Growing up is optional

I saw a guy break his leg on the soccer field in a tackle. Both tibia and fibula about eight inches above his ankle. Made me slightly reluctant to commit to a front-on tackle, especially when I’m playing guys that are mostly my size or bigger, and I’m big for a soccer player: same size as this guy, just not as hard.

I’m itchin’ to start studying again. I finished a PGDipBusAdmin (Management) at the end of 2003. I’ve had 2004 off and wasn’t going to do any more this year, but I’m getting that feeling again that I’m starting to forget what I’ve learnt.

I’ve had breaks from study before. I took two years off during my undergrad degree, something I don’t recommend, and then it was another three years before I started doing post-grad stuff. If you’re a full time student now, stay at it for as long as you can, and go as far as you can because it’s hard to give up work to go back to being poor.

I’ve set myself a goal: by 2010 I will have a Master’s degree, ideally sooner. Most likely a Master of Management from Massey, although I’m sort of considering an MPM at Victoria. Now I just have to figure out how to pay for it…

<vent>The one thing I hate most at work is the whispering that goes on across cubical walls. It’s just rude. Fuck off and get a room if you don’t want others to hear.</vent>

(I work in an almost open-plan type office. I’m the only male in my group, one of two on the whole floor.)

Quick Update:

• We beat KCU 2nd team 7-3
• The first snow has hit Mount Kapakapanui. I can see it from my kitchen window. It’s cold.
• I want one of these

My seven year old PlayStation has decided it has had enough. I haven’t thoroughly tested/diagnosed it, but it looks terminal. It’s not detecting any disks, and booting to the music/memory card screen. Unfortunately, my PC is too old to run an emulator.

I’m still working on saving for a new PC (I would love a Mac, but thay are just too expensive for what I need at home). Looks like I’ll have to save for a console too. Or should I just buy a better PC?

I haven’t researched thoroughly, but If I had to make a spot decision now I would go with the PC/XBox combo, rather than PC/PS2 or fast gaming PC, but I’ll do some more research.

Update: Well it’s not terminal! Woohoo! Nothing pulling apart and fiddling with the drive unit couldn’t fix. Still, I want your opinions: which is the best way to go for a computer/gaming setup?

Update2: It is terminal

Follow on from the recent ‘How not to climb a tree‘ post I present How not to ride a bike, as demonstrated by Joseph Lindsay:

1. Ride along edge of drop off
2. Pick spot to drop
3. Let concentration lapse
4. Drop front wheel over edge
5. Realise that you are going to fall and it’s going to hurt
6. Try in to fall on grass
7. Land on concrete curb mashing fingers, hand and elbow
8. Get up and ride off like nothing’s happenned (because there are people watching)

UPDATE: I have the answer in the comments below. Thanks Toby!

Well maybe not horribly organised, but it fits their acronym. After releasing their API there was a general wow around the web about how Yahoo! was (getting) better than Google.

I thought this would be great; I could use Yahoo to power the search for a site I was working on. However, their terms clearly say ‘non-commercial’. Great, as a Government agency, we are clearly not commercial. There is even case law to back this opinion up.

However, I thought I’d check with Yahoo for their interpretation, just so that all of the ‘i’s are dotted and ‘t’s crossed. They didn’t respond to the first email I sent two weeks ago so I tried again. There response was weird; they tried to sell me advertising. I’ve written back trying to get a definite answer, but no response.

I know I’m just a small fish in a huge sea, so I understand that they can’t answer everything immediately, but a simple yes/no answer should be relatively easy for them. In their FAQs they have an email address specifically for this.

This is what I sent them:

Hi,

I am investigating different search options for a Website I am
developing for a small New Zealand Government agency.  Can you please
tell me if using your APIs on a government site is considered
non-commercial?

Thanks

Joe Lindsay

And their response (within 24 hours):

Hello,

Thank you for your interest in commercial use of the Yahoo! Search Web
Services. Although the Yahoo! Search Developer Network is currently
licensing the Yahoo! Search Technology solely for non-commercial use, we
are evaluating future commercial offerings.  In the mean time, please
share with us your ideas on the types of commercial licensing models
that would work best for your applications and business.

If you are a high volume customer, Yahoo! Search Marketing Solutions
(formerly Overture) offers commercial licensing that may serve your
needs.  If you are interested in obtaining a commercial license, please
visit us at  http://www.content.overture.com/d/USm/ps/po.jhtml.

You are also welcome to use our SDK and APIs to develop a non-production
internal prototype of a commercial application using Yahoo! Search
Technology, and Yahoo! Search Marketing Solutions would be happy to
review it when discussing your interest in a commercial relationship.

Thank you again for your interest, and we look forward to working with
you.

Sincerely,

The Yahoo! Search Team

So I wrote back

Hi,

Thanks for the response.  However, it doesn't actually answer the question.

The question is over your interpretation of 'non-commercial' in your
API terms of use.  According to case law in New Zealand, because we
are a Government agency that is not established (in fact not allowed)
to make a profit, we are considered non-commercial.  I would like to
know if this interpretation is consistent with your terms of use, and
we can use the API for a public web site we are developing.

The number of serches that we generate are low, about xxxxxx per day.

Thanks

Joe

So far I have not had another response. I wait with bated breath

How not to climb a tree, as demonstrated by Oscar Lindsay:

1. Find a tree
2. Shift table to under tree
3. Stand on table
4. Reach
5. Get bumped by sister also climbing tree
6. Fall off table
7. Break arm