Windows / MSN / Live (Whatever the branding is today) Messenger is something I use a lot.  Right now I can’t login.  I upgraded to a new version because it implied that might be the issue.  It wasn’t.  The message I am currently getting:

Signing in to Windows Live Messenger failed because the service is temporarily unavailable.   Please try again later.

Error code: 81000314

I got a similar message on the Windows Messenger I had before I upgraded to the Live one.  Anyway, so there is a “Service status” option which takes me to http://status.messenger.msn.com/Status.aspx and it says:

All systems are stable and running.

It even has a nice little check box.

So my quesiton is:  What is the point of having a stauts page if it lies?  Clearly the service is down, how could the status page not now?

BTW, Microsoft isn’t the only one that is at fault for this.  Blizzard’s World of Warcraft Realm Status pages routinely say things are up when they are down.

My plea:

If you are going to have a status page for your service:  TELL THE TRUTH – I mean, we are already using your service and we care enough about it to check the status page.  At least tell us the truth about what is going on.  K THX.

/rant

So I’ve complained a lot about Vista… and believe me I still have a lot of complaints.  But one of the biggest issues was getting iTunes and Vista to work together.  Which, while a hassle, worked.  (Now it works a little better because I got a Vista driver upgrade to my Razer Tarantuala keyboard which let’s me use the forward/back, volume keys, etc. more consistently while I’m in other apps.  So that process worked well.)

On the other hand, I’m not so happy with Apple right now.  They’re usually pretty good on the software and hardware fronts – and especially on integration.  I’ve got a few iPods – most of which are, honestly, collecting dust right now.  I use one when I travel, but recently I haven’t been travelling that much so I haven’t used it.  But on Friday we got an office for the game company and I’ll be spending most of my time there (as opposed to working from home).   More on this in a bit.

So given my large collection of music (mix of ripped MP3 files and iTunes purchases), I figured the easiest way to share them would be to use my iPod.  You would think since:

1. The iPod is a hard drive.
2. The iPod is authorized to play all the music.
3. iTunes and the iPod generally work well together.

That I could just plug my iPod into my laptop and play my music.  Nope.  There are only three choices when I plug it in:

1. Erase and Sync – basically make the iPod linked to this PC (which has no music).  not useful.
2. Transfer Music – sync to this iPod.  I then have to authorize this PC with the iTunes store.  Not to mention it takes hours to sync during which time I can’t listen to my music.
3. Cancel – this is dumb.  It shows my iPod in iTunes and I can see all my music.  But it is all grayed out.  WHAT THE HELL?

I might be wrong, but the experience I was hoping for was:

1. Plug-in my iPod.
2. It shows up in iTunes.
3. I can play music from my iPod.
4. I disconnect my iPod.
5. I can’t play that music again until I re-connect it.

Now, I can play my iPod while it is sitting right next to my computer.  Where it doesn’t charge automatically.  Where the sound is not co-mingled with my PC’s sound.  It seems like this would be a common application for an iPod.  IMAGINE!  A mobile music library that I can play anywhere I want…. or not.

Wow.  That sucks.

Am I missing something or this just a horrible breakdown in the otherwise great iTunes/iPod ecosystem?

 Article from News.com:   Net taxes could arrive by this fall

Yikes.  It’s here again – net tax debates.  The U.S. operates under a federalist system and has a long history of protecting states rights on all sorts of fronts.  However, this model is clearly showing signs of wear and if anything is going to break it, my bet (I wish I could bet) is on the Internet being the cause.  

The guy who thinks the Internet is made of pipes, Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens said he would like:

“to see an impregnable ban on taxes on the Internet.”

Wow!  Well Ted and I finally agree on something relating to the Intarweb… I mean Internet.   I say:  DON’T TAX THE PIPES… or anything flowing through them.

Here is why Internet taxes are bad:

1. They are a huge burden on entrepreneurs.  Some states (like California) are pretty obnoxious about “nexus” which determines if you owe taxes to them or not.  It’s hard to keep track of and easily activated (like a sales person in California…. or possibly even one that visits a lot).  Anyway, collecting sales taxes is an incredible burden and just creates jobs for accountants and a requirement that entrepreneurs buy crap tax accounting software that makes developing cool and interesting applications very difficult.  This whole issue will be more critical as more entrepreneurs develop cool and interesting web businesses.   Whether it’s selling stuff on eBay – a big generator of new small businesses, but when does this qualify for sales taxes? – or a Web 2.0 innovator that has a cool new service that costs a few bucks a month or year for a premium service?  The burden on these business is quite significant.  Amazon and Dell can probably afford the accounting overhead, but not a small business. 
2. If you think state governments are bad, imagine how obnoxious some of these little townships are.  I can’t wait until some backwater town decides to tax the Internet in some stupid way.  You know it will happen.
3. Someone will decide to try tax e-mail or some bullshit like that.  That will be fun.  Let’s have various national, state, county, and city, governments tracking our every Internet activity so they can tax it.  Not to mention the joy someone in that chain will take in knowning what everyone is doing.  I’m sure nothing nefarious could happen…. uhm yeah.

If the bureaucrats who are so effective at wasting all the money we already give them insist on taking more, here are my recommendations:

• Create a national sales tax and redistribute it to the states so at least it will be uniform to collect and pay.  (And if we’re lucky cause a panic and never pass.  Because, just like income tax, once they get their hand in the cookie jar they will never take it out.)
• Only tax companies that do a large amount of business over the Internet.  Like $100mm or more so that the cost of developing systems to manage and pay all these gazillion different taxes (in Texas the sales tax is different in every county…. imagine having to sort that crap out as a small web site.)  

God save us from these jackass like Senator Michael Enzi from Wyoming who wants to mandate taxes on Internet purchases.   I’m glad that the National Governor’s Association is lobbying for this.  BTW, I bet those hypocrites don’t pay the voluntary sales tax now.

The states are collapsing into financial ruin from missing this sales tax so far.  Let them whine some more.  Besides, if they actually get money from some new windfall like this they’ll just waste it anyway.  No, I’m not cynical about government spending.  Not at all.  If only they were run like businesses. 

Oh and while I’m on the subject I love this one: 

“I’ve got to spend this money now or my budget will get reduced next year.”

Way to encourage the right behavior.

/rant

Does anyone know when Season 2 starts?

I’ve heard its 90 days per season, but now I can’t find when the Arena stuff started.  I’m guessing that arenas started in late February or early March which means Arena Season 2 should be starting either the end of this month or early next month.

If anyone know when Arenas went live that would be really good to know!

Thanks!

Oh:  You will be able to carry 5,000 Arena Points into Season 2.  So I hope it has better stuff!

No patch today.

It looks like Patch 2.1 will go live on Tuesday May 22nd.

Check out MMO Champion for the latest updates on equipment changes, new bosses, etc.

Should be a big update.

I think shock jocks are kind of dumb.  I can’t say I’ve every been into any of them.  I would generally prefer it if the radio just played music I like.  But then I don’t really listen to the radio that much at all so they, rightfully so, shouldn’t care much about what I think. 

This article from CNN/Money:  XM suspends Opie and Anthony is interesting.

In light of the Imus stuff (I mean he really seems like he’s just a racist idiot), this doesn’t surprise me at all. 

But, let’s evaluate this:

WHY SHOULD ANYONE BE SHOCKED THAT A SHOCK JOCK SAYS SOMETHING SHOCKING!

I mean these guys are getting paid millions of dollars a year to be jackass and push the edge of acceptable content.  And they attract very large audiences because of this.

There is bad taste on every one of these shows.  It appears the Opie and Andy thing is all about bad taste.  I don’t see how they can be punished for doing what they are paid to do.  But hey polictical correctness and whiners define common sense every day.

BTW, I think being a racist idiot is different from being a jackass with bad taste.  I think racist idiots should get some sense smacked into them. 

It looks like this patch is coming Tuesday (May 15) and that it is big.  Lot’s of changes here, especially in itemization.  It looks like virtually every level 70 epic (purple!) item is getting a significant buff in stats.  Especially items from Karazhan and the later instances (Serpentshrine Caverns, etc.).   Tier 4 and better armor is also getting bumped up.  Weapons are also getting a huge buff. 

For example, Sunfury Bow of the Phoenix, shown here in it’s post 2.1 stat (83.3 DPS +19 Agility +34 Attack Power) is currently 77.4 DPS, +16 Agility, +30 Attack Power.  This is a pretty big bump.  As a hunter I really appreciate it! 

I’ve been looking at posts on MMO Champion because they’ve been keeping a pretty good running update on what is happening on the PTR (Public Test Realm) with changes in 2.1.   Many of the updates are on WoWHead and Thottbot now too.  So if you want to see a specific change they might be better.  But MMO Champion is the easiest way to see what the latest news is.

They have also substantially reduced the honor costs of many PVP rewards items.  The epic PVP gems have been reduced in cost by 50% or more.   So if you’ve got some honor saved up, don’t spend it until 2.1!

The remaining question I have:  When is Arena Season 1 over?  I can’t seem to find this anywhere.  I can find references in blue posts (Blizzard / WoW employees on the official forums) that say Arena Season 2 is coming and will have new rewards.  They also say you can carry 5,000 Arena points forward into the new season.  So I’m curious to see how the rewards change.  (And hey, I currently have well over 2,000 points to spend and I don’t want anything that’s available right now.)  

So my guess is Arena Season 2 starts with Patch 2.1, but I can’t find anything definitive.  Anyone know?

Story:  Judge’s missing pants lead to big suit

So the dry cleaner loses this guy’s (who happens to be a judge) favorite pair of pants.  That sucks.  He asks for $1,000 (the whole price of the suit).  They find the pants.  He says, “Nope, not my pants!”  (Paraphrased.)   He sues.  The dry cleaner has offered to settle for $3k, $4.6k, and $12k.   So he says no and comes up with some crap about not being able to use that dry cleaner, having to rent a car to drive to another one, etc.  [NOTE:  WTF planet does this guy live on?]

Anyway, this guy should be stripped of his judgeship and disbarred.  We have huge problems with frivolous lawsuits and a judge shouldn’t be setting this kind of example. 

/rant

Trainwreck is one of my favorite terms.  You know its horrible and you are appalled that you are watching it, but you can’t look away – that’s a trainwreck.

Paris Hilton is a good example of trainwreck.  I don’t really care about some crazy heiress, but I just can’t look away.  I’m pretty sure that is somehow the case with much of America.

CNN has plasted this article:  Paris Hilton sentenced to 45 days in jail as the home page feature with a big picture for the last six hours or so and I, of course, eventually had to read it.  It made me laugh.  What a broken family.  What delusional lawyers.  Some of the shit these people say is disturbing.  Let me highlight the facts (plucked from the article.

The facts:

• September 7, 2006:  Arrested for reckless driving.  Police report she appeared intoxicated and failed a field sobriety test.  She had 0.08 blood alcohol, which is against the law (to be fair, I think this is on the nose for the level that is illegal…. and she probably has a really high tolerance LOL.)
• January 2007 (no specific date in the article):  She pleads no contest and gets some fines, alcohol education, and 36 months of probation.  It doesn’t say it in the article, but it appears her license was suspended at this time.
• January 15, 2007 (after the no contest):  She is pulled over, informed she is driving on a suspended license, singens some that acknowledging she was not to drive.
• February 27, 2007:  She is pull over again because she is speeding with no headlights on.  (Nice!)
• As of April 17, 2007:  She has not enrolled in the alcohol education program she was required to enroll in as of February 12.
• Today (May 4):  She shows up ten minutes late for her court appearance.

During the hearing (all quotes are from the CNN article):

As a city prosecutor said during closing arguments that Hilton deserved jail time, Hilton’s mother, Kathy, laughed. When the judge ruled, Kathy Hilton then blurted out: “May I have your autograph?”

That cracks me up.   As I’m reading this I’m thinking, “At least her mom knows she’s out of control and needs some sense knocked into her.”  But alas, the indignation of it all:

When a reporter asked what she thought of the judge’s decision, a visibly angry Kathy Hilton responded: “What do you think? This is pathetic and disgusting, a waste of taxpayer money with all this nonsense. This is a joke.”

Yes!  Ms. Hilton it is a joke!  If anyone else had gotten pulled over (for speeding with their lights off) on a suspended license after a DUI.  Oh wait, I mean pulled over twice.  And ignored the court by not going to the required alcohol education and further taunted the court by showing up late….. well I think they would have gotten much worse punishment all around.  Paris is out of control, everyone who reads the news knows it, and now she knows she is not above the law.

But it gets worse.  Her lawyer says:

Defense attorney Howard Weitzman said he would appeal.

“I’m shocked, I’m surprised and really disheartened in the system that I’ve worked in for close to 40 years,” Weitzman said.

He said the sentence was “uncalled for, inappropriate and bordered on the ludicrous.”

Let’s address these one at a time:

• Appeal.  Oh good let’s waste more taxpayer money!  WTF is he appealing on?  “Your honor my client is rich, thinks she can ignore the court, and can throw a lot of money at this.  On those ground’s I would like to appeal.”
• Wow 40 years as a lawyer and this disheartens him?   Maybe he hasn’t seen the chonology of this in bullet format for easy digestion.  WTF is up with this guy, he needs to get a grip or maybe he’s so disheartened he’ll resign.  We can only hope.
• OMG I don’t even know what to say on the last one.  45 days in jail for a reckless driving (DUI), two driving on a suspended license, ignoring court orders, showing up late, etc.  If anyone else had done that they’d be in jail a lot longer.

Oh and to cap it all of he says:

“I think she’s singled out because of who she is,” Weitzman said.

Yeah for special treatment! 

Wow, anyway she needs better lawyers that say things like:  “YOU CAN’T DRIVE UNTIL THE SUSPENSION IS UP!” and sign her up and force her to go the court order alcohol education program.  I mean she’s freaking super rich, how hard is it to get a freaking driver!

Gah.

/rant

You know a game is crazy when bots login every few minutes and spam everyone with messages like:

1000g for only $99.  We powerlevel 1-60, $200. 

Etc.  They have URLs, but no need to help them out by posting them here.  It’s annoying. 

I guess it’s a sign of success that so many people want to buy gold and power-leveling services.  But the spam is really starting to get overwhelming.  I’m curious to see how Blizzard handles this. 

I’m actually in the camp that says buying gold and in-game stuff is ok.  I know a lot of people disagree, but I’m sure we all agree that in game spam sucks.