Adventures in the Colonial 'burg: September 2008

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Question to the code gods

What am I doing wrong? I feel as though I have done all to appease you. Perhaps I got to cocky while writing the code. Perhaps I took for granted that when I run the code, that it should do what it is told to. I don't want to anger the machines, for after engulfing myself in the Terminator movies and TV series, as well as Battlestar Galactica, I know what goes wrong when you anger the machines. But seriously, if I tell it to print out the letter "A", it should print out the goddamn letter "A"!!!*

-----

* Note: I am doing something more complicated that printing out the first letter of the alphabet, I just want to point that out...

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

On to Bonn

So I made my flight arrangements to Bonn. It's a short trip. I fly out October 21, and return on the 24th. Just enough time to get jet lag headaches. But it's all good. I had a minor crisis as to which flight to choose, but that got solved for me (of the two to choose from, one wasn't really an option because it had already sold out). Now I just wait.

Well, and prepare for my trip to Trento.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Wrong Diagnosis

Tomorrow I'm going to meet Maggie and some friends of hers at a bar in the West Village to celebrate the two-year anniversary of one of her Innocence Project exonerations. The case is devastating: the exoneree, who is now 34, was wrongly convicted of rape when he was sixteen, and then spent the next sixteen years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Worse yet, he has Asperger Syndrome, which was part of the reason why he was unfairly targeted by police in the first place. So, in anticipation of meeting him tomorrow, and having absolutely nothing better to do on a Friday night, I decided to look up some information on AS. Here is what Wikipedia had to say:

"Unlike those with autism, people with AS are not usually withdrawn around others; they approach others, even if awkwardly, for example by engaging in a one-sided, long-winded speech about a favorite topic while being oblivious to the listener's feelings or reactions, such as signs of boredom or haste to leave. This failure to react appropriately to social interaction may appear as disregard for other people's feelings, and may come across as insensitive. People with AS may analyze and distill their observation of social interaction into rigid behavioral guidelines and apply these rules in awkward ways—such as forced eye contact—resulting in demeanor that appears rigid or socially naïve...

Pursuit of specific and narrow areas of interest is one of the most striking features of AS. Individuals with AS may collect volumes of detailed information on a relatively narrow topic such as dinosaurs or deep fat fryers, without necessarily having genuine understanding of the broader topic...

Language acquisition and use is often atypical. Abnormalities include verbosity; abrupt transitions; literal interpretations and miscomprehension of nuance; use of metaphor meaningful only to the speaker; unusually pedantic, formal or idiosyncratic speech; and oddities in loudness, pitch, intonation, prosody, and rhythm."

By the end of the article, I had come to realize the sad, simple truth about life in academia: this, virtually without exception, describes everyone I know.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

No politics today

I need to take a break from my stressing over the election, so I will not discuss anything pertaining to that now.

Instead I will muse on the possibly new or returning upstairs neighbors. The apartment above mine has had the most turnover I've ever seen in one year, with four distinct groups of tenants (or one could call them "families"). The most recent had been elephants, as far as we could tell, who I imagine felt as though the most fun to be had was by walking back and forth through their apartment for hours on end. No stomping, but there was so much creaking that I often worried about the stability of the floors. If one of the residents was who I think it was, then I'm shocked, because although she was not skinny, she was nowhere near elephant-size.

They also enjoyed the bass, so much where Corbett would have to leave the house because he couldn't concentrate. Notes were left and that problem was solved, and right after Corbett returned to New York, they moved out, and it's been quiet since.

Well, now there are people there again, but this time I saw no moving trucks, or anyone moving in (could've happened while I was at work). I think they are new elephants with rocking chairs. These people like to rock back and forth (or there are other things they are doing, but I don't want to imagine) from 7am to 8am, making my last hour of sleep nonexistent. Hopefully this rocking behavior will not be a regular thing, or I'll have to figure out how to survive.

How does one get rid of elephants?

Monday, September 15, 2008

Palin vs the Minister

Here's an article at Salon.com about Palin and her scary evangelicals... This pastor wrote a book called "Pastor, I am Gay," which is one of the books she wanted banned from the Wasilla library. He likens homosexuals to, well, just let me quote straight from the article:

'In his book, Bess suggests that gays have a divine mission. "Look back at the life of our Lord Jesus. He was misunderstood, deserted, unjustly accused, and cruelly killed. Yet we all confess that it was the will of God, for by his wounds we are healed ... Could it be that the homosexual, obedient to the will of God, might be the church's modern day healer-messiah?"'

So that may be a little extreme, as I would never think that gays are modern-day messiahs, although this guy gives me hope in our society, considering he is two generations my senior, a baptist minister, and he is fighting for gay rights.

There's another person (a composer and teacher) she has a discussion with in this article about creationism, and he says in the article, "I pushed her on the earth's creation, whether it was really less than 7,000 years old and whether dinosaurs and humans walked the earth at the same time. And she said yes, she'd seen images somewhere of dinosaur fossils with human footprints in them."

But the most frightening part of this article is the next paragraph:

[The teacher] also asked Palin if she truly believed in the End of Days, the doomsday scenario when the Messiah will return. "She looked in my eyes and said, 'Yes, I think I will see Jesus come back to earth in my lifetime.'"

This frightens me so much, I honestly do not know if I can sleep tonight.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

No capitol building for now...

You may have noticed the change above in the image. I decided that the Capitol building here in the 'burg needs to go into hiding for the next two months. Unlike Laurie (as of a couple weeks ago), I have drank the Obama Kool-aid, and it is delicious.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Which McCain are we getting?

I hate to use the Daily Show as a spectacular example of campaigning for Obama, as well as good journalism, but it's telling that no one in the media (nor is Obama's campaign) pointing out the two McCains that were mentioned at the DNC by John Kerry. Below is the Daily Show's McCain biography video. The important part is Part Two, specifically from timestamp 3:30 onward.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

"Democrats must learn some respect"

I feel compelled to chime in on the political discussion Christopher started below. I, too, read the Clive Crook article in the Financial Times, and found it simultaneously angering, upsetting, and thought provoking. I grudgingly agree with the author (whom I'm still not sure isn't Republican!) about an urban liberal contempt for rural/suburban voters who fall under the categories of religious, blindly patriotic, and socially conservative. I often feel something close to such contempt when I hear right-wing politicians talk about immigration, health care, guns, abortion, gay marriage, capital punishment, etc. And yet, I understand that there is a seeming contradiction in the liberal notion of standing up for the "common man", by which many people usually mean religious, middle-class, and suburban, while at the same time discounting the political opinions of conservative voters because they might be religious, middle-class, and suburban.

The problem goes deeper than this, though, because I don't think that there is any valid excuse for ignorance, or cruelty. Can we accept the political opinions of anyone who unquestioningly believes that "Muslims are terrorists," or "Mexicans are ruining our schools," or "Black people are criminals," or "Homosexuals are going to Hell"? Can we respect someone who honestly believes that poor people choose to be poor, or that uninsured Americans with cancer or AIDS deserve no right to medical care?

The author says that liberals' "constant support for Democratic views has nothing to do with bias, in their minds, but reflects the fact that Democrats just happen to be right about everything." My only response is that, in many cases, "Hell yes, they are right!" I'm sorry, but I cannot learn respect for people who carry the above views, regardless of whether such views are ultimately rooted in religion or tradition or unworldliness or ignorance or whatever. For me to "develop some regard for the values that the middle of the country expresses when it votes Republican" is in some way to embrace a part of American society, admittedly a substantial part, that I am rarely proud of. If this is "close-minded" or "intolerant," labels conservatives throw at Democrats all the time, I would only say that the one thing that can't be tolerated is intolerance itself, and that includes intolerance of anything that disagrees with "good old-fashioned American family (read: overwhelmingly white, Christian, heterosexual) values". I would remind such people that democracy does not mean majority rule, and individual freedom can never exist without social equality. But alas, I'm preaching to the choir....

Yay Lazy!

I'm so glad I was lazy this morning and drove to school! I used the fact that it "might rain" as an excuse, but now just started pouring outside. It may clear up shortly, but I'm just glad that I was lazy.

Sometimes it works in my favor!

Obama '08

The election is going to both excite me and kill me the next two months. I realize that everyone has differing opinions about who will do a better job, but I also realize that I am not able to talk to unintelligent people anymore. I get rather tired of the "I get a bad feeling about this guy," or "there's just something wrong here" notion that people spew so as to justify who they are voting for. I mean, seriously? Since when should we personally like the guy in office? I know this has been said over and over, but I have to repeat it. We should not want a mirror copy of ourselves in office! I mean, seriously, I know I am a wonderful person with lots to offer the world, and quite honestly the universe would be a sad place without me, but would I want myself in office?! Hell, no. I want the person who is most qualified and also agrees with as much as what I believe in as possible.

There was an interesting article in the Financial Times (note, if it asks you to register, just copy the link directly from this blog and paste into your browser, the FT is annoying this way) that talks about why people who the "Democrats are fighting for" are not voting for the Democrats. It was a little badly written in that it clearly has the view "Dems good, GOP evil," (I don't disagree but a news article should in principle be a little less obvious), but makes some good points. Mostly: Obama is not elitist, he's an intellectual (which people in this country fear, because that means he's smarter than a lot of people, including myself).

The main area that it states that Democrats have gone wrong in getting those with similar views to vote the opposition is that they are "condescending" in how they speak to Americans. I imagine I don't feel that way because I look past that and just listen to what the person is saying it; not his/her tone. But the majority of Americans, it seems, cares more about "not what he said, but the way he said it" I'm reminded of a certain scene in Friends where Joey says this about something Chandler said, and then freaks out because, "Oh my God! I'm a woman!" In my everyday life, in my interactions with people, I fall into this category. The overly emotional and overly senstive person (the stereotypical woman, as is seen in that Friends episode, but I am certain everyone can come up with roughly an equal number of members of either sex who act this way). While I am this way normally, I remove this feeling when I watch a politician speak. I turn a bit cold and forget how they are saying what they are saying (even though any well-given speech will of course excite some emotion in me), but just listen to the words.

What is it about people who cannot do this? Is it the fact that we are in a society that likes to think of everyone around as a peer? Thus, if someone who is much smarter than we are starts talking about things we don't understand (or in a way we don't understand, like many Physicists when talking to non-scientists), he or she is immediately some elite snob who just thinks he or she is better than us. I think this is probably what happens, and it allows everyone to automatically become better than everyone else. "She is an elitist, and I'm down to earth, so she clearly is a worse person than I." "He is an idiot, so I'm so much smarter than him."

I think we do this both ways, and this is possibly one of the requirements of the winner of this election. You have to balance being smart enough to know what to say, when to say it, and how to articulate yourself while not sounding to high and mightly. With that, you must also make it seem like you are no smarter nor stupider than everyone in America, so that people don't think they are better nor worse than you for whatever reason.

What is sad is that this revelation, while not terribly new in my mind, frightens me. It worries me that the majority of voters are nowhere near as smart as, hell, either of the candidates, and wouldn't understand the details of policy (I do lump myself here, so I'm not just shitting on everyone else; I don't understand that much of the intricacies of how the US actually functions and that is why you should never vote for me for a public office. In case you were thinking it.).

It all comes down to this: Do you vote for the candidate you most agree with or the one you would rather have a beer with after work?. Luckily for me, I can say this year that it is the same candidate on both issues. Hand me a Guiness.

Monday, September 8, 2008

?

I don't know what Sonya's talking about, because on my side of town we got a ton of rain on Saturday thanks to Hanna. Perhaps she just started on those mimosas early?

Yes, though, we survived the not really a tropical storm but just a very long rain shower that came through here this weekend. Dante was okay with it, as there was no thunder. I enjoyed using the rain as an excuse to catch up on my television watching and not feeling bad that I didn't do anything or go anywhere. Of course, that "loser feel" came to me on Sunday, the sunny and beautiful day that I should have spent at the park with Dante, but whatever. I had grading to do (yes, for all four students), and other things to do. You know, like. Um. Shut up.

Actually, I have to say my weekend, while verging on "boring," was very relaxing. Chilling with Dante, catching up with people on the phone, reading, and watching movies I've meant to watch for a while is a great way to spend a weekend. I should have cleaned, or gone out or something, but I don't care. The rain was a perfect excuse to curl up on the couch and be lazy. I don't get that very often, and I like it every once in a while.

Friday, September 5, 2008

I think I missed something...

McCain said last night:

"Education is the civil rights issue of this century."

Huh. I didn't ever think education had to do with civil rights. In fact, everyone does have access to education (at least pre-college), even if it's not good. Of course it is important to improve this, as well as find ways to let everyone really have access to cheap/free good education all around. But I keep feeling like there was some other civil right that not everyone has.

Gee, what could it be? Oh well, I'll think of it later.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

God Dammit!

I have a code that takes 24 hours to run.

It was on hour 20.

It failed.

I have to start it over.

And this is the first of five jobs to run.

Palin and the AIP

I hesitate writing much about McCain's VP choice, just because I am, as most are, somewhat shocked at the decision. All of her skeletons are of course now falling out of the closet, and she can't control it, and of course I get a kick out of seeing that happen to anyone. I guess most of us do, which is why the media feeds this stuff to us.

One thing not getting much press, and now I think I know why, is Palin's possible link to the Alaskan Independence Party. This group apparently wants to secede from the US (I guess like most Texans still do), and there are hints that she has had affiliation with them in the past. Now, there is a YouTube video of her addressing their convention, so clearly she just completely agrees with them in all aspects.

It's odd, a non-story, and really irrelevant to what I think are in general her complete inappropriateness to being VP (today's electoral-vote.com has a good discussion of whether or not McCain's "I want a VP with a lot of experience" comment really meant anything; clearly it did not). However, I find it fascinating because of the fact that there are bunch of Alaskan's who are organized and trying to find ways to detach themselves from the US.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

90210

Yes. I watched it. I watched every thirst-quenching second of faux-teenage (and parental) melodrama that really seems to just want to attract all us 30-somethings that adored the original. It made my night and I will keep watching.

If for nothing else, to see Jessica Walter reprise her role of "Lucille" from Arrested Development. What is it about alcoholic women that we adore on the big or small screen?

And you know, you watched it too and you loved it.

Monday, September 1, 2008

And then there were four

Well, as expected, my class size has dropped to four (not expected because of any of the students per se, but I don't think I've ever had a class, and probably few have had classes, where everyone from the first day stayed through). It was a little disconcerting though today because everyone (save one) was late, and I don't like the idea of teaching to just one student. It's awkward. This is the problem with a graduate course which is an elective. Hopefully this will be a one-time (or just a few-time) occurrence.

Other than that the class is going well. Either the homework is too easy or they really work well together, because I've not been asked any questions regarding it. So that's a plus. I can't always tell if they understand what's going on in class, but alas, that's just my own little problem. We'll see what happens as the semester progresses.

And yes, it's Labor Day, and yes, I taught today. We hold classes on Labor Day. There is no rest for the thirst for knowledge!!

(No matter how much sleep sounds like a blessing.)