Caffine fueled intelect versus cold silicate based inteligence

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T14:38:36Z

Merry Christmas or other celebration of your choice, everyone!

It's been a long and interesting year here. I've not updated as much as I would have liked, but having a job and some life changes will do that to you :P Hope you're all well, awesome, and having a great time!

Postal workers strike because postal bosses exploit - please forward

2009-10-16T18:29:59Z

So as you may have heard, postal workers at the Royal Mail are going to go on strike. The big bosses are painting them as reacting unfairly and this strike being pointless and actually a tool they can use to change things how they want. Royal Mail claims that post is down, and so is revenues, and the only solution to this is cuts to the workforce.

But let's take a look at the view from the postal worker's perspective.

Actual workload is going up. Partial privatisation has done little of it's objectives other than to turn Royal Mail into something to be exploited for commercial profit. And it quite frankly seems to me that someone high up in Royal Mail has been given a mandate to make Royal Mail appear to be failing to hurry up complete privatisation.

This strike matters to anyone who has need to use the British postal service from time to time - practically everyone. Even those who don't tend to use it still have to use it for certain things. Royal Mail isn't a company - it's infrastructure. Just look at how well the British Telecom and British Rail privatisations have gone - the later completely failed in most people's eyes, and the former has only just reached a state were the regulators are beginning to back off (and still BT has requirements that no other provider has). The big money in post lies with the large contracts to collect mail from offices for sorting - delivery, on the other hand, is a very labour intensive exercise that hence comes with high costs.

Royal Mail is the only postal service with a universal requirement to deliver mail, and it is doubtful that any companies after complete privatisation would have an equal requirement placed upon them. If we look to the States, we see that rural areas often don't have deliveries to the door - only to a postbox in a shared location. For small villages, this could leave them completely isolated. A market were delivery was not guaranteed also means companies could do such things as charge you for delivery of your post to your door (and remember, there's no plans to reduce tax when privatising Royal Mail).

Not everyone can afford the internet. Old Granny Smith can't even use a computer. Phone lines cost money. The loss of universal delivery would result in social exclusion for many people around the country, and cause increased costs both for households and for businesses (who will come to rely more on couriers). Some areas of the country will become reachable only by courier.

This postal worker strike could be our last chance to save universal delivery from a government intent on privatising the postal service to the lowest bidders and their best mates.

Please repost this, or at least spread the link. Postal workers need our support.

linamishima @ 2009-10-06T00:25:00

2009-10-05T23:20:39Z

Charlie Brooker's Gameswipe - like a British Yahtzee full of hate, but somehow leaves you feeling like you've attended a lecture on the arts - this needs to become a regular show!

Good cooking blog

2009-07-31T18:47:53Z

For anyone with an interest in cooking, check out FX Cuisine. Some wonderful European recipes, and I like his writing style :)

A very true filk, only minor changes were required

2009-06-01T00:46:02Z

I have had an amazing weekend, the sort I have waited years for. Sometimes things can unexpectedly work out, and a journey away from home can find one.

Interestingly, I found myself in almost the situation described in one of my favourite songs, and the lines just needed a few tweaks to make it fit. Savage Garden's "Chained to you" has always been a song I wanted to act to on the dance floor, but now it seems I have done the song itself in real life:

"We were standing all alone you were leaning in to speak to me
Acting like a poor chef cooking with madras then you kissed me
And I think about it all the time
Sweet temptation rush all over me
And I think about it all the time
Passion desire so intense I can't take any more because

I feel the magic all around you
It's bringing me to my knees
Like a wannabe
I've got to be chained to you

And when you looked into my eyes felt a sudden sense of urgency
Fascination casts a spell and you became more than just a mystery
And I think about you all the time
Is this fate is it my destiny
That I think about you all the time
I no longer pretend to have my hand on the wheel because

I feel the magic all around you
It's bringing me to my knees
Like a wannabe
I've got to be chained to you
I feel the magic building around you

I feel the magic all around you
It's bringing me to my knees
Like a wannabe
I've got to be chained to you

And I think about you all the time
And I think about you all the time
Yeah I think about it all the time
Tell me it's madness I barely know you
We were standing all alone you were leaning in to speak to me
Ten steps back you're still a mystery
Acting like a poor chef cooking with madras then you kissed me
I can't take any more because

I feel the magic all around you
It's bringing me to my knees
Like a wannabe
I've got to be chained to you
I feel the magic building around you

I feel the magic all around you
It's bringing me to my knees
Like a wannabe
I've got to be chained to you

Tell me it's madness
I still know you"

One again, we find that New Labour really means New Debt

2009-01-24T17:38:36Z

So the world's economy seems to be entering a recession, and it is widely held that debt has been the driving force in getting us into this whole mess. So what does the UK government do?

They raise the cost of court cases for debt related proceedings.

In almost every case, the full cost of any such proceeding lands on the debtor themselves. Companies almost always pass on at least most of the fees for arranging the cases. This system, much like bank charges, means that those who are struggling financially are forced further into debt.

Because companies pass these fees directly onto their debtors, this increase would not deter the bringing of such cases. Rather than addressing the underlying problems, these changes would only force more people into terrible circumstances.

In this time of economic struggle, more and more people are finding themselves out of work, under-paid, over-billed, or a combination of any of the three. This change will only serve to harm those in financial difficulty, often there because of no fault of their own.

Please, write to your MP about these changes and the damage they will cause.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T11:07:01Z

The lounge has been made pretty and christmas-y, I have had a nice christmas morning shower, and now I'm just waiting for chloe to wake up before we go and spend a happy fun day together downstairs, opening presents, eating chocolate, drinking wine and watching films.

Merry Christmas, everyone! :D

A good season for sci-fi, fantasy and speculative fiction

2008-11-29T23:33:52Z

Generally, the nature of the fictional output of the media tends to follow the current mood of the audience. With the current economic downturn, I was wondering what sort of television and film we would see coming out to reflect (or guide) public opinion. I certainly haven't been disappointed, it seems!

Fantasy, it seems, is back in vogue. Not surprising, perhaps, since fantasy's common themes of a great enemy (often authoritative), countered by a hero, a shining beacon of hope, suits a time when public opinion is dower. To this end, we have two great offerings at the moment:

Merlin
I was quite surprised by this series. I never had high hopes for the premise of a young Merlin having to hide his powers yet still help a young Arthur, but the BBC have managed to pull it off well. After the requisite few episodes of stumbling around, it eventually found its feet, and matured into quite the enjoyable light-hearted fantasy. The unique twist to this retelling is that magic is banned, and so the young Merlin is forced to hide his powers, acting simply as prince Arthur's man servant.

With colour blind casting actually resulting in a rather pleasant cast, principle characters kept to the absolute minimum, a unique setting, and far too many opportunities for slash, I would have to recommend this production. Take it too seriously, however, and you stand to be disappointed - Merlin knows that it is first and foremost family entertainment, not hardcore fantasy.

Legend of the Seeker
Similarly to Merlin, Sam Raimi's latest fantasy show is more of a family entertainment production than hardcore fantasy. The concept is very much a classic fantasy trope - a young man discovers his destiny to defeat an evil overlord, and the show itself plays on common fantasy tropes regularly, rather than being creative within the genre. It is, however, a fairly complex show to get into initially, with all three of the principle characters having their own unique fantastical powers and backgrounds. But from the second episode on, the plot twists reduce to a more typical level for Saturday evening television, and whilst still a drier show than Hercules or Xena, there are now finally hints of the humour that they hope to bring to the storytelling.

Die-hard fans of the Sword of Truth books (upon which Legend of the Seeker is based) could well however find themselves most upset. It seems to be the case that Sam Raimi takes 'based on' to mean "provided inspiration and some content suggestions", however I don't think that this is necessarily a bad thing at all. From what I have heard (having never read the original books myself), much of the original story would have lead to a rather poor screenplay.

Again, if you take your fantasy seriously and dislike the common tropes of the genre, you are unlikely to really enjoy Legend of the Seeker. But it is a nice setting, and those tropes give the show much of its charm. Being filmed in New Zealand also means that it has some stunning landscapes, but don't expect anything on the scale of Lord of the Rings - this is TV, after all.

Survivors
I have always been a massive fan of Terry Nation's work, so when I heard that a modernisation of this old post-apocalyptical drama was being produced by the BBC, I was very wary. On watching the results, however, this has changed to a rather pleasant sense of surprise! The story seems to be following very closely that of the original novel, and whilst I am not yet completely sold on the cast, the characters seem to mesh together well so far.

The concept is one that has rarely been explored - the idea of a world in which a deadly virus has killed off more than 90% of the world's population. Already some interesting moral dilemmas are being posed, and characters introduced that are clearly having trouble adapting to this new world.

So far it is only two episodes in, but there is a lot of promise there, both from what I have seen so far of the screenplay, and from my knowledge of the book it is based on (as it does seem to be a fairly faithful adaptation). There is, however, one new element thrown in for good measure - a secret sealed government lab that is being hinted about. This was never part of the original story, and I fear that in adding this, they could take the show off in a direction which was never present in the original. As long as there are no magic cures, and the government lab remains potentially in opposition, though, there shouldn't be a problem.

This re-imaging has had me thinking about what I would do if I were to find myself a survivor in such a situation. Much of the initial life post-collapse would be based upon looting, so the question of how one would go about looting, and what one would prioritise, are rather profoundly important.

Day of the Triffids
As a massive fan of the book, I was rather worried to hear of the BBC's announcement of a forthcoming dramatisation. Unlike survivors, this novel has had a long history of being completely and utterly ruined by any attempt at adaptation for screen. On the positive side, the origin of the Triffids is being faithfully kept (fuel producing crops), however this is mitigated by the decision to use a solar storm to turn everyone blind. In the original book, it is strongly suggested that the blinding was the result of a malfunction of cold war orbital weapon platforms, and I have always felt that this was an integral part of the story (since the theme of distrust for authority comes up regularly).

Despite these concerns, I am still cautiously optimistic about this production, more so since having found Survivors to have been a faithful modernisation. We shall have to find out next year, when it broadcasts.

Heroes, Season 3
I think most people reading this are probably extremely familiar with Heroes already, but it is equally deserving of a mention. The third season is a massive improvement on the second, and it seems to fit well into the general feeling of the populace at the moment. Core themes include a strong distrust of authority and power, and a countering theme of hope and salvation through personal effort. Very fitting for these economically difficult times.

Star Trek (XI)
Finally, and similarly to Heroes, this needs little introduction really. What is interesting is the continuing themes that can be found in science fiction at the moment. As I understand it, this prequel focuses on a young, rebellious crew finding their place within the system, earning respect, and ultimately fighting against those parts of the system that are wrong (although this might not be depicted, that was always a theme in TOS - to do what is right, no matter what the rules say). Star Trek was born during the cold war, and I suspect that the timing of this film is not accidental - the world could do with some hope right now.

That's all for now, everyone! I should probably write something soon about my thoughts on Batman Begins and The Dark Night, since I have finally gotten around to watching these (together with Iron Man - which I shall simply say for now is the best of the current action hero films, in my opinion!).

I, for one, welcome our new black overlord

2008-11-05T04:10:57Z

Oh thank god. The world is safe. Obama has won.

There is still a risk that the actual vote counts will change things, but this is amazingly good.

D&D session 2 debrief: AWESOMES!

2008-08-31T23:23:04Z

So I'm back from the second game of the new D&D campaign, and it was totally wonderful and awesome :) We are finally getting the hang of the game now, and combat pace is getting faster each time we have an encounter. Everyone was on top form with the roleplaying, and kalkyrie's preparation of notes and taking people outside for secret briefings really added to the atmosphere. Kalkyrie also showed amazing skill for someone relatively new to GMing, coping amazingly well with a fight becoming a case of running away and being chased, and players doing some rather unexpected things.

The highlight of the session would have to have been when, after noticing that the nearby town didn't have any guardsmen at the gate or on the walls, we scaled the wall in case it was actually overran by forces of evil. To only find a group of guardsmen gathering, aiming crossbows at us. Rather than apologising, we were instead indignant about being aimed at, and Lina (my wizard) didn't help their paranoia by making strange ghostly voices speak into their ears from a distance :P

Levelling up in 4th ed seems slower for all classes, since everyone gets new powers to chose from, however because of this it is also more exciting! Still getting used to the new powers dynamic. Under 3rd ed, spell casters distinctly became drained of abilities as the day wore on, even at low levels, and it was quite clearly incremental. In 4th ed, however, at low levels you only have one daily spell for quite some time. Instead it is more the entire party which begins to feel drained, which is a much different mechanic.

For the next session, I need to level up, and write out my new selection of powers! Picking a feat is going to be interesting. It is tempting to mutliclass into something that gives me access to abilities for healing the party, since healing is actually surprisingly limited in 4th ed unless the cleric really specialises in it. I've actually been quite impressed at how possible it is for a cleric to still heal and yet be focused on combat, it gives hope for the system.

Edit: So I've been reading the rules more carefully, and have found something of interest. You know we have been having trouble in fights, having problems causing enough damage? You know that Lina has a fire at-will spell that we thought was 1 tile? I've been reading more carefully, burst 1 means one tile around an origin tile, ie, 3 tiles. So I had a low level but area effect damage causing spell always at my disposal all along. Ooops :P

I has a degree

2008-07-03T15:09:24Z

It's official:
Beng Computer Systems Engineering :D

Recommendations for a webhost?

2008-06-21T14:12:50Z

Hey guys!

Now that the mad job search is to begin, I need to get myself a professional presence online, meaning a proper website and professional blog.

Can any of you recommend to a good webhost? I'm ideally looking for one with good uptime first and foremost. Maximum yearly cost really shouldn't be above £60 if possible. As I'm going to use it to host portfolio work, I need it to have reasonable upload space offerings and download limits. Ethical standpoints of the companies are bonus, too.

Thanks!

Personality test meme

2008-04-23T23:42:23Z

My Personality


Neuroticism	75
Extraversion	27
Openness to Experience	69
Agreeableness	47
Conscientiousness	46

You rarely get angry and it takes a lot to make you angry, however you experience panic, confusion, and helplessness when under pressure or stress. You tend not to talk much and prefer to let others control the activities of groups. You prefer familiar routines and for things to stay the same. You can tend to feel uncomfortable with change. You find helping other people genuinely rewarding and are generally willing to assist those who are in need. You find that doing things for others is a form of self-fulfillment rather than self-sacrifice, however you generally see others as selfish, devious, and sometimes potentially dangerous. You take your time when making decisions and will deliberate on all the possible consequences and alternatives.

Take a Personality Test now or view the full Personality Report.

The best ugg Boots.

Oh, damn...

2008-04-21T23:21:02Z

First time in a fortnight, too :(

(apologies to those of you who are not in on this)

It's official...

2008-03-27T01:19:54Z

Rick Astley approves!

Insurance from Hiscox, anyone?

2008-03-13T01:39:30Z

Hiscox insurance, a real insurance broker with a website that will keep you giggling for hours :P

Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake in England

2008-02-27T01:20:08Z

Stats for earthquake

A new genre, EuroGoth! Eurodance + goth

2008-02-25T00:38:32Z

Sweden entered the 2007 eurovision with this amazing piece, a goth themed eurodance number.

I want to see this idea taken further, a full and proper combination of the best of gothic stylings with eurodance beats to form EuroGoth. Perky dance music with dark undertones on the truth of life, beautiful dark lows and soaring meaningful highs! How can anyone resist?!

Who wants to see EuroGoth become the respected genre it deserves to be?

Today's spam of lol...

2008-01-27T16:33:10Z

A subject line on a spam e-mail at work:
"Satisfactory sexual intercourse"
If I was going to pay money for drugs to enhance sex, I'd expect more than satisfactory, adequate, "It'll do"...

meme

2008-01-04T17:25:57Z

	I received 64 credits on The Sci Fi Sounds Quiz How much of a Sci-Fi geek are you?
Take the Sci-Fi Movie Quiz Canon S5

Dear wikipedia...

2007-12-31T04:15:57Z

First your editors removed a vast number of images, many of which had value and could not be practically replaced (only theoretically). Whilst I agree with the need to preserve copyright, this made wikipedia a far less interesting place to visit.

Now I discover that moves are underway to remove nearly all articles on individual episodes of TV shows. If wikipedia were a paper encyclopaedia, this would make sense, as space is limited to only more important matters. But given the near infinite storage capacity for text, and the fact that real people put real work into writing these, it makes no sense. Wikia is suggested as the better home, yet wikia is a for-profit organisation that is controlled by Jimmy Wales. It is also a disparate collection of separate wikis, with no guaranteed common rules between them.

Notability is still an important issue for wikipedia, but it needs to be considered in terms of expanding to appropriate depth, not in terms of "validity of existence". Removing fancruft will not make more serious matters have bigger and better articles, it will only remove editors who may have helped out with this.

What's more, most people I know regularly look for so-called 'fancruft' on wikipedia. It was the very presence of this information that made wikipedia so popular.

I do hope you will learn to stop eating yourself soon,
A once-hopeful editor.

Good tidings of merriment and joy

2007-12-25T11:19:06Z

It is the middle of winter, and all people, those of all faiths or none, are celebrating.

Common to everyone is the wonder of creation, the triumph of good over evil, the bringing together of family, compassion, balance and enlightenment.

Some of these do not fall in this week, and others merely fall here this year by chance. But all these things are wondrous and worth our consideration. The message is more important than the messenger.

May your festivities be filled with all the above, and may it be good and joyous for you!

Be serious about science - sign this petition

2007-12-19T19:57:40Z

The British government, in their infinite wisdom, plan to correct financial mistakes by cutting back on many vitally important resources and research projects.

If you're a British citizen, please sign this petition.

Some of the projects that are under threat include our access to northern hemisphere large optical telescopes, and a radio telescope array with a resolution comparable to Hubble.

Please pass on this message and let others know about this petition. Your MP would also be a good person to write to, find out how and do it online at this website.

More information can also be found at http://www.saveastronomy.co.uk/

DnD character test meme

2007-12-18T23:16:29Z

I Am A: Lawful Good Human Wizard (4th Level)

Ability Scores:

Strength-10

Dexterity-12

Constitution-9

Intelligence-18

Wisdom-18

Charisma-13

Alignment:
Lawful Good A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act. He combines a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly. He tells the truth, keeps his word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice. A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished. Lawful good is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and compassion. However, lawful good can be a dangerous alignment because it restricts freedom and criminalizes self-interest.

Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Class:
Wizards are arcane spellcasters who depend on intensive study to create their magic. To wizards, magic is not a talent but a difficult, rewarding art. When they are prepared for battle, wizards can use their spells to devastating effect. When caught by surprise, they are vulnerable. The wizard's strength is her spells, everything else is secondary. She learns new spells as she experiments and grows in experience, and she can also learn them from other wizards. In addition, over time a wizard learns to manipulate her spells so they go farther, work better, or are improved in some other way. A wizard can call a familiar- a small, magical, animal companion that serves her. With a high Intelligence, wizards are capable of casting very high levels of spells.

Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus</a></b> (e-mail)

Spam makes a good song title

2007-11-25T16:50:51Z

One of the bits of spam at work today had as it's subject line:

"ashtray autobiography"

Is it just me, or would that make an awesome song title?