The Musings of Chris Samuel » Writing

Social Workers and Occupational Therapists Disappearing off the Medicare Radar

Chris Samuel — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:10:09 +0000

It’s not making the news at the moment, but the proposed scrapping of the Medicare rebate for access to social workers and occupational therapists is going to cause a lot of pain to a lot of people. We have friends with Autism and Aspergers Syndrome who benefit from the support these people provide, support that helps these people get into jobs, to live independently or to understand how the world is working. As my own wife puts it:

As a person with autism, learning disabilities and mental health issues from a background of abuse and homelessness, a lot of my skills took years to acquire. I had had a lifetime of labels, Psych and Guidance, medicated by age 9, psychiatry since my teens. But it was a social worker who liased with my psychiatrist to get me – relatively illiterate, innumerate, itinerant and at risk – back into education. The psychiatrist took the credit but it was there I understood the very different jobs these people had in the area of mental health. The psychiatrist could medicate me, but the Social Worker had a more powerful medicine – practical plans and support to change, to save, a life.

When her first husband left after isolating her:

I had spent two years without practicing my self help skills. Agoraphobic, isolated, disoriented, I didn’t need a psychiatrist or medication. I needed practical hands on help in the home and the community to pattern me back into my life skills. That help came in the form of an Occupational Therapist. She helped me get back my strategies and the life skills these supported, helped me get my confidence back and helped me put supports in place for the things I needed help with. Within three months I was running my life as an independent adult, able to commute from home out into the community, even joining in community activities and looking after a cat.

Mental health often flies under the radar of journalists, but it is a significant health issue in Australia. Professor John Mendoza says:

Today, mental ill-health is the leading cause of death for all Australians under 45. More than car accidents. More than binge drinking. More than anything else. It is the leading cause of disability in Australia across all demographics. It affects more than 4 million Australians every year and is estimated to cost the Australian economy about $30 billion each year.

This decision isn’t yet set in stone, it is apparently due to be reviewed later this year but don’t wait for the election, please write and tell the current Health Minister why it is important to keep these services eligible for the Medicare rebate.

Federal Health Minister, Nicola Roxon,
1 Thomas Holmes Street
Maribyrnong Vic 3032,
Phone: 9317 7077.
nicola@nicolaroxonmp.com

Thank you.

This item originally posted here:

Social Workers and Occupational Therapists Disappearing off the Medicare Radar

Soliciting Australian Signatories to an Open Letter Against Software Patents to Minister Kim Carr

Chris Samuel — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:25:37 +0000

The Melbourne Free Software Interest Group (a group of Melbourne computer folks with an interest in software freedom) have put together an open letter to Senator the Hon Kim Carr, the Minister for Innovation, to request that software be excluded from patenting as part of the Australian governments review of patents in general.

We are currently collecting signatures to the letter and if you are in Australia and of a like mind we would really appreciate it if you would contribute your signature too! Just click on the link, read the letter and the form to sign it is at the bottom of the page. Please also pass this on to others you know who may be interested.

This item originally posted here:

Soliciting Australian Signatories to an Open Letter Against Software Patents to Minister Kim Carr

Nick Crane’s Britannia and Floating Islands in Snowdonia, Wales

Chris Samuel — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:17:37 +0000

Watched the first episode of Nick Crane’s Britannia, about England and Wales, and was interested to see a section about Snowdonia which implied that William Camden, the Elizabethan author of the original Britannia, had said that there were was a lake there which had a floating island in it. It implied that Camden would have come across this story by talking to cattle farmers of the area on his travels through North Wales. But that doesn’t seem to be the case at all, in fact the English translation of Camden’s own text says:

Neverthelesse, so ranke are they with grasse that it is a very comon speech among the Welsh, that the mountaines Eriry will yeeld sufficient pasture for all the cattaile in Wales, if they were put upon them together. Concerning the two Meare [lakes] on the toppe of these, in the one of which floteth a wandering Island, and in the other is found great store of fishes, but having all of them but one eye apeece, I will say nothing lest I might seeme to foster fables, although some, confident upon the authority of Giraldus, have beleeved it for a verity.

In other words he was just quoting Giraldus Cambrensis who, in his “The Description of Wales” (1194 CE), wrote:

the latter of which are said to be of so great an extent, that if all the herds in Wales were collected together, they would supply them with pasture for a considerable time. Upon them are two lakes, one of which has a floating island; and the other contains fish having only one eye, as we have related in our Itinerary.

Even then Giraldus is just summarising what he wrote in his “The Itinerary of Archbishop Baldwin through Wales” (1188 CE), where he says:

On the highest parts of these mountains are two lakes worthy of admiration. The one has a floating island in it, which is often driven from one side to the other by the force of the winds; and the shepherds behold with astonishment their cattle, whilst feeding, carried to the distant parts of the lake. A part of the bank naturally bound together by the roots of willows and other shrubs may have been broken off, and increased by the alluvion of the earth from the shore; and being continually agitated by the winds, which in so elevated a situation blow with great violence, it cannot reunite itself firmly with the banks. The other lake is noted for a wonderful and singular miracle. It contains three sorts of fish – eels, trout, and perch, all of which have only one eye, the left being wanting; but if the curious reader should demand of me the explanation of so extraordinary a circumstance, I cannot presume to satisfy him.

So sadly it appears that William Camden was just referring back to a text that was almost 400 years old when the first edition of Britannia was published in 1586.

This item originally posted here:

Nick Crane’s Britannia and Floating Islands in Snowdonia, Wales

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-07-25

Chris Samuel — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 00:14:00 +0000

*This* is why I love #astronomy – large version of todays APOD – http://bit.ly/8Yo5LT #
#Thunderbird 3.0.x creates duplicate messages *occasionally* when filtering from IMAP inbox to folder on another IMAP #
Someone on Beowulf said over the weekend "I am a servant of the Oceanographers" – first evidence of #Cthulhu #HPC ? #
Looks like my duplicate IMAP messages problem is a bug fixed in #Thunderbird 3.1 http://bit.ly/bRcBOV – need to find PPA! #
Bah, no one has packaged a 64-bit build of #Thunderbird 3.1 and the Mozilla nightly PPA last TB update was January! #
Sigh, going to miss @RealBillBailey in #Melbourne over 10 years since I last saw him in Worcester (when I was in the UK) #
Did you know you can vote both above and below the line? See this useful guide from the ABC: http://bit.ly/bZOo1U #ausvotes #
Off to first ceramics class for a while tonight with @donna_williams, should be fun! A bit chilly outside though, barely 4C. #
#ausvotes http://whatsmytwitteraccountworth.com/ @tonyabbottmhr at $5,328, @juliagillard at $13,025 and @kruddmp at $413,934 #
Convert set of web pages to ebook with #Calibre FAQ says just add the index file but Calibre then creates a zip which it cannot convert. #
Excellent article on SSD benchmark numbers by @sijoe http://bit.ly/cDCkfr – introducing "Benchmark Significance Ratio" #
.@sijoe's BS ratio = (claimed / measured ); for Sandforce SF-1200 he gets BS of ~1 for storing 0's, BS ~4 for random data! #
For those who do routinely store 0's as file data I find /dev/null outperforms any disk; just read it back from /dev/zero #
Chris Mason just sent Linus a pull request for #btrfs fixes including a fix for the balancing bug found by Edward Shishkin #
Finally managed to upgrade my #Kobo to v1.4 under Linux using beta Kobo Desktop 32-bit package from http://bit.ly/cUVieO #
Anyone else getting spammed by myguestlist.com.au ? #
If you read just one article about the #ALP #039;s proposed mandatory Internet Filter, read this http://bit.ly/bloxUW #ausvotes #
Open letter to Kim Carr against software #patents in #Australia please add your signature here: http://bit.ly/9rLHva #
"Artists representation of what the CIWS laser beam looks like which, in reality, is invisible." – d'oh! #
"Forty-ton whale lands on yacht during Cape Town sailing trip" – http://bit.ly/bd2VIt – where was the bowl of petunias ? #
Picture of the laser with the non-invisible invisible beam is on a #BBC news article here http://bit.ly/czGxnm @bbart #
Unlucky enough to have to run #Microsoft #Windows systems? You probably want to read this: http://bit.ly/9KtYhK #security #
.@jeremyvisser Python-iview is the *only* way I can watch @abciview, the website just doesn't work for me, never loads #
Just found that Current #Archaeology magazine is on Twitter as @CurrentArchaeo #
Australian govt censors data retention doc obtained under FOI to stop 'premature unnecessary debate' http://bit.ly/9TJuWi #
Off to the dentist, this should be fun.. not. #
India develops #Linux touch screen computer with components that cost USD$35 – http://bit.ly/bbNWkt #
#FF #followfriday #hpc @insidehpc @hpcwire @sijoe @hpc_guru @thedeadline @hpccouncil @brockpalen @huwlynes @peakscale @SuperComputing #
An excellent piece of non-religious philosophy in bullet points by @alecmuffett on his blog – http://bit.ly/d58DHW #
#ff #followfriday #activism @getup @Atlantean7001 @NewtonMark @worldlandtrust @ptua @donna_williams #
RT @BreakingNews: Dutch court fines #Trafigura $1.28M for exporting hazardous waste to Ivory Coast, concealing its dangerous nature – AP #
Making gluten & dairy free meat and veggie pies with @donna_williams, yum! #gfcf #
So far today we've done meat+veggie pie, popcorn, polenta & vanilla cookies;aAbout to embark on apple cake. All #gfcf #
Large bang from #Belgrave direction earlier, #CFA shout at Edward Street (now controlled), hope things are OK. #
#CFA shout at Edwards St, #Belgrave (same time as big bang) now a "False Alarm" on CFA website after previously controlled. #
Good reactions save CF-18 pilot when plane crashes whilst practising for airshow http://bit.ly/aXitIz (via @astroengine) #
The #BBC has footage of that CF-18 crash in Canada here: http://bit.ly/bzWV9v #
#RIP Hurricane Higgins (former world snooker champion), dead at 61 from throat cancer – http://bit.ly/asase7 #
Thanks to @jonoxer for the pointer to @motorbikematt's pics! #

This item originally posted here:

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-07-25

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-07-18

Chris Samuel — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 00:14:00 +0000

Emergency! Out of Italian Almond Tea error! Insert teabag in slot 1 and press go! #
The Chaser team are coming back to the ABC for the #election http://bit.ly/ccmX5w "Yes We Canberra!" #
Random fact – 48 years ago today (12th July) The Rolling Stones performed their first gig at the Marquee Club in London #
RT @Lateline: Anti-vaccination group accused of harassing parents http://tinyurl.com/2fo5pp2 #
Trying to run #Calibre to convert some PDF's into epub format – wow it makes this machine go slow! #
Learning to package kcaldav for Ubuntu, trying to work out if I can patch the Makefile to patch a file created during the build #
Didn't bother patching the makefile, just altered it directly in the package (this is only for test purposes!) #
Lithium Iron battery? Didn't seem that heavy! http://twitpic.com/24wzmk #
New Kobo ebook reader from Borders http://twitpic.com/24×08p #
Got newer version of #Calibre from Nate Muench's PPA, much nicer! Understands Kobo + grabs @lwnnet with my subscriber id #
#planck #esa RT @arjenlentz http://www.esa.int/images/PLANCK_FSM_03_Black_Regions_v02_B,0.jpg very pretty picture #
#Oracle #039;s deaf ear to #OpenSolaris governing body leads to threat to dissolve itself in frustration – http://bit.ly/bPQnrx #
great quote from the #Beowulf #HPC list – "my first computer was a Univac II – vacuum tubes, no operating system." #
Awesome APOD of the #eclipse – RT @apod: Easter Island Eclipse: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100714.html #
RT @insideHPC: SC10 aims to encourage growth of #HPC workforce http://bit.ly/aFnQAK #
neat! RT @insidehpc #Amazon adds support for traditional #HPC workloads with Cluster Compute instance http://bit.ly/aCjekJ #
Groklaw: software #patent application rejected; USPTO cites #Bilski as part of case law for rejection http://bit.ly/ae0MbZ #
Going through PDF's of SCO's alleged copying in Linux – it's *all* header files + all from ELF and Open Group Unix specs #
Here's a hint #SCO things like struct utimbuf and the prototypes of strcasecmp() and shmget() aren't secret.. #
Whilst I never thought #SCO had a case I'm gobsmacked by the paucity of what they claimed to have as evidence; laughable! #
Yea ghods the new @bbcnews website is awful! Anyone know a way to get the old version back ? #
Downloading over 700 emails at 60MB – guess who's neglected his home email again.. #
#VLSCI announces "Call for submissions for Early Adopters Ph.D. Workshop at SC10" http://bit.ly/d9O9iI #sc10 #hpc #
Best. Eclipse. Photo. Ever. RT @apod: Andes Sunset #Eclipse http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100715.html #
(for US) RT @BreakingNews: January-June 2010 was warmest first half of year on record, federal climate service reports http://bit.ly/9VPfrA #
#OpenMM releases version 2.0, includes Gromacs and Amber support for nVidia and ATI GPUs! http://bit.ly/bk5Cf8 #hpc #
RT @marsroverdriver Testing ESA's Mars rover: cool. http://is.gd/dtDx1 – I wonder how the Welsh feel about being compared to Mars this way? #
.@marsroverdriver they'd probably fight over who was north mars and who was south mars (yes, I'm Welsh ) #
Any sufficiently advanced user with physical control of his workstation is indistinguishable from root. (apologies to ACC) #
The @abcnews has a "How to vote" page – http://bit.ly/bZOo1U – and no, it's not about more funding for them! #
#Motorola Droid-X #Android phone has anti-tamper mechanism that will brick it if you try to mod it http://bit.ly/dnAEw3 #
Clark and Dawe on #refugees and #Australia – classic – http://bit.ly/aYahbh #
Fabulous @oldspice parody – "Look at your grades, now look at mine" http://bit.ly/bhuEtV #
Animated MRI scan of an artichoke – http://bit.ly/9qVKbe – (via @astroengine, @mactavish, @Wordweaverlynn) #
Just noticed that @KRuddPM has become @KRuddMP; good for him. #
Us #Linux #Kobo users are out of luck with firmware upgrades: "At this time we don't support Linx with the Kobo eReader." #

This item originally posted here:

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-07-18

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-07-11

Chris Samuel — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 00:14:00 +0000

RT @kattekrab: Linux Users Victoria meets 7pm Tues this week – http://luv.asn.au/2010/07/06 – Photographer's Workflow & L4Ka microkernel #
Dear @googledownunder, stage 2 of the sign up for the YouTube partner program doesn't work under Firefox 3.6.7 on MacOSX #
Yet more pandering to #refugee hysteria (other migrants outnumber them 20:1) http://bit.ly/daOICZ #australia #politics #
indeed! RT @stewartsmith: my talk at @linuxusersvic on photography workflow on Linux seemed to go down well. yay! #
.@juliagillard "It's not my intention that we in any way jeopardise legitimate use of the internet" – so no filter please! #
#EMC kills their #cloud storage solution: SLA's no longer honoured, customers must shift – http://bit.ly/cZIwUE via @sijoe #
~96% of asylum seekers arrive by plane but I don't see anyone proposing we stop them landing; why fixate on boats? #
Please keep this toy away from hair http://twitpic.com/235sbh #
Do not sleep with Zhu Zhu pet http://twitpic.com/236n6k #
RT @SeeInANewWay: Photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto uses 400,000 volts of electricity to create images on film http://cot.ag/bV4ELC ^MG #
NetApp going after vendors building products using #ZFS over software #patents big customers next? http://bit.ly/9xLrc6 #
BBC: #Disney found to have ripped off small UK producer who created Who Wants To Be A Millionaire http://bit.ly/bRQ0yo #
#SCO appeals – oh no not again… http://bit.ly/aMhers #linux #groklaw #
"One unexpected benefit [of using StatusNet] is a reduction in company email" http://j.mp/9Y5skk #motorola via @robsanchez #
RT @theretronaut: What if Darth Vader were painted by Monet in 1875…? – http://tinyurl.com/23nyljn #starwars #
RT @NewHorizons2015: Tracking data now show that our 30 June trajectory correction was on target to within 1.3 millimeters/second– WOW! #
Adaptive Computing is what Cluster Resources renamed to, they do Torque, Moab, etc.. #
When election called you may only have until 8pm that day to enrol, and just 3 days to update details like address.. #
Just 9 hours before #Rosetta has its close encounter with the asteroid Lutetia, around 11:45pm Melbourne time #
Looks like I got the time of closest approach of #Rosetta to Lutetia wrong, it'll be 0143 Melbourne, too late for me! #
RT @AsteroidWatch: Space rock + Saturn = one amazing image from ESA's Rosetta spacecraft today. http://yfrog.com/j0ekxj #
RT @astronomyblog: RT @DrChrisWelch: #Lutetia closest approach pic http://bit.ly/bzHgiH Amazing! #rosetta #
Finds in Norfolk push back earliest human habitation in northern Europe by at least 100,000 years! http://bit.ly/9rbfIc #
#ESA has a great shot of a possible landslide and boulders on the surface of #Lutetia from #Rosetta http://bit.ly/9bzRjr #
Interesting gauge near bottom of #Lutetia #Rosetta closest approach image, evidence of it being grazed by another asteroid? #
Interesting + enlightening photos of #Afghanistan 50 years ago – http://bit.ly/ca7JD3 (via @marsroverdriver) #
RT @elakdawalla: A thorough look at #Rosetta #039;s #Lutetia pics: http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00002579/ #
RT @NewtonMark: Govt's #nbn ads feature a space shuttle that's one more mission away from obsolescence. Future proof #
#KDE 4.5.0 RC2 has now hit the Kubuntu beta PPA, downloading for more KDE goodness! #
Nokia #N900 running #KDE at Akademy lets KDE make its first phone call, or "KDE, phone home!": http://bit.ly/dj0MS2 #
Nice! Must try and make it down there.. RT @zootman: My favourite fishing spot at Mallacoota. http://twitpic.com/24bzjf #

This item originally posted here:

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-07-11

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-07-04

Chris Samuel — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 00:14:00 +0000

You'll believe a ZX Spectrum can tweet.. http://bit.ly/acuUF2 (via @marsroverdriver and @doug_ellison) #
Last 30 days of browser stats for my website: Firefox is more than 50%, Chrome has 16.8% pushing IE into 3rd with 16.21% #
More interestingly for a non-techie site I can see IE is just over 50%, Firefox 29%, Safari 10%, Chrome 6%, Opera 1.6% #
Sample sizes are: for my site about 2,800 visits, for non-techie site it's 5,800 visits. #
At University data center awaiting delivery of the #VLSCI BlueGene/P! #
#VLSCI #IBM BlueGene/P has landed! Along with heaps of other gear which got shifted on w/e into our new room for Stage 1! #
Sigh, it appears Conroy is still Minister for Censorship after the reshuffle #
RT @jsquyres: Quick MPI user poll: MPI_IBarrier — will you use it? #mpi3 #
Summary of #SCOTUS "lack-of-decision" on Bilski @lwnnet – "software innovation in the USA is dangerous because of lawsuit risk" #
Yay! Got my room booking through for #SC10 in New Orleans! Hopefully it won't be New Oileans by the time I get there.. #
Another battle in the #UK #Police's war on photographers – http://bit.ly/92YIug (via @astronomyblog @joergheber) #
Fabulous! RT @PlanRad This is so great! First actual image of a confirmed #exoplanet http://bit.ly/a6hfBz #astronomy #
Hmm except, @PlanRad, that press release is September 2008! #astronomy #exoplanet #
#UK Tory MP believes NHS should offer medical astrology, remote psychic healing and homeopathy + he's on HMG health subctte! #
More on #UK Tory MP David Tredinnick @newscientist article "How the UK parliament undermines science" http://bit.ly/dm00O7 #
Hey that's us! (machine went live in March) RT @insideHPC #VLSCI Buys SGI XE Cluster http://bit.ly/cxNYuO #
Monty Python meets fossilised cetaceans – it's got nasty, big, pointy teeth! http://bit.ly/dxica9 #
Supports the #N900 RT @lwnnet The MeeGo Handset Project Day 1 release http://lwn.net/Articles/394347/rss #
Oh dear – "An attachment named ARRAY(0xaeeddc0) was removed from this document" (where document = email) #
Very funny! RT @stewartsmith Best "We're being acquired" email EVER: http://is.gd/daQSX #
KDE 4.5.0 RC1 has fixed the memory leak in plasma-desktop, yay! Feels more responsive too. #
#SecureServer net #spam filter wrongly blocks UK Uni from sending e-mail – see http://bit.ly/cO903Z (via @alecmuffett) #
Marcus Ranum chanelling Steven Conroy on #security in #cloud computing – http://bit.ly/cu5qxO – very funny! #
Thanks to @markbate and @irldexter for that link to the MJR video.. #
#MSL news: wheels and suspension added to Curiosity Mars rover (launch late next year) http://bit.ly/cc207u (via @seanherron @vaxheadroom) #
RT @BreakingNews: Near bankruptcy, video chain Blockbuster to delist from NYSE http://bit.ly/cN2ltG #
#KDE + #Gnome presidents join each others support groups in reciprocal move – world peace next – http://bit.ly/9WpQya #
If you are going to #SC10 there is a Google Calendar ICS file of deadlines available here – http://bit.ly/c0Tr0X #
RT @linuxmag CPU vs GPU http://bit.ly/aeR0w3 #HPC (via @hpc_guru) #
Gluten free dairy free cookies by my fabulous wife http://twitpic.com/21xv0t #
Appears that #Digikam doesn't exit properly, meaning I get heaps starting on login, trying to debug why #
Whole tihng is great – RT @alecmuffett: The captions for the Swedish Chef are … excellent http://youtu.be/B7UmUX68KtE #
End of #UK war on photography? RT @LDN: Section 44 is dead – celebrate outside Scotland Yard tomorrow http://bit.ly/chuSCD #
Dear @googledownunder, directions from Melbourne to Tokyo don't include customs when arriving in Japan by kayak, kthxbai! #
impressive! RT @astroengine Bright bolt of lightning over Strasbourg #isu #ssp10 #awesome http://twitpic.com/226uvz #

This item originally posted here:

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-07-04

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-07-04

Chris Samuel — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 00:14:00 +0000

You'll believe a ZX Spectrum can tweet.. http://bit.ly/acuUF2 (via @marsroverdriver and @doug_ellison) #
Last 30 days of browser stats for my website: Firefox is more than 50%, Chrome has 16.8% pushing IE into 3rd with 16.21% #
More interestingly for a non-techie site I can see IE is just over 50%, Firefox 29%, Safari 10%, Chrome 6%, Opera 1.6% #
Sample sizes are: for my site about 2,800 visits, for non-techie site it's 5,800 visits. #
At University data center awaiting delivery of the #VLSCI BlueGene/P! #
#VLSCI #IBM BlueGene/P has landed! Along with heaps of other gear which got shifted on w/e into our new room for Stage 1! #
Sigh, it appears Conroy is still Minister for Censorship after the reshuffle #
RT @jsquyres: Quick MPI user poll: MPI_IBarrier — will you use it? #mpi3 #
Summary of #SCOTUS "lack-of-decision" on Bilski @lwnnet – "software innovation in the USA is dangerous because of lawsuit risk" #
Yay! Got my room booking through for #SC10 in New Orleans! Hopefully it won't be New Oileans by the time I get there.. #
Another battle in the #UK #Police's war on photographers – http://bit.ly/92YIug (via @astronomyblog @joergheber) #
Fabulous! RT @PlanRad This is so great! First actual image of a confirmed #exoplanet http://bit.ly/a6hfBz #astronomy #
Hmm except, @PlanRad, that press release is September 2008! #astronomy #exoplanet #
#UK Tory MP believes NHS should offer medical astrology, remote psychic healing and homeopathy + he's on HMG health subctte! #
More on #UK Tory MP David Tredinnick @newscientist article "How the UK parliament undermines science" http://bit.ly/dm00O7 #
Hey that's us! (machine went live in March) RT @insideHPC #VLSCI Buys SGI XE Cluster http://bit.ly/cxNYuO #
Monty Python meets fossilised cetaceans – it's got nasty, big, pointy teeth! http://bit.ly/dxica9 #
Supports the #N900 RT @lwnnet The MeeGo Handset Project Day 1 release http://lwn.net/Articles/394347/rss #
Oh dear – "An attachment named ARRAY(0xaeeddc0) was removed from this document" (where document = email) #
Very funny! RT @stewartsmith Best "We're being acquired" email EVER: http://is.gd/daQSX #
KDE 4.5.0 RC1 has fixed the memory leak in plasma-desktop, yay! Feels more responsive too. #
#SecureServer net #spam filter wrongly blocks UK Uni from sending e-mail – see http://bit.ly/cO903Z (via @alecmuffett) #
Marcus Ranum chanelling Steven Conroy on #security in #cloud computing – http://bit.ly/cu5qxO – very funny! #
Thanks to @markbate and @irldexter for that link to the MJR video.. #
#MSL news: wheels and suspension added to Curiosity Mars rover (launch late next year) http://bit.ly/cc207u (via @seanherron @vaxheadroom) #
RT @BreakingNews: Near bankruptcy, video chain Blockbuster to delist from NYSE http://bit.ly/cN2ltG #
#KDE + #Gnome presidents join each others support groups in reciprocal move – world peace next – http://bit.ly/9WpQya #
If you are going to #SC10 there is a Google Calendar ICS file of deadlines available here – http://bit.ly/c0Tr0X #
RT @linuxmag CPU vs GPU http://bit.ly/aeR0w3 #HPC (via @hpc_guru) #
Gluten free dairy free cookies by my fabulous wife http://twitpic.com/21xv0t #
Appears that #Digikam doesn't exit properly, meaning I get heaps starting on login, trying to debug why #
Whole tihng is great – RT @alecmuffett: The captions for the Swedish Chef are … excellent http://youtu.be/B7UmUX68KtE #
End of #UK war on photography? RT @LDN: Section 44 is dead – celebrate outside Scotland Yard tomorrow http://bit.ly/chuSCD #
Dear @googledownunder, directions from Melbourne to Tokyo don't include customs when arriving in Japan by kayak, kthxbai! #
impressive! RT @astroengine Bright bolt of lightning over Strasbourg #isu #ssp10 #awesome http://twitpic.com/226uvz #

This item originally posted here:

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-07-04

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-07-04

Chris Samuel — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 00:14:00 +0000

You'll believe a ZX Spectrum can tweet.. http://bit.ly/acuUF2 (via @marsroverdriver and @doug_ellison) #
Last 30 days of browser stats for my website: Firefox is more than 50%, Chrome has 16.8% pushing IE into 3rd with 16.21% #
More interestingly for a non-techie site I can see IE is just over 50%, Firefox 29%, Safari 10%, Chrome 6%, Opera 1.6% #
Sample sizes are: for my site about 2,800 visits, for non-techie site it's 5,800 visits. #
At University data center awaiting delivery of the #VLSCI BlueGene/P! #
#VLSCI #IBM BlueGene/P has landed! Along with heaps of other gear which got shifted on w/e into our new room for Stage 1! #
Sigh, it appears Conroy is still Minister for Censorship after the reshuffle #
RT @jsquyres: Quick MPI user poll: MPI_IBarrier — will you use it? #mpi3 #
Summary of #SCOTUS "lack-of-decision" on Bilski @lwnnet – "software innovation in the USA is dangerous because of lawsuit risk" #
Yay! Got my room booking through for #SC10 in New Orleans! Hopefully it won't be New Oileans by the time I get there.. #
Another battle in the #UK #Police's war on photographers – http://bit.ly/92YIug (via @astronomyblog @joergheber) #
Fabulous! RT @PlanRad This is so great! First actual image of a confirmed #exoplanet http://bit.ly/a6hfBz #astronomy #
Hmm except, @PlanRad, that press release is September 2008! #astronomy #exoplanet #
#UK Tory MP believes NHS should offer medical astrology, remote psychic healing and homeopathy + he's on HMG health subctte! #
More on #UK Tory MP David Tredinnick @newscientist article "How the UK parliament undermines science" http://bit.ly/dm00O7 #
Hey that's us! (machine went live in March) RT @insideHPC #VLSCI Buys SGI XE Cluster http://bit.ly/cxNYuO #
Monty Python meets fossilised cetaceans – it's got nasty, big, pointy teeth! http://bit.ly/dxica9 #
Supports the #N900 RT @lwnnet The MeeGo Handset Project Day 1 release http://lwn.net/Articles/394347/rss #
Oh dear – "An attachment named ARRAY(0xaeeddc0) was removed from this document" (where document = email) #
Very funny! RT @stewartsmith Best "We're being acquired" email EVER: http://is.gd/daQSX #
KDE 4.5.0 RC1 has fixed the memory leak in plasma-desktop, yay! Feels more responsive too. #
#SecureServer net #spam filter wrongly blocks UK Uni from sending e-mail – see http://bit.ly/cO903Z (via @alecmuffett) #
Marcus Ranum chanelling Steven Conroy on #security in #cloud computing – http://bit.ly/cu5qxO – very funny! #
Thanks to @markbate and @irldexter for that link to the MJR video.. #
#MSL news: wheels and suspension added to Curiosity Mars rover (launch late next year) http://bit.ly/cc207u (via @seanherron @vaxheadroom) #
RT @BreakingNews: Near bankruptcy, video chain Blockbuster to delist from NYSE http://bit.ly/cN2ltG #
#KDE + #Gnome presidents join each others support groups in reciprocal move – world peace next – http://bit.ly/9WpQya #
If you are going to #SC10 there is a Google Calendar ICS file of deadlines available here – http://bit.ly/c0Tr0X #
RT @linuxmag CPU vs GPU http://bit.ly/aeR0w3 #HPC (via @hpc_guru) #
Gluten free dairy free cookies by my fabulous wife http://twitpic.com/21xv0t #
Appears that #Digikam doesn't exit properly, meaning I get heaps starting on login, trying to debug why #
Whole tihng is great – RT @alecmuffett: The captions for the Swedish Chef are … excellent http://youtu.be/B7UmUX68KtE #
End of #UK war on photography? RT @LDN: Section 44 is dead – celebrate outside Scotland Yard tomorrow http://bit.ly/chuSCD #
Dear @googledownunder, directions from Melbourne to Tokyo don't include customs when arriving in Japan by kayak, kthxbai! #
impressive! RT @astroengine Bright bolt of lightning over Strasbourg #isu #ssp10 #awesome http://twitpic.com/226uvz #

This item originally posted here:

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-07-04

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-06-27

Chris Samuel — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 00:14:00 +0000

Ah, that's why it feels cold, it's less than 8C outside! http://bit.ly/1l8L3D #Melbourne #
Wow, the suspect in the #MCGgunman case certainly has what you could only describe as "form" – http://bit.ly/c1BXa5 #
Lots of police helicopters around #Melbourne CBD as I left work, wonder if they'll charge #MCGgunman for their fuel? #
Starting to dispair about politics here with the leaders of both main political parties pandering to the #acl #
Victorian life scientists, Friday is the deadline for the next round of applications to use the #VLSCI supercomputers! #hpc #
Wonderful! C3P0 looks like Chaplin – RT @theretronaut: What if Chewbacca was a Victorian…? – http://tinyurl.com/2dfp6cb #
Oh yay for the USPTO, they let #Amazon #patent social networking – filed in 2008 – http://bit.ly/a0i21E #
Amazing photo of a shuttle launch from a group of skydivers – amazing timing! http://bit.ly/cKtpTQ (via lots of people) #
Australian govt ctte investigating mandatory firewalls and anti-virus for machines connecting to ISPs http://is.gd/cYFYx #
RT @NewtonMark: Fascinating. iPhone OS 4.0 supports (+uses) #ipv6 if it's available, but I can find no way to get it to tell me its address. #
RT @GeordieGuy: Privileges c'ttee has published my response to Conroy's attack, incorporated in Hansard http://bit.ly/bjYj64 #openinternet #
RT @astronomyblog: RT @telescoper: #STFC Council meeting in Cardiff today. Council Member asked "Excuse me but what is Planck?" #
California considering digital car license plates that would display advertising when stationary – http://bit.ly/aIUR5I #
RIP Frank Sidebottom – http://bit.ly/dcWrZu – #franksfund to pay for his funeral #
RT @NewtonMark: Prediction: ABC News will win next year's @Walkleys for definitively punking Twitter. #spill #ruddroll #
All these tweets about the #ruddroll #spill and it's not even a trending topic – where's #BP when you need them ? #
RT @leighsales Rudd press conference at 10.10pm #spill #ruddroll #
Rudd not standing down, #spill at 9am tomorrow morning – #ruddroll #
Julia Gillard visited Rudd asking for a #spill there's going to be one at 9am tomorrow, but he says he intends to fight #
RT @cosmicjester: Is it just me, but does Rudd only communicate well when he's angry? #spill #
The lost army of King Cambyses II (525BC) found in the Sahara desert ? http://bit.ly/advxAU #archaeology #
RT @leighsales: ABC1 will have live coverage from Canberra 9am tomorrow. #
RT @BreakingNews: Judge rules for #Google in Viacom's $1 billion copyright lawsuit over YouTube videos http://bit.ly/akF3SH #
There have been 3 more deaths in the #BP #spill remediation works in the last 24 hours, 1 of which looks like suicide #
Disturbed to hear it's the right of the Labor party pushing for Gillard, last thing Labor need is another lurch to right! #
Australia now has its first female prime minister! #
So will Conroy get rewarded for supporting Gillard and promoted out of the IT role ? #
Dai iawn Ms Gillard! #
So Australia's first female Governor-General has sworn in Australia's first female Prime Minister – I like that symmetry #
Just ordered a Kobo ebook reader from Borders, apparently works happily under Linux with free software! http://bit.ly/cBgsAo #
Sigh, getting sick of @JamesJohnsonCHR @'ing everyone with nutty ideas about Gillard unseating Rudd being treason #
RT @seamus: Gizmodo is starting a campaign for the change we really need. @katelundy for the IT Ministry! http://bit.ly/cUzXPt #
Interesting blog by Tridge on his SIP server being hacked for calls to North Korea #DPRK amonst others http://bit.ly/9pcwAX #
.@JamesJohnsonCHR I realise who you are but it doesn't change the fact that you don't vote for a Prime Minister in Australia #
Shortest serving Australian Prime Minister was Frank Forde, served for 8 days before loosing his seat http://bit.ly/aM7Dud #
Irony++: some of the videos that #Viacomm were suing #Google over (and lost) were uploaded by Viacomm http://bit.ly/cyS5Kh #
Oh wonderful! RT @alecmuffett Obscure programmer automotive pun: http://bit.ly/cXoUaz #
"Patel jury sequestered for third night" – does that mean they've buried them underground in non-permeable strata ? #
RT @spufidoo: RT @gothick: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Daleks: http://hicksdesign.co.uk/1266 (via @hicksdesign) #
So yesterday not only did we get first female PM we also got first PM to use the non-religious version of the swearing in! #
Partial lunar #eclipse visible tonight (26th) from Australia – Sydney Observatory info here – http://bit.ly/cNwdxd #
At Lev's for lunch http://twitpic.com/2016q2 #
Partial lunar #eclipse reminder for #Australia – the Moon enters Earth’s shadow at about 8:15pm and leaves at 11pm. #
Outside trying to take photos of lunar #eclipse with patchy cloud, easier said than done! #
…and now it's raining #
Ubuntu bug #596327 (http://bit.ly/atWlZg) in exiv2 0.19 causes 250x slowdown importing photos – please vote if affected! #
I've put my photo of the partial lunar #eclipse on Flickr under a CC license – http://bit.ly/9tzlAt #
RT @PlanningAlerts: Browse local council websites for 15 minutes today and make a big difference to PlanningAlerts.org.au http://is.gd/d5Dnt #
#Amazon #patent exchanging money for computer time/storage http://bit.ly/bJ6fV4 ? (via @sijoe) #cloud #hpc #OhNoNotAgain #
At Roar House gig at Noise Bar (Station Hotel) to hear @donna_williams do a spoken word set. Plus sausage sizzle #

This item originally posted here:

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-06-27