markhealey.org » just plain sucks

Zim is in a crazy mixed up state

Mark Healey — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:44:35 +0000

From my father-in-law via email this morning:

Our inflation is now over 1 million %. Cash exchange rate was yesterday sitting around Z$865,000,000 to 1 US$, and I expect it will be higher today. We now have “banknotes” in 5, 25, and 50 billion $ denominations. Zim is in a crazy mixed up state.

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Mark Healey — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:57:37 +0000

Sweet fancy Moses. What were they thinking?

Desperation in Zimbabwe

Mark Healey — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 20:38:25 +0000

Update 7/11/07:

An article in The Economist today reports Zimbabwe is a country “where [currency] notes are worth less than toilet paper.”

How can no one be doing anything to stop this?

It’s only getting worse. Mugabe’s forced price cuts are pushing the country to the brink.

ITN has a short video at CNN.com.

Do you want to allow this?

Mark Healey — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 14:37:50 +0000

I’m at my neighbor’s house helping her fix her recently-busted Dell Dimension running Vista Business. My neighbor is a sweet woman, who is particularly computer savvy for her near-senior age. While I’m busy trying to figure out how Vista knows I’m connected to the Internet when it’s not actually receiving a single data packet from Comcast, my neighbor asked me if Vista came with solitaire. I quickly replied, sure, it’s in Programs > Accessories > Games… just like every previous version of Windows. In fact, it’s not.

Solitaire isn’t even installed by default on the new Microsoft OS. Here’s what I just had to do:

Start > Control Panel.
Windows Needs Your Permission. Do you want to allow that? Yes.
Turn On/Off Windows Features.
Windows Needs Your Permission. Do you want to allow that? Yes.
Turn on solitaire.
Windows Needs Your Permission. Do you want to allow that? Yes.
Please wait, this could take a few minutes. (It took four.)
Restart now.

Mark Needs Your Permission. Do you want to allow laughter? Yes.

USMC Calls Up IRR Marines for Iraq (Updated)

Mark Healey — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 13:36:19 +0000

This news hits close to home for me and my group of mates. A great friend of mine from our college days — who has already served in Iraq and in Afghanistan — is in the group of 1,800 Individual Ready Reservists meeting in Kansas City this week for possible redeployment.

The Marine Corp Times has the story.

Shortly after I finished writing this post, I heard through the grapevine this friend of mine received “the exception,” and is not being reactivated. Phew.

The Future of America

Mark Healey — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 13:11:20 +0000

The mid-term elections are just under two weeks away, and each and every candidate is racing for the final speech, final dollar, and final vote. With sloganâ€™s like â€œWhatâ€™s Right About America” and â€œBobo for Congress, for you!” and â€œActions speak louder than wordsâ€¦” candidates are out on the campaign trail shaking hands and kissing babies. Their websites, however, tell an entirely different story.

CNET News posted a series of screen shots early Wednesday morning calling them the â€œworst political web sites” and offering up some pretty damned funny commentary, too. Design is in the eye of the beholder, you say? I say not.

Iâ€™m voting for this guy simply because I love the fact heâ€™s got a close-up of a warthog on his site, and who doesnâ€™t love those little buggers. Or maybe Indiana Dan, I was always partial those classic Harrison Ford flicks. Or maybe Kay Granger — the woman from Texas that actually has recipes on her site. Thereâ€™s one for â€œEasy, Killer Margaritas”. I can picture her and Ole Georgie Boy in the West Wing searching for their lost shaker of salt while continuing to drive this country into the ground. But, as CNET did, I’ll leave you with this sight. Bring your sunglasses.

Ernesto, You Bastard.

Mark Healey — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 10:15:38 +0000

Most will agree: this hurricane-turned-tropical storm-turned-tropical depression-turned-tropical storm-turned-tropical low is a pain in the neck.

If you’ve got weekend plans in the northeast, don’t forget your slicker. Meanwhile, here at home, Charleston had some water to deal with yesterday. CNN/WCSC reports in this video.