Proposition 65

Proposition 65 warnings are essentially useless -- What chemicals? What concentration? What time of exposure? Without these data the reader does not have any basis to make an informed decision, whether to enter an area, to use a product, etc. We might as well put this warning at all entrances to the state:

The State of California contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defect, or other reproductive harm.

Perhaps to the list of maladies should be added: and brain diseases that cause this proposition to be passed. Oh, and this should scare off the illegal aliens from entering the state!

Complete the Sentence

White House: "We Don't Create Jobs."

They should add: "We Don't Save Jobs, Either."

The Strange Logic of Refinancing

Recently I have had to (well, I chose to) go through the process of refinancing a mortgage (for a better rate of course): gathering documents, signing documents, emails, phone calls, an appraisal, etc.  This is all standard operating procedure, except that I find it strange that I have to do this when refinancing with the same lender with almost exactly the same terms (an x-year fixed ARM for some x).  Since this is billed as an almost no-fee transaction, it means that after everything is said and done, the loan broker, the appraiser, and the title company will all make some profit.

Why can't we cut out the middlemen, and all the hassle, and just mutually agree to revise the terms of the current mortgage?

Paxos Made Simple

Reading Leslie Lamport's Paxos Made Simple is like reading this edition of Jonathan Edwards's Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (Made Easier to Read).

Numbers

Numb·er, n.  Something that numbs.  (Note the syllabification.)

Numbers make me numb.

Is Python's GIL evil?

While digging into the threading model of Python, I came across this article.  I have yet to form an opinion on whether evil is the correct description of the global interpreter lock, but the comments are interesting.  Erlang and Scala will be two languages that I want to study next.

I echo Instapundit's sentiments

Don't get cocky, Republicans.  You are elected to do the hard job of opposing ObamaCare, etc.  Do it with a good fight!

This is why I read the San Jose Mercury News mostly for the Fry's advertisements:  Editorial: Brown is the better candidate.  And I am not even that enthusiastic about Whitman, even though I voted for her.  For a flashback of Jerry Brown's inanity, see this video.