Archived Posts for April 2008

Please note: The posts on this page are at least 3 years old. Links may be broken, information may be out of date, and the views expressed in the posts may no longer be held.

30
Apr 08
Wed

2008 Cherry Blossom Timelapse (0)
Each frame is 3 minutes apart, from 18-26 April. I must make it out to Japan and see the cherry blossoms one of these Aprils... (although the video is from Brooklyn) (Quicklink) • 4:42am •

28
Apr 08
Mon

OGC unveils new logo to red faces (0)
Each additional time you look, the lewder it becomes! (Quicklink) • 5:15am •

26
Apr 08
Sat

Excuses ring hollow as the world idly waits for Mugabe’s disaster (0)
There is surprising news that the ballot recount may not change the balance of power in Zimbabwe's Parliament. However, the question remains - if Mugabe wants to stay in power, what can the rest of the world do about it? (Quicklink) • 6:13pm •

How to Show a Dictator the Door (0)
NY Times article. (Quicklink) • 6:13pm •

Britain urges the UN to help bring down Mugabe (0)
(Quicklink) • 6:13pm •

In Zimbabwe Jail: A Reporter’s Ordeal (0)
Compelling reading - Barry Bearak recounts being arrested in Zimbabwe for "committing journalism". (Quicklink) • 6:13pm •

25
Apr 08
Fri

Survivor soothsaying

This is an awesome season of Survivor. Warning, spoilers ahead. Highlight the white text below to read:

Jason just got voted out in the second straight episode which sees the idol get taken out of play, unplayed. Very well done by the rest of the tribe – one of the few episodes where a plan plays out almost perfectly. Parvati and Natalie have little to no chance of winning due to putting jury members offside. Parvati especially has royally screwed herself over (getting flipped off by Ozzy at tribal was classic!). If any of the remaining guys get through, it’s quite likely one of them will win (I’m not sure the guys on the jury will like the chick clique girl-power thing going on and James and Erik are both highly likeable), so the girls really need to stick together and vote out the guys. Watch out for Cirie. She’s the queen bee, even though no one in her alliance seems to have recognised it yet. She’s an astute, excellent strategic player. Assuming Amanda stays tight with the guys, her alliance still needs to pull one of the girls across to even the balance of power. Hard to see which one that could be though. Prediction: Eight remain, but assuming the guys don’t go on an immunity idol rampage, this season’s fans vs favourites final five will be its first all female fight. Fantastic. (Although I’m still cheering the guys on!)

11:51am (GMT +10.00) tomorrow • Internet • Tweet This • Comments (2) •

24
Apr 08
Thu

LSD vs Alcohol vs Tree (0)
(Quicklink) • 8:53am •

The 5 Best Mass Transit Systems in the World (0)
(Quicklink) • 8:53am •

The $7,530 perk

Chat transcript:

Alfredo G says (12:39 AM): http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/4/googles_ginormous_food_budget_7530
_per_googler
Stu says (12:40 AM): i so want to work for them.
Alfredo G says (12:40 AM): lol
i wouldn’t mind
free food
Stu says (12:40 AM): that’s probably why there are so many asians working for them

12:50am (GMT +10.00) tomorrow • Internet • Tweet This • Add a comment •

23
Apr 08
Wed

Microsoft’s Mesh Revealed (0)
"Mesh lets you set up a virtual desktop online, and connect different computers to it. Put any file into a Mesh folder and it automatically syncs between the online desktop and every connected computer. Select a file or folder and you can easily share its contents (photos, videos, music, documents) with any friend or family member. You can also remotely control a connected computer from the Live Mesh desktop." (Quicklink) • 2:45am •

Polar Bear Workout (0)
(Quicklink) • 2:45am •

David Blaine – This Time, He’ll Be Left Breathless (0)
Blaine is attempting to hold his breath for over 16 minutes on one breath of pure oxygen. Interesting article. (Quicklink) • 2:45am •

22
Apr 08
Tue

Hedge Fund Investing and Politics (0)
Which Presdiential hopeful are the (really rich) hedgies backing? And more interestingly... why? (Quicklink) • 2:52am •

21
Apr 08
Mon

Old school (0)
I'd like to see those laptop users try that in a maths lecture. (Quicklink) • 3:05am •

19
Apr 08
Sat

Advertising war between BMW, AUDI, et al (0)
Hilarious. (Quicklink) • 7:29am •

18
Apr 08
Fri

Scott and Shackleton’s abandoned huts in Antarctica (0)
Beautifully preserved, after 100 years. (Quicklink) • 4:02am •

17
Apr 08
Thu

Did you know…?

At work the other day, a colleague and I were looking up something in Wikipedia originating from a query about the Malaysian legal system. I can’t recall the term for when you read a Wikipedia article and then suddenly, a dozen links down the track, you find yourself reading about a totally unrelated but equally fascinating topic. But anyway, that happened. I had wandered back to my office when a few minutes later I got a phone call. The voice on the other end of the line was audibly excited. Trembling even. (Okay no, I made that one up.)

“Did you know…” there was a pause.
“Yes?”
“Did you know… that there’s a Jewish autonomous region in Russia?! On the Chinese border.”
“Huh… really?”

Finding it genuinely interesting (for no other reason than it was so randomly weird), I scooted back to my colleague’s office to find them poring over the Wikipedia entry for the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. Which, it turns out, “was the result of Joseph Stalin’s nationality policy, which allowed for the Jewish population of Russia to receive a territory in which to pursue Yiddish cultural heritage within a socialist framework.” And only a couple minutes later we were Wiki-ing the difference between Hebrew and Yiddish.

But anyway, file this one under completely random (but kinda cool). I now resolve to use the word “oblast” in a sentence at some point in the future.

8:11pm (GMT +10.00) • Miscellaneous • Tweet This • Comments (1) •

16
Apr 08
Wed

eBay forcing Aussie sellers to use PayPal and iPhone rumours

If you sell stuff on eBay Australia, you’ll know that eBay is going to make PayPal the only way vendors can accept payment aside from COD. eBay must have known the backlash they would have got from this, but decided the extra 3% or so in fees they’d reap from forcing the use of PayPal (which, of course, eBay acquired several years ago) would be worth it. They’re introducing it under the guise of “buyer protection”… but of course sellers will probably just pass on the transaction costs to buyers. The ACCC is now looking into the matter to see if it impinges on any competition laws. Pretty poor PR move by eBay in my opinion.

There are also rumours that the iPhone will be launched in Australia in June and will not be carrier locked. It hasn’t been mentioned in any articles, but I wonder if that’s because Apple reckons there’s an appreciable risk that the carrier locking arrangement may breach third line forcing laws?

11:17pm (GMT +10.00) • Internet • Tweet This • Add a comment •

15
Apr 08
Tue

Google LatLong – all the news that’s fit to print on a map: The New York Times in Google Earth (0)
(Quicklink) • 5:59am •

Cutaway views of rooms in various Federation starships (0)
(Quicklink) • 5:59am •

Food that maintains the shape of its container… after you remove the container (0)
Flickr photo set. (Quicklink) • 5:59am •

The marathon is easy. There are no lions. (0)
"Six Maasai warriors will run the London Marathon tomorrow to raise money for a well in their village. Isaya, 24, is their chief. This is a diary of his week in London, the first time he has left Tanzania." (Quicklink) • 5:59am •

Google LatLong – all the news that’s fit to print on a map: The New York Times in Google Earth (0)
(Quicklink) • 4:42am •

Cutaway views of rooms in various Federation starships (0)
(Quicklink) • 4:42am •

Food that maintains the shape of its container… after you remove the container (0)
Flickr photo set. (Quicklink) • 4:42am •

12
Apr 08
Sat

When it’s OK to say “Oh Shit!” (0)
Pictures. (Quicklink) • 10:50pm •

Rudd appoints Quentin Bryce as Governor-General (0)
Bryce replaces Michael Jeffery and will be Australia's first female GG. (Quicklink) • 10:50pm •

Zimbabwe commission to recount votes (0)
DODGY. (Quicklink) • 10:50pm •

11
Apr 08
Fri

How to fix the executive branch. (0)
Slate article. Thoughtful, but this statetment gave me pause: "Further, the United States has no moral responsibility for the destiny of persons outside its jurisdiction who pay no taxes to support the government and pledge no allegiance to the republic." (Quicklink) • 7:19pm •

The Economics of High-end Prostitutes (0)
More Intelligent Life article (supplement to The Economist). (Quicklink) • 7:19pm •

6 Formerly Kickass Creatures Ruined by Evolution (0)
(Quicklink) • 7:19pm •

9
Apr 08
Wed

Wireless power, charging technology may unplug Apple’s iPhone (0)
Well I never. Wireless power that won't fry you if you get between the device and the charge point. Not sure about its range though. (Quicklink) • 5:04am •

66 out of 109 historians say: George W is the worst US President in history (0)
"Among historians, there is no doubt into which echelon he fallsâ"his competitors are Millard Fillmore, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, and Franklin Pierce, the worst of the presidential worst. But does Bush actually come in dead last? Yes." (Quicklink) • 5:04am •

Zimbabwe High Court urged to reject poll result demand (0)
The antics continue... (Quicklink) • 5:04am •

Masaaki Shirakawa is the new Governor of the Bank of Japan (0)
Replaces Fukui. (Quicklink) • 5:04am •

Young Obama Backers Twist Parents’ Arms (0)
This is pretty cool. (Quicklink) • 5:04am •

5
Apr 08
Sat

Zimbabwe ruling party asks for recount (0)
The chance for change is once again slipping away... (Quicklink) • 9:04pm •

4
Apr 08
Fri

10 000 000 Zimbabwean dollar note on eBay (0)
Currently worth about 20 US cents, this note has been bid up to A$31 on eBay. The irony. There's a business idea in here somewhere. (Quicklink) • 7:18am •

Zimbabwe Gets $50 Million Bank Note (0)
(Quicklink) • 7:18am •

Why I Let My 9-Year-Old Ride the Subway Alone (0)
"Anyway, for weeks my boy had been begging for me to please leave him somewhere, anywhere, and let him try to figure out how to get home on his own. So on that sunny Sunday I gave him a subway map, a MetroCard, a $20 bill, and several quarters, just in case he had to make a call." (Quicklink) • 7:18am •

Assembling and launching the space shuttle (0)
Lots of good pics of the process. (Quicklink) • 4:04am •

Korean drummer steals the show (0)
(Quicklink) • 4:04am •

2
Apr 08
Wed

Combined opposition wins Zimbabwe parliamentary poll (0)
There's hope yet! (Quicklink) • 6:29am •

1
Apr 08
Tue

For today only… (0)
Click on any featured YouTube video (Quicklink) • 5:50am •

Pixels in the real world (0)
I like the Donkey Kong one. (Quicklink) • 5:50am •

Live blogging news on the Zimbabwe election (0)
Very suspicious goings on. I deeply suspect that there will be a late "surge" in votes, giving Zanu the clear majority of assembly seats... and then Mugabe will suddenly be declared by the ZEC to have won the presidential ballot by razor thin margins (51 or 52%), but still enough to avoid a run-off vote. I am not sure what the Zimbabwe public will do, nor what South Africa's Mbeki will do in response, but I think it whatever it is, it won't ultimately amount to much in the way of progress. On the other hand, the NY Times is reporting that Mugabe has been negotiating with Tsvangirai... rumours have been a-plenty in these elections, but I suppose there's still hope for Zimbabwe. (Quicklink) • 5:50am •

For today only… (0)
Click on any featured YouTube video (Quicklink) • 1:55am •

Pixels in the real world (0)
I like the Donkey Kong one. (Quicklink) • 1:55am •

105 days spent in current location
Previously	Copenhagen, Denmark
» Currently	San Francisco, CA (20/11/24 11:21pm)
View full itinerary...