So I went to the hospital on Friday to find out more about the stuff coming out of my leg. This started with another set of x-rays (this is the standard procedure. x-rays pretty much on the appointment time, and then waiting another 30 mins to an hour to actually see a doctor). I got moved to the more private waiting room around 10:00 and met the doctor a little after that. I explained the situation to the doctor and he checked a few things and got a copy of some of the test results I'd had done earlier (I was kind of surprised how easy it is to just get someone's test results - their name, date of birth, and a plausible sounding story). He was a bit concerned and suggested that they may want to take out the screw that's underneath the spot in question just to be safe.
However, before committing to this course of action, he decided to confirm it with the head of the department, which entailed a bit of waiting as he was finishing up dealing with someone who had been in an accident. While waiting I got into conversation with another guy waiting there and we compared scars and war stories.
The head doctor finally arrived, and presumably after a bit of discussion with first doctor, he came in, had a quick look, and decided they should take all the metal out. I imagine some of this is being extra cautious, some is deciding that if they're going to put me under the knife it's better to do it all at once rather than do a bit now and another bit later on, and some is other doctor stuff I don't know about.
So I've been booked in for surgery next Thursday. The 14th of April. Which is my birthday. My 30th birthday. Yay me. Bestest birthday ever. Well, I have asked if I can keep the metal as a souvenier/trophy/grim reminder which you could count as a present (if one takes a sufficently naive/optimistic view of things) (Idea, rig up the bits of metal so that they are in the position they were in my leg. I shall have to discuss this with one of my arist friends (yes, I have artist friends (not many))).
This has knocked me about a bit. It will knock me about more as well. I'm going to be back on crutches for a while as the bone is going to be a fair bit weaker for a while. This is because there is going to be a dozen or so holes in the bone where the screws are now, and the screws seem to go every which way through the leg.
This is going to mess with a few plans. I'm hoping I can still go to Bordercon in June (a gaming convention), but I've given up the idea of spending a few days after that in Melbourne. I'm in the process of deferring my current unit in my finance course, as the final exam is a mere 5 days after the surgery, and even if I am able to make it in to the exam, I'll be too doped up to do a decent job (and given my assignment I'll need to do a decent job (well, actually just pass, but I'm used to having a bit of a margin to play with)). I'm also a bit annoyed at the timing as there are a few good movies coming out over the next few weeks (Paul with Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Seth Rogen comes out on Thursday, and Thor comes out the week after).
Work's been pretty good again, but I just hope that I don't have to miss as much time as last time. That doesn't seem likely as the doctors said I should be discharged the day after surgery, but given the delays before and after the first surgery, I'm taking that as an estimate at this stage.
I'm also kind of curious what they will do about the holes in the leg. Will they fill it with something that will go away as the bone regrows, or will they leave it with the gaps and let blood or whatever's on the inside of the leg seep in and the bone marrow seep out? Or maybe I'm better off not knowing.
Anyway, I can't think of much more to say (I've got a long list of stuff to do (stocking up on snacks, laundry, cleaning up my room, a ton of paperwork for various people, and others I haven't though of yet), so here's to quiet days at work which means I can get away with blogging while I should be/am working (huzzah) (maybe I should ask to finish early (but the money is good and will be short for the near future, so maybe not)).
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
In which we get a little bit biological
Warning: For those who don't like dealing with certain realities of the human body, you may want to skip this one.
So, regular readers (if I have any left after the general lack of posting over the last year or two) should know I broke a leg last year. And while it's generally improving, it's still not 100%. One minor issue that persisted but didn't seem a major issue was a little bit of scar tissue on the front of the leg that stayed red and inflamed while the other scars settled down quickly.
About a month ago, this inflamed scar got a bit more inflamed, and a few days later (last warning squeamish types) stuff started oozing out of it. Now I'm no doctor, but this is not a good sign. So, I went to a doctor, and he said it was probably an infection, took a swab of the ooze, gave me some antibiotics and sent me on my way.
At first the antibiotics seemed to be having an effect, and the amount of stuff coming out reduced, but it didn't stop entirely. So as the antibiotics were about to run out, I went back to the doctor. Here it gets interesting. Apparently the swap of the ooze he took showed no sign of any infection. So, to try and find out what was causing this he ordered some more tests.
So off I went and got an x-ray and some blood tests. These also came back negative, so the mystery deepened. Also, occasionally some blood had started coming out with the other stuff. Next on the test cycle was an ultrasound of the leg, to try and find where the fluid is coming from. The ultrasound guy says he thinks it's an infection, and recommended an MRI (not sure if I can get a MRI with the metal in my leg). Also, the GPs decided to pass the buck a bit and have referred me back to the hospital, where I have an appointment on Friday. Also, for good measure, I got a tetanus shot, just to be safe (probably just as well as I haven't had one in over a decade (almost two in fact)).
So, on Friday I'm off to the hospital, and hopefully they'll be able to work out what's going on there.
So, regular readers (if I have any left after the general lack of posting over the last year or two) should know I broke a leg last year. And while it's generally improving, it's still not 100%. One minor issue that persisted but didn't seem a major issue was a little bit of scar tissue on the front of the leg that stayed red and inflamed while the other scars settled down quickly.
About a month ago, this inflamed scar got a bit more inflamed, and a few days later (last warning squeamish types) stuff started oozing out of it. Now I'm no doctor, but this is not a good sign. So, I went to a doctor, and he said it was probably an infection, took a swab of the ooze, gave me some antibiotics and sent me on my way.
At first the antibiotics seemed to be having an effect, and the amount of stuff coming out reduced, but it didn't stop entirely. So as the antibiotics were about to run out, I went back to the doctor. Here it gets interesting. Apparently the swap of the ooze he took showed no sign of any infection. So, to try and find out what was causing this he ordered some more tests.
So off I went and got an x-ray and some blood tests. These also came back negative, so the mystery deepened. Also, occasionally some blood had started coming out with the other stuff. Next on the test cycle was an ultrasound of the leg, to try and find where the fluid is coming from. The ultrasound guy says he thinks it's an infection, and recommended an MRI (not sure if I can get a MRI with the metal in my leg). Also, the GPs decided to pass the buck a bit and have referred me back to the hospital, where I have an appointment on Friday. Also, for good measure, I got a tetanus shot, just to be safe (probably just as well as I haven't had one in over a decade (almost two in fact)).
So, on Friday I'm off to the hospital, and hopefully they'll be able to work out what's going on there.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
How How I Met Your Mother Should End
I didn't get on the How I Met Your Mother bandwagon when it first started, despite the presence of Alyson Hannigan and Neil Patrick Stewart in the cast. It was only while I was in hospital that my sister loaned me season 1 and 2 (although disc 1 of season 2 was missing) that I started watching. After I got out of hospital I quickly got caught up on the rest of what was available.
A while ago a thought came to me which would be a really good way to end the show. So for posterity, here it is.
It starts out narrated by a woman, and will be in two parts. The first part would be a swift and succinct summary of known events in the series, such as the yellow umbrella and being in the economics class Ted accidentally taught on his first day as a professor, the dates with the roommate, etc. This would all lead up to the day. The second part would be the story of a regular day, leading up to the meeting of Ted and the woman, the say "Hi", and then the narrator states "And that's how I met your father." Cut to the two kids, relieved to have finally found out what their father has taken 6 season and running to recount. I'm not sure how they should meet, it could be a blind date, or a chance meeting at the bar downstairs, or maybe at a function for the opening of the building Ted designed. The exact details can be left to the writers, but the key is the contrast between Ted's very long story and Mrs Ted's direct and to the point retelling.
The only weakness in this is the fact that it sidelines the main cast for what should be their grand finale, although this could be remedied by having coincidental interactions between Mrs Ted and the cast, e.g., she could be in an exercise class with Robin, she takes her nephew to Laser tag and bumps into Barney, etc.
And now, for orange flavoured dark chocolate.
End Post
Writing time: 20 minutes
Time since last post: can't be bothered checking
Current media: Community 1x01 (for about the nth time)
A while ago a thought came to me which would be a really good way to end the show. So for posterity, here it is.
It starts out narrated by a woman, and will be in two parts. The first part would be a swift and succinct summary of known events in the series, such as the yellow umbrella and being in the economics class Ted accidentally taught on his first day as a professor, the dates with the roommate, etc. This would all lead up to the day. The second part would be the story of a regular day, leading up to the meeting of Ted and the woman, the say "Hi", and then the narrator states "And that's how I met your father." Cut to the two kids, relieved to have finally found out what their father has taken 6 season and running to recount. I'm not sure how they should meet, it could be a blind date, or a chance meeting at the bar downstairs, or maybe at a function for the opening of the building Ted designed. The exact details can be left to the writers, but the key is the contrast between Ted's very long story and Mrs Ted's direct and to the point retelling.
The only weakness in this is the fact that it sidelines the main cast for what should be their grand finale, although this could be remedied by having coincidental interactions between Mrs Ted and the cast, e.g., she could be in an exercise class with Robin, she takes her nephew to Laser tag and bumps into Barney, etc.
And now, for orange flavoured dark chocolate.
End Post
Writing time: 20 minutes
Time since last post: can't be bothered checking
Current media: Community 1x01 (for about the nth time)
Monday, February 14, 2011
Almost Live from EsonLinji's Place
First a technical note this blog post has been recorded on my iPad with some dictation software rather me typing it out. Hooray for technology, even if it doesn't recognise all the words I'm saying.
I'm still getting used to the system and I still have to remember that I have to pronounce my punctuation rather than expecting it get it from where I pause while speaking.
It does work a bit better though, when I speak slowly and clearly. Surprising, really.
So, what shall be the topic of this recorded blog. To test it out, I thought I would just give a few reviews of our some bits and pieces I've seen or read recently.
First, the Green Hornet Seth Rogen's latest movie. A moderate action flick, but nothing really to write home about, or dictate about. The basic premise is somewhat similar to Batman. He's a rich playboy, his father gets killed by gangsters, he fights crime. However, the Green Hornet is a douche bag. That's the best way to put it. He's very is inconsiderate, he's egotistical, he can't fight, and everything he manages to achieve, is through to his sidekick, Kato. Kato, however is the man. A mechanical genius, he makes great coffee, he gets that girl, and is the real hero of the story. The villian of the piece is rather lame, and is definitely no Joker. In fact, he's kind of a wannabe. Finally, the green one that is a 3-D film. A live action 3-D film. As I said before, live action should be 2-D. If you Wanna do 3-D, do computer animation.
Next, is a comic book. Promethea, by Alan Moore, of Watchmen and V for Vendetta fame. Like all of Alan Moore's work, Promethea has a lot of depth to it. Rather than being a somewhat philosophical action sort of story, Promethea is a slightly actiony philosophical story. It is an exploration of mysticism, and the Kabbalah in particular, and a look at the meaning of life rather than a story of heroes and villains, although there are monsters and battles for those who are so inclined. While it is technically impressive, I didn't enjoy it as much as Moore's other stories. But then, I guess that's more my lack of preference for the artsy fartsy what is the meaning of life kind of fair.
Anyway, this is taking a bit longer than expected, and a few more takes than I thought it would as well, so I'm gonna wrap up here and now try and work out how to get actually onto the blog.
I'm still getting used to the system and I still have to remember that I have to pronounce my punctuation rather than expecting it get it from where I pause while speaking.
It does work a bit better though, when I speak slowly and clearly. Surprising, really.
So, what shall be the topic of this recorded blog. To test it out, I thought I would just give a few reviews of our some bits and pieces I've seen or read recently.
First, the Green Hornet Seth Rogen's latest movie. A moderate action flick, but nothing really to write home about, or dictate about. The basic premise is somewhat similar to Batman. He's a rich playboy, his father gets killed by gangsters, he fights crime. However, the Green Hornet is a douche bag. That's the best way to put it. He's very is inconsiderate, he's egotistical, he can't fight, and everything he manages to achieve, is through to his sidekick, Kato. Kato, however is the man. A mechanical genius, he makes great coffee, he gets that girl, and is the real hero of the story. The villian of the piece is rather lame, and is definitely no Joker. In fact, he's kind of a wannabe. Finally, the green one that is a 3-D film. A live action 3-D film. As I said before, live action should be 2-D. If you Wanna do 3-D, do computer animation.
Next, is a comic book. Promethea, by Alan Moore, of Watchmen and V for Vendetta fame. Like all of Alan Moore's work, Promethea has a lot of depth to it. Rather than being a somewhat philosophical action sort of story, Promethea is a slightly actiony philosophical story. It is an exploration of mysticism, and the Kabbalah in particular, and a look at the meaning of life rather than a story of heroes and villains, although there are monsters and battles for those who are so inclined. While it is technically impressive, I didn't enjoy it as much as Moore's other stories. But then, I guess that's more my lack of preference for the artsy fartsy what is the meaning of life kind of fair.
Anyway, this is taking a bit longer than expected, and a few more takes than I thought it would as well, so I'm gonna wrap up here and now try and work out how to get actually onto the blog.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
2011: A Prelude
This was intended to be a more direct followup of 2010: A Retrospective, but well, I'm slack about things and now it's February. Yay procrastination! Anyway the following are my general aspirations for 2011. I've chosen the term aspiration as it let's me be more vague and seem less binding than resolutions.
So here goes.
A Better Job
Call centres are not forever. Or if they are, kill me now (I just mistyped kill as call there. That seems telling). So I want to move on. Into something that could be considered a career. Something with a salary, better pay and prospects for moving if not up, at least onward. This will also help with the next aspiration
Better wealth
Back when I was getting money from Centrelink I somehow managed to get by on under $500 a fortnight. Now I seem to go through more than that a week. Sure I pay more rent, but not that much. Also, since my accident on the bike my credit card has been carrying a balance. I've just got it back to a zero balance, but will nearly max it out again in a few days asI will have some significant expenses over the next few months. The point though is that I need to do better at saving money. Aspiration 1 a better job will help with that, although there will still be some budgetary expansion if I get more money. Better spending control will also be required. For the last month and a bit I've been tracking my expenditures, and food and rent are the two big ones. There were a few others but they were once off things like Christmas presents. The big goal is to start investing by the end of the year.
Better health
Major improvements in the amount of exercise I get will be somewhat restricted by my leg. Running is still not an option. I have been using the exercise bike a bit, but I need to do it more frequently and for more than 10-15 minutes at a time. I also need to be a bit more diligent in doing the exercises my physio has given me. Better diet is also required. My takeaway eating is mostly subway and kebab shops which I feel are healthier than KFC or McDonalds, although I do succumb to temptation now and then. Less snacks will be important, and will also helps save money (as per aspiration 2)
Better socialization
My social life is going all right (by previous standards very well), with a few regular activities that get me out of the house. I've cut back on things since the accident, but am slowly getting back into the swing of things. That said, a lot of the groups I'm part tend to skew in one direction when it comes to the demographics. I would like to find some activity or group that I could get involved with that had a more representative mix. Unfortunately, most of the things I can see myself enjoying tend to attract the same sort of demographic as the groups I'm part of now. Suggestions are welcome.
Better productivity
I waste a lot of time. One of my common thoughts when I notice the passage of time is that I never seem to have done enough to fill up that time. Yes, work and sleep take up a big chunk of time, but I still feel like I should have more to show for the rest of it. I also have a bunch of stuff I intend to do but don't get around to. I've a bunch of ideas for projects that never get started, a bunch of things I'd like to read, watch or listen to.
So those are the things I'd like to aspire to this year. One twelfth of the way in and I can't say I've made all that much progress yet.
So here goes.
A Better Job
Call centres are not forever. Or if they are, kill me now (I just mistyped kill as call there. That seems telling). So I want to move on. Into something that could be considered a career. Something with a salary, better pay and prospects for moving if not up, at least onward. This will also help with the next aspiration
Better wealth
Back when I was getting money from Centrelink I somehow managed to get by on under $500 a fortnight. Now I seem to go through more than that a week. Sure I pay more rent, but not that much. Also, since my accident on the bike my credit card has been carrying a balance. I've just got it back to a zero balance, but will nearly max it out again in a few days asI will have some significant expenses over the next few months. The point though is that I need to do better at saving money. Aspiration 1 a better job will help with that, although there will still be some budgetary expansion if I get more money. Better spending control will also be required. For the last month and a bit I've been tracking my expenditures, and food and rent are the two big ones. There were a few others but they were once off things like Christmas presents. The big goal is to start investing by the end of the year.
Better health
Major improvements in the amount of exercise I get will be somewhat restricted by my leg. Running is still not an option. I have been using the exercise bike a bit, but I need to do it more frequently and for more than 10-15 minutes at a time. I also need to be a bit more diligent in doing the exercises my physio has given me. Better diet is also required. My takeaway eating is mostly subway and kebab shops which I feel are healthier than KFC or McDonalds, although I do succumb to temptation now and then. Less snacks will be important, and will also helps save money (as per aspiration 2)
Better socialization
My social life is going all right (by previous standards very well), with a few regular activities that get me out of the house. I've cut back on things since the accident, but am slowly getting back into the swing of things. That said, a lot of the groups I'm part tend to skew in one direction when it comes to the demographics. I would like to find some activity or group that I could get involved with that had a more representative mix. Unfortunately, most of the things I can see myself enjoying tend to attract the same sort of demographic as the groups I'm part of now. Suggestions are welcome.
Better productivity
I waste a lot of time. One of my common thoughts when I notice the passage of time is that I never seem to have done enough to fill up that time. Yes, work and sleep take up a big chunk of time, but I still feel like I should have more to show for the rest of it. I also have a bunch of stuff I intend to do but don't get around to. I've a bunch of ideas for projects that never get started, a bunch of things I'd like to read, watch or listen to.
So those are the things I'd like to aspire to this year. One twelfth of the way in and I can't say I've made all that much progress yet.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
2010: A Retrospective
So, it's now 2011. I guess that means it's time to look back on 2010 and see what I think about it.
So what happened in 2010?
I got a job. At a call centre. An inbound call centre so at least I still have a soul. The jobs not all that challenging, and so is likewise not all that greatly compensated for, but on the whole it's paid the bills. I did apply for a seconded role, but didn't get it, but it is the first time I've gone for something that could be considered a promotion, so that is something. Also recently my supervisor has asked me if I'd consider joining the escalations team, which deal with some more involved stuff and is kind of a promotion in a different direction. I've said I'm interested and things may start moving forward in the new year.
I got my motorcycle license after having a learner's permit for more than 10 years, and have been riding my bike for most of the year. Generally this has been pretty good. It's cut down the amount of time I spend commuting (although this brings a commensurate decrease in my reading time while on buses). It's allowed me to stay later at Critical Mass, which is good, and in general made getting places more convenient (so long as I don't have to bring much with me.
The one big downside to the whole motorbike thing came in late June, when I had an accident while changing lane and broke my leg. While not causing any significant damage to my bike or the car involved, I spent just over a month in hospital and then another month at home sitting around. During the first few days in hospital I was never more jealous of someone being able to get up and walk. Well I can do that again now, although running, jumping hopping (on the leg that was broken) are still a while away. I'm still going to physio (my next appointment is Tuesday), and at my last visit to the doctors a few weeks ago, the doctor took a quick look at the x-ray, said it looks good and that in 9-12 months they will look at cutting me open again to take out the metal, and to come back for a check up in 6 months.
Work was pretty OK with the whole breaking the leg thing. I got a little bit of sick leave during the time, and the rest was unpaid leave, which means I still have a bunch of leave accrued for future use. They were also pretty accommodating to me around the office while I was still on crutches, letting me take longer lunches so I had time to get somewhere to buy lunch and get back with time to eat. A big thank you also to all those who came and visited me while I was there. An even bigger thank you to all the nurses, doctors, physios, fellow patients (during my stay about 20 different people occupied the other three beds in my room) and others (especially the lady who handled the meals who was giving me Tim Tams and chocolate milk for the last week or so) who looked after me while I was there.
I went on three dates. A friend set me up with one of his coworkers and we met and had coffee. This was followed by a trip to the art gallery that extended to another coffee, a walk around South Bank, dinner and a few drinks, and the third time we had dinner and saw a movie (Toy Story 3, absolutely amazing, by the way), and after that she reached the conclusion that I was a nice guy and we could still be friends, and that was that. With a bit of hindsight I can see the signs from the third date that indicated this outcome, but at the time was a bit too optimistic/hopeful to realize it.
Financially I didn't meet the goals I was aiming for early in the year, but losing two months worth of income does tend to hit the wallet. Fortunately Medicare covered almost all of my hospital bills (I had to pay to watch tv, and got a bill for the medicine I was given when I was finally discharged), so now am an even bigger proponent of public health care. My uncle was also very understanding when it came to the rent, so much gratitude is owed there.
A big expense this year was my studies. I have started a Masters in Applied Finance, which I am hoping will assist me in getting into something that resembles a career. Long term I'm thinking something on The regulatory side of things, which I think means I'm going to have to study more law along the way (I've found it helps if you think of the law as the rules to a really complex game. Since I already play a lot of really complex games, this helps me to deal with all the cross references and such).
A bit after going back to work after the broken leg I decided to splurge and get myself an iPad. This has been a pretty good investment, and is getting a lot of use. It has reduced how much I use my laptop, which is now mainly relegated to being a media storage and playing device, and one that can be controlled from the iPad at that. The iPad also prompted me to finally get onto twitter(@esonlinji if you must know).
Those were the bigger elements of 2010 for me. Next up, plans for 2011.
So what happened in 2010?
I got a job. At a call centre. An inbound call centre so at least I still have a soul. The jobs not all that challenging, and so is likewise not all that greatly compensated for, but on the whole it's paid the bills. I did apply for a seconded role, but didn't get it, but it is the first time I've gone for something that could be considered a promotion, so that is something. Also recently my supervisor has asked me if I'd consider joining the escalations team, which deal with some more involved stuff and is kind of a promotion in a different direction. I've said I'm interested and things may start moving forward in the new year.
I got my motorcycle license after having a learner's permit for more than 10 years, and have been riding my bike for most of the year. Generally this has been pretty good. It's cut down the amount of time I spend commuting (although this brings a commensurate decrease in my reading time while on buses). It's allowed me to stay later at Critical Mass, which is good, and in general made getting places more convenient (so long as I don't have to bring much with me.
The one big downside to the whole motorbike thing came in late June, when I had an accident while changing lane and broke my leg. While not causing any significant damage to my bike or the car involved, I spent just over a month in hospital and then another month at home sitting around. During the first few days in hospital I was never more jealous of someone being able to get up and walk. Well I can do that again now, although running, jumping hopping (on the leg that was broken) are still a while away. I'm still going to physio (my next appointment is Tuesday), and at my last visit to the doctors a few weeks ago, the doctor took a quick look at the x-ray, said it looks good and that in 9-12 months they will look at cutting me open again to take out the metal, and to come back for a check up in 6 months.
Work was pretty OK with the whole breaking the leg thing. I got a little bit of sick leave during the time, and the rest was unpaid leave, which means I still have a bunch of leave accrued for future use. They were also pretty accommodating to me around the office while I was still on crutches, letting me take longer lunches so I had time to get somewhere to buy lunch and get back with time to eat. A big thank you also to all those who came and visited me while I was there. An even bigger thank you to all the nurses, doctors, physios, fellow patients (during my stay about 20 different people occupied the other three beds in my room) and others (especially the lady who handled the meals who was giving me Tim Tams and chocolate milk for the last week or so) who looked after me while I was there.
I went on three dates. A friend set me up with one of his coworkers and we met and had coffee. This was followed by a trip to the art gallery that extended to another coffee, a walk around South Bank, dinner and a few drinks, and the third time we had dinner and saw a movie (Toy Story 3, absolutely amazing, by the way), and after that she reached the conclusion that I was a nice guy and we could still be friends, and that was that. With a bit of hindsight I can see the signs from the third date that indicated this outcome, but at the time was a bit too optimistic/hopeful to realize it.
Financially I didn't meet the goals I was aiming for early in the year, but losing two months worth of income does tend to hit the wallet. Fortunately Medicare covered almost all of my hospital bills (I had to pay to watch tv, and got a bill for the medicine I was given when I was finally discharged), so now am an even bigger proponent of public health care. My uncle was also very understanding when it came to the rent, so much gratitude is owed there.
A big expense this year was my studies. I have started a Masters in Applied Finance, which I am hoping will assist me in getting into something that resembles a career. Long term I'm thinking something on The regulatory side of things, which I think means I'm going to have to study more law along the way (I've found it helps if you think of the law as the rules to a really complex game. Since I already play a lot of really complex games, this helps me to deal with all the cross references and such).
A bit after going back to work after the broken leg I decided to splurge and get myself an iPad. This has been a pretty good investment, and is getting a lot of use. It has reduced how much I use my laptop, which is now mainly relegated to being a media storage and playing device, and one that can be controlled from the iPad at that. The iPad also prompted me to finally get onto twitter(@esonlinji if you must know).
Those were the bigger elements of 2010 for me. Next up, plans for 2011.
Recent Reads
Two recent (pre Christmas) acquisitions that I have read present a nice complement to each other.
The first is The Second Book of General Ignorance, put out by the team behind QI. A celebration of curiosity it looks into questions that people think have blindly obvious answers (such as How many legionaries did a Centurion command? A: 80 or so). Thanks to this book I have a new found respect for French military accomplishments, can no longer say it's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey, can't make short jokes about Napoleon, and still can't understand how the British live in such small spaces. The only downside to having read the book is that some of the information in it comes from the current season H of QI, and it means I know straight away some of the answers. Such is the burden of knowing things.
The second book is The Areas of my Expertise by John Hodgman, better known as the PC from the Mac vs PC ads and for his appearances on The Daily Show. The Areas of my Expertise also presents itself as a source of useful information, but rather than the question and answer format used in The Second Book of General Ignorance, it follows a more traditional almanack style, mixing list, tables and anecdotes to provide information on matters including the Hobo War, Werewolf transformation tables including the effectiveness of various traditional defense during the month, US presidents who had hooks instead of hands, advise for aspiring writers, combat techniques and more. It is also almost entirely fictional (John Hodgman is a real person who was formerly a literary agent, so that bit is true). On a practical note, the list of 700 Hobo names should make a great source of passwords that are unusual but easy to remember.
So there you go. One book that titles itself ignorant and provides truth, and the other that proclaims truth and provides fiction, but both well worth reading.
The first is The Second Book of General Ignorance, put out by the team behind QI. A celebration of curiosity it looks into questions that people think have blindly obvious answers (such as How many legionaries did a Centurion command? A: 80 or so). Thanks to this book I have a new found respect for French military accomplishments, can no longer say it's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey, can't make short jokes about Napoleon, and still can't understand how the British live in such small spaces. The only downside to having read the book is that some of the information in it comes from the current season H of QI, and it means I know straight away some of the answers. Such is the burden of knowing things.
The second book is The Areas of my Expertise by John Hodgman, better known as the PC from the Mac vs PC ads and for his appearances on The Daily Show. The Areas of my Expertise also presents itself as a source of useful information, but rather than the question and answer format used in The Second Book of General Ignorance, it follows a more traditional almanack style, mixing list, tables and anecdotes to provide information on matters including the Hobo War, Werewolf transformation tables including the effectiveness of various traditional defense during the month, US presidents who had hooks instead of hands, advise for aspiring writers, combat techniques and more. It is also almost entirely fictional (John Hodgman is a real person who was formerly a literary agent, so that bit is true). On a practical note, the list of 700 Hobo names should make a great source of passwords that are unusual but easy to remember.
So there you go. One book that titles itself ignorant and provides truth, and the other that proclaims truth and provides fiction, but both well worth reading.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Well, this seems legitimate
Imagine you're the president of one of the former member states of the USSR and under your newish democratic system are meant to be having an election soon. What do you do?
You could take a page out of the President of Kazakhstan's book and decide not to hold not just one, but the next two Presidential elections. The fact that his party controls the entire parliament makes this a bit easier, although they are going to go ahead with a referendum on the issue, just to make it look like things are on the up and up.
Supporters of the plan say they are sure that they people trust the president, but if that is the case why don't they trust the people to vote for him in an election. They also say it will bring stability, but if the people want stability then they can vote for it at an election. These aren't really reasons for doing an end run around the constitution.
The idea of holding a referendum on this is an interesting twist, making it easier to say that this avoidance of electoral scrutiny is the will of the people. But even if the people like him now, are they going to like him when he's still president in 2020 and hasn't had to go to the polls for 9 years?
Even if it is the will of the people that Mr Nazarbayev remains president until 2020, they can bring this about without having to short circuit their electoral system. Doing it this way just makes the government of Kazakhstan look corrupt and illegitimate, which might be a price it is willing to pay, but it will cost the people even more.
You could take a page out of the President of Kazakhstan's book and decide not to hold not just one, but the next two Presidential elections. The fact that his party controls the entire parliament makes this a bit easier, although they are going to go ahead with a referendum on the issue, just to make it look like things are on the up and up.
Supporters of the plan say they are sure that they people trust the president, but if that is the case why don't they trust the people to vote for him in an election. They also say it will bring stability, but if the people want stability then they can vote for it at an election. These aren't really reasons for doing an end run around the constitution.
The idea of holding a referendum on this is an interesting twist, making it easier to say that this avoidance of electoral scrutiny is the will of the people. But even if the people like him now, are they going to like him when he's still president in 2020 and hasn't had to go to the polls for 9 years?
Even if it is the will of the people that Mr Nazarbayev remains president until 2020, they can bring this about without having to short circuit their electoral system. Doing it this way just makes the government of Kazakhstan look corrupt and illegitimate, which might be a price it is willing to pay, but it will cost the people even more.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Back on the Bike
So after a long intermission due to breaking my leg, I have finally resumed riding my motorbike. My friends who had been looking after it for me brought it back to me last week. My first ride was sooner than I intended, but when I missed the bus on Friday I figured it was a better option than catching a taxi. I got into work all right, and decided to park in the car park attached to the building I work in. On the way out I learned that when they got rid of the car park attendants it meant they got rid of the cheap parking for bikes, so instead of paying $4 for the day, I paid $8. Still, cheaper than a taxi.
Sunday was when I was planning to get back on the bike. My friends who had been looking after the bike are members of a motorcycle club, and the club was having an open ride to which they invited me along. The ride started somewhere south of the river (I forget the name of the suburb), and we started out riding along the highway to a small town whose name began with a C I think, where we stopped for morning tea/coffee/beer as per people's preference and legal options. Then we went along the back roads to Wyvenhoe Dam. This really highlighted the advantages of a large engine, as at times I was going full throttle and still falling behind the main group. Riding across the dam was interesting as on the right you. Had dry land down below you while on the right the water was unnaturally high up. We had a BBQ lunch in the park near the dam, which gave everyone a chance to chat with each other. After lunch the Brisbanite contingent headed home via Mt Glorious, where I again fell behind the pack and took my time getting up and over the mountain. I spent most of the way up in third and fourth gear, on occasions getting into fifth and once or twice dropping down to second. A final gathering occurred at the petrol station on the other side of the mountain (I was only a few kilometers from having to use my reserve tank by this stage), and then everyone parted ways. I did about 250 kilometers and all in all it was a rather pleasant way to spend a day. I will try and remember to put sunscreen on my neck next time.
Overall getting back on the bike has not been too bad. I'm not entirely gracefully getting on and off yet as I don't have the full flexibility in my knee that I used to yet, and after riding for a while my knee gets a bit sore and stiff (but that also happens if I sit at a desk for too long or walk too far, so that's life really). I am a little bit paranoid about things happening on the right hand side of me and am a little rusty, but that will go away as I get back into things. I think I'll wait a bit longer before regularly commuting with the bike, as the free off street parking has been relocated due to the old location now being a bicycle hire stand and the new location is a bit further away from work and doesn't look to be the flattest walk (downhill slopes are still annoying to walk down)
Group photo of the riders taken at the dam
Sunday was when I was planning to get back on the bike. My friends who had been looking after the bike are members of a motorcycle club, and the club was having an open ride to which they invited me along. The ride started somewhere south of the river (I forget the name of the suburb), and we started out riding along the highway to a small town whose name began with a C I think, where we stopped for morning tea/coffee/beer as per people's preference and legal options. Then we went along the back roads to Wyvenhoe Dam. This really highlighted the advantages of a large engine, as at times I was going full throttle and still falling behind the main group. Riding across the dam was interesting as on the right you. Had dry land down below you while on the right the water was unnaturally high up. We had a BBQ lunch in the park near the dam, which gave everyone a chance to chat with each other. After lunch the Brisbanite contingent headed home via Mt Glorious, where I again fell behind the pack and took my time getting up and over the mountain. I spent most of the way up in third and fourth gear, on occasions getting into fifth and once or twice dropping down to second. A final gathering occurred at the petrol station on the other side of the mountain (I was only a few kilometers from having to use my reserve tank by this stage), and then everyone parted ways. I did about 250 kilometers and all in all it was a rather pleasant way to spend a day. I will try and remember to put sunscreen on my neck next time.
Overall getting back on the bike has not been too bad. I'm not entirely gracefully getting on and off yet as I don't have the full flexibility in my knee that I used to yet, and after riding for a while my knee gets a bit sore and stiff (but that also happens if I sit at a desk for too long or walk too far, so that's life really). I am a little bit paranoid about things happening on the right hand side of me and am a little rusty, but that will go away as I get back into things. I think I'll wait a bit longer before regularly commuting with the bike, as the free off street parking has been relocated due to the old location now being a bicycle hire stand and the new location is a bit further away from work and doesn't look to be the flattest walk (downhill slopes are still annoying to walk down)
Group photo of the riders taken at the dam
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Green Banking
So the Green's have introduced a bill into parliament intended to put the banks in their place. Or so you might have thought if you just heard the sound bites about forcing the banks to limit changes on home loan interest rates to changes in the Reserve Bank's cash rate. Careful listening actually shows that that idea has yet to be put to parliament.
So, what does the current bill do? Well, it does three things, and I'm not sure how well it achieves what it's intending to do.
Part one says that the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has to introduce a new regulation on banks requiring them to offer a bank account with a minimum set of features with no regular fees, and any fees for certain actions have to be submitted to APRA for approval before they can be applied. No guidelines on what APRA can approve are included other than that the fees should be based on the bank's actual costs. No fees can be charged for withdrawals from the banks own ATMs, and fees for using another banks ATMs should be limited to the actual costs.
The one feature that is required which isn't a default feature now is the ability to access funds using a credit facility. This means every account would have a visa debit like feature (I'm sure mastercard also does this), which I don't think is something everyone needs.
I think most banks already offer accounts like this to people who aren't regular working folks such as students and retirees and such, so the only major impact would be reduced ATM fees and a bunch of bank pamphlets needing reprinting.
Part two requires all banks to offer a fixed interest gap mortgage product. This might sound like a good idea, but given the way the law is written, I can't see it working the way people think it will. The bill says each bank must submit to and get approval from APRA for a formula for calculating the base rate which reflects their cost of borrowing funds, and details on how frequently they will update the base rate. So far so good, but already I can tell you that the banks will likely update the base rate more frequently than people think and it will be much more complicated than base rate = Reserve Bank rate + a bit. The other part of a fixed interest gap mortgage is the fixed interest gap. This is a constant forth length of the mortgage but is negotiated between the bank and the borrower when the loan is originated. No limit is placed on the size of the fixed interest gap so if the banks really want to kill it off a good combination of funky base rate formula plus a huge fixed interest gap will mean no one will actually get one of these.
Part three deals with mortgage exit fees. It requires the banks to submit to and get approval from APRA for a formula linking exit fees to the actual costs involved. Again no guidelines are given to APRA on what should be approved or not, so the only thing holding banks back from something like exit fee = 5 x costs is the requirement that this formula be explained in the marketing material for the mortgage, but I'm sure the banks will manage some obfuscation of what they actually charge.
So we have a requirement for banks to offer a product that they can make as undesirable as they want, another product that they already pretty much offer to a lot of people, and some rules requiring banks get approval of the fees they charge with no clear guidelines on what will be approved or not except for a vague suggestion it be related to the actual costs the banks incur. This could have been a much tougher bill, but that would be a lot tougher to get passed, and then the Greens would have to console themselves to another bill that went nowhere. With this the Greens get to say that they're tough on banks despite the fact that there's more bark than bite.
So, what does the current bill do? Well, it does three things, and I'm not sure how well it achieves what it's intending to do.
Part one says that the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has to introduce a new regulation on banks requiring them to offer a bank account with a minimum set of features with no regular fees, and any fees for certain actions have to be submitted to APRA for approval before they can be applied. No guidelines on what APRA can approve are included other than that the fees should be based on the bank's actual costs. No fees can be charged for withdrawals from the banks own ATMs, and fees for using another banks ATMs should be limited to the actual costs.
The one feature that is required which isn't a default feature now is the ability to access funds using a credit facility. This means every account would have a visa debit like feature (I'm sure mastercard also does this), which I don't think is something everyone needs.
I think most banks already offer accounts like this to people who aren't regular working folks such as students and retirees and such, so the only major impact would be reduced ATM fees and a bunch of bank pamphlets needing reprinting.
Part two requires all banks to offer a fixed interest gap mortgage product. This might sound like a good idea, but given the way the law is written, I can't see it working the way people think it will. The bill says each bank must submit to and get approval from APRA for a formula for calculating the base rate which reflects their cost of borrowing funds, and details on how frequently they will update the base rate. So far so good, but already I can tell you that the banks will likely update the base rate more frequently than people think and it will be much more complicated than base rate = Reserve Bank rate + a bit. The other part of a fixed interest gap mortgage is the fixed interest gap. This is a constant forth length of the mortgage but is negotiated between the bank and the borrower when the loan is originated. No limit is placed on the size of the fixed interest gap so if the banks really want to kill it off a good combination of funky base rate formula plus a huge fixed interest gap will mean no one will actually get one of these.
Part three deals with mortgage exit fees. It requires the banks to submit to and get approval from APRA for a formula linking exit fees to the actual costs involved. Again no guidelines are given to APRA on what should be approved or not, so the only thing holding banks back from something like exit fee = 5 x costs is the requirement that this formula be explained in the marketing material for the mortgage, but I'm sure the banks will manage some obfuscation of what they actually charge.
So we have a requirement for banks to offer a product that they can make as undesirable as they want, another product that they already pretty much offer to a lot of people, and some rules requiring banks get approval of the fees they charge with no clear guidelines on what will be approved or not except for a vague suggestion it be related to the actual costs the banks incur. This could have been a much tougher bill, but that would be a lot tougher to get passed, and then the Greens would have to console themselves to another bill that went nowhere. With this the Greens get to say that they're tough on banks despite the fact that there's more bark than bite.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Abbott and Reform
Recently Tony Abbott gave the 2010 Alfred Deakin speech which was on the topic of reform. As is perhaps to be expected, he used the opportunity to take a swipe at the governments policies without offering much by way of an alternative. Along the way he criticized the NBN, the mining tax, the recent proposed changes to health care funding and carbon pricing, saying none of these are true reform but mere Labor power grabbing at the peoples expense.
I can't say that I agree with his analysis of these subjects. The NBN is an investment in infrastructure that I think will be of much more benefit than could be initially estimated, just as someone trying to estimate the value of building the telephone network decades ago would have failed to consider all the value derived from things utilizing that infrastructure such as faxes, DSL internet and more. I also believe that the NBN is one of those infrastructure systems where having a non commercial standardized underlying system that everyone has access to equally is a good thing. Roads are another example of such a system.
The mining tax, while terribly introduced by the Rudd government is something that to me seems eminently rational. Mining companies dig up minerals from land that is held by the government in trust for all of Australia, so it is only right that they pay the Australian people for what they take. And while the government was suggesting taking a 40% cut, they were also going to take a 40% cut of any losses. And while you may want to haggle over the exact amount, the principle is sound.
Tony also suggests that he is for a market based solution to reducing carbon emissions, and yet opposes introducing a carbon price. I can only ask how can you have a market without a price?
I haven't got anything to say on the matter of health care as I don't know much about the most recent proposals, but my recent time in hospital has made me even more supportive of public health car for all in general.
As an alternative to Labor's "reforms", Tony harkens back to the Howard days for some of his own examples of "reform". Work for the dole, while a good idea, is hardly what I'd call reform. More of a tweak really. And while helping disabled people to live independently is a good thing, doing so by cutting their welfare to drive them into the workforce is hardly the best way to achieve that goal. The only example of reform that wasn't Tony resting on his laurels was a suggestion to raise the tax free threshold to $25,000 and then have a single tax bracket from there's to $180,000, but that comes from the Henry review, which was started by the Rudd government.
Tony also said that in a hung parliament the opposition has an even greater responsibility to not just be the opposition, but to be a credible government in waiting, with viable policies of its own. Based on this I'd say the Coalition has a long way to go yet.
I can't say that I agree with his analysis of these subjects. The NBN is an investment in infrastructure that I think will be of much more benefit than could be initially estimated, just as someone trying to estimate the value of building the telephone network decades ago would have failed to consider all the value derived from things utilizing that infrastructure such as faxes, DSL internet and more. I also believe that the NBN is one of those infrastructure systems where having a non commercial standardized underlying system that everyone has access to equally is a good thing. Roads are another example of such a system.
The mining tax, while terribly introduced by the Rudd government is something that to me seems eminently rational. Mining companies dig up minerals from land that is held by the government in trust for all of Australia, so it is only right that they pay the Australian people for what they take. And while the government was suggesting taking a 40% cut, they were also going to take a 40% cut of any losses. And while you may want to haggle over the exact amount, the principle is sound.
Tony also suggests that he is for a market based solution to reducing carbon emissions, and yet opposes introducing a carbon price. I can only ask how can you have a market without a price?
I haven't got anything to say on the matter of health care as I don't know much about the most recent proposals, but my recent time in hospital has made me even more supportive of public health car for all in general.
As an alternative to Labor's "reforms", Tony harkens back to the Howard days for some of his own examples of "reform". Work for the dole, while a good idea, is hardly what I'd call reform. More of a tweak really. And while helping disabled people to live independently is a good thing, doing so by cutting their welfare to drive them into the workforce is hardly the best way to achieve that goal. The only example of reform that wasn't Tony resting on his laurels was a suggestion to raise the tax free threshold to $25,000 and then have a single tax bracket from there's to $180,000, but that comes from the Henry review, which was started by the Rudd government.
Tony also said that in a hung parliament the opposition has an even greater responsibility to not just be the opposition, but to be a credible government in waiting, with viable policies of its own. Based on this I'd say the Coalition has a long way to go yet.
And So It Begins
Sarah Palin has announced that she will run for president in 2012, "if there is no one else to do it." Now that the cat is out the bag, I don't think there's any chance she won't try to become the Republican candidate regardless of who else may put their name forward for the job, regardless of how much more better suited to be president they are.
Since Palin was plucked out of Alaskan obscurity by the McCain campaign she has undoubtedly done well for herself, with spots on Fox, a huge book deal, a documentary series, and so forth. However, while all this may have built up her popularity, she hasn't really shown herself any more suitable to high office than she did while running for VP, and that wasn't really all that good a showing, all things considered.
Across a wide swathe of issues, Palin has come across as lacking in the statesmanship field. Inciting hysteria by dreaming up death panels that didn't exist in the health care bill, provoking hostility to the builders of the Islamic cultural centre in New York, using inflammatory language and encouraging people to reload and take aim at Democrats, and much more paint a picture of someone who is catering to a narrow section of society, and does not particularly care for or respect the rest of it.
Besides for increasing her popularity and her bank balance (both essential nowadays for a wannabe president), she hasn't made much progress on other things necessary to being a good
president. She resigned as governor of Alaska halfway through her term, showing a lack of commitment to the responsibility the voters had entrusted her with, she still hasn't built up any experience with foreign affairs (support our troops is about the closest I've seen from her on foreign affairs, and that's more patriotic jingoism than thought out foreign policy), and policy positions that are a mix of opposing anything the democrats suggest and populist slogans with no thought as to the implications beyond the fact that it rates well now.
I'm not sure I want Palin to run, because although I think if she ran Obama would be a shoe in for reelection, I think it would be better for America if the voters had a choice between two people who would be a good president.
Since Palin was plucked out of Alaskan obscurity by the McCain campaign she has undoubtedly done well for herself, with spots on Fox, a huge book deal, a documentary series, and so forth. However, while all this may have built up her popularity, she hasn't really shown herself any more suitable to high office than she did while running for VP, and that wasn't really all that good a showing, all things considered.
Across a wide swathe of issues, Palin has come across as lacking in the statesmanship field. Inciting hysteria by dreaming up death panels that didn't exist in the health care bill, provoking hostility to the builders of the Islamic cultural centre in New York, using inflammatory language and encouraging people to reload and take aim at Democrats, and much more paint a picture of someone who is catering to a narrow section of society, and does not particularly care for or respect the rest of it.
Besides for increasing her popularity and her bank balance (both essential nowadays for a wannabe president), she hasn't made much progress on other things necessary to being a good
president. She resigned as governor of Alaska halfway through her term, showing a lack of commitment to the responsibility the voters had entrusted her with, she still hasn't built up any experience with foreign affairs (support our troops is about the closest I've seen from her on foreign affairs, and that's more patriotic jingoism than thought out foreign policy), and policy positions that are a mix of opposing anything the democrats suggest and populist slogans with no thought as to the implications beyond the fact that it rates well now.
I'm not sure I want Palin to run, because although I think if she ran Obama would be a shoe in for reelection, I think it would be better for America if the voters had a choice between two people who would be a good president.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Black and White Cabs invoke my Wrath
Black and White cabs did not make me a happy chappy this morning. So far, I've been using them when I needed to call a cab because their number is easier to remember, but from now I'm going to take the effort to remember the other cab companies number.
I've been catching taxis to work since the buses in the morning are 1) crowded, and 2) really inconveniently timed for the shifts I've got at the moment. And since I'm still getting about on crutches, when I call up, I ask them to get the driver to drive into the yard, as I go down the back stairs. So far, this has about a 30% success rate of actually getting the driver to come into the yard, but so long as they at least park on the driveway I can get around to the driver's side to get in (getting in this side lets me sit with my injured leg on the seat, and I'm not sure I can bend the leg enough yet to get in the front seat).
This morning the cab pulls out in front of the house, and the driver got out and called to me from the gate that he can't get his car into the yard (I'm not sure if he's got some randomly variable width car or something, or he's just scared that a few leafs might ruin his pretty cab). Anyway, I'm wasn't too upset, as I can actually walk out to where the cab is. I do so, and when I get there I ask the driver if he can back the car into the driveway because I have to get in on his side of the car. I asked this because he had parked on the street, and to get in on the drivers side I'd have to hobble onto a reasonably busy road to get into the taxi.
The driver however simply reverses the cab back parallel with the curb, in no way solving the problem of me not wanting to hobble on a busy road. So I gestured to him to show that he should back into the driveway. I'm not sure what went through the driver's mind at this point, but his next action was to jam the cab into gear and drive off at a quite rapid pace.
I wasn't too impressed. My mind briefly toyed with the notion that he might have been going to the roundabout up ahead to do a uturn to get a better turn into the driveway, but that was soon proved false.
And so Black and White Cabs has invoked my wrath. This is perhaps painting a broad brush, as I have had a few good drivers along the way, and a few less than good ones, but this was just ridiculous (the guy who parked out the front where I couldn't see or get to him and caused me to be late at work is another stand out example). I really don't think it's too much to ask that a cab driver give a bit of consideration to a guy on crutches.
As an epilogue, after an angry call to Black and White cabs demanding another taxi, and after waiting I called Yellow cabs who got a taxi to me in a few minutes with driver who was willing to back into the driver so that I could get in the car without risking being on the road, and even was going to open the door for me before I told him I could do it myself.
I've been catching taxis to work since the buses in the morning are 1) crowded, and 2) really inconveniently timed for the shifts I've got at the moment. And since I'm still getting about on crutches, when I call up, I ask them to get the driver to drive into the yard, as I go down the back stairs. So far, this has about a 30% success rate of actually getting the driver to come into the yard, but so long as they at least park on the driveway I can get around to the driver's side to get in (getting in this side lets me sit with my injured leg on the seat, and I'm not sure I can bend the leg enough yet to get in the front seat).
This morning the cab pulls out in front of the house, and the driver got out and called to me from the gate that he can't get his car into the yard (I'm not sure if he's got some randomly variable width car or something, or he's just scared that a few leafs might ruin his pretty cab). Anyway, I'm wasn't too upset, as I can actually walk out to where the cab is. I do so, and when I get there I ask the driver if he can back the car into the driveway because I have to get in on his side of the car. I asked this because he had parked on the street, and to get in on the drivers side I'd have to hobble onto a reasonably busy road to get into the taxi.
The driver however simply reverses the cab back parallel with the curb, in no way solving the problem of me not wanting to hobble on a busy road. So I gestured to him to show that he should back into the driveway. I'm not sure what went through the driver's mind at this point, but his next action was to jam the cab into gear and drive off at a quite rapid pace.
I wasn't too impressed. My mind briefly toyed with the notion that he might have been going to the roundabout up ahead to do a uturn to get a better turn into the driveway, but that was soon proved false.
And so Black and White Cabs has invoked my wrath. This is perhaps painting a broad brush, as I have had a few good drivers along the way, and a few less than good ones, but this was just ridiculous (the guy who parked out the front where I couldn't see or get to him and caused me to be late at work is another stand out example). I really don't think it's too much to ask that a cab driver give a bit of consideration to a guy on crutches.
As an epilogue, after an angry call to Black and White cabs demanding another taxi, and after waiting I called Yellow cabs who got a taxi to me in a few minutes with driver who was willing to back into the driver so that I could get in the car without risking being on the road, and even was going to open the door for me before I told him I could do it myself.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Blatently False Headlines
So a news story turned up today with the headline "Pi record smashed as team finds two-quadrillionth digit" which I was naturally interested in. This new digit of Pi was found by means of some clever method of computing digits separately, which is kind of interesting. But then I got to the meat of the issue, what was the two-quadrillionth digit of Pi. It turns out that it is a 0, in binary.
In binary? Really? If we're doing it in binary you've got a fifty fifty chance of getting it bloody right. But that's not my major complaint against doing it in binary. My gripe is with claiming this is the two-quadrillionth digit of Pi. When I count digits of Pi I count decimal digits after the decimal point (the three is too easy and doesn't count). Pi to five digits is 3.14159. In binary the same number is 11.001001000011111 which is just a tad longer, and could have been much longer (my first run to calculate the binary value of 3.14159 got to over 350000 digits before I killed it for taking to long. I then decided to limit it to 15 digits for this example). My point is that calculating a bunch of binary digits is really easy and doesn't match what we normally consider the number of digits in a number. So calling this the two-quadrillionth digit of Pi is a bit of an exaggeration. In fact, I'd call it a bit of bullshit.
In binary? Really? If we're doing it in binary you've got a fifty fifty chance of getting it bloody right. But that's not my major complaint against doing it in binary. My gripe is with claiming this is the two-quadrillionth digit of Pi. When I count digits of Pi I count decimal digits after the decimal point (the three is too easy and doesn't count). Pi to five digits is 3.14159. In binary the same number is 11.001001000011111 which is just a tad longer, and could have been much longer (my first run to calculate the binary value of 3.14159 got to over 350000 digits before I killed it for taking to long. I then decided to limit it to 15 digits for this example). My point is that calculating a bunch of binary digits is really easy and doesn't match what we normally consider the number of digits in a number. So calling this the two-quadrillionth digit of Pi is a bit of an exaggeration. In fact, I'd call it a bit of bullshit.
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Sherlock
So while browsing through my regular source of torrents, something new popped up that looked interesting. A new show called "Sherlock". A quick wiki check showed that the Sherlock involved was indeed Sherlock Holmes, but that rather than being set in Victorian London, it would be set in the modern day. The wiki page also revealed that one of the driving forces behind the series (although so far there's only three being produced) is Steven Moffat, whose work I have consistently enjoyed (Coupling is hilarious, and season 5 of the new Doctor Who was amazing). So I acquired the first episode and had a watch.
It was a very good show. Martin Freeman (Tim from the British UK and Arthur Dent from the Hitchhikers movie) is an excellent Watson, and while I'm not familiar with the actor who plays Holmes, he looks a bit like Neil Gaiman and portrays Holmes quite well. Not exactly the tall guy in a deer stalker of tradition, but this is the 21st century. The characters are updated to better fit the modern world. Watson is still an injured veteran from the war in Afghanistan, but now has a therapist who encourages him to write a blog to help him ease back into civilian life. Holmes is up to date with modern technology, but still as quick at making deductions, which is presented in an interesting way that doesn't necessarily give everything away.
The story is well written, and as the title A Study in Pink suggests, it does play off the first Holmes story A Study in Scarlett, in which the characters first meet, although the crime at the heart of the story is different. The music reminds me a lot of the music from the Robert Downey Jr Sherlock Holmes movie, which makes me wonder if both were taking their inspiration from an older Holmes movie or show.
All in all it was an excellent show, and I'm looking forward to when the next one comes out.
It was a very good show. Martin Freeman (Tim from the British UK and Arthur Dent from the Hitchhikers movie) is an excellent Watson, and while I'm not familiar with the actor who plays Holmes, he looks a bit like Neil Gaiman and portrays Holmes quite well. Not exactly the tall guy in a deer stalker of tradition, but this is the 21st century. The characters are updated to better fit the modern world. Watson is still an injured veteran from the war in Afghanistan, but now has a therapist who encourages him to write a blog to help him ease back into civilian life. Holmes is up to date with modern technology, but still as quick at making deductions, which is presented in an interesting way that doesn't necessarily give everything away.
The story is well written, and as the title A Study in Pink suggests, it does play off the first Holmes story A Study in Scarlett, in which the characters first meet, although the crime at the heart of the story is different. The music reminds me a lot of the music from the Robert Downey Jr Sherlock Holmes movie, which makes me wonder if both were taking their inspiration from an older Holmes movie or show.
All in all it was an excellent show, and I'm looking forward to when the next one comes out.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Those Wacky Catholics
So I'm sure we're all aware of the recent public relations fiasco the Catholic church has been suffering through recently. To deal with this they've updated canon law to make it slightly easier to fire a priest who gets caught doing things they shouldn't.
Not being one to kill just one bird with one stone, the Catholic church decided to make a few more updates to the canon law while they were at it. The other big thing they updated was the treatment of those who dare to ordain a woman.
Now of the two, guess which one of these is considered worse. The ordaining of women is now considered a "grave sin". And abusing children is a "grave sin". Now I'm sure there must be some sort of theological argument based on scripture and church doctrine but I don't see it, and I really don't think I'd see it if the pope himself visited to explain it to me. The church is over reacting on one issue and under reacting on the other
Not being one to kill just one bird with one stone, the Catholic church decided to make a few more updates to the canon law while they were at it. The other big thing they updated was the treatment of those who dare to ordain a woman.
Now of the two, guess which one of these is considered worse. The ordaining of women is now considered a "grave sin". And abusing children is a "grave sin". Now I'm sure there must be some sort of theological argument based on scripture and church doctrine but I don't see it, and I really don't think I'd see it if the pope himself visited to explain it to me. The church is over reacting on one issue and under reacting on the other
I Say Nepo You Say Tism
Tajikistan's national broadcaster has a new newscaster. And I'm sure despite the fact that she's only sixteen she'll be great. Obviously she must have tons of experience and have really impressed whoever was making the appointment. I mean the fact that her dad is the President surely can't have affected her appointment. And I'm sure her sister the deputy foreign minister got her job on merit as well.
I don't think I believe this
So apparently one of the UK's new conservative MPs got a bit wasted at a late night sitting of parliament recently. Apparently he was so drunk he was unable to vote. This seems a rather impressive feat, as voting is not exactly all that difficult to do, especially when you have a bunch of people around you telling you when to stick your hand up to be counted, or however they do it in the UK parliament.
The really good part of the story though is the guy's name. Mark Reckless. Who on earth gives responsibility to someone named Reckless. It's just asking for trouble.
The really good part of the story though is the guy's name. Mark Reckless. Who on earth gives responsibility to someone named Reckless. It's just asking for trouble.
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