Tag: reflections

My philosopher Mika says:

These are robots that can walk through crowds without bumping into people. I almost feel that humans need to develop that skill rather than robots.

But nonetheless, it may someday become useful to have such robots.

Several days ago, I got a message from David G. Reichert, my representative in the U.S. House of Representatives (and the incumbent candidate in one of the New York Time’s "Races to Watch"). His letter started out:

As your Representative in Congress, I want to share with you some of the work I have been doing to assist orphans in underdeveloped countries.

I grew up in a family that adopted several orphans from underdeveloped countries so I’m glad to see this happening — I really am.

But what really makes me happy is that I get to hear from my elected representative unsolicited — for the first time, no less — advertising his work on such a controversial subject. He seems perfectly willing to stand up for what he believes in, even if it means that he loses the crucial anti-developing-nation-orphan vote.

Who would design consumer electronic products around technological necessity when they could design them around clever bits of word play?

I came up with the idea for an "iPod Tripod" — if you will, a "TriPod" — and was thrilled to see that someone else had already (a) stumbled upon the same little rhyme and (b) followed through on the idea and was already selling a product!

The review I read seemed to indicate that the execution was not quite as good as the name. But then again, how could it be?

It’s worth nothing that many people seem to have a hard time spelling, "it’s worth noting."

I bought a TV-B-Gone a few years back. It’s been fun. I make a point of never turning off a TV that anyone is obviously watching and have only once had anyone turn a television back on. Most people find it easier to just talk to the person sitting across the table than to turn the TV back on.

The only problem is that I can never really tell in advance when I’ll need my TV-B-Gone and so frequently end somewhere wishing I had one when I’ve left it at home. What I really need is a TV-B-Gone-B-Here.

In my mailbox today (links are added):

Dear Boston Vegetarian Society List,

The curator of the World Carrot Museum will be joining us at Happy Buddha on a visit from the UK!

I’ve never met anyone who has created a museum about a vegetable but I’m intrigued. I’m also pleased to see that similar ventures exist for vegetables that I enjoy even more than carrots.

XM Radio claims that it’s "Beyond AM. Beyond FM." I’m sure that’s the case. I’m a little less clear on what it is, outside of the first letter in the acronym, they are modulating.

During Wikimania, I was explaining to someone that Aziz Ridouan (Audionautes) was staying at Elizabeth Stark’s apartment, that Elizabeth Stark was staying at Jean-Baptiste Soufron’s apartment, and that Jean-Baptiste Soufron was staying at my apartment.

In fact, all four of us have slept at least one night at both the Acetarium and at Jean-Baptiste’s apartment in the last month and a half.

What do you a call someone who studies meteors?

No, really.

I feel like people should not give software for physicians names that are a one letter substitution away from "malpractice".

Namie Amuro is a very famous Japanese pop star. Mika pointed me to her most recent album. The title is, Can’t Eat, Can’t Sleep, I’m Sick.

I like the title! While Namie goes into some detail on the nature of her malady in the title of her piece, I think it would be even better if she did so more.

Like, for example, in my new upcoming single, Can’t Think Straight, Can’t Stop Vomiting, I’m Sick.

My friend Seth recently pointed out that the Brazilian Real coins look strikingly similar to the Euro coins.

I agree. This was something that I noticed on my last trip to Brazil as well. In fact, they are so similar I had trouble telling which one were the knockoffs or which were Real!

Mika and I applied for membership at the Boston Athenæum today.

In addition to paying the USD $160 yearly fee, were each asked to provide three references who can attest to care for books. That’s right; three references to get a library card. This is a very good library. We’ll hopefully hear back about our application within two weeks. If we are accepted, we’ll be able to take guests into the library with us.

The Athenæum has, among other things, a copy of Narrative of the life of James Allen, alias George Walton, alias Jonas Pierce, alias James H. York, alias Burley Grove, the highwayman. Being his death-bed confession, to the warden of the Massachusetts state prison. It is bound in the authors skin.

Apparently, while rare, this is not entirely uncommon. The Harvard Law Library has another example of anthropodermic bibliopegy and just a couple months ago, someone found a book bound in human skin in the middle of the street in Leeds.

It’s about time for a wrap-up on the recent major event in my life.

On May 29th, Mika Matsuzaki and I were married.

The festivities kicked off with a parade through Somerville’s Davis Square. Andres Salomon kept rhythm on drums and, thanks to my new lab adviser Chris Csikszentmihályi, we had a couple dozen other wikipedians, hackers, technologists, and biologists keeping tune on kazoos. Like all good Somerville parades, we forgot our parade permit. Which was fine.

On the marginally more traditional side, we exchanged vows (written under a mathematical constraint — Mika’s idea) and rings. The marriage was made official by Oxford/Harvard professor of "Cyberlaw" — who I once worked as teachers’ assistant for many years ago — and Massachusetts Justice of the Peace, Jonathan Zittrain.

We ended the day watching the sunset with the serious party-goers from out of town, Debian, and the FSF. Then off to dinner and "happily ever after."

Lots more pictures are linked the Cambridge wedding page on our wedding wiki. If you have pictures, you should link them there or mail them to use and we’ll upload them. If you want to send messages of congratulations, please visit that page for mailing instructions (best!) or a wiki page to write them up on.

Just yesterday, we received (via Joey Hess) four wonderful pages of tightly packed congratulations messages from the attendees at DebConf. Although it’s not a constitutional matter, I’m pretty confident we had more than 3Q developers signing that form which, in a Debian election methods sort of way, really warms my heart. Thank you everyone! It’s really too bad we missed DebConf but we’re both determined to make next year!