Prêt-à-Porter

Jake was seen on set in Toronto, in and out of wardrobe or is it?  just add or subtract a shirt and jacket and you can go from work to play.  Was he breaking in the Grey Goose sneakers for the movie, or did he convince them to let him wear his own shoes?

As M pointed out it does look like there is something under that t-shirt that has a familiar ring to it.

And if the props in the movie (Anthony's married) are actually yours what a better way of keeping track of them. ; )

And yes that is Jake's ass. Some have thought it has disappeared never to be seen again. But  I guess all that Soul Cycle  has boosted his  ahem... confidence.

Jake has got the harried  history professor down pat, although it looks more like a pooped Pop.   

And a little crazy eyes for the road.

Daniel Dennett - How to Tell If You're an Atheist

The human mind is both beautiful and frustrating. We have minds that can contemplate the meaning of infinity and consciousness, on the one hand, and we can be blind to what's right in front of us, we can lie to ourselves, we can simultaneously embrace mutually exclusive beliefs, and we can be in complete denial about the most obvious of things, especially when those things have something challenging to say about our identity.

There's a clinical condition called anosognosia. Patients with this condition have suffered some sort of disability, but are completely unaware of it (you can watch V.S. Ramachandran to learn more). But it doesn't have to be only a medical condition. Anosognosia, or some variation thereof, affects us all in various ways and to varying degrees. At bottom, it's a question of self-knowledge and whether our beliefs about ourselves are consistent with the available evidence.

So, philosopher Daniel Dennett started to wonder about a possibly related condition: atheism-denial :)  Are you one? If you're not sure, here's how you can tell (and learn some philosophy along the way, like the use-mention fallacy, thanks to the funny examples he uses to make various conceptual points). And before you dismiss the idea, just consider that if there's a good chance your own pastor (rabbi, mula, swami, take your pick) might be an atheist, maybe you are too...

You know what I would be surprised to find? A redneck atheist :)

Jane's Fighting Ships of WW2

I bought this bad boy from Amazon for a reasonable price to support my knowledge of all things German and Italian Naval.

It's OK - and certainly packed with information on most ships in the navies at the time.  But I think a lot of the info was gleaned during (or just after WW2) and - at first glance - there seem to be a lot of omissions.  I looked up Japanese carriers and although the Kaga and Akagi were mentioned, I couldn't find Soryu anywhere?!!?

All illustrations are black and white - which is not much use for colour schemes - and many of the photos are grany at best.

Certainly not a page turner but it is a weighty tome and it's not so much "I couldn't put it down" as "I couldn't pick it up".

Still, there is plenty of titbits there which I will no doubt share in my 'stuff to impress your mates' posts.

Loreen Melodifestivalen 2012

Loreen Best Picture

Woody Allen reads "My (Socratic) Apologies"

If you follow me on Google+, you may have noticed that there was recently a new trial for Socrates in which the previous verdict of guilty was overturned (by an impressively small margin). Philosophy was just barely vindicated by the new ruling. And people say we don't make progress :)

If that's too much seriousness, however, you may enjoy the following short story, written and read by none other than that philosophically-minded comic, Woody Allen, about certain dreams he's been having recently:

Hat tip to Tony!

Hop on Pop

Joe D's tweet gives OMG a great reminder to flashback to look at Daddy on Duty.


Handled it like a pro. Who'da thunk. ; )

lush life

ol jazz standard written by billy strayhorn in '49



the lyrics below are as sung by dianne reeves
(i heard this on the radio and loved her version.
by coincidence; she sings it in george's film Good Night and Good Luck)



i used to visit all the very gay places -
those come-what-may places
where one relaxes on the axis of the wheel of life
to get the feel of life...
from jazz and cocktails.

the girls I knew had sad and sullen gray faces -
with distant gay traces
that used to be there you could see where
they'd been washed away
by too many through the day...
twelve o'clock-tails

then you came along with your siren's song
to tempt me to madness
I thought for a while that your poignant smile
was tinged with the sadness
of a great love for me.
I was wrong.
ah yes, I was wrong...
again,

and only last year everything seemed so sure.
now life is awful again
life is lonely again.
and the thoughtful of heart
could only be a bore.

a week in paris will ease the bite of it.
all I care is to smile in spite of it.
I'll forget you, I will
and yet, you are still
burning inside my brain.

romance is mush
stifling those who strive.
I'll live a lush life in some small dive...
and there I'll be
while I rot with the rest
of those whose lives are lonely, too..

Gettysburg Blog

Jono of our little group has developed a blog about Gettysburg and the ACW in the lead up to our ACW campaign next year.  If you like the era then check it out here.

http://gettysburg2013.blogspot.co.uk/

Could Sarcastic Computers Be in Our Future?

Noah Goodman, right, and Michael Frank, both assistant professors of psychology, discuss their research at the white board that covers the wall in Goodman's office. (Credit: L.A. Cicero)

Could Sarcastic Computers Be in Our Future? New Math Model Can Help Computers Understand Inference -- Science Daily

ScienceDaily (May 30, 2012) — In a new paper, the researchers describe a mathematical model they created that helps predict pragmatic reasoning and may eventually lead to the manufacture of machines that can better understand inference, context and social rules.

Language is so much more than a string of words. To understand what someone means, you need context.

Consider the phrase, "Man on first." It doesn't make much sense unless you're at a baseball game. Or imagine a sign outside a children's boutique that reads, "Baby sale -- One week only!" You easily infer from the situation that the store isn't selling babies but advertising bargains on gear for them.

Read more ....

My Comment: I guess it all comes down to the math and programming.

Brooklyn lee