2013 — 3 June: Monday
I've just heard an interesting interview (on NPR) about a nanotechnology approach to delivering chemotherapy inside tumour cells.1 And now I'm hearing news of an American software patent from "Personal Audio" that is claimed to imply everyone making for-profit podcasts owes money... or perhaps it's a shakedown? Guess what? Patents can hinder innovation. Who would have thunk it? Crazy.
"Litigation is licensing by other means". Had I not spent yesterday evening enjoyably buried in Season #2 of Suits I might have been less sensitised to the surreal issues behind patent trolling, shell companies with no-one but an attorney at the wheel, and other stinky aspects of western capitalism in this Brave New World. (Link.) And a transcript.
The court case revolving around a document with an "apostrophe s" that the author could not explain as he said his grammar was too poor (and which the jury rejected) made me giggle. News that there are now 100 new software patents a day in the Land of the Free, not to mention the enormous sums mostly hidden behind non-disclosure agreements for which various companies are suing each other did not make me giggle. Even using Wi-Fi in my own house is technically liable for a payment to a patent owner (who has decided not to go after home users "at this time"). Madness.
Harry Shearer...
... now tells me that the war in Afghanistan2 has so far cost every tax-paying British household £5,000. I never did manage to form a clear mental picture of what we were supposed to be doing and/or achieving over there...
One could become quite grumpy.
How dare he...
... cheapen one of my favourite films?
It's the political equivalent of groundhog day: MPs accused of abusing their position; businesses of getting too close. As always, these stories are a symptom rather than a cause — indicative of a wider problem. Westminster remains a place where power is hoarded, decisions are opaque, and the people who take those decisions are not properly held to account. Our political system has long been crying out for head-to-toe reform.
Nice map
I wonder what Harry Beck would have said about this? Just don't waste too much of your time trying to browse it using IE 10...
Having been...
... (mildly) inspired by some of Peter's g/f's cleaning efforts in my chaotic kitchen on Saturday — I do try not to interpret them as direct personal criticism, even when she declares the house to be in a state of what she would class as "boy cleanliness" — I can now confirm that leaving my venerable (and vital) stainless steel tea-strainer in quite hot, softened, water livened up by a couple of the 'biological' washing machine tablets has more or less restored it to its pristine state. Remarkable.
Wonder if it works on humans? I was browsing around (as one might) for info on Ponce de Leon's fabled "Fountain of Youth" to strike a satirical spark, but got sidetracked here. Warning: it's a bit rich. (Link.)
Good grief. One third of the human population carries the TB organism? We're doomed, I tell you, all doomed. I shall have to revert to an all-music channel (again).
I found this...
... extract from a little piece of textual nonsense while looking for something else:
I'd sent it to Carol in June 1988, probably after spotting it in National Lampoon or similar. Meanwhile, the latest ineffable "Ansible" has much visual cheer here.