pass the oil, please
Friday, January 16, 1998
i've been obsessed by trying to fine tune my Website for just over a year, since Jeffrey Zeldman and I re-worked it into the 3rd Gen Site it is today. Not for the sake of an overall quality upgrade makeover, but rather, the gratuitous use of technology — Java, Javascript, VXtreme, Flash, et al — and achieve gimmicky Pages. Right now, there's too much new technology being introduced for me to make any sense of it all. I don't do these things for a living. Not my yob, man... Fine for code-monkeys and such, but I'm not in that league. I'm overwhelmed by it all. I read Wired to try to get a handle on what's current, and all they give me is reviews of what's coming up next. Finding someone who can make sense of it all is crucial: I'm at the crossroads now.
Taking It All In.
I spend an inordinate amount of time on the Web looking at all the new technology displayed in leading edge sites. I marvel at the graphics and technology — the content is almost always absent — and covet their HTML code. But after viewing it, I give up. It's like nothing I've ever seen before and like nothing I can make any sense out of.
Of course, HTML was that way once, too. But I've sort of got the hang of it now. HomeSite v2.5 helps a lot. My old faithful editor, HotDogPro v3.0 turned into a piece of shit as soon as they released v4.0. Wouldn't touch it now. At least I don't use one of those stupid WYSIWYG editors, where one doesn't learn anything for the effort.
The entire point of learning HTML is to learn how to make things happen on a website page. WYSIWYG editors merely emulate MS-Word or another text editor through simple typing and behind-the-scenes-coding, and the author makes changes through the editor, not using HTML code. Changes are imperfect and rigid, unlike HTML, which can be manipulated with workarounds and hacks, until it becomes perfect, someday. Not.
Spitting It All Back Out.
shit, I can't make much sense of all this new stuff. I realize that I'll have to spend an inordinate amount of time viewing code and trying things on my own. Again.
Between browser viewing problems, javascript, java, CSS and ten thousands other issues that affect and denigrate HTML, I freely admit I'm lost in the maze. Just when I thought I had mastered a mere facet (HTML) of the process, it kicks me in the guts and moves on to new heights of illiteracy.
Re-Sizing.
I'm a visual person; I've always liked pictures. Color, texture, tones, hues all make for an important visual experience. And the Web is no exception.
I like to use visuals when I tell a story or make a point. And I used to use lots of GIFS and JPEG-JPGs in this weekly Journal. But since receiving lots of mail from readers who've had problems with file sizes either hanging up or crashing their browsers, I've backed off on that and relented to a single graphic at the top.
With my recent accidental discovery of JPEG Optimizer and Web Optimizer Express (URLs noted at top), all that's changed. I started reducing pictures all over the site, and am still messing around with all the things I used to do in PhotoShop v3, but now in a much simpler utility format. And in hours less time. Check the graphic at the top of the page: as a *.gif file, it was 13k; as a *jpg, it's around 7k. Nice.
I still spend evenings — sure, sure I'll get a life soon — going through the website and reducing files sizes on the over 230 pages now, wherever pictures are hiding. Those little pixels scream and howl at being reduced, corrected and made progressive, but that's life on the Net.
Enough Already.
The whole Sonny Bono National Memorial Funeral is getting old, as did Kennedy's. Each was careless and whacked themself. At least it was quick and the rest of us didn't have to go through the gory hospital and OR details.
While it's sad that anyone died, the funeral scenario is the most pathetic for all involved. Five or six days is too much. The national psyche doesn't need this shit; the damned newspapers perpetuate it. That he died was news; being buried isn't. That should be a private service for family and those who wish to join in. Please allow the rest of us to read the papers, watch TV or scan news websites without seeing dozens of stories about the phony eulogies from all the phony stars (worthless, talentless Cher) and phony politicians (lying Gingrich, criminal Babbitt and idiot Quayle), who really didn't give a flying shit about him anyway, but just jumped at the chance to get into national news spotlight once again.
I did some serious searching for any record of Sonny's congressional legislative activity; there isn't any. No positive work of any kind was done and no quality record left by him. Pity. He was just a funny guy. And in this day and age, that's probably enough, as compared to some of the scumbags grabbing national attention on a daily basis.
Who says anything isn't for saledoesn't live in the USA. Guess I'd better try to find my Sonny Bono PEZ Dispenser and Sonny Bono Rubber Ducky Bath Sponge. Heh.
Give The Scum A Real Rope.
Why let the subhuman UNABOMBER piece of shit-for-brains, Teddy Boy The Nutcase Kaczynski, fail at hanging himself with his own dirty pair of Fruitcake of The Looms? We can take up a collection to buy him a first class rope if he'll only hang himself. Where do I send my $1?
Why in the name of hell don't we execute scum like Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer (a fellow inmate whacked him), The World Trade Center Bomber and thousands of others? Just because they're mentally ill? Christ, anyone who would whack innocents is mentally ill, no doubt about it. But that's no reason to feed, clothe, house, give them medical care, for chrissakes: they're f*cking criminals, should have no rights at all, and deserve the death penalty for what they've done. Yet America's bleeding heart Liberal scumbags require us to spend anywhere from $42,000 to $60,000 — depending upon whether the criminals are local, county, state or federal prisoners — for their yearly care. To keep mentally ill or defective people alive after they've whacked others? What sense does that make? f*ck that shit. Use the evil prisoners as medical experiments instead of innocent animals, and then execute them. Simple enough.
Spend the savings on good, working American citizens who can't afford that $40-60k dollar threshold that we waste on these subhuman criminal filth. If the moron liberals and scumbag courts don't like it, execute them too. I'll gladly sign up for the firing squad or execution team to rid this country of all the lowlifes.
Lowlife Liberal Scum, Part 58.
Really? Cruel and unusual punishment? Aw f*cking Gee Whiz! Your goddamned client scum should have been executed; the stinking jury or judge spared it's (your \client life) and we'd rather execute him/ her. For what they did, they deserve to die.
But the stinking Liberal ACLU scumbags have stopped it in court and set precedent that can't be repealed, yet. In other words, a murderer or rapist or child molester can molest, rape and murder your wife or child, and s/he (the perpetrator) gets a mere life sentence, where the drugs are as good inside as on the outside, maybe better. Now, there are some people who think that's too harsh. Nah. Give 'em all the drugs they can do, and let them die from ODs.
For anyone convicted of (child) molestation, rape or murder, death should be the punishment. Swift and sure. One appeal. Then, bang-zoom, they're dead. The Liberal Courts have f*cked up this process, too, by granting unlimited appeals that clog up the courts, also filled with lowlife liberal judges.
I find it most perplexing that certain liberals are f*cking worried about hardened criminals doing life sentences in solitary confinement.
These criminals should be executed, not allowed to live and waste our tax dollars keeping them alive for the rest of their filthy lives. It's much, much too good for them.
Apparently, there are plenty of Liberal judges for sale too, if you can get in on the election campaign funding, you can own one for life. Very handy, if your wealthy client's son is charged with murder, merely remind the judge and get him off with a reduced sentence.
More Criminals.
This is now the fifth Clinton Administration cabinet rank member to be investigated; the other four — Espy, Babbitt, O'Leary, Cisneros — are either indicted or under serious investigation.
And the First Criminal Lady is also back for another round with the Law. Hitlery never liked being out of the spotlight. She's a whore for publicity.
Seems Slick Willie The Bubba really knows how to pick from the criminal element to fill up his cabinet. There are surely more current or former members to come under investigation and, hopefully, prosecution.
The Gore Whore.
Yes, moron Al "I didn't do anything wrong and I won't do it again Gore is back in the illegal money slophole, feeding with the rest of the political pigs again.
Al baby's a crook, liar, scumbag, thief, liberal and all-around degenerate, like his criminal daddy, the convicted Tennessee politician, was. Like daddy, like sonny.
Now Al's raising all kinds of illegal cash to pay off other liberal scum and corrupt democratic voters who vote for him. That's what PAC (Political Action Committee's) are for. Hell, the lowlife Gingrich had one of the best illegal scams going: he lied nationally to f*cking everyone.
And the piece-of-shit-criminal, Petey Knight, one of the sleasiest scumbags in fundraising history, will be Al babys manager. That's rich, isn't it? Criminals leading criminals. Sounds like the Nixon administration in 71-73.
Lucky This Time.
The rest of the Northeast and Canada wasn't so lucky; a horriffic ice storm did untold damage and whacked dozens of people. The Southeast USA was innundated with snow and floods, too.
We got 2.35" of rain as the storm passed through us to the much colder climate north of here. The water sure helped and we all were glad we didn't get slammed. Thanks to El Nino, several million peoples' lives were changed forever for the worse.
My Views, Part 2.
Last week, I rambled on and on about the views of mainstream political groups which, at one time or another, I had been aligned or affiliated with from the 60s to present.
The amount of email was moderate in response to the statements I'd made. What surprised me was the intensity of some of the mail. From an angered few at my views to widespread and aggressive agreement, it ran the gamut.
But one response clearly stood out: the accusation that I was "...making summary judgements on people, which is God's job, not yours." I was astounded. That's what separates human beings from the rest of the animal world: the ability to think, judge, make a cogent decision, reason and act based upon the thinking process. It is indeed a very big if that one believes in a god-like figure. With all the horror and pestilence in the world, what is there to make anyone believe in such a fairytale figurine? Nothing that I can think of, offhand.
Summary judgement resulting from a considered opinion is a human trait. To not do so indicates a profound lack of a thinking process, something that Liberals and other degenerate, lowlifes can readily be accused of.
I was also taken to task for advocating the death penalty, again accused of "...doing God's job." Who the hell knows what that is? If society can't exact the harshest retribution for crimes against its citizens, then there is no society worth adhering to. Then we live in a tenuous society at best, where everyone should arm themselves and summarily whack any offender, and all rules of law, order and justice are declared inactive. Fortunately, we don't, everyone shouldn't and virtually no one does. The law is supposed to care and protect its citizenry. But allowing subhuman murders, rapists and child molesters to continue living is a major flaw in the legal code. It needs fixing, asap.
Agree or disagree? Send me some more mail.
Not A Rosy Picture.
The gloom and doom scenario painted by this piece acknowledges nothing corrective being done with a current consumption rate. Hopefully, it won't come to that. Hopefully, we'll (collectively speaking) wake up and fix the problems befoire the fragile blue orb we call Earth is in more serious trouble. Hopefully.