Copied from the commentary on the clip:
"A question is asked about the Ryan Commission report on child abuse within institutions run by the religious orders in Ireland. After the panel had spoken the questioner responded and his response...well see for yourself."
Here are some reactions to the video...
http://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/8nabe/irish_child_abuse_victim_tells_shocking_story_of/
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Bill Joy on artificial intelligence
Found myself awake letting the dog out at 4am and found this article, it's very thought-provoking and deals with some "big" issues. I still find it difficult to believe that machines will ever be able to think, though.
Why the future doesn't need us.
Why the future doesn't need us.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Song of the Day: The Killers - Read my Mind
Music lovers,
There's a nice "hook" in this song. The sound quality isn't the best for the version that is embedded below. You can find better versions on YouTube, however, embedding has been "disabled by request" for those. I'll post a direct link below if you want to view one with better sound quality but you will be spirited away to YouTube, and away from this blog (I'll miss you...).
Better version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Oec8RuwVVs
Lyrics:
On the corner of main street
Just tryin' to keep it in line.
You say you wanna move on and
You say I'm falling behind.
Can you read my mind?
Can you read my mind?
I never really gave up on
Breakin' out of this two-star town.
I got the green light,
I got a little fight.
I'm gonna turn this thing around.
Can you read my mind?
Can you read my mind?
The good old days, the honest man;
The restless heart, the Promised Land,
A subtle kiss that no one sees;
A broken wrist and a big trapeze.
Oh well I don't mind, if you don't mind.
'Cause I don't shine if you don't shine
Before you go, can you read my mind?
It’s funny how you just break down,
Waitin' on some sign
I pull up to the front of your driveway
With magic soakin' my spine.
Can you read my mind?
Can you read my mind?
The teenage queen, the loaded gun;
The drop dead dream, the Chosen One,
A southern drawl, a world unseen;
A city wall and a trampoline.
Oh well I don't mind, if you don't mind
'Cause I don't shine if you don't shine
Before you jump,
tell me what you find
when you read my mind.
Slippin’ in my faith until I fall.
You never returned that call.
Woman, open the door, don't let it sting
I wanna breathe that fire again.
She said I don't mind, if you don't mind
'Cause I don't shine if you don't shine.
Put your back on me,
Put your back on me,
Put your back on me.
The stars are blazing like rebel diamonds cut out of the sun.
Can you read my mind?
There's a nice "hook" in this song. The sound quality isn't the best for the version that is embedded below. You can find better versions on YouTube, however, embedding has been "disabled by request" for those. I'll post a direct link below if you want to view one with better sound quality but you will be spirited away to YouTube, and away from this blog (I'll miss you...).
Better version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Oec8RuwVVs
Lyrics:
On the corner of main street
Just tryin' to keep it in line.
You say you wanna move on and
You say I'm falling behind.
Can you read my mind?
Can you read my mind?
I never really gave up on
Breakin' out of this two-star town.
I got the green light,
I got a little fight.
I'm gonna turn this thing around.
Can you read my mind?
Can you read my mind?
The good old days, the honest man;
The restless heart, the Promised Land,
A subtle kiss that no one sees;
A broken wrist and a big trapeze.
Oh well I don't mind, if you don't mind.
'Cause I don't shine if you don't shine
Before you go, can you read my mind?
It’s funny how you just break down,
Waitin' on some sign
I pull up to the front of your driveway
With magic soakin' my spine.
Can you read my mind?
Can you read my mind?
The teenage queen, the loaded gun;
The drop dead dream, the Chosen One,
A southern drawl, a world unseen;
A city wall and a trampoline.
Oh well I don't mind, if you don't mind
'Cause I don't shine if you don't shine
Before you jump,
tell me what you find
when you read my mind.
Slippin’ in my faith until I fall.
You never returned that call.
Woman, open the door, don't let it sting
I wanna breathe that fire again.
She said I don't mind, if you don't mind
'Cause I don't shine if you don't shine.
Put your back on me,
Put your back on me,
Put your back on me.
The stars are blazing like rebel diamonds cut out of the sun.
Can you read my mind?
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Eulogy for Shane
My friend Shane Ahmet died recently from sarcoma (bad cancer). I wrote down some thoughts about him and want to preserve them for posterity so here they are. I didn't deliver the eulogy at his funeral, I did a religious reading instead. This was somewhat amusing since I am about as non-religious as you can get.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I was around 7 years old when Shane and I met and became friends while at school at St. Francesca Cabrini primary school.
One of my first memories of Shane was when we in the school playground.
He directed my attention to the young teacher on playground duty and said "let's go and chat her up".
I thought at the time that "chatting someone up" meant just talking to
them for a while. So we stood awkwardly talking to her for a few minutes until she
finally got suspicious and asked what we were up to. "We're chatting you up, Miss", was my reply.
Some other memories from that period include Shane and I dressed in our grey school shorts shivering
in the middle of winter trying to avoid footballs being
blasted at us by the older children. Another is Shane getting the idea to pass the time by
telling one boy on the playground that another boy on the other side of the playground had called
him a name. Then he kindly offered "and what should I tell him from you?". Intelligence and
a good sense of humor were two of Shane's qualities from the very beginning.
At St. Thomas the Apostle Secondary school in Nunhead Shane and I spent most of our time together.
We had similar interests in maths and science and also shared a healthy disinterest in sports, with
an exception being made for patball in the school playground. When it came time to
run around Peckham Rye Park Shane and I could usually be found at the very back of the line.
Once in science class I sat next to Shane as he conducted an interesting
plastic-pen-in-a-bunsen burner experiment. This was while the teacher
(I think it was Mr. Kajangu) stepped out of the classroom for a few minutes.
Unfortunately Shane was still busy with the experiment when he returned, and his timing was doubly
bad because corporal punishment was allowed back then. I remember that Shane proudly kept the melted pen
as a souvenir for some time afterwards.
At about that time Shane and I were good enough friends that we spent time visiting
each other's houses and staying overnight. A trip to his house in New Cross was a big adventure to me
and sometimes a bit of a headache for Shane's Mum who was the one who
came upstairs to tell us to be quiet and go to sleep.
I recall that Shane introduced me to his parent's whisky once - but don't worry, we both secretly
thought the taste was terrible so neither one of us took much more than a pretend sip or two.
Shane came with my family on holiday to Essex one summer. Shane impressed my Mum and my Great-aunt with
his polite, friendly and good-natured ways, as he did with everyone he met. Some time later we went
travelling around Europe with Jan and we successfully navigated several countries while listening to
Shane's Beatles tapes. Back home, Shane and I also spent quite a few enjoyable days out fishing at various
places.
Shane and I shared notes as we both went through University and stayed in touch as we
entered the working world. At first I received funny letters and later funny emails about Shane's life as a
sixth-form college teacher. They were often filled with the frustrations of everyday life
but it was also clear that Shane was making a positive difference in the lives of many young people.
When I got married, moved to the US and then came back to London for a visit with three young children,
Shane kindly offered to let us stay at his house. He introduced the children
to the Wallace and Grommit series and when the time came to leave he sent them home with
Wallace and Grommit toys. As I write this, coincidentally, my 5 year-old boy is watching
one of those shows and I cannot help but compare the gentle, slightly eccentric Wallace with Shane.
Except Shane wasn't as much a fan of cheese as he was of curry and he leaned more towards cats than dogs.
Despite his illness, Shane never seemed sad or depressed. Amazingly, he remained
positive every time I talked to him on the phone. When I called he would always be the first to ask
how I was doing, which was amazing to me considering what he was going through.
Shane's final email to me that he sent a few months ago on December 12 2008 begins as follows:
"Hi Lou, how are you doing? looking forward to Christmas? Have you fallen foul to the
evils of games consoles or will the boys be getting an old tyre and a stick?"
The ability to crack a joke and see the funny side of things was typical Shane.
It is a privilege and and an honor to have had him as a friend.
-BT
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I was around 7 years old when Shane and I met and became friends while at school at St. Francesca Cabrini primary school.
One of my first memories of Shane was when we in the school playground.
He directed my attention to the young teacher on playground duty and said "let's go and chat her up".
I thought at the time that "chatting someone up" meant just talking to
them for a while. So we stood awkwardly talking to her for a few minutes until she
finally got suspicious and asked what we were up to. "We're chatting you up, Miss", was my reply.
Some other memories from that period include Shane and I dressed in our grey school shorts shivering
in the middle of winter trying to avoid footballs being
blasted at us by the older children. Another is Shane getting the idea to pass the time by
telling one boy on the playground that another boy on the other side of the playground had called
him a name. Then he kindly offered "and what should I tell him from you?". Intelligence and
a good sense of humor were two of Shane's qualities from the very beginning.
At St. Thomas the Apostle Secondary school in Nunhead Shane and I spent most of our time together.
We had similar interests in maths and science and also shared a healthy disinterest in sports, with
an exception being made for patball in the school playground. When it came time to
run around Peckham Rye Park Shane and I could usually be found at the very back of the line.
Once in science class I sat next to Shane as he conducted an interesting
plastic-pen-in-a-bunsen burner experiment. This was while the teacher
(I think it was Mr. Kajangu) stepped out of the classroom for a few minutes.
Unfortunately Shane was still busy with the experiment when he returned, and his timing was doubly
bad because corporal punishment was allowed back then. I remember that Shane proudly kept the melted pen
as a souvenir for some time afterwards.
At about that time Shane and I were good enough friends that we spent time visiting
each other's houses and staying overnight. A trip to his house in New Cross was a big adventure to me
and sometimes a bit of a headache for Shane's Mum who was the one who
came upstairs to tell us to be quiet and go to sleep.
I recall that Shane introduced me to his parent's whisky once - but don't worry, we both secretly
thought the taste was terrible so neither one of us took much more than a pretend sip or two.
Shane came with my family on holiday to Essex one summer. Shane impressed my Mum and my Great-aunt with
his polite, friendly and good-natured ways, as he did with everyone he met. Some time later we went
travelling around Europe with Jan and we successfully navigated several countries while listening to
Shane's Beatles tapes. Back home, Shane and I also spent quite a few enjoyable days out fishing at various
places.
Shane and I shared notes as we both went through University and stayed in touch as we
entered the working world. At first I received funny letters and later funny emails about Shane's life as a
sixth-form college teacher. They were often filled with the frustrations of everyday life
but it was also clear that Shane was making a positive difference in the lives of many young people.
When I got married, moved to the US and then came back to London for a visit with three young children,
Shane kindly offered to let us stay at his house. He introduced the children
to the Wallace and Grommit series and when the time came to leave he sent them home with
Wallace and Grommit toys. As I write this, coincidentally, my 5 year-old boy is watching
one of those shows and I cannot help but compare the gentle, slightly eccentric Wallace with Shane.
Except Shane wasn't as much a fan of cheese as he was of curry and he leaned more towards cats than dogs.
Despite his illness, Shane never seemed sad or depressed. Amazingly, he remained
positive every time I talked to him on the phone. When I called he would always be the first to ask
how I was doing, which was amazing to me considering what he was going through.
Shane's final email to me that he sent a few months ago on December 12 2008 begins as follows:
"Hi Lou, how are you doing? looking forward to Christmas? Have you fallen foul to the
evils of games consoles or will the boys be getting an old tyre and a stick?"
The ability to crack a joke and see the funny side of things was typical Shane.
It is a privilege and and an honor to have had him as a friend.
-BT
Saturday, April 11, 2009
I hope Aubrey De Grey is right, but somehow...
My body is slowly decaying. It is losing its ability to fight disease. I don't have any particularly nasty type of illness (that I know of) - I am talking about natural age-related decline, the type that we all must deal with sooner or later. Even today, I spent some quality time over at the emergency room - being prodded, probed (ouch!) and medicated.
This video of a Ted talk by Aubrey De Grey gives me some hope that perhaps some of us could be spared the unpleasantness of aging and dying. Is Mr. De Grey a crackpot, or a genius? At the very least, he's intelligent, funny and provocative.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/aubrey_de_grey_says_we_can_avoid_aging.html
-BT
This video of a Ted talk by Aubrey De Grey gives me some hope that perhaps some of us could be spared the unpleasantness of aging and dying. Is Mr. De Grey a crackpot, or a genius? At the very least, he's intelligent, funny and provocative.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/aubrey_de_grey_says_we_can_avoid_aging.html
-BT
Friday, April 3, 2009
Song of the Day: Ian Dury, Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3
I know, I know, the economy sucks, our retirement money is gone and many of us have lost our jobs. Never mind, turn up the volume and sing along with Ian Dury who provides a nice list of "reasons to be cheerful"....! The lyrics are also posted below for those who like to sing along ("days when I ain't spotty, Sitting on the potty...")
Lyrics:
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
1 2 3
Summer, Buddy Holly, the working folly
Good golly Miss Molly and boats
Hammersmith Palais, the Bolshoi Ballet
Jump back in the alley and nanny goats
18-wheeler Scammels, Domenecker camels
All other mammals plus equal votes
Seeing Piccadilly, Fanny Smith and Willy
Being rather silly, and porridge oats
A bit of grin and bear it, a bit of come and share it
You're welcome, we can spare it - yellow socks
Too short to be haughty, too nutty to be naughty
Going on 40 - no electric shocks
The juice of the carrot, the smile of the parrot
A little drop of claret - anything that rocks
Elvis and Scotty, days when I ain't spotty,
Sitting on the potty - curing smallpox
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
1 2 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Health service glasses
Gigolos and brasses
round or skinny bottoms
Take your mum to paris
lighting up the chalice
wee willy harris
Bantu Stephen Biko, listening to Rico
Harpo, Groucho, Chico
Cheddar cheese and pickle, the Vincent motorsickle
Slap and tickle
Woody Allen, Dali, Dimitri and Pasquale
balabalabala and Volare
Something nice to study, phoning up a buddy
Being in my nuddy
Saying hokey-dokey, singalonga Smokey
Coming out of chokey
John Coltrane's soprano, Adi Celentano
Bonar Colleano
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
1 2 3
Yes yes
dear dear
perhaps next year
or maybe even never
in which case
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
1 2 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
1 2 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
repeat to fade...
Lyrics:
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Why don't you get back into bed
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
1 2 3
Summer, Buddy Holly, the working folly
Good golly Miss Molly and boats
Hammersmith Palais, the Bolshoi Ballet
Jump back in the alley and nanny goats
18-wheeler Scammels, Domenecker camels
All other mammals plus equal votes
Seeing Piccadilly, Fanny Smith and Willy
Being rather silly, and porridge oats
A bit of grin and bear it, a bit of come and share it
You're welcome, we can spare it - yellow socks
Too short to be haughty, too nutty to be naughty
Going on 40 - no electric shocks
The juice of the carrot, the smile of the parrot
A little drop of claret - anything that rocks
Elvis and Scotty, days when I ain't spotty,
Sitting on the potty - curing smallpox
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
1 2 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Health service glasses
Gigolos and brasses
round or skinny bottoms
Take your mum to paris
lighting up the chalice
wee willy harris
Bantu Stephen Biko, listening to Rico
Harpo, Groucho, Chico
Cheddar cheese and pickle, the Vincent motorsickle
Slap and tickle
Woody Allen, Dali, Dimitri and Pasquale
balabalabala and Volare
Something nice to study, phoning up a buddy
Being in my nuddy
Saying hokey-dokey, singalonga Smokey
Coming out of chokey
John Coltrane's soprano, Adi Celentano
Bonar Colleano
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
1 2 3
Yes yes
dear dear
perhaps next year
or maybe even never
in which case
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
1 2 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
1 2 3
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
repeat to fade...
Song of the Day: Weezer, Buddy Holly
Nice "Happy Days" video spoof and some pretty good guitar 'n' drums to boot. The lyrics reveal some dark undercurrents that you probably wouldn't pick up by just listening to this song.
Lyrics:
What's with these homies, dissing my girl?
Why do they gotta front?
What did we ever do to these guys
That made them so violent?
Woo-hoo, but you know I'm yours
Woo-hoo, and I know you're mine
Woo-hoo, and that's for all time
Oo-ee-oo I look just like Buddy Holly
Oh-oh, and you're Mary Tyler Moore
I don't care what they say about us anyway
I don't care bout that
Don't you ever fear, I'm always near
I know that you need help
Your tongue is twisted, your eyes are slit
You need a guardian
Woo-hoo, and you know I'm yours
Woo-hoo, and I know you're mine
Woo-hoo, and that's for all time
Oo-ee-oo I look just like Buddy Holly
Oh-oh, and you're Mary Tyler Moore
I don't care what they say about us anyway
I don't care bout that
I don't care bout that
Bang, bang a knock on the door
Another big bang and you're down on the floor
Oh no! What do we do?
Don't look now but I lost my shoe
I can't run and I can't kick
What's a matter babe are you feeling sick?
what's a matter, what's a matter, what's a matter you?
What's a matter babe, are you feeling blue? oh-oh!
And that's for all time
And that's for all time
Oo-ee-oo I look just like Buddy Holly
Oh-oh, and you're Mary Tyler Moore
I don't care what they say about us anyway
I don't care bout that
I don't care bout that
I don't care bout that
I don't care bout that
Lyrics:
What's with these homies, dissing my girl?
Why do they gotta front?
What did we ever do to these guys
That made them so violent?
Woo-hoo, but you know I'm yours
Woo-hoo, and I know you're mine
Woo-hoo, and that's for all time
Oo-ee-oo I look just like Buddy Holly
Oh-oh, and you're Mary Tyler Moore
I don't care what they say about us anyway
I don't care bout that
Don't you ever fear, I'm always near
I know that you need help
Your tongue is twisted, your eyes are slit
You need a guardian
Woo-hoo, and you know I'm yours
Woo-hoo, and I know you're mine
Woo-hoo, and that's for all time
Oo-ee-oo I look just like Buddy Holly
Oh-oh, and you're Mary Tyler Moore
I don't care what they say about us anyway
I don't care bout that
I don't care bout that
Bang, bang a knock on the door
Another big bang and you're down on the floor
Oh no! What do we do?
Don't look now but I lost my shoe
I can't run and I can't kick
What's a matter babe are you feeling sick?
what's a matter, what's a matter, what's a matter you?
What's a matter babe, are you feeling blue? oh-oh!
And that's for all time
And that's for all time
Oo-ee-oo I look just like Buddy Holly
Oh-oh, and you're Mary Tyler Moore
I don't care what they say about us anyway
I don't care bout that
I don't care bout that
I don't care bout that
I don't care bout that
Friday, March 27, 2009
Work-related quotes
I am a quote-a-holic. I love quotes because they distill deep wisdom into bite-sized pieces! Here are some of my favorites that relate to the world of work:
"Since the dawn of time, companies have hired people whose entire job is to tell you everything is all right and you can completely trust them and the company is as stable as a rock, and to do so until they, themselves are fired because the company is out of business."
-Jason Scott
"The traditional interviewing process is two people pleasantly lying to one another for an hour or two and then making a really big decision that they will live with for years to come."
(unknown)
"If you can do a half-assed job of anything, you're a one-eyed man in a kingdom of the blind."
-Kurt Vonnegut
Regrettably, my first job was on a six year project to write a COBOL compiler. I lasted about three days. I didn't want to end up like my colleagues at HP, bored shitless and sitting around talking about their lawn sprinkling systems, as they toughed out another coffee break on the road to oblivion.
-Eugene Jarvis
"Money can be made later, but time is lost forever."
-Eugene Jarvis (programmer of the game "defender") on working at Atari
"It is easier to do a job right than to explain why you didn’t."
-Martin Van Buren
"Things may come to those who wait... but only the things left by those who hustle."
Abraham Lincoln
"The only man who makes no mistakes is the man who never does anything."
Theodore Roosevelt
"Drink Coffee. Do stupid things faster, with more energy."
-On coffee mug
If it is not useful or necessary, free yourself from imagining that you need to make it. If it is useful and necessary, free yourself from imagining that you need to enhance it by adding what is not an integral part of its usefulness or necessity.
And finally: If it is both useful and necessary and you can recognize and eliminate what is not essential, then go ahead and make it as beautifully as you can.
-from "the rule of thumb for Shaker creations", from ShakerBuilt by Paul Rochleau & June Sprigg
"Work should always be fun....
We all only have one life.
A third of life is work.
Without happiness and fun, work becomes hell."
-IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad,
"No one ever said on their deathbed, 'Gee, I wish I had spent more time alone with my computer.'"
-Danielle Bunten Berry
Monday, March 23, 2009
Song of the Day: Spirit in the Sky by Doctor and the Medics
An excellent version of Spirit in the Sky (original by Norman Greenbaum) by Doctor and the Medics. I remember seeing this band live in the 80's. The highlight was the backing singers. Their moves were very eccentric and well-coordinated. According to wikipedia, it turns out they were trained as synchronized swimmers...!
Lyrics:
When I die and they lay me to rest
Gonna go to the place that's the best
When I lay me down to die
Goin' up to the spirit in the sky
Goin' up to the spirit in the sky
That's where I'm gonna go when I die
When I die and they lay me to rest
Gonna go to the place that's the best
Prepare yourself you know it's a must
Gotta have a friend in Jesus
So you know that when you die
He's gonna recommend you
To the spirit in the sky
Gonna recommend you
To the spirit in the sky
That's where you're gonna go when you die
When you die and they lay you to rest
You're gonna go to the place that's the best
Never been a sinner I never sinned
I got a friend in Jesus
So you know that when I die
He's gonna set me up with
The spirit in the sky
Oh set me up with the spirit in the sky
That's where I'm gonna go when I die
When I die and they lay me to rest
I'm gonna go to the place that's the best
Go to the place that's the best
Lyrics:
When I die and they lay me to rest
Gonna go to the place that's the best
When I lay me down to die
Goin' up to the spirit in the sky
Goin' up to the spirit in the sky
That's where I'm gonna go when I die
When I die and they lay me to rest
Gonna go to the place that's the best
Prepare yourself you know it's a must
Gotta have a friend in Jesus
So you know that when you die
He's gonna recommend you
To the spirit in the sky
Gonna recommend you
To the spirit in the sky
That's where you're gonna go when you die
When you die and they lay you to rest
You're gonna go to the place that's the best
Never been a sinner I never sinned
I got a friend in Jesus
So you know that when I die
He's gonna set me up with
The spirit in the sky
Oh set me up with the spirit in the sky
That's where I'm gonna go when I die
When I die and they lay me to rest
I'm gonna go to the place that's the best
Go to the place that's the best
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Song of the Day: Bob Dylan, Knockin' on Heaven's Door
The original and (in my opinion) the best version:
Lyrics:
Mama, take this badge off of me
I can't use it anymore.
It's gettin' dark, too dark for me to see
I feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door.
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Mama, put my guns in the ground
I can't shoot them anymore.
That long black cloud is comin' down
I feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door.
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
-BT
Lyrics:
Mama, take this badge off of me
I can't use it anymore.
It's gettin' dark, too dark for me to see
I feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door.
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Mama, put my guns in the ground
I can't shoot them anymore.
That long black cloud is comin' down
I feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door.
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
-BT
Friday, March 20, 2009
Rick Steves' guide to Marijuana
OK, so only a small part is about Marijuana - the ostensibly squeaky-clean travel guide guy gives a great interview about why you (yes you) should be traveling more...
Quote from the interview:
"If you spend your whole life thinking the good old days are ahead of you, you're going to wake up with regrets that life passed you by."
http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2009/03/20/rick_steves/index.html
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Is it OK to get mad yet?
OK, so people in the US are starting to face mass unemployment, losing their houses, their retirement (401Ks...), while still facing rising college costs and having to bailout financial institutions that have screwed taxpayers royally. How come nobody is doing anything - in terms of protests, etc? I wonder, what is it that will *really* piss people off and get them to the point where they actually stop watching TV and hit the streets (or would that be too "socialist" like the French?).
Wind Power in the US
I just got back from vacation - we traveled from Northwest Indiana to the Eastern side of Tennessee. I was looking out the window for a fair part of the ride and am sad to report that I spotted a grand total of ONE (1) wind-powered turbine during the entire trip. The one that I did see looked a bit small and pathetic as well. I would have thought that oil prices up at around $150 a barrel would have already led to a massive investment in wind and solar power, and possibly nuclear. Not so much, it seems.
Also when we got to Tennessee we read about the latest coal-related environmental disaster:
Q&A: Examining The Tennessee Coal Ash Spill (NPR)
So it doesn't look like "clean coal" is really very clean (just talk to some of the folks from this part of the country). We still have a long way to go, it seems.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Song of the Day: The Jam, That's Entertainment
I finally understand all of these lyrics - and for once it makes the song better, not worse.
Lyrics
A police car and a screaming siren
Pneumatic drill and ripped up concrete
A baby wailing, a stray dog howling
The screech of brakes and lamplights blinking
That’s entertainment, that’s entertainment
A smash of glass and the rumble of boots
An electric train and a ripped up phone booth
Paint splattered walls and the cry of a tom cat
Lights going out and a kick in the balls
I say that’s entertainment, that’s entertainment
Days of speed and slow time Mondays
Pissing down with rain on a boring Wednesday
Watching the news and not eating your tea
A freezing cold flat and damp on the walls
I say that’s entertainment, that’s entertainment
Waking up at 6 a.m. on a cool warm morning
Opening the windows and breathing in petrol
An amateur band rehearse in a nearby yard
Watching the telly and thinking 'bout your holidays
That’s entertainment, that’s entertainment
Waking up from bad dreams and smoking cigarettes
Cuddling a warm girl and smelling stale perfume
A hot summers day and sticky black tarmac
Feeding ducks in the park and wishing you were far away
That’s entertainment, that’s entertainment
Two lovers kissing amongst the scream of midnight
Two lovers missing the tranquillity of solitude
Getting a cab and travelling on buses
Reading the graffiti about slashed seat affairs
I say that’s entertainment, that’s entertainment
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Geeky Stuff: Damien Katz reveals his path to CouchDB
Here is a very interesting, inspirational and funny talk by Damien Katz in which he reveals how he left the rat-race only to enter it again some time later, on his own terms:
http://www.infoq.com/presentations/katz-couchdb-and-me
It makes me a) want to quit my job and be somebody and b) learn about CouchDB!
-BT
http://www.infoq.com/presentations/katz-couchdb-and-me
It makes me a) want to quit my job and be somebody and b) learn about CouchDB!
-BT
Monday, January 26, 2009
Geeky Stuff: Software Management 101 by RandsInRepose.com
It's late and I need to get to bed but I had to post this first, if only for my own information so I know where to find it later. It's an extraordinary blog post about software management and hits on just about every problem you are likely to run into as you move from being a software developer to being a software manager:
A Disclosure by Rands In Repose
If you are in software management, particularly if you are new to the game, you owe it to yourself to read this.
Enjoy,
-BT
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Song of the Day: The Smiths - There is a Light that never Goes Out
Why on earth did it take so long for this song to be a song of the day, I hear you ask?
Well, that's a good question. And I don't have a good answer.
Here's a tidbit from Wikipedia about this song:
Many of Morrissey's lyrics are borrowed from other sources. In particular, the title of this song has been a source of wonder. One credible suggestion has been that the title is a paraphrase of what Hugh Latimer said to Nicholas Ridley as they were about to be burned at the stake as heretics during the reign of "Bloody Mary," Queen Mary I of England:
"Play the man, Master Ridley; we shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out."
And without further ado, here's the song!
And here are the lyrics:
Take me out tonight
Where theres music and theres people
And theyre young and alive
Driving in your car
I never never want to go home
Because I havent got one
Anymore
Take me out tonight
Because I want to see people and i
Want to see life
Driving in your car
Oh, please dont drop me home
Because its not my home, its their
Home, and Im welcome no more
And if a double-decker bus
Crashes into us
To die by your side
Is such a heavenly way to die
And if a ten-ton truck
Kills the both of us
To die by your side
Well, the pleasure - the privilege is mine
Take me out tonight
Take me anywhere, I dont care
I dont care, I dont care
And in the darkened underpass
I thought oh god, my chance has come at last
(but then a strange fear gripped me and i
Just couldnt ask)
Take me out tonight
Oh, take me anywhere, I dont care
I dont care, I dont care
Driving in your car
I never never want to go home
Because I havent got one, da ...
Oh, I havent got one
And if a double-decker bus
Crashes into us
To die by your side
Is such a heavenly way to die
And if a ten-ton truck
Kills the both of us
To die by your side
Well, the pleasure - the privilege is mine
Oh, there is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
-BT
Well, that's a good question. And I don't have a good answer.
Here's a tidbit from Wikipedia about this song:
Many of Morrissey's lyrics are borrowed from other sources. In particular, the title of this song has been a source of wonder. One credible suggestion has been that the title is a paraphrase of what Hugh Latimer said to Nicholas Ridley as they were about to be burned at the stake as heretics during the reign of "Bloody Mary," Queen Mary I of England:
"Play the man, Master Ridley; we shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out."
And without further ado, here's the song!
And here are the lyrics:
Take me out tonight
Where theres music and theres people
And theyre young and alive
Driving in your car
I never never want to go home
Because I havent got one
Anymore
Take me out tonight
Because I want to see people and i
Want to see life
Driving in your car
Oh, please dont drop me home
Because its not my home, its their
Home, and Im welcome no more
And if a double-decker bus
Crashes into us
To die by your side
Is such a heavenly way to die
And if a ten-ton truck
Kills the both of us
To die by your side
Well, the pleasure - the privilege is mine
Take me out tonight
Take me anywhere, I dont care
I dont care, I dont care
And in the darkened underpass
I thought oh god, my chance has come at last
(but then a strange fear gripped me and i
Just couldnt ask)
Take me out tonight
Oh, take me anywhere, I dont care
I dont care, I dont care
Driving in your car
I never never want to go home
Because I havent got one, da ...
Oh, I havent got one
And if a double-decker bus
Crashes into us
To die by your side
Is such a heavenly way to die
And if a ten-ton truck
Kills the both of us
To die by your side
Well, the pleasure - the privilege is mine
Oh, there is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
There is a light and it never goes out
-BT
Clockwork Orange Dictionary
I got about half way through "A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess when I discovered this little gem:
A dictionary for Clockwork orange
I had figured out some of the strange made-up words used throughout the book by myself (based on context) but found the dictionary *really* useful, and interesting - most of the words are derived from Russian words, it turns out.
-BT
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