November 2003
Sunday, 30 November 2003
The Productivity Paradox: “In fact, there is no precedent for sustained productivity enhancement through downsizing. That would result in an increasingly barren economy that will ultimately lose market share in an ever-expanding world.”
Saturday, 29 November 2003
War After The War: “‘The key to it all was the looting. That was when it was clear that there was no order. There’s an Arab proverb: Better forty years of oppression than one day of anarchy.’ He added, ‘That also told them they could fight against us—that we were not a serious force.’”
Monkeys, Dolphin Say ‘I Don’t Know’: “Smith said the two monkeys displayed uncertainty at almost the same threshold as seven humans who also took the test. This result, Smith and his co-authors said, ‘presents one of the strongest existing matches between human and animal performance in the comparative literature.’”
Friday, 28 November 2003
Does al-Qaeda exist?: “The talking up of al-Qaeda has created a kind of brand name, which can be invoked by small, isolated groups wishing to strike a blow beyond their means.”
Wednesday, 26 November 2003
The Flight to India: “All those concerned about economic justice and the distribution of wealth at home should despair. All those concerned about global justice and the distribution of wealth around the world should rejoice. As we are, by and large, the same people, we have a problem.” - Monbiot in Z Mag, yet surprisingly coherent
Tuesday, 25 November 2003
The other day I was late to something because my wrist watch, which has been dead accurate for 5 years running, had lost two hours in the space of four. Since then it has continued to fall behind.
This morning the alarm woke me up 20 minutes late, as the clock is running 20 minutes behind.
I will take a third incidence to be indicative of enemy action.
Last night I dreamt that Inconsiderate Cell Phone Man had a late night comedy talk show, and one of his guests was James Landay.
Saturday, 22 November 2003
Gene-Altering Revolution Nears the Pet Store: Glow-in-the-Dark Fish
Meteor blamed for second mass extinction
Curse of Youth: “A study done last year by the Pew Center found that more people in that age range read a book every day than read a newspaper.”
Friday, 21 November 2003
Bombs and Ballots: “Game theory suggests that by defending one target, we simply redirect the attention of the committed terrorist to another that is left exposed. Perhaps worst of all, disproportionate focus on hard assets creates an expectation that success in the war on terrorism is the absence of attacks, the success of our preventive efforts. But if absolute success is an impossibility then such an expectation only makes us more vulnerable to the type of shock and disappointment that can lead us to over-react and then miscalculate – responses that ultimately serve the terrorists’ objectives.”
Friday, 7 November 2003
A flood of red ink: “Yet these official projections, and similar ones by the White House, bear no resemblance to reality. The CBO is forced by law to make extremely implausible assumptions both about taxes and spending. The White House does so because it suits Mr Bush’s political purposes. No fiscal expert believes either of them.”
Wednesday, 5 November 2003
Sun more active than for a millennium
Spacecraft reaches edge of solar system: “As these outer reaches of the solar system have never been explored, it is unclear exactly where these boundaries lie.”