::::: : the wood : davidrobins.net

My name is David Robins: Christian, lead developer (resume), writer, photographer, runner, libertarian (voluntaryist), and student.

This is also my son David Geoffrey Robins' site.

Exporting a message to a file in Mutt

Technical ·Saturday March 7, 2009 @ 20:47 EST (link)

I was trying to save a message to a file in Mutt (console mail reader); first, it turns out that s (save-file) actually is more like move (it marks the original message deleted) and what I wanted was C (copy-file). Second, when I told it to save to ~/something, it actually created a Maildir folder and put a copy of the message in it. I had set mbox_type=maildir in the configuration; turns out it was only for creating new folders, so I commented it out (setting it back to the default of mbox), which caused copy-file to write a regular file.

A marine's last wish

Political ·Friday March 6, 2009 @ 23:09 EST (link)

Katie Couric, Charlie Gibson, Brian Williams and a tough old U.S. Marine Sergeant were captured by terrorists in Iraq. The leader of the terrorists told them he'd grant each of them one last request before they were beheaded and dragged naked through the streets.

Katie Couric said, "Well, I'm a Southerner, so I'd like one last plate of fried chicken." The leader nodded to an underling who left and returned with the chicken. Couric ate it all and said, "Now I can die content."

Charlie Gibson said, "I'm living in New York , so I'd like to hear the song 'The Moon and Me' one last time." The terrorist leader nodded to another terrorist who had studied the Western world and knew the music. He returned with some rag-tag musicians and played the song. Gibson was satisfied.

Brian Williams said, "I'm a reporter to the end. I want to take out my tape recorder and describe the scene here and what's about to happen. Maybe, someday, someone will hear it and know that I was on the job till the end." The leader directed an aide to hand over the tape recorder and Williams dictated his comments. He then said, "Now I can die happy."

The leader turned and said, "And now, Mr. U.S. Marine, what is your final wish?"

"Kick me in the [butt]," said the Marine.

"What?" asked the leader, "Will you mock us in your last hour?"

"No, I'm not kidding. I want you to kick me in the [butt]," insisted the Marine. So the leader shoved him into the yard and kicked him in the [butt].

The Marine went sprawling, but rolled to his knees, pulled a 9mm pistol from inside his cammies and shot the leader dead. In the resulting confusion, he emptied his sidearm on six terrorists, then with his knife he slashed the throat of one, and with an AK-47, which he took, sprayed the rest of the terrorists killing another 11. In a flash, all of them were either dead or fleeing for their lives.

As the Marine was untying Couric, Gibson, and Williams, they asked him, "Why didn't you just shoot them all in the first place? Why did you ask him to kick you in the [butt]?"

"What?" replied the Marine, "and have you three [butt]holes report that I was the aggressor?"
—"Some levity" from KN, in CLAMS (via).

Facebook RSS import results

Technical ·Thursday March 5, 2009 @ 02:16 EST (link)

I'm adding a few log items as a test: my current newest entry ("Obama's Magic") was dated February 12; I've posted two entries, one older than that (February 11) and one later on the 12th, to see how the Facebook RSS importer works. Does it import anything newer than its "last seen" date? (Then it'll pick up only the second one.) Does it import anything it hasn't seen, using the RSS GUID or a checksum? (Then it'll get both.) Or does it only import entries dated later than the current date? (Then it'll add neither.) It'll be a revelatory test. (Also I'm testing how frequently it checks, although I believe it says every hour: I just updated one of the entries; will it get the old or new version, or does it notice updates to imported entries?—true, if it does notice updates it'll be impossible to tell if it first picked up the old one.) Also: set up a (user) cron to save some Facebook data; had to add myself to the cron and crontab groups to make it work (and remember that every command needs an explicit path, even /bin/date).

… And the results are in! From my (Apache access) logs, Facebook (out.nnn.01.snc1.facebook.com) fetched index.rss (which runs my script, using XML::RSS, my pH::Journal module, and a bit of glue) at 0208, and they (both) showed up perhaps a minute later (sorted correctly). It fetches the RSS feed about every two hours (minimum 1:40, maximum 2:54, so far this month… found using a one-line perl program and the excellent DateTime modules). Since I had changed the output a little (added categories), I could tell that no, they don't update existing entries. Well done, Facebook, although I wish it the behavior was better documented (but since most people don't program their own blog and RSS feed, and only post current entries, it's understandable that they don't document these implementation details). It does tend to mangle formatting a little, though.

Books finished: The Minority Report.

Stimulus roundup: Uncle Sam's plantation

Political ·Thursday March 5, 2009 @ 00:17 EST (link)

America. Where irresponsibility is rewarded with attention, money, and goods.

(Originally a comment about octo-mom, but I think it sets the tone for the recent "stimulus" bills.)

* * *

CLAMS responses to Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL)'s waxing rapturous about the porkulus bill:

KM: He's an idiot. There's nothing in the Constitution about the federal government meeting human needs. If they'd just get the hell of out of our way, we could meet our own needs!

DW: If had any real compassion for the poor he wouldn't leave them destitute and dependent on his programs for their livelihood. Temporary assistance is one thing. Uncle Sam's Plantation is another thing entirely.

* * *

Shortly after class, an economics student approaches his economics professor and says, "I don't understand this stimulus bill. Can you explain it to me?"

The professor replied, "I don't have any time to explain it at my office, but if you come over to my house on Saturday and help me with my weekend project, I'll be glad to explain it to you." The student agreed.

At the agreed-upon time, the student showed up at the professor's house. The professor stated that the weekend project involved his backyard pool.

They both went out back to the pool, and the professor handed the student a bucket. Demonstrating with his own bucket, the professor said, "First, go over to the deep end, and fill your bucket with as much water as you can." The student did as he was instructed.

The professor then continued, "Follow me over to the shallow end, and then dump all the water from your bucket into it." The student was naturally confused, but did as he was told.

The professor then explained they were going to do this many more times, and began walking back to the deep end of the pool.

The confused student asked, "Excuse me, but why are we doing this?"

The professor matter-of-factly stated that he was trying to make the shallow end much deeper.

The student didn't think the economics professor was serious, but figured that he would find out the real story soon enough.

However, after the 6th trip between the shallow end and the deep end, the student began to become worried that his economics professor had gone mad. The student finally replied, "All we're doing is wasting valuable time and effort on unproductive pursuits. Even worse, when this process is all over, everything will be at the same level it was before, so all you'll really have accomplished is the destruction of what could have been truly productive action!"

The professor put down his bucket and replied with a smile, "Congratulations. You now understand the stimulus bill! "

—From JS, CLAMS (via)

* * *

And finally a real stimulus idea, somewhat similar to Jim DeMint's American Option (from his blog). Joe's Stimulus Plan:

  1. Cut federal payroll taxes 50%

  2. Change tax tables to reflect that change

  3. Give taxpayers half of their 2008 tax bill back, up to $5000

  4. Fire middle- and senior-management government employees on a 1:1 ratio with private jobs lost

(From an article by Joe Michelotti (CLAMS) published in his local paper.)

"Wonderful" Wednesdays

News, Technical ·Wednesday March 4, 2009 @ 20:47 EST (link)

Workaholics by any other name is still workaholics ("Wonderful Wednesday"? What is this, Nineteen eighty-four?). It's officially optional this time around (not that they could actually lock us the building in in Word 12). For those that don't know about this, "Workaholics Wednesday" means that everyone stay late fixing bugs until a certain target is reached, at which time there is rejoicing and playing of Warcraft. This time, there's usually a fixed end in sight (around 2100) and we usually meet our goal well before the time. What usually happens is that people arrive late the next day, and bugs bounce back as testers and program managers (PMs) arrive in the morning.

The medical bear I bought Honey finally arrived (hah! on me; I expected it to arrive around Valentine's Day).

I installed the Firebug Firefox add-in to help debug the photo categorizing system that I've been working on.

Finished CSE P 505 homework question 4 (did 3 yesterday, 2 the day before); done, although I still want to do some more testing.

I updated my book database system to add a book as read on weRead.com (using my new module) whenever I add a book as read locally. Tested it out with Philip K. Dick's Minority Report and Other Classic Stories.

New computer from Costco arrived.

Obama's economy

Political ·Tuesday March 3, 2009 @ 22:16 EST (link)

I am for the separation of state and economics, just as we have separation of state and church.
—Ayn Rand

A few stories on Obama's economy:

A. W. Worley

News ·Tuesday March 3, 2009 @ 22:09 EST (link)

A.W Worley has passed (Memphis, TN); his daughter contacted me and let me know. He was a good man; he gave me some books while we lived in Memphis and attended Grace Gospel Chapel.

Seven steps to fix the country

Political ·Monday March 2, 2009 @ 00:13 EST (link)

Given sufficient power, these are seven first steps I'd take to fix the United States:
  1. Control immigration.
    1. Seal the borders (finish the wall, technical monitoring, minefield, armed border agents/national guard; with a mandate it wouldn't take long.
    2. Require employers to use employee verification, with harsh fines for non-compliance (e.g. 1% of gross yearly income for a first offense, increasing for each offense), and spot checks (concentrated in areas where hiring of illegals is high e.g. southern California).
    3. Deny any and all benefits (welfare, hospital care, food stamps, access to public education at all levels) to people not here legally, and require legal aliens that aren't lawful permanent residents to pay in advance for all benefits.
    4. Deny federal funds to any city that does not verify immigration status for all arrests and inform DHS for deportation.
    5. Abolish EOIR and BIA. The only appeal against deportation is being here legally and being able to prove it; deportees will be held until 30 days are up or they can be proven to be here legally, at which point they will be released.
    6. No more self-deportation: deported aliens are escorted to the border, ejected, and forbidden to return for any reason for 10 years (25, permanent on subsequent convictions). Biometrics are taken and/or chip implanted.
    7. All entrants to the country are biometrically identified (fingerprints or whatever technology is appropriate), and GPS-enabled tracking devices required to be kept on the person at all times (except LPRs). Spot checks will be made to ensure visa holders keep their device with them. If the device fails, they have 24 hours to report to a federal office (post office?) to get it replaced. Being away from the tracking device (except if legally abroad which requires DHS notification) = deportation as above.
    8. Any state-issued identification will expire no later than the expiration of the person's visa/permanent residency. No state may issue identification without proof of legal residence. Expired identification may not be accepted by any entity accepting federal funds (with the bailouts, this presumably now includes most banks and auto companies).
  2. No taxation without benefit (no wealth redistribution).
    1. No level of government may levy a tax on anyone that either (1) will not benefit directly from the use of the tax money or (2) does not opt in.
      1. This isn't as strong as I'd like (I'd like an exact commensurate pay-as-you-go requirement), but we can't change too dramatically in one step, e.g. we can't immediately sell off all the roads and charge drivers by use, but we can say that people that don't drive (don't own a currently-registered car) shouldn't have to pay the part of their property taxes that go to local roads, people without children shouldn't pay for schools, or people with their own well and septic shouldn't need to contribute to local water and sewage treatment.
    2. No person will receive benefit from tax-supported plans into which they have not elected to pay.
    3. Rather than passing a bill that appropriates money for a project, lawmakers need to propose a plan and get people to voluntarily subscribe to support and pay for it. People may opt out of the costs and benefits of a plan yearly on the anniversary of the execution (if they opt out earlier, their participation and contribution end at that point).
      1. Want a welfare plan? Design it, and convince people to voluntarily participate.
      2. What about free riders? E.g. government builds a new bridge or provides 'flu vaccinations. Ideally non-participants are denied use (no vaccine, no bridge access) but in practice that's hard; really we'd just have to do our best, and infrastructure upgrades and 'flu vaccines aren't among the highest costs. Perhaps an infrastructure subscription is a requirement for living in an area (comes under "will benefit directly" since if it's a footbridge, everyone walks).
      3. Note this fixes bailouts and entitlement programs completely, by elimination. It will also pare down all other departments as people elect not to fund them.
  3. No foreign intervention without American benefit.
    1. No foreign wars unless it directly benefits the economic (or possibly strategic) interests of the United States (no rescues, no policing the world): that is, the war must literally pay for itself.
    2. United States citizens may act as mercenaries provided they do not go against the interest of the United States (no fighting for enemies or against allies); this will be done via private companies.
    3. The United States military forces not currently at war or in rotation to go to war will be employed part-time at reduced pay (or perhaps moved to National Guard status, or let go). We don't pay for people to stand around.
  4. Reduce and re-organize the department of education.
    1. The department of education will only provide standard requirements for high school graduation and accreditation of colleges and universities, with input from representatives of the several states.
    2. Taxes may not be used to support extracurricular activities (or facilities only useful for such activities), or any costs not associated with a minimal level of elementary schooling (literacy, knowledge, shared values). Highschool and above must be user financed.
    3. Schools may pay and retain teachers at their discretion.
    4. States may organize and legislate schools at all levels at their discretion.
    5. Only citizens, lawful permanent residents, and students on study visas may attend state schools; students on visas require the consent of the state and particular school to attend a school and may be charged more than American students.
    6. Government schools will be sold to private concerns. The government will only certify schools at or below the elementary level so that vouchers may be used to direct tax monies to the school a parent chooses.
  5. English will be the official language of government.
    1. No government will pay for printing or translation services to or from any other language.
  6. Fair and simple taxation.
    1. Income tax will move to a single-rate system (or, if people prefer, instead a flat sales tax will be instituted and the federal income tax revoked).
    2. Tax credits and deductions will be revisited and as many removed as possible (e.g. child tax credit, mortgage deduction, etc.).
    3. Marriage is a religious matter. Marriage will not confer tax benefits or penalties, and the state will not become involved.
  7. Licensure.
    1. The government will decriminalize the performance of any profession without license.
    2. Licensing boards will now only offer certification. Buyers have the option to use practitioners that are certified by the board of their choice, or, at their own risk, ones that are not certified. Claiming certification not actually possessed is fraud.
    3. The Second Amendment is an individual right. The federal government may not add registration, fees, or taxation to firearms or ammunition. Individual states may impose limitations only by age (but not to those not over 18) or criminal record (only for violent felonies, with a five-year limit from the last crime or parole, whichever comes last). People may, if their means allow, purchase any unclassified weapon available.

The helpful people at weRead.com

News ·Sunday March 1, 2009 @ 18:04 EST (link)

Colloquia reviews/viewing finished! CSE P 505 homework 4 question 1 finished!

I have to say something good about weRead; I've sent them some questions (beginning by asking about an API) and they have been very helpful and responsive, and they have a great service. (Can't write code for beans, though, judging by their Javascript, but at least they've hacked at it long enough to make it work, to a first approximation.)

Style sheet overhaul

Technical, School ·Saturday February 28, 2009 @ 21:59 EST (link)

I altered my home page style sheet: shrunk down log entry titles, moved the rule underneath, and shrunk text a bit. It gives it a more modern look, and makes the overhead of an entry smaller, with the idea of getting rid of "multi-date" entries (resulting from queuing things up in OneNote until I have a enough to enter). I also modified the RSS output to include topics in the content (although they are in the RSS, readers seem to ignore them); they'll show as "Categories: …".

I finished watching the four colloquia for my 1-credit colloquia course (did the last 3/4 that I have to review today, and will watch the four others that don't need reviews tomorrow). Thanks to the program advisor for the reminder that these are due by Friday next week!

I had my first de-friending today… maybe someone didn't like my politics or religion, or perhaps it's less nefarious and someone I added realized they didn't actually know me. Facebook doesn't notify you when someone removes you, so, although I hope it doesn’t happen again, I added the Unfriender application to notify me.

I finished hacking up a splitter control for my new (internal) photo viewer/manager. It's a utility I'm writing to help categorize my photos, which will make it easier to upload them to Facebook in discretely organized albums.

<Previous 10 entries>