(no subject)

Computer at home fixed. Acquired cheap heatsink (for the fan) and battery-powered vacuum and canned air. Cleaned extant heatsink by blowing and sucking, replaced the fan, and we're all good. At some point I need to get a good (copper) heatsink and replace the aluminum one that's there, but if it works, that can wait.

And got given USB keyboard for the street-rescue iMac. Must figure out how to open the case, to see if the DVD is merely misaligned or not functioning (a disc is stuck in the drive and won't eject, either at boot or with a paper clip). Now to price external hard drives, and that can be a file/music server.

::End update 1::

(no subject)

We lost a cat last night.

Mitsou (aka Mimi) had been ill for several weeks. She was one of two remaining of maya_a's cats who moved in with her seven years ago. I will miss her truck-engine purr, audible from the other end of the couch, and her overlarge paws. May she play and hunt in the Elysian Fields, as she deserves!

(no subject)

The University of Kansas has canceled a course debunking creationism and intelligent design. They did it not because the course content was problematic, but because the professor had sent an e-mail mocking "fundies" that was made public.

I have very mixed feelings about this.

On one hand, I do believe that this course would have been both useful and appropriate, especially given the academic climate in Kansas right now.

On the other hand, it behooves people who are trying to attain and retain the moral high ground to stay within the bounds of social propriety. Polite gets listened to, my mom told me (and I'm trying to teach my kids) even if it isn't agreed with.

On the gripping hand, the same folks who criticized the professor's language have a history of intolerance and abuse that includes language, starting with, oh, I don't know, "you're going to hell for your sins." And the like. That makes me significantly less sympathetic toward them than I would have been otherwise.

All in all, it's a shame the class has been canceled. I wonder if the professor can be persuaded to place the course materials online anyway...