In certain ways, this "post-PC" era that Apple's brought us into with the iPad seems like a step backward. We're going back to something more like the broadcast television model, where a more or less centralized authority produces the content for passive users to consume. These tablets just keep getting more and more optimized for that.

I suppose it's somewhat natural, given the way the market works, but it seems our tools for consumption are advancing at a significantly greater rate than our tools for production.

I guess the opposing side is the Web. Amazon seems to be shaping up to be solidly on the side of the centralized authority-type cathedral builders, while the Web and Web technologies are more bazaar-like. It seems more and more like Google is the only powerful singular force whose incentives align with the Web instead of with more centralized production hubs.

I really wish there was more information available on the meeting that Arthur C. Clarke, C.S. Lewis, Tolkien and some rocket boffin had in an Oxford pub to discuss the morality of interplanetary colonization - Lewis and Tolkien opposing, Clarke and Val Cleaver in favour.

Clarke wrote of the meeting:

Needless to say, neither side converted the other, and we refused to abandon our diabolical schemes of interplanetary conquest. But a fine time was had by all, and when, some hours later, we emerged a little unsteadily from the Eastgate, Dr. Lewis’s parting words were "I’m sure you are very wicked people but how dull it would be if everyone was good."

http://www.cthreepo.com/blog/2009/04/arthur-c-clarke-vs-c-s-...

[Edit: Link to some details on Val Cleaver: http://www.bis-space.com/what-we-do/the-british-interplaneta...]

(I work on correlate)

The gist of why this is so fast is:

1. For the vast majority of queries, we only need to compare hashes of the time series, not the time series themselves.

2. We make no attempt to detect shifted correlations. The correlations you see are all synchronized in time.

  keiju> But, perl is related to a shell.
  matz> Oh, I don't know that
  matz> never noticed that

Whoa. So today I learned that. Never noticed that either, all this time.

Pearls are formed in response to constant irritation over a long period of time.

The "comic book" link on Correlate is awesome. More sites should have documentation like this. http://www.google.com/trends/correlate/comic

These lawsuits are to recoup some of the loses incurred by issuing FHA loans (Frannie and Freddie). Both agencies were mislead by the various banks. Who did everything they could to issue "FHA"loans. Both agencies relied (and they still do) on the banks writing the loan to verify credit worthiness. Which of course, the banks didn't. They were making too much money.

It was a win win for the bank. Cause when the bottom fell out of the housing market Freddie and Frannie were left holding the bag - in other words, the taxpayers. Add that on top of that, TARP, and the banks walked away making trillions.

It was the biggest heist in history. And perfectly legal, in the US.

The case will probably be settled. Banks will pay like 20 billion (or so) and we're all forget it in a week.