New Math

Desktop Mock-up (first try)

• Taskbar and windows are transparent but not shiny (darker things use less power!) over a naturey background.
• Windows have the usual close, maximise and minimise buttons as well as "left half" and "right half" screens (i.e. to replicate Snap from Windows 7)
• We only use the desktop for some basic productivity functions, web surfing, listening to music and maybe watching some movies.

Credits:
http://www.ubuntu.com/
http://www.deshow.net/flowers/bamboo-pictures-454.html#pic
http://www.iconfinder.com/search/?q=iconset:futurosoft_icons
http://mostlysid.com/google-chrome-for-mac-is-now-available
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:IEC5010_On_Off_Symbol.svg
http://www.aeonproject.com/
http://www.zim.ly/
http://www.iconspedia.com/icon/usb-drive-1572.html

Have you ever wondered...

I was thinking about an economics syllabus for "average" school students, because I've done ones for top students and for uni students several times.

I haven't worked out the answers but I was thinking of just asking the following questions:

1. Why is this year's TV bigger, better and cheaper than last year's?
2. Why is food cheaper in Asia?
3. Why is Bill Gates the world's richest man?
4. Who pays for pollution?
5. How much is information worth?

Further Info:
There's No Such Thing as a Free Market
Sad Guys on Trading Floors
"How Many Currencies?" by Paul Krugman, The New York Times, 23 Feb 2010
Balassa-Samuelson Effect
"Copyright laws threaten our online freedom" by Christian Engstrom, FT.Com, 7 July 2009

Who said...

"I think you've been down here too long."

"Why do you have to label people? I hate labels."

"Give me the whip!"
"Throw me the idol!"

"What do you mean, 'I'm funny'? ... You mean the way I talk?"

"I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me."

"What was the middle bit?"

"I didn't"
"No. No. You ate yours."

"'Deserve's' got nothing to do with it."

"Where you at, Desmondo?"

"I'll just walk around some more and see if I can get into a pick-up meeting."

"" (hint: Buffy)

"Get some rest, Pam. You look tired."

"Pop quiz, hotshots!"

"You never really know someone... until you fight them."

"And the eye-in-the-sky is watching us all."

"Blink and you're dead!"

"And for what? For a little bit of money."

"Do you think we need one more?... You think we need one more... All right. We'll get one more."

Popular Mechanics' 2008 Round-up

Excerpts from the "Top 10 Most Brilliant Gadgets of the Year" by Logan Ward and the Editors of Popular Mechanics, November 2008. Follow the links to see the videos:

1.

2.

6.

Knowing the Path

Often the question I get asked is really just asking, "What do I say next to win the debate."

To date my answer has been along the lines of, "There is no spoon", an answer calculated to infuriate Orlando, but really directed towards rejecting the premise of the question in the hope of providing a purpose at the same time as providing a tool.

What do we mean by "winning"? Is it the journey? Will we only know once we get there? (In which case, yes, it's the journey thing).

Further Info:
"Eight ways to get exactly what you want" by Dan Jones and Alison Motluk, NewScientist, Issue 2655, 7 May 2008
"Digital billboards get a little creepier" by Alana Semuels, LA Times, 27 October 2008
"More Reflections on Bobby Fischer" by Patrick J Lyons, The New York Times, 18 January 2008
"The Behavioral Revolution" by David Brooks, NYtimes.com, 27 October 2008

[Solved] Ubuntu HDMI Audio (GeForce 8200)

After a LiveCD install of Intrepid there's no sound! Sigh... Ctrl-Alt-F1 to get a terminal.

Step 1 - Kill Pulse Audio & Install ALSA
Install the following packages:

% sudo apt-get install alsa-oss
% sudo apt-get install libasound2
% sudo apt-get install libasound2-plugins
% sudo apt-get install sysv-rc-conf

Move Pulse Audio (to the home folder) and then turn it off:

% sudo mv /etc/Xll/Xsession.d/70pulseaudio ~/
% gconftool-2 -s -t bool /apps/gnome_settings_daemon/plugins/sound/active
% asoundconf unset-pulseadio

Remove Pulse Audio from runlevel:

% sudo sysv-rc-conf
(page down until you find "pulseaudio" then uncheck all the boxes, save and exit)

Configure ALSA to use your sound card:

% asoundconf list
Names of available sound cards:
[card name]
% asoundconf set-default-card [card name]

And ensure that libao.conf is using ALSA:

% sudo nano /etc/liabo.conf
default_driver=alsa

Step 2 - Install nVidia & ALSA Drivers
First, kill the GUI (you can restart it using gdm):

% sudo /etc/init.d/gdm stop

Uninstall the proprietary drivers if you installed them (Ubuntu will probably recommend you get proprietary driver version 173 or 177 when you first install).

% sudo apt-get remove nvidia-glx

Now download the latest nVidia drivers from here (I'm using Linux IA32 version 177.82) and install:

% sudo sh [NVIDIA-Linux-x86-177.82.pkg1.run]
(Follow the prompts... Yes, Agree, OK, Next, Yes)

Reboot the computer and download the latest ALSA drivers from here (I'm using "alsa-driver-1.0.18a.tar.bz2"). You'll then need to decompress the file, go to the directory it creates and install:

% bunzip2 -c [alsa-driver-1.0.18a.tar.bz2]
% cd [~/directory name]
% ./configure
% make
% sudo make install

Reboot the computer again, then see what you have:

% aplay -l

Hopefully you have a device with "HDMI" in it. If not, try looking here.

Now navigate to System->Preferences->Sound and turn everything from "auto-detect" to the HDMI device (and disable ESD if it is enabled).

Open up the volume control (double click on the speaker icon or gnome-volume-control) and change "Device" to the HDMI device.

Then select "Preferences" and check anything with "IEC958" in it (also, in "Playback" make sure the IEC958 device is not muted!)

Further info:
RKHTPC

RKHTPC

Origen AE S16V Enclosure

Corsair 520W Modular PSU

Zalman CNPS7500AlCu Cooler

nVidia 780a Chipset

AMD Phenom 9750 2.4GHz Quad Core

Integrated GeForce 8200 HDMI/VGA -> Sony Bravia 42XBR

2x2GB DDR2 SDRAM

64GB SSD

2x1TB HDD

Pioneer BD-202 Blu-ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer
Wireless-G 802.11b/g PCI 54Mbps

Media Center Remote

Further info:

Enspire Digital

Origen AE

Sony

Ubuntu

The Pursuit of Happyness

Wasssuuuuppp

Then...

...and now

Carp struggling upstream
Did someone lose their nice pet?
He’s looking for peace.

This is a deeply personal poem, with two layers of meaning.

After our visit to Hiroshima on 6 August I went running in Machida and saw a large orange carp swimming in the concrete stream next to the running track.

To an Australian it was surprising to see a carp swimming in a stream in the middle of Tokyo. My first concern was that the carp had escaped from someone’s private pond and it was suffering.

But on closer inspection I noticed that the carp was merely staying still and happily feeding on the bottom of the stream. Masako explained to me that carp are very common in streams in Japan.

This is the literal meaning of the poem.

The second meaning of the poem relates to the city of Hiroshima. Hiroshima’s baseball team is the Carp, so the carp in the poem is a metaphor for the people of Hiroshima.

The people of Hiroshima suffered and continue to suffer great loss after 6 August 1945. The people of Hiroshima continue to strive for world peace and a world free of nuclear weapons.

Thank you for listening to my poem.

Under The Wire: Cops and Robbers

After reading lots of raving reviews about the HBO series, 'The Wire', I finally got myself a copy of the first season. I'm not even at the end yet, (trying, without too much discipline, to pace myself!) but I can say it's one of the best tv shows I've seen.

Apparently Barack Obama's favourite show (maybe another reason I decided to get on board?), The Wire is set in the mean streets of Baltimore, featuring a predominantly mixed-race cast.

The viewer can see both sides of the story, so to speak, from the perspectives of the cops and the drug runners. But it's not nearly as clear cut as Law and Order or other cop shows of the genre. For one thing, it's really difficult to judge (and at times, to warm to) any of the characters - no one's good; no one's bad. Not necessarily a revelation, you might say, but in this case, it actually adds to the charm of the characterisation.

For another, the issue of race is broached with considerable nuance and insight. And the dialogue is so well-written - for once I feel like I'm a fly on the wall, and in a move that reminds me of the West Wing, have to remind myself that these people are actors.

I'm also really interested that this is, in fact, another cops and robbers show. I'm not normally drawn to these (although I did enjoy Underbelly recently) and wonder how the genre may keep iterating as audiences get savvier and better clued in to guess the narrative tricks.

Any new* shows that have caught your eye?

*When I say 'new', there are actually five seasons of The Wire out - great news for first-time watchers!

if(x=hacked,??,false)

I think this question has to get asked by all policy makers and choice architects when implementing just about anything.

Further Info:
"Scientists breed cows that give skimmed milk" by Jonathan Leake, Sunday Times, 27 May 2007
"The rice with human genes" by Sean Poulter, Mailonline, 6 March 2007
"The Memory Hacker" by Stephen Handelman, Popsci.com.au, 3 April 2007
"How to use math to choose a wife" by Chris Matyszczyk, cnet news, 13 August 2009
"Be More Than You Can Be" by Noah Schachtman, WIRED Magazine, Issue 15.03 March 2007

Who said...

"Man looks in the abyss, there's nothing staring back at him. At that moment, man finds his character. And that is what keeps him out of the abyss."

"Mooltipass!"

"You know I hate that mongoloid voice!"

"After you get where you're going, take off your shoes and your socks then walk around on the rug bare foot and make fists with your toes."

"Hey! It's me."
"Prove it."
"You're a dick."
"Okay."

"Two weeks."

"Well I might"

"Tortoise? What's that?"

"No. Last season's losers."

"I'll be a lap dog of Satan."

"What do you mean, 'They cut the power'? How could they cut the power, man? They're animals!"

"Oh stewardess? I speak jive."

"The world you live in is just a sugar-coated topping!"

"Well I figured it out. Death is my gift."

"I'm just gonna talk."

"Whoa. Deja vu."

"If it bleeds. We can kill it."

Further Info:
IMDB quotes

"He had a bunch of keys"

[1978] 2 Lloyd's Rep. 172 at 173:

Lord DENNING, M.R.:

It was a factory at Gillingham in Kent. A firm called Photo Production Ltd. made Christmas cards there, and such like. There was a lot of paper and cardboard about which would burn easily. The factory was shut up for the night, locked and secure. No one was supposed to go in except a man on night patrol. He came from a security firm called Securicor. He had a bunch of keys. His duty was to go through the factory and see that all was safe and secure. No burglars and no fire.

On the night of Oct. 18/19, 1973, the patrolman was George Musgrove. He was a young man only 23 years old, unmarried. He came of a respectable family and had satisfactory references. He had been with Securicor for some three months. Securicor cannot be blamed for employing him on the job.

At the dead of night--10 minutes before midnight--Musgrove went to the factory. He unlocked the front door and went through the factory, switching on the lights as he went. Then he lit a match and threw it onto a cardboard box. It burst into flames. He says that he only meant it to be a very small fire and intended to put it out within a minute or two. But it got beyond his control. He was terrified and dialled 999 for the fire brigade. He tried to stop it spreading. He lost his glasses and false teeth. His right hand and arm were burnt. He staggered out of the factory through the smoke and flames. By that time the firemen and police were there. They had answered the call with great promptitude. They were at the factory at three minutes past midnight. But they could not save it. There was already a wall of flame across the building. Flames were coming through the roof. The place was gutted. The damage to the building and stock was put at £400,000. The loss of business at £250,000. Musgrove was afterwards charged with arson. He pleaded guilty to malicious damage and was sentenced to three years' imprisonment.

The occupiers of the factory claim damages *174* from Securicor for this loss. The Judge has held that Securicor are exempted from liability by an exception clause in the contract. The factory occupiers appeal to this Court.

Further Info:
Photo Production Ltd v Securicor Transport Ltd [1980] AC 827
More Lord Denning quotes at LegalHumour.com
"The Law Explored: Lord Denning" by Gary Slapper, TimesOnline, 29 August 2007

Paris in the the Spring

I find this really funny. I don't know why...

http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jun/05/opinion/oe-kenney5

A Red Spot Ate My Baby

Fascinating.

Fractally like a lava lamp.

It's My Party

I know this is an example of sh*t she would not have to put up with if she was a man and I hesitate to buy in to the media pile on. However in the wake of New Hampshire it's still worth asking the question: was this a brilliant piece of campaigning?

I tend to think it was. Maybe that's just sour grapes. I'm for Obama.

TTH Would

Grant Asylum to Victims of Global Warming, Force Mothers Under the Age of 16 to Give Up Their Children for Adoption, Impose a General Restraining Order on Paparazzi, Apply Diplomatic Sanctions to Russia, Ban Homosexual Re-Education Camps, Impose Compensatory Duties on Non-Signatories to the Kyoto Protocols...

...and my favourite...

Support Bounty Hunters

Transforming Action Films

One thing I have been thinking a lot with more recent action films is that many have lost the 'battle narrative' - that story within the story that makes a big end battle interesting. An example of an excellent battle narrative can be seen in Braveheart - here we know what the heroes are up against (superior numbers, horsemen) and we have an idea of what they have going for them (bravery and wits). Finally, we have a hint of the chink in the enemy's armour (the arrogance of the commander). The enjoyment in watching the battle comes from watching the characters deploy a plan that takes advantage of their assets and exploits the weakness of the English. Wits --> Infuriating the English so they charge, using long pikes to impale the cavalry. Bravery --> Standing at the front of the line to face down the charging horses.

'Transformers' shows how recent films are bumbling around and messing up their battle narratives. It was unclear just what the characters had going for them other than that one was a 'soldier' and one wanted to make a 'sacrifice' at some point. It was unclear just what weaknesses the Decepticons (bad guys) had, except that they were vulnerable to certain "Sabre Rounds". Instead of using their assets to create coherent plans that exploited this weakness, the characters ran around almost as if they were in a cartoon, cooking up increasingly ridiculous things to do - like sliding a motorbike under a Decepticon and shooting away with a shotgun (after we've already heard that normal rounds don't work.)

This is not about plausible and implausible. Starwars had an interplanetary farmboy flying at a 'deathstar' but we knew what he had going for him (mad pilot skilz, rudimentary jedi training) and we knew the weakness (a small thermal exhaust port only 2m wide). Our enjoyment was not only about the visual effects, it also came from watching a plan unfold that referenced what we knew about the characters already.

Bye the Book

I liked RK's post on the Facebook phenomenon, especially the idea that as these networks get more advanced they have a greater chance of 'condens[ing] meaning from the vapour of nuance.' Unfortunately, other things are getting condensed in the meantime, from the extreme of stranger danger to the annoyance of unwanted friendship requests. I've been looking for technical ways to mitigate the harm and thought I'd share the wealth.

For the stranger danger, check out the 'Privacy' page - set up who can see your profile, photos, video etc. It is crazy that this is not a step by step process when you create a profile, but the controls are pretty good.

The unwanted friends are a more difficult problem. Facebook seems to require that you draw a line through the swirling grey motes of social interaction and definitively state who is a friend and who is not. One option is to say no to people who are borderline to preserve the integrity of your list but that can have repercussions in the real world. Another way is to be generally permissive, but screen out the social detritus so they don't pop up in your news feed.

To find this hidden feature, click 'help' in the lower right corner, then 'How does the news feed choose stories' then 'News Feed Preferences'. Then enter the names of people you don't care about in the lower right box.

This is not the slap in the face of rejection or limited profile status, but does remove them from your radar. They will still be able to post on walls, see photos etc, so it's only recommended for people you don't care about, not toxic weirdos.