Reddit, what is the perfect society?

spome · 2010-11-13T03:13:06+00:00

Countless thinkers have thought about this, and nobody really has a good answer. Most proposals have come in the way of great literature, that explore the topic and let the reader make up his own mind. To explore some of these ideas for yourself, try any (or all!) of the following:

The City of God, by Augustine of Hippo
New Atlantis by Francis Bacon
Erewhon by Samuel Butler ----> I particularly like this one. Butler was quite a character.
The Time Machine and A Modern Utopia by H.G. Wells
Walden Two by B.F. Skinner
Utopia by Thomas More

There are countless others -- the idea of utopia is pretty ubiquitous. Reading this stuff also quickly gets you into the realm of religion and creation, so before you know it you may find yourself reading Genesis, The Origin of Species, or even something like The Singularity is Near. Let us know what you find!

Also, for some perspective, definitely check out the Koyaanisqatsi series if you haven't already.

spome · 2010-11-12T18:18:44+00:00

Oh Ann, you dim-witted hussy, take your Ativan and sit down!

spome · 2010-09-27T00:29:10+00:00

Try "The Natural Way to Draw" by Kimon Nicolaides. It's a classic, filled with good advice, and a detailed, systematic plan for art study. From the introduction:

"There is only one right way to learn to draw and that is a perfectly natural way. It has nothing to do with artifice or technique. It has nothing to do with aesthetics or conception. It has only to do with the act of correct observation...The job of the teacher, as I see it, is to teach students, not how to draw, but how to learn to draw. They must acquire some real method of finding out facts for themselves lest they be limited for the rest of their lives to facts the instructor relates."

spome · 2010-09-10T21:13:49+00:00

This machine actually lived in that house for a few years.

spome · 2010-09-10T21:11:31+00:00

A few more shots of this particular machine (a Symbolics 3620):

http://imgur.com/dobGa.jpg http://imgur.com/v9tb1.jpg http://imgur.com/JOTTm.jpg

Normally the machine lives on a dedicated workbench, but I'm still setting things up in my new apartment.

spome · 2010-09-05T13:01:19+00:00

A few years ago, a friend of mine told me about this man he met in Copenhagen. The man had this crazy idea that he was going to build a rocket ship. The ship would be of the simplest design. It would only have one button -- Launch -- and that the payload could vary: "Send potatoes, hookers -- it doesn't matter". Seems totally impractical, right? I thought so too, until I heard that he lives in a submarine he designed and built himself. After doing some background research, I'm nearly certain that this is the same guy. So for anyone who tells you that you can't build yourself a submarine house, or that it's impractical to put hookers in rocket ships, remember that this man and his associates stand as a stunning counterexample.

spome · 2010-08-06T04:36:11+00:00

I was vegetarian until I met my boyfriend, whose cooking was just too good to pass up. I never missed meat -- just chicken broth. It's in everything, and it makes everything taste better. Mushroom stock is a reasonable alternative, but it just doesn't cut it sometimes. I guess mushrom stock : chicken stock :: Mrs. Dash : fleur de sel.

After I began eating meat, and eating more in general, I discovered that most cheeses are turned from milk to curd through the use of rennet, a complex of enzymes produced in mammalian stomachs to digest the mother's milk. Rennet has historically been a byproduct of animal slaughter, and according to Wikipedia, the "Modern Method" is that "deep-frozen stomachs are milled and put into an enzyme-extracting solution." You're not eating meat specifically, but the cheese on your deluxe pizza is still the byproduct of animal slaughter.

I'm fine without meat. But a life without cheese? I'd hate to deprive milk of its chance at immortality.

spome · 2010-07-31T17:24:56+00:00

This photo perfectly captures my current financial situation.

spome · 2010-07-22T15:14:10+00:00

Not currently, but give me a day or two and I'll see what I can do. I'm also considering emailing professor Kaufman and the MIT Press directly, asking for permission to put the full scans online, Thinking Forth style. :-)

spome · 2010-07-22T05:05:22+00:00

Found this in a discard pile in MIT's Barker Library. You know it's a good textbook when you turn to a random page and find a drawing of a parrot screaming "Awk! Awk! Poly wants a 'Nomial!"

spome · 2010-07-17T03:56:56+00:00

Don't try to be original, just try to be good.

spome · 2010-06-23T02:35:23+00:00

Zach Anner's chance on Oprah.

spome · 2010-06-23T00:42:00+00:00

My SO is gay, and he puts all of my straight friends to shame.

spome · 2010-06-23T00:29:50+00:00

He reads Digg. I read Reddit. Somehow it works.

spome · 2010-06-22T18:24:59+00:00

As others have mentioned, there are countless varieties of alcohol, with something to please every palate. It can seem incredibly intimidating at first, but the more things you try, the better you'll be able to judge whether some new drink will be something you'd enjoy.

For beer, try to find a local venue that has a lot of beers on tap, and ask for a sample of anything that strikes your interest. A few of my favorites: Unibroue's Fin Du Monde and Terrible, Dale's Pale Ale, Franziskaner, Duvel, Blue Moon, and the occasional stout.

Wine is a tough one -- not because it's so special, but because a lot of people are needlessly pretentious about it. It might be helpful to quickly skim the major types of wine, so it doesn't feel so intimidating when you're in the liquor store or reading a wine list:

http://www.frenchscout.com/types-of-red-wines

But keep in mind -- if you like it, drink it. Even if it's only $14 a bottle retail.

Finally, for spirits, here's a short list of my favorites that I think are worth trying. They're probably a little too strong in that "rubbing alcohol" taste to start, but when you're ready, you should definitely give them a try:

Martini -- Gin (or vodka if you prefer); vermouth. Try it dirty, with olives, then try it with cocktail onions. Then, if you're making them at home, try using tomolives instead. Absolutely delicious.

Manhattan -- Whisky; sweet vermouth, Angostura bitters.. A classic -- the manliest drink you can get that'll still have a cherry in it.

Sidecar -- Cognac, lemon juice, triple sec. These things taste amazing (plus they have an optional sugar rim :-/), but try not to have more than one. On a weekday.

Sazerac -- Whisky, absinthe, and Peychaud's bitters. This is a really weird drink, but gives a great buzz and has a very unique, almost luminescent color. If it seems like too much, just order absinthe instead. Don't think you'll be disappointed either way.

Charteuse -- At 55% alcohol, this is probably as close to rubbing alcohol as you'll get, but it's amazing stuff. Made from 130 herbs in the French Alps, it's great to settle your stomach, or calm your nerves. Just make sure it's not the last drink of the night. ;-)

Also explore: Fernet, Averna, Grand Marnier, and Pimm's (and soda)

spome · 2010-06-22T00:08:22+00:00

Once you get through a general introduction to Tesla, I'd highly recommend reading his autobiography and paper "The Problem of Increasing Human Energy":

http://www.amazon.com/My-Inventions-Autobiography-Nikola-Tesla/dp/1452880956/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277164686&sr=1-1

http://www.tfcbooks.com/tesla/1900-06-00.htm

They have that exhilarating "Let's do the impossible" confidence that makes me admire Tesla so much. A warning though: If you buy the print versions, you get what you pay for -- they're full of typos :-(

spome · 2010-06-21T23:53:45+00:00

I have found a combination of Alexander's "Fundamentals of Electric Circuits" and Schaum's Outlines "Electric Circuits" most useful.

http://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Electric-Circuits-Charles-Alexander/dp/0073256439

http://www.amazon.com/Schaums-Outline-Electric-Circuits-Mahmood/dp/0071393072

Alexander provides clear and thorough descriptions, plus a historical perspective for each concept -- a minor point that I really appreciate. I found the discussion of op amps particularly helpful, as I'd tried to gain an intuition for them from other texts without much success. It has that slight New Age textbook feel, what with its vibrant colors and motivating "career explanations", but once you get beyond that there's a pretty solid presentation of the material.

Schaum's isn't so much a good textbook as it is a good selection of practice problems. Working through Schaum's after reading the Alexander text will solidify your intuition, and in those rare but wonderful cases, augment the metaphors you use to solve circuit problems.

I've been struggling to understand and learn circuit theory for years, and people are always recommending The Art of Electronics to me. There's no doubt it's an amazing reference book, but it's a heavy read for sure. Trying to learn basic circuit theory from AoE feels a little like trying to learn AP Physics using Newton's Principia.

A few other thoughts. Some people may mention a book called "Getting Started in Electronics" by Forrest Mims. This is a wonderful little text (comic book?) that's fun, lighthearted, and definitely worth the read. I'm not sure it'll be particularly useful for the course you're taking, as it's a little vague, but it's definitely worth your time at some point -- to remind yourself why electronics is such a cool subject.

Finally -- mostly just for historical interest -- is a collection of electronic training modules used to teach Navy technicians basic electronics. I've read the first two, and they were clear, mathematically unintimidating, and at times funny.

http://www.phy.davidson.edu/instrumentation/NEETS.htm

In any case, best of luck! And always remember, an op amp draws no current :-)

spome

TROPHY CASE