Ranting and Roaring

CBC reports "Canadian could live on moon by 2024". Excellent. I have a few suggestions about whom to send.

I think Santa was just here!

Schneier:

We used to quip that "password" is the most common password. Now it's "password1." Who said users haven't learned anything about security?

Good news on the work front:

Drinks after work? It might be in your best interest to have that pint or fruity martini, according to a new study released by the Reason Foundation.

The study, based on an article published in the Journal of Labor Research, says moderate drinkers earn more at work than non-drinkers – 10 to 14 per cent more actually. If you’re a man who frequents a bar at least once a month, you’re probably making seven per cent more on top of that.

I just saw my first ever Iridium Flare from my office window at 5:51:43, exactly on schedule. Notes:

• it was a few degrees clockwise of where I was expecting it (N rather than NNW). Must be the geographical vs. magnetic north pole issue.
• I used this tool to give me the exact time
• It was bright, very bright: magnitude -6; the best you get is -8
• I didn't wake up Trinity-Anne because she's feeling a little ill (aren't we all these days?) but next time for sure. We were looking at Orion, the Plaides and the heads of Gemini last night at midnight when she got up for a few minutes.

Althouse:

I simply do not believe that the so-called health side is really composed of people who are solicitous about everyone else's health. I can't prove it, but my intuition is that all the strength on the "health" side of this war comes not from people who really care whether other people are healthy, but from people who don't like having to see fat people. They are concerned about their own aesthetic pleasures, and they think fat is ugly.

That, and being hooked on the thrill of bossing other humans around as if they were things.

Tenser has a list of the 50 most significant SF books, with comments. My notes:

• No "A Fire Upon the Deep"? This is the book that made deep-space SF readable again.
• "Nine Princes in Amber" is missed, though "Lord of Light" is an inspired choice and is highly rcommended.
• "To Your Scattered Bodies Go" is an excellent choice for the list; I like the immediate set of sequels. I'll have to dig these books out of storage
• "Sword of Shanara"? WTF? Was this list edited by retarded munchkins?
• I like "Ringworld", though Known Space is more important as a collection than as any one individual book.

There's lots of stuff I read years ago and I'll have to dig out and read again; I may pick up a few more of these just to check it out, though I find a lot of pre-70's SF kind of tedious.

Trinity-Anne shed her first baby tooth today. (Backdated post).

This is pretty funny:

Dear Kathy Shaidle,

Please remove my writing from your website.

Also, if you would be so kind as to tell me how you acquired the email I sent to Mr. Steyn I would appreciate it.

Thank you,

Troy Marquis

What was the writing that Troy wanted removed? Why this:

Also, your name implies that you are Jewish. Whether or not you are is irrelevant, but that because your names sounds Jewish, you have no credibility when you speak about Christianity or the Christian world, which, in case you did not get my point, robs you of credibility.

Which comes from a letter he sent to Mark Steyn.

Troy used to have a website but it seems to be down now for some strange reason. Ah, I see he's commented out the redirect he had to this PDF document which lists all the services Troy will provide for your organization. There's nothing there about ferreting out the Joos in your company but if that's what you're looking for, I guess you've got your go-to guy.

From BCer in Toronto (the go-to guy, though I'm checking in on Kinsella to see what conventional wisdom has to say:

The first round results have been posted on the Liberal Web site, and with CPAC filming the scene in the blogger batcave. And as we saw the results on the screen…stunned silence was the reaction. Wow.

The top four:

Michael Ignatieff 29 per cent
Bob Rae 20 per cent
Stephane Dion 17.8 per cent
Gerard Kennedy 17.7 per cent

Everyone is just stunned. Iggy at less than 30 per cent is a death knell for the Ignatieff campaign. They've been spinning 32 to 35 per cent. The symbolism of his being at less than 30 per cent is huge. I think Ignatieff's days are numbered. With the buzz around the convention being that Michael has very, very little second choice support I don't see how he can get to 50 per cent plus one. Wow.

Rae at 20 per cent, but Stephane and Gerard not far behind mean the candidate that will be going up against Iggy is still very much in the air. Rae getting Volpe will give him a bump, but the second ballot is going to be very, very interesting.

Stephane in third place, even if only by a scant four votes, wow! Yess!! Lots of happy Dion supporters here right now. Gerard's people had been spinning they'd be in third with a comfortable margin, this has to be very demoralizing for them tonight. Second ballot will tell the tale as this is far from over, but with these results, the Allan Rock endorsement and a great speech tonight, I am a very optimistic, enthusiastic and happy Dionista tonight!

My bet has been and is on Dion; we'll see how that goes.