November 2002
Canada: Let's splurge on health care
Posted by on Thursday, November 28, 2002 - 17 comments
I've intentionally avoided posting about politics and policy here on Acts of Volition over the past two years. I've done this mostly because I don't like hearing other people's half-baked arguments, and figured people didn't want to hear mine. We'll, I'm not sure why this situation is any …
Notes on taking notes
Posted by on Sunday, November 24, 2002 - 24 comments
The application I use most, besides a browser and email client, is probably Notepad. I have the shortcut to Notepad on my Quick Launch bar and I use it every time I have to take notes of any kind. When I get a phone call at work, it has become second-nature for me to open Notepad before picking up …
What's wrong with MSN Messenger 5.0
Posted by on Saturday, November 23, 2002 - 35 comments
Today we have a lesson in how to screw up a good thing. I've been a long-time user of instant messaging. It started with ICQ, and though it was mostly a novelty at the time, it was clear that this was a major shift in online communications. I still use ICQ primarily, but sneaking in as a default …
They're coming!
Posted by on Monday, November 18, 2002 - 16 comments
Amazon is now taking preorders for Segway Human Transporters!! • Those things are real! And this March you'll be seeing doctors, lawyers, and trendy internet punks screaming everywhere. • If you want one, it'll set you back about five thousand American dollars. I'm not sure if that's a good …
Abstract abstractions
Posted by on Monday, November 18, 2002 - 4 comments
The only thing that will make you better known than making sweeping declarations, is making sweeping declarations and naming them after yourself (see Garrity's Inverse Law of Congregational Intelligence). Joel Spolsky writes about The Law of Leaky Abstractions. He should shirk humility and call it …
aov remembers
Posted by on Monday, November 11, 2002 - 19 comments
This Veterans' Week Canada remembers its veterans of the Korean war, the First World War, and the Second World War. Also see the CBC's coverage. • If you catch this post by 11AM Atlantic time (10AM Eastern), you can watch the ceremonies in Charlottetown on the webcam.
Real robots
Posted by on Tuesday, November 5, 2002 in - 19 comments
I've been informally documenting the robot take-over of the world on this site for the last few years, and it took a big step forward this week. A U.S. pilotless drone fired a missile, killing six people in Yemen. I don't want to make a joke of this - people were killed - but holy crap, a …
Anatomy of a Frivolous Petition
Posted by on Sunday, November 3, 2002 - 2 comments
About five months ago, I called on fans of the Northern Exposure TV series to sign a petition for the release of the complete series on DVD. Since then, over 1000 people have signed on. People did more than just sign their names. Many have enthusiastically shared what it was they loved about the …