The Craptank

So I saw this video game in a Best Buy back in September, and my first thought was "That's the only way that pile of shit is gonna fly...video game form!" Turns out I was wrong.

Today the Boeing 787 Dreamliner took it's initial test flight up in Everett. Just a mere 2 years behind schedule.

So why am I writing about this, and not the actual Boeing "insider" j-man? Mostly because I've got nothing better to do, but also because he probably just doesn't give a shit (read "has a job").

So congratulations to Boeing for making underachieving a news worthy event!

Alright so browsing the web I came across this beauty:

PSA: Smoking is so bad it voids your computer warranty

Heads up, schmokers: Lighting up near your computer is heresy enough that Apple says it voids your warranty should you need to bring a smoke-exposed computer in for repair.

Specifically, in at least two instances in different parts of the country, Apple has voided the warranty and refused to provide repair service on Macintosh computers exposed to environments where cigarette smoke has been present. Calling cigarette smoke residue (tar and whatnot) inside a computer a health risk and a "biohazard," in both cases Apple customers have been denied service despite having time left on a valid warranty.

Apple is standing by the decisions, saying that repair centers have the authority to make decisions like this on their own, citing OSHA rules that include nicotine in a list of hazardous substances that could damage the health of someone exposed to it. (Consumerist, which digests the issue with its typical aplomb, adds that sucrose, talc, and calcium carbonate are all also on the OSHA hazardous materials list.)

Apple isn't formally commenting on the issue or responding to media requests for comment, namely regarding whether there's a threshold for cigarette smoke exposure beyond which a computer won't be serviced. Is one cigarette too much? 200? The answer is probably far less scientific than that: If a technician doesn't like cigarette smoke and your computer smells a bit smoky, it probably won't get serviced.

I can understand the policy here, but Apple's failure to mention this issue in its warranty materials is out of line. To leave consumers on the hook for repairing their multi-thousand dollar machine by themselves, without notifying them in advance that cigarette smoke exposure could void their warranty, well... sounds a lot like typical Apple behavior, to be honest.

No word on whether other computer vendors have the same or similar policies. If you've encountered this issue in the past, please let us know about it here.

Original Article:
http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/156203

So the lesson to be learned here is to not take your iphone to a bar, oh wait i guess the lesson should be to not support a totalitarian corporation because the last I knew smoking was legal.... for now anyway. Whats next not covering your ipod because you bounced too much while jogging? Comment number 52 sums it up best:

I already had this problem with apple. Took them to small claims court and the judge told the local service center that unless airborne hazards are specificly stated apple would be repairing my laptop. Guess what? me..1 apple..0

So, I'm watching a YouTube video by a group named "Retsupurae", who make videos in which they screen capture others' video works and put a riff track on it. I usually enjoy their videos, as they usually point out fundamental flaws and stupidities contained within the original video works.

However, at one point in the video, one of them let slip a completely serious comment of "all atheists are obnoxious". Now, seeing as that is a statement that demeans an entire group of people (including myself) based on their religious choice, that's the very definition of hate speech.

Of course, at this point, I tried to speak up about it, trying to remain as calm as respectful as I could about it, letting them know that it not only wasn't cool, but violates YouTube's terms of service as well. I wanted to warn them that if they don't watch things like that, that they could get suspended from YouTube again.

Needless to say, I got fanboys out the ass attacking me over the issue, treating it not as a friendly warning, but an all-out assault on the lords and masters that are Retsupurae. Not only that, but they completely condone any and all of their violations of the terms of service, or any other rules for that matter (such as US law). Now, I enjoy what Retsupurae does, as long as it doesn't cross the line, but I'm sorry. Hate speech is easily a really bad line-crosser, and I wanted to help them be aware of that so they could be more careful in the future. As much as I am on their side, the fanboys want to demonize me and make me into an enemy.

Welcome to the future, where patience and tolerance are only heard of in history books, if they aren't all burned by then.

Which one of these should i get made into a T-shirt? I'm thinking the one with the mushroom cloud.

Thoughts?