Difference between revisions of "Blog/May 2014/May 9th"

Latest revision as of 09:55, 16 May 2014

May 9th (See this week's devar torah)

Hi, again!

The weather was crazy this week: it started and stayed very hot and dusty until Wednesday night, when it turned cooler and rain began to fall. It continued raining all night long and turned cold. As I’m writing this, the weather is absolutely fantastic — cool, with clear skies and no dust in the air. Simply wonderful!

Regardless of the weather, Esther and I were quite busy this week. The national holiday of yom ha’aṣmaut (Independence Day) is a Big Deal here, though we did not in fact do our traditional BBQ because we were worn out and the weather was threatening. We did have a nice meal, but cooked indoors. However, we missed the ḥidon hatanakh which we normally enjoy, attending our cousin’s brit-milah instead.

The business has kept us busy on a number of fronts. First, I’ve been working on our product itself. I looked into licensing a GUI library, but they wanted $8,300 for the license... so no-go. Esther is working on the application for funding from the Chief Scientist of Israel, which will help us considerably if we’re approved. We started working on a marketing plan and materials (which is something neither of us know anything about). We also worked on fleshing out a schedule for finalizing the development of the first release.

Additionally, we purchased an external server and have contracted to have a professional-quality web-site made for our product. I also upgraded my web-servers to have “perfect forward secrecy”, which means that a secure (SSL, e.g. “https”) connection is much more secure. And finally, we interviewed and hired a junior programmer who will be joining us soon B”H to help with the development. This is not the guy I mentioned last week, but rather the sister of one of my former co-workers. So things are getting pretty hectic!

Various and sundry topics for consideration:

Apple silently removes email encryption on attachments. You didn’t really want encryption, did you?
There’s yet another security flaw, this time in the way some protocols are implemented.
Muslim educators in California, in a public school district, give a Holocaust-denial assignment. Islam is evil, folks; time to wake up before it’s too late!
According to Kerry, the real problem with the (Muslim, of course) terrorists who kidnapped school-girls in Nigeria is that they don’t offer a health-care plan.
According to our own numb-nuts, it’s the “settlement activity” which is “hurting negotiations”. Can there be said to be “negotiations” when only one side negotiates? If a member of Fataḥ is defenestrated, should we care?
It looks like we’re starting a global cooling trend rather than the reverse. Interesting, anyway.
And I really like my (text) editor. Here’s an article which explains why.

We’re looking forward to a calm and peaceful shabbat, with pleasant weather and good company. We’ll resume the treadmill soon enough…

This week Dinah will be staying with us, though she won’t join us for our dinner-out with our friends. For the rest of the meals, we’ll have a dairy shabbat:
lentil soup, baked pasta with cheese, Greek salad, salatim, and cake (or something, TBD).

Until next week,
shabbat shalom!

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 {{blog}}
-{{bheadernew|May 16th|http://ronware.org/devar/behuqotai5774.pdf}}
+{{bheadernew|May 9th|http://ronware.org/devar/behar5774.pdf}}
 Hi, again!
-Last week I told you I liked my text editor; this week [http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/bitwise/2014/05/oldest_software_rivalry_emacs_and_vi_two_text_editors_used_by_programmers.html another article appeared] which explains a little bit of the ancient history involved.  Esther and I were, as usual, quite busy with our business.  Sarah was, as usual, involved in her schoolwork.  And we even had some unseasonably cool and wet weather. We’re all grateful for ''shabbat'' to arrive!
+The weather was crazy this week: it started and stayed very hot and dusty until Wednesday night, when it turned cooler and rain began to fall.  It continued raining all night long and turned cold.  As I’m writing this, the weather is absolutely fantastic — cool, with clear skies and no dust in the air.  Simply wonderful!
-This week there were also a few interesting articles on some subjects which intrigue me.  Regarding privacy etc: [http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2014/may/10/we-kill-people-based-metadata/ killing people based upon “metadata”], [http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/05/al-qaedas-new-homebrew-crypto-apps-may-make-us-intel-gathering-easier/ al-Qaeda does homebrew encryption], and [http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/05/encrypted-or-not-skype-communications-prove-vital-to-nsa-surveillance Skype communications are vital to NSA surveillance].  Climate and possible changes thereof: [http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2014/05/13/if-antarctic-melting-has-passed-the-point-of-no-return-we-should-do-less-about-climate-change-not-more/ on doing less about climate change] and [http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/05/climate_hysteria_down_under.html Australian climate hysteria].
+Regardless of the weather, Esther and I were quite busy this week.  The national holiday of ''yom ha’aṣmaut'' (Independence Day) is a Big Deal here, though we did not in fact do our traditional BBQ because we were worn out and the weather was threatening.  We ''did'' have a nice meal, but cooked indoors.  However, we missed the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Bible_Contest ''ḥidon hatanakh''] which we normally enjoy, attending our cousin’s ''brit-milah'' instead.
-Esther and I, with our consultants, came up with a pricing plan for our product; it’s one which we think gives benefit to the purchaser as well as to us.  Of course, we need to finish the product first!  So to get there, I’m still cranking away at the code as well as the documentation.  Esther is working on the financial and strategic side.  And soon, B”H, Sarah will produce some marketing videos.  Our target is to have the first solid “beta” of our product by the beginning of August, and the (commercial) release a couple months after that.  We are looking for investors, so if you know any, don’t hesitate to [https://aaron-tech.com/contact.html have them contact us].
+The business has kept us busy on a number of fronts.  First, I’ve been working on our product itself.  I looked into licensing a GUI library, but they wanted $8,300 for the license... so no-go.  Esther is working on the application for funding from the [http://www.matimop.org.il/ocs.html Chief Scientist of Israel], which will help us considerably if we’re approved.  We started working on a marketing plan and materials (which is something neither of us know anything about).  We also worked on fleshing out a schedule for finalizing the development of the first release.
-In local news, after a very long process the Israeli justice system finally reached a verdict on former Prime Minister Olmert’s corruption trial. [http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Court-sentences-Olmert-to-years-prison-time-First-PM-ever-to-go-behind-bars-352083 He was sentenced to six years behind bars], and his secretary [http://www.timesofisrael.com/ex-olmert-aide-to-appear-for-plea-bargain-hearing/ got eleven months].  Sometimes the system ''does'' work.
+Additionally, we purchased an external server and have contracted to have a professional-quality web-site made for our product.  I also upgraded my web-servers to have [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forward_secrecy “perfect forward secrecy”], which means that a secure (SSL, e.g. “https”) connection is much more secure.  And finally, we interviewed and hired a junior programmer who will be joining us soon B”H to help with the development.  This is not the guy I mentioned last week, but rather the sister of one of my former co-workers.  So things are getting pretty hectic!
-The other project I’m working on involves “computer-vision” using a smartphone.  Specifically, it involves trying to detect vehicles and road-boundaries using the camera of the phone, in real-time (e.g. while driving).  Some good progress was made on that this week, and that work has uncovered some issues which needed addressing in my product as well (which is being used to create their product).  Killing two birds with one stone, so to speak; but it’s a huge amount of work, and I’m looking forward to reaching the “alpha” milestone (of their product, “beta” for mine) at the end of July.
+Various and sundry topics for consideration:
+* Apple [http://apple.slashdot.org/story/14/05/02/2246218/ios-7-update-silently-removes-encryption-for-email-attachments silently removes email encryption on attachments].  You didn’t ''really'' want encryption, did you?
+* There’s yet [http://it.slashdot.org/story/14/05/02/2015227/nasty-security-flaw-in-oauth-openid another security flaw], this time in the way some protocols are implemented.
+* [http://ktla.com/2014/05/05/rialto-assignment-asking-to-students-to-question-holocaust-to-be-revised Muslim educators in California], in a public school district, give a Holocaust-denial assignment.  ''Islam is evil'', folks; time to wake up before it’s too late!
+* According to Kerry, the ''real problem'' with the (Muslim, of course) terrorists who kidnapped school-girls in Nigeria is that [http://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2014/05/05/kerry-rails-against-terrorists-they-dont-offer-a-health-care-plan-n1833742 they don’t offer a health-care plan].
+* According to our own numb-nuts, [http://www.timesofisrael.com/tzipi-livni-settlement-activity-hurt-negotiations/ it’s the “settlement activity”] which is “hurting negotiations”.  Can there be said to be “negotiations” when only one side negotiates?  If a member of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatah Fataḥ] is defenestrated, should we care?
+* It looks like we’re starting a [http://www.americanthinker.com/2014/05/global_cooling_underway.html global cooling trend] rather than the reverse.  Interesting, anyway.
+* And I really like my (text) editor.  [https://medium.com/p/433852f4b4d1 Here’s an article which explains why].
-One (very long) day this week, Esther and I attended a business “get-together” in Jerusalem organized by the [http://www.meetup.com/JerusalemBNF/ Jerusalem Business Networking Forum].  There were three speakers, none of whom I found particularly helpful.  However, it was an opportunity to “network”, and I did meet two people whose businesses might be useful to us (and ''vice versa'').
+We’re looking forward to a calm and peaceful ''shabbat'', with pleasant weather and good company.  We’ll resume the treadmill soon enough…
-The forecast for shabbat is “hotter than average”, around 30C (86F) or so, then cooling substantially to average at the start of the week.  Just in time for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lag_BaOmer ''lag ba`omer''], when all the “youth” (and not so youth) light bonfires and get rowdy all night.  Supposedly in honor of Rashbi (R’ Shim`on bar-Yoḥai), though I’m pretty sure that worthy spins in his grave every year on the 33rd day of the ''`omer''.  In any event, we’ll have our windows shut tight and the AC on so we don’t have to breathe all the smoke nor hear all the partying.  All night.
+This week Dinah will be staying with us, though she won’t join us for our dinner-out with our friends.  For the rest of the meals, we’ll have a dairy ''shabbat'':
-This week Sarah’s friend RivQua will stay with us, and we’re also having friends over for dinner.  On the menu:
 <br>
-homemade ''ḥala'',
+lentil soup,
-chicken ‘n rice,
+baked pasta with cheese,
-red lentil soup,
+Greek salad,
-stuffed veggies,
+''salatim'',
-beet salad,
+and cake (or something, TBD).
-kohlrabi salad,
-egg salad,
-''pastilla de papas'',
-zucchini ''kugel'',
-roasted cauliflower
-and sorbet.
 Until next week,<br>
 ''shabbat shalom''!
-{{nav|Blog|Blog|Blog/May 2014/May 9th|May 9th||}}
+{{nav|Blog|Blog|Blog/May 2014/May 2nd|May 2nd|Blog/May 2014/May 16th|May 16th}}

Difference between revisions of "Blog/May 2014/May 9th"

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Latest revision as of 09:55, 16 May 2014