Comments | justben: Condition: improving

justben

Condition: improving

Jan 11, 2007 14:07

I've decided to try a half-day at the office today, and an hour or two in I've not yet died. I'm a bit tired but surviving.

In only marginally-related news, I've decided that I'll no longer refer to computer integer byte orders as little-endian and big-endian, but rather as Lilliputian and Blefuscudian whenever the opportunity allows and the ( Read more... )

geek, sick, spellchecker genius, health, humor

Comments 10

wheezinggirl January 11 2007, 23:24:10 UTC

I am glad to hear you are feeling better. I hope to see you on Saturday. *hugs*

justben January 12 2007, 05:05:46 UTC

Definitely feeling a lot better. Assuming the condition continues to improve, I shall definitely be around.

joyeuse13 January 12 2007, 03:51:34 UTC

*hug* feel better

justben January 12 2007, 05:06:25 UTC

Workin' on it. So far I'm progressing well.

I do need to figure out who to contact to explain why I'll be absent from choir for a bit...

joyeuse13 January 12 2007, 06:31:52 UTC

Your section leader, or you can email Bryan directly...

starlancer January 12 2007, 04:29:48 UTC

Why not Lilliputian and Brobdingnagian?

justben January 12 2007, 05:24:03 UTC

Didn't read the Wikipedia links, huh? Tsk, tsk ;-)

The Brobdingagians were the big contrast to the small Lilliputians, but the Lilliputians were only half of their story. The other half of their story were the Blefuscudians, a race of men similar in size to the Lilliputians. The actual story of the Lilliputians and the Blefuscudians was not, however, that they were small.

Their story is that their islands were forever at violent, horrible war over the proper way to eat a boiled egg. The Lilliputians were certain that the proper way to eat a boiled egg was to start at the little end. The Blefuscudians were just as certain that in fact the proper way to eat a boiled egg was to start at the big end. The supporters of these different and starkly-contrasting views took to calling each other "Little-endians" and "Big-endians".

This is the origin of the entry of the terms into the bytesex holy war. For a fine read, google "On holy wars and a plea for peace", from Danny Cohen in 1980 ( ... )

starlancer January 12 2007, 06:24:47 UTC

Ah, actually I read about the first paragraph and thought, "yeahyeah, I remember Lilliput and Brobdingnag, forgot about these other fellows but ok, ok..."

So, I read too little of it. Half or maybe one third of it. Half to two thirds of a mea culpa. "Mea c" perhaps.

starlancer January 12 2007, 06:26:28 UTC

Uh, and I didn't even click the one on big endian and little endian because, well, I thought I knew what those meant. I didn't realize they came from Guliver. So add a few more letters, I guess.

Thread 5