AFP: Descendants of Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse break away from US
I just got this from, about six sources in my newsfeed, they all seem to think it's either meaningless, fascinating, revolutionary, or bait for the USGov to come down hard on these latter-day AIM folks.
I can't really decide what I think will happen, but good on them for daring.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Eeextremely Eeenticing: a review of the Asus Eee PC: Page 1
My next laptop, hopefully. Maybe after christmas.
I know some of you need a cheap new computer because the old one is getting long in the tooth. This looks like it does all the basic stuff you need computers for, and is actually quite capable in the multimedia and writing/programming department, which I'm interested in.
It's running IceWM default with a custom desktop, although full KDE is available as well. (for power users)
Interestingly, it also comes with a bunch of very good free educational software. You know, for the kids.
$399, with no deals or crapware.
My next laptop, hopefully. Maybe after christmas.
I know some of you need a cheap new computer because the old one is getting long in the tooth. This looks like it does all the basic stuff you need computers for, and is actually quite capable in the multimedia and writing/programming department, which I'm interested in.
It's running IceWM default with a custom desktop, although full KDE is available as well. (for power users)
Interestingly, it also comes with a bunch of very good free educational software. You know, for the kids.
$399, with no deals or crapware.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Overcoming Bias: 9/26 is Petrov Day
Today is Petrov Day!
Today in 1983 Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov saved the world.
The link for more details, but suffice to say that on his personal authority, he countermanded the automatic response to ICBM launches from the US. It was a sensor error, but he had no way of knowing that. He decided not to respond, and because of that, we didn't have a nuclear exchange with the Soviet Union.
Today is Petrov Day!
Today in 1983 Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov saved the world.
The link for more details, but suffice to say that on his personal authority, he countermanded the automatic response to ICBM launches from the US. It was a sensor error, but he had no way of knowing that. He decided not to respond, and because of that, we didn't have a nuclear exchange with the Soviet Union.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Anne Corwin
I have a relative, who is an engineer! Who is also a transhumanist apparently.
Her focus is life extension, which is cool. I wonder how/if she's related to me.
I have a relative, who is an engineer! Who is also a transhumanist apparently.
Her focus is life extension, which is cool. I wonder how/if she's related to me.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry is one of my favorite entertainers. Smart, and funny, he represents a huge swath of intelligent civilized people who too often are overshadowed by their boorish and less talented cousins.
His show, QI, is my favorite scored gameshow, now that Win Ben Stein's Money is off the air.
And he's opened up a blog, where he opens, aggressively establishing internet cred, with an exhaustive dissection of the various attempts at mobile computing via smartphones. Very interesting stuff, and in inimitable Fry style. His feed goes on the dashboard.
Stephen Fry is one of my favorite entertainers. Smart, and funny, he represents a huge swath of intelligent civilized people who too often are overshadowed by their boorish and less talented cousins.
His show, QI, is my favorite scored gameshow, now that Win Ben Stein's Money is off the air.
And he's opened up a blog, where he opens, aggressively establishing internet cred, with an exhaustive dissection of the various attempts at mobile computing via smartphones. Very interesting stuff, and in inimitable Fry style. His feed goes on the dashboard.
Monday, September 10, 2007
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Solar plane flies into the night
solar power plane, very cool.
My old friend peeyush asked me an interesting question a while ago, to get together a list of things to do before I'm 30. I thought about it off and on, but I forgot about it. he reminded me today, and here's what I have so far:
Things to do before I'm thirty
Be financially secure
complete:
Attention (time-management, desktop interface software, ver 0.1 existed)
Grayswandir (wearable computing interface/hardware, half designed, specs on request)
Jack of Shadows (communications interface, specs on request)
DocDesignr (XML document design meta-tool, ver 0.0.1 existed, specs on request)
Rationalizer (bayesian statistics visualization tool)
toy_decider (utility hypothesis bot)
Dr.Know (tutor/research bot)
Attitude Adjuster (modular airship design)
Home One (factory ship design)
be romantically secure
have some idea what the state of the possible art in AI is.
be incorporated
be physically stable
have published my papers on decision theory as high dimensional vector analysis
have completed every nanowrimo in between then and now
have had at least one satisfying computer or computer-mediated rpg experience
have experimented with consulting
solar power plane, very cool.
My old friend peeyush asked me an interesting question a while ago, to get together a list of things to do before I'm 30. I thought about it off and on, but I forgot about it. he reminded me today, and here's what I have so far:
Things to do before I'm thirty
Be financially secure
complete:
Attention (time-management, desktop interface software, ver 0.1 existed)
Grayswandir (wearable computing interface/hardware, half designed, specs on request)
Jack of Shadows (communications interface, specs on request)
DocDesignr (XML document design meta-tool, ver 0.0.1 existed, specs on request)
Rationalizer (bayesian statistics visualization tool)
toy_decider (utility hypothesis bot)
Dr.Know (tutor/research bot)
Attitude Adjuster (modular airship design)
Home One (factory ship design)
be romantically secure
have some idea what the state of the possible art in AI is.
be incorporated
be physically stable
have published my papers on decision theory as high dimensional vector analysis
have completed every nanowrimo in between then and now
have had at least one satisfying computer or computer-mediated rpg experience
have experimented with consulting
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Soon I Will Be Invincible
This is fantastic. I read Soon I Will be Invincible two days ago, and yesterday I went home and read it again.
It's a whole continuity of superheroes and super villains, old heroes and old villains.
the main character, Doctor Impossible, is a lot like Hannibal, in that I'm sure most people will love to hate him. I personally sympathize with him a great deal. I'd take a job with him.
This is fantastic. I read Soon I Will be Invincible two days ago, and yesterday I went home and read it again.
It's a whole continuity of superheroes and super villains, old heroes and old villains.
the main character, Doctor Impossible, is a lot like Hannibal, in that I'm sure most people will love to hate him. I personally sympathize with him a great deal. I'd take a job with him.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Amazon.com: Reviews for Crooked Little Vein: A Novel: Books: Warren Ellis
Crooked Little Vein is fan-freaking tastic, of this I had no doubt. It even overshadowed my other delivery this week, "Spook Country" by William Gibson, because it's got punching power above it's weight class.
Disgusting, funny, surprisingly heartwarming. I see a lot of reviews deriding Ellis for making things up to try to shock. I have bad news for these people. With the exception of the Roanake family, everything in this novel has a real-life counterpart I can think of. Yes, even the porn farm, and the MHP. Life is weird, people are weird, long live the internet.
Buy this book. It's handily pocket sized, and twice as much fun as books three times as big.
Crooked Little Vein is fan-freaking tastic, of this I had no doubt. It even overshadowed my other delivery this week, "Spook Country" by William Gibson, because it's got punching power above it's weight class.
Disgusting, funny, surprisingly heartwarming. I see a lot of reviews deriding Ellis for making things up to try to shock. I have bad news for these people. With the exception of the Roanake family, everything in this novel has a real-life counterpart I can think of. Yes, even the porn farm, and the MHP. Life is weird, people are weird, long live the internet.
Buy this book. It's handily pocket sized, and twice as much fun as books three times as big.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Video A gentlemen's duel - short, film - Dailymotion Share Your Videos
fantastic CGI duel between a frenchman and an englishmen, featuring gigantic, steampowered automatons
fantastic CGI duel between a frenchman and an englishmen, featuring gigantic, steampowered automatons
Monday, July 30, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Saturday, July 21, 2007
SPACE.com -- Northrop Grumman Buys Builder of SpaceShipOne
SPACE.com -- Northrop Grumman Buys Builder of SpaceShipOne
I don't know whether this is great news or horrible news. For those who don't know, I'm a big supporter of space expansion, if only because it's cool.
Scaled Composites is a very cool company, that has been involved in many aviation firsts, and recently expanded to private aerospace with great result.
They've always had investments by larger aerospace companies, but apparently in the last few years, Northrup Grumman has been increasing their stake, leading to this news that it will now be a wholly owned subsidiary.
I don't really know what will happen here, but given Northrup Grumman's defense contractor status, and their involvement in the government space program, I fear that this may be the end of the development I saw there.
I went to the first SpaceShipOne launch into space, and I felt that it was an important milestone. People going into space *because we want to*, not to fight another country, or spur weapons development, that's important.
Here's hoping Scaled Composites doesn't get lost in NASA hell. Because the last thing we need is another thousand engineers working on another space shuttle.
I don't know whether this is great news or horrible news. For those who don't know, I'm a big supporter of space expansion, if only because it's cool.
Scaled Composites is a very cool company, that has been involved in many aviation firsts, and recently expanded to private aerospace with great result.
They've always had investments by larger aerospace companies, but apparently in the last few years, Northrup Grumman has been increasing their stake, leading to this news that it will now be a wholly owned subsidiary.
I don't really know what will happen here, but given Northrup Grumman's defense contractor status, and their involvement in the government space program, I fear that this may be the end of the development I saw there.
I went to the first SpaceShipOne launch into space, and I felt that it was an important milestone. People going into space *because we want to*, not to fight another country, or spur weapons development, that's important.
Here's hoping Scaled Composites doesn't get lost in NASA hell. Because the last thing we need is another thousand engineers working on another space shuttle.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Dresden Codak - Not Eaten by a Dinosaur
Dresden Codak - Not Eaten by a Dinosaur
"Victor Hugo once got so mad he threw a baseball through a dog."
This protagonist is lovely and interesting. unfortunately the comic updates very slowly.
I'm back from utah, my father is safely remarried and onto his honeymoon, Crystal is well and busy, and things continue apace at the company. There is something of a backlog as I get back to work, but things are peachy otherwise.
"Victor Hugo once got so mad he threw a baseball through a dog."
This protagonist is lovely and interesting. unfortunately the comic updates very slowly.
I'm back from utah, my father is safely remarried and onto his honeymoon, Crystal is well and busy, and things continue apace at the company. There is something of a backlog as I get back to work, but things are peachy otherwise.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Wii Fit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wii Fit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This, THIS, is what will finally break down my poor crystal's continuing resistance to the culture of gaming.
Crystal hates video games with a passion, and it's always been my intention to slowly wean her into some measure of acceptance, because I rather like them, both personally, and in the abstract.
As many know, she's passionate about health, and yoga in particular, working part time as an instructor while she goes to school. There have been many 'exercise as game' attempts, the most sophisticated on the ps2 (which kept a log of your exercise, and adjusted your schedule and workouts to feedback), but the Wii was the first console with 'activity' as an all around focus to the console.
It was just announced that Wii Fit will include a peripheral to measure weight, balance, and foot positions, allowing the game to track many things about your exercise. I'm sure that there will also be a lot of use of the Wiimote as well.
but best of all, the instructional portion is said to include YOGA POSES, which I know crystal will not be able to resist. She loves doing yoga videos, and this one will be interactive and intelligent.
There is no escape.
15010 steps
This, THIS, is what will finally break down my poor crystal's continuing resistance to the culture of gaming.
Crystal hates video games with a passion, and it's always been my intention to slowly wean her into some measure of acceptance, because I rather like them, both personally, and in the abstract.
As many know, she's passionate about health, and yoga in particular, working part time as an instructor while she goes to school. There have been many 'exercise as game' attempts, the most sophisticated on the ps2 (which kept a log of your exercise, and adjusted your schedule and workouts to feedback), but the Wii was the first console with 'activity' as an all around focus to the console.
It was just announced that Wii Fit will include a peripheral to measure weight, balance, and foot positions, allowing the game to track many things about your exercise. I'm sure that there will also be a lot of use of the Wiimote as well.
but best of all, the instructional portion is said to include YOGA POSES, which I know crystal will not be able to resist. She loves doing yoga videos, and this one will be interactive and intelligent.
There is no escape.
15010 steps
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Eragon
Eragon
I wanted to see the special effects in Eragon, because I'm a dragon whore. But I didn't really want to sit through... well, any part of the movie, really, except for Jeremy Irons, whose presence in this movie can only be explained by whimsy.
So, I bought a rifftrack, which nicely drowned out much of the idiocy, and made the movie about 400% more entertaining.
I wanted to see the special effects in Eragon, because I'm a dragon whore. But I didn't really want to sit through... well, any part of the movie, really, except for Jeremy Irons, whose presence in this movie can only be explained by whimsy.
So, I bought a rifftrack, which nicely drowned out much of the idiocy, and made the movie about 400% more entertaining.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Rifts� Machinations of Doom Gold Hardcover: Palladium Books Online
Rifts� Machinations of Doom Gold Hardcover: Palladium Books Online
I am such a child of the 90s. I think gold covers are really cool looking.
6890 steps.
I am such a child of the 90s. I think gold covers are really cool looking.
6890 steps.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Astrochicken - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Astrochicken - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
a proof positive of the power of names. A long with the Dyson Sphere, Dr. Dyson also invented the concept of a self replicating machine that would gather and control resources in space. an extremely significant insight, but probably will never be sufficiently attributed to him because of the silly name.
8970 steps.
a proof positive of the power of names. A long with the Dyson Sphere, Dr. Dyson also invented the concept of a self replicating machine that would gather and control resources in space. an extremely significant insight, but probably will never be sufficiently attributed to him because of the silly name.
8970 steps.
Monday, June 25, 2007
warrenellis.com
warrenellis.com
Warren has been watching his novel rise on Amazon's best seller list since pre-order opened with apparent dismay. I've got mine in there, I just wonder what he'll do when he's respectable.
The book sounds fantastic, by the way.
Warren has been watching his novel rise on Amazon's best seller list since pre-order opened with apparent dismay. I've got mine in there, I just wonder what he'll do when he's respectable.
The book sounds fantastic, by the way.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Giant In the Playground Games
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/erf0001.html
What a fantastic comic this is.
4800 steps.
tired.
What a fantastic comic this is.
4800 steps.
tired.
Friday, June 22, 2007
1.3 Elements of Reinforcement Learning
1.3 Elements of Reinforcement Learning
An interesting book, I came across it on a a mailing list.
4267 steps.
An interesting book, I came across it on a a mailing list.
4267 steps.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Pierre-Simon Laplace - Wikiquote
Pierre-Simon Laplace - Wikiquote
Laplace was such a badass. A meeting with Laplace, Napoleon, and Lagrange all in the same place must have been intimidating.
4518 steps.
Laplace was such a badass. A meeting with Laplace, Napoleon, and Lagrange all in the same place must have been intimidating.
4518 steps.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Fear the Boot
Fear the Boot
I don't really get to play rpgs anymore, but I like hearing and reading about them occasionally.
5808 steps today. I think I'm still hitting reset at some point, but I forget to look at the pedometer to see how I'm doing throughout the day.
I don't really get to play rpgs anymore, but I like hearing and reading about them occasionally.
5808 steps today. I think I'm still hitting reset at some point, but I forget to look at the pedometer to see how I'm doing throughout the day.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Demonoid.com - Torrent list
3333 steps. probably lost some yesterday, as it was a bit blurry near the end. I'm not really much of a partier, but after the wedding of Zac and Jen yesterday, I ended up hanging out with some old friends.
In other news, Tavish is not perhaps the correct person to moderate alcohol usage. for me. I had a lot of fun, at the wedding and afterwards, up to my recollection of events. Only regret is that Crystal went off to the club first on her own, and we didn't meet up with her (tavish took us to the wrong club). I'm sure she wasn't happy. I left this morning and didn't get to speak with her very much.
Unfortunate. But luckily I'll be back for another wedding soon.
In other news, Tavish is not perhaps the correct person to moderate alcohol usage. for me. I had a lot of fun, at the wedding and afterwards, up to my recollection of events. Only regret is that Crystal went off to the club first on her own, and we didn't meet up with her (tavish took us to the wrong club). I'm sure she wasn't happy. I left this morning and didn't get to speak with her very much.
Unfortunate. But luckily I'll be back for another wedding soon.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
MC Frontalot :: MP3 Downloads
MC Frontalot :: MP3 Downloads
Nerdcore's godfather of rhymes has a new cd.
ironic that I purchase a cd from someone giving away a lot of music for free, isn't it, RIAA.
first track of the new cd "Secrets from the Future"
Secrets from the Future #1
He's right, you know, you wont' be able to.
Nerdcore's godfather of rhymes has a new cd.
ironic that I purchase a cd from someone giving away a lot of music for free, isn't it, RIAA.
first track of the new cd "Secrets from the Future"
Secrets from the Future #1
He's right, you know, you wont' be able to.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
psp7761121.pdf (application/pdf Object)
Unskilled and Unaware of it: How Difficulties in Recognizing One's Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-Assessments
My favorite paper.
I first read this when I was still in high school. I just found it again in an IRC chatroom. Ah, cynicism. As many have said, I was born old.
My favorite paper.
I first read this when I was still in high school. I just found it again in an IRC chatroom. Ah, cynicism. As many have said, I was born old.
Monday, February 05, 2007
YouTube - Zebro on Boston's Aqua Teen Bomb Scare
YouTube - Zebro on Boston's Aqua Teen Bomb Scare
It's official. Public Servants are retarded.
Apparently over the weekend, Boston's Mayor's office, with support from the PD, shut down large parts of the city, because there were little LED light devices, depicting cartoon characters on some buildings.
Obviously there were a huge threat. So huge that the mayor's office REFUSED TO BELIEVE TURNER BROADCASTING WHEN THEY WERE INFORMED IT WAS A SERIES OF ADS.
It's official. Public Servants are retarded.
Apparently over the weekend, Boston's Mayor's office, with support from the PD, shut down large parts of the city, because there were little LED light devices, depicting cartoon characters on some buildings.
Obviously there were a huge threat. So huge that the mayor's office REFUSED TO BELIEVE TURNER BROADCASTING WHEN THEY WERE INFORMED IT WAS A SERIES OF ADS.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
outlawpoet's Friends
Funny, both Warren Ellis and Cory Doctorow have had problems with their characterizations, I on the other hand, am happy with mine:
 | I am:Frank HerbertHis style is often stilted, but he created what some consider the greatest SF novel of all time. |
Thursday, January 25, 2007
warrenellis.com
warrenellis.com
Warren's new website is kinda ugly if your screen is too big.
Well, I'm off. I'll be in Salt Lake until Sunday. Hold all my calls until then, internet.
When I get back, hopefully I'll have a long stretch of uneventful, and I can get back to some of my side projects which I've been meaning to put up for people to look at.
In the meantime, in the words of Jenny Sparks, "Until I get back, you fucking well BEHAVE."
Warren's new website is kinda ugly if your screen is too big.
Well, I'm off. I'll be in Salt Lake until Sunday. Hold all my calls until then, internet.
When I get back, hopefully I'll have a long stretch of uneventful, and I can get back to some of my side projects which I've been meaning to put up for people to look at.
In the meantime, in the words of Jenny Sparks, "Until I get back, you fucking well BEHAVE."
Friday, January 19, 2007
Grand Illusions Ltd Pens and Pencils
I kind of want one of these metal pens.
Ugh. So, I'm here, obviously very late at night, because I have to leave too early in the morning to trust myself to go to bed. I'm taking advantage of the opportunity to get some work done before I leave.
I'm going to Michigan, for a funeral, which is unpleasant, to say the least. I'll be there for the weekend, and back, then to SLC for next weekend. It's all part of a family extravaganza.
Other than this sudden and unhappy events, things are good. At work especially. I'm working on interesting things, and generally we're accomplishing a great deal. In a most exciting development, we're finally getting into having permanent instances of our system. You see, usually we start up the AI software, run it through training, and then test it, for anywhere from ten seconds(while debugging) to 4-6 hours(for liveweb tests). This means that no instance of the AI is ever around for very long. But now we have instances that we're running for days and days. Even better, we're starting to use it to do practical things for ourselves ( my favorite one is TIGO, the AI that watches another AI being tested, and complains to us if it sees the testee making mistakes).
It's all very interesting, I wish I didn't have to go this weekend. Other than, you know, the obvious reasons to wish it weren't so.
Strangely, I have some money left over from christmas, even after buying a plane ticket. Maybe I'll get one of those pens. Or start squirreling away for an iPhone. Who knows.
I kind of want one of these metal pens.
Ugh. So, I'm here, obviously very late at night, because I have to leave too early in the morning to trust myself to go to bed. I'm taking advantage of the opportunity to get some work done before I leave.
I'm going to Michigan, for a funeral, which is unpleasant, to say the least. I'll be there for the weekend, and back, then to SLC for next weekend. It's all part of a family extravaganza.
Other than this sudden and unhappy events, things are good. At work especially. I'm working on interesting things, and generally we're accomplishing a great deal. In a most exciting development, we're finally getting into having permanent instances of our system. You see, usually we start up the AI software, run it through training, and then test it, for anywhere from ten seconds(while debugging) to 4-6 hours(for liveweb tests). This means that no instance of the AI is ever around for very long. But now we have instances that we're running for days and days. Even better, we're starting to use it to do practical things for ourselves ( my favorite one is TIGO, the AI that watches another AI being tested, and complains to us if it sees the testee making mistakes).
It's all very interesting, I wish I didn't have to go this weekend. Other than, you know, the obvious reasons to wish it weren't so.
Strangely, I have some money left over from christmas, even after buying a plane ticket. Maybe I'll get one of those pens. Or start squirreling away for an iPhone. Who knows.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Buy Sealand
An interesting Idea.
I keep track of silly idealistic things like this, because occasionally one of them actually occurs and astounds people.
If a copyfight group owned Sealand, it could cause some very interesting things to happen. It might be dangerous, and is certainly baiting governments and corporations, any of which have rather more guns than any copyfight group.
I find myself split between the cynical hope that this happens and provokes an overreaction, showing the flaws in the system, and hoping that it all works out in a Cryptonomicon kind of data haven-ish way.
An interesting Idea.
I keep track of silly idealistic things like this, because occasionally one of them actually occurs and astounds people.
If a copyfight group owned Sealand, it could cause some very interesting things to happen. It might be dangerous, and is certainly baiting governments and corporations, any of which have rather more guns than any copyfight group.
I find myself split between the cynical hope that this happens and provokes an overreaction, showing the flaws in the system, and hoping that it all works out in a Cryptonomicon kind of data haven-ish way.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
What Does 200 Calories Look Like?
interesting page.
I like the idea of portion control a lot more than I like proscriptive dieting.
interesting page.
I like the idea of portion control a lot more than I like proscriptive dieting.
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