therandomtexan
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KWIC, make me some hash!
IEEE Spectrum has a fascinating bio sketch of Hans Peter Luhn, inventor of the hashing and KWIC indexing algorithms. This is Luhn’s legacy: He helped show that computers and computation weren’t just the province of mathematics, statistics, and logic but also of language, linguistics, and literature. In his day, this was a revolutionary way to Read more
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Maybe NOT every job will be automated
Turns out there may be an upper limit to automating retail businesses. When confronted with self-serve checkouts, many folks turn into thieves: “There is NO MORAL ISSUE with stealing from a store that forces you to use self checkout, period. THEY ARE CHARGING YOU TO WORK AT THEIR STORE.” It’s so pervasive that it’s not Read more
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The Fourier Transform, explained beautifully
At the Better Explained blog, Kalid Azad hits another home run with An Interactive Guide to the Fourier Transform. Here’s a plain-English metaphor: What does the Fourier Transform do? Given a smoothie, it finds the recipe. How? Run the smoothie through filters to extract each ingredient. Why? Recipes are easier to analyze, compare, and modify Read more
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There’s STILL a sucker born every minute.
I’m a real Goop Boy now. If a pricey shot of B vitamins gives you the same thrill as taking a dump, why not save time and money, and go take a dump? Read more
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His Last Bow
The late Michael Crichton was a colossus among popular novelists, and spun off movies as quick as I make wisecracks: The Andromeda Strain, Congo, Jurassic Park, etc. He was also an insightful social commentator, with observations like his Gell-Mann Amnesia Effect. Turns out he left a literary lagniappe in his papers, the historical western novel Read more
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Add a Pair of These to My Frivolous Wish List!
I give you…self-parking slippers! Tip from the Geek Press. Read more
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Pandas
I just learned about the Chinese craze for pandas from Albinotronix, a new blogfollower, whose blog, The Curious Guy, is even more wide-ranging than mine. I was particularly struck by his pithy summary of panda evolutionary foolishness: Take a moment to think about this magnificent species For no reason they decided to turn herbivores For Read more
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Mrs Sherlock Holmes
Was the nickname given lawyer-detective Grace Humiston when she became prominent in New York’s 1917 Ruth Cruger murder case. The fascinating story is told in Brad Ricca’s biography Mrs Sherlock Holmes, which is as gripping and surprising as any great detective novel. In an interesting episode, the wife of suspected murderer Alfredo Cocchi is being Read more
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How to stump a local politician
Just ask what his/her plan is to address unfunded pension liabilities. Turns out San Antonio pols, who pat themselves on the back for the city’s AAA bond rating, have been playing hide the ball for years (check out page 78). Read more
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Now THIS is a cat picture
Stolen shamelessly from a comment by Michelle Teller on the Instapundit. Read more
The Random Texan 