On the Cusp

This is possibly the most important speckle of dots in a line that you'll see today. It's an updated version of Ray Kurzweil's plot of calculations per second per $1000 of equipment for the past century or so. And what it shows is an exponential increase in processing power. An oft cited example of this kind of increase is that a cheap wristwatch has more processing power than the moon lander.

Kurzweil's predictions vary from Moore's Law in that Moore was concerned with the number of transistor on an integrated circuit. Kurzweil, however, looks at the much simpler statistic of how many calculations can be done and at what cost. This allows for trends to be plotted much further into the past. Further, it allows for the trend to increase independent of the restrictions of integrated circuits.

It has be speculated that Moore's Law will come to an end because of the physical limitations for the miniaturization of transistors. However, while the trend of transistor size will eventually cease, the overall trend of computational power can continue through other mediums.

As you can see on the graph, computation has gone through several stages of technological dependence: electromechanical, relay, vacuum tube, transistor, and now integrated circuits. (technically there were mechanical calculation machines well before all of this, but they were more often merely theoretical) But because the upper limit of integrated circuits is within sight, we're going to have to leap yet again to a new technology.

And it's here, the first electronic quantum processor. Booyah. If you thought computers were mysterious before, then get ready for something that may as well be magic.

JetSetArnett Out.

It's poetry in motion.

They May Not Be Evil

But that doesn't make them not jerks.

Right now Obama has a problem. Two problems, actually. Well, maybe ten to twenty problems. But aside from the others, two foreign policy GDCFs-waiting-to-be are Iran and North Korea. This article does a better job than I could do at discussing it; so I'll address an issue of semantics:

Bush used to use the term "Axis of Evil" which was utterly bombastic and completely overreaching, but it certainly was effective.

However, it was a lie, the people in those countries are not evil, and I know that he was meaning to refer to their governments, but the implication was clear that those swaths of land and all within them should be considered "the enemy". It was a way to cut the world into easy to understand black and white.

So in response to this, Obama offered a diplomatic alternative course for the US to take. He told us all that he would open lines of communication and offer the inviting hand of diplomacy. But, with these guys, that hand will either get slapped down publicly, or he'll pull a rubber one out from a now empty suit sleeve while a couple of poorly crafted ICBMs hiss pathetically over his shoulder into a very frightened body of water.

So to get the American people on board, we need some much more precise and accurate name-calling to get the job done; "evil" just won't cut it for the latter requirement.

Hence, I propose "douchebags". Or, if you prefer something which sounds nicer we could go with jerks (even though jerk is old slang for penis). Either way, it gets the point across much more accurately. If you rig an election, you're a jerk. If you fire missiles into the ocean (quite close to me actually) then you're a jerk.

When you're dealing with a jerk, you give him a few chances, then you sock him in the face so he learns to act right. Now, in the States and most other places, people enjoy something called personal sovereignty. This means that I have sovereignty over my own being: it's an expression of a "negative" freedom. So my right to swing my fist ends at your nose. However, in the international system, there is anarchy: no governing body with a monopoly of force. Thus, the only guide to your actions is the perception of everyone else who might be in a position to get angry/sock you in the face. However, I'm pretty sure everyone will agree about North Korea's score on the jerk-scale, and if the Iranian people want some help stringing up their nuke crazy leaders, then I wouldn't be opposed to a black-op or two.

And instead of "Axis of Evil" it could be "Circle of Jerks".

JetSetArnett Out.

You put the boom boom into my heart

TED: Geckos Utilize Nanotech

Engineer: These tails seem important.
Biologist: O rly?
Engineer: Ya rly!
Biologist: No wai! ...Oh wait... yes, you are correct; I'm astonished we never noticed.

This has bothered me before: why do spacecraft have thrusters for maneuverability? Couldn't there be some sort of a mechanical solution which doesn't require a physical fuel taking up valuable space? Seems like a tail on the back of the spacecraft might work, or perhaps a more elegant system of internal weights on a gyroscope.

JetSetArnett Out.

Like a streak of light he arrives just in time.

Citibank: Missing the Point

I tried to be nice.

Subject: Rate Increase
You wrote:

Hello, I'm writing to ask when my standard purchase rate increased to 14.99 from 8.99 (if I remember correctly). I'm currently living in Japan, and my statements are sent to my/my father's home in the states. He must have missed that notice, and I probably should have been checking my account online more regularly. Because the new rate is quite high, I'll probably pay off my account within the next month and then cease to use the card (unless in the event of an emergency). I understand that the banking sector is having difficulties right now, but I don't feel that I am a risky enough individual to warrant such a high rate. I don't mean that to sound too irritated (it's often difficult to convey tone through email), and I understand that you (the person reading this) aren't responsible for the current situation; so hopefully my query and complaint have not adversely affected your day. Have a good one.

Their response:

Subject: Re: Rate Increase
Customer Service Wrote:

We received your request to lower the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) on your account. (Not at all what I asked about) Your variable APR for purchases is based on the prime rate plus 8.99%. Currently, the purchase APR is 14.99%. At this time, your account does not have an annual fee. (Also, totally unrelated to my query)

We would like to offer you a lower purchase APR based on the prime rate + 10.99%, currently 14.24%.(Wait, what? That doesn't make sense. If my APR is 8.99% plus the prime rate, how is 10.99% plus the prime rate better? And how does that suddenly equal 14.24%?)

If you would like us to make this change to your account, please notify us immediately. You can do this by responding to this message.

Was this message helpful?(Nope.)
Let us know(Why? So you can answer that email incorrectly too?)

Thank you for using our website.

I'm not so much angry as I am disappointed.

JetSetArnett Out.

Well first of all, I'd like to say **** off.

Golden Week: Sapporo Part 2

Bam! Picture Blog. What up?

Sapporo Dome: inspired by Flight of the Navigator.

Japanese ball teams are identified by their parent corporations rather than their city or region. Thus: Ham Fighters.

This tiny girl was serving beer...
from a keg on her back.
Let's take a moment to reflect on this development, and what it says about how far we have come as a sentient species.

Pretty far.

Now, let's enjoy viewing!


WIN!
The Ham Fighters destroyed the Buffaloes.

Without fail, every Japanese person who sees this picture notes how similar we look.

Behold: the Ishiya Chocolate Factory.

This is a bit long and littered with inane commentary. Enjoy.


Magic.

For some reason chocolate factories in Japan require large, frightening, motorcycle, demon sculptures.

And a toy museum.

No. Bad Japan.

JetSetArnett Out.

You tell me that it's evolution