Judicial Activism? I'm sorry, but the patriotic flag-bearing, bible-thumping chicken-hawks have got to be kidding me. Last year, the California legislature, who are elected to REPRESENT "the people", passed a bill legalizing gay marriage only to have it vetoed by the Guv. Is that supposed to be the will of the people? You can't have it both ways. By the way, if you haven't been keeping track, the NAYs are just about neck and neck with the YAYs. Is it going to galvanize the Republican party base? Probably. Will that keep the Republicans from losing seats in November? Probably not. (See Democrat Don Cazayoux.)
So, what is the purpose of marriage? To procreate? Let's get behind Initiative 957 (a failed ballot initiative in Washington). In any case, remind me again why people are fighting over this?
I'd rather fight over our stupid food prices, rice shortages, Darfur and the Iraq war. Seriously. What's up with stodgy curmodgeons? They are like the people in Pleasantville. What an unpleasant, boring place to be.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Mawwiage is what bwings us togetha...
I'm really quite confused about the "legislate from the bench" argument that's happening here. The ruling is actually quite clear in what its speaking to. Namely, that CA already has great domestic partnership benefits, which convey *almost* all of the same benefits as marriage. (Did you know that, because same-sex marriages are not federally recognized, if my same-sex spouse dies, I can't receive their Social Security benefits? I fucking HATE paying taxes to this fucktard government.) Back to the issue at hand ... CA Supreme Court has basically ruled that the WORD "marriage" must be bestowed on same-sex couples who enter in a binding agreement to share their lives together, and that domestic partnerships, while conveying the same benefits, amounts to a separate-but-equal system that is not constitutionally sound.
Conservative groups are mad because the ruling reverses a voter-driven ballot initiative that was passed a few years ago that made same-sex marriages illegal. What the Supreme Court ruled on is that this ballot initiative, in and of itself, was illegal TO BEGIN WITH, because it violated the state constitution, and also based on prior rulings of the court. (One of the primary rulings referenced was the one that legalized interracial marriage.)
What's even more interesting is that the dissenting opinions were actually not as bad as I thought. They generally hinged on semantics surrounding the majority opinion, use of the political process, and one of the dissents was from a pro-same-sex marriage justice, who disagreed with the way the majority opinion was phrased, because she thought it was demeaning to same-sex couples (I think).
On another note, it's pretty clear that we need to start making up a new word for church-sanctioned marriages. How about we start calling them mawwiage?
I simply *don't* understand why people get so mad about somebody else's business. I thought conservatives were for small-government, stay-out-of-my-business government - and here the conservative groups are all up in everybody else's fucking business about who they marry.
And for the jink-jankers who think animals are next, the chief justice pointedly said that the laws surrounding polygamy and incest are still in place, and not affected by this ruling.
Conservative groups are mad because the ruling reverses a voter-driven ballot initiative that was passed a few years ago that made same-sex marriages illegal. What the Supreme Court ruled on is that this ballot initiative, in and of itself, was illegal TO BEGIN WITH, because it violated the state constitution, and also based on prior rulings of the court. (One of the primary rulings referenced was the one that legalized interracial marriage.)
What's even more interesting is that the dissenting opinions were actually not as bad as I thought. They generally hinged on semantics surrounding the majority opinion, use of the political process, and one of the dissents was from a pro-same-sex marriage justice, who disagreed with the way the majority opinion was phrased, because she thought it was demeaning to same-sex couples (I think).
On another note, it's pretty clear that we need to start making up a new word for church-sanctioned marriages. How about we start calling them mawwiage?
I simply *don't* understand why people get so mad about somebody else's business. I thought conservatives were for small-government, stay-out-of-my-business government - and here the conservative groups are all up in everybody else's fucking business about who they marry.
And for the jink-jankers who think animals are next, the chief justice pointedly said that the laws surrounding polygamy and incest are still in place, and not affected by this ruling.
Woohoo CA GAYS
You can get married now. Hurry up, before they take it away. Again.
Read more
Edit - From the ruling:
In view of the substance and significance of the fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship, the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex couples as well as to opposite-sex couples.
... The exclusion of same-sex couples from the designation of marriage works a real and appreciable harm upon same-sex couples and their children... Because of the historic disparagement of gay persons, the retention of a distinction in nomenclature by which the term "marriage" is withheld only from the family relationship of same-sex couples is all the more likely to cause the new parallel institution that has been established for same-sex couples to be considered a mark of second-class citizenship..."
Read more
Edit - From the ruling:
In view of the substance and significance of the fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship, the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex couples as well as to opposite-sex couples.
... The exclusion of same-sex couples from the designation of marriage works a real and appreciable harm upon same-sex couples and their children... Because of the historic disparagement of gay persons, the retention of a distinction in nomenclature by which the term "marriage" is withheld only from the family relationship of same-sex couples is all the more likely to cause the new parallel institution that has been established for same-sex couples to be considered a mark of second-class citizenship..."
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Piss away the ______
I am at the point where I need to just take a step back and relax. I'm doing some software development consulting in LA, and have been down here, basically, 2 weeks/month since February. Right now, I'm doing phone screens for potential QA candidates, writing test cases, and giving advice on best practices in software development.
To date, I've written 50+ test cases of varying lengths for their regressive test cycles.
A couple of problems (which I've pointed out to my clients):
1) They only have one QA person here
2) he can't run these cases because he's too swamped with testing new features
3) their dev cycles are too long
4) they push too many hotfixes for the qa guy to work on projects other than upcoming releases
I'm writing very, VERY detailed test cases. Detailed enough that they could, theoretically, outsource the execution of these cases, or even offshore them.
I finished about 70% of the cases that are currently available *last* time I was here, almost 4 weeks ago. They haven't run a SINGLE one of them. I would actually bet money on the face that no one in this entire organization has even *read* them. I would further bet that nobody's read more than 5% of what's currently there.
Why do they keep paying me to do this? Does it make them feel better about "beefing up" their QA organization?
To date, I've written 50+ test cases of varying lengths for their regressive test cycles.
A couple of problems (which I've pointed out to my clients):
1) They only have one QA person here
2) he can't run these cases because he's too swamped with testing new features
3) their dev cycles are too long
4) they push too many hotfixes for the qa guy to work on projects other than upcoming releases
I'm writing very, VERY detailed test cases. Detailed enough that they could, theoretically, outsource the execution of these cases, or even offshore them.
I finished about 70% of the cases that are currently available *last* time I was here, almost 4 weeks ago. They haven't run a SINGLE one of them. I would actually bet money on the face that no one in this entire organization has even *read* them. I would further bet that nobody's read more than 5% of what's currently there.
Why do they keep paying me to do this? Does it make them feel better about "beefing up" their QA organization?
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Google Email Aliasing
Did you know that you can alias with Google mail? Just add a "+" sign.
For example:
userName@gmail.com = username+bonehead@gmail.com = username+bonehead.whatever@gmail.com
This is actually a great, great testing mechanism, for those of you who may have to do software testing involving outbound email. This, coupled with the filtering mechanisms allow you to apply a label for all incoming messages addressed to username+whatever@gmail.com.
Vandahful, dahling. On the other hand, I'd *really* prefer that they used a "-" instead of a "+" for ergonomic reasons, but I shouldn't complain at all.
For example:
userName@gmail.com = username+bonehead@gmail.com = username+bonehead.whatever@gmail.com
This is actually a great, great testing mechanism, for those of you who may have to do software testing involving outbound email. This, coupled with the filtering mechanisms allow you to apply a label for all incoming messages addressed to username+whatever@gmail.com.
Vandahful, dahling. On the other hand, I'd *really* prefer that they used a "-" instead of a "+" for ergonomic reasons, but I shouldn't complain at all.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Making (money) out of nothing at all
I love it when I get paid to do nothing. Literally. As I type, I am getting paid to sit here and twiddle my thumbs. Go ahead. Ask me. Because you know I'm waiting for you to ask me.
The company I'm contracting for has taken down *every* environment that I could use to write these test cases that they are paying me to write. Actually, I'm exaggerating. I could, theoretically, use their staging environment, which they've pointed to their live db, but that would be not good. I could also, theoretically, just use their live environment, but that would present the same problems as using their staging environment.
I suppose I should get a real job soon. But how can I justify actually WORKING a 40-50+ work week when I get paid to do nothing now!!!!!?!?!?!
The company I'm contracting for has taken down *every* environment that I could use to write these test cases that they are paying me to write. Actually, I'm exaggerating. I could, theoretically, use their staging environment, which they've pointed to their live db, but that would be not good. I could also, theoretically, just use their live environment, but that would present the same problems as using their staging environment.
I suppose I should get a real job soon. But how can I justify actually WORKING a 40-50+ work week when I get paid to do nothing now!!!!!?!?!?!
Sunday, May 04, 2008
I love my legs (Unburned)
Yes. I love my thighs. I prefer them in their natural, unburned state. You'd think that it wasn't hard to keep them that way, right? Well, you'd be wrong. Why, you ask?
I've recently purchased a last-gen macbook pro, which I love. Granted, for two weeks, I felt as if I'd been struck deaf, dumb, and blind - but I'm quickly unlearning my Windows-centric method of using a computer, and getting adjusted to this "easy", "intuitive" way. It's only not-intuitive for me because I grew up using Windows - but it's been an interesting process, and I can see how a non-computer-literate person would use a Mac and be off to the races in no time flat.
That being said, I took my spanky new macbook pro down to LA a few weeks ago and I needed to get a game. So I did. I ordered Civ IV, which is supposed to be totally compatible with my mac. It is. But it makes my mac very hot. Freakishly hot. So hot that it sometimes beeps at me, if I've been playing too long. I really don't know how the WoW people run their shit on their macbooks, either.
Enter: iLap.
I first saw the iLap at the office that I'm consulting at in LA. They have them everywhere. Take off that black round piece at the front and the iLap can be used on a desk. Not as comfortable as a lifted laptop rack + separate keyboard, but still, who's complaining? I bought one two weeks ago. I can't tell you how much my laptop experience has improved since then.
My laptop runs around 5-10° cooler, and it's way, WAY more comfortable to sit with and use on the couch. Seriously. If you a) use your laptop on your lap, on a couch or b) have a macbook that runs a little hot, you should think about the iLap. I've looked at other competing products, and this was the best one. The black round wrist rest thing gets a lot of cat hair and lint on it. And it doesn't collapse. But otherwise, a much better buy than the others.
Here's a referring link to Amazon, although it's fulfilled by a third party:
Or you can do directly to Rain Design's store by clicking here.
I've recently purchased a last-gen macbook pro, which I love. Granted, for two weeks, I felt as if I'd been struck deaf, dumb, and blind - but I'm quickly unlearning my Windows-centric method of using a computer, and getting adjusted to this "easy", "intuitive" way. It's only not-intuitive for me because I grew up using Windows - but it's been an interesting process, and I can see how a non-computer-literate person would use a Mac and be off to the races in no time flat.
That being said, I took my spanky new macbook pro down to LA a few weeks ago and I needed to get a game. So I did. I ordered Civ IV, which is supposed to be totally compatible with my mac. It is. But it makes my mac very hot. Freakishly hot. So hot that it sometimes beeps at me, if I've been playing too long. I really don't know how the WoW people run their shit on their macbooks, either.
Enter: iLap.
I first saw the iLap at the office that I'm consulting at in LA. They have them everywhere. Take off that black round piece at the front and the iLap can be used on a desk. Not as comfortable as a lifted laptop rack + separate keyboard, but still, who's complaining? I bought one two weeks ago. I can't tell you how much my laptop experience has improved since then.
My laptop runs around 5-10° cooler, and it's way, WAY more comfortable to sit with and use on the couch. Seriously. If you a) use your laptop on your lap, on a couch or b) have a macbook that runs a little hot, you should think about the iLap. I've looked at other competing products, and this was the best one. The black round wrist rest thing gets a lot of cat hair and lint on it. And it doesn't collapse. But otherwise, a much better buy than the others.
Here's a referring link to Amazon, although it's fulfilled by a third party:
Or you can do directly to Rain Design's store by clicking here.
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