Mobile Phones Causing Bees to Disappear?

The Independent, bastion of outstanding and unbiased British reporting, reports in today's paper the assertion that mobile phones might be the root cause of the disappearing bees. See http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/wildlife/article2449968.ece.

"The theory is that radiation from mobile phones interferes with bees' navigation systems, preventing the famously homeloving species from finding their way back to their hives. Improbable as it may seem, there is now evidence to back this up."

There is a serious issue with bees disappearing. We must have bees to survive as a species.

Of course mobile phones wiping out bees will be a world-changing discovery if this is to be proven. At the same time, what is so special about mobile phone radiation? We have had radio transmissions originating from our planet for over a hundred years, and bees have survived over that period. We have been bombarded by radiation originating from space since day one of the universe. Bees have survived that.

What is different about mobile phones to be worthy of this accusation?

Samba Domain Control in Fedora Core 6

I found I needed to upgrade the server from Red Hat 7 (or 8) to run a more contemporary version of Linux. Main reason is that the machine running Red Hat simply refused to restart after replacing the LAN card. I simply wanted to upgrade from 10 mbs to 100 mbs. That led down a long and tortuous path to build a new server, based on Fedora Core 6.

Everything seemed to get installed and started just fine: Sendmail, Apache, Samba file shares, etc. However, getting Samba to act as a domain login controller just would not work. I'm convinced there is a bug. I guess I will try to collect the information in the logs and send it off to the Samba developers.

SSL Email in Python?

I've figured out how to send email via a Python script using the email module. But I find how to setup an SSL connection which is required to use the Gmail SMTP server. Anybody know?

Proprietary is Not Necessarily Secret!

The term "proprietary" should mean "something that is owned by someone". Even people who create software (or hardware) that then license under what they consider "open" and therefore non-proprietary licenses are kidding themselves. They own it. They created it. They chose to license it. Even after licensing it, they *probably* still own it (unless they gave up ownership in the license).

Proprietary does not mean secret, non-open, or anything like that ... despite that, I agree that's how the word seems to be now used. I guess it's ok that words evolve, but the definition of the word "proprietary" has evolved faster than it should given that this evolution has confused the topic of software licensing.

CERIAS Weblogs � Vulnerability disclosure grace period needs to be short, too short for patches

CERIAS Weblogs � Vulnerability disclosure grace period needs to be short, too short for patches

This is a terrific article which presents numerical analysis in the assessment of risk. So rare these days.

Google Reader

First I was reading the web. Then blogs arrived. Then I found it useful to read blogs via Newsgator inside of Microsoft Project. Now, I've discovered Google Reader, to read blogs. Terrific.

Quiet PC

I got tired of the hurricane noise in my den. I ordered a new "quiet" computer case from Quiet PC (Antec P150). Terrific case. Terrific company to specialise in such environmentally friendly products!

Fantastic Book on Microsoft Project

There are a number of books out there on Microsoft Project. I've run across one (and how I found this I can't remember) which is the book for project managers who use Microsoft Project to read.

"Dynamic Scheduling with Microsoft Office project 2003", by Eric Uyttewaal, ISBN 1-932159-45-2.

As Harold Kerzner says in the Foreward, "this book will convince you that project management can be done more efficiently and effectively using scheduling software". This book tells you how to do it with Microsoft Project.

Steve Yegge on how Google Works

Steve writes a very long piece on how he sees Google running, as an insider. He works there as a developer. The piece is not really about Agile Development, despite the title.

His world in Google is so different from others, that we can't help but be challenged to think differently about our own world and how to take some ideas from Google's world.

Adobe Acrobat 8 has built-in Web Conferencing

Now this is interesting.  See http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatpro/ where "Enable users of Adobe Reader® software (version 7.0 or 8) to participate in shared reviews.Use the Start Meeting button to collaborate in real-time with the new Adobe Acrobat Connect line of products." 

It is likely that users of Adobe have not yet experienced web conferencing, and using this "safe" option could be their introduction.

I'm not sure that all products need to have built-in web conferencing, but it's clear that only a very small minority of the world has yet to experience it.

Skidmore Owings and Merrill

While at university studying civil engineering in the 70's, I had visions of someday working at SOM (Skidmore Owings and Merrill).  I didn't want to be an architect and preferred the engineering and business side of big building projects; but the thought of being involved with the creation of such lovely things was a goal. 

I ended up finding that I didn't really "get" structural engineering as much as I "got" fluid mechanics, so my career took a turn towards other directions.

I still wish thought, that when I grow up I can work for or with SOM.

Business Week reminded me of SOM.

Microsoft Live Writer

Microsoft's new tool, Microsoft Life Writer, has received a lot of attention.  All reports are very positive with little to no negatives.  I tried it a few days after release, but for whatever reason it would not connect to my blog on Blogger.  This is another try a few weeks later and it works. I guess there were initial teething problems.

Interestingly, it has one feature I really like: spell checking.  And it has "automatic correction" on spelling, which doesn't seem to workk.

BBC Probably Gets It Wrong Again

Re the strange case of John Mark Karr ...

CNN (and other sites): "no JonBenet charges", e.g. http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/08/28/ramsey.arrest/index.html

BBC: "JonBenet suspect charges dropped" at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5293822.stm.

How can charges which were never (apparently) filed, be dropped?

Cancel Your Credit Card

Cancel Your Credit Card

Love it.

Edinburgh International Book Festival

Edinburgh is a terrific place in August. I can't keep up with all the events going on. Work and real life is definitely getting in the way. The Festival. The Fringe Festival. The Jazz Festival. The Film Festival. The TV Festival. And the Book Festival, my favourite.

Earlier in the week I heard Tim Waterstone talk about his style of management ... he's made many millions for himself and others. Tonight it's Jeremy Leggett and Fred Pearce on "Oil and Water". Robert Fisk of The Independant newspaper couldn't make his committment to appear, so I'll maybe get the opportunity to see Al Gore give his slide show later in the month

Highly recommended: Edinburgh in August.

Update: Al Gore's talk sold out (probably before announcement). Flogging his movie at the Film Festival, Book Festival, and at another event, all on same day.