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For my US political friends (and expect a long post from me on the subject, as soon as I can get my sleep issues back under some semblance of control):
Mitt Romney lies a lot.
Mitt Romney lies a lot.
Mad as a Hatter
(and just as mercurial)
The media is alight with stories about how a felon from Texas got 40% of the Democratic primary vote in West Virginia. What they don't mention is the actual vote totals available here:
Obama: 105,830
Judd: 72,461
To put that in context, let's look at the WV Republican primary, where Romney got a grand total of... 77,479. Well below the number who turned out for Obama, and barely more than the number who voted for the felon.
But it's been a long time since our "liberal media" has concerned itself with context, or with giving President Obama a fair shake.
Obama: 105,830
Judd: 72,461
To put that in context, let's look at the WV Republican primary, where Romney got a grand total of... 77,479. Well below the number who turned out for Obama, and barely more than the number who voted for the felon.
But it's been a long time since our "liberal media" has concerned itself with context, or with giving President Obama a fair shake.
In case you missed the announcement a while back, there will be a Discworld convention in Baltimore next year! It's in the planning stages. You can keep an eye on it at: http://it-bodes.blogspot.com/
For DreamWidth users, I created an RSS feed:![[syndicated profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png)
it_bodes_feed
For DreamWidth users, I created an RSS feed:
it_bodes_feed
I've got a longer post that's been in the works for a long time now. (Just waiting until I'm awake and clearheaded enough to collect all the links and write it up properly.) But for now, this needs to be said:
Let's Just Say It: The Republicans Are The Problem
As Steve Bennan said:
Let's Just Say It: The Republicans Are The Problem
As Steve Bennan said:
For those unfamiliar with Mann and Ornstein, these aren't just two political scientists who occasionally write about current events. Mann and Ornstein enjoy almost unparalleled credibility with the Beltway establishment, and are generally accepted as centrist observers, not ideologues or partisan bomb-throwers.
Woke up this morning thinking about gravity. It happens.
In particular, I was thinking about the "rubber sheet" model of gravity. The idea is that what gravity really is is a bending of space-time. Imagine a stretched-out rubber sheet. Like, say, a trampoline. Let's say that trampoline represents the universe. Or, rather, the two-dimensional surface at the top of the trampoline represents the universe.
Now, what happens when you put a weight somewhere on the trampoline? Gently, mind you. I'm not talking about bouncing it up and down. You put a weight down slowly, and the trampoline sags under it. Any other object on the trampoline's surface will naturally begin to slide towards it. And the closer you are to the weight and the heaver it is, the more the other object will be drawn in that direction.
That's what gravity is like. Mass bends space-time. The more mass there is, the greater the effect. And the closer you are, the more you feel it.
The thing is that the effect goes on infinitely in all directions. It drops off exponentially with distance, but it's still mathematically there. The same thing happens with, say, a lightbulb. The amount of light you see from it drops off exponentially the further you get from it, but the light rays go out from it infinitely in all directions. Even if you get far enough that it's too dim for your eyes to see, more sensitive equipment can still theoretically pick it up.
All of which is pretty cool because, among other things, it means that you, just by existing, are bending space and time around you in a way which can be felt across the entire universe. And every time you move, you're changing the curvature of the universe.
But it also means that if you know the exact shape of the gravitational field at a given point, down to the nth derivative, you can theoretically extrapolate from that the shape of the entire universe. Which means you'd know the mass and location of every object in existence. By studying exactly what's right here (wherever your "here" may happen to be), you can know where everything in the universe is.
The same goes for magnetic fields. They extend infinitely across the universe, so if you the exact shape of the magnetic field where you are, you could figure out where everything with any kind of electromagnetic charge is.
So, if you were looking for a specific distant object with a magnetic field and you could either know everything about that object's magnetic properties or know everything about the field where you are, you'd be better off with the latter. There are all sorts of electromagnetic fields coming from every direction. Knowing what you're looking for won't help so much because the effects would be miniscule. More importantly, you'd be getting interference from everything else. But if you know the field where you are, you can extrapolate from that where everything is.
I was thinking about that, and I suddenly realized something.
In Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, someone with the proper knowledge and sufficient magical power can Travel, opening up a Gateway from one place to another. The thing is that to do it you have to truly, deeply know the place where you are. Not where you're going. Where you're leaving from. You have to really study it. It can take days.
It always seemed like an odd magical quirk. A whim of the writer. But today it clicked for me. It's true. When you're dealing with the fabric of the universe, it really can be more important to know everything about where you are.
ETA: "Every time you move, you are changing the curvature of the universe." This might explain why it's so hard to get out of bed in the morning.
In particular, I was thinking about the "rubber sheet" model of gravity. The idea is that what gravity really is is a bending of space-time. Imagine a stretched-out rubber sheet. Like, say, a trampoline. Let's say that trampoline represents the universe. Or, rather, the two-dimensional surface at the top of the trampoline represents the universe.
Now, what happens when you put a weight somewhere on the trampoline? Gently, mind you. I'm not talking about bouncing it up and down. You put a weight down slowly, and the trampoline sags under it. Any other object on the trampoline's surface will naturally begin to slide towards it. And the closer you are to the weight and the heaver it is, the more the other object will be drawn in that direction.
That's what gravity is like. Mass bends space-time. The more mass there is, the greater the effect. And the closer you are, the more you feel it.
The thing is that the effect goes on infinitely in all directions. It drops off exponentially with distance, but it's still mathematically there. The same thing happens with, say, a lightbulb. The amount of light you see from it drops off exponentially the further you get from it, but the light rays go out from it infinitely in all directions. Even if you get far enough that it's too dim for your eyes to see, more sensitive equipment can still theoretically pick it up.
All of which is pretty cool because, among other things, it means that you, just by existing, are bending space and time around you in a way which can be felt across the entire universe. And every time you move, you're changing the curvature of the universe.
But it also means that if you know the exact shape of the gravitational field at a given point, down to the nth derivative, you can theoretically extrapolate from that the shape of the entire universe. Which means you'd know the mass and location of every object in existence. By studying exactly what's right here (wherever your "here" may happen to be), you can know where everything in the universe is.
The same goes for magnetic fields. They extend infinitely across the universe, so if you the exact shape of the magnetic field where you are, you could figure out where everything with any kind of electromagnetic charge is.
So, if you were looking for a specific distant object with a magnetic field and you could either know everything about that object's magnetic properties or know everything about the field where you are, you'd be better off with the latter. There are all sorts of electromagnetic fields coming from every direction. Knowing what you're looking for won't help so much because the effects would be miniscule. More importantly, you'd be getting interference from everything else. But if you know the field where you are, you can extrapolate from that where everything is.
I was thinking about that, and I suddenly realized something.
In Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, someone with the proper knowledge and sufficient magical power can Travel, opening up a Gateway from one place to another. The thing is that to do it you have to truly, deeply know the place where you are. Not where you're going. Where you're leaving from. You have to really study it. It can take days.
It always seemed like an odd magical quirk. A whim of the writer. But today it clicked for me. It's true. When you're dealing with the fabric of the universe, it really can be more important to know everything about where you are.
ETA: "Every time you move, you are changing the curvature of the universe." This might explain why it's so hard to get out of bed in the morning.
Watch this. It's an hour long, but it's worth it. This is what's wrong with our country. It's about our politics and our food and our medicine and more, but it's not a left-right thing. It's about institutional corruption. That's something I've been worried about for some time now, but here's someone with ideas on what we can do about it. And his biggest point is that we need to be the ones to do something about it because it's our responsibility and because if we don't, no one else will.
I should mention that I don't think the slides really add anything to the talk. Sometimes, I found them more distracting than helpful. So I say "watch," but what I really mean is "listen."
If there are any problems with the embedded video above, you can watch it on vimeo.
I should mention that I don't think the slides really add anything to the talk. Sometimes, I found them more distracting than helpful. So I say "watch," but what I really mean is "listen."
Institutional Corruption from lessig on Vimeo.
If there are any problems with the embedded video above, you can watch it on vimeo.
I'm not really sure this is something the government should be mandating. But I've thought for a long time that something needed to be done, and, realistically, I don't know who other than the government could do something.
New Israeli law bans "underweight" models in ads. The law also bans retouching photos to make models look thinner than they are.
New Israeli law bans "underweight" models in ads. The law also bans retouching photos to make models look thinner than they are.
The book I'm reading now is called "The Little White Bird" by J. M. Barrie. It's strange and whimsical and fun.
Here's the set-up. (This is all in the beginning of the book, so it's not really spoilery. The book explains the situation and then jumps back in time 6 years to fill in what happened along the way.)
There's a crotchety old man who sits in his club and looks out the window. The highlight of his day is looking out the window at precisely 2pm to see a woman walk by and post a love letter. Time and again, when something goes wrong for her, he gets upset and secretly helps her.
Eventually, she manages to track down her beloved guardian angel, but he clings to his "I'm a crotchety old man who's too good to talk to the lower classes" facade so strongly that he refuses to speak a word to her. By that point, however, she has a son, and he winds up spending time with the kid on a regular basis. They play in the park and make up stories. And that's what the book is about.
The fairies who live in the park but only come out at night when the humans are gone. The stories of what happened to some kid or other who was playing in this corner of the park. The revelation that when parents catch a bird in the park, it becomes a baby (that's where babies come from, you see), and if you think back really hard, you can remember what it was like to be a bird.
And, of course, the story of a baby who remembered how to fly, and left his mother to live on an island in the park and play with the fairies. A baby boy named Peter Pan.
It may not be entirely appropriate for today's kids, but it's a lot of fun for a grown-up (or older kid) who likes to dream about the magical things happening just past the corner of your eye.
Here's the set-up. (This is all in the beginning of the book, so it's not really spoilery. The book explains the situation and then jumps back in time 6 years to fill in what happened along the way.)
There's a crotchety old man who sits in his club and looks out the window. The highlight of his day is looking out the window at precisely 2pm to see a woman walk by and post a love letter. Time and again, when something goes wrong for her, he gets upset and secretly helps her.
Eventually, she manages to track down her beloved guardian angel, but he clings to his "I'm a crotchety old man who's too good to talk to the lower classes" facade so strongly that he refuses to speak a word to her. By that point, however, she has a son, and he winds up spending time with the kid on a regular basis. They play in the park and make up stories. And that's what the book is about.
The fairies who live in the park but only come out at night when the humans are gone. The stories of what happened to some kid or other who was playing in this corner of the park. The revelation that when parents catch a bird in the park, it becomes a baby (that's where babies come from, you see), and if you think back really hard, you can remember what it was like to be a bird.
And, of course, the story of a baby who remembered how to fly, and left his mother to live on an island in the park and play with the fairies. A baby boy named Peter Pan.
It may not be entirely appropriate for today's kids, but it's a lot of fun for a grown-up (or older kid) who likes to dream about the magical things happening just past the corner of your eye.
Why would you need to shoot the fish if they're already in a freaking barrel?
Come to that, wouldn't that put holes in the barrel?
Actually, no. It wouldn't. Because bullets lose velocity amazingly fast when traveling through water. So the fish would probably be okay. And so would the barrel.
Also, water diffracts light, so you'd probably miss the fish, especially if you're as lazy as the expression implies.
This whole thing is like shooting fish in a barrel; it makes no sense at all.
ETA: Never mind. Mythbusters proved that the shockwave from the bullet will kill the fish even if you miss wildly. Huh.
Come to that, wouldn't that put holes in the barrel?
Actually, no. It wouldn't. Because bullets lose velocity amazingly fast when traveling through water. So the fish would probably be okay. And so would the barrel.
Also, water diffracts light, so you'd probably miss the fish, especially if you're as lazy as the expression implies.
This whole thing is like shooting fish in a barrel; it makes no sense at all.
ETA: Never mind. Mythbusters proved that the shockwave from the bullet will kill the fish even if you miss wildly. Huh.
Don't know how many of you will get this, but I just had to share.
We have an abacus toy for kids. It uses animal shapes in place of beads. Dad was trying to explain it to my youngest nephew.
"A bunny is worth ten turtles, so..."
"That can't be right," I thought to myself. "Usagi Yojimbo is worth, at most, four turtles."
We have an abacus toy for kids. It uses animal shapes in place of beads. Dad was trying to explain it to my youngest nephew.
"A bunny is worth ten turtles, so..."
"That can't be right," I thought to myself. "Usagi Yojimbo is worth, at most, four turtles."
For those trying to blame gas prices on the President:
1. Gas prices are a complex matter involving a global market (largely controlled by OPEC) and speculators buying, selling, and rebuying barrels of crude multiple times while they're in transit. The President's policies can have some limited effects (direct or otherwise) on certain factors, but he has no actual way to control the price of gas. Really, there's a lot going on. You can read more here, for starters.
2. Domestic oil production has actually increased under Obama's administration. For the first time in years, we're actually importing less than 50% of the oil we consume. Here's a chart.
3. Item 2 is somewhat irrelevant, since oil produced domestically is actually produced by international corporate conglomerates, which combine the oil from their rigs around the world and sell it all together on the global market. And, really, more drilling won't lower gas prices.
4. Part of the reason for the recent spike in gas prices is that Iran has been making certain threats in response to threats of international sanctions in response to their threats of developing nuclear weapons. Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway through which most of the oil produced in the region must pass. Given the choice between the US and its allies taking a hard line on Iran wanting to develop WMDs and a spike in gas prices, which would you choose?
5. Gas prices always go up around this time of year. People drive more as the weather gets warmer, so speculators buy more, so the price of crude goes up.
6. While there was a sharp drop-off in gas prices around the time President Obama was elected, gas prices went up under Bush, too. Under Bush, the national average peaked at about $4.12/gallon. Right now, it's about $3.62. 50 cents less. There's a chart for that, too.
1. Gas prices are a complex matter involving a global market (largely controlled by OPEC) and speculators buying, selling, and rebuying barrels of crude multiple times while they're in transit. The President's policies can have some limited effects (direct or otherwise) on certain factors, but he has no actual way to control the price of gas. Really, there's a lot going on. You can read more here, for starters.
2. Domestic oil production has actually increased under Obama's administration. For the first time in years, we're actually importing less than 50% of the oil we consume. Here's a chart.
3. Item 2 is somewhat irrelevant, since oil produced domestically is actually produced by international corporate conglomerates, which combine the oil from their rigs around the world and sell it all together on the global market. And, really, more drilling won't lower gas prices.
4. Part of the reason for the recent spike in gas prices is that Iran has been making certain threats in response to threats of international sanctions in response to their threats of developing nuclear weapons. Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway through which most of the oil produced in the region must pass. Given the choice between the US and its allies taking a hard line on Iran wanting to develop WMDs and a spike in gas prices, which would you choose?
5. Gas prices always go up around this time of year. People drive more as the weather gets warmer, so speculators buy more, so the price of crude goes up.
6. While there was a sharp drop-off in gas prices around the time President Obama was elected, gas prices went up under Bush, too. Under Bush, the national average peaked at about $4.12/gallon. Right now, it's about $3.62. 50 cents less. There's a chart for that, too.
My friend Ali Davis got an email last night. It summarily announced a massive layoff. Half her department. Including her. That sucks.
I tried to think what I could do about it. I'm on the other side of the country and I don't have any leads on jobs for her. Then I remembered something. Several years back, she had a different job, working as a clerk in a video store. One which specialized in "adult" videos. She wrote a book about it. It's made up of anecdotes, insights, and sarcastic wit.
The title is "True Porn Clerk Stories," and it's available from Amazon in paperback and in Kindle format.
Check it out. You'll laugh. You'll learn. You'll get a glimpse into the strange underbelly of the human condition. And you'll make her week suck just a bit less.
I tried to think what I could do about it. I'm on the other side of the country and I don't have any leads on jobs for her. Then I remembered something. Several years back, she had a different job, working as a clerk in a video store. One which specialized in "adult" videos. She wrote a book about it. It's made up of anecdotes, insights, and sarcastic wit.
The title is "True Porn Clerk Stories," and it's available from Amazon in paperback and in Kindle format.
Check it out. You'll laugh. You'll learn. You'll get a glimpse into the strange underbelly of the human condition. And you'll make her week suck just a bit less.
This song came up on the radio a couple of days ago. Whenever I hear it, I think of the video.
I've always thought that, for me, MIT was my bee garden. (Though, to a lesser degree, certain corners of the Internet are, too...)
I'd like to think everyone has a bee garden somewhere. Have you found yours? Tell me about it.
I've always thought that, for me, MIT was my bee garden. (Though, to a lesser degree, certain corners of the Internet are, too...)
I'd like to think everyone has a bee garden somewhere. Have you found yours? Tell me about it.
A family friend has been in the hospital (well, quite a few of them, really) on a major roller coaster for nearly a year now. I noticed on our last visit that the current facility has her in "B Wing." So I just printed out and labeled the image below (in the appropriate font, of course).
It is, of course, a B Wing Fighter.
(I'm not the only one who sees the phrase "B Wing" and immediately thinks "Admiral Ackbar," right? ... Right?)
It is, of course, a B Wing Fighter.
(I'm not the only one who sees the phrase "B Wing" and immediately thinks "Admiral Ackbar," right? ... Right?)
The kids were playing together at my sister's place today. They were showing off magic tricks (some of which I'd taught them a week or two ago). We had an extra couple of minutes, so I invented two card tricks on the spot.
"Pick a card. Any card you want. Take a good look at it. Now, put it on the top of the deck. Good. You ready? ... Is this your card?"
"Pick a card. Any card. Okay, now put it back anywhere in the deck. I'll close my eyes. Ready? Okay. Is this your card? How about this one? Is this your card? Is this your card? ... *ten cards later* Is this your card? It is? Yay!"
Both were big hits. My niece said the first was her favorite trick of the day. What's life without a little magic?
"Pick a card. Any card you want. Take a good look at it. Now, put it on the top of the deck. Good. You ready? ... Is this your card?"
"Pick a card. Any card. Okay, now put it back anywhere in the deck. I'll close my eyes. Ready? Okay. Is this your card? How about this one? Is this your card? Is this your card? ... *ten cards later* Is this your card? It is? Yay!"
Both were big hits. My niece said the first was her favorite trick of the day. What's life without a little magic?
Today, my youngest nephew turns 4. I'll be spending the afternoon with my sibs and their kids.
This morning, my sister's brother-in-law, one of the sweetest guys you'll ever meet, after a long and sometimes lonely and difficult road, has been in the hospital... because his wife just had a baby girl.
A big step has been taken towards patching a crack in the system and turning life around for a family I respect and admire.
I'm helping to send a good friend, whom I also respect and admire, to a conference where she will learn to improve an already outstanding organization dedicated to making the world a better place.
I'm helping a friend (still recovering from an accident a few years back) to keep her head above water and get back on her feet.
These past few days, I've been well enough to take my dog on a good morning walk through the park.
There are other things, too.
Of course, not everything is perfect. I'm sending you my best thoughts, Val.
But, on the whole... today is a good day.
This morning, my sister's brother-in-law, one of the sweetest guys you'll ever meet, after a long and sometimes lonely and difficult road, has been in the hospital... because his wife just had a baby girl.
A big step has been taken towards patching a crack in the system and turning life around for a family I respect and admire.
I'm helping to send a good friend, whom I also respect and admire, to a conference where she will learn to improve an already outstanding organization dedicated to making the world a better place.
I'm helping a friend (still recovering from an accident a few years back) to keep her head above water and get back on her feet.
These past few days, I've been well enough to take my dog on a good morning walk through the park.
There are other things, too.
Of course, not everything is perfect. I'm sending you my best thoughts, Val.
But, on the whole... today is a good day.
In response to "Putin on the Ritz", for no other reason than that I needed to get the thought out of my head, I give you...
(Description: Tiny Putin on a lily pad. Caption: "Lily Putin.")
(Description: Tiny Putin on a lily pad. Caption: "Lily Putin.")
Via Jack Curtin (my comic book supplier):
Like he said, too beautiful/funny not to share.
Also reminds me of a billboard I saw in NYC recently. “DON’T LIKE GAY MARRIAGE? DON’T GET GAY MARRIED.” It was an ad for Manhattan Mini Storage, three stories high, on the side of one of their facilities. (Wish I'd gotten a picture, but we were driving by and I was too slow.)
You don't vote on rights. That's why they're called rights. Thrilled to wake up to the news today that the California courts understand that.
Like he said, too beautiful/funny not to share.
Also reminds me of a billboard I saw in NYC recently. “DON’T LIKE GAY MARRIAGE? DON’T GET GAY MARRIED.” It was an ad for Manhattan Mini Storage, three stories high, on the side of one of their facilities. (Wish I'd gotten a picture, but we were driving by and I was too slow.)
You don't vote on rights. That's why they're called rights. Thrilled to wake up to the news today that the California courts understand that.
