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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
Anyone who is even a little bit a nerd needs to read this.
My new camera arrived today. It’s a Panasonic DMC-LX3, and it’s pretty nice. I’ve only just started playing with it, but I’m quite happy with this shot:
I love this.
I just saw a moderately engaging presentation on why, instead of buying a new car with a loan every few years, it’s better to save some money and buy used cars for cash. It’s nothing revolutionary, but I can’t help but wonder: how are people surviving if this is new information for them? What sort [...]