One of my inexplicably faithful readers (okay, okay, it's Rouslan) informs me that he regularly gets runtime error dialogs when accessing my pages.

Anyone else? If so, please let me know what combination of OS and browser you're using. If you get a line number in your error report, that'd help too.

Thanks!

[update: Thanks to Jeff's comment, I went and changed my templates and re-upped the whole site. Could y'all make sure you do a super-refresh and check to see if you have the same problem? Many thanks...]

4:02:22 PM    please comment []

No, it's not in your head. There is a difference in what and how you feel depending on who touches you, and how. From an article in today's Washington Post:

Scientists announced a study today that shows humans have a special set of nerves for feeling pleasure at a mother's caress or a lover's embrace.

These nerves are sensitive to the soft touch of fingers gliding over a forearm or a parent's soothing hand, but not to rough touches, jabs or pinches. Scientists speculate that the nerves might be designed to guide humans toward tenderness and nurturing -- a theory bolstered by the fact that the nerves are wired to the same brain areas activated by romantic love and sexual arousal.

I'd be interested to see whether those nerves respond differently or specially to the touch of a healer's hands.

3:21:47 PM    please comment []

...from the New York Times:

Since Forgent started to pursue the patent, the situation has touched off widespread opposition, and Mr. Snyder said he had been caught off guard by the reaction.

A number of consumer advocates and industry experts said that they were skeptical about whether the Forgent patent could be properly applied to the JPEG standard as well as whether the patent should have been properly issued in the first place.

"I view this as a disaster if it holds up," said Mark Nelson, an independent expert on compression technology who is the co-author of "The Data Compression Handbook" (M&T Books, 1995). 2:25:23 AM    please comment []

Despite a couple of scheduling snafus, I managed to hear David Bowie sing "Let's Dance" and "Ziggy Stardust," which was certainly better than nothing.

The contrast between Bowie and Moby was striking. The old pro, relaxed, confident, cruising on his history and reputation, and making it look easy and great by feeling and riding the audience mood. The young star ~ clearly an introvert by nature ~ working to make a live show out of studio material. Lots of "confessional" chatter with the audience, perhaps sincere but not really creating a rapport.

Curiously, watching Moby do his thing made me want to make music again.

1:28:32 AM    please comment []

How could a man ever write accurately about a woman's experience of sex and love?

Well, it's a fair question. And I posited two possible explanations. One: he had a chatty cathy mistress (which for some reason I deemed highly unlikely). Two: he was a good observer.

At age fifteen, I didn't consider the possibility of a vivid imagination and the empathy to go with it. These days, I would never assume that a man couldn't possibly get inside a woman's head. I think I pretty much had DHL nailed, though.

1:14:42 AM    please comment []