Aha, All is Explained
Why the Phonecian's Religious Affiliation Matters to Some People
My new favorite math site's author was punished with religion at a formative age, and came out of it a math scholar, with a strong personal wariness about Judeo-Christian beliefs. But yet, she gives them the knowledge of Pi. She is a bigger man than I.
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Monday, July 12, 2004
Cubits and Handbreadths and Charismatic Megafauna, Oh My
Down With Charismatic Megafaunism!
I have been in student mode lately, learning a new job, and learning (relearning) elementary algebra.
My favorite new term I learned this past week in my job is "Charismatic Megafauna," commonly referring to the WWF panda and its ilk (lions, tigers, bears, baby seals, oracas, and sometimes whales), being the means by which most people find a way to give a hoot about the expiration of the planet.
As in, "we could have saved that watershed if it had any charismatic megafauna, but all it had was salmon."
There is a great deal of sublimated hostility toward the charismatic-megafaunistic approach to environmental protection. In someone's office here I once saw the crossbar & circle "no" symbol photoshopped over a WWF panda logo.
In my spare time when I'm not protecting the petulant microfauna, I'm currently trying to get a comfortable grip on linear equations.
It's about time someone took the Phonecians' side.
Looking for some on-line assistance with the order of operations in solving linear equations, I found this neat little corner of the math world evaluating the Phonecian understanding of Pi, as expressed in cubits and handbreadths.
I'm not sure why the author is so sensitive about finding some mathematical truth in the Bible, or why s/he thinks (or s/he thinks someone thinks) it's so awful to connect the Phonecians with the Jews, but clearly s/he's writing in defense of the Phonecians. With some passion, I might add. It's about time...?
Down With Charismatic Megafaunism!
I have been in student mode lately, learning a new job, and learning (relearning) elementary algebra.
My favorite new term I learned this past week in my job is "Charismatic Megafauna," commonly referring to the WWF panda and its ilk (lions, tigers, bears, baby seals, oracas, and sometimes whales), being the means by which most people find a way to give a hoot about the expiration of the planet.
As in, "we could have saved that watershed if it had any charismatic megafauna, but all it had was salmon."
There is a great deal of sublimated hostility toward the charismatic-megafaunistic approach to environmental protection. In someone's office here I once saw the crossbar & circle "no" symbol photoshopped over a WWF panda logo.
In my spare time when I'm not protecting the petulant microfauna, I'm currently trying to get a comfortable grip on linear equations.
It's about time someone took the Phonecians' side.
Looking for some on-line assistance with the order of operations in solving linear equations, I found this neat little corner of the math world evaluating the Phonecian understanding of Pi, as expressed in cubits and handbreadths.
I'm not sure why the author is so sensitive about finding some mathematical truth in the Bible, or why s/he thinks (or s/he thinks someone thinks) it's so awful to connect the Phonecians with the Jews, but clearly s/he's writing in defense of the Phonecians. With some passion, I might add. It's about time...?
Thursday, July 08, 2004
Make Goals Not War
From the Global Development Briefing this week:
This has got to be one of the most creative solutions I've ever heard to the problem of gun proliferation.
Here's some more information on the upcoming match from Sports Illustrated.
Don't you think they could do something like this to disarm Oakland with a "friendly" between the Raiders and 49ers?
From the Global Development Briefing this week:
LAST WEEK, we noted that a most unusual soccer game is set to take place in Haiti. Brazil, which deployed 1,200 peacekeeping troops in the troubled Caribbean island nation in June to replace outgoing U.S. troops, has already handed out 1,000 free footballs. Next month, the Brazilian national team is scheduled to play a "friendly" against Haiti. We asked what the price of admission to the football match will be and what Brazil hopes to achieve. Answer: the price of admission is handing over a weapon and Brazil hopes to help disarm rival Haitian militas, relieve tension and ultimately help prepare the country for elections by 2005. As reader Jim Anderson notes, Haitian interim Prime Minister Latortue has said that a few Brazilian soccer stars could do more to disarm warring militias than thousands of peacekeeping troops.
This has got to be one of the most creative solutions I've ever heard to the problem of gun proliferation.
Here's some more information on the upcoming match from Sports Illustrated.
Don't you think they could do something like this to disarm Oakland with a "friendly" between the Raiders and 49ers?