So I'm watching Family Guy season five. It's often funny, but some things puzzle me:
1: Who wrote the lyrics to the theme song? He needs grammar lessons. "Lucky there's a family guy"?
2: When they fall down, how come they always lie still like a statue?
3: How come they are so gruesomely nasty to real people? To point out that Kathleen Turner has lost her looks is not funny, it's just unkind.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Internet user reviews
I love the Internet, the way it's so easy to get information from many viewpoints on anything, fast.
Take for example now: I am considering a week's vacation in Copenhagen, and I wanted a central location, so I remembered the famous Hotel D'angleterre, which has a fabulous location, right in the middle all the best of Copenhagen. And I mean right in the middle: you step out of the door onto the end of the doubly famous Walking Street.
It is regarded as the best hotel in Copenhagen, and it seems to be the most expensive, so I figured this was correct.
But I decided to just check up a bit, and it was quickly revealed that it has very mixed reviews indeed (13 five-star reviews and 12 one-star reviews!). And on the average much poorer reviews than the Mariott (128 five-star reviews and only 8 one-star reviews), where I stayed last year, and which was cheaper. So there you go.
(Right now the Mariott is only a little cheaper, I don't know how I got those amazing rates back then, they were only about half, I think.)
Update: on the square Kongens Nytorv (The King's New Square), where Hotel D'angleterre is, is this equestrian statue*. It's the king Christian V, apparently. It is not common for Danish art to be this brutal, I guess it's from a time when we were more aggressive. I don't know who or what he's is downtrodding, but it/he looks very odd.
Here's a big picture, which includes some cute Danish students after exam.
*Denmark has many equestrian statues. The town where I grew up is oddly proud of having the smallest one in the country, only about two feet tall if I recall correctly.
Denmark: paradise or ultimate totalitarian state?
Denmark: paradise or the ultimate totalitarian state? Article.
You'd think it would be easy to tell the two apart, wouldn't you? Seems not.
[From one of my comments:]
I always wonder about that about immigrants who live in one country, but always talk about how wonderful their own country is...
Brian said:
You do that a bit sometimes. Except you do admit that England's taxes are kinder than Denmark's.
Yes, I guess I do that.
And I think except for the taxes I'd never have moved out.
But the funny thing is that the more I live abroad, the less super-special does Denmark seem.
The article does have a good point, it's a really pervasive belief in Denmark that it is the best country in the world in almost all ways. And it's very hard to get exterior to such a belief.
Update:
monsieur beep said: "I can recommend J A Pugsley: The Alpha Strategy for more basic info."
TTL intoned:
Pugley's book is one of the clearest introductions to economics I have read. It is so clear that it is downright entertaining due to its clarity. By the way, Eolake blogged it on 2007-09-07.
You'd think it would be easy to tell the two apart, wouldn't you? Seems not.
[From one of my comments:]
I always wonder about that about immigrants who live in one country, but always talk about how wonderful their own country is...
Brian said:
You do that a bit sometimes. Except you do admit that England's taxes are kinder than Denmark's.
Yes, I guess I do that.
And I think except for the taxes I'd never have moved out.
But the funny thing is that the more I live abroad, the less super-special does Denmark seem.
The article does have a good point, it's a really pervasive belief in Denmark that it is the best country in the world in almost all ways. And it's very hard to get exterior to such a belief.
Update:
monsieur beep said: "I can recommend J A Pugsley: The Alpha Strategy for more basic info."
TTL intoned:
Pugley's book is one of the clearest introductions to economics I have read. It is so clear that it is downright entertaining due to its clarity. By the way, Eolake blogged it on 2007-09-07.
A noisy post
Mike Johnston has made a post about noise reduction, on my initiative. (My 15 minutes of fame.)
Frozen Angels
I was not aware that already in 1924 you could photograph with short enough shutter times to freeze people jumping.
Fun design
Isn't this a wonderfully weird design? Looks less like a camera and more like... I dunno, a transistor radio or something.
Megapixels
It seems to me that Nikon left the megapixel race before Canon. Nikon D3 has only 12 megapixels, while the big Canons left that behind years ago. And that has allowed Nikon to become Top Dog in the low-noise department and shoot to stardom.
And the new Nikon D90 also has twelve megapixels, whereas the new Canon 50D has fifteen. And according to persistent rumors, the update to the fabulous 12-megapixel Canon 5D will have at least 17 megapixels.
I've decided that until the day I have need for really big specialized prints, if that ever happens, then 12 megapixels is as much as I want. In fact I have prints on my wall in A3 size (about 12x16 inches) froma six-megapixel camera (Nikon D100), and you'll have to do close side-by-side scrutiny to tell the difference between those and some from a 12-megapixel camera. And who does that with wall art? In fact the bigger the print, the greater the viewing distance.
More megapixels than a certain minimum eat up your diskspace and tax your processor for no real gain.
Also, for anything over 12MP, you need really good lenses to tell the difference. We're talking about lenses costing over $1500 and weighing the better part of a kilo.
I hope Canon will wize up and learn from Nikon, and leave room in the line-up for cameras with reasonable MP counts.
I regard this a fortunate last-minute maturing on my part. When I was young I would have thought that if six megapixels was better than three (and it clearly is), then twelve would be better still, and of course twenty-four would be twice as good as twelve.
Nuh-oh.
And the new Nikon D90 also has twelve megapixels, whereas the new Canon 50D has fifteen. And according to persistent rumors, the update to the fabulous 12-megapixel Canon 5D will have at least 17 megapixels.
I've decided that until the day I have need for really big specialized prints, if that ever happens, then 12 megapixels is as much as I want. In fact I have prints on my wall in A3 size (about 12x16 inches) froma six-megapixel camera (Nikon D100), and you'll have to do close side-by-side scrutiny to tell the difference between those and some from a 12-megapixel camera. And who does that with wall art? In fact the bigger the print, the greater the viewing distance.
More megapixels than a certain minimum eat up your diskspace and tax your processor for no real gain.
Also, for anything over 12MP, you need really good lenses to tell the difference. We're talking about lenses costing over $1500 and weighing the better part of a kilo.
I hope Canon will wize up and learn from Nikon, and leave room in the line-up for cameras with reasonable MP counts.
I regard this a fortunate last-minute maturing on my part. When I was young I would have thought that if six megapixels was better than three (and it clearly is), then twelve would be better still, and of course twenty-four would be twice as good as twelve.
Nuh-oh.
Friday, August 29, 2008
The Joys of Yesterday's Tech Today
The Joys of Yesterday's Tech Today
By: Tommy Thomas
Clickity-clack... Clickity-clack... What's that sound off in the distance? It's the sound of something long since gone in the modern era of computing... productivity. To be more specific... it's the sound of getting work done in the writing realm.
In technical terms, the sound you hear is from one of the best pieces of primitive, yet simple technology ever introduced... my new AlphaSmart Neo. There once was a time, not all that long ago, where the digital age of writing was looked at with marvey and joy. Back in the day before the days of social networking, IM's, emails, games and other distractions, the computer made it possible for writers of all genres to sit down and well... write.
Enter the internet age along with excessive eye candy and unneccessary software bloat. Suddenly, the computer had become more of a distraction rather than a tool of creativity. But along the way, companies saw that we were going backward instead of moving forward. AlphaSmart was one of those companies. With its long line of writing machines, AlphaSmart not only reached out to education, but inadvertantly reached out to writers who want simple tools to get the job done!
I'm no stranger to simple, easy-to-use devices such as the Neo. I've been a rabid fan of the long since defunct Apple eMate 300. A machine which I believe is solely responsible for making machines like the Neo a reality. My eMate recently succumbed to the great beyond due to a careless accident on my part. I started checking into trying to find another eMate when I found the AlphaSmart Flickr group. With money being extremely tight these days, Eolake was kind enough to send me my own brand new Neo, on which I type this article now. Many thanks and a hug goes out to you sir!
I've taken to this gem just as I did the eMate! It's light, compact, and the keyboard has a great tactile feel. There's no doubt I'll be writing a lot with my Neo. I write the Welcome To Macintosh column for Low End Mac.
Bottom line: If you want a good, simple, durable writing machine, look no further than the AlphaSmart Neo!
-----
Eolake sez:
Note: the Alphasmart Dana has a bigger screen, but sadly the screen contrast is woefully low, so I did not like it. (Though I intend to try learning to type without even looking at the screen.)
The Neo is also durable. The instruction manual says that I can drop it and it will keep on working. Rumor has it one was run over by a car with no harm.
For advice, Flickr has a most helpful discussion group about AlphaSmart Writing tools.
Bruce added:
"Note: the Alphasmart Dana has a bigger screen" But the Dana also has a disadvantage to a writer.
The Dana runs Palm OS, which means it can distract a writer just as easily as a laptop computer. Solitaire, other games, and even (from the Alphasmart web site), "Dana Wireless offers Wi-Fi (802.11b) capability for checking emails, instant messaging, and more."
You might as well buy a used iBook instead.
Good point. The One-Trick-Pony aspect of the Neo is a strength.
Neo review "The ultimate writing machine" in four parts, here.
Another review.
It's a testimony to the love the owners have for the Neo that you can almost never find one for sale on eBay. How many gadgets can you say that about!?
For advice, Flickr has a most helpful discussion group about AlphaSmart Writing tools.
Bruce added:
"Note: the Alphasmart Dana has a bigger screen" But the Dana also has a disadvantage to a writer.
The Dana runs Palm OS, which means it can distract a writer just as easily as a laptop computer. Solitaire, other games, and even (from the Alphasmart web site), "Dana Wireless offers Wi-Fi (802.11b) capability for checking emails, instant messaging, and more."
You might as well buy a used iBook instead.
Good point. The One-Trick-Pony aspect of the Neo is a strength.
Neo review "The ultimate writing machine" in four parts, here.
Another review.
It's a testimony to the love the owners have for the Neo that you can almost never find one for sale on eBay. How many gadgets can you say that about!?
Reflecting on China
In the Olympics post, Pascal reflected:
One of those gold medalists has become such a national star in previous Olympics, that he now has his own --quite successful-- sports shoes brand. He hires the same chinese workers who make Adidas and Nike shoes, except he's not as insanely greedy for profit as Western corporations, so his prices are very competitive! :-)
You may have noticed him, he's the one who made a national apology a few days ago after a terrible tendinitis prevented him from properly competing in some race, and most of the Chinese public left the stadium in disappointment.
I too used to resent the fate of all chinese sportspeople forced to train very hard since a tender age. But since then I've put things into perspective: the average Chinese works very hard regardless, usually for very meager salaries and with no job security whatsoever. In China, becoming an athlete, or a performer in the Circus of Beijing, is a very envied position. A genuine privilege. You don't really work harder, you make a very good living, AND you get great social status.
Before we Westerners criticize the way things work in China, perhaps we should think deep as to exactly WHY things are and still remain that way. How many huge Western corporations do tell China: "We'll sign multi-billion contracts, but we insist that the factory workers get minimum rights and a cut of the profits they are bringing to all of us, let's pay them well with reasonable work hours and an employment contract"?
It's easier to give lectures when you are not the same person encouraging things to remain the same.
It always was tough being a Chinese. They don't have it any tougher than 100 years ago. Mao Zedong was a dictator, but not really worse than any Emperor of Divine Birth Right. At least, he put the Chinese to work, while before him they were only busy smoking opium... including under Western administration. Read Tintin and the Blue Lotus for a refresher...
The average Chinese income is steadily increasing. More and more can now affort meat, which is (in part) precisely why the world price of cereals is skyrocketing. One billion Chinese starting to eat pork, that's a lot of beasts to feed.
Also, from things I heard, the current President of China is definitely engaged in reforms, but it's a very delicate endeavour. I can confirm just from the example of Lebanon! Widespread corruption is very complicated to tackle, especially when it goes very high up. One has to be constantly careful. You think the Syrian President, being his daddy's son, has it all easy and safe? Think again. His hold on power remains uncertain. Originally, his elder brother was to be the trained successor of old Haffez, but he died in a mysterious car accident which might not have been an accident. There are always factions in your own clan ready to stab you in the back. And the corrupt factions are always the most willing to act with a coup.
Even current change isn't simple: now that chinese salaries are rising, China itself is becoming less attractive and competitive as a cheap labor country, outsourcing more and more to the poorest countries, like Vietnam, Bangladesh and Kirghizistan, where people would LOVE to enjoy as much human rights and good living conditions as a Chinese. In Kirghizistan, the State police pulls all the country's children out from school every year for the cotton harvest, and they don't even get fairly paid the meager minimum wage of adults. This you won't see in China. Neither will you see forced unpaid labour as in Burma, pure State slavery. 2008 China is NOT Tintin in the Land of the Soviets.
One of those gold medalists has become such a national star in previous Olympics, that he now has his own --quite successful-- sports shoes brand. He hires the same chinese workers who make Adidas and Nike shoes, except he's not as insanely greedy for profit as Western corporations, so his prices are very competitive! :-)
You may have noticed him, he's the one who made a national apology a few days ago after a terrible tendinitis prevented him from properly competing in some race, and most of the Chinese public left the stadium in disappointment.
I too used to resent the fate of all chinese sportspeople forced to train very hard since a tender age. But since then I've put things into perspective: the average Chinese works very hard regardless, usually for very meager salaries and with no job security whatsoever. In China, becoming an athlete, or a performer in the Circus of Beijing, is a very envied position. A genuine privilege. You don't really work harder, you make a very good living, AND you get great social status.
Before we Westerners criticize the way things work in China, perhaps we should think deep as to exactly WHY things are and still remain that way. How many huge Western corporations do tell China: "We'll sign multi-billion contracts, but we insist that the factory workers get minimum rights and a cut of the profits they are bringing to all of us, let's pay them well with reasonable work hours and an employment contract"?
It's easier to give lectures when you are not the same person encouraging things to remain the same.
It always was tough being a Chinese. They don't have it any tougher than 100 years ago. Mao Zedong was a dictator, but not really worse than any Emperor of Divine Birth Right. At least, he put the Chinese to work, while before him they were only busy smoking opium... including under Western administration. Read Tintin and the Blue Lotus for a refresher...
The average Chinese income is steadily increasing. More and more can now affort meat, which is (in part) precisely why the world price of cereals is skyrocketing. One billion Chinese starting to eat pork, that's a lot of beasts to feed.
Also, from things I heard, the current President of China is definitely engaged in reforms, but it's a very delicate endeavour. I can confirm just from the example of Lebanon! Widespread corruption is very complicated to tackle, especially when it goes very high up. One has to be constantly careful. You think the Syrian President, being his daddy's son, has it all easy and safe? Think again. His hold on power remains uncertain. Originally, his elder brother was to be the trained successor of old Haffez, but he died in a mysterious car accident which might not have been an accident. There are always factions in your own clan ready to stab you in the back. And the corrupt factions are always the most willing to act with a coup.
Even current change isn't simple: now that chinese salaries are rising, China itself is becoming less attractive and competitive as a cheap labor country, outsourcing more and more to the poorest countries, like Vietnam, Bangladesh and Kirghizistan, where people would LOVE to enjoy as much human rights and good living conditions as a Chinese. In Kirghizistan, the State police pulls all the country's children out from school every year for the cotton harvest, and they don't even get fairly paid the meager minimum wage of adults. This you won't see in China. Neither will you see forced unpaid labour as in Burma, pure State slavery. 2008 China is NOT Tintin in the Land of the Soviets.
Laidback Laptop stand
TTL directed me to the Laidback Laptop stand. I've ordered one. I could have used this back when I had my neck troubles.
I would have liked the wooden version, but Laidback We R tell me they are fresh out of them and don't plan to make more.
TTL added:
Actually, you directed me to it! I just followed your link to the AlphaSmart Neo and somehow landed on this page. I thank you for this discovery!
I wish could find the reference but I once read about a study that concluded that problem solving and creative thinking is easier when laying on your back. I've tested this many times and have come to the same conclusion. Also, I know several people who do all their mental "heavy lifting" when laying down. I've never typed when laying on my back, though. This will be an interesting experiment.
Of course, there's a risk of falling asleep. But if you're that tired, then the moment probably wasn't right for problem solving to begin with, and a nap is in order.
If you find that reference, let us know. It does seem that I'm most inspired when lying down. Maybe it's just the freedom from distractions.
I suspect, though, that that Inspired state of mind is different from the state of mind necessary when actively writing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)