Applied Epistemology blogs

Solutions for America's short attention span

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:35:12 -0500

Clinton already lost my vote in the California primary -- by continuing the retarded Bush practice of labelling every flat surface in sight with vapid Orwellian slogans she will lose my vote even if she manages to become the nominee. Didn't

R.I.P. E.G.G.

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:53:45 -0600

The NYT obit correctly points out Gygax's great accomplishment: he brought fantasy to the people. Before 1973, fantasy was a genre of fiction. After D&D, it became an interactive medium. In this respect, D&D is to fantasy what photography is to painting.

Fun fact from the original D&D book I ("Men & Magic"): "the referee to pl

Celebrity Tolkienologist

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:43:23 -0600

I knew that Stephen Colbert was a big D&D player, but only today did I discover this 2003 interview, in which Colbert shows his Tolkien IQ (and judgment about Faramir's characterization) to be mighty geektacular. (His paraphrase of Faramir's

The Search for Spock

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:36:21 -0600

So as I drove to my afternoon class at PCC today, I caught the last ten minutes of Larry Mantle's interview with Leonard Nimoy. I suddenly realized that Nimoy was doing the interview in KPCC's studio, that is, on the PCC campus, right by the faculty parking lot. Cue aggressive driving. I got into the lot a couple minutes after the interview ended, but (as usual at noon) couldn't find a space in the lot closest to KPCC's studio. I circled the lot once, in vain. As I headed to the southern half of the lot, who should I cut off but -- yes, Leonard Nimoy, in a Bill Belichek-style warm hoodie, walking to his car. Realizing with frustration that I couldn't stop in the middle of the driveway, and with no parking spaces in sight, I settle for rolling down my window and calling out: "Leonard Nimoy?"

Best Rose Bowl '08 T-Shirt

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 18:21:10 -0600

On the back of a shirt in Illinois' orange:

"Our Juice will beat you, but he won't kill you."

Christmas Toys

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 15:19:27 -0600

The piece de resistance gift for Aidan this year was the LEGO Dwarves' Mine set. I must echo the consensus and praise this fine Lego set. The dwarf and goblin minifigs beg to be used as D&D minis.

Shellhead

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 15:04:09 -0600

The trailer for Iron Man looks good. Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. were unconventional choices for a comic adaptation, but they seem to have added a humorous slant which is perfect for the character. The Scotch glass on the missile testing range is especially nice.

There should be a quiz before you can vote

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 13:07:38 -0600

Verbatim excerpt from a student paper:

For instance, when the September 11 attacks occurred during 2001, and most people started blaming the Iraqi people and a dislike towards them was established, I was taught in my household not to blame all the Iraqi people for a mistake that one person committed. However, most people including some of my friends and relatives till this day are against Iraqi people because of what one person by the name of Saddam Hussein did. [...] In this situation they were committing a fallacy called hasty generalization.

Fun for a girl and a boy

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:13:29 -0600

Iris: "I want Slinky to be next to me while I am sleeping because I am afraid of the night."

Me: "But Daddy can sleep next to you and protect you."

Iris: "No, I want Slinky. Slinky can protect me."

Ancient Chinese secrets

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:10:04 -0600

Sorry to post so infrequently. I've been busy -- on top of the usual holiday business -- with writing a quiz for O'Brien's Pub Quiz (delivered last week; it was very well received) and preparing to teach a course this Spring I've never taught before (on Asian religions [!]). In the course of catching-up on the wisdom of my ancestors, I found this gem from Taoist master Yufang Bizhui:

Oxy

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 13:44:05 -0600

Occidental seems to be turning to Iraq as a model of stability.

Indy J. & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 08:57:27 -0500

Hmm... long-awaited sequel to immensely successful adventure franchise, check. Clunky, retro-30s title, check. George Lucas involved, check.

I smell another Phantom Menace.

Nonplussed

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:52:33 -0500

I genuinely thought this was a Comedy Central piece until I found Chuck Missler's online ministry. Wow.

Etymology du jour

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 18:16:32 -0500

I discovered today that the English word "like" is derived from the word "lich" (as in "body" -- from which the fantasy undead species takes inspiration). (Cf. the German "gleich".)

On General Petraeus

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 11:35:56 -0500

As my dad once wrote to me:

"Generals are nothing but politicians in uniforms; they don't kill people."