[Cynicism Alert!!]

- So after 2 years, my Win2K desktop install is going south -- spontaneous reboots. I deceide to reinstall everything from scratch -- and count the number of "suggested" reboots. Up to 15 now...and not half-way done.

- I hate javascript. No matter what I do, proxy and settings-wise, half of those damn little javascript menus refuse to work. i hate javascript.

- If Larry King has one more guest on who spins some loopy story about psychic phenomena, I thing I will board an airplane and puke on all of my fellow passengers.

- So Netscape 7 wants me to register. I pick a user name "Team666". Netscape protests and says that it is already taken. I e-mail [email protected] -- "no such user". I think Netscape lies. Try registering *any* user ID with "666" (like zzyyxx666). No dice. Bunch of superstitious bumpkins. And liars. I don't care that they block it. Just don't lie.

- General rant: go to many web sites and try to figure out who's in charge -- how to contact them. I think many sites make this difficult on purpose.

- Over my shoulder, CNN plays an advertisement that has a cheerful, creepy, familiar feel to it -- "Be nice to everyone" (or something like that). I catch the attribution at the end -- the Foundation for a Better Life. Who can argue with that??

I go to forbetterlife.org. I realize that I have seen some of their vague, uplifting billboards on the way to the airport. Cynical old me, I try to figure out who is in charge. Good [censored] luck. Why do I get suspicious when I have to resort to Whois??? Whois reveals (in part):

Registrant:
Anschutz Corp (WN-D-93268011)
555 17th St. Suite 2400
Denver, CO 80203
US

Domain Name: FORBETTERLIFE.ORG

Administrative Contact:
Slawson, Steve (18857367I) [email protected]
Anschutz Corp
555 17th St Suite 2400
Denver, CO 80209
US
303 298 1000 303 298 8881

This would be this mining company . I guess I could live with this, but what's the mystery? Why not even a simple "Contact Us" on the FBL web page? Just some feel-good "Pass It On" exhortation reminiscent of "Pay It Forward".

Oh, and then I find this analysis which, while I might not agree with 100%, does not make me feel any less cynical.

- Oh, [censored]. Larry King hosts Paul Harvey. What *am* I doing running TV in the background?

- Oh, and Altrea is *not* a tobacco company!!