Happy birthday Python

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The Dad's Army side of militant racism

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Rusty Nails

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Hitchens on Orwell

Econtalk, often a fascinating listen, comes up trumps.

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In the year 3000

Paul Krugman tries his hand at sci-fi - and shakes me out of my blogging ennui.

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Dark festival of souls

The extended Insane Clown Posse get together in some woods to get fucked up.

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Raspberry Beret

Prince - Raspberry Beret

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Obesity

A typically thought provoking post by Megan McArdle. In it she outlines the arguments for essentially leaving fat people alone given evidence that dieting is not effective, critiques the left-wing view that agri-business is to blame(and that government has to do something about the issue) and critiques the right-wing view that lack of self control from the poor is to blame.

Includes a free bonus run-through of the scientific literature on weight loss.

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It's okay, they're poor

What is it with Britain and surveillance? It's being reported that plans are afoot there to install CCTV cameras in 20,000 'problem homes', at a cost of £400m. The "Family Intervention Project" would also allow private security guards to check up on these troublesome proles citizens. The argument goes that children not eating their greens and staying up past bedtime will cost the state in later life. It's an abhorrent logic that turns ordinary citizens into subjects of the bureaucracy.

From the same tribe that thought the state should be smelting steel - the state as benevolent family guardian.

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A Serious Man

Here's the trailer for the new Coen brothers movie, "A Serious Man". It looks like it leans toward the black side of black comedy, and the trailer is genius.

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Matadjem Yinmixan

Tinariwen - Matadjem Yinmixan

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More on the singularity

So I've become a disciple of loopy inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil. Ray promises me that exponential technological growth will solve all humanity's problems in a few short decades, including but not exclusive to global warming, African poverty and our limited lifespans. Appealing, no? It's hard not to sound flippant endorsing such talk, but I'm actually proper convinced.
Bill Gates is a fan of his, he's working with Google founder Larry Page on solar energy(16 years until it can power all the world's energy, we're assured), and he's setting up a multi billion dollar hedge fund to profit from his line of thinking.


From back in February, Kurzweil's TED talk giving a quick outline of his argument.

Economist David Friedman, son of Milton, delivers an interesting hour long talk on the implications of out-of-control technological progress on society and the law.

Bjorn Lumborg on how we're taking the wrong approach to climate change by ignoring tech progress.

The latest from TED:

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This thing is bloody great

Simple visual synthesizer thing that only seems to produce good music. Highly addictive.

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Dancing man attracts dancing crowd

Notice the way several others had been filming the same guy independently and put it on youtube. This internet thing is getting out of hand!

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Deadbeat Summer

Just in time for the August bank holiday.

Neon Indian - Deadbeat Summer

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Jazz dog

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Assorted links, narcotics edition

The success of Portugal's drug decriminalization program - since 2001 possession of all drugs there is legal. There's been a decline in overall use and a big increase in those seeking treatment.

A new iphone app finds the nearest cannabis dispensary.

It's 4:20 at FSJ. "Enjoy the lothar"

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Rent or buy?

Not an issue for those like me who still share a bedroom with their parents. Doesnt stop me appreciating this extremely cool interactive graph on nytimes though.

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"Googlopoly"

Wired reports on antitrust lawyers who're gunning for Google. It's an interesting topic. Google sit on masses and masses of data passed along to it every time we search or click on its ads; it uses the data to create more efficient searches and ads; in the process it makes it impossible for its competitors to break into the market. With 75% of the online ad market, it's a natural target for antitrust agencies worried about its near monopoly position. Added to this it owns a host of prominent web properties like Youtube, so its secret search formulas could well be tweaked to direct consumers onto its own sites.
On the other hand, Google uses the gold mine that is adwords to finance a huge range of innovative and often costly services at no charge. As I mentioned a while back, it's estimated that Youtube loses $400m annually. Google Chrome, Docs, Picasa, Gmail, our very own Blogger - all of these internet treats are made possible by the deep pockets of their parent corporation.
The abstract benefits of a more competitive online ad market really dont match the immediacy of being bribed with Google's latest free web-based technological trick. I'd be lost without my blogger.

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Lovely

via Andrew Sullivan.

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Zurich is Stained

Pavement - Zurich is Stained

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You're infected with a parasite that has a decent chance of killing you via a road traffic accident

… possibly. 20-60% of "most populations" are infected; more prevalent in Europe than elsewhere. Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that came from rats, whose behavior it alters by making them more reckless and more likely to be eaten by cats, which it wants for some reason. Now it's with us, possibly festering in your very brain, and it makes us reckless too. Those infected are 600% more likely to be involved in car accidents.

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Assorted economics links

For those who like reading about economics

Creditwritedowns.com points out the similarities between Ireland and California's vicious busts. "Events have already forced Premier Brian Cowen to carry out the harshest assault yet seen on the public services of a modern Western state."
Both territories lack their own currency, meaning they can't take the easy option and depreciate out of this mess.

The Economist with a quick run through of how the discipline went astray as of late. In short: financial economics turned out to be bullshit; macroeconomics turned out to be an unrealistic academic parlour game.

William Buiter on how genomics is going to inevitably lead to state-financed healthcare everywhere.

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Deadliest Warrior

Deadliest Warrior is a tv show that settles hypothetical "who'd win" scenarios using dubious science and computers. Who'd win: the Taliban or the IRA?

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The Evangel Church

Kick ass website.

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