Dear Honda, I'm very disappointed in the Honda self-propelled lawn mower I recently purchased. The particular reason for my disappointment is the poor design used to engage the blade. While I'm sure you're following some (asnine, inane, expletive deleted) consumer safety regulation, having a lawn mower that can't keep the blade engaged really defeats the purpose for having a lawn mower in the first place. A couple of suggestions: Change the pawl design - it really is inadequate si...

Dear Fellow Driver (and you know who you are), I am writing today because of your total lack of consideration for others on the road. I am hoping to assist you in avoiding a repeat of the same behavior in the future by explaining an item of common courtesy that other drivers expect from you. The item I want to discuss is the speed limit sign. I know you've seen these signs: they generally have a white background, are rectangular in shape, have black writing on them and are convenient...

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has published a Legal Guide for Bloggers that is full of good information for people at JU and other blog sites. To borrow a few words from the EFF site: "Freedom of speech is the foundation of a functioning democracy, and Internet bullies shouldn't use the law to stifle legitimate free expression. That's why EFF created this guide, compiling a number of FAQs designed to help you understand your rights and, if necessary, defend your freedom." Enjoy...

Take this blog for what it's worth. I was listening to talk radio today (something I never do) and was surprised at just how stupid and banal the callers were on the day's hot topics: Bill Clinton's new book and the Iraq war. I just had to respond and the following are presented as my opinions only. First off, I am still amazed at how many people think Bill Clinton was a great president. He was impeached yet wears it as a badge of honor. The arguments against him are many, not the least of...

I came to JoeUser.com originally because I had discovered Brad Wardell's blog and enjoyed reading what he had to say. It wasn't required daily reading, but every few days or couple of weeks I'd stop in and catch up. It was a pleasure to read thoughts from an average guy that didn't mind sharing his opinions. I came back one day a few weeks ago after a long absence and discovered the JoeUser.com had changed. There were other people writing. I discovered NickyG first and enjoyed reading all o...

I had a nice little reminder of why I love what I do today. I got a comment on my deviantART.com account from a young woman that is studying Aerospace Engineering. She had a photograph that showed a small space shuttle pin and I had commented on her photograph. I noticed that she was wearing a space shuttle pin in the photograph and mentioned that as well. Being polite she was thanking me for the comment and explained the pin in the photograph. The words she used though are what brought me ...

I'll admit it, I'm totally confused and sickened by what has happened. What is the deal with Spain? Here is a brief recap of the last week. Terrorists mounted a cowardly attack on the good citizens of Madrid that has claimed over 200 lives so far and resulted in over 1500 injuries. The attack was timed for maximum impact striking as they did during the morning commute and right before the Spanish elections. Al-Qaida claimed responsibility for the attack and stated that it was in retaliati...

Yikes! At least it feels like I've joined a cult. I've been a diehard PC user since, well a long time (DOS 2.06 is where I became proficient ). I discovered UNIX in the early 90's and I'm a UNIX nut. I absolutely LOVE that operating system - it is everything I have ever wanted and more. So anyway, when a friend gave me a Mac G4 for free I accepted it - but with some trepidation. I don't like Macs. I've worked with Macs since forever also, starting with the first Macintosh. I always wa...