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Random post of randomness
May. 16th, 2011 07:57 pm
I walked into work today. I'm in week 3 after my fall and I needed to know if I could make it on foot. It usually takes me 20-25 minutes, depending on the weather; today it took me 40. I expected that, but I think it was too early to try such a long walk. By the time I got to the bottom of the hill I was really struggling. For some reason walking on a slope is much harder, and going down is actually more difficult than going up. So I guess tomorrow I need to swallow my pride and ask Sis to drive me in again.
Oddly, I appear to have lost weight since my fall. You'd think with the lack of exercise if anything the opposite would have happened. I doubt it shows, but the belt does not lie :)
Other "me" news: Summergen assignments went out yesterday. I got the usual bounce-errors from perfectly okay email addresses: there always seems to be a random few that just will not go through no matter what I do. But it all works out in the end.
I decided to take part as a writer myself this year; I enjoy modding the challenge but I've missed writing for it. I counted myself out of that part in the past two years because of the time-factor: modding does take time and I was worried I wouldn't be able to fulfil an assignement, too. It would look really bad for the mod to default, wouldn't it?
But this year I'll do it. Of course, this meant I had to submit a set of prompts and assign someone to write for me. That's another issue, because I know it would intimidate me to get assigned the mod as a recipient...but hopefully the person who got my prompts isn't as paranoid as I am!
And in case that person is reading this post: please don't worry about whether or not I'll like your fic. If it even vagely fits one of the prompts I gave, and it's gen, I'm going to love it :)
Non-"me" news:
The FT reports that MacDonalds is going to replace its cashiers with touchscreen terminals in Europe. I can't help wondering if they'll build sound in, too. After all, what would a visit to MacEvil be without being asked if I want fries with that? I have to say, I do like this idea. I don't know what it's like elsewhere, but honestly I really loathe ordering anything at MacEvil. I mean, eating their food ain't much fun, either, but having to yell out my order because the backgound noise is so damn loud, then having to make the cashier repeat themselves over and over when they offer their pointless fries - for the same reason - is a horrid experience. A drive-through I don't need a car to use is about the right level for that particular chain.
And another weird headline: the Guardian reports on Stephen Hawkins' atheism...did anyone with an interest in the man or the subject not know this already?
Oh! But on a related point, I finally found an unabridged recording of The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins! I've wanted to read that for ages but for some reason I understand Dawkins far better in audio. I've tried reading some of his works that aren't available as audio and I find it really hard going. But the exact same words being read to me are crystal clear. My data absorption quirks aside, it's a fascinating book. Parts of it are a bit too mathematical for me: I'm left having to take a lot of it "on faith". But it's a much more optimistic view of evolution than I'm used to, closer to David Attenbrough than "nature red in tooth and claw". I need to listen a few more times, but I'm sold.
And the reason I'm bringing it up,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
admiralandrea I know you've moved on from Numb3rs but there's a lot in this book about game theory and suchlike that you might enjoy, if you still have an interest. Dawkins is no Charlie Eppes, but he explains it clearly.
Oddly, I appear to have lost weight since my fall. You'd think with the lack of exercise if anything the opposite would have happened. I doubt it shows, but the belt does not lie :)
Other "me" news: Summergen assignments went out yesterday. I got the usual bounce-errors from perfectly okay email addresses: there always seems to be a random few that just will not go through no matter what I do. But it all works out in the end.
I decided to take part as a writer myself this year; I enjoy modding the challenge but I've missed writing for it. I counted myself out of that part in the past two years because of the time-factor: modding does take time and I was worried I wouldn't be able to fulfil an assignement, too. It would look really bad for the mod to default, wouldn't it?
But this year I'll do it. Of course, this meant I had to submit a set of prompts and assign someone to write for me. That's another issue, because I know it would intimidate me to get assigned the mod as a recipient...but hopefully the person who got my prompts isn't as paranoid as I am!
And in case that person is reading this post: please don't worry about whether or not I'll like your fic. If it even vagely fits one of the prompts I gave, and it's gen, I'm going to love it :)
Non-"me" news:
The FT reports that MacDonalds is going to replace its cashiers with touchscreen terminals in Europe. I can't help wondering if they'll build sound in, too. After all, what would a visit to MacEvil be without being asked if I want fries with that? I have to say, I do like this idea. I don't know what it's like elsewhere, but honestly I really loathe ordering anything at MacEvil. I mean, eating their food ain't much fun, either, but having to yell out my order because the backgound noise is so damn loud, then having to make the cashier repeat themselves over and over when they offer their pointless fries - for the same reason - is a horrid experience. A drive-through I don't need a car to use is about the right level for that particular chain.
And another weird headline: the Guardian reports on Stephen Hawkins' atheism...did anyone with an interest in the man or the subject not know this already?
Oh! But on a related point, I finally found an unabridged recording of The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins! I've wanted to read that for ages but for some reason I understand Dawkins far better in audio. I've tried reading some of his works that aren't available as audio and I find it really hard going. But the exact same words being read to me are crystal clear. My data absorption quirks aside, it's a fascinating book. Parts of it are a bit too mathematical for me: I'm left having to take a lot of it "on faith". But it's a much more optimistic view of evolution than I'm used to, closer to David Attenbrough than "nature red in tooth and claw". I need to listen a few more times, but I'm sold.
And the reason I'm bringing it up,
admiralandrea I know you've moved on from Numb3rs but there's a lot in this book about game theory and suchlike that you might enjoy, if you still have an interest. Dawkins is no Charlie Eppes, but he explains it clearly.
