If someone files a class-action suit on my behalf, doesn't it matter that I don't agree with it?

Okay, so even though I haven't worked for marchFIRST for over a year and a half, I bought some of their stock about three months ago, before it took a dive.

Now an ambulance-chasing company by the name of Stull, Stull & Brody (no website, just an AOL email address) has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of "all persons who purchased the securities of marchFIRST, Inc. between July 25, 2000, and October 23, 2000."

Doesn't it matter that I'm one of those people and I don't want a class-action suit filed? That I actually believe that investing in the stock market, especially in the Internet sector, is an inherently risky practice? that "cautionary notes regarding forward-looking statements" are just that, and SEC filings and press conference calls shouldn't be taken as assurances of future success?

My point is, who asked Stull & Co to sue? I didn't. If I ask them to stop, will they? Their press release says they still don't have a lead plaintiff. Does this mean they're just begging a shareholder to 'represent the rest of us' so they can get a big fat percentage of a possible award?

It's bad enough when people sue people over things they should know better, but it's one step farther to hell when a company can sue on behalf of others who don't even want them to...

Sans captions, sans prettying up in Photoshop, here are pictures from last weekend's Gaskell's Ball!

Here's a faster mirror.

From Amazon's page for Strunk and White's Elements of Style. Okay, I amuse easily, but still it's funny:

"The New York Times: 'Buy it, study it, enjoy it. It's as timeless as a book can be in our age of volubility.' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title."

-- Amazon.com

Timeless, but out of print.

Damn this is funny. First off, we have the most amazing flashdance, this time starring Jakob himself! Thanks to Peterme for the head's up!

This is a lot funnier if you know who Jakob Neilsen is, though believe me, it's funny enough already. What makes it absolutely hilarious is that the latest installment of Jakob's bi-weekly usability newsletter, useit, is titled Flash: 99% Bad! I wonder where he got the inspiration for this article...

So tonight's the Gaskell's Ball. For those of you who don't know, Gaskell's is a bi-monthly formal recreation ball in Oakland. People dress in formalwear from any time or place in the last 250 years and dance. Waltzes, Schottishes, Polkas, Mazurkas, a few set dances like Sir Roger de Coverly and Sallenger's Round, and the Congress of Vienna are examples of the dances.

I've been going pretty much constantly for the last four years, and it's taken a place in my life that mirrors its historical purpose; essentially, it's an occasion to see friends you don't regularly get to see, make new friends, dress up, and feel good about yourself. This is pretty much the purpose of 19th century Vienese bals, except hopefully with a little less snobbery and class distinction.

I've taken pictures at Gaskells before, but with a traditional camera or large digital camera, I didn't end up taking very many because I'd have to put it away when I actually wanted to dance. Now that I have my Digital Elph I have a camera I can actually slip in a pocket while dancing.

So, tonight I'm going to try to truly journal the Gaskell's experience, and try to bring some of what I like about the event to this weblog. To whet your appetite, here's a picture taken at the Christmas Gaskells about 4 years ago:

I hope you all have a great weekend, and I'll try to put the pictures up tomorrow or Monday.

---

Argh. My costume isn't comping together the way I'd hoped it would. Looks like I'll be wearing something more formal-ish and less costume-ish. Ah well. I'll have to save going oer-the-top for next week's Le Bal des Vampyres.

Pretty much a non-squitor, but did anyone else find it interesting that while the whole world was waiting with baited breath for Star Wars: Episode One to come out, The Matrix snuck in and completely blew us away?

It's important to remember that hype can kill, and that accolades can rise out of nowhere for worthy endeavours.

Okay, so I can be deep and shallow at the same time...

Man, I'm so out of the l33t haxOr culture. I used to be hip to tha jive, but I saw this on Geeklife and I can't make heads or tails of it:

Current Rating: 5 - Votes: 1Rate this story:  1 -  2 -  3 -  4 -  5(1 = sux0rs to 5 = totally ballz)

Which is good and which is bad? Sexual innuendo can mean so many things...

Arg. UC Berkeley Police towed my car away a few days ago, though I didn't notice until I got a notice in the mail today. Long story but this kind of thing tends to happen when you don't have a parking space in a college town with periodic street sweeping.

Now I've got an unexpected quest, trudging up to the El Cerrito DMV to pay penalties and get my car out of hoc.

Blech.

Ack. Running on four hours sleep last night and if I go to sleep now I'll get about six hours tonight. I'd better get to it.

Using a Palm Vx to create large-format art. This entry is for Karen, because it's the kind of thing she woiuld do.

(Link from Slashdot)