I recall childhood dreams
And the adult in me
Misses them
So it seems
All I have left are
Daydreams.
Month: April 2012
If code is not property, are software patents invalid?
An appeals court has ruled that code is not property and therefore cannot be stolen. Wow! The potential ramifications are huge. The RIAA could find themselves unable to sue over copied media. More directly, this appeals court may have just invalidated every software patent ever filed. I personally despise software patents. Now, I’m not a lawyer as such I suspect my presumptions are very wrong. The undeniable result is that if you copy custom created software from your employer, you have not committed theft.
The 2nd Circuit Appeals Court ruled that since computer code cannot be physically obtained, it doesn’t fit the legal description of a stolen good. … The court was quick to point out that this decision should not be interpreted for all cases of electronic theft, however the legal recognition that code isn’t physical property (which people have been saying for years) is sure to make this case a focal point in future MPAA/RIAA wranglings.
[Source, Gizmodo, Appeals Court Rules Computer Code Is Not "Property" and Can’t Be Stolen]
Knoxville Earthquake
Knoxville had a genuine earthquake at roughly 12:30am on April 11, 2012! Houses shook and a loud boom was reported in Rocky Hill, South Knoxville, and Seymour. #knoxquake
Type: Earthquake
27 minutes ago
Magnitude: 2.2
DateTime: Wednesday April 11 2012, 04:39:14 UTC
Region: eastern Tennessee
Depth: 4.9 km
Source: USGS Feed
Earthquake Details
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.
Magnitude 2.2
Date-TimeWednesday, April 11, 2012 at 04:39:14 UTC
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 12:39:14 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time ZonesLocation 35.756°N, 83.825°W
Depth 4.9 km (3.0 miles)
Region EASTERN TENNESSEE
Distances 13 km (8 miles) E of Maryville, Tennessee
24 km (14 miles) SSE of Knoxville, Tennessee
49 km (30 miles) SE of Oak Ridge, Tennessee
275 km (170 miles) E of NASHVILLE, Tennessee
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 10.3 km (6.4 miles); depth +/- 3.1 km (1.9 miles)
Parameters NST= 16, Nph= 29, Dmin=12.2 km, Rmss=1.35 sec, Gp= 50°,
M-type=”Nuttli” surface wave magnitude (mbLg), Version=4
SourceMagnitude: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Location: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)Event ID usc000903d
Upgraded:
Earthquake Details
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.
Magnitude
2.3
Date-Time
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 04:39:12 UTC
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 12:39:12 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
35.797°N, 83.838°W
Depth
19.4 km (12.1 miles)
Region
EASTERN TENNESSEE
Distances
10 km (6 miles) E (85°) from Eagleton Village, TN
10 km (6 miles) ESE (116°) from Rockford, TN
10 km (6 miles) SW (215°) from Seymour, TN
22 km (14 miles) SSE (154°) from Knoxville, TN
232 km (144 miles) NNE (13°) from Atlanta, GA
Location Uncertainty
horizontal +/- 0.4 km (0.2 miles); depth +/- 0.8 km (0.5 miles)
Parameters
NST= 18, Nph= 24, Dmin=16 km, Rmss=0.14 sec, Gp= 86°,
M-type=duration magnitude (Md), Version=B
Source
Southeast U.S. Seismic Network
Event ID
se041112a
In 2007, Knoxville ran practice drills in preparation for a 7.7 earthquake. Thankfully, it hasn’t come yet!
Possibly linked: Apparently there was a magnitude 8.6 earthquake off Aceh, Indonesia at the same time. Tsunami warning issued. See also usgs.
Easter Weekend
Had a phenomenal Easter weekend. My daughter came home from college in New York so the entire family was together. Her siblings really miss her. The weather was perfect! I have grass on the lawn for the first time since…well…since I bought the house in 1997. And we had a great Easter egg hunt although I believe the Easter bunny needs to be a little tougher on hiding eggs next year.
As for Monday, I need a pick me up. Must have spent all my happiness this weekend.
