Yes.

Yes.

Geek: the CDC 6600 architecture, documented...

Geek: the CDC 6600 architecture, documented...  This is a supercomputer from the late '60s, considerably more modern than the first computers I worked on (Univac 1206s), which were designed in the late '50s and early '60s.  It's interesting for a computer hardware buff to see the evolution of these machines over the 8 to 10 years between them.  The Univac 1206s had 100 kHz clock speeds and zero CPU concurrency, and the CDC 6600 had 10 times faster clocks, up to 10 concurrent CPU operations, and a tiny (27 word!) semi-conductor instruction cache – all of which combined to boost the power of the CDC 6600 to over 100 times that of the Univac 1206...

A feminist defense of masculine virtues...

A feminist defense of masculine virtues...  Camille Paglia, in The Wall Street Journal.  The more I read from her, the more I like her.  In this piece, she had me from the first line:

What you're seeing is how a civilization commits suicide.

Living the California nanny-state life...

Living the California nanny-state life...  Andy Kessler, writing in The Wall Street Journal, vividly outlines some of the many reasons why Debbie and I are escaping from California...

Shipwrecked on an island inhabited by Stone Age people...

Shipwrecked on an island inhabited by Stone Age people...  It actually happened!  In 1981, the Primrose grounded on the reef surrounding North Sentinel Island in the Indian Ocean (the island in the photo at right).  The story is fascinating, and sounds so unlikely for such a populous part of the world.  More details here and here.

View Larger Map

With a bit of searching on Google Maps, I was able to find the wreck of the Primrose, just off the northwestern-most prominence on the island.  Expand the map at left and zoom out to see exactly where it is..

Best and worst quotes of 2013...

Best and worst quotes of 2013...  An excellent pair of lists, with many of my personal favorites on both lists...