Feb 1921:50
I am in New-York for the week, for pleasure. So my curiosity brings me face to Liberty Island, and of course, ticket in hand I go for the ferry.
Before boarding goes the whole security measures thing that are now everywhere in NY it seems. I understand how two planes crashing in two of your biggest towers can bring a certain feeling of insecurity, and even if I don’t particularly appreciate those measures, I am civilized enough to comply. Of course “no weapons allowed” makes me smile when I am in the country by excellence where firearms are legal and can be purchased in drugstores… When it does not make me smile anymore is when my multifunction pocket knife is now tagged as “a weapon”, I personally can hardly consider that small pliers and retractable tools thing a “weapon”, the knife part is hardly as wide as my hand and can barely cut a slice of bread… Honestly you should check my hands; they are by far a more efficient “weapon”…
Anyway, I can check my pocket knife and get it back on my way back (like I did for the empire state building yesterday) right? Well guess again! Not here, no sir, not for the ferry to Liberty Island you can’t… I had the nice lady striping me down get an officer who told me (looking at my knife like it was a war machine) “Sir, you cannot board with this, and if I take it you won’t get it back…” (why is that, it falls into a dark portal beyond the twilight zone?)
Amazing, this occurred right in front of the statue of liberty. Does they know “liberty” (liberté) means freedom in French?
Well one thing I know for sure, stupidity (stupidité) means the same both in English and French…
Note on terrorism: USA was one of the last occidental countries to be hit. I was in France in the years of “TERROR!!” (well of course French people never used such a dramatic word) 10 to 15 years ago, when bombs were exploding in the subway on a monthly basis, or were found in front of schools, department stores and such… I lived thru that, probably did not hit CNN as much as 11/09, but overall the toll in human life was close to the WTC tragedy. So I understand “security”, but I still can’t excuse stupidity…
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Feb 0610:37
(Names have been changed to protect the stupidity of people)
Context: We have installed an “Adobe Connect” server to be able to produce remote trainings and virtual meeting rooms across the school board. Departments and people that will be using it have been fully trained on its usage.
A true work story:
January 31st Norbert emailed the IT DIRECTOR in order to have an account for him and his colleague to access to the server, CC his own ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS DIRECTOR (in charge of teachers training).
My boss answered the same day, CC the helpdesk that is the entity where all requests should be made, CC our own IT trainer (the only one to actually use the server), and CC me (well I guess because when something needs to be done, it’s usually me…)
February 1st I answered to Norbert, CC his boss so that they know for next time, and CC the helpdesk to refresh their memory:
“Hello,
Access to the Adobe Connect server is managed by security groups, in the case people need specific access, here is how to proceed:
- Make a request to the helpdesk (link to the email address) providing the names of the users and their will to use the Adobe Connect server.
- Put those users in the correct group called “ConnectAuthors”.
- Tell the users to connect to the server (link to the server) and click the “request password” button. They will have to enter their email address in the corresponding box, then they will receive their username and password in their mailbox. They can now go back on the server and connect using the newly received information.
Norbert and Mary have been added in the proper group already.“ Read the rest of this entry »
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Jan 2813:48
So the other day I come back from work. I am in the car, driving in the right lane, circulation is pretty normal for 5pm.As I cross the 407 (a big interstate), I know the street I am in will soon go from three to two lines. So I speed up a bit, pass a few cars, signal, and inject my car into the middle lane soon to become the right one, plenty of room.A surreal light and sound show take place behind me. A huge black SUV is horning and flashing all the lights is got at me… Since it does not break my calm, I notice the SUV pulling on the left line without signalling and so doing forcing a silver Camry to break pretty hard, while at the same time I am slowing down and stopping at the red light. I already know what is happening…
Read the rest of this entry »
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