Speaking of trees

At the Western Syndicate we like to share interesting product reviews from time to time. Would trees be right for you?

Branches and merges

If you're interested in software engineering, some interesting new features are coming to Subversion in 1.5. (Java World) I have been debating whether or not to move from CVS to svn for my own work, but have managed to talk myself out of it so far. These new features (with real branching and merging, and real metadata to track what has been merged where) are compelling enough for me to do it.

Here is another good document that clearly describes merging strategies (from the Subversion website at CollabNet). If you don't have a clear model for how you are going to develop, and branch, and merge, what you have is a mess.

Think you're having a bad day in the market?

A rogue trader has a $7.2 billion trading loss, the largest ever. (Bloomberg). Just to give some idea of how large of a loss that is:

The trading loss wipes out almost two years of pretax profit at Societe Generale's investment-banking unit, run by Jean-Pierre Mustier. The company said it's suing the trader, who had a salary and bonus of less than 100,000 euros a year and worked at the bank since 2000.

100,000 euros a year. I guess he can pay it back out of his salary on the installment plan. If they wanted to keep him employed there for some reason.

Tasty apples

Couldn't pass up the chance to increase my position in Apple stock today. Looks like I got in not a moment too soon. I guess everyone can laugh at me in a few weeks if it turns out that 127 really wasn't a pretty cheap price.

To follow up on the market

Didn't do quite as badly as expected, with a lot of help from the 3/4% interest rate cut. My stocks were not so bad -- the shares I have in my employer actually were even for the day. However, after hours, Apple announced excellent earnings but lowered expectations for their second quarter (the one currently in progress.) That's not going to be good news... I think Apple is my largest holding right now.

But I'm an investor, not a trader, and I still think Apple is better than the other investment choices, so I'm going to stick with it.

Intervention

Favorite quote of the day (from Megan McArdle's site)

I believe the evidence for human irrationality from behavioral science supports government intervention only if you believe we can draw our bureaucrats and politicians from some other gene pool.

The whole article here.

New definition of "expected"

(from MacNN, via Daring Fireball)

Apple is expected to post better-than-expected earnings based on strong Mac sales, newly-introduced iPods, and favorable commodity pricing during the quarter.

Market

Any bets on what the stock market's going to do tomorrow?

Never before had he written so long a letter

Letter from a Birmingham Jail [King, Jr.]

This is not me. I repeat, this is not me.

Craigslist poster looking to hook up with another shell programmer (from Joe).

I need a woman (obviously) who is willing to raise a child with me in the method of Unix.

Ron Paul on Leno

Ron Paul appeared on Leno last night -- great interview, must see, and Jay Leno was very supportive. This came about after Fox News excluded Paul from the debate in New Hampshire a few days ago, rather inexplicably.

It's Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Pretty catchy if you ask me

A great campaign anecdote. From Neal Boortz's web site:

Great dinner last night in Manchester at the Strange Brew Tavern. Ed Schultz and his bride accompanied us .. and Belinda picked up the check! What a girl! On the way back we walked down the main drag and encountered a rather happy and boisterous group of Ron Paul supporters. The Paulistas will chant just about anything. As we walked by they started chanting "Somebody push the button. Somebody push the button." We inquired and were told that they were just trying to get someone to push the button for the traffic signal so they could cross the road.

Times change indeed

A nice anecdote to start the year off at Daring Fireball. Happy New Year.

Now for an alternative viewpoint

A few days ago we talked about how China may not be all it's cracked up to be. Here's a different opinion.

2008: The year a new superpower is born (The Independent)

Here comes the world's newest superpower. The rest of the world is gloomily contemplating economic slowdown and even recession. Not in Beijing. China is set to make 2008 the year it asserts its status as a global colossus by flexing frightening economic muscle on international markets, enjoying unprecedented levels of domestic consumption and showcasing itself to a watching world with a glittering £20bn Olympic Games.

Futures

Found this quote in the Chesterton archives that is appropriate, given the recent discussion about predictions.

OF all the tests by which the good citizen and strong reformer can be distinguished from the vague faddist or the inhuman sceptic, I know no better test than this -- that the unreal reformer sees in front of him one certain future, the future of his fad; while the real reformer sees before him ten or twenty futures among which his country must choose, and may in some dreadful hour choose the wrong one. The true patriot is always doubtful of victory; because he knows that he is dealing with a living thing; a thing with free will. To be certain of free will is to be uncertain of success.

Introduction to 'American Notes.'