RobiNZ Personal Blog

Lawrence Krauss, brilliant about Nothing!

When I heard Lawrence Krauss, author of A Universe from Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather than Nothing, was giving a lecture at The University of Auckland I had to be there.

I’ve always regretted missing Richard Feynman’s 1979 Douglas Robb Memorial Lectures. I was 13 and although aware of Richard Feynman’s work — thanks to Isaac Asimov — a lecture on Quantum Electrodynamics probably wasn’t high on the priority list. Later on, having read his books and several about him, I sought out the lectures on VHS (this was before YouTube!). It was a treat to see Feynman in action, if only via a grainy video.

So, I couldn’t miss the chance to hear another brilliant science communicator. I haven’t read 'A Universe from Nothing' yet and only recently started Lawrence’s own book on Feynman: Quantum Man. Throughout the lecture (similar to the Richard Dawkins Foundation YouTube below) I was reminded of Feynman.

Lawrence’s ability to take a complex subject and make it understandable for someone whose formal Physics education ended at High School is remarkable.

“Lawrence Krauss will present a mind-bending trip back to the beginning of the beginning and the end of the end, reviewing the remarkable developments in cosmology and particle physics over the past 20 years that have revolutionised our picture of the origin of the universe, and of its future. In the process, it has become clear that not only can our universe naturally arise from nothing, but that it probably did.”

Throw in some social comment — mainly targeting US education, politics and creationism— and it was an entertaining and inspiring evening. It’s amazing how fascinating Nothing can be, even more amazing to think there is a plausible case it is responsible for everything.

 

While searching for the video above I also found this: “Join critically-acclaimed author and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and world-renowned theoretical physicist and author Lawrence Krauss as they discuss biology, cosmology, religion, and a host of other topics.”

The Most Astounding Fact — Neil DeGrasse Tyson

When I first understood this (probably thanks to Isaac Asimov’s books or Carl Sagan’s Cosmos) I thought it was amazing. This presentation is beautiful:

via RichardDawkins.net

UPDATE 2012-03-16: And here is the 10 questions which inspired it (with an astounding tribute to Isaac Newton):

Me, the Fairlight CMI, Thomas Dolby and back to the Murrumbidgee River?

(Way) Back in the 80s I used to buy an Aussie technology magazine “Omni”, correction it was “Omega Science Digest”!. One issue had a card you could send off (with a few au$) to get the demo cassette for a remarkable new electronic instrument. Yes, that there was an analogue demo cassette for a digital instrument gives an idea of how long ago that was!

It had a bunch of different tracks, samples etc. all created with the Fairlight Computer Musical Instrument but one (complete unlike the others) was the most memorable. I found Claude Larson’s Murrumbidgee River on YouTube (below) but sadly it appears you can no longer buy it, or the album “Rivers” (via iTunes or Amazon at least).

I probably still have that cassette somewhere… (see UPDATE 2012-02-22 below) and wanted to hear it again after listening to an ABC Radio Podcast interview — Big Ideas - Blinded by Science — with Fairlight Inventor Peter Vogel and Thomas Dolby. It covers all sorts of aspects from the evolution of digital musical technology, its impact on music and composition, the inventive process and the business of creating/marketing new ideas. There is even the tale of the (not so ubiquitous as once was) default Nokia ringtone and mention of the Fairlight iPhone/iPad app (why Dolby was in Aus.) which runs on a device vastly more powerful than the original $100,000+ Fairlight CMI!

I never did get a CMI as $100k seemed a bit much for someone who never progressed much past Grade 1 Piano before discovering sailing seemed more fun in the weekends! Maybe if I get the iOS app that cassette will have justified its demo label!

 

Title	Big Ideas - Blinded by Science - 54 min - 24.97 mb http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/bigideas/blinded-by-science/3839938
	In 1979 two young men in Sydney invented a digital sampling synthesizer that sparked a worldwide musical revolution. It was called the Fairlight and for the first time musicians could play the sound of any instrument on a keyboard. It also allowed them to compose and perform compositions that would otherwise require a band or an orchestra to play. Those two men were 21 and their names were Kim Ryrie and Peter Vogel. Without the Fairlight you might not have the same sounds out of Thomas Dolby; who shot to prominence in this country with his 80s hit ‘She blinded me with Science’. Dolby had a boyhood obsession with music and technology and some two decades later his innovative computer music has greatly impacted on today’s popular music, games and mobile phones. Tonight they talk about music and technology then, now and in the future.
Published	February 20, 2012 10:05 PM
Copyright	Copyright 2012, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

* UPDATE 2012-02-22: The Just Fairlight Cassette Online

Peter found this post (which amazed me!) and commented that the cassette tracks are available on-line. Look for “Just Fairlight 3 A & 3 B” on his site: http://anerd.com/fairlight/audioarchives/index.htm

Preservation Hall, Kiva and memories

Charlotte’s post from the Kiva Fellows Blog reminded me of a great evening spent at Preservation Hall (back in 2007). It was also a great excuse to use my favourite, even though out of focus & blurry, photo which best captured the atmosphere.

Preservation Hall - fellowsblog.kiva.org

A few nights ago I saw the Survivors Brass Band at Preservation Hall with Kiva CEO, Matt Flannery and Jonas Miller from Good Work Network…

(Charlotte is a Kiva Fellow in KF-16, the 16th Kiva Fellows Class, with ASI Federal Credit Union and is now living in New Orleans. Charlotte has lived in India, Japan, and has built houses with Habitat For Humanity in Ethiopia, Zambia and India.)

For more information about Kiva, click here. To read about ASI Federal Credit Union, click here. You can also follow Kiva New Orleans on Facebook, join the Kiva New Orleans lending team.

Flashback? The 1984 Sony D50 Discman after 28 years

My first thought when I saw the “Friday Flashback” post on the Sony Blog was: “What do they mean, Flashback?”. My first CD Player is still in regular use, as good as the day it left the factory!

Flashback Friday: The Sony Discman (1984) « SONY make.believe

1984: Ghostbusters made its ways onto the big screen, Los Angeles hosted athletes from around the globe and the first ever flight in space by a human untethered using jet back packs happened. What better way to rock out to all these 80’s milestones than by pulling out a Sony Walkman® CD player. Introduced in 1984 and very shortly after the concept of CD players were introduced, the D-50 was world’s first portable CD player. The CD player was compact for its time equalling the size of approximately four CD cases with a weight of around 590g. Offered for less than 50,000 yen, this device sparked the adoption of the CD… [cont]

The 6 x C cell battery pack made it more luggable, than truly mobile, and from memory rechargeable cells (not the recommended alkaline) lasted about 3 hours. It survived many trips in the car with one of those cassette adaptors and a cigarette lighter power adaptor (which I also still have!).

I wonder if Sony were conservative with their first small CD player as its construction is solid, many steel components where later players used plastic. After the car CD arrived it was relegated to home but still gets occasional use. The CD in the photo, taken today, is spinning and sounds just fine.

If only they’d reissue my favourite headphones from that era, right, or a new version with the same form factor. I just got some new Sony ear buds which do sound better and leave those shite ones Apple supply with their iPhone for dead. However, I can’t wear them for as long as these sideways drivers which fit, me at least, better and left your ear feeling more “airy” thanks to the no-plug factor.

A question before you die...

Aardvark ask a question you probably don’t really want to think about, but should. After all, barring a dramatic medical breakthrough, it’s going to happen and somebody will have to deal with this.

Before you die... - aardvark.co.nz

If you get hit by a bus tomorrow, could your family access your computer and your essential online accounts so as to tidy up your affairs…

The next question is where do you store these passwords? A physical record would invalidate many user agreements but would a digital record be any better? My bank offers a “Digital Vault” which can store non-banking information such as passport numbers, insurance policy and drivers license details with the same level of security as their own financial data. That seems ideal but the problem is it explicitly states:

‘Remember, it is important that you never disclose passwords to anyone. We recommend you do not store passwords in the Vault.”

Suggestions?

The Ferrari Pinin Sedan Concept Car for sale (without my interior)

I was interested to see reports that the 1980 Ferrari Pinin Sedan concept is going to be sold.

Ferrari Pinin Concept to be auctioned in London - www.eurocarblog.com

1980 Ferrari Pinin Concept, the one and only sedan with a Ferrari badge ever made, will soon be up for auction. This outstanding one-off was built to celebrate designer Pininfarina 50th anniversary… (continues with Ferrari Pinin Concept photo gallery)

1980 Ferrari Pinin Four-Door Sedan Concept up for Grabs – Carscoop

The 1980 Ferrari Pinin will go under the hammer at the forthcoming RM Auction in London, England on October 26, where it is expected to fetch somewhere between £480,000-£550,000 or about US$742,000 to US$850,000….

I first saw the Pinin in Car Magazine, which I have been buying since late 1979. It made quite an impression on me and (in a very distant way) possibly played a part in kicking off my “career” in drafting, design, and CAD.

High School Tech Drawing: “The Forty Hour Project”

High School Technical Drawing (as today’s “Design & Technology” was then called) was a subject I enjoyed. Part of the Fifth (or Sixth?) Form requirement was a “Forty Hour Project”. You could choose any subject but had forty hours allocated to come up with a pencil drawing set documenting something reasonably complex. I think plan & elevation plus perspective/isometric were required.

I did a concept sketch for the Pinin interior loosely based on the concept car but with a rather BMW (or maybe Giugiaro pod dashboard ala Uno, Piazza) inspired instrument binnacle. I also had most of the centre console controls folding flush when the car was not in use (like the current Jaguar XF/XJ?). It was a design decision but also avoided drawing a lot of ellipses (without guides in those days) for all the buttons!

Hard to see but this is the best I could get. 1980’s pencil on an A1 sheet hard to shoot!

Plan & Elevations

Isometric, think I got an exemption to use ink for the LEDs!

Going to Tech on a Pinin?

This project was part of my application portfolio for the Product Design Diploma at Carrington Tech, now Unitec. I didn’t expect to be accepted (was happy to go back to Seventh Form High School & try again) but was. Who knows if the Pinin dashboard played a part in this but I suspect it did. A year or so later at we had to do a quick pen/pastel sketch exercise, any design, so I did another version of the Pinin interior (below).

Wish I could buy it!

Intercontinental Ballistic Microfinance

Awesome to see this concept of web connecting lenders with microloan recipients literally take off:

Intercontinental Ballistic Microfinance from Kiva Microfunds on Vimeo.

Othello, a Peach Theatre Company masterpiece

This isn’t a review from an avid theatre or Shakespeare fan. In fact I must admit I didn’t pay for the ticket and distantly know the Director. My Aunt was Principal of Jessie’s Primary School, his Mum taught with her and I first knew him as the guy behind the Bird Barn counter selling me Cockatiel seed before his media & theatre career blossomed.

My last contact with “real” Shakespeare was at High School and I shudder to think that was 30’something years ago!. I only remember “doing” Macbeth but there must have been others. I know of his work from Film/TV and adaptions, what purists probably think of as corruptions, where the plots have been used in modern context or even comic parody. I had not seen a live performance of Shakespeare or really felt the need to do so.

So, when my Aunt asked me to accompany her to the opening of Jessie Peach Theatre Company’s Othello it was as much duty as anticipation. As I left home torrential freezing cold rain made a night out seem even less inviting.

Arriving at the Maidment a little early (hooray for covered $5 parking at the University Business School) meant time for a glass of wine and chance to people watch as the lobby filled. Jessie’s media connections were pretty obvious as recognised quite a few TV familiar faces, both past & present, in the crowd.

So what about the play?

Entering the theatre we got the first sight of Emily O'Hara’s stark, angular, minimalist set. It gave the impression this was to be more about performance than “spectacle”. When the cast appeared simple, but effective, costumes furthered that feeling. I knew Jessie had collaborated with choreographer Douglas Wright & composer Gareth Farr to add another dimension to this much performed play.

I can’t compare it to other performances (obviously) but several aspects stood out for me. All the cast were great, Robbie Magasiva’s Othello both physically & emotionally powerful. However, for me the standout character was Matt Minto’s Iago. His wry, at times humorous, devious slyness was perfectly pitched.

I loved how the whole theatre was used, when appropriate, bringing the performance into the aisles. This was a truly 3D production with no need for special glasses! The lighting was powerful with clever use of low silhouette lights for dramatic emphasis.

I thought the movement and music really helped tell the story although wonder what the “purists” would make of it. I must confess a quick pre-show visit to Wikipedia to brush up on the plot but it turned out that really wasn’t necessary. I gather the script was edited (it runs about 2 hours) but found the story easy to follow.

If you had asked me beforehand “Do you want to see Othello?” I’d have probably said no. Having seen Jessie’s interpretation of this classic I was so impressed I felt guilty not paying for the ticket. I’ve since made a contribution which I hope compensates for that.

To take a classic play, add music & choreography, attract a fine cast and convince both the experts (see their reviews below) and this irregular theatre goer proves what skill Jessie has as a Director. Bravo!

It is still on, until 13th August, go see it!

Peach Theatre Company presents Shakespeare's Othello.
Maidment Theatre, Auckland, July 21 - August 13.

To book visit www.maidment.auckland.ac.nz or phone 09 308 2383

www.peachtheatrecompany.co.nz

Starring Robbie Magasiva, George Henare, Matt Minto, Morgana O'Reilley, Olivia Tennett, Ciarin Smith, Mike Edward, Gypsy Kauta, Kevin Keys, and Ross Girven.

Direction - Jesse Peach; Design - Emily O'Hara; Movement - Douglas Wright;
Music - Gareth Farr.

Real Reviews & Interviews:

• Theatre review: Othello - www.nzherald.co.nz
• Theatre review: Othello - Stuff.co.nz‎
• Honestly, Iago – Theatre Scenes Blog Review
• Interview- Jesse Peach « Theatre Scenes- Auckland Theatre Blog
• Jesse Peach interview – New Zealand Listener

Work comes to my blog, via Google

I didn't click, not allowed on your own site, but thought it kind of cool to see Google Ads had placed "The Warehouse" advert on my CAD blog...

Derek’s last post

I only knew Derek K. Miller from his blog but have been following his feed for years. That the last post came is no surprise and his view of death matches my own:

“I haven't gone to a better place, or a worse one. I haven't gone anyplace, because Derek doesn't exist anymore. As soon as my body stopped functioning, and the neurons in my brain ceased firing, I made a remarkable transformation: from a living organism to a corpse, like a flower or a mouse that didn't make it through a particularly frosty night. The evidence is clear that once I died, it was over.”

Farewell Derek, although there won’t be any new posts your feed will remain in my reader. Although we never met it was nice to have known you.

The last post - www.penmachine.com - Derek K. Miller

http://www.penmachine.com/2011/05/the-last-post

Here it is. I'm dead, and this is my last post to my blog. In advance, I asked that once my body finally shut down from the punishments of my cancer, then my family and friends publish this prepared message I wrote—the first part of the process of turning this from an active website to an archive…

I’m on my, well really someone else’s, bike coast to coast style!

Later this week I’m heading South to join a bunch of friends, some old & new, on another Adventure South returning clients trip. It starts & finishes in Christchurch but most of the time is spent on the West Coast & Northern South Island.

I have cycled some of this route before, the pictures below are from my previous trip, but as you can see there is no great hardship revisiting this lovely country. I’m hoping the weather cooperates, especially on the second day! Two previous attempts to cycle up/down the Otira hill — an insane Southern Alps descent — have been foiled by cold winds & torrential rain on that side of the mountains. This time it has to be good!

This trip is a mix of cycling, walking, kayaking and (as is usual with Adventure South) a healthy dose of eating, merriment & memorable moments. As usual I plan to take lots of photos to look back on.

It’s going to be fun but the web will probably be hard to find so blogging & twittering may be sparse, if at all until I get back.

The Plan (Subject to weather & other natural phenomenon…)

Day 1  — It’s off to Banks Peninsula for an exciting ride on the spectacular Banks Peninsula Summit Road, a picnic lunch with a view and some time in “French” Akaroa.

Day 2 — Early in the morning we’ll leave with our bus and trailer for a drive to Arthur’s Pass. From the township of Arthur’s Pass you ride to the summit and then it’s a fast and furious ride to Otira, then pretty well all the way down hill to Jacksons where we stop at the pub for lunch. Here, we’ll leave the main road, to cycle along quiet roads to Punakaiki.

Day 3 — There’ll be plenty of time in the morning to explore the area. We’ll take you for a walk along the spectacular Pororari River. After lunch we’ll cycle to Westport via Charleston and Cape Foulwind.

Day 4 — Today we’ll cycle north to tiny and remote Karamea. We start off real easy along quiet and flat coastal roads and pass settlements but then we’re heading inland up and over the Karamea Bluffs, which are challenging and offer spectacular riding with great vista’s from the top, to end up in Karamea

Day 5 — After an early breakfast we’ll take you to some impressive limestone formations and is surrounded by truly magnificent bush. We’ll find a good spot to enjoy our lunch and then we’re off to the airstrip for our scenic 35min flight over the Kahurangi National Park. Our day is by no means over because this afternoon we’ll take on the mighty Takaka Hill. From sea level we’ll steadily climb to 800 m, from the top, the views are great and the downhill to bustling Motueka truly exhilarating!

Day 6  — Motueka is the gateway to the Abel Tasman National Park. Today we drive the short distance to Marahau in the National park and hop on a boat that will take us to the marine reserve around Tonga Island for a beautiful sea kayaking tour in the reserve and to the nearby seal colony.

Day 7 — Back on our bikes today and again we’ve got a great cycle ride for you which will take us through the scenic Motueka Valley. We follow the Motueka River towards St. Arnaud  where we spend the night

Day 8 — Today we are hoping for strong westerlies, which will help us to cycle east to Picton. Today’s lunch will be at a renowned winery in the middle of the famous Malborough Wine district. The Queen Charlotte Scenic Drive awaits us and that is a ride not to be missed! Tonight, we’ll stay in Picton, Malborough Sounds.

Day 9 — We start our day with a walk along the Queen Charlotte Sound. We gradually climb higher onto the peninsula and the views are spectacular. At the end of the walk, the bikes await us and from here we cycle via Waikawa to the east coast and Port Underwood.

Day 10 — Probably one of the best things to do in Kaikoura might be the swimming with the dolphins, although Kaikoura is best known for its whale watching activities. After a late breakfast we’ll take the scenic and quiet inland road to Waiau and cycle the best sections, before returning to Christchurch for our last dinner together.

No, I haven’t been arrested…

Sometimes a Google vanity search is not a good idea…

Salisbury woman charged with extortion - WGMD.COM

Last Friday Salisbury Police arrested 46 year old Robin Capper on an outstanding warrant. Capper is charged with threatening an elderly man that unless he gave her money she would report to police that the man had assaulted her.

A new tactic to get a airline upgrade?

I laughed when I saw “I am very tall and really need some more space” in this article:

'Sir Richard Branson promised me'- Virgin Atlantic reveals unusual upgrade requests

Undoubtedly the top wish of any traveller is an upgrade, but let's face it: unless you shell out cash or miles, your chances are slim. But that doesn't stop some people from trying… [but they do]

Can I change to an exit row?

It reminded me of something overheard while waiting to board a flight from Auckland to LAX. I don’t sit in the gate lounge as leaving New Zealand a compulsory fourteen hour sit is just minutes away. While looking out a window near the gate counter I heard numerous requests for seating changes, upgrades, exit rows  etc. During a lull I suspect I wasn’t supposed to overhear one agent say to the other:

“It’s a pity they don’t make aircraft with all exit row spacing.

You wouldn’t fit many passengers, but they’d all be happy!

Based on a 777 seating layout image from Boeing.com

Will this get me an upgrade?

I have an idea to try for an upgrade next time I fly:

“I’m a single short nobody who doesn’t fly frequently.

Since you give most upgrades to newly weds, celebrities, frequent fliers and tall people why not try the opposite for once?

A tactic that did work for me, once:

While you should always get to the gate on time don’t rush to board the plane. Once I didn’t at LAX and they found my seat had been double allocated. With no spare economy seats left, and a time constraint on loading, the result was I got a business class upgrade. First in isn’t always best served!

Denis Dutton, a great mind remembered

I only knew Denis Dutton via his media appearances, as an academic & skeptic, in New Zealand. I don’t recall when I started reading Arts & Letters Daily but it was it was several years before blogged about it in 2004 and I still visit it regularly. Two clips below highlight different aspects of the Denis I remember. Perhaps the most fitting memorial is that, like Arts & Letters Daily, he nourished many minds.

Denis Dutton, Founder of 'Arts & Letters Daily,' Dies - The Chronicle of Higher Education

Denis Dutton, founder and editor of Arts & Letters Daily and a professor of philosophy at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, has died. Born in California, Mr. Dutton received his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He created Arts & Letters Daily in 1998…

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Denis Dutton
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog March to Keep Fear Alive

#TAMOz and #AU2010 , the countdown begins!

It seems a long time since the idea of attending both The Amaz!ng Meeting Australia and Autodesk University occurred to me. It’s now only a few days before I set out and the to do list seems rather full.

All the important boxes are ticked; Flights, Accommodation and Travel Documents and the rest you can make up as you travel. I have a pretty full agenda at both events and, literally, just a flight recover between them so my only real concern is keeping awake. At least I have six years of blogging insomnia as training!

So what is TAM?

So what is TAM? I don’t really know as TAMOz will be my first, but this video of TAM London gives you some idea

Celebrate Kiva's 5th Birthday and get $25 to lend!

A little help you & some friends can change lives

Celebrate Kiva's 5th Birthday and get $25 to lend!

Kiva is reaching a major milestone this October. We are celebrating five years of empowering people to lift themselves out of poverty through micro-loans, with over $150 million lent to nearly 400,000 entrepreneurs all over the globe by Kiva users. We couldn’t have done it without you and want to invite you to help us celebrate! [Details]

Why I’d rather be a Westie, than just part of a super city

I’ve drive those roads, cycle the ranges, hike the bush trails, swim & surf the beaches, scramble around those rocks, mountain bike (and break my collar bone) in that forest and watch the sun set over the Tasman Sea. I love being a Westie.

Waitakere City is my home, my playground and much more than just part of a super city. It is a special place with special people and I fear we’ll lose some of that.

Video from Tourism Auckland, kinda ironic I guess…

From Uri Geller, to Flim-Flam, to #TAMOz in only decades

Tonight Amazon recommended a book which I first read nearly, can’t remember exactly, 30 years ago. It is also the reason I'm going to TAM Australia in November.

Back in the late 70s, when I was a kid, Uri Geller visited New Zealand with his spoon bending antics. The spoons bent on TV but I also remember radio performances where people rang in with old watches, that hadn’t worked for years, which would be magic’ed back to life over the phone (with the help of the callers warm hand and a bit of vibration I bet). I thought it was clever but wondered how he did it.

I read lots of non-fiction (yeah I know, geek) and found Flim-Flam in the local library. In the space of a book James Randi made a seed of skeptical doubt blossom. Flim-Flam looks at the nonsense, or non-science, behind biorhythms, transcendental meditation, UFOs, the Bermuda Triangle, ESP, psychic surgery and more. It led me to other similarly skeptical books where authors like James Randi, Martin Gardner, Isaac Asimov & Arthur C Clarke (in non-fiction mode) and, of course, Carl Sagan helped form my world view.

Of course Randi is a media legend who has been a constant source of delight over the years, especially when the Internet meant he could be seen on demand, A few weeks ago I read this in the speaker line-up for TAM Australia;

• James Randi – the Amazing Randi is the number-one icon of the Skeptical movement in the world – co-founder of CSICOP, and founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation, researcher, investigator and magician, Randi’s reputation for Skeptical thinking and action are second to none

I just had to go. I don’t actually own a copy of Flim-Flam, yet, but will be taking one to TAMOz with the hope of getting the authors signature. Amazon, you (or more accurately your algorithms) know this customer well enough to help complete a journey that started in the Te Atatu North Library several decades ago.

 UPDATE 01-2011: I met & talked to Randi who kindly signed my, now well travelled as it came home to NZ via Las Vegas, copy of Flim-Flam :

The 7 Keynote MBA

Awesome collection of short videos. Some I’d seen, some were new but all worth your time

The 7 Keynote MBA: How to Save 2 Years and $100,000

Truth is, the great value in most MBA and JD programs can be boiled down to 5 to 10 talks, presentations, classes and conversations that changed the way you experienced the world. So, I figured, why go through 2 years of B-school, drop $100,000 (that’s $70k on school, $20k on booze and $10k on Red Bull) and give up two years of income, when you can experience your…

7 extraordinary moments with 7 true visionaries…right here, right now…

The Edge Annual Question 2009 — What will change everything?

It's The Edge annual question with answers from 151 brilliant minds from actor Alan Alda to physicist Anton Zeilinger.

The World Question Center 2009
WHAT WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING?
"What game-changing scientific ideas and developments do you expect to live to see?"

But it's a question anyone can consider so here are my thoughts.

In my lifetime the world has moved from Analog to Digital. Things have gone from being real to digital and I don't think it's going to stop. Say I live another 50 years, maybe that's long enough for whatever it is that makes me me to be decoded, stored and maybe even restored.

Caring for Your Introvert

This is very good... 

Caring for Your Introvert - The Atlantic (March 2003)

Via in a strange land

Sunday on US health, lack of, care

Watching the report on TVNZ regarding US heath care, or lack of it, and the impact it's having on the new poor. Given that's a fast rising group it's a worry for the US. I fear it's where National will take New Zealand. Our system has it's flaws, they all do, but it's light years ahead of the US.

The concern is: can we afford it, can we afford to loose it?

The other thing I noticed, a lovely mix of Pat Metheny Group music as a background.

Genesis Energy, it was good

At about 19:15 tonight, Sunday of the New Year long weekend, there was a bang and the power went off. Not the neighbourhood, just ours.

I called Genesis Energy and after a few basic questions, checked the fuses/breakers?, they said someone would be on the way.

Within an hour they were here, after about 20 minutes the fault was repaired.

We saw the light again, Genesis was good!

Life changing software, changing lives

MindManager 8 is life changing software. It enables you to capture, organise, and share your thoughts and related information in an intuitive visual form.

Kiva is a life changing non-profit service. It allows loans to specific low-income entrepreneurs in the developing world enabling them to help themselves.

I'm currently auctioning a MindManager license with all the proceeds going to Kiva, details at:

RobiNZ MindManager 8 for Kiva Auction - Dream It. Map It. Share It.

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

I rarely sleep more than six or seven hours, sometimes less. It was rather reassuring to read the often cited "Eight Hours sleep a night" is probably too long!

How Much Sleep Do You Really Need? - TIME
"Studies show that people who sleep between 6.5 hr. and 7.5 hr. a night, as they report, live the longest. And people who sleep 8 hr. or more, or less than 6.5 hr., they don't live quite as long. There is just as much risk associated with sleeping too long as with sleeping too short. The big surprise is that long sleep seems to start at 8 hr. Sleeping 8.5 hr. might really be a little worse than sleeping 5 hr"

Remembering 9/11

From the other side of the world 9/11 was experienced via Radio, TV and Internet. The images were surreal, but they were real. It was tragedy for thousands who were directly involved, but it's impacted millions of lives since.

For me it was the start of a journey that resulted in one of the toughest decisions I've ever made. Committing someone for Compulsory Assessment and Treatment under the Mental Health Act.

Would that have happened without 9/11? I'll never know, but do know watching 9/11 triggered a decline that only extreme intervention arrested. Thankfully the eventual outcome of that was positive but many didn't have that good fortune.

I wonder if it's possible to appreciate the true impact of that day. It changed the world, for everyone, forever.

 

Thinking of NOLA, and Ernie The Attorney

Three years ago I read Ernie's blog* as he faced, endured and survived Katrina. Now it's happening again, he's there (again), he's blogging and Twittering and I'm reading; 

Ernie The Attorney - http://www.ernietheattorney.net

Twitter - twitter.com/ernieattorney

In 2007 I had a brief visit to New Orleans and saw why he loves it. All the best Ernie and all the people of NOLA. I just hope it's not a repeat of the past, or worse.

* Which I found via his friend Buzz

Tags: New+Orleans, NOLA, Ernie+The+Attorney

Returning from The Barrier, in a shower of spray...

A recent issue of NZ Today Magazine covered the wonderful, remote, Great Barrier Island. While searching for some old car photos I found one which reminded me of a memorable journey home from "The Barrier" back in the early 80's. I'd sailed out with my Dad but had to return, I think for tech, before the boat was due to come back. In addition to todays ferry or aircraft service there was another, far more exciting, option; a sea plane.

I met the "See Bee" Grumman Widgeon at Fitzroy. The takeoff from it's calm sheltered water was my first, and un-eventful, then we headed down the coast to Tryphena. It's an open bay and it was one of those "El Nino" summers with constant 20-40 knot westerly winds. I don't know what the landing speed of the plane was, probably 80 knots, but touching down with the swell running into the bay was far from smooth.

Once on the beach quite a bit of mail, freight and a few extra passengers added to the takeoff burden. The new arrivals were Japanese and began getting their SLR cameras out, metal body ones with large lenses, ready to take photos. As a "veteran" of one take-off and landing I tried to tell them it would be quite rough but the language barrier meant the message didn't really get through.

We taxied, wallowing, into the bay and as the pilot pushed the throttles forward all hell broke loose. The plane appeared to turn into a submarine as the windscreen was covered in green water. Once the nose rose we thumped across a heavy swell while the side windows were pounded by ever increasing spray plumes. My fellow passengers carefully planned take-off shots were abandoned as they battled to just hang on to their cameras, while exchanging worried glances. That was probably due to the apparent self destruction of the plane they'd just boarded as the noise & pounding were dramatic. Even with the headwind we must have been doing 40 or 50 knots across the, not smooth, water before getting airborne. It was probably just "a bit of a rough takeoff" for a sea plane but that's far from most normal flying experiences!

The flight back to Auckland was without drama but as we came up the harbour the pilot mentioned that the approach would be "a bit steep" to avoid a long taxi into the ramp. Apparently it wasn't uncommon for people to get sea sick during that part of the flight on rough days! It probably wasn't as dramatic but whenever I see film of dive bombers attacking I remember that approach. Soon after I took the photo (below) we plunged down into the harbour landing near the container wharf. After a short taxi into the Mechanics Bay ramp we were back on dry land with just a single snapshot and a head full of memories to record my first sea plane flight.

"A shower of spray and we're away" was the cry of legendary sea plane pilot Fred Ladd

Tax Benefits

This month I looked at my pay-slip which stated exactly how much tax had been deducted over the (full tax) year and thought, that’s a lot.

Yesterday, a fairly routine visit to the GP ended up with my Mum being admitted to hospital. Within a hour she was there, through the afternoon a bunch of brilliant Nurses and Doctors did their thing, tests, cardio, x-ray, etc and an overnight stay, just to be sure.

Nobody asked “who is your insurance provider, what is your health plan, do you have credit?” or a worry about cost.

Tax Benefits

2007 Blogging Highlights

It’s time to do a Blog related review of the year so here goes…

Best Blog Discovery: 

I use this heading every year but it isn’t really appropriate for this years selection. Simon’s Web Journal made a huge impression and it’s for that reason alone that it was “best”. The story it told, the feelings it shared and the eventual outcome of events were as far from “best” as it’s possible to get. It began as blog about Life, Linux and everything but tragic events changed that within days. I didn’t know Corwin before I read it, and sadly never will, but won’t forget sharing his journey. Best, worst, and unforgettable.

Best Comment:

I got an email, not the usual spam but it was a “recruitment device”, suggesting I watch a video on a Agel. They use a very complex distribution structure to sell “Health Supplements”. I was somewhat skeptical of the product but even more so of the “business model” and it’s commission system. My resulting post has generated quite a bit of traffic and comment but the best came from Jon M. Taylor, MBA, Ph.D. His site has a wealth of information on Multi-Level Marketing.If you, or anyone you know is considering getting involved a MLM business do them a favour and have them read: http://www.mlm-thetruth.com/

Best Blog Event: 

Well, it’s not really a blog event but Autodesk University probably brings together more bloggers than many dedicated events manage. I was fortunate to attend again this year and the real highlight is meeting fellow bloggers and readers. It was great catching up with old friends and meeting new ones  I won’t name names for fear of leaving someone out but to all I met at Autodesk University thanks for reading and saying hello. I’m constantly amazed people all around the world invest their time in reading this stuff

It’s for that reason Autodesk University is again, as in 2005 and 2006, the best Blog Event I attended this year.

Best Podcast:

I don’t listen to every episode of “Sunday Night Safran” but do hear most and enjoy the mix of topics, John’s views and the delightful Father Bob.

• The Triple j podcast page – SNS Podcast Feed: http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/safran/podcast/safran.xml

Biggest Surprise?

 A year later and I’m still called “the Paper Plane Guy” at Autodesk University!

Busiest Month:

Huge Top Gear related bump in December/Jan and mostly Auto related posts in August for the Personal blog. On the CAD blog it’s usual Autodesk launch related peak around March. 

 Best Blog Decision:

 Might turn out to be a mistake but I’ve decided to stop using both Vox & Blogger and concentrate on my TypePad Blogs. Both were interesting to play with but I still find TypePad is the best mix of ease & power for me.

Blog Related Concern:

 I need to do more for CAD/BIM related posts on my “Cad Blog”. If you’ve got any ideas for things to cover email me or leave a comment!

Best New Blog Tool:

 Last year it was Camtasia, this year it’s SnagIt. It’s not new but recent add-ins for Blog Platforms (like TypePad & Wordpress), Flickr and MindManager make it a tool I use for virtually every post, including this one!

“Doh!” of the year:

 Finding a HTML error of my own making. Thanks to TypePad Support and Dimtry [BlogJet] for helping me track it down and fix it.

Boring Blog Stats – Only here so I can look back at them

RobiNZ CAD Blog [2006 figures]

Posts: 1,157 [860]  |  Comments: 674 [390]  |  TrackBacks: 74 [67] | Pages:  3 [New in 2007]

Page Views: Total 405,974 [284,009] | Average Per Day 298.07 [220]

Subscribers (via Feedburner): Avg: 576 [312] Max: 707 [640]

Most visited post of 2007: DWG to [Google] Earth, do you read me? - Autodesk Labs AutoCAD Google Earth Extension (from 2006)

Most Popular Post from 2007: Align, the forgotten AutoCAD hero

RobiNZ Personal Blog  [2006 figures]

Posts: 1,216 [978]  |  Comments: 566 [398]  |  TrackBacks: 14 [12]

Page Views: Total 160,101 [128,072] | Average Per Day 156.20 [127]

Subscribers (via Feedburner): Avg: 49 [23] Max: 79 [47]

Most visited post of 2007: The Top Gear Stig (Although from 2005 it still generates loads of traffic and comments!)

Most Popular Post from 2007: Is the "Agel phenomenon" a scam?

Thanks for visiting during 2007, Happy New Year for 2008!

Goodbye...

It started as a blog about Linux but rapidly, tragically, turned into so much more.

I never met you but it was a privilege to know you through your Dads writing.

Goodbye Corwin, rest in peace.

A lesson on life

“If I don’t seem as depressed or morose as I should be, sorry to disappoint you.” 

CMU professor gives his last lesson on life - Spotback
Watch the video, read the story 

Tags: inspiring

A Ferrari arrives on my Birthday!!!

Two things were born today. One is sexy, fast (hopefully) and very red while the other, which arrived decades earlier, is not sexy, or fast and only slightly red after catching some sun while cycling yesterday…

See the new Ferrari F1 2007 at www.ferrariworld.com