General – Page 11 – The Wacky World of Chris Knight

2009/10/20

One step closer to eBook perfection…

This new eBook reader from Barnes & Noble looks fantastic. The ability to loan books to friends is an awesome feature. Now, if someone will just add the ability to resell book licenses then I’ll finally give in to my urge to buy one.

The Nook has the regular black-and-white E Ink display and a 3.5-inch color touchscreen. The latter allows users to browse books. The Nook also comes with built-in WiFi, 2GB of internal storage, MP3 player and supports open formats such as EPUB. Nook users have features such as bookmarks, and the ability to share books with friends for up to a fortnight through other e-readers, smartphones or computers.

via Barnes & Noble Unveils Kindle-Killing, Dual-Screen ‘Nook’ E-Reader Updated | Gadget Lab | Wired.com.

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2009/08/092012/09/03

Jerry Brown continues to blow smoke out his ass…

It is bone-headed comments, and thinking, like this that keep the question of legalization ‘off the table’:

“If the whole society starts getting stoned, we're going to be even less competitive,” Democratic Attorney General Jerry Brown

via Legalized pot a tough sell in governor’s race.

Politicians tend to speak in hyperbole, and sadly I believe they think that way as well. Alcohol is legal, with certain restrictions, and everyone is not getting drunk all the time. Alcohol being legal is not a defense for getting fired for being drunk on the job, and if we rationally legalize marijuana I would expect to see the same consequences for being under the influence while at work or driving.

Marijuana could be legalized safely, for the consumer and society, if it were simply legalized with with all of the same restrictions that apply to alcohol. That does not mean a free pass for driving stoned, or being disruptive in public because you can’t figure out how to use a cross-walk button, or showing up for work with your pants on backwards. But then, legalizing has never meant any of these things; despite how the opponents frame the argument to make it sound like legalization is some sort of free-for-all.

Can we hold off the election until we have at least one candidate who has brains and balls? Electing people who only have half that recipe hasn’t been working well for the state or the country.

-Chris

2009/07/232009/07/23

The coolness that is Smith & Wesson customer support:

For my birthday, Mel bought me a Smith & Wesson SW99 9mm. I’m writing up a full review, but I’m not done breaking it in and the review has a few things that need flushed out. One thing I can say is that I am very impressed by Smith & Wesson customer support. On my first day at the range with my SW99 I was fiddling with the rear sights, and I put too much pressure on the adjustment screw and the rear site popped free and fell off. When the sight came off, the spring loaded plunger assembly that the adjustment screw meshes with sprang out. I found the spring, but the plunger was lost in a pile of brass casings in the grass. I called Smith & Wesson to ask how much a replacement would cost. I was asked what happened, and when I explained how I lost the piece they sent me a replacement for free. Not only do they stand by their product, they comped me free parts when I broke my own gun. I thought that was cool.

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