Craphound'n find of the year (to date)

I pulled a gorgeous 1950's Vissetti blue and cream sewing machine out of a dumpster today. It's in a latching color-matched case, not too dissimilar to the one that houses my awesome typewriter (which most people who know me have seen), works like new, and is in absolute mint condition. One rubber foot on the foot pad needs to be replaced, and it needs a needle, but all the belts and mechanics look like they've never been used. My favorite part is the "As Seen In Life" badge just below the brand name. I'll be uploading photos tomorrow...

Best menu option EVER!

In the data processing app Igor:

Patience and Hospitality

Last night I transfered my Comcast account to our new address. Apparently I will no longer be eligible for the student package that I'd grandfathered in from Urban Cableworks (now Time Warner), but the woman helping me on the phone was extremely helpful, and actually got me an even better deal by the end of the call. She spent a lot more time trying to help me than she had to, and the experience was drastically different from any previous dealing I've had with Comcast (which have historically ended with me yelling, or demanding to speak with a supervisor). I later realized that this was probably because it was the first time I was calling about something other than comcast screwing me over, and as a result I was much more polite and patient than usual.

Then today I read this story: Attempted Robbery Ends In Group Hug (Yahoo! News)

Somehow the two incidents seem remarkably similar to me. And yes, I realize that I'm likening Comcast to an armed thief, and yes, I think that's an appropriate comparison to draw.

via [boingboing]

Sturgeon's Law

Everyone in the world knows Murphy's law, and it's referenced to the point that I find it a little obnoxious. Sturgeon's law, on the other hand, is a beautiful little underused gem of an adage. These days it usually is stated as "90% of everything is crud," but I prefer the original: "nothing is always absolutely so."

Since the original has fallen out of common usage I'm going to start referring to it as "the lost law of Sturgeon," and attempt to drag it from its grave.

Discovered via [Daring Fireball]
Defined at [wikipedia]