D.29.13 Lagging behind and Nerdfest

"Thus I use the term 'state of exception' to make clear a set of political and juridical phenomena which we are trying to define. This term, which has come from the German tradition, is Ausnahmezustand. This term is extraneous to the French or Italian scholars who prefer to speak of ...... [in a language I cannot understand] or in the Anglo-Saxon tradition the corresponding terms are 'martial law' or 'emergency powers.' In this sense the choice of the term 'state of exception' involves taking a position with respect to the very nature of phenomena." (here, emphasis added)

Abbott: I say Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know's on third. 

Costello: Are you the manager? 

Abbott: Yes. 

Costello: You gonna be the coach too? 

Abbott: Yes. 

Costello: And you don't know the fellows' names? 

Abbott: Well I should. 

Costello: Well then who's on first? 

Abbott: Yes. (here)

Zinn's history should not be in the Atheism segment.  Bullshit from Corpus Christi HBP.

Comfort food.  Great sandwich.

Haircut, Time's Barber shop.

Nerdfest happened.  Great success.

Trying to catch up, slowly buy steadily.

D.26.13 Still on the run

I can not believe this actually exists.

Honestly too cute.

---

The bridge. 

Good night. 

D.25.13 A little late, more San Antonio!

I am very late, so here are just some pictures from the day! (Sorry)

D.24.13 Catching up, part 2 - San Antonio

"Korean Tacos"

On the road.

Still on the road.

(here)

Identical.  End of story.

(here)

Cool flag.

Blurry, but the best I could get.  Totally fun to walk the River walk with draped lights dangling from trees, sprinkling color in the sky. 

Adventure continues in the morning.

D.23.13 Catching up, part 1

4 Days ago?

2 Days ago?



"Wash Hands"

"Since the end of the Cold War, the international community has on numerous occasions pondered or carried out armed interventions within sovereign states to address humanitarian contingencies such as genocide or severe civil conflicts.  Despite good intentions, interstate interventions rarely succeed in establishing permanent solutions to conflicts and humanitarian crisis within states (see Weiss, 1999; Weiss and Collins, 2000; Regan, 2000)." (Gizelis and Kosek, here)

(here)

(here)

"The worst possible thing is to imagine that we know when we do not know: it is far better to confess ignorance than to pretend to false knowledge.  And there is little doubt that on some important points, at any rate, we are still groping in the dark.  But if we all admit this, there is some chance that together we may find a road to the light." John Wilson, Language & The Pursuit of Truth (p.74)

"without a good deal of questioning, we shall not be able to discover truth: and without discovering truth, there can be no real progress."  (p.103)

"It does not require outstanding intelligence: it requires only patience and the desire to learn.  The results come with surprising speed. Let us at least try it, and see what happens."  (p.105)

Book 1/infinity done.

D.17.13 Monday? (I guess not)

"For example, it's stated over and over again that computer circuits exhibit only two states, a voltage for "one" and a voltage for "zero." That's silly! Any computer-electronics technician knows otherwise. Try to find a voltage representing one or zero when the power is off! The circuits are in a mu state." Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (here)

(here)

From humanoid robot heads to super-realistic prosthetic hands, the uncanny valley is where robots that give us the creeps live. It is the range between obvious cartoons and discernibly real people, where things look almost lifelike, and yet not quite believable. Peering into the uncanny valley is an uncomfortable experience. (here)



About to leave for break, but not through the Sally Port



Visiting high school friends, construction ruining the ride



Sorry inadvance (post office)



Early morning.  Today.  Anything before 7 should be illegal. 

D.14.13 Space and home

(Here)

How would the world have been different?

Was returning home the significant part of Space?

(Here)

There was a really great NPR segment about The Wizard of Oz being about Dorthy wanting to get away, that the whole story is about the desire for escape and the love of imagination. I loved the person who spoke on the issue, who looked at each tune from the 1939 film and saw a bigger picture.

Can a person go "back" to go forward?

Is home every the same as when you return to it?

(Here)

The Histomap.  What a cool idea.  While a little dated (the references to "Negroids" is displeasing,) it is a very cool idea and something that makes one think.

Can history, as a concept and as a study, be mapped?

What are the defining qualities of a map? What makes a map different from, say, art?

If time could be understood aesthetically, what would it look/feel/sound like?

I finished my history exam and my first semester as a freshman today.

The exam went well enough, but I am just happy to be done.

I received my grade back from my FWIS final and it was very good - perhaps the best grade I have/will receive(d) this semester. 

Cool way to end.

And begin.

D.13.12 Hmmm?

(Here)

The variety of noises is infinite. If today, when we have perhaps a thousand different machines, we can distinguish a thousand different noises, tomorrow, as new machines multiply, we will be able to distinguish ten, twenty, or thirty thousand different noises, not merely in a simply imitative way, but to combine them according to our imagination. (Here, emphasis added)

(Here)

In the operating room there were whispered introductions: "Dr. Remington, Dr. Mitty. Dr. Pritchard-Mitford, Dr. Mitty." "I've read your book on streptothricosis," said Pritchard-Mitford, shaking hands. "A brilliant performance, sir." "Thank you," said Walter Mitty.  (James Thurber, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Here, emphasis added)

(Here)

My last exam for the semester is tomorrow.