Cogs can think.

I wonder how many American ‘journalists’ realise how completely ridiculous their country is coming across as of late. You know, with all the Parisbritney Hiltonspears ‘news’. You guys really are the laughing stock of the world, at the moment, in case you haven’t noticed.

But yeah, why headline with the poverty in your own country, or the lack of proper healthcare, or the fact that your economy is built on a big puff of air, when you can also report on a dumb blonde doing drugs? I mean, glorifying stupidity is the shit.

I went karting yesterday evening in Huizen. My second time karting (first time was three years ago), but the first time on this track. It’s a fun track, technically quite challenging, but not undoable.

In the first run, my best lap was 40.43; in my fourth and last run, it was 36.61. In other words, a 9.4% improvement. Not bad.

Not too long ago, Adam wrote about his pet peeves of the English language. I replied stating that language changes, get over it - but I obviously know that that’s hard to do. In fact, I get annoyed almost every hour when reading English content online. What scares me the most is that English isn’t even my native language, yet I get annoyed by native speakers who refuse to properly speak and/or write their own tongue.

1. Atop the list is the improper use, or lack, of punctuation. Punctuation is a vital part of language, and improper use seriously hinders getting the meaning across. Something which you’ve written down, without punctuation (and punctuation includes capitalisation, Aaron!), might seem perfectly understandable to you - but that’s because you know your own rhythm of speech, your own pronunciation, and so on. The rest of the world, outside your basement, does not. so please try not to write like this to get your point across its really annoying and doesnt facilitate reader comprehension
2. Kernel. It’s k-e-r-n-e-l. Not kernal.
3. The correct English plural form of virus is viruses. Not virii. Virii is even incorrect in Latin.
4. MAC is an acronym for ‘mandatory access control’ (or any of the other ten million meanings), not Macintosh. The correct abbreviation for Macintosh is ‘Mac’.
5. Make proper use of paragraphs. A paragraph contains one core sentence, one subject. Not ten million subjects and a boatload of varying information.
6. When you abbreviate a word, use the period properly. When a word is abbreviated in such a way that it includes the word-final letter, a period is not needed. In other words, it is “Mr” and not “Mr.”
7. When writing down a list, use the comma properly. I’m buying apples, oranges, bananas, and kiwis. Note the comma before the list-final item. This comma is mandatory in English (it is not in Dutch), because if you do not include that comma, you indicate that the final two items have some sort of special connection, different than the connection between the other items. It’s of course possible that they do have a special connection; only if that’s the case, you can omit the comma.

This has to be the best response so far on the whole Linux scheduler and general kernel development attitude.

Everybody here wants Linux to be better. Everybody, me included. Make no mistake. But collectively we should not be in a state of “reaction” to external forces as the only known method of development.

And:

But [Con]’s on *our* side and he got beat down by the Linux kernel community. That’s the tragedy here. He was beaten down by the very people he was trying to help out and support. It should have been handled better.

I respect Linus for his awesome work, and I think in general he’s a bright and pragmatic guy (and I love his stance towards the GPL and the FSF), but on this very issue, he has clearly dropped the ball, as evidenced by the many, many, many complaints by knowledgeable people on the lkml. It’s becoming more and more evident that, as I have said before, Linux kernel development is by no means an open process anymore.

Sometimes, when I post an opinion on OSNews, I get very little in the form of support in the comments. When I then defend myself and my position, people often say: look, Thom, nobody here supports you! Doesn’t that say something?

Well, in all honesty, it doesn’t. The people that comment are a vocal minority; most of our readers don’t comment at all. On top of that, there are people out there who’s opinion really does matter to me (in these computer related issues). I won’t mention any names. A few regulars on OSNews are part of the group, as well.

The rest? I honestly don’t care. I do and say what I think is right, and no matter how many people disagree with me, if they can’t come up with decent argumentation, I won’t budge.

The day after.

My feelings were best summed up by Rabo cyclist Micheal Boogerd, multiple times national champion and winner of various stages in the Tour. When asked if he felt betrayed by Rasmussen, he said:

No, no, not at all. I feel sorry for him. His life is ruined, he will never be able to do the thing he devoted his life to.

And, more telling, when he was asked if he agreed with the decision to axe Rasmussen, he said:

Agree… Don’t agree. It’s irrelevant. I don’t want to cycle any more.

You could clearly see it in Micheal’s eyes: he disagreed thoroughly with the decision.

Interestingly, Rasmussen has again stated his innocence today. In the Danish papers he repeated he was in Mexico, not in Italy. In other words, Theo de Rooij, the team leader, was lying when he said Rasmussen admitted to him being in Italy and not in Mexico.

So now it’s the words of an Italian against the words of a Dane. No offense, but it’s crystal clear to me which of the two not to believe, seeing their origins (I mean, people from Southern Europe screw each other in the soccer world too). Apart from that, you have to ask yourself: what does an Italian ex-cyclist now working for the Italian television as an analyst have to gain by breaking this ‘news’?

Exactly. Money, fame.

Let the McCarthy-esque witch hunt continue. Contador is in the yellow jersey now, right? He has been accused of doping before… Until a French person has the yellow jersey, this which hunt will continue.

Today, and the past time, I have enjoyed watching de Tour de France. For the first time ever - actually. And now it has ended in a McCarthy-esque whitchhunt.

I’m a huge fan of Rasmussen. I like his ice cold appearance, his calculative nature. Of course, it helps that he cycles cycled for the Rabobank team, a Dutch team sponsored mostly by the Rabobank, my bank. Rabobank has been my bank since day one, I hold held them in high regard.

Rasmussen had basically won the Tour today. During the past week, he had come under criticism because he had failed to properly announce his whereabouts to the anti-doping institution - he had received a warning for that in June, and was fined for it. Good thing. This has happened to many cyclists. The weird thing is - why did they create a fuss about this weeks and weeks after it took place?

He had the yellow jersey, that’s why.

Rasmussen, during that time, was training in Mexico. Now, someone ini Italy has said that he had seen Rasmussen train in the Dolomites - and not in Mexico. Because of this, the Rabobank fired him from the cycling team. Is there any proof? No. Photos? No. Videos? No. Just the words of one man.

I guess my Rabobank - which I held in such high regard - doesn’t really seem to be holding one of the pillars of modern society in high regard. You are not guilty until proven otherwise. I guess the Rabobank gives more about their name than they do about honesty and the sense of what’s right and wrong. And I despise them for it. This goes against everything I stand for -this doesn’t fit at all into my sense of what’s right and what’s wrong.

Rasmussen has been tested to death during and before the 2007 Tour. Nothing has been found. Nothing. To me, he is the only legitimate winner of the 2007 Tour.

Just now, on the phone…

Renate: Thommie, does the name ‘Bugatti Veyron’ ring a bell?
Me: …!
Renate: I’m standing right next to one, Apollolaan, Amsterdam…
Me: …!!!

If there is one disadvantage to living in Hick Town, it’s the lack of exciting cars.

It has happened to you too, undoubtedly, as it has happened to all of us. The howl of a V8 or the roar of a V12. You turn your head. A red glare. Gone. It is the sight that makes the worst of moods vanish, that can make your day. The spirit of old Enzo still lives on.
Forza Ferrari.

Taken from the latest issue of Top Gear Magazine.

Only just now did I realise Fiona Apple’s 30th birthday coincides with the The Police concert Renaatje and I are going to.

I’m going to see one of the best bands in human history on the same day the best singer/songwriter ever turns 30. And coincidentally, the The Police concert is in honour of the band’s 30th anniversary of their first single.

Right-o.