Personal files

Looking for sapphires in Coober Pedy: Aluminum oxide in its alpha crystal form is a mineral called corundum. Pure corundum crystals are naturally colourless, but they usually contain impurities that give them colour, and they can be almost any colour. If they're red, these crystals are called rubies; if orange-pink, they're called padparadschas; and in any other case they're called sapphires. Blue sapphires are one notable variety.
(27 October 2009)
On rights, liberties, and claims: Roger Ebert wrote an excellent piece about the current US healthcare nonsense. I don't have a lot to say on that particular topic; I'm not sure how much interest it has for my readers, and he's much better positioned to talk about it and be listened to than I am. One thing I'd like to say, though, is that it reminds me how glad I am I'm living in Canada. Another thing is that, okay, Ebert talks about how "socialism" is a dirty word and used as an excuse for turning off one's brain. Any rational argument on US healthcare can be trumped by calling the other party "socialist." Well, in Canada's own health care debates, which are going on right now though on a much smaller scale than the ones in the States, we have a dirty word like that too. It's used as an excuse for abandoning rational thought. If you propose a plan and I disagree with it, all I have to do is accuse you of proposing a (this dirty word) plan, and that's it, I win, no more debate allowed. Just like calling someone "socialist" in the USA; but the dirty word in Canadian health care debates isn't "socialist."
(24 August 2009)
B.t.F.F.: I am surprised too, but I explain that I'm sure this is the Super bowl's channel. (3 September 2008)
Vehicle: This isn't a true story except metaphorically, but it's a pretty important one.
(26 July 2008)
On constructivism: I think that actually building things that work is often an underrated activity in computer science. Recently I had the experience, and it has happened to me many times before, of telling someone about work I'd done and getting the response, "Well, that's just engineering..." It's application of known principles; it doesn't help us learn new things; it's not capital-S Science; it's not valuable; it's just engineering.
(14 July 2008)
Stupid and entitled: When you think I am "stupid," then you lose the ability to convince me of anything. It doesn't matter whether you say it politely or say it at all. It doesn't matter whether you are right. Having that thought makes it impossible for you to communicate with me effectively. Is it worth it?
(1 June 2008)
Phantom invasion: I was watching television coverage of the war in some distant country. Which one was never mentioned but it seemed to be very hot and sandy. Even though it was a colour signal everything on the screen was yellowish tan. The mistress of the generalissimo at the head of one of the factions, had herself become an important figure in commanding troops and resolving what was going on. The television people had somehow gotten a camera into an important hideout of one of the factions and were broadcasting live video of her meeting with other officers. As I watched, the location suffered an attack and I saw them all grabbing weapons and running out the door. (8 March 2008)
Doing and being: You can do it, or you can be it. I mean that the things we do seem to have two different kinds of status: there are things to do, which are at arm's length from our identities, and things to be, which are actually part of how we define and describe ourselves. Think of someone who says "I'm an actress - but right now I'm waiting tables to support myself." An actress is something to be; waiting tables is something to do. It's possible to imagine someone saying the opposite: "I'm a waitress - but right now I'm doing some acting to get my name out in the community." That would have a different meaning, though, and it would be a more suprising meaning. The same actions can be things to do or things to be, we see a difference between those kinds of things, and some actions are expected to be more likely one kind or the other even though they can fall into either category. (2 January 2008)
The Ten Promises: I titled a recent comic strip Seventh Commandment as natural law because it's about a girl who claims that she didn't cheat on her boyfriend because (using a Meher Baba quote for support) all beings are one and infidelity is therefore impossible. The Seventh Commandment, of course, is from a different tradition entirely, but it's the one about adultery, so in that title I'm asking the question, what if it was a description of how the universe works instead of an imperative about how you ought to behave? I thought about that some more and realized that a similar question is worth asking about all the Ten Commandments, not just that one. (24 September 2007)
CQ Interplanetary: The woman had some kind of grievance against him which sounded similar to ours, involving credit card transactions; and she had written a poem about it, which she read. (23 February 2006)
The ugly woman: Many years ago I met a woman who was hired as a contractor by the place I worked at the time. My first impression of her was that she was extremely physically unattractive; but I thought about it a bit more because anyone who is extreme in any way is interesting, and I came to some realizations that seemed to me to be pretty important. (8 January 2006)
The secret sub: The tragic toll of dictionary replacement. (1 January 2005)
Zero of Queens: It was a brilliant and beautiful game concept, and extremely popular. (17 October 2004)
Kludge International: The FAA would take away his certification if he didn't have a fully operational coffee shop on the premises at all times. (1 March 2003)
Quand l'ignorance rčigne, la vie est perdue: Report from FROST.BOB III, the Winter 2003 talk.bizarre gathering. (15 February 2003)
PLEASE DO NO RAPE THE BAR: Report from AKT Boston: Blame it on Chris (28 July 2002)
Supermarket: Find the sucker who got nineteen and a third, and prepare him for the ordeals. (6 April 2002)
The chase game: Come on! Don't waste time! Single file! One at a time! Remember, single file only! (26 February 2002)
Chopsticks: He is convinced that the health effects of his machine can only be positive. (8 December 2001)
Table d'Hote: Report from FROST.BOB II, the Winter 2001 talk.bizarre gathering. (6 February 2001)
Sealtress of Time: I hope you can help me; I'm looking for a song. (14 January 2001)
Yon and Tinu: Not everyone who lives in the forest is human. (23 April 2000)
A dream of connectedness: Graph theory games, with Napolean and Conway. (2 January 2000)
Like I expected, only more so: Report from BAST.BOB, the Summer 1999 talk.bizarre gathering. (20 July 1999)
Coathanger: A transcribed dream. (1 December 1997)