Chiltern Fixie @chilternfixie-blog - Tumblr Blog

Heritage Day

Staying away from old town today as it's the Heritage Day. And realised how little I have used tumblr of late, as there's so few posts since the last time I blogged about getting out of town for Heritage Day...

Plate Tectonics

When I was a kid, maybe 7 or 8 years old, I asked my dad about the similarity in shape of Africa and South America. They match so well, I suggested, surely they must once have been together. My dad was very interested in Science, and shaped my early interest. His response though, was that it was pure coincidence. Back then the world was fixed. The theory of Plate Tectonics is two years younger than me. It wasn't until 1964 that the evidence of spreading in the mid-atlantic ridge was published. When I was a kid, it wasn't widely known. Happy 50th Birthday, Plate Tectonics

Liberal Democrats

Once I was a member of the Liberal Democrat Party. Okay, it was back in the 1980s*, but I continued to vote for them even after my membership lapsed. Today I’m ashamed that I was ever associated with them.

Since they voted to support Clause 119, my opinion of the Lib Dems has plummeted. It wasn’t good after their general support for Cameron, but now they disgust me. The Lib Dems are scum. I will never vote for them again. They are a revolting excuse for politicians, but show exactly the problem of today’s politicians. They have some power. They will do whatever it takes to hang on to that power. They will betray any ideals they once held. They will betray their supporters, past and present.

Power corrupts.

*at the time, my brother-in-law was the Lib-Dem candidate for Aberdeen South

TV

My TV has been out since June, some problem with the communal aerial that the landlords claimed wasn’t their responsibility. Managed to get something back yesterday through a rather Heath-Robinson*-ish arrangement and have been able to watch some TV over the weekend.

I’d forgotten how rubbish TV was in general. I’ve spent the weekend watching Star Wars, Simpsons, and CSI. Exactly the same stuff I was watching seven months ago when the TV failed.

Why did I bother?

*Rube-Goldberg-ish for any American readers

I'll believe it when I see it

In another place I may have mentioned a slight scepticism in predictions about the arrival of a bright comet. http://chilternfixie.wordpress.com/2012/12/27/ill-believe-it-when-i-see-it/ I think my scepticism may have been justified.

Heresy

I can’t stand Doctor Who.

My first Doctor was Patrick Troughton, though I don’t really remember many of the episodes. The first Doctor I remember properly was Jon Pertwee. I continued watching into the Tom Baker era, and after that I gave up. I did enjoy the one-off film with Paul McGann.

Then came the new wave. Ecclestone was fun. Tennant was interesting. Smith, I haven’t seen any of his episodes. It all went too Deus Ex.

The decline started with the double episode return of The Master. After that, it all got a bit slap-dash. The Tardis will save the day. The Sonic Screwdriver will save the day. There’s no plotting. Just a gung ho charge at the foe, a setback, then the Deus Ex moment to save the day.

There’s just no thought in it - there probably never was, but when we were kids in the sixties we just lapped up that sort of thing because it was something different.

But the came Star Wars, CE3K, Firefly, Blade Runner, Alien and more.

Suddenly we had thoughtful, high tech, flashy, believably effects laden SF.

Dr Who just doesn’t cut it any more. There's plenty of good SF around, and DW didn't bother to try to keep up, just endlessly recycling the same old stuff. It's no longer different, it's tired and worn out.

Flare

The ISS app has now started displaying the time, direction and elevation of Iridium Flares.

Spotted one yesterday evening just as I was getting home from work. There were two this evening, about three minutes apart. Didn't see either of them, thanks to the constant bombardment of fireworks.

#ISS #Iridium #Iridium Flare #November 5th #Bonfire Night

Horrible Writers

Woke to a very wet morning, stayed in bed a while longer than usual and listened to the radio. Listened to the writer of the “Horrible Histories” books. Well, what a revolting and irresponsible individual. He put my back up straight away by reciting that tired old saw about having been force fed mathematics in school, and then never having used it again in his life. I’m quite sure that he has used maths without realising it even if it’s just applying the rules of mathematical logic to complete a sudoku, or applied trigonometry to calculate the shortest path across an object-filled public square. The flip side is that I was taught mathematics in school and have used it every day since. I was force fed Shakespeare in school… We need kids to be learning maths; poor mathematical skills are at the root of many of the problems that UK experiences in the workplace today. We need to be developing scientific skills so that Britain can maintain a place at the top table of research, development, and manufacturing. We don’t need idiot writers telling kids they can get by without knowledge of mathematics.

#mathematics #science #horrible histories #writers

ISS

Thanks to a new app on the Nexus (ISS Detector), I discovered that the International Space Station would be passing near directly overhead this evening. Clear skies, so outside at 17.30 UTC. Watched it appear over the trees to the west, climb over zenith and disappear off into the Earth’s shadow in the east. First time I've ever seen it, and it was a quite amazing sight. And amazing to think that us humans put that up there.

EDIT: Saw the second pass about 90mins later - initially thought it might be a bit low and hidden by trees. But no, well above the horizon. Disappeared suddenly after a couple of minutes as it passed into the shadow of Earth.

#iss

Not going out

Horrendous weather today, continuous heavy rain with a fair wind behind it. If I had gone walking then I'd have been soaked to the skin before I'd got to the end of the road.

Instead, a quick dash to the bus stop, and over to wander around the shopping centre at Wycombe (which is always a mistake). Shoes and a shirt from M&S. "24" box set series 1-8. There is - as I have mentioned before - a range of "classic" American TV series that I have never seen. I've only ever seen half of one series of "24", the one with the nuke in LA, so I resolved to watch the whole of "24". And because I can never walk past a bookshop, a copy of Nate Silver's "The Signal And The Noise". I've been meaning to get a copy of this for ages. Quick read through the introduction and, oh he's a Bayesian, now there's a surprise. I look forward to reading this more now.

The bus back home, dodge between the raindrops, and settle in front of the box for the start of the 24 marathon.

#24 #Bayes #Bayesian #Nate Silver #M&S #new shoes

Service

Whilst I'm on the subject of bad service, I must just add a word about buying the Nexus.

Staples High Wycombe - you're crap

I did the usual hunting around on price. Not a whole lot of difference between Amazon and the local electronics shops, so decided to buy local. Also, I'd resolved not to use Curry's / PC World after the recent graduate interview humiliation covered in the news.

So, along to Staples. Near empty shop. Several members of staff standing around chatting, I'm standing waiting to be served. I saw them, they saw me, I waited, they chatted. I gave up and went to PC World. Had to wait a while to be served there, but that was because they were busy. Probably full of customers who had walked out of Staples.

#Staples Office Supplies #Staples #PC World #Nexus 7 #bad service

cafe Nero

Good coffee

Frightfully bad service

#cafe nero #bad service

Keep Taking the Tablets

I've resisted getting a tablet as I've never really seen a niche for them in the way I use computers.

For a small portable device I have my netbook. The programmes I use most are LaTeX, R, Notepad++, together with the usual suspects - Chrome and Thunderbird. The netbook does me fine. It even handles Photomatix without crashing, though I do have to wait a bit for that to process images.

However, it's a bit of a bind Alt+Tabbing between the programme and PDF reference manuals. So, I decided I'd get a e-reader for the manuals, and if I was getting that I may as well go the extra step and get a tablet.

So, Nexus 7

In terms of computers, it's limited. Very limited. But I knew that when I bought it. Yes I like it. The display is stunning. It's fast, limited only by my crap connection.

Keyboard takes a lot of getting used to...

#tablet #nexus 7 #chrome

Sharing Data

As in, when did I share this data?

So I finally gave in and bought a tablet, opting for the Asus Google Nexus 7.

Started up Chrome, slight hiccup connecting via my phone (crap WiFi on the phone), and within half an hour all bookmarks, logins, passwords and the like from my desktop Chrome has been downloaded onto the tablet. I cannot remember ever having told Chrome to backup my data online, I can't find any setting tab to disable this, it just gets done with or without my permission.

Okay, it is useful because it means I don't have the hassle of doing another set up. I just wish I'd known that my data was being uploaded to Google. Guess I shouldn't be surprised though.

#tablet #google #data sharing #data recovery #chrome

I've never watched "Breaking Bad"

#breaking bad

Chiltern Wildlife

Out for a long walk on Sunday, enjoying the last of the summer sunshine. Also enjoying the Sunshine was a dragonfly, warming itself on a wall beside the River Misbourne. Later in the day, over the back of Ley Hill, a butterfly set down for a moment.

#chilterns #chiltern hills #wildlife

Mega Headache

Bad headache all afternoon Probably because I haven't had any coffee. About to rectify that with a mug of Tanzanian Chagga

#coffee #Tanzanian Chagga

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