countrycousin

We're moving.

( Detail behind cut )

One good thing that happened a couple weeks ago: 

We took off an afternoon to visit the construction site of our new residence and make some choices.  We were in time that I could specify where I wanted cat5 drops; I hope I still feel the same way when I move in!

Then we went to a nearby restaurant that we knew of and celebrated our 49th anniversary.  It was Friday the 13th, but 49 is 7 squared, so that defended against any residual bad luck.  Very nice dinner, and the staff were very nice to us.

According to a Scientific American snippet you can read here .  Unfortunately, I did not notice any comment about the positive effects of lurking.

Note to self:  post more. 

From Science News_ comes an article that tries to relate a country's development efficiency to the size of its cabinet, and gives an explanation using network theory and a particular model for arriving at a decision.  I suspect there are several devils in the details of how well their model corresponds to actual working committees, and a cabinet does not correspond to my concept of a committee anyway, given that the usual organization of a cabinet is to give each member a particular responsibility.

Nonetheless, the article is interesting.  For their model, it turns out that 10 or under is workable - except 8.  Apparently, one should not create a committee of 8 members.

Legislatures seem to run much larger.  Maybe this is why they are primarily good for burning up money and accomplishing little.

Gacked from omnivorously

( I think I got extra credit for gray hair. )

Many of you have already seen this, but for those who haven't, courtesy of colliemommie, a filk of Hamlet tto American Pie, with lyrics:

http://thefump.com/lyrics.php?id=1014

This post will refer to a couple of NY Times articles. They want registration, and I have not noticed ill effects of it, but for the shy, there is http://www.bugmenot.com.

A few weeks ago, Paul Davies made an op-ed column which I complained about here .

Last week, Dennis Overbye, NYT science columnist, put together a collection of responses (and re-responses from Davies) .

I was bemused by the variety in the responses, and I still find little to admire in Davies responses, but he holds an influential position, so perhaps I'm not trying hard enough.  But it seemed a fertile topic for discussion.

above crossposted to philosophy.   ( I'll put some of my comments behind a cut. )

A travel column in the New York Times, which requires registration.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/travel/30next.html

(It is about an hour away.  One of the advantages that rural Vermont sees in Burlington is that it is so close to Vermont.  The politics tend to be a bit different.  Also, the population density.)

But it seems to be a pleasant article.

I read it last week. Most of it.

I did not like it.

I have seen good reviews of it and I can't argue with them. I think it was well crafted; I was not disappointed in the way the story was told.

Mild spoilers follow.   ( Read more... )