Archive 15.12.2005 - 30.12.2005

TP: Not yet tapped to the fullest - 38% of those surveyed agree with the ideas of Intelligent Design. In Germany. On to the Middle Ages ...

Webstemmer - HTML-Grabber that extracts the actual core text from websites based on the layout.

RAW Developer Upgrade

I've already drummed up some support for the RAW Developer from Iridient Digital - back then it was still version 1.2. The new version has definitely become much more rounded and I really like it during my first tests. And even if it's not the fastest converter - it's definitely one of the most powerful. Together with a good image browser like iView Media Pro, it's definitely a more cost-effective and resource-saving alternative to Aperture.

Susanne Osthoff - and the press and politics

Archaeologist: "Osthoff's work is of immense importance" - but why is she then put under so much pressure? Possibly this is the reason:

There is a financially powerful lobby behind this, which makes money from looted goods from illegal excavations and openly threatens the loss of German jobs if the laws become stricter.

Archaeology is just not in vogue, so you can't motivate anyone - so go for it. Does someone say that the Red Cross should stay away from Iraq? Does anyone demand that other aid organizations withdraw? No. Susanne Osthoff has - in addition to her commitment against looting and thus the destruction of invaluable archaeological finds - also provided humanitarian aid. She knows her risk - which she is willing to take. In Germany, it is too easy for politicians to distance themselves from this. No one will cause a scandal because of a crazy archaeologist ...

Further information on the topic (and a series of links) can be found at sagichdoch.

Who is the hate preacher here now?

Schünemann demands ankle bracelets for Islamists - and receives applause from Bavaria. The electronic muzzle demanded by Mc-Pomms Innenseppel, on the other hand, I have long advocated for prolethics. At least Timm noticed that there must be a legally binding conviction before the forced ankle bracelet. Remarkable that a prolethic even notices something like that ...

What's up with the Glos?

Glos advocates for more income - because then people would have more money to spend and thus boost domestic demand. Which is why, of course, employers are demanding more work without wage compensation. It's quite amusing when even a Union politician finally understands after many years how consumption works, but the employers' representatives prove that stinginess knows no reason.

Horror Competition

I had actually sworn off horror, but at the end of the year, it catches up with you: a competition of banality and nonsense among the federal officials. The federal Horsti has already let off his stack - as usual poorly intoned and so flatly delivered that even the most eager neoliberal should have fallen asleep in their chair. And what does Merkelnix come up with as a response to this? Actually manages to surpass Horsti in banality and nonsense? Perhaps even more sluggishly delivered, so that one can barely muster enough energy to switch channels?

Hwang is said to have faked all results

It will always come out eventually - but they all complained in Germany that the strict guidelines were bad for research, that others - for example Korea - were much further ahead and not hindered by silly regulations, and that we would all endanger the research location Germany.

And it was only about who lies better.

Internet Explorer Sucks

Schneier on Security: Internet Explorer Sucks

MSIE was 98% unsafe. There were only 7 days in 2004 without an unpatched publicly disclosed security hole. [...] This underestimates the risk, because it doesn't count vulnerabilities known to the bad guys but not publicly disclosed (and it's foolish to think that such things don't exist). So the "98% unsafe" figure for MSIE is generous, and the situation might be even worse.

Autsch. 7 Tage ohne veröffentlichtes Loch mit passendem Exploit. Und Leute benutzen diesen Müllhaufen immer noch ...

Leica Digital M

And while we're on the topic of Speculoos (which also fits the season): Leica wants to build a Digital M. There have been rumors and considerations for a long time, but this is quite concrete in the LFI. Sounds very good - a digital M-body would definitely be something I would find exciting. However, I will probably find the price of a digital M less exciting, so I should just keep buying film until I have saved enough from the film material to cover the price of a digital M, which would probably take a few centuries.

New 35mm Optics from Zeiss

Soon there will probably really be Zeiss lenses for Nikon - the images certainly don't look like fakes. Okay, on January 18th we will know for sure, but it already looks very likely that Nikon will become the new Contax. Maybe there will also be optics with Canon adapters in the long run. On the other hand, I am very satisfied with my Canon macros and at least in that area I have nothing to complain about. Nevertheless, some of the Zeiss lenses on a digital camera would of course be quite nice - especially if they are well integrated (the adapter solutions for Canon are unfortunately only suboptimal).

simple_json 1.0 - Alternative to json.py with fewer quirks (therefore with a sociopath as a programmer - but you can't have everything. In this case, functional code is more important than friendly tone).

Strelitzia reginae

Strelitzia reginae

Just in time for the Christmas season, one of the small Strelitzias has bloomed - actually a bit early, Jutta had expected this in two years. And due to the poor lighting conditions, the individual flowers have faded quite quickly. It's still beautiful, though.

Just have some understanding now!

Altruistic impulses of the retail sector

Changes are mainly to be expected due to the planned increase in value-added tax as of January 1, 2007. "Anyone who only raises prices at the turn of the year is to blame themselves," said Rolf Pangels from the BAG retail association to the news agency AP. It is important to create enough leeway in the calculation beforehand, so that one can say on January 1, 2007, that one is keeping prices stable. The spokesman for the German Retail Federation, Hubertus Pellengahr, said that a price increase at this date "would not be accepted by consumers."

Exactly. The wonderfully selfless retail sector is raising prices in anticipation of the tax increase only for us consumers, because we wouldn't accept it otherwise. We are so to speak forcing our money onto the retail sector, we are compelling the poor, misunderstood retail sector to raise prices. We should be ashamed.

SCO probably sealed soon

Clear signs of dissolution at SCO. Not only are they almost bankrupt:

Without new capital, as shown by the financial figures now presented, the SCO Group would be threatened with bankruptcy.

They are also betting on the dead horse Unix-on-Handhelds:

SCO CEO Darl McBride expressed optimism when presenting the figures. Business would improve again because the focus is on the further development of Unix. McBride's greatest hopes lie in the new technology that SCO has outlined under the name "Me Inc." and which should soon be market-ready. In the conference call on the quarterly figures, McBride described Me Inc. as a Unix-based technology platform for handhelds and digital lifestyle products.

With this strategy, many manufacturers have already left the market - the handheld market itself is massively threatened by smartphones and what remains of the market is dominated by established players who will certainly be very enthusiastic about an SCO desperately looking for a market there. The market is absolutely promising for newcomers, as the various burst dreams of recent times show.

Dismantling of NRW progresses

Dispute over cuts in the scientific sector:

On Thursday (22.12.05), SPD parliamentary group leader Hannelore Kraft criticizes that the state subsidies for the science center are to be reduced and will be reduced to zero within four to five years starting in 2006. The consequence would be the complete end for these institutes, as they need state funding to be able to raise third-party funds in the first place. Kraft considers this development "fatal". Contrary to the announcements, the black-yellow coalition is saving on important future areas.

Did anyone really expect anything different? The black-yellow government is simply consistently continuing what the SPD started before - the run-down of NRW. Without rhyme or reason, things are being done wildly, regardless of the cost. The main thing is to be in power and be able to do a lot of damage. In a few years, others will be in power anyway, so why should Prolethikers care about the future? It's only about securing a good position in the economy for the time after the government ...

Well, what now?

heise online - French deputies want to legalize private use of file-sharing networks

The dispute over the reform of French copyright law has taken a surprising turn: Contrary to the government's wishes, the deputies, after the second day of negotiations in the early hours of Thursday, have spoken out in favor of allowing the sharing of files of copyrighted works for private purposes using a "global license" with a lump-sum remuneration.

Ok, the direction is of course much better than the previous one. Let's hope it stays that way. It would be a change to see a state focusing on the legalization and sensible implementation of private copies for once. And it could really bring the idea of a cultural flat rate to the fore.

Running Giants Down Under?

They found strange footprints from 20,000 years ago in Australia:

Among the footprints, there is a small sensation: it is the track of a man who was unusually large for the Ice Age. According to the scientists' estimates, he measured 1.94 meters and moved at a speed of around 30 kilometers per hour.

When one considers that the "indigenous population" was rather small in stature upon the arrival of the English ships, one wonders whether the running giant was a biological error, or whether perhaps more was going on in Australia than we have known so far.

CSS2/DOM - Styling an input type="file" - wild hacks to style file upload buttons with CSS or JavaScript.

Arithmetic Games

I just realized that it makes more sense to calculate 90*24*60*60 instead of 90*24*60 - at least if you want to express 90 days in seconds. Now, comment cookies should also last longer than 1.5 days

StickBlog » Blog Archive » Upload multiple files with a single file element - a nice method to upload multiple files without having to deal with a forest of browse buttons.

Weblogs - Variation on the previous link, here JavaScript and CSS together.

Throw the boys to the dogs!

Federal Court of Justice overturns acquittals in the Mannesmann trial

The 3rd Criminal Senate of the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) thus followed the application of the Federal Prosecutor's Office, which had already demanded the overturning of the acquittals in May. The judgments would not "withstand legal scrutiny," it was said at the time. The controversial bonus payments had involved "criminally relevant offenses." The money payments had been justified solely "in the interest of the recipients." The defendants had violated their "duty of care for assets" so "seriously" that the offense of breach of trust was indeed fulfilled.

Yes!

Experts at Work

When a forensic software manufacturer has to use its own tools in its own house, that's already embarrassing. But if this manufacturer also messes up when storing credit card information, you might want to avoid this manufacturer ...

The fraud was also possible because Guidance stored the card's check number, which Visa and Mastercard's terms of service actually prohibit.

Reich Labor Service

made by SPD:

The German government wants to deploy more unemployed people as seasonal agricultural workers. The cabinet decided in Berlin on a proposal by Federal Labor Minister Franz Müntefering, according to which ten percent of seasonal workers from abroad should be replaced by unemployed people in the future.

Also important are the concerns of the Farmers' Association:

The Farmers' Association criticized that growth effects would be lost as a result. Even if it is proven that no German workers can be found, no additional foreign seasonal workers would be placed. In this case, the federal government remains silent on the question of what should happen to asparagus, strawberries, or apples that are ready for harvest.

Exactly. What happens to the asparagus and strawberries? Nobody is interested in the people anyway.

Mars rover "Beagle 2" found - they found Beagle!

Dejavu - Trac - another ORM for Python. This one is characterized by absurd class names (Arena, Sandbox, Units ...)

Homebrew CPU Home Page - someone is building their own computer (including CPU!) from TTL chips. And then wants to write their own assembler, compiler, etc. - up to the OS. I wouldn't want to see the electricity bill, TTL logic is not exactly known for its frugal use of energy.

slight instability of this site

Right now, I'm experiencing some minor stability issues - the server process seems to be "losing" file descriptors - eventually they run out and the SCGI server is killed. At the moment, I have no idea why this is happening - other sites with the same server software (FLUP - an SCGI/FCGI server for Python) do not have this problem. For now, a regular cron job is running, which checks the process table to see if my process is still running - and if not, simply restarts it. And next, I'll probably have to come up with a debugging scenario to somehow narrow this down ...

Download DrScheme v300 - a new version of the best Scheme system in the world is out. Grab it while it's fresh. Now with Unicode!

Wretched Swindlers

Gas prices to become even more expensive in 2006

A spokesperson for the long-distance gas company VNG confirmed Weyand's prognosis and added: "According to our findings, this will be in the double-digit percentage range."

But the whole privatization bullshit is just so great. And the market will take care of it. It's just strange that energy prices for consumers only go up and the profits of energy suppliers rise to utopian levels. Great market that regulates itself ...

Pandora - first experiments

Pandora I had already briefly linked here before, but I only got around to trying it out myself today. Wow. Really brilliantly simple setup. And although I didn't directly expect it - it works. Ok, there is one problem with my music taste: the musicians have done very different things, so it's strongly dependent on the initial piece in which direction the service goes if I only enter one musician. Unfortunately, when searching for titles, there is often a "not found" as an answer (or only titles of the same name by other musicians - Black Moon by ELP, for example). But if the starting point is usable, it really continues very consistently afterwards - and many musicians are brought in whom I had never heard before (ok, from some I also don't want to hear anything in the future).

In any case, it's really more than just a toy - it's really fun to just let the station run. And as a registered user (optionally free with ads or paid without ads) you can configure up to 100 stations and build your own mood radio.

Quality Assurance in the iTunes Music Store

There isn't, really. Partly truly shocking. Marianne Faithfull. "A Stranger on earth" is rock. "A perfect stranger" they classify as folk. And "Blazing away" they classify as pop. Do they still have all their marbles?

And yes, before someone here gives me a lecture, I know about their older stuff and their folk experiments. But these three albums are the ones that have "Sister Morphine" on them - and the rest also goes in similar directions. That's neither folk nor pop, you poppets.

SVG Has Landed

This will please the shockwave rider: SVG is enabled by default in Safari Nightlies. The special thing about it: now documents can contain mixed XHTML and SVG tags and be styled with a common CSS - which opens up pretty cool possibilities, as the SVG objects are no longer embedded with OBJECT or EMBED tags, but are an integral part of the document.

How about training?

Microsoft Germany chief warns of "severe IT skills shortage":

Gallmann had already complained in November that there was a lack of young talent. IT companies would hire graduates from abroad under these circumstances, he said three weeks ago. Now the Microsoft Germany chief has backed up his warning with more figures: Even now, the demand for IT engineers can only be met to 80 percent.

Everyone can complain well, and they are masters at warning. However, most avoid the consequence of training themselves. Large companies that really lack IT professionals can easily remedy this shortage on their own: create training positions. This then has the added advantage that these employees know the company well when they become productive. But perhaps the consequence is not understandable for business graduates.

Instead, companies continue to look for employees in their mid-20s with a degree and 10 years of professional experience even for normal IT jobs. And then they complain that vocational training in Germany takes too long and that skilled workers are too expensive - well, what do you expect if you constantly only want fully qualified graduates?

AirTunes - only half the job?

Can someone please explain to me why Apple implemented AirTunes in such a way that it seems only iTunes can work with it? That's highly stupid. If I already have a way to connect my stereo system to my Mac, I don't want to use it just for iTunes - at least the DVD Player should get the same comfort. Even better would be a general solution - although I would understand if they didn't do that. After all, AirTunes requires streaming digital music - and in a suitable streaming format. But DVDs already produce that natively, so why can't I select an AirTunes device? Rarely stupid.

Apple and Firewire - The End Soon?

FireWire not dead, but it's on life support - but the life support is pretty bad. Just checked again: the new iPods (Nano and Video) no longer have FireWire. Which is quite ridiculous, because my Mac Mini doesn't have USB 2 - and I really don't want to copy my music collection with USB 1. What is Apple thinking with such a stupid thing? FireWire can certainly not be replaced by this miserable USB 2. Even new computers will probably only reluctantly include a FireWire port if the machines from Apple are considered suitable for video content. A real shame, because FireWire is a really useful connection technology that also offers good performance reserves for future devices - and unlike USB 2, it doesn't overload the CPU with data shoveling.

appscript - Python as an alternative to AppleScript. Thus, application control via the AppleScript interfaces directly from Python programs.

Generic Functions with Python

PEAK has been offering generic functions similar to CLOS for Python for quite some time. I always wanted to play around with it, but for a long time it was just part of PyProtocols, and the installation was a bit tricky. However, since September of this year, it has been decoupled and much easier to install. So I dove right in.

And I must say: wow. What Phillip J. Eby has accomplished is truly fantastic. The integration with Python (works from Python 2.3 - he even invented his own implementation of decorators for Python 2.3) is superb, even if, of course, some things take a bit of getting used to.

A small example:

import dispatch

[dispatch.generic()]
def anton(a,b):
 "handle two objects"

[anton.when('isinstance(a,int) and isinstance(b,int)')]
def anton(a,b):
 return a+b

[anton.when('isinstance(a,str) and isinstance(b,str)')]
def anton(a,b):
 return a+b

[anton.when('isinstance(a,str) and isinstance(b,int)')]
def anton(a,b):
 return a*b

[anton.when('isinstance(a,int) and isinstance(b,str)')]
def anton(a,b):
 return b*a

[anton.before('True')]
def anton(a,b):
 print type(a), type(b)

This small example simply provides a function called 'anton', which executes different code based on the parameter types. The example is of course completely nonsensical, but it shows some important properties of generic functions:

• Generic functions are - unlike classic object/class methods - not bound to any classes or objects. Instead, they are selected based on their parameter types.
• Parameter types must therefore be defined - this usually happens via a mini-language with which the selection conditions are formulated. This is also the only syntactic part that I don't like so much: the conditions are stored as strings. However, the integration is very good, and you get clean syntax errors already when loading.
• A generic function can be overloaded with any conditions - not just the first parameter is decisive. Conditions can also make decisions based on values - any arbitrary Python expression can be used there.
• With method combinations (methods are the concrete manifestations of a generic function here), you can modify a method before or after its call without touching the code itself. The example uses a before method that is always (hence the 'True') used to generate debugging output. Of course, you can also use conditions with before/after methods to attach to specific manifestations of the call of the generic function - making generic functions a full-fledged event system.

A pretty good article about RuleDispatch (the generic functions package) can be found at Developerworks.

The example, by the way, shows the Python 2.3 syntax for decorators. With Python 2.4, of course, the @ syntax can also be used. One disadvantage should not be kept secret: the definition of generic functions and their methods is not possible interactively - at least not with the Python 2.3 syntax. Unfortunately, you generally have to work with external definitions in files here.

RuleDispatch will definitely find a place in my toolbox - the syntax is simple enough, the possibilities, however, are gigantic. As an event system, it surpasses any other system in flexibility, and as a general way of structuring code, it comes very close to CLOS. It's a shame that Django will likely align with PyDispatch - in my opinion, RuleDispatch would fit much better (as many aspects in Django could be written as dispatch on multiple parameter types).

LTK - The Lisp Toolkit - if it should just be a bit of GUI, but not necessarily the big hammer is needed - LTK offers simple bindings for TK in Common Lisp. Works excellently with OpenMCL together, even CLISP likes it.

Sams Teach Yourself Shell Programming in 24 Hours - A whole book about shell programming. And of course, a pretty good introduction to the various tools that Unix systems provide. Certainly recommended for anyone who, for example, has gotten a root server and now wants to do more with it - but otherwise knows Linux mainly from the GUI.

Tonnenschwere Moore-Skulptur gestohlen

A multi-ton Moore sculpture stolen

Bundestag extends customs powers

How the Bundestag continues to trample on the decisions from Karlsruhe:

Sharp protests also come from the Humanist Union (HU): "The majority of the Bundestag has once again duped the Federal Constitutional Court," indignant is their deputy federal chairman Fredrik Roggan. The argumentation of the Black-Red coalition is an affront: "First, parliament and government let an entire year pass idly by, in which they could have created a constitutionally compliant regulation, only to then refer to time constraints just before the deadline." It is scandalous that Karlsruhe increasingly has to stop the lawmaker who has gotten out of control. The HU announced that it will file a constitutional complaint against the law and apply for interim legal protection to prevent the regulations on customs powers from taking effect.

It is already highly absurd how meanwhile even the clearly understandable judgments from Karlsruhe apparently do not find their way into the minds of the proletarians. As a result, the restriction of the large-scale eavesdropping has now been reduced to absurdity - one can simply have the customs listen in, instead of the somewhat restricted police ...

Gen-Food-Trash soon in Germany?

Nobody wants GMO food, but Seehofer doesn't care:

There should be no preferential treatment for organic farming under his watch. "Conventional farmers are just as important to me as organic farmers," he said.

Unlike Künast, Seehofer also wants to promote the cultivation of genetically modified plants. These play an increasingly important role worldwide - "this must also be possible in Germany". So far, farmers have been almost prevented from cultivating them by the strict liability rules. He will change the biotechnology law decided by the Red-Green coalition. However, the protection of humans and the environment will remain guaranteed.

Oh really - for him, organic farming and conventional farmers are equally important? Of course, both are screwed with the genetically modified plants. It's getting harder and harder for organic farmers to farm biologically - don't tell me that wind pollinators suddenly aren't anymore, just because they've been genetically modified. And the conventional farmers? They will only be more strongly tied to the corporations that want to bring this crap to market.

Genetically modified plant and seed material is not in the interest of consumers or agriculture. It is solely in the interest of large corporations, which patent this crap and thereby gain even stronger control over the means used. Seehofer is selling out agriculture and consumers - and in doing so, he actually treats all parts equally badly.

However, I don't quite understand why the crackpot then calls himself Minister of Agriculture and Consumer Protection - just call him Corporate Minister, that's closer to the truth.

[GOODIE] Headless Squeak for OS X (Re: Mac VM 3.2.X)](http://lists.squeakfoundation.org/pipermail/squeak-dev/2002-April/037668.html) - how to get a headless Squeak (Smalltalk environment without GUI component) running under OS X for server services. Particularly interesting for using Seaside.

Hyper Estraier: a full-text search system for communities - Full-text database with attribute search and some other nice features - as well as bindings for various programming languages

The Xapian Project - another full-text indexer, this one with various advanced features such as stemming for different languages.

Bank scandal in Italy: no small fries

The takeover of Kamps by Barilla is part of a major banking scandal in Italy:

Among other things, the top banker is said to have made millions in profits through illegal insider trading on the stock exchange for himself and selected customers. One of the most lucrative of these shady deals is, according to details that have become known today from the investigation files, apparently the takeover of the German large bakery Kamps by the Italian conglomerate Barilla almost four years ago.

Someone really didn't make small rolls here. Pasta and banks go well with the Mafia and other Italian oddities, but a German large bakery? How bourgeois ...

Inets 2.5.5 - Webserver in Erlang

Is Rails a DSL? What is a DSL, and is it possible in Python? - Domain Specific Languages - a quite useful description and examination of the situation in Python and Ruby.