Shoot me now. Can I

Shoot me now. Can I tell you how absolutely much I hate CSS? I just launched a new Web site for work and it's been the most impossible thing I've ever done. I still have to finish validating the site, making sure it's accessible, and making a separate stylesheet for Netscape browsers. Ah the fun.

I can't believe it! Jennifer

I can't believe it! Jennifer Kimball actually wrote back to me! She said she talked with her "webmistress extrordinare" and Jennifer is actually considering posting some of her new music and clips to MP3.com. She hasn't put out a recording since 1998 and I've been anticipatingly drooling over getting ahold of new music since I went to her concert. Woo hoo!

It's amazing the people you

It's amazing the people you run-into in Weblog land. Carol lived across the hall from me in the dorm I was in during my first two years in college. She graduated before I did - I'm impressed... she's doing pretty well. Congrats on the upcoming wedding.

And yes, Carol, the kids at UMass try to out angst each other each new year. I can't believe they're freaking out over a play when John Ashcroft and Gale Norton could be part of running the country. I know they say to start at home but this is ridiculous.

This Wednesday I took one

This Wednesday I took one of the most interesting classes I've ever sat through post college. The class was "Intro to Herbalism" and the location was in the back of Artemisia Botanicals - a phenomenal herbal shop in downtown Salem, MA. This place has everything from incense to essential oils to herb jars to small mortars - and they have the largest selection of herbs I've ever seen.They're one of the only places I've been able to find saffron and multiple whole vanilla beans in one location. I've also made my own "Dream Tea" and recently came home with a "Sleep Right" tea containing Chamomile, Lemon Balm, Spearmint, Linden, Crysanthimum, Lavender, Valerian, Passion Flower, Wild Lettuce, Oatstraw and Mulva. Great stuff - I got an excellent sleep. The ingredients like Linden and Valerian relax you enough to fall asleep and the Passion Flower is meant to keep you asleep.

I've recopied the list of classes on behalf of Teri Kalgren, the owner and proprietor of the Artemisia who has 2 Web sites neither of which she can access. She plans on having courses that cover candle and soapmaking, aromatherapy, incense, herbal first aid, bath salts and (as one of the cofounders of the Witches Education Bureau in Salem) a six-week course on the basics of Witchcraft. All-in-all some excellent classes. Whether you enjoy having natural teas, candles, and soap or just like the smells around the house....or are even a practicing Pagan these classes are not to be missed. I hope to take as many of them as I can.

I'm so floored! I received

I'm so floored! I received a response from Jennifer Kimball regarding the note I sent her after I attended a concert of hers in late December. Those of you who know me are quite aware of my attachment to the world of music from Folk artists to Celtic music and Marching Bands. Jennifer will be at Molly's Pub in Wellsley, MA on 3/29, at Club Passim on 4/14, and 5/19 doing another Miss Folk America at the Somerville Theatre. Definitely have to get to one of them.

Yes, I know. This is

Yes, I know. This is turning into a "self-promotion" blog. In all actuality I'm posting the articles so I can keep track of who quotes me - for future reference. The more indepth bitching will come this weekend when I touch upon everything from MA Govenor Cellucci's plan to freeze technology in the school programs (the UMass School of Ed when I was there in 94-98 got rid of educational tech programs in favor of social justice - I'm not sure it's changed), Salem's lack of online city government resources and horrible existing information (though I fear if I say something to the City about this, I'll be asked to assist), Bush's proposed new education program regarding vouchers and mandatory yearly testing (shiver) and Bush's opposition to McCain's campaign finance reform. I could talk about Bush and abortion but don't get me stahted.

Direct Marketing News wrote up

Direct Marketing News wrote up a piece about the various International defacements of high profile foreign sites.....with a few quotes from me. I'm hoping they'll link to the actual mirrors and commentary pieces they reference. The readers will appreciate the extra information, I'm sure.

I'm not sure if I

I'm not sure if I can take another day from hell trying to juggle work, The Leaky Cauldron, work and hundreds more reporters calling me about the latest commentary - Microsoft New Zealand getting defaced.

*sigh*

AP has a rather late

AP has a rather late story about the government defacements. I'm quoted....but the reporter chose the cheeziest of the bunch.

Another article about the government

Another article about the government defacements. This time, I'm quoted.

O'Reilly has announced a new

O'Reilly has announced a new P2P Web site for News about P2P issues and to boost interest in their upcoming P2P conference.

Bush has wasted no time

Bush has wasted no time starting his attack on abortion. Friggin bastard.

Friend and fellow UMass Alumni

Friend and fellow UMass Alumni Keith Paul is posting footage of the UMass Marching Band during the inaugural parade marching and playing God Bless the USA. Wow -absolutely amazing.

Articles are finally starting to

Articles are finally starting to creep out (one from InfoWorld, The Register, and the Sydney Morning Herald) about this weekend's large defacement of US, UK and AU government Web sites. My guess is the inauguration took top priority and we'll see more throughout the week. And MeFi commenters yelled at me for it being a self-promotional post. Pah. It was still news.

I posted a permanent link

I posted a permanent link to my MetaFilter account info in the navbar. Reason being I spend a lot of time posting my own commmentary and responding to others - hence the lack of postings here. Enjoy.

I was in tears after

I was in tears after reading this imagined interview of Ben Brown with John Ashcroft. (From MeFi)

Robin Cover's XML Cover Pages

Robin Cover's XML Cover Pages have FINALLY been given a domain of its own.

Ted Bridis has written an

Ted Bridis has written an awesome article about a new computer security industry consortium whose board will "meet" and discuss whether to reveal new security flaws to the industry and government. (Hey! What about the friggin public?!). My favorite quote from the article is:

"....The 19 founders represent some of the industry's largest firms, but they come with historic rivalries. Cisco and Nortel Networks compete bitterly in sales of computer-networking hardware. Microsoft was found to have violated antitrust laws to influence contracts with AT&T and IBM; Oracle has admitted to hiring private investigators to dig through the trash of groups supportive of Microsoft. Can these companies, in an industry known for unusually aggressive executives, ever trust each other?"

I just received a review

I just received a review copy of Ken Goddard's "Outer Perimeter" from his editor. This is a sequel to his first venture into aliens and UFOs - "First Evidence". While"First Evidence" was a great read, I can't but wonder when we'll see another "Henry Lightstone" book. Henry is like Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt or Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan.

I've read all 3 books in the Henry Lightstone series - Prey, Wildfire, and Double Blind. Phenomenally jam-packed with the action needed to keep someone with ADHD riveted from start to finish. He keeps promising another one - and I hope he writes it soon.

I'll post my review of "Outer Perimeter" when it's done.

As you know, I'm a

As you know, I'm a big cat lover. While my mother was up visiting this weekend, the girls outvoted me and we went to see Miss Congeniality. I saw a preview for this movie, Cats & Dogs - very cute.

The Food Network had a

The Food Network had a great special on Dining Trains throught the country. I'm planning on taking the wife on the Cape Cod one for our anniversary this year.

Unfriggin-believable. As a friend put

Unfriggin-believable. As a friend put it, this is a perfect example of weasely-right-winger-in-compassionate-conservative-clothing. Not giving aid to International organizations that provide abortions? I've already voiced my opinions on opening up national forest land to development in September and I still feel the same.

Meanwhile Warren Brown of the Washington Post shares my views on hybrid cars and takes automobile journalists to task for voting the PT Cruiser instead of the Toyota Prius as North American Car of the Year.

More supporting evidence that "IT"

More supporting evidence that "IT" is a transportation device of some sort. Great article.

I've taken a little more

I've taken a little more time to think about "IT" (see my previous post about Dean Kamen) and after reading about his IBOT climbing wheelchair (heck, he sold Bob Metcalf) that it's not being refered to as "IT" haphazardly. I'm guessing it's a individual personnel transport device of some sort and called "individual transport" or "individual transportation" hence "IT." I think the one-wheel balance patent is part of it but I don't believe the pictures are the whole thing. I'm sure someone will create an IT blog soon.

I've spent some time at

I've spent some time at night while bored identifying craters on the Martian surface. This is cool!

This seems to be the

This seems to be the year for high-tech gadgets. The Washington Post has an article about inventor Dean Kamen who is "a physicist and engineer, he holds more than 100 patents, several for quality-of-life devices, including the portable dialysis machine" that discusses why Harvard Business School Press is paying him $250,000 for a new transportation concept nicknamed "Ginger." Sounds like we're getting closer to flying on brooms. You can view the alleged patent and 11 patent images as well. (To advance images, click on the first hand from the left that is pointing right.)

MetaFilter had a link to this Singer with attitude that, besides looking like the bastard child of an iMac, lets you hook up your Game Boy and use a special cartridge that has 84 pre-programmed stitch paterns. Also found on MeFi this week was a link to VW's concept of a new Microbus and the La-Z-Boy/Microsoft team-up resulting in a wired easy chair. Pretty cool stuff.

Browser war rumors about today.

Browser war rumors about today. ZDNet is reporting that MS Internet Explorer 5.x will be the last free version of IE and that IE 6.0 will be integrated with Microsoft's next generation operating system dubbed "Whistler." While another rumor has surfaced that AOL may be dropping the IE codebase and going with the new Netscape/Mozilla engine. ZDNet also has an article from late December talking about Microsoft's "stealth" .NET service called "Netdocs" being described as a building-block for the .NET service and said to be a "single, integrated application that will include a full suite of functions, including e-mail, personal information management, document-authoring tools, digital-media management, and instant messaging." Are the browser wars about to have a rebirthing?

The WaSP is back....for the

The WaSP is back....for the most part. I suppose I should reawaken and continue to work on my test suites.

As many of you know,

As many of you know, I'm a staff member with Attrition.org which has the largest mirror of Web site defacements. As a matter of fact, Attrition was mostly responsible for getting journalists worldwide to refer to them as defacements rather than "hacks." A friend of ours just emailed us this article pointing out that a phone book was defaced. Cute.

I'm back....sort of. I've been

I'm back....sort of. I've been VERY busy with The Leaky Cauldron Harry Potter Weblog (news site). Check it out and in the meanwhile, I'll get up to speed with MY blog ;)

I've pulled my lower back

I've pulled my lower back today and let me tell you - award-winning ergonomic chair or not, the Herman Miller Aeron doesn't stop the painful spasms.