Saturday, May 27, 2006

What kind of cat am I?

Take the quiz:
What kind of cat are you?

Alcoholic Cat
You like beer and bars. Maybe you should calm it down before you get a beer belly, if you don't already have one.

Quizzes by myYearbook.com -- the World's Biggest Yearbook!


Vaguely fitting

Friday, May 26, 2006

For my next trick



I just found this cartoon by Garrick Tremain on Stuff dated from April 22nd.

Friday random 10

Don't think of meDidoNo angel
LowColdplayX&Y
Come away with meNorah JonesCome away with me
Shot in the headShihadLove is the new hate
What's this life forCreedMy own prison
Black and white peopleMatchtbox 20Mad season
The number of the beastIron MaidenEdward the great: Greatest hits
Listen to her heartTom Petty and the HeartbreakersGreatest hits
Dyin' aint much of a livin'Jon Bon JoviYoung guns II: Blaze of glory
The stronger the treeJigzagJigzag Live

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Politically Incorrect Fringe Rangers

Sinfest recently had a funny cartoon Politically Incorrect Fringe Rangers. This one just rocks.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Rachel Papo: Serial No. 3817131

This is an amazing photo essay consisting of pictures of women in the Israeli Army, taken by a veteran from their airforce, Rachel Papo.

The life of an eighteen-year-old girl in Israel is interrupted when she is plucked out of her environment at an age when sexual, educational, and family values are at their highest exploration point. She is then placed in a rigorous institution, where individuality becomes a secondary matter, making room for nationalism. “I solemnly swear…to devote all of my strength and to sacrifice my life to protect the land and the liberty of Israel,” repeats the newly recruited soldier during her swearing-in ceremony. She enters the two-year period in which she will change from a girl to a woman, a teenager to an adult, all under a militaristic, masculine environment, and in the confines of an army that is engaged in daily war and conflict.

viaMajikthise

Monday, May 22, 2006

Ways to tell I'm an ecologist (I)

On Saturday night I found myslef heading out to a club in Durham, Ringside. It was the second time that I've been there, and this time it was pretty full. It's actually a pretty neat place, there are four levels to it, although one of those was closed off both times I've been there. The stairs are narrow and it's a little bit like a warren in there. However, the atmosphere is great, although I imagine going there during daylight hours would remove some of that. It reminded me of a hybrid of Arc Cafe and Bath St, both located in Dunedin, NZ.

I digress a little. On Saturday was a Black and White party, so a large numbe rof the punters were there fressed up. A few had fairly elaborate costumes (well not so elaborate in one case). Of the group I was with, one person (out of six) did dress up in theme (and looked very good). Nevertheless two of us were ecologists. How could we be picked?

We were the only one's wearing Tevas.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Flickr

Sunset at Amboseli

Well I just started an account with Flickr for putting my photo's online, my first batch are placed, so have a look and tell me what you think. Some old, some relatively new.

What kind of coffee are you?

You Are an Espresso

At your best, you are: straight shooting, ambitious, and energetic

At your worst, you are: anxious and high strung

You drink coffee when: anytime you're not sleeping

Your caffeine addiction level: high

How American am I?

You Are 18% American

You're as American as Key Lime Tofu Pie
Otherwise known as un-American!
You belong in Cairo or Paris...
Get out fast - before you end up in Gitmo!


Not much of a surprise there.

Friday, May 12, 2006

Theme song

Your Theme Song is Back in Black by AC/DC

"Back in black, I hit the sack,
I've been too long, I'm glad to be back"

Things sometimes get really crazy for you, and sometimes you have to get away from all the chaos.
But each time you stage your comeback, it's even better than the last!

Friday random 10

Good morning babyRunga/Dobbyn/FinnTogether in concert: Live
PolitikColdplayA rush of blood to the head
When I come aroundGreen DayInternational superhits
The sailor's hornpipeMike OldfieldTubular bells 2003
Love you like I shouldDave DobbynOvernight success
One flight downNorah JonesCome away with me
Waste another dayBrooke FraserWhat to do with daylight
The prophet's songQueenA night at the opera
Running freeIron MaidenThe essential Iron Maiden
After all Delerium Chimera

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Piled higher and deeper

Piled higher and deeper an online comic about the perils and pitfalls of graduate school.


Newton's three Laws of graduation are well worth checking out.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Peer review

Peer review is one of the responsibilities of doing science, similar to jury duty for the wider community. When we want to publish a paper then the manuscript is submitted to the desired journal. The first hurdle is that one of the journal editors will read the manuscript and decide whether it is relevant to the journal or not. If the editor decides that the manuscript is relevant, then it will be sent out to reviewers, the number of which will depend on the journal, usually two or three. The editor will identify likely reviewers and ask them if they are willing to read and comment on the manuscript. Once they've received all the reviews back the editor will make the final decision as to whether to publish or not. Unlike jury duty, reviewing manuscripts is strictly voluntary.

I recently found myself reviewing a paper for PLoS (Public Library of Science). It was an interesting paper, although there were some important omissions (standard errors). I think the main reason the paper appealed to me was because they used a statistical method that I am familiar with to address a different question than what it was originally designed to address. I think it was all good, which was why I liked it, although they should have included standard errors in there and they'd screwed up their interpretation of an interaction effect in the paper.

Unfortunately for the authors one of the other reviewers did not like the paper and as there were some issues with the manuscript it was rejected. In my opinion the main reason for this was somewhat specious, since apparently, their conclusions were limited by the quantity of data that they had rejected. Now given that they were working on a long lived, non human species, I'm not overly worried about this. Admittedly it does affect the strength of inference from the analyses, but this is indicated by the standard errors, unfortunately omitted by the authors. In an ideal world we’d all have lots of data, but it’s far from an ideal world, and often times we must make do with what we have.

Still the authors of this particular manuscript shouldn't be discouraged, since one of the three reviewers had major concerns that the other reviewers echoed to a lesser extent, it's probably right that the manuscript is rejected. What is a little irritating is that had they put more effort into the manuscript initially, it may have made it through.

Monday, May 08, 2006

Top 20

ComplicatedGramsciPermanence
Guts and the gloryShihadLove is the new hate
Don't leave homeDidoLife for rent
As good as it getsThe FeelersCommunicate
Home againPacifierLive
World on FireSarah MclachlanAfterglow (Live)
Building a mysterySarah MclachlanAfterglow (Live)
A poem for ByzantiumDeleriumPoem
FallenSarah MclachlanAfterglow (Live)
Sweet SurrenderSarah MclachlanAfterglow (Live)
OrgasmatronSepulturaArise
I will remember youSarah MclachlanAfterglow (Live)
WhalingRunga/Dobbyn/FinnTogether in concert: Live
Good morning babyRunga/Dobbyn/FinnTogether in concert: Live
Won't give inFinn BrothersEveryone is here
TimeSarah MclachlanAfterglow
The parting glass?Waking Ned Divine
LoyalRunga/Dobbyn/FinnTogether in concert: Live
Beside youRunga/Dobbyn/FinnTogether in concert: Live
Superman (It's not easy)Five for fightingAmerica Town


I just thought I'd have a look at my top twenty songs play count wise, it seems somewhat obvious what my favourite albums are from the list but there are also a sprinkling of songs from elsewhere across my music collection. A few kiwi songs feature in here as well, which is good.
Now all I need is to find some time to write some stuff of consequence!

Friday, May 05, 2006

Friday random 10

Sweet basilJigzagJigzag Live
WhalingDD SmashNature's Best
You're my best friendQueenGreatest Hits I
AmbushSepulturaRoots
Pokarekare AnaHayley WestenraPure
All over youLiveThrowing Copper
SwayRunga/Dobbyn/FinnTogether in Concert: Live
Beside youDave DobbynNature's best
JuiceHeadless ChickensBody Blow
SilenceDeleriumKarma

Thursday, May 04, 2006

The Atheist test

The Ardent Atheist
The results are in, and it appears that you have scored 76%...
You are an atheist, pure and simple. You think God is just one big lie, and consider religious people to be both annoying and beneath you. Ardent atheists will argue tooth and claw for their position, and have no truck with people that won't listen. You think being an atheist is the only way to lead an honest life, and see no reason to accept the pleas of faith. Ardent atheists are the backbone of atheism. Be proud.



My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender:
free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 99% on pentagrams
Link: The Atheist Test written by chi_the_cynic on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test