passive

Nothing to see here

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 15:26:00 +0000

Don't have time/inclination to post here much more. More active elsewhere. Until free time intervenes, cya.

Where's the separation of church and state in that?

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:58:00 +0000

Part of Barack Obama's inauguration will involve being sworn in by an officiating priest - in this case, Rick Warren, pastor of a mega-church. Hitchens has plenty to say about this: http://ping.fm/AWiZE While Hitch is entertaining, for the best reasoned debate look to Sam Harris: http://ping.fm/zmhS2 Money quote:
"WARREN: So you are open to the possibility that you might be wrong about Jesus?

HARRIS: And Zeus. Absolutely."

Wanted: Time Machine

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:06:00 +0000

This was posted on my local Freecycle group:

Wanted : Time Machine

Posted by: xxxxxxxxxxx

Mon Dec 15, 2008 5:15 am (PST)

Someone posted something I realy fancied on here a couple of months
ago and I would like to pop back and see if I could get it. I would
gladly return the time machine to you possibly even shortly after you
gave it to me. Honestly you wouldn't even miss it at all.

Danny

Ups and Downs

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:21:00 +0000

Been rather busy, getting to know the ins and outs of the new job. Also been making an effort not to procrastinate by surfing at work - so easy to spend hours doing nothing on the web when I should be benchmarking, writing or chasing PRs.

Internet access has been on and off at home as my landlady has a basic system she uses to check her email daily: turn on computer, double click the big "e" (which automatically fires up the USB modem) and voila - Hotmail. Unfortunately, in my attempts to share the broadband with her, by installing wireless for example, something has always gone wrong and left her unable to connect, and as she's unwilling to give up her simple system and learn to troubleshoot the connection, I'm stuck with a type of "sneaker-net": i.e. to connect I have to unplug the telephone cable from her modem and plug it into mine.

Feeling pretty awful today. My colleagues think it's the effect of working in the labs basement, and I think it's probably the effect of working in an office again after such a long time, and commuting to work on the bus for 45 minutes each day. My immune system hasn't had to cope with such a quantity and variety of other people's bacteria for quite some time. It's unfortunate timing to be ill at home as I have my first labs deadline on Wednesday, a group test of 12 laptops.

Saw Angel last weekend for the 2nd time since I arrived back in London. She's growing up fast, but seems to have hit the teenager phase early as a result. Her Mum's been having lots of trouble with her, although I don't see this side of her in the short periods I see her. The upside of being a once-a-month Dad I suppose. Hopefully I will become a fortnightly Dad from next weekend.

Got a beta key for Warhammer Online which should start on Sunday. I'll be reviewing it for our next issue, one of the perks of working in IT journalism. Downside is, although I'm in effect replacing a freelancer, I don't get paid extra. Still, free games, can't complain. Reviewed an excellent game, Mount & Blade, that looked like a cheap Oblivion knock-off but turned out to be a genre-busting delight.

First Utter - (Not ) A Walk in the Park

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:42:00 +0000

Mobile post sent by bpdlr using Utterz. Replies. mp3

Occam's Razor

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:59:00 +0000

PhylogenyOfReligion
Originally uploaded by hedwig_the_owl

1 jpg = 1k text

Helping the Almost-Journalists Do Journalism

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:09:00 +0000

Helping the Almost-Journalists Do Journalism

Posted using ShareThis

I have a job!

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:57:00 +0000

I've been trying to post my news to Blogger from ping.fm, but it seems that service isn't working as intended...

Anyway... I have a job! I've been offered the position of Staff Writer at Computer Shopper, a consumer IT title published by Dennis Publishing. I'll be writing product reviews and doing group tests - not sure what my beat will be just yet, but I'm hoping video cards and gaming will be in there somewhere.

Dennis' offices are near Goodge Street, just off Tottenham Court Road. Dennis is the polar opposite of VNU Publications, where I worked from 1998-2000. Dennis seems to care more about editorial than sales (there are 13 editorial staff on 'Shopper), and the offices are light and open, with big windows and kitchen facilities. VNU's HQ was like a prison - security turnstiles, slit windows and strip lighting.

Another bonus is that the Editor and Deputy Editor are both former colleagues from VNU - David Ludlow and Jim Martin used to work in the Labs at VNU, a thankless job. I used to visit the Labs to see my friend Matt Riddell, with whom I would sneak out the back to smoke spliffs :s Ah, the crazy old days, huh?

Now I simply need to find a place to live. I'll be scouring Gumtree again and going up to London on Saturday to view as many places as possible.

Project Syndicate - The Green Inquisition

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:54:00 +0000

A call for moderation in the environmentalist movement. We don't need scare tactics, or censorship of competing views. We need *facts*, and more money put into serious research, rather than into marketing campaigns. The argument over bio-fuels is a strong one; this is not a solution.

"Bio-fuels essentially take food from mouths and puts it into cars. The grain required to fill the tank of an SUV with ethanol is enough to feed one African for a year. Thirty percent of this year’s corn production in the United States will be burned up on America’s highways. This has been possible only through subsidies that globally will total $15 billion this year alone."

Joe's Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:15:00 +0000

This site is a wonderful idea. It lets you set goals (either positive, like writing your blog) or negative (i.e. smoking) and then you can click the day's box to add a happy face or a sad face. The scores are totted up each day so you can see how well you've done.

You can customise each goal so that, for example, you can set more points for a big goal that you might only do once a week. You can also add journals to write stuff down.

It's so easy, you just sign up and then explore. Give it a shot!

From: http://ping.fm/jwlC6

President George Bush: 'Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter' - Telegraph

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:13:00 +0000

You gotta hand it to George W. - at least he saves us the work of digging his grave.

From: http://ping.fm/a4yj1

Military coup in Zimbabwe?

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:48:00 +0000

It seems that although Robert Mugabe lost the recent elections, and was in fact keen on talks with the opposition MDC, a secret cabal of six military leaders has forced Mugabe to hand over power to them and he is now simply a puppet. The leader of this junta is a man called Emmerson Mnangagwa.

More news related to this story:

Daily Mail
The Guardian
The Zimbabwe Standard

Patrick Smith, Ask the pilot

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 18:08:00 +0000

An airline pilot is told he can't take his (airline-issue) knife onto the plane.

"There are those moments in life when time stands still and the air around you seems to solidify. You stand there in an amber of absurdity, waiting for the crowd to burst out laughing and the "Candid Camera" guy to appear from around the corner."

The Public Whip - Forty-Two Days

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:37:00 +0000

(UK People) Check to see whether your MP voted the way you would have done.

EFF report on ACTA

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:22:00 +0000

Don't know what ACTA is? It's the next corporate-sponsored copyright law, with some laughable provisions, for example, screening electronic devices at customs for copyrighted material. And it's being fast-tracked by the G8.

A Personal Manifesto

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:01:00 +0000

From my friend Daniel Florien, another apostate. He's devised a manifesto based on his beliefs, and I think they are all morally sound and admirable. Religion certainly doesn't have a monopoly on 'good'.

IT'S A GODDAMNED CRACKER!

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:55:00 +0000

OK: so you've read about teachers on trial for naming a teddy bear "Mohamed", and Danish products being boycotted because of a cartoon. Thought western religions were sane? How about death threats for stealing a cracker?

Domestic spying quietly goes on

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:37:00 +0000

As civil liberties are being eroded in the UK, in the US it's just as bad. Quote: "We're operating in a brave new world."

Publish and be damned

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:39:00 +0000

The Times has threatened Medialens with legal action for encouraging people to email one of their journalists.

The Wisdom of the World

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:00:00 +0000

An article looking at how Christianity encourages people to ignore logical reasoning, one of the main stumbling blocks to allowing them to have an open mind about their faith.

An Atheist Meets God

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:50:00 +0000

Edward Current deserves an award :)

Why debunking is practically impossible

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:43:00 +0000

FORA.tv - Farhad Manjoo - Living in a Post-Fact Society: a talk about how people will only listen to/watch media outlets and information that reinforce what they believe in. With a glut of information available, people will always have a bulk of information to back up whatever crackpot ideas they have. It's a focus on quantity of information rather than quality, however.

The best of Sam Harris

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 12:58:00 +0000

FORA.tv - The Clash Between Faith and Reason: This is probably the best introduction to the "New Atheism". Sam Harris is the least aggressive, and probably the funniest, of those who have recently brought out books about atheism. I challenge any religious person to watch this and not come out very confused about their faith.

Dry drowning incident

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 11:05:00 +0000

Boy Dies Of Dry Drowning After Leaving Pool And Walking Home: very strange, and tragic. One of those little known things that as a parent you fear the most, because you can't know all of them.

The right to have rights

noreply@blogger.com (Barry de la Rosa) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:22:00 +0000

These stories about the UN's Human Rights issues have got me thinking. We all think of human rights as just that - rights. What we don't realise is they are simply a *declaration* of what our rights should be - in most cases we don't actually have the right to those rights!

I wonder if there's any way for citizens to lobby their UN representative? /me googles...