Ryan Tomayko

How to Save A Life —

Aaron Swartz with a classic mindfuck. Reader beware: this same basic set of stories was told to me by a friend a few years ago and bothers me to this day.

App disqualified from App Store because it 'duplicates iTunes functionality' —

“An iPhone developer who created an app that manages and plays podcasts says the app was disqualified from the App Store because ‘it duplicates the functionality of the Podcast section of iTunes.’ That’s right, iTunes for the desktop.”

And the overwhelming majority of comments are actually in support of Apple’s decision, change the subject, or attack the author. Amazing.

Dead media strike again —

Rafe on Bruce Sterling’s Dead Media Project: “… a catalog of media formats that are no longer in use. In many cases, media stored in these dead formats can no longer be read because readers are no longer available for them.”

Kent State Massacre —

This was the first year in a long time that I didn’t make it over to Kent to see the memorial and pay my respects. Growing up a few miles from where all this went down is still one of the most sobering experiences of my life.

Scientists fight to save the last Java gibbons —

I thought this was a computer programming related article … buh-zing!

The Pound and The Dollar —

Squeal! Squeal like a pig, boy.

The End of an Era - 6.001 is dead —

Gerry Sussman is teaching this year’s 6.001 SICP class – the last time the class will be offered at MIT. It sounds like Scheme is being phased out of MIT’s CS program completely. What a sad day.

depressing —

“maybe try coding something in c”

Am I a bad person because I basically hate everyone? —

“Watching the unfolding train wreck that is the 2008 preznidential campaign, I’ve come to the depressing conclusion that every major candidate makes me want to throw up [in my mouth and then swallow it] at least a little bit.”

LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE! [youtube.com] —

I just had this exact conversation with my wife. No one understands…

My baby's so sweet :-) —

My sister and her daughter—whom I’ve seen very little of in the past three years due to her husband’s multiple Iraq deployments—singing a beautiful song. An interesting contrast to the deeply upsetting Patraeus report videos I’ve been watching all day.

Go away Ruby [bill.burkecentral.com] —

Bill Burke is an idiot. Wow. And then, after being an idiot, he actually calls someone “gay” in the comments when they dare suggest that Ruby is a strongly typed language. Huh? I thought Red Hat had better taste.

John R. Tomayko —

My only hero.

I don't know how I will tell my wife —

“I know that there are those out there who would have me go AWOL or refuse to deploy. I cannot do that. I have a family to feed, and soldiers to take care of. I can do neither from prison.”

After Pat's Birthday —

Editor’s note: Kevin Tillman joined the Army with his brother Pat in 2002, and they served together in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pat was killed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. Kevin, who was discharged in 2005, has written a powerful, must-read document.

Public Broadcasting Targeted By House —

This is just horrible. How about you assholes hold back on a tank or two and leave Big Bird alone!

MSFT refuses to give 15 XP licenses for tsunami relief related work —

I almost puked when I read this. I hope there’s just been a mix up or something.