tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62889232011-06-08T01:37:28.914-05:00an in-between moveDave Rowlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820051727195740211noreply@blogger.comBlogger4461100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1133845909218379142005-12-05T23:06:00.000-06:002005-12-05T23:11:49.233-06:00

...but all the good stuff's over at The Bellman. We've got a new format in those parts, still political, but less so, and a lot of what I'd been posting over here (lexicograblogging, dumb joke blogging, bloggy blogging) is now going over there. That is all.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1131292363090060672005-11-06T09:32:00.000-06:002005-11-06T09:52:47.506-06:00

Lisa Boucher of Exploding Aardvark sent me this joke[1]:A job hunter, a philosophy major, went here, there and everywhere in his search for employment, but in vain. Having run out of options, he swallowed his pride and took up the offer of playing a bear in a costume at a zoo. He was locked up in a cage, where he was supposed to imitate various bear-like movements to entertain visitors.To his

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1130433939864645872005-10-27T12:24:00.000-05:002005-10-27T12:25:40.696-05:00

n.A person affected by a hurricane, usually adversely.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1130268081766854162005-10-25T12:39:00.000-05:002005-10-25T14:22:41.656-05:00

Yes, it's that time of year again, time for my state mandated online ethics training. Last year, as some readers know, I figured out how to generate certificates of completion for Genghis Khan and Osama Bin Laden. We'll see if they've fixed the loophole.The first part of my ethics training comprises three lessons. It turns out that it's possible to rapidly click through each page of the first

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1129901020869663632005-10-21T08:20:00.000-05:002005-10-21T08:23:40.870-05:00

[from Greek 'bathos', depth]n.1. The sudden appearance of the commonplace in otherwise elevated matter or style.2. Exceptional commonplaceness.3. Insincere or overdone pathos.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1129900664127500262005-10-21T08:12:00.000-05:002005-10-21T08:20:37.870-05:00

[from 'bathos', insincere or overdone pathos, from Greek 'bathos', depth]adj.Effusively or insincerely emotional.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1129778927586497272005-10-19T20:09:00.000-05:002005-10-19T22:28:47.650-05:00

Lesson # 1: It takes more than two days for your butt to recover from sixteen hours of sitting in a bucket seat. About an hour into my drive back from Austin my ass hurt so badly that I was afraid it was going to fall off. Luckily, it numbed up by the time I got to Dallas. If I ever decide to transport drugs or other contraband across state lines and get stopped by a cop near the state line

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1129678786420845502005-10-18T18:02:00.000-05:002005-10-18T18:39:46.473-05:00

Ok, this is really just a response to a post of Patrick's, but his dang comments don't appear to allow HTML so I'm posting it here. Maybe he'll read it. At any rate, because this is a blogfight, I hereby command my minions to troll his blog and call him nasty names. I suggest "doo doo head." Or, possibly,"short stuff." I do ask, however, that you stick to schoolyard taunts. We'll leave the

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1129063080255094582005-10-11T15:10:00.000-05:002005-10-11T15:38:00.336-05:00

One of the core methodological commitments of The Moral Problem is to the efficacy of a style of analysis that might be called dispositional conceptual analysis. In this post my goal will be to make a start at clarifying what is involved in such an analysis. The question of the philosophical potency of the methodology will be left for another time.On Smith's view, which seems to me to be

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1129033077247792702005-10-11T06:01:00.000-05:002005-10-11T07:17:57.326-05:00

I'm currently reading The Moral Problem by Michael Smith (1993), and am going to try to get a couple of posts up about it today and over the next several weeks. I wanted to say first and briefly, though, how the book seems to fit in the contemporary literature. Let me note that these are extremely tentative judgments.The Moral Problem seems to be the locus classicus for a particular way of

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1128899055024875492005-10-09T17:39:00.000-05:002005-10-09T18:04:15.033-05:00

It's the bottom of the 17th, Astros at bat, Game 4 of a 5 game series with the Astros leading 2-1. The series, that is. The game has been tied at six since the ninth inning. The Braves are on their sixth pitcher. The Astros have used eight.Brad Ausmus is first up. He's been playing first base for the last several innings, though he started at catcher. I'm pretty sure he hit the game tying

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1128819439761241192005-10-08T19:55:00.000-05:002005-10-08T19:59:23.720-05:00

PENALTY: The ball is dead, and each runner shall advance one base without liability to be put out, unless the batter reaches first on a hit, an error, a base on balls, a hit batter, or otherwise, and all other runners advance at least one base, in which case the play proceeds without reference to the balk. Source: Official Rules of Baseball, 8.05

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1128783590790563672005-10-08T09:49:00.000-05:002005-10-08T09:59:55.976-05:00

"If you'd like to visit some others, just click on the union bug in the top right hand corner of the page."[1]That's from this post, found following this meme:1. Go into your archive.2. Find your 23rd post.3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.5. Tag five other people to do the same.Who shall I tag? Here's a sneaky

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1128708958499740262005-10-07T13:12:00.000-05:002005-10-07T13:15:58.506-05:00

AskPhilosophers.org.(Via Exploding Aardvark)

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1128607926793212992005-10-06T08:57:00.000-05:002005-10-06T09:12:06.833-05:00

[from 'reflex', from Middle English 'reflexen', to bend back, from Latin 'reflexus', to have bent back]adj.1. Directed back on itself.2. In grammar: of, relating to, or being a verb having an identical subject and direct object; or derivatively, of, relating to, or being the pronoun used as the direct object of a reflexive verb.3. Of or relating to a reflex.4. Without volition or conscious

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1128472591898646372005-10-04T19:27:00.000-05:002005-10-04T19:37:19.876-05:00

A bureaucracy is an organization which pursues rigidly defined ends through rigidly defined means. The bureaucrats who staff such an organization are obligated to treat the rules and procedures of the bureaucracy as if those rules and procedures were a manifestation of the highest possible law – a law which is complete, self-sufficient, and inviolable.Anyone who has dealt with a bureaucracy

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1128452688138549232005-10-04T14:03:00.000-05:002005-10-04T14:04:48.146-05:00

I don't need a glock cause I'm not a hard rockGot bitches on my jock, like New Kids On The BlockI can't lose like Parker Lewis, I'm undefeatedStep into my sector, homeboy, you'll get greetedFeel ItHouse of Pain

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1128395254206040172005-10-03T22:05:00.000-05:002005-10-03T22:07:34.210-05:00

This is from Brad Plumer. I'd never heard it before.When Kurt Godel, mathematician extraordinnaire, etc., applied for U.S. citizenship long, long ago, he took the process very seriously and made a close study of the Constitution to prepare. The night before taking his test, he called a friend in panic and mentioned that he had found a loophole in the Constitution that would allow for a

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1128283450842763652005-10-02T14:39:00.000-05:002005-10-02T15:05:20.400-05:00

Prevail upon a friend to drive to Indiana in order to buy illegal fireworks. After setting off a number of large devices, aim a rocket so that it will explode 25 feet above the nearest busy street.Wait until a police car is positioned so as to be directly under the burst.[1]Light the fuse and back away.1 This is more difficult than it sounds. Remember, you have to allow for the fact that it

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1128197898106283442005-10-01T14:34:00.000-05:002005-10-01T15:18:34.786-05:00

After the jump is something I wrote about 18 months ago while casting about for a dissertation project. I now think that the concerns expressed in the, uh, piece are too broad to make a workable dissertation, but there are a few interesting ideas there. I'm posting it here mostly for my own use, but feel free to comment. There have been a few (very) slight edits for the purposes of

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1128090731791869502005-09-30T09:29:00.000-05:002005-09-30T20:56:38.940-05:00

Workers came and knocked down the house next door while I was at the gym this morning. This is good news for all sorts of reasons, not the least of which is that my house is now the last one left on my street. What most excites me, though, is the very real possibility that we'll have a dump truck handy for tomorrow night's party.Update: No dump truck. There are a couple of industrial sized

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1128047048099534822005-09-29T21:22:00.000-05:002005-09-29T21:24:08.103-05:00

[French, from Spanish 'bizarro', brave, probably from Basque 'bizar', beard]adj.Strikingly unconventional and far-fetched in style and appearance; odd.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1128005381141312862005-09-29T09:32:00.000-05:002005-09-29T09:50:35.726-05:00

Professor Snooze has fallen asleep in the shade provided by some shrubbery in a secluded part of the campus. From a nearby walk I observe this. I also notice that the shrub under which he is reclining is a man-eating plant, and I judge from its behavior that it is about to eat the man Snooze. As I run across to him I see a sign which reads KEEP OFF THE GRASS. Without qualm I ignore this

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1127828078175583142005-09-27T08:27:00.000-05:002005-09-27T08:34:38.180-05:00

...is a fairly new, free, online philosophy journal. Also, it's refereed and edited by the philosophy faculty at the University of Michigan. On their description page they write that, "The mission of the Imprint is to promote a future in which funds currently spent on journal subscriptions are redirected to the dissemination of scholarship for free, via the Internet."Which sounds like a good

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1127682963840427142005-09-25T16:08:00.000-05:002005-09-25T16:16:03.846-05:00

Here's the description:A gargantuan squid (Osamu Nishimura) who's captured the hearts of wrestling fans everywhere by winning the championship becomes the object of a sweet young woman's (Kana Ishida) affection. But when other sea creatures start gunning for his throne, he must defend his supremacy without losing his love.I haven't watched it yet. And, no, it isn't animated.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1127624558867191792005-09-25T00:01:00.000-05:002005-09-25T00:02:38.873-05:00

This is how you do the fancy fancy 'read more' juju.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1127595086263431472005-09-24T11:33:00.000-05:002005-09-24T18:28:33.610-05:00

In comments to this post eripsa proposed that two conditions must be satisfied in order for participation in an activity to count as playing a game. The first of these is that there must be "rules and purposes" which "set out the limits of the [activity]." The second is that those rules and purposes must leave room for what eripsa calls play. In a subsequent comment, eripsa defined 'play' as "

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1127572482054195362005-09-24T09:26:00.000-05:002005-09-24T09:34:42.060-05:00

[Greek. Original meaning unclear. but was a label adopted by some of the Pyrrhonists]n.1. A seeker.2. In math, the method used for finding the value of unknown quantities by direct search.adj. Seeking, inquiring, investigating; proceeding by inquiry or investigation.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1127404676965305022005-09-22T09:16:00.000-05:002005-09-22T10:57:57.050-05:00

In partial answer to his own question, Scepticus drew a distinction between 'game playing' and 'playing in general.' According to this distinction, an activity counts as play just so long as it is a sort of leisure rather than a sort of work. The difference between merely playing and playing a game, apparently, has to do with whether or not the leisure activity is rule governed in the

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1127350558589171142005-09-21T19:51:00.000-05:002005-09-21T19:55:58.596-05:00

[from Greek 'anomos', lawless : 'a-', without + 'nomos', law]adj.Socially unstable, alienated, and disorganized.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1127273450208122862005-09-21T09:04:00.000-05:002005-09-21T09:34:01.690-05:00

Q: What's George Bush's position on Roe v. Wade?A: He doesn't care how people get out of New Orleans.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1127078255431061982005-09-18T16:06:00.000-05:002005-09-18T16:17:35.446-05:00

Sport seemed an obvious pastime for a couple of shelved warriors to take up, since sport seemed to them to be a kind of substitute, or polite, kind of warfare. It soon became evident to them, however, that sports were like warfare only in the most superficial respects. Specifically, they found that sports were hedged round with the most outrageously arbitrary restrictions. In golf, for example

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1127052850898043372005-09-18T08:57:00.000-05:002005-09-18T09:14:10.906-05:00

Skepticus: Therefore, when the Grasshopper was extolling the life of play he meant by that life, presumably, not doing any specific thing, but doing any number of quite different things, depending, no doubt, on the talents and preferences of those doing the playing. That is, some people like to collect stamps, and some do not. Some have a talent for chess or for playing wind instruments, and

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1126793669289136282005-09-15T08:54:00.000-05:002005-09-15T09:16:46.263-05:00

I believe the American people, to the fullest extent consistent with national security, are entitled to be informed of all developments in the field of atomic energy. That is my reason for making public the following information.We have evidence that within recent weeks an atomic explosion occurred in the U.S.S.R.Ever since atomic energy was first released by man, the eventual development of

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1126678921801613982005-09-14T01:18:00.000-05:002005-09-14T03:03:25.116-05:00

My laptop experienced something approaching a total existence failure at about 11:15 pm. It's taken me until now to work through enough of the shock to get my old iMac moved out of the spare room and running. I may not have my data, and I may not be mobile, but at least I have internet.Blech.Update, 2:29 a.m.: So, anyhow, I'm processing my laptop grief partly by staying up late, drinking, and

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1126650791330981002005-09-13T17:32:00.000-05:002005-09-13T17:33:11.330-05:00

...'til Split Lip.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1126650646211134272005-09-13T16:32:00.000-05:002005-09-13T17:32:05.406-05:00

The centerpiece of Korsgaard's second Locke Lecture is something she calls 'the argument against particularistic willing.' The argument is most explicitly given in 2.5.2, but material bearing on it is found throughout the lecture. Which is, by the way, a good thing because many of the arguments of 2.5.2, taken on their own, have the appearance of circularity.I hasten to add that I don't really

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1126362618687749082005-09-13T07:29:00.000-05:002005-09-13T07:38:06.996-05:00

First, the wrong argument. The idea that scholarship ought to solve problems and make progress is built on the assumption that there is some real standard against which progress can be measured. But there is no discourse independent notion of progress. Hence, the very idea that 'making progress' is an important goal of scholarly endeavor is a non-starter.This argument (or something like it)

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1126612229634955742005-09-13T06:17:00.000-05:002005-09-13T06:50:29.640-05:00

When playing a game, one's actions are justified in virtue of the combination of two factors. The first of these comprises the rules of the game, whatever those happen to be. The second is difficult to cash out precisely, but speaking generally we can say that it has to do with an intent to be bound by those rules.There is, arguably, a third factor, namely a desire to succeed at the game. My

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1126568259160430382005-09-12T18:32:00.000-05:002005-09-12T18:37:39.166-05:00

Yukio Mishima said that he could not entertain the idea of romance if he was not strong. Romance is such a strong and overwhelming passion, a weakened body cannot sustain it for long. I have some of my most romantic thoughts when I am with the Iron. Once I was in love with a woman. I thought about her the most when the pain from a workout was racing through my body. Found here.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1126302886108186372005-09-09T16:39:00.000-05:002005-09-09T16:54:46.113-05:00

'I admit that this is a wild fancy,' the Grasshopper was saying, 'and I hesitate to tell you my thoughts. Still, I am used to being thought foolish, so I shall proceed, inviting you to make of my words what you will. Then let me tell you that I have always had a recurring dream, in which it is revealed to me -- though how it is revealed I cannot say -- that everyone alive is in fact engaged in

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1126301917400639372005-09-09T16:26:00.000-05:002005-09-09T16:56:04.310-05:00

Skepticus: Yes, a dream about playing games. That is what is so strange.Prudence: What is so strange about that? Surely the strangeness lies in the fact that they were playing unconscious games, and that they vanished as soon as they realized what they were doing.S: Oh, that is strange, I grant you. But it is just the kind of strangeness you expect a dream to have. There is, however, another,

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1126180005636084482005-09-08T06:31:00.000-05:002005-09-08T06:46:45.643-05:00

I think that would be a good name for a superhero, don't you? Or maybe a villian. Not a sidekick. Too obvious.In point of fact, though, it's the title attributed to this fable from Aesop:On a hot summer day a youth hired an ass to carry him from Athens to Megara. At mid-day the heat of the sun was so scorching that, feeling faint, he dismounted to rest himself in the shadow of the ass.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1126142505834870252005-09-07T20:19:00.000-05:002005-09-07T20:21:45.843-05:00

Suddenly it looks as if the far right hand column is all messed up. This is the second time in four months that the template has gotten all screwed up without me changing a single thing. Is the Blogger crew trying to get me to migrate to another blogging app?

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1126095282664697422005-09-07T07:08:00.000-05:002005-09-07T07:18:20.290-05:00

Source.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1126063141564968242005-09-06T22:05:00.000-05:002005-09-06T22:19:01.570-05:00

That headline should read, "Bob Denver, TV's Maynard G. Krebs, dies at 70"

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1126018963280256632005-09-06T09:36:00.000-05:002005-09-06T10:04:27.973-05:00

billies local youths who do not attend the university, but may be seen at bars, sporting events, etc.dweeb any anonymous personan egg an undesirable person, e.g., an undesirable potential fraternity brotheran atomic egg an extremely undesirable persona flame one who is annoying, offensive; also a verb, as in "they're really flaming now"geek a personghoul a person who studies to excess and haunts

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1125972183840345462005-09-05T20:59:00.000-05:002005-09-05T21:03:03.846-05:00

One is that it takes a long time. Another is that you often find, when you set out to do something, that a considerable amount of ground clearing is necessary first. So, for example, right now I'm working on a post that was intended to be a reconsideration of certain elements of my last Korsgaard post. At last count I had over a thousand words, but I hadn't gotten to anything in that post

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1125954368890337382005-09-05T16:02:00.000-05:002005-09-05T16:06:08.896-05:00

The lead:When you sculpture heads, as Daniel Edwards does, you never expect an artistic gift like the news that Ted Williams's head had been removed and frozen, along with his separated trunk, at a cryonics laboratory in Arizona. |link|

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1125415613553738742005-09-01T14:42:00.000-05:002005-09-01T14:42:48.603-05:00

This post is an attempt to lay out Korsgaard's three part distinction between animals which are merely conscious, animals which are, in addition, intelligent, and human beings who are, on Korsgaard's view, not only intelligent but also capable of employing reason. The following brief excerpt brings out several important features of Korsgaard's view of merely conscious animals:Consciousness first

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1125593671189933392005-09-01T11:52:00.000-05:002005-09-01T11:54:31.196-05:00

Is She Don't Use Jelly more or less representative of The Flaming Lips than Been Caught Stealing is of Jane's Addiction?

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1125592084274595492005-09-01T11:13:00.000-05:002005-09-01T11:28:04.283-05:00

Apparently, it's music day today here at the old Bar Z ranch.In replying to Matt's comment below, it occurred to me the Lips shows I remember so fondly were a long damn time ago. I saw them at a short lived venue in Manhattan, Kansas called, you guessed it, The Warehouse. It was open from late summer of 1992 thru, I think, the spring of 1993. As I recall, The Flaming Lips played the first and

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1125588316043684822005-09-01T10:14:00.000-05:002005-09-01T10:25:16.070-05:00

The practice of capitalizing every letter in the title of a song or album doesn't fool anyone.[1] Everybody knows that you haven't bothered to learn the rules for capitalization.----------1 A much sneakier work around would be to capitalize only the first letter of the first word in the title.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1125557564028050352005-09-01T01:24:00.000-05:002005-09-01T01:55:43.410-05:00

Partly it's because I'm obsessed with the hurricane, but don't have anything at all to say about it. And partly it's because the semester just started and I'm busier than I had been. And partly it's because I've been working on some actual real philosoblogging and, darn it, that takes time. Anyway, here are two questions for the music fans. First, I've found myself listening to The Flaming

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1125412904422580632005-08-30T09:37:00.000-05:002005-08-30T09:41:44.426-05:00

[Middle English 'ramifien', to branch out, from Old French 'ramifier', from Medieval Latin 'ramificare' from 'ramus', branch]v. intr.1. To have complicating consequences or outgrowths.2. To send out branches or subordinate branchlike parts.v. tr.To divide into or cause to extend in branches or subordinate branchlike parts.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1125294946914534602005-08-29T00:41:00.000-05:002005-08-29T00:55:46.920-05:00

From the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory Hurricane FAQ.The main difficulty with using explosives to modify hurricanes is the amount of energy required. A fully developed hurricane can release heat energy at a rate of 5 to 20x1013 watts and converts less than 10% of the heat into the mechanical energy of the wind. The heat release is equivalent to a 10-megaton nuclear bomb

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1125289083227317392005-08-28T23:12:00.000-05:002005-08-28T23:18:03.236-05:00

...or are things really looking that bad for New Orleans? I sure hope my friends Jeff and Emily -- and all of their friends -- cleared out.Ninety percent of the structures in the city are likely to be destroyed by the combination of water and wind accompanying a Category 5 storm, said Robert Eichorn, former director of the New Orleans Office of Emergency Preparedness. The LSU Hurricane Center

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1125262035372727342005-08-28T15:44:00.000-05:002005-08-28T15:47:15.376-05:00

[French, from Old French 'longor', a protracted discussion, from 'long', long, from Latin 'longus']n.A tedious passage in a work of literature or performing art.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1125237971905759232005-08-28T09:02:00.000-05:002005-08-28T09:06:11.913-05:00

...but it really bothers me that the hurricane bearing down on New Orleans has the same name as my eldest niece.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1125169845535069302005-08-27T14:05:00.000-05:002005-08-27T20:10:24.363-05:00

I've posted an excerpt from section 3.5.4 of Christine Korsgaard's Locke Lectures after the jump. In Kantian moral psychology, the starting point for action is what Kant calls an incentive (Triebfeder). An incentive is a motivationally loaded representation of an object. I am using the term “object” broadly here to include not only substances but also states of affairs and activities. The

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1125154261188792482005-08-27T09:48:00.000-05:002005-08-27T09:51:01.193-05:00

[from Latin 'pre' + 'Laepsus', fall]adj.Of or relating to the period before the fall of Adam and Eve.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1125080856675090862005-08-26T13:22:00.000-05:002005-08-26T13:27:51.610-05:00

No, I'm not going to become a Friday random tenner, but here are the first six tracks I listened to on my brand spanking refurbished iPod:I am the Walrus -- Gray MatterSwing Down Chariot -- The Golden Gate QuartetI've Never Been There -- The Country GentlemenHangman -- Tangle EyeGlory of the Sun -- Split Lip RayfieldHigher Ground -- Stevie Wonder

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1125080521889131552005-08-26T13:20:00.000-05:002005-08-26T13:22:01.896-05:00

Like many Americans, I eat a lot of baby carrots these days. I've noticed that sometimes the carrots are kind of slimy when I take them from the bag. Is this a reason not to eat them?

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1125013250697010012005-08-25T18:16:00.000-05:002005-08-25T18:40:50.703-05:00

I'm not sure why Patrick Smith named his blog Tiberius and Gaius Speaking... but I can only assume that the references are to the Roman Emperor Tiberius Caesar Augustus and his successor Gaius Julius Casaer Germanicus. Gaius, of course, is more commonly known by the name Caligula. Anyway, I bring it up because the most shocking passages in Seutonius are his descriptions of Tiberius Caesar's

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1125003468709689742005-08-25T15:50:00.000-05:002005-08-25T15:57:48.716-05:00

I'm not sure if it was Dru or The Bellman who gave me Gray Matter's I am the Walrus while I was down in Texas (probably Dru), but I've come to the conclusion that Gray Matter's cover is a more successful rendition of the work than The Beatles were capable of producing.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1124985328813135812005-08-25T10:33:00.000-05:002005-08-25T10:55:28.836-05:00

Check out the DC Animated Universe wiki. Me, I don't know much about the DC Animated Universe, but if you know something then you're free add, modify, or delete an entry. And what better way to spend a Friday night, or even an entire weekend?On a related note, should everything be in wikipedia? I ask both because DCAUW looks like a wikipedia entry and because last week The Squire linked to the

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1124851485936650362005-08-23T21:37:00.000-05:002005-08-23T21:44:45.943-05:00

One of my professors sent me a link to this old thing, Nathaniel Daw's Quentin Tarantino's Republic Dogs. I've posted an excerpt from the opening vignette after the jump.[Thrasymachus is tied up in a chair. Socrates is brandishing a gun in his face]Thrasymachus: Don't kill me, man!Socrates: Are you finished, fucker?Thrasymachus: Look, look, man, you can have my ten yoke of oxen. My virgin

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1124846493256747922005-08-23T20:17:00.000-05:002005-08-23T20:21:33.256-05:00

I posted the other day about googling the term liberalism = moral anarchy. Care to guess what the top result is now?

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1124836577657606502005-08-23T17:33:00.000-05:002005-08-23T17:36:17.656-05:00

[from Greek 'stenos', narrow + 'graphein', to write]n.1. The art or process of writing in shorthand.2. Material transcribed in shorthand.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1124836377209203302005-08-23T17:17:00.000-05:002005-08-23T20:12:54.833-05:00

[Greek from 'stélé', block or slab + 'graphein', to write]n.1. The art or practice of writing or inscribing characters on pillars or upright slabs.2. An incription on a pillar or upright slab.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1124835420881702982005-08-23T17:01:00.000-05:002005-08-23T17:17:00.903-05:00

[assumed Greek, from 'stegano', covered + 'graphein', to write]n.1. The art of writing in cipher, or in characters which are not intelligible except to persons who have the key; cryptography.2. In computer programming, the discipline of hiding information in files.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1124643465829531932005-08-21T11:20:00.000-05:002005-08-21T11:57:45.856-05:00

While working on my most recent labor blogging roundup over at The Bellman, I came across Tobias Higbie's Bughouse Square blog. If I'm not mistaken, Tobias (Toby?) was a central figure in the grad unionization movement at Illinois in the years before I arrived. I think I've met him a few times, though I'm not entirely sure. In any case, it should all be cleared up soon since he has taken a job

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1124638289813975852005-08-21T10:29:00.000-05:002005-08-21T10:31:29.820-05:00

Q: Why didn't the locomotive like to sit down?A: Because he had a tender behind.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1124550420245517652005-08-20T09:56:00.000-05:002005-08-20T10:07:00.253-05:00

No, not quite yet, but fair warning. Once I get myself fully organized for the coming semester my writing here is likely to take a turn for toward the pedantic. In the meantime, to prepare the waters, here's a passage from one of the texts I'll be teaching this semester, Harry Frankfurt's On Bullshit. When we characterize talk as hot air, we mean that what comes out of the speaker's mouth is

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1124464228973539902005-08-19T10:02:00.000-05:002005-08-19T10:10:28.980-05:00

I read something that rang true on the comments thread to this post over at Echidne of the Snakes, so I'm posting it here. It was written by Nax, who has a blog. There was a time when I was writing fiction by night and technical manuals by day. In the technical stuff, I strove for minimalism - for every word, sentence, or fact, I asked "Who cares? Does this really help?" and if I didn't have a

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1124400695042696452005-08-18T16:13:00.001-05:002005-08-18T16:33:19.186-05:00

I didn't get credit or anything like that, but I did take this photograph. It was published yesterday in the Memorial/Spring Branch Sun. I think you'll agree that the composition could appropriately be described by several adjectives.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1124332946024870772005-08-17T21:41:00.000-05:002005-08-17T21:42:26.030-05:00

Does it smell like updog in here?

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1124207993680105482005-08-16T10:59:00.000-05:002005-08-16T10:59:53.686-05:00

Even if it doesn't break the skin, the bite of a human being can produce a very nasty bruise.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1124197344330254472005-08-16T07:56:00.000-05:002005-08-16T08:03:05.076-05:00

...to Tony, the most prolific guest blogger in the history of blogdom. Thanks Tony!Hey readers, do you have a favorite Tony post (they're the ones that say, 'this post brought to you by Tony' at the top)? Mine is, The complicated calculus of Colonel Mustard.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1124167830423657262005-08-15T23:44:00.000-05:002005-08-15T23:50:30.430-05:00

[From Latin 'formica', ant]v.To creep or crawl like ants; swarm with, or as with, ants.adj.Resembling or pertaining to an ant or ants.(via)

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1124154437935628012005-08-15T19:49:00.000-05:002005-08-15T20:12:21.423-05:00

The Squire wants to know if chalking his URL on the quad would draw visitors to his site. Hard to say. I do know that somebody chalked "liberalism = moral anarchy" on the quad today and I googled it. Here's a quote from the top hit:In thus explaining and championing religious pluralism on affirmative theological grounds rather than on negative or concessionary ones, liberal Protestants could

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1124140972609053932005-08-15T16:20:00.000-05:002005-08-15T16:22:52.616-05:00

Dictionary.com provides the following usage note:Despite the appearance of the form alright in works of such well-known writers as Langston Hughes and James Joyce, the single word spelling has never been accepted as standard. This is peculiar, since similar fusions such as already and altogether have never raised any objections. The difference may lie in the fact that already and altogether

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1123875822886499152005-08-12T14:42:00.000-05:002005-08-12T14:43:42.886-05:00

Wildwood Flower - - The Carter FamilyBury Me Beneath the Weeping Willow - - The Carter FamilyWabash Cannonball - - The Carter FamilyWorried Man Blues - - The Carter FamilyI'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes - - The Carter FamilyCascade - - Chet AtkinsOne Man Boogie - - Chet AtkinsBoo Boo Stick Beat - - Chet AtkinsTiger Rag - - Chet AtkinsOn My Way to Canaan's Land - - Chet AtkinsTwitchy - - Chet

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1123875358122262322005-08-12T14:34:00.000-05:002005-08-12T14:35:58.130-05:00

The Lord Is My Shepard - - Kings Of Harmony Let It Shine on Me - - Kings Of Harmony Precious Lord Take My Hand - - Kings Of Harmony Search Me Lord - - Kings Of Harmony In the Morning - - Golden Gates Quartet Sending Up My Timber - - The Ever-Ready Gospel Singers I Can See My Savior - - The Ever-Ready Gospel SingersIn the Wilderness - - Echoes Of Zion Look for Me in Heaven - - Echoes Of Zion The

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1123772730178385622005-08-11T09:56:00.000-05:002005-08-11T10:05:30.183-05:00

My long journey Illinoiswards will get going in an hour or two. There will be a longish layover in Austin, but I don't know whether I'll have time for blog related activities. In the meantime, my unreliable friend Tony will once again take on guest blogging duties. Heeeeeerrrreee's Tony!

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1123742861368515382005-08-11T01:46:00.000-05:002005-08-11T01:47:41.373-05:00

It was in Randall's lab that she crossed paths with Maurice Wilkins. She and Wilkins led separate research groups and had separate projects, although both were concerned with DNA. When Randall gave Franklin responsibility for her DNA project, no one had worked on it for months. Wilkins was away at the time, and when he returned he misunderstood her role, behaving as though she were a technical

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1123738753556281462005-08-11T00:29:00.000-05:002005-08-11T00:39:47.643-05:00

[Latin 'arbiter', one who goes to see]n.1. One who has the power to judge or ordain at will.2. One chosen or appointed to decide a disputed issue.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1123738178466398552005-08-11T00:09:00.000-05:002005-08-11T00:29:38.473-05:00

One of the Astros' TV announcers was complaining about the Kenny Rogers reinstatement during tonight's game. He griped, "who are these arbitrators anyway, do they even know anything about baseball?"I rolled my eyes. It seemed obvious to me that baseball would do what any other industry would do, namely, put in a call to the American Arbitration Association and let AAA pick a name out of a

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1123628036473653982005-08-09T17:52:00.000-05:002005-08-09T17:53:56.476-05:00

[of unknown origin]British slangn.Nonsense; rubbish.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1123622966926016732005-08-09T16:18:00.000-05:002005-08-09T16:34:06.630-05:00

Back in the old days I used to keep a hit counter on this blog. I decided to get rid of it on the grounds that having a counter made it hard not to be a navel gazing hit whore. All and all, it was a good move.One drawback, though, is that when I get email notifications of comments, the notifications don't indicate which post the comment is attached to. Without a tracking mechanism I'm reduced

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1123613979765331852005-08-09T13:57:00.000-05:002005-08-09T13:59:39.773-05:00

[probably short for 'suspect']slangtr. v.1. To infer or discover; figure out.2. To size up or study.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1123530804433146402005-08-08T14:52:00.000-05:002005-08-08T14:53:24.440-05:00

I'm stuck behind a firewall, so I can't access this, but word on the street is that the-blog-which-shall-not-be-named-at-Panera-Bread-due-to-a-phonetic-resemblence-to-an-act-frowned-upon-by-Panera's-corporate-masters is running a choose-the-creepiest-products poll. You should vote since I can't. In the meantime, here are a couple of creepy products that may or may not have made their list.First

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1123305060529458312005-08-06T12:09:00.000-05:002005-08-06T12:13:43.606-05:00

Q: What did the last man on Earth say when he walked into a bar?A: Drink, I'd like another bartender.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1123287610711367042005-08-05T18:39:00.000-05:002005-08-05T19:20:10.756-05:00

The latest fad sweeping the blogosphere continues unabated. Saheli's music meme responses are up, and her considerable blogospheric influence has prompted responses from Reneebop, Robert Stribley and, through Robert, Chris.As long as we're tracking the meme here, Dennis responded to Matt's tag. Dennis begat Katie and Eric. Eric begat Steph and Kat.And that's all so far, so far as I know.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1123257068518899652005-08-05T10:37:00.000-05:002005-08-05T10:51:08.546-05:00

1391: Castilian sailors in Barcelona, Spain set fire to a Jewish ghetto, killing 100 people and setting off four days of violence against Jews. 1763 : Colonel Henry Bouquet decisively defeats the Indians at the Battle of Bushy Run in Pennsylvania during Pontiac's rebellion. 1762: Russia, Prussia and Austria sign a treaty agreeing on the partition of Poland. 1815: A peace treaty with

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1123192813540532212005-08-04T16:42:00.000-05:002005-08-04T17:00:13.556-05:00

No doubt you've heard that three astronomers are claiming to have discovered a tenth planet. This is big news and means that our generation will have a chance to author a brand new remember-the-names-of-the-planets mnemonic. Unfortunately, we can't get a running start on the project because certain jealous astronomers want to deny that the the object designated 2003 UB313 is really a planet at

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1123052264196846652005-08-03T01:28:00.000-05:002005-08-03T01:57:44.200-05:00

Lightning fried my pops' cable this evening, causing him to break out his old portable stereo for ballgame listening purposes. Later, determined to play a cd, I discovered that the cd player wasn't (as I had been told) broken. Instead, the tray had been filled well beyond capacity (i.e., it contained two cds rather than one), possibly by a certain nephew I could mention. The upshot of which is

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1123032150892939712005-08-02T20:13:00.000-05:002005-08-02T20:22:30.896-05:00

I'm getting decidedly shaggy. There's a piece of hair above my right ear, a cowlick I guess, that insists on sticking up. Also, I'm about a third of the way to a legitimate philosopher beard.The big news, though, is that I've confirmed the presence of gray hairs. Yay! That's not, by the way, one of those ironic "yay"s that you see so often around the blogosphere. I'm legitimately pleased.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1123001783571018872005-08-02T11:51:00.000-05:002005-08-02T11:56:23.576-05:00

[from Greek 'para', amiss, faulty, wrong + 'eidolon', diminutive of 'eidos' appearance, form]n.A psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus (usually an image) which is mistakenly perceived as something else, usually something commonly seen.

drnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6288923.post-1122837030977924652005-07-31T14:08:00.000-05:002005-07-31T14:10:30.983-05:00

Meanwhile, the erotic meaning of the kiss became increasingly central. In 1649 an English observer could write that the kiss was used “in salutation, valediction, reconciliation . . . congratulation, approbation, adulation, subjection, confederation, but more especially and naturally in token of love”. The mouth became more welcoming with the advent of more effective dentistry — which did

drnoreply@blogger.com