Nobrainer’s Think Tank

About 2 years ago I wrote that I was pulling the plug and officially getting rid of Thunderbird, the free email companion to Firefox. I’ve waited far to long, but let me admit that I’ve been using Thunderbird for the last 9 months or so. It all happened when I started my job. They told us to use Thunderbird. I did at first. But I also set up Outlook. Outlook didn’t last very long. While I still prefer Outlook in general, I can’t use it for one primary reason: it absolutely sucks at IMAP. My work email is IMAP. Then gmail began allowing IMAP. And that was pretty much the nail in the coffin.

It also helps that I’ve grown to become much more comfortable with Google Calendar. It’s also nice that Calendar ties in with Google Desktop.

Now if they would just perfect Desktop…

Things started off badly. Four of us left from Preston Ave at 10 for the 6 mile trip to the race track. We covered the first 2 or 2 1/2 miles in only about 10 minutes. By 10:30 we were on a hill near Colthurst & Barracks. Between 10:30 and 11 we probably moved 200 feet. We stayed on that hill for probably about the next hour. By 11:30 we picked up some momentum and we finally got parked around 12:30.

It was a lovely 2 1/2 hour, 6 mile, 2.4 mile-per-hour drive. Many of our friends rode on a bus. They left at 11 and arrived at a crowd pleasing 2:30.

Maybe it’s a matter of my perception being off this year. Maybe trips have always taken this long. Or maybe someone, somewhere really fucked up. And if that someone exists, that someone deserves a public flogging.

Allegedly, the race track opened its gates an hour later than usual this year. That may explain why everyone’s trips took about an hour longer than what seems normal.

Aside from that, the racing and atmosphere were quite pleasant, for the most part. Apparently there was a problem with people randomly walking up our Jeep and stealing things from the back.

Quite pleasant until about 4 PM. At that point it became obvious that storms were on the way. Our car load loaded up quickly and hoofed it from the Green, through the Orange zone and to the car in the parking lot. Aside from the girls being hassled by the drunk-ass student with a shopping cart (???), we made pretty good time and stayed pretty dry.

After sitting for about 30 minutes in go-nowhere traffic watching soaked and miserable looking attendees, we planned and executed a brilliant parking lot exiting procedure.

All that said, I think I’m about done with Foxfield. As of right now, I’m not looking forward to next year and I don’t expect to be sad to miss it.

It’s just before 8AM and I’m in the office. That’s a bit early for me. On the upside, however, I’ve already got a cup of coffee at my desk. And, even better, I get to hit the links for a company golf scramble. Tee time is just after noon, and I will be out of the office by 11.

Have I mentioned before that I really like my job?

With an intro like this, you things will go downhill quickly:

It cost £14,000 to create, but clearly no-one at the smart London design outfit that came up with the new logo for HM Treasury thought to turn it on its side.

The logo, for the Office of Government Commerce, was intended to signify a bold commitment to the body’s aim of “improving value for money by driving up standards and capability in procurement”.

Think about it, they spent 14 large on a logo to signify that they’re good with money.

And what did they get in return?

It’s not bad I suppose. Probably not worth 14,000 Pounds though. And it’s not really newsworthy.

Oh wait, yes it is.

Here we see a demonstration of how to open a beer bottle with a functioning chainsaw.

I’m serious about the safety glasses. It’s cool to have a cold beer that you opened with your own chainsaw. However cold beers are less enjoyable when a bottle cap is wedged in your eyeball.

Thanks to Tigerhawk, who also points us to Adirondack hacks, which includes such pertinent information as how to build your own trash-can smoker. Not really sure why you’d want to smoke a trash can though.

I’m hilarious.

Last weekend I got to watch a couple of newer movies, Superbad, and I Am Legend. As you probably know, I don’t love movies, and I didn’t love these 2. So, on to my quick reviews.

Suberbad: I think I’ve gotten too old to appreciate this kind of movie. Stories about high school seniors trying to get laid for the first time just don’t appeal to me anymore… or at least this movie didn’t. There were certainly some funny parts. But on the whole it was just too over-the-top and too awkward. I’d have probably enjoyed the movie much more 5 or 7 years ago.

I Am Legend: I Am Legend is pretty decent as a thriller. I enjoyed watching it. But I didn’t especially like the movie. My dislike stems from 2 things: the first is the required amount of suspended thought; the second is the lame payoff at the end.