Best Decade Ever poll - an update

A fascinating set of responses yesterday - as exected the computer games clustered towards modern day, while novels were spread all over the place (except for the 1930s, clearly a bad decade for authors).

I did like the observations from two people here and here that the current decade is the best ever if you're a media consumer, as not only are more works being produced but that we have access to a bigger library of previous works than anyone has ever had before, thanks to the digitisation of content.

I also managed to leave a media-type off the list, for which my apologies. Have it now:

[Poll #1801516]

It's a bit windy out today

There's a lot of wind out there right now. All of the Edinburgh schools are shut, and my work sent home all non-essential staff at 1:30. I had been out at a Christmas team lunch, but not drinking (as we were intending to return for the afternoon), but was very happy to just head home rather than stay out. This is the kind of weather where people die from things blowing off of roofs onto their heads.

On the way home I stopped once to help someone push a giant bin back out of the road (one of these things), found another one blown over near the flat, and was generally very happy to get in out of the wind.

And then bracknellexile posted this picture on FB:

which is of the next street over from me, and shows a roof lying in the middle of the road (and the bits of remaining roof on the right hand side).

The original plan had been to go out tonight for dinner. I think we'll put that one on hold...

Interesting Links for 08-12-2011

• Why Apple can’t call an iPad an iPad in China
  (tags: apple ipad trademark china )
• Rail company sold USB sticks from lost property in auction - without wiping them. Oh dear.
  (tags: privacy data EpicFail )
• Oldest and Fatherless: The Terrible Secret of Tom Bombadil
  (tags: lotr )
• Why Sugar Makes Us Sleepy (And Protein Wakes Us Up)
  (tags: sugar protein nutrition neuroscience orexin )
• Predicting the Future of Computing - vote to move things to different dates!
  (tags: infographic technology timeline thefuture )
• The Broken Britain delusion. We've never had it so good!
  (tags: uk wealth happiness society )
• Over 40% of cancers could be prevented by lifestyle changes.
  (tags: cancer health behaviour )
• Nice piece of model-work.
  (tags: models navy )

Link feed update - I found a bug!

Turns out that if Delicious goes down then it think there was no links, and carries on to the next day. D'oh! That'll be fixed presently...

Edit: No, wait, it looks like Delicious was returning empty RSS feeds while it was down. Nice one guys. Not that I can check, but I can't see any way that would have happened other than empty feeds being returned. *sigh*

Dear Americans

The joke has gone on long enough. You can stop now.

Please?

(via lsanderson)

My favourite Star Wars thing of the week

is not in this post. It is, instead, in tomorrow's linkpost (or on Twitter a couple of hours ago)

But this comes second:

Both it and the following animated gif are courtest of skreidle, who has all the cool links.

( tqbfjold - cuter than you might expect )

In other news, I have mostly spent this evening fixing code and then playing the new Portal themed expansion to Defense Grid. They have managed to surprise me repeatedly with new gameplay mechanics that revolve around GladOS fucking with you. Taking one of my favourite games ever and then making it feel new again is something I am intensely happy about.

Gay marriage in Scotland - one more response from my representatives

David McLetchie (Conservative) got back to me with:

I welcome the establishment of civil partnerships in Scotland which means that civil partners now have the same legal rights and responsibilities as married couples in terms of their relationship with one another. Accordingly I do not see the need for further change.

I didn't bother replying, but am quite glad that marrog and lizzieandari did so.

Sarah Boyack (Labour) said:

In the past three Parliaments, I supported measures to tackle prejudice, intolerance and discrimination in all forms, not only because of the impact on the lives of those who experience it, but' because it holds us back as a nation.
We are very clear - after introducing civil partnerships, Scottish Labour'is proud to champion this agenda to tackle inequality and to ensure that Scotland is not left behind on this issue.

That leaves one Conservative (Gavin Brown) and one SNP (Kenny MacAskill) outstanding. I am amused that a search for "Kenny MacAskill same sex marriage" brings up my journal 4th on the list.

You have one last chance to respond to the consultation yourself, which you can do here. It's over tomorrow, so you won't have to hear about it after that. Well, until the actual bill, which will cause either jubliation or extreme frustration, depending.