I've been feeling like I'm getting rusty in my old age. For the last few years I've basically been doing Java. Lots of different things in/around Java: EJB3, Swing, Struts, web services, and Servlets. I did get to dip my toes in the water of Adobe Flex @ work using the Cairngorm framework. And we did get a nice result if I do say so myself. But I'm looking further afield. Lately I've been catching references to the up and coming (or here if you're ok with a balkanized user base) things like HTML5 WebStorage, or the Web SQL DB, and WebSockets. I played around a bit but I got fairly discouraged by the competing standards. So it was back to looking for a new web framework to play with. I was thinking Ruby. Then I came across Scala / Lift.
Supposedly... its awesome. I have yet to find the awesome =) I'm sure its in there somewhere. Its got many awesome seeming things... runs on the JVM, works w/ Java libs, built in COMET via Jquery (I like long polling better from a resource perspective, and Jquery has some very nice UI components), AND Scala is even a functional programming language. Its supposed to be kick ass.
But Scala and Lift have some issues. They've got more idiosyncrasies than PERL (ok maybe I went too far with that statement but we'll see). Much of it based on typing efficiencies or so I've read. Perhaps I've just gotten too fuddy-duddy to appreciate something new, but I just don't see easily read code when I look at Scala. The lack of any functional programming since college might have something to do with that of course. Also, the tool chain is crazy fun to set up.
Maybe I chose poorly. But I took the eclipse + maven + m2e + scala plugin + jetty route. I haven't even decided on persistence yet. Looks like good old postgres or maybe I'll dig more into MongoDB. MongoDB seems to have the buzz, but it appeared to be lacking in the sql query equivalents dept. when I looked. Anyhow.. yeah... setup could have been... well easier.
At the end of the day hopefully I'll have made something useful with one of the parked domains.
Supposedly... its awesome. I have yet to find the awesome =) I'm sure its in there somewhere. Its got many awesome seeming things... runs on the JVM, works w/ Java libs, built in COMET via Jquery (I like long polling better from a resource perspective, and Jquery has some very nice UI components), AND Scala is even a functional programming language. Its supposed to be kick ass.
But Scala and Lift have some issues. They've got more idiosyncrasies than PERL (ok maybe I went too far with that statement but we'll see). Much of it based on typing efficiencies or so I've read. Perhaps I've just gotten too fuddy-duddy to appreciate something new, but I just don't see easily read code when I look at Scala. The lack of any functional programming since college might have something to do with that of course. Also, the tool chain is crazy fun to set up.
Maybe I chose poorly. But I took the eclipse + maven + m2e + scala plugin + jetty route. I haven't even decided on persistence yet. Looks like good old postgres or maybe I'll dig more into MongoDB. MongoDB seems to have the buzz, but it appeared to be lacking in the sql query equivalents dept. when I looked. Anyhow.. yeah... setup could have been... well easier.
At the end of the day hopefully I'll have made something useful with one of the parked domains.
US Troops should not be an option for Libya. Or Egypt, or any other nation where the people are rising up. Let them rise up and do their thing. Its their country.
We got problems folks. BIG problems. Trying to push a few pathetic do nothing bills is beyond crazy. The President has described this as our Sputnik moment. How limited. Sputnik was a milestone of achievement that indicated the technological superiority of another nation over the US of A. The people of the nation banded together in interest, in scientific, and in technological achievement to slay the dragon of a people's inferiority complex. Not that such a thing bothers me. Whatever can drive us forward without dragging us into the abyss of inhumanity is worthwhile in my book. To see our nation's financial system crumbling, and in turn our global influence wain, and have all of that set in relation to a single satellite launch is staggering in its implication. Do we make so little of the problem facing this Nation?
How many moments have we heard of something occurring in this nation that made you shake your head in disbelief? Rampant corruption, idiotic bureaucracies, debauchery, stupidity of previously untold degrees, and more. How many times have we heard of hundreds of millions (or even billions) of dollars being wasted on government cancelled projects, cost over-runs, or outright fraud?
Ladies and Gentlemen (and everyone else...) the check has arrived. From WW2 through 1963, the Income Tax rate topped out at 90%+ depending on the year. The data is here and its pretty compelling. How did we pay for WW2 and Korea? Topped out taxes! If employers were looking at earning less than 10c on the dollar after some rational limit or pushing that $ into business infra, R&D, or heaven forbid... actually paying their employees MORE! Perhaps 1) we'd not have this deficit and 2) we might actually be progressing as a Nation rather than "falling behind". For those who might question this, call it un-American, etc... Remember this includes the entire era of the 1950s. It covers the span of time when Norman Rockwell was painting many of the iconic images we associate with American life. The idea that low/no taxes is Conservative is pure insanity. You want low/no taxes? FIRST pay the bills. The country must pay its bills. Then we as a Nation can practice living within our means. If you still want a lower tax burden, and you are willing to accept the corresponding reduced services, go for it!
One of the most profound messages needs to be delivered to our nations leadership, for they are failing in this regard:
"Try and leave this world a little better than you found it and when your turn comes to die, you can die happy in feeling that at any rate you have not wasted your time but have done your best." Robert Baden-Powell
Oh my yes what a surprising thing to do. Its not like we don't have an example of a US Fed Chairman doing the EXACT SAME THING.
oh and on an unrelated note... the Highlander won. It is so nice =)
I'm stuck. Sort of. Looking for a new vehicle to replace the dying Camry (220K miles!). We'd narrowed it down to the 5th Gen 4Runner (2010/2011), but with the revelation that the 2011 Highlander has the 50/50 3rd row and more knowledge of the 4Runner SR5's limited capabilities, suddenly its a contender. Actually its coming out ahead at the moment.
I like the idea of owning at least one real 4wd vehicle, but the reality is that the new 4runner SR5 sucks. There is no central diff, and no rear locker! Basically you can't do 4wd on hard surface, and its really a 2wd vehicle even with the 4wd engaged. If you were in a situation with one front wheel spinning and one rear wheel spinning... you are stuck! They gutted the best thing about the Gen4's offroad capabilities! We could move up to the limited and get the central diff. That gives full time 4wd, but still no locker. Or move to the Trail, but no 3rd row... AND no central diff. Insult to injury; both are way more than I want to spend bling-wise.
Why is there no SR5 + rear locker + Torsen central diff? I could have a full time 4wd, and actually have the ability to get unstuck a heck of a lot more often.
With the SR5's capabilities seeming to be crippled, the Highlander AWD is looking much more attractive. Smoother ride, slightly more room, and a few grand cheaper. If I could get a rear locker on it, I'd feel much more confident than without, but there are some pretty good off asphalt reports, particularly of driving it in the snow. The new Highlander is damn ugly, but I don't care too much about that.
If the SR5 4 runner were a little more capable, or the Highlander AWD a little less... it'd be no contest. Alas.
I happened to catch an NPR story on the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). It's shocking to me that politicians and Corporations can use a non profit "organization" as a clearing house for lobbying. Its rather like a shell Corporation being use to hide money laundering! I can't imagine how such activities are allowed to continue. Imagine a "model bill" written by a Corporation (or group of Corps) becoming the actual legislation almost word for word. Apparently it happens, and not infrequently: "more than 200 of the organization's model bills became actual laws over the past year." The politicians are not representing the people. They are representing the Corporations. Every fear The Founders had of the Church, is coming to fruition wrapped in greed, on Corporate letterhead.
It strikes me as one of the unforeseen (by The Founders) changes in American social/legal structure, that Corporations have become so powerful. Looking back at history though, the signs were there to see. One of the very sparks that lead to the American Revolution was due to the effects of Corporate interests. Between John Company and the VoC, the power and influence of a Multi-National Corporation was evident even in the time of Washington and Adams.
Perhaps the rise of the "modern" Corporation as a legal person was the pivotal change. I do not know. But I do believe that Corporate lobbying and what ever you wish to call the activities of the members of ALEC (It certainly quacks like a duck) are one of the greatest threats to our Representative Republic.
The multi million dollar trips to the ISS aside, looks like the business of taking folks into space is getting closer to reality. Have you booked your ticket yet? =) Me neither sad to say.
My own guess on the timeline:
The glide tests of SS2 will probably continue for another 6 months. That assumption is based on a comparison of the timeline for SS1. First drop test of SS1 came 4 months before the first powered flight. I figure they'll be more careful here, but you also have to figure, they have a significantly deeper pocketbook, and much more experience. Then maybe 6-9 months of powered flights, another 3-6 months of space flights, and then... commercial! I fella can dream can't he? Just thankful there are rich folks like Branson out there pushing the envelope and pulling us all along into the future.
The coolest thing since at least 5 minutes ago. Wikipedia gives you the ability to make your own book from the wiki content. Its awesome. While it could be a little more user friendly, I found that it was fairly easy to throw together a reference book worth the dead trees it would take to print.
Propositions:
Prop 19 - Yes
People are doing it anyway, lets Tax it! Lets take away a source of income for those engaged in illegal activity. Given that they are no longer prosecuting anyway, we should go the final step and legalize.
Prop 20 - Maybe
Dont get me wrong, I am all for redistricting. However, I am most in favor of Arnold's plan to use a panel of retired judges. I think it would be safer that way. Maybe I trust judges too much? Regardless, I do like the idea of taking power to draw boundaries away from the Legislature. I do not care about the red-herring of costs.
Prop 21 - No
This is a cash grab. The publicly available evidence puts our Legislature and this Proposition into their true perspective.
Prop 22 - Yes
I'm in favor of limiting the "rob Peter to pay Paul" accounting/funding practices. The State (and the Federal and Local governments as well) needs to balance the budget, and truly cut spending.
Prop 23 - NO (Fixed)
Tying an already existing set of legislation to the unemployment rate is I think bad logic. That aside, I don't care if its global warming or global cooling, either way its pollution. Lets reduce it. Many of the possible changes to improve air quality might actually help unemployment: Someone has to design / develop / implement / install those changes.
Prop 24 - No
This one is hard... but CA is already such a crappy place for businesses, we need to give them some incentive to stick around. I think repealing the tax credit sharing makes sense. I think repealing the multi-state sales income calculation makes sense. However, it would be good to allow businesses to shift operating losses to prior and future tax years (to some extent). This would allow more businesses to survive economic downturns!
Prop 25 - Yes
We need to lower the bar to pass a balanced budget.
Prop 26 - No
The fees vs taxes argument is bunk. Its about requiring a 2/3 majority vote that is at the heart of this. They can't even pass a budget (see prop 25) why would I want that for new fees / taxes? Government has to be paid for.
Prop 27 - Hell No
Don't give those crooks the power to draw the lines without having to even jump through a few hoops.
Senate:
Carly Fiorina (R).
Governor:
Jerry Brown (D). Yes... I hate myself for typing this, but Whitman just doesn't have the right stuff. Arnold has proven it takes more than one figurehead to turn things around.
Lt Governor:
Abel Maldonado (R). Just to keep Moonbeam on his toes.
Secretary of State:
Christina Tobin (L)
Controller:
John Chiang (D). I think he did a good job and did right defending the payroll from Arnold.
Treasurer:
Mimi Walters (R)
Attorney General:
Timothy Hannan (L)
I zoned out in the shower this evening thinking about light, and came to a few realizations. These are quite possibly false realizations, but they are mine =)
First is the belief that the universe is actually expanding. Second is the idea of the size of the universe. Imagine the big bang: an infinitely dense point. That density is released. Now, is the speed of light constant? Imagine the outer edge of the expanding sphere from the big bang. It is expanding in all directions at the speed of light. So, a year after the big bang, the universe was 2 light years across. Those photons on the outer edge all traveling at the theoretical limit, would continue expanding at their respective velocities forever. Objects in motion tend to remain in motion. There is nothing to get in their way. Thus the size of the universe is 2 times how ever far light can travel in whatever unit of time you like, times the age of the universe in that unit of time. Get me?
Now, with that thought comes also the idea that velocity is relative. Observations are all relative to the observer and/or other things being observed. This is nothing new. But, I submit (based on the above) that IF light is the fastest thing in the universe, the maximum observable speed of an object in the universe is actually 2 times the speed of light. For example, if you were one of the above photons on the outer edge of the expanding universe, you can imagine seeing your dear photon friend, with whom you were just so close to, traveling at the speed of light in exact opposite direction. Relative to you, how fast is that other photon going?
Since we are not the center of the universe, we should at the very least have some velocity. As there are photons being emitted by stars, traveling at the speed of light, at least some of those relative to us, should have an observable speed that exceeds the speed of light.
What do you think?
Me
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