Daily Archives: June 15, 2012

Loki Software

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Loki Software, Inc. (sometimes also called Loki Games or Loki Entertainment Software) was a software firm based in Tustin, California, United States, that ported several video games from Microsoft Windows to Linux. It took its name from the Norse deity Loki.

Legacy

Loki Software, although a commercial failure, is credited with the birth of the modern Linux game industry. Loki developed several free software tools, such as the Loki installer (also known as Loki Setup), and supported the development of the Simple DirectMedia Layer. They also started the OpenAL audio library project (now being run by Creative Technology and Apple Inc.) and with id Software wrote GtkRadiant. These are still often credited as being the cornerstones of Linux game development. They also worked on and extended several already developed tools, such as GCC and GDB.

The book Programming Linux Games by Loki Software and John R. Hall is recognized as one of the prominent tutorials for the Simple DirectMedia Layer. Many of Loki’s free tools are still actively used and being developed, often by former employees of the company, many of them having moved to other computer game or Linux companies.

— Wikipedia on Loki Software

2012.06.15 Friday ACHK

In Praise of Idleness, 2

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One of the commonest things to do with savings is to lend them to some Government. In view of the fact that the bulk of the public expenditure of most civilized Governments consists in payment for past wars or preparation for future wars, the man who lends his money to a Government is in the same position as the bad men in Shakespeare who hire murderers. The net result of the man’s economical habits is to increase the armed forces of the State to which he lends his savings. Obviously it would be better if he spent the money, …

— In Praise of Idleness

— Bertrand Russell

2012.06.15 Friday ACHK

反不相關推薦 1.2

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閱讀理解 1.4.2

這段改編自 2010 年 6 月 2 日的對話。

我中學時的一位英文老師，講過他大學時有一位教授，曾經教過他一道絕招，如何透過寫「推薦信」來害人。

我現在把它講出來，並不是叫你去害人，而是教你避免被人害。更加重要的是，你要避免自己害自己。大部人是的情況是，自己害了自己也不知道，誤了自己一生也不察覺，而且還要以為自己做得很好。

假設一個學生叫我為他寫推薦信。如果我不想寫，我會直接告訴他我不想寫。那是最合理的做法。

再假設我是邪惡的。如果我希望害那個學生（甲），我則會為他寫。而在那封信中，我會特別讚許他，描述到他是「前無古人，後無來者」的好。但是，和他所應徵的工作直接有關的，就偏偏隻字不提。

例如，甲想應徵做電腦程式編寫員，我就會特別讚許他 品學兼優、領導才能卓越、數學頭腦上乘、體壇明日之星 和 文筆扣人心弦 等等。但是，同電腦有關的，就至多輕輕帶過。

結果，甲給我害了自己也不知道，給我誤了一生也不察覺，而且還要以為我的「推薦信」寫得很好。

— Me@2012.06.15

2012.06.15 Friday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK