Yeah... Another Dead Blog

2011-10-30T17:10:00.002-04:00

I think there's a ton of good stuff here, so I'm not taking it down, but I'm not posting here anymore, either. All my posting is on Google+ now....

Wait, What? Why??

2011-04-01T13:07:00.000-04:00

I needed lunch.

I ordered lunch (and a couple days extra lunches).

And then I noticed one of those, "wait, what?" moments.

If you click on something on this site to add it to your pizza (in my case, by mistake green peppers, as well as tomato and chicken) then remove it (allergic, too cheap, too cheap)... it shows up on your receipt.

As, "no {whatever}." Which makes sense, if your computer isn't smart enough to recognize "Hawaiian BBQ Chicken without BBQ Sauce," but makes no sense if there's no "standard menu item" involved.

In this case it's costing Domino's another pizza -- which I await now -- without green peppers. Since the guy making it somehow saw the "no" in front of tomato and chicken, but not green peppers... which would make me very, very ill.

What was the developer thinking?!

You can think about big enterprises, and probably get the sinking feeling that this happens on a daily basis but none of the lowly franchise employees have a means or the clout to get it fixed with The Pizza Mothership Web Development team.

Taking a Seat on a Panel Does Not Mean You're Right

2010-11-30T07:37:00.000-05:00

Back in the mists of time, I attended a networking event for women in IT & Engineering* in DFW.

The event was about findings jobs (I was quietly looking at the time) and they had a panel. The panel was accepting anonymous questions.

So, I asked the panel if any of them had ever disguised their gender on their resume.

One of the panel members became rabid at the concept of doing that. She went as far as to say if she ever knew another woman did that, she would do her best to block that woman from ever getting hired (boy, I was glad the questions were anonymous.)

She seemed to take it as a personal affront that anyone might think that discrimination still exists.

There's a study that was recently published in Discover. The study seems to point out that maybe using your initials on your resume isn't such a horrible thing, despite what Rabid Panel Lady said.

Fake CVs reveal discrimination against Muslims in French job market

Yes, this was a study of race and religion in France, but I think follow up studies in the US based on gender, race, and disability would be similarly revealing.

*Well, it was supposed to be IT & Engineering as our Web group had merged with an Engineering group. Until I went to an event, and was sneered at for not being an Engineer and couldn't find any of the other Web women... never went again.

Oh Thank the Googles....

2010-08-23T07:10:00.000-04:00

There's now spam reporting and identification in Blogger comments. Hip, hip, hooray. I only had 64 spam and 2 legit comments...

Now to find time to actually, you know, blog stuff.

Fun with Picasa

2010-06-11T12:48:00.000-04:00

We uploaded some of our photos into Picasa®.

Picasa® has facial recognition.

What you don't realize when you turn that on is that it will find ALL the "faces" on your computer.

For example, it went wild until we told it to skip the Sims® installation.

It also found the following:

This is part of our baby's jumper toy!

Picasa® also found a familiar face in the background of my China pictures.

But the highlight, better than all the rest, is a fellow we have labeled, "Nose Picker."

You can try and hide behind the iron (bronze?) statuary... but Picasa® is going to find you!

The Project Management Swing --- Some Updates

2010-06-01T14:35:00.001-04:00

The original:

Commentaries and/or corollaries:

For your PowerPoint® Pleasure....

No, Google, No... Buzz Posts are NOT Sent Email

2010-04-16T17:03:00.001-04:00

I just noticed recently that if I go into my Gmail™ sent items (looking of course, for pictures of the baby I've sent to people, but whatever), that my outgoing email is completely junked.

What is it junked by? Every item I've shared on Google Reader™, all my Twitter Tweets™,and every status change I've ever sent to Google Talk™.... or at least since Buzz™ started.

Since I'm a heavy Google Reader™ user, and we use Google Talk™ at work for off-site coordination --- my status changes quite a bit (usually variations of free/busy + "song playing on iTunes" option).

What is Google™ thinking?

Yes, a history of what's been "buzzed' under my name -- sure, I can support that. But why is it in my Gmail sent items?

Can't The Great Google Gods In the Sky™ give those "folder" (tag as There Are No Folders) of their OWN??

In My Inbox Today: April Fools & Zombie Pop Culture = Odd Emails

2010-04-01T07:14:00.000-04:00

Designing Accessibility is NOT About Us vs. Them

2010-03-18T07:31:00.021-04:00

This Rubik's Cube "for the blind" has gotten a lot of blog attention lately:

There's just one problem. It's not really for low vision users. Many low vision users may not read Braille at all, but instead use magnifying devices to blow up what they see.

Others may have never learned Braille (because they lost sight after school, for example) and with audio technologies may not have needed to learn it.

Still others are color blind.

Great accessible design helps everyone, without hurting anyone.

How would I design a Rubik's Cube for the visually disabled? I would put the Braille AND a black text label on the already existing color blocks. Then everyone can use the same Cube.

THIS is great accessible design:

Easy to use, not labeled and stuck to the side (I've heard text-only websites disparaged as the "Section 508 ghetto" by disabled users!), not inferior, not different... just more useful, in the end, for everyone. A wheelchair user could use that lift, but so could an overburdened shopper, or just someone who had had a really long day.

If you have to put a big blue sticker on the button...

2010-03-10T18:43:00.000-05:00

Maybe the buttons aren't done very well? (Sorry for the poor quality photo -- camera phone on the sly)

Brilliant Signage

2010-03-10T18:40:00.000-05:00

So, I want to know, did Hook #2 go up before or after the "Do not use the hook" Sign?

Sigh More Not Playing Well Together: Google Buzz & Gmail & iGoogle

2010-02-24T12:04:00.001-05:00

Um, ok, Google. If you're going to send me emails from myself every time someone threads me on Google Buzz, perhaps the REPLY line should be integrated.

I really don't want to send myself a reply!!

And it's not like Buzz wasn't created to work in Gmail--- if I go to Buzz.google.com, I get sent to gmail!

Argh!

Screen grab proof....

Which Set Do You Think Is Easier To Use?

2010-02-17T21:07:00.001-05:00

How Microsoft thinks I should use Windows:

How I use Windows, once I talk someone into giving me Administrator rights.

Usability Testing: Not Just for Web Pages

2010-02-12T18:08:00.001-05:00

Yeah, when your spokesperson can't open it and you're resorting to having a web page with instructions AND a 1-800 number simply to open the product.... go back to the drawing board.

And usability test your next run at it...

WTF Blogger and Google, WTF???

2010-02-10T18:02:00.000-05:00

Blogger took away Spell Check.

This is obviously a ~~spal~~ slap in the face for dsylexics everywhere.

WTF?!?!?!

Amazon Shipping Managers Need To Look Outside the Window??

2010-02-10T17:45:00.002-05:00

I ordered some books (note the irony on WHICH books).

While this is happening:

So where does Amazon ship them from? The middle of the storm, of course!

This is not the best operations management, I think....

I know I live CLOSER to Laurel, MD than say, Coffeyville, KS (a favorite ship-from location for household goods), BUT, evidently Amazon is the only one who doesn't know that it's snowing in Laurel, MD and Richmond, VA.

Speaking of, the UPS site says the stuff will still get delivered today, which would be really miraculous, seeing as how the stuff is currently under 3 feet of snow in Virginia.... Amazon sent out a "delayed" email, why isn't the UPS site showing delayed?
Now, admittedly, I don't need these books today, but I would be really irritated if the new wireless/usb antennae we just ordered had also been stuck in the snow.... our Tivo's can't talk! It's Tivomageddon!

Yeah, Even Google Makes Typoes

2010-02-02T16:04:00.000-05:00

The actual frustrating fact? I got here from Google Docs, and it doesn't tell me what my quota there is...

Oh, well. Too much $$ for what I wanted to do, either way. DVD burning it is.

Ugh! Thanks UPI

2010-01-19T07:23:00.001-05:00

I was looking at a feature of this site, and was treated to the following side gallery. I think the top image is very fitting, considering what falls under it.

B/c, you know, underwear-clad shots of women from hip to navel are the only way to represent each of those stories.

Holiday Pet Peeve: UPS Site

2009-12-19T19:18:00.001-05:00

Why is there NO place on this page to enter a second tracking number?

I have found the quickest way to check tracking on two packages is to put them into Google one at a time, but what a pain in the butt.

Of course, I'm only doing this b/c the really lovely Amazon tracking screen doesn't show the same statuses as the UPS site. Often the Amazon site will show something has left the facility and the UPS site will tell me the truth, "billing information received" (which means UPS doesn't actually have it yet.)

Amazon:

UPS:

Argh.

At least now, as a Prime customer no longer living in DFW, I don't have to watch my packages sit in the UPS depot for three days so that I don't accidentally get them in 2 days instead of 7.

Small Things Make a Big Difference in Getting Retail Right...

2009-12-19T14:17:00.001-05:00

I purchased some gifts for my mom, myself and a friend off of knockknock.biz.

I wouldn't normally do business with a .biz, but the brand is sold on about 50 other websites, and they had better combined pricing and shipping than the other options.

Two things they do right, little things, that made a difference in my order:

1. They offered to email me a coupon in exchange for my email address and the email showed up immediately. As in, as soon as I had the tab open for gmail the code was already there.

I don't know how many sites get automatic email communication wrong... I know that Kodak lost my over $200 order on some custom printing when their database couldn't email me a new password this year, and that I have take my business elsewhere on many sites when the email confirmation of a new account or a lost password took longer than 2 minutes to get to me.

2. They offered my receipt in a nicely named PDF file. That's what I do with e-receipts anyway--- print to PDF. Except I didn't have to do that AND the file is nicely named (knockknockreceipt.pdf).

Sweet.

In fact, this is one of the more nicely done order confirmation pages I've seen. Simple to read, customer service phone numbers big and easy to see, nice use of their own product line, prominent print AND pdf buttons.

The only beef I have is with the back-ordered note--- none of the things I ordered were marked as out of stock, so now I'm confused a little as to why that is there.

Yeah, I Said It Already

2009-11-19T07:15:00.000-05:00

A year and a half ago I blogged about "PizzaHut.com and its high level of bad" in Pizza Hut.com, To Borrow from Vincent Flanders, Sucks.

Today Consumerist runs a story about the PizzaHut.com website not working for people.

Didn't I say that already?

American Airlines Fires Designer For Admitting Site Could Be Improved

2009-11-17T07:27:00.002-05:00

And that headline should tell you all you need to know about the AA commitment to Customer Service, never mind Usability.

It's validating to know I'm not the only one who thinks the AA site needs major help. (Here's my post from last time I used their site: http://yetanothersite.blogspot.com/2009/02/i-get-annoyed-again-american-airlines.html)

Here's the dialog on another blog that got the AA staffer fired: http://dustincurtis.com/dear_american_airlines.html and http://dustincurtis.com/incompetence.html

Dear Outlook,

2009-11-12T18:22:00.001-05:00

I know that this is futile, but I'm going to say it anyway.

When are you going to be better? There's so many things wrong with you, but today your lack of ability to tell that 2 people are the same people is really getting to me.

You aren't going to send the same person 7 copies, so why won't you deduplicate my to: line?

For example:

Should become this when I click the little Man + Checkmark icon.

Not this:

That way when I'm reading a list of 75 people on the to line, I can better see that Jane is on the list (or not on it). Speaking of, it would be nice if the To: box could expand to show everyone there, but maybe that's just me.

This mostly happens when we have 17 Outlook distribution groups, I add each one, then need to deduplicate it to see who is missing, since between them John Smith is on 15 and yet Sally Roe is missing from all of them...

*sigh*

I Think I'm In Love

2009-11-05T09:32:00.001-05:00

Adobe has this tool (maybe they will build it into Photoshop Version.Next!) at Kuler.adobe.com.

With it you can take any picture and turn it into 5 color themes -- mathematically balanced to work together.

For example this image:

Gives me:

Or this:

Goes to this:

I'm in design love.

Of course, like all early infatuation, my lust is tempered by frustration as I get to know Kuler. For example, Kuler is built into Adobe CS4 -- but not the photo tool, so I will be at the mercy of Adobe never taking it down if I want to love it forever and ever and ever. Also, Kuler, like the punk rocker you dated in college, isn't ready to be brought home to Mom. Specifically, there's no way to get Adobe Swatch Files into Dreamweaver -- I'm going to have to ink dropper each color to get its hex code if I use the ASE files. (And really, Adobe, "Macromedia didn't support ASE files when we bought them" doesn't cut it as a reason to not allow Dreamweaver to pull hex codes from an ASE file. That was four years ago! Get over it!)

Halloween 2009

2009-11-04T16:37:00.004-05:00

We went with a very different theme from previous years: 2008, 2007.

2009:

Thanks, Google! Let Me Get Out My American Express Card Pronto!

2009-11-04T16:30:00.000-05:00

The third sponsored link down on the left is awesome! Keep in mind, "tanks" is a typo for "thanks" in the first place!

Bon mots from usability classes

2009-11-01T11:13:00.001-05:00

This week I am at UIE14.

I'm putting interesting bits on twitter with the hashtag #uie14.

Today is 8 hours w dan rubin...

More Hate From Facebook

2009-10-26T11:26:00.000-04:00

My Twitter feed exploded in complaints about Facebook. So I go to look... and I don't see anything different.

Then again, that's with IE 6 which FB doesn't like.

So I flip over to FireFox.

Um, can we see what's wrong here?

Facebook Hates Me?

2009-10-23T10:53:00.000-04:00

Oh noes, they must have read my thing.

Cry.

Oh, Google, You Thought I Didn't Notice, But I Did

2009-10-21T09:15:00.001-04:00

You heard my plea (to be able to cc/bcc in the Gmail imbedded in iGoogle), and you found it be good.

For, lo, unto today, I see a BCC and a CC field.

Thank you,
Love,
-Me

My Story on The Story

2009-10-12T22:15:00.000-04:00

I was interviewed for The Story on NPR and it aired today. It's online at www.thestory.org/archive. I start at 32:44.

There's a Chance People May Be Looking at This...

2009-10-09T21:29:00.000-04:00

I haven't been blogging as much for the last few months-- the blog got Mommy Tracked as I ran out of spare time. Also, nothing has really annoyed the heck out of me lately that I haven't already went on and on about...

If you're a new (potential) reader, here are a few links:

My favorite 5 posts (today anyway, subject to frequent change):

Fan top 3:

Google Analytics top 5:

I Can't Get a Google Wave Invite--- But I Do Get Mysterious Random PPT Files!

2009-10-09T13:44:00.000-04:00

Check out the highlighted line -- someone pushed a PPT for a conference to every Google Docs user?

Long Time No Post: Facebook Doesn't Understand Customer Service

2009-09-29T12:14:00.001-04:00

When you run a business like Facebook there are four basic areas you would staff (beyond all the backbone that keeps a business running):

Coding and Design - making everything functional
Sales and Money - ads and stuff
Servers, Networks and Security - keeping the site up and connected
Customer Complaints

One way to really fall down on your face is to staff #4 with people who don't understand customer service.

I made a complaint on Facebook. I made a complaint because after taking a quiz I was suggested I take another quiz. The quiz I took was undoubtedly silly and likely to be something along the lines of "What Muppet Are You?" or "Who Are These 80's Stars?".

The quiz I was recommended by Facebook was, "What Kind of Girl Would You Like to Fuck?".

The picture of said quiz was an upskirt shot of a girl with no underwear, her legs akimbo, and her head cropped out.

I complained to Facebook that I found THAT offensive (to the generic complaint email).

To which Facebook replied that I didn't complain in the right channel and thus my complaint was being ignored.

That irritated me -- I had gone through the entire help site and there was no channel for reporting offensive applications.

I replied to the same address with a complaint about the process.

Today, 91 days after my original complaint, I received a reply -- explaining to me that I must, in order to complain, find the offensive application (how?), TAKE the quiz in question, and on the final about screen, complain to its developer.

Seriously, Facebook, seriously?

This is the best you can do?

I know we inhabit a world of forced self-service where no one talks to humans for customer service, but it takes a special kind of lameness to have not one but two humans refer a customer to self-service and never take action on the root problem reported.

Wow, just... wow.

If I was the Facebook sales rep selling ads to Pepsi^® and Ticketmaster^® and Pepto-Bismal^® I would be very concerned that these ads didn't pop up next to porn. I promise you the brand managers for the companies do care.

This one application is a drop, I am sure, in the bucket... but the staff's inability and/or lack of will to actually deal with these problems would mean a lot of full buckets.

Google Fixes Mystery Meat Editing!

2009-07-20T12:14:00.001-04:00

Last month I blogged about the functionality of editing Google Bookmarks: http://yetanothersite.blogspot.com/2009/06/google-does-mystery-meat-functionality.html

Today I noticed that, at least in Mozilla for Mac, this has been fixed. The edit link is now visible, not a "hover to reveal the secrets of the universe" functionality.

I have no doubt that my blogger post had nothing to do with that being fixed... but at least I'm vindicated.

PDF Wackyness

2009-06-26T18:17:00.000-04:00

My husband has been setting up a netbook for his mom. He was shocked and appalled by how big Adobe Acrobat Reader is... he kept muttering about PDF being an open standard.

He asked me how big the "whole thing" is.

I did some comparisons.

It does seem odd that Adobe Photoshop CS3 + Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 + Adobe Flash CS3 + Adobe Illustrator CS3 disk space = 76% of (Adobe Acrobat Pro 9) disk space.

And yes, my desktop color theme is "Spruce."

:( Google...

2009-06-26T18:01:00.000-04:00

In the last two weeks I have added my Twitter posts (via "add RSS") and my Google Reader shared items to this blog.

I just discovered neither works in Safari for PC. I don't know what that means for Safari for Mac, yet, but this makes me sad.

Google, why you gotta treat me this way?

I don't even know what to make of this...

2009-06-24T07:30:00.000-04:00

I tweeted the words, "cream cheese."

The following was the result, about 6 hours later.

Ok, Kraft, that's just dumb.

I would get it if I twittered and blogged cooking tips or recipes... but I don't. Normally I tweet personal stuff and/or Web 2.0 items.

So what this reveals is that anyone using "cream cheese" in a Twitter message will be followed by Kraft.

I would be impressed if they followed people posting cooking stuff -- hey, trying to improve the product, etc. However, indiscriminate following just means they aren't actually reading any of it...

Sincerity counts for something, even in Web 2.0, and this showcases an obvious lack of that.

Why?!?! OMG, Why?!?! Helpless Sobbing

2009-06-19T18:04:00.001-04:00

Ok, Target (I know, I know) sent me a coupon for 10% off anything left on our registry.

I think about it a moment and decide to check out the camcorders.

Only to take one look at the menus on this page and leave.

Seriously, Target, who does your IA and menus? The people who write Encyclopedia Britannica?

Blogger likes to super-shrink images, so here's the text of the menu:

All Cameras
All Digital Cameras
All Digital Cameras + Camcorders
Black
Blue
Brown
Camera Accessories
Camera Film
Cameras + Camcorders Bestsellers
Compact Digital Camcorders
Compact Digital Cameras
Digital Memory
Digital SLR
DVD Camcorders
Extra Value Bundles
Fashion Color Cameras + Camcorders
Green
Hard Drive + Memory Card Camcorders
High Definition Cameras + Camcorders
Image Stabilization
Instant Cameras + Accessories
Kids' Digital Cameras + Camcorders
Large LCD Screens
MiniDV Camcorders
New Arrivals in Camcorders
New Arrivals in Camera + Camcorders
New Arrivals in Cameras
Pink + Purple
Point + Shoot Camcorders
Pre-Owned Cameras + Camcorders
Red
Silver
Waterproof Cameras
White
Yellow + Orange

So, ok, a couple of questions for Target's IA team (who obviously have never recovered from the accessibility lawsuits).

Why is camera film a link UNDER camcorders? Camcorders may use (yikes, if they are super old) tape, but they don't use film.

What if I want a Yellow, New, Camcorder that's Waterproof? Assuming I can even deal with your 36 item menu, how do I ever find something specific?

All the Target.com menus are like this. You do something that sounds simple and get this overwhelming flow of options that just confuses things.

I have no idea what I want, and Target.com has proven to me that their site isn't going to help. The thing is, even if I was dead-set on using that 10% off coupon, I might do the math and decide that a site that ships stuff for free *and* helps me find things is worth more than researching something on a site I can actually use and then coming back to Target.com....

Link to the page above, for the record: http://www.target.com/Camcorders-Digital-Cameras-Electronics/b/ref=sc_fe_l_1/188-3747068-6653066?ie=UTF8&node=1193626

Google Does Mystery Meat Functionality

2009-06-18T18:03:00.001-04:00

Ok, look at this page.

Then you tell me how I am supposed to edit a Google Toolbar Bookmark's name.

Because when I click on a bookmark to edit the name (which, incidentally usually happens b/c the toolbar saved it before I stopped typing), this is the screen I get.

It's magic!

Once you move your mouse over the text, a box appears around it and you can suddenly edit.

That little down arrow on the side? Red herring. Just allows you to delete the darn bookmark... which I have done before in frustration!

Why, Google, Why? The boxes wouldn't mess me up not hidden, so why confuse the flip out of people by hiding them?

This strikes me as classic, "Developer thought it was really cool, never mind that users have no clue when left on their own" design.

Bad, Google, Bad!

The sad thing? I still use Google Bookmarks because I really like having them follow me from computer to computer on the toolbar.

I Can't Take it Anymore: Target.com Forces Me To Post

2009-06-17T17:47:00.010-04:00

As our personal 10 month project nears completion I've needed to utilize some third party commercial tools to facilitate relevant communications.

Specifically, I've had to set up baby registries on several sites. I was going to just do Amazon.com, but then I found out that not all of my family knows how to use Amazon.com, so that wouldn't work for said communications...

Target has coated the country in red bulls-eyes and seems to be fairly well known, so I moved items onto their registry.

Only to discover what a living Hell it is to try and use Target.com.

I would talk about the entire site, but just explaining how frustrating the menus are would take three pages.

So, today we will discuss a small, small detail: trying to login and update an item on a registry.

I have a bookmark to our registry, so I went directly there. That is, after all, why we, as developers, make pages that CAN be bookmarked.

This is the page I see:

I need to make changes. So I click the big silver button at the top, the one that says, "Update."

Except, because Target.com is evidently operating in some logic schema that makes sense to only them, the "Update" button does NOTHING.

Actually, that's not true. It reloads the page. Unchanged.

So now I am stuck trying to figure out how to login. If it won't let me update, maybe it doesn't know who I am... even though the page says, "Hi, [my name]" at the top?

I click on the even bigger blue button, "My Registry."

Which takes me here:

Hmm, I wonder what to do now. I appear to be logged in, but there is no update or edit or anything like that. I click, "My Registry" again. It reloads the page.

I click, "Add Items to Registry," that takes me to a bunch of cribs and whatnot with, again, no way to edit what I already have added. I don't go far down that path because I really don't want to add anything else to this damn thing ever again at this point.

In final desperation I click, "Create New Registry."

I know I'm clicking on the wrong thing, but I'm out of options and maybe that page will have a link to what I need.

And lo, there it is. A login screen. I know, I know, I'm already logged in. But this looks more promising that anything ELSE I've seen so far.

So I login.

Which promptly takes me back to....

The very page I started on, but with different buttons.

This leads me to wonder: Why does the silver "Update" button even exist? If you're logged in enough to actually edit stuff, it vanishes. Why, Target.com, why?

Final note... see those comment boxes under items? Well, Target.com never tells you how long is too long on them, but if you fill them up with text, they don't take. Not only do they not take, but if you put comments in, say, 15 items, and ONE of those comments is too long, the site dumps all the comments and puts a notice at the top of the page.

This is how all my comments ended up terse and identical. There's only so many times you can type cute and friendly messages only to have a website destroy them and continue to be cute and friendly.

Typing this entire blogger posting took less time than launching our original registry... by a factor of about five or six...

Inklings of a Death Knell for Twitter

2009-06-16T06:44:00.000-04:00

I'm reminded of the first green card lawyer posts on the news groups...

Amazon Uses Me as a Guinea Pig, But I Like It

2009-06-15T07:27:00.002-04:00

From only one computer-browser combination, I am currently being offered a "Beta" look at a new order tracking page on Amazon.

I like it.

(I would probably like it less if I ordered things I was embarrassed to have pictured on the screen -- and Amazon does sell some of that stuff... I wonder if they've thought of that?) [Less adult-entertainment example: I ordered my pregnancy tests off of Amazon. Would I want a co-worker to see that if I'm checking my order status at lunch?]

Anyway, here's some grabs.

Things I like:

1. At Christmas this would be really helpful as a quick and visual, "How much stuff have I sent family X" guide.

2. It's just more visually attractive than the old site.

3. I like the gift box icon (grab #3) next to items with gifts.

4. I like the hover box w/ shipping, although I'm not sure about it's accessibility. I'm using a roller ball, I think I would dislike that from a touch pad.

I do wonder what these pages will look like in a year or two when things go out of stock-- I have gone back into orders that old, before. (Ok, admittedly, usually to yell at them, "I have spent $xxxx.xx since 1997, don't you care you're alienating me?)

Update to Last Post

2009-06-08T10:17:00.002-04:00

Dear HP,

When I print, setting the printer to print 2-4 pages per sheet of paper, b/c I'm trying to not waste paper, please insert a page break between copies 1 and 2.

It's bad enough that I have to turn collating on by hand, but it's embarassing to have to cut off 1/2 a page and staple it to the top of every odd numbered copy... and the other half to the end of every even numbered copy.

Really, your business is printing, how hard are concepts like this? There's not even a setting I can find to force the printer to do this right!

-Me

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Long Time No Post

2009-05-26T12:24:00.000-04:00

And now, a micro-post.

Dear HP,

I'm trying to be a good citizen and not print 8,435 extra pages.

Please make collate the DEFAULT when I print multiple copies to one of your printers.

Thanks,

-Me

World of Warcraft Gets (Some) Accessibility....

2009-04-14T12:19:00.000-04:00

Buried in the 3.1 patch notes we see this:

The Interface menu features a Color Blind option.

Yay for accessibility.

Oh, Google...Not Again

2009-04-13T07:33:00.000-04:00

This am, open Google Docs, click on a link to one of my files (which Google Docs insists on opening in a new window, and uses Javascript to force, so I can't right-click and open in a new tab instead)....

only to be told, "Popup blocked by Google Toolbar."

Don't you people ever TALK?

Great Ideas...

2009-04-06T18:18:00.000-04:00

This streaming media selection screen is an excellent idea! I particularly like that they don't criticize the user for not knowing and/or caring.

(If only the right video had played when I used it...)

XKCD Readers Use a Lot of Google?

2009-04-03T07:44:00.000-04:00

A few hours after that image went up, the Google Trends:

Yeah! I Knew It!

2009-04-02T18:26:00.001-04:00

It is absolutely silly that companies spend tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars to "catch" one 9$/hr clerk sending a Hallmark card to grandma...

Now there's research to show how really silly that is.

"Short and unobtrusive breaks, such as a quick surf of the Internet, enables the mind to rest itself, leading to a higher total net concentration for a days' work, and as a result, increased productivity," he said.

and

"Firms spend millions on software to block their employees from watching videos, using social networking sites or shopping online under the pretence that it costs millions in lost productivity," said Coker. "That's not always the case."

See more: Hey, boss! Facebook makes better employees

It's ALWAYS the Fault of that Horrible Internet...

2009-03-25T07:57:00.001-04:00

Heard this story on the radio and was annoyed...

http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/41673662.html

Basic summary:

Homes broken into while empty and for sale
Appliances taken
Homes listed on Internet
Obviously Internet at fault

Nowhere in the story does it indicate if these home were listed in the papers, had signs in front, had open houses, had been very publicly moved out of, had had an eviction, etc.

Most homes for sale are now listed on the Internet.

While I do not doubt that someone would look at Internet listings to pick houses to steal AC units from (wish they would steal mine, I need a new one... well, ok, maybe not, we wouldn't get replacement value...) the concept of the stories seemed to be, "Don't list your home online or thieves will come vandalize it!"

How about, "Don't leave a home obviously empty while on vacation, for sale, or for rent unless you want Bad Things to happen?"

I guess there wouldn't be a story if it was just, "Some people continue to be stupid and others continue to be criminal" instead of "Internet EVIL."

Quick Hit: Poor Help

2009-03-19T18:04:00.000-04:00

Worst Tool Tip of the Day:

Bad Metrics

2009-03-11T18:14:00.002-04:00

What happens when your metrics are out of line with the big picture?

You land on Consumerist because staff are told NOT to make major sales unless they can make an upsell with it.

http://consumerist.com/5168167/office-depot-employees-claim-theyre-told-to-lie-about-stock-if-youre-not-buying-extras

Seen Online: Web Tech Guy and Angry Staff Person

2009-03-10T16:59:00.003-04:00

Somewhat ironically, they don't have an "embed this flash presentation in the YouTube sized box on your site" link, so:

http://smithsonian20.typepad.com/blog/2009/03/web-t.html

Well THAT'S Incredibly Helpfull...

2009-03-06T11:49:00.000-05:00

http://www.microsoft.com/products/ee/transform.aspx?ProdName=Office&EvtSrc=OfficeErrorMessages&EvtID=10070&LCID=1033&ProdVer=11.0

Goofy Nerd Girl for the Win

2009-03-05T18:08:00.000-05:00

So, there's a database here of all the child care providers, including a state ranking of their worthiness.

Because it is now a minimum requirement, newly licensed facilities (and
eventually all programs as they transition to the revised rated license) earn
their star rating based only on the two components that give parents the best
indication of quality:
Staff education
Program Standards
In addition, programs having a two component license can earn a
“quality point” for enhanced standards in staff education and program
standards.

The database also list phone numbers and addresses.

I take this and turn to Google Maps (since the database only lets me search by zipcode, not bullseye or route).

With Google Maps I can quickly get the following:

distance out of my way on my way to work
distance out of my spouse's way on his way to work

(I wish I had time to do an API linking the Google Not-Excel to the Maps and not have to cut and paste 77 times, but... I will take what I can get.)

Then I turn to Google Docs, where I can use a spreadsheet... and eventually rank centers on a combination of hours of business, score, distance, and price.

The only flaw in the whole thing is that we have to CALL a bunch for the pricing and wait list. On the other hand, I can filter out the ones 40 minutes in the wrong direction....

I hope he's paid well...

2009-02-27T12:35:00.004-05:00

Recently all the blogs are carrying stories about RyanAir (unfond memories of being forced to strip to my camisole and put everything on the scale so they could charge extra)'s CEO saying they will switch to pay toilets on their fleet of planes.

What caught my eye wasn't that, but this gem:

but his spokesman cautioned Michael O'Leary often just made things up at will.

That's a job no one wants. Spokesman for the guy who just makes things up.

Project Update

2009-02-26T07:31:00.000-05:00

Looks like all the milestones to date have been made, and the GANTT chart is looking good.

Seen Online: Men and women see beauty differently

2009-02-24T12:05:00.000-05:00

If this stands up over time, it could explain why sometimes you can tell male designers' work from female without knowing who did it...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29355425/

Excerpt: "For both sexes the most active region was the parietal lobe that deals with visual perception, spatial orientation and information processing, but it was focused on the right side of the brain in men while both sides participated in women."

I don't know what's up w/ Gmail on my Blackberry...

2009-02-24T07:54:00.002-05:00

But thanks to Google Hot Trends, I know it's not just me.

And once again, #7 is from House last night. Anytime there's anything really odd in the morning, it's b/c of something on Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, etc.

I posted on Twitter b/c earlier this week "frenulum" was No. 9 and I was curious as to what show that was from... but Twitter eats post w/ the word "frenulum."

Pew: Generations Online

2009-02-19T07:04:00.000-05:00

"Compared with teens and Generation Y, older generations use the internet less for socializing and entertainment and more as a tool for information searches, emailing, and buying products. In particular, older internet users are significantly more likely than younger generations to look online for health information. Health questions drive internet users age 73 and older to the internet just as frequently as they drive Generation Y users, outpacing teens by a significant margin. Researching health information is the third most popular online activity with the most senior age group, after email and online search."

-http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1093/generations-online

I've been participating in a series of Pew surveys, I think my data is part of this...

Are there no editors anymore?

2009-02-18T07:12:00.001-05:00

Not to nitpick, MSNBC, but "I have two husbands" is polyandry. The only way for a woman to be a polygamist herself is to be in two gay marriages.

Thank you, drive through.

What an odd little message...

2009-02-17T12:23:00.003-05:00

I needed to print a meeting, with attachments, from Outlook.

Note the instructions in the far left lower corner.... yes, I can print the message to any printer I want... but not the attachments.

Microsoft is so weird.

Careful With Those Ad Buys

2009-02-16T15:46:00.008-05:00

Seen online: Fashion week slideshow from MSNBC... with ad banners from WeightWatchers.

I think the implications are a little too much. "Sorry, don't look like a 6 foot tall model? Try WeightWatchers so you can!"

The second screengrab shows the saddest part... Lindsay Lohan has been getting thinner and thinner lately, and some of the gossip sites are starting to use the word anorexia in conjunction with her....

So what's below the image? WeightWatchers. "Don't look like a celebrity with fake breasts slowly starving herself? We can help!"

Eating disorders are a real problem world-wide, and WeightWatchers is blatantly playing into the concept that if you don't look like this... well, there's something wrong with you.

If WW didn't mean to do this, they need to seriously look at how they buy ads (all "women's" stories?). If they did do this on purpose, they should be ashamed.

I Am Selected As Gmail Guinea Pig

2009-02-15T12:51:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, while logged into Gmail, I saw this:

The red text (a little small here) says, "Import mail & contacts ^Test."

I became very excited! At last, a way to import my old Outlook PST files. And then, thinking, not just my Outlook files -- the Thunderbird (Mozilla) files... the old Netscape mail files... wait, I think I have old mbox (pine) files...and Eudora, oh sweet, old Eudora files.

Alas, 'twas not to be.

Gmail is only testing importing from these:

aim.com
aol.com
aol.fr
caramail.fr
clear.net.nz
cox.net
comcast.net
cs.com
earthlink.net
freenet.de
freeserve.co.uk
gmx.at
gmx.ch
gmx.de
gmx.net
hotmail.com
hotmail.co.uk
hotmail.de
hotmail.fr
Ihug.co.nz
juno.com
laposte.net
live.com
lycos.co.uk
msn.com
netscape.com
netzero.com
neuf.fr
optoonline.net
optusnet.com.au
orange.fr
orangehome.co.uk
orcon.net.nz
paradise.net.nz
rr.com
slingshot.co.nz
sprint.ca
sympatico.ca
tiscali.co.uk
verizon.net
voila.fr
wanadoo.co.uk
wanadoo.fr
web.de
worldnet.att.net
yahoo.com
yahoo.co.uk
yahoo.co.in

Before Gmail I didn't USE webmail... I used Pine for online access!

Alas, my heart is broken.

However, I am pleased to note the forum set up just for telling Google what isn't working (or in one case, what is typoed) has 35 posts. And 4 of them are about importing old files. (Ok, one is mine).

I didn't see anything else that was the same request over and over again... so maybe someone will listen. Maybe.

I also noted that whatever nerd-factor⁴ gets one selected for Gmail feature testing also leads to other users besides me wanting more than just Outlook files.. someone else posted Mbox files and Thunderbird long before me.

I do seem to be the only one with mail still stuck in Netscape and Eudora files. ;>

God, now that I think about it, I probably have old AOL exports, too. (Hey, in 1995 that was the only way to get dialup over Christmas break!)

I Get Annoyed Again: American Airlines Dot Com

2009-02-13T06:10:00.005-05:00

Background: Due to a specific 40 week project, we are booking some plane tickets to go from RDU to SAN. I have in the past accidentally booked the wrong return date on AA.com, so I'm super-cautious before I want to commit to the ticket. (AA currently has the lowest tickets.)

Anyway, I will vent on AA.com today. Whee.

Let's go ticket shopping!

I've already got tickets to SAN, so let's go someplace a little more fun. Nice, France. For a month. For our anniversary and my birthday. Sounds good.

I get this lovely "not quite stolen directly from southwest.com" grid.

Except I only get the grid if I don't care when I fly. This search specifically does NOT give all the flights in a day. For RDU-ICT (a different ticket), it didn't show me anything leaving after 5 pm. The flight routing does exist... but this search won't tell me about it.

I can find that routing if I select that I only care about Schedule.

But that interface won't tell me prices! (Yes, I realize that's an insane ticket below, but I want to see it as a choice, insane or not.) So now I get that"Enhanced" means "find out the price of each leg." Because, you know, that's obvious and I'm just slow...

So, sure, American will let me search by price... but they won't give me the whole picture. I can't willingly choose a more expensive starting flight if i want to, and then switch to cheaper seats for the rest of the ticket.

Ok, let's get back to today... we pick some tickets to Nice.

This looks good, but I hope no one is talking to you, the phone doesn't ring, and your dog doesn't bark...

because that's the last time you will see that information until after you buy your ticket.

The next pages in the transaction don't tell you what tickets you bought, what dates they are one, what flights.. anything.

If you get distracted, or maybe you're a bit confused because you've been shopping multiple routings on multiple airline sites, and you want to go back and see what you're buying before you commit to spending $3070 on non-refundable tickets... well don't get distracted or confused.

Sidebar: Raise your hand if you think buying airline tickets with PayPal® won't get you on the No-Fly list, or at least the belly-button inspection list...

Clicking back to check if that's really the flight choice you wanted and ignoring all the reload warnings (hah, the dangers of being a web developer, no fear!) leads you to a page that suddenly tells you that you are returning on your departure date... or departing on your return date. That's no good.

This is the point where I actually closed my browser, turned off the TV, told my husband to shush the dog and started the whole thing again. *Sigh*.

During the process of buying my "I'm so poor" tickets to San Diego, I gave up on actual seats on one of the flights.

The following flight has $99 seats. It's from Texas to California, so I doubt the seats ever sell for less than $99 AND there is no way they will sell the whole plane at that price. In fact, as soon as the plane starts to fill up, those $99 seats will be gone.

So why is this the available seating? (The 3 center orange seats)

Is the whole flight booked with the Society of Antisocial Sociopaths Annual Vacation Club, or is it that AA is not ever going to release that coveted aisle/window seat for a lowly $99?

Later in the week, I want to go back to see if more seats are available.

I've done this before, so I go looking for the place to check in/change seats that ONLY requires my "record locator number" and name, not an AA username and password which I think I had in 1997, but don't know anymore.

Hmm. Where do I go? View / Change Reservations, that sounds good.

No. Not there.

Here?

No. Same that's the same page, again!

Where? Let's try this. The words say no, but I can't see anywhere else to try...

Finally, aha! Yes, following the link to purchase tickets allows me to select seats for a flight I already paid for. Again, I must be slow because that's so obvious.

Why is this so hard?

And lastly, in the course of grabbing these screens I saw this ad approximately 5,432,232 times.

I have to say that the URL /onebigmillion is really lame on an ad that says ONE MILLION. What, it's a different million? There is a small million but this, this is a BIG million? Either the campaign is One Big Million and the ad image doesn't tie in properly, or the URL is just silly.

Or my patience with everything AA is out, and I haven't even gotten to the airport yet...

When Bad Design Goes Even Worse

2009-02-12T12:23:00.000-05:00

I'm picking on someone in my own backyard today.

We have tickets for an event @ UNC this weekend.

I went online looking for a map to the building.

I find this page (look right).

I click the link indicated to pop-up the map.

And it's horrible. It's little, it's square, it provides no context. So I think, "aha! it's just that no-resize pop-up code. If I save the image, I will see the whole thing."

Bzzt. Wrong.

The content owner (I'm guessing there some sort of system where one person did the pop-up code and someone else reused it, basically b/c I can't see making a non-fitting non-scrolling window for any other reason) cropped the map down so it would fit better into the little pop-up window!

This is the point where, as a designer, I want to start beating my head on the desk.

So, they couldn't get the map to show the right part in the tiny window, so instead of getting a better window or a full page... they just cropped the map down until the one building they needed would actually be seen.

Oh. My. God.

Please stop the insanity!

Dear Student Loan Provider,

2009-02-10T18:38:00.003-05:00

That you for NOT calculating if I had any capitalized interest this year. It's really helpful, as well, that you don't send me the tax letter you send to the IRS.

You just provide excellent service all around.

Also, this (see right side) is very helpful. Can I print this and submit it with my taxes, and say it proves 93,432$ in capitalized interest? That would be really helpful!

Love,

Best Error Message Ever

2009-01-30T18:38:00.000-05:00

Ok, maybe not ever, but certainly best error message this month...

Pizza Hut + My Blackberry + Cultural Unawareness

2009-01-29T18:51:00.001-05:00

Pizza Hut (one of my favorite blog subjects) is back today.

This post is less about them and more about me.

I live in a football-free world. I don't watch, I don't root, I don't discuss. So, until MSNBC started posting articles about the Superbowl commercials, I had no idea the Superbowl was coming up.

Pizza Hut doesn't know my very well.

They sent the following email to me -- which was viewed on my Blackberry.

The subject line of the email was, "Big Game, Small Price. Feed your Fans with $5 Pizza Mia Pizzas!"

Except the Blackberry doesn't have that much room.

So, I saw, "Big Game, Small Price."

And my immediate football-free brain thought, "Why is Pizza Hut emailing me about hunting deer?"

Austin (Of Course It's Austin) Area Road Signed Hacked...

2009-01-29T12:38:00.003-05:00

I love this story (http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/Road_signs_warn_of_zombies).

I love it b/c it's silly, and reminds me of LA Story, which I just saw on Tivo again the other day.

And I love that the news site ran a serious story... then put a bunch of Zombie related links to the side under, "Your Guide to the Undead."

Scott Adams Is Just Plain Mean Today

2009-01-28T12:25:00.003-05:00

I read Dilbert™ often enough to know that the plot line here is that Dilbert® has lost his job for hosting a web site from work.

However, in a time when his core constituents face the worst recession of their lifetimes, is it really necessary to tell the millions of jobless that they are "utterly worthless"?

Since Scott Adams^(?™?)is a multi-millionaire himself this strip seems particularly tacky and tasteless. I am reminded of the stories of George Bush Sr.'s shock and awe at the grocery store scanners-- someone who is out of touch with the trials of average folks.

Why do people make things like this?!

2009-01-25T19:34:00.001-05:00

I don't think this product would make a good work-place impression, somehow.

I must be feeling better...

2009-01-21T19:45:00.003-05:00

Dear Google®,

When I am writing an email in iGoogle's® window for Gmail®, and click the link "compose in Gmail" it is usually b/c I have my email 95% done and realize you have disabled some needed function.

You know, like cc or attach.

So then I click "compose in Gmail".

Do you suppose that you could take advantage of the 8,434 things you do with cookies and javascript states to NOT make me either copy everything line by line or retype the whole thing?

Thanks!

Love,

Yeah, That's Why It's Known As a "Crackberry"

2009-01-21T18:37:00.003-05:00

On the other hand, if it takes the addictive factor to get a president to use e-mail, ok then...

I wonder if he was looking something up in Wikipedia? Lord knows that's one of *my* number one uses....

Ed: More on the new president and his beloved Blackberry: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28780205/

Too Much Photoshop?

2009-01-15T18:51:00.000-05:00

I saw this ad on CNN.com and thought, "Why is there a game show host who looks like Obama?"

The Dark Heart of Twitter, Revealed

2009-01-13T10:24:00.001-05:00

My dorkyness continues...

2009-01-08T18:53:00.000-05:00

My last post...

2009-01-07T22:45:00.001-05:00

Local commentary is that I've become a bit gruesome.

Until I pointed out this would be perfect PKI for WolfRam and Hart.

Got a little wacky in training class....

2009-01-07T18:59:00.002-05:00

Looks like Microsoft is having a bad day...

2008-12-31T07:29:00.002-05:00

Zune issues suddenly swamped Google...

And yes, for the record, this is my OWN screenshot, no one pointed this out to me. (Glare at my husband for assuming I stole this post!)

Update... Zune's broke: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28449091/

I find it amusing that Google predicted the story hours before MSBBC ran it...

Oh, wow, Microsoft. Wow.

2008-12-24T12:57:00.001-05:00

This page, http://research.microsoft.com/apps/pubs/default.aspx?id=76529 , does not pull up in IE 6. The content is blank and the menu bar is seriously fubarred.

It DOES pull up in FireFox.

I realize IE 6 is not MS's latest and greatest, but shouldn't they be doing backwards compatibility to their own products? IE 6 is still used at some very, very large enterprises....

It's not like this is some random website, it's MICROSOFT'S random website....

Oh, No, Mr. Bill, Oh, No

2008-12-19T12:58:00.000-05:00

Tales From Redesignland today is talking about survey results on your website...

http://redesignland.blogspot.com/2008/12/survey-says.html

It's funny, but it fills me with dread.

We *just* launched an internal survey....

Notes from a UPS Tracking Junkie...

2008-12-19T07:09:00.001-05:00

I don't think the people in Ontario would agree to this characterization...

Slow Posting....

2008-12-10T12:57:00.001-05:00

I'm working on a project right now.

Estimated delivery date for the project is late July.

It's leaving me tired and exhausted all the time.

So, less blogging than normal.

I just liked the title...

2008-12-02T17:24:00.004-05:00

Toothy Sawfish Doomed by Own Design http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/12/02/sawfish-shark.html

You could say that for a lot of products, too!

Telecommuting....

2008-12-02T17:24:00.002-05:00

Telecommuting fail: the 45lb dog decides he wants out RIGHT NOW when you are trying to craft an urgent and important email to your boss also RIGHT NOW.

*sigh*

If you could see my face...

2008-12-01T18:04:00.001-05:00

Well, this blog got backlinked.

By someone who thinks I'm obviously a nutjob feminist for criticizing a children's movie. (That's the whole critic, kids movies are evidently not to ever be thought about.)

To which I would point out that if adults watch a movie, they can determine things like, "Hey, that guy, he's a real jerk. I don't agree with his world view at all."

But when kids watch a movie, even if we don't want them to, they are learning. And in this case, they would be learning what the sex roles for men and women are.

Kids are also much more likely to watch the same movie over and over again (with the possible exception of my husband, college, and The Empire Strikes Back). I distinctly remember a three year phase where my littlest sister watched Mannequin something like four times a week. I wouldn't want it bashed into my daughter's head over and over again that if she's good at sports, that's bad, instead she should walk around in hoop skirts and lipstick, and then she will be, "Perfect."

And, no, I do NOT think the sex roles for women in Chicken Little are sex roles I would want my son or my daughter learning.

For one thing, I want my men to know how to talk to people. For another, I want my women to take responsibility for their actions.

Thank you, drive through.

Feel free to link me, though. You drive me up in Google and Technorati every time you do, which I want.

(My facial expression, FWIW, is my eyes rolling. Back in the day, I used to hang on IRC... that was a command in my scripts, "/eyes".)

Feminist Rant

2008-12-01T00:22:00.008-05:00

Today, not feeling entirely well, I sat down to Tivo.

Tivo didn't have much on, so I watched Chicken Little.

Gahhhhhhhhhhhh.

Now, keep in mind, on Friday I ran through some training on gender roles at work, so I sort of had this on the mind...

As a thinking woman who uses more than shame and fluttering eyelashes to get things done, I will never, ever watch that movie again.

Here's what I remember:

1. Chicken Little is oddly, a boy. I guess girls cannot save the world according to Disney, but in my books as a kid Chicken Little, also known as Henny Penny, is a girl. According to IMDB, originally the lead was supposed to have been a girl.

2. Mom is dead. No reason given, but mom is dead. Disney does that a lot, so I'm not terribly surprised.

3. Dad has no idea how to be a parent until a girl tells him how to; said knowledge being gained from dozens of Cosmo/17 style magazines. He says repeatedly that the dead mother was the one who knew how to do that stuff.

4. Until the last 10 minutes there are no living adult women.

5. The ugly duckling: She's pushy and she knows what's right, and she saves the day at least once. She's with the boys in every scene... until she's told she's pretty and gets a kiss. She then disappears from the plot except for a few shots of her looking moon-eyed and spacey.

6. Foxy Loxy: Foxy Loxy is the town bully. She's a tomboy. She's also the best baseball player the town has seen in decades (until Chicken Little upstages her). She's basically a plot device. In the next to last scene the aliens admit, "her brain waves got scrambled," as she is now covered in makeup, wearing a petticoat dress (instead of her usual overalls), and singing "Lollipop." The aliens indicate they will fix her, until sidekick #2 (a pig, literally) says "No, don't" and kisses her. So the aliens leave her brain scrambled, as a boy told them to and he must know best.... In the next scene we now see that she is the Pig's girlfriend.

7. At the end the aliens are introduced. A female adult and a male adult. They could have come out of an episode of Leave it to Beaver. The female uses no logic or intelligence, claims no responsibility for the havoc she has helped wreck, nothing. Instead she shames the male adult about how he's been overdoing it. She does this in the "ohhh, can mommy kiss your booboo" voice. Then the male takes over and she's pretty much done. (Oh, we know she's female before she speaks only b/c she has humogo eyelashes.)

8. And of course, when the whole thing is made into a movie within a movie, the male heroes are turned into muscular alpha males... and the female hero is turned into a Jessica Rabbit knockoff.

9. This was cut from the cable run, but according to Wikipedia Foxy Loxy's bully pal (a goose) decides she will be Chicken Little's friend after he wins the baseball game.

So the take home lessons are:

Girls are flaky, moody, and have no loyalty.
Girls are impressed by great physical deeds, not personal worth.
Girls are better as ditzy crazy stupid playthings than actual competition
Girls only legitimate motivations are about reading Cosmo and getting kissed
Women aren't necessary
When women do exist, it's only so someone can navigate emotional waters, b/c men surely can't
Men only say they are sorry when a woman makes them feel guilty
Women aren't responsible for anything, only men
Women can't be heroes
Girls who do better than boys need to be fixed, until they put on makeup and skirts
Men are better deciders of what's right for women than they themselves are
and on and on and on and on and on

What kills me is that most of the stuff that I found (and my husband volunteered was not good) horrific was added as humor.

"Hey, we can't tell a joke, or create real emotional growth, let's use some disturbing gender stereotypes as pratfalls!"

They don't have 1962 as an excuse, this was a major release in 2005.

A little inspiration for your holiday shopping

2008-11-28T18:10:00.000-05:00

Anti Matter Meet Matter

2008-11-25T21:32:00.003-05:00

Or, in this case:

has not been read by the venture capatalists behind

http://isfeasting.com/about which is all about what you had for lunch today....

So, Tivo Is Adding a Mobile Site...

2008-11-25T21:29:00.002-05:00

http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2008/11/24/program-your-tivo-from-your-cell-phone/

However, you still can't do what we've wanted to do since they added online programming --- redo your season passes remotely, and schedule the :30 of the tivo just sitting there for some time when you're doing something else...

Unfortunately, Often Seems True

2008-11-25T21:26:00.001-05:00

Well, Obviously I Don't Post Enough Fluffy Words....

2008-11-23T12:03:00.001-05:00

Hey, Google Maps

2008-11-22T11:51:00.002-05:00

Google Maps, you know I love you. So why do you have to do me like this?

If I want (for whatever reason) a list of local hospitals, do you think you could filter OUT of that search VETs? It's not like if I search for "human hospitals" it's going to work.

Thanks,

Love,

Snopes, Ugh

2008-11-21T07:42:00.000-05:00

I want to know how Snopes invariably jumps the blocks on pop-up windows.

Google toolbar has everything so tightened down that I can't right-click a link and open in a new window unless I also hold down control, but without fail snopes.com pops up annoying adds.

I think working for snope's web development team is selling your soul to the dark side. I recently configured a little used browser (Safari for PC) with the default to javascript OFF, so that when a family member sends me a nutty forward I can CUT and PASTE the content from snopes.

Unusual Maps of Current World Statistics

2008-11-17T12:07:00.000-05:00

This link is for my spouse, mostly.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/11/13/worldmapper/index.html

This Headline Made Me Laugh Out Loud

2008-11-16T17:48:00.001-05:00

Classmates.com Sued Because Classmates Weren't Really Looking For Him [Class Action Lawsuits]

Upon logging into his Gold Membership profile in order to view the classmate contacts … Plaintiff discovered that in fact, no former classmate of his had tried to contact him or view his profile," the complaint reads. "Of those www.classmates.com users who were characterized ... as members who viewed Plaintiff's profile, none were former classmates of Plaintiff or persons familiar with or known to Plaintiff for that matter

http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2008/11/classmates

No, No, and No Again

2008-11-16T11:04:00.000-05:00

General, I Salute You

2008-11-14T23:14:00.000-05:00

Yeah... Another Dead Blog

Wait, What? Why??

Taking a Seat on a Panel Does Not Mean You're Right

Fake CVs reveal discrimination against Muslims in French job market

Oh Thank the Googles....

Fun with Picasa

The Project Management Swing --- Some Updates

No, Google, No... Buzz Posts are NOT Sent Email

In My Inbox Today: April Fools & Zombie Pop Culture = Odd Emails

Designing Accessibility is NOT About Us vs. Them

If you have to put a big blue sticker on the button...

Brilliant Signage

*Sigh* More Not Playing Well Together: Google Buzz & Gmail & iGoogle

Which Set Do You Think Is Easier To Use?

Usability Testing: Not Just for Web Pages

WTF Blogger and Google, WTF???

Amazon Shipping Managers Need To Look Outside the Window??

Yeah, Even Google Makes Typoes

Ugh! Thanks UPI

Holiday Pet Peeve: UPS Site

Small Things Make a Big Difference in Getting Retail Right...

Yeah, I Said It Already

American Airlines Fires Designer For Admitting Site Could Be Improved

Dear Outlook,

I Think I'm In Love

Halloween 2009

Thanks, Google! Let Me Get Out My American Express Card Pronto!

Bon mots from usability classes

More Hate From Facebook

Facebook Hates Me?

Oh, Google, You Thought I Didn't Notice, But I Did

My Story on The Story

There's a Chance People May Be Looking at This...

I Can't Get a Google Wave Invite--- But I Do Get Mysterious Random PPT Files!

Long Time No Post: Facebook Doesn't Understand Customer Service

Google Fixes Mystery Meat Editing!

PDF Wackyness

:( Google...

I don't even know what to make of this...

Why?!?! OMG, Why?!?! *Helpless Sobbing*

Google Does Mystery Meat Functionality

I Can't Take it Anymore: Target.com Forces Me To Post

Inklings of a Death Knell for Twitter

Amazon Uses Me as a Guinea Pig, But I Like It

Update to Last Post

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Long Time No Post

World of Warcraft Gets (Some) Accessibility....

Oh, Google...Not Again

Great Ideas...

XKCD Readers Use a Lot of Google?

Yeah! I Knew It!

It's ALWAYS the Fault of that Horrible Internet...

Quick Hit: Poor Help

Bad Metrics

Seen Online: Web Tech Guy and Angry Staff Person

Well THAT'S Incredibly Helpfull...

Goofy Nerd Girl for the Win

I hope he's paid well...

Project Update

Seen Online: Men and women see beauty differently

I don't know what's up w/ Gmail on my Blackberry...

Pew: Generations Online

Are there no editors anymore?

What an odd little message...

Careful With Those Ad Buys

I Am Selected As Gmail Guinea Pig

I Get Annoyed Again: American Airlines Dot Com

When Bad Design Goes Even Worse

Dear Student Loan Provider,

Best Error Message Ever

Pizza Hut + My Blackberry + Cultural Unawareness

Austin (Of Course It's Austin) Area Road Signed Hacked...

Scott Adams Is Just Plain Mean Today

Why do people make things like this?!

I must be feeling better...

Yeah, That's Why It's Known As a "Crackberry"

Too Much Photoshop?

The Dark Heart of Twitter, Revealed

My dorkyness continues...

My last post...

Sigh More Not Playing Well Together: Google Buzz & Gmail & iGoogle

Why?!?! OMG, Why?!?! Helpless Sobbing