Here’s an interesting slow-motion video taken by a camera mounted inside an engine, showing the inlet, compression, combustion and exhaust cycle… impressive stuff!
So, if you didn’t know what happens inside your car or bike engine – now you do :)
Joining the pool.ntp.org project
If you have your own server, why not consider joining the pool.ntp.org project to help provide accurate time to many client machines?
What is NTP?
NTP, or Network Time Protocol, is a method for computers to obtain the current time accurately in order to keep their clocks correct. Even when set accurately, the clock on most computers will eventually drift until it is no longer accurate – often made worse when the computer is being heavily loaded.
NTP allows a client to ask a time server to tell it the current time. The “main” timeservers have accurate timekeeping equipment connected (GPS receivers are common) to give them the correct time. Other timeservers simply keep in sync with several main servers, and accept requests from client machines.
What is the pool.ntp.org project?
The pool.ntp.org project is a big virtual cluster of timeservers striving to provide reliable easy to use NTP service for millions of clients without putting a strain on the big popular timeservers.
WordPress 2.3 released
Wordpress 2.3 was released today, introducing native tagging support, plugin update notification, URL handling improvements, and much more.
New NTP server
Been meaning to do this for a while, but I’ve finally set up a new public NTP timeserver.
It’s a stratum-3 server, syncing to several decent stratum-2 servers, and answers to the name of time.preshweb.co.uk.
It’s entered the UK pool.ntp.org DNS pool, and I’m seeing quite a few requests already – currently my stats show 4.2 requests per second.
NTP is a damn useful tool to keep system clocks in sync and I’ve been using it for ages on all my boxen; it’s nice to be able to help out by sharing the load a little.
Read more info about NTP or about the pool.ntp.org project. If you have a server somewhere and are willing to help out, the project needs more pool servers to share the load – read more about joining.
Grr, MySQL and enum types….
I want to stab MySQL between the eyes. Or rather if MySQL had eyes, I’d stab it squarely between them.
It just wasted far too much of my time with this bit of annoying behaviour. I’ll admit it was also my fault, but I still think MySQL reacted in a retarded way. (But then from a “database” system which on its default settings is happy to silently mangle data however it feels, that’s not too surprising).
“Transformer suit” video – this looks like fun!
Now this looks like a *lot* of fun – a French guy called Jean-Yves Blondeau aka "Rollerman" made a roller-suit with 30-odd wheels attached, so you can skate along in any position you like.
*Edit*: here’s another video showing the suit close up, and how easily he can change to “skate” in any position:
Some silly puns
Batman came up to me and he hit me over the head with a vase and he went T’PAU! I said “Don’t you mean KAPOW?? He said “No, I’ve got china in my hand.”
I went to the local video shop and I said, “Can I take out The Elephant Man?” He said, “He’s not your type.” I said “Can I borrow Batman Forever?” He said, “No, you’ll have to bring it back tomorrow”
I told my girlfriend I had a job in a bowling alley. She said “Tenpin?” I said, “No, permanent.”
I went in to a pet shop. I said, “Can I buy a goldfish?” The guy said, “Do you want an aquarium?” I said, “I don’t care what star sign it is.”
I went to buy a watch, and the man in the shop said “Analogue.” I said “No, just a watch.”
My mate is in love with two schoolbags. He’s bisatchel.
I met the bloke who invented crosswords today. I can’t remember his name, it’s P something T something R.
I phoned the local ramblers club today, but the bloke who answered just went on and on.
I fancied a game of darts with my mate. He said, “Nearest the bull goes first” He went “Baah” and I went “Moo” He said “You’re closest”
I visited the offices of the RSPCA today. It’s tiny: you couldn’t swing a cat in there.
I was stealing things in the supermarket today while balanced on the shoulders of a couple of vampires. I was charged with shoplifting on two counts.
Woman cleared of criminal negligence in dog attack
BBC News reports that a woman accused over a fatal dog attack on her five-year-old granddaughter has been found not guilty of manslaughter.
OK, this woman was supposed to be responsible for a 5 year old child. By her own admission she had consumed two bottles of wine, and smoked ten joints – that alone likely means she would have been in no fit state to responsibly look after a child. But, she then chose to allow a dangerous pit bull dog into the house, which then killed the little girl.
The dog was illegal (under the Dangerous Dogs act) and had already been involved in two previous attacks. The dog’s owner has been given a prison sentence but the woman has been cleared of manslaughter by criminal negligence. Why? Did she really think that allowing a vicious dog (pit bull terriers are banned precisely because they are vicious, dangerous dogs bred to fight) was a good idea?
Blog moved to new server again
Right, moved the blog again to another server, things should be quite a lot quicker now.
I’m also using the WP-Cache plugin, and I’ll probably install one of the PHP accelerators (like E-Accelerator) to speed things up even more.
Comment spammer with a conscience?
Lately I’ve seen quite a few comment spams in my Akismet caught spams list starting with “Sorry :(” – is this a comment spammer who actually feels bad about abusing other people’s blogs to advertise crap? (But he still does it – so his morals aren’t that strong :)).