Defenestrated

Scott Adams on what drives him to achieve more

Seriously. When are people going to recognize Scott Adams for the prescient genius that he is? From one of his recent blog posts:

Apparently the thing inside me that makes me work so hard is the same thing that keeps me unsatisfied. It’s a package deal. The best you can hope for is a family that understands.

I haven't achieved anywhere near the success that Adams has obtained but I'm trying and, for me, his description of the personal battle involved is right on the money.

Fry & Laurie: My, that *is* specific

The start of this one's missing but you get the jist. He's looking for just the right greeting card.

Next GPC Meeting: 2pm 10/30/07

At the Grants Policy Committee meeting last Wednesday, Tom Cooley announced that the GPC is working on a new strategic plan, and would appreciate input from the grants community. To provide it, send comments to [email protected]. The next GPC meeting is now scheduled, and the agenda includes discussion of this strategic plan. Put this on your calendars:

Date: Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Time: 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Location: HUD, Washington, DC, and via Webcast

Google launches a public policy blog

Google's launched its own blog about public policy, "to do public policy advocacy in a Googley way," claims Andrew McLaughlin, Google's Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs. It's certainly a good idea, even though postings over the last two months (it was internal up to today) have been sparse, to say the least. Topics include net neutrality, censorship, innovation regulation, immigration, R&D, national security, and trade, which have nothing to do with Google whatsoever.

I applaud this kind of thing. It's certainly preferable to the alternative, which would be for Google to go about its public policy efforts behind closed doors, with conspiracy theorists having plenty to conspire about. (Which is a good question: Are conspiracy theorists in a conspiracy to delude non-conspiricists? I think we should be told.)

Fry & Laurie: We Haven't Met

Ever heard of "not invented here" syndrome? Debunked, here.

Fry & Laurie: A small dish or saucer of soup

If you can ever have soup again without thinking about this, you're a better person than me.

Fry & Laurie: Your ass

This is why I can't take the military seriously.

Inconsiderate FBO system design gets my goat

This really shouldn't bother me as much as it does but check this out:

This is a screenshot from FedBizOpps after a user registers interest in an opportunity. Yeah, let me just click on that "X" at the top most right hand corner.... Oh, wait, I can't because I'm using a Mac and Mac browsers don't share the look-and-squeal of Windows. Sheesh.

Like I said, this really shouldn't bother me as much as this. I think I'm most irritated by the sheer inconsiderate nature of the system design, perpetrated by an entire team of developers, testers, and project managers.

With the release of Safari for Windows yesterday, things can only get worse. I mean, better. No, worse. Eh, maybe better. Oh, the heck with it.

Fry & Laurie: We've Had Lots of Letters

And people think I've got a strange name!

Fry & Laurie: He's everybody's Mr. Dalliard!

Now this, my friends, is absolutely beyond compare. It is a gift to comedy, a treasure to behold, and really rather quotable in pleasant company.