![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Making headway - 08 March 2007
Mar. 9th, 2007 02:19 amToday was fruitful and productive, as lab turned out to be of significant help for me. There was a short break taken to do a midterm, and then I went back to attacking the Rails project. Managed to make a very difficult component work consistently, so I should be able to implement the rest of the material related to creating records and their associated units soon. Then I have to turn toward adding in and making login credentials, registration materials, and authorization work. It would be really nice to be able to have base functionality done by the first code release. (Advanced functionality being done by then would be even better.) And now I have the weekend to help me... which generally means significant amount of time set at the computer doing my homework.
Anyway, going forward into the link department, rather than going for bigger and unhealthier, Krispy Kreme is introducing a whole-wheat doughnut. They’re still doughnuts, but they’re a bit healthier than before. So maybe a little less guilt. But they’re still doughnuts.
I am told that 8 March is International Women's Day. I cannot necessarily derive any benefit from it, being male, but I pass the information along.
Also, apparently generating a little buzz, Captain America has been killed. Whether he is able to return, as a new Captain or as the original, is yet to be seen.
Those looking for a slightly sturdier bit of Discordian material than the normal web-based material may find a hardcover copy of the Principia Discordia available on Amazon more to their liking. Or it could be the best paperweight that the kids ever discovered to be worth reading.
Slobodan Milosevic took a stake to the heart recently. Apparently, he wasn’t particularly well-loved... enough that someone worried he might arise again as an undead.
The Web is an excellent tool for authors to talk about their work, or about everything but their work, and to let their fans give them some feedback in the virtual environment. Cool Sci-Fi Blogs has a list of Science Fiction and Fantasy authors on-line. It’s not necessarily comprehensive, but on first pass, there are a lot more writers with blogs than I thought. And those are the ones that made the list - there are probably many, many more that aren’t on the list (or haven’t made it big enough to get noticed) that have their blogs, too. It really is a different world these days... there are a lot fewer hoops to go through to get a response from the person you admire.
Of course, the digital world may have some downsides, too. A bankruptcy law research service's computers were held to have practiced law without authorization. In the case of law, this may very well be one of those places where the computers need to be left out of it... at least until they’re error-free. Even then, though, the computer’s advice may or may not be the best.
Consumerist purports to have obtained a Wal-Mart presentation detailing consumer demographics and tactics for marketing to those demographics. This is not necessarily notable by itself, as it would be assumed that Wal-Mart would have such business plans in mind to market more effectively. This could be a chance to take a peek inside the brains at the company, though - see if your marketing plan is similar to Wal-Mart’s.
The New York Times reports that Jean Baudrillard, who postulated a theory of hyperreality, has died at seventy-seven years of age. Hyperreality is one of his better-known theories, which says that reality has been replaced by mass-produced imagery, illusions, and simulcra. I suspect he’s probably the source of why “Don’t blame me, I voted for Kodos” jokes are understood by the populace.
New research from the University of Bristol suggests regular coffee drinkers are just overcoming caffeine withdrawal, rather than getting a boost in the morning. Even with this information, there are still some people I know of that will grab their morning cuppa’joe. Speaking of drugs, subjecting your students to drug tests is not the greatest idea, according to doctors. The high possibility of false positives, the ability of students to hide or cheat the tests, as well as the obvious breaking of trust that happens when testing students are all good reasons to wait until you’re sure something is wrong before making noises about drug testing. Even then, they say to let a doctor to the diagnosing.
There are pockets of older times still around - take the island of Sark, which still has a seigneurship and inherited land. There are some modernizations creeping in, and there are stirrings now that Sark will have to bring itself forward a few centuries or risk having its administrative ability turned over to a different island.
If the material on Let Siebel Edmonds Speak, which documents the invocation of State Secrets Privilege by the United States government on a case brought forward about vulnerabilities in the government, is true, then there’s some explaining to do. The public probably deserves to hear what’s been found, and even better, what the government has done to dix the problems that have been brought before them. The reaction of “that’s potentially damaging, thus it’s classified” is very knee-jerk. If classified, then people might think it won’t be exploited because it can’t be released. I’d say that since we have so many anonymous sources about governmental actions, there’s probably not that great a chance that it will stay under wraps. Because, if they could keep it a secret, then we wouldn’t find out that several of the senior conservatives in the House of Representatives knew about the conditions at Walter Reed Hospital and said nothing (“to avoid embarrassing the army while it was fighting”), or that Newt Gingrich was having an affair while Bill Clinton was having his.
Would someone across the pond explain to me the significance of Guinness Marmite? I suspect it’s supposed to be some sort of ultimate twin pairing, but I haven’t had marmite, as best I can tell, and the Guinness that I’ve had is probably not the real thing.
Taking a classic thing and updating it to more modern times, Faith Brokers brings the concept of indulgences all the way into the modern era. Hopefully they’re not trying to repeat the earlier mistake of charging money or favors for the indulgences.
Neatorama reminds us that the movies are not reality, by any means, showing us nine laws of physics that don't apply in the movies. They do make for great visual effects... but they’re definitely not the real thing.
Professional materials for me, and a good laugh for those who grok it, the Kama Sutra of Reading. It might ping a NSFW if your employer is hypersensitive to any sort of references, but for the vast majority, it should be just fine. Something totally safe for work (and hopefully continuing to impress upon all of you the great asset that your librarians are), a live discussion about information literacy, who needs it, and how to get it in the hands of those who need it most.
Last thing for tonight is Drug Dealers versus Geeks. Both peddling things that can either open your mind or fry it. Like Cookie Mongoloid.
Anyway, going to hit the bedtime Zzzs, and hope that tomorrow ends up a very productive day on all of my assignments.
Anyway, going forward into the link department, rather than going for bigger and unhealthier, Krispy Kreme is introducing a whole-wheat doughnut. They’re still doughnuts, but they’re a bit healthier than before. So maybe a little less guilt. But they’re still doughnuts.
I am told that 8 March is International Women's Day. I cannot necessarily derive any benefit from it, being male, but I pass the information along.
Also, apparently generating a little buzz, Captain America has been killed. Whether he is able to return, as a new Captain or as the original, is yet to be seen.
Those looking for a slightly sturdier bit of Discordian material than the normal web-based material may find a hardcover copy of the Principia Discordia available on Amazon more to their liking. Or it could be the best paperweight that the kids ever discovered to be worth reading.
Slobodan Milosevic took a stake to the heart recently. Apparently, he wasn’t particularly well-loved... enough that someone worried he might arise again as an undead.
The Web is an excellent tool for authors to talk about their work, or about everything but their work, and to let their fans give them some feedback in the virtual environment. Cool Sci-Fi Blogs has a list of Science Fiction and Fantasy authors on-line. It’s not necessarily comprehensive, but on first pass, there are a lot more writers with blogs than I thought. And those are the ones that made the list - there are probably many, many more that aren’t on the list (or haven’t made it big enough to get noticed) that have their blogs, too. It really is a different world these days... there are a lot fewer hoops to go through to get a response from the person you admire.
Of course, the digital world may have some downsides, too. A bankruptcy law research service's computers were held to have practiced law without authorization. In the case of law, this may very well be one of those places where the computers need to be left out of it... at least until they’re error-free. Even then, though, the computer’s advice may or may not be the best.
Consumerist purports to have obtained a Wal-Mart presentation detailing consumer demographics and tactics for marketing to those demographics. This is not necessarily notable by itself, as it would be assumed that Wal-Mart would have such business plans in mind to market more effectively. This could be a chance to take a peek inside the brains at the company, though - see if your marketing plan is similar to Wal-Mart’s.
The New York Times reports that Jean Baudrillard, who postulated a theory of hyperreality, has died at seventy-seven years of age. Hyperreality is one of his better-known theories, which says that reality has been replaced by mass-produced imagery, illusions, and simulcra. I suspect he’s probably the source of why “Don’t blame me, I voted for Kodos” jokes are understood by the populace.
New research from the University of Bristol suggests regular coffee drinkers are just overcoming caffeine withdrawal, rather than getting a boost in the morning. Even with this information, there are still some people I know of that will grab their morning cuppa’joe. Speaking of drugs, subjecting your students to drug tests is not the greatest idea, according to doctors. The high possibility of false positives, the ability of students to hide or cheat the tests, as well as the obvious breaking of trust that happens when testing students are all good reasons to wait until you’re sure something is wrong before making noises about drug testing. Even then, they say to let a doctor to the diagnosing.
There are pockets of older times still around - take the island of Sark, which still has a seigneurship and inherited land. There are some modernizations creeping in, and there are stirrings now that Sark will have to bring itself forward a few centuries or risk having its administrative ability turned over to a different island.
If the material on Let Siebel Edmonds Speak, which documents the invocation of State Secrets Privilege by the United States government on a case brought forward about vulnerabilities in the government, is true, then there’s some explaining to do. The public probably deserves to hear what’s been found, and even better, what the government has done to dix the problems that have been brought before them. The reaction of “that’s potentially damaging, thus it’s classified” is very knee-jerk. If classified, then people might think it won’t be exploited because it can’t be released. I’d say that since we have so many anonymous sources about governmental actions, there’s probably not that great a chance that it will stay under wraps. Because, if they could keep it a secret, then we wouldn’t find out that several of the senior conservatives in the House of Representatives knew about the conditions at Walter Reed Hospital and said nothing (“to avoid embarrassing the army while it was fighting”), or that Newt Gingrich was having an affair while Bill Clinton was having his.
Would someone across the pond explain to me the significance of Guinness Marmite? I suspect it’s supposed to be some sort of ultimate twin pairing, but I haven’t had marmite, as best I can tell, and the Guinness that I’ve had is probably not the real thing.
Taking a classic thing and updating it to more modern times, Faith Brokers brings the concept of indulgences all the way into the modern era. Hopefully they’re not trying to repeat the earlier mistake of charging money or favors for the indulgences.
Neatorama reminds us that the movies are not reality, by any means, showing us nine laws of physics that don't apply in the movies. They do make for great visual effects... but they’re definitely not the real thing.
Professional materials for me, and a good laugh for those who grok it, the Kama Sutra of Reading. It might ping a NSFW if your employer is hypersensitive to any sort of references, but for the vast majority, it should be just fine. Something totally safe for work (and hopefully continuing to impress upon all of you the great asset that your librarians are), a live discussion about information literacy, who needs it, and how to get it in the hands of those who need it most.
Last thing for tonight is Drug Dealers versus Geeks. Both peddling things that can either open your mind or fry it. Like Cookie Mongoloid.
Anyway, going to hit the bedtime Zzzs, and hope that tomorrow ends up a very productive day on all of my assignments.
