Interesting Links for 8-2-2011

[andrewducker]

• Paul Haggis Vs. the Church of Scientology
  (tags: scientology hollywood)
• Eurabia - complete nonsense not backed up by demopgraphic facts.
  (tags: islam europe demographics bigotry)
• Church of England debates BNP ban for clergy
  (tags: bnp bigotry uk religion)
• Motorola's Android tablet is massively overpriced and has WiFi locked down without a contract. WTF?
  (tags: android tablet EpicFail)
• Flu breakthrough promises a vaccine to kill all strains
  (tags: medicine health flu science vaccine)
• Poor diets are lowering children's IQ
  (tags: iq diet children)
• Sandman, Kabuki and Preacher - where are the movies?
  (tags: Sandman kabuki preacher comics movies)
• A Gurkha soldier, who fought 40 train robbers, to be felicitated in the Republic Day of India
  (tags: gurkha crime EpicWin)
• George Bush cannot go to Switzerland, because he might get arrested for authorizing torture.
  (tags: switzerland torture bush politics)
• Government preparing massive tax cut for large corporations. WTF?
  (tags: politics economics tax recession uk)
• Top 10 Mistakes in Behavior Change
  (tags: learning productivity motivation change happiness)
• Institute for the Study of the Neurologically Typical
  (tags: autism funny aspergers psychology)
• MP with cerebral palsy mocked by other MPs as he makes speech.
  (tags: bullying government uk)
• US Manufacturing Isn't Dead (bit its jobs are)
  (tags: economy jobs manufacturing usa)
• Labour 'did all it could' to help Libya secure the release of the Lockerbie bomber
  (tags: libya terrorism lockerbie scotland labour)
• Bill Gates: "the people who go and engage in those anti-vaccine efforts -- you know, they, they kill children"
  (tags: Bill_Gates vaccination)
• Powerful new painkiller with no apparent side effects or addictive qualities.
  (tags: health pain drugs)

Comments

[matgb]

Observation. Moonbat's only source for the tax change story is Richard Brooks.

It was Brooks that concocted the "Vodafone dodged £6bn in tax" bollocks that's demonstrably false and has been debunked to my satisfaction more than once.

Given the only version of the story I can see is from Moonbat, and his source is Brooks, I assume it's a non story until I see a reputable source, preferably quoting something that's being put forward to Parliament.

If those opposed to the Govt would stop scaremongering and fight with actual facts and actual stories, then the Govt wouldn't be able to get away with as much crap, but hyperbole gets dismissed easily and quickly.

[andrewducker]

I am hoping to see a debunking of some kind.

[johncoxon.livejournal.com]

Android can't compete with iOS on price. It can come out with devices at a similar price, and the networks can more heavily subsidise devices, but it can't come out with significantly cheaper devices. Most stand-alone Android handsets are about the same price as a stand-alone iPhone 4, IIRC.

The fact that Motorola are selling a locked-down shit version shouldn't be surprising, this is the company that put rootkits on their handsets, remember?

[andrewducker]

The HTC Wildfire is £150. LG Optimus One is £200. They're currently talking about getting new ones down to £100 later this year.
iPhone 4 is £450 (from Amazon, £500 from Apple). Comparable-ish to this is something like the HTC Desire, which is £330 on Amazon. Or the Desire HD at £420.

So I'd say that at the high end it's not really competing on price, but the low-end most definitely is.

[johncoxon.livejournal.com]

Sorry, should have made myself clearer - phones comparable to the iPhone 4 cost roughly the same as the iPhone 4. Just like budget laptops are cheaper than MacBooks whereas high-end laptops are similar in price, the same is true for handsets.

[andrewducker]

Aaah, gotcha. In that case, yes, absolutely. Apple aren't particularly highly priced for their functionality, they're just aimed at the high end.

[johncoxon.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I wouldn't argue that Android doesn't do budget handsets better!

[andrewducker]

Similarly, if a non-geek wanted a tablet (and had the money) I'd be pointing them at an iPad.

[johncoxon.livejournal.com]

I think Apple designed the iPad specifically for my mother, I have to be honest. Also I think it'd be great for roleplaying games.

[andrewducker]

I'm still hoping that someone manages multiple account tablets in the near future. My phone is mine - so it's reasonable that it only does my email. But both me and Julie use my laptop all the time, and it's indispensible being able to switch between our separate email, bookmarks, etc.

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

I've thought exactly that - and will one day buy an iPad as a handy extra rulebook / pdf viewer, not to mention runner of whatever handy RPG-focused apps are out there.

[johncoxon.livejournal.com]

I think the first person to open a company focusing on making and selling such apps will make a killing, because right now it's a hugely under-represented niche!

[zornhau.livejournal.com]

I must admit that I would cheerfully buy Bill Gates a beer.

[johncoxon.livejournal.com]

He is awesome.

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

The IQ thing is worrying, that suggests that once a kid has been exposed to the poor diet, nothing is going to reconstruct the brain and increase IQ, so they're permanently dumber.

[andrewducker]

Yeah, it is worrying. Glad my parents gave me good eating habits when I was a kid!

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

It makes a lot of sense though. One of those things that just feels right.

I find it interesting that a lot of the people I know who are most depressed, and have the most mental illnesses, also have truly shockingly awful diets. Tons of processed junk food. Virtually no fruit and veg.

And I do half suspect this might be a major factor in their brain illnesses.

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

But which way round are cause and effect?

It could be "I'm really depressed. I can't be bothered to cook something nice. I'll go to the drive-in MacDonalds".

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

Well, impossible to say isn't it, unless somebody does a study into it.

And the problem there is that people lie about what they eat. I have a friend who eats junk, but tells his doctor that he eats healthily and exercises twice a day. When really all he does is sit in front of the computer and play World of Warcraft.

I think it probably can't hurt to maintain a healthy balanced diet if you're feeling gloomy though.

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

Clearly any health issues aren't the junk food but the WoW. Ban this sick filth...

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

... I couldn't agree more. I've lost 4 or 5 friends over the years to that terrible addiction.

Scientology Now !!

[vereybowring.livejournal.com]

Love articles like this.
A dream of mine would be to get a really big group of people together, all dress up in high quality alien costumes and break into a dianetics centre like the one in Edinburgh just to see how they'd react.
A few years ago I asked one of their leaflet drones if I would get my own flying saucer if I joined - I did not get a very polite and enlightened response.

Re: Scientology Now !!

[momentsmusicaux.livejournal.com]

Sign me up when you do!

Re: Scientology Now !!

[luckylove.livejournal.com]

Flashmob! I'm up for that.

[momentsmusicaux.livejournal.com]

I don't know WTF is on dailytech but it froze firefox. POS site grrrr.

[andrewducker]

Working for me. But I had AdBlock, so I might be blocking whatever was causing the problem.

[nameandnature]

It's always interesting to see how the Scilons have co-opted the evolved defence mechanisms of older religions and knowingly employed them in defence of their own: the standard "I find your questioning offensive to my beliefs" thing is employed in the New Yorker article and in that recent video where the Scientologist storms out of the studio. Douglas Adams had something to say about that.

(I say "knowingly" because, AFAICT, Scientology was designed and is maintained by people who know its a con, unlike, I think, things like Christianity or Islam, which are just as silly but less cynically manipulative).