May 30, 2012

This story is bizarre even by Moonie Washington Times standards

Someone with problems that prevented him from being re-deployed and puts him on medication for nearly four years was asked to work on a suicide prevention project? They really ARE short-handed!



Nonetheless, if it was required by law, he should have done it. Or did he not want to take the "risk" of losing his weapons due to his mental condition?



I once dialed 911 when I meant to call 411. I explained my mistake and apologized. Then, because I'd seen episodes of Cops when they were sent to check on people who had called 911 and hung up, I made a point of saying goodbye AND waiting until they said goodbye to me before I hung up. They called me right back.

You'd think that someone allegedly studying crisis intervention would know better than to hang up on a hotline like that at midnight. And if the hotline operator was so sure that he was suicidal, how come it took four hours for the cops to turn up? I know that the Washington DC area isn't used to major snowstorms, but don't their response vehicles have all-weather tires?

Part 2 of the story, meanwhile, reads like an episode of Reno 911. I'm not unsympathetic towards the guy, and I hope that all charges are eventually dropped. But this arrest didn't happen out of the blue -- there's enough blame to go all around.


rocktivity

May 27, 2012

I never thought I'd miss the marquee

Anyhoo, here's how to link to a YouTube page:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?=VyqzPu5pX6U

Here's how to link to a YouTube page with a start time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1m35s&v=VyqzPu5pX6U

rocktivity

May 11, 2012

And in case you think this doesn't matter

Click and guess who.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/rocktivity/433br%20/

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/rocknation/127

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/rocknation/124


rocktivity

May 6, 2012

GASP -- I'm about to say something NICE about Microsoft!

Heaven knows that I do enough complaining when they screw up, so...

Two years ago, I installed Parallels 5 and Windows 7 on a Mac mini. I had tried to buy the Windows 7 in a store, but all they had was a 32-bit and 64-bit bundle for which I was supposed to pay $200. Furious, I downloaded a 32-bit OEM version for $70 when I got home. Since the software didn't have a product key, I had to jump through a few extra hoops to activate it. But since the download was from a "white hat" Microsoft re-seller, I succeeded.

Fast forward to 60 days ago when I did a major reinstall. I started getting messages that my Windows 7 had to be "reactivated." No problem, I thought, since I knew what I had was proven to be legit. I had to do a bit of research to find the correct Microsoft support page, but it wouldn't accept my product ID number. That meant I would have reactivate my Windows 7 via live chat...at a cost of $49.00.

Before logging on to the live chat, I submitted copies of my receipt and original activation instructions along with a writeup of my problems. My closing sentence: "If it turns out that I have to buy a product key, I hope I can be credited for the cost of this call."

Happily, the support person didn't freak out about my being "bi." When she couldn't activate the product key embedded in my software, she issued me a new one along with a new product ID number. And then I got the really good news: since my old product ID number should have worked, they WEREN'T going to charge me the $49.00!

Ironically, I may have to do another major reinstall when my new and improved Mac mini arrives this week. It's supposed to be as easy as copying a backup of my old Mac's hard drive to the new one, so this happy ending might prove to be short-lived...


rocktivity