The Scoff Blog

Government pressure on the media

2011-11-25T11:56:00.001+11:00

Regarding this: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/government-joins-sponsors-dumping-sandilands-20111124-1nwyi.html

Yes, KyleS is a moron. And I have no issue with commercial sponsors pulling advertising. But I do have an issue with the government pulling advertising. In some countries, where government advertising budgets are large, the pulling of advertising is a form of pressure on the media. This vitiates media's ability to criticise government. The government should not be allowed to remove advertising for any reason other than demographics/target-audience/end-of-campaign.

There is a thin line between hating a person justificably because he is Kyle Sandilands, and hating someone because you hate what they say. For our freedom of speech, I would tolerate a moron like Kyle being on air as the price of not having the government pressure other broadcasters.

Listening to morons is the price of freedom.

The US Alliance and craven kowtowers to China

2011-11-18T14:53:00.004+11:00

We are in an alliance with the US and make commitments to protect each other in times of trouble. When you a strong, or have strength behind you, you have respect. A weak party has no respect and is subject to the whim of the superior party strength-wise. That we should be weak in order to avoid offending China is the most craven of toadying.

Bob Brown is either horribly naive, or a craven apologist for China. The extreme left in politics is usually naive, the extreme right is usually paranoid. In matters of defence, I would rather stand with the nut jobs on the right than the nut jobs on the left.

Bob Brown is like Neville Chamberlain; he would sell our freedom, or the freedom of others, for fear of a strong potential enemy. The reason China has no allies other than the DPRK is because of how it has treated its allies in the past. Is that where Bob Brown wants us to be? Until this week, I disagreed with Brown but respected him. Now he has shown himself to be a melon:- green on the outside, cowardly red on the inside.

Signals and meanings

2011-09-07T20:23:00.002+10:00

If you had asked me about relationships eight years ago, I knew it all. What things meant, how people subtly signalled emotions and desires, etc. My discussions of relationships with other people, more experienced than I, confirmed that my understanding of relationships was reasonably accurate.

Then a few things happened. Between my second and third girlfriends, I spent three years with a girl I shall refer to as my psycho-ex, or, more clandestinely, BWS. Those who know me and knew us will know exactly of whom I speak.

Things that were asserted to me as being true during that time include:

If someone does stuff for/with me (e.g. cook, clean, have sex), it does not necessarily mean anything.
The fact that someone may, on rare occasions, refer to me and her as a 'relationship', does not necessarily imply that she considers us to be a relationship; the term may simply be shorthand for something which she doesn't feel like explaining.
The fact that someone is willing to come over on the spur of the moment to have sex does not necessarily mean that she wants to be with me in any other way.
The fact that someone loves me in a romantic way can be totally consistent with her not wanting a relationship with me.

In sum, those things which I used to consider to be normal signals or indicators, really mean nothing.

Hence, I currently find myself in the following situation:

I have a few female friends who regularly french-kiss me (presumably this means nothing about their level of interest in me).
I have a girlfriend who doesn't view sex as an essential component of a relationship.
There are girls who are eager to have sex with me, but find no reason to talk about their feelings when they do (or they do so in an obtuse, equivocal way, from which no conclusion may be drawn).

Yesterday, something caused me to pause and think. Is something here f*ck3d up? I mean, is the world really this crazy, where I can have intimate sexual relationships with girls who (presumably) aren't interested in having a relationship, but are eager to see me? Or is this eagerness, and the fact that they insist on making food for me, a sign of something else? Eight years ago I would have interpreted all of this as meaning one thing. But after my experience with BWS, I take these things lightly, as meaning nothing, and simply continue to meet these girls as friends. If I think there might be something that I am missing, I simply out-and-out ask: "are you (or were you) interested in me?". When I have asked this question, I generally get a "no" (irrespective of whether we have been close or not, emotionally, or close or not, physically). Is this like Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, where the act of measuring changes the phenomenon, i.e. the act of asking crystallises a "no", although in her mind it may have been a "yes" up to that moment?

Based on what I have learned since 2004, this lake of meaning makes sense. But based on what I thought pre-2004, and on what people seemed to agree with me on, something here doesn't seem quite right.

Now, I know I am thick; moreover, since BWS screwed with my mind, I no longer take things at face value, and naturally assume that roughly 50% of what women say and do is lies. But there is something nagging in the back of my head: a I misinterpreting/ignoring/missing out on/simply not seeing signals that girls want to be with me, and thereby missing chances to find a meaningful relationship?

Any guidance guys? Is my current interpretation of female behaviour correct? Or am I just emotionally broken?

British Airlines is full of roving paedophiles?

2010-08-24T11:40:00.001+10:00

http://economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2010/08/british_airways_seating_policy

--
------------------
Robert Czernkowski, PhD, BCom(Hons), CPA

Regulation hurts the poor

2010-08-24T11:22:00.000+10:00

http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2010/08/progressives_and_regulation_1

--
------------------
Robert Czernkowski, PhD, BCom(Hons), CPA

Public transport in Sydney

2010-08-24T11:11:00.000+10:00

Why do I have to pay extra if my trip requires me to change buses, or even change modes, during my journey? Is the state govt getting kickbacks from the oil companies?

--
------------------
Robert Czernkowski, PhD, BCom(Hons), CPA

Green = Red

2010-08-24T11:10:00.001+10:00

Adam Bandt's comments suggest that the Greens are merely a proxy for capturing left wing votes for Labor.

If they cared about their policies and principles, they would be willing to negotiate with both sides to see which is likely to further Green objectives the most.

A lack of willingness to exploit the situation, and a desire to rollover for Labor shows just how few principles the Greens have.

--
------------------
Robert Czernkowski, PhD, BCom(Hons), CPA

2010-07-30T04:08:00.001+10:00

Shopping for clothes in Gilroy, 60 miles south of San Francisco yesterday. Went crazy! Spent about 800USD and it felt good. IMF, i shopped like a woman! Anyway, am trendy again.

Note to self: always come to California with an empty suitcase!

Shopping time

2010-07-13T00:32:00.006+10:00

Well, I have managed to avoid it for a long time, but my last load of clothes is starting to wear out. When I put on my favourite shirt, not worn for a long time, I didn't realise (until someone told me in the afternoon) that it had a huge rip in the sleeve. Checked out my wardrobe, a few others were the same.

Bugger. Photographed them (esp labels, so I'd know what to buy) and tossed them. Had considered buying stuff on my recent overseas trips and my upcoming one, but decided against. And I hate sales: even with my shiny new hips, I do not want to stand in line only to find (once again) that they have nothing in my size. I am a man. When shopping for myself, the objective is to find desired item and get out of the shop as soon as possible. Given the time/quality issues, this means I am going to go outside of sale times to a decent (read full-price) shop, get decent materials and decent service, and buy some quality, comfortable clothes for self (never underestimate the benefits of tailoring:- gotta go back to Bangkok sooner rather than later!)

But this requires me to consider whether I should change my style. I could ask the girl but, to be honest, I am not sure I trust her taste. Alternatively, could dig up some of my ex-es, as they know me well enough, but five of them are out of the country, and the only one in the country is busy sorting out her daughter's problems

Of course, the b*tch used to be able to advise me well, but she is not an option. That's ok, I am confident enough to do some shopping.... But maybe delay, and do some buying in the US next month he he.

An aside:
Someone wants to marry me. Fantastic, smart, great in b*d, and we really "click". But do I want a family immediately? or at all... In fact, do I want a smart wife who seeks nothing more ambitious than to be a housewife? I am not sure that I could inflict a conventional relationship on a girl.

Oh well, back to it. Maybe update this blog a bit more often in future, Facebook status updates seems so ephemeral, like writing on the road and driving off, never to return.

Lucky escape

2010-04-17T19:12:00.006+10:00

Part of me is glad I never did marry you. You made sure of that. Hanging out with me, but showing no interest in a relationship, for 3 whole years; what could you have been thinking to waste so much of your and my time, and to break my heart so?

Nonetheless, for two people to be happy and achieve all that they want to achieve, both of them have to work at it. Not just emotionally, but also materially. And it has become apparent to me that, in view of the way you treat people, you are forever unlikely to obtain, let alone hold down, a permanent, full-time job. Part of this is quite sad. I had tried to offer you constructive comments, but anything anyone ever tells you, that indicates some change might be required from you, is taken by you as vitriolic criticism and you denigrate the other person in return, even though they were just trying to help you grow and improve as a person (since you are obviously incapable of growing and improving by yourself).

This is not merely a material/financial problem. Someone who does not have their time occupied by gainful employment will spend too much time dwelling on unimportant things, and blow them out of proportion. That would be very hard for me to deal with, since I trusted all your words and took every word seriously, until it was obvious that you were lying.

So what will you do? Your life is going nowhere. Part of that is because people knew and saw how you treated me. Another part of that is that your potential work colleagues and superiors have had their own bad experiences with you, and so will forever remain 'potential' work colleagues. I don't think you realise that making your peace with me is part of how people assess your willigness and ability to change. Indeed, it was a pleasant surprise to me that people use my attitude to you as a barometer of your sanity. By the way, while using the word 'sanity':- it intrigues me that even people who know and still like you have recently started using the word 'insane' when talking about you.

I wanted to help, I wanted to love you, and I wanted to be loved back.

And you said: "no", "no" and "no".
Yet I love you nonetheless.

We made promises to each other, when I was with Wendy. That if we were ever to find ourselves alone, we would do our best to have a relationship.
I kept my side of this promise, as best I could. You, however, forget your promises as readily as you deny your lies.

Kill Conroy

2010-04-08T01:18:00.000+10:00

Stephen Conroy: always use children and paedophilia as excuses to curtail the liberties of law-abiding citizens:

The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation.

-Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler, Publ. Houghton Miflin, 1943, Page 403

Conroy = Hitler

The Dunning–Kruger (from Wikipedia)

2010-03-29T14:48:00.001+11:00

The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which "people reach erroneous conclusions and make unfortunate choices but their incompetence robs them of the metacognitive ability to realize it".[1] The unskilled therefore suffer from illusory superiority, rating their own ability as above average, much higher than in actuality; by contrast the highly skilled underrate their abilities, suffering from illusory inferiority. This leads to a perverse result where less competent people will rate their own ability higher than more competent people. It also explains why actual competence may weaken self-confidence because competent individuals falsely assume that others have an equivalent understanding. "Thus, the miscalibration of the incompetent stems from an error about the self, whereas the miscalibration of the highly competent stems from an error about others."[1]

“The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt.”

— Bertrand Russell[2]

20100219-141758 The reclining Buddha at Wat Phra Chetuphon

2010-03-27T22:36:00.001+11:00

20100219-141758 The reclining Buddha at Wat Phra Chetuphon
Originally uploaded by DruhScoff

Quite inspiring ... inspiring one to relax :)

Earth Hour is a feel good wank with no real consequences

2010-03-27T19:31:00.003+11:00

ok, it takes about 15 minutes to turn off or turn on a hydroelectric powerstation. It takes a few days to turn on or turn off a coal-burning powerstation. So what do you think they are going to do when the demand suddenly drops at 8:30? Turn them off, or just keep them running and disconnect them, then bring them back when power spikes back up at 9:30pm? And how much carbon will that save? If the answer is "almost none", then you are right.

If this were Tasmania, where we use hydro-power not coal-power, Earth Hour would make a difference. In Sydney, all it will really do is make people feel good about themselves without making any real difference.

So what have YOU done today to make a REAL difference?

Will she change

2010-03-16T00:58:00.002+11:00

I spend heaps of time these days thinking about Jn.
I wonder why I should believe her when she says this time will be different. I was so angry at being taken for granted last year. I have needs and feelings too.
If I say: what have you done for me? and she says: I spend time with you. Then I know she is not into me. Spending time with me should not be a sacrifice. What have you done for me that you would not like to do but do because you care for me? I know I do heaps for you. And spending time with you isn't one if those, BECAUSE I like spending time with you.

I have needs too. I need to feel loved too.

At least it's a hundred times better than B. She did things for me, and then turned the knife by saying that it means nothing.
Jn, you are such a sweet lovable person. But if you're with someone, you've got to think at least sometimes about what they need or want.

BTW I do like gifts. I said they weren't important because without any feelings behind the act of giving, they are meaningless.

It can't be a "toxic relationship" if it is not a relationship....

2010-03-08T16:13:00.001+11:00

How can you say

The way I see it: I am just getting rid of a toxic relationship

if the one thing that you were certain about, the one thing that made that period painful (in my words) or toxic (in yours) was the fact that I loved you and you simply were not willing to work on having a relationship.

How can you claim something was a relationship when, when you were there, you did everything you could to convince me that it was no such thing?

Communication

2010-03-06T17:50:00.003+11:00

I'm actually quite sensitive.

If you tell me, in words, that you are not interested, then - if you change your mind - you have to tell me the same way. Having a girl tell me that she is not interested, and then behaving as if she is, has already once broken my heart. I am not going to let that happen again.

So, if I seem disinterested, it is because you have made it clear you are not interested. If your behaviour expresses interest, I will ignore that behaviour. My heart is too fragile to put it through that all over again.

In particular, if you tell me you are not looking for a relationship, I will take those words as true. I know that women lie. But it is too confusing to try to work out when they are lying and when they mean something. In spite of my rational instincts, I am the sort of person who believes people, unless they have lied so extensively that I have been seriously hurt. Thus, I will presume that you are always telling the truth.

So why did you hold my hand in the car when I dropped you off? You know that I take that as a sign of something more. Nonetheless, I will treat that act as meaningless. I refuse to have my heart broken again.

Robert

Do not attempt to be rational

2010-02-27T18:40:00.002+11:00

I've finally worked it out, a few years too late:
1. all women lie (they say one thing now, the exact opposite a few hours later, so ipso facto one of these must be a lie).
2. all women agree that all (other) women behave like this.
3. when you get into a relationship, your woman will tell you that she is different.
4. You cannot be rational about this, even if you have evidence. You must agree with her, and be sincere in your agreement.
5. Surviving the relationship: if you treat each thing she says as "true", you will go insane and your heart will break. You must remind yourself that she is talking shit and not take what she says too seriously. NEVER ever admit that you are doing this. In relationships, women are not rational. You must never attempt to have a conversation which you expect to be fully rational. Be prepared to be lied to, deceived and manipulated. Women WANT honesty from guys, but do not give it in return.

It is not fair. Deal with it. The only way of emotionally surviving is to not take your relationship too seriously.

China insider sees revolution brewing

2010-02-27T16:00:00.000+11:00

from here:

JOHN GARNAUT
SMH February 27, 2010

BEIJING: China's top expert on social unrest has warned that hardline security policies are taking the country to the brink of ''revolutionary turmoil''.

In contrast with the powerful, assertive and united China that is being projected to the outside world, Yu Jianrong said his prediction of looming internal disaster reflected on-the-ground surveys and also the views of Chinese government ministers.

Deepening social fractures were caused by the Communist Party's obsession with preserving its monopoly on power through ''state violence'' and ''ideology'', rather than justice, Professor Yu said.

Disaster could be averted only if ''interest groups'' - which he did not identify - were capable of making a rational compromise to subordinate themselves to the constitution, he said.

Some lawyers, economists and religious and civil society leaders have expressed similar views but it is unusual for someone with Professor Yu's official standing to make such direct and detailed criticisms of core Communist Party policies.

Professor Yu is known as an outspoken insider. As the director of social issues research at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Rural Affairs he advises top leaders and conducts surveys on social unrest.

He previously has warned of the rising cost of imposing ''rigid stability'' by force but has not previously been reported as speaking about such immediate dangers.

''Some in the so-called democracy movement regard Yu as an agent for the party, because he advises senior leaders on how to maintain their control,'' said Feng Chongyi, associate professor in China Studies at the University of Technology, Sydney.

''I believe Yu is an independent scholar. This speech is very significant because it is the first time Yu has directly confronted the Hu-Wen leadership [President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao] and said their policies have failed and will not work.''

Pointedly, Professor Yu took aim at the policy substance behind two of Mr Hu's trademark phrases, ''bu zheteng'' [''stability'', or ''don't rock the boat''] and ''harmonious society''.

His speech was delivered on December 26, the day after the rights activist Liu Xiaobo was sentenced to 11 years in jail for helping to draft a manifesto for constitutional and democratic government in China, called Charter '08.

The sentence, which shocked liberal intellectuals and international observers, followed a tumultuous year during which the party tightened controls over almost all spheres of China's burgeoning civil society, including the internet, media, legal profession, non-government organisations and business.

Professor Yu's speech has not been previously reported but has recently emerged on Chinese websites.

He cited statistics showing the number of recorded incidents of ''mass unrest'' grew from 8709 in 1993 to more than 90,000 in each of the past three years.

''More and more evidence shows that the situation is getting more and more tense, more and more serious,'' Professor Yu said.

He cited a growing range and severity of urban worker disputes and said Mafia groups were increasingly involved in state-sponsored thuggery while disgruntled peasants were directing blame at provincial and even central government.

''For seeking 'bu zheteng' we sacrifice reform and people's rights endowed by law … Such stability will definitely bring great social disaster,'' he said.

Professor Yu's speech reflects deep disillusionment among liberal thinkers in China who had hoped Mr Hu and Mr Wen would implement political reforms.

Dr Feng said he still hoped the two would ''do something'' to leave more than a ''dark stain'' on China's political development before stepping down in 2012.

''The conservative forces are currently very strong,'' he said. China's security-tightening and potential for future loosening were linked to a leadership succession struggle between Mr Hu and the Vice-Premier, Li Keqiang, on the one hand, and the former president, Jiang Zemin, and the current Vice-President, Xi Jinping, on the other.

''I haven't given up the hope that the Hu-Li camp may make some positive political changes to mobilise public support.'' .

The latest edition of the newspaper Southern Weekend broke a two-decade taboo by publishing a photo of a youthful Mr Hu with his early mentor, former party chief Hu Yaobang, who was purged in 1987 for his liberal and reformist leanings. But Chinese internet search results for the names of both leaders were yesterday blocked for ''non-compliance with relevant laws''.

A Beijing political watcher said such crackdowns were being led by officials who had the most to hide, which did not include Mr Hu or his allies.

''Corrupt officials have such a high and urgent interest in controlling the media and especially the internet,'' he said. ''The more they feel that their days are numbered due to the internet and free information, the more ferocious and corrupt they become, in a really vicious circle leading to final collapse.''

Names

2010-02-07T14:23:00.004+11:00

Problems finding someone?
birth name: Isabelly Susilowati
sometimes known as Belly, Izzy, Belle, Bell, Isabell, Isabelle
changed name: to Isabelly Keosha Raphaelle Susilowati
sometimes known as Isabelle Keosha

Rewriting history

2010-01-15T12:44:00.003+11:00

Are you really so stupid? I have been reading your blog recently, against my rational judgement.

The problem that existed between us was simple. I loved you.

I have no idea what you felt. You kept saying you don't love me, and that we have no relationship, and that you don't want a relationship. Messages that were pretty easy to interpret in a normal context. Unfortunately, you did not give "normal context". You cooked for me, you shopped with me, you had sex with me, you went out with me, we visited friends together. Hardly "normal context" - more like mind games / emotional abuse!

After 3 years, according to you, I "dumped you".

Hmmm, funny how you write history.

You should have realised that the fact I was miserable all the time stemmed from the fact that your behaviour looked like relationship behaviour, but you continually asserted that it was not. Why should you have realised this? Because I told you! Your strange behaviour was preying on my mind that this was the only thing I could think and talk about with you. You cannot now assert that you did not know.

And I dumped you, did I? Who was it that moved out? How did you behave after you moved out? You treated me so badly to make sure that I would dump you, so that you could be morally superior and claim that you did nothing wrong. If a man is hanging off a cliff with one hand, and you keep stabbing his hand, then exactly how is it his choice to let go?

Graduation - devaluing education

2009-12-22T00:43:00.001+11:00

Graduation season is upon us. But not the university type. The class of 2009, the leaders of the future, are a bunch of five-year-olds who can barely spell their name, let alone write a thesis.

Graduation for children is a bizarre phenomenon that has gained momentum in the past few years. A child who enters preschool and completes a university degree may potentially "graduate" half a dozen times over the space of 13 years, giving us the most overqualified generation yet to step on a dais.

...

Some might see it as harmless fun, but it devalues the worth of a degree or diploma that has been hard-earned, whether with a pass or with honours. It suggests you deserve to graduate just by turning up.

Sex

2009-12-20T01:00:00.002+11:00

When I'm sad, sex makes me happy.
When I'm stressed, sex relaxes me.
When I'm frustrated, sex calms me down.
When I'm moody, sex stabilises me.
When I'm lonely, sex makes me feel loved.
When I feel nothing, sex gives me joy.

Thus, sex for me is an emotional process. Sex without emotion is nothing. If you love someone, you want to make them feel happy, wanted, loved, happy. That is why sex is not about the orgasm. Sex is about making love. It is about sharing the most private "you" with someone you love. It is the most trusting, loving act accessible to humans every day.

But sex without love is just f*ck#ng. And love without sex is just friendship.

Two friends

2009-11-18T19:19:00.002+11:00

Two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey, they had an argument; and one friend slapped the other one in the face

The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand:
"Today my best friend slapped me in the face"

They kept on walking, until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath.

The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him.

After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone:
"Today my best friend saved my life"

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After i hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?"

The friend replied "when someone hurts us we should write it down in sand, where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it"

Learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your benefits in stone.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then, an entire life to forget them.

Home

2009-11-12T19:36:00.001+11:00

It's weird. When Belle lived with me, even though there was nothing between us, my house felt like a home. These days, it's just a place to live...

Successful relationships

2009-10-04T19:50:00.005+11:00

How to have a successful and happy relationship:
1. Understand, accept and learn to deal with the following notion: that every person needs different things to feel loved. These may seem trivial, nonsensical or even immature to you. They may be different to you. This is not a barrier to a relationship. If you can communicate and understand each other's needs, then you can go on to 2. and 3.
2. Understand what the other person needs to feel loved, and give it to them.
3. Communicate to them the things that make you feel loved. They cannot give these things to you if they don't know what they are.

The beauty of this is that, the more you feel loved, the more likely you are to do the things that make the other person loved. Such love can overcome differences in interests, in presumed goals, in most things. When such love is present, arguments either do no occur at all, or are quick and relatively painless.

But if 1, 2 and 3 are not met, then a downward spiral occurs, that can rarely be gotten out of. You begin to resent the other person, causing your love for them to be unexpressed (or even waning), leading to similar feelings in them.

It's simple, but it's amazing how many people cannot achieve these three things.

What's the key to this? It's obvious, isn't it. It's a desire to be with someone, together with total, unfettered and honest communication.

But understand: Understand what the other person needs to feel loved does not mean either person should try to constrain who the other person is, how they relate to society. What you need to feel loved is what the other person should do for you. It is not about them changing themselves, or restricting their personality. It is about what they can literally do for you: be it words of affirmation, be it acts of service, be it physical intimacy or whatever.

If a person does not feel loved by their partner, then their love for their partner will die.

"A Glorious Dawn" by Carl Sagan ft Stephen Hawking

2009-09-29T01:30:00.000+10:00

Do you want to date my avatar?

2009-09-29T01:08:00.001+10:00

Love this. Geeks Rule!

Intimacy

2009-09-21T17:00:00.001+10:00

The most open, honest and loving conversations happen while cuddling in bed after sex.

Notes from a hospital bed

2009-09-19T15:49:00.000+10:00

2009-08-26T18:18:00.002+10:00

From back in the day when Superman used his moral force to say we should do this because it's the right thing to do for our neighbors, never mind if it cost us some tax dollars.

Of course, today he'd be attacked for his position because, after all, he's an illegal immigrant.

And like so many other illegals, we just want him to clean up our messes and do the jobs we can't do for ourselves for non-existent pay, but that doesn't mean we have to acknowledge when he might have a point.

But I could be mistaken. Is there someone out there who can explain why Superman is wrong?

usage caps

2009-08-25T12:48:00.001+10:00

ONE of the great anomalies of the Australian broadband industry is the existence of usage caps, which around the world are virtually non-existent.

In the US, some internet providers have talked of a 250 gigabytes-a-month limit. That has led to consumer outrage that forced those providers to desist lest they lose customers. This is despite the fact only 0.003 per cent of US broadband users exceed that level - just 0.21 per cent exceed 100GB.

To an outsider, the Australian system seems very strange. Telstra boasts a basic package on its BigPond Cable Extreme network that, for $39.95 a month, gives 200 megabytes in usage. At Telstra's boasted 30MB a second speeds, that amounts to a minute of high-quality video downloads. After that you pay 15¢ a megabyte. It is hard to imagine that being an option for consumers.

But even its Liberty plan, which costs $69.95 and offers 12GB a month - after which the extreme speed is slowed to the speeds of last century - only allows you 20 hours of video watching a month, provided you do nothing else. That's about 45 minutes a night.

No wonder so many people do their YouTube watching at work.

American Health care

2009-08-24T15:08:00.000+10:00

If you think that a decent health care system is socialist, then try explaining to me why your arguments do not also apply to firemen:

Harold's Left: The Socialism of Firemen
Source: www.haroldsleft.com
Harold's Left:There is a new group on Facebook that is meant to poke fun at the hypocrisy of the conservative argument that a public option for health care is socialism. The group is called 1 Million Strong Against our SOCIALIST Fire Dep

A man is not a camel

2009-08-19T19:06:00.001+10:00

If Democrats were like Republicans

2009-08-19T17:57:00.000+10:00

Rumours

2009-08-18T22:02:00.000+10:00

I've decided to start spreading rumours about myself. Different rumour to each person, that way I can work out who keeps confidences or not. He he, let's see which ones get back to me.

:)

Sous Vide

2009-08-18T12:54:00.001+10:00

Anyone got an air extraction system?

Men Are Naturally Happier

2009-08-12T17:36:00.002+10:00

NICKNAMES
If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.

If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla and Four-eyes.

EATING OUT
When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it’s only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.

When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.

MONEY
A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn’t need but it’s on sale.

BATHROOMS
A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel .

The average number of items in the typical woman’s bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.

ARGUMENTS
A woman has the last word in any argument.

Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

FUTURE
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.

A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

SUCCESS
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.

A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

MARRIAGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn’t.

A man marries a woman expecting that she won’t change, but she does.

DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.

A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

NATURAL
Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.

Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

OFFSPRING
Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.

A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A married man should forget his mistakes. There’s no use in two people remembering the same thing!

from here.

Formerly Classified Global Warming Spy Photos Released

2009-07-28T20:33:00.000+10:00

"The Obama administration has released more than a thousand intelligence images of Arctic ice, following a declassification request by the National Academy of Sciences. The images feature a 1m resolution, and scientists who have had to base climate models on 15m- or 30m-resolution photos are rejoicing. The photos, kept classified by the Bush administration, show the impact of global warming in the Arctic and the retreat of glaciers in Washington and Alaska."

see U.S. releases unclassified spy images of Arctic ice

A vaccine for colon cancer

2009-07-28T20:32:00.000+10:00

A new approach to preventing cancer teaches the immune system to seek and destroy emerging tumors.
By Jocelyn Rice

A cancer vaccine with a twist is making headway in clinical trials at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Rather than targeting a cancer-related virus--the way Gardasil targets human papillomavirus to prevent some cervical cancers--the new vaccine triggers the immune system to attack a faulty protein that's often abundant in colorectal cancer tissue and precancerous tissue.

The Pitt investigators say that if the vaccine is successful, it could potentially obviate the need for repeated colonoscopies in patients at high risk for developing colorectal cancer. These patients have had multiple precancerous polyps, called advanced adenomas, in their intestines, and they are routinely screened by colonoscopy for signs of recurrence.

The vaccine has already proven safe in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. It is now in clinical trials to gauge the immune response it elicits in patients with a history of advanced adenomas. It works by spurring the body to manufacture antibodies against the abnormal version of a mucous protein called MUC1. While moderate amounts of the protein are found in the lining of normal intestines, high levels of a defective form of MUC1 are present in about half of advanced adenomas and the majority of colorectal cancers.

The vaccine primes the immune system to monitor the gut for emerging cancers by teaching it to recognize abnormal MUC1. If an adenoma develops and begins to produce the faulty version of MUC1, the immune system will raise antibodies to attack and destroy the precancerous tissue.

"You would be using your immune system as a surveillance mechanism to prevent the development of malignancy," says principal investigator Robert E. Schoen, professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and professor of epidemiology at Pitt's Graduate School of Public Health.

Using this kind of immunotherapy to combat cancer isn't new--a number of cancer vaccines are currently being tested in clinical trials. But so far the technique has been used only to attack existing tumors. The new vaccine represents the first attempt to use immunotherapy to keep cancer from forming in the first place. "This is taking it in a different direction," says Schoen. "We're now trying to use immunotherapy as a means of prevention."

Not all colorectal tumors produce abnormal MUC1, and there's no way to know ahead of time if a patient will develop one that does. So it's still theoretically possible to develop colorectal cancer even if the vaccine is effective, says Schoen, because a vaccinated patient would still be at risk for tumors that don't make faulty MUC1.

For that reason, it's not clear yet whether the vaccine could supplant colonoscopies altogether in high-risk patients, says Mack Ruffin IV, professor of family medicine and a research scientist in epidemiology at the University of Michigan, who is not involved in the trials. "If they still need colonoscopies, we haven't done anything but add extra cost and side effects to managing people with polyps."

The Pitt investigators have been recruiting subjects for the trial since October 2008, and they expect to finish gathering data in fall 2011. Patients receive an initial dose of the vaccine with boosters 2 and 10 weeks later, and their immune response is monitored for a year. Because their history of advanced adenomas puts them at high risk for cancer, the patients are monitored throughout the trial with colonoscopies--the current gold standard for surveillance--giving the researchers a preliminary idea of whether the vaccine can limit recurrence or progression.

So far, in the more than 20 subjects already enrolled, says Schoen, "the vaccine is extremely well tolerated." Beyond some redness and soreness at the injection site and the occasional short-term fever, there have been no adverse effects. The next step, Schoen says, will be another trial to determine more precisely the relationship between vaccine administration and adenoma recurrence. He estimates that those experiments could begin within two years.

Abnormal MUC1 isn't limited to colorectal cancer. It's also present in some other cancers, including most breast tumors, meaning the new vaccine could be adapted for other uses. More broadly, the strategy of stimulating the immune system to attack a tumor-related protein may be relevant for other types of cancer as well. Many proteins are known to be aberrantly expressed in malignant tissue, says Schoen, and "vaccines against other proteins could be used for other cancers."

Why windows communication products suck

2009-07-22T18:50:00.003+10:00

You mean other than the fact that the default installation of M$Outlook allows scribts to run? How about the fact that WindowsLive doesn't allow for how most business users have their screens - vertically !

Here is Window$Live:

Here is gMail:

Google rocks !

Experts

2009-07-19T00:21:00.002+10:00

Most people understand that they are not experts at architecture, building, electrics or plumbing, and so they have no problem hiring an expert.

Indeed, consider architecture. I think I have a pretty good idea of what I want my dream home to look like. So why don't I build it now? Because I have not found my soulmate yet (or I have, but she felt nothing for me; that's another story which you all know), and you cannot make a decision that will make you happy unless you can make that decision jointly with the person who will spend the rest of their life living with the outcomes of decisions you have both made, whether those decisions were made individually or together.

Even allowing for the impact of relationships on architecture, I do not have the experience or training to consider other perspectives or possibilities. Thus, when it comes time to build my/our dream home, an architect must be involved early, to guide us in our visions and the possibilities for realising them. Perspectives that we never considered will be brought to bear. We hire the expert because we either know what we don't know or, in the immortal words of Donald Rumsfeld, we don't know what we don't know.

If this is the sensible approach in other aspects of life, then why do people think it is wrong to rely upon experts in our own personal crises or in our relationships. Indeed, in these things "everyone is an expert", and so they feel that the advice of friends is just as valid as the advice of a trained professional. Worst still, some people think that they're intelligent, and so "what could an expert possibly bring". Look, an expert may be dumber than you, but if he/she has in his/her training toolkit tools which you have never heard of, then that expert is a good buy.

In a past life, when I was trying my best to build a relationship, we had some serious problems relating to each other. I suggested going to counselling. She rejected this for two reasons: (1) "I don't need a counsellor"; and (2) "Why do we need relationship counselling if there is no relationship?". Yes, the second broke my heart (again and again), but what do you say to something like that ?

Saw "The Proposal" tonight with J. I cried in the romantic bits. True love is hard to find. But it is much worse when we find it and it kicks us in the balls...

The Good Women of China

2009-07-16T15:20:00.001+10:00

Campo's

2009-07-11T23:42:00.001+10:00

Campo's is now open on Saturdays !!!

Research on how to decide....

2009-07-11T23:38:00.002+10:00

http://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/2009/07/07/flowchart-to-my-heart/

Money? Sex? Not for computer techs

2009-06-30T00:33:00.001+10:00

Dave Thompson
June 29, 2009 - 3:21PM

Choosing a career is often a tough decision to make. While a lucky few knew what they "wanted to be" and tailored their education toward that goal, the rest of us dithered and dallied until we either fell into a career or were coerced into one by our families.

I didn't set out to be a computer tech. My dream was to be Gary Glitter, which, as it turned out, wouldn't have done me many favours.

Aside from that I wanted to be a pilot, until they mentioned night school three nights a week for five years, which wasn't too bad except this was on top of my existing 10,000-hour avionics engineering apprenticeship.

Long story short: now I run a computer repair business.

Babes, parties, status, wealth - these are just some of the things you'll be missing out on by becoming a computer tech.

But that's OK. If you have what it takes to be a computer tech, you will have a genetic predisposition to driving away members of the opposite sex. In fact, members of any sex.

I'm just kidding. There is no such genetic predisposition, it is just the way we are because, stereotypically, computer geeks tend to have the same character type. Of course, there are exceptions, but like all stereotypes, they are founded in reality.

How do you know if you have this personality type? If you have more computer magazines than girlie magazines, and if the thought of an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 with 12mb L2 cache running at a clock speed of 2.83GHz and a bus speed of 1333 MHz stirs the kind of feelings usually associated with procreation, you are well on your way to a career in computing.

Playing games all day to test video cards, surfing the web monitoring internet connections, assembling and handling the very latest in computer hardware - these are just some of the activities you will NOT be doing if you choose a career as a computer tech.

The problem is that our fantasy of the job and the reality of it are about as far removed as something that is really, really, far removed.

When I became an aircraft engineer, I had visions of white coats, laboratory-style work environments and the ultimate in hi-tech engineering.

I often thought about that as I crawled around in the dark, knee-deep in av-gas while scraping bits of charred seagull from the insides of jet engines. You don't get much more glamorous than that.

The thing with computer tech-ing is that despite the downsides, and believe me, there are plenty, if you really, truly and deeply love playing with computers then you will put up with all that just to get the good stuff.

So what is the reality? There is the satisfaction of a job well done, the knowledge that you have made the difference in someone's day and, if you are good at your job, sometimes you can bask in the after-glow of having recovered irreplaceable data from an otherwise dead hard drive.

However, all this must be weighed against the hostility from the customer who complains about the price (because everything is free on the internet) or the fact that it takes more than an hour to repair their machine.

People are happy to pay someone an after-hours call-out fee of hundreds of dollars to stick their hand down a blocked toilet to retrieve little Jimmy's Barbie doll, yet the same person balks at paying a computer tech a similar amount to come around and remove a virus or replace some hardware.

The perception is that if something looks simple to fix it isn't worth paying for, unless, of course, the repair involves sticking your hand down the loo.

Many clients resent paying for something they could have done, if they only knew how.

It all seems easy money: punch a few keys and pocket the cheque.

I have even had people demand I walk them through fixing their machine over the phone. I suggest they call their mechanic and ask them to walk them through changing the oil on their car and gauge the response.

For some reason, they think it is OK to do it with us but not with the electrician, plumber or TV repair guy.

I am reminded of an old adage where a tech is called to fix a major corporation's mainframe computer. He walks in, looks over it for a minute then presses a few keys, leaving a working machine and a bill for a several hundred dollars.

When the client demanded he explain the charges, he listed a call-out of $50 and $150 for knowing exactly which key to press. Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

from The Press, New Zealand

2009-06-19T22:16:00.001+10:00

A says (10:15 PM):
you hate her because you still love hr

What world MPs realy make

2009-06-18T23:28:00.001+10:00

The Tiananmen Massacre

2009-06-03T23:05:00.003+10:00

I will derive

2009-06-03T23:00:00.000+10:00

Honesty

2009-05-26T15:23:00.001+10:00

The star also insists honesty is the key to a good relationship.

When asked what it takes to make a relationship work, she replied: "Be honest. We have to let guys know who we really are.

"And set your boundaries - tell it like it is. Men are not mind-readers you know.

Being honest is a time saver."

from here

There go our people skills

2009-05-12T08:00:00.001+10:00

Democracy has its faults

2009-05-11T16:28:00.000+10:00

Democracy has its faults, but it does offer hope.

Connectivity is poverty

2009-05-10T11:39:00.002+10:00

“Connectivity is poverty” was how a friend of mine summarized [sic] Sterling’s bold theme. Only the poor — defined broadly as those without better options — are obsessed with their connections. Anyone with a strong soul or a fat wallet turns his ringer off for good and cultivates private gardens that keep the hectic Web far away.

Blame

2009-05-10T11:27:00.001+10:00

When you blame yourself, you learn from it. If you blame someone else, you don't learn nothing, cause hey, it's not your fault, it's his fault, over there.

Facebook quizzes

2009-05-10T11:26:00.000+10:00

Stop posting these f-ing quiz results to my wall. Really, they give you an option not to post to friends walls. Please use it. I really DON'T care what part of the USA you should love in, whether you are an Eastern suburbs person, etc. I really don't give a flying fxx

The man who lost China

2009-05-09T00:02:00.001+10:00

one of the pivotal moments in China’s civil war. This was the Xi’an incident of 1936, when Chiang was kidnapped by a warlord and pressed to form a united front with the Communists against the Japanese. Freed, Chiang had the chance of “an all-out military solution to the Communist problem”. But when an aide suggested finishing off the Communists, he “bent his head and did not answer. He had given his word.” How Mao must have laughed.

from here

Swine flu

2009-05-04T09:45:00.002+10:00

China: Officials Reassigned After Milk Scandal

2009-04-11T13:04:00.001+10:00

WORLD BRIEFING | ASIA

China: Officials Reassigned After Milk Scandal

By SHARON LaFRANIERE

Published: April 9, 2009

Two officials who were disciplined for their role in last year’s tainted milk scandal have been reappointed to other high-ranking government positions, a Chinese newspaper reported Thursday. One official, Bao Junkai, the deputy director of food inspection for the government’s product safety agency, now heads a department in Anhui Province that inspects imports and exports. The other, Liu Daqun, the former head of agriculture in Hebei Province, has been reappointed mayor of a city in Hebei, the paper said.

Windpower and Climate change

2009-04-05T01:41:00.001+11:00

Um, a word about windpower as a "renewable resource":

- is it just me, or has somebody else considered what will happen to climate (such as cooling, heat redistribution, etc) if we take so much energy out of the wind?

I will not do suppliers' market research for them

2009-03-31T18:55:00.000+11:00

XXX, I appreciate your help and concern.

I have never bought a new car before, and I am finding this process a little frustrating. It is my intention to trade over my salary packaged car every few years, and so a relationship is important.

However, I tend to find that a lot of dealers of cars and of high cost items, such as TVs etc expect me to do their work for them. If you really believe that you can offer me the best price, then please do so.

Imagine my situation. Let's say the best price I could get in buying an item is $500, but its retail price is $900. However, I do not know the true value of the item, and so the only way I can get a better deal is to do research by checking out other dealers. Every dealer wants the chance of being allowed to have a second go at bidding. Why? Because, then they don't have to give me best price first up.

So, in this example, a dealer might offer me a price of $700. If I then spend time and energy getting a better price (and I don't want to pay extra for a car in the form of wasting days doing research), then I might find another dealer offering me a price of $600. Why then should I come back to the first dealer? Why should I give him the benefit of my research, finding out that the rest of the market is willing to take $600, so he can offer me $590 at a second go rather than $500 at a first go. If he knows that he can have a second go, then there is no way he will give me a good price first up. So I get a bad quote, and end up doign market research for the dealer. If you want me to do your market research, then we can organise a separate consultancy agreement.

When I buy, I buy like this. I go to a supplier, and I give them one chance to bid. I tell them that they will not have a second chance, so they must give me their best price. I then move on to the next supplier. If prices get lower, then I stop when each new dealer cannot offer me much more. After about 3 close quotes, I come back to the supplier offering me the best quote. If the quotes are close, then I choose the guy I think helped me the most.

This is the way I buy electronic equipment, home renovation materials, etc. It is also the way I apply for jobs; basically, for anything over $1000. I never give someone a second chance. I always get the best price.

My basic rules:
1) never give anyone a second go at bidding, because then their first bid will not be their best price, and so I will be wasting my time.
2) never tell anyone whether they are first or second or whatever in line. Every supplier must think they are the first, they must not know whether I am informed or naive. If they think I am naive, they will give me a bad price. And, as part of this process, they will also suffer, because they lose my business (see rule 1).

I'm sorry, but many years ago I got sick of doing pricing work for suppliers. if you want my business, then you give me your best price.

Sorry for sounding so frustrated, but most other suppliers seem quite able to understand my approach. For some reason, auto dealers seem not able to. Moreover, they then try adding "delivery charges". I mean, what are those? Noone else does that (except for QANTAS). A price is a price is a price.

I want a XXX.
So, give me your best price.

Best wishes,
Robert

Hi Robert,

Thank you for your email, It has been great pleasure to deal with you since beginning of the month because of that I would really like to earn your business and build a relationship as your local dealer, however as I was trying to explain on the phone.

If pricing what it takes to earn your business I can tell you that quite confidently I would be able to provide you a better pricing than any other dealer. There are two reason which allows me to that, we are the largest XXX Dealer in NSW, on top of that all the vehicles in our possession paid cash by XXX these two reasons gave us greater advantage than our competitors.

It would be much appreciated If you could let me know your thoughts.

Kind Regards,

The devil also quotes scripture

2009-03-27T16:06:00.003+11:00

I made a mistake yesterday. I made an impassioned, heartfelt plea and explanation to someone who wrote something on her blog.

What I should have said is just this:

The devil can quote Scripture for his own ends

Evil uses sweet words to confuse and deceive you, but it is still evil.

Dysfunctional Belle

2009-03-16T11:15:00.000+11:00

Why Belle can't function for extended periods in any group of people.

Laughter

2009-03-11T12:18:00.002+11:00

I'm laughing again, deeply and with abandon.
The belly-laughs are back :)

Stop Fighting

2009-02-22T22:22:00.001+11:00

Top 11 Hints for Life...

2009-02-16T23:55:00.000+11:00

1. It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return, but what is more painful is to love someone and never find the courage to let that person know how you feel.

2. A sad thing in life is when you meet someone who means a lot to you, only to find out in the end that it was never meant to be and you just have to let go.

3. The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch swing with, never say a word, and walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.

4. It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.

5. It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, an hour to like someone, and a day to love someone - but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.

6. Don't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth - even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright.

7. Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you only have one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.

8. Always put yourself in the other's shoes. If it hurts you, it probably hurts the person too.

9. A careless word may kindle a strife; a cruel word may wreck a life; a timely word may level stress; a loving word may heal and bless.

10. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

11. Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a tear. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you're the one smiling and everyone around you is crying.

U dUnO WAt U Got TiL iTz GoNnE. CheRiSh iT WhiLe U CaN
About Me:
I'd love to sleep ..

Thanks

2009-02-16T13:25:00.002+11:00

Thank you for the time you put into this. I know you're right.
I guess the reason I am doing this is because I was pretty convinced that she was the right one for me, and the only real problem was our communication. I knew I had a problem, and I knew she did too. The only difference is that I tried to work on my side. She seemed to put no effort into her side; indeed, I felt that she kepy saying "there is no relationship" because she didn't want to feel that she had to do anything; according to her, I was the one who did everything wrong, and I was the one who had to change everything.

People who treat people liek she treated me tend to get away with it. They move on, then they do the same thign to someone else.
I just want to make her understand that you can't treat people like she treated me without their beign any consequences.

Yes, I still love her ...

Leonard Cohen - Be for Real

2009-02-12T20:52:00.000+11:00

Are you back in my life to stay
Or is it just for today
Oh that you're gonna need me?
If it's a thrill you're looking for
Honey, I'm flexible. Oh, yeah.
Just be for real won't you, Baby
Be for real oh, Baby
You see I, I don't want to be hurt by love again
So you see I'm not naive.
I just would like to believe
Ah what you tell me.
So don't give me the world today
And tomorrow take it away.
Don't do that to me, darling.
Just be for real won't you, Baby
Be for real won't you, Baby
Been hurt so many times see I, I don't want to be hurt by love again.
(I don't give a damn about the truth, Baby
Except for the naked truth. Oh yeah)
Just be for real won't you, Baby
Be for real won't you, Baby
No, no, no, no
It's just that I, I don't want to be hurt by love again.
Thanks for the song Mr. Knight.

The Man Rules

2009-02-02T23:01:00.000+11:00

The Man Rules

We always hear ' the rules' from the female side. Now here are the rules from the male side.

These are our rules! Please note.. these are all numbered '1 ' ON PURPOSE!

1. Men are NOT mind readers.

1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.

1. Sunday sports It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.

1. Crying is blackmail.

1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one: Subtle hints do not work! Strong hints do not work! Obvious hints do not work! Just say it!

1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.

1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become Null and void after 7 Days.

1. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.

1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one

1. You can either ask us to do something Or tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

1. Whenever possible, Please say whatever you have to say during commercials..

1. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.

1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not A color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.

1. If we ask what is wrong and you say 'nothing,' We will act like nothing's wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.

1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, Expect an answer you don't want to hear.

1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine.... Really .

1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as baseball or golf.

1. You have enough clothes.

1. You have too many shoes.

1. I am in shape. Round IS a shape!

Thank you for reading this. Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight; But did you know men really don't mind that! ? It's like camping.

Bipolar

2009-02-02T22:37:00.001+11:00

"I had such incredible dreams and aspirations when I was manic. I, too, thought the world followed me though their eyes. I felt so attractive so sexy, so desired. I miss my mania" (another symptom of mania can be risky sexual behavior) Sometimes your loved one, in a manic episode, may act as if they're driven by a motor - full of energy and drive, with less and less need for sleep. They may talk frequently, rarely pausing between sentences, and their speech may be rapid as well. Again, this is another sign of bipolar disorder, and a part of their manic energy. They may resent you (and others) for not wanting to go along with their dreams, because they don't understand that their dreams are grandiose and usually unrealistic. Nobody is trying to steal your loved one's dreams. When they are more stable, those dreams may (or may not) still be there. But dreams need to be approached in a more realistic way - with long-term and short-term reachable goals, etc. Like the same woman in the beginning of this email (once she was stable) said: "Now life is predictable, comfortable, and reliable, and I constantly search my soul for what my life's true purpose is." Dreams are great, and they can possibly come true. But there's a difference between realistic dreams and manic grandiose thoughts and ideas. And I'm sure you want them to be happy. But the "happiness" that comes with bipolar mania is NOT true happiness. Stability is the most important thing in your loved one's life. That way, their dreams will be realistic ones. Don't you think?

To ab, or not to ab, that is the question

2008-12-06T14:12:00.002+11:00

Most Western cultures have an infatuation with muscled men, and Sydney has a particularly bad case of it. But those European bellymen - the ones with stomachs, but without angst - may know something the rest of us don't seem to get. They know perfect cookie-cutter body sameness, despite all the effort, is rather dull.

Men, let out your belts - just a notch. Be one of the 18 per cent, relaxed, confident and comfortable in your own skin.

Now, that's attractive.

from here

One thing I learned in the last 4 years or so. It's all about attitude. That certainly is the most liberating knowledge I have ever acquired.

Psychoses and mind control delusions

2008-11-14T23:59:00.003+11:00

Psychoses and mind control delusions

A guide for girls who date geeks

2008-11-08T23:42:00.000+11:00

A guide for girls who date geeks

Congratulations USA!

2008-11-05T15:22:00.002+11:00

If I were an American, I would today be proud that it could elect a visonary in spite of deep-seated prejudice. Now, if only Obama can deliver on his message of change.

I am still unsure that I could live in a country where, in spite of opportunity, poverty is so widepread, conspiracy theories abound, and where otherwise normal Christians for some reason reject and/or midunderstand the teachings of their faith, and subscribe to this intelligent design/creationist shit.

But, having been there, I know that the US is more than we perceive it; and it can be much more than it is.

Health, justice and its interactions with the world are issues that must be addressed. If Obama can take a small step in the right direction, then so much the better. If he can get a majority Democratic congress that rejects pork and narrow self-interest, then he may well be able to achieve an agenda of change.

But I fear that the culture of lobbying and the predeliction for earmarks will once again gut the vision, leaving venality in its wake.

Congratulations USA! That's the easy part. The hard part is to come.

PS: Hey wouldn't Obama/McCain have been a dream ticket? The really neat thing about this election was that both candidates were reasonable people. Let's ignore Palin for the moment (ha ha).

Meanwhile, over at the Killfile...

2008-11-04T20:40:00.001+11:00

It seems that the mainstream media has finally caught on to the whole internet filter debate, judging by what I read in the SMH this morning (the blogosphere is, of course, all over it). And it's increasingly looking like the government is going to let anyone hook their own personal ideological baggage to the black-list in order to get their votes in the Senate.

Fielding, of course wants porn blocked ... And who doesn't think the Fundie First Senator has gay material (pornographic or otherwise), contraception information, and even non-Christian religions on his blacklist Christmas wishlist?

Nick Xenephon wants online gambling blocked. ... Maybe the Greens could nominate pro-logging sites for the blacklist in order to guarantee their support. Or require pro-marijuana sites to not be blocked.

...

The Liberals know that Fielding has a hard-on for the filter (it may, in fact, be the only thing he'll ever have a hard-on about), and that Labor will have a much harder time getting his cooperation in the future if they don't get this passed.

from Dr Faustus at The Killfile

A touching quest for intimacy

2008-10-17T18:30:00.001+11:00

We're all gonna die!

2008-09-25T15:30:00.002+10:00

[F]irst evidence ... has been discovered by scientists ... that massive deposits of sub-sea methane are bubbling to the surface as the Arctic region becomes warmer and its ice retreats.

Underground stores of methane are important because scientists believe their sudden release has in the past been responsible for rapid increases in global temperatures, dramatic changes to the climate, and even the mass extinction of species.

...

They believe that the sub-sea layer of permafrost, which has acted like a "lid" to prevent the gas from escaping, has melted away to allow methane to rise from underground deposits formed before the last ice age.

from here.

Humility and Pride

2008-09-25T14:33:00.000+10:00

Some people, such as the German philosopher Nietzsche, see humility as a weakness. But the ancient Greeks knew it to be an essential quality of heroes, a product of courage and self-knowledge. Humility is the antidote to pride, which the author C. S. Lewis once damned as the "greatest sin", the vice that leads to every other vice.

"There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves," he wrote last century.

Lewis also wrote that, unlike other vices, pride was intrinsically competitive, getting "no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man". He described it as a "spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love or contentment or even common sense [emphasis added - RC]".

...

Strong, decisive types who make the best leaders often have very little inclination for the introspection needed for humility. They have no self-doubt because they never take the time to inspect the self for flaws. They are always "going forward", pushing ahead, getting things done, looking o to the future, not a past that might discomfit them.

from Miranda Devine, SMH

Why download?

2008-09-25T14:15:00.005+10:00

"We've kept downloading shows because the TV schedule keeps changing," Kim says. "They were just playing havoc with us. They'd stop shows, start them, show them really late at night and then stick in a repeat episode just to stretch out the season for another few weeks."

from the Sydney Morning Herald

I remember, when I was a kid, the TV schedule was fixed for a season. You knew exactly when your shows would be on. No one-off cricket or tennis bullshit, no stretched out show endings, no chopping and changing the schedule at the slightest whim and without any notice - Farscape/Channel Nine/year 2000 was the situation that stopped me thinking of Channel Nine as a credible source of entertainment. The other commercial stations have since become just as bad.

I didn't start watching Lost on Channel Seven for one reason. I knew it was a good show, I knew that on balance of probability they would stuff it up by shifting the schedule based on day-to-day ratings, instead of sticking with it for the long haul.

The reason we stop watching TV is the same reason we prefer trains to buses. A train route has certainty, and is costly to change. A bus route just requires some bureaucrat to change a timetable. I know where the train goes. Most bus stops no longer have maps of bus routes.

SydneyBuses, are you listening? Channels Seven, Nine and Ten, are you listening?

All men think about ... isn't sex

2008-09-09T18:58:00.000+10:00

All men think about ... isn't sex

Men who tell women they value relationships over sex now have the weight of numbers to back their argument.

Almost 28,000 randomly selected men, aged 20 to 75, from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Mexico and Brazil responded to a standardised telephone interview about their attitudes to life and sex.

The results, published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, showed men overwhelmingly rated attributes such as being seen as a man of honour and having the respect of one's friends ahead of having success with women when assessing masculinity.

When it came to quality of life, one-third of respondents said being in good health was the most important factor, followed by a harmonious family life (26 per cent) and being in a good relationship with their partner or wife (19 per cent).

Just 2 per cent put a satisfying sex life as their top priority.

"Taken together, this body of research underscores the centrality to men of nonsexual aspects of the male identity [and] emphasises the importance of the couple relationship," German researcher Michael Sand said in his research.

from here

That's what makes The Economist the best periodical today.

2008-08-31T21:33:00.002+10:00

"ONE of the lies regularly promulgated by creationist ideologues is that"-->THAT! RIGHT THERE! That's what makes The Economist the best periodical today. CNN would ask "both sides", to the trauma of every intelligent human that ever lived. CNN was reporting about "Big Foot" just the other day, and it had to ask the side of scientists who claimed it was nonsense. The fact that The Economist bypasses major rubbish is purely fantastic; and greatly needed in this world--even when The Econ is wrong.

concerning the speed of evolution, I would recommend the Pulizter-prize winning "The beak of the finch"; which also showed how amazingly fast species adapt and transform. A beautiful book worthy of the Pulitzer.

The quote is a comment by user linhares on the article. Aside from the Economist's dry sense of humour, its courage to take a stand (and sometimes to even be wrong) is what makes it worth reading. I think the commenter said it better than I ever could.

The 21 edicts from the Chinese Government's propaganda unit

2008-08-15T12:18:00.002+10:00

1. The telecast of sports events will be live [but] in case of emergencies, no print is allowed to report on it.

2. From August 1, most of the previously accessible overseas websites will be unblocked. No coverage is allowed on this development. There's also no need to use stories published overseas on this matter and [website] operators should not provide any superlinks on their pages.

3. Be careful with religious and ethnic subjects.

4. Don't make fuss about foreign leaders at the opening ceremony, especially in relation to seat arrangements or their private lives.

5. We have to put special emphasis on ethnic equality. Any perceived racist terms as "black athlete" or "white athlete" is not allowed. During the official telecast, we can refer to Taiwan as "Chinese Taipei". In ordinary times, refer to Taiwanese athletes as "those from the precious island Taiwan....." In case of any pro Taiwan-independence related incident inside the venue, you shall follow restrictions listed in item 1.

6. For those ethnic Chinese coaches and athletes who come back to Beijing to compete on behalf of other countries, don't play up their "patriotism" since that could backfire with their adopted countries.

7. As for the Pro-Tibetan independence and East Turkistan movements, no coverage is allowed. There's also no need to make fuss about our anti-terrorism efforts.

8. All food saftey issues, such as cancer-causing mineral water, is off-limits.

9. In regard to the three protest parks, no interviews and coverage is allowed.

10. No fuss about the rehearsals on August 2,5. No negative comments about the opening ceremony.

11.No mention of the Lai Changxing case.

12.No mention of those who illegally enter China.

13.On international matters, follow the official line. For instance, follow the official propaganda line on the North Korean nuclear issue; be objective when it comes to the Middle East issue and play it down as much as possible; no fuss about the Darfur question; No fuss about UN reform; be careful with Cuba. If any emergency occurs, please report to the foreign ministry.

14. If anything related to territorial dispute happens, make no fuss about it. Play down the Myanmar issue; play down the Takeshima island dispute.

15. Regarding diplomatic ties between China and certain nations, don't do interviews on your own and don't use online stories. Instead, adopt Xinhua stories only. Particularly on the Doha round negotiation, US elections, China-Iran co-operation, China-Aussie co-operation, China-Zimbabwe co-operation, China-Paraguay co-operation.

16.Be very careful with TV ratings, only use domestic body's figures. Play it down when rating goes down.

17. In case of an emergency involving foreign tourists, please follow the official line. If there's no official line, stay away from it.

18. Re possible subway accidents in the capital, please follow the official line.

19.Be positive on security measures.

20. Be very careful with stock market coverage during the Games.

21.Properly handle coverage of the Chinese sports delegation:

A.don't criticise the selection process

B.don't overhype gold medals; don't issue predictions on gold medal numbers; don't make fuss about cash rewards for athletes.

C.don't make a fuss about isolated misconducts by athletes.

D.enforce the publicity of our anti-doping measures.

E. put emphasis on government efforts to secure the retirement life of atheletes.

F. keep a cool head on the Chinese performance. Be prepared for possible fluctations in the medal race.

G. refrain from publishing opinion pieces at odds with the official propangada line of the Chinese delegation.

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/08/14/1218307016317.html

Beijing - the missing mascot

2008-07-31T01:22:00.002+10:00

GenGen Genocide - How the PRC funds genocide in Darfur, and protects its perpetrators from sanctions..

Starbucks sells coffee?

2008-07-29T21:41:00.001+10:00

From The Killfile:

I remember when they opened the Starbucks on Lygon Street in Melbourne. It was the only shop that sold coffee on Lygon Street which was consistently empty. That always made me smile.

Found this

2008-07-23T19:53:00.002+10:00

2008-06-30T02:30:00.001+10:00

“The opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference.And if you hate me, then that means we're still connected.”
-Bree Hodge

Brains before Boobs

2008-06-16T23:34:00.001+10:00

The link says it all.

Bed

2008-06-11T22:36:00.002+10:00

Want to come to Bed with me?

Eurovision

2008-05-25T01:15:00.001+10:00

Eurovision ... only one thing to say: Irlande Douze Points !!!

The concept of suzerainty

2008-05-21T22:58:00.001+10:00

From here:

Suzerainty (pronounced /ˈsjuːzərənti/ or /ˈsjuːzəreɪnti/) is a situation in which a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which allows the tributary some limited domestic autonomy to control its foreign affairs. The more powerful entity in the suzerainty relationship, or the head of state of that more powerful entity, is called a suzerain. The term suzerainty was originally used to describe the relationship between the Ottoman Empire and its surrounding regions. It differs from sovereignty in that the tributary has some (limited) self-rule. A suzerain can also mean a feudal lord, to whom vassals must pay tribute. It is similar to the notion of hegemony.

Although it is a concept which has existed in a number of historical empires, it is a concept that is very difficult to describe using 20th- or 21st-century theories of international law, in which sovereignty either exists or does not. While a sovereign nation can agree by treaty to become a protectorate of a stronger power, modern international law does not recognize any way of making this relationship compulsory on the weaker power.

...

Historically, the Emperor of China saw himself as the center of the entire civilized world, and diplomatic relations in East Asia were based on the theory that all rulers of the world derived their authority from the Emperor. The degree to which this authority existed in fact changed from dynasty to dynasty. However, even during periods when political power was distributed evenly across several political entities, Chinese political theory recognized only one emperor and asserted that his authority was paramount throughout the entire world. Diplomatic relations with the Chinese emperor were made on the theory of tributary states, although in practice tributary relations would often result in a form of trade under the theory that the emperor in his kindness would reward the tributary state with gifts of equal or greater value.

This system broke down in the 18th and 19th centuries in two ways. First during the 17th century, China was ruled by the ethnically Manchu Qing dynasty which ruled a multi-ethnic empire and justified their rule through different theories of rulership. While not contradicting traditional Han Chinese theories of the emperor as universal rule, the Qing did begin to make a distinction between areas of the world which they ruled and areas which they did not. The system also broke down as China faced European powers whose theories of sovereignty were based on international law and relations between equal states.

One way European states attempted to describe the relations between the Qing Dynasty and its outlying regions was in terms of suzerainty, although this did not at all match the traditional Chinese diplomatic theory.

Tibet

(Main article: Tibetan sovereignty debate)

The claims of both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China to Tibet are based on the principle of "succession of states", as the Mongol Yuan.[1] and Manchu Qing Dynasties had exercised authority over Tibet.

What is "right"?

2008-05-21T13:44:00.004+10:00

This is an extract from an ongoing discussion I am having with a friend. I want to continue this in person, but he is just as busy these days as I am.

His comments:

i can recognise the brainwashing but i don't mind it.
i don't think the chinese people are brainwashed through and through. only on certain issues, such as tibet and taiwan.
that is because these issues are very much in china's interest. the chinese don't want to see the separation of tibet, xinjiang and taiwan.
coming up with brainwashed lines is a way of maintaining solidarity and demonstrate a desire to resolve these issues in china's favour.
i would say these brainwashed stuff too. i certainly don't think i am brainwashed. i choose to 'brainwashed' version because as a chinese i see these statements are in favour of the chinese. of course i recognise the counter arguments. i recognise the possible human rights abuses in tibet. but i feel angry that the tibetans reject the chinese way of life. i know its probably unfair to impose teh chinese way of life on them. but they have to recognise that china is a melting pot. if the chinese converted their rulers (the manchus) to the extent where now the manchu culture is almost non-existent, then the chinese can easily overwhelm the tibetans if the chinese tried hard enough.
the cultural thing is one thing. claiming a free tibet is another. (anyway - not talking about hte merits of the issue just showing how i think) supporting a version of facts and believing in a version of facts are two different things.
chinese arrogance goes right into the name of hte place. i dont' think 'middle kingdom' is an accurate translation. its more like 'central kingdom'.
the fact that zhong appears in zhong hua suggests how the chinese ancestors thought about themselves.

My comments:

Umm, hang on. This sounds religious.

Chinese people believe in "unity of the motherland" (Tibert, Taiwan) because they are brainwashed.
But then you say that brainwashing is necessary because Chinese peopel believe in the unity of the motherland.

Circular?

(a) Why should you feel angry that Tibetans reject the Chinese way of life? Are you angry that the French reject China's way of life? Closer to home, are you angry that the Vietnameses reject China's way of life? For a reasonable chunk of it's history, Vietnam was either under Chinese suzerainty or paying tribute to the Emperor. This entitles it to be coloured and described on historical maps exactly the same way that Tibet is coloured and described on such maps. So why aren't you saying that "Vietnam always was and will be part of China"? Part of the "was and will be" stuff arises from a gross misunderstanding of the difference between the modern nation state and more fuedal concepts of sovereignty, suzerainty, etc. I think if you look into this carefully, then you must either apply the concept to Vietnam (and (Outer) Mongolia) or reconsider your thoughts on Tibet.

The melting pot thing is misleading. I think you can only refer to countries as melting pots where the majority of people (or their ancestors) came as immigrants from elsewhere. This applies to places like Australia, the USA, Canada, Brazil and Mexico, for example. It cannot apply to countries such as China and Russia. The only difference between the imperialism of the European countries and that of Russia and China was that the former were imperialists in distant territories, while Russia and China were/are imperialists in areas conitugous to their home countries.

There is a term in Russian called "rodina", or loosely translated as "the homeland". This is a tacit Russian admission that the "real Russia", or homeland of the Russian people, stretches from Ukraine and Belarus only as far as the Urals. Thus, there are in Russian two distinct words for "Russian"; one refers to a Russian by nationality, the other refers to a citizen of the Russian federation.

However, the PRC government has, since 1949, done its utmost to stamp out the concept of "China proper". [As a somewhat relevant aside, ask yourself why the Chinese script was simplified in the PRC? To an outsider, it's still just as complicated as ever. Was it just a questions of reducing access to unbiased information.]

Come on, you live outside China, you have access to unrestricted sources of information - use it. Of the five Chinese states at the moment (PRC, Macau, HK, Singapore and ROC), only the ROC is a genuine democracy. Debates on history and politics there are free and lively. If you want objective (or at least more than one point of view) Chinese language discussion of these issues, get yourself some stuff published in the ROC.

Your comparison of the Manchus and the Tibetans is valid. Yes, the Chinese can overwhelme the Tibetans if they want to - it's what they are doing right now. I am not arguing with this. I am just wondering - why do you think it is right to exterminate a people's language and culture? "Free Tibet" is only about giving them control over their own development, their right to decide what language will be spoken. [In any case, the Dalai Lama has long ago stopped speaking of independence, and is only speaking of _real_ autonomy.] For example, you will note that the Welsh Assembly has, since its inception, promoted use of the Welsh language in Wales. The Scots language is mmuch farther gone, but the Scottish government is promoting its use too. A lively debate has been going on in Scotland for years over whether Scotland should declare independence. Surely they are entitled to be free if they want to? Why should the same not apply to Tibet?

Since you are the only suggesting that a nation should be repressed, I think it is incumbent upon you to explain why Tibet is different from Scotland, Wales or Quebec. The argument that Tibet has always been part of China doesn't stand up, since you seem to apply it unevenly: you apply it to Tibet and presumably Xinjiang, yet choose to ignore (outer) Mongolia and Vietnam? Why? Many of the "historical" arguments I have heard for China ruling Tibet apply just as much to those places.

I don't think that Zhong Guo necessarily an expression of arrogance. It is an expression of geography, as msot places are. China was densely populated, and so by definition it was "in the middle of things". The Netherlands are low, hence their name. Poland was largely flat, hence it's name (land of fields). A name proves nothing - merely that we all seek to give our homelands names.

Cheers,
R

Habits

2008-05-20T00:11:00.000+10:00

So it seems antithetical to talk about habits in the same context as creativity and innovation. But brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits, we create parallel synaptic paths, and even entirely new brain cells, that can jump our trains of thought onto new, innovative tracks.

Rather than dismissing ourselves as unchangeable creatures of habit, we can instead direct our own change by consciously developing new habits. In fact, the more new things we try — the more we step outside our comfort zone — the more inherently creative we become, both in the workplace and in our personal lives.

But don’t bother trying to kill off old habits; once those ruts of procedure are worn into the hippocampus, they’re there to stay. Instead, the new habits we deliberately ingrain into ourselves create parallel pathways that can bypass those old roads.

from here

Borderline

2008-05-16T00:37:00.003+10:00

One person who met her suggested that she may have Borderline Personality Disorder:

Borderline Personality Disorder
The central feature of Borderline Personality Disorder is a pervasive pattern of instability and intense interpersonal relationships, self-perception, and moods. Impulse control is markedly impaired. These patients may transiently appear psychotic because of the intensity of their distortions. Borderline Personality Disorder is one of the most commonly overused diagnoses in the DSM-IV.
Abrupt and extreme mood changes, stormy interpersonal relationships, fluctuating self-image, and unpredictable and self-destructive actions characterize the person with this type of disorder. These individuals have great difficulty with their own sense of identity. They are intensely sensitive to rejection or abandonment, and when they feel abandoned, they often react with extreme anger or with self-injurious or suicidal behavior. Because these behaviors take a toll on close interpersonal relationships, individuals with this personality often provoke the very rejection and abandonment they fear. Fears of abandonment may lead to an excessive dependency on others. Self-mutilation or recurrent suicidal gestures may be used to get the attention of others.

But when I look at it, she has symptoms of all the cluster B disorders, but not all symptoms of every disorder.
But someone who has expertise in the area said bipolar. Now I'm not sure. Wish she'd see a psychiatrist...

Life goes on, worrying about her, thinking about her, loving her (unrequitedly, as usual).

Andorra is not in Africa !

2008-03-04T18:35:00.000+11:00

Find love in "the ordinary"

2008-02-06T14:56:00.001+11:00

Strand Arcade in the Schmap Guide

2008-02-02T10:11:00.000+11:00

Am I a kick-arse photographer, or what?

Epuron commercial wins award

2008-01-27T13:03:00.000+11:00

Classic commercial.

Planning a Grand Design

2007-12-27T03:29:00.000+11:00

My favourite show is Grand Designs: people have fantasies of their dream houses, and they sometimes get the execution wrong. The show is presented by Kevin McCloud.

Kevin McCloud’s Top 10 List of Do’s and Don’ts

1. Employ an architect (and a good one at that), who shares your view of the world. Don’t try to design your home yourself, it’s not what you were trained to do, nor will you be any good at it. I’ve had all sorts of design training and I would still employ an architect, and on a full service contract at that. A good architect will give you back your dream fully wrought and magnificently detailed - providing you choose the right one.

2. Contain your budget and contain your ambition, allowing yourself up to 20% contingency fee on the project. If you don’t spend it on the house you can spend it on sofas and a holiday at the end!

3. Spend three years planning your project and putting everything in place in advance, and chances are you’ll be on site six to eight months (which is the very expensive bit). Spend six months planning and chances are you’ll be on site for three years (which, to remind you, is the very expensive bit).

4. Don’t risk all for a dream you’ve never lived. Don’t be beguiled by all you see in magazines. Instead incorporate as many elements in your design that you know for sure make you happy.

5. Employ as many professionals as you can afford, especially a good project manager or builder. Getting the build costed by a professional Quantity Surveyor is also absolutely necessary. Never rely on a costing produced by your builder or your architect: the entire construction industry is populated by optimists.

6. Don’t throw away all your old furniture and instead buy everything entirely new. Our possessions are our autobiographies.

7. Don’t expect the finished house to change who you are. It’s more likely that the process of building it will teach you more about yourself.

8. Don’t expect too much of your team. There is an ancient rule of thumb that can be applied to any made thing, be it a spoon or a house, that involves three variables: time, cost and quality. Put briefly, if you want the very best quality, expect to have to wait and pay for it. If you want something cheap, expect that it’ll be shoddy and still take a long time. (You get the picture: change one of these variables and you change the other two). And moreover, you’re very unlikely to get your own way with more than one. Few people are lucky enough to get the very best quality quickly, albeit still paying through the nose. Fewer still will get a cheap house quickly and no-one I’ve met has ever got cheap craftsmanship in double quick time. If you meet someone who has, they’re lying.

9. Do write everything down. Everything. Keep records, delivery notes, invoices and ensure that you have signed contracts with all the players involved. And keep a build diary to record progress and bore your grandchildren with.

10. Do remember that building a house is not a sophisticated piece of DIY, nor is it an extended piece of interior design. The inside of your home is private and your personal realm of expression. The outside is public property and part of other people’s lives. Architecture has a public responsibility and your home will become part of a landscape or townscape, so stand back from the design process and give your architect, landscape designer and planner room for manoeuvre here. As the French planner and building colourist Jean-Philippe Lenclos said: “If you want to paint your front door, get your neighbour to choose the colour”.

Chinese sabotage (from Commiepod)

2007-11-19T10:16:00.000+11:00

"Any US website that makes money will be copied by the Chinese and the original site sabotaged. But hey, as any good Chinese citizen will tell you, its OK, China is still developing, in the future everything will be fine."

The cost of computer security

2007-11-17T00:02:00.000+11:00

This reminds me of one or two organisations I know:

When bad things happen to good laptops

And our favorite, from an outraged Applied Materials user's actual e-mail:

"Were you aware that at my current salary of roughly $90/hour, the requirement to log in/unlock my laptop computer more than five to eight times a day, including mistyping, takes up to 20 minutes per day, 2.9 hours per week (I work 7 days a week), 145 hours per year (I take 2 weeks off for vacation).

"So, in effect, the security requirements for my laptop are costing the company more than $13,000 per year. When you multiply this for even 2,000 laptop users, your 'need for protection' is costing the company more than $26,000,000 a year. Can't we just turn it off and save the company money?"

Kind of gives new meaning to the phrase, "You do the math," doesn't it?