Rik's Ramblings

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Republicans Just Made It Easier For Employers To Hide Workplace Injuries | The Huffington Post

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_58d2de35e4b0f838c62f1fc9

... safety experts say (removing the legislation) will make it easier for employers to hide serious workplace injuries from the government.

If I were planning to open a coal mine, I'd want to be sure the government wasn't going to hold me accountable for workplace injuries.  People die in coalmines, and I'd want to minimize oversight - for the sake of publicity and my shareholders.




   

Monday, March 27, 2017

Nigel Farage looking toward 'Calexit'


Banks said of the campaign: 'It would be portrayed as the Hollywood elites versus the people, breaking up the bad government. Seventy-eight per cent of people in California are unhappy with their government. It's the world's sixth largest economy and it's very badly run.



We need to ban these Jokers from America.  Right wing extremists, trying to force their isolationist agenda around the globe now.  Presumably because they can better exploit the people and better line their own pockets if they can get us fighting amongst ourselves.  Hey, it worked for the Brits in India for a while, I can see why they'd try again.

Of course, I can't believe their "78% of California are dissatisfied with being the world's sixth largest economy" comment.  Maybe if they plaster it on the side of a London bus and drive it through San Fran it will convince me!

How many days before Trump repeats the 78% claim?  "It's being run very badly, trust me!  If I were their governor, they would be the world's largest economy."

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Why blue states get bluer, while red states get shittier

Rich New Yorkers Ask State to Raise Their Taxes
- http://nbcnews.to/2nH5Uua

When "fiscally responsible" Republicans reduce taxes, they do it at the cost of education, research and the arts.

Those tax cuts, in reality, make practically no difference to the poor.  Maybe the reduction in taxes gets them an extra six-pack of Coors each month.

On the flip side, due to the magic of percentages, the wealthy find themselves with thousands of extra cash in their pockets.  Of course, the elitist liberals in the blue states, the ones with higher salaries, see value in education, the arts, and their environment.  So we gladly donate some of our extra money to support our local schools, state parks, and local TV stations.

And so, the very people who voted for Trump, as a reaction to being neglected by the political establishment, find themselves falling even further behind.

For example, I know I'll be making donations to the California State Parks and the California Sea Otter protection fund.

Friday, March 10, 2017

French Concrete

This has to be a very delicate story for Breitbart to cover.

On the one hand, they really love to stick it to the communist French government.  On the other hand: Where is their "Made in America, By Americans, For Americans" outrage? 

There's no way they can allow Turmp to use imported French Concrete on his signature #MAGA project.

French Government Warns Construction Firm Against Building Trump’s Wall

http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/03/10/french-government-warns-construction-firm-against-building-trumps-wall/

#buildthatwall

Thursday, March 09, 2017

ACV Inheritance



People who can't figure out <em>class inheritance</em> (java/C++) or <em>prototypal inheritance</em> (javascript) use the <b>ACV</b> inheritance pattern.  More accurately the ^A^C^V pattern.

Here's how it works:
 - You find a class you like, and want to extend. 
 - You hold down the "Control" button on your keyboard. 
 - While doing so, you press 'A' key, then release, then press the 'C' key, and release.
 - Now you open a new text file.
 - Name the file according to the new class you're making
 - In the new (empty) text file you again press down the "Control" key
 - Now you press the 'V' key.

Hey presto!  You now have a "derived class".  You can "override" some, or all of the methods, or properties - public AND private!

It seems to be a very common pattern amongst embedded developers, not sure why.

POWER USER TIP: If you want to override a method in the base class, but want to still call it from your derived class.  Simply type 'parent' directly in front of the method name.  Here's an example:


/** BEFORE OVERRIDE **/
int Foo(char *x){
   int y;
   // do work
   // ...
   return y;
}

/** WITH OVERRIDE **/
int parentFoo(char *x){
   int y;
   // do work
   // ...
   return y;
}
int Foo(char *x){
   // modify x
   // ...
   return parentFoo(x);
}




Wednesday, March 01, 2017

3D printed prosthesis

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170301005768/en/Ambionics-Achieves-Breakthrough-Development-Unique-Child-Prosthetic

3D printing is awesome.

Form a company, learn how to design and build things with 3D modeling software, research infant development, file a patent then make a prosthetic arm.  And still quicker than relying on traditional manufacturing (and the NHS)!