I used to read more

I used to read more.  Recently I've found myself failing to get through Neal Stephenson's latest novel Anathem.  If you know the novel, you know it is big.  I'm wishing I had purchased an e-book version as the tome is sufficiently large not to be readily portable - eg I couldn't fit it into the glovebox of my car.

And maybe it is the shear size of the book that is putting me off.  While I have a book shelve full of similarly sized books, it has been years since I've tackled any of them.  I've have become used to dealing with text in small chunks - blog posts, wiki entries & the grand-master of minute muttering to the world; twitter.  Not only are these sources of text truncated, consuming such text is not as intensive as wading through the mind-bending universe that Stephenson has assembled.

To build up the reading muscles I'm gradually getting through Greg Egan's recent novel, Incandescence.  While not a giant book, the concepts in Incandescence are "out there".

I'm looking forward to getting back to the point where it doesn't take an eon to get through a good novel.

Perth Jazz Society

I've been meaning to get to the Charles Hotel on a Monday night for the live jazz presented by the Perth Jazz Society for a while.  I got there tonight to listen to the Joe Chindamo Quartet with Jamie Oehlers, Pete Jeavons, Ben Vanderwal.

It was a good night.  And I'll probably be back next Monday as it is the launch of Jazzaziz, a compilation CD of local jazz bands.

Weekly Photos

In my bio I mentioned I'd like to be using my camera and lens daily.  I rarely am that frequent with the photography.  To make sure I begin taking more photos I've decided to put a new gallery on line each week.  So this morning I took my camera with me to the Sunday markets.

On the way to markets the silhouette of the trees on the river at bridge crossing the Swab River caught my eye.  The rest of the photos (that I'm willing to upload) can be found here.  And there is a Google Street View of the bridge below.

View Larger Map

 

Car Pool: Stephen Fry

After my previous post I need to type about something more trivial.  Car Pool immediately came to mind.  Car Pool is a video podcast.  The podcast consists of Robert Llewellyn driving people around London around in his Toyota Prius.

The current episode has Stephen Fry as the passenger.  I know Stephen Fry from Blackadder; Jeeves and Wooster; and, a bunch of movies - the most recent I've heard him in is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (he was the narrator).

Given these two gentleman's comedy history (of which I've seen much) I found this episode of Car Pool excellent.  You can get this content either by streaming from blip.tv or subscribing (no cost involved) through iTunes.

One very unhappy person

Today my first aid training came into use.  Nothing heroic.  Just had to calm someone down while waiting for an ambulance.  And this stranger I was trying, rather unsuccessfully to calm down, has left me thinking about the inequality in the world.  So the following is an account of events that have left me so baffled...

Whilst walking home from a coffee shop a few blocks away I saw a guy fall flat on his face at a bus stop.  I was about 250 m away and the other side of the road.  I was half expecting one of the dozen people closer to guy than I was to come to his aid.  But no one did.

By the time I got to the bus stop the guy had sit up and then fallen again.  He fell again and stayed down.  Fortunately he continued to breath, as when I checked for breathing I almost fell over due to fumes.  He was drunk.

I didn't have my phone one me, so I called another passer by if he had a phone.  Which fortunately he stopped and made the call to 000 (that's the emergency number in Australia).  An ambulance and as it turned out an unmarked police car where on their way.

So over the next five or so minutes this guy regain sufficient faculties to try and stand.  Fortunately he listened to some advice and stayed seated on a park bench near-by.  During this period he told us (the passer-by with the phone and I) much, but this was all that was understandable:

1. He didn't want an ambulance, he wanted the Noongar Patrol.


2. Aboriginal people do not know where they fit anymore.


3. He had been drinking his whole life.


4. He wanted to dry out, but couldn't.


5. [After we offered suggestion of alcoholic support group] He didn't need help from us expletives beginning with A & C.


6. He wanted to kill us both.


7. He wanted to kill himself.

The ambulance and police arrive.  The ambulance officer knew this guy, he was a "regular".  Unfortunately this guy was abusive to all these people trying to help him.  Only verbally as he couldn't muster the co-ordination to actually swing his arm.  He must have been a regular to the emergency room and abusive to them also as one ambulance officer said to another that the hospital wouldn't take this guy anymore.

This situation has left me thinking how screwed up things are.  How screwed up this poor guy is.  At the same time he wants help, but can't accept the help put in front of him.

And I can see where he would be coming from.  The same set of institutions (law makers, police, etc) that once considered this guy less than human (which I'll qualify next sentence) are the ones who arrive lights blazing to provide aid.  The less than human explanation - before my time, back in 1969, a referendum was held to establish that aboriginals were to have all the same rights as everyone else in our society.  Prior to this they were covered by the Flora and Fauna Act.  And this guy was old enough that he was probably a child during the 1960's.

Somewhere in there he uses alcohol to free himself (I assumed) and he becomes another statistic.

I am lousy at knowing what to do with social problems like this.  Give me an engineering safety issue, an industrial risk management matter or even an energy supply problem and I can have a good stab at a solution based on science and engineering knowledge and experience in the field.  But social problems like this baffle me.

I am certainty glad that there are people in the ambulance and police services who are willing to take this on and to treat every cry for help seriously - particularly when there is no end in sight.

New Mouse: MX Revolution

After eight years solid service the right button on my old Logitech mouse stopped working.  This morning it was to my favourite computer shop - PLE - where the Logitech MX Revolution is on sale at the moment.

This is the first time I've used the Logitech Control Centre for my mac.  I used to do the button mapping through default system preferences available.  I've now learnt that was a mistake.  The default set-up for the new and old mice made more sense than anything I had done earlier.

Also the fly-wheel scroll wheel on this mouse is almost awesome.  I'm almost in awe of the fact no one has implemented this idea previously.

WTF: Everything is amazing, nobody is happy

Saw this clip on youtube... it explains much of what I feel about general populous right now.

Double Dissolution

Is it a media beat up or really the government's (Australia federal government that is) intent to force a double dissolution and thus an early election.  Last month it was alcopops tax and this week it is the budget.  It wouldn't surprise me if this is a media beat-up, but if it is really the government's intent what are they afraid of?  Why don't they want to see this term through to the full three years?.

Star Trek Rocked

Saw the new Star Trek movie tonight.  Incredible reboot to the franchise.  No spoilers here.  Go see the movie.  Now!

Easy come, easy go

So it is budget night in Australia.  No real surprises as everything significant was "leaked" earlier.  I was mildly surprised to see the mild tax cuts (increases in the 15c bracket and dropping the 40c bracket to 38c Update: struck summary of minor income tax cut as it is difficult to summarise the tax tables; check FY08/09 and FY09/10 tables) committed to in last years budget to come through.  I was less surprised to see a new means test on the private health care rebate.  The slight reduction in my PAYG tax will not cover the new premium I will incur from my health coverage provider.

Nor should it.  I expect to pay a more.  I've enjoyed a good education (not in the traditional sense, more in the modern mass produced technical training sense) partially paid for by the "state" and this education has allowed me to earn good money for what I do.  Combine the above with being single and I expect to pay more to the government for redistribution.  That's the social contract we have in this country. 

I just hope our government spends my money well.  That the infrastructure committed to produces benefit to the nation.  That the "national credit card" which is being flexed incredibly at the moment doesn't burden us unduly in the future.

Work Shoes

I needed new shoes for work.  I know this is mundane but stay with me.  I've been spending good money on shoes which have rubber soles.  These shoes now last me no more than a year.  I hadn't seen a cobbler in years, although it turns out a few are still around Perth, Western Australia.  The one I found is Anastazi Shoes located at 9 Padbury Tce, Midland.

 

View Larger Map

The shoes are made locally (in store) and are comparably priced should a stock pair fit you.  They will also do custom leather shoes and boots.

I almost didn't find the shop as their entry in White Pages is wrong and they lack a presence on the web.  It is listed as the plural Anastazis Shoes and thus searching the actual name didn't work.  White Pages searching is near useless.

Buying a Monopoly

Our (Australia's) former monopoly telephone provider, Telstra, is building a new monopoly.  Smart Communities is Telstra getting involved with property developers to provide the phone, TV (free and pay) and broadband via optical fibre to the residence.  My favourite forum for broadband, Whirlpool, has a bunch of discussions about the good and bad of this situation.

So a family member is building a home in one of these communities.  Given there is a lack of choice in phone / broadband suppliers now it is dealing with practicalities of dealing with a fibre to the home.

There is another option, 3G wireless connectivity, but Telstra provide an incentive to owners to sign up with them that can not be ignored. 

Telstra provide the electronics so there is a box in the garage with phone, data and TV ports.  Now it is planning the house cabling.  And even more interesting is dealing with blackouts.  To have a phone service during blackout requires a battery backup or UPS for the fibre connection.  So if a UPS is needed for phone during blackouts, then one may as well find a UPS that will power the switches and modem for the network and a laptop for net access will allow for both phone and net access during a blackout.

So I got from monopoly to uninterrupted power supplies... funny how the brain works some days.

Wholesale Network Company: Initial Thoughts

So what should a utility company that is only allowed to sell access to the grid / data network / pipelines look like?

A special class of company which have obligations and benefits.  The benefits would only be available while the company solely provides wholesale access to a network the company owns.  The benefits are to allow a return of investment comparable to other businesses to attract private investment, while at the same time minimising tax payer expense.

Initial thoughts on obligations:

• To deliver a standard of service established by the "state" through regulation.


• To implement network based on standards to allow for interconnectivity with other utilities companies (providing the same utility).

Initial thoughts on benefits:

• 100% tax credits for network installation / maintenance costs to be claimed at the company's discretion (no depreciation of assets).


• Greater than 100% tax credit for projects requested by the state which are no financially viable on their own terms.

The intent of tax credits is to ensure the wholesale network company is planning for the long term, as it will only benefit from the credits when it has a tax burden.

This is a work in progress.  I believe it is important to find the right balance to allow private utility businesses as the market can deal with changing technology faster than a government department.  But ensuring an open market and not creating new monopolies in the process is difficult.

Terracotta Warriors

Last year I was lucky enough to travel through China for the second time.  And this holiday involved more tourist type locations, including the Terracotta Army Museum near Xi'an.  The place was incredible with museum built around the active archaeological digs.

I have a favour to ask of Leo Laporte, who is visiting China and I believe this museum.  Take some better photos in the low light with your Canon 5D.  I was lucky to get the shots I did with my Canon 400D and no tripod.

Separate Network and Retail: Retail Benefits

Organisations (private or public) that own and/or maintain networks should be separate from the retail end.  I think this would achieve benefits for knowing where money is flowing and allow for efficiencies currently not available.

Efficiencies in retail.  Utility retail functions are basically (I'm probably overly simplifying here) to collect money from users which may involving measuring usage and probably maintain some of the last mile connection / meter connection.  Measuring involves reading meters for water, power and gas; and counting connections / packets for telephony and data.  So a retail company could undertake billing and meter reading for all the services with meters in the front yard for a geographical area.  And depending on the deals retail companies could achieve with the different utility companies competing retail companies could be achieved which serve the market in more efficient ways.

I have a micro and macro example for interesting ways retail companies could be established to service a community.  Micro example: new meters that phone home (or send data over the net) could be a selling point, even at a higher price point, so that meters don't have to be readily available from the street.  Macro example: a community with a social bent may have a co-operative that purchases gas, water and power from the network companies and maintains the last mile connections.  Fees for the utilities can be collected through the local taxes / rates.  Depending on how trusting of your neighbour one is in that community there would only need to be one meter for each service entering the community, saving the cost of meter reading.

This is getting to be long post... next up will be my thoughts on network companies: what they should look like and how that is better then what we have now.

Infrastructure Spending

I want to put out "there" (read the internets) my thoughts on the ownership of utilities (phone, net, power, water, etc).  Those who know me know I have a bent towards corporate ownership.

But I do recognise the government is needed to regulate the corporations, to enforce standards for utility companies and where required provide funds (our tax dollars) to deliver services where the market does not reach.

So I'm putting my thoughts together on what utility company "should" look like (as I haven't seen an ideal arrangement yet) and what the government's role "should" be for these utility companies.