more MySpace and Friendster spam

Over at FastCupid, Brent notes some spam in his Friendster and MySpace inboxes. I’ve started getting the same thing. First, on July 5, I got this message from Friendster user Jen, whose account was deleted: Hi there, I’m Jen. I couldn’t sleep so I decided to do some browsing and happened on your ad and …

belated katrina notes

some news of note: George Bush signed and executive order lifting wage restrictions and allowing government contractors rebuilding new orleans to pay workers less than the prevailing wage FEMA’s email server broke. New Orleans being underwater was preventable. Former FEMA head Mike Brown padded his resume FEMA refused help from Amtrak, Wal-Mart, the Coast Guard, …

terrorism paranoia in the uk

some cops detained, arrested and released an innocent man on the tube because he was “suspicious”: The police decided that wearing a rain jacket, carrying a rucksack with a laptop inside, looking down at the steps while going into a tube station and checking your phone for messages just ticked too many boxes on their …

josh’s ten insane ideas

Josh Ledgard, a program manager at Microsoft, has an interesting blog entry: “Ten Insane Ideas for Microsoft.” Some of it is pretty mundane, like towel service, but he makes a few great points: 1. The “2 Secrets” Rule So, I propose the “2 secrets” rule. Every VP must tell their groups what the two protected …

great mac os x software

Over the past couple of years, many of my friends have started using a Mac. I often find I’m recommending software to them. Sometimes it’s because they ask; sometimes it’s because I’m so enthusiastic about a program I just have to tell them. The single most indispensible utility for me is LaunchBar. I use it …

gladwell: health care is broken

Malcolm Gladwell, writing in The New Yorker: The Moral-Hazard Myth: The bad idea behind our failed health-care system: The U. S. health-care system, according to “Uninsured in America,” has created a group of people who increasingly look different from others and suffer in ways that others do not. The leading cause of personal bankruptcy in …

bush’s visit completely stages, aid left with him

The Washington Monthly: There was a striking dicrepancy between the CNN International report on the Bush visit to the New Orleans disaster zone, yesterday, and reports of the same event by German TV. ZDF News reported that the president’s visit was a completely staged event. Their crew witnessed how the open air food distribution point …