Checked exceptions

Java programmers might be interested. Here is an article interviewing Bruce Eckel about the pitfalls of checked exceptions. Personally, I like checked exceptions -- while Eckel argues that the API designer is unnecessarily putting handcuffs on the API user, I think that's the nature of what an API designer does anyway -- he specifies how you have to use the interface, in detail, and that's what you have to do if you want to use his interface. It would be nice if I could leave arguments out and change the calls around to be more convenient in my code, but I'm not allowed to.

Perhaps I've just read too much production code in my career that had almost no error checking.

Have a smile

Did you notice that Coca-Cola's graphics have changed?

Sentient Fedex planes

Cool. Fedex planes avoiding a thunderstorm in Memphis. (This item has sound.)


FedEx Planes Dodging Storm - Watch more free videos

Oh, so that's who Joe Average is

Over the weekend I read this article in Der Spiegel about the current economic difficulties and saw this quote:

The leftist Berliner Zeitung writes:

"The current mini-crash is a painful sign of what the companies constructed of air and the extremely convoluted financial constructions are capable of. Whether this gambling pays off will all depend on more down-to-earth economics: If Joe Average in the USA can't pay his mortgage, we're all screwed."

That got me wondering, that was translated from German. How did they get "Joe Average"? Not to mention, how did they get "we're all screwed"?

The original from the Berliner Zeitung is here:

Wenn Otto Normalverbraucher, der in den USA Joe Average heißt, seine Hypothek nicht mehr bedienen kann, gehen alle baden.

That's Otto Normal Consumer, who we are informed "is called Joe Average in the USA". And rather than being screwed, everything is going in the bath for us.

Thank goodness

Best sarcastic line of the day. Did anyone besides me think that the last thing the economy needed was to make it more likely that people would never be able to get out from under their debts?

Speaking of not-rich people, thank goodness we've restricted personal bankruptcy so that all these subprime mortgage defaults can generate a robust system of economic slavery. People had felt in control of their lives for far too long.

We're now going to reap the benefits of this attitude.

Giving back

From time to time I like to use this space to evangelize understanding of economics -- because the average person's understanding of economics is woefully inaccurate, they are easily swayed by political arguments that actually don't make any sense.

Walter Williams is better at explaining economics than anyone I've ever seen, even though you might get angry when he's contradicting your preconceived notions. This is an excellent explanation of how money works and why some people have more than others.

Sunflowers

Sunflowers are living it up at night too. This is from summer 2005.

Linspire CEO Removed After His Letters Posted To Western Syndicate

After we posted letters from Linspire CEO Kevin Carmony about Oracle support and Linux philosophy, he seems to be out of his job at Linspire. Coincidence?

While we're on the Nazi thing

In case you were wondering what music Hitler listened to after a particularly stressful day in the office: Hitler's Record Collection Surfaces in Moscow

Not that! Anything but that!

"Police chiefs in the Thai capital, Bangkok, have come up with a new way of punishing officers who break the rules - an eye-catching Hello Kitty armband."

Ban on Politics is over

I've added the banner for the Ron Paul meetup group on the right side -- you should check it out, and join your local version of it if you're in the US and you're interested. There are groups all over the country.

How the Germans Conquered World Travel

Here are some interesting tourist brochures from the Nazi era. As the article says, "Nazis, of course, didn't think of themselves as monsters." (Spiegel Online)

Maybe I will start a Quote of the Day series

"You lose your awe of government fast living in the Washington, D.C. area. Like when the guy in your neighborhood who is supposed to anticipate Bin Laden's next move backs into his neighbor's car, across the street, two days in a row."

John J. Simmins | 08.03.07 - 1:17 pm |

Favorite quote of the day

This article contains my favorite quote of the day, or probably the week. From Megan at Asymmetrical Information:

But I did not laugh. I was raised to laugh at people behind their backs. It's called "manners".

George Bush is bad. Tee hee hee.

Google Ads has decided to advertise "humorous anti-Bush stuff" on this site. OK. You know all that ranting I do about George Bush...