The blog
Writing & notes
Essays, notes and reflections on technology, law and life.
-
Astronomic Antics
For the public good, I hereby declare that this post will be the last to feature that most accursed of literary devices, alliteration. In the meantime, the European Space Agency is planning to launch a mission involving a craft which utilises an electric propulsion engine (yes, those things out of Star Trek – which, for… Read more →
-
Leftism
As an undergraduate attending seminars in law school, it sometimes seems as if we are in the midst of an ideological war, fought by unwitting operatives with a surprising amount of aggression. In a law school dominated by postmodern, culturally oppressed, marginalised, victimised, patronised, relativist, politically correct (few of whom are able to argue their… Read more →
-
Ban ‘Offensive and Menacing Behaviour’, Alston Argues
Australia’s Minister for Communications, Richard Alston, has proposed to ban the use of the internet for offensive and menacing behaviour, with offenders to face up to two years in prison, according to a press release issued by the Department of Communications, yesterday. People using the Internet to advocate or facilitate violent protests, for example by… Read more →
-
‘Brazen Theft’ at Sydney Airport
According to The Age, two men were successful in a cunning theft of several million dollars worth of high-tech mainframe computers from the cargo and intelligence centre of Sydney International Airport. Authorities are more concerned about the use to which data contained on the servers will be put than the loss of the equipment (they… Read more →
-
Technological Tidbits
Just some quick technology news before I return to my studious activities. Scientists in Japan have created a metallic exoskeleton designed to facilitate movement and interface machine-assisted labour. The movie is very cool (Mechwarrior here we come). Black hole ripples to the tune of Bb – 54 octaves below the lowest key on a Piano!… Read more →
-
Mars Mania
Well it’s that time of the millennium again: I’m sure most of you have heard about the Mars opposition, but for those who have not, the gist of it is that the radius of Mars’ elliptical orbit is at its minimum, while Earth’s is at its maximum (perhaps an oversimplification). The result is to bring… Read more →
-
Some Petty Diversions
May I present some interesting links which have found themselves encoded, compressed, transmitted, decoded, and displayed upon my various internet access points around the house, my work, and uni. Warning: laughter more than likely. First up, now you can own your very own George Bush 1:6 scale replica. Not meaning to jump on the Bush-bashing… Read more →
-
Judicial morality and the rule of law
Moore CJ of the Alabama Supreme Court is stepping up his efforts to retain a 2400kg statue depicting the Christian ten commandments in the state courthouse. The order of a federal judge to remove the statue recently lapsed, inciting the other eight justices of the Alabama Supreme Court to order its immediate removal. But Moore… Read more →
-
The $5 Diamond
As a long-time lapidarist, I find this quite exciting. I’ve long been fascinated by the geological processes which serve to create precious gems, but the prospect of being able to own Cd in any sizable quantity is not only cool, but rather practical. New techniques developed by Gemesis and Apollo Diamond promise to make the… Read more →
-
Today’s Hamburger is Tomorrow’s Fuel
We may have found a solution to this planet’s growing waste problem. Soon, you’ll be able to transform any organic material into a reusable, combustible fuel which – at least according to multi-national automobile conglomerates – is the most precious substance on earth (see previous post). Unlike other solid-to-liquid-fuel processes such as cornstarch into ethanol,… Read more →