Three-Body (redux)

Not quite a year ago I posted about watching the Chinese adaptation of The Three-Body Problem, a 2006 science fiction novel by Liu Cixin. At the time, I’d only seen the adaptation. Since then, I’ve read all three books of the trilogy, re-read the first, re-watched the Chinese adaptation, and now, holding my nose, am watching the Netflix adaptation.

Having read the book, especially having recently re-read it, I enjoyed the Chinese adaptation much more than I did the first time seeing it cold. It was a much richer experience, and that adaptation is very faithful to the book.

I thought for Sci-Fi Saturday, knowing much more now, I’d revisit the topic.

Continue reading


A Belated Janus Post

I usually publish a pair of Janus posts in early January, one looking back (with charts and stats), one looking forward (with intentions for the year). This year I’m “juuust a bit outside” the strike zone.

I got a respiratory virus just before Christmas, and it took me out for Christmas and the song-celebrated Twelve Days after. Mid-January I was dog-sitting and decided to take the whole month off from the interweb (and, to a large extent, even the computer).

Now I’m back. With charts and stats.

Continue reading


Friday Notes (Dec 20, 2024)

Until now, I haven’t posted here all month, and I’m not sure I’ll post anything before the end of the year. My attention definitely is more towards Substack these days, and I increasingly ask myself why to bother with WordPress anymore?

For one, their technology continues to depress me. This week it’s because the notifications bell icon can’t clear the little dot that means messages pending. It’s on all the time, but there are no messages pending. Basically, at this point, I’m pretty disgusted and done with WP.

But first let’s have at least one more edition of Friday Notes.

Continue reading


Thanksgiving 2024

Many tables with room for all. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

While one might disparage the white colonialism that birthed the holiday along with the bowdlerization of its history, I like to think time denatures these things and leaves us with a Norman Rockwellesque secular day of family travel, over-eating, discontent, and infighting. Our American tradition.

But pointed opening aside, the season in general, along with the coming year’s end, does — if we but take it — give us a chance to pause and reflect on the past year and what it meant to us. And, if the soul is gentled and still, to find things to be thankful for.

Continue reading


Friday Notes (Nov 22, 2024)

It has been another slow month here, and I remain conflicted about trying to blog both here on WordPress and now, on Substack. Last May I committed to posting on my WP programming blog (The Hard-Core Coder) every two weeks.

I’d discovered that I didn’t like writing about programming as much as I enjoy doing it, but figured I’d give it one more try (hence the commitment). So far, I’ve been keeping it up, and plan to continue, but it’s one more thing taking time from this blog.

It’s possible (but maybe not yet likely) this is the penultimate Friday Notes.

Continue reading


A Blog Invasion?

Starting yesterday afternoon and continuing to this moment, Logos con Carne’s page view stats have exploded far beyond anything I’ve seen here in the thirteen years of this blog:

I’m pretty sure this is due to an automated process, not a sudden popularity. The number of visitors is roughly normal, even a little low today, so it’s one entity “reading” all those posts, and the click rate seems too fast for it to be someone actually reading the posts.

And, of course, no Likes or Comments, so I have no clue WTF is going on.

Anyone else seeing a huge uptick in stats? I’m a little freaked out about it. I’m not one to be paranoid, but could this have anything to do with the recent election? The only reasonable theory I have is that someone is training a pet LLM and picked my blog for source text. (Clearly because of the superior writing therein. 😏)

Many of us left field bloggers fantasize about popularity, but — after some initial excitement — this obviously isn’t that. But what is it?

Anyone else seeing this? (I just made that image, but as I go to click [Publish] the count is up to 4,715 and growing with every refresh.)

Stay low-key, my friends! Go forth and spread beauty and light.


US Elections in the 2000s

I’m still trying to wrap my head around this:

With all the post-game analysis, and all the pearl-clutching about the future, it boils down to a simple fact: Americans are fucking stupid children.

Continue reading


I Voted 2024

It should go without saying:

I Voted

I hope you did, too. (And I hope you voted Blue.)

Continue reading


It’s Still an Easy Choice

The “Grand” Old Party has, at this point, descended into naked fascism marching in lockstep led by their would-be tyrant. It’s hard to believe it has gone this far. It is mind-bending and disturbing that a large segment of America — apparently blinded by propaganda or willfully ignorant — can’t see the problem. What’s even worse is the sense many indeed agree with the program.

Almost as disturbing is that, even now, many Americans apparently remain undecided. Yet the choice we face becomes clearer every day as the Republican party increasingly drops any pretense of upholding the Constitution or traditional American values.

When it was Biden/Harris, the choice was obvious. Now that it’s Harris/Walz, the choice is even more obvious. I made a scorecard…

Vote Blue, my friends! Go forth and spread beauty and light.


Friday Notes (Oct 25, 2024)

It’s been a slow month here, this is only my second post, and it could be the last. (This month, I mean, not forever.) One thing that has become clear to me is that Substack Notes is too much of a time sink. I’ve been learning to tear myself away from it.

I’m sure I’ll keep posting there, though. I’ve been updating some of my older posts and republishing them for a new audience. I wrapped things up here on computationalism some time ago, but now I have an excuse to revisit and distill those thoughts.

As for this blog, at least for now, there’s always Friday Notes.

Continue reading