10.17.07
Posted in technology at 10:00 am by kevin
Debunking GROUP BY Myths
Summary (with some editorializing by me):
Actually, SQL-99 and beyond only require functionally dependent columns (i.e. keys) to be in the GROUP BY, so we’re not as wrong as you think we are. We just settled on the other extreme - letting you do whatever you want and maybe getting completely arbitrary values once in a while; what’s the big deal? Hey, MySQL isn’t your mommy, so it’s on you to make sure your queries make sense. Besides, if you’re really such a baby, you can change the sql_mode server setting to include ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY, which will emulate the behavior you expect (well, sort of - the bug tracker suggests some issues may be still outstanding).
Okay, maybe that was a bit harsh.
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10.13.07
Posted in technology, politics at 3:34 pm by kevin
Unserved by banks, poor Kenyans now just use a cellphone
This is exactly the kind of revolutionary, yet concrete, change that technology has promised to bring to development.
In short: traditional banks don’t see a lot of value in serving the poor, because the transaction and administrative costs tend to exceed potential profits. Along comes M-PESA, a cell-banking service run by Safaricom (Kenya’s largest cellphone company), and lo and behold - administrative costs are reduced to the point where the business model is economically worthwhile.
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09.30.07
Posted in entertainment, technology at 4:07 pm by kevin
Two (obviously related) comments:
1) The new[-ish] Spoon album is awesome. In particular You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb and The Underdog have been on pretty much constant repeat on my playlist the past two days.
2) The Amazon MP3 store is awesome as well. As a few folks have pointed out, it might be a short-lived experiment, as either labels might balk or prices might rapidly rise. That said, while it lasts, it’s absolutely the right model - the selection is surprisingly good, the prices are reasonable, the interface is well done, and - key, to a control freak like me - no obnoxious DRM. So, follow the links above and buy the Spoon tracks - they’re worth it, and the Amazon store doesn’t insult you by locking your purchases down.
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09.13.07
Posted in education, entertainment, technology at 12:06 pm by kevin
6 Exciting Job Ideas for the Adventurous
This little snippet of wisdom, featured on the Yahoo front page today, is full of delicious ridiculousness. For example, did you know that “with language skills and a criminal justice degree, you can qualify for agency training that can lead to a job paying $53,000 per year”? Isn’t that awesome? Sign me up for some advanced spy training!
The list:
1. Police Detective
2. Undercover Operative
3. International Business and Trade
4. Adventure Resort Chef
5. Private Investigator
6. Emergency Medical Technician
Other highlights include the selling points for #6 (”A combination of on-the-job learning and medical training can help you earn $25,000 or more per year in this heart-pounding profession”) and #4 (”Want to wield a sharp knife under duress?”) Personally, I think the latter would be a much better lead-in for #2, but I guess that kind of thing is on the decline after the latest round of CIA reforms.
Of course, the whole thing is just a shill for craptastic “online training”, mainly emphasizing the “criminal justice” degree (note that three of the six professions are conveniently related to the field of kicking ass and - optionally - taking names). It was slightly surprising that this drivel was featured in the top spot on the front page, but I guess it shouldn’t be - after all, Yahoo sold out a long time ago.
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