There are two ways of constructing a software design: One way is to make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies, and the other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies. The first method is far more difficult.

- Sir C. A. R. Hoare
On the heels of I-guess-it-was-Wednesday-I-don't-keep-my-thumb-on-the- ( Read more... )

Tom Servo: Are you boys cooking up there?
Mike: No.
Tom Servo: Are you building an interociter?
Mike: No!

- Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie
If I had to sum up my life as an algorithm that can be expressed in one sentence, a good approximation might be "if it isn't working, try something else." I spent six and a half years in undergrad, for ( Read more... )

We are in the process of securing a full-depth, 1m80cm tall rack for the flat. It may be possible to squeeze it in the laundry room behind the dryer, although Tom is more of a mind to put it next to the refrigerator, as they're about the same height and it will get better airflow that way.

This will provide a home for thequux's massive collection of ( Read more... )

Before using a simile in persuasive writing, think of a story about only the object of the simile, such that the narrative makes the subject of the simile self-evident. Like a fable.

Truth is stranger than fiction because fiction has to make sense.

Quoth the White House Office of the Press Secretary:However, we oppose the current effort in the House to hastily dismantle one of our Intelligence Community’s counterterrorism tools. This blunt approach is not the product of an informed, open, or deliberative process. We urge the House to reject the Amash Amendment, and instead move forward with ( Read more... )

(The following, plus a few side anecdotes, was delivered at SIGINT 13, Cologne, Germany, July 5th, 2013. Here's the video.About a year and a half ago I was in Brussels for a workshop that Google and Privacy International hosted. The goal of this workshop was to develop policy language around privacy that Google could use in negotiating with ( Read more... )

If you are one of the people that Georgia Weidman refers to here:

Conference staff was originally very supportive. But then they went to hear his side of the story and they suddenly wouldn’t even look at me. I realize it’s a complicated situation, but what I hit myself in the eye? I asked an organizer point blank if he believed me, and he said he ( Read more... )

For many years, one of my rules for dating me has been: I do not date anyone crazier than I am. Note that I am known for singing in public and juggling fruit in the grocery store, so by "crazy" I do not mean "weird"; I mean "mentally unstable in ways that make it difficult for you to conduct your day-to-day life". Broken is okay. Demolished is not ( Read more... )

It occurred to me that I should say a little about the common thread that underpins pretty much everything I've written here since lifting radio silence, and will continue to do so for some time.

So I alluded to the whole aspie thing 1 a few posts back. The interesting thing there is, when I first decided to look into the various non-normative ( Read more... )

Lately I have much been enjoying the blog Slate Star Codex, which treads in sparkling prose much of the same rationality, ethics, cognitive science, &c ground that Less Wrong has gotten bad about stomping into dittoheady mud lately. By which I mean it's actually good and stuff. One recent post sparked off some recollections from, of all things, ( Read more... )