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katlalog



...discontinued...

090725 22:31 Web dev

Want!

090712 13:14 Science fiction

Just wanted to say:

Mysterious going-ons on earth are not scifi. X-Files is not scifi. Fringe is not scifi. Warehouse 13 is not scifi. No spaceships, no scifi! They are neither set in the future nor set in space, their claim to science is hocus-pocus, and there is a complete lack of the social criticism that marks so many outstanding SF. It's light entertainment for an audience that likes to be spooked but not challenged.

090625 23:24 Drugs

Reading through the doom and gloom of today's news on the BBC website i came across something that snapped me out of the dawning depression just in time: Stoned wallabies make crop circles (or 'Trippy Skippy' as one of the commenters called it).

Australian wallabies are eating opium poppies and creating crop circles as they hop around "as high as a kite"

Don't miss the comments! They are as funny:

I want to know who sold out the wallabies? Who's the narc? My guess is the platypus, he is such an odd duck.

090521 00:19 Web design

Damage control. The countless times this has happened to me...

God damit. I've spent like 20 hours doing markup on this site. And now it just hit me that I should check it in IE and see how it looks.

090519 01:45 Science fiction

popping my head out of the hole for a moment to announce that star trek is back - YAY! - and all is good. i'm exalted to announce that the star trek community seems generally happy and satisfied with the latest resurrection of the franchise, so much so that they are thrown into a blissful nostalgia, writing love letters to the various star trek incarnations, reminiscing about how star trek changed their lifes and made them better people. i haven't really heard a bad word about the film and even those who point out plot holes and flaws do it only after stating how great it was and reiterating this point frequently and apologetically.

of course, there are a few things to moan about. i hated the blown up hands although the whole scene was hilarious. i think it's an insult to not use an actress the right age for spock's mother. the accents were over-done (it's just so dated to emphasise that point so much). the ice planet scene was dumb. too close to hoth or that prison planet kirk was stranded on. and don't get me started on the old time travel plot. pleeeeease, no more time travel shite. i could deal with the clothes. i noticed that kirk managed to wear black most of the time. probably hates the mustard shirt.

none of that, however, spoiled an over all great film, an exilarating and entertaining ride. so far it's the best film this year. and i think i now figured out why i was so happy when i came out of the film. it was so good to see my old family again. it was a very rewarding film for fans. the most hilarious nod to fan was probably the red-shirt. there are certain conventions in this world that have to be followed! it feels good to come home to a place that is so familiar. down to the theme tune. thanks jj! many thanks!

actually, i wasn't really a massive fan of the original series. i was a teen during the eighties when political correctness slowly started to become a standard to be observed and then star trek: the next generation came along and taught us how. the next gen taught me how to be a better person and gave me a picture of the future i wanted. it's the world i wanted to live in (before the culture came along).

i'm a next gen kid, couldn't stand kirk... but... to be honest... the slightly more flawed characters of the orignal enterprise make much better material for an action movie than the far stiffer next gen crew. political correctness gets in the way of recklessness. data just never looked quite right with a huge gun in his hands. if we're honest we have to admit that in real life we know we should be like the crew of the next gen, but when we play we want to be naughty and wild, reckless like kirk, although probably a touch less childish.

that's why the new movie works, because it's a film for and about rejuveniles, today's humans. i would recommend to everyone to watch next gen for its making-you-a-better-person potential and watch the new kirk movie for the fun-factor. die-hard star terk fans will obviously keep an eye on the adherence to gene roddenberry's message but i think jj abrams got that message from the fans even before he started shooting this film. i'm hopeful.

gene in his own words (from a detailed article on his life and star trek):

We stress humanity, and this is done at considerable cost. We can't have a lot of dramatics that other shows get away with - promiscuity, greed, jealousy. None of those have a place in Star Trek.

p.s. if you're interested in the culture start with consider phlebas for a mind-blowing read. there's no good entry point to these books. there is no order to observe and they are not an easy read. the most recent ones maybe, but they're not as good. i guess you just have to dive in. if you don't mind a challenging read, my favorite one is excession, which it's wikipedia entry (link contains spoilers) summarizes thus:

The book is largely about the response of the Culture's Minds (AIs with enormous intellectual capabilities and distinctive personalities) to the Excession itself; the way in which another society, whose systematic brutality horrifies the Culture, tries to use the Excession to increase its power. As in Banks' other Culture novels the main themes are the moral dilemmas which confront a hyperpower and how biological characters find ways to give their lives meaning in a post-scarcity society which is really ruled by benign super-intelligent machines. The book features a large collection of Culture ship names, some of which give subtle clues about the roles these ships' Minds play in the story. In terms of style, the book is also notable for the way in which many important conversations between Minds resemble email messages complete with headers.

090511 00:52 hiatus (?)

i'm packing it in - at least for a while... until my life changes again and i find more time for surfing and commenting on things again. if you're interested in what i'm interested in just follow my daily round, mostly sites i've been reading since they first popped up:

first things first, the comics:

then, the serious stuff:

plus a few social network sites, forums and such.

also, if i wasn't listening to the BBC World Service anyway, i would probably check the BBC News site as well.

i will eventually resurface - with an overhauled website.

090321 20:26 Dolphins

Dolphins at Seaworld amuse themselves by blowing bubble rings, playing with them, popping them. They learned this from each other.

090319 13:06 Browsers

The greatest mystery of all.

090312 20:25 TV

The Whedonite's Dilemma

To be honest, i hate Dollhouse. Dushku is just one of those totally unreal, totally immaculate American women. But looks don't cache the lack of acting skills. It's one big wankfest rather than good television. Even the geek's assistant wears net stockings and pencil heels. Tahmoh Penikett's character doesn't get enough air time and his story isn't going anywhere fast enough. Sure, could be the studio's fault again. Joss Whedon wanted to tell the story differently and again they didn't let him. So, is he going to learn this time and quit network television? He should just move to the web and do more stuff like Dr. Horrible.

090215 15:16 Accessibility

WebAIM conducted a Survey of Preferences of Screen Readers Users, which provides some interesting insights. Flash and pop-ups are still evil, frames aren't. People who use screenreaders regularly also customize them heavily, which is good news because it means that they are more likely to bother to learn how to use their tools than the average internet user who doesn't even know what a browser is. They use skip links and header navigation, prefer search over sitemaps. To my great dismay people do use accesskeys although i really don't know how since there are no conventions. And the jury still seems to be out on the accessibility of Web 2.0.

090210 01:20 Winter weather

If you're of the opinion that Europe has been experiencing a rough winter, spare a thought for the people who lived through the winter of 1709 : The year that Europe froze.

The sea froze. Lakes and rivers froze, and the soil froze to a depth of a metre or more. Livestock died from cold in their barns, chicken's combs froze and fell off, trees exploded and travellers froze to death on the roads. It was the coldest winter in 500 years.

090203 18:15 Winter weather

Snow in the UK! Who would have thought. In 12 years of living there i saw snow once. Of course, as expected, everything grinds to a hold because they are not prepared for it. Would be silly too to spend all that money on something that only happens every 18 years. As i wrote to a friend last night:

I hope you're all having fun with it. Snow is good for the earth. It needs this rest. So just enjoy it. Wrap up warm and go build a snowman.

...and stop complaining (you as a people) that the services can't cope. Remember how much of your tax dollars it would take to maintain a fleet of road-clearing vehicles that are only needed every 18 years! And how much a set of winter tires would cost you. (although... it would really piss me off if the internet went down.)

Here in Germany we cope better because we have winter tires and the right equipment because it snows more often. But we would never find it necessary to go as far as the Minnesotans have to go each winter. Their survival kit, that they keep in the boot of their cars, includes:

  • 6 long-burning plumber's candles (for heat and cooking)
  • kerosene stove and fuel cylinder (for extended stay)
  • string
  • extra blankets, sleeping bag
  • dried foods
  • 5-gallon water jug, filled
  • matches
  • deck of cards
  • flashlight, extra batteries
  • transistor radio, extra batteries
  • CB radio
  • set of cooking utensils
  • wire
  • machete
  • rifle, extra shells
  • chain saw
  • toilet paper
  • paper towels
  • hunting bow, extra arrows
  • hunting knife
  • Bible
  • "Hunting from a Stranded Car" by Jack Jackson
  • "How to Field-Dress Game Inside a Car" by Jack Jackson
  • pictures of your family
  • first-aid kit
  • 3 cartons of cigarette for bartering
  • twenty-foot fiberglass pole with red flag (car locator)
  • wash basin
  • soap
  • clean underwear
  • toothbrush, toothpaste
  • salt
  • ketchup

(from "How to talk Minnesotan - A Visitor's Guide" by Howard Mohr)

Minnesotans are adviced to stay with their car until help or spring arrives. Whichever comes first.

More good news: Record London snowstorm defeats the surveillance state.

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quote of the month

I'm a bohemian type, so I could scarcely be bothered to do anything "financially sound" in my entire adult life. Last year was the first year when I've felt genuinely sorry for responsible, well-to-do people.

(Bruce Sterling: State of the World, 2009)