How I lost my family’s email, recovered most of it, and made sure it wouldn’t happen again
I made some mistakes, it cost me some time and a bit of lost data, and I’ve taken steps to make sure if it happens again I’ll lose less time and less data.
Blast from the past: Boston Globe “special section” on Clinton Impeachment
Look back on simpler times, when the GOP pretended that lying about an affair was sufficient grounds to remove a president from office. Look, and despair.
Today’s example of “everything is shit and there’s nothing we can do about it”
We encounter bits and pieces of micro-shittiness all day, every day, because people don’t care about the quality of their work, people don’t take responsibility for fixing things that are broken, and people don’t think any of it matters, even though it does, very much, actually.
Today’s edition of There Are No Good Health Insurance Companies
My insurance company screwed something up, and after many online messages, letters, and phone calls, it’s still not 100% certain that it’s resolved, and even if it is it’s going to take another month to be properly fixed.
Finally built my own PC, should have done it years ago!
I got a much faster computer for much less than it would have cost if I had bought something pre-assembled.
City of Boston electronic poll books: they DO know what they’re doing!
Boston has robust plans in place to ensure that Poll Pad failures will not compromise an election, but I still have some concerns.
Don’t abuse open-source software maintainers or this might happen
If you abuse me privately, I will name and shame you publicly.
The Anti-Defamation League has always been trash
In 1988, B’nai B’rith told supporters, “The Arab presence on the college campus is poisoning the minds of our young people.” They meant it then, and they mean it now even more.
Why software product support is (sometimes) a terrible job
Software maintainers can’t help people who can’t or won’t read and answer straightforward questions, and some people who need help with software are incapable of reading and answering straightforward questions.
Boston Election Department switching over fully to electronic poll-books; I hope they know what they’re doing!
Using electronic poll-books at 275 precincts on election day is a much heavier lift than using them at ten early-voting locations. I hope they’ve covered all their bases!