Dear Amazon.com

If you do this you will lose my business. I am paying for content from you not advertisements. The content is not in the least bit subsidized so if you think that I am going to pay for another Kindle with advertising on it you are beyond high.

Dear Microsoft

You fucking morons. Here I was all ready to drop $30-40 on downloadable content from Games for Windows Live. Instead I walk away shaking my head in disgust and irritation.

As a stockholder I am appalled and as a customer I am infuriated. When I am ready I reach in my pocket and get my credit card out and buy the things I want and can afford. I don't care about "facilitating micropayments" or being "rewarded." I want to buy stuff and only spend money for that stuff I get right now. If you put in place a system suitable for 8 year olds then you are going to get that level of spending. As for me I will keep my money in my pocket and think twice about buying any of your shoddy and poorly designed products.

Sincerely,

Takezo

Note: edited for profanity 6/11, 2009. Still PO'ed but what was removed was just juvenile.

And how long will it be before Congress interferes here?

Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) has introduced legislation to permit newspapers to continue to operate as non-profit businesses. Given the utter lack of transparency or accountability in the non-profit sector as it is this would be courting even greater politicization of the press.  Finally, do you want groups like the SEIU or ACORN controlling newspapers?

Armstrong Twin Construction

This is the board.  The first step in assembly is to populate it with components.  The directions aren't 100% clear but seem to indicate soldering components after each component type is placed in the board.  This view shows the first step with the diodes in and ready to be soldered.

As I was taught way back when the leads are crossed at about 45 degrees on the back.  This helps keep the parts in place before soldering and supposedly makes the joint more reliable.  You will also note some darks spots on the board.  That is excess flux but care is required lest you burn the board or worse yet cause the pads to lift from the board.

Of course I screwed up the very first joint (the large diode on the right mid board).  I had to remove this diode and replace it.  Fortunately the 1N24A is very common component and was available at the local Fry's.  

A close up of the sad corpse of the diode.

A great piece on gay marriage

Cynthia over at A Conservative Lesbian has a great piece on gay marriage.  

One of the most disheartening things about the passage of Proposition 8 is the utterly unhinged behavior of gays and their supporters.  Creating maps, hounding Prop 8 supporters out of their jobs, and targeting business owners who made contributions to the Prop 8 campaign is foolish and counterproductive.  Furthermore, it cuts the legs out from under folks like me who have argued in favor of gay marriage.  Let me tell you when someone like me (mid 40's, WM and very conservative) makes a principled stand for gay rights as a civil right people pay attention.  They might not agree today (or ever) but at least they can begin to be pursuaded.  But not if gay rights advocates act like spoiled children.  You lost in one of the most liberal states in the union.  That means you need to make better arguments for your position.  You need to educate and reach out to to different community groups and reassure them that your right doesn't interfere with their religious freedom.  That doesn't mean get on the back of the bus or that gays must be satisfied with scraps from the table of liberty, rather that they should prepare themselves and the field for another try.  This means educational outreach, fund raising, and reaching out to friends and finding new allies in unexpected places.  

The best thing I've seen all week

Look I don't know what is right with this AIG mess but I do know that the legislative lynching that occurred today was wrong; a danger to the rule of law;  and  a hazard to us all.