Antisocial Lispers

Piece on Terry Gross this morning, with some comedian (Colin Quinn?) who mentioned that comics don't socialize well and basically hate each other. I wonder if that applies to Lisp hackers...in the sense that they (like comics) are smart and somewhat twisted in their idiosyncractic way. This is why they like Lisp, and why they don't cooperate all that well. Programmers in Java etc are more normal, socializable, etc. Cats vs. dogs.

If I can think of it, it isn't what I want

A Sick Child

Randell Jarrell, 1969

The postman comes when I am still in bed.
"Postman, what do you have for me today?"
I say to him. (But really I'm in bed.)
Then he says - what shall I have him say?

"This letter says that you are president
Of - this word here; it's a republic."
Tell them I can't answer right away.
"It's your duty." No, I'd rather just be sick.

Then he tells me there are letters saying everything
That I can think of that I want for them to say.
I say, "Well, thank you very much. Good-bye."
He is ashamed, and turns and walks away.

If I can think of it, it isn't what I want.
I want . . . I want a ship from some near star
To land in the yard, and beings to come out
And think to me: "So this is where you are!

Come." Except that they won't do,
I thought of them. . . . And yet somewhere there must be
Something that's different from everything.
All that I've never thought of - think of me!

The Loyal Opposition

Idea for an essay: "The Loyal Opposition" -- the left has problems
because it is almost by definition "the opposition". This attitude of
opposing can shade into nihilism unless its balanced by "loyal". In
Britain, to the nation in the person of the queen. But in the US, to
what? The president is not the personification of the state and is
definitely not above the political fray. To the flag? No. Most
leftists have their loyality to ideas and ideals, maybe to ideals that
are identified with the US but often to others. And ideas are too
abstract. Often they are contradictory and muddled, too (like freedom
and equality for isntance -- both good but often in opposition to each
other).

So, how to be a loyal oppposition?

See also: Satan!

sick of but not at work

I'm at home with a cold. Haven't left the house in a couple of days.
I'm sitting in on a typical boring phone meeting (Accuchem FrontEnd Project
Team). My biggest worry now with AccuChem is not getting fired, but getting
too used to it and not having the energy to leave. I find the stupid
practices occasionally making sense, I find myself thinking that large
teams might be useful sometimes...argh, it's the Stockholm Syndrome!

Frank Johnson said that "I'm becoming a team player", but in fact that
means I'm really not giving much of a rat's ass about stuff, so I've
stopped complaining. I can kick back, do a bit of work, spend time on
my side project (PathWhacker).