climate change activist and science communicator; photographer; mapmaker — advocate for a stable global climate, reduced nuclear weapon risks, and safe human-AI interaction
Generally musings of the day, usually accompanied by a photograph
Given the following:
Should I apply to have my name read in my absence and receive my diploma in the mail?
The two selling features of compact fluorescent bulbs are higher efficiency (more light produced per unit energy) and longer lifespan, when compared to incandescent bulbs. We have already established that the first isn’t a concern for people actively heating their homes. My recent experience with the second is also rather negative. I recently replaced as many bulbs in my house as possible with fluorescents. In the month and a half that followed, four of the bulbs failed: those in my kitchen, on my back porch, and in my front hallway.
I have never had incandescent lights fail so quickly. It’s not clear what caused these ones to die so abruptly (A manufacturing defect? Problems with my power supply?), but it will definitely prevent me from buying Sylvania brand bulbs in the future.
The other day, a friend of mine somewhat surprised me by referring to me as a ‘conservative.’ Pressed to define myself, I would say that I am a pragmatic libertarian who is willing to recognize that our freedoms need to be constrained in many ways in order to live decently together.
The Political Compass test categorizes me as follows: moderately left wing on economics (-3.00) and strongly slanted towards libertarianism rather than authoritarianism (-6.67).
I do object to some of the questions they pose. For instance:
The test also features a number of confusingly worded multiple-negative items. “Is X not true? No.” There are also a few questions seemingly designed to establish whether you are a racist. It seems to me that there have probably been racists of all possible political affiliations.
Personally, I would say my political philosophy is a combination of some classically liberal ways of viewing the world coupled with a libertarian concern for the individual and a utilitarian concern for group welfare. I would say that I am also unusually aware of the extent to which seemingly private decisions (what to eat, how to travel, etc) have significant and morally relevant impacts on other people.
Some facts for the autumnal equinox:
Disclaimer: Yes, orbital and solar variations affect the planet’s climate. That doesn’t mean human greenhouse gas emissions don’t, nor that they aren’t the primary cause of the climate change presently taking place!
The combination of heat, humidity, and rain probably produces the least pleasant possible weather. It effectively renders the use of rain gear too uncomfortable to be viable – especially if you are doing something that involves moderate to high physical exertion.
Hopefully, this muggy streak will soon come to an end.
In his capacity as Vice President of the UBC Radical Beer Faction, my friend Mike got interviewed by the CBC. You can listen to the interview over at the UBC Insider blog.
Brief reference to the RBF has already been made on this blog. You can see Mike’s personal blog – Twilight City – here.
The above is based on a few simple rules:
It is a pragmatic approach that I think can be applied regardless of one’s political beliefs or ideology.
How would other people structure this differently? Note that it doesn’t address any issues about why you prefer one platform to another, nor what characteristics you would find unacceptable in your representative.
Those who work in Gatineau should consider Restaurant Salade Spot as a quicker and cheaper alternative to Gaia. Located at 175 Promenade de Portage, it sells wraps and salads starting at $4.50 and $5.50 respectively. For $7.90, I got a large spinach salad with artichoke hearts, tomatoes, green olives, black beans, hard boiled eggs, blue cheese, and honey mustard dressing – including the $2.00 cost for a re-usable plastic container for it. Those who buy or bring a re-usable container get two free extra ingredients for their salad. Mine was markedly better than an equally filling meal of similar price from Marcello’s or Subway.
Apparently, they also source as many of their ingredients as possible locally. All told, it is definitely a place worth trying for those working in Place de Portage, les Terrasses de la Chaudière, and the vicinity.
[Update: 14 April 2009] It seems Salade Spot went bankrupt. I went there for lunch today and found the windows papered over and a ‘for sale’ sign up. There was no indication that the place had relocated, rather than shut down.
Last weekend involved a brunch attended by local bloggers, not unlike the four bloggers’ gatherings I attended in Oxford. Zoom has kindly provided the internet with her notes about what occurred and was discussed. An embarrassingly large number of items consist of esoteric topics that I raised. Many thanks to Zoom and XUP for organizing the gathering.
Incidentally, the Clocktower Pub (575 Bank Street) has a rather tasty four-cheese omelet on their brunch menu. It is both reasonably priced and very well stuffed with tasty melted cheese.
Back in April, I managed to spill coffee on the keyboard of my 14″ iBook, disabling a number of keys. Now, I have managed to return it to functionality for less cost than anticipated.
The authorized Apple repair places in Ottawa wanted $45 just to diagnose the problem – specifically, to determine if the failure lay in the keyboard itself or the logic board it connects to. Replacing the keyboard would then cost extra for parts and labour. Replacing the logic board would be quite a significant expense, largely because the machine would have to be seriously taken apart.
Instead of taking it into a shop, I bought a replacement keyboard on eBay for about $30. Had it been a logic board issue, I would have diagnosed it myself for a lesser cost, which could have been further reduced by re-selling the replacement keyboard. As it happens, the new keyboard works fine. The process of installing it is pretty straightforward:
I am always suspicious that stuff I buy on eBay is counterfeit. This keyboard certainly looks identical to the old one. I am less sure about the sounds and feeling of the keys, but that may just be because I had grown used to how an old keyboard feels, followed by the feeling of Apple’s nice new aluminum external keyboards.
The replacement keyboard is definitely squeakier than would be ideal (particularly in terms of the spacebar). Hopefully, it will mellow with use.