Cindy visitage. Shiny!

Poor Andi. We could play a round of gross mess stories if ya wanna. I got plenty!

My MIL does laundry every time she comes to my house if I haven't managed to get it all hidden before she gets here. She turns everything inside out which makes me nuts. So I finally asked her why she does this and she tells me it is in case a tissue gets left in a pocket. That way all the stuff doesn't get covered with tissue fuzz. So why doesn't she just check the pockets? Wouldn't that take less time than turning everything inside out only to right it again after drying? She has no answer for that. Hrmph.

Oh, oh! And also (since I'm worried I may have to edit this quote out of my paper, I want to share it with somebody) from a different paper:

It would be quite possible to arrange to control a distant computer by means of a telephone line.... The [programmers] are liable to get replaced because as soon as any technique becomes at all stereotyped it becomes possible to devise a system of instruction tables which will enable the electronic computer to do it for itself. It may happen however that the [programmers] will refuse to do this. They may be unwilling to let their jobs be stolen from them in this way. In that case they would surround the whole of their work with mystery and make excuses, couched in well chosen gibberish, whenever any dangerous suggestions were made.

(1948-ish, by the way)

Hands off my dead gay secret celebrity geek boyfriend!

No! Mine!

...unless you have a simple and quick writeup of the halting problem and its application to the Entscheidungsproblem, preferably with quotes, so I didn't have to do it myself. Then we might be able to negotiate.

Brilliance, Raq, brilliance! The stuff is collecting all around the door, for easy wiping off. It's not going into the lint trap, but that's probably because the bits are too big. Running the dryer again on no heat, as there are more bits that need be gotten off.

I love Alan Turing. I was reading a history of coding when I first heard of him and literally cried on the T when reading about how his brilliant life ended. Wow, sexy brains on that one.

OMG! That Turing quote is exactly what I needed on Saturday. I had someone arguing with me that computers could never be smarter than people.

Yay for problem-solving and lack of teeth-gnashing!

So why doesn't she just check the pockets? Wouldn't that take less time than turning everything inside out only to right it again after drying? She has no answer for that. Hrmph.

Laura, the answer to that is the number of times I have washed tissues in spite of the fact that I am, theoretically at least, in the habit of checking pockets. Mind you, I have yet to acquire the habit of turning stuff inside out. Perhaps I should, as it would have prevented today's little mishap.

I do not think that this argument is sufficiently substantial to require refutation. Consolation would be more appropriate: perhaps this should be sought in the transmigration of souls.

One wonders what he would say to reassure those of us with the honestly stated fear of "OMG, thinking machines... what if they think they don't like us?"

... someone arguing with me that computers could never be smarter than people.

I think they could, depending on the definition of "smart". And this terrifies me. Possibly irrational, but then I did grow up watching Star Trek.

I think transmigration of souls again. Possibly.

I think transmigration of souls again. Possibly.

Timelies!!

Hec - thanks for the music, just saw your note, so I will download this evening. FUN!!!

*snuggles* all available buffistas, cause I'm in a good mood at the moment!!!