Where priorities lie.

I had to say this yesterday: "This isn't an argument that can be won with words. It can only be demonstrated by experiment and outcome. Either you're right or I am. I don't have time to argue with you on Usenet about hypotheticals. I have a book to write and an audience to reach. Sorry, Greg."

(Although, truth to tell, I am looking forward to Incandescence.)

Best quote from the conversation came from fallenpegasus: "A Harrison Bergeron civilization with an IQ of 900 is just as miserable as one with an IQ of 80." I'm keeping that.

Adventures in Metro, part LX

The other day as I was riding from my office into downtown on the Metro Bus #15, I sat down next to an ordinary-looking guy who was fiddling with his iPod. Across from me was a lean, somewhat unkempt looking man in a blue windbreaker, who was scanning the bus in the mildly agitated manner of someone who expects the universe to reach out and wallop him at any moment.

I reached down into my backpack and pulled out my laptop to work on the Jera timeline. (Omaha's got me hooked on this idea of trying to timeline the story properly before I continue, since it's such a mess.) This was apparently enough to set the nervous guy off.

"HOW COME YOU GUYS HAVE GOT TO BE WIRED ALL THE TIME?" he shouted. "Don't you understand that those machines can't love you? They don't even like you! Get into the real world and disconnect yourselves! Why do you have to be typing and looking and listening to them? There are real people out here! You can't really do anything on those machines that's important. Not when there are real people in the real world!" On and on in that line of thought past one, two, three, four bus stops. Time and again he'd stomp his sneakered foot to the floor as if to emphasize his point. He was making me really uncomfortable but, worse than that, he was making the entire bus a little nervous and I unreasonably felt bad for setting him off, even though I couldn't have known at the time what would trigger him.

I was grateful that my ride was short and I was able to get off. Osiris, explain to me why some people are just so annoying.