FWIW, Abi, I'm a male tech writer who sucks at programming. And I too feel guilty for sucking at programming; every thing I don't know is a thing I have to ask a coworker about if I can't find it online. And yet.
And yet if I didn't program in my suckitudinous ways, it would in the end mean more work for my coworkers, as I would be forced to demand of them things that I can haltingly, clumsily, and generally awfully, hack my way through eventually. Yes, it takes me longer than it would take them, but in taking me longer it's taking them even less time, which frees them up for the money-making programming.
Plus, once you do give yourself permission to suck (long ago, I have), programming is kinda fun.
While I can't speak for your particular co-workers, I've found programmers in general to be eager to help spread knowledge; things that I don't know are opportunities for them to tell me the things that they -do- know. And who doesn't enjoy a bit of showing off now and again? :o)
You probably weren't looking for validation, but I sympathize with the plight too much not to validate you :o)
-j
Ken @ #88
Yes, it's available, as Ginger (@86) points out through the Federal Register - I believe this is synonymous with Thomas, which is the lookup tool that I know of to browse legislature.
If I'm correct (and I may well not be), then the text that's put there is a) hard to find unless you know the bill number, but bills get different numbering in the different houses of congress), and b) written (as Ginger alludes to) in strictest legalese, for maximum impenetrability. So it's hard to find and hard to parse, and unless you -really- care you're never going to bother.
Putting the finished product, reconciled between the Houses, on the Web for all to see (and comment on) before signing will allow the American public to express their opinion of the laws that will govern us before the one representative elected to represent the entire populace signs it into law.
Presumably, if 98% of respondents hate a proposed law, President Obama (yay!) will at least pay even closer attention to the bill before signing it; if a sensible idea to improve it comes along that he agrees with, presumably he'd go back to Congress with that idea to improve the bill before signing.
Presumably. Which does NOT equal anything beneficial to anyone, but it's a better chance than we've had as far as I can remember...
Here's something from that blog that just about dropped my jaw:
Participation -- President Obama started his career as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago, where he saw firsthand what people can do when they come together for a common cause. Citizen participation will be a priority for the Administration, and the internet will play an important role in that. One significant addition to WhiteHouse.gov reflects a campaign promise from the President: we will publish all non-emergency legislation to the website for five days, and allow the public to review and comment before the President signs it.
(emphasis mine)
Is this the first time, anywhere, that passed-but-not-signed legislature will be available to the general public in such a publicly-accessible location? (Thomas doesn't count; you need a degree in library science to use it :) )
FWIW, Pedantka, I agree, both that it was funny and that it came across (to me) as inappropriate.
Well, how about that.
Still waiting for the final totals, but...
How about that.
Yeah.
#33 - brilliant. snort-out-loud-at-work brilliant. thanks!
You know, it reads like there should be some sort of ROT-13 button to turn it into something sensible...
To filch, or not to filch: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the end to suffer
The growls and grumbles of outrageous hunger,
Or to purloin forthwith a taste of sweetness,
And by consuming end them? To taste: to thirst;
No more; and by a thirst to say we end
The want-ache and the thousand wanton needs
Such fruit gives rise to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To taste, to feed;
To feed: perchance to sate; ay, there's the rub;
For in that taste of bliss what needs may rise
When we have swallowed down this tasty fruit,
Must give us pause: there's the regard
That makes an enemy of our good friend;
For who could bear the cries and loss of He,
The dear fruit's lawful, the good man gone hungry,
The pangs of hollowed gut from man unfed,
The indolence of hunger and the spurns
Such blessed worthy to the sated gives
When he himself might his bellyful get
With a peeled orange? Who would a plum eat,
And beg and pule before an angry friend
But that the dread of some thin hungry lust,
The always empty belly to which bourn
The mind ever returns, weakens the will
And makes us rather eat those fruits we know
Than bear another that we like much less?
Thus app'tite does make gluttons of us all;
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is o'erwheeled 'neath the great force of need
And enterprises of best wish and intent
By this sweet fruit their resolve be dash'd,
And lose our friend's affection.
Nothing against Ms. Palin. But her as president would be a disaster roughly equivalent to -my- election as president which would, I assure you, be quite the disaster. There's inexperienced, and then there's "dude. the white house. it's WHITE!" inexperienced. Nothing to do with intelligence, ability, or anything else; were Sen. McCain to stroke out and die, folks like Putin and Kim Jong Il and I'm a Dinner Jacket would eat the lunch of ANY person that new to the field, and leave that person asking if their guest would like dessert, too.
At least Obama has looked over a few shoulders and READ a treaty or two, and the more-experienced individual in his pairing is second-in command and therefore replaceable should -he- stroke out and die.
Unfortunately, I fear will be a great number of people who will look at the idea of a Fundamentalist in the White House and assume God will look after her and this great nation of ours should she find herself in the big chair. "Look how well President Bush is doing, and -he- didn't have much of a clue, either," I think they'll say.
I do hope I'm wrong.
I do wish all of you would stop dancing around the -real- issue Theresa raised here. She went out of her way to provide us with a safe space to discuss the topic, and I think we're doing a disservice to her in not discussing it.
Britney Murphy is an acting genius, even if she can't spell her name right.
There, I've said it, and I'm not taking it back.
#52, thanks for the reference! I've been trying to figure out what the folks in my 1920s-set WIP would be wearing (and almost as importantly what it was called), and there's some great stuff at that site.
#19:
Again? I heard it once, ten years ago or more. And I still can't get the damn thing out of my head at times like this...
#6:
There's breastses on the starboard bow, starboard bow, starboard bow...
What -do- you use to indicate unitalicization?
'zackly, Hama. When I write close-third, I try to disappear into the characters' flow, using the words and phrases and idioms they apply to the world. In its own quasi-nonsensical way, this validates what I'm doing.
Hah! I guess I'm doing something right.
I have a close-3p short story in progress that alternates following between a male and a female. I tested 2 passages from each. The male-following ones came up male, and the female-following came up female.
Sure, it's all BS, but it's still reassuring :o)
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