For anyone who has ever worked on a requirements document, you will know that version control is invaluable. For those of you who haven't here is a quick summary:

If you were making a list of things you want for some large or complex project, over time you will find somethings are unfeasible/too expensive/not important enough. But if it takes a long time to compile that list, someone new to the project might try to re-add those things or waste time talking about them. That is why system engineering is heavily reliant on version control. For example:

Things I want for the party:

1 - Food
2 - Beer
3 - Clown too expensive
4 3 - Music

So basically, in a review mode, you list EVERY item that was ever included even if it was removed AND you list a reason why it was removed. Pretty simple, right? Wouldn't it be great if the laws of the land were subject to the same type of review standards?

HR 1933

1 - Universal Healthcare opposed by health insurance companies
2 - Regulate oil as if it were a utility like electricity or water vehemently opposed by oil industry
3 1 - Bridge to no where
4 2 - Pay Raise for Congress

Write your congressman.

While working as a substitute teacher (called a supply teacher in England), Alex Dolan was outraged at how shitty her schools were (she covered at several schools in Leeds and London). She was even MORE outraged when the "inspection team" would come and, coincedentally, more teachers than normal were at school and the problem children were absent from school (on day-trips). So she decided to sneak a camera into her classroom and video tape her disrespectful kids and the overall shittiness that is the inner city school system. She made a documentary of it called Undercover Teacher.

And now she is fighting for her teaching career.

The Carleton University Students' Association has voted to drop a cystic fibrosis charity as the beneficiary of its annual Shinearama fundraiser, supporting a motion that argued the disease is not "inclusive" enough. You can't make this shit up.

Did you know that when Ford, GM or Chrysler has employees not building cars, they are still paying 85-95% of their salaries and benefits? That includes temporary shutdowns as well as factory closures. How long do they pay these people not to work? No longer than FOREVER. It's called Jobs Bank.

Look it up. Can't find a link other than news articles about it? That's probably because the UAW doesn't want people to know about it (outside the union).

For anyone in Roanoke Rapids, NC who wants to donate money to the Union Mission on Roanoke Avenue: don't bother donating in person if you are a Sikh, Muslim, an Orthodox Jew, or any other religion that requires you to wear something on your head. Why? Because "this is the United States."(3rd paragraph)

Rev. Ron Weeks, executive director of the mission said, "This was nothing to do with the turban, nothing to do with his faith." Sihks are among a number of religions that require the wearing of a Dastar (turban) at all times.

The understanding Reverend said that Sikhs' donations would gladly be accepted if they showed some class and mailed the donations instead of trying to donate in person.

Bishop O'Donoghue, who has recently published a report on how to renew Catholicism in Britain, is claiming that education of the people is causing us to not fall for the Church's tricks a crisis of faith.

"...these intellectual trends have resulted in a fragmented society that marginalizes God, with many people mistakenly thinking they can live happy and productive lives without Him."

Replace "God" and "Him" with "the Church" and I think we are closer to the truth of it. Ban books!!!

This really grinds my gears. The video pretty much speaks for itself. Phillip Hunt, the dirty defensive end, issued an apology in which he claimed he didn't hear the whistle and felt he was still being blocked on his way to break Joe Kemps shoulder in two different places. I am no football expert but if you watch the video at the 30 second mark, you can clearly see that the tackle doesn't even touch him.

But it looks like the NCAA gods agree with Hunt and felt that the hit wasn't dirty enough to warrant a suspension or any further action. Paul and Gianmarc: what's your take? Should the first play after halftime involved a tight end holding Hunt up high while the right tackle pulled into his knees?

Hasta la ByeBye!

Previously: God I hope my kids never have a teacher like Diantha Harris

UPDATE: Fixed the dead link. Better watch it while you can, it seems to be disappearing from the internet.

People voted for McCain for a lot of different reasons: experience, conservative views, foreign diplomacy. But I am betting the people in the McCain belt, the areas where more people voted for McCain in 2008 than Bush in 2004, probably voted for McCain because they thought an Obama presidency would look something like this:

This is a foreign documentary on the US Election and a Ashville N.C. teacher named Diantha Harris. It takes about 15 second to get started.
- Pay attention to the teacher's attitude towards John McCain in the first minute.
- Then, beginning around 1:35 watch her browbeat a kid because she supports John McCain.
- Then watch her commentary at around 2:15.

It's about time. Here's an article that points out that Representative Rahm Emanuel, Obama's potential Chief of Staff wants to institute "three months of basic civil defense training and community service" for kids between 18 and 25. It ALSO links to the fact that Obama and Biden want to mandate 50 hours of community service for high school graduates. He may end up being a new Jimmy Carter (Habitat for Humanity) but I am definately in favor of these policies.

Of course the leeches in the comment section disagree with these proposals. Most of them are probably under 25 years old.

And if any googlers who find this article want to call me an old hypocrite, I have performed hundreds of hours of community service after the DUI getting my Eagle Scout. Yes, hundreds.

Now that we have elected a black president, a lot of race baiters are finding themselves out of the loop. Excerpt:

Absent from the senator's advisory circle, for instance, are the civil-rights leaders and ministers who figured prominently in the candidacies of an older generation of black politicians such as the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

Of course calling Jesse Jackson a poltician is a stretch; he's never actually been elected anything.

Perhaps my new boss (and my re-elected Congressman) should read this before they continue to try to "fix" the economy. Paul, this kinda re-enforces my belief that the $800,000,000,000 bailout was a bad thing.