28.7.05

Cannes Lions Live 2005

For your viewing pleasure

information aesthetics weblog

information aesthetics weblog. In which our hero subscribes to yet another feed. (Having recently unsubbed John Battelle's Searchblog - sorry John, no offense - because the most interesting articles are linked to by Tim Bray, Jeremey Zawodny, or Jon Udell).

When TBird reache 1.1 and all of my extensions work again I will upgrade and post a copy of my OPML over there to the right.

Oh, calm down now, I am sure you can wait.

The Neilgaimonicon

When Neil innocently allowed the untrammeled masses to translate his journal, little did he realize the nature of the unspeakable horror that he has awoken.

27.7.05

Michael Geist - The Telus Blockade and the Law

Michael Geist - The Telus Blockade and the Law

Not only does the Telus action seemingly contradict the terms and spirit of the Telecommunications Act, but it also runs contrary to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Although Telus is a private company, surely all companies whether private or public ought to respect the fundamental principles of the Charter. Section 2(b) of the Charter provides that everyone has "freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication." The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in Ford v. Attorney General (Quebec) that freedom of expression extends beyond the speaker to the listener, who also has an interest in freedom of expression. So too here: the website enjoys freedom of expression as do the million Telus customers who may want to read this particular expression.

Oh, you gots some 'splainin' to do!

BBC NEWS | Technology | Downloading 'myths' challenged

BBC NEWS | Technology | Downloading 'myths' challenged


The study found that regular downloaders of unlicensed music spent an average of £5.52 a month on legal digital music.

This compares to just £1.27 spent by other music fans.

"The research clearly shows that music fans who break piracy laws are highly valuable customers," said Paul Brindley, director of The Leading Question.

Just in case you were wondering why the **AA go after these profligate spenders.

26.7.05

news @ nature.com - News Feature: Deity of disease - A small group of scientists argues that one organelle is the silent cause of the body's decline i

news @ nature.com - News Feature: Deity of disease - A small group of scientists argues that one organelle is the silent cause of the body's decline into disease. Charlotte Schubert surveys the realm of 'mitochondriacs'.

in recent months, solid research from various labs showing that mice age rapidly when their mitochondria are damaged and that protecting mitochondria can extend lifespan

No, Mr. Lucas, it says mitochondria, not midichlorians.

Accommodation and tours in Australia - NTFAQ

Scroll down to the Not too frequently asked questions. - A Lucky Find.™

Reason: The Life-Preserver President:How long can Republicans stay afloat?

Reason: The Life-Preserver President:How long can Republicans stay afloat?
I'll give away the twist in the tale. Massive dislike of Bush and his policies by the democrats. Massive support for same by republicans. Indpendants (approx #0% of US voters) agree with the dems on everything but terrorism.

Now, terrorism is bad, m'kay? But seriously - not so bad that you should elect Bush.

The irony of it all is that the reason terrorism and the terrorists still have such a grip on the hearts and hearts (umm, no minds here, move along) of the US voting public, the reason that your friend and mine is still in power rather than behind bars for lying to Congress and the world, the reason is ... drum roll please, the sensationalist liberal media!

Hee hee. Don't you think that is the funniest thing ever? No, me neither, but the irony is delicious.

For what it is worth, I believe that the news media as a whole are firmly centrist with liberal reporters but conservative editors - they come off as liberal because they are tasteless (and the fundies refuse to admit that their own prurient interests are fueling that fire) and they come of as conservative because they are incompetant (and so incapable of holding those in power to task for their wrong doings). I exclude obvious mouth-pieces for one side or the other like Fox News or Air America.

3 posts in one day with actual commentary? Whatever is wrong Dr. Jones?

25.7.05

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Scientists play down 'superweed'

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Scientists play down 'superweed'

Scientists have urged caution over a study which may have found a so-called 'superweed' growing at a site where GM crops had been trialled.
The charlock, a relative of oilseed rape, failed to shrivel up when daubed with the herbicide used to manage a biotech crop grown in the same field.
The creation of wild plants that pick up the traits of engineered crops has long been feared by anti-GM groups.
But researchers said their work showed the chances of such transfer were slim.
What is more, they argued, the study reinforced the view that the environmental impact was negligible.
'Herbicide-tolerant weeds tend to under-perform compared with wild type, so unless all its competitors have been sprayed out with the same herbicide, it won't thrive,' commented Dr Les Firbank, who led the consortium of scientists on the recent UK Farm-Scale Evaluations (FSEs) of genetically modified plants.

See, I think that Dr. Les is kind of a biased source. Much like Jim "Luddites are too technical for me" Jimson would be. No balance to the article. And, as much as the researchers would like to say that the chances were slim, the chances, as we can see, are not none. Which means there will be release into the wild. And this also means there could be re-introduction from the wild into domestic crops. And since there is no doubt a patent on this particular gene-mod I can see a bunch of farmers getting sued by some filthy Big Pharma company and a complacent and technologically ignorant government and judiciary going along with it.

In the end I see this kind of herbicide resistance as being related to our over use of anti-biotics. It will breed more resistant weds and the herbicides will grow progressivelyh stronger and more toxic.

Don't get me wrong, I am not inherently against genetic engineering - we've been doing it ever since we domesticated our first species and I see the potential for real benefit in terms of increased protein in staple crops and more weather resistant species - but to laugh off all resistance as foolish fear-mongering is, well, foolish.

Telus cuts subscriber access to pro-union website

I am so glad that the MSM is picking up on this story. Telus has really screwed the pooch on this one. Whoever signed the go-ahead deserves to be sued 5 ways from Sunday. Cesnorship. Pfah.
[Update]
Heh. The kids over on /. raise a good point. If Telus decides that it is no longer a common carrier by flitering content like this, well then I guess they just lost all of their protection against anything illegal that traverses their network now didn't they? Kiddie pr0n and SPAM charges will no doubt be filed shortly.

20.7.05

What to Ask Nominee Roberts | csmonitor.com

What to Ask Nominee Roberts | csmonitor.com:

• Point to a few instances when you've had to put aside strong personal views - either in your White House work or your two years on the bench - to argue or judge a case.

• As the definition of rights - in education, the workplace, family planning, etc. - has expanded in US history, has it been better for state and federal legislators or for the courts to bring those to citizens?

• Even if a decision is based clearly on the Constitution, should a justice also weigh the consequences of that decision on broader society?

• Should the Constitution be a flexible document whose interpretation changes with the times?

• Public approval of the Supreme Court has eroded over the years. What should be done to reverse that slide?

• Name three books that would give Americans a better understanding of the role of the courts, especially the Supreme Court, in a democracy."

Whiskey Bar: The Liberal Disease

Billmon gets it going on the subject of Roberts, Horowitz, Lenin, and Stalin. And he gets it right too.

Political Compass

I think I linked to the Political Compass before, but I redid the test and apparently my score of:
Economic Left/Right: -5.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.56
has me hanging out with Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, and the Dalai Lama. So that's cool. Especially since inhabitants of the lower-left hand quadrant are diametrically opposed to El Shrub.

15.7.05

1080p: Time for a Reality Check

Bastard! It seems my idea of waiting for reasonably priced 1080p HDTV sets to appear is a waste of time.

Wired News: Dead Birds Do Tell Tales

Nothing to worry about here, move along, move along.

Wired News: Dead Birds Do Tell Tales: "Updwelling is fueled by northerly winds that sweep out near-shore waters and bring cold water to the surface. The process starts the marine food chain, fueling algae and shrimplike krill populations that feed small fish, which then provide a source of food for a variety of sea life from salmon to sea birds and marine mammals.

On Washington beaches, bird surveyors in May typically find an average of one dead Brandt's cormorant every 34 miles of beach. This year, cormorant deaths averaged one every eight-tenths of a mile, according to data gathered by volunteers with the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team, which Parrish has directed since 2000.

'This is somewhere between five and 10 times the highest number of bird deaths we've seen before,' she said, adding that she expected June figures to show a similar trend.

This spring's cool, wet weather brought southwesterly wind to coastal areas and very little northerly wind, said Nathan Mantua, a research scientist with the Climate Impacts Group at the University of Washington. Without northerly winds, there is no updwelling and plankton stay at lower depths.

'In 50 years, this has never happened,' said Bill Peterson, an oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Newport, Oregon. 'If this continues, we will have a food chain that is basically impoverished from the very lowest levels.'"

14.7.05

CBC News: Saddam trial could begin next month, lead judge says

CBC News: Saddam trial could begin next month, lead judge says: "Government figures released Thursday show almost 1,600 civilians were killed in the first six months this year. Most died from car-bombings and suicide attacks, while others died in attacks by Iraqi and U.S. forces.

During the same time nearly 900 security forces died.

The death toll for the past 18 months was about 12,000 civilians, Interior Minister Bayan Jabr told The Associated Press."

12,000 in 18 months vs 1,600 in the last 6 months, while tragic, seems to be a massive decrease. The numbers aren't clear because other sources comment on a surge in activity since April.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5141711,00.html
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=iraq+civilian+casualties&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

CBC News: B.C. woman who survived ordeal at sea released from hospital

CBC News: B.C. woman who survived ordeal at sea released from hospital: "she is a very, very, very, very, very lucky woman"

WIT eJournals Website

WIT eJournals Website.
I hope to find some good reading in the years to come:
* International Journal of Ecodynamics
* International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning
* International Journal of Design and Nature

Tiny New Zealand's big role in restorative justice | csmonitor.com

Tiny New Zealand's big role in restorative justice | csmonitor.com: "In a typical FGC, the offender and the victim - and their families - sit with respected community elders in a consultative circle in which the victim can fully express his or her pain and needs for reparation. The group then works to reach agreement on a plan whereby the offender comes to understand the seriousness of the offense and acknowledges this by making some reparation to the victim. This plan is reported to the court system, and all the FGC participants take some responsibility for monitoring follow-through.

In 1993, McElrea started campaigning for the FGC model to be used in adult cases, too. A recent Ministry of Justice evaluation of a one-year pilot project in which 539 adult cases were referred to FGCs found that most victims were very happy with the process. Also, re-offending rates for cases involving more violent crimes and more hardened offenders were noticeably lower in cases referred to FGCs."

12.7.05

Beltway Blogroll: Journalists vs. Bloggers

That's cool. It appears that we (bloggers and blog-readers) are The 4.5th Estate. Sure, that works for me.

9.7.05

Can't Find On Google - Welcome to CantFindOnGoogle.com

Can't Find On Google - Welcome to CantFindOnGoogle.com: "Most of the time, you punch what you want to know into Google, and you instantly get what you're looking for. But have you ever had that experience, where you try query after query and no matter how hard you try, you just can't find what you're looking for? That's what this site is for -- because the things Google can't find is more interesting than the stuff Google can find. Click New Entry to add your own entry to our collection of Can't Find On Google."

2 articles that are not related at all

CBC News: U.S. braces for Hurricane Dennis: "Dennis, remarkable because it is the earliest Category 4 storm recorded, is expected to hit the U.S. on Sunday afternoon."
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | G8 calls for new climate dialogue: "President George W Bush has been reluctant to accept the position of the 'scientific consensus' on global warming"

8.7.05

WorldChanging: Another World Is Here: Fighting Global Warming With Lab-Grown Meat

WorldChanging: Another World Is Here: Fighting Global Warming With Lab-Grown Meat: "In the June 29 issue of Tissue Engineering, researchers describe methods of mass-producing 'cultured' meats: muscle tissues with the same taste, nutrients and texture of 'real' meat, grown under controlled conditions in the lab. This wouldn't be fake meat made from processed vegetables, it would be cellularly identical to the flesh from livestock -- but no animal would be killed for its production."

James Boyle: Geeks in software patent frenzy

I choose a sound bite from FT.com / Comment & analysis / Columnists - James Boyle

Professor James Bessen and Robert Hunt of the Federal Reserve Bank found that the increase in the level of software patenting in the US was associated with a significant decline in investment in research and development by software companies. As more and more patents were granted, companies spent less on R&D.

I love it when The Financial Times and The Economist agree with me.

FRONTLINE: watch online | PBS

Frontline makes a bunch of episodes available on-line.

7.7.05

Don't Click It!

An experiment in UI design that doesn't involve clicking. I like it. A lot. An example of what i want to see it applied to is this wikipedia page concerning Monaco. You will notice that the History section contains a link to a more detailed History of Monaco page. I love this idea - I wish it was implemented in Ajax so the text actually expanded in place. The idea of zooming on a hypertext like we zoom on a map has enormous potential.

The Globe and Mail: Keystroke logging a no-no in Alberta

Keystroke logging a no-no in Alberta: "In a decision released last week, Commissioner Frank Work ruled that the library collected personal information about the employee in contravention of the Freedom of Information and Protection Privacy Act."

MS downgrades Claria adware detection | The Register

Here's one for the conspiracy theorists. Microsoft has downgraded detection of the Claria adware application by its anti-spyware software days after reports began circulating that Redmond might buy the online marketing firm.

6.7.05

Boing Boing: Gibson on remix culture

Boing boing notes that Bill Gibson has piece in Wired praising the remix culture:

Our culture no longer bothers to use words like appropriation or borrowing to describe those very activities. Today's audience isn't listening at all - it's participating. Indeed, audience is as antique a term as record, the one archaically passive, the other archaically physical. The record, not the remix, is the anomaly today. The remix is the very nature of the digital.

Which is great news. Pbviously he intends to release his next novel using a Share-alike-Attrib-Non-commercial CC license.

Wired News: European Patent Law Rejected

Yay

2.7.05

125 big questions that face scientific inquiry

Get it while it's hot. From Science magazine so I don't know how long it will be open.

1.7.05

The iPod Flea

I for one have been complaining since it's release that the iPod Shuffle was far too bulky and unwieldy. Steve Jobs listened to our complaints and The New York Times >salvation is at hand.