See http://kakoluri.com/2009/03/01/hunter-hancock-apr-21-1916-aug-4-2004/ for more information.

Here is another good source Remembering Hunter Hancock

Posted by Gypsy Chief

Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing

Recently we published Introduction to BOINC which said that older computers could be useful for processing Berkeley Open Infrastructure For Network Computing, BOINC, work units. These computers, retrofitted with Linux instead of Windows can contribute to the public good by looking for pulsars in outer space, searching for life on other planets, studying protein folding, finding new prime numbers and so forth. Indeed, Linux User and Developer Magazine from the UK devoted a cover story to BOINC some years ago. They called BOINC responsible peer to peer networking, as contrasted with irresponsible peer to peer networking which is associated with theft of copyrighted music, etc.

When I was in high school General Dougles MacArthur appeared before a joint session of Congress. MacArthur had just been fired by President Truman over the issue of supremacy of civilian authority over military leaders.

MacArthur concluded an emotional presentation by recalling a song they used to sing at West Point.

For months afterward Old Soldiers Never Die, They Just Fade Away was a hit song.

How does this apply to BOINC? Well I happen to have two IBM ThinkPad 770Zs. They are Pentium II machines with 320MB of ram, they run at 366MHz and their operating system is Slackware Linux/GNU. One of them processes Einstein at Home work units. The typical work unit will take about five days to complete on a 770Z. The cycle is get a work unit – process it – upload the result – get another work unit. The objective is to run the wheels off until the machine dies of old age or fatigue.

The other 770Z processes Prime Grid work units. This BOINC project looks for new prime numbers of the form K*B^N+/-1 and B^N+/-K and other kinds of prime numbers.

Do I have any idea what these number forms mean? Well, frankly no I do not. I do know that prime numbers are used in computer security and for other useful purposes. That is the idea behind BOINC. The volunteers who contribute unused CPU cycles are not required to know the science involved. They just need to be willing to help out. Frankly I think this is a better use of old computers then having them thrown in land fills.

Posted by The GNUinator

Hunter Hancock

A legendary R&B disk jockey who played rythm and blues before rock and roll came along. At one time this was called ‘race music’. Hunter had a wide following among the students at Van Nuys High. The white kids at VNHS would race out to their cars the minute school was out so they could listen to Hunter Hancock.
In 1953
Hank Ballard and The Midnighters released a song called “Work With Me, Annie” which caused a huge uproar. Hunter played it every chance he got. This was a song with raunchy lyrics which left little to the imagination. Some radio stations banned the song. Mothers got their daughters to pledge not to listen. About ten years later Congressman James Utt [R-CA] proclaimed that rock and roll was a Communist plot to weaken the moral fabric of America. Could it be that “Work With Me Annie” was a song he was thinking about? Another song Hunter played a lot was “Your Cash Ain’t Nothin But Trash” by The Clovers. Who could forget “Money Honey” by Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters? The best selling record of 1954, the year we graduated, was “The Things I Used To Do” by Eddie Jones [Guitar Slim].

Posted by Gypsy Chief

Valley Girl

My sister went to Van Nuys High School. Natalie Wood, see photo, was a classmate. We remember Natalie as she played opposite James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause

My sister went on to acquire not one but two masters degrees and to achieve success in a traditionaly male dominated field teaching science and astronomy in college. These days she is heading up Astronomy Cruises to exotic places everywhere. One reason to cruise is to avoid light pollution, another is to get into the best position for observation. More information at Astronomical Society

A good introduction to astronomy cruises can be found at Cruises 101

So, sis, though you went to Van Nuys Hi, you’re no valley girl.

Posted by the Gypsy Chief