-dsr-

I have seen some controversy about whether white-passing people of Jewish ancestry count as “white”

Let me clear that up: the people who ask if someone is actually white are racists.

“When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.”

I suspect that he is incapable of admitting to himself that he is in a hole, much less that he dug it himself.

The history of technology teaches us that every non-trivial problem – and a large fraction of trivial problems – require specification beyond the bounds of conversational language.

Greek geometers may have invented the idea of formalizing language with specific definitions, and inventing new symbols to represent special meanings. When important consequences accrue from getting things wrong, people develop jargon: knitters and sailors and shepherds and farmers; engineers and lawyers and plumbers. If you want to convey your knowledge and intentions, you can’t chat informally and expect a human to really understand what you want.

For about a century now we’ve had devices that turn instructions into actions. Everyone who uses these becomes an expert in the particular form of instructions that the device needs, or else they don’t get what they want.

No wristwatch, but I have glasses and without electricity I stop breathing. (While asleep.)

So, yeah, cyborg.

Grew up in fairly rural upstate New York, where you can expect lots of snow and you can unironically envy neighbors who have working Franklin stoves when the power goes out.

I can confirm all of the above, plus: if you are lucky enough to have an Army-Navy surplus store around, one of your handmedowns is likely to be an N3B parka. Definitely not Russian or German or stylish. But it will keep everything above your thighs warm, except your hands. The pockets are uninsulated.

If you are in a 60 Hz electrical area (i.e. the Americas, mostly), and the power is rock-steady, and you have cheap fluorescent lighting – then anything other than 60 Hz refresh rates might improve your screen, but much more so on old CRTs than on modern LCDs and OLEDs.

These days, like most smartphone ‘features’, it is mostly but not entirely about a checkmark to induce you to feel that you are missing out on something.