It’s very interesting to study the differences between legal systems in different parts of the world. In the US, all crime — no matter what it was, or how minor, or whether anyone was injured or endangered, or even if anyone was actually responsible for it — must be punished. If no specific person is [...]
Archive of entries posted on September 2007
“In defence of computer games”
I’m not into Halo 3 itself, but this article (thanks, Joshua) reinforces what I’ve been saying about computer gaming for the last couple decades, back when “multi-player” meant two players using modems at best, or a hot-seat arrangement on a single system.
A Week of Vista-Bashing
DRM troubles are driving people — including formerly-loyal Microsoft ex-employees — to Linux. A major European think-tank is recommending “naked PCs” (PCs sold without an operating system) to foster competition and bring down prices. Microsoft has been forced by consumer pressure to keep selling Windows XP for an extra half-year. And even a CNET technology [...]
Constants In Lisp Macro Calls
I ran into a frustrating programming problem today, and one that I’d really like to find a solution to.
Cognitive Dissonance and IQ
There’s something I’ve never understood about people: how some (most?) people will adopt a specific position about a subject, and thereafter simply won’t be able to comprehend any argument to the contrary.
“Czech falls off motorbike, wakes up with British accent”
This is a fascinating story in it’s own right, but I really love the last sentence of it, on someone else with a similar problem: “It might sound funny to others, but suddenly thinking you are French is terrifying.” I couldn’t agree more.
“Laptop or Desktop Computer?”
The LifeHacker site had an interesting poll last week, on whether people prefer a laptop or a desktop system. Most of the people who said they preferred a desktop system gave one of four reasons for it: bigger monitor, more comfortable keyboard/mouse, expandability, and running the latest games. Those who preferred a laptop liked it’s [...]
Speaking of Frivolous Lawsuits…
…oh good heavens. And I thought numerology went the way of phrenology within the last couple hundred years. If this is the kind of thing that anyone with money has to put up with, I’m tempted to abandon Project X now, before it can make any.
Music Appreciation
I’ve just finished loading our CD collection onto the new hard drive. The grand total: eight hundred thirty-six albums. 41 gigabytes of data. I could listen to it for a month straight, twenty-four hours a day, and still never hear the same track twice. Some of them were already loaded onto my desktop system, but [...]
Lawmaker Sues God — God Responds
Maybe you heard about the recent flap over a lawsuit that Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers filed against God last week? Apparently God just answered.