NYC officials want new 'Survivor' pulled - Yahoo! News
Not that I have ever watched it for more than 10 minutes, but it's interesting to note that a decision by the makers of "Survivor" to use racially based competing teams is controversial.
Of course, if they really want controversy, next year's teams will be based on religion/philosophy: The Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhist, and Hindu teams.
I would then have a few secular humanists to be added into the teams at random. Have one of them gay, and watch the tension in the first episode as they draw straws for who will get into the Muslim team.
I could go on, but readers can supply their own fantasies of this scenario.
Friday, August 25, 2006
Some interpretation needed
This paper on arxiv seems important. (It talks about the very nature of space, gravity, black holes and dark matter.) Beyond sensing its possible importance (and that it is not written by a complete nutter, unless they are still allowed in the physics department of Flinders University,) it is otherwise very difficult to understand.
I need a science journalist to do an interpretation of it.
UPDATE: OK, here's a page that explains more about what Cahill is on about. Can't say I have heard about "process physics" before.
I need a science journalist to do an interpretation of it.
UPDATE: OK, here's a page that explains more about what Cahill is on about. Can't say I have heard about "process physics" before.
Pamela goes right
Pamela Bone: Muslim sisters need our help | Opinion | The Australian
Pamela Bone writes on the Western feminists' general silence on the plight of Muslim women in Iran and other rabidly Islamic nations. Good reading.
Pamela Bone writes on the Western feminists' general silence on the plight of Muslim women in Iran and other rabidly Islamic nations. Good reading.
Drink your tea
BBC NEWS | Health | Tea 'healthier' drink than water
More research (even if it is paid for by the "Tea Council") seems to show how tea is very good for you.
On a personal note, by working with a Chinese guy who is very fond of good quality green tea, my green tea consumption for many years now has been perhaps 2 cups a day average. This should ensure I live to 110.
More research (even if it is paid for by the "Tea Council") seems to show how tea is very good for you.
On a personal note, by working with a Chinese guy who is very fond of good quality green tea, my green tea consumption for many years now has been perhaps 2 cups a day average. This should ensure I live to 110.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
A strange China story
BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | China acts on funeral strippers
More fun via the BBC:
Five people have been detained in China for running striptease send-offs at funerals, state media say....
"Striptease used to be a common practice at funerals in Donghai's rural areas to allure viewers," Xinhua agency said.
"Local villagers believe that the more people who attend the funeral, the more the dead person is honoured."
As well as ordering an end to the practice, officials have also said residents can report "funeral misdeeds" on a hotline, earning a reward for information.
If I had a readership, I would invite nominations for the worst "funeral misdeed" you would have liked to be able to report.
More fun via the BBC:
Five people have been detained in China for running striptease send-offs at funerals, state media say....
"Striptease used to be a common practice at funerals in Donghai's rural areas to allure viewers," Xinhua agency said.
"Local villagers believe that the more people who attend the funeral, the more the dead person is honoured."
As well as ordering an end to the practice, officials have also said residents can report "funeral misdeeds" on a hotline, earning a reward for information.
If I had a readership, I would invite nominations for the worst "funeral misdeed" you would have liked to be able to report.
And that would be a bad thing?
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Syria warns over UN peacekeepers
From the link:
Syria has reportedly threatened to close its border with Lebanon if UN peacekeepers are deployed there.
Finland's foreign minister made the claim after meeting his Syrian counterpart in Helsinki.
"They will close their borders for all traffic in the event that UN troops are deployed..." Erkki Tuomioja said.
Earlier, the Syrian president, Bashar Assad, said the stationing of UN troops in the border area of Lebanon would be a hostile move against Syria.
"This is an infringement on Lebanese sovereignty and a hostile position," President Bashar Assad told Arab TV.
From the link:
Syria has reportedly threatened to close its border with Lebanon if UN peacekeepers are deployed there.
Finland's foreign minister made the claim after meeting his Syrian counterpart in Helsinki.
"They will close their borders for all traffic in the event that UN troops are deployed..." Erkki Tuomioja said.
Earlier, the Syrian president, Bashar Assad, said the stationing of UN troops in the border area of Lebanon would be a hostile move against Syria.
"This is an infringement on Lebanese sovereignty and a hostile position," President Bashar Assad told Arab TV.
Go Nuclear
The Nuclear Option
See above for a lengthy, optimistic, article on the expansion of nuclear power as a way of helping reduce CO2.
My favourite under-discussed type of reactor, the Pebble bed, gets a favourable mention too:
The pebble-bed modular reactor introduces the interesting prospect of modular nuclear plants. Instead of building a massive 1,000-megawatt plant, modules each producing around 100 megawatts can be built. This approach may be particularly attractive, both in developing countries and in deregulated industrial countries, because of the much lower capital costs involved. The traditional large plants do have the advantage of economy of scale, most likely resulting in lower cost per kilowatt of capacity, but this edge could be challenged if efficient factory-style production of large numbers of modules could be implemented. South Africa is scheduled to begin construction of a 110-megawatt demonstration pebble-bed plant in 2007, to be completed by 2011, with commercial modules of about 165 megawatts planned for 2013. The hope is to sell modules internationally, in particular throughout Africa.
(By comparison, here's a list of Queensland power stations giving their generating capacity. It's clear that an indivdual module generating 165 megawatts is fairly modest in size, but it looks as if the big power stations here are comprised of smaller units anyway - eg Tarong's power is listed as 4 x 360 MW. I guess if there is a natural limit to the size of a pebble bed module, you just add more modules on site as required.)
Anyway, the whole article is good and interesting as a review of where nuclear power is likely to go. The problems are not ignored, but if Greenies want us to believe the worst global warming scenarios, then they should also figure that they are making nuclear look more attractive as part of the solution.
See above for a lengthy, optimistic, article on the expansion of nuclear power as a way of helping reduce CO2.
My favourite under-discussed type of reactor, the Pebble bed, gets a favourable mention too:
The pebble-bed modular reactor introduces the interesting prospect of modular nuclear plants. Instead of building a massive 1,000-megawatt plant, modules each producing around 100 megawatts can be built. This approach may be particularly attractive, both in developing countries and in deregulated industrial countries, because of the much lower capital costs involved. The traditional large plants do have the advantage of economy of scale, most likely resulting in lower cost per kilowatt of capacity, but this edge could be challenged if efficient factory-style production of large numbers of modules could be implemented. South Africa is scheduled to begin construction of a 110-megawatt demonstration pebble-bed plant in 2007, to be completed by 2011, with commercial modules of about 165 megawatts planned for 2013. The hope is to sell modules internationally, in particular throughout Africa.
(By comparison, here's a list of Queensland power stations giving their generating capacity. It's clear that an indivdual module generating 165 megawatts is fairly modest in size, but it looks as if the big power stations here are comprised of smaller units anyway - eg Tarong's power is listed as 4 x 360 MW. I guess if there is a natural limit to the size of a pebble bed module, you just add more modules on site as required.)
Anyway, the whole article is good and interesting as a review of where nuclear power is likely to go. The problems are not ignored, but if Greenies want us to believe the worst global warming scenarios, then they should also figure that they are making nuclear look more attractive as part of the solution.
The happiest mice on Earth
ScienceDaily: Ever-happy Mice May Hold Key To New Treatment Of Depression
Interesting story on genetic manipulation leading to very happy mice.
As usual, I wonder about this:
Mice without the TREK-1 gene ('knock-out' mice) were created and bred in collaboration with Dr. Michel Lazdunski, co-author of the research, in his laboratory at the University of Nice, France. "These 'knock-out' mice were then tested using separate behavioral, electrophysiological and biochemical measures known to gauge 'depression' in animals," says Dr. Debonnel. "The results really surprised us; our 'knock-out' mice acted as if they had been treated with antidepressants for at least three weeks."
Just how closely does depression in a mouse represent depression in a human?
Anyway, apart from the drug development implications, it does raise the question as to whether "designer babies" in the future could be tailored to never suffer depression. What unknown effects would this have on personality or culture if it ever became widespread? Just wondering.
Interesting story on genetic manipulation leading to very happy mice.
As usual, I wonder about this:
Mice without the TREK-1 gene ('knock-out' mice) were created and bred in collaboration with Dr. Michel Lazdunski, co-author of the research, in his laboratory at the University of Nice, France. "These 'knock-out' mice were then tested using separate behavioral, electrophysiological and biochemical measures known to gauge 'depression' in animals," says Dr. Debonnel. "The results really surprised us; our 'knock-out' mice acted as if they had been treated with antidepressants for at least three weeks."
Just how closely does depression in a mouse represent depression in a human?
Anyway, apart from the drug development implications, it does raise the question as to whether "designer babies" in the future could be tailored to never suffer depression. What unknown effects would this have on personality or culture if it ever became widespread? Just wondering.
Slow blogging
Work busy, staff on holidays, children sick, now father sick. All reasons why blogging has slowed to a crawl. Sorry.
Monday, August 21, 2006
A strange Japan story
The Japan Times Online - Straight girls look to gays for a little fun
According to this article (perhaps of dubious reliability), some straight Japanese women are spending time in gay bars to "buy" male prostitutes ("urisen"). Isn't there something wrong with this picture?:
"My husband thinks it's OK to buy these urisen boys," she tells the other women, after explaining that the couple has an open and very liberal relationship.
And why the preference for young gay men, instead of, say, hosts? "Because hosts reek of alcohol and their skin is leathery," she giggles.
More importantly, though, she appreciates the more laid-back style of gay bars as opposed to host bars. "I was surprised when I first went to an urisen bar. Although there were a lot of guys, none of them were trying to push themselves onto me."
The expression "duh" comes to mind.
According to this article (perhaps of dubious reliability), some straight Japanese women are spending time in gay bars to "buy" male prostitutes ("urisen"). Isn't there something wrong with this picture?:
"My husband thinks it's OK to buy these urisen boys," she tells the other women, after explaining that the couple has an open and very liberal relationship.
And why the preference for young gay men, instead of, say, hosts? "Because hosts reek of alcohol and their skin is leathery," she giggles.
More importantly, though, she appreciates the more laid-back style of gay bars as opposed to host bars. "I was surprised when I first went to an urisen bar. Although there were a lot of guys, none of them were trying to push themselves onto me."
The expression "duh" comes to mind.
Italians and TV
BBC NEWS | Europe | Too sexy for Italian television
A couple of odd things from this story about Italian TV: until recently, the weather report was done by military forecasters. (Scroll down the report to see a picture.) More surprisingly, Italians may be getting tired of the gratuitously semi-dressed female form popping up on TV all the time:
Men in many countries would surely be more than happy to see so much flesh on show on their screens - but why do Italian channels offer so much more than those in other countries?
There are two reasons, according to Professor Michele Sorice, who teaches History of Radio and Television at Rome's main university.
"On one hand the TV variety programmes come largely from Italy's show tradition, which has always featured half-naked dancers," he said.
"On the other hand it comes from a terrible lack of ideas," he added.
But things could soon start to change.
Mr Sorice believes viewers are already sick of these programmes. Surveys show they watch, but criticise them harshly.
"I think even Italians are a bit bored with always seeing undressed women on the television," Mr Sorice said.
"The proof of this is in the fact that the biggest hits on Italian TV in recent months have actually been the period dramas."
Speaking of such things, has anyone else noticed how the most sexually explicit European cinema (by far) now seems to come from Spain? Yet they still have a low birthrate. Strange world.
A couple of odd things from this story about Italian TV: until recently, the weather report was done by military forecasters. (Scroll down the report to see a picture.) More surprisingly, Italians may be getting tired of the gratuitously semi-dressed female form popping up on TV all the time:
Men in many countries would surely be more than happy to see so much flesh on show on their screens - but why do Italian channels offer so much more than those in other countries?
There are two reasons, according to Professor Michele Sorice, who teaches History of Radio and Television at Rome's main university.
"On one hand the TV variety programmes come largely from Italy's show tradition, which has always featured half-naked dancers," he said.
"On the other hand it comes from a terrible lack of ideas," he added.
But things could soon start to change.
Mr Sorice believes viewers are already sick of these programmes. Surveys show they watch, but criticise them harshly.
"I think even Italians are a bit bored with always seeing undressed women on the television," Mr Sorice said.
"The proof of this is in the fact that the biggest hits on Italian TV in recent months have actually been the period dramas."
Speaking of such things, has anyone else noticed how the most sexually explicit European cinema (by far) now seems to come from Spain? Yet they still have a low birthrate. Strange world.
Copycat death
A sad history of life — and death — imitating art - Opinion
This is an interesting commentary piece from The Age about the history of copycat suicides (that follow fictional ones.) I did not know that this had such a well established history.
The story is in reponse to the call for a new Australian film, about teenage angst, to have its "R" rating reduced. (I guess because some adults think that teens undergoing teen angst really want to watch other teens having the same problems. Well, that's a little unfair, I suppose they think it has an educative effect. But isn't it a fair bet that the great majority of teenagers who would be interested in seeing it would be the type who are already sympathetic to the type of issues portrayed and don't need to learn more about it?)
This is an interesting commentary piece from The Age about the history of copycat suicides (that follow fictional ones.) I did not know that this had such a well established history.
The story is in reponse to the call for a new Australian film, about teenage angst, to have its "R" rating reduced. (I guess because some adults think that teens undergoing teen angst really want to watch other teens having the same problems. Well, that's a little unfair, I suppose they think it has an educative effect. But isn't it a fair bet that the great majority of teenagers who would be interested in seeing it would be the type who are already sympathetic to the type of issues portrayed and don't need to learn more about it?)
Sheehan on Einfeld
The Einfeld Follies: a study in ego - Opinion - smh.com.au
Einfeld does not come out smelling of roses, as you may expect when Sheehan is getting stuck into a lawyer.
Einfeld does not come out smelling of roses, as you may expect when Sheehan is getting stuck into a lawyer.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
This won't hurt a bit
The case for genital mutilation. By William Saletan - Slate Magazine
I've mentioned before the weird zealotry and obsessiveness that is on display in most of the anti-circumcision websites. "Foreskin restoration" strikes me as just about the funniest thing that could have a support group.
The Slate article above gives a good survey of it all, including the somewhat uncomfortable fact (for the anti-cutting movement) that widespread use of circumcision in Africa would have helped a lot of people (and not just men) avoid HIV.
I've mentioned before the weird zealotry and obsessiveness that is on display in most of the anti-circumcision websites. "Foreskin restoration" strikes me as just about the funniest thing that could have a support group.
The Slate article above gives a good survey of it all, including the somewhat uncomfortable fact (for the anti-cutting movement) that widespread use of circumcision in Africa would have helped a lot of people (and not just men) avoid HIV.
Anywhere near Uranus?
Hey, a juvenile pun for a title is well deserved when you see what some people spend their time thinking about:
"...I’m writing an article on what I’m calling “spaces of utopia”. I’ve been thinking about festivals, dance parties, raves, protests, political marches/parties like Mardis Gras as the sorts of spaces that have a certain potential to embody the lived experience of a different social order. I think time has a lot to do with this, because like sacralised time, the experience of time at events like this is somewhat out of the ordinary, and their effects are felt throughout ordinary time as well."
Yeah, well, here's my potted version of the article (I recommend hearing it in the voice of Neil from "The Young Ones"):
"Some people, usually young, think that it would be really, really cool if their whole life was just one big rave/ dance party/ political march/protest. Sometimes they find time seems to pass really slooowly at these events, 'cos of the drugs and drinks that they took, either that or the speech that Kim Beazley just gave. But suddenly it's time to go home, grow up and have kids. Or not, in which case they will soon be too old for raves and dance parties, unless they start a movement for raves for the over 50's (wow, what an idea). But remember, you can never be too old or strange for a protest march."
That's about it, really.
"...I’m writing an article on what I’m calling “spaces of utopia”. I’ve been thinking about festivals, dance parties, raves, protests, political marches/parties like Mardis Gras as the sorts of spaces that have a certain potential to embody the lived experience of a different social order. I think time has a lot to do with this, because like sacralised time, the experience of time at events like this is somewhat out of the ordinary, and their effects are felt throughout ordinary time as well."
Yeah, well, here's my potted version of the article (I recommend hearing it in the voice of Neil from "The Young Ones"):
"Some people, usually young, think that it would be really, really cool if their whole life was just one big rave/ dance party/ political march/protest. Sometimes they find time seems to pass really slooowly at these events, 'cos of the drugs and drinks that they took, either that or the speech that Kim Beazley just gave. But suddenly it's time to go home, grow up and have kids. Or not, in which case they will soon be too old for raves and dance parties, unless they start a movement for raves for the over 50's (wow, what an idea). But remember, you can never be too old or strange for a protest march."
That's about it, really.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Too good to be true
Steorn’s Free Energy Technology Challenge | Technology News Daily
Sort of hard to see what benefit nutters would have in advertising in The Economist about this. Influx of capital? A desire to see your name bandied about a lot?
Anyway, everyone should allow a little, tiny hope somewhere in their brain that a "free energy" device may be true.
UPDATE: The Guardian has a story on this. Very curious indeed.
Sort of hard to see what benefit nutters would have in advertising in The Economist about this. Influx of capital? A desire to see your name bandied about a lot?
Anyway, everyone should allow a little, tiny hope somewhere in their brain that a "free energy" device may be true.
UPDATE: The Guardian has a story on this. Very curious indeed.
Depressing stories from Lebanon
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Stand alongside Hizbullah, Lebanon's army tells troops
It would appear from the above story that the Lebanese army will effectively turn a blind eye to Hezbollah weapons that remain in Southern Lebanon:
An internal Lebanese army statement, circulated among forces in the past week, has called for troops to stand "alongside your resistance and your people who astonished the world with its steadfastness and destroyed the prestige of the so-called invincible army after it was defeated".
The circular has alarmed ministers in the Lebanese cabinet who had been calling for the army to disarm Hizbullah.
It will also fuel the concerns of Israel, the US and the UN security council that the Lebanese army is incapable of securing the south of the country, adding increased urgency to the calls for a multinational force to be swiftly deployed.
What of the multinational force? Europe is not exactly rushing to help, and other offers are (rightly) viewed with some scepticism:
"France - leadership and 200 troops
Bangladesh - two battalions (up to 2,000 troops)
Malaysia - one battalion (up to 1,000 troops)
Indonesia - one battalion, an engineering company
Nepal - one battalion
Denmark - at least two ships
Germany - maritime and border patrols"
...Israeli UN envoy Dan Gillerman said it would be "difficult if not inconceivable" to accept nations that did not recognise its right to exist.
Mr Gillerman said Israel would be "very happy" to accept troops from Muslim countries they have friendly relations with.
"But to expect countries who don't even recognise Israel to guard Israel's safety I think would be a bit naive," he said.
Malaysia said Israel should have no say in the make-up of the force.
It is so hard to see the possibility of any good resolutions for the various problems in the Middle East at the moment.
It would appear from the above story that the Lebanese army will effectively turn a blind eye to Hezbollah weapons that remain in Southern Lebanon:
An internal Lebanese army statement, circulated among forces in the past week, has called for troops to stand "alongside your resistance and your people who astonished the world with its steadfastness and destroyed the prestige of the so-called invincible army after it was defeated".
The circular has alarmed ministers in the Lebanese cabinet who had been calling for the army to disarm Hizbullah.
It will also fuel the concerns of Israel, the US and the UN security council that the Lebanese army is incapable of securing the south of the country, adding increased urgency to the calls for a multinational force to be swiftly deployed.
What of the multinational force? Europe is not exactly rushing to help, and other offers are (rightly) viewed with some scepticism:
"France - leadership and 200 troops
Bangladesh - two battalions (up to 2,000 troops)
Malaysia - one battalion (up to 1,000 troops)
Indonesia - one battalion, an engineering company
Nepal - one battalion
Denmark - at least two ships
Germany - maritime and border patrols"
...Israeli UN envoy Dan Gillerman said it would be "difficult if not inconceivable" to accept nations that did not recognise its right to exist.
Mr Gillerman said Israel would be "very happy" to accept troops from Muslim countries they have friendly relations with.
"But to expect countries who don't even recognise Israel to guard Israel's safety I think would be a bit naive," he said.
Malaysia said Israel should have no say in the make-up of the force.
It is so hard to see the possibility of any good resolutions for the various problems in the Middle East at the moment.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Christians and contraception
OpinionJournal - Taste
See the link for an interesting short article on the two camps within evangelical Christianity on the issue of contraception. An extract:
Anti-contraception evangelicals assert that birth control inappropriately wrests control of the body from the body's creator. Interestingly, the opposite argument is being made by evangelicals in the sexual-abstinence movement, according to my study of church-based virginity-pledge programs. Such evangelicals adopt the feminist argument of "my body, my choice" to curb teenage sexual activity. They believe that our hypersexualized culture--including the condom-in-the-schools crowd--wrongly implies that there is no choice.
Both the anti-contraception and the abstinence movements offer rewards: great sex in marriage for abstinent teens and the blessing of children for anti-contraception couples. But what reward is there for the 40-year-old virgin or the infertile couple? The rhetoric of sacrifice, it seems, has lost its sizzle.
OK, interesting to me, maybe not to many of my readers.
See the link for an interesting short article on the two camps within evangelical Christianity on the issue of contraception. An extract:
Anti-contraception evangelicals assert that birth control inappropriately wrests control of the body from the body's creator. Interestingly, the opposite argument is being made by evangelicals in the sexual-abstinence movement, according to my study of church-based virginity-pledge programs. Such evangelicals adopt the feminist argument of "my body, my choice" to curb teenage sexual activity. They believe that our hypersexualized culture--including the condom-in-the-schools crowd--wrongly implies that there is no choice.
Both the anti-contraception and the abstinence movements offer rewards: great sex in marriage for abstinent teens and the blessing of children for anti-contraception couples. But what reward is there for the 40-year-old virgin or the infertile couple? The rhetoric of sacrifice, it seems, has lost its sizzle.
OK, interesting to me, maybe not to many of my readers.
Mark Steyn at his best
Mark Steyn: It's breeding obvious, mate | Opinion | The Australian
You've heard him on the topic generally before, but his lengthy review of the Western world and its woes is excellent reading.
Left leaning blogs love to make snide remarks about Steyn. What they don't seem to do is spend any time pointing out where he is wrong in his demographic disaster argument.
Steyn's conservative critique of the psychology of the West also seems spot on.
You've heard him on the topic generally before, but his lengthy review of the Western world and its woes is excellent reading.
Left leaning blogs love to make snide remarks about Steyn. What they don't seem to do is spend any time pointing out where he is wrong in his demographic disaster argument.
Steyn's conservative critique of the psychology of the West also seems spot on.
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