Articles on The Real Ramblings

The War Powers Resolution Did Exactly What It Was Designed To Do

Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Joe Lancaster published a piece at Reason documenting the Trump administration’s handling of the War Powers Resolution’s sixty-day clock on the Iran strikes, and it is worth reading for the facts even though the analysis points in exactly the wrong direction.

The Gas Price Mirage

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Gas prices are up. This is true, visible, and felt at the pump by every American who drives. Since the onset of the Iran war on February 28, the national average has risen by roughly 35 cents per gallon. Crude oil, whether measured by WTI or Brent, has spiked well above its pre-war baseline. The political commentary has followed the price upward with a simple thesis: high gas prices are bad for the president’s party, and this will hurt Republicans in November.

The Bilateral Disgust Contest

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The standard midterm narrative runs like this: the president is unpopular, therefore his party will lose seats, therefore the opposition will gain them. The first two steps have modest historical support, as discussed in the previous article in this series. The third step is treated as automatic, a simple consequence of the first two. If voters are unhappy with the party in power, they vote for the other party.

The Number That Predicts Nothing

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0500

At some point today, a cable news chyron will display a number. It will be the president’s approval rating, updated to the decimal point, presented as though it were a vital sign on a hospital monitor. A pundit will interpret it. A headline will frame it. A donor will adjust a contribution based on it. And none of them will pause to ask whether the number they are reacting to has any meaningful connection to the political outcome they care about. For most of the uses to which approval ratings are put, it does not.

What War Polls Actually Measure

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Every major news outlet has now reported some version of the same claim: the Iran War is unpopular. Nate Silver’s polling average tracks it daily, at roughly 40 percent support and 54 percent oppose, updated with decimal-point precision and rendered as a smooth curve. Pew, Quinnipiac, AP-NORC, Fox News, Reuters-Ipsos, and a dozen other outfits have produced their own numbers. The specifics vary. The conclusion is unanimous.

The Oil Price Nobody's Talking About

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0500

On April 3, 2026, something happened in the oil markets that has occurred only a handful of times in modern history. West Texas Intermediate crude — the benchmark for North American oil — closed above Brent crude, the global benchmark. WTI at $111.54 per barrel, Brent at $109.24.

The Republic's Navy: A Constitutional Case for Maritime Primacy

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Introduction

A companion essay to this one argued that the War Powers Resolution deserves repeal on constitutional grounds. That argument identified three directions the Republic might take after repeal: restore the constitutional architecture to align military posture with the original allocation of war powers, amend the Constitution to accommodate the standing military the nation has built, or accept the ambiguity and let each crisis resolve itself through political contest. The essay took no position on which direction to pursue, but this one does, because the question of what comes after repeal matters more than the repeal itself.

The War We Never Declared: Why the War Powers Resolution Must Go

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

A Constitutional Framework in Crisis

The United States has not declared war since June 5, 1942. In the eighty-four years since, American forces have fought in Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, the Persian Gulf, Somalia, Haiti, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and dozens of smaller engagements. Presidents of both parties ordered every one of these operations. Congress authorized some, funded most, and stopped none.

Code Repositories and Yak Shaving Part Two

Fri, 06 Jan 2017 22:00:00 +1200

In Part One of this series, I discussed what a monorepo is, defined contextual repos, and covered a review of a couple articles which attempted to illustrate the benefits of a monorepo. In this part, I’m going to go a bit deeper into some of the assertions I made, and some claims often made “in defense of” monorepos.

Code Repositories and Yak Shaving

Thu, 05 Jan 2017 22:00:00 +1200

There is a wave of argument growing among how to organize software repositories ; the god-repo (commonly known as a monorepo) and focused repositories. By and large there is no one best way. Rather it is a question of which yaks you want to shave. This is a meager attempt to explore them without a general recommendation.

Hooray For Statically Typed Client Libraries

Fri, 22 Apr 2016 12:00:00 +1200

If you’re a programmer you’ve likely heard or read someone expound the benefits and advantages of typed code. Things like compile-time validation that you are passing an integer rather than a string, or avoiding variable type overloading, speed, and many more. However, sometimes this can lead to better code in programs other than the one you’re writing in a statically typed language.

Some Basic Async Coding Rules

Mon, 21 Mar 2016 17:00:00 +1200

Everything doesn’t have to be asynchronous and sometimes making something asynchronous leads to problems. The following rules and guidelines should help you minimize those problems and make proper use of asynchronous calling.

RCP: Sentinel Improvements

Thu, 22 Oct 2015 16:30:00 +1200

While Salvatore and I have discussed some significant changes to various aspects of Sentinel, enough to likely warrant a Sentinel version change, I wanted to capture some of the more incremental proposals we talked about during this year’s #redislondon dev day.

Redis Change Proposal: Configuration Improvements

Thu, 22 Oct 2015 14:30:00 +1200

Redis already has one of the most extensive set of configuration options available to any data store. But we can do better. I proposed these changes at the Redis Developer Day 2015 in London this week but this is the greater detail version.

Recovering A Sentinel Configuration

Sat, 23 May 2015 11:00:00 +1200

Sentinel configuration and configuration management systems don’t play well together, and neither do package management systems and the config file. As a result it is possible to have your sentinel configuration file wiped clean under a running sentinel. Here are some ways you might be able to recover your running configuration.

Sentinel Tool: Eventilator

Wed, 22 Apr 2015 16:00:00 +1200

A little-known ability of Redis’ Sentinel mode is event based “script” execution. When so configured, Redis can call an external executable file on certain events, passing the event information on to the command. This is useful for monitoring as well as reconfiguration events. Eventilator is a small utility I’ve written to make this process easier.

A Primer on Codis

Fri, 03 Apr 2015 08:00:00 +1200

In the first of this mini-series on Clustering Redis I mentioned Codis as one of the projects doing this for you. In this installment I’m going into more detail on Codis. The authors of the project have made some interesting choices, and these choices make Codis different with different requirements and implications than some of the others.

A Primer on Clusterizing Redis

Thu, 02 Apr 2015 07:00:00 +1200

Yesterday Salvatore released the long-awaited native Redis Cluster solution as part of Redis 3.0. It takes one specific approach to building a cluster that has operational implications - clients need to know which Redis master node to talk to. The server will redirect, and can be asked directly, when the client submits a command and the client will then need to ensure it connects to the appropriate master. Essentially it is like client-side hashing where the server tells you the results.

The Wheel is Turning

Wed, 01 Apr 2015 19:00:00 +1200

Like most industries computer programming has cycles. One of these cycles is how we write or compile programs. We fundamentally have two methods: static vs. dynamic. Neither is perfect. Because each has benefits and drawbacks the wheel is slowly turning between which is perceived as “better” or is more common. There are changes afoot right now which to me signal the wheel is turning away from the current preference and moving toward static.

More Thoughts on Redis Performance

Wed, 03 Dec 2014 14:00:00 +1200

In the previous installment I discussed topics and approaches to preventing your Redis instance from becoming slow.

Now it is time to go into ways of measuring it.

Book Review: Applied Redis Design Patterns

Wed, 29 Oct 2014 15:00:00 +1200

Right from the beginning I’ll tell you I received an electronic copy of the book in order to do the review. Rest assured the only consideration that buys is me doing the review. I am not affiliated with this book in any way and receive no additional consideration relating to it.

Redis Configuration Synchronizing

Wed, 29 Oct 2014 15:00:00 +1200

Running a Master/Slave replication with Redis is common, but has a few things you might not think of from a configuration management standpoint. One of these is synchronization of live configuration changes from master to slave. This article addresses the gap and how to close it.

Thoughts on Redis Performance

Tue, 28 Oct 2014 10:00:00 +1200

As I am afforded the privilege of speaking with many people and companies using Redis in a variety of use cases from simple caching to multi-terabyte sized setups the one topic I am asked to address more than any other is performance. Redis is different in how you approach performance. In many, if not most, database servers you try to improve performance. With Redis the goal is to not slow it down. This is a very different approach and requires a different mindset to take advantage of it.

Better Websites Through Deconstruction

Sat, 30 Nov 2013 12:12:00 +1200

Look around the web for how to make your website better and you will find no end of articles, many contradictory. Look more specifically to Wordpress and things don’t change much. What does change is the strategies - mostly around caching and getting around terrible plug-ins and themes which seem to avoid performance mindful markup layout like a plague to be fled from in terror.

What you don’t see is a challenge to the fundamental way WP, and to a similar extent most publishing platforms, handles the basic web page. But what if we threw away the modern web page concept? Are there benefits to be had? Is there a way of making web pages which conserves bandwidth, CPU cycles, DB queries, and latency? I think so. And the answer may be a bit surprising.

Recipe: Tami's HFLC Four Cheese Sauce

Fri, 29 Nov 2013 11:38:00 +1200

I promised to post Tami’s cheese sauce recipe we are using while doing a HFLC experiment. Without further ado, I present Tami’s HFLC Four Cheese Sauce.

Is Innovation in 'Cloud' Stagnating?

Sun, 08 Sep 2013 21:05:00 +1200

For a while now the buzz is about being cloud. Whether it is apps in the cloud, services in the cloud, or being a cloud provider you can’t seem to escape this buzzword lately. But given the recent releases and direction the “major players” are talking about, I have to wonder if we are entering a stagnation period. Or perhaps, to borrow a phrase from economics, perhaps stagflation.

Redis Zen

Wed, 29 May 2013 10:00:00 +1200

Working with Redis can be done with the usual mindset, but approaching it from a different mindset can reap significant rewards.

Why We Object to Military Presidential Powers

Tue, 28 May 2013 15:30:00 +1200

Once upon a time, the United States was attacked and thousands of people died. Americans, and indeed much of the civilized world, rallied behind then President Bush to root out the evil doers and bring them to justice. But somewhere along the way, something went wrong.

Wordpress Responsiveness, Part 3

Mon, 27 May 2013 10:00:00 +1200

In Wordpress Responsiveness Part 2 I wrote about WP Supercache (WPSC) and how to tune it to your site. In this part I’ll talk about a separate plugin which works well with WPSC, CDN Sync Tool, and how it can improve your TTFB and load times dramatically.

WordPress Responsiveness, Part 2

Sun, 26 May 2013 09:15:00 +1200

In Wordpress Responsiveness Part 1 I introduced you to the basic concepts behind one aspect of your website’s performance: how fast it responds. In part two I will go into more details of using WP Super Cache to improve your site’s speed and responsiveness.

Wordpress Responsiveness, Part 1

Sat, 25 May 2013 16:14:00 +1200

How Fast Does Your Site Load?

It is a question that matters to your readers, to Google (and other search engines), and thus should matter to you. This is likely obvious to you. What you may not realize is there are a few fundamental types of site/page speed and how you handle each of them matters. In this article I’ll walk you through some of those details.

Bulverde Mayor Threatens Bicyclists

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:58:00 +1200

I originally entitled this “Bulverde Mayor Opens Mouth and Inserts Foot”, but figured this suited it better. That said, both are true. In an article he wrote himself (opens in new window), the Mayor proved he knows nothing of the laws and common decency, then threatened to abuse the police to target a class of law abiding citizens doing legal things - riding their bicycles.

Is Bloomberg being Honest About Obesity?

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:10:00 +1200

In a recent article on the NYC Soda Ban, Mayor Bloomberg stated:

“If we are serious about fighting obesity, we have to be honest about what causes it.” - NYC Mayor Bloomberg

I could not agree more. However, the question is: Is he being honest about it? He is using this assertion that sodas cause us to be obese to justify banning sodas over a certain size. But is that the truth? In a word, no.

BMI: A Tool for Confusion and Politics

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 13:53:00 +1200

The U.S. is obese. That is the message from government and so-called health experts. There is no way around it, they say. And the only way to get un-obese is to do what they say. But are we really obese? Or are the alleged experts wrong?

The Mythical Fiscal Cliff

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 17:19:00 +1200

Every drive to work, every drive home, every news clip, every pundit seems to have something to say about the so-called “Fiscal Cliff”. Each side claims the other is holding “the middle-class tax cuts hostage”, or that the other side’s plan is laughable or unworthy. Sadly, while there isn’t really a cliff, both sides are right about each other. Here is why. They are both wrong.

Post Election Thoughts: Mandate? What Mandate?

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 18:22:00 +1200

On election night we started hearing how Obama and the Democrats had a mandate. Why? Because of a substantial margin in the electoral college. For this article we’ll kindly forget their claims that Bush didn’t have one in 2000 despite a substantial margin in the Electoral College - this article is about why there isn’t one today.

TTFB, Word Press, and Premature Optimization

Sun, 18 Nov 2012 18:30:00 +1200

Of late I’ve seen a lot of talk about “Time To First Byte” (TTFB). In a nutshell, TTFB is supposed to represent the time it takes for a web server to send the first byte of data to the client - usually a web browser. There are a variety of viewpoints regarding its usefulness.

Post-Election Realizations

Sun, 18 Nov 2012 00:16:00 +1200

My self-imposed election period hiatus is over. Since the mainstream media and blogosphere have lost interest in it, it is time to return to it. There are some interesting parallels with prior elections, but not the ones I’ve seen posted elsewhere.

Prior to the election there was discussion on whether Romney would be the Republican John Kerry. I think with the results in, there is a clear historical parallel, and it is with a Democrat presidential contender. Indeed I think this entire election is a repeat of that contender’s race; the 2000 Presidential Race.

Let us examine some key factors.

Obstructionism By The Numbers

Sat, 13 Oct 2012 11:23:00 +1200

Once again we find ourselves in a war of idiocy regarding what the current POTUS running for office did do or didn’t do. As expected, anytime he failed to do something he promised he and his supporters blame it on Republican obstructionism. Just as Republicans do when it is their POTUS being called to account for his or her term.

What is Service?

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 07:18:00 +1200

I ran across this article on CFO.com: “The True Meaning of Service”. Something really stood out to me. In the article, Timothy Chou asserts Amazon is not in the business of sales, but in service. As someone who has had poor service interactions with Amazon, and read of the many people who have had bad to horrible experiences with Amazon’s “service department”, I was taken aback.

Some thoughts on CFO's Cloud Questions Article

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:16:00 +1200

Yesterday I ran across this article at CFO.com. As someone who started in this industry nearly two decades ago and planted firmly in the cloud, I’ve a few observations and admonitions.

Political Kettles vs. Reality

Sat, 06 Oct 2012 14:52:00 +1200

On his Blog recently, Jimmy Zuma had this to say:

Why is Government Unemployment 'Insurance' Sometimes a Bad Thing?

Sat, 06 Oct 2012 14:05:00 +1200

Unemployment has the desired intent of acting as a safety net for people who lose their jobs suddenly and unexpectedly. So how can this be bad? It can be bad for several reasons. First it is biased against those who make decent money. How? Consider this scenario:

Does your (POTUS) Vote Count?

Sat, 06 Oct 2012 10:34:00 +1200

For the vast majority of Americans, the answer is no. Here is the breakdown on why.

Why Savings Matter

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 09:03:00 +1200

In a recent post I made the assertion savings are important. I’d like to expand on that a bit. We all think we understand it, but I posit we don’t fully grasp it.

Why Recessions (And Depressions) Are Important

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 21:42:00 +1200

Forest fires suck. Once upon a time, we thought if we protected our forests from forest fires the forests, and we, would be better off. It took a long time, but eventually it became clear this was a bad policy. So we have, slowly, begun to realize it is better to focus on being able to recover from a fire, and able to minimize property and personal damage from fires than to take the naive and reckless position of preventing them in the first place.