Let’s move up north?

Apparently Aberdeen is a boom town, but many others are doomed.

Backing up Google services

Some useful thoughts here, especially if I end up using Google lots more.

Big picture Olympic opening ceremony

I rather prefer the idiosyncratic images, although the ones that catch the eye tend to be the serried ranks of performers.

Nice summary of the Georgian situation

Looks like Russia has played Saakashvili like a Punch and Judy show. Bad on Europe and the other powers for not keeping him in line / being behind him when he needed it.

[Update: the big picture has got there as well - brings home some of the what and where, if not the why.]

CBI is right / what is up with the Telegraph?

We really do need to get more people learning science, as Bad Science says, how on earth do reputable papers print this kind of stuff?

Rain dispersal rockets

Amazing that China managed to get rid of a rain cloud that was due to fall on the opening ceremony. Sadly, the funky feet fireworks in the opening ceremony were faked.

Should they be legal

Very interesting question: how much should the gadgets people wear and the way they train be legal or not for the Olympics?

How we decide

Edge looks at how we decide. Thoughts I liked:

  • We see priming in experiments (you can affect outcomes by subtle clues in the environment) - how much does this affect the way we work in practice?
  • Most standards are de facto and not usually driven by government
  • We set our discount rates too high (see the Indian fruit vendor discussion)
  • How should government design an “idiot mode” for its services
  • Anchoring and its effect on neogtiations (get your number in first!)

The Wire for real

Looks like The Wire was closer to the truth than you might have thought.

Turkish rug selling

We did want to buy a rug in Tunisia, so the sales pitch wasn’t so directly counter to our intentions, but even so, they did most of the same things as in this great write up.

My favourite counter was when they asked us to buy a second rug: I said “I’d love to buy a second rug, but you would have to travel back with us to build an extra floor on our house to put it in.” Did the trick.

Don’t install roof turbines

Roof turbines are carbon emitters for most urban dwellers - so we don’t need them!

SQL injection attacks

Lots of government sites are infected. NoScript is a very blunt tool for dealing with it, but probably necessary.

Riverford cheaper than supermarkets

Nice to see that there is a financial reason alongside the taste and green reasons to get vegeboxes.

Whole host of great headlines

I’m glad that Moray’s analysts are so otherworldly. Otherwise the opportunity for great headlines confusing the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the other kind of MILF would be too good to miss.

Solar corona

Multiple images of the eclipsed sun showing its corona. Reflected light from the earth shows the near side of the moon as well.

Congestion charge good or bad?

Finally, some reasoned reporting on the CC. Surely congestion being at the same levels as 2003 is a remarkable story on its own, but the fact that fewer cars are coming in and that the level of congestion is down to building and road works means that we should call it a success?

Time to move my broadband

I think it is time to make the change - what else are they doing but not telling us about. I have recommended Fast to others and they seem happy.

Big solar eclipse

The big picture goes solar. I like the eclipse photos only slightly more than the people photos.

Excel 2007 menu maker

If you can’t stand the ribbon any more, this menu maker could bring sanity.

500 in Archway

Good-sounding Italian on our end of the Holloway Road.