Yeah, I did some local mail-server "tweaking" this past weekend and, uh, broke my smtp mail in process, apparently.

So while I've been getting mail just fine, mails that I've sent have quietly turned into an oblivion of lost bits. All the while, I've been cursing people for ignoring me when I send them mails.

I'm sure the opposite is true, however. So if you've sent me something expecting a reply in the past couple days, hold onto your horses as I re-send things...

Don your asbestos underwear: THIS IS A FLAME AND NOT INTENDED TO BE ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT.

I detest Bugzilla. Today I was looking to file a bug on AbiWord, and headed over to GNOME Bugzilla and grudgingly looked up my account there. Having multiple e-mail addresses, this is not always an easy task. Of course, after searching around a bit, I found out that AbiWord has its OWN bugzilla, at bugzilla.abisource.com. Then I had to register for yet another account, yadda yadda yadda...

Of course, it looks like the bug that I was going to file has been fixed in version 2.2.8, which has just recently been released (two days ago?). Good thing I checked the changelog before filing the bug (kudos for it already being fixed, though). Now I have another account to keep track of, which has so far been used only to report a broken link that I stumbled over while looking for the bug reporter.

Grr.

1.) Get a mouth expander. There's nothing quite like having the roof of your mouth lowered a half-inch by a thick piece of inflexible plastic. Then, of course, you have to turn the little wheel twice each night, and be able to feel the pressure in the bones in the roof of your mouth. For the first couple days you will be forced to spit every three minutes or be doomed to have drool hanging out of the corners of your mouth, something like those dogs they show in movies.

Every time you swallow, you'll about scream from the pain on your teeth, and any food that gets stuck between the plastic and the roof of your mouth will be inaccessible for no less than a month or so, until the space between the two plastic plates is large enough for a sharp pipe cleaner to be stuck in between and force any lodged objects out.

Try not to impale the roof of your mouth, and try not to choke on dislodged objects, especially chunks of meat. It's not fun, and may induce vomiting. Especially old chunks.

I guarantee you will live on a diet of oatmeal for the duration. I did it.

2.) Get rubber bands. This is nowhere NEAR as effective as the expander, but is still worth considering. Expect to not be able to yawn, laugh, talk, or eat without giving your jaw muscles a damn good workout. Also be prepared for an experience in whiplash if you open too wide. Oh the lovely combination of pizza and rubber... Oh, and you have to break EVERYTHING into pieces before eating it.

Hmm, this also could have been titled "How to take the fun out of eating"...

In a conversation I was having with a friend just today, the topic of bands "selling out" randomly popped up. I have to say, I hate the words "selling out." Especially when pertaining to punk rock bands. Here's why:

In the January/February issue of Punk Planet, bassist Marty McLoughlin of Pilot to Gunner states that (regarding the band's 2004 release of "Get Saved," and the rumours of selling out that followed it), "If Get Saved was geared toward getting famous, it didn't work. And if writing good songs is selling out, the world is in trouble." When I read that line, my mind latched onto it. I tend to need a little prod to get me to figure out what I think about something, and afterward violently defend a subject; and that was it. My mind is set.

Let me explain my theory:

Merriam-Webster's definition of "sell out" reads (the definition pertaining to this use):

2 : to betray one's cause or associates

When pertaining to punk rock, this usually also entails changing one's sound to writing more "poppish," radio-friendly, and polished songs. Those bands who "sell out" get famous, and generally earn quite a bit of money.

Well, let's take a look at that. In order to "sell-out" in the punk rock world, a band needs to achieve several things: a) Someone needs to be offering to pay a band for them to change their sound in a required way. b) The change has to be something that the band wouldn't drift to if they weren't being payed, i.e. the bandmembers dislike the change (but are doing it for the money). c) The band has to have the ability to just wake up and change their sound and/or style.

Unfortunately, most rockers can't just wake up and say "I'm going to write a sell-out song and go get famous today"-- if they could, I'm sure we'd see a lot more of them doing so. Most people tend not to enjoy scraping by on mediocre concert and record sales, occasionally juggling a "real" job or two in order to pay rent on a crummy apartment in some city.

Sure, there are probably some shallow bastards that would do something totally against what they stand for for money. I'm guessing, however, that most "sell-outs" either a) got sucked into the glamours of a big record label, which is now pulling the noose tighter with threats, as they hold the rights to most or all of the band's songs, b) need the money to hold a decent standard of living, or c) just kept on writing, developing, and maturing, and by a stroke of luck managed to hit it big.

Sorry, but writing polished, radio-friendly songs is not equal to "selling out" -- even if some punks feel betrayed by hearing that old school band on the radio, with all their friends singing along. Don't get me wrong, I can't stand the "new Blink" -- but you won't hear me crying sell-out, either. With a band like Blink 182, it's hard to imagine that they would go and change their sound for more money, having already been successful previously. The fact of life is that people get older, more mature, and with bands that may mean a change in style.

It's not the end of the world. In fact, as has been seen recently with Green Day's smash hit new album, American Idiot, old fans don't always abandon those who grow up and change. If you want to listen to Dookie-like music, then go listen to Dookie -- American Idiot is just plain good. If I want to listen to Dude Ranch, I'll go listen to Dude Ranch, and not complain about the sound-change of their recent self-titled album.

There is, of course, always the possibility that I am completely wrong, as this is a fairly optimistic analysis of humans in general. Hey, I should have been a transcendentalist -- or a hippie. Maybe people really are just evil bastards, but if I can still hold a positive view after all the inside looks I've had, then I can stand hoping for the best.