Something I quickly wrote back at Hope, oddly, one of the first things listed if you do an internet search for my name…
Sonnet 18 – If Shakespeare Loved Math
Shall I compare mathematics to a summer’s day?
Thou integrals are more lovely, and thou abstract algebra are more temperate:
I shall model rough winds shaking the darling buds of May using differential equations.
And the probability of summer’s lease having all too short a date:
Find the limit as hot goes to infinity of the eye of heaven,
And often mathematics can find this limit,
And although sometimes we may stumble,
It is often by chance that mathematics has taught us something new,
And this eternal wisdom shall not fade,
Nor lose usefulness in our fair world,
Nor shall death destroy the knowledge thou great mathematics,
For as we let time approach infinity, knowledge knows no limit,
So long as men can breathe, or minds can learn,
So long lives mathematics, and this gives life to thee
The amount of litter and litter scooping that would be involved…frankly, it scares me.
 |
| From Paintbrush Art |
Share This
As much as I trust the safety of airplanes, twin propeller airplanes put me just a bit on edge. A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of riding one of these 15 passenger planes from Green Bay to Milwaukee. They had downsized the plane, and were 1 passenger over the weight limit (note that it was the WEIGHT limit, not the SEAT limit). That can’t make you feel too good about hopping on one of these puddle hoppers.
Finally, one poor soul gives up his seat for some flight vouchers, and we board the plane. I find my seat, settle in for a short flight, then look out the window, and there looms this giant propeller. Now, I’m not one to be afraid of flying, but that entire 30 minute flight, I had a hard time thinking of anything other than “If that propeller came loose and flew off, I’d be the first to go - I wouldn’t have a chance”.
Of course, statistically speaking, I know I’m quite safe on an airplane, unlike all those delusional SUV fanatics.
We did have a good time in da U.P. though for my grandparents 50th, eh.
 |
| From Savoie’s 50th. |
Recently I got a new pair of glasses. When they finally came in, I went to my eye doctor’s office to pick them up. As they usually do, they had me try on the new glasses, and the optometrist took them to the back to adjust them so they weren’t terrible crooked. He comes back, hands them to me and says
“There, that should be better. Oh, whoops, I put a fingerprint on them”
Immediately I think nothing of it, and begin to bring my new pair of glasses to my shirt to clean them off.
As I bring my glasses to my shirt, the optometrist’s reaction was as if I had just committed a mortal sin. He reached halfway across the table straining to stop my action.
“Nooooooooo….” he cried.
“NEVER clean your glasses with your clothes! They contain laundry detergent that can scratch your new lenses! That is like driving around in your car with very low oil in front of a mechanic!”
He immediately hands me two ’special’ lens cleaning cloths and gives me a quick lecture on how much I just spent on these glasses and how I should take care of them properly.
I never knew there existed such passion for glasses.
Share ThisTeleconferences are rarely unique. Last week, I arrived at a morning teleconference a bit early. It was just me and this older gentleman who was running the meeting. He dialed in to AT&T as usual to get the conference up and running. After he dials, a dark voiced woman recording answers…
“Hello, you have reached the sexy hotline of…”
Needless to say, he hangs up quickly, face turns a darker shade of red, looks around a bit flabbergasted to see who else noticed that, only to see me. I know thats not the normal AT&T operators voice I’ve heard before.
Share This
