We use http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G... which is a clustered Postgres implementation. It has its problems (Postgres 8.2? seriously?) But it is very fast for ETL and batch queries on large data sets. We house 100+TB and get excellent performance. Its commercial and you pay by the TB.

Then there is also AWS Redshift. We have found it to be quicker at some things and possibly cheaper but immature in its feature set (no UDF, etc). The thinking here is that if you have a separate system for ETL, Redshift would make an excellent data warehouse/ data market SELECT server. Pay by usage/ hour.

The Dwarves dug too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke in the darkness of Khazad-dum shadow and flame.

— Saruman, The Lord of the Rings

I remember the old Prisoner 2 video game for the Apple II. They gave you a secret number and all you had to do was not give it to them when they asked. Sounds easy. Just don't type the number.

Well, they got me! Applesoft programs would sometimes crash into prompt with an error and line. One would almost instinctually list out the line to see what the error was. So when the video game seemed to crash I listed out the line..... You lose!

I have never enjoyed losing a game so much.

On a recent trip to Jamaica, we had some tiny little ants in a nest in the bathroom wall. I discovered that they wouldn't cross invisible Vaseline lines rubbed on the wall.

Well, after a few days, I had created complex Vaseline mazes for the ants with food smudges at strategic locations. Got them to spell out my name with their ant trails. Wife wasn't as impressed as you might imagine.

Beaches were nice too.

The eagles didn't do their deus ex machina until after the ring was destroyed and mordor made (relatively) safe. Presumably Sauron would have noticed a flock of giant eagles heading over..

http://www.newscientist.com/data/images/ns/cms/mg20227117.000/mg20227117.000-3_600.jpg

I don't believe most roads change color because of tire rubber- excepting a few high traffic areas. Most change color to match the aggregate (read: rock) that's in in the asphalt- usually some sort of plain greyish rock.

When I drove through AK/CD the roads are green or red or other colors that match the color of the local rock they used.

Perhaps all they need to do is use a bright white rock in the aggregate?

Actually, according to the article, AT&T was sending him repeated SMS warnings but he did not get them because it was a data card, not a phone. That means to me that they did know what was going on and a cap could be implemented.