tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224759942012-02-05T00:55:54.433-05:00If a drum falls in a hyperbolic forest, can anyone hear its shape?A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.comBlogger1371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-89347283615151914762012-02-05T00:55:00.002-05:002012-02-05T00:55:54.439-05:00

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-55400437174657405932011-11-24T03:24:00.003-05:002011-11-24T03:27:23.932-05:00

the DFH were right.... this is in honor of OWS, who are right too ~ and are being slammed as DFH. It's always the way, my friends.

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-73601772361667441492011-11-24T03:19:00.005-05:002011-11-24T14:36:25.500-05:00

You have to love this book. Its author has made it available for free! And that is central to its thesis: we on the left should not concentrate on taxation and social services, but look at the effects of all kinds of policy. I agree with the author: the left is excessively naive about these things, although the crumbling of the economy in 2007 has made some of us smarter. Dean Baker's book is

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-44462846181988599572011-11-24T02:51:00.008-05:002011-11-24T03:13:19.448-05:00

xkcd lays it all out for you: who has it, where it is, what it does or can do:and I say:and also, and this too!

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-17506757843239554162011-11-04T14:23:00.008-04:002011-11-08T14:16:00.025-05:00

I had the good fortune to see the Public Theatre production of King Lear, with Sam Waterston. King Lear has long been my favorite of Shakespeare's plays, for its so many wonderful observations about the world into which we are thrown; yet I have never seen it performed, not even the famous filmed versions. Read it, then. And I'll eat no fish!I couldn't be happier with this version as my first,

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-18992982501507106012011-10-27T22:05:00.001-04:002011-10-27T22:07:27.657-04:00

My colleague Costas is the original Austerity Nut. And he is (can you guess?) Greek. He should know from austerity! Heh. Not funny.

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-28966518089884149282011-10-27T21:35:00.003-04:002011-10-27T21:38:18.155-04:00

Ask not what the billionaires can do for you...

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-53608002737018652332011-09-11T20:21:00.001-04:002011-09-11T20:23:35.988-04:00

Labor Day:They were going to work. Or they were already at work. It was an office building, after all.There was a restaurant on the top two floors. People were heading up there to see the views and to enjoy the food.There were State offices. People were heading there to discuss their income tax filings.There was a Red Cross Blood Bank. People were heading there to give blood.There was a basement.

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-2437651593896312712011-08-26T19:16:00.007-04:002011-11-04T15:21:36.446-04:00

Folks, follow the city's emergency preparedness guidelines.Look, I have exceedingly mixed feelings about Mayor Mike. On the one hand, open invitation: on the other, well, this.But (I think and claim) there is no disputing that on the whole, he's done some good stuff. Like appointing this guy, who I am told has a bowlful of NYC condoms on his desk at all times. They were his idea, after all, and a

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-51419047678931368372011-07-08T19:30:00.002-04:002011-07-08T19:37:09.283-04:00

I've been long between posts. Enjoy. Earth, Wind, and Fire at their phenomenal best.

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-41215100615138986732011-07-08T19:10:00.005-04:002011-07-08T19:28:10.068-04:00

I was sad to see Law and Order: Criminal Intent bid us adieu, even though recent seasons were less strong IMO than the first four (available streaming on Netflix).Vincent D'Onofrio's Bobby Goren is such an overwhelming character that it is easy to lose sight of how amazing Kathryn Erbe was as partner Alex Eames. Look at the last scene of the last episode for confirmation, almost a class in

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-18070242559889869472011-05-29T18:27:00.006-04:002011-07-08T19:27:10.960-04:00

I have just found out that a child I once babysat for, long ago, died this past year.Certain aspects of his death are sufficiently distracting that the central problem can be pushed aside for awhile: How can I live with the knowledge that children I babysat for are now dead? That is so wrong, as wrong as children predeceasing their parents.Mom of kid, if you think you know me, contact me via

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-46907030807779041942011-03-31T12:12:00.003-04:002011-07-08T19:25:08.956-04:00

Mark Thoma, "Will they feel betrayed?"I wonder what will happen politically when, after having a huge fight over Social Security and finally "saving" the program through some ill-advised bipartisan compromise, people realize that they've given up quite a bit, but the budget picture has hardly changed at all.My fear is, not much. But I would be happy to be proved wrong. (In fact, I would be even

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-8834892518830675702011-03-24T18:58:00.007-04:002011-03-24T19:13:07.196-04:00

In these days when the very idea of being represented by a union seems to be radical again, thanks to Joe Baca (I had to go look you up!) for this:Amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to eliminate the provision making a federal, state, or local government employee who is dismissed for participating in a strike against the federal government, the state, or a political subdivision of the state

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-7578814141604524282010-12-20T09:05:00.002-05:002010-12-20T09:14:13.769-05:00

via Language Log:It's a curious paradox of the arithmetic of modern life. New creations — from films and books to paintings and plates — flourish via the absurdly simple creative equation: A + B = C. But if a creator is himself a chimera, a sum of a few parts, the same math doesn’t compute. Take James Franco, whose multifarious career paths seem to puzzle the most supposedly wide-open

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-52596032728938556732010-12-09T14:46:00.004-05:002010-12-09T15:34:08.244-05:00

What Avedon Carol said: (my emphasis)It's not that "the left" doesn't praise your policies, it's that you keep passing policies nobody likes. You're all lies and no fight. (Isn't it amazing how he can never push things any farther left than way out to the far right?). We would have loved it if you'd at least compromised on health care, Mr. Petulant, but you didn't - you just gave the store away,

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-72013504668017796002010-12-03T14:28:00.002-05:002010-12-03T14:30:55.954-05:00

In eleventy-dimensional chess, the ultimate first move is to resign.Now your opponents can't do anything!~ifthethunderdontgetya, commenting on Krugman's Freeze Frame.

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-53683747926747630202010-12-03T14:24:00.001-05:002010-12-03T14:26:32.327-05:00

Violence does not depend on brisance. When our country embargoes trade, and another country's citizens die of hunger or infection, we have done violence. When the homeless die of exposure or belated medical attention, here in our cities, are those deaths not violent? Six million American families with second homes, six million Americans homeless over the past five years - resonance in those

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-87759634239345683892010-08-01T10:16:00.004-04:002010-11-17T21:17:08.234-05:00

I'd never have read Terry Pratchett had it not been for my son, and that tells you all you need to know about the value of book reviews.In Unseen Academicals,Pratchett does for sports and sports fandom what he's previously done for monetary theoy and monetary policy in Making Money. As a baseball* fan, I heartilly agree.*As opposed to "baseball fan". My son tells me I am one of the few.

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-61040516267503213902010-02-09T18:50:00.008-05:002011-10-27T22:55:38.680-04:00

This is going to one of my long-delayed mathematics-related posts. Be warned (or happy, whichever).Perhaps you are fortunate enough that you have never encountered the method of factoring a non-monic polynomial which is called (by some of my students) the payback method. I see from this Math Forum post that my students are not the only ones who call it that, and you can see what the first part of

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-53159873990677823002010-02-03T22:11:00.003-05:002010-02-03T22:18:59.581-05:00

I was on the subway today, moderately obsessing over the fact that I had overslept (a 1-in-10-years occurrence) and wondering if I would get to school on time to copy my handouts (no, as it happened: and yes, that's "handouts" in the plural. Curses! Foiled again!), when...I turned at random and caught the eye of someone sitting halfway down the car. He waved, and I waved back. Because he was, you

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-19356683059896387572010-01-18T19:08:00.001-05:002010-01-18T19:12:25.906-05:00

Tears streamed down all our faces. With Kennedy, we had lost a president. With King, we'd lost a future.- Janis Ian, recalling the moment when she heard that Martin Luther King Jr. had diedI like this quote because it not only recalls to me the moment I heard the news as well; it reminds me of the difference between the leaders of movements and the elected officials of our country. I have always

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-21701046188120162362010-01-14T00:42:00.003-05:002010-01-14T00:51:57.516-05:00

Teddy Pendergrass, you will be missed. I miss you already.For those who don't know: Teddy Pendergrass was partially paralyzed as a result of an automobile accident in 1982, cutting short his remarkable musical career. Yet he continued to be an inspiration to us, making appearances from time to time. Can anyone be blamed for hoping he'd recover enough to give us more wonderful music like the above?

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-78718886553354648552009-12-28T21:01:00.003-05:002009-12-28T21:08:29.333-05:00

You really need to be careful of believing twaddle that happens to coincide with your prejudices.Mark Liberman (who else?!) in comments here.[Mark Liberman is a confirmed exponent of evidence-based-everything. I've been quoting him as long as I have been teaching statistics, and he's a linguist, for cryin' out loud. A model and an example for the rest of us.]

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-43120083425458810432009-12-08T23:35:00.004-05:002009-12-08T23:41:29.292-05:00

Thx EFD! This:and then...Not for the same reason as my previous entry, these should always be played back-to-back.[Part 2 of, probably, a gazillion, because that's how my mind works.]

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-60779336395407969052009-12-03T19:44:00.007-05:002009-12-06T00:14:43.009-05:00

As Arthur Silber says, read it all.Furthermore: "... as Whack as Bush's Iraq".Update: from a comment at the BAR link above, this excellent analysis of the West Point speech.Update 2: Effect Measure has the perfect post. (Among other almost equally perfect posts. Bless you, Reveres.)

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-4664794184627219082009-11-22T06:08:00.004-05:002009-11-22T06:43:20.709-05:00

That line from Sting's "Born in the '50s" struck me and stuck with me because it seemed to capture my own, born in the '50, feelings about the event that defined a generation. Twenty years on, I would ask about "where you were when you heard that Kennedy died" and find one of my friends assumed I meant Bobby, rather than John. That was my introduction to the stomach-churning culture gap that is

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-37727479007452190652009-11-02T18:00:00.003-05:002009-11-02T18:10:26.709-05:00

Geoffrey Pullum has added a new item to our "free" lexicon:"Free""Complimentary" as in wireless.There's also this one, which is no doubt worth each and every penny.[See also]

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-65482479966059203952009-08-19T14:32:00.000-04:002009-08-19T14:33:12.200-04:00

Wish him a happy birthday and make a donation to the Clinton Foundation here.[Photo of Bill Clinton on his 12th birthday, source: History Gets Real, originally from the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum]

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-35253466409954828722009-08-12T12:12:00.000-04:002009-08-12T12:13:30.917-04:00

Space:Frumination calculates that to replace the NYC subway system with private vehicles, we would need the equivalent of 200 new copies of Fifth Avenue in roadway, plus 3.8 square miles of parking. That's just considering the people who travel into the area of Manhattan below 60th Street.Frumination is a great source of graphic representations of data, particularly coming from public transport

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-24627477949789165912009-08-07T16:58:00.003-04:002009-08-07T17:44:36.621-04:00

for Lambert:

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-24728687033153210552009-08-02T00:06:00.002-04:002009-08-02T00:18:59.532-04:00

He rips into the health insurance vampires:He challenges the Republicans to put up or shut up in their opposition to "government run health care":And he tells it like it is on Medicare for All:Now you know what to do...

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-21303282927050987572009-07-27T15:43:00.002-04:002009-07-27T15:47:45.026-04:00

But from a purely humanistic point of view, it's a shame that math is often taught in a heebie-jeebie-inducing way. Not enjoying math, and not being able to call on mathematical thinking when appropriate, is like not enjoying music, or reading, or drawing. It's a loss, it really is. Perhaps some people are genuinely math-blind, just as some are genuinely tone-deaf — but I'll bet that out of 100

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-25662232453808316392009-07-23T21:54:00.003-04:002009-07-23T22:03:20.806-04:00

Listen to them. Seriously. The things you think of while struggling to close a bathroom window, while you really should be thinking about this. And when I say "you", I mean "me".Part one of, probably, many, because I think things like this a lot.

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-17863297954018388972009-07-20T22:12:00.003-04:002009-07-20T22:20:07.048-04:00

40 years ago today...photo source: NASA [http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/]In honor of the anniversary, Google Moon.And as for the title of the post, see here.

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-90084261154976548462009-07-14T21:29:00.003-04:002009-07-14T21:38:05.002-04:00

Because the price of liberty is eternal vigilance... and because one can never get enough of Serge Gainsbourg:C'est nous qu'on ose méditer /De rendre à l'antique esclavage !Cross-posted, a first for me, here; No. 1 is here

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-46459872830027451332009-06-24T21:35:00.003-04:002009-06-24T21:58:09.038-04:00

I can't wait to see the Law and Order episode ripped from this headline:Physics discussion ends in skateboard attackA homeless man is on trial in San Mateo County on charges that he smacked a fellow transient in the face with a skateboard as the victim was engaged in a conversation about quantum physics, authorities said today.Jason Everett Keller, 40, allegedly accosted another homeless man,

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-15243715520274751842009-05-22T16:00:00.004-04:002009-05-22T16:18:23.247-04:00

In honor of the day, and for a limited time only, a little bit of French pop. Because who can resist? April March sings and Julián does his thing... [It's still not quite how I want it to be - I want to change the order of some of the photos, and some are just place-holders for better photos I can't find right now. But I have no more time to work on it today.]

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-52633458918908419952009-05-22T11:05:00.003-04:002009-05-22T11:18:52.669-04:00

I'm working on a little something, but just in case it doesn't come together in time...The Washington DC reporters following the Nationals seem to be catching on to the Julián phenomenon, as witness only one of several such instances I have spotted (and, no, I haven't recorded them all*) - some very typical Juliánizing of the sort we came to know and love:Ahh, so that's what a save looks like. In

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-12004680242098843752009-04-30T16:13:00.000-04:002009-04-30T16:14:20.518-04:00

Please donate to 1payer.net and help put these ads, featuring Mike Farrell (of Mash), on the air in May, and help get single-payer on the front burner!We know what we want:We want single-payer and we want it now!A uniquely American solution: Medicare for all. Everybody in, nobody out. See other videos here and please make a donation to put these ads on the air in May!

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-66740933150776435242009-04-30T15:47:00.006-04:002009-04-30T21:35:38.802-04:00

Some practical advice from the VP:Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday morning he has advised his family to avoid "confined places" such as aircraft, subways and classrooms because of the swine flu risk.I'm sure my department chair will understand if I just don't show up to teach my classes for the time being. In fact, I may not show up at all, since I have to take the subway to get to the

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-86271757396202366802009-04-30T06:39:00.001-04:002009-04-30T18:52:01.922-04:00

Man oh Manny, I owe you some Yoyo stats! But this will have to do until the real thing comes along.The Washington Nationals have opted to go with closer-by-committee* as Joel Hanrahan seemed not to be working out. And that committee? Kip Wells and...OK, wrong uniform, but Yoyo is still your go-to guy for whatever needs doing!"I feel fine with the role. I never think about when I'm coming into the

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-55777231888809824892009-04-27T14:25:00.001-04:002009-04-27T15:02:44.130-04:00

Via gob at corrrente: yesterday we had great success with this in terms of numbers of faxes sent. I'm copying the entire post here because I couldn't say it better. Fax now, fax often, let's shut down their fax machines again today! ANd also, please, call Pelosi and call your representative and tell them that, especially in the current times of economic troubles, we can't afford not to have

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-34801315587765796492009-03-08T13:25:00.003-04:002009-03-08T13:30:59.672-04:00

While Waiting For A-Rod at the WBC, NY Post writer Kevin Kernan notes:But Julian Tavarez just arrived as an addition to Team Dominica. Tavarez is the oldest looking 35-year-old in the game, and is fun.That he is!

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-61943673288671457122009-03-05T20:07:00.003-05:002009-03-05T20:13:57.062-05:00

... to the LA Dodgers:[Why yes, now that you mention it, I have been sitting on that title for quite some time. Glad to finally have a chance to use it!]

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-38644427741691484442009-03-04T21:32:00.004-05:002009-03-04T21:45:38.161-05:00

Just in time for Women's History Month, this photo:Set aside, if possible, your feelings about the conflict over there and about these two particular individuals. Just consider the fact that that's the US Secretary of State and the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs in that photo, taken at yesterday's press conference.1 More like this, please, until seeing two women in equivalent government

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-57688668781832345832009-02-26T21:47:00.006-05:002009-02-26T21:56:52.384-05:00

Leaving the subway the other day, I saw that someone had a great idea:I backed up to take a wider shot:...and looking at that view, it struck me that the graffitist* may have been interrupted in the middle of a sentiment. So I endeavored to complete it:----------------*a word I've just made up.Note: part 1 here.

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-19076666121241682992009-02-19T09:28:00.003-05:002009-02-19T09:44:04.434-05:00

See, I was going to write a post entitled "No More Heroes" (and I may still do so, if I ever get out from under what's come over me), and then this came along. Big tip of the hat to Corrente's Sarah.I do wish he had knocked down the stupid "$70 an hour" meme and kicked it in the teeth a little more, but it's hard to fault the brilliant way Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero keeps refusing to answer the

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-71961093401395409662009-01-21T23:09:00.005-05:002009-01-22T22:00:39.903-05:00

As should be obvious from the sporadic nature of my blogging here, blogging is something I do as an outlet and only when I have the time and energy to do it. Or, as is the case now, when something is so compelling that it pushes me to find the time to write a post.I have over the past months been proud to post over at Corrente, proud to be a part of a community of bloggers and commenters who are

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-52724688650097187932009-01-05T14:54:00.002-05:002009-01-05T14:57:57.728-05:00

“Economists rarely agree, but on this score, there is overwhelming agreement that we need a robust and sustained economic recovery package,” Biden said. “There’s virtually no disagreement on that point with economists from left to right. The greater threat to the economy lies with doing too little rather than not doing enough.”[my emphasis]Via.

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-6986998369178075632008-12-22T22:25:00.003-05:002008-12-22T22:39:22.447-05:00

So I was at this Hanukah* party yesterday, and we were talking about intellectual property law**. And I know what you're thinking. "Geeks!" you're thinking. "You're all a bunch of geeks!" And you wouldn't be wrong.But what was weird? I spent today with a (Jewish) friend, and within two minutes she brought up... intellectual property law. No, that's not what was weird.What was weird was, she

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-49141756141677419262008-12-08T22:34:00.006-05:002008-12-08T22:40:34.293-05:00

Disgust is so reassuring: it feels like a moral proof.- Dr. Stratham Younger reacts to his own unexpected feeling of revulsion in The Interpretation of Murder by Jeb Rubenfeld.

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-61009653358246216842008-12-05T11:03:00.003-05:002008-12-05T11:22:54.588-05:00

ScienceBlogger Chad Orzel of Uncertain Principles has written an excellent analysis connecting two recent events: CNN dropping its entire science, technology, and environment news reporting unit, and the relative lack of science-related books (again) in the NY Times Notable Books of 2008. In his view the two are symptoms of the same problem: "the broad lack of respect for science among educated

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-47207227241166930232008-12-05T09:03:00.003-05:002008-12-05T09:14:20.123-05:00

OK, not that I've been reading economics blogs all that long. But still.Today's perusal of Nouriel Roubini's RGE Monitor (where I always head in the morning for light amusement) led me to his Financial Times Op-Ed: How to Avoid the Horrors of Stag-Deflation. And before I go on, I just have to add that "stag-deflation" has to be the most inadvertently funny economics term I've ever heard, making

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-20759547034924955542008-11-22T19:33:00.002-05:002008-11-22T20:12:02.174-05:00

hat tipP.S.We have strong indicators that http://shapeofadrum.blogspot.com is written by a man (93%).Heh. Or not.

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-80993401540326854972008-11-20T14:41:00.005-05:002008-11-20T15:02:59.518-05:00

[I'm late getting to this, because I'm underwater like a mortgage.]So the other day one of my heroes, Bill "Spaceman" Lee*, had something to say about one of my other heroes, You-Know-Who. I pretty much agree with Bill, so go listen. (I agree with JoS: The transcript is incorrect: what he said was, "I think Boston kind of got fed up with winning.")Celebrating the wisdom of the prophet in his own

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-84901252611910903012008-11-18T20:09:00.002-05:002008-11-18T20:15:30.284-05:00

\int_{0}^{1}\frac{x^{4}\left(1-x\right)^{4}}{1+x^{2}}dx=\frac{22}{7}-\piOK, cool. I've installed* the javascript TeX Renderer from yourequations.com and look what I can do now: way more scary math! (The example equation is one I borrowed from them to test the renderer. I can't be bothered to verify the computation.)*Technically, I haven't so much installed as linked it, per their instructions.

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-1590233344218049792008-11-10T05:28:00.002-05:002008-11-10T05:36:18.268-05:00

A long time ago, this song played a big part in awakening my interest in rhythms, and so, later, in drumming.Miriam Makeba has died early this morning, after performing last night in a concert against organized crime in Italy, according to a Reuters report.

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-81379558906593432652008-10-16T20:19:00.008-04:002008-10-20T17:47:45.541-04:00

This is for the Dodgers and their weird, never to be repeated, lineup. Didn't you think we would weep to know Nomar Garciaparra has to make decisions like this? Don't we weep for Greg Maddux, who pulled a few (we have to imagine) last innings out of his talent for us? As I watched Jeff Kent enter each time, I thought, is this his last?The Bums, long out of Brooklyn, caught our fancy. Thanks for

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-89344399805313755352008-10-13T12:49:00.004-04:002008-10-13T17:11:35.477-04:00

are in order...To the Economics Prize Committee for The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel* 2008, for its great courage, perspicacity, and (not to forget) shrillness, in making this most excellent choice.From the photo, it appears the recipient is as astonished as we** were.Later, my thought on this: if Krugman's (pseudo*) Nobel does nothing more than to

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-77814025729385433532008-10-05T16:42:00.003-04:002008-10-05T16:51:30.391-04:00

Bed-Stuy says Hi:

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-58737934003133940382008-09-26T13:54:00.003-04:002008-09-26T14:05:21.734-04:00

...are in order!To the Boston Red Sox, for clinching a playoff spot once again.To Joe Torre and the LA Dodgers*, for clinching the NL West title. I've always liked Torre and it does my heart good to see him get this little bit of poetic justice. (I understand that Cashman sent him a message of congratulations, which was durned decent of him. Too bad that decency doesn't extend to the Yankees

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-76271874664767663642008-09-11T16:32:00.003-04:002008-09-11T16:49:08.900-04:00

On and after That Day, this was the song in my mind. Sorry, lyrics only, no music:There are soldiers marching on the common todayThey were there again this eveningThey paced up and down like sea birds on the groundBefore the storm clouds gatheringI must buy whatever tinned food is left on the shelvesThey are testing the air raid sirensThey've filled up the blood banks and emptied the bedsAt the

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-36307242882575277362008-09-02T22:38:00.006-04:002008-09-02T23:01:15.262-04:00

After a day that pretty much sucked dead owls...• The Braves send Julián Tavárez in during the 6th inning with 1 out and the bases full, and only one run ahead. And he proceeds to get both the next two batters out, plus all three in the seventh inning. With two, or was it three, strikeouts. Announcer: "Tavárez is the best pitcher of the night, along with [guy whose name I've forgotten]." (Sorry,

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-23313278914734007112008-08-24T18:07:00.005-04:002008-08-25T20:43:49.571-04:00

A few minutes ago I checked tomorrow's MLB media calendar for tomorrow, and found this:Screen cap as of 6:04 PM EDT. I wonder how long it will stay up?Update (clarification?) Monday the 25th: The first game listed there is actually just the completion of a game which was suspended on the 28th of April. Don't know why they had to wait so long to finish it (because the two teams didn't play each

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-47833646722700950922008-08-24T01:30:00.005-04:002008-08-24T02:21:34.618-04:00

Spam subject line: "Al Qaeda Reports Declining Revenues in Fiscal '08"

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-74532749754089793232008-08-23T23:01:00.001-04:002008-08-23T23:02:16.731-04:00

Originally posted 5 August 2008. Update and bump to add blurry screen cap and better link below:OK, It's not Bowling for Outs, and he's clad in Braves Blues and wearing number 54 (a very good year!) but here's the kind of Yo-Yo play we came to know and love. (click on the video link and go to the Play of the Day at about 1:35)I ran across that one a week ago [as of 5 August] (when it happened, in

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-49001738076301872272008-08-23T22:38:00.003-04:002008-08-23T22:45:35.640-04:00

Ours, according to Leibniz, is the best of all possible worlds, and the laws of nature can therefore be described in terms of extremal principles.- opening sentence of Lectures on Celestial Mechanics, Carl L. Siegel and Jurgen K. MoserI just love high-falutin' facetiousness!

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-47524206543421053842008-08-18T22:16:00.007-04:002008-08-23T22:46:03.278-04:00

Every home is about to be transformed into an editing studio, with books, prints, films, and tapes [!] serving the new-age [!!!!] viewer as little more than rough cuts to be reassembled and expanded into customized narratives.-- Richard Powers, Three Farmers on Their Way to a Dance in 19-frickin-85!(I myself saw the promise of desktop publishing. RP saw the whole frickin decade, and I can't

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-30848800456102685922008-08-18T21:29:00.006-04:002008-08-18T22:11:01.860-04:00

It had to happen sooner or later. Someone was going to score a run off Julián Tavárez in August. And in fact it happened on Saturday, the day after Friday! (not Saturday. I'm still living in the past, in the future of the past, or something: but see Update at the end!) just after my last Obligatory Julián Tavárez post: he pitched an inning during which he gave up 3 hits and 1 run to the San

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-63299298847369166462008-08-15T00:48:00.003-04:002008-08-15T01:07:21.076-04:00

Thursday: Top of the 6th, 1-2-3 against Chicago. That's one more inning of scoreless ball. Strikeout, fly out, ground out. I got to see it as it happened, this time. Yummy.To expand on my previous analysis: Julián has now pitched in a total of 14 games since joining the Braves. 13 of those games have taken place between 19 July and 14 August inclusive. (There was a gap of 11 days between his

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-29251622616779013852008-08-13T23:01:00.006-04:002008-08-13T23:27:42.953-04:00

Since my last one, that is.Julián pitched another fine inning for the Braves today. He threw 12 strikes out of 16 pitches, gave up one hit and no runs nor walks. Bravo! I continue to feel my theory is vindicated.[I missed seeing this live because I was out at the most amazing free concert. Roberta Flack, Mose Allison (MOSE ALLISON!), Black Heat, Hugh Masekela, Les McCann, Dr. John, Aaron Neville

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-90563542510065130302008-08-13T16:32:00.002-04:002008-08-13T16:37:51.076-04:00

This view, although hallucinated, is not altogether without explanation.- Berton Roueché in "A Pig From Jersey" [included in the collection The Medical Detectives]

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-47790575253755612552008-08-13T15:35:00.003-04:002008-08-13T16:04:49.982-04:00

This is the post I promised (or threatened?) to write when the very estimable Bora added me to his very inclusive blogroll over a year ago. Every time I've thought I would post it, there seemed to be a good reason not to do so. That's equally true now. But what the hey.People have a lot of different reasons for starting blogs, I imagine. I myself have quite a number of blogs (not under this

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-21010375975346389972008-08-13T15:08:00.003-04:002008-08-13T15:16:51.736-04:00

Amazing how often that word has come up in my life recently, and in unrelated contexts. And now, apparently, all over certain parts of the political pundit world. Happy circumstance that it brings this: Real debate about unreal worlds from Geoffrey Pullum.A counterfactual conditional adjunct is a conditional adjunct [...] that makes reference not to this world but to another world, a non-existent

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-3312212698622620352008-08-11T18:11:00.003-04:002008-08-11T18:27:17.292-04:00

... before I return to the backlog of Other Stuff (including Way! More! Math!)...Since he joined the Braves (a/k/a "Boston's other team") on 8 July, Julián has pitched in 12 games, a total of 11 innings, for an ERA of 2.45 and 1.091 WHIP (yeah, I know,...) In his last 10 games his ERA has been 1.89.Here's another way to look at it. His last ten games came between 20 July and 10 August inclusive,

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-78897038117336140592008-08-11T17:44:00.003-04:002008-08-11T17:58:17.922-04:00

Speaking of Royden's distaste for proofs by contradiction...I must choose a textbook for a course I am to teach in the fall. This is a course for students who are not otherwise required to take any mathematics, i.e. "Math for Poets" although you won't catch me calling it that. (Oops!) One of the two proffered choices of text contains a chapter on rational and irrational numbers, in which the

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-2946140716932432532008-08-11T16:04:00.004-04:002008-08-12T15:16:42.047-04:00

I've got another episode in the continuing (yes, it is!) series "Fashions and styles in proof methods" sitting in the can, waiting to be completed. It's a follow-up to my post on H. L. Royden's somewhat odd insistence on avoiding proofs by contradiction, in which I will try to examine his textbook Real Analysis to see if he actually does avoid them (short answer: not completely) and what he

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-43316588323310864462008-08-10T21:21:00.003-04:002008-08-10T21:42:58.722-04:00

Don't you hate when this happens? A few days ago, I noticed the light flashing that tells me a call has come in - but there was no message, because I'd somehow hit the button that turned off that function. (It's way too easy to hit by accident, which is bad design if you ask me.) But I could check the caller ID, and learned that the call had originated at OTTANF.Hmm. Interesting. Why would anyone

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-8034818059192201522008-08-07T17:34:00.011-04:002011-05-31T14:49:29.302-04:00

For a limited time only!* My first video ever. Be kind. *Limited time for the video, that is. Time limit on their not being able to take that away from me: until the twelfth of never.

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-52487028294255642402008-08-02T22:19:00.006-04:002008-08-05T10:19:09.084-04:00

The first day of After:Julián Tavárez pitched two perfect innings of no-hit, no-walk baseball for the Braves (he hit Mike Cameron with a pitch: somehow I missed this in reading the box score);Manny Ramírez went 2-for-4 for the Dodgers.Update: Today: Manny has just, as I was writing this, hit his first home run for the Dodgers. Wow.

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-60348131851813409952008-07-25T03:14:00.002-04:002008-07-25T03:17:38.399-04:00

OK, Bryan Ferry:versusBill Murray:At various times I've had crushes on the both of them. But right now Bryan's winning...

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-66054074652848812452008-07-03T07:35:00.005-04:002008-08-05T09:00:24.374-04:00

One outstanding moment from last night's frustrating loss to the Rays (why, oh why, can't our bullpen find the strike zone?) -During the attempted comeback in the top of the ninth, Manny at bat, took a pitch way close to the helmet and went tumbling. The crowd at Professor Thom's, where I was watching the game, growled and hissed. But Manny himself clambered back up with that wonderful "I've got

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-37601576350354786292008-05-30T15:48:00.014-04:002008-08-05T08:59:48.270-04:00

Updated - with more links, more music, more photosManuel Aristedes Ramírez - "El Maestro" or "Supermanny" to the announcers on the Spanish Béisbol Network. Manny Being Manny. Do I really have to explain why Manny Ramírez is my favorite Red Sox player? Well, maybe I do. Because of the MUMS you may have read and taken seriously.Other people have done a fair job covering that angle. Allan at Joy of

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-41568168189150318452008-05-22T23:37:00.010-04:002008-08-05T09:35:41.159-04:00

I. It's the narrative, or How Life Imitates the Boston Red SoxWhy do we follow certain players avidly while others hold little interest? Certainly there is some kind of pure pleasure in watching a fellow human being perform a difficult task skillfully. There is enjoyment to be had in witnessing a game played well by people who are very good at what they do.But isn't there more to our enjoyment of

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-13731915017734078262008-05-22T10:50:00.007-04:002008-08-05T09:36:08.225-04:00

There's an important Red Sox related post that needs posting today, but I am currently at OTTANF up to my neckeyebrows in subconvexity bounds, which as a general rule makes me think more of Alex Cora, to be sure. But today belongs to someone else, someone who is sadly no long with us (or is he?)So this is just a quick one with much more to follow:HAPPY 35th BIRTHDAY JULIÁN TAVÁREZ!¡FELIZ

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-8011541752517945962008-04-16T10:14:00.007-04:002008-04-16T16:29:14.632-04:00

So I was thinking that there hasn't been enough mathematics on this blog for awhile, and probably won't be until after Passover the way my preparations (aren't) going. Then &mdash and this keeps happening to me!* &mdash XKCD, having more time on his hands than I do it seems, took an idea I had been toying with and ran with it.Much better than anything I would have come up with, I admit.* Srsly!

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-24025014333506200462008-03-19T10:51:00.004-04:002008-03-19T12:00:09.395-04:00

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the historic fuck-up that is the US invasion of Iraq. I've wanted to contribute to the March 19 blogswarm against the war, without quite having any idea what I'd find to say that isn't just "stop the madness," because really, that's what I want to say, over and over.Then Terra Sigllata's mention of Billy Bragg brought a memory back to me.It all began, in a

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-24706463658576376572008-03-14T17:33:00.003-04:002008-08-05T09:01:04.782-04:00

Via, Chad Orzel, I have learned that that's what today is - the day I always think of as Albert Einstein's birthday*. Since in yesterday's post I referred to the problem of importing MLB schedules into Google Calendar as "distinctly non-trivial," I feel I'm ahead on this one. But isn't every day "Talk like a mathematician day" after all?*Pi day? Please. Por favor. Je vous en prie.

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-56665010967852614832007-10-17T01:02:00.001-04:002008-08-05T09:01:40.754-04:00

I never intended to be an archivist of *macros. (I think this guy's better qualified, for one thing.) But then, I never intended to be a mathmo either. Long, strange trip, and all that.In my case, it started with one annoying afternoon of end-of-semester scutwork and too much escape into I Can Has Cheezburger. The photos of Red Sox players I'd been randomly downloading came springing to mind with

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-17266299452772248972007-09-11T23:42:00.000-04:002008-01-09T01:14:09.039-05:00

Amazingly or not, on the sixth anniversary of the Loss that Keeps On Giving, Gavin M at Sadly.No! has the most cogent thing to say. [Added 9 January 2008: I originally attributed this to Brad Rocket, and it still seems strange to me that it's not him. But more later.]Go and read it and I'll tell you what I am feeling (by which I mean, what I am thinking) tomorrow.It's hard to justify to myself

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-63170967324898413452007-09-09T00:49:00.000-04:002007-09-09T01:06:14.459-04:00

I won't explain, because the explanation would be more boring than my absence has been.I'll just post this update to an early post:Grand slam hitters? Y'know who is no. 2?That's right. Mr. I'd Walk A Million Miles For One of Your Smiles. Get well soon, Manny! Love ya!You know who is #1? Hint: he's got a whole disease named after him, in the USA anyway. And he proclaimed himself the luckiest man

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-25191594205634563752007-06-08T02:40:00.001-04:002008-08-05T09:02:11.378-04:00

A short (somewhat edited) clip of Gilberto Gil at the 2006 Creative Commons iSummit in Rio de Janeiro: "It's not just Free Beer - it's good beer!"

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-18944623104316098192007-06-06T18:42:00.001-04:002008-08-05T09:03:17.334-04:00

Updated belowAdded 12 June 2007 - one last LOLSox. I don't intend to make a career of this. No, really! Perhaps Dover (frequent commenter on Surviving Grady) would like to take up the mantle, starting with this contribution... and this one, not strictly speaking a LOLSox.

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-27649310892769023102007-06-04T08:24:00.001-04:002008-08-05T09:02:39.740-04:00

While I apparently still have the LOLSox franchise pwned [Update: Oops, not any more! Talonväki has some], the LOL* field is getting crowded. Not only do we have LOLcode [I mean, really!], but today I learn from the estimable Mark Liberman about the philolsophers phenomenon. For reasons of my own, I prefer this one.UPDATE: upon further examination, this is my new favorite.UPDATE 2: A winna and

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-17670147755262590152007-06-03T19:13:00.001-04:002008-08-05T09:04:06.847-04:00

Final Update: More LOLSox here and general LOL mayhem here. And that's my last word on the subject. Until my next one, that is.

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-7057964082542170002007-04-13T04:08:00.000-04:002007-06-07T15:28:56.655-04:00

...go to you, protectors of our liberities, defenders of our rights.Our valiant armed forces deserve way more than what they've had so far.Let the sun shine in!

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-14102796558657361092007-04-12T20:49:00.000-04:002007-04-12T20:55:30.474-04:00

So now coturnix has added me to his (expansive) blogroll.I've lots to say but no time to say it.Everyone coming here from Blog Around the Clock, welcome!I'll update my own blogroll when I have the time (Not soon, I think)But - It will be worth the wait, I hope.I'll also write about my severely mixed feelings about being linked and the whole thing at that point. So stay tuned.Yrs, night musing

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-65793107455270312352007-03-08T18:55:00.000-05:002007-06-07T15:29:36.106-04:00

I've started a post which, due to the vagaries of blogger, may be posted in the future but dated today. And then I learned that Waxman, the Elliot Ness of the House, has anticipated my wildest desires usurped me by announcing that he will hold a hearing on the ISSUE OF WHETHER OR NOT it was legal to reveal that Valerie Plame was working for CIA.Dang, I never thought I'd be defending the rights of

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22475994.post-88182840979994471672007-02-20T23:14:00.002-05:002008-08-05T09:37:29.546-04:00

From second-funniest physics blogger Scott Aaronson over at Shtetl-Optimized, in the midst of a discussion of the (non-) role of belief in science, we find the no-doubt-about-it, hands-down, no-fat, cut-to-the-chase, purified essence of what we do when we do mathematics:To say that science is about backing up your claims with evidence doesn’t go far enough — it would be better to say that the

A little night musinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353729135860233007noreply@blogger.com0