| Wisdom from the office. |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|04:04 pm] |
Well, it's warm and doesn't taste like shit. That's progress. |
|
|
| Great moments in technology |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|11:10 am] |
"A computer is a very sophisticated idiot. It does exactly what you tell it to do, but very quickly."
---The Doctor.
Sometimes, being a lazy bigot creates hilarity. Take, for instance, The American Family Association - which carefully programmed its news website OneNewsNow to change all uses of the word "gay" to "homosexual". As the Washington Post points out, this caused a slight problem when Tyson Gay posted a record time in the Olympic qualification trials. OneNewsNow reported the story as follows:
Tyson Homosexual was a blur in blue, sprinting 100 meters faster than anyone ever has. His time of 9.68 seconds at the U.S. Olympic trials Sunday doesn't count as a world record, because it was run with the help of a too-strong tailwind. Here's what does matter: Homosexual qualified for his first Summer Games team and served notice he's certainly someone to watch in Beijing. "It means a lot to me," the 25-year-old Homosexual said. "I'm glad my body could do it, because now I know I have it in me."
The Post goes on to say OneNewsNow has fixed the filter, although some archived stories still show up with some interesting replacements. |
|
|
| Dear Universe |
[Jul. 2nd, 2008|07:52 pm] |
Please stop kicking the ass of people I care about.
Humbly,
Me |
|
|
| Happy Canada Day!!! |
[Jul. 1st, 2008|09:54 am] |
Yeah, what that Title says. (I mean, I could get all archaic and call it Dominion Day if I wanted.)
Sadly, I have no red to wear, and will not be riding a bus back from Ottawa and meeting lovely people who might visit me later this summer. |
|
|
| Causality and Quantum SpaceTime |
[Jul. 1st, 2008|09:32 am] |
I don't know nearly enough about the state of physics to know if this is actually as interesting as it sounds, concerning a method to reconcile quantum mechanics and gravity.
A new approach introduces no exotic components but rather provides a novel way to apply existing laws to individual motes of spacetime. The motes fall into place of their own accord, like molecules in a crystal.
This approach shows how four-dimensional spacetime as we know it can emerge dynamically from more basic ingredients. It also suggests that spacetime shades from a smooth arena to a funky fractal on small scales. |
|
|
| Optical Intercourse |
[Jul. 1st, 2008|12:05 am] |
Mostly unrelated to the previous post.
First, in the aftermath of the revelations about political litmus tests in the Department of Justice, we got some info on Pensecola Christian College, which was the source of some of the zealots looking out for anarchists and leftists. It seems they have some interesting ideas concerning safe relations between the sexes.
Even couples who are not talking or touching can be reprimanded. Sabrina Poirier, a student at Pensacola who withdrew in 1997, was disciplined for what is known on the campus as "optical intercourse" — staring too intently into the eyes of a member of the opposite sex. This is also referred to as "making eye babies." While the rule does not appear in written form, most students interviewed for this article were familiar with the concept.
Eye babies?
Meanwhile, a writer from Jordan who has been posting on Feministe discusses the double-bind women are in concerning looking attractive.
If you’re a woman, you can’t win. If you’re seen as attractive, you’re probably a slut, and deserve to be treated accordingly. If someone thinks you’re unattractive, well, you hardly count for a human being, and deserve to be treated accordingly. |
|
|
| Objectify |
[Jul. 1st, 2008|12:01 am] |
A question for the crowd. How do you use the term "objectify"? What does it mean to "objectify" someone? Is it always bad and unforgivable? Is it bad, but forgivable? Is it bad only in certain contexts? Does it mean simply to view someone as an object of desire, or do you use the term in another sense?
Just curious as it seems to be one of those words that gets used in many different ways. |
|
|
| More stupid Science |
[Jun. 30th, 2008|11:54 pm] |
The Daily Telegraph informs us that "the latest research" says that women regret one night stands more than men.
Researchers said the permissive society sparked during the Sixties was supposed to free women to enjoy casual sex just like men but it had failed. Ah yes. It failed. FAILED they say!!!
And yes, it failed because it was fighting Evolution!
The study concluded women "have not adapted" to meaningless sex because it did not suit them at this stage in evolution.
No possibility that these regrets have anything to do with the different societal reactions to women having one night stands vs men.
After all, this was the latest research. It was science! You can tell by the methodology!
A total of 1,743 men and women who had experienced a one-night stand were asked to rate both their positive and negative feelings the following morning, in an internet survey.
>_< |
|
|
| Exorcism is OK |
[Jun. 30th, 2008|01:16 pm] |
At least, that's what the Texas Supreme Court ruled. After all, to not allow people to exorcise the demons of others would cause a chilling effect on religious practice. The court threw out a jury award over injuries a 17-year-old girl suffered in an exorcism conducted by members of her old church, ruling that the case unconstitutionally entangled the court in religious matters. The court ruled that holding the church liable would cause the church to abandon core religious beliefs. The Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson wrote the dissenting opinion (it was a 6-3 vote), writing, "The First Amendment guards religious liberty; it does not sanction intentional abuse in religion's name."
So since "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" is part of Exodus, is witch-burning legal again in Texas?
(hat tip Pandagon.) |
|
|
| Kaleidoscope |
[Jun. 29th, 2008|09:59 pm] |
So far, the best deal I can come up with for getting to KG is to bus it. Total probably of about 220 bucks. Flights to either Ottawa or Montreal run 553, so that's pretty much out. I can drop that to about 290 or 390 flying out of Rhode Island or Manchester and maybe to Burlington or something, but the added costs of traveling to the different airports hardly make those options any more attractive. |
|
|
| Spain!!! |
[Jun. 29th, 2008|09:58 pm] |
The game was kind of dull, but congratulations Spain for getting the monkey off your back! |
|
|
| Plans fall apart |
[Jun. 29th, 2008|06:12 pm] |
Well, that's two possible apartment options gone. *sigh*
So, to renew the call, anyone who knows of a place in the 600 buck range for rent (either on my own or with roomates) please keep me in mind and point me to it? Can't stay here, need to leave by Sept, and can't afford anything else.
The fact <lj user=reyl> isn't visiting at the end of next month also means the free ride to Montreal that made KG a legitimate possibility is gone, so it seems likely price issues will keep me from that, too.
|
|
|
| Doctor Who S4E012 - (Title Embargoed) |
[Jun. 29th, 2008|12:09 am] |
If you are going to go out, go out big. Obviously, RTD is a fan of this axiom.
|
|
|
| |
[Jun. 25th, 2008|10:26 pm] |
I should hang out with Priestesses of Aphrodite who study classics at Harvard more often. |
|
|
| We want you to visit! Give us money! |
[Jun. 25th, 2008|01:41 pm] |
It seems the Congress is trying to pass a law called the Travel Promotion Act. They want to help tourism, you see.
The way to help tourism, of course, is to create a $200 million fund to promote tourism. The way you do that, of xourse, is to charge visitors to the US something like $25 every time they visit. |
|
|
![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
lightcastle's journal
amused
