Synaptic Plasticity

During my regular participation on a new forum: Ironwolf Forum
I read and responded to so many believers that refuse to even attempt a rational discussion of science that I often feel the debate is pointless.

Finding this conversation with Richard Dawkins & Lawrence Krauss shed some new light into my world. These gentlemen have probably already forgotten more than I will ever know when it comes to presenting science so eloquently.

(A bit lengthy, but well worth every minute.)

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Part VI

Part VII

Part VIII

Richard Dawkins & Lawrence Krauss Discussion Part 8

Part IX

Part X

Part XI

Part XII

I recently interviewed with MOSSO for this very type of position. LOL

As a student in Computer Science I often find myself wondering what it will be like when I finally have all the skills I need in place to become a productive software engineer. This is one of the detailed descriptions I found earlier today.

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT CYCLE

by

David Lubar

Software doesn’t just appear on the shelves by magic. That program shrink-wrapped inside the box along with the indecipherable manual and twelve-paragraph disclaimer notice actually came to you by way of an elaborate path through the most rigid quality control methods on the planet. Here, shared for the first time with the general public, are the inside details of the program development cycle.

1. Programmer produces code he believes is bug-free.

2. Product is tested. Twenty bugs are found.

3. Programmer fixes ten of the bugs and explains to the testing. department that the other ten aren’t really bugs.

4. Testing department finds that five of the fixes didn’t work and discovers fifteen new bugs.

5. See 3.

6. See 4.

7. See 5.

8. See 6.

9. See 7.

10. See 8.

11. Due to marketing pressure and extremely pre-mature product announcement based on over-optimistic programming schedule, the product is released.

12. Users find 137 new bugs.

13. Original programmer, having cashed his royalty check, is nowhere to be found.

14. Newly-assembled programming team fixes almost all of the 137 bugs, but introduces 456 new ones.

15. Original programmer sends underpaid testing department a postcard from Fiji. Entire testing department quits.

16. Company is bought in hostile takeover by competitor using profits from their latest release, which had 783 bugs.

17. New CEO is brought in by board of directors. He hires programmer to redo program from scratch.

18. Programmer produces code he believes is bug-free.

Copyright © 1996 by David Lubar

This guy’s work is incredibly thought provoking, world changing stuff. I can hardly wait to see this one.

Visit the official site and watch the trailer.

Mark Ravenhill obviously didn’t read The God Delusion entirely before he decided to criticize it, or he quite simply dismissed this entire portion of the text.

Unnumbered shards fall like wind scattered rain
steeped in deafening slow-motion silence.
Hearken to the aching heartbeat’s refrain
whispering diligently its penance.

How feels the soul once fatally broken?
Not akin to bruised nor battered or torn;
but instead a mere shadowy token
bled free of life before there’s time to mourn.

How turn the thoughts in a lifeless bound mind?
First fury battles to conquer the night;
A tempest of tears turning clear sight blind,
while acceptance extinguishes the light.

Now rest comes swiftly on gossamer wings;
Allowed one last glance back at this fair dream.

MLW 4-15-08

This is exactly how I feel when the obnoxious claxon of my alarm clock jolts me out of my dreams Monday through Friday!

As opposed to my Saturday morning hero.

I spent the last week putting my system at the office through rigorous testing, system restore after system re-store, re-installation of every audio codec and driver known to the Windows XP OS. Alas, as of yesterday at 7:30pm when I’d finished up installing the ram upgrades to a laptop and two desktop PCs, I was still unable to coax even the tiniest of audio from my machine. Instead the following error for what felt like close to the fifty-millionth time this week:

There are no active Mixer Devices Available…

At this point I was beginning to think I would need to replace the sound card, but decided to give my google-maniacal tendencies another go at it. I was so thrilled to find a short, sweet, and simple solution that took me a matter of mere seconds to execute and test for success.

Whoot!!! The geek-chick at the front desk has her beloved audio back! Special thanks to Carey Frisch for posting such a helpful piece of information in such a concise manner. You get the coveted +1 to All Attributes Award. (The whooshing sound of the quicken of your new powers rushing towards you….)