This is a request for commentary from computer programmers. C programmers, Java programmers, web language programmers, hacks who cobble things together with shell scripts, what have you.
Here's the question: What kind of skill is programming?
The way I see it, there's two different types of skills: Ones that are creative, such as painting pictures, writing poetry, making music, and so on; and others that are purely based on logic and reason, such as engineering, scientific experimentation, and so on.
So, which kind of skill is computer programming?
Actually, the real question is: Can anyone with enough brains do programming, or is some weird creative bent required?
Programmers, I beg of you to leave any commentary on the matter. Thank you!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
3 Inches of Blood
I only know about this band because of one of our temp laborers.
Knew they were for something.
3 Inches of Blood
Knew they were for something.
3 Inches of Blood
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Let's Chop Up All The Big Countries
Wouldn't it be great if there were no more 800 pound gorillas on the world stage?
Most countries have are limited in population and industrial capacity so that they can't really engage in rude and anti-social behavior like stinkin' up the whole fuckin' place (cough-CHINA) or kicking the shit out of someone for no fuckin' reason (cough-USA) without the neighbors getting together and putting a stop to it.
So, I think it'd be a really wonderful thing if a way could be found to break down any political entity with enough clout to seriously fuck everyone around whenever it suits them. By "break down", I mean literal political fragmentation - the top level government just taken away, replaced by second level governments.
Not being some kind of fuckin' egghead political expert or anything I'm probably missing some really obvious examples, but the particular governments I feel the world would be better off without are the European Union, and the federal governments of the United States, China, and Russia. Some for reasons of specific bad behavior, but really this reason for all: The rest of us don't need anyone that big around. To me, they're more like the geopolitical equivalent of gangs than anything.
I wonder how, in theory, that might be made to happen?
Hmm. I guess what I really mean is, "how that might be made to happen AGAIN?" Were it still around, I would certainly have added the Soviet Union to my list of undesirable governments, and it did exactly what I'm talking about, except that one of the pieces is still too big. So, how to make that go further, and elsewhere, as well?
C'mon, US, China, Russia, EU: Do a Soviet Union! You know you wanna! Honestly, you don't really much care for out-of-towners, do ya? Talkin' all funny and takin' your jobs away? Wouldn't it be better to just be your own country? C'mon, break up, balkanize, separate, say bye bye. It'd be great for everyone.
Most countries have are limited in population and industrial capacity so that they can't really engage in rude and anti-social behavior like stinkin' up the whole fuckin' place (cough-CHINA) or kicking the shit out of someone for no fuckin' reason (cough-USA) without the neighbors getting together and putting a stop to it.
So, I think it'd be a really wonderful thing if a way could be found to break down any political entity with enough clout to seriously fuck everyone around whenever it suits them. By "break down", I mean literal political fragmentation - the top level government just taken away, replaced by second level governments.
Not being some kind of fuckin' egghead political expert or anything I'm probably missing some really obvious examples, but the particular governments I feel the world would be better off without are the European Union, and the federal governments of the United States, China, and Russia. Some for reasons of specific bad behavior, but really this reason for all: The rest of us don't need anyone that big around. To me, they're more like the geopolitical equivalent of gangs than anything.
I wonder how, in theory, that might be made to happen?
Hmm. I guess what I really mean is, "how that might be made to happen AGAIN?" Were it still around, I would certainly have added the Soviet Union to my list of undesirable governments, and it did exactly what I'm talking about, except that one of the pieces is still too big. So, how to make that go further, and elsewhere, as well?
C'mon, US, China, Russia, EU: Do a Soviet Union! You know you wanna! Honestly, you don't really much care for out-of-towners, do ya? Talkin' all funny and takin' your jobs away? Wouldn't it be better to just be your own country? C'mon, break up, balkanize, separate, say bye bye. It'd be great for everyone.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Nice One, Protesters
A couple of weeks ago, I was on my way somewhere Downtown Vancouver, cutting through the lot of the Vancouver Art Gallery. There was this big protest going on, as there often is. Now, I don't want to say what the protest was about because I basically sympathize with the point they were making. I'm not here to talk about that though, I'm here to call them a bunch of fuckin' idiots. I happened to notice this THIS goddam thing next to the beautiful water feature in front of the Gallery:
No, it doesn't clean up well at all on a porous surface like brick, as anyone in my line of work, or several other lines of work could have told you. So, now a beautiful water feature in mostly glass-and-concrete downtown in my city is marred by diesel exhaust because you dummies didn't bother to responsibly use the equipment you were using even to the extent of looking at it to see what it was fuckin' doing! That's why people like me have so little patience with you hippy-dippy wingnuts, it's not because we necessarily disagree, it's because you don't have the bloody sense to ask when you don't know something practical.
Nice one.
I might not even hide this on my blog, I might even fire this in to the fuckin' paper. Idiots.
Should the picture be not distinct enough or there be another problem with seeing my point, the pictured machine is a diesel electric power generator, and it's sooty black exhaust is pointed right at the brickwork on the water feature.
Do you imagine that cleans up well? Well, here's the same spot on the water feature two weeks later:
No, it doesn't clean up well at all on a porous surface like brick, as anyone in my line of work, or several other lines of work could have told you. So, now a beautiful water feature in mostly glass-and-concrete downtown in my city is marred by diesel exhaust because you dummies didn't bother to responsibly use the equipment you were using even to the extent of looking at it to see what it was fuckin' doing! That's why people like me have so little patience with you hippy-dippy wingnuts, it's not because we necessarily disagree, it's because you don't have the bloody sense to ask when you don't know something practical.
Nice one.
I might not even hide this on my blog, I might even fire this in to the fuckin' paper. Idiots.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Let Me Explain To You What a Firetruck Is
(I can't believe I have another topic already!)
That huge red car with the noise and the lights? That's called a "Firetruck".
The reason it's so large is because it carries equipment that's meant to put out a fire. Not campfires or barbecues, they're not driving around being assholes, but big deadly fires that kill people.
That's the reason for the noise (known as a "siren"), also. They're letting you know that they're not just chillin' or showing the ladies what an awesome ride they have, it's to let you know they are on the way to do their job. Unlike your job, people are going to DIE if they don't get there on time. In fact, people might die anyway.
The specific implication for the three of you is that you're really not supposed to step out on the road when one is passing, especially if, as in your case, it appears to be headed in your direction. People who drive firetrucks are used to people knowing who they are, so they don't obey the traffic lights. In fact, when their siren is on, they're not supposed to. For that reason, everyone that's been paying attention in life, and not living in la-la obliviousland like you, knows to stay out of their way.
The same applies to any vehicle equipped with a siren, even if it's not big and red like a firetruck. I'd explain further, but I don't want to get too complicated and crowd out the two main ideas I'm trying to communicate: Don't walk in front of a noisy firetruck; you are not very smart.
I am not an unkind person. Except when I am, like right now. I really wish that truck had squashed all three of you and continued on it's way, because people like you really need to be taken out of the gene pool. Idiots. I would exempt your small child from that harsh judgement, but I really don't think people like you need to go around reproducing. There's too many people in the world already and only the really smart ones should be allowed to do that.
(Oh yeah, this TOTALLY beats drinking and making my woman mad. Oh! About that...)
That huge red car with the noise and the lights? That's called a "Firetruck".
The reason it's so large is because it carries equipment that's meant to put out a fire. Not campfires or barbecues, they're not driving around being assholes, but big deadly fires that kill people.
That's the reason for the noise (known as a "siren"), also. They're letting you know that they're not just chillin' or showing the ladies what an awesome ride they have, it's to let you know they are on the way to do their job. Unlike your job, people are going to DIE if they don't get there on time. In fact, people might die anyway.
The specific implication for the three of you is that you're really not supposed to step out on the road when one is passing, especially if, as in your case, it appears to be headed in your direction. People who drive firetrucks are used to people knowing who they are, so they don't obey the traffic lights. In fact, when their siren is on, they're not supposed to. For that reason, everyone that's been paying attention in life, and not living in la-la obliviousland like you, knows to stay out of their way.
The same applies to any vehicle equipped with a siren, even if it's not big and red like a firetruck. I'd explain further, but I don't want to get too complicated and crowd out the two main ideas I'm trying to communicate: Don't walk in front of a noisy firetruck; you are not very smart.
I am not an unkind person. Except when I am, like right now. I really wish that truck had squashed all three of you and continued on it's way, because people like you really need to be taken out of the gene pool. Idiots. I would exempt your small child from that harsh judgement, but I really don't think people like you need to go around reproducing. There's too many people in the world already and only the really smart ones should be allowed to do that.
(Oh yeah, this TOTALLY beats drinking and making my woman mad. Oh! About that...)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
