Reception work leaves me with lots of “down time,” during which I mostly opt to research random Topics of Interest. One of today’s Topics was the Microsoft anti-trust suit, which led me to peruse the Department of Justice’s 1999 findings. It was a fascinating read that alternated between maddening and depressing. For example, the conclusion states that:

some innovations that would truly benefit consumers never occur for the sole reason that they do not coincide with Microsoft’s self-interest.

Fortunately, there was some comic relief. The banner at the top of the page reads:

This document is available in three formats: this web page (for web browsing), PDF (comparable to original document formatting), and WordPerfect 5.1.

I do realize that WordPerfect is the word processing application of choice for most law firms. Nonetheless, I found this deeply satisfying.

From a news@nature article on how to prolong survival should one accidentally fall into a black hole:

“Once you know how fast you have passed through the event horizon, it is reasonably straightforward to calculate how long you need to burn your rocket to get on to the best path”.

I am both intrigued and mortified by this advice. Perhaps the usual readers of news@nature understand this, and certainly those in danger of someday steering spacecraft into an ultimate point of desolation, but this had me nodding self-consciously even as I read it alone it my apartment. Yes, that is reasonably straightforward. I am envisioning that formula in my head right now.

Let’s just hope the kids at Virgin Galactic know about this.

(via kottke).

Seen thus far: a bear crossing a residential street, a meese crossing sign, two formerly attended elementary schools, four former residences, one college, one university, one broken down car, two grandparents, one friend, a ferry, a train, three states, rain, lightning, and a bee-yoo-tiful landscape.

Options, when one has no temp gig for the day:

• Feel sorry for oneself for being tenuously employed
• Go to the beach and feel sorry for everyone stuck at work

Click on the photo for the Flickr set: