Pandora isn’t just good for background music - I’ve been reminded about artists I love but don’t listen too much (The Jeff Healey Band), and others I’m kicking myself for not finding out about earlier (Azam Ali).

Also, I really need to pick up the soundtrack for At World’s End. (But I knew that already)

Last.fm on the other hand, is not showing me the love. It can’t seem to make up it’s mind if it’s a social networking site or a streaming music site. (Pick a direction and stick with it, guys.)

Inbox Zero is a nifty concept. I’d be more impressed if I hadn’t been doing this very thing for the last *eight years*. Possibly longer, but I can’t remember if I had custom storage folders set up at school when I was using Pine. (Does that make me old? Probably.)

Me: Typing up a proof for customer….
Label stock - White Gloss
Ink Color - Brown (PMS 469)

Customer: So, will the label be brown?

Me: ::tears hair::

Dear customer #1:
When I say I need to know the name of your company, I am not asking for a detailed description of your logo or your packaging needs. I am asking for your company name specifically because that is how I file every piece of art that gets uploaded to us. Until I get that one piece of information, I will not be able to pull up and review the logo you are so lovingly describing to me.

Dear Customer #2:
The words “I’m not very computer literate” will not allow me to magically intuit your packaging needs, thus freeing you from the burden of going though our website and making your own decisions as to what you need to purchase from us.

grumpily yours,
Me.

Went to see Transformers with Bill and Paulie last night, and all I can say is *fuck yeah*. They did not screw this one up.

It looks like all the problems I was having using my new external drive to backup data on the old and now very dead PC had nothing to do with the drive itself, and everything to do with the fact that the PC was… well… dying. I ran a full backup last night, and after a (very quick) check this morning on my way out the door, it looks like everything ran perfectly.

Makes me glad I didn’t return the external drive a few weeks ago (when I thought *it* was the defective bit).

Today, we find a calmer and more well reasoned take on the idea that fandom is trying very hard to shoot itself in the head.

I say bravo to anyone who can sit down and write all that out without devolving into a spluttering mess. Lord knows I haven’t been ale to.

http://hyperbubble.net/spleen1c.jpg

Had a great barbeque with Bonnie, Mark, et al yesterday. Got home sorta late and so tired my eyes were crossing. On the way home, got stuck in the post concert traffic from the Slayer/Manson gig at PNC. Middle aged and tipsy Slayer fans are a wee obnoxious, but harmless.

This morning, on the other hand, I woke up feeling monday morning crappy, and haul my ass into work. But the internet is down. Then we find that the whole network has taken a dump. Then I find that I have to rebuild my PC damm near from scratch. As of 5:00, I was 3/4 of the way finished with that.

Screw leaving the house. I shouldn’t have gotten out of bed.

This started as a comment in ’s journal, but it took on a life of it’s own. (I thought unsubbing from would allow me to ignore the exploding stupid. Not so.)

Frankly, I think the entitlement problem (ie - right now, someone IS paying for your “free” speech) is what will eventually kill fandom. Like, kill it dead. Because the people with real power in the real world will soon, or are in the process now, of looking over at this little corner of the world. If all they see is a bunch of children demanding that some non-existent rights be protected by persons and corporations with no actual obligation to do so, they will take the issue seriously why?

If fandom-at-large is unable to present itself to the world (or at least the US government) as responsible and cognizant of what the real laws in the real world (or the portion of the real world covered by the US) are, fandom at large will not win this or any other fight, because fandom does not exist on it’s own special planet. (No, LJ is not your own special happy fairy land where nasty mundane concerns cannot enter.)

It was fine when the worst legal problem fen had to worry about was copyright. Copyright in the general sense, and the production and enjoyment of deriavitve works, is a big honkin gray area with thousands of angles, billions of opinions, and lots of leeway and wriggle room. The current debate over depictions of underage sex, childporn, and corruption of minors in general has NOTHING to do with that.

The current debate is an hyesterical witch hunt and for the love of any god ever, LJ is not the enemy here! America (fucked up country that we are) needs a good, jucy, relentless witch hunt every so often. Salem. The red scare. HUAC. Satanic day care workers. Now it’s anything to do with sex and children, anywhere, anytime, anyhow. This is real, this is bad, this is not going to go away, and it’s very likely going to get worse before it gets better.

LJ is every bit as concerned about that big torch bearing (and frankly, dangerious) mob as fandom-at-large SHOULD be, if fandom-at-large weren’t too busy threatening to hold it’s collective breath ’till it turns blue and faints ’cause OMG, we’re bein’ OPRESSED and MISTREATED by THE MAN! (ie, every single threat to flee to GJ, JournalFen, etc…) Right. Because this is all about you.

No, actually, this has NOTHING to do with you. Fandom, you are not that special. You do not count for a hill of beans in this fight, because you are not fighting. You are demanding that other people fight for you. You are demanding that someone else pay for your free lunch. You are insisting that your rights are more important than anyone elses.

Fandom, you are full of shit. Get off your asses, and look around at the world we are living in, and realize that you are stuck here with the rest of us.