Web-site-o-the-day: FEWS

...and no, I'm not pluralizing an adjective or misspelling the word "fuse". It's the Famine Early Warning System and it's remarkably well-updated. There's no excuse for any shoulder-shrugging now.

Completely unrelated, I experienced some freeware zen earlier this week. John B. of Fork-n-fame turned me on to a desktop automator called AutoIT: here's the download page
After a script language learning curve, I am now empowered to turn loose an army of desktop robots on everything I do. *insert evil maniacal laughter here*

...and yes, I realize that the blogosphere probably knew all about this ingenious solution ages ago. The luddite is humbled by your patience.

Fans of Tampopo will find this news story interesting:
Ramen star wreaks revenge on rival with knock on noodle

What is Tampopo, you ask? Only the Greatest Japanese Film Ever. If you haven't seen it, stop whatever you are doing and go rent it.

Crazy though it may seem, I suddenly have the urge to visit Sharm el sheikh:

More excellent pictures of the Sinai peninsula here.

The place looks beautiful and my urge to visit is not entirely driven by the likely absence of other tourists: as a proactive traveller, I am naturally drawn to places where the terrorists don't want me. I think it's as vital a frontline as any battlefield might be, so put me on the Bali-Cairo-London tour please.

On behalf of chief engineers everywhere, I must express deep sadness that our great hero has left this quadrant behind.

JAMES DOOHAN 1920-2005


Live long and prosper...

While doing some light reading about NFS on NetApp today, I happened upon a new word (new for me anyway): idempotent. It looks like this term is soundly based in mathematics so I'll cut the author some slack. However, it made me think of a similar word which I would like to coin and patent right now.

omnimpotent: - def. Universally impotent. Reliably ineffective.

Please send me royalties each time you use it.

On my first outting with the new camera spotted this in Houston, yes the dog is a real one.