Dive Into Python
Before I forget again, last night I made Debian packages for Dive Into Python. They won't go into Sid just yet, as it is under the GFDL and there are some, well, issues there. For now, packages are available in my repository.
Same Old Same Old
Dear Intel,
Please make the Intel Pentium 4 sane.
Love, Ross.
Intel Pentium 4's are weird. I do a pretty-much null change (from looking at the assembler a jump table was re-ordered) and performance on the P4 is 30% better, but the same binaries on a P3 have the expected identical performance. I then optimised away some redundant code (again, looking at the assembler shows many instances of large chunks removed) and the program actually slows down. This is starting to make optimising for speed not a Fun Game. At least the ever-handy Meld is showing its worth again, quickly and easily displaying the differences in two assembler files.
monitor-calibration-tool is going well, I've rewritten most of it and the crack is slowly being removed. Hopefully I'll be able to get another release out next week, which will be the first release to be useful (unless you are really weird and want to calibrate your screen for gamma 1.0)
Finally, it appears that IBM don't want my Java Reflection article, the corporate gits. I blame SCO for this, I'm not sure how but I think blaming SCO is a positive action here. If my second choice doesn't want to pay for it, then an absolutely fabulous article (if I do say so myself) will be online here next week or so.
Long Time No Update
Well, I've been busy. Last weekend we went to a wedding (second attempt for the bridge and groom, they had previously divorced), and this week I've been attempting to nurse an ill Vicky whilst being kept working hard at work.
I've also had to stop myself from screaming "Oh My God!" in the street when I remember that California elected the Terminator as governor. This is a disturbing sign, American politics is turning into a soap opera, where the most exciting and colourful characters win. Governor Academy or Presidential Idol anyone?
Our last Amazon purchase (it is amazing how ingrained "Amazon" has become, in just a few years. I remember the days when Amazon only sold books...) was the new Dido album and Damien Rice's O. Dido's new album sounds like Dido's old album to me, but I'm not her greatest fan (pleasant background music, nothing more). O however, is great fun: starts with acoustic guitars and vocals, wanders into a serious acoustic jamming session and finishes with Silent Night in a hidden track.
I also finished reading the last of Ken McCloud's Star Fraction series (for want of a better name), The Sky Road. Yet again a great book, switching between two eras (2040 and more like 2400), set in Scotland, with social-political debate, mainly socialism/communism/capitalism. I think I'd describe it as thinking-man's sci-fi.
And before I forget, Peter Plichta is still an arse.
