|
Powered by
|
|
Section: All | News & Politics | Geek Stuff | Devel | Non-existent Life | Random | Food! | Life |
Archives: 2003 > 04 Wed, April 23, 2003
Rambling
It's funny how things work. Just when you think you've lost all faith in mankind, you'll be walking down the street and you'll see something that completely restores your faith in humanity.
Yesterday, I was on my way home when I walked past the laundromat on the corner of 5th and Ivy. When I glanced inside the window, I saw something that made me smile: An aspiring young artist, sitting inside a laundromat, working on a beautiful blue portrait. I looked at that and thought to my self, "there's still hope."
And it happened again today. As I rushed out of the bookstore (already late for Russian), I was hit by some singing coming off of a temporary stage in the free speech area. Except, for once, it wasn't bad singing. In fact it was good. Real good. Up on stage, a girl was playing the guitar and singing Four Nonblondes' "What's Going On" to a sparse audience. But you could tell that she didn't care if nobody was listening. When she blared out what's going on, you could tell she meant it. As if she'd been waiting all these years to ask that one question: what the fuck is going on? It was that powerful. I stood there in awe for a few minutes and just listened. Then I walked on to Russian with an omnious grin on my face, my faith in humanity partially restored.
As odd as it may sound, that kind of thing happens to me every once in a while (otherwise I'd completely go nuts). And that's why I like to walk. All it takes is a little thing. A glimpse. 30 seconds of a song. A flashback. A feeling. But there are so many little things that you can see when you're outside going 3mph, that you simply can't see when you're in a car going 30.
More on OpenBSD/DARPA debacle
There's another article on the OpenBSD and DARPA funding debacle I mentioned a few days ago. Seems like DARPA has indeed cut funding, and it seems to be largely political. They (DARPA) is claiming that OpenSource software adds to "the evolving threat posed by increasingly capable nation-states".
When is the government going to realize that doing good is a two way street? If you help others, you help your self. If you help yourself, you help others. If you hurt others, you hurt your self.
Google and Distributed Computing
Dirvish and I were recently talking about how Google should do something like Grub, using Google Toolbars. We agreed that they must be thinking of doing that already (if they don't do it already). Well, it turns out our theory was correct:
Using millions of computers to solve important problems requiring substantial CPU resources, such as cancer and disease research. For example, we have recently begun small-scale tests with the Folding at Home project at Stanford University with a few thousand selected Google Toolbar users, in preparation for a much larger scale system that would enable our millions of Google Toolbar users to opt-in to contributing their CPU cycles to solving important problems.
I found it here.
More Anti-FrenchFreedom Insanity
There's an article over on the Guardian about frictions between the US and France. Powell, the one guy I thought had some sense, is said to have implied that there would be "consequences" for the French government's position on Iraq.
One thing I don't understand is, why is this still going on? I mean, we got our way didn't we? We went ahead and invaded Iraq, France or no France. We got our oil. Can't our gov't just let it go? What possibly is there to gain from escalating this even further? Is anyone still thinking in Washington?
The Pit of Evil?
Officials at Los Alamos have announced the creation of a new plutonium pit (the core of nuclear warheads), the first one created in 14 years. Apparently pit production has resumed based on recommendations that the US expand its nuclear arsenal to keep "enemies" at bay. Apparently the ability to wipe out humanity a dozen times over isn't enough... because you never know, you might need to wipe everybody out 13 times.
|
|
Ryo Chijiiwa
I'm a biologically Japanese, culturally American, Germany-raised, socially liberal, politically independent, gun-totin', code writin' dude. My life is currently sponsored by Google.
|