Tralala

It's been ages. I've even forgotten how to blog, something that used to come effortlessly. Since it's a pity to see my blog lying empty and uncared for, here are some updates.

Since my last post, I've changed jobs twice, changed more girlfriends than I can remember, taste in music and movies have remained the same, and have acquired nerdy dead beat new hobbies.

Genius?

I don't quite know what to make of this, or how it's even judged, but evidently, this blog's reading level is 'genius'. I hadn't thought I was that obscure. Or does it have to do with the last two posts?

Cash Advance Loans

...contd. And here it is

Recent acceleration of human adaptive evolution
by John Hawks, Eric T. Wang, Gregory M. Cochran, Henry C. Harpending and Robert K. Moyzis

Inside news

From Steve Sailer:

"We are those mutants"

I've been posting teasers for awhile about an upcoming big paper on evolution co-written by the Murderer's Row of Greg Cochran, Henry Harpending, John Hawks, Bob Moyzis, and Eric Wang. It officially comes out Monday evening, Dec. 10, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

I'm not going to say anymore about it now so that the big boys at the NYT and The Economist can have time to write their stories without anyone jumping the gun ... other than to leave you with a Cochran quote as the title of this post.

Dying to see what turns up

Elementary particles

'Elementary, my dear Watson.' How often have I read this headline, or some variation of it, in the last one week? How often do nameless, faceless hack journalists and pajama critics get a chance to take potshots at a Nobel Prize winner?

Do ya? Really?

I came upon this site called 'beauty in music', which is essentially about babes in classical music, a form of music that I believe should be a hell lot more popular than it is right now, without having to resort to babes. I would agree some of these 'babes' aren't that hot, I never tought Anne Sophie Mutter was particularly hot, but Bojidara Kouzmanova. Well, yes. The greatest number of 'babes' are in violin and piano, understandably. Of course, I haven't heard all of them, but I'm glad they're around. Even if they weren't, I'd still listen to classical music. But they add that whiff of grace and feminity in what would otherwise have been a totally male world, and thank god for them. And like I said, I haven't heard all of them, but if they're that well known, I suppose they should be good. The fact that they are extremely attractive women is only incidental.

Bojidara Kouzmanova, violinist

On a related note, I also came upon this guy, who calls himself Smalin, who has created some sort of a way of animating music with visual imagery. Each voice has its own colour, and you can make out how they interact with each other, such as in a fugue. Check out the animation with Bach's Toccata and Fugue to figure out what I'm talking about.

On yet another related note, I finally got a music system in my car and the sound of Wagner blaring out of my speakers during a traffic jam - heavenly.

On not a related note, I knew Ibragimov was gonna win, there's no way Hollyfield was gonna make this, but who was gonna listen to me?

Attack!

click to zoom

Age of Empires III, playing as the Dutch. I'm in the imperial age, all possible upgrades implemented, blockade on opponent home city, a host of native warriors and mercenaries. Primary force - imperial carabiniers (upgraded ruyters), imperial skirmishers and statdhouders. Three imperial cannons, 12 imperial grenadiers and 10 imperial Hussars. For support, Nassau halberdiers and native warriors. Five trading posts, four banks and two factories generating all the resources I need. My opponent? He was wiped off the map.

Bad poetry contd.

"What's a tundra?" you asked,
And I said, "It's a cold, cold place, cold like hell."
You: "But isn't hell supposed to be hot?"

Attila's capital

From my other blog
Google Earth has spawned up a number of 'virtual' archaeologists, and many of them are doing the discipline a good service. Here are the remains of a walled city, previously unrecorded, near Timisoara in Romania. Chances are, it's Attila's capital, which is known to have been somewhere near the Danube, but never unearthed.

Here is what fifth century Roman ambassador Priscus had to say abut Attila's court, which provides vital, and the only, clues:

The next day I entered the enclosure of Attila's palace, bearing gifts to his wife, whose name was Kreka. She had three sons, of whom the eldest governed the Acatiri and the other nations who dwell in Pontic Scythia. Within the enclosure were numerous buildings, some of carved boards beautifully fitted together, others of straight, fastened on round wooden blocks which rose to a moderate height from the ground. Attila's wife lived here, and, having been admitted by the barbarians at the door, I found her reclining on a soft couch. The floor of the room was covered with woollen mats for walking on. A number of servants stood round her, and maids sitting on the floor in front of her embroidered with colours linen cloths intended to be placed over the Scythian dress for ornament. Having approached, saluted, and presented the gifts, I went out, and walked to another house, where Attila was, and waited for Onegesius, who, as I knew, was with Attila. I stood in the middle of a great crowd--the guards of Attila and his attendants knew me, and so no one hindered me. I saw a number of people advancing, and a great commotion and noise, Attila's egress being expected. And he came forth from the house with a dignified gait, looking round on this side and on that. He was accompanied by Onegesius, and stood in front of the house; and many persons who had lawsuits with one another came up and received his judgment. Then he returned into the house, and received ambassadors of barbarous peoples.

The monk

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