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There was a two part radio programme on Radio 4 called PC RIP? about the history of political correctness. It didn't have that much that was new to me, but it did structure the ideas well, and was engaging - which usually enough to make a radio programme worth listening to.
One of the things it reminded me about was the rant Stewart Lee gave on ( Read more... ) -
science fiction question
I'm not reading much at the moment, because I'm being several kinds of rubbish, but amongst the reading that I am doing is a little H. P. Lovecraft. Whenever I read science fiction, and some of Lovecraft clearly is that, I'm always struck by the Zeerust (the way that the futuristic view of the world is incredibly dated and based on science or ( Read more... ) -
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I'm reading Popper's Conjectures and Refutations at the moment, looking for the quote about science and magic that I read ages ago and have since lost. In the section where he's discussing epistemology and the sources of knowledge I found this:
So my answer to the questions "How do you know? What is the source or basis of your assertion? What ( Read more... ) -
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I just walked into the office and an officemate was on the phone, speaking in a clear monotone with with slightly-too-long spaces between each word.
You know the way that people tend to take on speech patterns, phrases, and mannerisms of people they're talking to? I hadn't consciously realised till right now that we do the same when talking to -
Graduation
There is a certain class of man who feels that when they put on a dinner jacket that they are, in fact, James Bond. Not being a fan of 007 I've never quite felt the same, however when I put my robes on a few minutes ago I did feel as if I ought to be able to throw fireballs. -
Hyperbolic crocheted coral reef!
Just listened to last Friday's Front Row, and have found out that the institute of figuring have produced a model of the Great Barrier Reef and it's on display at the Hayward! Apparently the Great Barrier Reef is a hyperbolic surface ( Read more... ) -
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I'm back in Southampton and starting to get back down to work, but I think I'll write this first. It's been such a lovely few weeks. When I started my break I made a list of things to do, and have largely done none of them, but as Jerome K Jerome says:
It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do. There is no fun ( Read more... ) -
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It was my flatmate Marty's birthday yesterday. We made her guess what her present was:
Marty: Is it bigger than a bread box?
Me:
No, it isn't bigger than a bread box.
Marty:
Is it smaller than a bread box?
Me: No, it isn't smaller than a bread box.
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more like a week actually
ed_fortune directed me to the flickr group Song Chart, where pop songs of varying degrees of popularity are represented in graph form.
There are some really witty, pithy, graphs even if they are sometimes quite obscure.
Unfortunately like indexed the ideas are often spoilt by the execution.
It's depressing how many don't understand graphsRunning with ( Read more... ) -
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Had intended to get work sorted this weekend, and while I have done some, I have inadvertently just ended up having a good time.
Yesterday I saw an Ideal Husband at the Nuffield. The best part had to be the end of Act 1, which the text describes as follows:
SIR ROBERT CHILTERN: Put out the lights, Mason, put out the lights!
[The servant puts ( Read more... )