CAN I BE OF ASSISTANCE?
Shut it!

Journalists Learn... Nothing

Associated Press, via The Age:

New York, NY
May 9, 2005 - 11:11AM

Journalists - those mainstream writers who believe rules are for other people - are fighting back against criticism that their work is unreliable, libelous or just poorly done.

Okay, they didn't write exactly that.

Meanwhile, same bat-section, same bat-paper:

John Davies, director of the company's solutions development market group, is eyeing the estimated 1.2 billion children aged 15-18 as potential notebook buyers and the world's estimated 760 million field workers, who could be in the market for a handheld device or smartphone.

1.2 billion children aged 15-18? Add to that the 4.5 billion children aged 0-14, and it's a wonder the 740 million adults left over have time to think in between changing nappies and grounding recalcitrant teenagers.

It took me nearly a minute to find out that the estimated world population of children aged 15-18 is 480 million. Data here. Of course, you have to be sufficiently awake to realise that with a global population of roughly six billion, you're not going to find one-fifth of that in a four-year age bracket.

Blogs: Fact-checking an ass near you.

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Portrait of an Extreme Right Winger

Via Ace, an interesting test to plot your political position against British opinion.

Like most of these tests, it has two axes, one involving economics, the other in this case involving "crime and punishment, Europe, and other transnational issues".

For the latter, they say:

A person on the extreme right of this axis is likely to agree with all of the following statements:

• Prisons are too soft on criminals


• The UK should withdraw from the European Union


• Most immigrants are not beneficial to the UK


• Some crimes are so serious that the only proper punishment is the death penalty


• It's more important to punish criminals than to rehabilitate them


• The government should not give any more aid to poor countries

I regard myself as a centrist, or a little bit right of centre. On this scale, I am indeed a centrist, with 38.2% of people to my left, 26.5% to my right, and 35.3% more-or-less agreeing with me.

Fine. Most of those statements draw a "yes, but..." or "no, but..." response from me, which makes me not just a centrist but a moderate. Ewww.

On the economic scale, though, they cough up this hairball:

A person on the extreme right of this axis is likely to agree with all of the following statements:

• Britain's railways should remain in private ownership


• Rich people already pay enough tax


• I am comfortable with the way that genetic engineering is being used in the food industry


• The UK was right to go to war in Iraq


• Most people should take responsibility for saving enough for their retirement, rather than relying on the Government to pay a big enough pension to live on


• This country should try to become more like the United States of America than like France or Germany

Ble?

There are three basic policies under discussion here:

1. Socialism (points 1, 2, 5 & 6)
2. Government oversight of industry (3)
3. Intervention (4)

Now, we know for a fact that socialism destroys countries. How destructive it is depends on how much socialism you add to the political mix. A country with a healthy economy (the U.S., for example) can cope with a certain amount of socialism (Medicare, Social Security). Ratchet it up to 100% and no matter what human and material resources you start with, your country will collapse (Soviet Union).

So points 1, 2, 5 & 6 aren't questions of opinion, but questions of fact. And yet they are represented as extreme right-wing views.

Point 4, The UK was right to go to war in Iraq, is a little different. I have always supported the war in Iraq for humanitarian and geopolitical reasons, but I think the humanitarian reasons alone should suffice. But again, this is represented as an extreme right-wing view.

Point 3, on genetic engineering, is different again. Most of the European protests over GM food are ill-informed and foolish, but there are real concerns, both over GM food and over the conduct of large companies.

Anyway, my position - I agree strongly with the liberation of Iraq and that the U.K. should become more like the U.S. and less like France and Germany; and I agree moderately with the other four points - my position is significantly to the right of 96.8% of people who have taken this test. And only 0.4% are to my right.

Either that sample is way skewed, or Britain is doomed.

(Note also that they cite Oliver Kamm - Oliver Kamm! - as an extreme right-winger. Doomed, I tell you.)

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Still More Shiny Thing!

Didn't get to pick up my new computer today. Sad Pixy.

But here's a picture of the keyboard I'm getting:

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More Shiny Thing!

My new super-duper 64-bit computer will finally arrive tomorrow. Complete with 2GB of memory and 500GB of disk. Yay me!

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Shiny Thing!

I can get 8Mbit ADSL in my area now - up from my current 1.5Mbit. Cheaper too - $120 per month including the phone service, instead of $120 plus the phone service. (You don't have the option of having ADSL without a phone here in Australia. Thanks again, Telstra.)

Only catch is that it's capped at 80GB per month - 40GB during the day plus 40GB at night, where my current service is completely unlimited. 80GB a month is probably enough, I think. (Before you suggest that 80GB is unimaginably vast, just backing up the munuserver uses up more than 10GB every month.)

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The Cost Of Being Australian

I'm an Australian through-and-through. There are few other countries in the world where I'd want to live - America, Japan, some of the "new Europe" countries like Hungary - and probably none that come before Australia. But living here comes with a cost.

Amazon U.S:

Blog : Understanding the Information Reformation That's Changing Your World
by Hugh Hewitt

Search inside this book Share your own customer images	List Price: $19.99 Price: $13.99 & Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. See details You Save: $6.00 (30%) Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours from Amazon.com. Sold by Amazon.com. Want it delivered Thursday, May 5? 72 used & new from $9.99 Edition: Hardcover

Angus & Robertson Australia:

Blog: Understanding the Information Reformation That's Changing Your World
Author: Hugh Hewitt

Millions of people are changing their information acquisition habits, and theWeb log, or "blog" has become a popular source. Hewitt helps readers positiontheir business or organization at the forefront of this information movement.160 pp.

	Online Price $36.95

Publisher: Nelson Books
ISBN: 078521187X
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 256

This title is in stock at the supplier but must be ordered from the US. Approximately 10-15 days plus delivery time

Click Here for Shipping Costs

Prices and Stock Availability may vary between www.angusrobertson.com.au and Angus & Robertson Stores. All Prices in Australian Dollars

The Aussie dollar is currently at US$0.77. That makes Blog cost US$28.45 - twice the U.S. retail price.

Hey, Jeff Bezos! You already have the amazon.com.au domain, maybe it's time to, y'now, do something with it? It's not like you have any serious competition...

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You Nailed What To The Church Door?

Andrea Harris is filling in for the Pope, and answers a few questions.

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For A Dumb Quiz, That's Not Half Bad

I am: 59% Republican.

"Congratulations, you're a swing voter. When they say 'Nascar Dad', they mean you. Every Republican ad on the TV set was made just for your viewing pleasure. Don't you feel special?"

Are You A Republican?

caltechgirl again

Ah, interesting. A little tweaking of my answers, and I get:

I am: -42% Republican.

"The Marxists are too reactionary for you. With people like you around, America collectively thanks God for John Ashcroft."

Are You A Republican?

Cool.

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And Cannot Be Stopped!

-small verdana;">Ambient Irony is a Giant Ape that fires Rockets, enjoys Climbing Buildings, is Blind, and CANNOT BE STOPPED. Strength: 11 Agility: 6 Intelligence: 9 To see if your Giant Battle Monster can defeat Ambient Irony, enter your name and choose an attack: fights Ambient Irony using Strength Agility Intelligence

On the other hand:

-small verdana;">Pixy Misa is a Tiny Moth that eats Trees, dissolves in Water, looks like a Man in a Rubber Suit, and fears the Military. Strength: 1 Agility: 5 Intelligence: 5 To see if your Giant Battle Monster can defeat Pixy Misa, enter your name and choose an attack: fights Pixy Misa using Strength Agility Intelligence

caltechgirl < Princess Jami < Robert the Llamabutcher

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Something Good From The CIA

The CIA have updated their World Factbook for 2005. Interesting to see the new economic figures. New Zealand's economy is steaming along at a 4.8% growth rate, for example, and Germany and Japan are both showing signs of improvement.

You can download the whole thing in one gulp here if you are so inclined, along with the editions for the years 2000 through 2004.

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