So anyway…

Again, I saw someone make a reference to me as trying to convince people I’m an expert “on everything”. I’m sure this is from the same person who has been dogging me for a while, mind you. But it still makes me wonder WTF?

There are far more things in the world that I don’t know about than things that I do. Of the few specialised things that I know a fair bit about, I can speak with moderate authority on many of them, yes. I am confident in my knowledge of some areas of interest, why wouldn’t I be?

The thing is, when it’s something I don’t know anything about, I keep my trap shut, or I only ask questions of someone who clearly understands the topic better than I. You’ll never, ever see me blathering on about, say, nuclear fission. It’s just not gonna happen. I know what I don’t know as well as knowing what I do know.

And I also have to think that anyone who honestly thinks I claim to be an expert in everything must be an expert in NOTHING. Seriously. If I can intimidate someone by knowing a great deal about the internet or Tudor history or the obscure topic of American vs. Australian dialect, then they’re pretty easily intimidated, intellectually.

This, by the way, is why I prefer to hang around with smart, technically adept people. They’re not threatened by me – ohmighod – knowing things and being willing to share them. They actually want to learn stuff, and I want to learn stuff from them.

I guess it’s just a geek thing. I’ve known for some years that most people don’t actually want to know any more than they do, don’t want to learn any new way of doing things, and can’t stand to be around people who might know something they don’t.

It’s actually pretty pitiful, when you come to think about it…

Auto-generated, possibly related posts:

1. What kind of regional American dialect do YOU have?
2. Australian Dialect
3. Mmmm…. history…. arghllghhh….
4. That’s not right!
5. Something that irks me

Today I fulfilled my civic duty and went and voted. It was a state election. Looks like our local member (Heather McTaggart) is out of office now, and the premier (Steve Bracks) was re-elected.
Not really all that exciting, from a voter’s point of view. I wasn’t that vested in the election, particularly, didn’t care much about Heather one way or the other, not a fan of Steve Bracks but have seen and can imagine worse, so, eh, politics as usual. It does please me to be voting in Australian elections, though. Reminds me that I’m a fair dinkum Aussie.
On a side note, Andrew, his father, one of his brothers, and that brother’s wife were all working the election as election officials. My father-in-law has been doing it for a while and is well-trained and can do managerial type things, and this was Greg and Robyn’s second year, but it was the first year Andrew did it. The pay’s not bad for a (long) day’s work, and I think Andrew kinda had fun at it. I expect him to do it again next time around, as a matter of fact.
Voting is, in fact, mandatory, although they can’t control what you write on the ballot papers, obviously (so, really, showing up to vote is mandatory). Apparently, a few people drew some attractive doodles (and didn’t tick any of the boxes) and a few told the election officials off in rude ways (one even wrote the letters in the boxes where you’re supposed to number your choices).
So, well, everyone here did their civic duty today. Next time I vote, I think I might draw a smiley face somewhere on the ballot (once I make sure that it won’t invalidate the thing).

Auto-generated, possibly related posts:

1. First strategy on Windsor revamp also a failure
2. Bleah
3. A new Prime Minister
4. Study casts doubt over net filter support #nocleanfeed
5. #nocleanfeed Stephen Conroy keeps his position in reshuffle

Okay. I got my bifocals Thursday. Taking some time to get used to them, though. Yikes. Lots of distortion on the outer edges, and my habit of tipping my head back when I look at something has to go, for sure.
I am getting used to them, slowly but surely, and I’m past the “new glasses headache” stage, thankfully, though I still can’t read quite yet (haven’t worked out where to hold the page/book/whatever).
I can, however, read my watch, which, if you’ll recall, was one of the things that prompted me to finally go get the bifocals to begin with.
And… this is really interesting…. I can see the monitor fine with these glasses. I’m wondering if my old monitor was in worse shape than I thought… I mean, I knew it was a little blurry, but maybe it was worse than I reckoned? But then again, the computer glasses fixed the problem (more or less) so it couldn’t have been just that. But in any event, I’m not wearing the computer glasses now, as I don’t appear to need them now. Cool.
The new glasses even look reasonably cool. They’re square. Very trendy. Woohoo.
So anyway, that’s the deal. I can see. Mostly. I mean, I’ll be able to once I figure out how to. Heh.

Auto-generated, possibly related posts:

1. Bifocals
2. Glasses
3. The strange and boring tale of Bonni’s glasses
4. Speaking of webcams…
5. A wistful spam poem

Spammers seem to be having little luck pushing up prices of thinly traded stocks.

Penny stock promotions have tripled in the last few months, according to estimates. One internet security firm says stock-related spam already accounts for 15 per cent of all junk email, compared to less than one per cent two years ago.

(I’ve always wondered who is stupid enough to buy stocks recommended to them by random anonymous spammers…)

Auto-generated, possibly related posts:

1. Spammers as scammers
2. Spam Volumes Drop by Two-Thirds After Firm Goes Offline
3. Spammer Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison
4. I’m a Can-Stock Photographer
5. Russia and China ‘behind current spam deluge’

Okay, it’s really mostly Oztion sellers, but it’s searchable, and it’s pretty cool (and I promised the site admin that I’d give them a link, so there it is, go check it out, okay?).

Auto-generated, possibly related posts:

1. Oztion Radio Advertising
2. Win a USB Hub
3. Like I’m hoarding secret information or something?
4. Hot Chair on Chair Action!
5. The wisdom of Miranda

Auto-generated, possibly related posts:

1. Benjamin Franklin on Liberty and Safety
2. Words to Live By
3. Being happy
4. Apostrophes
5. Toes and stuff

Well, you knew you were going to hear my review of the latest Dixie Chicks album (because I warned you, and if you didn’t read that, well, I’m warning you now). Here it is.

I’ve listened to this album numerous times, and it’s damned good. I mean, it’s SERIOUSLY good. It reminds me a lot of the 70s California style rock done to such perfection by The Eagles (my favorite band of all time, for those not keeping score), Dan Fogleberg, J.D. Souther, maybe a bit of Fleetwood Mac, you get the vibe here?

Musically, it’s just damned good. Lyrically, it’s pretty powerful. Lyrics range from love songs to lullabies to songs of defiance (something I can always identify with). I’m telling you, this is a really good album, particularly if you like 70s style California rock with that comfortable but not overpowering country influence.

Mmmmmm. Gooooood music.

The Dixie Chicks’ Martie Maguire has been quoted as saying, “I’d rather have a smaller following of really cool people who get it, who will grow with us as we grow and are fans for life, than people that have us in their five-disc changer with Reba McEntire and Toby Keith. We don’t want those kinds of fans. They limit what you can do.”

Well, I don’t have a five disc changer (okay, I do, but I never use it), and I don’t own any Reba… no, wait… yes, I do have a couple Reba McEntire albums, but I own NO Toby Keith and wouldn’t if someone gave it to me for free, but I’m pretty sure that I “get it” and if the Dixie Chicks keep making albums of this quality, I’ll be a fan for life. I promise not to put them in the disc changer with Reba.

Auto-generated, possibly related posts:

1. Dixie Chicks
2. Still digging this Green Day album…
3. Green Day
4. So pithy
5. Speaking of the Dixie Chicks…

Very entertaining animation to Weird Al’s Do I Creep You Out. And while you’re there at JibJab, check out some of their other originals. Some of their political ones are quite funny (even after the fact).

Auto-generated, possibly related posts:

1. Time for Some Campaignin’
2. Simon’s Cat Video
3. The Mespotamians
4. Smart is SO Sexy…
5. Black People Love Us!