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Archive for the ‘Comment’ Category
Prague’s Franz Kafka International Named World’s Most Alienating Airport
Monday, March 23rd, 2009OMG The Databases are coming
Monday, March 23rd, 2009From the way the media talks about it, you’d think a database was something like a Dalek. Just take a look at these headlines:
Big Brother Dalek recording all our calls, texts and e-mails will ‘ruin British way of life’ - Plans for a massive Dalek snooping on the entire population were condemned yesterday as a ‘step too far for the British way of life’.
UK government plans yet another massive surveillance Dalek - “The Cybermen would have been proud”
10 government Daleks ‘will break the law’ – Claims by the government that the Daleks make the provision of public services such as health easier are dismissed as “illusory”.
It’s sad that the word “database” has become a shorthand for “Orwellian government oversight”. A database is simply a store of information and in itself is not evil. If you want to talk about the misuse of the information within the database, that data collection can cause incorrect information to get in to the database, or debate whether the information in the database is worth the cost of collecting it, be my guest - but don’t blame the database itself. That’s like blaming spreadsheets for the financial crisis.
Firefox is dead
Sunday, March 22nd, 2009Strong words from PCWorld's Linux Line – while it makes a fairly persuasive argument that Firefox is heading for a dead end it doesn't enlighten us as to what Firefox's "wrong direction" actually is. Me, I'm using IE8 now, mainly because it annoys people.
Keir Thomas writes: "I fear that the Firefox project is a juggernaut that can't stop. It's got too much momentum and is determined to head in the direction it has chosen. In short, I honestly think it's too late. Despite the fact it's not really ready for human consumption, Chrome has won. Firefox is already dead. The only way the situation can be altered is for Mozilla to slam on the brakes, lean out of the window of the truck, apologize for going the wrong way, and turn around. But that's unimaginable."
Angry Europeans look for direction
Saturday, March 21st, 2009A couple of quotes from a rather gloomy article, one funny, one insightful, and one scary.
"In the same country the head of the bosses' federation was scathing about the government. "They don't know what to do about the banks," she told me, "They haven't thought things through, there is no vision, they don't talk and they don't listen." So should they resign, I ask. She shrugs and tells me the opposition are even worse. Since then the opposition have become the government."
"His gloom deepens. "I can't believe," he goes on, "that people are still walking around just doing their jobs, going about their lives." So here was a very senior diplomat in effect wondering why more people were not taking to the streets in greater numbers. Maybe it is because they don't know what to demand."
"It chills me a little. "No more heroes any more" I think to myself. The shadow of the 30s, bullies in big boots with simplistic solutions, hangs heavily over Europe's economic woes."
Thugz on the Bailout
Saturday, March 21st, 2009What were Sudhir Venkatesh's gangsta friends' views on the AIG bonuses?
“You have to be real careful when you mess with folks at the top, because when the war is over, you’ll need these guys real quick. Ninety-nine percent of people just doing what they’re told — you couldn’t find half a brain among all of them. But the ones with the brains — don’t let them go.”
“Never lose your killers. Never let them go, because you’ll need them when things gets better. You can always get the Sleepy Heads back. They’re hiding under a rock anyway. But the Killers! Those folks are hard to find, so you got to give up the money. Pay the ones at the top, the one’s who like to smell blood. Let the Sleepy Heads go, but keep the Killers.”
Well put. The cognitive dissonance caused by the idea that those who "got us into this mess" are the best ones to get us out of it is caused by the assumption that they are still clinging to their flawed risk measurements, but realistically I doubt that's the case.
US high school ‘held cage fights’
Friday, March 20th, 2009This is bananas. I wonder if any of this got on to YouTube? Pics or it didn't happen!
BBC News reports: Superintendent Michael Hinojosa told the newspaper that there were "some things that happened inside of a cage" and called the fights "unacceptable".
Stafford Hospital still better than homeopathy
Wednesday, March 18th, 2009From The Daily Mash: "The untrained dog of an untrained receptionist can still spot who has the required amount of limbs and then at least try to staunch the bleeding.
"Meanwhile a cleaner with a bucket of Domestos can disinfect a wound and then use a J-cloth as a bandage to lower the risk of secondary infection.
"However, a homeopath, when faced with the same situation will apply a thin paste of calendula to the bleeding stump and then blame the patient for having bad chakras when he goes into a coma and dies or is subsequently devoured by a flesh eating virus."
The UK PC bites Mac benefactors
Thursday, March 12th, 2009Just started reading David Mitchell's blog over at the Guardian. Very funny and well worth a look. This quote isn't particularly representative but I thought it was interesting that the PC in the UK version of the Mac vs PC ads had this to say about teenage spending on fads, including iPods.
"One of the fastest growing areas in our economy in the years leading up to the crunch was the selling of crap to twats. Why waste a fortune expensively marketing carefully designed products to the thrifty middle-aged with long-established spending patterns when you can make a quick million pushing ringtones and cheese strings to kids? They've got nine grand each, largely courtesy of their parents, which they are not just willing, but desperate, to piss away on some manufactured craze. With a jazzy enough campaign featuring a trendy enough star (like me) you could probably persuade them to stuff the money in envelopes and post it to you."
Real IRA furious that someone else has bagged their name on Twitter
Thursday, March 12th, 2009NewsBiscuit reports: "The Real IRA has said today that it is ‘angered and offended’ that someone who is not the Real IRA has bagged the name on social networking site Twitter. Many celebrities use the word ‘Real’ in front of their name to differentiate from imposters but it would seem that the party using the username ‘Real IRA’ is not the breakaway terrorist cell of that name."
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