Rubenerd

It's one of those age old questions (adjusted for inflation), what would you do if you suddenly had 100 million dollars?

Of course one can't predict how one would react in such a situation, and any careful planning we'd made before for such a scenario would no doubt be cast out the window like a WiMo phone that just lost all your data… again… once said money had been received.

The living thing

That said though, what I've always wanted is a huge pile of money in a bank somewhere (presumably not an American one) so I can live off the interest and donate regularly to scientific and humanitarian projects. That way I have security in case something terrible happens, I'm helping people and I can live quite comfortably doing the things I love like blogging, as well as coding for projects that help so many people but can't pay me or that I would prefer not pay me, such as FreeBSD or as a full time volunteer systems engineer for Oxfam.

@JJProjects replied by saying such use would mean "a lot of spare dough lying around doing not very much.", but as I see it it's far more sensible to use money sustainably for myself and others than in a sudden splash of short term donations or fun.

For all the talk of being a depressed person, I'm under no illusion that I'm not living a comfortable life right now, particularly compared to most people on the planet who barely have enough food to eat. I suppose with money I wouldn't want to change my lifestyle that much, just have some added security and be able to travel a bit more.

The bidness thing

I'd also give some consideration to starting a boutique software company free of the needs of venture capital, again using the projects I would have contributed to as a base. I love writing small applications that fill niches, if I could run a business doing just that my profits would not obviously be astronomical, but I'd have such a dizzying amount of fun doing it. If I could somehow apply these applications to sustainable energy projects then I wouldn't just be donating money but expertise. My offices could be friendly coffee shops in different places, and I could employ my dad who's given me so much as a father and a friend and I'd love to relieve him of the overly stressful job he has now.

The splurge thing

Okay, I'm human, I'd splurge a little as well :)

What I would splurge on (if I had money left from my interest payment for that month) is a new Mac Pro tower and a Segway, I tried the latter in Sentosa recently and they were insanely fun! Who would need a flashy sports car if you had a Segway, and a Piaggio scooter while I'm at it?

And finally, I'd rent out one of the Harry's jazz clubs in Singapore, send tickets to all my friends from The Real World (wouldn't be hard, gulp) as well as people I've got to know on Twitter and Google Reader, and have a huge concert with Marian Call performing who would have flown first class to get there, as well as Jim Kloss who would introduce everyone and run the sound systems. Mr and Mrs O'Carrol would probably need a kitty carrier, that would also be arranged. I'd also get Rie Kugimiya to insult and hug everyone as only she can, it'd be a blast.

Todd Tyrtle recently posted a comment on Google Reader highligting what I think is the real problem with consistently idolising sporting achievements over other fields. It's not "cool" to take this position, particularly in a place like Australia, but I'm going to side with the egghead.

Maybe it’s me, and maybe I’m just a stick in the mud, but perhaps this sort of thing, regardless of one’s country, is a symptom of what’s wrong with people. We’re filling the streets because we won some games. We’re proud because people who came from the same place we live won some games. Big FUCKING deal.

When will people fill the streets because they’re proud they did something that really mattered – ended hunger, stopped a war, helped some people. Nope, some folks hit a puck with more skill than some other folks so YAY FOR US!

Fuck it, maybe the answer is to just make altruism a spectator sport.

I completely agree with you Todd, I've never understood the obsession with sport, particularly with the consistent gross recognition it gets over other achievements in science, research, medicine, even parenting which is the most difficult thing to do well.

We must be in the minority though, when our PM Kevin Rudd compared a Nobel Prize to winning an Olympic medal on Twitter recently, I commented that the comparison was a bit insulting given Nobel Prizes are on such a higher level to athletic achievements and the winners are solving real world problems. Within minutes I was chastised by almost everyone, even people who usually agree with me, and when I defended my position they started talking about semantics. "But but but… all he said was…"

Sorry to burst your bubble folks

… but sport != science! They're not even remotely close, and no matter how you spin it saying a Nobel Prize is an Olympic gold medal is a touch insulting. Its like saying its equivalent to being the most downloaded app in the Zune Store or being Barney The Dinosaur's favourite audience member for that day. They're all number 1 positions, but they're clearly not equivalent!

If you think I'm being unfair by singling out this one profession, don't worry I thought this was really silly as well, for similar reasons. Worshipping celebrities is also something I don't really understand.

Now if you'd excuse me, I'm off to get some lunch. Hope I don't get pelted with tomatoes when I try to leave the house!

Not sure what's scarier, the fact these messages exist for me to get sent in the first place, or that people who know me (or have at least added me on Facebook) think I'd be receptive to them.

This message was written in a character set other than your own. If it is not displayed correctly, click here to open it in a new window.

Jaslyn became a fan of FARMVILLE – FREE ALL IN ONE tractor WITH UNLIMITED GAS! SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL on Facebook and suggested you become a fan too.

To see more details and confirm this invitation, follow the link below: [redacted]

Thanks,
The Facebook Team

I'm willing to accept the irony is so thick I'm just not getting it, like Fred Basset.

Links shared from del.icio.us today:

Singapore's demographic ambition

(categories: economics singapore people lifestyle)

Readability – An Arc90 Lab Experiment

(categories: internet design browser css usability)

A pawful of quick Snow Leopard tips

(categories: mac osx snowleopard tips)

Un Spectrum en un Libretto | CYFUSS

(categories: spectrum hardware libretto retro sinclair)

Linux and OpenBSD on a Libretto 70CT

(categories: toshiba libretto hardware software openbsd bsd howto)

ottaky.com : SuSE Linux on the Toshiba Libretto 70CT

(categories: toshiba libretto hardware software linux suse howto specs)

Installing Debian Linux 3.1 Sarge on Toshiba Libretto 50

(categories: toshiba libretto hardware software howto debian linux)

What distro will work in a Toshiba Libretto 70CT? – Ubuntu Forums

(categories: toshiba libretto hardware software openbsd bsd howto ubuntu linux)

Fred's Toshiba Libretto 70CT

(categories: toshiba libretto hardware software openbsd bsd howto)

The very existence of flamethrowers proves that sometime, somewhere, someone said to themselves, "You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I’m just not close enough to get the job done." ~ George Carlin

Damn it, I miss you George.

Or perhaps a more pertinent question: even if we want it, can fairness exist?

Today my mind was stimulated not from conversations on Twitter, but rather back in Google Reader again; in particular these two posts shared by Atuuschaaw and Jim Kloss respectively.

In a nutshell, using profoundly different language the writers explore the idea of fairness and argue it's an innate feeling within us. They point out even young children are aware of fairness (but mum, he got more than me!), and when classes of people are treated unfairly for long enough they eventually up-rise and revolt.

They make good points, but what I want to know isn't whether we desire fairness, but whether fairness can possibly exist. Forgive the phrasing and presentation of these disconnected, scatterbrain thoughts, it's 3:30am and I just bolted out of bed because of all these questions were swimming in my head like a… swimmer.

1. Is fairness a vague enough concept like getting rid of crime, in that we’re always striving for it but never expect to completely get there?

2. We have limited resources and unlimited wants. Perhaps instead of attacking the resource side, which is finite, should we instead do something to address our wants. Could we encourage fairness by setting ourselves more realistic wants? I suppose this would be the Buddhist philosophy.

3. The Star Trek universe is depicted as having solved the problem of limited resources with the invention of the replicator, but until that happens is all we can do attempt to more evenly distribute resources to encourage fairness?

4. Do we define fairness as everyone having the same thing? If so, then if there’s a finite amount of something, such as waterfront housing, should everybody be denied it because not everyone can have it?

5. Despite what libertarians and fiscal conservatives may proclaim, capitalism has a lousy track record when it comes to providing fairness. Despite what liberals or progessives may say, governments have a lousy track record when it comes to proving fairness. Is it so wrong to want a combined approach?

6. What’s fair for Earth is, in the long run, fair for us. In the short term, that may be hard to see at times and even harder to accept.

7. There are some innate needs all humans have; food, shelter, love, friendship, peace, truth. If everyone had these basic needs satisfied, would that be a fair society? If so, and leaving aside sarcasm, I reckon we could do it, if we wanted to.

8. We need to embrace indicators like the Gini Coefficient as the standard measure of progress and completely throw away GDP per capita. We also need to once and for all embrace economic sustainability not economic growth. GDP per capita and priorities on economic growth belonged to the 19th century, not the 21st.

9. Is fairness a consensus thing? If so, how do we reach a consensus? The definition of consensus is sacrifice, to give some to get some. Holy sh*t that was way deeper and more profound than I intended: could all fairness be about is personal sacrifice? To give up a little of what we want so everyone can get what they need and then work from there? How do we define what we need then? Well look at that, we’re back to consensus again.

I have no idea what I'm saying. I'm toddling off back to bed now.

Sounds like a wager, Daily Telegraph. I'm in for $5. No wait, make it €5, I've still got some coins with harps and Brandenburg Gates on them.

Before you get worried, I don't read the Daily Telegraph. Well, unless someone sends me an obfuscated link with a URL shorter that ends up there. I'm going to make it like Merlin Mann and start pronouncing URL as Earl.

The Aussie Prime Minister Kevin Rudd met with the state premiers this morning; allegedly the response was mixed. I'm hoping it's in part because one of them said something this:

Kevin, I’m copping so much heat and ridicule for being a member of the political party that wants to implement this misguided Great Firewall of Australia, could you please tell Senator Conroy to stop!? Please!? You’re killing me mate! *whimper*

Hey, we can only hope, right? :(

I don't know how I ended up at this review site, but I was less surprised by the fact the unit they were discussing was so shamelessly ripping off the iPod (right down to the headphones), but rather the reviewer actually liked it. Were they wearing those beer glasses Bart Simpson tried on?

The T-Pod neo is the mix of iPod nano and MPio HD400, but it may be better than both of them. T-Pod neo features a 1.5-inch LCD screen, MP3/WMA Music playback and MTV/AMX Video playback and there are 1GB and 2GB models.

I suppose it goes to show some people can simply be won over with feature lists instead of usability, creativity and industrial design. Come to think of it, that explains a substantial part of the tech industry; for example how could a CNET writer honestly write that this device is reminiscent of the iPhone interface?

As for the specific assertion the T-Pod is better than the iPod: perhaps we're at an unfair advantage with hindsight, but I don't think it surprises any of us that it didn't really get anywhere, even if it does sound vaguely like the A-Team would be blasting tunes from it.

I'm not British, I don't live in the UK and the only radio station I've listened to in the Isles is Today FM in The Republic, but a ton of my English friends are up in arms about this latest move by the BBC to chop programming, so I'm doing my bit to help spread the word, however trivially insignificant it'll be in the grand scheme of things; wow this was a really long sentence.

From the self-doucumentingly (pretty sure that's not a word) titled Love6Music.com:

The BBC needs to make cuts reported as £600M of which 6Music represents a reported £7M

6Music & AM to close!!! Take Action NOW!

trust.enquiries@bbc.co.uk

PROTEST — We’ve been asked to publicise the following but love6music is in no way responsible for it.

A fool knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing. The closure of 6Music is cultural vandalism. This Must Not Stand!

They have a petition you can sign, though I assume it's only for British folk. Don't let them make such a breathtaking mistake! The BBC I mean, not the petition people.