Thursday, March 22, 2007
Gaming at its finest
In a first ever occurrence for Jeopardy! (a show far older than even me), three contestants walked off with $16,000 each in a three-way tie.
From the sounds of it, the frontrunner in the game could have done what legions of others have done and bid $1 above his nearest competitor. That way, being relatively certain of his Final Jeopardy! answer, he would come out on top. Instead he gamed the system and rather than one person winning $16,001, three people got a total of $48,000.
A rematch has been scheduled but obviously they can't pull the same trick twice or else the show organizers will have a long hard look at their tactics.
From the sounds of it, the frontrunner in the game could have done what legions of others have done and bid $1 above his nearest competitor. That way, being relatively certain of his Final Jeopardy! answer, he would come out on top. Instead he gamed the system and rather than one person winning $16,001, three people got a total of $48,000.
A rematch has been scheduled but obviously they can't pull the same trick twice or else the show organizers will have a long hard look at their tactics.
Labels: news, random stuff
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Mister Brown strikes again
Here in the UK, Mister Gordon Brown is a man who lives next to Mister Tony Blair and plays with the money of everyone in the UK (except his own). Every year he sets something called a budget which tells us how much more money the government tries to claw from our wages and daily life. Every year Mister Chancellor pats himself on the back for a job well done and scolds us for trying to hide money from the tax man. Bad, bad, Mister Brown.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
OFW news - mostly good
A Pinay nanny who saved her employer's children from a garage fire was rewarded with a $25,000 gift for the education of her own child, the Inquirer reports. The consulate in NY found out about her heroic deed when her employers, a Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Wood, accompanied her to replace her passport which was lost in the blaze.
While I certainly agree with the enforcement of a $400 wage (not very much when you factor in living and traveling costs), the recruiters do have a point - most people who leave the country do so because of the opportunities, regardless of rules. Certainly someone offered $350 a month to drive a truck through Iraq, when facing zero employment prospects at home won't let a little thing like a POEA exit permit stop him. I just hope this doesn't mean that more people will be driven underground into the grey and black markets, where the scum of the earth do prey on vulnerable people (maids and nannies especially).
Still, things are looking up. Someday we will come home, and live like Kings. He says, typing from a business park in a country town in the back water of England.
In other news, apparently the Philippine government is enforcing a minimum $400 monthly wage for all new contracts approved by the Overseas Employment Agency (POEA). Predictably, the recruiters who send most of our OFWs abroad complained it would hit our competitiveness as an exporter of labor, and would also distort semi skilled salaries in the Gulf States.The Woods acknowledged her heroism and her quick thinking, saying they would be “forever grateful” to her. “The $25,000 was not a reward but was meant for the education of Hazel’s son. She took care of our most precious possession -- our children,” they said.
Rebong also reported that Reposo, 30, had worked as a nanny since November 2003. Though a Business Management graduate of the University of Negros Occidental-Recolectos, Reposo left the country for her five-year-old son’s sake to work in Bermuda together with her parents and two siblings.
While I certainly agree with the enforcement of a $400 wage (not very much when you factor in living and traveling costs), the recruiters do have a point - most people who leave the country do so because of the opportunities, regardless of rules. Certainly someone offered $350 a month to drive a truck through Iraq, when facing zero employment prospects at home won't let a little thing like a POEA exit permit stop him. I just hope this doesn't mean that more people will be driven underground into the grey and black markets, where the scum of the earth do prey on vulnerable people (maids and nannies especially).
Still, things are looking up. Someday we will come home, and live like Kings. He says, typing from a business park in a country town in the back water of England.
Labels: news, philippines
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
A paradigm shift in computing is coming...
... to solve your Sudoku. A Canadian company called D-Wave is trialling a 16-bit quantum computer. The idea is to then build larger and larger scale models and gradually increase processing power with each generation.
In other news, I am still in Chester working 4 days out of 5 from the client's site. It's lovely today, the sun being out and warming the tarmac on the parking lot. An hour ago I nipped back to my flat for a quick lunch of soy-chilli porkloin and stir fried vegetables. Mmm. Back at work now, resurrecting the dead.
"The quantum computer was given three problems to solve: searching for molecular structures that match a target molecule, creating a complicated seating plan, and filling in Sudoku puzzles."Of course the people who are getting the hardest hard-ons from this development are government spooks and defense tech types, who want the added processing power from quantum computing to be able to break military-strength cryptography. Sadly for them (but not for puzzle fans) is that the type of quantum computing used in D-Wave's model is unsuitable for this sort of work.
* * *
In other news, I am still in Chester working 4 days out of 5 from the client's site. It's lovely today, the sun being out and warming the tarmac on the parking lot. An hour ago I nipped back to my flat for a quick lunch of soy-chilli porkloin and stir fried vegetables. Mmm. Back at work now, resurrecting the dead.
Labels: news, random stuff, tech
Monday, November 20, 2006
A Pirate's Life for Me.
It was my birthday a few weeks ago, and Andrew and I teamed up with Hung to host a boat party on the Thames.
It was almost a month in the making, but in the end we drew over 200 guests onto the M.V. Golden Jubilee, mostly friends whom I hadn't seen in ages, and were literally falling over themselves for a good party. Since our wedding me and Van hadn't been out as much; the big surprise was, neither had anyone else.
Anyway, great times. We boarded shortly before nine and got back just before one in the morning. Good friends, old and new, wished us well. Much face-painting ensued. We even got an honest to god pirate on board...
Arrrgh.
...Lord knows how we'll top this next year.
It was almost a month in the making, but in the end we drew over 200 guests onto the M.V. Golden Jubilee, mostly friends whom I hadn't seen in ages, and were literally falling over themselves for a good party. Since our wedding me and Van hadn't been out as much; the big surprise was, neither had anyone else.
Anyway, great times. We boarded shortly before nine and got back just before one in the morning. Good friends, old and new, wished us well. Much face-painting ensued. We even got an honest to god pirate on board...
Arrrgh.
...Lord knows how we'll top this next year.
Labels: news
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Champagne days
Good news seems abundant this month: first the Republicans get kicked out of Congress, then Rumsfeld resigns.
Random Onion:
Even better news: I'm back in London for some training for the next two weeks. Now that Van's back from the US we can finally spend some time together.
Even better, better news: I've gotten a call from another consultancy who's willing to wait to hire me. Not that I've stopped liking my finance job, but hey, it's good to have a parachute.
There you go. Hello blog. You're a bit dusty from neglect; I'll spruce you up.
Random Onion:
Even better news: I'm back in London for some training for the next two weeks. Now that Van's back from the US we can finally spend some time together.
Even better, better news: I've gotten a call from another consultancy who's willing to wait to hire me. Not that I've stopped liking my finance job, but hey, it's good to have a parachute.
There you go. Hello blog. You're a bit dusty from neglect; I'll spruce you up.
Friday, August 25, 2006
More from the land of the "free"
[travel]
Raed Jarrar was forced to change shirts after wearing a shirt with Arabic script.
That'll teach you to do humanitarian acts in war-torn areas, Raed. Stupid pacifists with their old-fashioned ideas about flying. IF you want to change the world, do it by train from now on. The US of A is not scared of your t-shirts or your stupid liquids either. We just won't let you fly with them. Capisce?
Labels: news
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Airline security update: all your liquids are (still) belong to us
[news ¦ travel]
OK, so the ban on hand luggage has been lifted somewhat - people are now allowed to take on one (teensy) bag of essentials such as reading material and electronics. No such luck for drinks and toothpaste. In fact they still prohibit any kind of liquid, gel, paste, lotion, soup, syrup, perfume, etc... you get the idea.
Obligatory net-geist pic:
Heh. they mis-spelled muthafuckin'.
OK, so the ban on hand luggage has been lifted somewhat - people are now allowed to take on one (teensy) bag of essentials such as reading material and electronics. No such luck for drinks and toothpaste. In fact they still prohibit any kind of liquid, gel, paste, lotion, soup, syrup, perfume, etc... you get the idea.
Obligatory net-geist pic:
Heh. they mis-spelled muthafuckin'.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
two point oh
[random stuff | web | news]
Yahoo! Small Business is offering $1.99 domain registrations for new users. I was able to (finally) register dapul.org and am in the process of finding a competent web host for it. And maybe resurrecting my old stories website again.
In the meantime, it's pretty quiet these days. I'm counting down the days until my new job starts, and tomorrow KIPP will go to the mechanic for a proper overhaul. Which is great, because I've been neglecting her so. Which is not so great, because I could easily spend over £2000 on repairs and improvements.
Ah well. More nights in with the Justice League, I suppose. (Lest you think that's kinky innuendo, let me assure you - Van and I have amassed a collection of Bruce Timm cartoons on the PC, season 1-5, and have been watching them nearly every damn night. Oh yes.)
Yahoo! Small Business is offering $1.99 domain registrations for new users. I was able to (finally) register dapul.org and am in the process of finding a competent web host for it. And maybe resurrecting my old stories website again.
In the meantime, it's pretty quiet these days. I'm counting down the days until my new job starts, and tomorrow KIPP will go to the mechanic for a proper overhaul. Which is great, because I've been neglecting her so. Which is not so great, because I could easily spend over £2000 on repairs and improvements.
Ah well. More nights in with the Justice League, I suppose. (Lest you think that's kinky innuendo, let me assure you - Van and I have amassed a collection of Bruce Timm cartoons on the PC, season 1-5, and have been watching them nearly every damn night. Oh yes.)
Labels: news
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
America is a sick, sick place...
[technology | AOL | news]
...judging by the "random sample" of 500,000 AOL users and their rather, er, unusual searches. Consumerist.com (a very funny consumer advocate blog) skewers individual user IDs with some disturbing search patterns (The reader comments are almost equally amusing).
Meanwhile, BusinessWeek reports on AOL's immediate apology and quotes privacy advocates who are starting to take notice.
...judging by the "random sample" of 500,000 AOL users and their rather, er, unusual searches. Consumerist.com (a very funny consumer advocate blog) skewers individual user IDs with some disturbing search patterns (The reader comments are almost equally amusing).
Meanwhile, BusinessWeek reports on AOL's immediate apology and quotes privacy advocates who are starting to take notice.
"Search query data can contain the sum total of our work, interests, associations, desires, dreams, fantasies and even darkest fears," said Lauren Weinstein, a privacy advocate.It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas?
Monday, August 07, 2006
Never. trust. the. internet.
[technology | AOL]Expect this to be on (or at least near) the front page of every newspaper in America tomorrow.
AOL Releases Search Logs from 500,000 Users (from digg)
AOL just released the logs of all searches done by 500,000 of their users over the course of three months earlier this year. That means that if you happened to be randomly chosen as one of these users, everything you searched for from March to May (2006) is now public information on the internet.
So if you are the AOL user who happened to be searching for ways to kill his wife, sucks to be you.
But wait! It gets better (worse). Since AOL Search is just rebranded Google Search, every Search Engine Optimization business is frantically scouring these files for keywords to bid on for Google Adsense placements. That is if you are a "legit" SEO. There are those who maintain that SEO is merely a polite term for spamming. So Google may be hit by a massive wave of junk spamdexes in the next few weeks.
Great, what else?
How about every one of these users getting phished / spoofed once the randomization algorithm that's hiding their usernames gets hacked? In fact, you don't even have to try very hard - most people do a search on their own name at least once, and on businesses in their address. To a dedicated stalk... data miner, that's just child's play. And remember AOL's user base is decidedly non technical - how easy would it be to send an email pretending to offer compensation for this fiasco?
Never. trust. the. internet.
UPDATE: Wow, I've just been combing through some of the searches. This is really addictive - in a voyeurish, leafing-through-the-celebrity-dumpster kind of way. Among other things, I've learned that a lot of people have no idea how to spell "tongue".
More random AOL crap later, unless the lawyers get here first.Wednesday, August 02, 2006
After the nth Multiply invite...
[random stuff | technology]
Yes, I have definitely had enough with all of the LinkedIn, Multiply and f$%@!ng NamesDatabase spam that's been clogging up my inboxes. If I haven't been in touch with a friend, chances are, there's a damn good reason. (Halfway round the world, getting to grips with marriage, new job - pick one!)
But even worse are the reminders. "BebeGurrrrl5555 has updated her Favorite Nail Polishes list! Log in Now!"
Don't get me wrong - I loved being able to connect with my friends(ters) way back when. I loved the pictures and messaging and all that. The problem is that these services, when they're not performing their (basic) task of maintaining social information, are just SPAMinators. The network is not the end, it's a means to an end - to keep in touch with your mates. Everything else (even BirthdayReminders.com) is just trash. Badly designed trash, too. And annoying as all hell.
Yes, I have definitely had enough with all of the LinkedIn, Multiply and f$%@!ng NamesDatabase spam that's been clogging up my inboxes. If I haven't been in touch with a friend, chances are, there's a damn good reason. (Halfway round the world, getting to grips with marriage, new job - pick one!)
But even worse are the reminders. "BebeGurrrrl5555 has updated her Favorite Nail Polishes list! Log in Now!"
Don't get me wrong - I loved being able to connect with my friends(ters) way back when. I loved the pictures and messaging and all that. The problem is that these services, when they're not performing their (basic) task of maintaining social information, are just SPAMinators. The network is not the end, it's a means to an end - to keep in touch with your mates. Everything else (even BirthdayReminders.com) is just trash. Badly designed trash, too. And annoying as all hell.
Labels: news
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Even the Americans "Get It", Iggy
[tags: _philippines]
News about news - the Inquirer and other local papers report the government's reaction to a New York Times editorial,Dark "Days for Philippine Democracy". Talk about childishness? Isn't the mark of immaturity the inability to take any criticism, even from (and especially from) outsiders?
But even that wasn't the clincher. Which genius in the Arroyo cabinet thought it a good idea for Ignacio Bunye - an idiot and a liar, at the very least, with zero credibility even in his OWN press cliques - to blame the NYT's analysis of the situation on the OPPOSITION? The same opposition who are "so inept" they couldn't get their impeachment claims through Congress?
I can't bear to read anything that issues out of the mouths of the Philippine government these days without bracing myself internally. The incompetence, the stupidity is breathtaking. I miss the days of "Sic o Clock News" when you knew what you were watching was satirical.
Nope, sorry Iggy, perhaps for your next presscon you might want to blame the opposition for the miserable April heat. Whoops, isn't that God's doing? Has Gloria been missing out on their regular phone calls?
Idiot.
News about news - the Inquirer and other local papers report the government's reaction to a New York Times editorial,Dark "Days for Philippine Democracy". Talk about childishness? Isn't the mark of immaturity the inability to take any criticism, even from (and especially from) outsiders?
But even that wasn't the clincher. Which genius in the Arroyo cabinet thought it a good idea for Ignacio Bunye - an idiot and a liar, at the very least, with zero credibility even in his OWN press cliques - to blame the NYT's analysis of the situation on the OPPOSITION? The same opposition who are "so inept" they couldn't get their impeachment claims through Congress?
I can't bear to read anything that issues out of the mouths of the Philippine government these days without bracing myself internally. The incompetence, the stupidity is breathtaking. I miss the days of "Sic o Clock News" when you knew what you were watching was satirical.
Nope, sorry Iggy, perhaps for your next presscon you might want to blame the opposition for the miserable April heat. Whoops, isn't that God's doing? Has Gloria been missing out on their regular phone calls?
Idiot.
Labels: news, philippines
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Trying to pretend everything's normal.
For anyone who cares, here's a running account of the events in Manila. With all of the things that are happening, my one concern is that my family and friends are all safe. The rest of the country can go to hell. It seems they are well on their way already.
[tags: _news]
[tags: _news]
Labels: news, philippines
Friday, February 24, 2006
Ngek.
[tags: _news]
Arroyo declares state of emergency - INQ7.net
Yet another example of useless politics and thuggery at the highest levels of government and the military. Yet again I'm ashamed of being Filipino. I fervently wish that these fuckwits got buried in the landslides. The administration, the generals - the whole lot, really.
Sorry for the outburst. Sometimes it makes you want to cry.
EDIT: This from the Times:
Arroyo declares state of emergency - INQ7.net
Yet another example of useless politics and thuggery at the highest levels of government and the military. Yet again I'm ashamed of being Filipino. I fervently wish that these fuckwits got buried in the landslides. The administration, the generals - the whole lot, really.
Sorry for the outburst. Sometimes it makes you want to cry.
EDIT: This from the Times:
"In a nutshell, today is more theatre than threat," said Erin Prelypchan, a political analyst at Pacific Strategies Assessment.
..."The level of cynicism is pretty deep," she explained. "Twenty years after the first 'people power', what has changed? People in the Philippines see the same traditional oligarchy in power, the same few families, and they say: what on earth would another people power protest bring? At the same time, they doubt an election would bring any change."
"The truth is that there is no obvious alternative to Arroyo, there isn't anything coming round the bend. So a lot of people are just staying at home today, turning off their televisions."
Fuck 'em all anyway.Labels: news, philippines
Monday, October 10, 2005
Teklado
[tags: _news ¦ _philippines]
Last Saturday I was emergency drafted into emceeing for UKPinoy's Teklado concert. We held this in the Christchurch and Upton cathedral in Lambeth. Two Filipina pianists played a selection of classical music and Filipino standards. Both Dorothy Uytengsu and Victoria Francisco (Angela's mom) are accomplished concert performers, having toured Europe, the US and Canada playing to the Filipino communities there.
I wasn't sure I'd agree to Ariel's request - last Friday I had a pretty bad fever and my brains were leaking out of my nose - but in the end I was glad to be a part of it. Even though I had to run out, in the rain, to get more red wine for Hazel during intermission. Damned red wine.
The concert itself was pretty amazing, even more so when the duo encored with a James Bond medley.
I was also happy to see Anj and tita Marvie again; even the usual suspects (Edna, Oliver and so on) were all out. It was good to know people who could organize such a thing. We ended the night in a Chinese restaurant who served Tesco's cheesecake at midnight, and Irish whiskey and instant coffee. Yeah, Saturday was fun.
Last Saturday I was emergency drafted into emceeing for UKPinoy's Teklado concert. We held this in the Christchurch and Upton cathedral in Lambeth. Two Filipina pianists played a selection of classical music and Filipino standards. Both Dorothy Uytengsu and Victoria Francisco (Angela's mom) are accomplished concert performers, having toured Europe, the US and Canada playing to the Filipino communities there.
I wasn't sure I'd agree to Ariel's request - last Friday I had a pretty bad fever and my brains were leaking out of my nose - but in the end I was glad to be a part of it. Even though I had to run out, in the rain, to get more red wine for Hazel during intermission. Damned red wine.
The concert itself was pretty amazing, even more so when the duo encored with a James Bond medley.
I was also happy to see Anj and tita Marvie again; even the usual suspects (Edna, Oliver and so on) were all out. It was good to know people who could organize such a thing. We ended the night in a Chinese restaurant who served Tesco's cheesecake at midnight, and Irish whiskey and instant coffee. Yeah, Saturday was fun.
Labels: news, philippines
Friday, September 23, 2005
September is the cruellest month
[tags: _news]
Another hurricane about to batter the US Southwest. People who fled Katrina are now faced with Rita, still a few hours away but certain to bring even more devastation.
...What shall we do to-morrow?
'What shall we ever do?'
The hot water at ten.
And if it rains, a closed car at four.
And we shall play a game of chess,
Pressing lidless eyes and waiting for a knock upon the door.
Another hurricane about to batter the US Southwest. People who fled Katrina are now faced with Rita, still a few hours away but certain to bring even more devastation.
...What shall we do to-morrow?
'What shall we ever do?'
The hot water at ten.
And if it rains, a closed car at four.
And we shall play a game of chess,
Pressing lidless eyes and waiting for a knock upon the door.
Labels: news
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Gas or No Gas?
[tags: _philippines]
Having recently talked to Nanay and Tatay back home one of the Big News items is the price of gas (petrol) in the Philippines, something on the order of 35 to 39 pesos per liter. People
In fact the same story is happening all over the world; here in the UK some forecourts (gas stations) are charging £1.05 per liter - that's 115 pesos PER LITER. Earlier this week there was a mini-panic buying spree with people trying to hoard fuel like there's no tomorrow. A planned fuel blockade fizzled out though, and things seem to have quieted down.
In the meantime sites like Petrol Direct are experiencing a huge surge in traffic, people suddenly realizing that things are not going to get better, any time soon. The car's languishing at the company garage. Ah well.
Having recently talked to Nanay and Tatay back home one of the Big News items is the price of gas (petrol) in the Philippines, something on the order of 35 to 39 pesos per liter. People
In fact the same story is happening all over the world; here in the UK some forecourts (gas stations) are charging £1.05 per liter - that's 115 pesos PER LITER. Earlier this week there was a mini-panic buying spree with people trying to hoard fuel like there's no tomorrow. A planned fuel blockade fizzled out though, and things seem to have quieted down.
In the meantime sites like Petrol Direct are experiencing a huge surge in traffic, people suddenly realizing that things are not going to get better, any time soon. The car's languishing at the company garage. Ah well.
Labels: news, philippines
Monday, September 05, 2005
Storms
[tags: _philippines ¦ _news]
In the Philippines, hurricanes come and go, demolishing villages from time to time, and people whose houses are demolished pick themselves up and continue. Those who are less lucky can count on their neighbors, if not the government, to help out a little bit, and continue nevertheless. Things move slowly, but they always do in the Philippines.
In the States, a hurricane erases an entire city, and no one seems to care, no one does anything. People are left on their own to loot, die in their own shit, and the world watches the richest nation in the world leave its poor to rot in hell.
Hurricane Katrina has come and gone, and in its wake, indignation and fury at the most incompetent response ever to a national disaster in US history. Bush seems so used to the company of his affluent white conservative base that he seems physically unable to see the human tragedy of New Orleans, even as he visited the disaster site twice in the last week.
His heartless comments on press conferences, his knee-jerk dispatch of Dad and Bill to raise funds, at the same time declaring himself "satisfied" with the unbelievable katangahan of his flunkies - all of this, was typical of a man unused to actually doing anything of use for his countrymen. I can excuse Bush's tendency to get the facts wrong as just plain stupidity. But this goes beyond stupidity, to plain heartlessness. What a fucking tool this president is turning out to be.
I hope the fallout reaches all the way to the top, and they (the witless people of the States) finally rise up and demand accountability for this mass murder by negligence.
In the Philippines, hurricanes come and go, demolishing villages from time to time, and people whose houses are demolished pick themselves up and continue. Those who are less lucky can count on their neighbors, if not the government, to help out a little bit, and continue nevertheless. Things move slowly, but they always do in the Philippines.
In the States, a hurricane erases an entire city, and no one seems to care, no one does anything. People are left on their own to loot, die in their own shit, and the world watches the richest nation in the world leave its poor to rot in hell.
Hurricane Katrina has come and gone, and in its wake, indignation and fury at the most incompetent response ever to a national disaster in US history. Bush seems so used to the company of his affluent white conservative base that he seems physically unable to see the human tragedy of New Orleans, even as he visited the disaster site twice in the last week.His heartless comments on press conferences, his knee-jerk dispatch of Dad and Bill to raise funds, at the same time declaring himself "satisfied" with the unbelievable katangahan of his flunkies - all of this, was typical of a man unused to actually doing anything of use for his countrymen. I can excuse Bush's tendency to get the facts wrong as just plain stupidity. But this goes beyond stupidity, to plain heartlessness. What a fucking tool this president is turning out to be.
I hope the fallout reaches all the way to the top, and they (the witless people of the States) finally rise up and demand accountability for this mass murder by negligence.
Labels: news, philippines
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Not again.
More explosions on the Underground, and yet another bus. This time though police are saying no explosives were found, only detonators. No injuries so far, though I'd be surprised if there weren't at least a few.
I don't know what to think anymore. Either this is someone's idea of a cruel joke, or someone really is throwing everything they have against London.
I don't know what to think anymore. Either this is someone's idea of a cruel joke, or someone really is throwing everything they have against London.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.