pessimist optimist realist

“The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist waits and expects it to change. The realist adjusts the sails.”

(Seen at adventure journalist : the notebook)

More Stuff That Every Gamer Needs

Just in case you ever wanted to know, The Straight Dope brings us:

When the zombies take over, how long till the electricity fails?

How long the power supply would last in the most critical zombie situation depends on two key factors - first, how long a given power plant can operate without human intervention, and second, how long before enough power plants fail to bring down the entire transmission grid. I’ll ignore the side issues of whether the zombies would want to try to run the power plant themselves, or if they would be a union or non-union shop.

Hostile Movie Theaters

Nelson’s Weblog: guestblog / marc / movie-theaters

It would certainly be cheaper to buy the movie on DVD and own it forever, than to watch it once for nearly twice the price; the popcorn would be better, cheaper, and faster, and could be topped with real butter instead of “topping”; the water would be tastier, colder, and available for $1.49 per 100 cubic feet; and the talking would be sanctioned or actionable. Plus, no ads. It’s no wonder home theater is booming.

Most Americans are not meeting their dietary needs for calcium

From Most Americans are not meeting their dietary needs for calcium

According to government surveys, 70 percent of girls and 60 percent of boys ages 6-11 do not meet current calcium recommendations. Likewise, about 90 percent of teenage girls and adult women and 70 percent of teenage boys and adult men don’t meet daily dietary recommendations for calcium. And for those of us over age 50, less than 15 percent meet our daily dietary calcium recommendations.

Suburban Obesity

UBC professor making big splash in U.S. journals by linking driving and obesity

Frank found that the average white male living in a community lined with shops and other businesses is expected to weigh 10 pounds less than a man living in a residential-only subdivision.

“Every additional 30 minutes spent in a car each day translates into a three per cent greater chance of being obese,” he said from his home in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood, which he proclaims the most walkable in the world.

Will ANYTHING new ever work?

ComputerZen.com - Scott Hanselman’s Weblog - Will ANYTHING new ever work?

There is a subtle (as a brick in the face) difference between “It just works” and “I got it to work.”

When I think about it, I realize how much this applies to the things I do on a day-to-day basis. Certainly most things in my life “just work”; cars, telephones (but not cell phones), kitchen stuff, light switches, hot water heater, laundry, furnace, and on and on. (Can you imagine what life would be like if they didn’t?)

The 80s Survey

15 gang members were surveyed. Here is the resulting list of top 80s songs:

1. The Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star (85)
2. J. Geils Band - Centerfold (81)
3. Katrina And The Waves - Walking On Sunshine (66)
4. Duran Duran - Rio (62)
5. Bon Jovi - Livin’ On A Prayer (59)
6. Depeche Mode - I Just Can’t Get Enough (54)
7. David Bowie - Modern Love (49)
8. Romantics - What I Like About You (39)
9. A-Ha - Take On Me (39)
10. New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle (37)
11. Culture Club - Karma Chameleon (37)
12. Animotion - Obsession (36)
13. Dead or Alive - You Spin Me Round (36)
14. The Bangles - Walk Like An Egyptian (34)
15. Yaz - Situation (31)
16. Soft Cell - Tainted Love (31)
17. Bananarama - Venus (30)
18. Violent Femmes - Blister In The Sun (29)
19. J. Geils Band - Freeze Frame (29)
20. Prince - Let’s Go Crazy (29)
21. Eurythmics - Revival (28)
22. Go-Gos - We’ve Got The Beat (28)
23. B-52s - Love Shack (27)
24. B-52s - Rock Lobster (27)
25. Laura Branigan - Gloria (24)

Psychoanalysis is left as an exercise for the reader.

New Ontario Health Tax

Our take-home pay just dropped by $1500 / year, thanks to the new Ontario budget. That’s my yearly gas bill, for comparison.

This just the new Health Tax; I haven’t calculated the net effect of all the other taxes. Liquor taxes are up, for example.

My benefits are going to cost my employer more, now that they’ve delisted several common services (like eye exams and physiotherapy).

Grrr.

Caffeine

For those of you looking to maximize (or minimize) your caffeine consumption, CTV news presents caffeine concentrations in Canadian coffee:

via CTV News

Health Canada’s maximum recommended daily intake of caffeine is 400mg, which is approximately one 20oz cup of coffee from Starbuck’s or Second Cup.

Another recent study (I’ll see if I can find the link) showed that caffeine works better, and has fewer side effects, if it is given in low doses throughout the day, rather than as large doses (such as from a 20oz cup during your morning commute).

Speaking of Alternative Medicine

Diet of worms protects against bowel cancer

REGULAR doses of worms really do rid people of inflammatory bowel disease.

“A lot of researchers couldn’t believe this treatment was effective, but people are always sceptical when confronted with new ideas,” Weinstock says.

Weinstock’s theory is that our immune systems have evolved to cope with the presence of such parasites, and can become overactive without them.

Software Exceptions

I have opinions on the whole software exceptions debate, but nothing earth shattering (and nothing that hasn’t been expressed elswhere). But I had to laugh at this particular snippet

Fortunately for me I mostly ignore exceptions because I don’t really give a damn how well my software works - just that I get paid (and quick!).

I have days like that…

Yes, Fat Kills…

Wired News: How Does Fat Kill Thee? Many Ways

Research into the biology of fat is turning up some surprising new insights about how obesity kills. The weight of the evidence: It’s the toxic mischief of the flesh itself.

Experts have realized for decades that large people die young, and the explanation long seemed obvious. Carrying around all those extra pounds must put a deadly strain on the heart and other organs.

Big Companies

There are advantages to working for a big company.

I’m working in Ottawa this week. About a quarter of a floor here is space for “mobile workers”; people who are out in the field most of the time, and so don’t have a dedicated office. But they’re available to any employee who needs a desk and a network connection away from home. They have (direct dial!) telephones, printers, and even coffee!

News

I spent much of last week in Ottawa, and this week catching up. Plus getting ready for Gareth’s (first) birthday sleepover (tonight), Kortright kite fest this weekend, and I’m going back to Ottawa for a week on Sunday. Then the following week is the open source conference (Sun-Tue)… not to mention mundane things like 5.1 patch 2 and a continuing low-level stream of customer issues…

I’m a little wrung out?

Diversity vs. Inequality

The New York Times contains an essay titled Diversity’s False Solace (registration required).

I loved these quotes:

the reason we like the problem of racism is that solving it just requires us to give up our prejudices, whereas solving the problem of economic inequality might require something more — it might require us to give up our money.

When student and faculty activists struggle for cultural diversity, they are in large part battling over what skin color the rich kids should have. […] As long as we think that our best universities are fair if they are appropriately diverse, we don’t have to worry that most people can’t go to them.

Noise

From Nelson’s Weblog: life / escapeFromNoise:

Sound isn’t like light. You can close or avert your eyes but it’s nearly impossible to avoid an offensive sound.

• Here at work we have a large atrium rising the height of the building (eight floors). All but floors six and seven are open to the core; no walls, just a railing. Needless to say, noise carries quite well, especially up from the lobby.