Post-apocalyptic Folk Music
The Fall by Red Hunter/Peter and the Wolf
This isn't my favourite arrangement of this song. I prefer the one that's appended to this week's Escape Pod. Jump in at about 35:36 to hear it. Unfortunately, I couldn't track down a link for this version. Hell, I'd even be happy to pay for it. Anyway, give it a listen, it's a beautiful tune.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
On technical advances in everyday life
America, for being the centre of the technological world, is surprisingly ass backwards when it comes to certain things. There's a large number of applications that they seem to have completely right. Self checkouts and supermarkets strikes me as one that hasn't really taken off in NZ that is pretty handy. But for some stuff, it seems they have the most archaic approaches to technology.
The big one for me is internet banking. In NZ, when I get paid by my job, it goes straight into my account. When I pay someone money, it goes straight to theirs. It's how I pay rent, utilities, the flat kitty, everything. It's all done with nary a scrap of paper.
For some reason, America doesn't seem to have this. My paycheque? Comes in the mail. For my rent and utilities I have to write a cheque. I wrote three cheques the entire time I was in New Zealand, having a chequebook for 7 years. Three. Everything else was cash, plastic or electronic. It boggles my mind that they don't have the simple infrastructure for bank to bank transfers. I convinced my one flatmate to let me wire her across some money I owed her, as we were both with the same bank. Not only was she nervous about the whole thing, as it's just not done here, but if she were with a different bank it wouldn't have been possible. I find it incredibly frustrating to have to pay rent and utilities this way. Rather than have the money transfer the same day, I need to make sure I've got enough in the account, and that it stays there for the week it takes for the cheque to reach its destination by post, then get deposited.
But lets remember, this is a nation that's only recently come to grasp with the debit card.
The big one for me is internet banking. In NZ, when I get paid by my job, it goes straight into my account. When I pay someone money, it goes straight to theirs. It's how I pay rent, utilities, the flat kitty, everything. It's all done with nary a scrap of paper.
For some reason, America doesn't seem to have this. My paycheque? Comes in the mail. For my rent and utilities I have to write a cheque. I wrote three cheques the entire time I was in New Zealand, having a chequebook for 7 years. Three. Everything else was cash, plastic or electronic. It boggles my mind that they don't have the simple infrastructure for bank to bank transfers. I convinced my one flatmate to let me wire her across some money I owed her, as we were both with the same bank. Not only was she nervous about the whole thing, as it's just not done here, but if she were with a different bank it wouldn't have been possible. I find it incredibly frustrating to have to pay rent and utilities this way. Rather than have the money transfer the same day, I need to make sure I've got enough in the account, and that it stays there for the week it takes for the cheque to reach its destination by post, then get deposited.
But lets remember, this is a nation that's only recently come to grasp with the debit card.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Overly complicated invention #73
A Bluetooth meat thermometer.
Now, hear me out with this one. If you've ever tried to make a roast, and get it that wonderful medium rare pink colour, you know just how important temperatures is. You want the roast to hit just the right temp, and then grab that thing out of the oven before it becomes the texture of an elderly Floridean. So, are you going to spend three hours watching your oven like a hawk, waiting for the needle to hit the magic spot, or for the little red button to pop up? Hell no!
Instead, a bluetooth thermometer!
You set the meat type and how well done you want it. Say, lamb roast, rare. Jab it in the thickest part of the meat, and walk away. As soon as it hits the right temperature (which will be stored in the thermometer's memory) it sends you a text message. You hustle over, and pull your perfectly cooked roast out of the oven.
Of course, the electronics would have to be heat shielded, but still...
Now, hear me out with this one. If you've ever tried to make a roast, and get it that wonderful medium rare pink colour, you know just how important temperatures is. You want the roast to hit just the right temp, and then grab that thing out of the oven before it becomes the texture of an elderly Floridean. So, are you going to spend three hours watching your oven like a hawk, waiting for the needle to hit the magic spot, or for the little red button to pop up? Hell no!
Instead, a bluetooth thermometer!
You set the meat type and how well done you want it. Say, lamb roast, rare. Jab it in the thickest part of the meat, and walk away. As soon as it hits the right temperature (which will be stored in the thermometer's memory) it sends you a text message. You hustle over, and pull your perfectly cooked roast out of the oven.
Of course, the electronics would have to be heat shielded, but still...
Monday, April 21, 2008
The saddest thing ever....
I found these at a local Asian grocer. Some of you may know why this is the saddest thing in existence. Some may not. Regardless, just follow the link to see it.
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/3576/saddestthingevertf1.jpg
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/3576/saddestthingevertf1.jpg
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Diagram week, day 7: Overly complicated music joke
7 days, 7 diagrams, no laughs!
That's it folks. Will resume sane posting any day now.
That's it folks. Will resume sane posting any day now.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Diagram week, day 6
With regards to days 5 and 3:
*this sudden downturn at the end is for those who are smart and geeky enough to realise my graphs are poorly constructed without real mathematical models to support them.
*this sudden downturn at the end is for those who are smart and geeky enough to realise my graphs are poorly constructed without real mathematical models to support them.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Diagram week, day 4: Hulk special edition
A special look at graphically representing the Hulk's power.
As we all know, the madder the Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets. But is it possible to express this mathematically? For ease of graphing, we'll make the assumption that rage=0 is the point where Bruce Banner transforms into the the Hulk! Likewise, anything below 0 on the x-axis is puny Banner territory.
Firstly, lets take a direct, 1:1 relationship between rage and strength. In this diagram, the madder Hulk gets, he equally gets strong. Twice as mad=twice the property damage. Of course, the problem with this is that it's far too slow. Hulk's poweer ramps up at a much higher speed than that.
Here we have a linear but faster graph. Hulks power is now twice his rage. So if he's two times as angry, he's now four times as destructive. But this still isn't enough to count for the really high end Hulk smashings.
Ah, a parabolic curve! Now we're talking! Geometric increase in strength! Three times the rage for nine times the strength! The only problem is...the -x axis. If we take a rage^2 approach, Banner is just as strong as Hulk, which isn't right at all.
Ah-ha! A rage^3 graph! Better, better. It still increases rapidly on the +x axis, which is good. And it doesn't show Banner getting ludicrously strong on the -x axis which is also good. However, the Banner side of things doesn't really make sense. Banner doesn't get weaker the happier he is. An -x axis would have to hover around zero, and not continue to drop off.
Now, this makes a certain amount of sense! It's a logarithmic graph (kinda). Hulk's power rapidly ramps up with rage, and Banners doesn't dramatically drop off. The final equation? logstrength=0.2rage-1
As we all know, the madder the Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets. But is it possible to express this mathematically? For ease of graphing, we'll make the assumption that rage=0 is the point where Bruce Banner transforms into the the Hulk! Likewise, anything below 0 on the x-axis is puny Banner territory.
Firstly, lets take a direct, 1:1 relationship between rage and strength. In this diagram, the madder Hulk gets, he equally gets strong. Twice as mad=twice the property damage. Of course, the problem with this is that it's far too slow. Hulk's poweer ramps up at a much higher speed than that.
Here we have a linear but faster graph. Hulks power is now twice his rage. So if he's two times as angry, he's now four times as destructive. But this still isn't enough to count for the really high end Hulk smashings.
Ah, a parabolic curve! Now we're talking! Geometric increase in strength! Three times the rage for nine times the strength! The only problem is...the -x axis. If we take a rage^2 approach, Banner is just as strong as Hulk, which isn't right at all.
Ah-ha! A rage^3 graph! Better, better. It still increases rapidly on the +x axis, which is good. And it doesn't show Banner getting ludicrously strong on the -x axis which is also good. However, the Banner side of things doesn't really make sense. Banner doesn't get weaker the happier he is. An -x axis would have to hover around zero, and not continue to drop off.
Now, this makes a certain amount of sense! It's a logarithmic graph (kinda). Hulk's power rapidly ramps up with rage, and Banners doesn't dramatically drop off. The final equation? logstrength=0.2rage-1
Friday, April 11, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Diagram week, day 2
Admittedly, the Y axis should read "Number of people willing to hold a conversation with you"
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Diagram Week, day 1
Work is quiet, so I've decided to celebrate the awesomeness of mathematical diagrams by posting one ever day for a week (assuming I don't get lazy and stop). All are original. Some may be of questionable taste or romantic intent. Nevertheless, diagrams! For a week!
Friday, April 4, 2008
Dear America,
Look down at your keyboard America. There, peering at you between the letters Y and I is a very important symbol. The letter U. Please observe the following.
Labour not labor.
Honour not honor.
Flavour not flavor.
And while we're at it, see that one between A and D? The letter S? As in USA? Yeah, that one. Let's review when you should use it.
Colonise not colonize.
Analyse
Organise
Love and cuddles,
The Commonwealth
P.S. However, the matter of aluminium/aluminum is problematic. The man who discovered it, Sir Humphry Davy, 1st Baronet, was British, but called in aluminum first (in keeping with platinum and molybdenum). It was only later that aluminium was used, with the -ium suffix of cesium, plutonium and so forth. However, the very first thing Sir Davy called it was alumium. And frankly, I think we should follow the wishes of the discoverer. So from here on, alumium it is.
Labour not labor.
Honour not honor.
Flavour not flavor.
And while we're at it, see that one between A and D? The letter S? As in USA? Yeah, that one. Let's review when you should use it.
Colonise not colonize.
Analyse
Organise
Love and cuddles,
The Commonwealth
P.S. However, the matter of aluminium/aluminum is problematic. The man who discovered it, Sir Humphry Davy, 1st Baronet, was British, but called in aluminum first (in keeping with platinum and molybdenum). It was only later that aluminium was used, with the -ium suffix of cesium, plutonium and so forth. However, the very first thing Sir Davy called it was alumium. And frankly, I think we should follow the wishes of the discoverer. So from here on, alumium it is.
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