Like the deserts miss the rain

I’ve always wondered about the metaphor “like the deserts miss the rain”… what is that supposed to mean? On the one hand, it doesn’t rain in the desert, so maybe the deserts miss the rain a lot. On the other hand, if it rained in the desert, then it wouldn’t be a desert any more, and that would destroy what the desert is, so a desert doesn’t miss the rain at all.

I don’t get it. Nice track though.

Forcing MediaWiki to display math as PNG

I had a problem with MediaWiki math sections not always displaying as a PNG. For simple expressions HTML was used instead. This lead to a very non-uniform look and feel where some images had a green background and large fonts (for PNG expressions) compared to a black background and different fonts (for HTML expressions). I wanted a uniform look and feel so I went looking for a configuration setting.

I haven’t been able to figure out how to force mediawiki to always display a PNG as a global setting, but in your user settings on the math preferences section you can change from the default “HTML if very simple or else PNG” to “Always render PNG” which fixes the problem on a per user basis, which is good enough for me.

I hope we live to tell the tale

Tears for Fears — Shout

Shout, shout, let it all out.
These are the things I can do without.
Come on. I’m talking to you, come on.

Shout, shout, let it all out.
These are the things I can do without.
Come on. I’m talking to you, come on.

In violent times, you shouldn’t have to sell your soul.
In black and white, they really really ought to know.
Those one track minds… that took you for a working boy.
Kiss them goodbye, you shouldn’t have to jump for joy.

You shouldn’t have to… (jump for joy)
Shout, shout, let it all out.
These are the things I can do without.
Come on, I’m talking to you, come on.

They gave you life, and in return you gave them hell.
As cold as ice… I hope we live to tell the tale.
I hope we live to tell the tale!

Shout, shout, let it all out.
These are the things I can do without.
Come on. I’m talking to you, come on.

Shout, shout, let it all out.
These are the things I can do without.
Come on. I’m talking to you, come on.

Shout, shout, let it all out. (Let it all out!)
These are the things I can do without.
Come on. I’m talking to you, come on.

And when you’ve taken down your guard…
If I could change your mind… I’d really love to break your heart.
I’d really love to break your heart!

Shout, shout, let it all out.
(Break your heart) These are the things I can do without.
(I’d really love to break your heart) Come on.
I’m talking to you, come on.

Shout, shout, let it all out.
These are the things I can do without.
Come on. I’m talking to you so come on.

Shout, shout, let it all out.
These are the things I can do without.
Come on. I’m talking to you, come on.

(They really really ought to know) Shout, shout, let it all out.
(Really really ought to know) These are the things I can do without.
(They really really) Come on. I’m talking to you, come on.
(They really really ought to know…)

Words on Noam Chomsky’s computer

Today I watched reddit.com Interviews Noam Chomsky and in the video you can see a laptop in the background that pops up various words. I’m not sure why these words are there, it looks like some sort of screensaver. Anyway, I wrote down all the words that I could see properly and then wrote a program to put them in the following table:

Word Dictionary Google Define
groupthink dictionay google define
caustic dictionay google define
continuo dictionay google define
acrimony dictionay google define
anaphrodisiac dictionay google define
reinsure dictionay google define
diaphanous dictionay google define
nervy dictionay google define
conformity dictionay google define
pince-nez dictionay google define
austerity dictionay google define
transonic dictionay google define
piteous dictionay google define
advert dictionay google define
pillory dictionay google define
impassioned dictionay google define
lexicology dictionay google define
fearsome dictionay google define
intaglio dictionay google define
inviolate dictionay google define
pettifog dictionay google define
intensive dictionay google define
profligate dictionay google define
ectomorph dictionay google define
supererogation dictionay google define
consomme dictionay google define
chronicle dictionay google define
kaddish dictionay google define
corollary dictionay google define
anonymous dictionay google define
gargoyle dictionay google define
flambe dictionay google define
luxuriant dictionay google define
corselet dictionay google define
debouch dictionay google define
servile dictionay google define
filament dictionay google define
semiconductor dictionay google define
efficacy dictionay google define
edacious dictionay google define
roister dictionay google define
isthmus dictionay google define
emulate dictionay google define
elect dictionay google define
pet dictionay google define
bivouac dictionay google define
risorgimento dictionay google define
glossy dictionay google define