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Database Error

I found this today on digg. I have no idea if it was intentional but I thought it was funny:

2010 01 26 Comments (0)

The Twelve Perils of Driving in Korea

I went to Yongsan today for a dental appointment. While stuck in traffic, I came up with a song to the tune of the 12 Days of Christmas. I’ll write the last verse; I’m sure you can infer the rest. As I drove into Yongsan, what did I chance to see? Twelve driver TVs, eleven [...]

2010 01 07 brain flotsam
geekspeak Comments (3)

Losing the War

I read about war. It’s always been an interest; now it also counts as professional development. I recommend Losing the War by Lee Sandlin to anyone who shares an interest in armed conflict. I disagree with one aspect of his work: he believes that Japan would have surrendered within weeks even without the use of [...]

2010 01 04 misc.link Comments (1)

2010

It’s a new year again, for my readers in Korea and Japan at least*. (新年あけましておめでとうございます!) For my family and most of my friends, it’ll be another half day or so. In moving here I’ve cheated over twelve hours from both 2009 and the decade it was a part of; I think most people will agree [...]

2009 12 31 brain flotsam Comments (0)

It’s Time to Fire the TSA

I like this article, by Joel Johnson of Gizmodo: I don’t want to die on an airplane. I don’t want to die in my home while eating an organic bagel infested with parasites that lay eggs on my liver. I don’t want to die from starvation or bad water or a thousand other things that [...]

2009 12 29 misc.link
opinion Comments (0)

CGI

Avatar: visually very nice. It’s good to see that we’re past the Uncanny Valley. The story wasn’t anything special, but this film should be remembered for its innovations in CGI if for nothing else. I did wonder, though: where did Sigourney Weaver find a Stanford t-shirt sized for a creature ten feet tall? Speaking of [...]

2009 12 26 brain flotsam Comments (1)

fun mini-dialog

New England: where n00b weather gods go to get their training: “Pst. Dude.” *shake* “*snerk* Huh? Wha?” “You slept thru the first month of winter. The Prof is gonna kill you!” “OMGWTFBBQ! Why did you let me sleep so long?!?” “I dunno, dude, you just looked peaceful or something. At least I woke you before [...]

2009 12 20 misc.link Comments (0)

Ideal Language and the Possibility of Deceit

Should an ideal human language allow deception? I say yes. What’s the point of language? To allow a speaker to induce a mental state in a listener. At its most basic level, this allows communication of basic concepts, plans, and facts. At more advanced levels, it can be used to induce emotions or to persuade. [...]

2009 12 16 brain flotsam
rfc Comments (5)

Airport Impressions

Civilian Commercial: Seoul Incheon: not actually very remarkable. It’s a big modern airport very much like many other big modern airports. It’s not ideally designed: it requires walking maybe 1500 meters from one end to the other, for military arrivals at least. Still, its linear design means it is at least simple. Also, free internet [...]

2009 12 01 brain flotsam
opinion Comments (0)

Roots of Breakdance

2009 10 30 misc.link Comments (2)