Author Archives: Anton

dot product of Cupid’s arrows

The backstory of Methuselah’s Children, by Heinlein, involves a foundation to promote human longevity. Among other activities it studies natural long-lifers, creating its research material by paying a bounty for marriages between people whose grandparents all lived 100 years or … Continue reading

Posted in futures, medicine | Leave a comment

Billy Budd

Last night I watched Peter Ustinov’s adaptation (1962) of Herman Melville’s story Billy Budd. In 1797, a young merchant seaman is drafted onto a warship, where his sweet nature is admired by all except Claggart, the cruel master-at-arms, who resents … Continue reading

Posted in cinema | Leave a comment

of our elaborate plans, the potential end

For three days I’ve had a fever – CV-negative, but likely my highest fever ever! – which provokes me to start this post that I had meant to do someday, listing some projects that I may never finish (or even … Continue reading

Posted in me!me!me! | 2 Comments

a wave in the air

“Radar Love” (1973) is the biggest hit of the Dutch band Golden Earring. Some folks strongly prefer a cover (1989) by White Lion. I don’t; is there a reason for that, other than my notorious conservatism? White Lion’s version fills … Continue reading

Posted in music+verse | 1 Comment

bubbling shelves

I have more books than shelf space. I assume that some of my readers can say the same. In my previous apartment, where space was even scarcer, I had one shelf beside my desk for the reference books that I … Continue reading

Posted in general | 1 Comment

curious about causality

Without trying, I can think of five webcomics authors who changed their pronouns long after they started posting: Dana Simpson (Ozy and Millie), Joey Alison Sayers (Thingpart and now Alley Oop), Allison Shabet (Deadwinter), Elli Stephens (Goblins), and now Maelyn … Continue reading

Posted in cartoons | 4 Comments

polyglot priority

A genie offers to make you fluent in twenty or a hundred languages, living or dead. How do you choose? The greedy algorithm: add whatever language most increases the number of people, living or dead, with whom you could have … Continue reading

Posted in language | 8 Comments