The Mo Ibrahim Prize

seen via dewline via Gwynne Dyer

Mo Ibrahim's solution -- and he would admit that it is only partial
-- is the Prize. As things stand now, if an African leader is legitimately
elected, serves honourably, and quits when his time is up, he faces ruin.
"Suddenly all the mansions, cars, food, wine is withdrawn. Some find it
difficult to rent a house in the capital. That incites corruption; it
incites people to cling to power. The Prize will offer essentially good
people, who may be wavering, the chance to opt for the good life after
office," said Mr Ibrahim.

The Mo Ibrahim Prize

seen via dewline via Gwynne Dyer

Mo Ibrahim's solution -- and he would admit that it is only partial
-- is the Prize. As things stand now, if an African leader is legitimately
elected, serves honourably, and quits when his time is up, he faces ruin.
"Suddenly all the mansions, cars, food, wine is withdrawn. Some find it
difficult to rent a house in the capital. That incites corruption; it
incites people to cling to power. The Prize will offer essentially good
people, who may be wavering, the chance to opt for the good life after
office," said Mr Ibrahim.

The Mo Ibrahim Prize

seen via dewline via Gwynne Dyer

Mo Ibrahim's solution -- and he would admit that it is only partial
-- is the Prize. As things stand now, if an African leader is legitimately
elected, serves honourably, and quits when his time is up, he faces ruin.
"Suddenly all the mansions, cars, food, wine is withdrawn. Some find it
difficult to rent a house in the capital. That incites corruption; it
incites people to cling to power. The Prize will offer essentially good
people, who may be wavering, the chance to opt for the good life after
office," said Mr Ibrahim.

One downside to the recent election in the US

Half a billion Canadian dollars went to bribe the wrong party.

One downside to the recent election in the US

Half a billion Canadian dollars went to bribe the wrong party.

One downside to the recent election in the US

Half a billion Canadian dollars went to bribe the wrong party.

How Often

I hae a rough idea of how often writing was independently invented and how often agriculture was independently invented. How often was money independently invented?

How Often

I hae a rough idea of how often writing was independently invented and how often agriculture was independently invented. How often was money independently invented?

How Often

I hae a rough idea of how often writing was independently invented and how often agriculture was independently invented. How often was money independently invented?

Today's Lesson

Thesecondcupofcoffeewasamistake.

sf/x: high pitched hummingbird sounds rising into the ultrasonic.

Today's Lesson

Thesecondcupofcoffeewasamistake.

sf/x: high pitched hummingbird sounds rising into the ultrasonic.

Today's Lesson

Thesecondcupofcoffeewasamistake.

sf/x: high pitched hummingbird sounds rising into the ultrasonic.

Today's time killer*

Nicked from from kaygo:

A Random Wodehouse Quotation** Generator.

I got "The face was drawn, the eyes haggard, the general appearance that of one who has searched for the leak in life's gaspipe with a lighted candle."


* Actually, I have an MS up and I am reading it. Honest.

** And there I go, thinking of BC Holmes everytime I use that word.

Today's time killer*

Nicked from from kaygo:

A Random Wodehouse Quotation** Generator.

I got "The face was drawn, the eyes haggard, the general appearance that of one who has searched for the leak in life's gaspipe with a lighted candle."


* Actually, I have an MS up and I am reading it. Honest.

** And there I go, thinking of BC Holmes everytime I use that word.

Today's time killer*

Nicked from from kaygo:

A Random Wodehouse Quotation** Generator.

I got "The face was drawn, the eyes haggard, the general appearance that of one who has searched for the leak in life's gaspipe with a lighted candle."


* Actually, I have an MS up and I am reading it. Honest.

** And there I go, thinking of BC Holmes everytime I use that word.

A matter of taste

Do people prefer anthologies where all the stories are roughly the same length or ones where the lengths of the stories vary considerably?

It turns out I am in the first group and yes, I know it's like picking one model of car over the other based on what colour they are painted.

A matter of taste

Do people prefer anthologies where all the stories are roughly the same length or ones where the lengths of the stories vary considerably?

It turns out I am in the first group and yes, I know it's like picking one model of car over the other based on what colour they are painted.

A matter of taste

Do people prefer anthologies where all the stories are roughly the same length or ones where the lengths of the stories vary considerably?

It turns out I am in the first group and yes, I know it's like picking one model of car over the other based on what colour they are painted.

A note to the gods of LJ

Stuff like this:


Frank: Baaaah. LJ has a new IM Service !
LJ user: Why would I want another one?
Frank: Because your LJ friends automatically show up in your buddy list & you can post to LJ from it!
LJ user: That sounds so awesome and easy!

doesn't make me want to use the new services. It gives me a sugar headache from the cutsie-pootsieness.

A note to the gods of LJ

Stuff like this:


Frank: Baaaah. LJ has a new IM Service !
LJ user: Why would I want another one?
Frank: Because your LJ friends automatically show up in your buddy list & you can post to LJ from it!
LJ user: That sounds so awesome and easy!

doesn't make me want to use the new services. It gives me a sugar headache from the cutsie-pootsieness.

A note to the gods of LJ

Stuff like this:


Frank: Baaaah. LJ has a new IM Service !
LJ user: Why would I want another one?
Frank: Because your LJ friends automatically show up in your buddy list & you can post to LJ from it!
LJ user: That sounds so awesome and easy!

doesn't make me want to use the new services. It gives me a sugar headache from the cutsie-pootsieness.

Tom Toles on the Election

nicked from womzilla.

Tom Toles on the Election

nicked from womzilla.

Tom Toles on the Election

nicked from womzilla.

A formal notification that condition "Argh!" exists

You cannot surround a star with a solid dyson shell and have people living on the inner surface/ Objects on the inner surface will have no gravitational attraction to the shell (all the forces from the outer shell cancel out) but they will have some measurable attraction to the star at the middle. This leads to a situtation technically known as "bad" as all the loose objects on the inner surface fall into the star.

Thank you.

A formal notification that condition "Argh!" exists

You cannot surround a star with a solid dyson shell and have people living on the inner surface/ Objects on the inner surface will have no gravitational attraction to the shell (all the forces from the outer shell cancel out) but they will have some measurable attraction to the star at the middle. This leads to a situtation technically known as "bad" as all the loose objects on the inner surface fall into the star.

Thank you.

A formal notification that condition "Argh!" exists

You cannot surround a star with a solid dyson shell and have people living on the inner surface/ Objects on the inner surface will have no gravitational attraction to the shell (all the forces from the outer shell cancel out) but they will have some measurable attraction to the star at the middle. This leads to a situtation technically known as "bad" as all the loose objects on the inner surface fall into the star.

Thank you.