Posts by W. Keith Wingate

OpenOffice files Oracle divorce papers

Here's to hoping M$ do not get the last laugh

I almost hate to mention this, but OSS projects with good corporate sponsorship seem to do better than the more grass roots offerings by "self-organized teams". That may be an "inconvenient truth" in certain circles and surely there are exceptions (apache httpd ; perl, python, ...) but if you compare the popularity of "eclipse" (say) to other IDE's, I'd say it has as much to do with IBM's backing as with an innovative architecture. The fact that OO got much better and somewhat more popular after Sun's involvement was due to a number of factors including increased dissatisfaction w/ MS Office, the increased popularity of Linux (where would Linux be w/out RedHat, Cannonical, etc.), but I think some credit must be given to Sun's (then) deep pockets and its wealth of in-house talent.

To be sure, no one was looking forward to a version of "Base" which needed redundant control files and 24 x 7 full-time DBA's , and Oracle would likely have continued to let the suite rot on the vine anyway, but I am starting to wonder whether I will have to finally break down and learn to use that bloody ribbon in Office 2007.

As for the name, you don't suppose they'd go for iGNUoracle ?

US forces drop dead drug-poison killer mice from helicopters

Not quite

I'm no pharmacist, but in the US (Canada may be different; codeine is much easier to get there I believe; I think you can even get "real" cough syrup without an Rx) OTC Tylenol does NOT contain codeine. Dentists and other doctors will often prescribe acetaminophen with codeine, called (I think) by various names, but most commonly "Tylenol with Codeine".

Oddly, the purportedly more liver friendly "Vicuprofin" (with ibuprofen instead of acetaminophen) is nearly impossible to get a script for because the MD's seem to think junkies might abuse it, but won't abuse the vicodin for fear the acetaminophen would do in their livers.

No, I couldn't make this stuff up...

Steve Jobs in iPhone bitchslap to creationists, Tea Party

The implication being....

"The new smartphone app for the iPhone, iPod, and iPad gives anyone the power to explore an area at the forefront of comparative biology and to find his or her place in the timetree of life ... "

.... that the iKit is so easy that even .... a monkey could use it?

One thing I'll give Apple: they specialize in building interfaces which are extremely easy to learn -- once you know how. :-).

Mine's the one w/ my Palm in the pocket please....

Google data center links shot down by 'bored' riflemen

Do you yahoooooooo?

I beg to differ. To paraphrase Jeff Foxworthy: You might be a redneck if....

...you shoot at things just for the hell of it.

I don't care if you're from Scotland, Saskatchewan, New South Wales, South Caroliina or South Yemen, or how "well-bred" you are.

I am not condemning hunting for meat or shooting at targets you've purchased to improve your "skills" (though here in Chicago teenagers with no training and guns smuggled in from down state regularly kill people with firearms, so really: how hard could it be?), but the wanton destruction of life and property because you've had a bad day (or a good day) is something my parents taught me was "wrong" well before I was old enough to hold a toy gun much less a real one.

"What do the guys say when you ask them that?" -- GI Jane to military shrink asking why she doesn't quit.

"'cause I get to blow shit up" -- GI Jane

Yup, she's a redneck!

Airship race round the world planned for 2011

Studio Ghibli as a sponsor?

After creating dozens of wonderful films for children of all ages, many of them featuring very imaginative airships, I can only imagine that Mr. Hayao Miyazaki might be quite willing to spend a few Yen to make this happen, granted film rights, etc. -- even w/ a JMJ score.

Steve Jobs carried 'ninja throwing stars' in hand luggage

He should have brought back an AK-47

I * think* most US jurisdictions treat "martial arts weapons" (from nunchaku to shuriken, etc.) a bit like I believe the UK treats firearms: you can carry them to and from the dojo, concealed, and had better be prepared to explain that you teach / train w/ them, etc. That was also true in CA when I lived there, I think, but if you're caught casually walking around Cupertino w/ them, (especially these days when the laws on such things have tightened) I suspect you'd have a lot of "splaining" to do.

Assault weapons in the US though, are not a problem....

Earth's first all Klingon opera debuts

Synthehol perhaps....

.... or more of those coffee houses the likes of which can most famously be found in Amsterdam, might provide the necessary muse.

Hurd to take $950,000 salary after Oracle pay cut

Yes but...

... can HP still make a laptop that actually works without dropping the WiFi connection every minute or so, whether it's running Windows OR Ubuntu? Or that doesn't require constant jiggling of the A/C connector? Not so far as I can tell.

I'm highly doubtful that HP still has any trade secrets that Snoracle would find useful, and legal questions notwithstanding, that alone should be his "defense".

Rackspace claims credit for shushing Koran-burning 'pastor'

No guts, no glory

Burning the Qu'ran up near the Florida panhandle -- I'm not impressed.

Let him go to Iran or Saudi Arabia and burn Allah's holy book, that'd be impressive.

My regards to his surivors....

Home Office unveils new UK passport

True on our side of the puddle as well

It's been a good 13 years or so but when I lived in Los Angeles I had it on good authority that on a certain well-known corner in downtown LA you could get a full-set of very realistic looking CA / US docs ('not sure if a passport was included) for about $75 US if you could wait a week. You might get them in a couple of days for an expedite fee. At the time, the legal versions of said docs could take months, and cost about $75..... Since then (I think; they may have had them before), the US Government has introduced expedite fees themselves. See, competition is a good thing!