Me neither (but a lot fewer people care about that).
The G8 are halfway through the period of their promises, but only 14% of the way to meeting their declared goals.
Maybe if I sign up here, I can make at least a small difference.
Here is the full report.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
General: Did you see "The 6th Day"?
That's the movie about cloning, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
How far off did you think 'Re-Pet', recreating loved pets, was?
Wrong, it's NOW!
Bring back Lassie and Rin-Tin-Tin
How far off did you think 'Re-Pet', recreating loved pets, was?
Wrong, it's NOW!
Bring back Lassie and Rin-Tin-Tin
General: Oh great, more shoddy services
Just what we need, US programming at sub-Standard-Definition (below free to air TV resolution) so the low bandwidth requirements won't make Telstra et al get off their arse any time soon to provide REAL broadband at sane prices.
Read about this crap here
Read about this crap here
Techo: A Larrabee primer
A handy set of links from Blues News -
As Anand says in the article linked above:-
For those who haven't idolized Abrash, his Wikipedia entry helps explain his luminary status in the game industry:
- Intel details future 'Larrabee' graphics chip.
- Intel's Larrabee Architecture Disclosure: A Calculated First Move.
- Intel's Larrabee Architecture previews on HEXUS.net, PC Perspective, and Tech ARP.
- Intel’s Line of Graphics Chips Could Have Broader Uses.
As Anand says in the article linked above:-
For those who haven't idolized Abrash, his Wikipedia entry helps explain his luminary status in the game industry:
"Michael Abrash is a highly regarded technical writer, and one of the top optimization and 80x86 assembly language programmers, a reputation cemented by his 1990 book Zen of Assembly Language Volume 1: Knowledge. Before getting into technical writing, Abrash was a game programmer, having written his first commercial game in 1982. After working at Microsoft on graphics and assembly code for Windows NT 3.1, he returned to the game industry in the mid-1990s to work on Quake for id Software. Some of the technology behind Quake is documented in Abrash's Graphics Programming Black Book. After Quake was released, Abrash returned to Microsoft to work on natural language research, then moved to the Xbox team, until 2001. In 2002, Abrash went to work for RAD Game Tools, where he co-wrote the advanced Pixomatic software renderer, which emulates the functionality of a DirectX 7-level graphics card and is used as the software renderer in such games as Unreal Tournament 2004."
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
General: for those who miss the newsletter
Just for a change, I'll not send you chasing links for this story I received by email today.
(Thanks Rufus)
Starting in 1941, increasing numbers of British airmen found themselves as the involuntary guests of the Third Reich, and the Crown was casting about for ways and means to facilitate their escape Now obviously, one of the most helpful aids to that end is a useful, accurate map, one showing not only where-stuff-was, but also showing the locations of 'safe houses' a POW on-the-lam could go to for food and shelter.
Paper maps had real drawbacks: they make a lot of noise when you open and fold them, they wear-out rapidly, and if they get wet, they turn into mush.
Someone in the MI-5 branch (one hopes it was the youthful incarnation of 'Q'!), got the idea of printing escape maps on silk. It's durable, can be scrunched-up into tiny wads and unfolded as man times as needed, and makes no noise whatever.
At that time, there was only one manufacturer in Great Britain that had perfected the technology of printing on silk, and that was John Waddington, Ltd. When approached by HM Government, the firm was only too happy to do its bit for the war effort.
By pure coincidence, Waddington's was also the U.K. licensee for the popular American board game, Monopoly. As it happened, 'games and pastimes' was a category of item qualified for insertion into 'CAR packages' dispatched by the International Red Cross to prisoners of war of all belligerents.
Under strictest secrecy, in a securely guarded and inaccessible old workshop on the grounds of Waddington's, a group of sworn-to-secrecy employees began mass-producing escape maps, keyed to each region of Germany or Italy where Allied POW camps were located (Red Cross packages were delivered to prisoners in accordance with that same regional system). When processed, these maps could be folded into such tiny dots that they would actually fit inside a Monopoly playing piece.
As long as they were at it, the clever workmen at Waddington's also managed to add: A playing token containing a small magnetic compass A two-part metal file that could easily be screwed together Useful amounts of genuine high-denomination German, Italian and French currency hidden within the piles of Monopoly money! British and American air crews were advised, before taking off on their first missions, on how to identify a 'rigged' Monopoly set - by means of a tiny red dot, one cleverly rigged to look like an ordinary printing glitch, located in the corner of the Free Parking square!
Of the estimated 35,000 Allied POWS who successfully escaped, perhaps one-third were aided in their flight by the rigged Monopoly sets. Everyone who did so was sworn to secrecy indefinitely - HM Government might want to use this highly successful ruse in another, future war.
The story wasn't declassified until 2007, when the surviving craftsmen from Waddington's, as well as the firm itself, were finally honored in a public ceremony.
At any rate, it's always nice when you can play that 'Get Out of Jail Free' card.
(Thanks Rufus)
Starting in 1941, increasing numbers of British airmen found themselves as the involuntary guests of the Third Reich, and the Crown was casting about for ways and means to facilitate their escape Now obviously, one of the most helpful aids to that end is a useful, accurate map, one showing not only where-stuff-was, but also showing the locations of 'safe houses' a POW on-the-lam could go to for food and shelter.
Paper maps had real drawbacks: they make a lot of noise when you open and fold them, they wear-out rapidly, and if they get wet, they turn into mush.
Someone in the MI-5 branch (one hopes it was the youthful incarnation of 'Q'!), got the idea of printing escape maps on silk. It's durable, can be scrunched-up into tiny wads and unfolded as man times as needed, and makes no noise whatever.
At that time, there was only one manufacturer in Great Britain that had perfected the technology of printing on silk, and that was John Waddington, Ltd. When approached by HM Government, the firm was only too happy to do its bit for the war effort.
By pure coincidence, Waddington's was also the U.K. licensee for the popular American board game, Monopoly. As it happened, 'games and pastimes' was a category of item qualified for insertion into 'CAR packages' dispatched by the International Red Cross to prisoners of war of all belligerents.
Under strictest secrecy, in a securely guarded and inaccessible old workshop on the grounds of Waddington's, a group of sworn-to-secrecy employees began mass-producing escape maps, keyed to each region of Germany or Italy where Allied POW camps were located (Red Cross packages were delivered to prisoners in accordance with that same regional system). When processed, these maps could be folded into such tiny dots that they would actually fit inside a Monopoly playing piece.
As long as they were at it, the clever workmen at Waddington's also managed to add: A playing token containing a small magnetic compass A two-part metal file that could easily be screwed together Useful amounts of genuine high-denomination German, Italian and French currency hidden within the piles of Monopoly money! British and American air crews were advised, before taking off on their first missions, on how to identify a 'rigged' Monopoly set - by means of a tiny red dot, one cleverly rigged to look like an ordinary printing glitch, located in the corner of the Free Parking square!
Of the estimated 35,000 Allied POWS who successfully escaped, perhaps one-third were aided in their flight by the rigged Monopoly sets. Everyone who did so was sworn to secrecy indefinitely - HM Government might want to use this highly successful ruse in another, future war.
The story wasn't declassified until 2007, when the surviving craftsmen from Waddington's, as well as the firm itself, were finally honored in a public ceremony.
At any rate, it's always nice when you can play that 'Get Out of Jail Free' card.
General: And they sell Corona
Pretty progressive!
I guess you can't say you weren't warned if you come out loaded.
More great signage here.
I guess you can't say you weren't warned if you come out loaded.
More great signage here.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
General: More free music
An interesting find this morning, The Hamster Alliance.
The free music downloads page is here.
I'm quite enjoying giving the speakers a workout with "Chell's Revenge".
The free music downloads page is here.
I'm quite enjoying giving the speakers a workout with "Chell's Revenge".
Saturday, August 2, 2008
General: My Saturday Morning
This Saturday was a working-Bee at the Hazelbrook Bowling and Sporting Club, likely to soon be renamed Club Hazelbrook.
(I suggested "Club Hazo'", that being the local idiom for our village, but they weren't convinced ;-)
This effort was mainly to replace the protective surround on one of the bowling greens to prevent damage to bowls travelling at speed off of the edge of the green.
This typically occurs when a bowler 'Drives' the bowl to try and clear opponents bowls away from the Jack (small white ball).
Seemingly an increasingly common gambit with the younger men now entering the game!
Astroturf Adhesive is some of the stickiest stuff around, and even trickier to work with in large quantities.
A float full of Astroturf adhesive, once you start you can't stop, because you can't put the float down with it stuck to your glove!
Anyway, Here are some pictures to give you an impression of the day.
(I suggested "Club Hazo'", that being the local idiom for our village, but they weren't convinced ;-)
This effort was mainly to replace the protective surround on one of the bowling greens to prevent damage to bowls travelling at speed off of the edge of the green.
This typically occurs when a bowler 'Drives' the bowl to try and clear opponents bowls away from the Jack (small white ball).
Seemingly an increasingly common gambit with the younger men now entering the game!
Astroturf Adhesive is some of the stickiest stuff around, and even trickier to work with in large quantities.
A float full of Astroturf adhesive, once you start you can't stop, because you can't put the float down with it stuck to your glove!Anyway, Here are some pictures to give you an impression of the day.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Techo: Now That's Cool!
First they immerse it in liquid helium to cool it to 3 degrees Kelvin (Absolute).
Then they run the refrigeration unit to take it down to 10 milli-Kelvin!
Your encryption keys won't be safe for much longer - read about it here.
Then they run the refrigeration unit to take it down to 10 milli-Kelvin!
Your encryption keys won't be safe for much longer - read about it here.
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