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| 2008/7/28-30 [Politics/Domestic/President/Bush, Politics/Domestic/President] UID:50702 Activity:nil |
7/28 Merrill Lynch forecasts +1.8% GDP growth in Q2, dropping to a -2.5%
contraction in 2008 Q4 and 2009 Q1.
http://tinyurl.com/65bmm8 (bloomberg.com)
\_ This would be a big drop, if true. ECRI is not showing evidence
of that kind of drop in their leading indicators, at least not yet.
\_ The White House predicts considerably better performance than that:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/6j86v4 (Yahoo News) |
| 2008/7/28 [Computer/Companies/Google] UID:50703 Activity:nil 80%like:50707 |
7/28 Time to short Google:
http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/search/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=209602251
\_ Try comparing search results before you lose your shirt again.
Also, the site is ugly and has serious usability problems (notably
the content frame). -tom |
| 2008/7/28-8/5 [Computer/SW/Languages/Python, Computer/SW/Languages/Functional, Computer/SW/Languages/OCAML] UID:50704 Activity:nil |
7/28 So, I'd like to try playing with a functional language. Any
recommendations?
\_ Haskel. Why would you start with anything else?
\_ Haskell if you want a _functional_ language. Ocaml if you want to
see what a proper language implementation looks like. LISP if
you want old fogies to think you are cool. -- ilyas
\_ Haskell. Why would you start with anything else?
\_ I don't know. I've heard Erlang has been used more in industry.
(Isn't Google using it for something?) I don't really know
the differences.
the differences. Sisal was for scientific computing, which is
the area I work in. F# includes OOP (but I'd rather work in
Linux.)
\_ Are you learning this to learn or are you learning it to
get industry experiance? If the second I'd say spend your
time elsewhere. Haskell is one of those languages where once
you start to understand how to actually use it this light
will come on in your brain and suddenly you will never see
programming in quite the same light. Erlang is cool, but
has a lot less support library support/people out there
messing with it, so actually trying to do anything with
it is hard. OCaml is pretty damn cool as well, but really,
if you want to wrap your head around pure functional
programming, the language you should start with is Haskell.
Oh, and you want this book: http://www.haskell.org/soe
\_ Oh, and another thing. Haskell is also good because it
makes it really hard to cheat and do things in a non
functional manner. Its purity is its strength.
\_ Ah, that's a good point. -op
\_ Well, mostly I would just like to learn about functional
programming to learn. But I generally like languages I
learn to be useful for something as well, otherwise I
never get to use it. For example, I like Ruby better than
Python, and learned it to learn it. However, everything at
work uses Python, so now I've forgotten most of the Ruby.
Thanks for the book ref.
\_ Really learning Haskell will make you a much better
programmer, even if you never use it for anything.
It really forces you to relearn a lot of things in
ways you probably never even considered, and once you
finish bashing your head against it and it starts
making sense you will be a much stronger coder. |
| 2008/7/28-8/5 [Computer/SW/Languages/Java, Computer/SW/Languages/Misc, Computer/SW/Languages/Python] UID:50705 Activity:nil |
7/28 Python question: I have a Python helper script/class that I want
to use interactively. The class needs a few path variables defined
so that it runs on the correct files. I may want to use different
files, so I certainly don't want to hard code them. There are also
enough files that I don't want to pass them in as arguments. I thought
I might be able to have a file that defines them and import it.
so, file test_config.py defines "foo_path = 'blah'"
>>> import test_config as foo_config
>>> print foo_config.foo_path
blah
>>> foo_run()
in the script file I have: print foo_config.foo_path
I get: 'NameError: global name 'foo_config' is not defined'
Why does my script file not get the 'global name' foo_config?
\_ Is foo_run in a different module? Did you do something like
'import foo_run from foo_run_module'? I'm guessing it would
work if you imported foo_config from within foo_run_module.
\_ Yes, that works, but I would prefer to be able to interactively
load different modules as foo_config.
load |
| 2008/7/28-8/2 [Transportation/Car, Transportation/Car/RoadHogs] UID:50706 Activity:nil |
7/28 Thugs on Wheels strike again
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/372364_criticalmass27.html
\_ You know, I'm so surprised that we haven't had a nutcase
with CCW PERMIT carrying guns and wielding a SUV who ended
up shooting a bunch of bicyclists yeah baby BANG BANG BANG
\_ So let's see. Critical mass goes by. Dude in car doesn't want
to wait 10 minutes for them to pass, instead pulls out in front
of them. People get pissed and shout at him, so he drives his car
through the crowd and hits some people. Then things get ugly.
Frankly he got off easy.
\_ I have no idea where you invented this summary from:
"According to what some witnesses told police, an altercation with
the driver ensued and some of those on bikes began sitting on his
car and hitting the vehicle, Jamieson said.
"According to what some witnesses told police, an altercation
with the driver ensued and some of those on bikes began sitting
on his car and hitting the vehicle, Jamieson said.
"The driver tried to back up, he said, and struck a bike.
"That's when bicyclists really began attacking the vehicle.
I think the cyclists got off easy. That's the problem with mobs.
\_ Key word: some. Let's guess which some those were. Dude
should never have ridden his car through the crowd. You
know that, he knows that. You think people just decided
to attack him for fun? How come all those 1000s of other
cars along the route didn't get attacked?
\_ I think the Thugs intentionally intimidate drivers, and are
thrilled to escalate minor confrontations (jumping on the
car, etc.) which induce panic in the driver, who in fear
tries to get away from the mob. See, that's the problem
with mobs.
\_ So because the guy was irrationally fearful, it is okay
that he committed assualt with a deadly weapon? Good
thing he didn't kill anyone. Would it be okay if I
started shooting at car drivers that violate my right of
way as a pedestrian? That is certainly a more rational
fear than this guys. What was the chance that someone
on a bicycle could actually hurt him if he stayed in
his car with windows rolled up?
\_ Smashing the windshield? I'd say he is 100%
justified in fleeing from a mob, possibly injuring
members of the mob in the process.
\_ They smashed his windshield after he started
running people over, at least according to the
press account of the incident. I am not saying
that there was a good reason to smash his wind
shield, but he had no excuse for deliberately
running people over, just because they were
blocking his way and sitting on his car and
"hitting the vehicle" which means smacking it
with their palms.
\_ Nope, sorry you've got it wrong.
"The driver tried to back up, he said, and
struck a bike."
"That's when bicyclists really began attacking
the vehicle."
It was after the attack that the car drove
away through the crowd.
\_ Anyone with half a brain would know,
don't try to muscle your car through
a crowd of bikes. What did he expect?
The sea of bikes to part before his
mighty car penis? He tried to drive
through them. He fucking hit someone.
\_ Sorry, once the mob attacks, the victim
should use force (even deadly force) to
escape from the mob. That's the problem
with mobs.
\_ Any bicyclist with a quarter of a brain
should know not to try to block the way
of a moving car. Those that place more
importance on asserting their "right" to
annoy drivers than on protecting their
own safety fall victim to natural
selection.
\_ "Tried to back up" means that he deliberately
backed into someone blocking his way. This
should be assault, but since he was in a car
he will get away with it.
\_ I generally agree with you, but this
is orthogonal to whether you have
a right to run over someone who
blocking your way.
\_ "Tried to back up" means that he
deliberately backed into someone blocking
his way. This should be assault, but since
he was in a car he will get away with it.
\_ No, it means he deliberately tried to
back up, and there was someone in the
way. That doesn't mean he was
deliberately trying to hit someone.
\_ Let's change the bikes to say, a
regular demonstration. Demonstrators
are marching, blocking a car. Dude
tries to pull out of his space anyway
and hits a demostrator. People start
crowding his car and screaming at him
for hitting someone when it was
obvious he should have just waited
rather than just pulling out when the
road was blocked. Dude responds by
driving his car through the crowd,
hitting several people. You don't
think he would be at fault there
either?
\_ And attacking the vehicle, smashing
the windshield? Yes, no fault in
trying to get away.
\_ Since neither of us was there and
there are no videos, we can only
speculate, but if you are surrounded
by people peacefully blocking your
way, backing up without making sure
your way is clear is at the very
least, very reckless. |
| 2008/7/28 [Computer/Companies/Google] UID:50707 Activity:nil 80%like:50703 |
7/28 Time to short Google:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/5d5oyq [info week]
\_ Try comparing search results before you lose your shirt again.
Also, the site is ugly and has serious usability problems (notably
the content frame). -tom
\_ I don't think it's volume that makes Google better. |
| 2008/7/28-8/3 [Uncategorized] UID:50708 Activity:nil |
7/28 Comic-con cosplay gallery. There's some pretty fun stuff in here
http://redeye.chicagotribune.com/red-comiccon2008-pg,0,252541.photogallery?index=1
\_ Navel rings are never a good thing, ever.
\_ I agree, but which picture are you refering to? (Just give the
number please.)
\_ 10 & 31
\_ I didn't go to Comicon, but I was in San Diego all weekend and
saw lots of participants in restaurants, bars, and on the streets. I
was surprised at the number of women, some of them even very hot
like the redhead in the schoolgirl uniform and the blonde in the
Catwoman outfit. On the guy side I saw a Joker, but I didn't pay
much attention to that. |
| 2008/7/28-8/3 [Computer/SW/Languages/Misc, Politics/Foreign/MiddleEast/Iraq] UID:50709 Activity:nil |
7/28 Wired on War Games:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/6xw36r [wired] |
| 2008/7/28-8/3 [Transportation/Car, Reference/Military] UID:50710 Activity:nil |
7/28 The impossibility of getting a CCW and the potential for accidents
and great harm from handguns makes ownership very unattractive.
I'm now thinking of getting a taser. Do people need to register
tasers? Can they be carried in automobiles? CCW tasers?
\_ A taser is considered a loaded firearm. (People v. Heffner)
\_ It can't be. It is projectile using COMPRESSED AIR and
should not be subjected to gun-powder related weapons.
\_ Seriously, can you carry a taser in your car? Can you
conceal it?
\_ HEFFNER held that a taser is a firearm for the purposes
of Penal Code 12031, which makes it a misdemeanor to carry
a loaded firearm on your person or in a vehicle. If you
could find some way of unloading your taser, then you
probably could carry it in your car or conceal it. Also
there are several exceptions to 12031. One of these
applies to people who have a permit to carry a concealed
weapon. |
| 2008/7/28-8/5 [Computer/SW/Security] UID:50711 Activity:nil |
7/28 Everyone's captcha hacked:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=1418
\_ I still like the idea of making real people solve captchas to get
porn or torrents or the like. Captchas that are actually used by
other sites. |
| 2008/7/28-8/3 [Politics/Domestic/RepublicanMedia] UID:50712 Activity:nil |
7/28 Tennessee church shooter was a big O'Reilly, Savage, Hannity fan.
Chose church in part because it was gay-friendly
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jul/28/church-shooting-police-find-manifesto-suspects-car
\_ But it isn't terrorism if it was done by white guys.
\_ This is a good argument for CCW into church with you.
\_ Expect more of these kinds of melt downs from Bush supporters.
\_ Terrorists.
This is what
terrorism is. |
| 3/14 |