Ranting and Roaring

(etc.)
(39% of the way through my life if you must know)

The Globe and Mail:

“This has become like the Holocaust; we have to believe in it otherwise we go to jail,” [Imam of the Salaheddin Islamic Centre, Aly] Hindy told The Globe and Mail. “Most of the people don’t believe that Sept. 11 was done by Muslims. … most of them believe this was something done to create all this war.”

I.e. Hindy’s flock doesn’t really believe the Holocaust happened. This is what we call a problem.

I just watched 5 minutes of soccer (aka “football” in the heathen lands) on TV. Jeezus, that’s one deadly boring sport. I can see why everyone mobs into a pub in the off chance someone will smack you over the head with a stool just add a little fun to the evening.

This (þ Evans) is kind of interesting—a “VR” like headset for the Video iPod called “myvu”:

The cool geek factor makes me almost want to run out and buy one. However, following my “everything gets cheaper and better” rule I’ll wait, as I want at least twice the resolution in each dimension (it’s only 320×240) and preferably a little cheaper (it’s $USD 250). Still, if I can get my hands on one when I’m in Las Vegas (soon) you never know what may happen.

If you have some free time and would like to try your hand at some open source projects in Python, I’m offering a bounty for two projects:

• Create a proper N3 serializer for rdflib
• Create a MovableType Export Format plugin

Now that we know how to turn adult, differentiated cells back into stell cells, we have an idea how to control the rate at which they produce new cells:

In most organs of the body, old cells are continually being replaced by new. If too many new cells are produced, however, it can lead to overgrowth and tumour formation. Too few cells, on the other hand, can result in organ degeneration. It is therefore crucial that exactly the right number of cells are produced.

As many serious disorders cause a reduction in the production of new cells, scientists are keen to develop drugs that stimulate the process, which in turn could help the body to cure itself.

It has long been known that the new cells are often formed by immature cells known as stem cells, but the mechanism regulating the number of new cells produced has remained something of a mystery. However, in a new study to be published by Cell stem-cell researcher Jonas Frisén has succeeded in showing how the body’s own stem cells do just this. Working alongside an American group of researchers, Professor Frisén and his team have identified a signal transduction process that regulates the degree of stem-cell division.

I’m mucking about with the DNS for the site and later on I’m hoping to move thw whole blog to the BlogMatrix CMS, so don’t be suprised in things get… odd.

This is the reason BlogMatrix is more focused on selling our product than raising capital:

But here is the problem. These two companies [TVG winners Demand Cast and Official Community Corporation] passed the selection committee at the Canadian Venture Forum. They then jumped through the presentation hoops there and were selected as the most worthy companies for venture investment by a community of financial specialists. They have been vetted, turned inside out, inspected, and almost due-dilligenced to death. For what? They are looking for about a million dollars each. Neither has a term sheet yet [i.e. they haven’t been funded – dpj].

Let’s get this straight. Hundreds of companies apply. Some are weeded out. The rest go through an intense two day peer review. Check. Three are selected. RIght. What happens? Apparently, not much. That’s not the fault of the CVF organizers who are doing what I think is a stellar job showcasing Canada’s entrepreneurial community.

This seems likes interesting news:

Stem cell scientists have pinpointed a molecule that confers the cells with amazing powers of self-renewal and maintains their ability to develop into any other type of cell in the body.

The discovery could help pave the way for stem cells derived from adult tissues, giving ethical debates over the use of embryos a side-swerve.

The researchers induced mouse cells to produce extra quantities of [protein] Nanog. They showed when the Nanog cells were joined with cells previously destined to become nerves they were pushed back in time, regaining the ability to become other tissues. Dr Jose Silva told Reuters: “The effect of Nanog is remarkable. All the hybrid cells became fully converted to embryonic stem cells.”

On the other hand, FYI, there’s a connection between adult stem cells and cancer which probably explains why we have so few of them.

• CBC‘s Andre Mayer has a interesting interview with Stewart Copeland about his new movie Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out, Sting, Andy Summers, U2 and so forth.

A nice little piece on parenthood in Slate:

In our society parents do a wonderful job of portraying the difficulties of having children: the financial burdens, the time drain, the guilt, the exhaustion. But we do a lousy job of getting across something else about parenthood: It’s fun! When you are experiencing parenthood from the inside, there is an overwhelming pleasure in the funny, fascinating things your children do. When my daughter was 2, she put her arms around me as I was kissing her goodnight and said to me, “Mommy, you’re a wonderful husband.” That was better than any of the movies I hadn’t been to since she was born.

I noticed something else in the letters from nonparents that I had experienced myself: They have an unrealistic sense of the passage of time—or at least the passage of parental time. They seem stuck on the notion that being a parent means forever climbing a Mt. Everest of diapers (and what happens to these punctilious couples if a spouse ends up needing diapers?). Diapers pass in a snap. It all goes so fast. When our daughter turned 6, my husband and I realized with a pang that we were already one-third of the way through the time she would live with us. And I worry that the writers have an unrealistic sense of their own passage through time—believing they’ll forever feel that nothing is more important than building their career or taking that next trip.

• Al Gore’s science needs more than a little polishing
• Buzz Care is retarding Quebecois children (þ Jacobs).

Read all about it on my new “Semantic@BlogMatrix” weblog. Maps included.

Why is this statement incorrect?

Now devils and balrogs are totally different. Devils are angels who refused to serve God and instead followed Satan into Hell. Balrogs are Maiar who refused to serve Eru and instead followed Morgoth into Thangorodrim.

Oh and in case you cared: Germany has about 82 million inhibitants, as well as other countries around it speaking German. We do have money too.

Dalton McGuinty’s goons have saved us from the deadly threat of the common egg (þ London Fog):

A group of senior women hoping to raise money for Willistead Manor during Art in the Park likely lost hundreds of dollars after food inspectors spoiled their egg salad with bleach on the weekend.

About a dozen women belonging to Friends of Willistead were preparing the egg salad sandwiches inside Willistead Manor just before noon Saturday when three food inspectors from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit arrived unannounced and began citing infractions.

When an inspector asked where the eggs were cooked and was told they were prepared at the ladies’ homes, she poured bleach on the sandwiches and the egg salad mixture.

Let it be said that these Crown subjects won’t be confused about who’s in charge of things in the future.

• CanWest‘s take: Ringleader said to be angry about Canada’s Afghan mission, mistreatment of Muslims
• Ringleader Qayyum Abdul Jamal’s take: “Canadian troops in Afghanistan have gone there to rape Muslim women”

Umm, ok.

Toronto Mayor David Miller: “I think we need to do some work to find out why people get sucked into this type of activity,” Mr. Miller, pictured, told CBC television.
“We need to find out what is it that made them get involved in this type of activity. Why are they so angry?”

Why are they so angry (this morning on CBC, one of the terrorists^* was quoted as saying “Canada is in Afghanistan to rape Muslim women”)? Because someone is teaching them to be that way. Start pulling at that thread and start watching the tapestry unwind.

^* I’m not a court of law

Heh, as they say:

Now “this”:http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1149372195636&call_pageid=1149329604487&col=1149329604479 is funny — check out the Red Star’s robo-Marxist analysis of the “broad strata” from which the Terrorist Community is drawn:

The 12 men and five youths arrested on Friday and Saturday in a counter-terrorism sweep represent a broad strata of Canadian society.

“Some are students, some have jobs and some are unemployed.”

Some were familiar faces in their neighbourhoods, others were rarely seen.

It was indeed a cross section of communities. Some liked U2, others preferred Coldplay, still others enjoyed the urban stylings of today’s top hip-hop artists. Some liked the colour blue, while others were frankly more fond of light shades of green. Butter or margarine? There was no unanimity on that front either. In a way, we’re all implicated.

In Joe Volpe’s Canada, it’s safe to say you won’t have to worry about your freedom of speech rights. Let’s face it, no one should have the right to hurt someone’s feelings.

I don’t know if John’s trying to start a meme, but here’s all the songs on my computer that are exactly 3:30 in length:

• A Tribe Called Quest – Oh My God
• Agent Orange – Tearing Me Apart
• Billy Joel – Christie Lee
• Charlie Parker – Star Eyes
• Dada – Scum
• DJ Boom Boom – Spin Spin Sugar (SneakerPimps)
• Fastball – G.O.D. (Good Old Days)
• Foo Fighters – For All The Cows
• Grapes Of Wrath – Try
• Harry Belafonte – Man Smart (Woman Smarter)
• Hayden – Bad As They Seem
• Headstones – Pretty Little Death Song
• INXS – Tiny Daggers
• Iris Dement – My Life
• John Prine – A Good Time
• Kate Bush – Between A Man And A Woman
• Kate Bush – Sat In Your Lap
• Local H – Eddie Vedder
• Lucinda Williams – Metal Firecracker
• Maria McKee – The Way Young Lovers Do
• Marilyn Manson – I Put A Spell On You
• Matthew Good – In Love With A Bad Idea
• Mudhoney – Living Wreck
• Nine Inch Nails – Please
• Pearl Jam – Porch
• Pearl Jam – Satan’s Bed
• Phil Collins – A Groovy Kind Of Love
• Prince – Escape
• R.E.M. – Perfect Circle
• Rage Against The Machine – Testify
• Rush – For What It’s Worth
• Sarah McLachlan – Into The Fire
• Sarah McLachlan – Shelter
• Shaggy – Finger Smith
• Sloan – C’mon C’mon (We’re Gonna Get It Started)
• Sonic Youth – Androgynous Mind
• Spandau Ballet – The Freeze
• Steppenwolf – Born To Be Wild
• Steve Earle – Snake Oil
• Stranglers – Golden Brown
• The Beastie Boys – Intergalactic
• The Cure – Lovesong (Acoustic Version)
• The Grapes Of Wrath – See Her Go
• The Psychedelic Furs – Love My Way
• The Tragically Hip – Fully Completely
• The Tragically Hip – Summer’s Killing Us
• The Who – When I Was A Boy
• Universal Honey – Upfront With You
• Van Halen – Jamie’s Cryin’
• Various Artists – Chicane Feat. Maire Brennan Of
• Yes – Long Distance Runaround
• Marilyn Manson – I Put A Spell On You

That’s 52, in case you’re counting. Yes, I have a lot of crap on my computer. The top five played are In Love With a Bad Idea, Scum, C’mon C’mon, Fully Completely and Tiny Daggers, which I will note includes three Canadian bands, one alternative band that should have been known a lot better and something terribly conventional.

Technical note: I used iTunes to make a playlist of the 3:30 songs, exported the song list, messed around in a spreadsheet to get exactly the columns I wanted and then back into a text editor for formatting.

Final note: the Phil Collins amid Billy Joel tunes are from my wife’s meagre collection, not mine! Really. No it’s true…

Edmonton will be playing the better team.

Idle question, to those in the know. If the situation was reversed, would your city be cheering for Toronto?

I thought He was going for “Science”, but apparently He’s settled on “Statistics”:

• Super-size not a super deal, study finds (þ from the belief of the converted, newly thin Cory Doctorow)
• Europe to crack down on ‘passive drinking’
• Various discussions on second hand smoking

Don’t you dare accuse believers of being Puritans! They’ve got Statistics on their side.

BTW: Statistics tell us that “smog causes 800 deaths a year in Toronto”:http://www.cbc.ca/story/science/national/2005/06/06/smog050606.html. How many murders can we put the “TTC Union down for on Monday”:http://www.cbc.ca/toronto/story/toTTCstrike0060530.html?

Paul Graham wrote a much linked-to post last month called How to be Silicon Valley (You can read many responses to this on popularity aggregator and comment site Reddit).

As a quick summary, Graham contends that to create a technology hub, you need two types of people:

• Rich people
• Nerds

you don’t need:

• Bureaucrats
• Buildings

and you need to have:

• Universities
• Personality
• Things that appeal to nerds
• Youth and liberalism
• Time

Joey has written several interesting comments about this, particularly about its applicability to Toronto. I suggest you read at least Part 0 and Part 1:

• Part 0
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

My commentary: I believe Graham has missed three important parts to the success of Silicon Valley, with direct applicability to the situation in Toronto

• Big Tech: there’s lot of big tech companies in Silicon Valley. The Old West wasn’t all cowboys, it was mostly ranchers. People need somewhere to go that will pay them when their first, second and third startups fail. Startups need a place to draw employees from, once they get past the first dozen.
• Geography: south of San Francisco, it’s easy to get from anywhere to anywhere along the 101, 280 and 82. San Francisco is a traffic dead end, which is why we here a lot more about the strip malled Mountain View than the more beautiful (as I remember it) San Rafael.
• Age integration: one thing I’ve noticed at conferences and camps I’ve gone to in the Bay Area is age integration. It’s not weird or unusual to be 40 years old, or 50, or 30 or 60. You are what you can do, not what you look like.

Where does Toronto come up short here (on Graham’s list and on my amendments):

1. Personality. In particular, here’s Toronto’s idea of a world class civic center, which I think speaks for itself. Large granite slabs. Here’s some self-congratulatory drivel about how great this is. I understand they’re having the same jackasses redesign Bloor Street near Yonge.
2. The Commercial Concentration Tax, aka “Let’s f*ck Toronto and move all big businesses to 905” tax, passed by the Peterson Liberal government and tacitly approved by the Conservatives and NDP. The IBM Lab, where I first worked when I moved from Toronto, has moved from Don Mills/Eglinton to somewhere deep in Markham. Rogers is relocating many of its developers from Mt. Pleasant avenue to Brampton. Why not? It’s a hell of a lot cheaper. Thus, there’s no pool of potential employers, management, tech-aware support and HR people, and so forth for downtown startups to draw from.
3. Geography. Downtown Toronto is great for young people, but every meter you move away from the subway line, not so great for people with families. Liberty Village would be a great place to put BlogMatrix, if we really started making a go of it except I’d be commuting—within Toronto!—for 1 1/2 to 2 hours a day. Wilson station through Finch has great subway access, but the North York sector of Toronto (Mel Lastman Square, bah) is soulless as Dundas Square.
4. Possibly because the previous two points, the two TorCamps and one TorDemoCamp I have attended have skewed pretty young. Not that there’s any thing wrong with that, except for at the DemoCamp when there was a moderate amount of sneering at a enterprise level app. Believe it or not kid, there’s important issues out there that need solving that are important, even though you’ve never heard of them. And “enterprise” doesn’t (have to) mean boring and process-laden, it means it has to scale scale scale. Just like that Web 2.0 app you’re plugging away at. Just because it works with 5 people doesn’t mean it’s going to work for 50,000 “with a little more hardware”.

If the first two issues can be addressed, I think the third can be overcome (there’s lots of great reasons for concentrating businesses in the core) and that it turn will help fix the fourth. Should we be optimistic about a solution for the first two issues? Both are political in nature, but in the era of progressive paternalism—which lusts after the concentration of wealth and power in centralized government—well… let’s just say we’re making our own bed, anyway.

Well known tool Al Gore says:

On the subject of global warming, Gore was more energized and credible. He likened global warming apologists to the tobacco lobby, who he said lack moral fiber and scientific rigor, and who contribute to the paralysis of public policy on global warming. “There is no longer any debate about global warming,” he said. “The few remaining skeptics get together with those who think the moon landing was staged on a movie lot. [what’s next, they’re Holocaust deniers? — dpj]”

What Gore is talking about is religion, not science. If the case for anthropomorphic global warming (AGW) is so compelling, why would you need to lie and distort the facts to make support it? Here’s some light reading:

• Inconvenient Truths Indeed
• The Moral Flaws of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth (and a rebuttal from Media Matters)

I also note (þ Kate) that the Libranos, like Gore, have become passionate believers in AGW [American-style fearing mongering?] and that we should do something about it… now that they have cleverly maneuvered themselves into a position where they’re not responsible for making that happen.

The nice thing about the AGW “debate” is that I fully expect, just like with Y2K, to be in a position to have the last laugh, since there’s no chance of anyone in power in a western country doing anything about it and no one’s asking the rapidly expanding economies of third world countries for anything.