December 20, 2011

All World of Warcraft’s Customer Service Ever Wanted Was a Unicorn

http://kotaku.com/5869466/all-world-of-warcrafts-customer-service-ever-wanted-was-a-unicorn



After spending hours on end dealing with angry, distraught, frustrated, and downright abusive customers, it's easy to imagine this lovely unicorn drawing was enough to get World of Warcraft customer service representatives to reverse a permanent ban.

While I cannot confirm whether or not this image, currently making the rounds at Reddit, is real or fake, I can confirm that if I worked for Blizzard customer service I would have had the exact same reaction to scoring free unicorn art in one of my tickets, even if it is sadly lacking in the rainbow department.

Just don't try it here. We've got unicorns coming out of our asses.

Wait...

*more at link*

Such an absurdly awesome story !

December 19, 2011

Putting cardboard in shoes to make them last longer - anyone else ?

My dad, who survived the Great Depression, insisted I do this. Anyone else ?

December 18, 2011

LA Times: Autism hidden in plain sight (article about adult autism)

When autism researchers arrived at Norristown State Hospital near Philadelphia a few years ago, they found a 63-year-old man who rambled on about Elvis Presley, compulsively rocked in his chair and patted the corridor walls.

Ben Perrick, a resident of the psychiatric institution for most of his life, displayed what the University of Pennsylvania researchers considered classic symptoms of autism. His chart, however, said he was schizophrenic and mentally retarded.

Delving into the file, the researchers learned that as a 10-year-old, Perrick had seen Dr. Leo Kanner, the psychiatrist who discovered autism. In his notes from 1954, Kanner described Perrick as “a child who is self centered, withdrawn, and unable to relate to other people,” and recommended that he be committed.

Later, other doctors relabeled Perrick. The autism diagnosis was forgotten.

link here: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/autism/la-me-autism-day-four-html,0,6403471.htmlstory?track=lat-pick

December 18, 2011

Did anyone actually hear "walked four miles to school in knee-deep snow, etc" stuff growing up ?

I never did. Of course I grew up in Florida

December 18, 2011

Father’s open letter to Google: ‘Thanks for making my daughter cry’

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/hey-google-thanks-for-making-my-daughter-cry/2011/12/12/gIQAhYx9pO_blog.html

Father Rich Warren sounded off Sunday on social media sites Reddit and Google+ about his upsetting morning: He had woken up to find that Google had suddenly, without warning, shut down his daughter’s e-mail account and blog. His daughter had used her Gmail to send e-mail to her grandparents, friends and classmates, and had started the Blogger blog as a class project.

Warren said he believed both accounts were disabled because his daughter was underage. Under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), Web sites collecting information from children under age 13 must take a number of steps to protect the child’s privacy. Warren says he’s not upset with Google for complying with COPPA, but how they went about it.

“Google could have made other choices — choices that are more customer friendly, more child friendly and more parent friendly. But they didn't,” he wrote on his Google+ account. “They've chosen to act apparently without ever considering how their actions might affect the people who use and rely on their services.”

Back in May, Google seemed to encourage children’s memories be shared on Gmail, YouTube, blogs and other services. In a viral video commercial dubbed “Dear Sophie,” a father is shown creating a Gmail account for his baby daughter, and then using it to send her photos, videos, and messages that chronicle her growing up, so that she can read and see them when she’s older:

*more at link above*

December 17, 2011

watched "We Were Soldiers", feedback sought

We Were Soldiers


How realistic was it ? I've already read the wiki article on it and they totally glossed over the fact that, supposedly, Lt. Col. Moore refused to be airlifted out of the battle twice (by my recollection). If that's true, isn't that grounds for a court-martial ?

December 17, 2011

Star Wars: The Old Republic: PC Performance, Benchmarked

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/star-wars-gaming-tests-review,3087.html

I thought this might be informative for a few here

December 16, 2011

Linking a https website seems problematic

Here is my example from this web page:

I'm trying to link the words "tell the president" to this site: https://secure.aclu.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3909&s_subsrc=111215_NDAAveto_fixNDAA

Here is my attempt: [link:secure.aclu.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3909&s_subsrc=111215_NDAAveto_fixNDAA|tell the president]

As you can see, you cannot even see the "linkified text". I'm using the usual link: format. Am I doing something incorrect ?

When I mouse-over the link on ACLU's page, it says http://www.aclu.org/fixndaa

Using THAT link, I can do this: tell the president

December 16, 2011

ACLU: President Obama: Veto Indefinite Detention

http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/president-obama-veto-indefinite-detention

Dec 16th, 2011

Posted by Laura W. Murphy, Director, Washington Legislative Office at 4:03pm

As I write this, the Defense Authorization bill is on its way to President Obama's desk. The bill contains dangerous, sweeping worldwide indefinite detention provisions.

Leading members of Congress have already indicated that they believe that these provisions could be used by this and any future president to indefinitely detain people without charge or trial — even American citizens and others picked up within the borders of the United States.

According to reports, the President's advisors are recommending that he not veto this legislation despite earlier promises to do so. We need to tell the President to listen to the American people.

There are moments in America when our freedoms depend on the willingness of a President to act firmly and decisively to sustain our fundamental values; moments that decide the course our nation takes for years to come.

December 15, 2011

A big credit to you Brits for forcing the unemployment issue upon Cameron

Every time I watch PMQ, Labour and the other parties are forcing the issue of unemployment upon Cameron. Cameron always skirts the issue, makes some "feel-good" statement, and/or manages to bash Labour somehow.

I wish our Democrats were so forceful in advocating for lower unemployment.