Tuesday, July 26, 2011 Lethbridge
5:30 am
The temperature is +13 C, with a high predicted of +21 C.
From the Environment Canada website: Today Sunny early this morning then a mix of sun and cloud with 30 percent chance of showers this afternoon. Risk of a thunderstorm this afternoon. Wind southwest 20 km/h gusting to 40 becoming northwest 20 gusting to 40 this afternoon. High 21. UV index 7 or high. Tonight Partly cloudy. 30 percent chance of showers early this evening with risk of a thunderstorm. Wind northwest 20 km/h gusting to 40 becoming light this evening. Low 12. Normals Max: 26°C Min: 11°C.
3:00 PM Puzzles
I have spent some time today with both crosswords and Go. Both activities take place on the iPad2.
My efforts with Go were abysmal. It took about 5 games before I won one.
The crosswords were from a free app. The one I am working on appears to be similar to a NYT Wednesday or Thursday level but I am not aware of where it first appeared.
5:00 PM Technology
Since I was using the iPad2 I browsed the various apps that contained books and realized that I had forgotten about James Gleick's book on Information. I finished reading the third chapter, which is largely about the OED, and began the fourth.
The sections on the OED were fascinating as they described what has happened to this project since the beginning of the Internet and the Web. Technology has resulted in the electronic medium now becoming the primary vehicle for both monitoring the English language as well as for noting how the language itself has been affected by the technology. Books are no longer the major source of information.
But it is easier to keep track of which books I am reading when they are physically nearby than when they are screen displays that require one to first access them before one can see them, if you see what I mean. Another small plus for the print medium. Or maybe it is a small minus for my ability to adapt.
7:00 PM Literature
I continue to read "Come, Thou Tortoise" by Jessica Grant. It has been a very long time since I have laughed out loud as often as I am while reading this book. I rarely read more than a few pages before another burst.
Here is a passage on IQ tests that caught my eye.
"Listen to me, Audrey. You know what those tests measure. They measure how similar your brain is to the brain that made up the test". [p. 71]