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silveradeptI took some time to try and do some of my assignment today, and, well, Facebook is a lot more complex than it looks on face - there are a lot of relationships that I’m still not entirely sure how they work out. The one that’s puzzling me the most is how to do a set of relationships that connect user ids to each other through “friend” relationships. Normally, these relationships are done between separate tables - the “friend” uses, most likely, the same table for the pair of friends. Maybe there just needs to be a join table in-between that can manage these relationships, so that users have and belong to many users through “friends”? Would that actually work? Or is there some Bad Thing that will happen in trying to make that work? The rest looks like it will play nice... r. The visualization I have here has one object being joined to several different other objects. I guess separate join tables are what I need for this occasion, and it’ll work, but it seems weird to have to make three join tables if there was a better way of saying “this item id is associated with this comment, and the item is of type X” that only really required one join.
(If this is a bit too much geek, sorry. I’m trying to think the problem out loud.)
So I’ll sleep and see what I can do tomorrow - maybe the knowledge gained here will help me construct my own data model in a way that is nice, simple, easy-to-read and complete. I have to do that one and turn it in on Wednesday along with this deconstruction of Facebook. I want to say mine will be easier - it certainly doesn’t do nearly as much as Facebook does.
Also, I’ve been finally getting some use out of the rice cooker I got as a present for Christmas - made a nice chicken, broccoli, rice, and “cheese” sauce combination today and ate it all up over the course of a couple meals. So the cooking gene has not passed me over, at least. I still need some more cupboard and refrigerator space, though. Also, the universe seems to be conspiring to keep me in chocolate - not soon after I had finished the last of my well-stocked reserves but that more should appear into my possession. Maybe it’s a good idea that I don’t go and get chocolate often.
Anyway, onward to the link portion of tonight. For as bad as things get here, there are still some bits that we can rely on as being safeguarded. Bloggers here can say what they will, so long as they don’t commit libel or other illegal acts. In Egypt, a blogger who made negative remarks about Islam and the president of Egypt was sentenced to four years in prison. This is not a good thing, and should not become a tradition, but I wonder whether bloggers here manage to avoid this kind of retribution because they’re not seen as important enough to really make a challenge to the views of the mainstream media, or to challenge the governmental power structure?
James Poniewozik, in time, expresses an opinion that could be taken either has a huzzah or as a subtle jab, depending on how you want to interpret it. Yep, She's Mainstream takes a look at the decision of Ellen DeGeneres hosting the Oscars, and at the lack of a storm about a lesbian being emcee for the big movie pageant. James points out that this may be because lesbians appeal to the sexual fantasies of most men, where an out gay man would cause much more upheaval in the mindset. Or, he thinks, it could be because Ellen doesn’t wave her sexuality in front of everyone, like Rosie O’Donnell has been doing on The View. Either way, he says, the next big star of television or movies might not be hurt by being homosexual. I’d like to say that the reason there’s been little flap over Ellen is because not many people watch the Oscars, so they can’t be bothered to care. Beyond that, though, I’d say this is at least a step in the right direction for greater acceptance. I have a sneaking suspicion that lesbian women will come to acceptance much faster in society than gay men will.
What do you do with an old television? Well, for this particular box, its destiny was to become an aquarium. Which certainly means there will be interesting things to watch on the screen for years to come. Recycling all the guts of the TV, though, probably cost a little bit and took some time. Kids who saw that might wonder why the TV was permanently on a fish channel. If you want to get the kids reading some books, rather than watching the aquarium all day long, and are a bit more inclined to classic texts or the history of the Romans in Latin, then the Forum Romanum, and perhaps a bit more specifically, the Corpus Scriptum Latinorum may be right up your alley - there are translations available into your native language for some of the texts. Might be worth poking about to see on brushing up on your classics, and then reading some of the other material that’s available.
Internationally, even though the situation in Pakistan and India has cooled, Pakistan tested a missile that had a potential reach of 2,500 kilometers. The BBC article is light on details as to why such a test might have happened. My guess might be that it was warning Afghanistan or other neighbors about keeping their conflicts well-within the borders of their own countries. Someone with better experience, or a more detailed article, please do provide more information.
Mother Jones magazine has put forth a primer on the conflict in Iraq, for those that need to refresh their memories or get brought up to speed on what the costs, ideals, and lives at stake are in this increasingly-drawn out exercise. The impulse to make weapons is apparently not just limited to humans as well, now that researchers have observed female chimpanzees crafting effective hunting spears out of branches. Is this also evidence that primate species have a certain inclination to both tool-making and violence?
Something that may be vapourware, or that may be the complement to the sunburn of a thousand fire ants weapon tested by the military earlier, a means of using a high-power strobe light to paralyze people caught in its beam is undergoing testing. My first instinct is to think of any epileptics that such a device might be turned on and what kind of results could happen in those cases. This is apparently being designed with the idea of mounting it on an unmanned aerial craft. What it sounds like is being done, to me at least, is that the pattern of the strobe is supposed to induce a low-grade seizure in the target. Not enough for serious damage, but enough to keep them from going anywhere. I wonder about the twenty-four hour applicability of such a device, and whether it could easily be foiled with a polished shield. Of course, carrying around such a thing would probably make you suspicious to the people that would be using such a device. Non-lethal force is still pretty scary stuff. If these devices perform as planned, that gives persons even less ability to demonstrate in groups or to express dissatisfaction with issues in a public place. I wonder whether we’ll be seeing Fingermen on the streets, along with the all the organs of the Head. It’s not going to get that bad, is it? (Have a look at the comment section, too, to see the opinions on the viability of the matter, and whether or not it’s another couple loops in a tightening noose of freedom restriction.)
A press release from NASA and Caltech says that the Spitzer space telescope has managed to capture enough light from two target exoplanets to make spectra of them. The analysis gives an idea of what sort of molecules are in the atmospheres of the planets - the technique involves subtracting out the spectra of the stars that the planets are orbiting by observing the planets before and during the time they are eclipsed by their suns. The spectra that’s left is unique to the planet. The method only really works in the infrared, so I don’t know if there is complete information being relayed back, but the range of useful data being gathered from our telescopes may have just expanded quite a bit.
In an interesting blend of religious thoughts and secular experiences, Gnosis and Activism, a piece that shows how striving for enlightenment beyond the material does not necessarily mean that the matters of the physical world should be left to their own devices. It’s not a matter of doing politics from the pulpit, which the poster finds problematic, but in getting involved in issues, being active, and exercising small powers like voting in local elections and being informed about those issues and candidates. He’s also against people who blog or rant and then do nothing, so I’m probably not the best person to talk about the rightness of the message. Were he a Buddhist rather than a Gnostic, I suspect there would be talk here about the way of the Bodhisattva, and how leading people to enlightenment requires that you stay involved in the world you’re trying to get others out of. After all, if you want to be an effective Bodhisattva, you’ve got to know how to get the people out of the burning house.
The last marker for tonight is something that I’m not wholly sure is necessary, but could be fun and relaxing to some. It also, however, uses a particular naming convention. iSerenity offers “environments”, which are flash applets with the appropriate sounds of whatever area you are in, and some pictures to accompany. Kind of like nature sounds CDs and machines, just on the Internet, and doing more than just nature sounds. Have a look, see if you like it, et cetera, et cetera. I just wish they had a better name. iSerenity makes me think of a Malcom Reynolds-themed computer built by Apple. I somehow don’t think Mal was a Mac user.
Anyway, that’s it for me tonight. Enjoy yourselves and all that, while I try to get some sort of rest. Oh, yeah, and I should probably do some reading tomorrow, too.
(If this is a bit too much geek, sorry. I’m trying to think the problem out loud.)
So I’ll sleep and see what I can do tomorrow - maybe the knowledge gained here will help me construct my own data model in a way that is nice, simple, easy-to-read and complete. I have to do that one and turn it in on Wednesday along with this deconstruction of Facebook. I want to say mine will be easier - it certainly doesn’t do nearly as much as Facebook does.
Also, I’ve been finally getting some use out of the rice cooker I got as a present for Christmas - made a nice chicken, broccoli, rice, and “cheese” sauce combination today and ate it all up over the course of a couple meals. So the cooking gene has not passed me over, at least. I still need some more cupboard and refrigerator space, though. Also, the universe seems to be conspiring to keep me in chocolate - not soon after I had finished the last of my well-stocked reserves but that more should appear into my possession. Maybe it’s a good idea that I don’t go and get chocolate often.
Anyway, onward to the link portion of tonight. For as bad as things get here, there are still some bits that we can rely on as being safeguarded. Bloggers here can say what they will, so long as they don’t commit libel or other illegal acts. In Egypt, a blogger who made negative remarks about Islam and the president of Egypt was sentenced to four years in prison. This is not a good thing, and should not become a tradition, but I wonder whether bloggers here manage to avoid this kind of retribution because they’re not seen as important enough to really make a challenge to the views of the mainstream media, or to challenge the governmental power structure?
James Poniewozik, in time, expresses an opinion that could be taken either has a huzzah or as a subtle jab, depending on how you want to interpret it. Yep, She's Mainstream takes a look at the decision of Ellen DeGeneres hosting the Oscars, and at the lack of a storm about a lesbian being emcee for the big movie pageant. James points out that this may be because lesbians appeal to the sexual fantasies of most men, where an out gay man would cause much more upheaval in the mindset. Or, he thinks, it could be because Ellen doesn’t wave her sexuality in front of everyone, like Rosie O’Donnell has been doing on The View. Either way, he says, the next big star of television or movies might not be hurt by being homosexual. I’d like to say that the reason there’s been little flap over Ellen is because not many people watch the Oscars, so they can’t be bothered to care. Beyond that, though, I’d say this is at least a step in the right direction for greater acceptance. I have a sneaking suspicion that lesbian women will come to acceptance much faster in society than gay men will.
What do you do with an old television? Well, for this particular box, its destiny was to become an aquarium. Which certainly means there will be interesting things to watch on the screen for years to come. Recycling all the guts of the TV, though, probably cost a little bit and took some time. Kids who saw that might wonder why the TV was permanently on a fish channel. If you want to get the kids reading some books, rather than watching the aquarium all day long, and are a bit more inclined to classic texts or the history of the Romans in Latin, then the Forum Romanum, and perhaps a bit more specifically, the Corpus Scriptum Latinorum may be right up your alley - there are translations available into your native language for some of the texts. Might be worth poking about to see on brushing up on your classics, and then reading some of the other material that’s available.
Internationally, even though the situation in Pakistan and India has cooled, Pakistan tested a missile that had a potential reach of 2,500 kilometers. The BBC article is light on details as to why such a test might have happened. My guess might be that it was warning Afghanistan or other neighbors about keeping their conflicts well-within the borders of their own countries. Someone with better experience, or a more detailed article, please do provide more information.
Mother Jones magazine has put forth a primer on the conflict in Iraq, for those that need to refresh their memories or get brought up to speed on what the costs, ideals, and lives at stake are in this increasingly-drawn out exercise. The impulse to make weapons is apparently not just limited to humans as well, now that researchers have observed female chimpanzees crafting effective hunting spears out of branches. Is this also evidence that primate species have a certain inclination to both tool-making and violence?
Something that may be vapourware, or that may be the complement to the sunburn of a thousand fire ants weapon tested by the military earlier, a means of using a high-power strobe light to paralyze people caught in its beam is undergoing testing. My first instinct is to think of any epileptics that such a device might be turned on and what kind of results could happen in those cases. This is apparently being designed with the idea of mounting it on an unmanned aerial craft. What it sounds like is being done, to me at least, is that the pattern of the strobe is supposed to induce a low-grade seizure in the target. Not enough for serious damage, but enough to keep them from going anywhere. I wonder about the twenty-four hour applicability of such a device, and whether it could easily be foiled with a polished shield. Of course, carrying around such a thing would probably make you suspicious to the people that would be using such a device. Non-lethal force is still pretty scary stuff. If these devices perform as planned, that gives persons even less ability to demonstrate in groups or to express dissatisfaction with issues in a public place. I wonder whether we’ll be seeing Fingermen on the streets, along with the all the organs of the Head. It’s not going to get that bad, is it? (Have a look at the comment section, too, to see the opinions on the viability of the matter, and whether or not it’s another couple loops in a tightening noose of freedom restriction.)
A press release from NASA and Caltech says that the Spitzer space telescope has managed to capture enough light from two target exoplanets to make spectra of them. The analysis gives an idea of what sort of molecules are in the atmospheres of the planets - the technique involves subtracting out the spectra of the stars that the planets are orbiting by observing the planets before and during the time they are eclipsed by their suns. The spectra that’s left is unique to the planet. The method only really works in the infrared, so I don’t know if there is complete information being relayed back, but the range of useful data being gathered from our telescopes may have just expanded quite a bit.
In an interesting blend of religious thoughts and secular experiences, Gnosis and Activism, a piece that shows how striving for enlightenment beyond the material does not necessarily mean that the matters of the physical world should be left to their own devices. It’s not a matter of doing politics from the pulpit, which the poster finds problematic, but in getting involved in issues, being active, and exercising small powers like voting in local elections and being informed about those issues and candidates. He’s also against people who blog or rant and then do nothing, so I’m probably not the best person to talk about the rightness of the message. Were he a Buddhist rather than a Gnostic, I suspect there would be talk here about the way of the Bodhisattva, and how leading people to enlightenment requires that you stay involved in the world you’re trying to get others out of. After all, if you want to be an effective Bodhisattva, you’ve got to know how to get the people out of the burning house.
The last marker for tonight is something that I’m not wholly sure is necessary, but could be fun and relaxing to some. It also, however, uses a particular naming convention. iSerenity offers “environments”, which are flash applets with the appropriate sounds of whatever area you are in, and some pictures to accompany. Kind of like nature sounds CDs and machines, just on the Internet, and doing more than just nature sounds. Have a look, see if you like it, et cetera, et cetera. I just wish they had a better name. iSerenity makes me think of a Malcom Reynolds-themed computer built by Apple. I somehow don’t think Mal was a Mac user.
Anyway, that’s it for me tonight. Enjoy yourselves and all that, while I try to get some sort of rest. Oh, yeah, and I should probably do some reading tomorrow, too.
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no subject
Date: 2007-02-24 08:33 am (UTC)I saw a tv special about non-lethal force, and they showed the flashlight stunner. WOW. It's very impressive. Basically the #2 man in an entry team carries this device, it's mounted like a rifle and held up at the shoulder. As soon as the #1 man makes entry, #2 is sweeping the room and shining this device directly in the faces of anyone there. And basically while this thing is pointed in your face, all you are seeing is flashing green lights.
It was probably a different device than the one that you posted, I don't have time to read your link right now. But the one that I saw was a purely temporary effect. The problem that I see with such a device mounted on an aircraft is controlling the area. If I'm driving by and the device is used on someone else but also hits me, and I have a car crash and run over someone, I'm going to be mighty pissed at the government.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-24 02:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-24 03:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-24 04:54 pm (UTC)Still, there two questions I see here as being relevant. Are all the models using comments closely related? It may be worth while to see if they can all be consolidated into one model. If not, it may be worth while to just make separate comment tables for each type of model.
If nothing else, interrogating professors about what they want isn't cheating.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-24 05:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-25 01:46 am (UTC)