http://www.mckechnie.net/ things that happen on your way to somewhere else en-us 2010-05-11T19:14:07+01:00 http://www.mckechnie.net/archives/2010/05/history_of_prog.php In spite of its lack of popularity, LISP (now "Lisp" or sometimes "Arc") remains an influential language in "key algorithmic techniques such as recursion and condescension" - from One Div Zero: A Brief, Incomplete, and Mostly Wrong History of Programming... Commentary Michael 2010-05-11T19:14:07+01:00 http://www.mckechnie.net/archives/2010/03/marriage_expert.php Why is the center for disease control the authority for the statistically significant attributes of marriage? Marriages last longer than living together? - Yahoo! News... Commentary Michael 2010-03-03T05:33:32+01:00 http://www.mckechnie.net/archives/2010/02/uzbeks.php "An employee of the Uzbek general prosecutor’s press office said that only his manager was authorized to comment and that the manager’s position was at present unfilled." Priceless. From New York Times... Journalism Michael 2010-02-11T14:59:31+01:00 http://www.mckechnie.net/archives/2010/01/enterprise_comp.php Tim Bray pegs it nicely; the solution is less clear. "The community of developers whose work you see on the Web, who probably don’t know what ADO or UML or JPA even stand for, deploy better systems at less cost... Development Michael 2010-01-06T14:20:35+01:00 http://www.mckechnie.net/archives/2009/05/db_optimisation.php "I’ve been in a lot of Cloud-flavored discussions recently about what kind of Platform-as-a-Service offerings might hit sweet spots. On several occasions, People Who Should Know have said things like “A huge proportion of apps, even really big apps, can... Development Michael 2009-05-27T11:27:32+01:00 http://www.mckechnie.net/archives/2008/06/tom_glocer_sail.php Tom Glocer sails off on a sea of others' troubles - Times Online In an act of callousness that might have brought a blush to the cheeks of Marie Antoinette herself, Tom Glocer, the Thomson Reuters chief executive, has chartered... Journalism Michael 2008-06-03T12:03:29+01:00 http://www.mckechnie.net/archives/2008/05/car_lover.php He added: "There are moments way out in the middle of nowhere when I see a little car parked and I swear it needs loving." Man admits 'having sex' with 1,000 cars - Telegraph... Journalism Michael 2008-05-23T15:04:56+01:00 http://www.mckechnie.net/archives/2008/05/10_litres_of_he.php I'm just finishing a bottle of La Meurtrière while listening to a boring conference call that is no longer so annoying. I can recommend without hesitation the Brasserie des Murailles... Commentary Michael 2008-05-22T17:20:43+01:00 http://www.mckechnie.net/archives/2008/05/his_noodly_good.php "I’d really rather you didn’t act like a sanctimonious holier-than-thou ass when describing my noodly goodness. If some people don’t believe in me, that’s okay. Really, I'm not that vain. Besides, this isn’t about them so don’t change the subject.... Humour Michael 2008-05-22T12:03:42+01:00 http://www.mckechnie.net/archives/2008/03/cold_porn.php Key quote: "I didn't recognise myself," said one soldier "Neither did my wife, thank God." Secret Stasi pornographic films found - Telegraph"... Journalism Michael 2008-03-28T20:20:22+01:00 http://www.mckechnie.net/archives/2008/03/nice_kitty.php OK, props for "thinking outside of the box"; Pubic Topiary: Pube Grooming Kit Makes Your Muff Best In Show... Journalism Michael 2008-03-28T20:13:57+01:00 http://www.mckechnie.net/archives/2008/03/mmmm_bacon.php Alcool + Bacon = fun... Journalism Michael 2008-03-10T14:35:19+01:00 http://www.mckechnie.net/archives/2008/02/mommy.php Humour Michael 2008-02-08T09:53:37+01:00 http://www.mckechnie.net/archives/2008/01/tiny_bursts_of.php Yum! Key quote: "This isn't the right sauce for everyone, but for someone out there, this is going to be absolute heaven. Of course, for a handful of people, it's going to be hell," Snacking on a wing and a... Journalism Michael 2008-01-08T11:29:06+01:00 http://www.mckechnie.net/archives/2008/01/fast_flu.php I know 4 people who've fallen ill of sudden flu in the UK in the last week. Nasty. "Noroviruses are a group of viruses that are the most common cause of gastroenteritis (stomach bugs) in England and Wales. In the... Journalism Michael 2008-01-04T11:04:50+01:00