Things I didn't know about the UK

From the vast trove of information that is Wikipedia, some things I didn't know about the UK:

They like us, they really like us. At least enough to name a part of London's Canary Wharf business district Canada Square. One Canada Square is a skyscaper that at 235 m is the tallest inhabitable structure in the UK.

The namesake of Loch Lomond, NB, east of Saint John, is in southwestern Scotland and is the largest lake by surface area in the UK.

The more famous Loch Ness is 23 miles long and contains more fresh water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined.

Metropolitan London has a population of 12 to 14 million, making it the largest city in the EU, at a little less than half the total population of Canada.

Geek-out in progess

Wow! I just downloaded FoxyTunes... can I just say it may be one of the most useful software tools ever developed. Basically, it allows you to control your favorite media player from a toolbar in Firefox. Which is great, because you don't have to interrupt your surfing to, say, skip to the next track. Since I usually listen to music while online, this is a very handy feature. Also, you can click on the track info and it goes to an online wiki database that has artist information, videos from YouTube, Google search results, and photos from Flickr. And yes, it even lets you post that artist to Facebook or Blogger. Which is, well, awesome, because I use most of this stuff already.

So, like you needed another reason to ditch IE and come over to the open-source side, add this one to the list of things your Microslop browser will never be able to do.

I want toys

I was looking today at CNet's reviews of various new Mac laptops. In a word: sweeeeeeet. Also, not as expensive as they used to be. I currently use a Compaq Presario V2545, which I bought in October 2005. Not that its a bad computer, it gets the job done, but the real reason I bought it was because it was cheap (about $1000 Canadian, which was cheap before the development of laptops for the third world), and I needed a computer for school since my old Thinkpad R45 died. And that was when a Thinkpad was the real deal, not the made in China knock-off. But I'm getting off topic. Yes, I've decided to go Mac for my next machine, I want to see if OS X is as good as everyone says it is, the last Mac I used ran OS 6 if memory serves.

But really, I probably won't be in the market for a replacement until my current one craps out. What with student loans and all, my disposable income is not nearly enough to get the toys I want. So I'll put the Mac on the wish list right next to the iPod, plasma tv, 7.1 sound system, the list goes on.

The Press vs. Facebook

Just an observation, but it seems that there have been a number of stories in the media about Facebook lately, specifically groups that are said to be promoting everything from anorexia to drunk driving. First, I think we need to think about what were saying when we use that word 'promote', because discuss and promote are not synonyms. It is not wrong to simply talk about something, in fact its very healthy.

Also, in most countries it is legal to express an opinion contrary to what the court of popular opinion (and assorted lobby groups) would have you believe. But since we are in the habit of sacrificing free speech for political correctness, I am expecting that Facebook will soon be told, possibly by court order, to take down the offending groups. I certainly wouldn't put it past the raging grannies of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Which, really, shows that people take Facebook far to seriously. I for one find the idea that I can start a group just to see if anyone out there feels the same as I do on an issue is liberating and the best that free speech has to offer. These media stories also don't give the readers much credit to be able to see an opinion out there and decide on it for themselves. No, we need a lobby group, the government, and the courts to tell us what to think. No thanks.


Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net