Finland makes our buses look crap, as well as our phones. “Every bus and tram in Helsinki and the surrounding cities of Vaanta and Espoo are being fitted with Linux servers and GPS units. Every bus and tram in the conurbation will not only become a wireless hotspot serving broadband internet throughout the vehicle — for free — but every bus and tram is visible on a Google map (the beta version is at tinyurl.com/2gftso) that uses the same real-time passenger information as the controllers in their command centre.” Hat-tip to Guy Beres.
Odd obituary for Heath Ledger
Who’d have thought? An obituary for Heath Ledger in Middle English! Well, for a character he played. Doffing the hat to Quatrefoil, who writes, “Whoever writes this blog is frequently side-splittingly funny, but he or she can write (and knows their Middle English passing well). I am filled with wonder and envy.”
William F Buckley is dead
William F Buckley is dead. Given that “Mr Buckley’s greatest achievement was making conservatism — not just electoral Republicanism, but conservatism as a system of ideas — respectable in liberal post-World War II America. He mobilized the young enthusiasts who helped nominate Barry Goldwater in 1964, and saw his dreams fulfilled when Reagan and the Bushes captured the Oval Office,” I should probably know more about him, even though I’ll probably hate him. Perhaps you should too.
Lightweight interview on Australia 2020
Chairman Rudd did a fairly lightweight interview about Australia 2020 on Tuesday with Kieran Gilbert of Sky News. Meanwhile, yesterday Crikey quoted my comments about choosing “representative” people, as opposed to “best and brightest” — right after a quote from Andrew Bolt. Does that make me a misogynist?
Odd Thursday horoscope
My astrology.com horoscope is odd today: “You need to slow down and sit out the next round of play, whether it’s romantic or work-related. You’re not in the best position to capitalize on your risk-taking quite yet, but things should change by next week.” I wonder what it means?
52A Hutt Street has its own website!
I think the real estate industry is eating itself. A house I used to live in in Adelaide has its own website!
[Update 7 August 2009: Alas, the website has now disappeared. What a shame.]