Re-writing abstractions, or Lambda: the ultimate pattern macro:
A practical topic of this message is making programming of pattern-based rewriting systems more intuitive. It is far from trivial to build complex re-writing rules from simpler ones, in head-first pattern-based rewriting systems. The familiar idioms of a 'function call' and a functional composition -- let alone higher-level combinators such as fold -- do not easily apply.
This article proposes a solution: continuation-passing-style (CPS) coupled with a macro-lambda. The solution makes it trivial to compose re-writing rules and to use higher-order rule combinators. We can code re-writing rules using traditional, well-understood applicative programming idioms. The solution relies on a first-class denotation for a future re-writing.
Oh, baby. [via Lambda the Ultimate]
Initial reports from witnesses were that the U.S. had invaded Moheli, the island capital of Comoros, as part of the WoT. Apparently the soldiers claimed to be U.S. Army and handed flyers linking the government to terrorism. It now appears that it's a coup. The text of the flyer that was handed out is at the bottom of this message from the Prime Minister. [via Metafilter]
University of South Florida has fired Sami Al-Arian, a tenured computer science professor, largely because of the disruption caused his appearance on the O'Reilly Factor, which he says was a setup, and the subsequent death threats he received and bomb threats the University received. He was placed on paid leave two days after the show aired and was sent a letter of intent to terminate yesterday. In addition to the recent trouble, he has spoken out against the detention of his brother-in-law on secret evidence, been a vocal critic of Israel and has been accused of running a front organization for Islamic Jihad, though the charges have not been proven.
Two more groups have been named by Bush as organizations that fund terrorists: Umma Tameer-e-nau (UTN) and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LET). UTN is said to be founded by a former Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission official. UTN's leader was questioned and released by Pakistan in October regarding his contacts with bin Ladin. Bush accused UTN today of supplying information on nuclear weapons to al-Qaeda. LET has been named as the group that attacked the Indian parliament last week and has taken responsibility for other attacks on India.
The first arrests under Britain's new anti-terror law have been made. One suspect disappeared shortly after the new law was passed Friday. Liberty, a British civil liberties group, may mount a campaign to free them.
