I’m shopping for new hardware, something I do on a fairly regular basis, and I have a particular problem. I’m considering a couple of motherboards from ASUS, but with all the new options, I want to be sure I get compatible hardware on the first try. The site is slow, but I’ve managed to download the manuals from the various boards, and all of them offer me one piece of advice: Visit the ASUS website at www.asus.com for the latest DDR2 Qualified Vendor List.

Well, I’ve now killed several hours waiting for page loads, conducting searches, and browsing forums on their second-rate hosted servers… and I have come to the conclusion that the Qualified Vendor List (QVL) DOES NOT EXIST.

Thanks, ASUS. Many folks have recommended your motherboards, but they all failed to mention how worthless your site would be for something that seems to be a necessity to use your hardware.

/meh

Since the day I gave up on Greymatter, moved to a different host, and loaded up Wordpress, I’ve been running Akismet to monitor comments and keep out the spam… today my counter is over 1000 junk emails, with no false positives and (if I recall correctly) only one spam-ish comment making it through. That rocks.

Akismet has caught 1,012 spam for you since you first installed it.

You have no spam currently in the queue. Must be your lucky day.

Thanks, Akismet!

What message is this presidential candidate sending to you?

I think it’s clear.

Big Al Gore, the inventor of not only the internet, but also the “buy your way out of guilt by purchasing the made-up resource… carbon neutrality!”, has finally managed to pull in the full swing of the religious fanatics. The environment is changing – it always does – and mankind may be contributing to the process; I have no definitive answer, but refuse to buy into the fear-mongering.

The highlight of this article is not so much the additional fear-mongering being heaped on by the religious, but the fact that the “global warming awareness” seminar may be, well, snowed out. A religious person might think god was trying to send a message. Doesn’t seem to be the same message they’re shoving, though.

Interfaith group braves storm in climate change trek – Boston.com

“God has given us this Eden, and our behavior is making a mess of it,” said the Rev. Jim Antal, president of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ, the state’s largest Protestant denomination.

The religious walkers are part of Religious Witness for the Earth, a 6-year-old national interfaith environmental organization.

And then there’s this:

MINNEAPOLIS – A North Pole expedition meant to bring attention to global warming was called off after one of the explorers got frostbite. The explorers, Ann Bancroft and Liv Arnesen, on Saturday called off what was intended to be a 530-mile trek across the Arctic Ocean after Arnesen suffered frostbite in three of her toes, and extreme cold temperatures drained the batteries in some of their electronic equipment.

I got this crap in the mail today from a bloodsucking bank to which I owe money. Like most people, I don’t generally read these things thoroughly, although every time I do, I realize I really should. This one announced a fairly insignificant “minimum finance charge”, but it’s not the charge that has me curious, it’s the way it’s being presented.

Allow me to quote from the letter:

If you do not wish to accept the above change, you must meet all of the following requirements:

1. Write to us at (name and address of bloodsucking vermin here). Clearly print or type your name and full credit card account number and state that you reject this change. You must give notice in writing; it is not sufficient to telephone us. Send this notice only to the address in this paragraph; do not send it with a payment or any other type of customer service request. This mailbox is ONLY for rejection of change of terms.

2. Write to us immediately. We must receive your letter at the above address by May 1, 2007 or your rejection will not be effective.

I’m not a lawyer, but this seems like a pretty screwy way to change the terms of service for any company. Do I read this as if they are asking permission to change, and silence is consent? Do I assume that if I deny this change, that my service will be canceled and the full amount due immediately? The change seems to be insignificant, but is it opening the door for future changes that won’t be put forth so “politely”?

Nothing like feeling you’re being backed into the corner by a bank.

I’ve been in no hurry to “upgrade” to Vista, based on what I’d read. Here’s justification from someone who should really know: