Where there’s a need, someone who’s enterprising will fill it. There was a time when I felt at home in a city. Not any more – I seek the quieter spaces of the country.
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Moral Choices
They’re tricky at times. Suppose you were Andrew Clemens. What would you do?(hat tip to the ED SF Project and Robert Cook)Leave a comment
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Surely You Jest?
This has to be a joke, surely? I mean, I know that New Labour has a tenuous grip on reality at times, but please, Mr. Coates, you are pulling our legs, aren’t you?Leave a comment
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Ephemeral Ads
Paging Chris and Ed – here’s a collection of mid-20th Century advertising art that you might wish to browse through. There’s even a haunted wing – the gallery of Demonic Tots and Deeply Disturbing Cuisine. Shudder.Leave a comment
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The Poet Departs
Having only recently discovered the blog of Teju Cole, I now find that he has posted his last entry today, and, worse, will remove his pages from the web tomorrow. So, today is your last chance to read the remarkable prose poetry of this Nigerian man.Leave a comment
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And The Award Goes To…
The lovely Rita Verdonk, Dutch Minister for Integration and Immigration, won an award last night: the Big Brother award for privacy violations in the Government category for 2005. Couldn’t have gone to a more deserving person, I thought. She’s obviously on a roll, following her idiotic idea concerning how far Dutch should be enforced in public speech on the streets of our fair cities.Leave a comment
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The War on Science
So, last night, the BBC’s Horizon tackled the debate over Intelligent Design. It wasn’t quite as bad as I feared, but I felt that the programme makers still held back from plunging the wooden stake into ID’s heart, where it so surely belongs.The programme gave a good slice – the first 25 minutes – to the proponents of creationism and ID to set out their stall. Fair enough.The first response was then from Richard Dawkins, who clearly is as tired as I am of IDers. His response, while heartfelt and accurate, probably was somewhat counterproductive in trying to neutralise the poison of ID, when viewed from the perspective of joe public. His words were: "Physicists don’t have to fight a kind of rearguard action against the yapping terriers of ignorance, the way biologists do". A wonderful soundbite, and spot on, but unfortunately, I fear that perception is reality for most people. Many of those who do not understand the issues would have thought that Dawkins was being arrogant in his dismissal, and hence may have thought that, at bottom, there might be something in ID.While Dawkins is then allowed to set out the reasons for refusing to engage with IDers (the debate format gives the false impression that there are two sides to the case – in agreeing to a "debate" the scientist hands to the ID side the propaganda victory that there is something worth debating), the programme voiceover then makes an odd statement: "but the proponents of intelligent design were more than ready to defend their claims". Well of course they would be, but what is being said here? It almost sounds as though the programme makers are rooting for the underdog because they have a case. And then immediately we cut to William Dembski claiming "this is a spirited scientific discussion… the problem is the other side does not want to admit that is is a scientific discussion, because as soon as they do, then we have a place at the table and then the critique of evolutionary theory that we have offered has to be taken seriously". This is clearly disingenuous of Dembski (but heaven forfend that the makers of Horizon would deign to point it out). For a thorough fisking of ID, one only has to read the material at TalkDesign.org.We then move on to Dr. Stephen Meyer at the Discovery Institute. Whilst acknowledging the fact that the institute is funded to the tune of "multi-million dollars", Horizon says nothing further about the sources of funding (a story that I feel would be an interesting one), and does not challenge Meyer’s "we have over 450 scientists who have signed a list to say that they doubt that Natural Selection can produce the complexity of life". This is a complete canard, and Horizon really should have allowed a response.Still, things were not all passed by. The central flaw of ID – that the designer creates, outside of nature, things by means that are undetectable – was pinned down by Prof. Miller, and the question of who creates the designer was voiced by Dawkins.It was also interesting to see father George Coyne – a Jesuit astrophysicist – dismiss the view that Darwin’s theory of evolution is not compatible with Catholic doctrine, followed by the observation that cardinal Schonborn’s criticism of evolution was prompted rather more by the zeal of the Discovery Institute’s Public Relations department, and not by any religious Truth.And the final word was left to David Attenborough; his quiet dismissal of ID from his perspective as a zoologist: "We would be wrong to suppose that evolution is the ultimate answer to everything… if you find something that you don’t understand, then of course you can say that it was created by a divine spirit. But that of course answers nothing really; that simply says we don’t know". And that for me is more naturally right, than the blind insistence that Goddidit.Leave a comment
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AIBO – Plug has been Pulled?
It seems that Sony’s robot dog – AIBO – has had its plug pulled. Damn, this puts paid to my cunning plan to reduce the running costs of a dog. Now we’ll have to get a real one.Leave a comment
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We’re All Doomed…
Nine months ago I reported on a survey finding that seemed to indicate that Americans were switching off their intelligence in large numbers. Alas, it appears as though the brain-eating virus has crossed the pond and is munching its way through good British brains. I despair. Interestingly, it appears as though even this story has evolved in the course of a single day. This morning, it started off by claiming that the over-55’s were "more likely to believe in evolution". Now it says that they are less likely to believe. The evidence is here.I shall watch the Horizon programme, referred to in this story, with some trepidation. Horizon, while still touted by the BBC as its "flagship science programme", has in recent years shown alarming signs of being taken over by programme-makers who wouldn’t know good science if it hit them in the face. There have been some really bad Horizon prgrammes in the past few years, to the extent where I seriously question whether the BBC knows what "flagship" means any more. I’ll report back.Leave a comment
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Er, No Thanks, I’ll Pass…
Much as I like Roller-Coasters, I don’t think I would care/dare to ride the one at Cedar Point.(hat tip to Neatorama)Leave a comment
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Artificial Life
Robert Silverberg (an SF author) reflects on the work of Philip K. Dick (another SF author, and visionary). It’s an excellent article showing how Dick’s dystopias are showing up in our current reality today. He refers to Vivienne, an artificial friend who lives in your mobile phone (and drains your money on a monthly basis). The company behind it, Artificial Life, have a number of such artificial lifeforms aimed at 15-30 year old males and females. Personally, I gave up playing with dolls a very long time ago.(hat tip to Boing Boing for the Silverberg link)Leave a comment
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Not-So-Strange Bedfellows
Why am I not surprised that the Bush administration has allied itself alongside Iran in preventing Gay and Lesbian people from having a voice in the UN?2 responses to “Not-So-Strange Bedfellows”
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I am not surprised either. The U.S. is definitely not the country it used to be. Illegal wiretapping, torture, illegal wars, illegal imprisonment, abortion about to made illegal–I think it might be a good time to escape before the borders are shut!
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Hi, Kevin, thanks for dropping by. Hope that things in the US don’t get worse before they get better… Oh, and thanks for posting my blog on your bloglist… Cheers, Geoff
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European of the Year
Ayaan Hirsi Ali has been selected as European of the Year for 2006. The only thing that slightly modifies my rapture at this news is the fact that the award comes from the Reader’s Digest. I remember that from the days of my childhood, and it struck me even then as being marshmallow reading. Still, glad to see that Hirsi Ali has been recognised for her activities.2 responses to “European of the Year”
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Marshmallow reading? Have you read the mag in recent years. I would think the selection of Hirsi Ali and devotion to space for an extensive interview would be a clue that the times have a-changed. Give it a fresh read! : – )
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Ok, Ok… I grant you that I’m talking about 45 years ago… But then I had the feeling that I was drowning in maple syrup, so cloying and comfy was the selection of pieces. Controversial and cutting-edge were not the terms that could be applied to the product at that time. Happy to hear that things have moved on… 🙂
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Two Data Points From Nigeria
Two Nigerian bloggers comment on the news that the Nigerian government is to ban same-sex marriage.First up is Trae, a young 22-year old Nigerian who spews forth with a depressing stream of homophobia and misogyny on his blog Trae Days.At the other end of the spectrum is Tout Noir’s post in Afro Homo, who vents his frustration at the hypocrisy of certain aspects of Nigerian society.(hat tip to Global Voices Online for the links)Leave a comment
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Simulation – A Great Way To Learn
Flight simulators are terrific tools for pilots learning how to fly. Pilots can be introduced to a whole range of flying conditions and dangerous circumstances in complete safety in order to prepare them for the real thing. Flight simulators represent the pinnacle of the simulation business. I hadn’t really thought about it before, but it’s clear that there’s a whole industry devoted to providing simulators for training doctors and nurses.Ladies and gentlemen, courtesy of Gizmodo, I give you the Digital Rectal Examination Simulator. While you’re at the web site of Kyotokagaku, you may care to check out the other goods on offer, e.g. the Prostate Examination Simulator (with its cunning rotating unit) or the Male Catheterization Simulator (my legs crossed involuntarily at this one).I’m particularly struck by the thoughtful touch of the company including a jar of vaseline with the rectal and prostate simulators, but I thought that they would have known that KY Jelly is much preferred.Leave a comment
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Goodbye Monastery, Hello Hotel
Maastricht is a city worth visiting. I see that there’s a new hotel opened there that might be also worth a visit (if we can afford it).Leave a comment
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Double Dutch
Last month I mentioned the confusion being caused by the introduction of a new version of the official guide to spelling Dutch. I see that Geraldine Coughlan, a BBC News correspondent in The Hague has a story on the same subject. It’s a good read – and I’m relieved to learn that she, like me, finds that she speaks Dutch with lots of mistakes.Since we are both members of the EU, we have it easy – we don’t have to learn Dutch as a condition of entry here. I find that actually somewhat discriminatory – why should we escape what is imposed on those from outside the EU? Just another of the not-so-subtle ways in which the Dutch authorities, despite the tradition of tolerance, manage to put certain types of allochtonen (foreigners) firmly in their place.And now the latest news is that Rita Verdonk, the minister for Integration, wants to make it compulsory for Dutch to be the only language that should be spoken on the streets. I always thought she was slightly mad – this seems to confirm that she’s now officially barking. Presumably tourists will be issued with a permit on entry to allow them to carry on conversing in their native tongue?Update: The Language Log has a good entry on the Verdonk proposal. She’s definitely barking.Update 2: Dear god, would-be immigrants from outside the EU will have to take a language test that will a) be administered over the phone, b) rely on voice-recognition technology (there’s no human examiner involved) and c) cost the applicant 350 euros for each test. Rita obviously has far more faith in voice recognition technology than I have. This is Dutch we’re talking about – a language that is notoriously difficult to pronounce. I’ve lost count of the number of times that I’ve said something to a Dutch person and got a blank response. After two or three attempts at repeating myself, comprehension finally dawns on them, and the bastards then have the gall to say: "oh you mean…" and parrot back exactly the same words that I’ve just been saying to them… And I’ve been here for 22 years. Heaven knows how someone who has never even set foot in the country is going to cope with a test given over the phone with some smug little voice recognition system humming away at the other end. It’s probably Rita’s plot to stop immigration from non-EU countries entirely.Leave a comment
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Why Do I Need Windows Vista?
That’s the question raised by Mano over at his blog. It’s a rhetorical question, because he lists 15 reasons as to why he thinks the next version of Microsoft Windows will be worth it.Mmm, perhaps; but I’m afraid I’m much more cynical. I’ve got this sinking feeling that if I were to step up to Vista, then I won’t be just faced with the cost of upgrading my operating system, but also having to replace some core application software and related hardware.For example, with the current Technology Preview of Vista that I have installed for test; the soundcard, the webcam, and the USB video capture devices all don’t work. While I realise that this is not totally unexpected in a beta, my point is that I really don’t have much faith in the companies behind these devices coming out with new versions of drivers or application patches for Vista.Take the soundcard – it’s not a mass-market device, it’s the E-MU 1820M DSP, which is part of my home studio setup for musicmaking, in combination with Steinberg’s Cubase SX. Neither the E-MU driver, nor the E-MU application currently work in Vista. And then, Steinberg is notorious for releasing new versions of software and dropping support for older versions. I’m quite happy with my version 2 of Cubase SX – but Steinberg stopped support of this back in 2004. Based on their history, I doubt whether they’ll come out with a patch to make it work on Vista. And I doubt that I can afford to upgrade to a version of Cubase that is designed for Vista. I expect it will be a similar story for the video capture device (made by Adaptec, who have not updated the drivers or the application – despite the fact that it has bugs – since mid 2004).The real question is not "do I need Windows Vista?", but "what is the cost of upgrading/replacing my complete system – applications, hardware, and operating system?. The cost of the upgrade of the operating system alone is not the point. I would like to be proved wrong – it would be great if all my applications and hardware continued to be supported under Vista. But somehow, I don’t think that’s going to happen, and I’ll resign myself to soldiering on with Windows XP for as long as I can.Update: Out of curiosity, I tried installing Cubase SX2 and the Steinberg Midex 8 interface onto build 5270 of Vista. Neither would install properly. For Cubase, Vista announced: "Application blocked due to known Compatibility issues. This version of Windows Media Technologies is incompatible with or has been superseded by this version of Windows". Not entirely unexpected, I suppose, but without proactive support by Steinberg, then Cubase SX2 on Vista is dead in the water.2 responses to “Why Do I Need Windows Vista?”
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Hey there, thanks for dropping by my blog to post comment etc :)OK I am a musician myself, so I am with you on the EMU card – but it is not an obscure card at all, so I am sure Creative/EMU will have it working on Vista… the OS that will be on all "new" computers people buy after it ships… The card will still ship then (it is not an old card), there is no way they’d chance having thousands of customers not being able to use the device they are selling.Audio-wise, Vista is actually much better than XP so I’d be even more eager to upgrade.But hey it’s like everything… I use a Creamware SCOPE Project card (formerly Pulsar 2), and people have had problems getting updates for new OS’s over the years – so there are cases where what you are describing is true. That’s not the fault of OS’s though (we are talking MS and also non MS OS’s too).Let’s see how the next beta/ctp works with these devices. A good idea would be to contact EMU and Adaptec to ask them if they’ll release patches/updates too.Take care!-mano
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Mano – thanks for the comments. I tend to be a "glass half empty" kinda guy – I always think that a pessimist is simply a well-informed optimist. But, I hope that your confidence is well-founded. Good idea about pushing the vendors, though – I’ll add my two-pennyworth to that…
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The Bog Bodies
There was an interesting programme on the BBC last night: Timewatch: The Bog Bodies. It followed the archeological research that followed the discovery of two bodies preserved in Irish peat bogs. As well as the scientists involved in dating the remains, the research team also had a forensic pathologist (shades of Silent Witness – she could have been the inspiration for Sam Ryan) who was able to establish the manner of death.It appears that, in common with other similar finds, the two individuals did not go quietly into that long good night – they appear to have been tortured and killed. During the programme, reference was made to Tacitus, the Roman historian, who described such killings in Germany. A page from his Germany was shown, and the text (in translation) was: "Traitors and deserters are hung upon trees: cowards, shirkers and sodomites are suffocated in mud under a hurdle". Delightful.Ned Kelly, of the Museum of Ireland, is of the opinion that these were ritual killings, "offerings to the gods of fertility by kings to ensure a successful reign". He claims that the bodies are found on the borders of royal land or tribal boundaries. Somehow, this doesn’t sound quite right to me. Surely sacrifices to ensure the fertility of land would be more likely to be made on some holy spot within the boundaries. Burying bodies outside of the land sounds to me more like a symbolic banishment of criminals or those who have been rejected by the society – the class described by Tacitus.Leave a comment
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Poignant Portrait
Dr. Charles posts a poignant portrait of one of his patients. I’ve had the privilege of meeting some of Martin’s pupils who share the same chromasomal history. It is indeed bittersweet that their candle of optimistic light is snuffed out all too quickly.Leave a comment
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