Category Archives: Those that are trained

Jacques Derrida: Mostly Harmless

Posted on April 19, 2012 by

You’d think a software engineer who believes clear communication to be the cornerstone of intellectual honesty would really have it in for Jacques Derrida, but in fact my attitude towards him is one of affection. I had a go at Of Grammatology … Continue reading →

Posted in Fabulous ones, Those that are trained | Leave a comment

Come Out And Play

Posted on April 12, 2012 by

Imagine the following dialog between a mathematician and a philosopher. Both are actually me since I’m making the whole thing up, but play along because there are a few good points to be had, and I end with a dirty little secret. … Continue reading →

Posted in Mermaids, Those that are trained | Leave a comment

The Golden Hammer of Disdain

Posted on October 11, 2011 by

A few years back on the late great message board Plastic.com I got into a debate with a religious conservative about gay rights, gay marriage, and generally all things gay. My opponent was on the anti-gay side, ostensibly for high … Continue reading →

Posted in Belonging to the emperor, Suckling pigs, Those that are trained | 1 Comment

Frege and Russell in Java

Posted on July 7, 2011 by

Frege: Russell:

Posted in Fabulous ones, Those that are trained, Those that have just broken the flower vase | 2 Comments

Plugging In

Posted on April 26, 2011 by

Moment of Death is a compelling National Geographic documentary about the medical phenomenon of death. In one part, a series of experts give various opinions on whether the whole near-death light-at-the-end-of-a-tunnel phenomenon is a form of brain malfunction or a … Continue reading →

Posted in Stray dogs, Those that are trained | 1 Comment

Beyoncé’s Bride Price

Posted on March 28, 2011 by

I’ve decided to steer away from popular culture commentary on Corner Cases because I feel like this topic is adequately covered elsewhere online, but that Beyoncé song is still getting airplay and I’ve got Sex at Dawn on the brain, … Continue reading →

Posted in Belonging to the emperor, Included in this classification, Those drawn with a very fine camel’s-hair brush, Those that are trained, Those that tremble as if they were mad | Leave a comment

The Problem with Nature

Posted on March 22, 2011 by

The thesis of Sex at Dawn is that human monogamy is unnatural. We spent most of our existence as a species in small hunter-gatherer bands which were radically egalitarian in all matters including those of sexual access. There was no … Continue reading →

Posted in Fabulous ones, Those that are trained, Those that tremble as if they were mad | 2 Comments

Who did John make the claim he had given the pen to?

Posted on February 13, 2011 by

Example syntax sentences are a genre unto themselves, and that genre is shaped by forces both superficial and deep.  In conversation, syntacticians are always having to come up with illustrations of this or that grammatical phenomenon on the spot, so … Continue reading →

Posted in Mermaids, Those that are trained | 1 Comment

Tradeoffs: a Format

Posted on February 5, 2011 by

About the whole inherent tradeoffs thing.  This is a useful organizing principle that applies across a wide swath of domains.  To show that I’m not just jawboning, let me offer some specific examples.  And not just fancifully oblique little second-person … Continue reading →

Posted in Fabulous ones, Innumerable ones, Stray dogs, Those that are trained | 1 Comment

Inherent Tradeoffs

Posted on January 24, 2011 by

You’re taking a picture of a city skyline at night.  If you want brighter lights and sharper colors you can leave the exposure on longer.  If you want it to be less blurry you can leave the exposure on shorter. … Continue reading →

Posted in Fabulous ones, Those that are trained | 1 Comment