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The idea that it's beneficial for every player on a hockey team to be same-handed shows quite an ignorance of the game. There is a left-wing position and a right-wing, and being able to either protect the puck from a defender, and/or have the best possible angle to shoot on net, depends very much on whether the player shoots left or right. This is further complicated by players who choose to shoot left despite being right-handed (see this blog post here, I couldn't find a better source)

The results of the study are interesting, and make somewhat intuitive sense, but they should be careful not to generalize to too great a degree.

you do realize that selling ads to small markets makes no sense?

Depends on what you're selling and who you're selling to. If you're selling coca-cola, absolutely. However, many of the people in business-hub airports are a cherished segment - That's why, for example, you see ads in inflight magazines that you don't see anywhere else. For example, Barracuda Networks advertises extenively at airports.

http://www.darrenbarefoot.com/archives/2009/01/barracuda-networks-and-more-acts-of-advertising-faith.html

woops, forgot this: http://www.darrenbarefoot.com/archives/2007/01/i-got-a-proceed-and-permitted-letter-from-linden-labs.html

organizations can lose their trademarks if they don't actively defend them against even vague and doubtful potential infringements.

Why is it whenever this sort of crap C&D gets pulled, someone like you feels the need to demonstrate that you know absolutely nothing about trademark law by posting this absurd excuse?

As an example of how utterly and completely wrong you are, consider this letter, which demonstrates how a company could respond, if they were so willing.

> Do I need an internet key to access it?

Not necessarily, an IP address would suffice ;-))

Canadian made IP addresses seem to be better for some users:

http://www.darrenbarefoot.com/archives/2007/09/how-can-i-canadianize-my-ip-address.html

You may want to estimate your needs with the "Advanced IP Address Calculator" prior to buying your IP address at a store near you:

http://advanced-ip-address-calculator.softonic.fr/

Read about trademark laws.

Read about nominative use. If you have developed a product or service Y that is compatible with another company's product or service X, it's OK to say Y is compatible with X as long as you don't imply that the maker of X endorses Y.

In order to maintain their rights on the WoW & Warcraft trademarks, they have to enforce it. That generally leads to Cease & Desist letters.

Not always; it could be a proceed and permit letter.

At least one instance is Linden Labs and the "GetAFirstLife" parody.

It looks like you're talking about linden labs sending the opposite of cease and desist letter to the owner of getafirstlife.

It's right here: http://www.darrenbarefoot.com/archives/2007/01/my-project-du-jour-getafirstlifecom.html#comment-75509

As another replier says, parody is protected, but LL could have made some trouble for this guy regardless. Instead, they displayed a sense of humour and a piece of good PR.

You do realize it can take anywhere up to 2 years or more to have a patent approved?

Google appears to have pulled an MSN Spaces--they appear to have excised a number of 'questionable' terms from the suggestion list. There's little reason behind their approach. For example, the app won't suggest 'lesbian' or 'homosexual', but it will suggest 'dyke' or 'lesbian'. Anything related to 'anal' or 'oral' is out, but 'wanker' and 'golden shower' are in. 'Asshole' is out, but 'assholic' and 'asstastic' are in.

I've created a decent-sized list of what Google approves and disapproves.

Obviously, you can search for any term--Google just won't predict the first list for you. In a typically American approach to censorship, there are not restrictions on racist or violent terminology. 'KKK', 'snuff', 'torture' and 'bum fights' are all in (as they should be). But we can't be predicting terms like 'oral exam' or 'sex education', can we?

I checked the Advanced settings for Google Suggest, and my SafeSearch was turned off (set to 'no filtering'). Either it's a bug, and Google Suggest isn't reading this setting, or Google Suggest won't suggest these terms, regardless of setting.

Did you happen to notice how much Johnny Depp looks like Tom Petty from that creepy homage-to-Alice-in-Wonderland video, "Don't Come Around Here No More"?

In my experience, the MSN Search results changed significantly within 10 hours of my completing a search: First search test. Somebody tries the same queries 10 hours later. I'm not sure what to conclude from that, but clearly some magic is happening behind the MSN curtain.

In my experience, the MSN Search results changed significantly within 10 hours of my completing a search: First search test. Somebody tries the same queries 10 hours later. I'm not sure what to conclude from that, but clearly some magic is happening behind the MSN curtain.

Why not decide for yourself? It's a lamp, but, you know...

... of bad installation instructions and warnings is this. End of story.

Hall of Technical Documentation Weirdness

April Fools: April 1; celebrated by playing of practical jokes
Practical Joke: A mischievous trick played on a person, especially one that causes the victim to experience embarrassment, indignity, or discomfort.
Slashdotting: the specific practical joke of removing a persons website from the internet.

The kicker is that my (ex) girlfriend decided she'd rather have the MREs. I mean, come on, even bad stir fry is better than an MRE, and I know from first hand experience. Except for that one time I found a Band-Aid in my Buddha's Delight....

Just to reply to myself, needs to be on a T-Shirt!

I just asked Froogle, Google's product search engine, and it offered these results for a 40 GB unit. The best price on a new iPod it found was $464.00, which is about 10% off.

http://www.darrenbarefoot.com
Words. Words. Words.

1. With appertain rotor of screw setting pre ceiling on the under standing that screw no wield. May wield two-faced, pressboard securing, wield pre to begin with wiping ceiling of bilge dasto.
2. Thread of length need half as many again as tad.
3. Open toy of batteries shuck. Verification batteries.+,- whereafter stow down,to a certainty need locknat lest take place accident.
4. Hook through toys apside of hole.
5. Needs switches shoving NO,for pre arrows specifing of orention shiving.Packing it up time,withbold toy pate need switches shoving OFF.

• Prythee no sport with stingy of play asperity game. Winding finger have got bloodstream not wallk. Throagh of peril. (bold my addition)
• Tad disport of time grown man tatelage.
• Till thge cowcomes home. Wield toys damage, burn-in prytheee wind to a close wield.
• Give attention to open/close toys, therefore take place peril.for instance slipup batteries wield result in the emission of heat rupture liquid.vent itself prythee pay attention.
• Play at sith to a certainty bolt up power supply fetch out batteries.
• Batteries no electification dissolution,plunge ioto aquaor fire.
• Not trust for tad batteries lest in advertent eat off. In the event of accident without loss of time plythee pillroller tuke order with.

...but I'm pretty sure this one is a fake. The phrase "till the cowcomes home" is kind of a giveaway. And I was hoping to be able to send a funny link to some tech writer friends.