Daniel, the Globe's transportation reporter, has been appointed communications director at the turnpike authority. What that also means: Now, instead of asking the tough questions about Big Dig ceiling collapses or turnpike toll increases, he'll have to answer them.

At the bottom of Mac Daniel's latest paean to the CharlieCard (but just before he acknowledges there might be one tiny small problem with them), he writes:

We also checked out reports that folks were throwing away CharlieTickets that still had value on them. We're not saying it's not true, but after donning latex-free rubber gloves, we rummaged in the trash and found 20 CharlieTickets. After running each one through the machine and checking their values, not one cent was found.

Oh, no! He's not doubting The Newman there, is he? Yes, he is! He's doubting The Newman! Word to the wise, pal: DON'T DOUBT THE NEWMAN!

Speaking of CharlieCards, Rcolonna tries one out and likes it.

T officials report no complaints whatsoever about CharlieCards failing after just four days, so therefore, it hasn't happened. Plus, anybody who's had problems with a CharlieCard, well, let's just say your trolley doesn't go to the last stop.

Read Mac Daniel's CharlieCard column and let me know if I'm summarizing it correctly. Especially if you are one of the people whose CharlieCards didn't actually stop working on Thursday since you just imagined it. So no point writing to teamcharlie@mbta.com.

BadTransit takes a more dyspeptic view

So Spatch complains the T's failed new Web site doesn't work in his browser of choice and Mac "Computer Expert" Daniel at the Globe tells him to stop using that browser. Spatch gently replies why that's wrong (well, OK, the word "douchebag" did come up at least once). Now the Linux fanboys at Slashdot are piling on. I'm trying to get through the entire discussion, but it's giving me a headache. I think the basic conclusion is that non-Slashdot users are morons, and that includes rich people (yes, as Slashdot discussions often do, this one veered off into a tangent having nothing to do with the original point, before people got back to their core mission of pointing out how stupid everybody else in the world is).

Spatch responds.

Comes from the Globe's Mac Daniels, who writes:

We've been remiss on blogging today because of a plane crash, which we're covering and which is amazing because the pilot survived after falling from the sky in a plane made of plywood and Styrofoam. ...

Oh, have I mentioned recently that I write for the Globe, too? Just not fulltime or nothin'.