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July 2021

Computers don’t have to be Electronic

I make my living, and have for 25 years, as a computer engineer. Frankly, I never post about that here because it’s boring. I’m not going to say we’ve solved every problem in computation, but it is a fairly mature field at this point, so unless I wanted to explain how it worked from scratch, there’s no point. And I have nothing to add to that conversation – many far more patient than I have done so on YouTube and other media. But there is an interesting aspect to computing… Read More »Computers don’t have to be Electronic

It’s a Hostile World

In the computer world, there is a saying: “be conservative with what you send, and liberal with what you receive”. This means that you need to be very careful to follow the protocols that specify what you’re sending, but you need to be careful that things like malformed packets, etc, don’t cause your hardware and software to crash. This also used to be true in human communication. Be careful what you say, and think the best of whatever it is that is said to you. That’s also called “grace”, and… Read More »It’s a Hostile World

The Flag

I was wondering what I was going to post about today, and then I read that some chapter of a radical organization said that flying the flag makes you racist and stupid. Well, I can’t let that slide, can I? Bring it.

9 Secrets About Men Every Woman Should Know

You know what? I’m forty-mumble years old, I have no girlfriend or wife, I have no prospects of having a girlfriend or wife, so I have no one to worry about passing off. Except other guys. and they can go scratch. So, ladies, here are nine secrets about men you should know. Oh, and if you think this is mansplaining, eff off. I’m a man, you’re not, there are a few things I know that you don’t. What it’s like to be a man is one of them. Your Body… Read More »9 Secrets About Men Every Woman Should Know

What Makes a Woman Beautiful

There are many different words to describe different types of women. Some aren’t very flattering but I’ll leave those be for now. Some of the more flattering ones are cute, sexy, attractive, and beautiful. J-pop idols, such as in AKB48, are cute. They are trained to be cute, and do a very good job of it. They are mostly but not entirely young girls and women, and they can even be very nice to look at. But I don’t really think they’re beautiful. Sexy is another word used to describe… Read More »What Makes a Woman Beautiful

Independence Day – International Edition

So one of the strange, or at least unexpected, things about how this blog has turned out is that nearly all the readers are international. I do get some readers from the US, but they are actually something of a rarity. I appreciate that. It also feels like a responsibility, because I’m representing my country, and probably not well. I at least hope better than some others, but truth be told, many Americans make that a low bar. Some of us are fat boorish assholes. Some are nice and would… Read More »Independence Day – International Edition

My Japanese Book Collection

I have books. I have piles and piles of books on almost every conceivable topic. They are overflowing my bookshelves, occupying a futon, and basically just making a wonderful mess in my house. So I bought a bookcase with manga sized shelves. These are most of my Japanese books. I have been collecting Japanese manga. Etc, over a period of a few years now, and this is the result. Books, books, and more books. Maybe someday I’ll even read most of them. Wonder what I’ll do when this bookcase starts… Read More »My Japanese Book Collection

Going to Mars is Stupid

A while ago, I posted about the time I first left home. I moved, cold, from the city in which I grew up, to a city about 2,500 miles from it. I was kind of happy, for a while, but my troubles caught up with me. In the intervening years, I moved to four different cities, each time starting fresh. All ended up in disaster. This was, ultimately, because I brought my issues with me. Currently there is a push to go to Mars, and I think it’s a stupid… Read More »Going to Mars is Stupid

Look for the Helpers

I am a misanthrope. It’s really easy to beat around the bush and prevaricate a little, but at the end of the day, I generally neither like nor trust people. Honestly, at the end of the day, I think if a person has the chance to screw you, they will, and not think twice about it. I’m sure this isn’t really a surprise to those of you who have been reading this blog for a while. I’m not proud of it, but I’m not ashamed of it. It just is… Read More »Look for the Helpers

Japanese Books I Bought Today

So today I went to Half Price Books, and I bought some Japanese language books.  Let’s take a look at what I found. I spent less than $100 on everything you see. First, I found some dictionaries. I like dictionaries. I’m not sure why, as I can find everything I need online, but these are in good condition, so I thought why not add them to my collection. It’s also why I didn’t feel too badly snarling them – the online dictionaries are available to everyone else too, so it’s… Read More »Japanese Books I Bought Today