Month: July 2004

Bad Things that can happen to you

<%image(20040727-finger_doored.jpg" alt="Finger. Doored.">

If you are really depressed now and think that you life sucks and that everything bad had already happenned to you, or something along that lines, then I’ve got a present for you. Apparently, there is a site where people collected a huge (I mean really huge) list of Bad Things that can happen to you. They even rated all of them, so that it would be easy for you to find what is the next bad thing that can happen after your worst one. Check them out: Epic stuff, Crushing stuff, Lousy stuff, and merely Uncomfortable stuff.

I am sure that after you scroll through the list, you will fill much better. You are welcome to come back anytime something bad happens to you. :)

Nobody here. Just me.

Many toes

“Nobody here. Just me.” is about the most creative and original website that I have seen lately. It’s not about anything actually, but that doesn’t stop one from browsing it endlessly.

How to Design Programs

Book cover

“How to Design Programs” is yet another book to read from MIT Press. The good thing about this particular book is that it talks about general programming principles. These principles are useful not only to professional developers, but to almost everyone. In book’s own words:

Many professions require some form of computer programming. Accountants program spreadsheets and word processors; photographers program photo editors; musicians program synthesizers; and professional programmers instruct plain computers. Programming has become a required skill.

Yet programming is more than just a vocational skill. Indeed, good programming is a fun activity, a creative outlet, and a way to express abstract ideas in a tangible form. And designing programs teaches a variety of skills that are important in all kinds of professions: critical reading, analytical thinking, creative synthesis, and attention to detail.

This book can be purchased in print from Amazon, or read online on it’s website. Also on the website you can find solutions to all problems presented in the book, additional problem sets, corrections to all known mistakes and typos, and much more.

If you don’t know why you should learn how to design programs, then flip through first few pages – there is a special part for you.

The Tao of Windows Buffer Overflow

<%image(20040726-dataflow.gif" alt="">

“The Tao of Windows Buffer Overflow” is yet another excellent guide into buffer overflows. It has a well balanced combination of theory and practice. As you can guess from the title, all the practice is based on Microsoft Windows operating system.

Vacation request

Today I have requested vacations from August 23 till August 31. Hazard, Olga, and I are planning to go to Paphos again. We liked it a lot last year.

I have 21 days off to burn until the end of the year. I’ve just asked for 7. My mother is planning to come for a week or to in about September. And I will need few days to wrap around Christmas and New Year. So far it all adds up.

Update (26 July 2004 11:15pm): I have changed my request to be from 13th of August until 31st of August, since my mother will be also coming to Cyprus. Now all I need is a granted permission from the management. :)