Wednesday, June 2

Multi-Calendar Plugin of WordPress

This is the update of Calendar Plugin of WordPress.

Please download from http://fadshop.net/ben/multicalendar.zip(198,950 bytes).

Labels: ,

Thursday, May 6

苏联是否在困难时期逼债

http://tieba.baidu.com/f?kz=330474347

  .....吴冷西的回忆也涉及此事。 1960年7月16日,苏联以中国不信任苏联专
  家、不尊重苏联专家建议以及向苏联专家散发反苏文章为由,照会中国政府,
  决定单方面决定召回全部在中国工作的苏联专家。毛泽东即于18日在北戴河
  会议上大谈自力更生问题。虽然苏联照会并未提出还债问题,毛泽东却指示
  周恩来算一下要多少年还请苏联欠帐。周恩来把帐算出来,说,中国尚欠苏
  联80亿卢布,过去我们每年还5亿,照此算需16年才能还清。如果按 8亿计算,
  则要10年才能还清。10年太长了。毛泽东在政治局会议上说,延安时期那么
  困难,我们吃辣椒也不死人,现在比那个时候好多了,要勒紧裤腰带,争取
  五年内把债务还清。于是政治局决定,各省成立外贸小组,挤出东西来还债。
  [见吴冷西《十年论战(1956--1966)---中苏关系回忆录》,中央文献出版
  社,北京,1999年5月,第335-338页)]


http://tieba.baidu.com/f?kz=330474347

几个月前, 正值非洲外交红火, cctv播了一个以前驻非外交官的回忆. 其中涉及59年刚通过政变上台的几内亚政府, 到处寻求援助. 美国口头表示支持, 但对具体的要求则爱莫能助.

祖国政府得悉后, 立即满足所有要求. 记得内容有一千吨大米, 几十套成套设备(没有解释), 自然全部免费并负责运送到该国. 援助大米船只抵达后, 对方兴高采烈云云......

今天上网一查, 看到外交部重大历史档案解密, 其中就有政府60年主动向几内亚提供大米援助的消息. 甚至还有原件的照片. 这就是说, 别人本来没有提要求, 是我们的政府主动送货上门的. 援助大米的数量不是一千吨, 而是一万吨, 有文件和照片为证.

60年是三年自然灾害中最困难的时期, 饿死的人不计其数. 袁隆平先生研究杂交水稻的起因就是不忍目睹路边的饿殍. 那里正是盛产大米的江南. 古谚云: 湖广熟, 天下足.

一万吨大米 = 一千万公斤 = 二千万斤大米
当时一个普通成年人一个月的粮食定量是27斤左右(必须有城市户口)
基于本人的经历, 许多过来人文字和口头的回忆, 如果有20斤粮食, 再加上菜叶树皮之类, 坚持一个多月没有大的问题. 20斤粮食有可以救活一个人. 20斤粮食大概 = 一条人民

二千万斤大米应该可以救活一百万人, 一百万条活生生的人命.


这些大米和几十套成套设备都是我国免费运送到几内亚, 不知国内和远洋运输成本为何. 此时, 正值我国极其缺油.
把运输成本和几十套成套设备的价值加起来, 恐怕不会低于一万吨大米.

解密的60年外交部档案还透露, “还宣布向刚果提供5000吨至10000吨小麦或大米”。

“伍修权将军的《回忆与怀念》中讲述:1962年,阿尔巴尼亚领导人霍查的女婿、阿外交官马利列要求粮食援助。恰巧从加拿大购进的几艘小麦船正驶往中国,接到中央命令后,立即调头驶向阿国港口,卸下了全部小麦。伍将军心痛地感叹:中国正处在百姓大批饿死的时候,我们连句感谢也没有换来,中国人慷慨呀!”


  在会谈中还讨论了由于中华人民共和国农业遭受严重自然灾害,而在1960年
贸易业务中产生的、中华人民共和国对苏联的欠帐问题。苏联方面对中华人民共
和国的暂时困难表示充分谅解,并向中华人民共和国政府提出,上述欠帐在五年
内分期偿还,不计利息。

  中国方面以感激的心情接受了苏联在今年8月底以前以借用的方式供应中华
人民共和国五十万吨糖的建议,糖将在1964-1967年期间归还,不计利息。
原载1961年4月9日《人民日报》

Thursday, April 29

董芳霄成功利体育牺牲品

受董芳霄“年龄造假”事件的牵连,2000年悉尼奥运会上同时站在女子体操团体季军领奖台上的杨云、刘璇、凌洁、黄曼丹、奎媛媛也将失去珍贵的铜牌。“其 实包括董芳霄在内的这几名女孩子都很无辜。可以说她们为了体操事业付出了很多很多,特别是健康。毫不夸张地说,每一位退役的体操运动员都是伤痕累累。她们 在为身体疗伤的同时,还要承受着巨大的心理创伤。这对于这些把青春年华都奉献给体操事业的姑娘实在是太不公平了。”昨天,一位圈内人士在接受本报记者采访 时说,“董芳霄今天的遭遇既是偶然也是必然。但无论是侥幸逃脱追查的运动员,还是已经被查实改龄的运动员,她们都是功利体育的牺牲品。”


这些报道都没有直接涉及一个真正原因:为什么年龄造假。一个体操教练说的是:
“由于体操项目对运动员身体柔韧性要求极高,而体操运动员的年龄越小,身体就越灵活,也容易完成高难度动作。一旦女子体操运动员到了发育年龄,就开始走下坡路了。这也是为什么体操运动员出成绩早,退役也早的原因。”


其实,正是因为“体操运动员出成绩早,退役也早”,国际体联才强制要求体操队员必须16岁才能参赛,避免那些小队员拔苗助长,防止他们“为了体操事业付出了很多很多,特别是健康”。由此可见,那些为了让小体操队员能参加比赛而改年龄的教练、领导(这样系统性改年龄不是一个人偷偷摸摸做的),犯了这些罪行:
1,违反公平竞争的原则,让自己手下的小年纪队员(柔软性好)跟别国大年纪队员(柔软性差)来竞争。
2,明知这样危害小体操队员的身体健康,还要他们如同大年纪队员一样高强度训练。
3,被揭穿之后还死撑,说董芳霄本来就是1983年的,现在已经是27岁。董就如此被抹杀了3年生命。

Tuesday, April 20

最近有一些地震预测,我建议

每预测一次,所预测的地区所有市民撤离。如果地震没有发生,就让这些预测专家付账。这样来几次,这些预测专家就会闭嘴了。

每年都有无数预测专家用各种理论来预测地震,当然会有蒙中的;2008年四川地震后最出名的那个预测专家,在过去3年里年年都填几张地震预测卡(那一带是著名地震带,过去100年中大地震间隔最长的是8年,上一次是1996年)没碰到才怪。每年国家地震台网中心都收到100多份地震预测卡,如果每次都发布给公众,有意义么?

预测地震不准确,不实用。搞好建筑质量,平时做应急措施,做消防演习,才是避免伤亡的正确渠道。

Monday, April 19

Smart Grid and Smart Meters智能电表

The rule of the games 游戏规则

乌鸦

在中国文化里,乌鸦是很晦气的东西。因为乌鸦啄食动物尸体甚至人的尸体,所以见到乌鸦往往意味着倒霉。

而在印第安文化里,印第安人见到乌鸦聚集在人的尸体上,以为它们是死人(祖先)的灵魂转化而来,因而对乌鸦很尊敬或者崇拜。卡尔家里旁的印第安保留区的前任族长的姓就是乌鸦子(Crowchild),所以市里一条大路的名字就是以他命名的乌鸦子路(Crowchild Trail)。

相同的乌鸦,相同的表现,在不同的文化里却表达截然相反的意义。

Thursday, April 15

Shrink .ldf file of MS SQL Server

.ldf files are the transaction log of database. By default it is created with "unrestricted growth" option, so it can be much bigger than the actual database file.

With these commands you can shrink .ldf file to its initial size:
backup log databasename with truncate only; --Mark inactive entries in the log file to be truncated.
use databasename;
dbcc shrinkfile (databasename_log); --shrink.
But you still need to do something to prevent it from growing unrestricted again. You can decide a specific number (2 Gig?) for this file (In Database Properties->Files interface), but that is not ideal.

By default a database is created with "Full Recovery" mode. That means, if you have a database failure, you restore the database from yesterday's backup tape, then with all the transaction logs, you can restore the database to older state. Most people keep 2 week's daily backup, so the transaction log is never used. In this situation "Simple Recovery" mode can be applied. The database will truncate all the transaction log every time database is being backup. That means, if you have daily backup, the transaction log (.ldf file) is truncated to initial size every day.

To set the "Simple Recovery" mode, go to the Database Properties and select "Option":



Please visit Microsoft link How to stop the transaction log of a SQL Server database from growing unexpectedly to get detail info of this topic.

Friday, April 2

丫丫纪事

再过4个月,丫丫就两岁了。今天拿出她一年前的相片,我就对她淳淳教导:你看,你小时候就是这个样子...

上周末去超市,她抓住推车把手,一定要自己推。所以我就松开抱着她的手,她抓着推车把手悬吊着。自己居然能把自己挂起来了!

cute.

and congratulations on the 2nd!!!
 
The 2nd is still a secret, and you are not supposed to know that!
 

Wednesday, March 10

Why Linux is more secure than Windows

In Linux, by default, a common user can read almost all files, but she can only write to:
  • /tmp
  • /home/accountname
these 2 folders. Even if she accidentally execute a virus, the virus inherits her privilege and can not write to executables in other folders. That means that virus can not affect the system at all. When the user needs to modify other folders, for example, install a new software, she can use "su" to become super user temporarily, because she knows what she is doing.

In Windows, that is a different story.
In prior-Vista systems (Win 98, Win 2000, Windows XP...), a common user, by default is a local admin, can access to all files in the harddrive, so a virus can have admin privilege to do all it needs to do. In Windows XP, a user can be deliberately set as "Standard User" or "Restricted User", but user will experience difficulty when using the computer: Some applications failed silently because they could not get enough privilege to do their jobs, and the user is frustrated with application errors.
Vista has better security sense because a default user is like a "Standard User" in the Windows XP. When the user (or application) is trying to access system files, a window will pop-up for your permission to go ahead. That is called User Account Control (UAC). Windows learns that from "sudo" (or su, gsudo), but still it is a failure. In practice every Vista user disabled this functionality right after installing Vista. Yes, every single Vista user that I know of. If the user doesn't disable UAC because he is impotent to do so, he just blindly click "OK" to let the application have permission without looking at the prompt. Because the pop-up window is so annoying and user doesn't see any good from it.

The problem is not that the users are uneducated. The problem is that so many applications needs to access system files and triggers the pop-up window. Those applications assume to inherit administrator privilege from user.

Yes, those applications were not designed with security in mind. That was how Windows recommended. Even though Windows has change its recommendation, the software industry hasn't changed, because the old softwares are still being used or updated.

As I said, in Linux, a user can only write to /tmp and home folder. All application is designed to save personalized data in home folder. For example, Firefox writes the addons and configuration in .Mozilla folder under the user's home folder. It doesn't need to write to /bin folder, where all the applications stored.

But in Windows, applications are encouraged to write information to registry, where all the important information are stored. Also, a simple "WriteProfileString" function can write to Win.ini of %Windows% folder. The %Windows% folder is open for all applications. That is an invitation for bad-ware. The "WritePrivateProfileString" function, if a bare file name is given, write to the same folder with the application (usually under %Program Files% folder). So this folder is open to write access as well.

The Windows has another security features: Windows File Protection. Actually it is working pretty well in its scope: It keeps a copy of "important" windows files in %systemroot%\system32\dllcache\ folder. If these files are modified by bad-ware, WFP will restore the files quietly. This is very good, but it can not protect all legitimate files. For example, word.exe of Office is not protected. Also, because a folder is not protected, a fake system file, such as "C:\WINDOWS\system\svchost.exe" or "C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost32.exe" or "C:\WINDOWS\system\svchost.dll" are often generated by bad-ware to trick users, pretending to be "C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe".

So far there is no real popular virus in Linux, because of the security feature mentioned above. A virus can not get elevated as admin to access applications to populate itself. Windows has a long way to go, and the Windows software industry needs to work together to get it straight.

Labels: , ,