Rob Masters

I think I love Al even more now. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCSA7kKNu2Y

Thanks to Seawasp over on LJ for this. According to the author, On Basilisk Station (and potentially the rest of the Honorverse) has got itself a movie contract. And the old debate gets dusted off... who plays Honor? http://www.davidweber.net/posts/379-movie-announcement.html

And we've finished the Ace Race report - enjoy the read! http://rdm.dreamwidth.org/42978.html

A photo-record of the Perth 2011 Discraft Ace Race, held at the Rob Hancock Memorial Disc Golf Course, Cockman Park, Greenwood, Western Australia, Saturday September 24, 2011.

Attention Planet Earth. Incoming! (UARS re-entry prediction track) http://reentrynews.aero.org/1991063b.html

Wibble? Theory-shattering experimental results aside, it is interesting to see the reporting of the reaction of the physicists in this, which can be summed up as "What the?! Did you see that? Hey, George, you try it!" Which is a nice change from the usual science reporting of "We've proven everything is wrong!" as a reaction. Mind you, this is the sort of thing that makes physics so exciting - even to a lay-person such as myself. On the gripping hand, such a result is so unlikely that it does strike me as being some sort of experimental error or co-incidence. http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-09-cern-faster-than-light-particle.html

The printer is cool - but the link to 3dtin is even cooler! Originally shared by Casey Weederman http://www.origo3dprinting.com/what-is-origo/ http://www.origo3dprinting.com/what-is-origo/

Ace Race Update #2 The Perth 2011 Ace Race is nearly upon us! There are only a few days to go before what has become the largest disc golf event in Perth so far this year! We now have over 40 competitors signed up, with spaces still available. These are rapidly disappearing so if you want to be certain of a spot, sign up below! Now, a thank-you to our local sponsors: Our good friends at GCS are providing on-site facilities, bags and pencils for the event. Down Under Disc Evolution - DUDE are sponsoring the Ring of Fire prizes and will also have discs on sale to help you round out your new bags with mid-ranges and drivers. Please visit and support them! GCS - http://www.gcs-group.com.au DUDE - http://www.downunderdiscevolution.com.au Discraft - http://www.discraft.com and http://www.discgolfacerace.com - who sponsor the event globally! About the Ring of Fire: All Ace Race competitors have free entry into this fun putting event. Everyone stands in a circle around a target, and a call...

Apropos a certain New Scientist article... http://dresdencodak.com/2009/09/22/caveman-science-fiction/

Nice to see things laid out clearly. Not that the deniers will believe it. Oh well. http://www.mamamia.com.au/news/climate-change-abbott-gillard-and-the-myths/

I love living in the future! Using HIV1 to treat leukemia... http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/health/13gene.html

As things stand, it is not a 'War on Terror' at all. It is a 'War of Terror', and the world's governments are winning. Mere hijackers and bombers could not hope to achieve the levels of terror that our leaders are managing to reach. http://shebshi.wordpress.com/2011/09/12/some-real-shock-and-awe-racially-profiled-and-cuffed-in-detroit/

Just sent to our sitting members, because we deserve to be better than sheep: Dear members of the Australian government, I strongly request that an in-depth inquiry into media ownership and responsibility be started. This is because current regulation doesn’t foster a diverse, informative media, and that currently News Limited controls 70% of news market (and hence public opinion). This imbalance represents a major threat to democratic debate within our society, as it means that a single man controls the bulk of the public forums, and thus the means of debate. The effect of this on the ability of the population to make informed decisions about topics of public interest should be obvious. Sincerely, Robert Masters, Doubleview, Western Australia, Australia. http://www.avaaz.org/en/last_push_for_media_inquiry

Time for an update! (As emailed to registered entrants.) Perth Ace Race 2011 Update #1 The first shipment of players' packs have arrived, and have been bagged up! It’s very exciting and the smell of new, bright shiny plastic is in the air! A second shipment will arrive next week. We now have over 30 competitors signed up, with spaces still available. These are rapidly disappearing so if you want to be certain of a spot, sign up below! In other news, we welcome GCS as a sponsor - providing on-site facilities for the event. We also welcome Down Under Disc Evolution - DUDE, who are sponsoring the Ring of Fire, and will have discs on sale to help you round out your new bags with mid-ranges and drivers. And of course we must not forget Discraft, who are sponsoring the event world-wide, and without whom this would not be possible. Please visit and support our sponsors: GCS - http://www.gcs-group.com.au DUDE - http://www.downunderdiscevolution.com.au Discraft - http://www.discraft.com an...

The concept of "extraordinary rendition" (or kidnapping for the purpose of torture in real english) is horriffic. The idea is that they nab someone from the street (or transfer them out of a jail), load them into a chartered plane, and then fly them to some location that legalises torture, get the officials there to extract ... something from the victim, and then either leave them there to rot, or fly them off to some other jail (Gitmo is popular, for some reason). At least now we get some visibility on the process, and a chance to do something about it. Hooray for the land of the free. Not. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/ny-billing-dispute-reveals-details-of-secret-cia-rendition-flights/2011/08/30/gIQAbggXsJ_story.html

Sure we don't amount to much in the global scheme of things - but if we don't make a start, who will? Let us be the ones to light the candle that others can follow, rather than curse the darkness that inaction will lead to. http://www.avaaz.org/en/australian_carbon_price/?vl

The difference between scepticsm and denial propaganda. http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2870492.html

Originally shared by Andres Soolo The Guardian reviews strange and, at times, downright funny ways Murdoch-dominated Australian media discusses climate science. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/sep/01/australia-climate-scientists

Showing my age... o It is an HP15C o It is brand new o They Have Speed It Up 100x! I want . http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/calculator/Scientific/1/storefronts/NW250AA%2523ABA

One for the New Scientist's list of cases of Nominative Determinism... http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-01/jamaican-coke-admits-to-drug2c-racketeering-crimes/2865242