Off Topic stuff about Computers. You won't be interested.
I need a second blog. My life isn’t just politics and blogging. Well, it’s not much more than that, but I do try. I seem to be going through a bit of an arty phase.
Two or three weeks ago the boss at my company decides we need to be able to make iPhone applications. Sure, I tell him – I can do that. “I’m going to need a Mac though.” It’s a hard life.
So a Macbook duly arrived and… well over the last few weeks I’ve almost completely moved from Windows to Apple. I just find I can work faster and having everything just work nicely is… a pleasant surprise. I find that I like Macs, after all. That was unexpected. Still, working from a Laptop is impossibly claustrophobic for me, so I very quickly got a keyboard and a mouse so that I could plug it into a normal monitor and pretend I had a real computer. Then… then it got worse. I got a monitor at home, too (my PC is plugged into a television) and a graphics tablet (a medium Wacom Bamboo which is all manner of incredible). This is like proper computing again. I’m currently sat at a desk instead of my usual big comfy chair. I’ve sacrified a bit of comfort for… well the ability to actually do things on a computer. I realise now I’ve been far too restricted by not really being able to see details or control the computer properly.
I’d been finding doing certain things a lot easier, then. The graphics tablet, especially, is a thing of extreme joy for me. I’m not a trained graphic designer or anything like that. I don’t even consider myself to be a designer, or an artist. I just like mucking around. Over the last two days, I’ve really been mucking around with some hardcore experimentation… (clicky for bigger)
These are concept designs for a couple of other blogs. The steampunk thing will never see the light of day beyond this website here, but there’s hope for “Technically Awesome” I think. Somewhere for this sort of post to go, basically, so I’m not inadvertently polluting the consciousness of people who come here looking for libertarianism or something to do with the Lib Dems. Although, hey, let’s try making it relevant: I do sometimes wish I could settle down and concentrate on one particular thing – say design, or programming, or music, or writing or politics or whatever. I mean, there’s so much to do and so little time, and I want it all. Maybe that’s why I’m a libertarian – I just don’t want to be boxed in to one particular role, one particular life path? I want to be free to experiment, to change my mind, to discover my own limits.
I think you’re supposed to get over this at some point, but no sign of it happening just yet. Anyway, my time is for sale, if you’re curious.
Electoral Reform. Is any topic more boring? Oh, sure, Lib Dems love PR. This is the moment, apparently. I’m not convinced. If there’s one thing people don’t want it’s political parties obsessed with the ins and outs of how one becomes a professional politician for a living.
First past the post? Proportional Representation? Kill me now, please. I am chronically bored. I’d write about Cameron stealing Nick Clegg’s agenda (and doing very well with it), telling us what reforms he’s going to ‘look at’ (I can ‘look at’ cacophagy, doesn’t mean for a second I’m going to do it), but.. oh .. I can’t do it. The subject’s just too boring.
At the end of the day, Cameron knows he’s not allowed to talk about Europe. Not because it’s divisive, but because it’s so awesomely boring and most people, even if they have an opinion, find themselves glazing over when the subject comes up.
Electoral Reform (and Europe) is the ultimate Windbag’s Windbaggery. I might be suggesting something. I’m not sure.
Ah, lovely Bank Holiday weekends. In-between enjoying the sun, booze and sprouting a ghastly volume of freckles, I have been trying to a) Avoid Politics and Blogging and b) Get cracking making iPhone applications.
I completely failed at A, I’m afraid to say. I decided to make an ‘MP Simulation’ application for the iPhone. Sadly this will not be available from the App Store any time soon – I think you need more than one cheesy joke to justify charging money, but I thought I’d share a screen grab anyway…
As of the 1st June, the Bank of England has a new statutory obligation to “contribute to protecting and enhancing the stability of the financial systems of the UK.”
What’s odd about this, from my point of view, is that financial systems and markets can never be stabilised. They are inheriently chaotic. We swing wildly from growth to recession and back again.
True stability would be 0% growth, forever. Everyone keeps making exactly what they’re making, everyone consumes exactly what they’re consuming. Except even that wouldn’t be stable, because we live on a whole planet of different economies, all interacting with ours. Get them to buy and sell the same stuff to us that they’re buying and selling now? It’s never going to happen.
If the Bank of England were to interpret this instruction literally, one would expect them to use any means necessary to keep growth at 0%. Keep the economy under control. Keep it predictable. This is impossible.
Of course they’d never interpret it literally, but this does prompt the question: What is Brown really asking the Bank of England to do? Stability is, and always has been, a Brownian buzz word. A reassuring, friendly catch-all for ‘do good things to the economy’ without actually meaning anything at all.
I want growth not stability. When did growth become a dirty word? When did growth need regulating against?
Yes We Can close Guantanamo! All we need to do is construct an ‘appropriate legal framework’ to allow the indefinite detention of of those pesky inmates who, inconsiderate and thoughtless terrorist scum that they are, haven’t given us enough evidence to convict them of any actual crime.
This was depressingly predictable. The question isn’t, “who will be Britain’s answer to Obama?” The question is, “is Obama the US’s answer to Blair?” You know the drill: A charismatic, profoundly religious progressive leader who dresses up the same old authoritarian bullshit in pretty language, a sincere smile and pious concern for The Poor.
Change the law to lock anyone up for as long as you want? Yes. Yes we f**king can.
