In my last post, I made reference to a video of a fellow named Matt Harding as he danced in various locations throughout the world (some exotic, some common, a few I've been to, or, recently, been very close to --- indeed, I rode a train right past the cathedral in Cologne, even though I didn't have time to stop in). I still find this video (and ( Read more... )

Just got back from a conference in Copenhagen and Bonn. Awesome time. Met lots of great people, got excited about various parts of math, made some friends and felt part of a great community. This kind of large-scale connection is very energizing ( Read more... )

While not rich, my family has managed (somehow) to never quite be poor, either. It has been a close thing on many occasions. Now, I'm financially independent, and presumably competent enough that I will (knock on wood) never experience financial hardship that threatens my ability to get food or shelter ( Read more... )

In fact, many students I’ve spoken to have little sense of the big questions those technical details collectively try to answer: Where did the universe come from? How did life originate? How does the brain give rise to consciousness? Like a music curriculum that requires its students to practice scales while rarely if ever inspiring them by playing ( Read more... )

From someone I haven't seen since high school, and was a couple of years younger than me:

(11:42:25 PM): your still in school?!
(11:42:27 PM): god damn lol
(11:42:36 PM): been liek 20 years

The blogs are afire with reminiscences of Ted Kennedy, almost as if his brain cancer had already killed him. They cite his incredible accomplishments, his hand in so much crucial legislation; agree with him or not (and, given my general political leanings, you can assume that I do), he has had a huge influence in shaping the laws that have guided ( Read more... )

The New York Times has a fascinating biography of Huntington Hartford II, the inheritor of the A & P fortune who managed to spend it in quite an astonishing mix of projects. This look into what one can do with a great deal of money --- and do badly --- is tremendously fascinating.

Cello players: someone knows our pain.

(I'm not normally a fan of stand-up comedians, but this was delightful. However, what is far worse is the Palladio, better known as the "De Beers Diamonds commercial song," which is longer and has the most incredibly repetitive cello part ever...)

His endorsement today of Barack Obama was really excellent. It was a great speech --- better, I thought, than many of his speeches on the stump --- and reminded me why I like him so much, even if I think things wouldn't go very well with him as president ( Read more... )

I can't tell if the degree to which my mood improved after the election results is a good thing --- because I feel so much better --- or worrisome that it indicates how much of an impact this all has on me.

But I feel so much better now.