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11. november 2002
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Bastard Operator from Hell
This is a classic in geek humour, written back in the days when computers were scarce and the operators were gods, sometimes very evil gods. I started reading it ten years ago, when I worked in user support at Business College, and it saved a lot of lame lusers from me actually performing some of these nasty tricks on them.
Small sampler, so you know what you're getting:
Um, I need to know how to rename a file" he [luser] says.
Oh dear... Hang on, it's payday isn't it?! I'm in a good mood.
"Sure. You just go 'rm' and the filename"
"Thanks"
For non-geeks: rm is not 'rename' in Unix. It means remove.
11:19:21 PM 
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Welcome to the Geriocracy
Adam Brookes, BBC's correspondent in Beijing, has written a scrathing list of rules that any would-be Chinese Communist Party leader need to follow to make it to the top.
The most scary aspect of the Chinese leadership, as I see it, is the total lack of transparency. Like the old Soviet politburo, the leaders select their successors. Policies are made by secret dealings between strong men, who answer to nobody but their own comrades. The Chinese people, one billion or more, has no say in the direction of the growing nuclear power.
9:43:01 PM
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Iraqi Parliament Urged to Reject UN Resolution
 Salim al-Koubaisi, the head of the foreign relations committee in the Iraqi parliament, urged the advisory body to reject the Security Council resolution which demands Iraq to disarm. Saddam Hussein (picture) has the final say.
This is a quite surprising and troubling new development. Iraq has until Friday to approve, or will face an allied military attack. The unanimous decision of the Security Council will make it difficult for the other major powers to fault the US/UK alliance for using force if Iraq openly defies the resolution.
8:18:36 PM
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Fox in the Gutter
You just can't miss this recording of Fox News' blow-eh-fuckup. Find it in George's blog. Windows Media.
7:15:50 PM
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Terror on Order
It caused worldwide attention when Indian police managed to thwart what appeared to have been an attempted Islamist terror attack in New Dehli. It also provided an easy opportunity to point the finger at Pakistan.
However, new evidence has made the story into an embarassment for both the Indian police and its government. A credible eyewitness tells about two unarmed, apparently drugged men, stumbling out of a car and getting gunned down by the police. The rest of the story does not stand well up to scrutiny, either.
Most of the Islamist terror in India happens far away from the capital and causes little attention. Instead of bolstering the government hardliners this case is about to backfire.
5:29:48 PM
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Pacman the Movie 
A movie company has acquired the license to make a movie based on the classic video game PacMan. I am about as surprised as anyone else.
I can surely relate to a movie based on lots of computer games, but the idea of 90 minutes watching a yellow ball with a big mouth eating dots in a maze while being chased by ghosts, well, it is kind of mind-boggling, and not in a good way.
I trust it will be a very freely used movie license. Or a total flop. They still don't have a writer or a script, so I don't hold my breath.
3:46:34 PM
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Now that is a good joke
A boss of a big company had to call one of his employees about an urgent problem with one of the main computers. He dialed the employee's home phone number and was greeted with a child's whispering, "Hello?"
The boss asked, "Is your Daddy home?"
"Yes," whispered the small voice.
"May I talk to him?" the man asked.
To the surprise of the boss, the small voice whispered, "No."
Wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, "Is your Mommy there?"
Yes," came the answer.
"May I talk with her?"
Again the small voice whispered, "No."
Knowing that it was not likely that a young child would be left home alone, the boss decided he would just leave a message with the babysitter.
"Is there anyone there besides you?" he asked the child.
"Yes," whispered the child, "a policeman."
Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee's home, the boss asked, "May I speak with the policeman?"
"No, he's busy," whispered the child.
"Busy doing what?"
"Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the Fireman," came the whispered answer.
Growing concerned and even worried as he heard what sounded like a helicopter through the ear piece on the phone, the boss asked, "What is that noise?"
"A helli-copper," answered the whispering voice.
"What is going on there?" asked the boss, really alarmed.
In an awed whispering voice, the child answered, "The search team just landed the helli-copper."
Alarmed, concerned, and more than just a little frustrated, the boss asked, "What are they searching for?"
Still whispering, the young voice replied along with a muffled giggle,
"Me."
4:20:35 AM
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Nessie on Vacation
The Official Loch Ness Monster Fanclub is disappointed there have been no reported sightings of the famous monster since August, and only three this year, Ananova reports.
The Scottish lake, which owes its fame to the mythological beast, is a massive tourist attraction, and the locals wisely encourage 'sightings,' so this is a massive disappointment. Not at all surprising, the few reports this year were also made by people without camera.
3:47:52 AM
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© Copyright 2002 Jan Haugland.
Last update: 01.12.02; 02:50:52.
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