Category Archives: Information

Sitcoms and Windows

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This is real. And real bad. The two Friends stars travel to MS headquarters to talk to Bill Gates about promoting W95. Hilarious antics ensue (not really). However, I didn’t/couldn’t watch the whole thing.

So Friends is as old a W95. Let’s date other sitcoms and Microsoft OSs.

Cheers MS-DOS
Simpsons Windows 1.0
South Park Windows 2.0
Seinfield Windows 3.0
Frasier Windows NT
Parenthood Windows 95
Will and Grace Windows 98
Malcolm in the Middle Windows 2000
Scrubs Windows XP
The Office Windows Vista
The CollegeHumor Show Windows 7
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo Windows 8

EMC’s Project Liberty

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We have long noted that NetApp is a software company that wraps hardware around its software. While this is an intentional over simplification, it makes the point that NetApp’s primary value add is ONTAP (their OS/Filesystem).

This wasn’t noted about EMC, partly because it owns VMware and partly due to ignorance. But EMC may be no different from NetApp in this respect. EMC has unbundled their VNX software from their hardware. Read about it here.

Such a move is dramatic. It opens the way for complete commoditization of hardware. It is not clear how this will shake up the industry. Hopefully, it leads to healthy competition resulting in lower prices and greater choices for consumers. Of course that is not EMC’s motivation. It may be reactive because they feel the sun is setting on enterprise SAN (and NAS) and this is the best way for VNX to remain relevant.

Cow power

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Collecting cow farts in a backpack. No this article is not from the Onion. Researchers propose to fit a backpack on cow and insert a tube into its, … <ahem>,  “digestive tract.”

After the incredulity and laughter, we had two thoughts: (1) What will PETA do when it hears about this? and (2) Is it cost effective? We will have to wait on the answer to (1). But we can get some idea about (2).

A cow produces 300 liters of methane per day. According to this government site, the residential price for natural gas on 14 Feb 2014 was $9.76 per 1,000 cubic feet. Finally, there are approximately 28.3 liters per cubic foot.

300 liters / day X 1 cubic foot / 28.3 liters = 10.6 cubic feet / day

10.6 cubic feet / day X $10 / 1000 cubic feet = $0.10 / day

The gross return is one thin dime per cow per day: . Unfortunately, the cost of harvesting this valuable natural resource is much greater. No wonder “Pablo Sorondo, INTA’s press officer, says the project isn’t ongoing.” 

Getting What Students Pay For In College

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From this, we learn of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) has a report out evaluating the best public universities in the States. Among other problems the report looks into the following: watering down curriculum, grade inflation, and cost control. Unsurprising (to us at least) it gives failing grades in all areas to most schools and some areas to all schools. That is not a single public university in the States maintained academic standards and grade value while controlling costs.

An example of the depths to which some have fallen is Indiana University actually offers a course titled “The Cultural Politics of Lady Gaga” in which the most common grade is an “A+.” It is likely the course does more harm than good. But no doubt the grade is counterfeit, which adversely effects the whole grade ecosystem. It is akin to printing dollar bills in your basement.

The post cited above, concludes with the following dismal assessment.

But too many schools are still trapped in old mindsets, increasing tuition and competing for reputation. They fixate on the U.S. News rankings, which purport to tell the public which schools are “best.” But is the best school the one with the most prestige and highest incoming SAT scores? Or is it the one that fulfills its mission to taxpayers by providing a high-quality education without breaking their budgets?