Who said...

"One ping only."


"It's spelled LUXURY YACHT but its pronounced Throat-Warbler Mangrove"


"That was irrational of you. Not to mention unsportsmanlike."


"In China, you'd be dead already."


"What did you do?"
"Knocked out two of his teeth."
"Would you like some champagne?"


"See, you are what you are in this world, that’s either one of two things: Either you're somebody ... or you’re nobody. I'll be right back."


"Tell me, is there any scientific or forensic insight likely to be gained by spying on this woman in the shower?"
"Shanti, we're trying to make sure the woman's clean."


"Good job."


"If they're big and you're little, then you're mobile and they're slow. You're hidden and they're exposed. You fight only the battles you know you can win."


"No, no, no, NO!! Dad! Oh, you've got to be kidding me!"
"Yeah, I am. You're not getting a Porsche!"


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


"Excuse me, Jack, tell me one thing in life that is absolutely for certain."


"First I'm gonna use you as a human shield, then I'm gonna kill this guard over there, with the Patterson trocar on the table. Then I was thinking about breaking your neck."


"What should I tell your men when they realize you're gone?"
"I'll be back."


"My Pussy Wagon died on me."


"Janie, today I quit my job. And then I told my boss to go fVck himself, and then I blackmailed him for almost sixty thousand dollars. Pass the asparagus."


"No, I'm not talking about that. I beat the sh!t out of some kids today. But it was for a purpose. It made me feel good about myself. It was like I did something constructive with my life or something, I dunno, like I accomplished something."


"Sorry. I, uh … I ate a lot of sugar today."


"Tell me Miss Trench, do you play any other games?"


"'Fat' seems to be a word people most connected with him. 'Terribly rude' also rang a lot of bells."


"I think my mouth is too big."
"It’s just the right size... for me, that is."

An important piece

2nd Baby Arrived (father doing well)

AOpen MP45-BDR purchased through various suppliers and self-assembled to be used as the bedroom media centre.

• 165(W) x 50(H) x 165(D)mm
• T9600 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.80GHz CPU
• 4GB RAM
• 500GB/7200 HDD

Running Windows 7 (primarily for WAF)

Further Info:
Baby News
RKHTPC

An important transitional piece

Astonishing (see 5:00)

[Solved] Wi-Fi Extender

Some time ago I set up the laptop in the study, but wireless reception was intermittent and the signal strength was weak.
At first I looked at software issues - updating drivers helped get a more accurate bar read - but the problem was the signal strength.

Then I looked at technical solutions - new wireless routers, extra antennae, signal boosters.  I also looked at ethernet over powerline solutions.

Finally, after much exploration, I settled on a home-made solution: I cut an empty Pringles can in half and placed this around the router antenna.

Problem solved!

Further Info:
[Unsolved] Connect Mini HTPC to TV
http://www.usbwifi.orconhosting.net.nz/

Easter Egg Meme

Many years ago I placed this video inside a profitability reporting spreadsheet I set up. Whenever we made more than $100k in a day, this would pop up and play.

  

Only now, with the series of tubes, could I find it again, and also give due credit to the creators:

 

Flat Eric for President!

Let's Recap

Further Info:
http://www.ted.com/talks/arthur_benjamin_does_mathemagic.html

Who said...

"WORST ... RESCUE ... EVER!!!"

"So whether you agree with me or not, GET ME AUTHORIZED!"

"Pilot, identify yourself."
"It's me!"

"What's it thinking, Colonel?"
"It's afraid!"

"I was invincible in Chinatown!"

"I used to carry around those awful mace things. Now... I zap any bastard that screws with me. I tried it on my little dog. Poor thing limped for a week."

"I really will slug you so hard!"
"Oh it's the 'meek'! 'Blessed are the meek.' Oh that's nice, isn't it?"

"How was your lamb?"
"Skewered."

"Can we have it back?"

"Well, I have the only seat belt here. You know, safety first?"

"For if knowledge is power then a god ... AM ... I!
Was that over the top? I can never tell."

"1.21 GIGAWATTS?!!"

"I just got one question for you. How can you leave me in the middle of a gunfight... to get the car?"
"You have got to shut up and let him drive!"

"There's a difference between disliking him... and not caring when some dumb Irish flat foot drops him out a window."

"Yeah sure. He's probably blond with big dimples"
"How did you know that, sarge?"

"Hey, don't talk like that about pigs! They're usually much nicer than people."
...
"As a matter of fact, right now I have one in my kitchen that's very clean and smells very nice."
...
"Piggy? Piggy? Where are you? Ah! There you are!"

"You get the headaches? ... I get such bad headaches."

"Because of the tension."
"What tension?"

Hans Rosling shows the best stats you've ever seen

Further Info:
http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen.html

Good Memes Never Die (they just get more selected)

Further Info:
"Scientists discover immortal jellyfish" by Lech Mintowt-Czyz, Times Online, 27 January 2009
"Kazaa to return as subscription service" by Greg Sandoval, cnet news, 17 July 2009
"Ahoy! Pirate Party gets berth in European Parliament" by Mats lewan, cnet news, 8 June
2009

[UNSOLVED] Connect Mini HTPC to TV

Background
Display1: Wall-mounted Samsung LA32R71WDX (1080i via HDMI)
Display2: Panasonic PT-AX100 (720p via HDMI)
Source: Mini HTPC running XBMC on Ubuntu Jaunty (DVI)

Problem
In-wall cabling to Display1 = RF Coax WTF??

Solutions
RF Modulator

• A$40
• 576i
• Resolution sucks

Attach Mini HTPC onto back of TV

• $42+shipping
• 1080i
• Can’t use HTPC for Display2

Wireless AV Sender

• A$89+shipping
• 576i
• Can link other displays
• Resolution sucks

Get electrician to install HDMI cable

• A$59+labour
• 1080i
• Capital improvement

HDMI over Powerline (Acoustic Research HDP100)

• US$272+shipping
• 1080i
• Elegant but expensive
• Wrong voltage

Wireless Media Extender (Zyxel DMA100P)

• A$386+shipping
• 1080i Elegant (powerline)
• Proprietary interface (c.f. HTPC)
• Good but limited codec support

HDMI over IP (Just Add Power IP HDMI) +
Ethernet over Powerline (TP-Link TL-PA201)

• US$450+shipping
• A$166+shipping
• 1080i
• Not elegant, but provides wider options
• Wrong voltage
• Possibly won’t work
• Expensive
• Low WAF

Wireless HDMI Extender (Atlona AT-WHD200)

• US$600+shipping
• 1080i
• Elegant but expensive
• Wrong voltage

Wireless DLNA TV (Samsung LA32B650)

• A$1,494
• 1080p?
• Display1 can become Display3
• Fiddly, unproven with Ubuntu

Wireless HD TV (Sony KDL40EX1)

• A$4,295
• 1080p
• Very elegant and expensive
• Display1 can become Display3
• Matches the room (white)

int puppet(x);

Further Info
Angel 5x14
Lakers' Blog

No One Thinks Disco of You

That was then:



This is now:




(Disclaimer: Made by - and featuring - some good friends).

Baby News

AOpen DE945CD purchased 2nd hand on ebay to be used as the media centre in Lorne.

• 166(W) x 48(H) x 157(D)mm
• T5600 Intel Core 2 Duo 1.86GHz CPU
• 2GB RAM
• 120GB/5400 HDD

Running Ubuntu 9.04 and boxee.

Further Info:
RKHTPC

XBMC Skin Mock-Up: Pred

Credits:
XBMC
Desktop Mock-up (first try)
IMDb: Predator (1987)

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.

5x16 The Body

Ezzy and I are working through Buffy courtesy of Lynne.

The first season is scary and cool. By the second we're involved in the characters ("Grr, I need a hug") and the third season gets all dark with Faith and the Mayor.

Season Four really gets into the pop culture laughs and brings together literary device, horror and fun in the award-winning Hush. Some great quotes from that episode.

I'm in Season Five (although Ezzy has pushed on ahead) and the one that brings it home for me is Anya's blunt innocence:

"But I don't understand! I don't understand how this all happens. How we go through this. I mean, I knew her, and then she's, there's just a body, and I don't understand why she just can't get back in it and not be dead anymore! It's stupid! It's mortal and stupid! And, and Xander's crying and not talking, and, and I was having fruit punch, and I thought, well Joyce will never have any more fruit punch, ever, and she'll never have eggs, or yawn or brush her hair, not ever, and no one will explain to me why."

Torture

On Sunday, James and I went to see an event entitled ‘On Torture’ as part of the Sydney Writers’ Festival. The panel was comprised of two speakers, American Michael Otterman, the author of the book ‘American Torture,’ and Raimond Gaita (acclaimed philosopher and author of the memoir “Romulus My Father” which has just been released on film.)

The first speaker was Michael Otterman – a journalist.

He argues that we should not legalise torture for three main reasons:
a. The ‘ticking time bomb’ scenario is a hypothetical – there has never been a historical situation (or so he believes) where this has been the case, so to legalise torture on that basis seems ludicrous.
b. Torture is actually the worst way to get information from suspects. The FBI (as opposed to the CIA) have used non-violent methods in investigating various different domestic terror suspects in cases like the 1993 WTC bombing and the 2000 U.S.S. Cole bombing. He believes their intelligence to be of greater value when they use tactics like ‘we’ll get your sick son medical treatment’ etc. instead of physical torture.
c. Once torture is legalised, it quickly spreads. He cites the example of Israel in the 1980s where the Shin Bet were authorised to utilise a ‘moderate use’ of coercive methods, and it was found that over 85% of Palestinians were subjected to torture in detention.

All of this is perhaps unsurprising and nothing new. These are very similar “we should not legalise torture” arguments from debates we’ve been doing for years. However, Raimond Gaita - an ethics professor at Kings College – presented some really sophisticated arguments which I think are much more interesting than the usual run-of-the-mill ones.

In light of this, I thought I’d pose some questions with some of Gaita’s answers mingled with my own thoughts.

1. Would you torture one person to save a thousand?

People who condone the use of torture – even in extreme times – cannot choose to answer for the thousands they seek to represent, as the thousands of others are not an indivisible mass. That is, you cannot presume to answer on behalf of the other thousand people, for who are you to do so?

Gaita argues that each one of us should be prepared to die so that the practice of torture should not be inflicted upon anyone. “Do not assume to torture on my behalf – I may be prepared to die in the fight of not negotiating with terror.”

He also argues that people who accept torture must also accept all of the implications. For example, they must accept that there is a brute underclass created to perform such acts etc

I think this is a fascinating twist on the ticking time bomb hypothetical. For a long time, I think my answer would have been, yes, torture one (or even kill one, in more morbid hypothetical) so that a thousand could live. But I think he point isa really valid one. It also reminds me of the Ali G sketch, where, interviewing an animal rights activist, he asks, “Would you kill one chicken so that two others could live?” and “Are you ok with animal testing when the product is for animals?” Two philosophical nail biters if ever there were.

2. Is everything negotiable when one’s life is at stake?

Some people argue that torture is a ‘necessary evil’ because of the common good and/or the national interest.

Gaita’s response is that terrorists only threaten our lives: it is us who control how we will change our own morality/democracy/ethics in how we respond to terrorists.

Further, he cautions against the use of ‘necessary evil’ as a frame itself. How can anything, he asks, framed as ‘obligatory’ be seen as evil? If this is the case, we blur our boundaries of good and evil when we accept the necessary nature of anything

3. But aren’t things fundamentally different since 9/11? Aren’t we in a new era of warfare?

Some people argue that after the event of 9/11, everything has changed and therefore we now need to turn to torture.

Gaita argues that this would be true if the last century was particularly innocent, but that this same “blood-soaked” century, the time of Paschendaele, Gallipoli, Auschwitz, Rwanda etc, was also the century of the U.N. and hundreds of conventions governing how we should be humane to each other. So to think that 9/11 has changed the world, he believes, is succumbing to the tyranny of the present and a politicking tool to justify a whole lot of breaches of H.R.

I find Gaita’s argument really compelling, but wonder about the new type of warfare which 9/11 has prompted, that of the move from wars fought within or between nation states and the shift to non-state actors like terrorists on the world stage. Perhaps, where there is no longer a red phone to the Kremlin in the Oval Office, it is unsurprising that tactics must change. I don’t say this as an apology for torture – I am against the use of it entirely – but I wonder whether the event hasn’t prompted some changes to modern warfare, the effects of which we can’t understand yet. Or perhaps I too am succumbing to the politics of the “things are bad, so let us do what we want” White House.

4. What do you think of the role of doctors and psychologists in the practices of torture on American soldiers in SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) Schools?

Otterman talks of these schools where American soldiers are tortured under the watch of psychologists and doctors in order to become ‘stress inoculated’ in case they are captured by the enemy. Someone in the audience raised the question that could these people could be aligned with the Nazi doctors who also took the Hippcratic Oath. Isn’t the purpose of a doctor to protect the patient at all costs? (Hypocritic, perhaps?)

Interestingly also, the American Association of Psychologists is one of the major medical organizations who has not spoken out about this practise, because some of the senior psychologist on the board were in Iraq supervising torture methods…

5. Are there some things that should be essentially undiscussable?

Just as you can note the character of a person by what they will not discuss, you can note the character of a nation by what is ‘undiscussable’. Gaita doesn’t believe there is even a place to ‘speak’ about torture within the community, because there are some things that can’t morally be argued. For example, you would never see a debating topic like “That Genocide is an effective way of XYZ” but you are very likely to see the topic “that torture is a legitimate means of intelligence gathering.”

This is the question that most stumps me, as my inner liberal leftie wants to talk about everything and debate everything because I think that part of beating your enemy is to know them through knowing their ‘side’ if you like. I have debated that torture topic a few times, and been on both sides of it. I suppose I had no moral objection at the time because I think of debating as an intellectual exercise in framing, contextualisation and argument. But I also think that if something like torture is in the public discourse, it should be talked about a lot. But again, perhaps there is no argument to be had: perhaps a line deserves to be drawn against the most reprehensible things, like the detention of immigrants in Australia because there is no argument.

I’d be really interested to hear what the others think on this topic.

A Charter of Human Rights for Australia?

Tonight, Kato and I are going to drop in on a panel discussion about the possibility of a Charter of Human Rights at the federal level. I wanted to set out some thoughts here before hand and see how/if they change...

Why?
To me the answer is because the majority are generally happy to trade the human dignity of the minority for promises of security - especially when things start blowing up. A CHR should encourage people/government to think in terms of proportionality - what are we giving up and what are we gaining?

What Rights?
The UK and NZ have stuck to civil and political rights. Economic, social and cultural rights are more problematic because they can place courts in the position of deciding how the executive should spend money. Seems like the South African Constitutional Court has been doing a great job of negotiating this tricky territory - with a much stronger Bill than Australia would ever pass, so I say bring on the ESC rights.

Sovereignty
Parliament should retain the last say. A CHR should not be constitutionally entrenched (like in the US and Canada). The ability of the courts to strike down legislation makes people crazy. Jurisprudence surrounding the 14th Amendment in the US is an example of how it can go bad.

Mechanics
The focus on the CHR should be on law making. It should demand that the Minister responsible or the AG sign off on the compatibility of proposed laws (or say why the law is necessary despite incompatibility). It should also to enforce the mechanics of analysis --> Human Rights Impact Statements?

Why Not?
Because judges will take over.
Overwhelming numbers of spurious law suits.
Because current laws are good enough.
Because it will be too token.

I'd appreciate any comments from the smart and government-savvy disco. That way I can steal them and make snooty comments over canapes.

Tuscany, Barcelona and London

What a fantastic two weeks away (but for lack of ezzy)!

Europe has such a rich and diverse history. It's not China but they do value their 300-500 year old stuff.

Holidaying with friends at a villa is mucho fun. There's no worrying about designated drivers (except for the bits where we drove to and from Siena).

Then there's the buzz of evenings along La Rambla, and the giddy heights of the big gaudy churchy thing.

And finally London. The biggest intermediater of money, language, cuisine, and cultures in the world. Pity about the weather.

Further Info:
http://www.kileyandsam.com/

Normative Answers

Apparently one of the things to do with freshman philosophy students is to get them to think about the Trolley problem.

There is a truly marvellous proof of the answer to this problem, but there is insufficient storage capacity on Blogger for it.

Further Info:
"The Expert Mind" by Philip E Ross, Scientific American, 24 July 2006
"Folk Science" by Michael Shermer, Scientific American, 24 July 2006
"An Evolutionary Theory of Right and Wrong" by Nicholas Wade, The New York Times, 31 October 2006 (registration required)
"Gen Ys in short supply to fill gap left by boomers" by Bernalt Salt, The Australian, 8 March 2007
"A new crop of kids: Generation We" by Stefanie Olsen, CNET News.com, 22 January 2007