Spreading the meme…

serenity:~ andrewg$ history | awk ‘{a[$2]++} END {for(i in a)print a[i] ” ” i}’ | sort -rn | head -10 108 telnet 63 rscreen 43 ping 24 sudo 24 ssh 20 host 16 scp 16 more 14 ls 13 xdvi

Hm. I seem to be using the command line mainly as a gateway into remote systems - which reflects my average working day. The stray ‘xdvi’ is due to my recent heavy use of TextMate  to write a paper in LaTeX. Not sure why I’ve been using sudo so much on my Mac though.

Similarly, on my work Linux laptop:

andgal@nbgal185:~$ history | awk ‘{a[$2]++} END {for(i in a)print a[i] ” ” i}’ | sort -rn | head -10 68 rscreen 52 ping 45 host 36 sudo 35 rdesktop 32 xrandr 21 startmenu 20 ssh 18 ifconfig 15 telnet

rscreen is merely a wrapper for ssh:

I’m a Firefox user, but I used to like Opera back in the days before Firefox was available. I changed over once I discovered TabMixPlus and All-In-One Gestures, which collectively replicated most of Opera’s cool features - all except side-docked tabs, which doesn’t seem to be available in Opera any more either.

A group in the US has taken out a lawsuit to try to prevent the Large Hadron Collider starting up. Why? Because it might destroy the earth, of course.

Particle smasher ‘not a threat to the Earth’ - opinion - 28 March 2008 - New Scientist

I hate to say it, but that’s what happens when popular science magazines blindly give credence to any old nonsense wittered by someone with a science degree. Planet-eating particles, my arse.

Here I am, heading down the motorway again back to Galway, enjoying the last bit of dual carriageway I’m going to get for another 150km or so, and I notice that either I’m going blind, or my headlights are shafted. I struggle on, but once I hit Fermanagh and the tail lights in front of me melt away, I realise if I don’t wash the muck off the headlights soon, I’m going to drive straight through a hedge. Then on cue, the windscreen washers run out of juice and I can’t see anything at all. So I stop in the usual garage in Enniskillen and head for the water tap.

Raindrops falling from the black sky into the light. Passing traffic throwing puddles up into spray. Flags pulled out hard by the brisk wind, shaking their stiff poles. The little red car by the door of the hotel, awaiting its master.

He returns! Quick, play dead!

The starter motor sighs weakly, unable to turn. Dials light briefly, then fade. A death rattle emerges from the heart of the machine.

But, but, I didn’t leave the lights on. What the hell?

The Man attempts escape at his usual velocity. Denied. Clutching his jacket around him as the wind gnaws on his bones. Copper teeth spark against steel. Keep her lit.

Keep her lit.

–

And it came to pass that Andrew was alone at home, with little to do. And yea, the Plasmafish did offer his company for the evening, as it was the Oyster Festival and the Plasmafish’s cousin was competing in the oyster-opening championships. Verily, did the cousin triumph in his trials* and much merriment was had in drinking the black stuff and eating oysters.

OK, then. AN oyster. We now know from experience that the black stuff is traditionally drunk with oysters to wash away their taste.

After what seemed like an inordinately short period of time, the cousin left with select family members and so Andrew and the Plasmafish were once again at a loose end.

- Let’s go somewhere else for another pint.

Right you are.

At last, the (imperial) pound gets one over the Euro - Times Online

Oh, how the old-timers love their Imperial system. They’ll do anything to preserve their right to live in one of the only two countries in the entire world (the UK and the USA, for those who haven’t been paying attention) that believes using a system of measures that nobody understands is A Great Idea.

Local income tax is an idea whose time has come. Don’t ask me, ask Michael:

Brown’s fallen into Salmond’s tax trap | Michael Portillo - Times Online

I find Portillo has been quietly impressive in his advocacy of sensible, progressive policies in the years since his little-lamented political demise. It makes me think that all politicians should take a parliament or two sabbatical to get their heads showered.

I love Chris Davies’s idea, reported here, that the EU parliament should hold all 12 of its yearly diet of Strasbourg plenaries on one day. That’s the kind of creative political thinking that will end this farce.

I’ve just signed the petition at oneseat.eu