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When isn't a gallon sized bag better than a quart sized bag?
That's really a stupid question, but it has an answer and that is at the airport. With the new TSA regulations, all gels and liquids (3 oz or less mind you, but they didn't say there was a limit, so go hog wild and split your stuff up into a bunch of little containers) must be in a clear plastic Ziploc type bag. I put my stuff in a gallon sized bag (that's all we had at home) and when I got to the airport, I had to transfer my stuff to a quart sized bag they provided. Why? I have no idea. I put the bag in the bin with my shoes to go through X-Ray; if it was a gallon sized bag, would it have made a difference? Absolutely not, but it is pointless to argue with the TSA. Mind you the X-Ray screeners didn't care about the 10 patch cables I had in my bag, the digital camera, computer, portable scanner, PSP, iPod, etc., but they do care that my 2 oz container of hand sanitizer was in a quart sized bag.
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So much for privacy
This past weekend I took and passed the Technician class Amateur Radio License exam (yes, I realize I'm a geek, but my desire to get the license has to do with being part of CERT and being prepared for a disaster). This morning I checked the FCC's website to find out my call sign; it was there as well as my address. While the government has strict regulations for medical information, it doesn't seem to care who can get my home address. I need to switch the address to my mailbox as it is way too easy for someone to figure out where I live. I think it is completely unacceptable for the FCC to have this information publicly available. Why is it that some parts of my privacy are more important than others? The FCC simply requires that I can receive mail via USPS at my address, so there shouldn't be a problem with the change. I actually did think about using my box when I entered the information for my license, but decided against it.
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My email address has been sold!
While this really isn't a new occurrence, it is interesting to note who sold it and who bought it. Several years ago, I read about someone that creates a new email aliases for each website he visits. Since I run my own domain and can easily do this, I adopted website.com@gruby.com which lets me easily track (and disable) email addresses. Today I received email from the San Jose Mercury News; I signed up on their website at one time to view some article and used a new email address. I also uncheck the "share my name" options and all the email options. Well, it looks like the Mercury News feels they need to support their website by sending out spam. The email I received today was a paid advertisement from the Phil Angelides campaign.
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Software Installers should have uninstallers
I've not been a huge fan of either software installers or uninstallers, but understand the need for installers. Recently I tried out a program on my Linux box and used the installer to install it; I was unimpressed with the software and the mess it scattered over my drive. I looked around, but couldn't find an uninstaller. Maybe I deleted it trying to quickly recover from what it had done or maybe it didn't come with one. If it didn't come with one, it should have. It took me awhile to remove what it installed and then it wasn't until a day later that I discovered it changed some of my system files. Luckily I had backups of those and was able to restore them. Hopefully I'll no longer complain about shipping a product with an uninstaller as I now know firsthand how hard it is to remove some programs.