My favourite red wine right now is the Gumpr’s Block Shiraz from Richard Hamilton. It’s the perfect blend of fruit and tannin. I encountered it entirely by accident–I’m generally a fan of Aussie Shiraz, and whenever I see one from the McLaren Vale region that I’m not familiar with, I make a point of picking it up–for the obvious sentimental… Read more →
Month: November 2004
Patent Stupidity
On my list of things to post about, I have a rant about how algorithms should not be patentable. However, looking at some of the applications makes the argument more elegantly than I ever could. Read more →
It’s a blog
So, while I’ve been playing with this site over the last month, I’ve been telling myself that I’m just learning how to use WordPress so I can set up a blog for a friend. Tonight I solved my last remaining technical problem (nerdy details below) and now I am forced to admit that I am enjoying this process enough that… Read more →
What Canada Should Do
For a long time I’ve been saying that we need to diversify our trade more. The ease of access we have to the large American market makes it all too easy to put all our eggs in one basket. There are several problems with this, though. First and foremost is that it gives the American administration too much power over… Read more →
“Extraordinary Rendition”
AN executive jet is being used by the American intelligence agencies to fly terrorist suspects to countries that routinely use torture in their prisons. Who says so? That crazy, unreliable, tinfoil hat conspiracy rag, The Sunday Times Bob Baer, a former CIA operative in the Middle East, said: “If you want a serious interrogation you send a prisoner to Jordan.… Read more →
Still more on Gonzales
Report: A.G. Nominee Worked to Keep Info From Press Lots of interesting, and depressing information here about Gonzales’ role in the administration’s continuing policy of secrecy and back room dealings. At the White House, however, the report points out Gonzales’ interpretation of executive privilege, which he has sought to broaden under the Bush Administration, as potentially the most troubling of… Read more →
Evolution, Textbooks, Fake Science
Continuing the discussion of the evolution sticker story is this insightful essay from Maud Newton: Blog which looks at the possible consequences of fake science ending up in textbooks. The piece has lots of good reading in it, but I’ll just quote a little from the wrap-up. It’s bad enough that adults are being seduced by, or at least remain… Read more →
Weak US Dollar (Part III)
Continuing our look at the weak US dollar we have a couple of articles from this week. First up is US dollar weakness worries EU, which includes this tasty bit: While the US Treasury continues to insist the Bush administration favours a strong dollar, foreign exchange markets assume Washington is happy with a weak currency as a means to bolster… Read more →
Interesting and Scary
A short interview from New Scientist with a Shin Bet interrogator. My understanding is that you can make a lose analogy between the Shin Bet and the FBI, in the same way you can losely compare the Mossad to the CIA. (I do wonder, though, how this interview fits into the “Meet people shaping the future of science” category.) The… Read more →
Oh, thank God
Reality TV Binge Leads to Higher Casualty Rate Finally, some good news. As broadcasters increasingly binge on unscripted shows starring ordinary folks willing to do almost anything for cash, romance or 15 minutes of fame, the burgeoning genre of reality TV appears to be wearing a bit thin with U.S. audiences. At the very least, networks are seeing that the… Read more →
When does the new Enlightenment start?
More on the evolution issues we’ve been following. (I.e. America sinks into the Dark Arges.) Boston.com has an article outlining all the various evolution battles going on right now. More frightening than the idea that there are still people who think science is a matter of opinion, or is irrelevant in the face of faith, is the sheer number of… Read more →
ABC News: School Talent Show Draws Secret Service
What’s more scary about this story: that the Secret Service came to bust kids for singing a Dylan song, or that some other kids at that school actually called the song in as a threat? Christ, imagine they had been covering Costello’s “Tramp The Dirt Down”. ABC News: School Talent Show Draws Secret Service Read more →
Still at hotel
My neighbourhood, and a good 10km radius around it still has no power. I feel a really empassioned rant about the stupidity of running essential services as private industry coming on. Outrage builds Read more →
Just Ordered
Fans of Mazola Pony, Marigold, and Plasticine take note. I have just ordered Rob Szabo‘s new double EP “Late Bloomer”/”Sore Loser”. (There are downloadable MP3s of two tracks at Rob’s homepage). I have previously ordered Steve Strongman‘s latest CD from the same site, and had great service. I’ll let you know about Rob’s disc when it gets here. Read more →
Growlin’ wolf
You know, I’m a reader. A very serious reader. Like a “more on books than mortgage” kind of reader. But my list of Living People I Really Want To Hang Out With For A Weekend doesn’t have an author at the top of it. The top of that list is something entirely different. Read more →
