stacyprowell.com

Scala is pretty damn neat.  I’ve only just started learning the language (an earlier attempt had to be sidelined because “real” work interfered), but I’m back to it now. Continue reading »

Our new book, Seven Deadliest Network Attacks, is finally out, and I have my copy.  It is thin, but chock full of network attack goodness (I hope).  Run out and get a copy and tell me what you think!  The process of creating this book was quite painful, since it coincided with my changing jobs and relocating in two (or three) painful steps to a job that absolutely consumes all available cycles.  I am grateful to my editors, co-authors, and family (who had to endure me doing most of the work at night) for not killing and/or replacing me.

I haven’t written anything on the blog in a while, so it’s probably time.  This comes from Facebook comments (what doesn’t these days).  Social networking is fun!  I’ve paraphrased and added emphasis below because, hey, this is my blog, after all.  So, let’s visit that Obama birth certificate issue One More Time… Continue reading »

One of the things I have in my Scala startup file is the following.

def show[T](implicit thetype:scala.reflect.Manifest[T]) {
  thetype.erasure.getMethods() foreach println
}
def help(x:AnyRef) {
  x.getClass().getMethods() foreach println
}

These silly little functions are useful – at least, to me. Now when I can’t remember the name of a method I can type something like the following at the Scala prompt. Continue reading »

How long are your passwords?  Let’s say eight characters is the length.  How many possibilities are there?  Well, you can use any single-byte printable character (though I once used an escape key in an RS/6000 password; it worked, but isn’t a good idea everywhere), and any length from one to eight. Continue reading »

Just a short note on an item that bugs me about Java.  In C++, I tend to use exactly three kinds of method parameters.

• A const reference.  I don’t want to copy it, but I promise not to modify it, either.
• A reference.  I might modify it.
• A copy.  I might modify my local copy, but not the original.  I’m getting a copy, after all.

Easy peasy in C++.  In Java?  Uh, I pass all objects by reference. Continue reading »

Well, it had to happen eventually, and boom, it happened. A friend invited me to become a “fan” of Prayer in School. I’m a “fan” of an almost random collection of things, including Legos, Joe Satriani, The Adventures of Pete and Pete, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. One more couldn’t hurt, right? Continue reading »

President Barack Obama

Florida GOP Chairman Jim Greer says Obama’s school speech uses taxpayer dollars (i.e., your dollars) to indoctrinate your children.

As the father of four children, I am absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama’s socialist ideology.

Source: CNN

Really. Do you support compulsory government-funded education? Okay, there’s no point in asking that. Continue reading »

Van Jones

Gone. Unsurprising, really. Was Van Jones a truther? Well, he signed the petition, and I don’t think he can point to any public statement where he repudiated the truthers until recently… and then very weakly. He says he was the victim of a “vicious smear campaign.” Sure, I’ll grant that. So? He’s a politician and a lawyer, after all. Continue reading »

Health Care

How about passing simple legislation that is straightforward? We could do each of these – but not in one bill!

1. Allow purchasing health insurance from out-of-state vendors. That is, “crossing state lines” to buy insurance. This is currently illegal.
2. Allow and encourage the formation of health insurance alliances that pool many small businesses or even individuals.
3. Require insurers to offer a basic “minimum coverage” policy. We could require everyone to purchase it… and make it (a) tax exempt or (b) refundable. We could even do a “prebate” as with the Fair Tax. Continue reading »