Older blog entries for cmm (starting at number 7)

graydon: why exactly do you call the proposition that it makes the more-rapidly-reproducing people reproduce more if we go away an absurdity? it seems blindingly obviously true to me. unless, of course, you think that if in 20 years Canada (just to pick an example) becomes deserted due to the current generation not reproducing, it'll stay deserted. now that is indeed absurd.

the point being that humans are now the dominant species, and so they will naturally fill the available space as long as they fill comfortable. so if you make room, others will take the room. you need to convince more people that lots of room is desirable. until you do that, it doesn't matter at all whether or not you, personally, reproduce.

dria: if there is some part of the world where selfishness is not a survival trait, I'd like to know where it is ;).

rakholh: don't take offence where none was ever intended. and no, no sane Israeli would consider CNN impartial, myself included. and no I do not intend to discuss the Mid-East issue any further with anybody. I'm fucking sick of it. it's obvious that the final equilibrium includes both Israel in some form and "palestinians" in some form, and all the steps towards this equilibrium are going to be bloody. and that's the big picture, and the details are in the end irrelevant, and all the people close to the region and in it should take care to not be killed in the process.

hacking: no hacking lately. it looks like learning Common Lisp is very detrimental to one's productivity with lesser languages. I don't know what to do about it, in fact -- I'm close to being completely blocked...

want politics? get politics

well, nah. get some meta-discussion instead:

I really really don't want to see any political discussions on Advogato. I mean, is there any hope (or, in fact, any desire) for a rational discussion of the Middle East situation with an obviously very young and impressionable Egyptian while the rest of the people here either don't care (understandable) or do care but get their facts from CNN and the like?

that was just an example. it would be sad to see a discussion of the US elections or religion, too.

if you have a need to vent about some highly flammable topic, do it on USENET or something. and if you vented here, then yes, be sorry.

ReadMe: your last diary entry looks almost, but not quite, like the lyric of the Peter Hammill song the name which escapes me at the moment... haven't listened to any Hammill in a year or so, so thanks for the reminder.

ceri: well, I also began by certifying myself as apprentice, but nobody took the hint. so deal ;).

electronic appearance

I just noticed something and it's very alarming: it seems that my mails/posts to public fora frequently offend people, even though I never intend this. is it the style (not that I have any), or is it some attitude that I manage to hide from myself?

hmm...

ok, so dan invented a classification for me.

apparently, I'm a sexp-fiend. it kind of fits.

it looks like all of my diary entries will be this informative.