I was taken to task recently for using the term "RPMs". "RPM is pural" [sic] came the response. True enough; I could've and should've left out the s. But I was tempted to be a wiseass and point out that RPM is not always plural, e.g. when talking about the speed of the second hand on a watch.
As long as we're on the subject: note that 1 RPM is fast enough to give a curved second hand image when scanned. (Yes, I am easily amused.)
Note also that if I'd designed that watch dial, the 12 would be a 0 and the 24 would be a 12.
Tuesday 11.23.04
A clothes store in town had a pair of factory second ("irregular") pants on hand, and offered them at a low price. I was wondering how well they'd fit; the seller asked me "Are you irregular?" (As if it wasn't obvious.)
Tuesday 11.16.04
Gotta love a language like English, with pitfalls like affect/effect (complete with meanings for the typical misuses: affect as a noun, effect as a verb). A document from AMD tells us
Using 8-bit sign-extended immediate values improves code density with no negative affects on the processor. (§4.9, p.85)Unlike John Searle, I don't dismiss strong AI; but I doubt that an Athlon or Opteron CPU is sophisticated enough to exhibit affect.
Saturday 11.13.04
When I was younger, I liked the fact that marriage didn't apply to gay people. I liked the absence of preordained structure; I liked the sense of freedom to define one's relationships from scratch.
I also liked not contending with all the other conventions associated with straight dating.
If you're straight, the institution of marriage looms large; you face the choice of conforming (getting married) or not. Choosing not to get married isn't the same as not facing the choice at all.
I appreciate the reaons for wanting recognition of gay marriage (or civil unions, or whatever). And I appreciate the value of structures and institutions for organizing a society. But me, I'm too much of a rebel to have much truck with conventions.
Saturday 11.06.04
I respect the desire to try to make something good out of the disaster that was this election. But I don't respect wishful thinking in any of its many guises. After the election, Andrew Sullivan--who'd endorsed Kerry--tried to look on the bright side and said "I'm a big believer in the deep wisdom of the American people." Is he on drugs? Half of America thinks Genesis is more accurate than Darwin; half of America thought Saddam Hussein was involved with 9/11.
Karma came up in two conversations with friends today. Both friends were dismayed by the election results, and remarked about what Bush and/or his supporters have coming to them, karmically.
I see no evidence for karma, and I try not to believe in things I see no evidence for. And I'm suspicious of beliefs that offer comfort; they are way too seductive. I'll also admit a bias of mine: I don't have much interest in doctrines of something happening in the future that will make things better. I'd been taught as a kid that there was an afterlife, and I believed it. When things weren't going well, it was a source of comfort. But shedding that belief at age 16 was one of the most liberating and exhilarating experiences of my life; it was an experience of truly valuing life for the first time--of feeling that this is it, that the present moment is not just a prelude.
The question is, can I still say this is it on days like Wednesday of this week, when I really wish things weren't the way they are.
I remember the frustration that friends and I felt during the Reagan and Bush père years. I remember Newt Gingrich and his agenda. But nothing I've seen in US politics has troubled me as much as this week's election results. These are dark times. Over the past few days, I've felt discouraged, upset, frustrated.
I went to sleep at the usual time Tuesday night, figuring there was no point in staying up for the results. I woke up in the wee hours of Wednesday morning with thoughts of the election running through my head. I didn't get a good night's sleep.
After getting the bad news later on Wednesday, I turned not to a belief for comfort but rather to a neutral, reliable source of solace: music. I played some Bach on the marimba.
To say one positive thing about karma: a belief in karma often goes hand in hand with an appreciation of justice. Even if I don't share my friends' belief in karma, I share their interest in justice. The difference is, I don't think justice is automatic; I think it needs to be upheld.
Justice has been a recurring theme in this online journal; for example, I've written about Amr Mohsen, about my friend in jail (see November 2, below), and about abuses in prisons. Justice is difficult; it is imperfect; it is time-consuming; it is costly--but imagine living without it.
Bush's legacy is one of contempt for justice: redefinition of torture, allowing indefinite detention without trial, and rejection of the World Court. Bush cites UN resolutions when they suit his purpose, and deems the UN irrelevant when it doesn't. I'm not saying the UN is thoroughly effective or honorable, but Bush's style of contempt for the UN--as exemplified by tapping phones and monitoring email of delegates as part of a press to get a desired vote on Iraq--does not set an example of fair play.
I don't see how anyone who cares about justice can not be troubled by Bush's record.
So. This election wasn't just about any single issue, but I heard many people say they supported Bush because they shared his values. I think it's fine to have strong values; my concern is about the kind of values Americans seem to have. Show contempt for justice, and use deceit to sell people on a war--and get reëlected?
As I'd said, I respect the desire to try to make something good out of the disaster that was this election. But I'm not very good at coming up with optimistic comments at moments like this.
Tuesday 11.02.04
I've written here, here, here, and here about a friend of mine in jail awaiting trial. Finally, he had his day(s) in court. I saw most of the proceedings, which started yesterday and continued into today. To cut to the chase: the jury hung. Ten found him guilty and two found him not guilty. I hear the prosecution wants to retry the case soon.
Testimonies conflicted with each other, which was painful for me to watch as I knew several of the witnesses. I wouldn't be surprised if jurors were skeptical about both sides of the story. I think my friend made some mistakes, but I think the potential sentence he faces is out of proportion to the offense he's charged with.
The judge read a long set of instructions to the jury before they went off to deliberate. My favorite line: do not toss a coin.
Monday 11.01.04
From a conversation a few days ago (after I'd heard something I thought was dubious):
| Tommy: | I'm not sure that's a strong argument. |
| interlocutor: | No, it's a weak argument. But it's an argument. |
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