The house of flying software

Moving blogs

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 02:26:23 -0700

My blog is moving home - the new location is www.thehouseofflyingsoftware.blogspot.co m
this blog will no longer be updated.

Reincarnated Lama

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 00:57:50 -0700

In one of history's more absurd acts of totalitarianism, China has banned Buddhist monks in Tibet from reincarnating without government permission.
According to a statement issued by the State Administration for Religious Affairs, the law, which goes into effect next month and strictly stipulates the procedures by which one is to reincarnate, is "an important move to institutionalize management of reincarnation."
According to a 2005 Gallup poll, 20 percent of all U.S. adults believe in reincarnation. Recent surveys by the Barna Group, a Christian research nonprofit, have found that a quarter of U.S. Christians, including 10 percent of all born-again Christians, embrace it as their favored end-of-life view.

Veni vedi - no visa?

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 05:06:17 -0700

UK tourist visas are often denied to would-be visitors because they "plan a holiday for no particular purpose other than sightseeing", a report says.
Others were turned down because they had never previously taken any foreign travel or could not speak English.
The "ridiculous reasons" for rejecting visas were set out in a report by the independent monitor of UK visas.
Linda Costelloe Baker's report said that despite such flaws there had been "significant improvement in quality."
But she said entry clearance officers could use "some ridiculous reasons when refusing visa for tourist visits".

Driving a Fjord

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 07:36:15 -0700

A Norwegian firm is looking to produce a new electric car with a range of ~112 miles on a charge and a top speed of 62mph.
Tesla Motors CEO Martin Eberhard flew to Oslo to take a spin and sent back his people to hammer out a deal to supply Think with high-power lithium-ion batteries. An executive from PG&E, the giant California utility, dropped by during his vacation to talk about giving Think a foothold in the Golden State. Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway scooter, paid a visit, became an investor, and is now working on what could be the next breakthrough in automotive technology
This all sounds great I'd love one if Think want to send me one - I'll try it out and give them a review. If it is any good I might even buy one.

Huge Homer

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 00:37:01 -0700

PAGANS have pledged to perform “rain magic” to wash away cartoon character Homer Simpson who was painted next to their famous fertility symbol - the Cerne Abbas giant. A giant 180ft Homer Simpson brandishing a doughnut was painted next to the well-endowed figure today in a publicity stunt to promote The Simpsons Movie released later this month.

Oldest intelligence

Sat, 14 Jul 2007 01:41:38 -0700

Recent research shows that the child rasied as the eldest sibling in a family is likely to have the highest IQ.
A Norwegian team found first born children and those who had lost elder siblings and had hence become the eldest, scored higher on intelligence.
Experts have disagreed for decades about how birth order might influence intellect and achievement.

Facebook mobile

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 02:08:53 -0700

I don't know about you - but I have fairly recently discovered facebook. Unfortunately the powers that be at my work have a fairly draconian web filtering tool called websense. Websense does not like facebook, I suppose that is understandable to a certain degree – they are paying me to work after all.

Today it has come to my attention that Facebook has quietly launched its own WAP site that’s accessible to users of every operator. You access it by pointing your mobile browser to m.facebook.com. I’m actually very impressed.

Unholy Smoke

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 23:48:17 -0700

Reverend Anthony Carr, of East Peckham walked into a police station in Tonbridge and started smoking. He said he flouted the ban to protest against the erosion of civil liberties.
The Police said they did not arrest him because it was an environmental health issue.
He added: "There are many things which are said to affect our health. You can't really regulate the minutiae of people's individual lives like that."

Credit for Clergy

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 01:11:11 -0700

One of South Korea's top banks has rolled out a new credit card for Protestant clergy that will give them breaks on Bible purchases and allow them to gather bonus points they can turn into donations for their churches. The state-run Industrial Bank of Korea said on Friday it had introduced its "I am Pastor" card that will give clergy the equivalent of a few dollars off when they purchase religious books or other texts at certain authorized Web sites.

Boyfriend pillow for Japan singles

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 04:35:04 -0700

Japan's single women (and I suppose Men) are being offered the ultimate sleeping partner - a comfort to cuddle up to, but one which does not snore or make demands.

No Vroom at the Inn

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 23:52:34 -0700

What makes drving a car (or owning a car) sinful?
Well, according to the Vatican several things. The Vatican has issued its own rules of the road, a compendium of do's and don'ts on the moral aspects of driving and motoring.
Thou shall not drive under the influence of alcohol. Thou shall respect speed limits. Thou shall not consider a car an object of personal glorification or use it as a place of sin.
"Cars tend to bring out the 'primitive' side of human beings, thereby producing rather unpleasant results," the document said.

Development pornography

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 02:24:37 -0700

What is development pornography? I don't want you to get the wrong idea, DvP is pictures that are shocking, pull on your shamelessly pull on your heartstrings and often, as Reuters puts it, “still perpetuate a colonial idea of incapable Africans waiting passively for help from their white saviours”. This obviously doesn't just apply to Africans but to folks from all developing nations.
e.g.

His name is Brandon. This picture was taken by AIDG, AIDG had installed a biodigester at the orrphanage and in summer 2005 visited to check on it, they took this photo.
What is it about the pic makes me feel a bit … you know… manipulative? It’s the fact that he is a this super-cute dewey-eyed earnest-looking kid. It also makes me feel a bit naughty because but just as “Sex sells” in advertising, I know kiddies sell in development. A big reason is that when I think of “sustainable future”, all I can think of is children either reaping the benefits or suffering the consequences of our decisions today. Yeah, it’s not a particularly innovative association. “Upwards of 90% of the images of the majority world that are seen in the western media are produced by white photographers from the USA or Europe. This results in a one dimensional view often driven by a negative news agenda or the need to raise money.”

A bit on the dark side?

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 05:13:43 -0700

This is probably not something you'd want to leave around for your gran to see (unless she likes this kind of thing)
It does require a certain sense of humour to appreciate this. I have to admit it is kind of fun (in a ghoulish way)
The Idea is to replace the light pull switch with Hanging Harry. He is made of Silicone Rubber (so he is ideal for the bathroom) and comes with 2m of cord (you don't even have to tie the noose). Only £7.50 - bargin. I'm not sure if this style of design is necessarily good but I do think it is fun. I suppose the real question is what does that say about me and my appreciation of the value of life etc.

Sky high sales of no smoking signs

Wed, 30 May 2007 08:06:05 -0700

No smoking signs, get used to them because they'll be everywhere from 1st July. But this simple sign is causing controversy. Why? The ban will become nationwide when it is introduced in England on 1 July, cementing the sign's standing as one of the most used and most recognised nationally. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) sets the worldwide standard for everything from "mind your head" signs to the nuts and bolts that keep a Boeing 747 in the air.
It is a niche of product regulation that is a mystery to average folk, but impacts on our lives nearly every second of every day. This is where the controversy starts. The government has decided on a new design for no-smoking signs - the smoke rises slightly higher than before and the cigarette angle is different - but it breaks ISO guidelines. The Govermant also wants them put at the entrance of every enclosed public space - regardless of what the building is.

Too much skill or too much time?

Tue, 29 May 2007 05:19:33 -0700

Some people have too much time on their hands

Or is it just that they are very skillful. I have to admire this peice it really is incredible. These guys have done some fantastic work.
I am a great fan of the Alien series of films, Sigourney Weaver really made these films for me, there was a kind of barely suppressed terror that was quite palpable - along with a confident - never say die attitude. Fantastic