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15. mai 2003
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Two French traditions collide
"France's most vaunted cinematic tradition got off to a slow start Wednesday because of another national tradition - the strike." (Washington Post, about the Cannes film festival)
Then all we need is a surrender, and it's complete.
7:43:37 PM 
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— Dieting makes you fat
Australian psychology lecturer Dr Naomi Crafti says there is good evidence that the large scale dieting over the past 40 years has in fact contributed significantly to the increase in obesity.
"Research shows that 97 per cent of the weight lost on weight loss diets is put back on within a short space of time and a significant number of people gain more weight than they lose.
So they end up larger than they were before."
As she sees it, there are both psychological and physiological reasons for this.
Psychologically, because a failed diet makes people feel bad and makes them eat more.
Physiologically, because your body considers a diet an attempted robbery of its precious fat reserves.
"Your body goes into survival mode and the next time you eat moderately it will begin to store more fat in case food is restricted again."
Which again supports what this blogger has said repeatedly: dieting is bad for you. A long term, gradual, sustainable lifestyle change is necessary.
6:41:30 PM
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— Microsoft iLoo was not a hoax
In yet another reversal, Microsoft spokesmen says that the portable internet connected toilet iLoo was actually a real project that had been cancelled, and not a hoax story as it earlier said.
The marketing strategy behind it went down the toilet, at any rate.
3:35:47 PM
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Why is the BBC not a government propaganda outlet?
Paul Krugman in the New York Times compares the BBC's war coverage with the flag-wrapped patriotism of the American press, and raises some interesting point:
Leave aside the rights and wrongs of the war itself, and consider the paradox. The BBC is owned by the British government, and one might have expected it to support that government's policies. In fact, however, it tried hard — too hard, its critics say — to stay impartial. America's TV networks are privately owned, yet they behaved like state-run media.
Krugman also takes a snipe at Cavuto in Fox News:
Meanwhile, both the formal rules and the codes of ethics that formerly prevented blatant partisanship are gone or ignored. Neil Cavuto of Fox News is an anchor, not a commentator. Yet after Baghdad's fall he told "those who opposed the liberation of Iraq" — a large minority — that "you were sickening then; you are sickening now." Fair and balanced.
In "defense," Cavuto reaches a new low for his channel in a scathing personal attack on Krugman. Sheesh. I should have hoped a professonal writer and commentator could do better than that.
3:28:19 PM
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Will the real Stakeknife please stand up?
The Stakeknife story appears more and more weird every day. Freddie Scappaticci, the man identified as a ruthless killer and a the deep cover British agent in the top IRA leadership over 25 years, vehemently denies having had anything to do with the security forces. He vaguely admits having been involved in the IRA 13 years ago.
Scappaticci just met the press in his lawyer's office in west Belfast, adding a certain credibility to his claim to not be in British protective custody somewhere in England.
Security sources, for their part, stick to their story. Which seems to include the claim that Scappaticci is in a safe house in England.
His solicitor, Michael Flanigan, issed a statement denying all news reports, and mostly blaming the press and some undisclosed sources:
"Mr Scappaticci appears here today to give the lie to the continuing media speculation as to his whereabouts. He has not been in England and in the course of the past few days has not left Northern Ireland.
My client refuses to engage in challenging every statement made by an unnamed and apparently unnameable security source. He is not and never has been in any sort of military, security or police custody. He has never been involved in any criminal activity and has a clear record."
At this stage, nobody seems to know exactly what to believe. Sinn Fein appears to accept his story, and urges the government to tell the public what is going on.
Scappaticci was back in his home, chasing off reporters, and apparently unprotected. Either he's an innocent man dragged into some weird political game, or he has nerves of steel and hopes to brazen this out.
1:54:22 PM
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Find the perfect match for your blog
By assuming that similar links shows similar blogs, BlogMatcher tries to find the blog matching yours.
The algorithm is not perfect, as #3 on my list of matches was Radio Userland's recently updated list (!), but it does link to quite a few familiar typefaces. My #1 match is Rob's Emphasis Added. And that is, as I see it, quite a compliment.
12:39:34 PM
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SCO's war against Linux
The software company SCO, which earlier distributed Linux, continues its rabid crusade in a rather pathetic attempt in boosting its stock value. In March, SCO sued IBM for a $billion for having infringed on its 'intellectual property,' a move some analysts describes as begging to be bought out by the giant. Now the company is warning all Linux users they may be liable if they continue using the operating system. Their tactics are now being compared to the legalistic thuggery of the RIAA.
The company is already cutting back on its R&D, obviously thinking its future revenue can be brought in by its legal department instead. If you can't compete using your technology, sue!
12:19:53 PM
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When honesty doesn't pay
A Danish student who found 620,000 Danish kroner, around $100,000, immediately reported the find to the police, and the police could quickly return the money to the woman who had lost it. According to law, and the owner's wishes, the honest student was given a 10 % reward.
Great, you think? Think again. The female student is receiving support from the Danish state, and according to those rules she is not allowed to make more than around 5,500 Danish kroner a month. With this reward, she exceeds the allowed amount, so she either have to say no to the reward or to the student allowance.
She now says she sometimes wishes she never found the money.
Or, maybe, that she had kept them all.
(From a Norwegian article in Dagbladet)
11:04:08 AM
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No stepping on Jesus!
The Danish supermarket chain Kvickly, owned by Coop, had to back down and withdraw the sandals with pictures of Jesus and the virgin Mary. The chain was even reported to the police for blasphemy, something of a legal anachronism in secular society. Yet, enough people were seriously offended, even in liberal Denmark, by the thought of having the holy images under the soles of their feet.
(From a Norwegian article in Nettavisen)
9:00:51 AM
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Menem Pulls out
Former Argentinian president Carlos Menem has pulled out of the presidential race, leaving Nestor Kirchner as the winner by default. Menem won the first round, but is the most intensely disliked presidental candidate, widely blamed for the country's current crisis, so he was trailing Kirchner in the polls.
His pulling out may have weakened Kirchner's future presidency, however, as he is now denied the clear mandate a landslide victory would give. And if there's anything Argentina needs, it is a president with a clear mandate.
6:46:03 AM
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© Copyright 2003 Jan Haugland.
Last update: 01.06.2003; 03:29:59.
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This is my blogchalk:
Norway, Bergen, Norwegian, English, Jan, Male, 31-35.
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