Evil marketers: "It's not good enough for just these marketing people to realise that they've screwed up and damaged the brands they were associated with - we have to keep making examples of them to stop other clumsy organisations viewing our self-created territories as nothing more than sales opportunities."
"Hello, amateurs of travel!"
Trying to find somewhere to send me a Moldovan tourist voucher that doesn't cost £120 is interesting. The Romanian and Ukrainian visas look like they're on track - someone called from the Romanian Embassy to check details and they should send my passport back tomorrow or Monday, and I can pick up my Ukrainian visa Monday. Now if only I could get everything finished at work, life would be (almost) perfect.
I'm kinda glad I'm not the only one who was traumatised as child by the Hobyahs creep, creep, creeping. And I used to feel so bad for the poor dog who got in trouble for trying to warn them.
"The key ingredients are budget flights, cheap accommodation, cheap alcohol and strangely enough, a well-preserved historic centre. When it comes to booze-fuelled mayhem, it seems that Brits feel most at home amongst medieval buildings, getting their kicks in Prague, Budapest, Riga and Tallinn." (BBC)
Inching slowly closer... I managed to send my Romanian visa application off this morning, and I've given money to Ukrainians I found on the internet for a Ukrainian visa invitation.
My lunch break, by Mia, aged 32.9945205479452055
I fr!cking hate the Post Office.
I've just wasted two hours trying to send a visa application to the Romanian Embassy, and I really don't have time at the moment.
Before I set out, I looked up the nearest Post Office on their website. It didn't mention working hours, so I assumed they'd be a standard 9 - 5 or 10 - 6 or something.
I walk down there, and they're just closing for their lunch break. That makes sense, it might get busy between 1 and 2:15, what with people running errands in their lunch break and stuff, so you're much better off closing over that time.
So I walk down to the Old Street Post Office, wait in line for FSM only knows how long, finally get served.
Bit of annoyance over special delivery vs recorded delivery envelopes - one is available behind the counter, the other isn't. Ok, whatever, just give me whichever one you've got. All I need now is a Postal Order to pay for the visa application.
Except you can't pay for Postal Orders with a card - cash only, he says. Perfectly logical - after all, if you're sending a lot of money and want to make sure it gets there safely, carry it through the streets as a wad of cash first. Just hope you don't get mugged or you'll never be able to buy whatever it is you needed a Postal Order for in the first place.
So now I'm back in the office, visa application still unsent, but now I'm hot, tired, hungry and mightily p!ssed off.
Did I mention that I hate the Post Office?
Interesting boycotts list from the ethical consumer site.
I randomly came across this site about living in the Netherlands - it's a good read and mentions lots of the things that frustrated me at the time.
Interesting reading at a time when the nuclear power PR people are getting lots of positive stories in the popular press:
"If you believe newspapers and watch the news, nuclear power is part of the answer to global warming. Nuclear power is greenhouse-gas emission friendly, we're told.
...
But nuclear power only looks greenhouse-friendly from a distance. If you take a closer look, it's far from a solution to the climate crisis.
The first problem is the widespread idea that most greenhouse gases come from electrical power. Unfortunately for all of us, that's not the case. In 1999 the International Energy Agency estimated the world emissions from electrical networks at less than 39 per cent of total emissions.
...
Going on the figures on the World Nuclear Association website, if the present global output of electricity were obtained entirely from nuclear reactors, and as efficiently as best practice allowed, the uranium in all the known rich-ore bodies in the world that they list would keep them going for just under nine years. Thereafter, the world would have no nuclear power stations operating and therefore no power stations at all.
...
In other words, nuclear power isn't neutral when it comes to greenhouse gases. On the contrary, greenhouse gases are emitted at every step along the way to generating nuclear power.
In dismissing solar power, Homer has to overlook the recent United Nations report saying that an 800-square-kilometre area of the Sahara could generate enough electricity for the whole world. He is, of course, still entitled to his opinion that solar is a pipedream. But so too is the popular notion that nuclear power is greenhouse-gas friendly."
I thought this was relatively old news, but it never hurts to see it again:
"The clitoris rivals the penis in size.
"The vaginal wall is, in fact, the clitoris"
...
Frustrated that [Australian urologist, Dr Helen O'Connell] kept failing a medical exam, she went back to the anatomy books for answers. She discovered they were wrong.
"They left it out," she said. "It boils down to rivalry between the sexes: the idea that one sex is sexual and the other reproductive.""
Time for rethink on the clitoris
A collection of articles about the gay marriage ban in Australia:
"Australia's conservative national government has overruled a local law allowing gay unions.
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) became the first part of the country to legally recognise gay relationships when it voted on the issue last month.
But now the federal government has stepped in to invalidate the new law."
Australia overrules gay union law, BBC.
The latest:
"The Australian Greens and Democrats tomorrow will seek to overturn the federal government's decision to block ACT laws allowing same-sex civil unions.
This morning Federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock announced that Governor-General Michael Jeffrey had agreed to use his powers to disallow the ACT law, which would have allowed gay couples to have their relationships registered and legally recognised."
Minor parties fight gay marriage ban, The Age.
"Coalition Senators are being urged to cross the floor and over-ride the Government's move to disallow ACT civil unions laws.
...
ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell has attacked the Governor-General's decision, calling it arrogant and undemocratic.
Mr Corbell says the issue of same sex unions will not go away and he will continue to push for legal recognition for gay couples.
"We will pursue all options to provide for equality under the law for people in same sex relationships," he said."
Senators urged to protect civil unions, ABC.
One reason Australia needs to allow gay marriage:
"Mr Walters said the inability of gay people to have their relationships formally and legally recognised caused great damage.
"The implication that (homosexuality) is in some way shameful or second class cannot be avoided when we treat people in this way," he said.
"We have a high rate of youth suicide in Australia - one of the highest in the world - and one reason for that is where people's sexuality is not accepted by the wider community and the message that sends is very damaging to those who are just finding out about their sexuality," he said."
Rights group slams gay marriage ban, The Age.
And a bit of a conspiracy theory:
"The federal government's decision comes just after a push by United States President George Bush for a constitutional ban on gay marriage."
Gay couples to lose right to say 'I do', The Age.
"US politicians have rejected attempts to enshrine the principle of net neutrality in legislation.
Some fear the decision will mean net providers start deciding on behalf of customers which websites and services they can visit and use.
...
An amendment to the Act tried to add clauses that would demand net service firms treat equally all the data passing through their cables.
The amendment was thought to be needed after the FCC ripped up its rules that guaranteed net neutrality.
During the debate House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, said that without the amendment "telecommunications and cable companies will be able to create toll lanes on the information superhighway". " BBC
"Gay couples will be able to say "I do" in Canberra within two weeks, after the ACT yesterday fast-tracked its civil union laws in defiance of the Commonwealth's decision to scuttle them.
ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell said the Government would reduce the notification period for people wishing to enter into civil unions, to enable ceremonies to begin within a fortnight.
The new laws — which would entitle same-sex couples to the same rights as married couples under ACT law, such as rights to property in the event of a relationship break-up and power of attorney — were intended to come into effect on August 1.
However Mr Corbell last night said the commencement date would be brought forward after Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said he would ask the Governor-General to disallow the laws on August 1, to "defend the fundamental institution of marriage"." Age
We were evil, Google founder admits
"Google Inc. co-founder Sergey Brin acknowledged the dominant internet company has compromised its principles by accommodating Chinese censorship demands. He said Google is wrestling to make the deal work before deciding whether to reverse course." SMH
""The proposed television version of How to Furnish a Flat has now fallen through owing to unavailability of the furniture," a committee noted." The BBC on the bad old days of British television.
Incredible see-through signs campaign by Amnesty International.
"The mysterious "London stone" is going to be rescued from a building due to be demolished. Does it mean that London is going to be saved from an ancient legend?
...the London Stone - an ancient and mysterious object mentioned by Shakespeare, William Blake and Dickens, which has been seen as one of the capital's greatest relics since at least the Middle Ages and probably much earlier." BBC
"The US Senate has blocked a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage." BBC
One in 10 workers 'incompetent'
"More than one in every 10 workers in England are incompetent at their jobs, a survey of 72,100 employers suggests." BBC
I was just looking for information about recycling plastic on the Hackney website, and came across this:
"Yellow pages directories are made into separate components and reprocessed into new batteries or reused as raw materials."
Batteries made out of phone books? That's quite impressive technology.
And catching up on older news... I had a lovely long weekend in Brussels, and came back late Sunday night so I was able to spend a lazy Bank Holiday Monday on Southbank. I went to the Tate Modern to check out the re-hang, then to the pub.
I didn't do anything touristy in Brussels, though we did accidentally come across Manneken Pis and I rubbed effigy of 'T Serclaes. We went to a few small exhibitions, lots of clubs (Just Another Party, Miss Kittin at Fuse) and ate waffles. I find the bilingual thing fascinating - the Walloons and the Flems don't even call the city by the same name.
"Daggy music is one way to make the hoons leave an area, because they can't stand the music". Ahh, Australia. The BBC article helpfully explains that "Daggy is Australian slang for unfashionable or uncool".
I read in WWW that 'CUB' cashed-up bogans is a new phrase in use in Australia - can anyone confirm?
Yesterday was lovely. I went to the Art Car Boot Fair, checked out a graduate art show also on Brick Lane and caught up with friends for beers. And it was even sunny! Later Min and I saw Bic Runga, supported by Anna Coddington, in a lovely intimate gig at the Spitz. Anika Moa also sang back-up. I hadn't seen her before so that was a bonus.
I didn't make it to any of the birthdays I was meant to go to, but I think I needed a break more than I needed big nights out. Work has been too busy for too long. So now it's heads down and back to Roman pottery codes, OAI XML stuff and clay objects.
"Couple exchanges wedding vowels at a local Wal-Mart". To the strains of Celine Dion, no less.
I wonder which vowels they were - I O U?
"Archaeologists studying an ancient mosaic found by workers laying cable south of Rome have been astonished to discover that it is an optical illusion.
Viewed one way up it is a bald old man with a beard, but turned the other way round it is a beardless youth." (Guardian)
"There's no point debating anything online. You might as well hurl shoes in the air to knock clouds from the sky. The internet's perfect for all manner of things, but productive discussion ain't one of them. It provides scant room for debate and infinite opportunities for fruitless point-scoring: the heady combination of perceived anonymity, gestated responses, random heckling and a notional "live audience" quickly conspire to create a "perfect storm" of perpetual bickering." Guardian
I'm not sure I agree but it's an interesting viewpoint.
"There is, I think, a growing sensitivity to cartoons' potential impact in public debate. Maybe that is because they are becoming one of the last redoubts for undisciplined, unspun commentary. You might argue that the powers that be could reasonably expect loyalty in time of a war against terror. I don't agree, however, that we are made safer by limiting the organs of dissent.
...
Cartoons are the hub of the surviving anti-spin and shaming devices in the mainstream media at a time when spin and shamelessness are a ballooning element in public life.
...
The spin doctors out there will be noticing how much cartoonists can add to an argument, and will be thinking of ways to cultivate them, ways of helping them over the fear that dogs them all: that the paper will have to run with a blank space where their cartoon should be. Let them and their editors be warned, and long may they remain uncultivatable." (Age)
dnsstuff.com is really handy for dns/IP (and reverse) lookups.