mcd's New Writeupshttp://everything2.com/?node=New%20Writeups%20Atom%20Feed&foruser=mcd2024-01-18T11:16:46ZVestibular system (thing)http://m.everything2.com/user/mcd/writeups/Vestibular+systemmcdhttp://m.everything2.com/user/mcd2024-01-18T11:16:46Z2024-01-18T11:16:46Z<p>
Today's <a href="/title/mcdism">Fun-Fact Newsletter</a> is all about our human senses: did you know there are in fact many more than five human senses? Though anatomy and most of the rest of the sciences snub it (the fools), the sixth sense refers to the vague, not-really-accounted-for-or-supported-by-scientific-evidence (Riiight... hence the snubbing), your sixth-sense refers to the something-you-just-know-is-right certainty that settles into you, though when pressed you are usually unable to explain how, why, or even from whence it arrived.
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The exact number of senses we have is up for debate and varies from person-to-person. Though not necessarily <a href="/title/according-to-hoyle">according-to-hoyle</a> senses traditionally, almost no one would fail to include on the list our sense of pain (<a href="/title/nociception">nociception</a>) and last but not least, is our sense of <a href="/title/muscle+tension">muscle tension</a>. Though, what a bright world it would be where the weight-lifting could not be exercised without the <a href="/title/concomitant+slapstick">concomitant slapstick</a> of a bunch of lunkheads running to-and-fro, earnest in their<!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…Casti Connubii (idea)http://m.everything2.com/user/mcd/writeups/Casti+Connubiimcdhttp://m.everything2.com/user/mcd2016-04-24T08:14:07Z2016-04-24T08:14:07Z<p>Oh, <a href="/title/the+Vatican">the Vatican</a>. The South Park episode about Catholicism and priests wasn't that far from the truth (Episode Name: <a href="/title/Red+Hot+Catholic+Love">Red Hot Catholic Love</a>). Priests sneak in little boys to molest them and then lock the files away on pain of excommunication, you can read all about it now (in Latin) and it's called the Crime of Enticement (<a href="/title/Crimen+Sollicitationis">Crimen Sollicitationis</a>) published in 1962, and tells priests how to deal with accusations of sex with minors (not miners, which would make for stranger but less sad reading). One quote in it reads: "anyone involved in a sex abuse investigation, the accuser and the accused, are to be restrained by a perpetual silence... in all matters and with all persons under the penalty of excommunication". Basically, it's saying that all the minor-sex files are locked away in the Vatican, and no on is going to read them. It's really quite amazing. This was a personal and confidential record of a felony within the Church and no-one outside of the Church was allowed to read it.</p>
<p><blockquote><!-- close unclosed tag --></blockquote><!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…February 28, 2015 (log)http://m.everything2.com/user/mcd/writeups/February+28%252C+2015mcdhttp://m.everything2.com/user/mcd2015-02-28T19:03:09Z2015-02-28T19:03:09Z<blockquote><a href="/title/Sergeant+Al+Powell">Sergeant Al Powell</a>: I had an accident.<br><br>
<a href="/title/John+McClane">John McClane</a>: The way you drive, I can see why. What'd you do? Run over your captains foot with the car?</blockquote>
<a href="/title/John+McClane">John McClane</a> in <a href="/title/Die+Hard">Die Hard</a>
<h3>Balloon Foot</h3>
<p>I was involved in a hit and run on <a href="/title/President%2527s+Day">President's Day</a>. At least I think I was. I lost consciousness and came to an ambulance scooping me of the street. I couldn't even tell them the correct year in response to their queries so it took me awhile to realize the gravity of the situation. My foot was, and still is, in intense pain. At least it doesn't look like a <a href="/title/cartoon+balloon">cartoon balloon</a> representation of a foot anymore.</p>
<p>I believe the driver's conscience must've gotten the better off him, or else a <a href="/title/Good+Samaritan">Good Samaritan</a> called it in. I couldn't walk or even move without excruciating pain and I've collapsed more times than I can count. I walked for a week with a cane, but especially in the morning my whole right-leg aches.</p>
<p>It's not my ankle; my foot and toes carry<!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…How to really brush your teeth (Yes, you have been doing it wrong) (how-to)http://m.everything2.com/user/mcd/writeups/How+to+really+brush+your+teeth+%2528Yes%252C+you+have+been+doing+it+wrong%2529mcdhttp://m.everything2.com/user/mcd2014-12-12T05:18:42Z2014-12-12T05:18:42Z<p>OK, I lied. This is a flagrant use of <a href="/title/title-baiting">title-baiting</a>. Newspapers do it constantly, even going so far as to cut-short phrases and even words to make headlines look salacious to catch your eye. Mine <em>is</em> bad, but not <a href="/title/yellow+journalism">yellow journalism</a> bad. If you don't know how to brush your teeth, you are either a toddler (in which case I'm impressed by your reading acumen), or you are a moron, possibly just ignorant of the how-to. But in today's world of the information explosion we all know how to do it fairly accurately. Sometimes we wing it. We are really tired and we give it a once over and figure, "Jesus! It's not like I'm shooting heroin, get off my back you crazy monkey." But yes, you too, probably know how to do it correctly. But before we make absolutely sure that you are doing it correctly, let's title this piece what it should have been.</p>
<p><h2><a href="/title/When+to+brush+your+teeth">When to brush your teeth</a></h2></p>
<p>The thing is, we've been told by mothers throughout the ages that you are supposed to brush after every meal.<!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…regular expression (how-to)http://m.everything2.com/user/mcd/writeups/regular+expressionmcdhttp://m.everything2.com/user/mcd2014-05-11T22:32:03Z2014-05-11T22:32:03Z<p>Before we begin let's start with a relatively simple set of values. Generally with a set of values this short, you would just go through and do the calculations yourself or with a calculator. Of course, that changes when your dealing with thousands of rows of data from a database or god-forbid, a spreadsheet. But I have traveled both roads. I have had to sample test the 10,000 records until I was sure I had every variation. So while this may look like a simple list, it is deceptively so. Look at the regex it takes to accomplish the task. Before we get too serious, how about a nice little web-comic.</p>
<p><a href="https://xkcd.com/208/">Stand back! I know regular expressions!</a></p>
<p>OK, first let's start with a string value of a variation of numbers, one per line. Nothing fancy, right?</p>
<pre>$v='
1/3
1.3
.3
2 1/2
12.25
3.25
7.6
1 2/3
3 4/5
7.5
0.01
0.02
0
100
12 1/3
1000
';</pre>
<p>Since we are only dealing with numbers (a task uncommon with real data)<!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…A Memory of Light (review)http://m.everything2.com/user/mcd/writeups/A+Memory+of+Lightmcdhttp://m.everything2.com/user/mcd2013-02-04T23:35:06Z2013-02-04T23:35:06Z<p>
I have a special love for epic fantasy. It is far from being the only genre I enjoy, but having started at an early age with Greek mythology before moving on to the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, I enjoy the stirrings of innocence and nostalgia that follows from simply reading a good fantasy yarn. That being said, there is an over-abundance of poorly written fantasy, suffering from either weak rehashing or the obvious sprinkling of <a href="/title/Middle-Age">Middle-Age</a> <a href="/title/Europe">European</a> culture over the story's already watered-down plot as an attempt at world-building. <a href="/title/The+Lord+of+the+Rings">The Lord of the Rings</a> succeeds on both fronts. It was highly original and <a href="/title/J.R.R.+Tolkien">J.R.R. Tolkien</a> is one of the best world-builders, period. Much of what allows the reader to enter the world of Middle Earth comes from Tolkien's copious notes on the history and culture of Middle Earth and the races that inhabit it. Whole languages were created and over a dozen books have since been published by his son Christopher, from his abundant notes including <a href="/title/The+Silmarillion">The Silmarillion</a><!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…