Dah bee dah (or "The Five Stages of Grief")

Elizabeth Kübler-Ross introduced her Five Stages of Grief model in 1969. I assume she is the girl who, while standing on her mama's porch, told Bryan Adams that "it would last for ever".

Having to memorize this model at some point in my life, the mnemonic I use is DABDA (pronounced "dah bee dah")

• Denial


• Anger


• Bargaining


• Depression


• Acceptance

As with most things I tend to skip steps. In this case, anger. Too bad, since suspect it's the most thrilling stage. After all, anger is a whole lot like being a sleeping lion in your bed. Or so I've heard.

Of course, the few times I've gone through the Anger stage I was also smiling like an idiot, which I liken to a starting revolutions from your bed type of anger.

KH says Bargaining is the most fun, but that's only true if you're the Bargain-ee and not the Bargain-er. She's on the right track though, as I always get more of a rise with duets.

And pop music in general, I suppose.


Playlist:
*******
Summer of '69 - Bryan Adams <-- couldn't find the acoustic live version
Blue (Da Ba Dee) - Eiffel 65
When Anger Shows (An End Has a Start) - Editors
Don't Look Back In Anger (Noel Gallagher Acoustic Collection version) - Oasis
My Eyes/On the Rise - Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Concordantly, you are the eventuality of an anomaly

Does this article scare you as much as it scares me?

The gist is that some R&D group in IBM is charged with "building predictive models of their own colleagues" to optimize their deployment.

Two Three A few quick thoughts:

• This type of analysis relies on a complete, or at least fairly consistent, data set.
  
  
• This encourages the type of work process that requires real-time digitizing of our accomplishments, communications, and relationships
  
  
• I'm all for documentation, but do you have any idea how fucking annoying that would be?
  
  It would be like rewarding that douchebag that always CC's half the office, or the ditz that keeps clicking "Reply To All". You know, SEO and all that jazz.
  
  
• Then again, with the growth and popularity of social networks and smart phones, the possibility of this reality may happen sooner rather than later.
  
  
• The commoditisating of people and use of fuzzy quantified metrics as decision making tools instead of decision support tools leaves me with chills.
  
  
• Here's to hoping Big Blue incorporates a blue pill / red pill option in their grand computer model.

The Consulting Mantra

Now it may be because I'm a bit of a closet hippie, but this concerns me:

Obama opposes Bush endangered species proposal

Yes, I'm concerned how seven of the top ten Google results for endangered species proposal deal with Obama's opposition. Why must every political story revolve around this Magical Negro? And if he is the magical negro in this story, isn't his role to support the other, White, presidential candidate? You know, Paris.

Also of note is how the Bush proposal gives federal agencies the responsibility to evaluate the environmental impact of their own projects. Who needs an independent scientific review? Scientists are nerds.

Apparently this was a great success the last time they tried it:

In 2003, the administration imposed similar rules that ... allowed agencies to approve new pesticides and projects to reduce wildfire risks without asking the opinion of government scientists

... internal reviews by the National Marine Fisheries Service and Fish and Wildlife Service concluded that about half the unilateral evaluations that determined wildfire prevention projects were unlikely to harm protected species were not legally or scientifically valid.

Retrieved 2008/08/20 from
AP IMPACT: Bush to relax protected species rules

Why the change? Efficiency.

In recent years, both federal agencies and developers have complained that the reviews, which can result in changes to projects that better protect species, have delayed work and increased costs.

Maybe the way to decrease delays and have realistic cost projections is by incorporating a valid environmental impact analysis in the initial proposal and design, not brushing said concerns to the side.

Oh, I'm just being silly.

I forgot the Consulting mantra: On-time; on-budget; high-quality. Pick two. Or don't, whatever. Just let me know when my expense account is set up, I'll be at the strip joint next door. Don't worry, I'll ask for a receipt.

paris-hilton-yogen-fruz-frozen-yogurt-0609
Photo Originally uploaded by
pressroom

Two Things

I thoroughly enjoy a freshly cleaned toilet seat.

I thoroughly abhor misused acronyms.

TIA

Neil Patrick Harris + Nathan Fillion in a webisode musical by Joss Whedan?

Sign me up.

http://www.drhorrible.com/

It's a three part series and I was hooked once the first musical number hit at the four minute mark of the first webisode.

Note: each episode is roughly 10 to 15 min long.

The new short film by Blu

Don't ask, don't reconsider, just click play, and marvel.


MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

The new short film by Blu
an ambiguous animation painted on public walls.
Made in Buenos Aires and in Baden (fantoche)

blublu.org/
blublu.org/sito/video/muto.htm

music by Andrea Martignoni
produced by Mercurio Film
assistant: Sibe

DIY (Yahoo!) Resignation Letter

http://yahoorezinr.com/

Bookmarked, bitches.

Honeymoon's over, biznitch.

Huh.

That didn't last long.

Dorian, meet Karen; Karen, meet Dorian.

'Karen is awesome and you should hire her and she bakes for her coworkers!'

[14:43] horcubee: hey bruce
[14:43] horcubee: do you have dorian on your IM list?
[14:44] horcubee: i'm interested in this job (which happens to be with his firm) if it is indeed still an open position
[14:44] horcubee: [link removed]
[14:48] horcubee: the posting on craigslist is as of may 8th
[14:49] horcubee: and it sounds very very interesting, as my areas of expertise are in sales / marketing / knowledge management
[14:50] thisisnotbruce: dorian's on facebook
[14:50] thisisnotbruce: just checked his profile... he's about as active on facebook as i am
[14:50] thisisnotbruce: maybe less
[14:50] horcubee: yeah, i noticed that
[14:50] horcubee: thus the msg to you
[14:51] horcubee: and he looks about as active on linkedin as his facebook account
[14:53] horcubee: dorian, albert, and i used to be in a group for one class, i think (can't remember which)
[14:53] horcubee: or maybe i am hallucinating
[14:53] horcubee: but anyway, we were just university acquaintances
[14:53] horcubee: not the type to keep in touch after
[14:55] horcubee: but if you are comfortable in helping me connect with dorian, i'd really appreciate it. would prefer to talk to him as he is the one who's worked with me before
[14:59] thisisnotbruce: he's one of the few with an RSS feed of my blog
[14:59] thisisnotbruce: i'll just make a blog post :P
[14:59] horcubee: :P
[15:00] horcubee: it'd be great if you can ask him on my behalf, perhaps preface it with 'karen is awesome and you should hire her and she bakes for her coworkers!"
[15:00] horcubee: :P
[15:00] horcubee: which is all true
[15:03] thisisnotbruce: damn, now i kind of want to hire you
[15:03] thisisnotbruce: do you do windows and floors?
[15:03] horcubee: i don't get on my hands and knees for just anyone, dear

Web access for lotus notes?

telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl

How did I not know about this before?

It's Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope, in animated ascii art goodness.

1. Windows Key + R
2. Type in "telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl"
3. Bask in the nerdy glory that is Star Wars in ascii art format

I know there's a meat joke in here somewhere...

Madame Cleo's meets the wrecking ball,

Balthazar becomes Maxime's Hideaway,

and now Wally's Burgers is closing too?

Don't sweat it dude, we'll all be dead by then.

I'm pretty sure we just rebuilt the Y2K bug.

Aww... look how cute he is!

Damn it all to hell!

!msinummoC

Had dinner with the parents.

Finally found out the true story of why my Dad's brother and sisters are spread around the world instead of all immigrating to the same country. Lo and behold, the story isn't the same one my father tells over a few beers.

This version of the story involves communism!

Speaking of which, as I get a lift home from my mom, we hit a break in the conversation between small singing fluffy dogs and the hazards of peeing outdoors in the frozen Canadian wasteland. Mom speaks up to fill the dead air.

"So how's [Korean girl] these days?"

I could barely hold back my laughter.

Merde

Yeah, probably shouldn't have done that.

--

You know that person you just can't stand?

That person whose very mention makes you wistfully imagine jamming a chopstick in their ear, a fork in their eye, and a straw up their nose, then serving their decaying carcass to a dirty hobo who then takes a massive dump, and then flies eat up the massive piece of crap version of said person, and then I swat the fly dead with extreme prejudice?

Yeah, that's you L.

2008 World Telekinesis Competition @ Victoria, BC, Canada

Who wants to form a team?


via videosift.com

From: http://www.noxioussector.net/wtc/call.html

THE WORLD TELEKINESIS COMPETITION

THE WORLD TELEKINESIS COMPETITION is an openly invitational project that will organize participating teams in a competitive manner to remotely influence the behavior of a candle. Teams are not geographically bound, but are required to formalize their participation based on conformity to the guidelines of the competition.

COMPETITION STRUCTURE

The 2008 WORLD TELEKINESIS COMPETITON will follow basic competitive rules for multi-team events. Based on an assessment of the number of participating teams, a preliminary competitive structure will be randomly determined, in which 2 teams will compete to psychically influence the behavior of a remotely-located game candle. The winning team will advance to the subsequent round while the losing team will be eliminated. This competition structure will continue until only one team is remaining. This team will be crowned the winner of the 2008 World Telekinesis Competition.

PARTICIPATION

In order to qualify for participation, teams must satisfy the following criteria:

1. Teams must be comprised of three (3) individuals.
2. Teams must compose or design or appropriate a team logo for inclusion in the 2008 WORLD TELEKINESIS COMPETITION competition schedule.
3. Each team member must provide a personal photograph and biographical statement for inclusion in the 2008 WORLD TELEKINESIS COMPETITION competition schedule.
4. Teams must agree to abide by the rules of the competition, as articulated at the following URL: noxioussector.net/wtc/rules.html

SUBMISSIONS

In order to qualify for competition, teams must submit the following:

1. A statement of interest and/or method addressing the concept of telekinetic competition;
2. A list of the three (3) members who comprise the team, as well as a concise (max 200 words) biographical statement for each team member;
3. A web-resolution (max 2MB) image of each team member;
4. A team name and an associated team logo for inclusion in the competition schedule and related publicity material;
5. A statement of availability for competition -- articulating weekend availability between April 1st and May 30th, 2008.

Also, relevant is the following:



(It's an infamous River to Jayne Firefly quote, you luddites!)

New Years Resolution

Keep doin' what I'm doin'

40% of Japanese men sit down to pee, survey shows

Double You Tee Eff?

The survey ... showed that the younger the man, the more likely he is to sit down while peeing instead of the traditional method of standing up.

...

"Women hate it when urine sprays, so there appears to be an increasing number who are asking men to sit down on the toilet when they have to go," a Matsushita Electric Works spokesman said.

...

Matsushita believes mothers getting their young children to sit on the toilet when they urinate are also getting their partners to adopt the same practice.

Japanese guys are so whipped. Be a man and STAND proud!

Although I will say this: Gentlemen, let's be civilized. If aiming fails, have the courtesy to wipe off that seat.

Unless at a public washroom, that is.

In which case it is your manly DUTY to piss all over the toilet seat. It's a reminding note to the rest of the brotherhood to not ever touch the toilet seat of a public washroom.

That shit's just nasty, yo.

Me likely!

I is getting me a Smokey Amp

Smokey Amp Demo