13–18 of 71 entries from the month of:

September 2006

The Economist on climate change

September 27, 2006

in Canada, Politics, Security, The environment

Catching up on the reading that accumulated in my absence, I have just gone through the Survey on Climate Change in the September 9-15 issue of The Economist. Their basic argument is that the possibility of catastrophic harm is sufficient to justify the costs of stabilizing the level of carbon in the atmosphere around 550 [...]

{ 5 comments }

Republican torture ‘compromise’

September 26, 2006

in Bombs and rockets, Law, Rants, Security

Despite the thin rhetoric to the contrary, it is clear that the current American administration tolerates and abets torture, indefinite detention without charge, and other basic violations of human rights. This is an astonishing error on their part. It contradicts international law, including laws that have helped to protect Americans captured by foreign regimes. It [...]

{ 16 comments }

iPod timeline

September 26, 2006

in Geek stuff, Music, Rants

A chronology of failure:

{ 10 comments }

First impressions of Tiger

September 26, 2006

in Geek stuff, Internet matters

Installation, performance, and headline features
Installing Mac OS 10.4 (Tiger) was a breeze - certainly the only time I have been surprised by the ease of installing a major OS upgrade on top of an existing installation. Because of the simultaneity of my RAM upgrade and the installation of Tiger, I can’t discuss the performance effect [...]

{ 4 comments }

The power of place

September 26, 2006

in Canada, Daily updates, Oxford, Travel

The contrast between the two weeks in Vancouver and my two days back here has amply demonstrated the simple fact that, fine a place as it is to take a degree in, I couldn’t actually live happily over an indefinite period in England.
Indeed, I would have a great deal of trouble anywhere that does not [...]

{ 2 comments }

Minutes of the Senate Special Committee on Tormenting Graduate Students

September 25, 2006

in Canada, Oxford, Rants

Speaker: “Moving on. What can we do to this Ill-Nicky kid? Tax people?”
Tax Rep: “Hmm. We could reject all of his tuition credits from last year as a tax deduction, then surprise him with a bill for unpaid taxes…”
Speaker: “And…”
Tax Rep: “Nine days before we will start charging interest on them…”
Speaker: “And…”
Tax Rep: “Hmm, make [...]

{ 11 comments }

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