From Tricks of the Trade:
Software Tester
Because developers don’t expect testers to read through their code, doing so is a quick and easy way to find possible bugs. Look for comments like “// HACK” or “// fix this crap later.”
In other news, I’ve added an RSS feed for PvP. It’s on Gabe and Tycho’s lists of essential web comics, so you know it’s good.
There’s a new Camper Van Beethoven album on the way, and Teaching The Indie Kids... has a short preview. “Militia Song” is the best hoedown about Ted Kasczynski that I’ve yet heard – Studied mathematics at Berkeley/Now I don’t like society....
And why didn’t anyone tell me about Chris Rock’s new HBO special? It’s excellent. Not surprisingly, after a couple of decades in the game, he’s mastered playing the audience without ever pandering to them. For some reason, he doesn’t really seem to have taken off in the UK, at least not to anywhere near the degree of his native success. Nevertheless, he’s my favourite comedian, probably since Hicks. Strongly recommended.
Eightball #23 finally came out, and it’s really good. Like #22 before it, it’s a completely standalone story (although this time focussing on a single character’s life, rather than a small town) told through a series of separate strips with consciously diverse styles. There’s even a similar, and equally ambiguous, parallel to #22’s “Harry Naybors Explains Everything,” giving the characters a voice for their take on the whole thing.
Oh, I guess They Might Be Giants also shipped The Spine, (featuring Experimental Film) and it’s probably their best album since 1994’s John Henry. There have been standout songs on other albums, but nothing that’s gelled like this. Diverse without being distracting, short without feeling cheap. I like.
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