a crank's progress

So Apple releases the 2nd generation iPhone, sells a million in the opening weekend, 10 million applications (granted none of this was known while the graphed trades were being made). But look at the drunkard’s walk, from the night before the release. Yes, it’s only a few dollars but the direction seems puzzling, though consistent with how the market reacts to Apple’s performance.

did she choose those words — finicky, abstemious — or was it the web editor or copy editor? I’d have to read the column to know and I’d rather not. I’m happy at the moment and don’t want to change that.

These two were adopted already, after just dropping them off last Saturday. No surprise: I’m sure their sister will be gone quickly as well. She was the one I knew I would miss the most.

Not sure I am cut out for this fostering deal after all: they do grow on you.

What do you call a group of vultures?

A clutch? A gaggle? A Malkin of vultures?

[From Sadly, No! » Présenté Sans Commentaire]

A venue (or kettle) of vultures

One logically assumes that vultures would have a similarly uncomplimentary term, but they are known as a venue of vultures, or when the birds are circling on thermals, a kettle of vultures because they resemble the rising bubbles of a boiling pot of water. However, the ravens, as the crows’ cousins, share the assignment of a gloomy although less sinister term – an unkindness of ravens.

[From Catalyst Magazine – Animals Animals: A Murder of Crows]

Not posting much, out of an effort to stop spending time on this. I only keep the blog running because people keep reading it. I see the same search queries, so I figure someone is finding it useful.

I made the search query zeitgeist the home page, since no one comes to read, only to follow Google results (apologies to both of you who have this site bookmarked). Most of the visits are drive-bys — one page and out . . . no need for a navigational interface or welcome page.

The automated posts from del.icio.us stopped working, so I am now using the Share option in Google Reader, since I use that instead of NetNewsWire. GMail, Google Reader . . what was that quote: “Netscape would “reduce Windows to a set of poorly debugged device drivers.“? Change s/Netscape/the Internet with broadband/g and it starts to look realistic.

The application-in-a-browser is pretty slick, given enough computer to run it (as with any app, of course), and this old 800MHz machine is right at the edge of obsolescence.
Adding some services on the back end as the Young People become more capable. Email accounts are sought after, and the looming presence of spam needs to be dealt with. For all the talk of Bayesian filters or payload detection, what seems to work really well is a very simple technique: greylisting. Since spam is not about conversations or even replies, a simple greylist tactic is for the receiving email server to ask the sender to resubmit the email in 5 minutes. Spammers don’t get or read replies, so those messages are never delivered. Legitimate ones from properly configured MTAs do get delivered and the address is stored for later comparisons, so the delay is dispensed with. Seems to work just fine. It all happens at the application layer, so the user never sees a delay. Sweet . . .

Still hoping to get bogofilter integrated as a belt-and-braces approach, but so far things are working well. Had to buy a second domain with no personal information in the name to protect the precious poppets, as well, but that was trivial.
I won’t be at all surprised to find I need an IM server . . . . a small voice in the back of my head says there is a need for a small internet appliance that provides

• an functional spam-proof MTA
• a web server/publishing system (not to say a blogging platform)
• basic home networking services — backups, print service, wireless

Something like a slug, perhaps beefier, but not as much as a Shuttle provides: maybe something like this? Ah, forget it, Apple will roll out something that does all that — or all people will use — at a better price point.