The stupfh that Nym is made of.

All wealth is fleeting, Grasshopper. Only knowledge endures.

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:05:16 GMT

Shaolin monks are considering rolling out an IPO. It seems that the travelling shows of martial artistry have been successful enough that the monastery is looking to make improvements to handle more international tourism, and perhaps launch a film studio.

-- Steve sorta likes this version of high-flying financiers. Wall St. could probably do with a few more vaulting bicycle kicks.

Almost Over.

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:04:46 GMT

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 741 has ratified the tentative contract offer with the London Transit Commission. So the strike is over.

The bad news is that they won't hit the roads for at least 4 days while the skilled trades inspect and recertify the idled buses as well as catching up on deferred maintainance. So don't get out your tickets or bus passes just yet. Also, after that (Friday or Saturday) return the service will be limited due to the limited availability of coaches... so it'll be at least another two weeks after that before full service returns.

On the plus side, though, LTC will refund students and others with season passes for the idled time, and will credit that amount to people buying monthly passes for next January (such as moi). It's a meagre plus, but I'll take what I can get.

-- Steve was hoping for a faster resumption of service, but at least now we know when things'll be back.

Pertaining to the Watts Case

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 20:33:21 GMT

The Peelian Principles of Policing

The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder.
The ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon the public approval of police actions.
Police must secure the willing co-operation of the public in voluntary observation of the law to be able to secure and maintain the respect of the public.
The degree of co-operation of the public that can be secured diminishes proportionately to the necessity of the use of physical force.
Police seek and preserve public favour not by catering to public opinion, but by constantly demonstrating absolute impartial service to the law.
Police use physical force to the extent necessary to secure observance of the law or to restore order only when the exercise of persuasion, advice, and warning is found to be insufficient.
Police, at all times, should maintain a relationship with the public that gives reality to the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent upon every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence.
Police should always direct their action strictly towards their functions, and never appear to usurp the powers of the judiciary.
The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with it.

Radical pinko blither? Perhaps, but consider that Sir Robert Peel enunciated these principles in 1829, was the guy whose name became synonymous with "police" for citizens ("Bobbies") and criminals ("Peelers") alike, and was one of the founders of the modern-day Conservative Party in Britain.

What does it say about us, today, that almost two centuries later we can't measure up to the ethics of an old Tory?

-- Steve would also like to direct folks' attention to Peel's prison reforms; there are more ways of dealing with crime than becoming more brutal than the criminals, even for those of conservative bents.

PS: I grew up in the Region of Peel, which may have been named after Sir Robert. Strange that I never thought of that before today...

I think I can see a light up ahead.

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:44:32 GMT

Tentative deal reached between the London Transit Commission and the Amalgamated Transit Union last night. The deal, whose details have not been disclosed, faces ratification votes on Monday by both sides but both seem to be recommending acceptance.

That doesn't mean that buses will run on Tuesday, though; it could take up to three weeks to restore the fleet to full operation as many of the buses now require safety recertification. No schedule for the restart is announced yet, but LTC says they'll release plans on Monday. (After ratification, I guess?)

-- Steve'll be out of town for much of the restart period, so if this goes ahead he'll miss most of the teething pains. However, this does mean that he still needs to take cabs to work; it also means that buses won't be running for Christmas shopping, dangit.

US Border Security Accused of Assaulting Canadian

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:53:40 GMT

Dr. Peter Watts was pepper-sprayed, arrested, and charged with assault on the night of December 8. Dr. Watts and the passenger of his vehicle both vehemently deny the charge, but the charge alone will prevent him from crossing the border (unless it is dismissed) and will cost him greatly; BoingBoing is coordinating a defense fund of sorts.

-- Steve's had some unpleasant moments at the US/Canada border, but nothing this egregious. Alas, though, they were grim enough he can't discount Dr. Watts's account off-hand; there are some very peculiar people on that service.

spotted via a sizable portion of my Friends list

US Health Insurers Resort to Virtual Payola

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:44:59 GMT

Blue Shield, along with US health insurance industry trade groups, now offer bribes in virtual currency to Facebookers to write letters to the US Congress opposing health care reform. What a peculiar and vile form of astroturfing...

-- Steve never did view Farmville and Mafia Wars with much warmth, and that cooled even further after learning of this.

spotted via theweaselking

Okay, this isn't as bad as it looks...

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:39:00 GMT

Toronto woman facing charges of witchcraft.

Well, actually, she's charged under the section of the Fraud statute that covers faking witchcraft, drafted in 1892 to cover fortune tellers and mediums then fleecing their victims with scary prognostications. Actual witchcraft is fine so long as its conduct doesn't violate other statutes.

-- Steve'll ask folks to extinguish their torches in non-smoking areas and to ensure that all pitchforks are carried in a safe manner.

Writer's Block: Destination anywhere

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:56:37 GMT

If you were asked to recommend one destination in your country to LiveJournal friends who had never been to your country before, what place would you choose, and why?

Submitted By thereshedances

View 634 Answers

Probably Quebec City. It's beautiful, it's unique in North America, the food is marvellous, the history is astonishing, and the people are wonderful.

-- Steve still has a couple of prints on his wall that he bought within the walls of the Old City. It's a great place to find art.

Flipping the birds

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:49:25 GMT

-- Steve has starlings roosting behind his apartment every fall during their migration, and he's often been tempted to return the gesture during their dawn choruses.

AT(F)U

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:52:31 GMT

So they've gone and done it; the Amalgamated Transit Union membership voted down the latest contract offer by the London Transit Commission... which included, among other concessions, a 10.3% wage hike over three years. It's going to be a long strike. They're talking about picketing City Hall, but if they do I think they'll be shocked at how little support they'll have... as for me, well, I work not too far from City Hall and upon hearing this I turned to fantasies about turning a fire hose on the lot and watching them freeze. Soak me, and I'll soak you back. Then again, given the miserable weather coming up I suspect I'll have my vengeance without having to lift a finger. (Freeze, you miserable bastards.)

-- Steve should look at alternatives; cabs were fine as a stopgap but they're just too expensive to serve as a long-term replacement for public transit.

The survivors will envy the dead.

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:41:00 GMT

Better stock up on canned goods and vitamins, because this Friday at 7pm Hamilton's CHCH Television is airing the seasonally-themed movie Santa With Muscles starring Hulk Hogan; notably, this is #53 on IMDB's "Bottom 100 Worst Movies" list.

-- Steve hasn't seen it yet, but it promises to be a real el-stinko so he may keep right on not-seeing it.

hat-tip to mightygodking's article in The Torontoist

It's fun to be at the...

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 15:51:28 GMT

Go to Google Maps and search for 2071 Portage Ave, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Switch to "StreetView".

According to the Winnipeg Free Press you'll see a nice surprise.

-- Steve wishes he'd have known when the GoogleMobile was passing by.

A useful simile

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:13:56 GMT

Over on ScienceBlogs Orac posted about Deepak Chopra taking exception to criticism of his rather, well, "far out" in the '60s sense captures the gist, theories on intellect and wellness.

One line of Chopra's article, in quotes below, drove me to comment:

"It never occurs to skeptics that a sense of wonder is paramount, even for scientists."

Science + sense of wonder = Carl Sagan
Science + sense of wonder = Albert Einstein
Science + sense of wonder /= Deepak Chopra

The reasoning being that Sagan's and Einstein's senses of wonder spurred them to *ask* questions, whereas Chopra uses his sense of wonder as the *answer*. The former is science; the latter is processed science-like product that relates to science the way Cheetos relate to cheese.

It occurs to me, now, that the chance simile at the end is a rather useful one; Chopra's strange hash of capital-E-Eastern mysticism and quantum mechanics has a superficial dusting of scientific knowledge on the outside for colour and flavour, but that's only loosely connected to it and the bulk is puffed-up corn with little substance to it.

-- Steve also thinks that a steady diet will lead to a sense of bloating, anal-retentiveness, and intellectual malnutrition.

Best. Advice. Ever.

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:44:42 GMT

"I'm getting the axe, but still in charge of the Christmas party. What should I do?"

"If this were an old Batman movie, I'd say, yes, organize the party: Organize it in such a way that, halfway through, the doors snap shut, sealed from the outside, and the musicians, in reality your henchmen, don gas masks, while a green mist begins to emanate from the vents."

-- Steve should note that the above is just a tease... it gets better.

From the past, to the future.

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:53:49 GMT

I now no longer remember how I stumbled upon this, but here it is; the first part of a series of YouTube clips showing the entirety of the landmark 1978 TV series Connections, the show that broke the concept of the interrelatedness of scientific and technological discoveries to the public in spectacular fashion. The show holds up fairly well even today, though the inevitable Seventies "we're all gonna die" meme does crop up now and again.

You should be able to link through the entire series with the "related video" links, or you can find them on on the host's profile page. Well worth watching, and I'm sorely tempted to shell out the $150 for the DVD set this low-res hosting is intended to promote.

-- Steve did get a chill down his spine when he realised that the entire first segment discussing the vulnerability of technological society to disruption was filmed in the courtyard, elevators, and observation deck of 1 World Trade Centre.

Words fail me.

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:04:43 GMT

-- Steve can but sit back, slack-jawed in awe.

seen on multiple blogs today, just sharing the joy.

The fools! They've doomed us all!

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:11:56 GMT

IBM creates a computer that simulates the cerebral cortex of... a cat. Mind you, it's a pretty intellectually-slow cat given that its "neurons" only fire at 1% the rate of a live cortex's, but recreating in silicon the brain of the most sociopathic creature on the planet is just another step towards SkyNet.

-- Steve just hopes that when the inevitable felinoid Hunter-Killer drones come for him they can still be distracted by a rolling ball of yarn or a laser pointer.

"Dr." Poole, please check the AE35 antenna unit.

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:45:00 GMT

There are times when I'm proud of the human race, amazed by what we can accomplish within the limits of our minds and bodies. And then there are times when my perspective shifts, and I'm appalled at what these turd-stuffed meatbags pull off.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/community/?userid=16917218&plckUserId=16917218

Case in point, this ongoing yammerer in the comment section (yeah, I know) of the Globe & Mail pulling Stupid Statistical Tricks and cherry-picked citations to raise a ruckus about the adjuvanted flu vaccine in use in Canada. This willing, indeed eager, mutilation of reason drives me squirrelly... but, alas, I'm ill-equipped to demolish his points as I'm only good enough statistics to smell when they're being fudged but not good enough to formally prove it. (He didn't like my bringing up the Dunning-Kruger Effect, though.)

This flu isn't the terror we feared last spring, but it's not "just" the seasonal flu either. Anybody working to undermine the pandemic plan is, in my opinion, shouting "fire" in a crowded theatre.

-- Steve'd leave it alone better if it weren't happening at the Globe, which he holds in (likely unwarranted) great fondness ever since his days delivering the ol' rag.

Ooooh, shiny...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:56:42 GMT

http://image-swirl.googlelabs.com/

Looks like Google is experimenting with its image search technology.

-- Steve likey.

The Lies of Lying Liars

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:11:30 GMT

No buses today. Dammit. The Amalgamated Transit Union, despite their promise of last month, has walked out after rejecting a last-minute offer from the London Transit Commission last night. Grumble.

What good news I can salvage from this is that I'm on my late shift this week so it should be easier for me to get a cab to work today. However, it's a damned expensive bit of good news.

-- Steve hopes this doesn't last long.

We can rebuild him... faster... stronger... better.

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:07:08 GMT

Man recovering from being run over receives a cybernetic arse. He required extensive pelvic reconstruction and, in earlier times, would have required a permanent colostomy as a result of the damage. However, by taking muscle tissue from his legs and implanting it (and control electrodes) in the appropriate places surgeons were able to construct a workable replacement anus. This does mean having to use a battery-powered remote control in order to void his bowels, but it beats carrying a colo-bag around for the rest of his life.

-- Steve's uncertain why the article says the muscles need replacing every five years, unless the report actually intended to say that the electrodes did.

Rising on a point of ordure.

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:42:52 GMT

Paul Krugman brings to light a very old form of cloture motion.

-- Steve's hindbrain finds it tempting, but his forebrain realises the world is better off without restoring this ancient practice.

"The Good, the Bad, and the Cuddly."

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:10:50 GMT

Happy birthday, Sesame Street!

-- Steve thinks that Big Bird looks rather dignified at 40.

Moar Hal0z lol

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:28:20 GMT

Thought I'd remind/inform folks that Halo Waypoint is now available on Xbox Live for everyone, and not just participants of the Dashboard beta, for the low-low price of Free. You'll need to download the app (~100MB) for it, link for which should be in with the other "what's new" stuff. Once downloaded, you can launch it out of your Games library.

Waypoint acts as an "Achievement" aggregator, looking at all the 360-based Halo games (so far Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo Wars) and showing what Achievements you've attained so far in all of them; then, based upon the number of Gamerscore points you've gotten from them, will unlock Avatar awards. (Again, for no charge.) My Avvie is sporting an ODST t-shirt and has a pet Monitor now.

Waypoint also acts as a news aggregator of sorts for Halo stuff, though that's still in the early stages.

Most urgently, though, Waypoint will also grant free viewings of some of the episodes from the upcoming Halo Legends anime collection DVD/BR... but only for 24 hours each Saturday. Today the short "Babysitter" is running, in which an ODST team acts as support for a SPARTAN-II on a mission behind enemy lines. Next Saturday, a "behind the scenes" documentary on "Babysitter" will run. Saturday after that, another short, then another "making of" doc, and so on.

So if you want to see the video you'll have to download Waypoint really soon.

-- Steve's looking forward to seeing the vid when he gets back from work.

They call me "Bruce".

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:15:31 GMT

This 14' shark was caught "smiling" for the camera in the waters off of Mexico last Autumn.

-- Steve just thought he'd share.

Photo cribbed from the Daily Mail website.