Paul Graham
Quote: "Hacking and painting have a lot in common. In fact, of all the different types of people I've known, hackers and painters are among the most alike.
What hackers and painters have in common is that they're both makers. Along with composers, architects, and writers, what hackers and painters are trying to do is make good things. They're not doing research per se, though if in the course of trying to make good things they discover some new technique, so much the better...
...Great software ... requires a fanatical devotion to beauty. If you look inside good software, you find that parts no one is ever supposed to see are beautiful too. I'm not claiming I write great software, but I know that when it comes to code I behave in a way that would make me eligible for prescription drugs if I approached everyday life the same way. It drives me crazy to see code that's badly indented, or that uses ugly variable names."
Hackers and Painters.
Misunderstood Genius Dept., Part I: Tesla
Quote: "War clouds were again darkening Europe. On 11 July 1934 the headline on the front page of the New York Times read, TESLA, AT 78, BARES NEW 'DEATH BEAM.' ... The morning after the inventor's death, his nephew Sava Kosanovic´ hurried to his uncle's room at the Hotel New Yorker... By the time he arrived, Tesla's body had already been removed, and Kosanovic suspected that someone had already gone through his uncle's effects. Technical papers were missing as well as a black notebook..."
From PBS: Nikola Tesla: Master of Lightning.
Misunderstood Genius Dept., Part II: Galileo and the Inquisition
Quote: "Being one of the most renowned scientist of his time Galileo's opinions were scrutinized not only be his peers, but by also by Church officials and the public in general. This made Galileo the lightning-rod of many complaints against the Copernican doctrine (and also some against Galileo himself). He did not come out unscathed out of these encounters..."
Galileo and the Inquisition.
Return of the King
If Peter Jackson doesn't get a Best Picture Oscar for LOTR/ROTK, they might as well do away with the Academy, the red carpet, the statuettes, everything. Awesome in every conceivable measure. As an aside... funny column in the Toronto Star describing plot holes in LOTR.
Excerpt: "...Elrond is like the modern-day CEO who complains about the way the country is run, but won't run for office and do something about it. At Rivendell, the Ramada Inn of Middle-earth, he chooses to sit back and let the Fellowship do the dirty work. 'I'd love to help out and all, but hey, I got stuff going on,' he might as well be saying. 'I did let you guys use my house for your little meeting, you know, and came up with this whole Fellowship idea. But good luck saving the world.'...
LOTR plot holes
Thursday, December 25, 2003
Wednesday, December 24, 2003
Spam Missive
Okay, here's some of the spam I received within the last 30 minutes (is AT&T really using Brightmail to filter? One wonders...). Anyhow, my question is... who clicks on messages like these? And, if you click on one of these messages, is that an automatic indicator that your general (and/or Internet) intelligence quotient is at the simpleton level?
Book Review: Secure Programming Cookbook for C and C++
From Slashdot: "In the foreword to this book Gene Spafford observes that there really are four types of programmers:
Those who are constantly writing buggy code, no matter what,
Those who can write reasonable code, given coaching and examples,
Those who write good code most of the time, but who don't fully realize their limitations,
Those who really understand the language, the machine architecture, software engineering, and the application area, and who can write textbook code on a regular basis.
There are, as Spafford claims, too many people in category 3 who think they belong to the category 4, and that's the primary target audience of the book"... Secure Programming Cookbook for C and C++.
Obfuscation
For you old-time C hacks: here are the past winners of the International Obfuscated C Code Contest (IOCCC): Memories - the Previous IOCCC Winners. Some of the code is hilarious.
Okay, here's some of the spam I received within the last 30 minutes (is AT&T really using Brightmail to filter? One wonders...). Anyhow, my question is... who clicks on messages like these? And, if you click on one of these messages, is that an automatic indicator that your general (and/or Internet) intelligence quotient is at the simpleton level?
| Direland | p.r.i.c.e.s are v.a.l.i.d until 30.. | 12/24/03 | 3KB | ||
| Rene Blair | Hiya | 12/24/03 | 3KB | ||
| Brigitte Dyment | This is what she wants | 12/24/03 | 2KB | ||
| eBay | Please update your eBay account in.. | 12/24/03 | 8KB | ||
| Carlita Adam | cheaap but great medications ilium.. | 12/24/03 | 7KB |
Book Review: Secure Programming Cookbook for C and C++
From Slashdot: "In the foreword to this book Gene Spafford observes that there really are four types of programmers:
Those who are constantly writing buggy code, no matter what,
Those who can write reasonable code, given coaching and examples,
Those who write good code most of the time, but who don't fully realize their limitations,
Those who really understand the language, the machine architecture, software engineering, and the application area, and who can write textbook code on a regular basis.
There are, as Spafford claims, too many people in category 3 who think they belong to the category 4, and that's the primary target audience of the book"... Secure Programming Cookbook for C and C++.
Obfuscation
For you old-time C hacks: here are the past winners of the International Obfuscated C Code Contest (IOCCC): Memories - the Previous IOCCC Winners. Some of the code is hilarious.
Tuesday, December 23, 2003
Evil Laugh Time
The NAIS 2004 auto show highlights new products (many 2005 models) from the major manufacturers. Having seen the new, twelve-cylinder Audi 8 6.0 and the Chrysler 300C, I can only say (putting on my auto designer hat), "We need bigger, bolder grilles... these grilles are too small... we must have the largest grilles in the world! Muhawwhawwhaww!"
In Old Bavaria
Let's be thankful Nazi Germany got their asses kicked when they did. "During WWII, German aircraft designers put forth many aircraft project ideas, which ranged from the practical to the bizarre. Some of these ideas were ahead of their time and reached a more advanced design stage, and even affect aircraft today. Within the pages of Luft '46 you will find descriptions of these aircraft projects, illustrated with three-view drawings, model photos and custom color artwork.... ". Luft '46 - WWII German aircraft projects.

Doug's Search Tips, #306
When I'm looking for public domain C source code, I always include the keywords argc argv. Say, I'm looking for an ANSI C hashing algorithm. My search would be: hash argc argv. Works about 70% of the time.
Armor All [tm] this!
Funny thread from I300: "It was wet out... and [I] lost the back end in the right hander near my dad's house. I hit the a tree pretty hard with passenger side rear door. Fortunately, I'm OK and nobody else got hurt. It was pretty dark so it was hard to tell how [messed up] the car was.
I know I'll get flamed for asking this, but yesterday I got new tires (S-03). Last night, I washed my car. I armor all'ed the sidewalls and thought since the tires were new I would put armor all over them so the whole tire would be jet ... black. It looked ... sweet. You guys don't think this might have caused my wreck, do you? I know Armor All is a little slick but I wonder if there was something else wrong with the tires also, or something?".
Follow the resulting flames on IS300.NET.
The NAIS 2004 auto show highlights new products (many 2005 models) from the major manufacturers. Having seen the new, twelve-cylinder Audi 8 6.0 and the Chrysler 300C, I can only say (putting on my auto designer hat), "We need bigger, bolder grilles... these grilles are too small... we must have the largest grilles in the world! Muhawwhawwhaww!"
|
|
|
In Old Bavaria
Let's be thankful Nazi Germany got their asses kicked when they did. "During WWII, German aircraft designers put forth many aircraft project ideas, which ranged from the practical to the bizarre. Some of these ideas were ahead of their time and reached a more advanced design stage, and even affect aircraft today. Within the pages of Luft '46 you will find descriptions of these aircraft projects, illustrated with three-view drawings, model photos and custom color artwork.... ". Luft '46 - WWII German aircraft projects.
Doug's Search Tips, #306
When I'm looking for public domain C source code, I always include the keywords argc argv. Say, I'm looking for an ANSI C hashing algorithm. My search would be: hash argc argv. Works about 70% of the time.
Armor All [tm] this!
Funny thread from I300: "It was wet out... and [I] lost the back end in the right hander near my dad's house. I hit the a tree pretty hard with passenger side rear door. Fortunately, I'm OK and nobody else got hurt. It was pretty dark so it was hard to tell how [messed up] the car was.
I know I'll get flamed for asking this, but yesterday I got new tires (S-03). Last night, I washed my car. I armor all'ed the sidewalls and thought since the tires were new I would put armor all over them so the whole tire would be jet ... black. It looked ... sweet. You guys don't think this might have caused my wreck, do you? I know Armor All is a little slick but I wonder if there was something else wrong with the tires also, or something?".
Follow the resulting flames on IS300.NET.
Monday, December 22, 2003
Ugrh, another tough week in the NFL:
12/21/2003
Pick Sprd Opp Result
-----------------------------
STL - 7.0 cin W STL 27-10
DAL -11.5 nyg W DAL 19-3
sd + 7.0 PIT L PIT 40-24
PHI - 7.0 sf L sf 31-28
ari +15.0 SEA L SEA 28-10
den + 7.0 IN W den 31-17
-----------------------------
Week: 3-3, Total: 33-19-2
Sunday, December 21, 2003
In the Uh oh Department: On January 10, 2004, the Unix/Linux time_t typedef (defined as a signed long) rolls over to -1. I'm not sure if this has been widely recognized as a problem, but I suspect it will be an issue for many smaller-scale/embedded systems. Some software companies are already in panic mode over this Y2K-like problem. Recommendation: fresh ammo, ramen noodles and bottled water. ;-).
Technical recruiting tip: for all current and aspiring technical headhunters... visit the hardest of the hardcore-software development discussion boards and find the smartest people there. Email them. It's just that simple: The Joel on Software Forum.
Installer: need a quick, yet capable, installer for your application? My recommendation is the free, open-source Nullsoft Scriptable Install System (or NSIS). NSIS is used by BadBlue - and a bunch of other apps - and generates a miniscule 30-40K of overhead after compressing the files to be delivered.
Google Calculator: thanks to the AngryCoder, I found out that Google now supports a calculator mode. Just type an expression into the search box, e.g., 5 * 2 + 2, and *voila*... Google determines it's a formula and evaluates it for you. In addition to the calculator, Google now also supports definitions.
At first I thought this was a joke, but apparently it's all too real: Girls' High School Wrestling.
Technical recruiting tip: for all current and aspiring technical headhunters... visit the hardest of the hardcore-software development discussion boards and find the smartest people there. Email them. It's just that simple: The Joel on Software Forum.
Installer: need a quick, yet capable, installer for your application? My recommendation is the free, open-source Nullsoft Scriptable Install System (or NSIS). NSIS is used by BadBlue - and a bunch of other apps - and generates a miniscule 30-40K of overhead after compressing the files to be delivered.
Google Calculator: thanks to the AngryCoder, I found out that Google now supports a calculator mode. Just type an expression into the search box, e.g., 5 * 2 + 2, and *voila*... Google determines it's a formula and evaluates it for you. In addition to the calculator, Google now also supports definitions.
At first I thought this was a joke, but apparently it's all too real: Girls' High School Wrestling.
Wednesday, December 17, 2003
Byte arrays in PHP
Byte arrays are represented in PHP as "binary strings". PHP is perfectly capable of doing sophisticated bit-mapped operations, yet the documentation I've read is far from clear as to the methods. I'll hopefully save you some time and effort: here's a way to create a binary string from a series of hex values:
$bs = pack("C*", 0x41, 0x44, 0x45); // pack unsigned chars, yields "ADE"
$bs = pack("n*", 0x8000, 0x8001, 0xFE5A); // pack unsigned words
$bs = pack("N*", 0x70018001, 0x80042E5A); // pack unsigned double-words
Okay, that was easy. The unpacking of a binary string into separate values is a little more obtuse:
$bs = pack("CnN", 0x41, 0x8001, 0x80000001);
$aTemp = unpack("Cmyunsignedchar/nmyunsignedword/Nmyunsigneddw", $bs);
After execution of this command, $aTemp["myunsignedchar"] is 0x41, $aTemp["myunsignedword"] is 0x8001, $aTemp["myunsigneddw"] is 0x80000001. The unpack's first argument is a series of data-types, followed immediately by the keys used in the returned associative array for storage of the unpacked values. If that explanation doesn't suffice, see some excellent Unpack Examples.
Announcing the WorldWideWeb
This is pretty neat... Tim Berners-Lee's original announcement of the web.
Reacher
If you've never read the books of Lee Child, you are missing one of the best action/adventure authors of all-time. Only C.S. Forester, A.J. Quinnell and Raymond Chandler compare. Seriously. All of the books track the experiences of Jack Reacher, formerly of the U.S. Military Police, as he travels the country enjoying a vagabond-style existence. The most recent book in the series, Persuader, was one of the finest books I've ever read.

Dallas
My wife reminds me that Linda Gray was in Dallas ("Sue Ellen, you idiot"), not Dynasty. Anyhow, having seen Linda naked, I can only muse about one of the all-time great female actresses, Anne Bancroft.

Byte arrays are represented in PHP as "binary strings". PHP is perfectly capable of doing sophisticated bit-mapped operations, yet the documentation I've read is far from clear as to the methods. I'll hopefully save you some time and effort: here's a way to create a binary string from a series of hex values:
$bs = pack("C*", 0x41, 0x44, 0x45); // pack unsigned chars, yields "ADE"
$bs = pack("n*", 0x8000, 0x8001, 0xFE5A); // pack unsigned words
$bs = pack("N*", 0x70018001, 0x80042E5A); // pack unsigned double-words
Okay, that was easy. The unpacking of a binary string into separate values is a little more obtuse:
$bs = pack("CnN", 0x41, 0x8001, 0x80000001);
$aTemp = unpack("Cmyunsignedchar/nmyunsignedword/Nmyunsigneddw", $bs);
After execution of this command, $aTemp["myunsignedchar"] is 0x41, $aTemp["myunsignedword"] is 0x8001, $aTemp["myunsigneddw"] is 0x80000001. The unpack's first argument is a series of data-types, followed immediately by the keys used in the returned associative array for storage of the unpacked values. If that explanation doesn't suffice, see some excellent Unpack Examples.
Announcing the WorldWideWeb
This is pretty neat... Tim Berners-Lee's original announcement of the web.
Reacher
If you've never read the books of Lee Child, you are missing one of the best action/adventure authors of all-time. Only C.S. Forester, A.J. Quinnell and Raymond Chandler compare. Seriously. All of the books track the experiences of Jack Reacher, formerly of the U.S. Military Police, as he travels the country enjoying a vagabond-style existence. The most recent book in the series, Persuader, was one of the finest books I've ever read.
Dallas
My wife reminds me that Linda Gray was in Dallas ("Sue Ellen, you idiot"), not Dynasty. Anyhow, having seen Linda naked, I can only muse about one of the all-time great female actresses, Anne Bancroft.
Tuesday, December 16, 2003
Broadway
The wife is forcing me (yes, physically compelling me) to go to the Broadway production of The Graduate tonight. "You'll get to see Linda Gray naked!", she cajoled.
Yes, Linda Gray, of Dynasty fame is going to get naked tonight. I can hardly contain my excitement. I think she might be a few days shy of 90 at this point, but I could be wrong. What a treat, Linda Gray naked. My enthusiasm for The Graduate pales in comparison to my feelings for The Producers. When I saw it at the Aronoff last year, I nearly ruptured myself due to a conniption fit of laughter. Only a well-timed intermission saved my life.
For those of you heathens unaware of the plot of The Producers, Max Bialistock - a washed-up Broadway producer - meets up with unassuming accountant Leo Bloom. Together, they happen upon a fantastic money-making scheme: sell 20,000% of a play - rather than 100% - to investors. The hitch: they must ensure that the play closes in one night, and is an utter failure. After ripping through hundreds of candidate scripts, they finally find the gem: "Springtime for Hitler", by Franz Liebkind. It is sheer madness, a celebration of the misunderstood Hitler.
Together, Max and Leo visit Franz to secure the rights to this sure-fire Broadway disaster. The author, still wearing his German war helmet and uniform, is feeding his pigeons on the rooftop of his apartment building.
Lyrics: The Producers
The wife is forcing me (yes, physically compelling me) to go to the Broadway production of The Graduate tonight. "You'll get to see Linda Gray naked!", she cajoled.
Yes, Linda Gray, of Dynasty fame is going to get naked tonight. I can hardly contain my excitement. I think she might be a few days shy of 90 at this point, but I could be wrong. What a treat, Linda Gray naked. My enthusiasm for The Graduate pales in comparison to my feelings for The Producers. When I saw it at the Aronoff last year, I nearly ruptured myself due to a conniption fit of laughter. Only a well-timed intermission saved my life.
For those of you heathens unaware of the plot of The Producers, Max Bialistock - a washed-up Broadway producer - meets up with unassuming accountant Leo Bloom. Together, they happen upon a fantastic money-making scheme: sell 20,000% of a play - rather than 100% - to investors. The hitch: they must ensure that the play closes in one night, and is an utter failure. After ripping through hundreds of candidate scripts, they finally find the gem: "Springtime for Hitler", by Franz Liebkind. It is sheer madness, a celebration of the misunderstood Hitler.
Together, Max and Leo visit Franz to secure the rights to this sure-fire Broadway disaster. The author, still wearing his German war helmet and uniform, is feeding his pigeons on the rooftop of his apartment building.
FRANZ:
Oh, how I miss ze hills und dales und vales und trails of old Bavaria
Oh, it's such bliss to kiss the Miss I miss like this in old Bavaria
Oh, ze meadows und ze mountains und ze sky
Not to mention hordes of brown shirts passing by...
Bring a tear to every single Nazi eye
In old - I'm talking old - Bavaria!
DER GUTEN TAG HOP-CLOP
FRANZ:
You will join me in singing and dancing the Fuhrer's favourite tune:
"Der Guten Tag Hop-Clop"! All right, key of E?
MAX:
Is there any other?
FRANZ:
Vunderbar! Eins, zwei, drei...
Lyrics: The Producers
Monday, December 15, 2003
The Tale of J. Random Newbie
"Why do programmers reinvent wheels? There are many reasons, reaching all the way from the narrowly technical to the psychology of programmers and the economics of the software production system. The damage from the endemic waste of programming time reaches all these levels as well.
Consider the first, formative job experience of J. Random Newbie, a programmer fresh out of college. Let us assume that he (or she) has been taught the value of code reuse and is brimming with youthful zeal to apply it."
The Tale of J. Random Newbie
Personal Firewalls
From SecurityFocus, a pretty good summary of the choices consumers have for Personal Firewalls.
Blogging from Baghdad
Catch up with our favorite Baghdad resident and his impressions of a certain, famous spider-hole denizen.
Got blown?
Great thread from FreshAlloy, describing a G35 Sedan after adding a factory-approved supercharger: "...I simply wasn't expecting the car to be as fast as it was. The speed at which my sedan now reaches redline in 1st gear is shocking. In fact, the first time I put the pedal to the medal I actually bounced off the rev limiter (OOPS!). It's unbelievable... The best word I can come up with to describe the speed of the car with the supercharger is violent."
A G35 Gets Blown
Mediocre week in the NFL:
"Why do programmers reinvent wheels? There are many reasons, reaching all the way from the narrowly technical to the psychology of programmers and the economics of the software production system. The damage from the endemic waste of programming time reaches all these levels as well.
Consider the first, formative job experience of J. Random Newbie, a programmer fresh out of college. Let us assume that he (or she) has been taught the value of code reuse and is brimming with youthful zeal to apply it."
The Tale of J. Random Newbie
Personal Firewalls
From SecurityFocus, a pretty good summary of the choices consumers have for Personal Firewalls.
Blogging from Baghdad
Catch up with our favorite Baghdad resident and his impressions of a certain, famous spider-hole denizen.
Got blown?
Great thread from FreshAlloy, describing a G35 Sedan after adding a factory-approved supercharger: "...I simply wasn't expecting the car to be as fast as it was. The speed at which my sedan now reaches redline in 1st gear is shocking. In fact, the first time I put the pedal to the medal I actually bounced off the rev limiter (OOPS!). It's unbelievable... The best word I can come up with to describe the speed of the car with the supercharger is violent."
A G35 Gets Blown
Mediocre week in the NFL:
12/14/2003
Pick Sprd Opp Result
-----------------------------
NO - 7.0 nyg W NO 45-7
bal - 7.0 OAK L OAK 20-12
cle +11.5 DEN W DEN 23-20
SD + 5.5 gb L gb 38-21
-----------------------------
Week: 2-2, Total: 30-16-2
Sunday, December 14, 2003
Defining nested, associative arrays in PHP
I was asked about this last week... here is a simple example:
Cool IE Exploit
You would think Microsoft would have cleansed web addresses (and stripped out %00 strings) long ago... Spoofing an address using IE.
Six week update, post ACDF surgery
Last week I saw the neurosurgeon - with new X-rays - and was allowed to remove the neck brace. Instead of a disc at C4-C5, I now have a hollow synthetic plug. Inside the plug is a kind of "replicating DNA" that promotes bone growth through the hollow center. By May, the idea is that C4 and C5 will have fused through the the plug. The five week X-ray showed that it, so far, remains in place.
Some bizarre thoughts on this whole episode: I went for an MRI around 9/12. The MRI report (a two-page textual description) was faxed to my GP a few days later. Somehow, the second page of the report never made it to the GP. The second page spelled out that this was a "severe" situation, while the first page indicated "moderate". But the GP never saw the second page - and, seeing the first page - it wasn't obvious that there even was a second page. So I merrily went along living my life, going to PT and damaging things further with PT things like traction, presumably making things worse.
Of course, when the neurosurgeon finally saw the MRI at the end of October, he scheduled surgery for 11/4... just a few days out. And this is in a scheduling environment where people who are having trouble walking (like Jeff in Bethesda North Radiology, who has connections) can wait for months for their operation. Thus, it was a little more serious than I would have ever suspected.
Lessons learned:
1) Make sure you've got the entire report if you ever get an MRI (don't neglect the second page of impressions, which could differ from the summary)
2) Try to get the actual MRI image in the hands of a specialist (orthopedic, neurosurgeon, etc.) immediately
3) If you ever experience tingling and numbness in your extremities (especially after a trauma), get an MRI as fast as you possibly can
Still experiencing minor symptoms (and still on Neurontin to help combat them), mostly in the lower body. Primarily tingling and cold in both feet, lower legs and occasionally in thigh/knee areas - but, since going back on medication, only about a 1 to 3 out of 10 on the discomfort scale. The medical staff indicates that progress with spinal cord injuries is measured in months, not weeks.
I truthfully feel very, very lucky. I did an hour on the elliptical at Bally's yesterday - and feel pretty good so far today. Hopefully, progress will continue and my goal of bench pressing on May 4 will come to fruition.
Excerpted from FC's message board...
Q: What do you think Saddam's first words were on capture?
(singing) If I could turn back time...
> Peek-a-boo!
> Can you hear me now?
> Hello American Friends! My name is Bruce Springsteen.
> Ehhhh! Saddam NO HERE! He IN NEXT HOUSE! Come back ehhhh, later!
> Another loan lost to DiTech!
> I AM PLEASED FOR TO BE GOING TO DISNEYLAND!!!
> There will be dinner at this place you are taking me, no? And perhaps a shower?
> Not so close, cutie. I haven't brushed.
> Would it be rude to ask for hot sauce on falafel?
> Satan, is that you?
> Six "Chicken McNuggets" or I don't talk.
> i ain't surrenderin' until i get a sampler bottle of this great pantene shampoo i keep hearin' about on > cnn.
> Doh!
> Please mail this for me. This has to be in New York by next week. (Hands them a Publishers Clearinghouse sweepstakes entry form.)
I was asked about this last week... here is a simple example:
$aaServers = array(should result in:
"serverName 1" => array(
"profile1" => "value11",
"profile2" => "value12",
"profilen" => "value1n"
),
"serverName 2" => array(
"profile1" => "value21",
"profile2" => "value22",
"profilen" => "value2n"
),
...
"serverName n" => array(
"profile1" => "valuen1",
"profile2" => "valuen2",
"profilen" => "valuenn"
)
);
$aServer = $aaServers["serverName 2"];
foreach ($aServer as $k => $v) {
echo($k." => ".$v."<br>");
}
profile1 => value21
profile2 => value22
profilen => value2n
Cool IE Exploit
You would think Microsoft would have cleansed web addresses (and stripped out %00 strings) long ago... Spoofing an address using IE.
Six week update, post ACDF surgery
Last week I saw the neurosurgeon - with new X-rays - and was allowed to remove the neck brace. Instead of a disc at C4-C5, I now have a hollow synthetic plug. Inside the plug is a kind of "replicating DNA" that promotes bone growth through the hollow center. By May, the idea is that C4 and C5 will have fused through the the plug. The five week X-ray showed that it, so far, remains in place.
Some bizarre thoughts on this whole episode: I went for an MRI around 9/12. The MRI report (a two-page textual description) was faxed to my GP a few days later. Somehow, the second page of the report never made it to the GP. The second page spelled out that this was a "severe" situation, while the first page indicated "moderate". But the GP never saw the second page - and, seeing the first page - it wasn't obvious that there even was a second page. So I merrily went along living my life, going to PT and damaging things further with PT things like traction, presumably making things worse.
Of course, when the neurosurgeon finally saw the MRI at the end of October, he scheduled surgery for 11/4... just a few days out. And this is in a scheduling environment where people who are having trouble walking (like Jeff in Bethesda North Radiology, who has connections) can wait for months for their operation. Thus, it was a little more serious than I would have ever suspected.
Lessons learned:
1) Make sure you've got the entire report if you ever get an MRI (don't neglect the second page of impressions, which could differ from the summary)
2) Try to get the actual MRI image in the hands of a specialist (orthopedic, neurosurgeon, etc.) immediately
3) If you ever experience tingling and numbness in your extremities (especially after a trauma), get an MRI as fast as you possibly can
Still experiencing minor symptoms (and still on Neurontin to help combat them), mostly in the lower body. Primarily tingling and cold in both feet, lower legs and occasionally in thigh/knee areas - but, since going back on medication, only about a 1 to 3 out of 10 on the discomfort scale. The medical staff indicates that progress with spinal cord injuries is measured in months, not weeks.
I truthfully feel very, very lucky. I did an hour on the elliptical at Bally's yesterday - and feel pretty good so far today. Hopefully, progress will continue and my goal of bench pressing on May 4 will come to fruition.
Excerpted from FC's message board...
Q: What do you think Saddam's first words were on capture?
(singing) If I could turn back time...
> Peek-a-boo!
> Can you hear me now?
> Hello American Friends! My name is Bruce Springsteen.
> Ehhhh! Saddam NO HERE! He IN NEXT HOUSE! Come back ehhhh, later!
> Another loan lost to DiTech!
> I AM PLEASED FOR TO BE GOING TO DISNEYLAND!!!
> There will be dinner at this place you are taking me, no? And perhaps a shower?
> Not so close, cutie. I haven't brushed.
> Would it be rude to ask for hot sauce on falafel?
> Satan, is that you?
> Six "Chicken McNuggets" or I don't talk.
> i ain't surrenderin' until i get a sampler bottle of this great pantene shampoo i keep hearin' about on > cnn.
> Doh!
> Please mail this for me. This has to be in New York by next week. (Hands them a Publishers Clearinghouse sweepstakes entry form.)
Saturday, December 13, 2003
Please read if you live in Ohio: House Bill 12, as reported by the Conference Committee, is on its way to Governor Bob Taft's desk. No matter what you've heard or read, there is still a chance Taft will NOT veto this legislation. His office is taking calls on the subject. Ohioans For Concealed Carry, the National Rifle Association and the Citizens Committeee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms are calling on the Governor to sign this Act.
The Ohio Senate Voted 25-8 to accept the Conference Committee Report. The Ohio House Voted 70-27 (with 2 no votes) to accept the Conference Committee Report. You can see how your representatives voted on this crucial issue: HB12 Conference Report - How They Voted.
Next step: Governor Taft's phone number is 614-466-3555. Call his office today and politely ask him not to veto HB12.
Why is this important? The current Ohio law governing concealed carry was enacted about one hundred years ago to prohibit minorities (Blacks, Irish, Jews, etc.) from protecting themselves with firearms. It "allows" carrying concealed weapons provided that you are first arrested, charged, brought to trial and found innocent through means of an "affirmative defense" clause. In stark terms, it ensures citizens are found guilty until proven innocent. Any rational, law-abiding citizen is prevented from exercising their right to defend themselves by this plainly unconstitutional law.
As the Ohio constitution reads: the People have the right to bear arms for their defense and security. My take: it is sad and ludicrous that Ohio is one of only six states that does not have a means for allowing lawful concealed carry. Every academic study has shown a decrease in violent crime (and even accidental gun deaths, strange as it may seem) and no state has ever repealed such a law. For the first time ever, Ohio's violent crime rate is higher than Michigan's. Reason: Michigan recently passed a concealed-carry law. Get on the horn and call Governor Taft's office today. Be polite, and ask him not to veto HB12.
Thursday, December 11, 2003
An intriguing battle is shaping up between Google and Microsoft. First came the improved Google Toolbar. Since this was a direct attack on the consumer desktop, Microsoft responded with its initiative to integrate search into the OS.
Now Google has introduced the Google Deskbar, a search utility that can "[cut] out the browser for search tasks".
My take: Google's technology advantage is daunting. Its toolbar has achieved a significant level of penetration (my estimate is that 10-15% of regular Google visitors have installed it). By expanding on its consumer desktop beachhead, Google can provide some fantastically useful functionality:
Personal web servers (like BadBlue) that allow blogging, file sharing, and other 'publishing' features for broadband-connected, 'always on' users; each PC could then be indexed by Google, providing new personal and shared searching capabilities that go far beyond what is available today
Corporate information dashboards using the Deskbar, alleviating the need for unified storage based upon Longhorn's (Microsoft's next-gen OS) new file system
Multi-device, real-time news delivery agents, dispatching personalized news items to consumer desktops and their mobile devices
Microsoft and Google will have to coexist for quite some time. Neither is going away anytime soon. Hedge your bets: go long on both MSFT and GOOG.
###
"I have been testing a beta version Microsoft's new SPOT (Smart Personal Object Technology) wristwatch for [the] last month and thought I would share some observations... First and foremost, SPOT is a watch. It has every watch feature you might want including alarms, timers, chronographs... One of the core features of the watch is an integrated radio that allows the watch to receive information over the FM band. There's no need to re-set SPOT for daylight savings time or when traveling to a new city as the watch picks up the local times automatically. SPOT also has some very cool custom watch faces, they range from the whimsical, to the cute to the downright cool. Overall, as a watch, SPOT is great. Where the product really shines is in information. By configuring your information feeds at a website, SPOT will automatically update the following information, local weather, news headlines, stock information (with trends and graphs), MSN messenger users can send messages directly to your watch and Outlook will Sync your calendar to the watch and automatically remind you of the appointments ahead. In short, Microsoft took the concept of watch and turned it into watch plus. Does it work? Yes."
Sweet SPOT.
###
Survivor Recap for Warren, since once again he somehow missed out on the show by "seven minutes". Waaahhhh.
Not a bad episode: highlighted by the biggest tactical screwup that Johnny Fairplay has made thus far. In the reward challenge - another pointless digging and shooting extravaganza - Burton dominated the field and won reward. Instead of screwing up the three girl to two boy advantage, he chose John to share in the reward. Overconfident in their ability to fool the women (who "should be peeling potatos," according to John), they enjoyed Burton's new vehicle (Envoy) oblivious to the fact that they were about to be schooled.
John and Burton schmoozed Lil - with Sandra as backup - assuming that they had at least one in the bag. For once, the girls had their act together and completely shocked the J&B gang by knocking Burton out in the expected 3-2 tally. Jeff closed with an interesting missive, "...seeing that no one is thinking about who's going to finish third.".
Now Google has introduced the Google Deskbar, a search utility that can "[cut] out the browser for search tasks".
My take: Google's technology advantage is daunting. Its toolbar has achieved a significant level of penetration (my estimate is that 10-15% of regular Google visitors have installed it). By expanding on its consumer desktop beachhead, Google can provide some fantastically useful functionality:
Microsoft and Google will have to coexist for quite some time. Neither is going away anytime soon. Hedge your bets: go long on both MSFT and GOOG.
###
"I have been testing a beta version Microsoft's new SPOT (Smart Personal Object Technology) wristwatch for [the] last month and thought I would share some observations... First and foremost, SPOT is a watch. It has every watch feature you might want including alarms, timers, chronographs... One of the core features of the watch is an integrated radio that allows the watch to receive information over the FM band. There's no need to re-set SPOT for daylight savings time or when traveling to a new city as the watch picks up the local times automatically. SPOT also has some very cool custom watch faces, they range from the whimsical, to the cute to the downright cool. Overall, as a watch, SPOT is great. Where the product really shines is in information. By configuring your information feeds at a website, SPOT will automatically update the following information, local weather, news headlines, stock information (with trends and graphs), MSN messenger users can send messages directly to your watch and Outlook will Sync your calendar to the watch and automatically remind you of the appointments ahead. In short, Microsoft took the concept of watch and turned it into watch plus. Does it work? Yes."
Sweet SPOT.
###
Survivor Recap for Warren, since once again he somehow missed out on the show by "seven minutes". Waaahhhh.
Not a bad episode: highlighted by the biggest tactical screwup that Johnny Fairplay has made thus far. In the reward challenge - another pointless digging and shooting extravaganza - Burton dominated the field and won reward. Instead of screwing up the three girl to two boy advantage, he chose John to share in the reward. Overconfident in their ability to fool the women (who "should be peeling potatos," according to John), they enjoyed Burton's new vehicle (Envoy) oblivious to the fact that they were about to be schooled.
Darrah won reward for the third time in a row, due to her small hands being able to reach into the fleshy folds of Jeff's private-most parts. Just kidding. But she was able to reach keys that others had to work a lot harder for, giving her the advantage in a multi-stage "plank walk". |
John and Burton schmoozed Lil - with Sandra as backup - assuming that they had at least one in the bag. For once, the girls had their act together and completely shocked the J&B gang by knocking Burton out in the expected 3-2 tally. Jeff closed with an interesting missive, "...seeing that no one is thinking about who's going to finish third.".
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Some things just make you go "hmmmm". Just for the heck of it, I did a Google search for "confidential" "do not distribute". The number of results - including some from security companies - borders on astounding. Maybe some of the information is now public domain. But methinks most can be attributed to some major corporate content management "issues"...
Pete Lyons' excellent blog had a very nice reference to our relationship, back in the day. Pete and I were co-directors of technology at Alpha Software, helping to create the mass-market, Windows-based database software package Alpha Five. Pete's creativity and willingness to embrace new concepts and technologies were two key traits I remember. As an example, he was investigating design patterns from the outset... long before they became the buzzword du jour.
Can you believe I have the magical ability to check a world-wide, real-time news-feed for my areas of interest? Okay, it's not magical. I signed up for Google News Alerts. Like the NBA (or, rather, college hoop), it's fannnnnntastic.
Speaking of which, David Stern: there's a reason that most hoop fans can't watch the NBA - and overwhelmingly prefer watching the college game. It's called boredom. The NBA lacks teamwork and a shared passion for the team's success. Until the NBA changes the shot-clock (e.g., to 30 or more seconds) to enable offenses to actually pass the ball, it will remain a cult of personality. The NBA needs to highlight the success of teams (i.e., the great Lakers-Celtics battles of the 80's) and not individuals. They need to run plays, and not clear-outs. But what do I know, I'm just a fan...
Pete Lyons' excellent blog had a very nice reference to our relationship, back in the day. Pete and I were co-directors of technology at Alpha Software, helping to create the mass-market, Windows-based database software package Alpha Five. Pete's creativity and willingness to embrace new concepts and technologies were two key traits I remember. As an example, he was investigating design patterns from the outset... long before they became the buzzword du jour.
Can you believe I have the magical ability to check a world-wide, real-time news-feed for my areas of interest? Okay, it's not magical. I signed up for Google News Alerts. Like the NBA (or, rather, college hoop), it's fannnnnntastic.
Speaking of which, David Stern: there's a reason that most hoop fans can't watch the NBA - and overwhelmingly prefer watching the college game. It's called boredom. The NBA lacks teamwork and a shared passion for the team's success. Until the NBA changes the shot-clock (e.g., to 30 or more seconds) to enable offenses to actually pass the ball, it will remain a cult of personality. The NBA needs to highlight the success of teams (i.e., the great Lakers-Celtics battles of the 80's) and not individuals. They need to run plays, and not clear-outs. But what do I know, I'm just a fan...
Tuesday, December 09, 2003
Sooners BCS Fiasco
Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops says: "'We've had 13-14 straight weeks of being No. 1, carrying that burden the entire year, and playing pretty well. In the end, we're No. 1 in the BCS. I find no shame in that.' "
"In the last four weeks, everyone wanted to tell us we were the greatest team in the history of college football," he said. "We didn't listen to that just like we're not going to listen to someone saying that maybe now we're not worthy."
Uhmmm, Bob: no one would be bitching if Oklahoma had dropped their game to K-State 35-28. Or made it remotely competitive. Oklahoma, in their spotlight game of the year... and with the whole nation watching... just got rocked. There is no way the Sooners deserve to be in the game after a complete meltdown and public humiliation. And, besides, the game wasn't even in high-def ;-).
Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops says: "'We've had 13-14 straight weeks of being No. 1, carrying that burden the entire year, and playing pretty well. In the end, we're No. 1 in the BCS. I find no shame in that.' "
"In the last four weeks, everyone wanted to tell us we were the greatest team in the history of college football," he said. "We didn't listen to that just like we're not going to listen to someone saying that maybe now we're not worthy."
Uhmmm, Bob: no one would be bitching if Oklahoma had dropped their game to K-State 35-28. Or made it remotely competitive. Oklahoma, in their spotlight game of the year... and with the whole nation watching... just got rocked. There is no way the Sooners deserve to be in the game after a complete meltdown and public humiliation. And, besides, the game wasn't even in high-def ;-).
Sunday, December 07, 2003
An interesting approach to hiring a senior computer scientist/senior developer type... Hiring a Senior Computer Scientist or Programmer. And I'll bet it's one that's effective, too, along the lines of the ThoughtWorks recruiting pipeline.
Anyone considering installers for their software should check out this rant thread from JOS on the trials and tribulations of InstallShield.
At what point do I declare statistical victory over the Vegas point spreads? 28-14-2 is not a bad record at all ;-). Of course, the Bengals didn't quite make the number, but we'll chalk that up to a Levi Jones injury and an infestation of the flu bug within Jon Kitna's massive dome. In all seriousness, Levi Jones' replacement (can't remember his name) at left tackle was unable to control Ravens' speed rushers like Boulware. This led to a complete meltdown as Kitna was blind-sided several times, losing the ball. Kinda underscores the importance of a solid LT.
Pretty funny (and well done) Survivor site... SurvivorFire.com
Think you've got a nice set of wheels? Here's Porsche's $440,000 Carerra GT.
.
Anyone considering installers for their software should check out this rant thread from JOS on the trials and tribulations of InstallShield.
At what point do I declare statistical victory over the Vegas point spreads? 28-14-2 is not a bad record at all ;-). Of course, the Bengals didn't quite make the number, but we'll chalk that up to a Levi Jones injury and an infestation of the flu bug within Jon Kitna's massive dome. In all seriousness, Levi Jones' replacement (can't remember his name) at left tackle was unable to control Ravens' speed rushers like Boulware. This led to a complete meltdown as Kitna was blind-sided several times, losing the ball. Kinda underscores the importance of a solid LT.
12/07/2003
Pick Sprd Opp Result
-----------------------------
GB - 7.0 chi W GB 34-21
PIT - 5.5 oak W PIT 27-7
cin + 4.0 BAL L BAL 31-13
PHI - 5.5 dal W PHI 36-10
-----------------------------
Week 3-1, Season: 28-14-2
Pretty funny (and well done) Survivor site... SurvivorFire.com
Think you've got a nice set of wheels? Here's Porsche's $440,000 Carerra GT.
Thursday, December 04, 2003
Ten Best Cars
The Infiniti G35 is named one of Car & Driver's 10 Best Cars for 2004. The only surprise is any Audi product making the grade and BMW's long-in-tooth 3-series hanging in there another year. Those were the only two euro-models to make it. Two US cars (Corvette and Focus) with the remainder Japanese. The Accord and S2000 from Honda, the TSX from Acura (way underpowered for my tastes, though nice otherwise), Mazda's RX-8 and the Toyota Prius round out the list.
Survivor Recap
Gawd, that was a terrrrible show. What little action took place revolved around everyone trying to backstab each other in horrible, whispered conversations. John, obviously, was playing everyone. not sure what his end-game strategy will be, since he's hated by the entire jury.
Reward challenge: broken up into random 3-man teams, with John, Lil & Dara winning the swimming-based obstacle course, primarily because the Hispanic girl (can't remember name) can't swim worth a damn and doomed Burton & Christa to failure. The reward was awesome, the three winners got flown to a private island spa with pool, cabana, restaurant, etc. for an overnight stay.
Immunity challenge: had to shoot flintlock-style rifles (shooting flares) at flags to set 'em on fire. Dara won pretty convincingly.
Tribal Council: votes went like this: lil, christa, lil, christa, christa,
christa. John pretty much gets credit for this, swearing "on his
grandmother's grave" that he has an alliance with everyone. no one fully trusts him, but they have no choice since they believe he'll be carried along by the majority for the endgame.
Grade: C-, weak episode.
The Infiniti G35 is named one of Car & Driver's 10 Best Cars for 2004. The only surprise is any Audi product making the grade and BMW's long-in-tooth 3-series hanging in there another year. Those were the only two euro-models to make it. Two US cars (Corvette and Focus) with the remainder Japanese. The Accord and S2000 from Honda, the TSX from Acura (way underpowered for my tastes, though nice otherwise), Mazda's RX-8 and the Toyota Prius round out the list.
Survivor Recap
Gawd, that was a terrrrible show. What little action took place revolved around everyone trying to backstab each other in horrible, whispered conversations. John, obviously, was playing everyone. not sure what his end-game strategy will be, since he's hated by the entire jury.
Reward challenge: broken up into random 3-man teams, with John, Lil & Dara winning the swimming-based obstacle course, primarily because the Hispanic girl (can't remember name) can't swim worth a damn and doomed Burton & Christa to failure. The reward was awesome, the three winners got flown to a private island spa with pool, cabana, restaurant, etc. for an overnight stay.
Immunity challenge: had to shoot flintlock-style rifles (shooting flares) at flags to set 'em on fire. Dara won pretty convincingly.
Tribal Council: votes went like this: lil, christa, lil, christa, christa,
christa. John pretty much gets credit for this, swearing "on his
grandmother's grave" that he has an alliance with everyone. no one fully trusts him, but they have no choice since they believe he'll be carried along by the majority for the endgame.
Grade: C-, weak episode.
Wednesday, December 03, 2003
CAUTION: ASSERTS CONSIDERED HAZARDOUS
My contention is that certain software development practices, including the heavy use of assertions, contribute to far more problems than they solve.
Further, run-time-checking with extensive and tunable logging, can help find the most devilish problems and provide an audit trail for your support team.
My simplified example of validating and logging everything (with complete error recovery) is:
IOW, everything is checked _at run-time_. Period. And everything can be tracked, depending upon the verbosity level of your logging and desire to audit.
My key finding over 20+ years: few applications are so performance-intensive that you can't afford checking whether a pointer is NULL or not or verifying a return-code came back the right way.
IMO, a big reason most software is unreliable is that "go-naked" tools like ASSERTs are overused (so called, because is in RELEASE mode, you're going nekkid :-).
My contention is that certain software development practices, including the heavy use of assertions, contribute to far more problems than they solve.
Further, run-time-checking with extensive and tunable logging, can help find the most devilish problems and provide an audit trail for your support team.
My simplified example of validating and logging everything (with complete error recovery) is:
...
do {
if ((rc = TableOpen(...)) != 0) {
Log("Couldn't open table");
break;
}
bTableOpen = TRUE;
if ((rc = TableLock(...)) != 0) {
Log("Couldn't lock table");
break;
}
bTableLocked = TRUE;
if ((rc = RecordLock(...)) != 0) {
Log("Couldn't lock record");
break;
}
bRecordLocked = TRUE;
if ((rc = RecordUpdate(...) != 0) {
Log("Couldn't update record");
break;
}
} while (0);
if (bRecordLocked) {
if ((rc1 = RecordUnlock()) != 0 && !rc) {
Log("Couldn't unlock record");
rc = rc1;
}
}
if (bTableLocked) {
if ((rc1 = TableUnlock()) != 0 && !rc) {
Log("Couldn't unlock table");
rc = rc1;
}
}
if (bTableOpened) {
if ((rc1 = TableClose(...)) != 0 && !rc) {
Log("Couldn't close table");
rc = rc1;
}
}
return (rc);
IOW, everything is checked _at run-time_. Period. And everything can be tracked, depending upon the verbosity level of your logging and desire to audit.
My key finding over 20+ years: few applications are so performance-intensive that you can't afford checking whether a pointer is NULL or not or verifying a return-code came back the right way.
IMO, a big reason most software is unreliable is that "go-naked" tools like ASSERTs are overused (so called, because is in RELEASE mode, you're going nekkid :-).
I'm not sure this article isn't a bit out of date, but interesting nonetheless. Debate - .NET V. PHP: Top 10 .NET Myths Exposed.
###
Ten Things I Disliked About the Indiana/Wake Forest Game
: Young, smaller forwards playing directly behind bruisers like Williams, not fronting, not three-quartering
: A guard-oriented team unable to handle double teams and pressure
: Donald Perry not starting at point
: Having Bracey get beat up with no one physical enough to fight back
: Having the opposing team's walk-ons look respectable against us
: Not being able to get a shot off, or inbound the ball, or bring the ball upcourt...
: Not having George Leach inside on D
: Not having a backup power forward on the roster (and, no, despite the size of his heart, AJ doesn't qualify)
: Not having Tom Coverdale or Kyle Hornsby or Jeff Newton for just a _few_ more games
: Missing out on a sushi dinner to watch this game on my big screen, especially when it's not in HD
I liked the way the team fought and scrapped the whole way, including Roberts' tackle. The refs were directly at fault... as he was protecting Bracey IMO. Bracey took a beating without repurcussion for Wake. Someone needed to take the tussle to the Deacons. (Sign) Where's Sean May when you need him?
###
Decent - but not great - week in the NFL.
###
Ten Things I Disliked About the Indiana/Wake Forest Game
: Young, smaller forwards playing directly behind bruisers like Williams, not fronting, not three-quartering
: A guard-oriented team unable to handle double teams and pressure
: Donald Perry not starting at point
: Having Bracey get beat up with no one physical enough to fight back
: Having the opposing team's walk-ons look respectable against us
: Not being able to get a shot off, or inbound the ball, or bring the ball upcourt...
: Not having George Leach inside on D
: Not having a backup power forward on the roster (and, no, despite the size of his heart, AJ doesn't qualify)
: Not having Tom Coverdale or Kyle Hornsby or Jeff Newton for just a _few_ more games
: Missing out on a sushi dinner to watch this game on my big screen, especially when it's not in HD
I liked the way the team fought and scrapped the whole way, including Roberts' tackle. The refs were directly at fault... as he was protecting Bracey IMO. Bracey took a beating without repurcussion for Wake. Someone needed to take the tussle to the Deacons. (Sign) Where's Sean May when you need him?
###
Decent - but not great - week in the NFL.
11/27/2003
Pick Sprd Opp Result
-----------------------------
DET + 7.0 gb W DET 22-14
ne + 4.0 IND W ne 38-34
tb - 3.0 JAX L JAX 17-10
NYJ + 2.5 tn W NYJ 24-17
cle + 6.5 SEA L SEA 34-7
-----------------------------
Week: 3-2 Total: 25-13-2
Monday, December 01, 2003
'Every major label is drooling over the money-making prospects of having its own iTunes or Musicmatch. But they are all, in the immortal words of Johnny Cash, 'born to lose, and destined to fail.' Why? The music industry's problem is fundamental: the implicit contract between music companies and listeners is no longer viable.
The music industry fails to understand that a primary reason that consumers illegally share music files is that they want insurance against the music industry itself. File sharing is as much about risk sharing as it is about the theft of value. Technology makes file swapping possible - but the music industry's business model, which is at odds with the implicit contract it signs with listeners, is what makes it probable...' "
The Economics of File Sharing
The music industry fails to understand that a primary reason that consumers illegally share music files is that they want insurance against the music industry itself. File sharing is as much about risk sharing as it is about the theft of value. Technology makes file swapping possible - but the music industry's business model, which is at odds with the implicit contract it signs with listeners, is what makes it probable...' "
The Economics of File Sharing
Friday, November 28, 2003
Opte has released the latest maps of the Internet.
MIT Technology review highlights seven hot (and crucial) new technology projects:
Automatic speech translator
Spinal-cord trauma treatment
Blocking spam
Miniature ultrasound device
Chip-to-chip communications
Streaming media
Piezo fuel injection
7 Hot Projects
MIT Technology review highlights seven hot (and crucial) new technology projects:
Automatic speech translator
Spinal-cord trauma treatment
Blocking spam
Miniature ultrasound device
Chip-to-chip communications
Streaming media
Piezo fuel injection
7 Hot Projects
Wednesday, November 26, 2003
Another nail in DRM's coffin? Jon Lech Johansen is the same technologist who introduced DeCSS, the first app to strip DVD's of their copy-protection mechanism. And for his encore performance...
QTFairUse breaks Apple's iTunes DRM protection layer... is that a trumpet I hear in the distance, heralding the death of YAFF (yet another file format)?
My belief is that trying to protect streams of 1's and 0's is, ultimately, futile. Can we protect the bit sequence "01"? No. Can we protect "0100"? No. Repeat until you have 4 Mb MP3 files or 800 Mb vids. You get the picture.
- - -
Family Survivor night: Sam, Jake, Aly & Ben in town for Thanksgiving... and Survivor on HD! You'd think Survivor would be generating enough of a margin to facilitate the use of hi-def cameras, right? Wrong - Pearl Islands is still using the same old vid technology... grrr!
Split decision from the local viewing audience: about half thought it was bust-worthy (i.e., host Jeff letting in everyone in on the secret during tribal council); the other half thought... why not? What are the rules? Something about outwitting. These aren't some mutual fund managers ripping off the public. These are simply some money-motivated individuals trying to scam a million bucks. And all the players want to carry Johnny along with them because he seems so... beatable!
QTFairUse breaks Apple's iTunes DRM protection layer... is that a trumpet I hear in the distance, heralding the death of YAFF (yet another file format)?
My belief is that trying to protect streams of 1's and 0's is, ultimately, futile. Can we protect the bit sequence "01"? No. Can we protect "0100"? No. Repeat until you have 4 Mb MP3 files or 800 Mb vids. You get the picture.
- - -
Family Survivor night: Sam, Jake, Aly & Ben in town for Thanksgiving... and Survivor on HD! You'd think Survivor would be generating enough of a margin to facilitate the use of hi-def cameras, right? Wrong - Pearl Islands is still using the same old vid technology... grrr!
|
Anyhow, Johnny Fairplay pulled one of the greatest scams in the history of the game (I'm guessing - I haven't seen all of the shows, but this seemed to rank pretty high). He had pre-arranged with a friend that if the friend was brought onto the show, they would pretend that John's Grandmother had died. The result: sympathy, special treatment, the works. And, surprisingly, they pulled it off perfectly. I can't wait to see the reaction of the other players when that juicy tidbit is revealed. |
Split decision from the local viewing audience: about half thought it was bust-worthy (i.e., host Jeff letting in everyone in on the secret during tribal council); the other half thought... why not? What are the rules? Something about outwitting. These aren't some mutual fund managers ripping off the public. These are simply some money-motivated individuals trying to scam a million bucks. And all the players want to carry Johnny along with them because he seems so... beatable!
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