For reference:
http://coop.www.uscourts.gov/pamd/kitzmiller_342.pdf
Most of the good stuff is in the middle 40 pages or so. Good reading! I got in a very annoying argument with some fundamentalists over ID. What made it worse was that a) I hadn't had a chance to prepare and was forced to think on my toes and b) no-one rose to argue with me. The latter was quite disheartening.
The worst thing were the negative arguments against evolution. I felt like I had to defend it, even though something bothered me. Reading this decision made me realize the false duality implicit in the attack.
Ironically I am more sympathetic than most to the ID argument, primarily as part of the question: if we are part of a virtual reality simulation, how would be find out? Messages from the container reality would be one way. But what sort of message would it look like? Could it be written in DNA? So in a way there *is* a test for Intelligent Design - do a SETI-like search on all DNA sequences!
So in a way the Christians have promoted the right thing for some very wrong reasons (I'm rather offended that creationists would stoop to a trojan horse tactic like ID, frankly - aren't they supose to be principled or something?).
Dear ancestors
It may be that in the far future my ancestors will have invented time travel. I would also assume that the Internet will evolve, and all of this data will be available for your perusal. Therefore if I post this request to the public internet, it will be available to humanity long after I am gone.
Travel back in time and give me a message. I'd like to hear from you.
Travel back in time and give me a message. I'd like to hear from you.
30 times a traitor
The New York times reveales that President George Bush is a power-mad maniac intent on destroying the very country he is sworn to protect.
He has illegaly authorized the NSA to spy on American citizens as part of his "war on terror". That is, wiretaps WITHOUT court approval.
There is no possible reason why this would be required. Is the concern that the US court system has been inflitrated by Al Queda? Spying on Americans is bad enough WITH a court's oversight. But this isn't just bordering on KGB practice, this IS KGB practice.
If being misled into war wasn't a problem. If botching Katrina wasn't a problem. How about this latest revelation of unchecked power in the whitehouse? Bill Clinton was almost impeached for getting fellated. Why is Bush not being impeached?
When will the American people stand up and say that the threat of terrorism does not give the executive branch of our government carte blanche in its dealings? Bush already went too far with Iraq - and now we can only hope it turns out well. But he has gone way beyond the pale with this latest.
He has illegaly authorized the NSA to spy on American citizens as part of his "war on terror". That is, wiretaps WITHOUT court approval.
There is no possible reason why this would be required. Is the concern that the US court system has been inflitrated by Al Queda? Spying on Americans is bad enough WITH a court's oversight. But this isn't just bordering on KGB practice, this IS KGB practice.
If being misled into war wasn't a problem. If botching Katrina wasn't a problem. How about this latest revelation of unchecked power in the whitehouse? Bill Clinton was almost impeached for getting fellated. Why is Bush not being impeached?
When will the American people stand up and say that the threat of terrorism does not give the executive branch of our government carte blanche in its dealings? Bush already went too far with Iraq - and now we can only hope it turns out well. But he has gone way beyond the pale with this latest.
Instant Messaging
I'm installing an instant messanger. I understand that all the cool kids are doing this. I have accounts with AIM, MSN, ICQ, and Yahoo. I may have a Jabber account. In fact, I've been doing this for so long I have a 7 digit ICQ id. :)
My concern about IM is that it's fairly annoying and intrusive when you are working.
My concern about IM is that it's fairly annoying and intrusive when you are working.
Ubuntu buzz - what is it?
It's yet another Linux distribution (YALD) - and like so many of them, is based on Debian.
So how does it differ from Debian? I mean, why would I install Ubuntu rather than Debian?
A partial answer lies here. Basically Ubuntu releases every 6 months, does some package manipulation. As far as I can tell that's it.
(The hype I heard was that there was an argument on the TV show "Veronica Mars" about Ubuntu - which only goes to show that people are aware of Linux, not necessarily adopting it.)
A related question arises: what is the difference between the various Linux distributions? I *think* the answer lies in their installation, configuration, and package management tools. But actually the real answer lies in the community, the contributers and package maintainers.
So how does it differ from Debian? I mean, why would I install Ubuntu rather than Debian?
A partial answer lies here. Basically Ubuntu releases every 6 months, does some package manipulation. As far as I can tell that's it.
(The hype I heard was that there was an argument on the TV show "Veronica Mars" about Ubuntu - which only goes to show that people are aware of Linux, not necessarily adopting it.)
A related question arises: what is the difference between the various Linux distributions? I *think* the answer lies in their installation, configuration, and package management tools. But actually the real answer lies in the community, the contributers and package maintainers.
In Thailand, the Buddhists are violent?
BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Thai insurgency takes toll on locals: "Inside the grounds of a Buddhist temple in Tak Bai district, dozens of villagers have been learning how to fire a rifle." Um, last I checked Buddhism was extremely non-violent, to the point of not eating any meat.
Not that I blame them.
Not that I blame them.
Solution for Mayhem - Cambell's soup
The good people of rasfw recomended The Black Star Passes by John W. Campbell.
Great stuff if you're looking for exuberant, classic science fiction to get your mind off of the stupid and crazy things human beings do to each other for no apparent purpose.
Great stuff if you're looking for exuberant, classic science fiction to get your mind off of the stupid and crazy things human beings do to each other for no apparent purpose.
Wanted: iconic representations of categories
Slashdot has a nifty feature where posts are categorized along with an iconic represntation. Blogger needs to support something like that.
Bill Gates' Open Letter to Hobbyists
Wow - this is really eye-opening: Bill Gates' Open Letter to Hobbyists.
Humans are overmatched
Most human beings are not ready for the power of a modern personal computer. It does too much. It is too flexible to be fully understood. Its ability to infinitely morph makes its nature impossible to pin down, understanding too hard to fathom. It is fundamentally an abstract beast whos capabilities are unknown and seemingly boundless. It is a scary thing.
The physical form can be ignored as quite varied but not too striking. However the software which runs on the computer is incredibly varied. It is only getting more varied as websites become more feature rich. In a sense the web requires an OS revolution like the one which drove Windows. This means a set of consistent UI guidelines. The browser is the hardware, and the HTML is the software. How times change.
While there exist standards for the interpretation and display of HTML, there are no web UI standards. With Windows, these elements included how the window frames will look, how dialogs look, the start bar, the program manager, explorer, etc. This common look and feel reduced the barrier to entry for new users. The same thing is needed now in the web domain.
The physical form can be ignored as quite varied but not too striking. However the software which runs on the computer is incredibly varied. It is only getting more varied as websites become more feature rich. In a sense the web requires an OS revolution like the one which drove Windows. This means a set of consistent UI guidelines. The browser is the hardware, and the HTML is the software. How times change.
While there exist standards for the interpretation and display of HTML, there are no web UI standards. With Windows, these elements included how the window frames will look, how dialogs look, the start bar, the program manager, explorer, etc. This common look and feel reduced the barrier to entry for new users. The same thing is needed now in the web domain.
Canada and Portugal - could it be war?
Canada seizes Portuguese trawler, and I think it could be war.
Canada spends $9 billion on the military every year (check http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ca.html#Military if you don't believe me).
Portugal $3.5 billion (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/po.html#Military). And they only have 2 million men available to fight. But of course they are part of the EU.
Would the US back Canada in this war? If so it's a little out of balance - the US spent $370 billion on the military in 2003 (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html#Military) with around 50 million military-aged men. I guess that's why they call the US a "superpower" eh?
I hope they can work things out, as neither are a nuclear power and I don't think anyone wants to invade portugal over a few fish.
Canada spends $9 billion on the military every year (check http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ca.html#Military if you don't believe me).
Portugal $3.5 billion (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/po.html#Military). And they only have 2 million men available to fight. But of course they are part of the EU.
Would the US back Canada in this war? If so it's a little out of balance - the US spent $370 billion on the military in 2003 (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html#Military) with around 50 million military-aged men. I guess that's why they call the US a "superpower" eh?
I hope they can work things out, as neither are a nuclear power and I don't think anyone wants to invade portugal over a few fish.
Nude pics land Yahoo in trouble
Indiantelevision.com > Yahoo is in trouble for some nude photos a member posted of a 3rd party. This is an interesting case because it could shape the internet services landscape. This seems to be a case where the man violated Yahoo's acceptible use policy, and Yahoo failed to enforce that policy. So really this is about Yahoo's enforcement.
And yet, in a way this is a bit like graffiti - Yahoo has the wall, and someone else paints a swastika on it, say. The Jews of the community are offended (rightly so) and ask Yahoo to clean their own wall. It's not Yahoo's fault the swastika is there, but it is up to the owner of the wall to remove it.
While both the analogy and the actal case are clear cut, there are shades of gray that make this a difficult path to start walking down. This means that acceptable use policy enforcment costs could go up, which means there will be less walls to write on (for good or ill). I don't like that outcome.
Ideally you give people the tools to deal directly with each other. Obviously her ex-boyfriend was an asshole, and would not have listened to her. What about suing him to take down the images and for damages? He may not have the money to give her a few million, but at least she can fix the primary problem.
And yet, in a way this is a bit like graffiti - Yahoo has the wall, and someone else paints a swastika on it, say. The Jews of the community are offended (rightly so) and ask Yahoo to clean their own wall. It's not Yahoo's fault the swastika is there, but it is up to the owner of the wall to remove it.
While both the analogy and the actal case are clear cut, there are shades of gray that make this a difficult path to start walking down. This means that acceptable use policy enforcment costs could go up, which means there will be less walls to write on (for good or ill). I don't like that outcome.
Ideally you give people the tools to deal directly with each other. Obviously her ex-boyfriend was an asshole, and would not have listened to her. What about suing him to take down the images and for damages? He may not have the money to give her a few million, but at least she can fix the primary problem.
43 Folders
43 Folders
Eric Mack
To done
file backpackit.com into the "to try" category.
Would have been handy at Citysearch.
Eric Mack
To done
file backpackit.com into the "to try" category.
Would have been handy at Citysearch.
paris hilton competes with the non-proliferation treaty?!
Paris Hilton competes for attention with the impeding nuclear holocaust. I don't think that's a good thing.
BBC News 360 tour
OK, now this is neat. One of my favorite news organizations has installed a camera in their newsroom. Check it out to see how those folks live at work:
BBC News | 360� tour
BBC News | 360� tour
Unleashed movie review
I'm suprised that this wonderful movie has gotten the poor reviews that it has. Take this for example:
Unleased at the Boston Globe
Unleashed is certainly the best fight flick I've ever seen, with the possible exception of Hero. There are several aspects of the film to like, from the story of awakening and redemption to the intricate fight scenes (including some wonderful close quarters choreography and filming).
What the reviewers who say that Danny merely gets a new owner have missed is that we are only seening the beginning of Danny's recuperation. He begins to see his own humanity, which is wonderful. we the audience also get a strong dose of morality - strength does not lie a man's ability to fight, but in his ability to control himself.
Watching this movie, I really cared for Li's character as someone with so much potential just waiting to be set free. Even a small glimpse of that was refreshing. I'd like to see a sequel and Danny further along his path.
Unleased at the Boston Globe
Unleashed is certainly the best fight flick I've ever seen, with the possible exception of Hero. There are several aspects of the film to like, from the story of awakening and redemption to the intricate fight scenes (including some wonderful close quarters choreography and filming).
What the reviewers who say that Danny merely gets a new owner have missed is that we are only seening the beginning of Danny's recuperation. He begins to see his own humanity, which is wonderful. we the audience also get a strong dose of morality - strength does not lie a man's ability to fight, but in his ability to control himself.
Watching this movie, I really cared for Li's character as someone with so much potential just waiting to be set free. Even a small glimpse of that was refreshing. I'd like to see a sequel and Danny further along his path.
Dell 700m - didn't get it
System Information
The laptop saga continues. After going through the Dell Inspiron 5150, the 12" Powerbook, the HP dv1000 and the Fujitsu 7010D I have now also eliminated the Dell Inspiron 700m. Almost the right machine. Almost. But they skimped on the period and comma keys as well. Of all the keys to skimp on, guys!!! Its just dumb.
Otherwise the build seemed good and the keyboard was quite solid. Certainly more usable than the 7010 keyboard. One other niggle: the screen was too high res - 1280x800 on a 12" wide aspect display is just too dense.
It also felt at the upward end of acceptible at 4.1lbs. In a way this is a good thing because I have finally found my parameters. It cannot be a Mac (I like windows too much). It must have a full size keyboard. It must way under 4.1lbs. Ideally it would be black and have a volume wheel and a CF card reader. I would like an optical drive.
To make things worse, I hunger for a tablet: the averitec c3500 is very nice but too hot and short lived. the toshiba m200 is very nice but lacks an optical drive and is quite expensive. Nothing else in this arena appeals to me.
I wish I could do with a Mac. It means giving up so much. I feel like I give up so much choice when I consider the mac. Mac advocates seem so religious - that doesn't make it wrong, just icky. What is so wrong with Widows? What level of sophistication does a user really require from the operating system? If you're not going to be writing applications, what gives? Ok, the allure of running unix on an incredibly well designed laptop is appealing. But does it make you more productive? Perhaps some, but not me.
Anyway, my last, best hope is the IBM Thinkpad. Possibly the M200. Probably the T42.
I have been a camera and laptop glutton. It needs to stop. The canon sd400 is fast enough for me, and its small and simple. I should get that.
The laptop saga continues. After going through the Dell Inspiron 5150, the 12" Powerbook, the HP dv1000 and the Fujitsu 7010D I have now also eliminated the Dell Inspiron 700m. Almost the right machine. Almost. But they skimped on the period and comma keys as well. Of all the keys to skimp on, guys!!! Its just dumb.
Otherwise the build seemed good and the keyboard was quite solid. Certainly more usable than the 7010 keyboard. One other niggle: the screen was too high res - 1280x800 on a 12" wide aspect display is just too dense.
It also felt at the upward end of acceptible at 4.1lbs. In a way this is a good thing because I have finally found my parameters. It cannot be a Mac (I like windows too much). It must have a full size keyboard. It must way under 4.1lbs. Ideally it would be black and have a volume wheel and a CF card reader. I would like an optical drive.
To make things worse, I hunger for a tablet: the averitec c3500 is very nice but too hot and short lived. the toshiba m200 is very nice but lacks an optical drive and is quite expensive. Nothing else in this arena appeals to me.
I wish I could do with a Mac. It means giving up so much. I feel like I give up so much choice when I consider the mac. Mac advocates seem so religious - that doesn't make it wrong, just icky. What is so wrong with Widows? What level of sophistication does a user really require from the operating system? If you're not going to be writing applications, what gives? Ok, the allure of running unix on an incredibly well designed laptop is appealing. But does it make you more productive? Perhaps some, but not me.
Anyway, my last, best hope is the IBM Thinkpad. Possibly the M200. Probably the T42.
I have been a camera and laptop glutton. It needs to stop. The canon sd400 is fast enough for me, and its small and simple. I should get that.
Canon EOS-20D arrived today
My Canon EOS-20D arrived today from the stork...er UPS van. It is a beautiful thing - very black and magnesiumy. Combined with my 17-85mm IS USM lense its a mighty thing. Too bad I was too busy to snap any meaningful shots.
A dpreview user writes that it shoots like an Uzi. yes, it is very fast. luckily it only consumes light and does not shoot bullets.
A dpreview user writes that it shoots like an Uzi. yes, it is very fast. luckily it only consumes light and does not shoot bullets.
XForms Essentials - A handy reference
XForms Essentials
There concise introduction to HTML forms and XML Schema.
I think that the idea behind XForms is sound, and that the technology will be successful. I want to increase scope and extend the ideas to other parts of the application stack.
There concise introduction to HTML forms and XML Schema.
I think that the idea behind XForms is sound, and that the technology will be successful. I want to increase scope and extend the ideas to other parts of the application stack.
CSS tips & tricks from W3C
If you're looking to learn CSS this is a good place to start CSS tips & tricks
Some very cool stuff from the mundane (how to do captions and scaling images) to the fancy (rounded border boxes with drop shadows). Here are a couple of other good resources (mostly linked from the W3C homepage):
Some very cool stuff from the mundane (how to do captions and scaling images) to the fancy (rounded border boxes with drop shadows). Here are a couple of other good resources (mostly linked from the W3C homepage):
Tim O'Reilly gives a visionary talk at EclipseCon 2005
http://www.eclipsecon.org/2005/sessions.php
"Open source isn't just about a set of software licenses, or even about a new style of distributed software development. It is a reflection of a world where the network is the platform, and where as a result, commodity software implements standardized protocols, and business advantage is driven by data lock in and network effects enabled by an "architecture of participation." The new paradigm changes all the rules of business. This talk will explore business model design patterns for the internet and open source era."
This man is not afraid of the future or change - he embraces it. Wonderful!
"Open source isn't just about a set of software licenses, or even about a new style of distributed software development. It is a reflection of a world where the network is the platform, and where as a result, commodity software implements standardized protocols, and business advantage is driven by data lock in and network effects enabled by an "architecture of participation." The new paradigm changes all the rules of business. This talk will explore business model design patterns for the internet and open source era."
This man is not afraid of the future or change - he embraces it. Wonderful!
No longer in love with blogger.
At first I thought that the top bar was a feature of blogspot. Now I realize that their software generates it even for remotely published sites. Not good! I also just got pseudo rsync working on my machine soI'm ready to start doing some serious development.
Tick feeding movie - gross but cool
The Tick Movie is an electron microscope/animated short showing exactly how a tick feeds. Buddy might have a tick on his belly, and I ran across this while researching removal techniques.
I'm particularly fascinated with the cement that the tick uses to adhere to the host.
Ticks transmit Lyme disease and Rocky mountain spotted fever.
I'm particularly fascinated with the cement that the tick uses to adhere to the host.
Ticks transmit Lyme disease and Rocky mountain spotted fever.
GameSpy top 10 - Real Time Strategy (from 2004)
Check out GameSpy's RTS - Top 10 article. Another nostalgic journey. But also relevant since I'm replaying #6 (Homeworld) right now.
Some of the games on their list I willfully refused to play, knowing that they would be too good and I would loose more hours than necessary to them.
one game that was missing was Dark Reign, my personal favorite RTS (although Total Annihilation was also very good). I'm suprised that it didn't make the list because it was a pioneer in advanced AI controls, at least on par with TA.
Some of the games on their list I willfully refused to play, knowing that they would be too good and I would loose more hours than necessary to them.
one game that was missing was Dark Reign, my personal favorite RTS (although Total Annihilation was also very good). I'm suprised that it didn't make the list because it was a pioneer in advanced AI controls, at least on par with TA.
Gamespy's Top Ten Dying Game Genres (as of March 2003)
GameSpy.com - Top 10: "a list of ten types of video game sub-genres which are either in decline, not as popular as they used to be, or pretty much dead."
Reading through this list is notstalgic and informative. i had no idea that the games that I loved (mostly as coin-ops at the local bowling alley) were called Space Shooter or Shmup games.
Reading through this list is notstalgic and informative. i had no idea that the games that I loved (mostly as coin-ops at the local bowling alley) were called Space Shooter or Shmup games.
Fujitsu p7010d first impressions - and the ergonomics of smalll
First impressions:
Is the keyboard too small for my hands? This is a very important question as I use this computer over the next 15 days (the max before Fry's gets it back). Right now I’m leaning toward ‘yes’, but that is to be expected. It's possible that that combined with the very small screen will make me reconsider. What does it mean to be too small? One normally thinks of pinched hands. But your hands also have to be very close together. I notice that my thumbs brush each other quite frequently. The other measure is how far out of natural the keyboard forces your hands. Certainly they are forced slightly more out of normal than with a regular keyboard. Would I want to write a novel on this thing? Not at the moment. But then I’ve always wanted to try the happy hacker keyboard. One more thought on the small size of the keyboard - the ergonomics of pulling the thumb down and clicking with it means that the left mouse button on the lifebook is too far to the left - my left thumb ‘overshoots’ and to correct this my hands move much further out of position than on the i7k. Does this mean that I’m stuck with 15” laptops? Could be, which could also be a good thing because they cost a lot less and have a bigger screen anyway. J
Feature wise this computer is everything you could want - its small and snappy. Just about the only bell (or is it whistle?) that you might miss is Bluetooth. Something that you wouldn’t expect but would like is the CF card reader. Of course this is perhaps the only thing you might use the PCMCIA slot for, so the utility is negligible unless you have another use for the pc card slot. But to have a dedicated eject button for the CF card is actually really nice, rather than having to eject a pc card and then remove the cf card from that...
Including sales tax and a recycling fee, this computer cost me $2000 from Fry’s. This is too expensive, as NewEgg has them for almost $500 less. The only reason to buy it from there is that they have a reasonable return policy - new egg has no return policy. And I'm really not sure if I want this computer.
On the way over I looked at the Ameritech at Staples. Good keyboard and very inexpensive, but it's white. Perhaps I should give up my ‘small black device’ fetish? Or perhaps I should hold out for a 14” + black device? I wish I would have thought ahead and brough never winter with me - then I could be doing something useful here at Starbucks.
Speaking of which I think its ridiculous that they charge a monthly fee for wifi access here. The service is all but free to the business and its crazy to charge more. They charge $20/month!
Interestingly fujitsu installed the google toolbar by default. Haha.
- Great screeen - its very bright
- Too bad it doesn’t go all the way to the edge - missing an opportunity here.
- The keyboard is solid and feels great
- It’s a little small for my hands, but acceptable. Will be trying it out.
- Horrible idea to make the comma and period half-size. And this is half size of an already small keyboard. These are important keys that need to be normal sized (at least equal to the other keys).
- Smaller keyboard nit - no page up or down dedicated keys (arrows double up).
- Doesn’t look nearly as nice as the PowerBooks or the books. Its saving grace is that it is mostly black (would be better if it were all black). In particular, the hinges are really big and silver.
- It looks thicker than it really is because of the silver highlights all the way around.
- Another io problem - there is a useless middle button between the left and write mouse buttons below the touchpad. This greatly increases the distance your thumb has to travel to go from left to right-clicking. Something that you can get used to, but something you shouldn’t have to be used to. (could be worse - you could only get one button like on the macs)
Is the keyboard too small for my hands? This is a very important question as I use this computer over the next 15 days (the max before Fry's gets it back). Right now I’m leaning toward ‘yes’, but that is to be expected. It's possible that that combined with the very small screen will make me reconsider. What does it mean to be too small? One normally thinks of pinched hands. But your hands also have to be very close together. I notice that my thumbs brush each other quite frequently. The other measure is how far out of natural the keyboard forces your hands. Certainly they are forced slightly more out of normal than with a regular keyboard. Would I want to write a novel on this thing? Not at the moment. But then I’ve always wanted to try the happy hacker keyboard. One more thought on the small size of the keyboard - the ergonomics of pulling the thumb down and clicking with it means that the left mouse button on the lifebook is too far to the left - my left thumb ‘overshoots’ and to correct this my hands move much further out of position than on the i7k. Does this mean that I’m stuck with 15” laptops? Could be, which could also be a good thing because they cost a lot less and have a bigger screen anyway. J
Feature wise this computer is everything you could want - its small and snappy. Just about the only bell (or is it whistle?) that you might miss is Bluetooth. Something that you wouldn’t expect but would like is the CF card reader. Of course this is perhaps the only thing you might use the PCMCIA slot for, so the utility is negligible unless you have another use for the pc card slot. But to have a dedicated eject button for the CF card is actually really nice, rather than having to eject a pc card and then remove the cf card from that...
Including sales tax and a recycling fee, this computer cost me $2000 from Fry’s. This is too expensive, as NewEgg has them for almost $500 less. The only reason to buy it from there is that they have a reasonable return policy - new egg has no return policy. And I'm really not sure if I want this computer.
On the way over I looked at the Ameritech at Staples. Good keyboard and very inexpensive, but it's white. Perhaps I should give up my ‘small black device’ fetish? Or perhaps I should hold out for a 14” + black device? I wish I would have thought ahead and brough never winter with me - then I could be doing something useful here at Starbucks.
Speaking of which I think its ridiculous that they charge a monthly fee for wifi access here. The service is all but free to the business and its crazy to charge more. They charge $20/month!
Interestingly fujitsu installed the google toolbar by default. Haha.
Electrolicious @ Last.FM - Your personal music network - Personalised online radio station
Electrolicious @ Last.FM - Your personal music network - Personalised online radio station wow this really looks neat! The thing that gets me about all these free great services is that I don't understand how they make money. Could it be just advertising?
How to do interesting Thick Client work in Java
A Shape Diagram Editor serves as an example of using a high-level Java library to do thick/rich client programming.
inspiring writing about kids
i am a cheeseburger: Twelfth Trimester Report. Funny and profound. He is a Talent.
Why Beer Goggles can be Deadly
Originally uploaded by hsoloman.
Its a nice touch that the scorpions talons are actually pressing into the guys flesh, and the stinger ready to plunge into his back. It's too bad that sex is imbued with fear, but alas, that's probably not a bad thing.
Samys Camera Los Angeles
Samy's Camera has a great set of articles on all aspects of photography. I was particularly enamored with Zena Holloway's underwater work. Check it out!
Oh, and I called them about the Canon lense and they were very friendly and helpful.
Oh, and I called them about the Canon lense and they were very friendly and helpful.
TheServerSide.com - Proprietary vs. Standard Solutions: Not Always a Clear Choice
TheServerSide.com - Proprietary vs. Standard Solutions: Not Always a Clear Choice: "taking a standards-based approach is useful only when the technical domain in question is mature and there is more benefit gained from standardization than from continued innovation."
CANON EF-S 17-85mm f/4.0-5.6 USM IS with Image Stabilizer
This item is creating a craving in me. My breathing has increased slightly, and I think I am a little flushed:
CANON EF-S 17-85mm f/4.0-5.6 USM IS with Image Stabilizer
God help me to resist.
CANON EF-S 17-85mm f/4.0-5.6 USM IS with Image Stabilizer
God help me to resist.
LANL: The Real Story
LANL: The Real Story is a blog written in by the scientists and workers at Los Alamos national labs, the place that gave us the first working nuclear weapons. it is a world-class place and highly secretive, which makes this blog all the more interesting. it is unfortunate that bloggers are anonymous, as this makes accusations more common and harder to verify.
eBay issues are not unique
eBay Answer Center - Inaccurate Negative Feedback - What Can Be Done?
It is fascinating to read the ebay forums. I quit using ebay in 2000 because i realized that it offers absolutely no protection to buyers or sellers. it is a capitalistic wild-west, where generally the seller has the upper hand (since they can misrepresent items, or accept payment and not ship, etc). that is not so hard to take. what is hard to take is that ebay charges *money* to create this wild-west atmosphere. seems to me if you're going to charge 5% on every transaction then you should offer better dispute resolution services and feedback maintenance policies.
recently one of the users contacted me looking to mutually withdraw negative feedback from 2000. i declined politely, and he responded with threats. i reported him to ebay and they said that because the threats had not occured through the ebay system they could do nothing. luckily i don't think the threat was very serious. it just points out that there is a market need for a more proactive ebay, one that offers more comprehensive dispute resolution. ebay is an incredibly profitable business, partly because they are charging so much money for doing so little.
It is fascinating to read the ebay forums. I quit using ebay in 2000 because i realized that it offers absolutely no protection to buyers or sellers. it is a capitalistic wild-west, where generally the seller has the upper hand (since they can misrepresent items, or accept payment and not ship, etc). that is not so hard to take. what is hard to take is that ebay charges *money* to create this wild-west atmosphere. seems to me if you're going to charge 5% on every transaction then you should offer better dispute resolution services and feedback maintenance policies.
recently one of the users contacted me looking to mutually withdraw negative feedback from 2000. i declined politely, and he responded with threats. i reported him to ebay and they said that because the threats had not occured through the ebay system they could do nothing. luckily i don't think the threat was very serious. it just points out that there is a market need for a more proactive ebay, one that offers more comprehensive dispute resolution. ebay is an incredibly profitable business, partly because they are charging so much money for doing so little.
Wordpress stuns supporters with unexpected fund raising practices
Wordpress stuns supporters with unexpected fund raising practices
another reason why I like blogger better for now. they don't have to resort to google bombing to stay funded. (although I still wonder how they make money...)
another reason why I like blogger better for now. they don't have to resort to google bombing to stay funded. (although I still wonder how they make money...)
How to Build a Nonprofit for Your Community (O'Reilly Network)
O'Reilly Network: How to Build a Nonprofit for Your Community: "This article details how mozdev.org built a nonprofit organization and shows you how to do the same for your community". An interesting look at how to set up a nonprofit.
finding a wooden recorder
I have rediscovered the recorder from elementry school, a plastic yamaha model. i enjoy it alot, but the sound leaves a lot to be desired, and i'd like a prettier instrument to take to the renaissance faire anyway. i started researching recorders and found an embarrasment of riches:
My favorite looking recorder so far: Mollenhauer Denner 5107. Relatively cheap at $139 from Unicorn Music. this site is a great recorder resource in general, which has lists of manufacturers and pictures of specific models, as well as alternate tunings and music theory.
bill-lazar.com Sunnyvale based distributor. He sounds very friendly and will send several recorders for you to choose from. I found him on Mollenhauers "stockist" list
The Australian recorder home page has a tonne of good information on the history of the instrument (including depictions in art, etc) as well as modern manufacturers.
I was suprised to find that ebay has a special category for recorders. I let a nice student Moek slip through my fingers. I'll have to wait.
(This subject has been a pleasent distraction for about 8 hours over the last 2 days. It is a great pleasure to doodle on my old plastic Yamaha while reading these articles. :)
My favorite looking recorder so far: Mollenhauer Denner 5107. Relatively cheap at $139 from Unicorn Music. this site is a great recorder resource in general, which has lists of manufacturers and pictures of specific models, as well as alternate tunings and music theory.
bill-lazar.com Sunnyvale based distributor. He sounds very friendly and will send several recorders for you to choose from. I found him on Mollenhauers "stockist" list
The Australian recorder home page has a tonne of good information on the history of the instrument (including depictions in art, etc) as well as modern manufacturers.
I was suprised to find that ebay has a special category for recorders. I let a nice student Moek slip through my fingers. I'll have to wait.
(This subject has been a pleasent distraction for about 8 hours over the last 2 days. It is a great pleasure to doodle on my old plastic Yamaha while reading these articles. :)
to print or not to print? the perennial online documentation dilemma
it occured to me while reading the most excellent Linux Network Administrators Guide that there are no good guidlines for when to print an online guide and when to leave it in electronic form.
the default choice is to leave it electronic, and leave it on the net. this allows updates to propogate seemlessly. however, modern displays make reading lots of online text, especially in book form, hard on the eyes. in addition, the nature of the text may make it impossible to access. for example, a text on setting up your network interface could very well interrupt your reading if your following along. :)
will i need to read this away from any computer? if i do, how much of it do i really need? will i need to take notes (this might affect printing format)? will i need to read this on a computer, but potentially disconnected from the internet? will the text be changing drastically in the following months? if i make the wrong choice, will it be easy to correct? (and if the answer to that last question is 'yes' then just keep it online at first. :)
the default choice is to leave it electronic, and leave it on the net. this allows updates to propogate seemlessly. however, modern displays make reading lots of online text, especially in book form, hard on the eyes. in addition, the nature of the text may make it impossible to access. for example, a text on setting up your network interface could very well interrupt your reading if your following along. :)
will i need to read this away from any computer? if i do, how much of it do i really need? will i need to take notes (this might affect printing format)? will i need to read this on a computer, but potentially disconnected from the internet? will the text be changing drastically in the following months? if i make the wrong choice, will it be easy to correct? (and if the answer to that last question is 'yes' then just keep it online at first. :)
being patient with technology - and learning to leave unneeded things aside
programmers sometimes get frustrated or annoyed with new technology. then they get enthusiastic and finally they realize it's nothing new. this is not my own thought - someone else has long ago made this observation.
patience can be very difficult when it seems that the originators of a technology seem to have a different viewpoint than your own. perhaps they wanted to solve a more general problem, and therefore put together a general library and documentation without addressing (what you believe to be) the major application of the technology. the w3c's specifications are classic in this regard. ironically this frustration (and even elation) is not helpful. it blinds you to the reality of the technology.
the solution is to be patient and accept technology for what it is, warts and all. it may help to familiariaze yourself with the human side of things, and to realize that this thing that frustrates you was created by someone with the best intentions. after all, it takes a lot of work to write usable software and a lot of commitment to release it to the public. learn to ignore the parts that you don't need. use your patience to write documentation for others that come after you. realize that there probably is a good reason for complexity that initially appears needless. (perhaps there isn't a good reason, but give the author the benefit of the doubt, at least!)
patience can be very difficult when it seems that the originators of a technology seem to have a different viewpoint than your own. perhaps they wanted to solve a more general problem, and therefore put together a general library and documentation without addressing (what you believe to be) the major application of the technology. the w3c's specifications are classic in this regard. ironically this frustration (and even elation) is not helpful. it blinds you to the reality of the technology.
the solution is to be patient and accept technology for what it is, warts and all. it may help to familiariaze yourself with the human side of things, and to realize that this thing that frustrates you was created by someone with the best intentions. after all, it takes a lot of work to write usable software and a lot of commitment to release it to the public. learn to ignore the parts that you don't need. use your patience to write documentation for others that come after you. realize that there probably is a good reason for complexity that initially appears needless. (perhaps there isn't a good reason, but give the author the benefit of the doubt, at least!)
running your company on web apps
evhead: Running your company on web apps: "spars" via Rael Dornfest. My brother-in-law is looking to improve the way his small company works, and really web-apps are the way to go. Some of the applications mentioned in Rael's article I have not heard of but seem very interesting.
Artist vandalises cars with key
BBC NEWS has an article on Mark McGowan, 37, who photographed himself keying cars, and which will be exibited in a gallery. I have had my car keyed and i must say that it is not a good experience. it is also very expensive and time consuming. while i think that vandalism could be considered art, i also think that Mark should not be suprised when his victims demand remuneration for their time and trouble.
"penny arcade" - tycho and gabe living on the border between gaming and reality
Penny Arcade! is an acutely funny romp through the lives of gabe and tycho, two unabashed (gaming) geeks. the cartoons are often angry, cynical, bitter but they are insightful and extremely creative. i am still browsing the archives and will keep track of particularly funny ones. these dudes live with one foot in our world and the other foot in one game or another. it strikes home because i have those tendencies and know many similiar people.
it is perhaps better to live life more fully in reality and avoid distraction, but there is also great joy in accepting who you are and that gaming (or anything else that isn't generally accepted) is a big part of it. this comic strip is about accepting who you are, and being able to laugh about it. the ease with which they shift from talking about the realities of games - new systems, lying marketers, sleazy CEOs, poor gaming performance, and being in the game itself - dealing with noobies, spawn camping, etc - is only possible with a large dose of self-acceptance.
it is perhaps better to live life more fully in reality and avoid distraction, but there is also great joy in accepting who you are and that gaming (or anything else that isn't generally accepted) is a big part of it. this comic strip is about accepting who you are, and being able to laugh about it. the ease with which they shift from talking about the realities of games - new systems, lying marketers, sleazy CEOs, poor gaming performance, and being in the game itself - dealing with noobies, spawn camping, etc - is only possible with a large dose of self-acceptance.
Recapitulation theory - does it apply to software development?
Recapitulation theory "claims that the development of the embryo of every species repeats the evolutionary development of that species fully." If you look at Haeckel's picture, you can see how eight different species develop, and how they look like 'lesser' life forms earlier in their development.
i believe that good software develops in a similiar way. that is, that a software system begins as something that a programmer from the sixties would be comfortable understanding. then that system is modified, or systems of that level of complexity are combines, to create a greater system. it is another way to look at test first methodologies - you make sure the animal can breath before you check if it can swim. you make sure it can swim before checking to see if it can do the back stroke.
in a more literal sense, all software begins life as a script. as the script becomes longer, more structure is necessary. perhaps libraries are introduced. perhaps a different language is used, or a database introduced. but to begin with a script and a flat file is the right thing to do. let the project grow if it needs to, but keep it primitive. keep it simple. have humility and do the minimum necessary thing to make the product work. ironically i think this minimal approach is the mark of a master programmer.
(thinking about it some more) there is another angle to this. a programmer must be comfortable on his computer before actually programming anything. that means he must understand what makes his very own computer tick before attempting to make it tick differently.
Neil Gaiman's wonderful life (and wonderful blog)
Neil Gaiman has a wonderful blog. he is an excellent author (most recently i've read american gods and i was researching a bit of trivia and ran across his blog which has been going for about 4 years now. his life sounds like one creative endeavor after another with the only difficulty finding enough time to spend with a wonderful wife and children, and being in too high a demand among his myriad friends and coworkers. i must admit to feeling a little jealous.
another way to publish - SourceBeat
i was reading a talk with bruce snyder on Castor, Maven and some other Java stuff, and he plugged SourceBeat at the end of the article. it is an interesting concept: $30/book/year and often early access to chapters. this is similiar to the o'reilly safari model but perhaps slightly better because the content is more up-to-date. there is nothing in their library that interests me right now or perhaps i'd give it a shot.
sailing in newport harbor today
a physics researcher from uci invited me sailing today, and i accepted. the wind was a steady 15 knots and the weather was warm and beautiful.
i will be assist teaching a capri class this sunday. i am looking forward to it.
(blogging from flickr is nice. it would be even better if there was a good way to insert links in the composer.)
i will be assist teaching a capri class this sunday. i am looking forward to it.
(blogging from flickr is nice. it would be even better if there was a good way to insert links in the composer.)
my cat 'squeak'
she is a sweet cat with some quirks. she has very little patience with the dog. she has gotten a little better over the last 3 years though, and rarely makes contact with his nose anymore.
garden state
a wonderful movie. one of the few times i've felt at peace saying that without an analysis. i am reminded that in order to accomplish more i will say less. the world is heavily infused with my own thoughts, and this is not healthy. it is time that i learn to let the world be. i am not concerned about vanishing because i know that the things that i add will be genuine and more of me than before. it is a liberating thought. just another variation on a well-known theme, but perhaps a useful one.
going to vipassana
this is a picture from a moving car on the way to north fork, ca for a lengthy vipassana sit. the beginning of a truly wonderful adventure. i have many pictures which i would like to post and once i find an efficient way to do so i will.
my relationship with blogger
my first attempt with blogging started with a traditional web hosting provider and wordpress as installed by fantastico. since then i have explored blogger and blogspot, as well as tripod and read some about moveable type. so far my favorite is blogger. it is free, ad free, and the composition editor is very easy to use. i find my own blog software difficult to maintain, and moveable type isntallation resources are difficult to find (for a wonderful example of what mt can do see http://www.vagabonding.com). i also appreciate the blogger integration with flickr and picassa (however yahoo's recent aquisition of flickr casts future blogger integration in doubt).
a long term concern will be backing up and potentially migrating this data away from blogspot. an example condition under which this would be necessary would be if they began to charge a large fee for the service, or began serving unwanted ads. in that case the web host provider would be a better alternative. until then, blogger is the best solution i've seen.
i will keep my site hosted with blogomania for a while at $10/month. i'm sure that over time the amount of features will go up and the prices will come down for virtually all online resources.
a long term concern will be backing up and potentially migrating this data away from blogspot. an example condition under which this would be necessary would be if they began to charge a large fee for the service, or began serving unwanted ads. in that case the web host provider would be a better alternative. until then, blogger is the best solution i've seen.
i will keep my site hosted with blogomania for a while at $10/month. i'm sure that over time the amount of features will go up and the prices will come down for virtually all online resources.
my dog 'buddy'
this is my boy buddy. he's an australian shephard. he loves to play soccer and he loves the cat and he is perpetually suprised at her rejection. but hope spring eternal, and he tries again. perhaps that is where the phrase 'doggedly determined' comes from.
beautiful music from sarah mclachlan
i enjoy her music very much. it is a pretty lullaby. i am suprised that allmusic describes her voice as 'exotic'. certainly it is throaty and rich like an excellent chocolate. i find it comforting rather than challenging.
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