Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Tangled Bank Call for Submissions

Send Them To Me
Tangled Bank #101 will be here at Tangled Up in Blue Guy. I need submissions! If I don’t get some soon I will be forced to go on a link hunt for some great science posts. Just remember, and don’t take this as a threat because I am not that kind of a guy, I am not a scientist. I may accidentally grab some thing that looks a lot like science. I may get some Intelligent Design posts and link to them by mistake.

Don’t let this happen to Tangled Bank! Send your links to host@tangledbank.net or directly to me here.

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Erlang questions mailing list :: RE: Distributed erlang problem

Author: Anonymous
Subject: Distributed erlang problem
Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 3:48 pm (GMT 0)
Topic Replies: 5

Understood, that ops & policy enter into the solution. I suspect a
more natural solution might be to alias a loopback interface on the
db hosts and use routing rules to make sure OMC and db hosts find one
another over the correct interfaces. You could use DNS if other apps
on db hosts are ok with the aliased loopback (that would be more
consistent), or else launch db nodes using the aliased IP addresses
in their node names.

On Mar 19, 2008, at 8:59 AM, Chandru wrote:

> On 19/01/2008, Serge Aleynikov <saleyn@gmail.com> wrote:
> Chandru wrote:
>
> > Well - there is an issue. This is because on the OMC node, host1-
> rep is
> > resolving to an IP address to which routing doesn't exist from
> the OMC (and
> > I can't get it added). The Security team won't allow this
> connectivity.
> >
>
> It sounds like what you need is to resolve a host name to IP on OMC
> that
> doesn't resolve using default resolution method.
>
> What you can do is specify the {kernel, [{inetrc, CustomConfigFile}]}
> option that will customize the name resolution search path used by
> distributed Erlang.
>
>
> I had suggested something similar to our Ops team. I asked them to
> modify /etc/hosts and customise the name resolution there which
> they aren't very happy about. I like your suggestion - it only
> impacts the erlang nodes and won't affect any other services on the
> server.
>
> ta
> Chandru
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The Practicality of Free Trade (by Don Boudreaux)

One of the most intellectually shallow arguments against free trade is the one that motivates this op-ed in today's New York Times by Robert E. Lighthizer.  In short, the argument is that free traders are impractically principled; a better policy (the argument implies) is one that recognizes that trade is sometimes good and sometimes not so good.  Here are two letters that I sent to the NYT in response.

Robert Lighthizer dismisses principled free-traders as dogmatists who impractically stick to their guns "no matter how many jobs are lost, how high the trade deficit rises or how low the dollar falls" ("Grand Old Protectionists," March 6).  Alas, the impractical dogmatists are Mr. Lighthizer and his fellow trade "pragmatists."

There is no credible evidence - none, nada - that free trade causes net job losses.  Moreover, far from being undesirable, a higher U.S. trade deficit means increased foreign investment in the American economy.  And a falling dollar generally reflects worsening U.S. domestic policies, such as inflationary money-supply growth, the likelihood of higher taxes or more command-and-control regulations, and, indeed, an increased probability of U.S. protectionism - protectionism that, by stifling entrepreneurial dynamism, makes America a less attractive place for foreigners to do business.

Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux

My second letter:

Among Robert Lighthizer's objections to principled free-traders is their opposition to protectionism "no matter how many jobs are lost" ("Grand Old Protectionists," March 6).

If Mr. Lighthizer is referring to overall employment, his facts are wrong.  Free trade does not reduce net employment.  But perhaps he's talking about specific jobs, such as those lost in Carolina textile mills when Americans buy more textiles from abroad.  The argument seems to be that practical statecraft often justifies protecting such jobs even if doing so prevents the creation of other jobs in their place.  If this is Mr. Lighthizer's point, he's too modest when calling for trade policies that allow for "practicality, nuance or flexibility."  Because technology destroys far more jobs than does trade, Mr. Lighthizer should endorse also a "pragmatic" approach to innovation - empowering government with the flexibly and nuance to block firms' introduction of efficiency-enhancing production techniques that displace workers.  Surely, according to Mr. Lighthizer's practical logic, we must reject the "dogma" that tolerates "unbridled" improvements in firms' operating efficiencies.

Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux

Chocolate-Dipped Fruit

Serves 6

“I like to dip orange sections, strawberries and crystallized or uncrystallized ginger in melted baking chocolate for an easy and DELICIOUS dessert or snack. You can also use other fruits.”

Oranges and Candied Ginger dipped in chocolate!
One 5.3 oz. Green & Blacks Baking Chocolate bar with 72% cocoa content including extra cocoa butter for easier melting
3 Navel oranges, peeled and sectioned
12 pieces or slices crystallized or uncrystallized ginger

Break the chocolate into sections and place in a double boiler (or one saucepan containing boiling water placed over another. Heat the water over medium-low heat until the chocolate is melted. Dip the orange sections and ginger slices in the chocolate and let drip back into the chocolate. Arrange on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Freeze or chill in the refrigerator until hardened. Arrange on a serving dish and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.


Oranges and Candied Ginger dipped in chocolate!

Breathe Spray

Call Me Ishmael

Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off–then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. Herman Melville, Moby-Dick

(9 Miutes)

A better place for inury is on the coast than inland. I have yet to go on the open ocean, and the closest I have been is fishing for rock bass in San Francisco Bay. We trawled out to the Golden Gate Bridge and let the current carry us back in, dragging the lines against the rocks. It took me about an hour to get my sea legs, as the excitement of even that small adventure cured my wooziness. I didn’t catch any fish. I want next to sail:

“Sea-Fever”I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

By John Masefield (1878-1967).
(English Poet Laureate, 1930-1967.)

 
adventure fun literature Personal poetry

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STIR-FRIED WILD MUSHROOMS WITH SNAP PEAS IN OYSTER SAUCE

Six servings

I love the flavor and textural contrast of meaty mushrooms and crisp snap peas, particularly when drenched in a sumptuous oyster sauce. If snap peas are unavailable, use snow peas and decrease the cooking time briefly.

½ pound shiitake mushrooms, stems trimmed and lightly rinsed
½ pound oyster mushrooms, stems trimmed and lightly rinsed (if unavailable, substitute shiitake mushrooms)
½ pound cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed and lightly rinsed

Seasonings
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

2½ teaspoons canola or corn oil
1 pound snap peas, ends snapped and veiny strings removed, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon rice wine or sake
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

Oyster Sauce (mixed together)
3½ tablespoons good-quality oyster sauce
1½ tablespoons rice wine or sake
1¼ teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
½ cup chicken broth or water
1 teaspoon cornstarch

1. With a sharp knife, cut all the mushrooms into quarters, depending on the size.
2. Prepare the Seasonings and set by the stove.
3. Heat a wok or heavy skillet until very hot, add 1 teaspoon of the oil and heat until hot. Add the snap peas, minced garlic, rice wine or sake, and salt, and toss lightly over high heat about 1½ minutes, until the peas are just tender (snow peas will take slightly less time). Remove from the pan and arrange the peas around the outside of a serving plate.
4. Reheat the pan and the remaining 1½ teaspoons oil until very hot. Add the Seasonings and stir-fry about 10 seconds, until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and toss lightly with a spatula over high heat about 1 minute. Add the premixed Oyster Sauce and toss lightly to thicken it, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Scoop the mushrooms and sauce onto the circle inside the snow peas. Serve immediately.

Copyright Nina Simonds “A Spoonful of Ginger” 2008

Atheists Talk

Tune in Tomorrow!

Tomorrow begins a new era at Atheists Talk, the radio show of the Minnesota Atheists. I will be the host tomorrow morning, and if all goes well and the directors like the way I do it, I will become the regular host of the show. I know that I am stoked. (more…)

personal atheism air america am950 ktnf

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Ikenson on Obama (by Don Boudreaux)

Cato's Dan Ikenson takes the measure of Barack Obama.  Here's Dan's opening paragraph:

As an advocate of free trade, I feel slightly vindicated by reports that the Obama campaign quietly assured the Canadian government that the Senator's strident words about NAFTA in last week's debate were merely political rhetoric. We've long been saying that opposition to trade is mostly an artifice of politics. But the story begs the question: Is Obama (a) economically illiterate; (b) dishonest, or; (c) naïve. The answer is (d), all of the above.

(HT Sallie James)