The king of LOL-stuff, I Can Has Cheezburger, is looking for a developer. That would be a fun project, however, their job announcement specifies that the code be done in Microsoft's .NET and not using Free tools.

This has started a bit of a LOL-debate about the use of Free/Open Source Software. I'd participate, but trying to read and write comments about a serious topic using lolspeak makes my head hurt.

The highlight so far:

why doesn’t you use a php flaverd intertube for da kittehs? and a ceiling cat approved apache server? everyone know IIS is the work of basement cat.

I've seen a lot of ads for FreeCreditReport.com lately, annoying songs that get stuck in my head. It's bad enough when it's real music, there's something terrifying to me about advertising jingles being in my head.

They've got good promotion and a great name, Free Credit Report. But, it's not free. They will send you a "free credit report" only after you purchase their credit monitoring service.

However, you do have a right to a yearly free credit report, you just can't get it from freecreditreport.com.

I was doing some research today, keeping up on new developments in HIPAA compliant software. (HIPAA is U.S. law which regulates the portability, privacy and security of healthcare information)

On the site of a software company that is selling a "secure email system" that they claim is HIPAA compliant, I found the following completely ignorant statement about the relationship between security and free/open source software

"Why does SafetySend use Proprietary Code and Technology?
Because any code or technology that can be purchased is vulnerable.

It's been a long and lonely 4 months since Partners-the-cat died. In some ways it might still be too soon to get a new cat, in others it is the perfect time.

A friend took in a pregnant cat recently and we're in line to get one of the kittens. A cute grey tabby female kitten, as soon as it is old enough to leave its mother, will be joining our family.

The thought of getting the kitten left us really excited to have feline energy around the place again; we figured that the kitten should have a friend.

This past Thursday, Rep John Conyers introduced HR 5994, which is almost exactly the same as HR 5417, the Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act of 2006.

The idea of the bill is to ensure a level playing field on the internet and to tie that to existing anti-trust laws, providing a way to enforce net neutrality.

A brief rundown of my recent trip to Barcelona. I've also uploaded a set of photos taken during the trip by Rick Jungers.

day one:
after 8 hours on a plane we land in Barcelona; I run in and get a transit map while Rick smokes a post-flight cigarette; we're talking about which bus to take and trying to figure out where at the airport the bus stops and the bus pulls up and stops right next to where we are standing. We rush, putting out half smoked cigarettes, and run to the bus which takes 15 min to depart.

Customer service that's so bad it really is comical. Here's the most recent insanity from the "customer care" staff at hotels.com in regards to censorship of negative reviews:

I apologize for your continued frustration in regards to this issue.

Unfortunately, we do not have any control over which reviews get posted on the website. I can advise that since the process was redesigned there are several kinks still being worked out. I thank you for your patience during this process.

I have not posted in a while, but a lot has happened that I should have mentioned here if I had the time.

Here's a quick rundown:
most important is the news that all charges against Steve Kurtz have been dropped. If you don't know about his case, check out the the Critical Art Ensemble Defense Fund site.

I saw this today and it made me so happy. Even though I'm not all that into the roasted pig, I'm so glad that John is still up to his old crazy stunts...

from http://www.nypost.com/seven/04092008/gossip/pagesix/pork_protest_105711....

Bruce Willis is not being warmly welcomed by the anarchists, Marxists and counter-culture riffraff of the Lower East Side now that he's opened the Bowery Wine Company on East First Street. "We want to show our opposition to right-wing Republicans opening yuppie wine bars in our neighborhood," activist John Penley told Page Six. Penley, who is organizing the August celebration of the 20th anniversary of the riots in Tompkins Square Park, said, "We're getting a pig and we're naming it Bruce." The whole, roasted pig from Chinatown will be served while folk singer David Peel serenades with his anthem, "Die Yuppie Scum!"

I read about this in my spouse, Jenna's blog and it is so offensive I have to rant here... Abortion is now a stopword in the POPLINE database...

There is a federally funded database, POPLINE, that is run by the folks at Johns Hopkins. POPLINE bills itself as "the world's largest bibliographic database on population, family planning, and related health issues."

However, you'll have a hard time finding abortion information there anymore.

Jenna suggests the following: