out a creepy crawly census of all of the mites, insects, spiders, ferns and fungi that share our beds.

Chemistry - Mayu Yamamoto, from Japan, for developing a method to extract vanilla fragrance and flavouring from cow dung.

Linguistics - A University of Barcelona team for showing that rats are unable to tell the difference between a person speaking Japanese backwards and somebody speaking Dutch backwards.

Literature - Glenda Browne of Blue Mountains, Australia, for her study of the word "the", and how it can flummox those trying to put things into alphabetical order.

Nutrition - Brian Wansink of Cornell University for investigating the limits of human appetite by feeding volunteers a self-refilling, "bottomless" bowl of soup.

Economics - Kuo Cheng Hsieh of Taiwan for patenting a device that can catch bank robbers by dropping a net over them.

Aviation - A National University of Quilmes, Argentina, team for discovering that impotency drugs can help hamsters to recover from jet lag.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7026150.stm

[10/5/2007 2:02:31 PM] AE says: hahahahahaha! Jetlagged hampsters! That would be a good name for a rock group!

[10/5/2007 2:03:00 PM] pD says: gay bomb - that would be my choice

[10/5/2007 2:06:55 PM] AE says: maybe they could come up with a bomb that made politicians ethical.

[10/5/2007 2:07:13 PM] pD says: for that to work, you have to make it deadly...

[10/5/2007 2:11:41 PM] AE says: then drop that on capitol center and watch chaos ensue

[10/5/2007 2:12:02 PM] AE says: what, you're saying it's not possible to make?

[10/5/2007 2:12:34 PM] pD says: actually, if you drop it on capitol, then peace will start breaking out!

[10/5/2007 2:13:15 PM] pD says: but, seirously, politicians only represent the interests of the voters for the most part. so, unless you are advocating benevelent dictatorship like Singapore, it is awfully hard...

[10/5/2007 2:17:04 PM] AE says: i believe that's too naive a view, that politicians only represent the intrests of voters. too commonly, they represent the intrests of who is speaking with the most money.

[10/5/2007 2:18:05 PM] pD says: that is a fair qualification. but, that is assuming that there is enough disparity in income/assets. which, often is not a sufficient condition outside of the US

[10/5/2007 2:18:43 PM] pD says: for example, most of the conflicts on the news, has to do with president so-and-so doing something untoward to another group

[10/5/2007 2:18:53 PM] pD says: (seomtimes the majority in headcount)

[10/5/2007 2:19:23 PM] pD says: and, president so-and-so is really representing the will of his voter/people

[10/5/2007 2:19:28 PM] AE says: ah, see, i was thinking in my USA-Centric view.

[10/5/2007 2:19:46 PM] pD says: even in the US, i think it is not fair to assume money automtically wins

[10/5/2007 2:20:00 PM] pD says: after all republican always get more money in absolute terms than democrats

[10/5/2007 2:20:05 PM] pD says: but, republicans do not always win

[10/5/2007 2:20:07 PM] AE says: true. but the underlying current is there.

[10/5/2007 2:20:25 PM] pD says: oh, nobody will deny how important/helpful money is, but that is just one of the variables

[10/5/2007 2:20:43 PM] pD says: and, i think if you peel back all the issues, the money is to win elections/positions/power

[10/5/2007 2:20:54 PM] pD says: and, ultimately, it is derived from votes

[10/5/2007 2:21:23 PM] pD says: so, you still have to pander to the voters whose votes you want

[1:25:25 PM] pD says: a little background on the founder of Blackwater. pretty interesting guy...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/08/washington/08prince.html?th&emc=th

[1:58:14 PM] nsy says: all that by age 38, wow

[2:00:08 PM] pD says: yeah, gotta give it to him

[2:00:20 PM] pD says: surely, he has all the connections, but he made it work for him.

[2:01:58 PM] nsy says: all these families and corporations. i wonder who really runs the world...

[2:02:38 PM] pD says: not you or me

[2:02:46 PM] pD says: you know what they say about a card game

[2:02:57 PM] pD says: if you don't know who is the sucker....

[2:10:46 PM] nsy says: ha, strangely, i had never heard that one, so i guess it IS me. hahaha

[2:13:18 PM] pD says: this is one of the self-preservation principles that i subscrube to

[2:13:29 PM] pD says: very cynical, but seems universally true

Care package, end of the world, FedEx, kids, norman hsu, pets, throwing food, UPS, mother teresa, 300, Rome

[9/21/2007 9:32:23 AM] pD says: UPS 9 FedEx 6 today

[9/21/2007 9:32:34 AM] pD says: this is a new game for pD...

[9/21/2007 9:52:10 AM] AE says: deliveries?

[9/21/2007 9:52:29 AM] AE says: none from us yet. i found some floss, but no toothpicks.

[9/21/2007 10:01:25 AM] pD says: i would be most concerned if you also found toothpicks since they would not be mine

[9/21/2007 10:01:54 AM] pD says: cool! are you guys actually collecting the korean candies? do not think there are many left back when

[9/21/2007 10:02:20 AM] nsy says: there's only a handful left

[9/21/2007 10:04:01 AM] pD says: end of the world as we know it

[9/21/2007 10:04:16 AM] pD says: no more kim-chic!

[9/21/2007 10:14:46 AM] nsy says: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGqroT1FZ5Y



[9/21/2007 10:15:56 AM] nsy says: in case you're wondering what the heck they said: http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/R-e-m/It-s-The-End-Of-The-World-As-We-Know-It-And-I-Feel-Fine.html

[9/21/2007 10:16:34 AM] AE says: It's the end of this song if we're lucky.

[9/21/2007 10:16:42 AM] AE says: (that's the Weird Al Version)

[9/21/2007 10:19:39 AM] pD says: are they, R E M, too fan of korean green tea candies? did not know!

[9/21/2007 10:19:46 AM] AE says: http://www.ugoplayer.com/music/endoftheworld.html

[9/21/2007 1:09:26 PM] pD says: what is the story with the norman hsu dude - why does he feel compelled to give so much money to the democrats?

[9/21/2007 1:09:45 PM] pD says: what he did is plainly illegal, but i have not heard any explanation on why he is doing it...

[9/21/2007 1:11:34 PM] pD says: from the NY Times, i thought having connections via chocolate and beer is way ahead of most other ethnic tensions that i am aware of... QUOTATION OF THE DAY -

"We are two different nations, an artificial state
created as a buffer between big powers, and we have
nothing in common except a king, chocolate and beer."

- FILIP DEWINTER, the leader of a right-wing Flemish party, on Belgium's ethnic tensions.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/21/world/europe/21belgium.html?th&emc=th

[9/21/2007 1:25:49 PM] AE says: hmm... chocolate beer...

[9/24/2007 9:30:50 AM] pD says: UPS 11 FedEx 1 this morning

[9/24/2007 10:36:10 AM] nsy says: are you still counting trucks?

[9/24/2007 10:36:34 AM] pD says: apparently

[9/24/2007 10:36:52 AM] pD says: just one more things to keep me occupied while driving

[9/24/2007 10:37:02 AM] AE says: we'll have to send our care package via dhl then...

[9/24/2007 10:37:17 AM] pD says: i would get very confused.

[9/24/2007 10:37:19 AM] pD says: good idea

[9/24/2007 10:39:29 AM] AE says: are you counting deliveries? or trucks you see on the way to work?

[9/24/2007 10:42:35 AM] pD says: only trucks that is going the opposite direction that i am going

[9/24/2007 10:43:33 AM] nsy says: interesting gauge - why only opposite direction?

[9/24/2007 10:43:51 AM] pD says: because in the traffic, i will always see the same two UPS trucks in front of me...

[9/24/2007 11:12:11 AM] nsy says: http://www.flickr.com/photos/maisonbisson/1303521019/

[9/24/2007 11:38:11 AM] pD says: here is a question for AE

[9/24/2007 11:38:38 AM] pD says: at what point does a kid stop throwing food?

[9/24/2007 11:43:45 AM] AE says: oh... we're supposed to stop?

[9/24/2007 11:43:51 AM] AE says: uh... 40?

[9/24/2007 11:44:17 AM] pD says: ok, not the animal house sort of throwing food

[9/24/2007 11:44:28 AM] AE says: are they throwing it because they're done eating/ bored?

[9/24/2007 11:44:31 AM] AE says: or because they don't like it?

[9/24/2007 11:44:41 AM] pD says: anyway, the little boss has a tendency to throw things that he does not want to eat

[9/24/2007 11:44:56 AM] pD says: not even not liking it, sometimes, it is food that he usually eats, but may not strike his mood?

[9/24/2007 11:45:12 AM] pD says: at this age, there is no reasoning with him - which I accept

[9/24/2007 11:45:20 AM] pD says: so, i just want to calibrate a bit here

[9/24/2007 11:45:43 AM] AE says: yeah. my kids tended to smear their food around if they didn't like it or they were not really hungry.

[9/24/2007 11:46:08 AM] pD says: any suggestion?

[9/24/2007 11:46:09 AM] AE says: small amounts of different things are always best.

[9/24/2007 11:46:11 AM] pD says: to be honest

[9/24/2007 11:46:16 AM] AE says: what do you feed him?

[9/24/2007 11:46:21 AM] pD says: i am just tired of having to mop the floor after each session

[9/24/2007 11:46:45 AM] pD says: we feed him adult food for the most part. he does get puree veggie so he gets enough green

[9/24/2007 11:48:22 AM] pD says: my goal, admittedly selfish, is for the little boss to put aside the things that does not strike his fancy on the trey instead of dumping it overboard. just easier to clean...

[9/24/2007 11:49:25 AM] AE says: hmm... i'm not sure. we never had a food tossing problem...

[9/24/2007 11:49:32 AM] AE says: perhaps we never gave them enough time?

[9/24/2007 11:49:45 AM] pD says: enough time?

[9/24/2007 11:49:57 AM] AE says: we would always feed Quinn, then eat, so we were focusing on him while he was eating, then he would sleep while we ate.

[9/24/2007 11:51:14 AM] pD says: he would take the food and while looking at one direction, toss the food at the other direction. which is kind of funny, but a lot of work to clean up

[9/24/2007 11:51:21 AM] pD says: how often do you feed Quinn?

[9/24/2007 11:51:37 AM] AE says: now? at least once a week.

[9/24/2007 11:51:46 AM] pD says: one of the things that we do is to make sure that the little boss gets enough calories during the waking hours so that hedoes not wake up at night

[9/24/2007 11:51:53 AM] AE says: um... there was no set schedule. he nursed until he was 3.

[9/24/2007 11:51:55 AM] pD says: once a week - that is an expensive kid

[9/24/2007 11:52:05 AM] AE says: so, most of the nutrients he needed came from that.

[9/24/2007 11:52:08 AM] pD says: exclusive?

[9/24/2007 11:52:15 AM] AE says: he didn't have solid food until about 9 months.

[9/24/2007 11:52:20 AM] pD says: it is kind of hard since both parents work

[9/24/2007 11:52:31 AM] AE says: ah... yes. there is the whole life structure thing...

[9/24/2007 11:52:58 AM] nsy says: i think its just fun to throw things

[9/24/2007 11:53:16 AM] pD says: agree - if you don't have to clean it up

[9/24/2007 11:53:55 AM] AE says: get a small dog?

[9/24/2007 11:54:06 AM] nsy says: if you put something else in his hand when he eats does he throw that instead? or is he using his hands to eat (not being spoon fed)?

[9/24/2007 11:54:31 AM] nsy says: dog - good idea! i don't think roombas are designed for wet pick-up.

[9/24/2007 11:55:07 AM] pD says: never been much of a pet person - i don't mind pets, it is just that they seem to be babies that never grow up for interesting conversations, so the upside is quite limited in my view

[9/24/2007 11:55:23 AM] pD says: nsy has an interesting observation

[9/24/2007 11:55:41 AM] pD says: it is true that if i give him something else to hold, he would throw it instead

[9/24/2007 11:55:55 AM] pD says: that is one of the ways that I feed him veggies

[9/24/2007 11:56:12 AM] nsy says: so, its a game. he likes to watch you pick stuff up for him. whee!

[9/24/2007 11:56:26 AM] pD says: which brings up a related question, why would he NOT eat the puree veggie as is, but would open widely when he has something to hold in his hands and bang?

[9/24/2007 11:56:43 AM] pD says: nsy, you are not to talk with the little boss...

[9/24/2007 11:56:53 AM] nsy says: dang

[9/24/2007 11:56:54 AM] AE says: LOL

[9/24/2007 11:57:10 AM] nsy attempted collaboration thwarted

[9/24/2007 11:57:29 AM] pD says: subversion is a better description

[9/24/2007 11:57:41 AM] nsy says: for the same reason you like to listen to arias while working.

[9/24/2007 11:58:00 AM] pD says: the connection?

[9/24/2007 11:58:19 AM] pD says: it is true that he definitely treats it partly as a game.

[9/24/2007 11:58:49 AM] pD says: that is part of my quandary. how do i make it such that he would eat nicely so we can play games nicely - without the mopping

[9/24/2007 12:03:01 PM] AE says: maybe stop feeding him for a few days.

[9/24/2007 12:03:12 PM] AE says: then he'll be too hungry and weak to throw food.

[9/24/2007 12:04:02 PM] pD says: drastic, but i see where you are going with that idea

[9/24/2007 12:04:17 PM] AE says: (please tell my you know I'm kidding)

[9/24/2007 12:04:22 PM] nsy says: the connection - if you have a divine multi-tasking brain, and you are trying to focus on one task, there can be distracting "chatters" unless you keep one part occupied with one task, so the other channel can focus on a separate task. this is just a theory i have because i used to have trouble with calculus until i started listening to classical music during my differential equations. like how a worry stone can "help you think" i suppose.

[9/24/2007 12:04:59 PM] pD says: no, it is time for the little boss to face the real world. school of hard-knocks is what this is all about

[9/24/2007 12:05:01 PM] nsy says: keep the hands occupied so he can focus on the eating

[9/24/2007 12:05:29 PM] nsy says: let him clean up his own mess - tough love

[9/24/2007 12:05:39 PM] AE says: perhaps carrot sticks for the hands (good if he accidentally puts one in his mouth) and then spoon feed everything else.

[9/24/2007 12:06:03 PM] nsy says: and carrot sticks are easier to clean off the floor

[9/24/2007 12:06:55 PM] AE says: that way the hands are distracted, and he learns that sometimes hands have yummy things.

[9/24/2007 12:07:14 PM] AE says: oh! or replace the carrot sticks with sugar sticks!

[9/24/2007 12:07:19 PM] AE says: or chocolate bars!

[9/24/2007 12:07:30 PM] AE says: then he certainly won't throw them away!

[9/24/2007 12:08:15 PM] nsy says: i wonder if putting bells on his wrists would distract him...

[9/24/2007 12:08:29 PM] AE says: haha! it would distract me!

[9/24/2007 12:26:41 PM] AE says: http://parents.berkeley.edu/advice/eating/throwingfood.html

[9/24/2007 12:26:47 PM] AE says: other parent's thoughts...

[9/24/2007 2:32:27 PM] AE says: still... it could be worse: http://www.neatorama.com/2006/07/07/kids-and-an-open-can-of-paint-what-could-go-wrong/

[9/25/2007 7:05:25 AM] AE says: In completely unrelated news comes this disturbing graph: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:FSM_Pirates.jpg

[9/25/2007 7:05:51 AM] AE says: I never realized there was a direct correlation, but I think our course is clear on what needs to be done...

[9/25/2007 9:14:36 AM] pD says: start a business on pirate gears, correspondence course on pirating, author pirates for dummies, etc.?

[9/25/2007 9:16:02 AM] pD says: btw, the score today is UPS 10 Fed 1

[9/25/2007 9:16:03 AM] AE says: exactly!

[9/25/2007 9:16:10 AM] AE says: run away and join the Pirates!

[9/25/2007 9:16:29 AM] pD says: lest we forget the god rush

[9/25/2007 9:16:35 AM] pD says: none of the gold diggers got rich

[9/25/2007 9:16:50 AM] pD says: but we get Levis' who supplies to the gold rushers

[9/25/2007 9:18:56 AM] AE says: hmmm... and the potato farmers and rotting mountains of potatoes

[9/25/2007 9:21:26 AM] pD says: i would prefer a business with short inventory cycle, farming takes a long time between sowing and harvesting and pirating ain't a sure thing until they have replace QEII

[9/25/2007 9:38:03 AM] AE says: no, i was referring to the mountains of rotting potatoes in Watsonville and Gilroy during the latter part of the gold rush

[9/25/2007 9:38:31 AM] AE says: there was a potato farmer who took a cart up and sold each potato for $2-4 (since there was more gold than food).

[9/25/2007 9:38:57 AM] AE says: He came back and told of the riches he'd encountered, and everyone planted potatoes, thinking they would get rich too.

[9/25/2007 9:39:19 AM] AE says: so of course, there was a glut of potatoes on the market, no one could buy them all, and they rotted.

[9/25/2007 9:39:28 AM] AE says: farmers went bankrupt because of that.

[9/25/2007 10:01:29 AM] pD says: that is indeed a fascinating story about herd mentality

[9/25/2007 10:02:00 AM] pD says: so, whoever sold those potato seedlings made a killing.

[9/25/2007 10:06:29 AM] AE says: haha! that's why we love you, pD! Always able to find the money making angle to something.

[9/25/2007 10:07:29 AM] pD says: well, if some schmuk is going to make out like a bandit, i can think of worse candidates than self :)!

[9/25/2007 10:08:32 AM] AE says: that's what Mother Teresa used to say.

[9/25/2007 10:10:13 AM] pD says: was she running a biz on the side? she would have amazing branding opportunities. but, i suspect the roman church would demand a healthy cut - another reason why i always think religion is a good biz

[9/25/2007 10:12:55 AM] pD says: pD = the saviour

[9/25/2007 10:24:19 AM] AE says: hers was not a faith based in commercial religion.

[9/25/2007 10:24:27 AM] AE says: her religion was within her.

[9/25/2007 10:24:52 AM] AE says: yes, she was a Roman Catholic nun...

[9/25/2007 10:25:23 AM] AE says: but it was deep within her that the love came from to attempt the work she did.

[9/25/2007 10:25:51 AM] AE says: NJ sent me this one right after I started working here:

[9/25/2007 10:26:00 AM] AE sent file Mother Teresa.jpg to members of this chat

[9/25/2007 10:26:46 AM] AE says: reading it makes me cry sometimes

[9/25/2007 9:31:57 PM] pD says: not to make light of mother teresa's work and what she had given up for her work. But, i do strongly believe that we are judging her in a way that is completely unnatural

[9/25/2007 9:32:34 PM] pD says: first of all, the reason that she is notable is because she is the exception in all sense of the words - put another way, she ain

[9/25/2007 9:32:49 PM] pD says: ain't one of the regular folks

[9/25/2007 9:33:21 PM] pD says: and, not being a regular folk, it simply is not fair to judge her through the lens of the regular folks

[9/25/2007 9:36:10 PM] pD says: for example, while you and I (well, "I" especially) may consider what she does as an impossible task because of X, Y, and Z reasons. but the first question to ask is if she even consider the X, Y Z relevant. and, if these issues are irrelevant, maybe she is just doing the right thing by her even if it is considered "filthy/impossible" for regular folks

[9/25/2007 9:37:44 PM] pD says: to give a goofy example, for somebody who is not familiar with some french cheeses, the stink and texture is simply impossibly gross. but, for another person who does not view the same cheeses as such, it is simply another form of food

[9/25/2007 9:38:04 PM] pD says: so, from A, B is doing a brave/impossible thing while B is only doing something normal

[9/25/2007 9:38:34 PM] pD says: now, we can argue how normal is it to live and work in the more deprived slump of india.

[9/25/2007 9:39:04 PM] pD says: But, keep in mind, even that description is full of our own prejudices from a first world middle class view point

[9/25/2007 9:40:24 PM] pD says: in other words, although unverified, I have a strong suspicion that mother teresa and her gang probably lived a dulce vita relative to most of the population in the very same slumps.

[9/25/2007 9:41:21 PM] pD says: people make money donations and volunteer their time to work with mother teresa. that is all fine - if it makes a person feels better him/herself

[9/25/2007 9:42:45 PM] pD says: but, i do not know how the true locals feel about this - for all that i know, the locals may simply feel that "oh, great, here comes another sucker who is well fed and has more money than my entire village is worth coming here to do some work so he can feel better about himself."

[9/25/2007 9:43:26 PM] pD says: that may well be a local perspective and it basically continues the legacy of imperial/colonialism

[9/25/2007 9:44:05 PM] pD says: now, in term of welfare for its citizens, i wonder how much damage mother teresa's organization has done to the healthcare infrastructure of india.

[9/25/2007 9:44:50 PM] pD says: as strange as it may sound, it is also true that many third world government views this kind of "service" as a perfect substitute for taking up the responsibilities of serving their own citizens.

[9/25/2007 9:45:55 PM] pD says: and, in a strange way, such service removes the locals from depending on the government (which one may be tempted to consider a good thing on first glance) but this is terrible for a functioning government because it also removes incentives from both the government and the governed to engage in meaningful dialogs

[9/25/2007 9:46:36 PM] pD says: it becomes a crutch that neither side is willing to give up

[9/25/2007 9:47:26 PM] pD says: finally, at a personal level, i can only hope that mother teresa was the happiest while doing her work. if she is doing it for a sense of duty, she has a major major major complex.

[9/25/2007 10:04:25 PM] pD says: and, if she is happily doing her work - our admiration is a bit like cheering my kid for eating cookies

[9/25/2007 10:09:11 PM] pD says: i admire mother teresa because she has found her calling.

[9/25/2007 10:09:20 PM] pD is the contrarian

[9/26/2007 10:26:13 AM] pD says: UPS 12 Fedex 1

[9/26/2007 10:26:53 AM] pD says: btw, where are my green tea kim-chic candies?

[10:57:38 AM] pD says: knock, knock

[10:57:41 AM] pD says: anyone home?

[11:02:06 AM] nsy says: i'm home!

[11:02:57 AM] nsy says: but i'm installing...

[11:05:44 AM] pD says: no worries, just thought it has been a bit quiet lately

[11:07:16 AM] nsy says: end of quarter and end of fiscal year - very busy for us lately ;)

[11:17:25 AM] pD says: cool! make me more money!

[11:25:53 AM] pD says: UPS 0 FedEx 1 today

[11:26:04 AM] pD says: but, it is during a different time period

[11:55:23 AM] nsy says: heading to the office - se y'all in a bit

[11:59:40 AM] pD says: oh! you are literally at home, thought you were in PA doing install

[12:00:24 PM] pD says: what is going on these days? what excitement have i been missing?

[12:00:39 PM] AE says: customer 300 is next.

[12:00:55 PM] pD says: very cool!

[12:01:08 PM] pD says: #300 being installed or what is "next"?

[12:01:17 PM] AE says: to be signed.

[12:01:37 PM] pD says: sounds like a touch of bubbly is called for

[12:01:46 PM] AE says: probably will be on Friday.

[12:02:01 PM] pD says: hahah! down to the wire, huh

[12:02:04 PM] pD says: i know how that works

[12:02:08 PM] pD says: who is working on that deal?

[12:07:17 PM] AE says: don't know which one it will be.

[12:09:01 PM] pD says: i hope it is SG. he is on a bit of a short leash right now

[12:26:50 PM] AE says: actually, that leash was cut.

[12:29:33 PM] pD says: oh!

[12:29:38 PM] pD says: SG is no longer?

[12:29:46 PM] pD says: sorry to hear that

[12:29:47 PM] AE says: he 'resigned'

[12:29:52 PM] pD says: when did they happen?

[12:30:03 PM] AE says: about a month ago.

[12:30:09 PM] AE says: not long after you left.

[12:30:34 PM] pD says: man! you are holding out on me on the story

[12:30:47 PM] AE says: you now know as much as i do.

[12:31:34 PM] pD says: so, has anyone else left?

[12:31:48 PM] pD doing a name count in his mind

[12:31:59 PM] AE says: CE.

[12:32:08 PM] pD says: oh, that was before me

[12:32:14 PM] AE says: Ok. That's it.

[12:32:17 PM] pD says: around the same time as CM

[12:32:22 PM] AE says: ah

[12:32:38 PM] AE says: we've hired a couple of new sales folks... they're getting their feet under them

[12:32:38 PM] pD says: MB and JB still around, i am hoping

[12:33:03 PM] pD says: oh, yeah, a chicago guy was supposed to come onboard when i left

[12:33:20 PM] pD says: BP joined around that same time too

[12:33:41 PM] pD says: sales is a tough life - i would never make a good sales

[12:33:59 PM] AE says: i hear you. i was in sales just long enough to know it wasn't for me.

[12:34:56 PM] pD says: outside of sales though, any addition/subtractions?

[12:35:04 PM] AE says: nope

[12:35:11 PM] pD says: how is JH doing?

[12:35:21 PM] AE says: she and M1 are both doing a great job!

[12:35:31 PM] pD says: is M1 back from her time in France?

[12:35:39 PM] AE says: italia, but yes.

[12:36:02 PM] pD says: very cool! italy, huh. wish I was there. i always liked italy

[12:36:39 PM] pD says: but, i must say that Rome was just a bit too much as a place to live. enjoyed the visit, but i think i would prefer northern italy

[12:37:33 PM] AE says: yes, they save if rome leaves you wanting, you'll enjoy further south. if rome is enough, then that's as far south as you need to go.

[12:39:21 PM] pD says: hahahah! I totally see the point. although i suspect that i would enjoy the country side of southern italy well. to me, it is just the compactness/dense-ness of the roman madness that was getting to me.

[12:39:38 PM] AE says: ? what madness?

[12:39:39 PM] pD says: strange for me to say that of course, since i seem to prefer big cities in general

[12:40:40 PM] pD says: well, in most densely populated areas, there is a basic rhythm to how things work, how people walk, talk, etc. it may not be friendly, but if you get onto the same speed/wavelength, it becomes a non-issue

[12:41:24 PM] pD says: but, in the case of rome, i just felt that it was too many speeds and styles going at once, and it felt really "random" as oppose to having a rhythm like other big cities

[12:41:37 PM] pD says: purely personal observation

[12:44:13 PM] AE says: i'm not sure what you mean by rhythm... cities are large populations of individuals.

[12:46:15 PM] pD says: oh, i do not know about it

[12:46:22 PM] pD says: each location has its own rhythm and styles

[12:46:33 PM] pD says: and, it is partly a function of who lives/work there

[12:47:02 PM] pD says: for example, santa cruz, though i have never been, has a particular rhythm/style that if somebody from new york city just materializes would look out of place

[2:21:16 PM] pD says: btw, whatever happened to SG's infamous laptop(s)?

AI - second life - Tokelau - official NSA Chatters flag - candies - kim-chic - UPS - FedEx - pirates - LASIK - floss

[9/13/2007 1:11:45 PM] pD says: speaking of AI: Artificial intelligences could soon be living and

learning inside online worlds such as Second Life.

[9/13/2007 1:11:54 PM] pD says: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6992613.stm

[9/13/2007 2:43:45 PM] nsy says: yep - there was a lot of talk about Second Life at the singularity conference. there are a lot of funding companies throwing money at programmers to create better virtual reality.

[9/13/2007 3:19:10 PM] pD says: have you been on Second Life, I have heard so much about it but i also do not find enough motivation to go there

[9/13/2007 3:19:24 PM] pD says: seems to be just a fancy D&D site...

[9/13/2007 3:34:59 PM] nsy says: i have a gamer friend that said its not worth the effort, so i trust her.

[9/13/2007 4:11:17 PM] pD says: i hear you

[9/13/2007 4:11:42 PM] pD says: the only thing about Second Life that piqued my interests was the fact that they too have a monetary policy/central bank

[9/13/2007 4:11:58 PM] pD says: the reason being that the local currency (linden?) can be converted into US$

[9/13/2007 4:12:08 PM] pD says: so, it is important for them to maintain some level of stable exchange rate

[9/13/2007 4:12:17 PM] pD says: so, on that basis, I have been fascinated by Second Life

[9/13/2007 4:12:35 PM] pD says: avatars and other stuff - just seem so "trivial"...

[9/13/2007 4:12:44 PM] pD says: but, i am not a gamer, so i am probably the wrong person

[9/13/2007 4:24:12 PM] nsy says: it reminds me of the ender's game books where the computer program used to train military students becomes self-aware. the first AI of sorts

[9/13/2007 4:24:47 PM] pD says: central banking based on AI?

[9/13/2007 4:25:07 PM] pD says: that is an intriguing idea but some would probably argue that it will do a better job than human central bankers...

[9/13/2007 4:25:20 PM] nsy says: no, just the Second Life thing

[9/13/2007 4:25:48 PM] nsy says: yeah, humans make mistakes.

[9/13/2007 4:30:33 PM] pD says: but, that makes life interesting. human mistakes

[9/13/2007 4:31:00 PM] pD says: the other problem with AI as the central banker is that the audience is still human. so the impulse would be to hack the system to gain an advantage

[9/13/2007 4:31:10 PM] nsy says: yes, i agree on that one. i make a lot of mistakes, and things have been pretty interesting so far

[9/13/2007 4:31:29 PM] pD says: or, somehow reverse engineer the logics to build a parallel box which makes the AI goal unattainable over the long term

[9/13/2007 4:34:05 PM] nsy says: a parallel box you say?

[9/13/2007 4:34:15 PM] nsy says: hmm

[9/13/2007 4:36:16 PM] nsy says: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6927775.html

[9/14/2007 1:45:50 PM] pD says: An atoll in the South Pacific has come up with a novel way of making money via its domain name .TK.

Tokelau may only have 1,500 inhabitants and be a two-day boat trip from its nearest neighbor but selling its .TK domain is reaping benefits: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6991719.stm

[9/14/2007 1:45:54 PM] pD says: looks win-win to me

[9/14/2007 1:46:17 PM] pD says: i wonder what are the definitions for assigning country level domain names.

[9/14/2007 1:46:31 PM] pD says: for example, can i declare a new country in order to get a domain?

[9/14/2007 8:56:15 PM] pD says: finally caught up somewhat with NSA Chatters postings

[9/14/2007 8:56:26 PM] pD says: one more to go. hope to get to it in the next few days...

[9/14/2007 8:56:55 PM] pD says: gotta go watch the 5 episode of TNG season I

[9/17/2007 11:37:56 AM] pD says: man! i would kill for one of 'em green korean tea candy about right now...

[9/17/2007 2:32:37 PM] pD says: a question on Windows OS

[9/17/2007 2:32:55 PM] pD says: what is the function that allows me to adjust if the icons on the desktop will auto-align?

[9/17/2007 2:33:06 PM] pD says: i want to turn that darn thing off, but cannot find how to do it

[9/17/2007 2:33:08 PM] pD says: thanks

[9/18/2007 6:58:54 AM] nsy says: there's only about a handful of them left!

[9/18/2007 9:23:42 AM] pD says: end of the world as we know it...

[9/18/2007 9:25:13 AM] nsy says: if i could read any of that, i could probably find them online. only if pD were here...

[9/18/2007 9:29:36 AM] pD says: the wrapper? you mean

[9/18/2007 9:29:46 AM] pD says: well, they are korean, so cannot help you on that

[9/18/2007 9:30:11 AM] pD says: speaking of which, i always thought it odd that why would a SG outfit send over stuff that is made in korean

[9/18/2007 9:30:26 AM] pD says: nothing wrong with it, just a bit unexpected

[9/18/2007 9:30:41 AM] pD says: unless, of course, that candy was/is the rage in asia right now

[9/18/2007 9:30:54 AM] pD says: who knew, we were hip once!

[9/18/2007 11:13:48 AM] nsy says: i only know "Annyong haseyo?" - it gets a smile in Korea town

[9/18/2007 11:14:20 AM] nsy says: http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Language/korean.cfm?Subject=basic

[9/18/2007 11:15:04 AM] pD says: you are way ahead of me as it is

[9/18/2007 11:15:16 AM] pD says: korean has been pretty hip for the past 5-10 years in Asia

[9/18/2007 11:15:27 AM] nsy says: wow, i had no idea

[9/18/2007 11:15:47 AM] pD says: there is even a term for it "kim-hip" after the most common korean food "kim-chi"

[9/18/2007 11:16:01 AM] pD says: "kim-chic", i meant to say

[9/18/2007 11:16:04 AM] nsy says: mmm kim-chi

[9/18/2007 11:16:23 AM] nsy says: no way! that’s hilarious

[9/18/2007 11:16:50 AM] nsy says: why did it become hip, i wonder?

[9/18/2007 11:17:24 AM] nsy says: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/56897_pac04.shtml

[9/18/2007 11:19:15 AM] pD says: i have my theories - how Korean got to be so chic. suffices to say, a good deal of cosmetic surgeries are involved

[9/18/2007 11:23:42 AM] nsy says: my only experience with Korean culture is through a Korean-Italian ex of mine. the food was great, but his mother refused to be seen in public with me because I wore jeans and t-shirts. she said i looked like a slob.

[9/18/2007 11:24:11 AM] nsy says: and the plastic surgery - yikes.

[9/18/2007 11:26:07 AM] nsy says: then, i helped her daughter with her homework, and she dragged me to "fashion Island" on Orange County to buy me some clothes to wear so we could go to dinner. hahaha

[9/18/2007 11:27:38 AM] nsy says: i always just thought it was an orange county thing, not necessarily a Korean thing, though

[9/18/2007 12:28:08 PM] pD says: the slob part or the plastic surgery part?

[9/18/2007 1:21:50 PM] pD says: Small Collectors

Encouraged by wealthy, art-loving parents, children are collecting Warhols and even Rembrandts. Kelly Crow on their kid-centered tastes, 'art allowances' and why auction paddles aren't toys. - http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB118971801238026797-lMyQjAxMDE3ODE5NDcxMTQ4Wj.html

[9/18/2007 1:22:09 PM] pD says: pretty amazing! i would hate to be Dakota's first boyfriend...

[9/19/2007 12:39:58 PM] pD says: is UPS a good stock to buy? this morning i saw about 14-15 UPS truck within 20 minutes. and, only about 3-4 FedEx trucks...

[9/19/2007 3:47:27 PM] nsy says: maybe you were close to the UPS distribution center?

[9/19/2007 3:47:53 PM] pD says: on 237? it was a busy highway

[9/19/2007 3:48:14 PM] pD says: howdy! good to hear from you. was feeling a bit neglected

[9/19/2007 3:48:22 PM] pD says: gotta keep the chatters going

[9/19/2007 3:48:28 PM] pD says: busy with end of quarter?

[9/19/2007 3:49:51 PM] nsy says: yeah - its been crazy lately, but we're hangin' in there! how’s your new digs?

[9/19/2007 3:50:46 PM] pD says: busy

[9/19/2007 3:50:57 PM] pD says: building up a marketing operation is hard work...

[9/19/2007 3:51:48 PM] nsy says: i can only imagine

[9/19/2007 3:53:14 PM] nsy says: why not buy both fedex and UPS?

[9/19/2007 3:54:49 PM] pD says: well, there is only so much money, so i am all for chasing the one with good prospect

[9/19/2007 3:55:14 PM] pD says: actually, in reality, fedex is pretty late in their ground service vis-a-vis UPS, so that may partly explain what i was seeing

[9/19/2007 3:55:26 PM] pD says: it was just a bit freaky seeing one UPS after another in that short space

[9/19/2007 3:57:00 PM] nsy says: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F31P0_kgEic



[9/19/2007 3:58:27 PM] nsy says: Yes. that’s right...."International Talk Like A Pirate Day" is every Sept 19th

http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html

JB...I took liberty to provide you with TLAP Day pickup lines. Use them wisely.

10 . Avast, me proud beauty! Wanna know why my Roger is so Jolly?
9. Have ya ever met a man with a real yardarm?
8. Come on up and see me urchins.
7. Yes, that is a hornpipe in my pocket and I am happy to see you.
6. I'd love to drop anchor in your lagoon.
5. Pardon me, but would ya mind if fired me cannon through your porthole?
4. How'd you like to scrape the barnacles off of me rudder?
3. Ya know, darlin', I'm 97 percent chum free.
2. Well blow me down?

And the number one pickup line for use on International Talk Like a Pirate Day is ...
1. Prepare to be boarded.

[9/19/2007 4:03:44 PM] pD says: hahahah!

[9/19/2007 4:04:02 PM] pD says: (waving my pirate pom-poms while rolling on the floor)

[9/19/2007 4:07:13 PM] nsy says: on that note - we'll talk to you tomorrow! Aaargh!

[9/19/2007 4:07:49 PM] pD says: prepare to be de-boarded.

[9/19/2007 4:07:57 PM] pD says: aye, aye!

[1:21:07 PM] pD says: how is the LASIK thing coming along? do you have x-ray vision now?

[1:21:16 PM] pD says: thought you should be totally healed by now

[1:30:14 PM] nsy says: yep - i'm 20/20 as of my last appointment! woo hoo!

[1:30:50 PM] pD says: so, you cannot even avoid booga-man even you wanted to - with clear vision

[1:31:07 PM] pD says: BTW, AE just changed his icon.

[1:31:09 PM] pD says: what gives?

[1:44:35 PM] AE says: Hi pD!

[1:45:00 PM] AE says: we need a mailing address for you. (we're sending you a care package)

[1:45:13 PM] AE says: and the icon is to celebrate the new shades.

[2:04:11 PM] pD says: new shades?

[2:04:21 PM] pD says: what's in the care package

[3:27:36 PM] AE says: part of my new SteamPunk look, I purchased some old welding goggles on Ebay.

[3:27:58 PM] AE says: The care package contains most of the remaining GreenTea candies. You were mentioning that you missed them.

[3:28:32 PM] pD says: can you also send me the small dental floss packs on my top drawer, i think i forgot to take them...

[3:30:24 PM] AE says: sure I'll look to see if they're still there.

[3:30:35 PM] AE says: you'll need them with the candies, i'm sure...