Bit of a disappointment about the cycling, eh? I was quite amused by the commentators take on it though. They were trying to push the idea that the other countries strategy was to team up on Britain even though Spain were leading. Fair enough. Maybe they were. But it isn't in the rule book that teams have to stick to a standard strategy. If other countries did decide to marginalize Britain it was their choice to make. For Colombia, Kazakhstan and Norway it was a strategy that reaped rewards.
As for that bloody interviewer. If somebody asked me, 'So everybody was against Britain today weren't they?', after I'd won an exhausting cycling race I'd probably react with a similar level of incredulity to that poor Kazakh cyclist.
Saturday, 28 July 2012
Olympic gag reel
I rather enjoyed it! Being Bristol-born it was nice to see Isambard Kingdom Brunel play such a big part in the proceedings. That even got a cheer from the mysteriously dull crowd at Millenium square. However, rather than having him quote Shakespeare I think one of his own quotations would have better summed up the proceedings: "Everyone around me seems mad, stark raving mad. The only course for a sane man is to keep out of the way and stay quiet." (NB Highly unreliable - can't find it on the Internet and don't remember my original source).
Glastonbury Tor turning into the Dark Satanic Mills was evocative if mawkish. I did like the treatment of the other kingdoms of the Isles too. They each got their own spiel before the event started (ending with a rugby victory? Really? Had none of the organisers heard of the Highland Games? Hurling? Gaelic football?). However, they were then forgotten in the highly suspect whizz through British history which seemed to bounce from 1918-1945-1964 with nary a hitch and no thought for inconvenient details like decolonisation or the secession of the Republic of Ireland.
Still in the end the Chinese Olympics had set a high standard for mass organisation. There was no way we could compete with that so nice to see something that was silly, eccentric and had Mr Bean in it. It certainly summed up Britain better than a lot of ceremonies might have.
Glastonbury Tor turning into the Dark Satanic Mills was evocative if mawkish. I did like the treatment of the other kingdoms of the Isles too. They each got their own spiel before the event started (ending with a rugby victory? Really? Had none of the organisers heard of the Highland Games? Hurling? Gaelic football?). However, they were then forgotten in the highly suspect whizz through British history which seemed to bounce from 1918-1945-1964 with nary a hitch and no thought for inconvenient details like decolonisation or the secession of the Republic of Ireland.
Still in the end the Chinese Olympics had set a high standard for mass organisation. There was no way we could compete with that so nice to see something that was silly, eccentric and had Mr Bean in it. It certainly summed up Britain better than a lot of ceremonies might have.
Thursday, 12 July 2012
The purpose of the Jury
[Disclaimer - I am on Jury service at the moment but understandably I will not be breaking the confidentiality of my assigned trial in any way. I merely wish to communicate some general thoughts I've had about the utility and meaning of the Jury in general]
If there is one thing everybody knows about Juries it is that they are not allowed to communicate with others about the trial until after it is over. This is very understandable as they will be receiving information of great import in a confidential environment. This can, of course, be frustrating to those involved. Jury duty is often a once in a lifetime experience and there is a great temptation to discuss events with others to stress their novelty and importance.
But what are the practical effects of this enforced silence? The idea behind the rules is that unsanctioned conversation could affect Juror's thoughts on the trial. The people you discuss the case with are unlikely to be directly involved but will have their own biases and prejudices that they could easily or even accidentally implant in the mind of the Juror.
This means that the ideal Juror is isolated - a sort of self contained brain that listens and then reasons about what it has heard and seen. However, this ideal situation does not fit with modern psychology. No human is entirely rationalistic. Since Freud and (in a less coherent manner) before there has been an acknowledgement of the existence of the subconscious, which can massively influence our thoughts and actions.
Therefore, the Enlightenment view of an uninfluenced and independent Jury is a fiction. Everybody in the Jury seats has their own emotional and intellectual baggage that will influence their perception of the facts. Yet this doesn't make the Jury useless. In fact it may even make it more useful as a gauge of the mood and norms of society. The ban on individual conversations outside of the court stops specific influences from dominating but the experience gained from living in society is allowed to permeate the thoughts of the Jurors. Whether or not this is a good or bad thing (one can imagine that it could allow certain societal discriminations to take free reign) is up to the observer.
If there is one thing everybody knows about Juries it is that they are not allowed to communicate with others about the trial until after it is over. This is very understandable as they will be receiving information of great import in a confidential environment. This can, of course, be frustrating to those involved. Jury duty is often a once in a lifetime experience and there is a great temptation to discuss events with others to stress their novelty and importance.
But what are the practical effects of this enforced silence? The idea behind the rules is that unsanctioned conversation could affect Juror's thoughts on the trial. The people you discuss the case with are unlikely to be directly involved but will have their own biases and prejudices that they could easily or even accidentally implant in the mind of the Juror.
This means that the ideal Juror is isolated - a sort of self contained brain that listens and then reasons about what it has heard and seen. However, this ideal situation does not fit with modern psychology. No human is entirely rationalistic. Since Freud and (in a less coherent manner) before there has been an acknowledgement of the existence of the subconscious, which can massively influence our thoughts and actions.
Therefore, the Enlightenment view of an uninfluenced and independent Jury is a fiction. Everybody in the Jury seats has their own emotional and intellectual baggage that will influence their perception of the facts. Yet this doesn't make the Jury useless. In fact it may even make it more useful as a gauge of the mood and norms of society. The ban on individual conversations outside of the court stops specific influences from dominating but the experience gained from living in society is allowed to permeate the thoughts of the Jurors. Whether or not this is a good or bad thing (one can imagine that it could allow certain societal discriminations to take free reign) is up to the observer.
Saturday, 7 July 2012
Yasuni in trouble?
http://mondediplo.com/2012/07/12ecuador
Interesting article on the attempt by Ecuador to prevent oil prospecting in environmentally sensitive areas in return for international financial support. I'm not sure exactly where I stand on this one. It is a bold move by Ecuador but similarly it is difficult to see crisis threatened Western governments and corporations going for such an untested scheme that is likely to offend so many vested interests.
Le Monde seem to be generally positive while aiming slight criticism at Ecuador's past political conduct and economic choices.
Interesting article on the attempt by Ecuador to prevent oil prospecting in environmentally sensitive areas in return for international financial support. I'm not sure exactly where I stand on this one. It is a bold move by Ecuador but similarly it is difficult to see crisis threatened Western governments and corporations going for such an untested scheme that is likely to offend so many vested interests.
Le Monde seem to be generally positive while aiming slight criticism at Ecuador's past political conduct and economic choices.
Friday, 29 June 2012
... and you're probably bored of this by now.
So I got the Dragon in Quest of the Wordsmith!
(Spoilers ahead)
I set up a veritable barricade to hold the Dragon while I got in my Tank. There was a Wall (tastefully Inked blue), a Fort and a Castle. I also used a Hole and Tar in the hope that it would slow it down. I launched a couple of assaults and lost a few minions but discovered that the Wall was invulnerable to fire and so skulked behind that in my Tank, healing health when I needed to. Finally, Death and the Dragon took each other out.
I used the G from Dragon to make a pet Giant and then looked for something else to do. I took a Spaceship and flew up as far as I could and then used a Yeti to clear out all of the Spiders and Webs in the cave.
By now it was nearly night and I was wondering what to do. I decided to sit in one place and make as many peaceful things as I could so that there would be a nice town to see in the morning. I made a Priest, Bard, Farm, Farmer, Field, Baby, Wasp, Eagle, Oak, Elm, Knight, Sheep, Cow, Crow and Goat. Unfortunately I then made a Skeleton. This did not play well with others. Being undead it kept on coming back to trash my little utopia. Eventually all the animals and people I had made were dead while the Knight and resurrecting Skeleton were fighting a brutal, pitch-black battle over the buildings and fields that remained.
Lovely bit of emergent game-play really. You know what they say about good intentions leading to hell?
(Spoilers ahead)
I set up a veritable barricade to hold the Dragon while I got in my Tank. There was a Wall (tastefully Inked blue), a Fort and a Castle. I also used a Hole and Tar in the hope that it would slow it down. I launched a couple of assaults and lost a few minions but discovered that the Wall was invulnerable to fire and so skulked behind that in my Tank, healing health when I needed to. Finally, Death and the Dragon took each other out.
I used the G from Dragon to make a pet Giant and then looked for something else to do. I took a Spaceship and flew up as far as I could and then used a Yeti to clear out all of the Spiders and Webs in the cave.
By now it was nearly night and I was wondering what to do. I decided to sit in one place and make as many peaceful things as I could so that there would be a nice town to see in the morning. I made a Priest, Bard, Farm, Farmer, Field, Baby, Wasp, Eagle, Oak, Elm, Knight, Sheep, Cow, Crow and Goat. Unfortunately I then made a Skeleton. This did not play well with others. Being undead it kept on coming back to trash my little utopia. Eventually all the animals and people I had made were dead while the Knight and resurrecting Skeleton were fighting a brutal, pitch-black battle over the buildings and fields that remained.
Lovely bit of emergent game-play really. You know what they say about good intentions leading to hell?
Thursday, 28 June 2012
.... The saga continues
Still loving Quest of the Wordsmith, although I suspect I'm reaching the point of diminishing returns.
(Spoilers ahead)
It does have a habit of making some compelling narratives though. I just had a game where for the first time I survived until it got dark. I'd taken out most of the enemies that I'd meet and opened up the Crates in the Wreck. I was being satisfied that a combination of Laser and Norse henchman had enabled me to take out the Trolls for the first time. I was finely kitted out in a Kilt, Snorkel and High Heels.
I decided to take on the Dragon. I went in to the castle with my Tank and sacrificed my Norse henchman in the battle against the Dragon. I went out and used up almost every food type I could think of to heal up my Tank and then discovered it couldn't get back through the Castle doors.
I then went in and used a Bat, Priest, Crab, Yeti and Lion against the Dragon and was forced to flee each time. Finally I summoned a Stork. This drew out the Dragon as it attacked the infinite supply of Babies produced. However, firing my Laser into the darkness while scampering for the exit when my health got low could only go on so long and eventually it shot me down.
Thinking back I probably should have placed a Fire so I could easily find the exit. Ho hum. Maybe next time.
(Spoilers ahead)
It does have a habit of making some compelling narratives though. I just had a game where for the first time I survived until it got dark. I'd taken out most of the enemies that I'd meet and opened up the Crates in the Wreck. I was being satisfied that a combination of Laser and Norse henchman had enabled me to take out the Trolls for the first time. I was finely kitted out in a Kilt, Snorkel and High Heels.
I decided to take on the Dragon. I went in to the castle with my Tank and sacrificed my Norse henchman in the battle against the Dragon. I went out and used up almost every food type I could think of to heal up my Tank and then discovered it couldn't get back through the Castle doors.
I then went in and used a Bat, Priest, Crab, Yeti and Lion against the Dragon and was forced to flee each time. Finally I summoned a Stork. This drew out the Dragon as it attacked the infinite supply of Babies produced. However, firing my Laser into the darkness while scampering for the exit when my health got low could only go on so long and eventually it shot me down.
Thinking back I probably should have placed a Fire so I could easily find the exit. Ho hum. Maybe next time.
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
Spelling game of awesomeness
... and something's come up.
Quest of the Wordsmith
Read about it here: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/06/27/a-spell-of-good-fortune-quest-of-the-wordsmith/
Play it here: http://cheersgames.com/
I'm no where near finishing everything I can see to do in the courtesy demo. However, I did just kill a Baby - which must count for something, surely?
Quest of the Wordsmith
Read about it here: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/06/27/a-spell-of-good-fortune-quest-of-the-wordsmith/
Play it here: http://cheersgames.com/
I'm no where near finishing everything I can see to do in the courtesy demo. However, I did just kill a Baby - which must count for something, surely?
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