dog or higher

Holiday destination Question

Any thoughts from folks - either from personal experience, or even by reputation?

Skiing holiday - Denver Colorado, or Salt Lake City, Utah?

One constraint is it needs to be a major city, rather than a resort like Aspen - so good/great skiing within an hour by road. Both these locations fit the bill it would seem. So, where would you recommend and why?
Similar cities that are worth a thought?

Thanks in advance

John

On marriage

Pop quiz

In which year did the US Supreme Court hold that a law in the state of Virginia (similar to laws in dozens of states) that provided "a penalty of up to five years in prison and a clause: Those who tried to evade the law by marrying out of state, then returning to Virginia, would be treated the same as those who had married in the state."

OK, give the decade a go. How about the century?

It was 1967. I was one year old then. Sadly, the wmen who, with her husband, brought the action to have these barbaric laws overturned, Mildred Loving, passed away this week.

Meanwhile, in Australia, the Federal Government (you know the one that so many of us were relieved got elected after 11 years of the previous nasty inward looking government) has overturned the Australian Capital Territory's law that would provide for a civil union ceremony for same sex couples. Not a "marriage", simply a ceremony and attendant rights recognizing the relationship

First up - to the government. Shame. And gutless. Where's some leadership on this one. You just lost 85% of your brownie points with me, and doubtless a load of folks like me. You recently held a 2020 Summit, to help develop a vision of Australia in that year. Here's one you missed. There will be same sex marriage in australia by then.

Second up, to them and everyone they are pandering to - just get over it folks. Shift happens, societies evolve, change, and on the whole get better, fairer and more decent.
Why anyone is fussed that two people who love one another wish to have that publicly recognized is frankly baffling. And remember, it was mainstream opinion in many parts of the US (and law in a majority of states) that African America and Caucasian people should not be allowed to marry. In fact,were committing a criminal offence for doing so.

To the churches who are driving this kind of crap - why should my taxes go to you (in the form of tax exemptions for religions, and all kinds of support from the public teat) when you foster, promote, and actually implement discriminatory policies?

Farewell to Mrs Loving. She put it best

"I think marrying who you want is a right no man should have anything to do with"

Amen

Deranged

Who said this?

Simply because an execution method may result in pain, either by accident or as an inescapable consequence of death, does not establish the sort of "objectively intolerable risk of harm" that qualifies as cruel and unusual. ...

Th Supreme Court of the United States this morning in ruling it lawful for states to use lethal injections as a means of execution.

I'e been quite forthright on what I feel about capital punishment several times here, but to see the highest court in the US, "rationally" discuss the legality of not only the barbaric act of state sanctioned murder, but whether on top of everything else, inflicting pain while doing so is acceptable, is, to put it bluntly, sub human.

While this case has been pending before the SCOTUS, there has been an effective moratorium on the application of the death penalty in the US, surely a positive step. Will that come to an end now?

And with many US states now expanding the range of crimes for which the death penalty may apply to crimes other than murder, are things getting better of worse in the nation which holds itself up as the light on the hill for freedom, values, democracy and so on?

apophenia*?

Apart from the new arrival, one of the reasons for the slow posting (ie almost non existent) posting of late is that few weeks ago I moved house, and am still waiting for the broadband to be transferred.

In the meantime I've been using a HSDPA network by a major provider - which has been as slower than my memories of dialup.

Well, tat changed this morning (ironically, the day the broadband is due on) - while not ADSL2+ speed, it's tens of times faster.

The question is why?

Is it atmospheric conditions?
Has there been something wrong with the network access where I live for the last few weeks?

Or is it something else?
Last, night, sadly, a mail plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Sydney airport - only a short distance from where we live (the place is abuzz with helicopters, television OB vans, and so on). I wonder whether the network coverage in this area, which is at the edge of Sydney, has been bumped up by the provider?

Anyone have any thoughts?

Something is definitely going on, I'm just intrigued as to what.

* the experience of seeing patterns or connections in random or meaningless data

Please welcome Scarlett Bess Allsopp Lander

Born 8.41 am March 31st 2008, a truly beautiful creature - mum and Scarlett both very well - all rather tired,

john

Lack of character

Yo Geoff,

strikes me that the definition of "lack of character" is bashing anyone, particularly women.

Wanker.

OK, so why this particularly riles me is that said wanker is having a go at someone who publicly comes forward to say they need to deal with "emotional exhaustion". That is, in essence, depression.

Like I said. Wanker.

Radio silence

Just back from Web Directions North, which was simply amazing. But essentially 18 hours a day for a week.

I'll have much to write here I hope in coming weeks, as I had so many rich conversations with fantastic folks from al over the world, about all manner of stuff.

We'll also be announcing some new Web Directions South stuff in the coming weeks (keep your diaries clear for mid May for a couple of new events in Melbourne and Canberra).

Plus, plenty things afoot with Style Master, and Westciv. Stay tuned.

John

Cool

the iPod Touch just really became the phoneless iPhone. OK, gotta plonk down another $20 for the software, but that's the price of early adoption it would seem ;-)

Downloading...

and now for something completely different

friction

I have a pretty large CD collection. I listen to a fair bit of internet radio, and besides have not a lot of free time to listen to music, particularly new stuff. Besides, young people's music these days... So I rarely buy new music. $30 a CD (AUD) doesn't help much, sure.

But I just bought sound unheard Saul William's new "The inevitable rise and liberation of Niggy Tardust".

I've heard one or two tracks from Saul Williams, a poet/rapper who is also an actor, and they have stayed with me for years.
This new album, produced by Trent Reznor, and available, AFAICT only online, is either $5, or free, depending on your proclivities. You choose.

At $5, for me it was a bit of a no brainer. At >$5 hmmm, maybe, listen to a few tracks, do I like it? ...

So for me, $5 seems like a threshold, a liminal amount - a new work by someone I respect, at $5, I'm almost certain to buy it. Any more, and (for me at least) it will take some tire kicking. And at $10 plus, the iTunes threshold, more or less, it has to be stellar. Even Prince has to work for his money at $10.

For me at least, doubling the price dramatically reduces the amount I'll buy. Maybe I'm a cheap bastard. What about you?

What's the no brainer price? What's the no way price? What's the sweet spot?