WordPress 2.0.4 Aug 10, 2006
I upgraded to WordPress 2.0.4, which I'm told is "highly recommended for all users" and a "mandatory upgrade". #technology
WordPress feed favicon (1) Aug 10, 2006
I'm great at finding obscure issues with WordPress.  One such issue is the absence of a favicon in RSS feeds.  I use Bloglines as my feed reader, and I like how almost every subscription has that site's favicon.  Well, except my site (yes, I subscribe to myself ... it's always nice to read what I've been up to).  I'm not really sure what the problem is, but I considered editing some core WordPress files to enable this functionality.  But this should always be a last resort.  Enter the Favicon Manager plugin.  It adds a few lines of code to the RSS 2.0 and Atom feeds (as well as the main site header, though I already had that) and lets you specify your favicon in one of the WordPress options panels.  Bloglines Publisher Tools said the favicon is updated weekly, so I'll see if it works in a few days. #technology
Cell phone cameras Aug 10, 2006
I wish I could broadcast the following message to cell phone makers:  "Stop putting cameras in cell phones."  Why? 
  1. Technology.  These low-resolution cameras are at least 5 years behind regular digital cameras in terms of technology.
  2. Cost.  They probably add a considerable amount of cost to the phone, not only in terms of parts but also in terms of hardware and software development.
  3. Weight.  They add some amount of weight, with the camera assembly itself and also with its interfacing components (cables, resistors, etc.).
  4. Security.  Any workplace that values security doesn't allow cameras.  So camera phones are illegal or at least highly discouraged.
Until a cell phone has a 3-5 megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom and external storage (or significant internal storage), I won't even think about getting a camera phone.  The only reason I currently have one is because the phone I wanted (a Treo 650) didn't have a "no camera" option.  Of course there's a way to remove it, but that misses half the point. #technology
Don't touch my screen Aug 10, 2006
One of my coworkers always touches computer screens.  The monitor at his desk is so covered with fingerprints, you can hardly see what's behind them.  And every computer he's near magically attracts his not-abnormally-greasy fingerprints.  To that, I say "Do what you want.  If you want to touch your computer screen and make it all gross, go ahead."  But what really gets to me is that he sometimes comes to my cubicle and invariably ends up touching my computer screen.  He just came by to show me something and I didn't even realize he touched my screen until after he left.  Some people might say that I'm unnaturally obsessive compulsive.  I don't think it's unnatural at all.  Just don't touch my computer screen. #technology
End of the day Aug 10, 2006
For some strange reason, things often go wrong at the end of my work day.  Not at the beginning or in the middle.  Only at the end of the day. 

A few weeks ago, I had to leave work by a certain time to make it to a dinner at someone's house.  I was running a little late as it was, so I was rushing to finish up a few small things and shut off my computer.  Just as I walked out of my cubicle and was about to leave, a guy stopped me and asked me to do some stupid security thing.  It wouldn't have been a problem on any other day, but I happened to be running late and I needed to be somewhere.  And of course everyone else had gone home already, so I was the only one who could complete this mindless task.  Needless to say, I did it and was only a little late for my dinner thing. 

Just last week, I was trying to leave at the end of the day on a Friday.  My computer started to act a little weird, so I tried shutting it down.  The clock struck 5pm.  In a rare moment of instability, Windows XP became stupid.  It wouldn't respond to anything I was trying to do, and I couldn't even CTRL-ALT-DEL or end any processes.  After about 10 minutes, I was finally able to restart.  But as the computer started back up, it began the process all over again and went stupid again.  By the time I finally fixed the problem and successfully shut down my computer, it was 5:20pm, a whole 20 minutes later than I wanted to leave on a Friday. 

If this stuff happened at any other time during the day, it wouldn't be a big deal at all.  But instead it happens when I'm trying to leave on a Friday or when I have to be somewhere at a certain time.  Why does this stuff happen at the end of the day?  Because there's some sort of cosmic force working against me that wants to waste my time and make me late for things. #business