Derek Bodner’s Blog

Well, it happened. For years Microsoft has been claiming Linux infringes on patents they hold, and it appears they’ve finally acted on that threat. Microsoft has sued TomTom, makers of GPS systems powered by Linux.

Microsoft is claiming 9 patent infringements, 3 of which are related to the Linux Kernel and its use of FAT32.

TomTom uses FAT32 to natively recognize removable media.

Which is ironic. Why do you need to use FAT32 if you’re making removable media? Because it’s the only real way to have it be recognized across platform. Microsoft’s refusal to use non-proprietary filesystems has forced manufacturers into using their patented filesystem if they want their users to be able to use it problem-free.

I smell an anti-trust lawsuit coming.

(Note: IANAL).

I don’t find it a coincidence that Microsoft is coming after an embedded device. Microsoft is gaining in server market share, and Linux/BSD’s are not (and likely never will be) a real threat on the desktop. Where is Linux making the biggest gains? Embedded devices. That TiVo you use to record TV. That TomTom that tells you how to get everywhere. That Palm Pre you’ll be buying in a month. Thousands of devices that are powered by Linux, mostly unknown to the general public, represent potential business Microsoft is losing.

This could get interesting. We could either be opening up a Pandora’s Box, or it could be the retaliation leading to another anti-trust case against Microsoft. Or, more likely, TomTom will cave in and settle out of court, which would at the least negate setting a legal precedent for Microsoft to attack future vendors with, but would represent another successful bully for Ballmer and Microsoft.

Went to see AMC’s Best Picture Showcase, which had all 5 best picture nominees in succession. Believe it or not, I was able to sit in a movie theater for 14 hours and not go stir-crazy.

There will be spolers, so if you haven’t seen these movies and don’t want to be spoiled, don’t read on. Otherwise, click Read More.
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This one’s just a shame on so many levels.

200 pound domesticated Chimpanzee mauls 55 year old.

Obviously, our thoughts go out to the 55 year old Charla Nash, who is still in the hospital with critical injuries to her face and hands. To say that she is the most tragic case in this ordeal is obvious.

But I can’t help feel sorry for the animal in these situations. That goes for exotic animals that shouldn’t be held as private pets, and as well as dogs. 99 times out of 100, when a dog becomes aggressive, it’s due to a bad owner, either intentionally raising the dog to be aggressive (or defensive), or simply being ignorant of how to handle the animal. Big dogs get the worst rap, not because they’re inherently worse animals, but because an aggressive Rottweiler is a much bigger problem than an aggressive Chihuahua.

Likewise, it’s why a 200 lb Chimpanzee can be a great loving pet for 14 years, yet still be a threat. Something sets him off, something gets him scared, something gets him feeling he’s threatened, and his instinctual reaction can be deadly.

Obviously, we really have no idea how a Chimpanzee reacts to Xanax or the Lyme Disease medication it was on. And, while the animal has been domesticated, it’s still far too close to being wild to get rid of its instincts and “fight or flight” reactions. 99% of the time, the Chimpanzee was probably consciously making attempts to fit in with the society it lived in. And, from all accounts, this Chimp was a well-behaved, loving creature for every moment of its 14 year life up until this point. I have no doubt that something, somewhere, set this Chimpanzee into a panic. Something made it fear that its life was in jeopardy. And he reacted like we would expect any animal to react. That’s not to say the owner or friend did anything to instigate it, but we simply don’t fully understand the reactions of these creatures. We don’t understand their mannerisms or tells.

When the chips are down, and a wild animal feels its life is in jeopardy, there’s only one way I expect him to react. We, as humans, have been trained over and over to remove this instinct. We can get hit by cars going 70 miles per hour, and we don’t react. We can get punched by a stranger, and know to hold up. Animals don’t know that.

So, here is an animal who probably felt his life was in jeopardy, knowing only one way to react. He reacts. Moments later someone he considers a mother to him s trying to mortally stab him. The Chimpanzee is obviously confused, and the result is tragic.

This just echo’s why exotic pets (particularly exotic pets of this size) are a bad idea. We don’t know them. We don’t understand them. And they’re far too close to their wild brethren to be effectively domesticated fully. Dogs, while large animals, are a thousand plus year work in progress, and why they can trust us to the point of throwing their instincts to the wind. And even that doesn’t happen all the time with poorly trained dogs. No matter how good of a Chimpanzee Travis was, no matter how domesticated he was, and no matter how good-natured he was, if something sets him off where he thinks he’s fighting for his life, situation’s such as this arise. Which are tragic for both humans and animal. Just a shame all around.

Apparently singer Chris Brown has withdrawn from performing at the NBA All-star events due to accusations of domestic violence.

Which, in and of itself is a shame. But that’s not what really irked me.

(I mean, it does. But I could have pulled a domestic violence accusation from hundreds of newspapers across the country each day, sadly).

What caught my eye is Wrigley, one of his sponsors, pulling advertisements he was in.

“Wrigley is concerned by the serious allegations made against Chris Brown,” a company spokesperson tells Us. “We believe Mr. Brown should be afforded the same due process as any citizen.

“However, we have made the decision to suspend the current advertising featuring Brown and any related marketing communications until the matter is resolved,” the statement continued.

I love PR speak. “We believe in due process. Except we’re going to go by the court of public opinion”.

Not that I disagree with their decision to pull his advertisements, but be up front about it. Don’t tell me in one breath that you believe in due process, then in the next breath tell me you’re condemning him before he’s been convicted.

Entertainment awards shows and the Wing Bowl.

Awards Shows
Can’t stand them. A bunch of people with a huge sense of entitlement. It’s the stroking of ego’s for people who constantly need their ego’s stroked, coming to these events completely aloof of the problems of the average person, in multi-thousand dollar dresses in the middle of a recession. All they can say is how this validates them and their career, as if the constant admiration they get from us “regular” people isn’t enough, nor is the millions they get per movie. For us simple folk, a nice “good job” from our boss every now and then is all we expect and desire. Amazingly, we can function without the world giving us admiration for our job well done.

You want to have an award show celebrating the good work done by people? How about putting doctors on a national stage so we can celebrate them? Or maybe police officers who are risking their lives for us every day for a mere $40k per year? Or maybe a teacher, putting in longer hours than they should, for less pay than they should, trying to make our children the best they can be?

Actually, come to think of it, that’s probably a good thing. If those jobs attracted the type of people who are out for personal acclaim and recognition, they’re probably people I wouldn’t want in those roles anyway.

While I have an interest in the films that get awards, I can do without the hoopla of the awards shows.

Wing Bowl

I’m probably the only guy in Philadelphia who doesn’t like the Wing Bowl. Actually, I don’t have a huge problem with the event. But the lead up to the event is brutal. Annoying to listen to, and distracting from real issues that should be talked about on sports talk radio, like, well…sports. During the middle of playoff push, I don’t want to hear about how many pot pie’s some fat guy can eat, or listen to a guy describe on the radio how gorgeous a girl looks. If you want to have your event, fine. But it makes for crappy radio.

There, I said it.

Saw this a while back, but didn’t have time to comment. It appears the post on the data loss is removed, but here’s a post referencing the journalspace data loss.

Essentially, some data was deleted, either accidentally or maliciously, the details are a little murky. But, the site owner’s response was basically, “well, we had RAID”. He then went on to describe what RAID is.

Huh?

Maybe someone should have described to you what RAID is (and isn’t). RAID is not a backup. Database replication is not a backup. Clustering is not a backup. My lord, if your business relies on data, you might want to be a little more careful about it.

Alright, so you may be wondering why I’m commenting on a movie released 7 months ago. It’s simple, really. I was so blown away leaving the theater that I couldn’t rationally and objectively rate the movie. The performance by Ledger and the overall character, from conception to execution, was so perfectly done that it completely overshadowed whatever shortcomings the movie may have had. Even if there were flaws, the sum of the movie added up to more than the individual parts.

So I waited. Waited until the movie came out on DVD. After watching it a few times…

I still leave at the end of the movie absolutely mesmerized.

There are going to be spoilers, so in the off-chance someone hasn’t yet seen the film, I’m going to put my thoughts in the “Read More” section. If you don’t want to be spoiled, don’t click below.
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