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Sketch for a fanfic about the One Ring
Here's a sketch for a story-- I might never write the whole thing, but I think the idea is good enough that I don't want to lose it completely. As usual with such things, this idea is free to a good home if you write it up. Credit is appreciated but not demanded.
For some time, I've thought that the Ring in LOTR is an interesting viewpoint character ( Read more... ) -
A good recipe for lamb cubes, or probably for just about anything
Successful cooking: Lamb cubes cooked on high with olive oil in an electric wok for maximum heat.
Black pepper, salt, and vinegar with some honey (Bragg brand) until the lamb is cooked.
Then lemon juice, peppermint (Burlap & Barrel Euphrates mint, which is very strong and sweet, but any peppermint leaves would be good), and chopped parsley.
These ( Read more... ) -
Good times in biology
Long piece about how much research is happening in biology.
https://guzey.com/how-life-sciences-actually-work/#universities-seem-to-maximize-their-profits-with-good-research-being-a-side-effect
Part of it is about how much you need to investigate to have a well-informed opinion-- in this case, about the condition of a science.
Part of it is about, ( Read more... ) -
Spicy Seafood soup
I made a spicy fish soup which could help take your mind off your problems, at least if you like spicy food.
I bet a mild version would be good, too.
1 1/2 pounds mahi-mahi, sliced thin
sour mustard (Chinese pickled greens)
good-sized can of crushed tomatoes
medium pile of button and shitake mushrooms
some Chinese chives (about equivalent to a medium ( Read more... ) -
Protest, resistance, challenge
An excellent essay about different degrees of putting pressure on a government. It's by Orion.
*****
I have an intuition that one of the most important things for a functional society to do is to get everyone on the same page about who the legitimate authorities are, or if that's impossible, at least prevent them from literally fighting about it. ( Read more... ) -
A Christmas poem by R. A. Lafferty
For those who celebrate, and also for those who like bouncy poetry.
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YES, SANTA CLAUS, THERE IS A VIRGINIA
Of trumpet-lightning and a womb that lept for us
One promise made for us and ever kept for us
(Behold a man a-waiting in Jerusalem
Named Simeon and older than Methusalem) -
One Central Thing, before the Day-Star, cited yet
The Word that lights ( Read more... ) -
A boy and his BB gun
Art dominates reality.
This classic is about a boy who desperately wants a Daisy Red Rider BB gun with a compass and a sundial in the stock even though every adult within range tells him he'll shoot his eye out has a side story.
That model with the compass and the sundial doesn't exist, but under pressure, Daisy built the gun.... and then offered it ( Read more... ) -
Cave exploration robot contest
https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/robotics-hardware/darpa-subt-team-csiro-data-61?fbclid=IwAR2mkZpV3Qbs3b0gJhae5aX6BWtA3MGY7yIAhaOpG9hHls3O4oLC42crLbk#.X8m
This is incredibly cool-- an Australian team has a combined robot on tracks and drone team for cave exploration.
Sometimes it's more competent on its own, sometimes the human operators ( Read more... ) -
Risks of coronavirus-- eating in restaurants dangerous, movie theaters safe
https://zeynep.substack.com/p/small-data-big-implications?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=cta
Airflow matters a *lot* for virus transmission. Eating in indoor restaurants is quite risky. So are events where people are talking loudly or breathing hard. Movie theaters seem to be pretty safe.
Zeynep Tufekci is a very thoughtful person and this is a look ( Read more... ) -
Efforts to create a sarcasm detector
https://venturebeat.com/2020/11/18/ai-researchers-made-a-sarcasm-detection-model-and-its-soo-impressive
China is doing this-- not just China (more in additional links), but this is terrifying. People there may have to guess how much enthusiasm is too much enthusiasm.
A lot of people would like to be able to detect sarcasm mechanically, it's not just ( Read more... )