November 22, 2002
Feeling a Little Smarter
So. Rock climbing today, which wasn't so much climbing as it was "How to rescue an injured climber (in German)". I think I figured out what to do okay. They're still not really safe here, the rescue is a complicated mixture of cressuk and attaching lines to wear the injured guy like a backpack, and they just end up getting in the way a lot. Good for keeping them off any ledges until you're ready to touch down, though, I guess.
W is in Prague, which is where I'm heading tomorrow. Ferri says "Bring your camera and rocks for the protest." Hopefully it doesn't come to that. I'll bet Bush is out of town already anyway. Looks like the NATO meeting there might be done already, as the EU has collapsed under America's weight (again).
Speaking of foreign countries...Friends of mine always post online quizzes, so here is mine. I got a 19 out of 20 (missed the religion question which is hilarious). I can argue over the meaning of "What's the most popular religion?" though.
And speaking of W and "domestic" policy (quotes cuz it ain't domestic for me) anyone catch this story? Remind me again how removing restrictions on industrial pollution causes factories to lower their levels again? Do the factories say "Gee, these strict pollution controls mean we can't come up with any new pollution control ideas." Sigh.
Oh yeah, and since family reads now, let me be greedy. Buy me stuff. Look, you don't even have to ask each other what I want, cuz that's everything I want right there. Of course if you don't feel like ordering any of that, you can give me money. I'll be broke in ~5 months. Yay.
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Further back...
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Previous Trips...
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Hiking Mount Whitney, 2007 
Spring Break in West Virginia, 2005
New Year's in Paris, 2003-2004
Coming to America, 2003
Protesting in Berlin, 2003
Prague Bier-Tour, 2002
Dresden, 2002
Recent Reading
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Close to the Machine
Ellen Ullman is one of those authors that somehow avoided my radar. Until now...
Close to the Machine is less a book than a collection of loosely related personal anecdotes from Ellen's time as a very rare thing -- a successful female bisexual independent computer programming consultant.
In the course of her work and relationship life, she learns hard lessons about programming, running a business, being lonely, and loving the wrong people. I found it particularly poignant being a crypto-nerd with difficult times in relationships and a more-or-less NDA'd, secret work life.
This book is a must-read for anyone into running their own business, programming, or anyone dating a person that is a business-a-holic or programmer.
Rated 
by reid
on November 23, 2009
by reid
on November 23, 2009
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The Long Trip Home
I had the joy of dining with the author in Florida. We went to a little Brazilian BBQ where he spoke with our waitstaff in (what I can only assume was) flawless Portugese.
Brian Wyllie spent 1969-1971 living in Brazil working for the Peace Corps. His recent book outlines his trip back to the United States via Bolivia, Peru, and the Carribean chain, by way of bus, train, and sailboat. The format comes spattered with observations from the modern day, and makes me think, "this must be what John McPhee's journal looks like."
The trip sounded like a fantastic one, but I was left wanting more detail...where did the gun (being snuck through customs in a variety of places, no doubt) come from? And how did Geneve's hair smell? Alas, we'll have to wait for another book to find the answers.
Rated 
by reid
on April 16, 2009
by reid
on April 16, 2009
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The Curve of Binding Energy
John McPhee follows famous physicist Ted Taylor in this piece that was -- and probably still -- ahead of its time.
Originally published in 1973, McPhee outlined the coming security and environmental issues surrounding the plutonium enrichment processes. For the most part, though, McPhee invites the reader to draw his or her own conclusions, although he does point out the ease with which any number of people could obtain the material (though not necessarily the manufacturing prowess) to make an atomic weapon.
The question still sits in my mind after reading -- are we being too paranoid, or not paranoid enough?
Rated by reid
on October 01, 2007
by reid
on October 01, 2007
Okay, gotta boast back, i got 19 of 20 too; i only missed the US population question. At least i did know that our population has (thankfully) not hit the 1 billion mark. Ugh, so glad we've got a ways to go. Reminds me why i want to avoid spawning. And no, i don't think you can argue over the most popular religion if you're going by the way that they got their numbers, which is probably to more or less count up the estimates of people who call themselves members of each religion, whether or not they really act like members of that religion. :-) Islam, i believe, is the second most popular religion and gaining fast.
Posted by: Reid's obnoxious girlfriend on November 23, 2002 06:33 AMHeheh. You sure you want this comments section here? it tempts me to be bratty and leave my own mark on *your* page. *hug*