Exasperated Calculator: Star Trek & Economics
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Election07: 7b edition
*Announcements*: ALP will [give a free health check to all students starting primary school](http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/16/2093065.htm), costing $45m. Nothing from the coalition. *Polls*: [Morgan face to face](http://www.pollbludger.com/714) ALP 56.5. And the Possum predicts [the ALP will get 55.15% at the election](http://possumcomitatus.wordpress.com/2007/11/16/the-headline-forecast-–-regression-prediction-model/). Line of the day: [Tony Abbott in diplomatic mode](http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/16/2092446.htm): >The best protection for a worker […]…
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Who wants to destroy the world
[A pocket sized doomsday device button](http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/japanfan/9806/). I often wish for one of these during long meetings…
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Return of the King
[WW2 code breaking computer Colossus is making a return](http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/code_breaker/colossus-back-to-crack-codes-after-a-60+year-absence-323006.php). Great stuff, but I fear it’s going to be trounced in the competition with a modern PC. It’s hard to overstate just how much computer power has increased.
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Great lawsuits of our time
[A clearly mad (or malicious) person sues NASA](http://www.badastronomy.com/bablog/2007/11/15/nasa-ticks-me-off-sometimes-too-but-cmon/). Lots of great claims. Personally I found the claim that Neil was hanging around with cousin Louis playing Jazz instead of going to the moon to be the best.
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Testscoreus maximus
[A UK school is using a curriculum based on Harry Potter](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=493455&in_page_id=1770). The most amazing thing is that it seems to be working. I do worry for the students who get assigned to Slytherin house, though.
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End of an Error
[Edison’s direct current electricity system will be turned off after 125 years](http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/14/off-goes-the-power-current-started-by-thomas-edison/). The Tesla v Edison fight is one of the great ones of all time. It’s also a good example of even apparently substantial ‘lock in’ can be overcome if one product is clearly superior. I’m looking at you, Microsoft!
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Sorry ’bout that
Was sick for a fair chunk of last week. Just now getting up to date with the blog. No more interruptions between now and election day, I promise. I’ve backfilled to where I dropped off last week.
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Election07: Single Digit Edition
*Announcements*: Coalition announces [$250m for aged care places](http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/15/2092025.htm). ALP has [$15m for ethanol plant trials](http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/15/2092268.htm). *Polls*: [AC Nielsen](http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/labor-still-out-in-front/2007/11/15/1194766861100.html?s_cid=rss_news) ALP 54. 9 days to go.
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Hieronymous Bosch as interior designer
[The lamp from hell](http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/lighting/this-is-what-lamps-look-like-in-hell-322402.php). If anyone can find a house this works in, please *don’t* let me know. I wouldn’t want to see it.
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The home of the free
[Soon you will not be able to challenge parking tickets in Washington DC](http://www.reason.com/blog/show/123439.html). I wonder if the US really *gets* the rule of law as a concept sometimes.