Thursday, October 30, 2008
Mass Budget Cuts
Okay, so this was in the Globe this AM. Looking at this tempts me to vote yes to eliminate the income tax (well, not really) but some of it is egregious. Take the 300K Weston transportation grant. R U F'ing Kidding me ! Weston ? Have you no shame ? 275K for economic development for the fine town of Needham? Those were two that jumped out at me, no doubt there is more (13K for Diane Wilkerson's Bra) But Jesus Christ can we please all get real?
What if programming languages where like spoken languages?
Okay, so programming languages evolve. C turns to C++/# and etc. But the compilers are different as are the "rules". Actual spoken language is a million times more adaptive. Words have very different meanings based on context and pronunciation. For a stupid example, take "Bitch" when spoken at Westiminster Kennel Club and "Bitch" spoken in a hip hop video. Same word, different compiler so to speak. The point is that it's infinitely more flexible, context/timing/pronunciation all have meaning. Could this metaphor be expanded to computer languages as well. I am not sure, but I suspect that the answer is in the compiler paradigm.
O.K. so thinking more about this concept I guess what I am talking about is something like a wiki compiler. In the text messaging/chat context, BRB, FWIW, IMHO, WRT, AFAIK, LOL, all have commonly understood meanings. Could not the same paradigm be applied to programming languages?
Just Sayin.
The Sad Part
You Know,
The sad part of this election for me is John McCain's campaign. I used to respect him as an open minded man with a conservative bent. I honestly thought he was different from the Rove/Limbaugh/Hannity/Focus on the Family/DeLay wing of the party. I remember one time earlier in the year when he appeared on the Daily Show. He had just given a speech at James Dobson's "church" (mall is more like it). This is after he had publicly denounced this brand of evangelicals. Asked by Stewart about this contradiction (specifically if McCain had gone to "crazy base land") he owned up to it in a very self effacing and endearing way. You got the feeling he hadn't completely sold his soul. I certainly preferred him to Mitt Romney or Rudy who to me are the most phony politicians I know, those two will say anything to get elected.
But then McCain ran a campaign that was arguably more disingenuous that GWB. Including hiring the very people who smeared him in 2000 with "Black Baby" robocalls. And then there was Sarah. If she is not the canary in the GOP coalmine I don't know who is. With her selection the GOP alienated every woman with a frontal lobe in the country. Palin is the Archetypal cheerleeder know nothing who gets promoted because she was "cute". She is the Anti Feminist. Choosing her is so tone deaf as to be beyond belief. Also, FWIW she is not hot. WRT her running in 2012 I have this to say "Bring it Bayotch". The GOP may not be dead this year, but it's on life support and the prognosis is not good.
Data Visualization
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
My Keyboard
This probably (okay definitely) shows what a gear geek/snob I am, this
is the keyboard I have used for the past ten years or so. Behold the IBM
M15 Split Keyboard. Little did I know when I snagged it that it would be
a collectors item. IBM M Keyboards in general are widely believed to be
the best ever made and this model is the apogee. I love this keyboard
and will take it with me to new jobs like a craftsman carries his tools or
a chef his/her knife. Here are a couple of links for the curious.
Mine is at the bottom of this article.
Buttercups
While waiting for the coffee to finish brewing this morning, I heard a bit on NPR about a plant study taking place in Concord. This gist of it was that certain plants which cannot change their bloom time are dissapearing in certain areas. The Buttercup was one of the ones mentioned, thinking about that, I can't remember when I last saw one. Is it just me? When was the last time you saw one. Another sound I never hear anymore are Bob-Whites and Whipporwhills. On the plus side, Newton is over-run with Rabbits this year and I hadn't seen one of them in the city for years.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Mrs. B
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Hard to believe but true
I Love Flashlights !
World's Greatest Flashlight
149ドル
Our portable wunderkind illuminates objects hundreds of yards away with a halogen spotlight for up to 11 hours
The equivalent of 15 million candles
Swiveling 1W LED spotlight and soft area lamp
Nylon carrying belt included
Dual recharge: 110V AC/DC or 12V DC car adapter
Dimensions: 17-3/4"L x 5"W
149ドル
Our portable wunderkind illuminates objects hundreds of yards away with a halogen spotlight for up to 11 hours
The equivalent of 15 million candles
Swiveling 1W LED spotlight and soft area lamp
Nylon carrying belt included
Dual recharge: 110V AC/DC or 12V DC car adapter
Dimensions: 17-3/4"L x 5"W
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Moral Hazard
As an Economics major I have always been interested in the Freakonomics types of questions. To give you an example, not many of us are having any major problem with government handouts to the banks. I think we all understand that the economy overall is better served by supporting the banks so that they can continue to lend. But despite clear evidence suggesting that it is more cost beneficial to pay for an apartment for a homeless person to live in than to let them continue on the streets,this is still wildly un-popular. Why is this? Is it just me?
The Republican Party Fail
I have always felt that the Republican Party is it is currently comprised is inherently unstable and doomed in the long term. Their current constituencies or base consists in my opinion of the following.
- Whack Jobs (Black Helicopter Types, Paranoids, Militia Members etc.)
- Fundies
- Crackers
- Jingoists
- Biggots
- Free Marketeers
- Wrinklies, Foggies, Duffers & Plain Old Farts
These groups do have several things in common which have held them together in the short term.
- Selfishness (Me First, My Money, Go Fuck Yourself)
- Insecurity (Manifesting in Bogus Macho Jingoism, Homophobia and Bully Worship)
- Profound Tolerance for Cognitive Dissonance (about the only thing profound and tolerant about them)
- Fear of the Other (Commies, Homo's, Immigrants, Media Elites)
Not that it makes them bad people - Even good people have times where the appeal of our weaker instincts takes precedence. The important part is the Cognitive Dissonance and this is IMHO why the religious right is so drawn to the dark side. This is also why even with it's current contradictions in place the party would slowly disintegrate rather than fly apart. The ability to maintain cognitive dissonance varies among individuals, but everyone has a limit. When they hit that limit they will drop out of the party. I do not think the ability to sustain disbelief is a requisite for membership in the Democrat(sic) party, but it is absolutely essential to being a Republican. Let's look at some of the Cake and Eat it planks of the Red
Smaller Government (Less Taxes, Regulation & Oversight) - This is a fairly often touted Republican position but it conflicts to some degree with every one of their constituencies. Farmers want subsidies and tariffs and an efficient transportation system to bring the product to market. Satisfying the Farmers takes Taxes, Regulation and Oversight, Three things the Free Marketeers don't want. Whack Jobs and Crackers want fewer restrictions placed on them in the form of laws, Fundies want moralities federally regulated. Jingoists want a strong military which means taxes the others don't like. Free Marketeers need illegal immigrants to work for them so they can maximize shareholder return, the rest of them are scared shitless of Illegal Aliens. I could go on forever, but the point is you cannot satisfy all their core constituencies and to believe otherwise requires the maintenance of Cognitive Dissonance, something very few people can do long term. These conflicts are structural and part of the party and as they have become obvious peoples ability to mentally maintain them has collapsed.
The End
Friday, October 17, 2008
3D Printing
This service has been around for a bit, but they seem to be improving it pretty regularly, I am looking forward to trying it out some day, but I gather that using a sketchup model is a challenge. In any case if you hadn't neard of it you can get more info @ their site. http://www.shapeways.com/
Fridays Random Fact
The "USP" on medicines stands for
U.S. Pharmacopeia
An organization that among other things verifies drug purity and standards.
U.S. Pharmacopeia
An organization that among other things verifies drug purity and standards.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Tilt Shift Video
If you have never seen this it's a very cool effect. Real pics taken with a specially configured camera
[埋込みオブジェクト:http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1789964&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1]
Bathtub II from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.
[埋込みオブジェクト:http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1789964&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1]
Bathtub II from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Looks like I am not the only one
Newsweek Cover Story: Sarah Palin's 'Folk' Problem
10/04/2008 4:37:19 PM EST
Yes, she won the debate by not imploding. But governing requires knowledge, and mindless populism is just that—mindless.
10/04/2008 4:37:19 PM EST
Yes, she won the debate by not imploding. But governing requires knowledge, and mindless populism is just that—mindless.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Biden Palin Debate SNL Skit
Oddly enough we were actually doing what she suggests at the very end.
New Blog/Magazine
So I am thinking of a new blog, or maybe just a section of this one called:
Young and Fortunate - The Magazine of Difficult Choices and Serious Consequences
W.G. Low House 1887 Bristol RI
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Food Porn
I have always felt that there was a "money shot" in every foodie show (*not that I would ever..*) This is just a bit more over the top than the usual "over-ripe" peach.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
FWIW
To continue the Sarah Palin thread, she was speaking to a wingnut radio host recently and was saying something along the lines of / Americans are really excited to have someone of the Joe Six Pack mentality in the office of the Vice President/.
Stop Right There Sister -
I expect better. I expect the people who represent me to be the exact inverse of "Joe Six Pack". I am Joe Six Pack (or more accurately Jean 750ml Chardonnay) and I have neither the work ethic nor the knowledge to serve as the vice president (Dan Quale not withstanding). Hell, Ben Kingsley playing vice president in the movie "Dave" (which incidently is the "Pretty Woman" of political movies) is more convincing than either I or Sarah Palin. And I think that makes me a "Good American", a "Patriot" if you will. To expect our leaders to be self aware, knowledgeable, earnest and hard working and to know the limits of their ability should be a pre-requisite of citizeneship. The dark underbelly of American egalitarianism (one of our better traits) is the notion that all men being equal in the eyes of the law means that all men are equal. Call me a Chardonnay guzzling elitist (please) but not all men are equal (and here I mean the race of man, my apologies ladies). Fabio (was) better looking than me. Paul Newman was more generous, a better thespian, and a better driver than me - and to add insult to injury, both better looking and richer too. Rush Limbaugh is a better entertainer than me. And John Stewart and David Letterman are better than Rush. Point being, not everyone can do every job equally, and someone who can't even name which magazines they read (not even a moldering Metropolitan Home in the dentists office) should not pass any true Patriots muster. American exceptionalism is not about the mean. Faux populism gets you Hugo Chavez.
Baby Name Widget -Very Cool
Popularity of names starting with BLAKE
BLAKE
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