I think the patterns in Facebook's "clumping" algorithms are interesting. This screenshot, I assume, shows that Facebook believes most people are such horrible writers that it only makes sense to look to the second paragraph or line to deduce a writer's point. 

Add to this to the fact that Facebook has recently begun sampling the second paragraph of a blog post to create a link preview and I think we' see the the beginning of a pattern. 

However, algorithms can only parse so much content as wibbly wobbly gibbldy gook. At some point, human beings are going to look at the Facebook presentation and think, "Hey. This is entirely inaccurate."

What can we learn from this?

Observe that algorithmic composition is a process inherently flawed. To pigeonhole these writers as buddhists is patently inaccurate, but to pigeonhole the sentiment they're expressing as buddhist is even less accurate. 

Humans recognize this immediately.

1. In Windows Vista, I cannot print to my Ubuntu shared printer. No matter how hard I tried. Compare this with the fact that when I have a OSX in the house, it actually prints _better_ to the Ubuntu shared printer than Ubuntu does.

2. Using Windows Vista to move files between Ubuntu drives is slow and crash-prone. I'm not a computer-smart kind of guy, right? I know just enough to be dangerous. Why, using Windows to copy files, do files copy at about 1/4 the speed of the same files being transferred via SFTP?

3. Windows Skydrive, which could be Windows strongest selling point if they didn't screw it up so badly*, doesn't let you upload things in directories. What the good is it then? 

4. Ubuntu is not in the default Microsoft spellchecker. Boo!

*Think on this: How do Ubuntista's counter this argument? Q: Why do you use Windows? A: Well, because with Windows comes 5GB of Skydrive which is mine to do with what I want and I can keep my important documents synched up there in case of a system failure."

Over the weekend, I had a heated discussion with some young fellows about the nature and character of Johnny Cash. I thought it would be important to set the record straight.  I do not dislike Johnny Cash, nor do I consider him a minor deity who graced us with a gravely magic voice. He was a man. Like Elvis. Who recorded a few great songs and a lot of mediocre ones. Like Elvis.

I hung my Head is one of my favorites at the moment. Even though it's technically a Police song, I Hung my Head is pure Cash. It's a story about a regretful incident bringing a sad end to an otherwise regretful life. Like Elvis'.

Cash was at his best when he was singing like a palpable answer to Tex Ritter, case in point, the folk ballad "Same Hall." Imagine if all of  Blood in the Saddle had been performed by Johnny Cash? Awesome, that's what you're Imagining-- pure awesome.

I have been, by and and large, disappointed with my Sansa e280. The update software is garbage and the integration with Windows Media player is marginal at best. Maybe someone here can help me with some issues:

1. There are certain songs that I cannot, for the life of me, get to register with the player. No matter what I do, the song only appears as Unknown artist, Unknown album. The only way to find the song is to track it down via its track name. I've checked the tags with third party tag-writing programs, as well as with windows and even with iTunes, but no matter where or how I put in the missing Data, the e280 will not recognize it.
2. Album art recognition is marginal at best.
3. I cannot get a playlist _into_ the machine. If I drag a playlist into the e280 via the sync tab in Windows Media Player, it synchs the songs, but not the playlist itself.
4. Podcast Support is completely absent, and unworkable mostly because of the issues I seem to have with creating playlists.
5. Only about half of the time do videos I want to add to the player actually convert. And then only a select few actually play.
Look, guys, I'm not expecting the Sansa to be an iPod. I don't care if it doesn't have the nicey-nice iPod features that come with integration (and being locked into) a proprietary software/synching mechanism, but this e280 is no iPod.

It can't even start to compete.

Transformers Cartoons are the best Joost has to offer? Please. There is also GI-JOE. LOOK MOMS! THE INTERNET IS NEW and MODERN! I CAN SEES MY CARTOONS.

I guess if I had to pick a locked down, DRM'd, not-really-tv-on-demand client, I'd pick the one that has a huge selection of Anime and didn't have an absolutely baffling user interface and pop up advertising windows.

They say that the real value in Joost is the Social aspect. You can bring up chats based on the channel you're watching.Maybe I just don't get it. But I don't need TV to be a social phenomenon. I watch TV because I like the stories. I don't need special Internet TV buddies.

Joost doesn't bring me anything that Miro + TV-RSS doesn't. Except legality. Crap.

You know you're a daddy when you're suddenly being thrown up on and you aren't sure if its cute or gross.