2004-05-28
It turns out that I really, really like silent moving pictures. I much prefer them to the talkies. Not only don't I have to strain to understand the faded sound-tracks of movies like Errol Flynn's Robin Hood, but I can sit down and enjoy the acting, the facial expressions, the music, and the pacing.
2004-05-19
That's what I am. I like my desk clean -- a corporate clean desk policy had never been able to hurt me -- and I like my computer desktop clean. Of course that has it's disadvantages. As someone, somewhere, on a website long since lost once remarked, there's a remarkable disadvantage to a trash-can icon that shows the can bulging with junk when it contains a single file.
2004-05-17
The little provincial town where I live, Deventer, recently put an astonishing example of newspeak in our letter box... Until recently we could have large junk ('grof vuil') collected by the relevant municipal service. It would cost nothing, and was usable and useful, even for people who don't have a car, like us. Or you could take a car, and bring the junk to the local junkyard yourself.
2004-05-15
Last Friday (I would've done a write-up sooner, but I had to rush to Brussels for a course in Orthodox Theology), I participated in my very first demonstration. One complete with police attendance. In view of the importance of the occasion, I am not going to split this entry in opening and 'more'.
The issue is this: software patents stifle innovation. That this should be clear can be seen from the fact that my father, who knows nothing about the issue at hand, immediately told me that this would kill all innovation, as soon as I had outlined the barest facts of the proposed bit of EU legislation. I would like to go further: the bill as proposed will make it impossible for my employer, Tryllian Solutions, to stay in business making new software platforms.
Allowing businesses to patent software is to allow patenting ideas, thoughts even. And then the gedanken will no longer be frei. As Germany has recognized, as well as other EU countries, but not the Netherlands.
Of course, when we were in The Hague, Minister Brinkhorst was in Paris, and somehow I have a feeling that the top-level civil servant who was so very civil and suave is not the most dependable intermediary for our message; besides, what he said was basically that he was full of confidence that the Parliament would in the end agree with the Council proposal, and that we would like that decision, because it was made for our own good, my dear children.
Still, a nice turn-out, for so abstract a matter: about a hundred people, among whom one current colleague, and two ex-colleagues.
2004-05-13
I don't think there's much doubt that the Agent327 comics by Martin Lodewijk are among the best, or even the best Dutch comics; and they shine even among Belgian or French comics. There are currently 18 volumes, with two more expected, and I count myself very fortunate to possess all 18. True, in various states of dilapidation, because these are comics to read, re-read and re-read again.
2004-05-10
Recently, Havoc Pennington and Miguel D'Icaza caused a big flap by starting a discussion about the desirability of using a managed language -- like Java, C#, Python or Lisp to develop the core applications that make up a Linux desktop environment. These two gentlemen are rather Gnome-centric, so it's perhaps excusable that they never realized that what they propose is already possible, and even easy, with KDE, thanks to Phil Thompson and Richard Dale.. Even better: you can use a managed language, and still have the fun of compiling your code down to native code -- thanks to GCJ.
In a previous posting, I mentioned in the passing that I had received my copy of the new SUSE 9.1. I first installed it last Friday; both on my laptop, and my Rebecca's laptop. Naomi wisely argued that she was satisfied with her 9.0 installation, and begged me not to bother. Ten years old, and already knows the value of the old adage 'never mess with a working system'.
2004-05-06
Yesterday, the postman tried to deliver my shiny new SUSE 9.1. Today, I had time to collect the package from the post-office, and even some time to try and install it on my new Dell Inspiron 5150 laptop. By now -- five minutes past eleven, post meridiem, I am feeling fairly frustrated.