Blog posts in September 2009

Rails initialization and configuration order

One of the great things about Ruby frameworks is that we use Ruby code to configure and initialize all the other Ruby code, so you don't need to mess about with endless XML configuration files and write wrapper classes just to run some little bit of arbitrary code to setup your application when the server starts up.

More

Installing PostgreSQL and Mysql and the Ruby gems on Snow Leopard

Things have gotten a lot simpler since the write-up I gave for Leopard.

Again, Snow Leopard comes with Ruby preinstalled, and I strongly recommend that you stick with that version rather than using the macports Ruby – no need to have two versions on your system.

More

Refacing government tender

I think the Emo Lincoln is the best of a good set, though the 70's black Washington is a close second. (Thanks Jess)

Permalink

Wingsuits and cliffs

Wingsuits are automatically pretty crazy/awesome, but when you start flying them along the sides of cliffs and next to mountain road hairpins, it's pretty hardcore:

More

Attention single friends

Two interesting links about dating. First @gnat blogged a link to the OkCupid OkTrends post about what not to say when you send contact someone on a dating site: “ur”, “u”, “r”, “ya”, “cant”, and “hit”, “sexy”, “beautiful”, “hot”, and “cutie”. “band”, “vegetarian”, and “zombie” are all good though :). Second there's an amusing article in the home-of-quality-journalism Daily Mail in the UK about the ego epidemic in which we are given the disturbing news that women are now (hushed voice) as egotistical and narcissistic as men:

More

The Bugle on quantitative easing

This is probably the best explanation so far of exactly how ‘quantitative easing’ works:

So the [UK] government has responded in traditional style by throwing more money at the problem, more quantitative easing. As St George, our [the UK's] patron saint used to say, the best way to kill a baby-eating dragon is to continue feeding babies to it until it's too fat to breathe. Because in the long run, you'll make a net saving on babies.

More