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Thursday 20 November 2008
Quantum Cryptography
Seriously - isn't that the coolest sounding concept you've ever heard of? I mean - 'Quantum Cryptography' - it sounds like a bit of Star Trek technobabble, but it's real.
Televiewing
The box set of The West Wing Season Five should be arriving today - I haven't seen a single episode of this one, and it's the first after the departure of series creator Aaron Sorkin, which led to very mixed reviews. So I await viewing it with a mixture of interest and trepidation.
That's assuming I ever get round to watching it - the stack of DVDs we've accumulated and need to get through is just silly - I bought the Angel Season Five box last time I was in SF (late February) and I've watched all of two episodes. I made an attempt to start on The 4400 but it was diabolically bad, so I gave up. I have a chunk of Carnivale season one to get through, and David bought me all of UFO for Christmas and we haven't yet sat down and watched any of it.
And that's setting aside the films that we've not yet seen, nor I'm sure some TV stuff that I'm forgetting about.
Day after the election - that's what i should focus on - get some stuff watched then :-)
Election Round-Up
I'm going to start a catch-up entry on all things related to the Election and try to get it to a point where it's postable withing the next day or two.
To start with, as I've remarked before, I'm a bit of an election junky, so I'll be up late on the night in question following all the declarations and analysis and probably shouting a lot at the politicians being interviewed. I've taken the day off the following day, so I'll be able to sit through it to the bitter end.
I can't remember the last time I felt so ambivalent about an election though. I'm pretty much at the end of my tether with the leadership of the Labour Party, though still feel it should spiritually be my home, even though it doesn't act like a socialist enough organisation for my taste. The Conservatives under Michael Howard fill me with a dread the like of which I can't recall ever feeling even in the darkest days of Thatcher, though fortunately I don't see any prospect of them sweeping to power. The Liberal Democrats keep saying a lot of stuff that I agree with, but sadly don't stand a chance of forming the official opposition, so they'll just continue to nibble at the heels of the big two for the foreseeable. I suppose my ideal is that Labour get in but with a majority sufficiently reasonable that the other parties can keep them honest; returning to my previously stated position that strong opposition is essential for good government.
Of the 'Fringe' parties, I'm entertained by the UKIP and their suggestion that their tax cuts and higher spending should be covered by an immediate increase in Government borrowing of £30billion. Because that sounds like a good sound fiscal policy. Veritas I simply can't take seriously for very many reasons, but their numbers fail to add up even more spectacularly, because they want more people in prison for longer, more police officers, more money spent on immigration control, and a significant reduction in money into the country from taxes. And they don't even sugest that we put the entire economy in hock to do it. I also love that in their website's summary of their position of on Law and Order they jump straight from Travellers on illegal pitches to Paedophiles - nice sense of perspective there.
The Greens always strike me as very worthy, and of course it's important to support environmental policies, but every time I take a serious look into their policies, there's a feeling of naïvte there that makes me incapable of taking them seriously.
More as I get the chance.
Damn Spam
I've been having a *lot* of trouble recently with comment spammers round here. I've had waves of it before, but just recently it's been getting to the point of seriously annoying. I just had to delete 45 comments that appeared overnight, on top of the 20-odd from Friday and another 20-odd on Thursday, etc, etc.
I use MT Blacklist to try and keep the buggers down, and was starting to think that it was losing its effectiveness until I check the activity log and realised it's just that the spammers are moving slightly faster than the blacklisters. There are hundreds and hundreds of additional spam comments being blocked every single week.
Unreal.
Out Of The Mouths....
During that long silence a couple of weeks ago, I had occasion to call Microsoft for some technical support, and as I was doing so immediately after spending well over an hour on the line to Dell's support people too, I was not in the mood to be handed around five different people in different teams, nor ultimately to have someone 'support' me by so clearly reading from a script to tell me that they can't help me and I need to speak to Dell....
However, the whole saga was *almost* redeemed by one of the Microsoft people in the chain telling me "We don't have any technical knowledge here."
It's All Go....
Honestly - you wait years for recognition and two stories about it turn up at once.
Spain paves way for gay marriage.
The Vatican is reportedly not happy.
Edit: Told you
Civil Unions
The US State of Connecticut has become the first voluntarily to make civil unions for gay and lesbian couples legal.
The bill which does this contains an amendment which specifically defines marriage as being between one man and one woman, in order to avoid the suggestion that this is actually gay marriage, but now see the dilemma for the opponents.
Various 'defence of marriage' groups are planning action in opposition to the bill, but by extension, they're also going to be in opposition of the very definition that they so rigorously and narrowly fight for.
In the meantime, I hope that Connecticut's residents enjoy this step towards equality to the fullest.
EDIT: I like the way someone else put this in a discussion about it:
"Yeah, see this is the tactic that should be taken. You limit what you define "marriage" as and then create civil unions which are the exact same thing. It sort of takes away the room to manuver.
Antigay person: But marriage is between a MAN and a WOMAN!
Legislature: Yeah, that's what we said.
AP: Well...uhh.....darn it!"
Grief! It's Been Ten Days!
I seriously thought I was getting back on track with this blogging thing, but the last week and a bit has been stupidly busy. I've also been dealing with significant spam comment incursions.
However, I have things to say about the election, taking exercise, family matters and various TV things. I'll try to do a couple of serious catch-ups in the next day or two and then get back onto a regular schedule.
It's Pronounced 'ConstanTYNE'....
Finally got round to seeing Constantine on Friday evening, which despite what they say in the film I will continue to pronounce correctly :-)
Drawing significant elements from Garth Ennis' Dangerous Habits storyline in the comic, it's by no means a bad modern horror film. It draws on a variety of other sources, including every 'demonic birth' film there ever was, and so occasionally comes across as a bit of a mishmash, but an enjoyable one for all that.
The one *huge* problem with it is the fact that Keanu Reeves performs about as badly as I've ever seen him in anything. It's dreadful in this, conveying none of the nuances that the character is offered via the script or plot, and in no way convincing as a man who has seen greater horror than can be imagined.
Yes To Labour, No To Blair?
Over on Millarworld Mark Millar is highlighting a useful solution for those who would like to see another Labour Government, but who believe that Tony Blair should not be at the head of the new government because he's a lying, arrogant bastard (who, me? opinionated?).
That solution is to vote Labour locally, but send some money to support the campaign of Reg Keys.
Reg Keys' son was killed in Iraq, as part of a war that his parents clearly believe was based on lies. Mr Keys is therefore standing against Blair in his own constituency. The hope would be that something like Tatton in 97 happens, with the other parties standing aside.
It's an interesting proposition, to say the least.
Mr Keys' Election Letter (in PDF format) is here.
Retro Baby
Following on from a musical posting last week, I wanted to mention that it's not only other people's (well, David's) preferred listening which is affecting what I hear.
A few months ago I had a sudden nostalgic flashback to a band I used to like in my youth, and went to Amazon to check for any of their output. A 'Best of' CD was available, so I stuck it into my shopping basket against the day that I had enough else in there to justify an order. Finally last week I found a couple of books I wanted, so I put the order in, and spent a very entertaining commute in this morning listening to Time For Action - The Very Best of Secret Affair.
Never heard of them? I'm not surprised - I am *very* old after all. But I had Time For Action, My World and Sound Of Confusion among others belting out most satisfyingly.
Ah - nostalgia.
He's Dead Then
See - now I'm conflicted.
I'm not religious, and it'll come as a shock to no one that I don't believe in any of that guff.
But the death of Pope John Paul II almost makes me want there to be some truth to the whole 'afterlife' thing.
Because I want there to be a special place in hell reserved for evil old bigots who use their authority to make the world worse for the people they've decided to hate, and who turn a blind eye to minor matters like their representatives encouraging people to risk their lives rather than take sensible population control measures.
The only downside to him going is that there's a fair chance they'll pick someone even worse as the next one.
Edit: The other downside is that I suppose we'll be subjected to days more of the non-stop media beatification of him.
The End Of The World
That's this week's episode of Doctor Who, and as I summed it up with all my critical faculties ablaze: "Oh. My. God".
I mean, there's simply no question but that it was the best-looking episode the series has ever had - huge virtual sets that didn't look virtual, great alien designs, excellent effects, all added to cracking characters, brilliant dialogue, and some hints that something terrible happened between old Who and new to leave the Doctor the last of the Time Lords.
This new series is shaping up to be absolutely superb.
A Minor Drama
Oh but I have my moments.
In the departure lounge of the airport for my flight back to London this afternoon I was sitting near two women who were travelling together. A rather irritating youth (probably 17 or 18 years old) decided to start hassling them, giving them a hard time because he'd decided they were lesbians.
He was doing the whole "You people make me sick - you fucking perverts - why don't you get away from where normal people are?" routine, and they were getting visibly agitated. They were also, it's worth noting, very short - neither one of them would have topped five feet, and this guy was scrawny but taller, maybe 5'9".
I was all set to step in, when he gave me the perfect opening: "All you need is sorting out by a real man - that'll show you what you're missing."
So I stood up and said "I could say the same to you."
He turned to me and started spluttering, asking what I meant. So I told him that if he was so keen for people to experience what a real man was like, he should try taking it himself. And while he wasn't my type, I was sure that if he went to the right bars, he'd be able to find someone who'd be willing to bend him over.
Just for a moment I thought he was going to take a swing at me (I was kind of hoping he would), but I did have both height and bulk on my side, so he stopped and said "What are you then, a queer?"
I said "queer, faggot, poof, call me whatever you like, it's not going to bother me, and it's not going to stop you fucking off and leaving us all in peace."
By which point several people were pointing and giggling, so he did indeed turn tail.
I felt all butch and manly. Which is a good trick when you've just announced you're queer to a departure lounge full of people :-)
Oh Please
Earlier on I heard some random nutter that Radio 4 had cornered in St Peter's Square describe the Pope as "the person the whole world turns to for moral guidance".
If I hadn't been driving at speed, I may have given in to my instinctive inclination to throw up.
The day I need to go to someone like that for moral guidance is never going to dawn.
Assuming he's alive in the morning, I'd like to see at least one of the papers run a headline: "The Pope: Not Dead Yet."
A Bit Of A Domestic
A domestic flight that is.
It's been years since I took a flight within the UK, and I'd forgotten how short they are, and how consequently frenzied is the work that the cabin crew have to do.
I took a 45 minute flight today that was scheduled to be an hour and ten minutes, so when the pilot announced the actual flying time, the crew looked a bit freaked and started working out a game plan. In the event, we sat on the ground after we'd pushed back from the gate for longer than we were actually going to be in the air, but once we were underway, they really went for it. They kept the service standard right up, did everything with a smile on their faces, and much to my entertainment (I was in the row right behind the galley), when they wheeled the last trolley back in and latched it in place, they all gave each other high fives.
It's a hard life up there you know.