30 January 2008

Skin implants

Wow, glow in the dark skin implants that react to various genes. You could have each knuckle on each finger done. The one described is for the brain’s circadian clock, but I'm sure you can think of other ones that would be cool to have triggered. Or perhaps a little dot in the middle of the forehead.

Telstra can fire sex romp girl

It was with dismay that I read that Telstra could sack someone for some activity they undertook outside work hours. Is this a fair and reasonable punishment? Would they sack someone from being a scientologist or a jew? I know many people when I worked there who attended lunch time bible meetings. But a more interesting and perhaps sexist observation can be made. Why would they sack the woman, and not the two men? I mean it says: She was accused of sexually harassing another female employee by being naked in the hotel bath with two Telstra male workers. Telstra also claimed she dishonestly answered questions during a subsequent company investigation into the incident. Unfortunately the article makes no mention of the fate of the male employees. I would take a less dim view if the men were also sacked.

29 January 2008

a short history of modern japan

Japan was a medieval world who's leaders were unwilling to change. Some people wanted change and actively sought it. When the Americans forced change they took the opportunity and said never again will another country do this to us. So they built a big army, navy and later airforce. Some time later some other Japanese used these assets to attack the Americans. (revenge perhaps?) They lost. The Americans sailed into Tokyo bay as a hostile force for change a second time. So the Japanese said for a second time, never again.

18 January 2008

IRA and the Triads

I was in Taiwan in the middle of 1999 reading the paper, probably one of the versions of the times. But I cannot remember. There was this article about the Taiwanese being annoyed by the face that the IRA was training the local triads to use cells. They were annoyed because the cells were hard to detect and mad policing harder.

05 January 2008

the bigot test

A very simple way to detect a bigot:
  1. the bad guys are always them, and the good guys are always us.
  2. they never do good things.
  3. we never do bad things.
They can be countries, states, religious groups, social stratas and many other things.

01 January 2008

different tyres

Back when I was living in Cammeray (1997 ish), my car was parked out on the street. We were at home, watching the TV. There was a loud bang of a car crash. One of our neighbours near the front of the block of units ran out onto the street. The car that crashed into the back of mine was a suzuki switf. He tried to get the car to stop, but it would not. He got the number plate. 6 months later, the police sent a letter that they could not track down the car and were closing the case. The numberplate was for a car registered in the town of Urana (If I have remembered that correctly.)

Sometime within two years I purchased a Suzuki Jimny and joined the 4WD drive club. They made some comments about people who stole tyres and the need to keep a watch out for cars with different tyres. They seemed to know who might be doing this.