The LandPhil

Here’s a few off the top of my head:

1. If you are not going faster than all the traffic around you, get out of the #1 lane.

2. If you are in a truck or tracker-trailer, stay in the slow lane. Under no circumstances are you allowed in my #1 lane.

3. If you are coming up on my bumper quickly, you have 2 choices: a) signal so that I know you’re going to go around me, or b) wait patiently for me to move out of your way. Riding 2 feet off my ass gets my brake lights, asshole.

4. If I am coming up on you quickly, you have 3 choices: a) speed up, or b) move out of my way, or c) stay where you are. With that last one, do not, under any circumstances, attempt to execute b after I have assumed you have done c. I will honk my horn and flash my brights at you if you cut me off while trying to pass your slow ass.

5. If you’re going to pass someone, pass them. Creeping by at a 1mph difference is not passing. Pulling up next to someone is not passing.

6. If there is a large gap in front of and behind you, do not ride in my fucking blindspot. Also, see #5.

7. If you don’t have a headset, don’t talk on your cellphone. This goes double for CHP. Extreme consequences may constitute breaking of this rule.

That’s all I can think of right now.

I thought this link deserved it’s own post.

A new way to search Amazon.

If one were to click the link over there on the side for Vague Idea, one would find a community of sorts. It’s my ring of friends in the local area (plus one or two.) It’s a regular blog that anyone can register with and post and do all that nonsense. There is also a message board.

On this message board, the proprietor posted a topic called “Gonzo Thread.” Apparently it is a reference to the stream of consciousness writing style of Hunter Thompson that was coined “Gonzo Journalism.” I found this amusing as that the basic structure of a message board (forums and threads and posts) is counter to the idea of stream of consciousness writing. It’s hard to truly “stream” when you’ve narrowed yourself down to a category, topic, and discussion underway. And more importantly, how was this different from posting to the public blog?

I think it all boils down to: How is the data presented? Many people prefer the illusion of community presented by the message board, rather than the stark landscape of anonymity afforded to the blog poster. When, in reality, it’s merely the aesthetic of how it’s presented.

So, this begs the question: Why hasn’t anyone seriously attempted to incorporate the two? It shouldn’t be that hard to create the databases (or just swipe any existing forum or blog database) and allow for multiple “views” of the data. You could view it like the traditional message board, in a threaded, by topic fashion, or you could just loop that shit out of the database in chronological (or perhaps categorical) order and spew it onto the screen.

I’m seriously tempted to try it myself. Perhaps when I have more time.

Well, it’s not exactly new. It’s still my blog. With a new engine. And I have to figure out how to import all my old entries (this may be a long time coming, or possibly not at all.)

In the meantime, welcome to the new digs. It was time for an overhaul. Now at least I won’t have to trim the spam.