Sunday, May 11, 2003

Zobmondo

It's the name of a book. If it means anything, it should mean "obnoxious alternatives". In it, you're supposed to answer questions like "would you rather be given a rectal exam by a dentist, or have a proctologist fill a cavity?"

Good grief, now Amazon is showing me another one like it here.

Should I continue, or would you rather read about something else?

Why blogs are better than women

Ya know, women can't fully appreciate sweethearts like me without considering what others have said. Consider the following:
Why Beer is better than women
Why guitars are better than women
Why motorcycles are better than women
Why bicycles are better than women
Why dogs are better than women
Why computers are better than women
Why cats are better than women
Why sheep are better than women
Why remote controls are better than women

And there were more...

Mysteries of the universe

Steven Den Beste discusses the universe and women here, and like everyone else, finds the universe more explicable.

Others have commented on various things about the post, but what I'd like to point out is that just as a rubber love doll is no substitute for a live woman (so I'm told, and I'm inclined to believe it), a theory is no substitute for reality. SDB notes that equations for relativity have singularities when the relative velocities of entities approach the value of the speed of light. What many often misunderstand is that the singularities are a property of the equation, not the universe itself - the universe does what it will, and we won't know what really happens at these singularities without experimentation.

You'll find similar singularities in equations that apply to fluid flow at high speeds - they have singularities at the speed of sound. Does that mean we can't achieve the speed of sound? - of course not, and we've known that for a long time.

Such singularities are not the only problem with using logic and mathematics in deriving scientific theories. Their value lies in the way they limit the number of possible theories that we will test - we reject out of hand the testing of theories which are not based on logic. The downside is that this is making the questionable assumption that the universe honors our rules of logic. Why should we believe that the universe "makes sense"?

Once we learn to let go of this useful but restrictive assumption, then maybe we'll have taken the first step toward understanding women.

The atheist faith

Steven Den Beste takes it on here and notes that atheists (and he includes himself) cannot back their beliefs scientifically.

Affirmative reaction

Glenn Reynolds didn't mention Susanna here, so I will.

Footprints?

I understand that it's prudent not to erect statues honoring living men. I have the opposite problem - it seems like all traces of me are being wiped out before they get around to planting me.

Did I say I have a home town? Right. In the last year they've demolished the hospital where I was born and the house I grew up in. Another house I lived in with my parents in another town has burned to the ground. Of what is still standing I don't know of any neighbors who are still around. I'm not that old, dammit.

I passed through the alma mater this past week coming and going. While I was there I lived in the two scuzziest dorms they had. Both have been demolished. The campus hangouts I frequented are all gone but one (no more MJ Pippin's Stuffed Pizzas!), but that's probably only because the campus hasn't crossed the interstate there yet.

Now let's check out the resume. About half of the employers are defunct, bankrupt or have been acquired, and often the very buildings have been destroyed and rebuilt. Of the organizations that are ongoing, the sites where I worked have often been closed since I worked there. Hmm - maybe I shouldn't mention any of this at my next interview...

Maybe this is normal, and I've just noticed too much of it too recently. But it has made an impression.

On the road again...

Tomorrow I report for a new gig away from St. Louis. It's in a town I've lived in before, and the work ought to be very similar to what I was doing here in St. Louis, so it won't be too disruptive. (And what the heck - although I've been here for 2+ years now, St. Louis isn't my home town anyway).

But it will mean that blogging will be light for a while. Maybe even only on weekends unless I can rejuvenate my junky old 133MHz laptop. And even then I'll need to be doing a lot of packing and transporting, because my lease in StL goes for a while yet, I'm doing everything singlehanded, and I want to get things organized for once after 7 job related relocations in 5 years.

Knowing me, I'll think of several things to blog after I write this. It beats moving.

Blogbash recap

TNGs still stands in Kirkwood despite our best efforts at Friday's Blogbash. Then again we were missing Matt and Vicki and Charles Austin. And JD left a bit early, perhaps having solved the mystery of how to make a move on a group of nine women.

We also had the tanned and toned Blogger Formerly Known as Juan Gato, Chris Johnson, Anne Wilson and hubby, and Kevin Murphy. The young, blonde and buxom Sara was also there, uterus and all, escorted by Sean. Add alcohol and a barmaid who is heading for Washington to be an intern and what more could you ask for?

M & V apparently couldn't see fit to make a ~700 mile round trip in lousy weather - sheesh, whatta buncha wimps! And Austin wants us to believe he's been working long hours away from home, even going to the trouble of blogging less lately.

And where were YOU?

Green vs. black

Chris Johnson notes this in which the Congress of Racial Equality has accused Greenpeace of "eco-manslaughter".

Although I'll enjoy watching this, I don't think Greenpeace is racist. IMO they despise all humans equally.