wink ;) - Archives for: November 2002

November 2002

2002.11.21

Licking my lips and patting my belly.

Trying to find a voice for this blog.

12:49 AM PST :: comments: 1

This blog is still trying to find its voice. I just don't know what kind of material I want to post on here. I wanted to post significant life stuff here, but the problem is that I live a fairly boring life. Significant stuff only comes along once in a while. If it came all the time, it wouldn't be significant.

Posting about the minutia in my life feels pointless. And it is really boring to read, mostly because I live a boring life, but also because I'm not quite witty enough or observant enough to make it worth reading.

I had also planned on posting original essays here, but I don't so much have the time to write those on a regualr basis, and I'm currently developing a different site where I'll need that material, so I shouldn't use it here. [more]

2002.11.20

error: divide by zero

08:36 PM PST :: comments: 0

Jim has recently wondered why x to the zero power always equals 1. A much more interesting question (to me) is:

What is zero to the zero power?

After all, anything to the zero power = 1. So the answer must be 1.
Except that zero to any power = 0. So the answer must be 0.

Alternately: what is 0/0?

And dont give me any of that "its undefined" nonsense. My real question is "Why haven't we gotten around to defining this "undefined" number?" The square root of -1 used to be undefined. Then one day, someone decided to define it and call it "i". And now we use "i" to solve all sorts of useful problems.

Why don't we do the same thing with 0/0? Or 0 to the 0 power? We can call it "o", because using a lower case "o" won't cause any confusion at all when working with zeros.

...in a yellow wood

10:59 AM PST :: comments: 2

It has become increasingly apparent to me that Dad's philosophy of life and mine are heading in different directions. Dad assures me (with some condescension) that time and experience will reveal the wisdom of his outlook. I sincerely doubt it.

I used to share his outlook. Up until I graduated from High School, my philosphy on life was almost completely based on his. In the decade since then, Dad's philosophy has barely changed. Mine has veered off in a wildly different direction. Time and experience are not bringing me into line with his vision of the world, they are driving me away from it.

2002.11.19

All awake and no Leonids makes Wink a cranky boy

05:28 PM PST :: comments: 0

I was tired and cranky all morning because I stayed up so late last night trying to get a look at the Leonid Meteor Shower. I, of course, saw nothing due to heavy cloud cover. I kept staying up hoping that it would clear up, but it never did.

It is so maddening to know that there is a great show going on over your head, but you just can't see it due to the weather. Thousands of other people around the world (or at least the night time portions of the world) are enjoying the spectacle this very moment, but I am missing out. Grrrrr.

So this morning rolls around and I feel totally exhausted and it was all for nothing. What a waste. I am a bitter, bitter man.

The thing is, if I had seen the Leonids, it all would have been worth it. I would still have been tired this morning, but it would have been a satisfied tired, not a cranky tired.

C'est la vie.

Nothing but nothing

02:42 AM PST :: comments: 0

I am quite disappointed. I'm going to bed now.

Clouds, Clouds, Go away...

01:47 AM PST :: comments: 0

Grrrrr. The clouds are not going anywhere. Actually, they are being swept across the sky rather quickly, but the sky never seems to run out of cloud.

I have stared upwards willing the clouds to part. They are stubborn and refuse to obey. My only reward for my efforts is a headache.

I have stood outside staring at the clouds determined to find some way to look through them. I don't need the clouds to part if I suddenly gain X-ray vision, right? X-ray vision does not seem to be forthcoming. Sigh.

Now I am chanting:

Clouds, Clouds, Go away
Come again some other day

My wife does not seem to appreciate this.

All of my efforts for naught.

Now what do I do? (The obvious answer is "Go to bed". I'm looking for an answer that is somewhat less obvious than that.)

stoopid clowds

12:12 AM PST :: comments: 1

The Leonid meteor shower peak is due in about two hours and the Portland sky refuses to clear up. If it remains cloudy all night, I shall be "quite put out".

If you are in a non-overcast place, look up starting now and don't blink for the next four hours or you'll miss the best meteor storm for the next 30 years.

2002.11.18

Birthday Card

03:56 PM PST :: comments: 0

I just got a birthday card from Dad. It's a little late, but that's not his fault. He sent it two weeks before my birthday, but you can never tell how long it will take for international mail to get to its destination.

At the bottom of the card, Dad gave me some stunningly bad advice: [more]

Pictionary

01:23 AM PST :: comments: 0

Last night, Tree and I played Pictionary with another couple (boys against girls).We got three quarters of the way around the board before our wives had their first turn. We promptly got control back before they could move off of the first square and got to about 6 spaces from the finish before the girls finally left their starting square. I deliberately started playing much worse towards the end to make it a bit less lopsided, but they still only managed to get about a quarter of the way around before we won.

I don't know why I'm posting this. I should be asleep right now.

Finished...kinda

01:15 AM PST :: comments: 0

I've just finished enough of a Greek assignment to get partial credit. I cannot imagine putting in enough time to actually finish the assignment. I simply would not get any sleep tonight if I did.

There is no question: I must learn to manage my time better.

2002.11.17

bleh

12:41 AM PST :: comments: 0

going gonzo grokking Greek
hoping heaven's heeeding "Help--
instant insight into it?"

wink ; )