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This is a blog on why we believe and do what we do, why we pretend otherwise, how we might do better, and what our descendants might do, if they don't all die.
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Credit: Tom Munnecke
Beware Men With Sticks
I took the photo in question, and since I used a telephoto setting, I can assure you that I'm still alive.
The backstory to this image is that I enjoy taking portraits of interesting people I meet. This started when I had long talks with both Steve Jobs and Bill Gates in 1977-78 time frame, and took some photos. http://www.flickr.com/photo... and http://www.flickr.com/photo... Bill and I argued about how to write his Basic interpreter: He wanted the programmer to define everything in advance, and I was arguing to delay these definitions until they were actually needed. (In computer science terms, this is called early vs. late binding). Bill was an early binder, while Steve was a late binder. I've since shot David Brin http://www.flickr.com/photo... and Vernor Vinge http://www.flickr.com/photo... and have come to realize that they are future-binders.
I was at GMU last week tilting windmills (trying to reform healthcare with an innovative IT architecture), and so I snuck out for a lunch and portrait session with Robin. I asked him to do something creative, so we ended up by the trees with Robin grabbing sticks and handling them pretty much the same as my 1- and 3-year old grandsons do. I'll let the reader interpret this as they wish.
In retrospect, if Bill is an early binder, Steve a late binder, and David and Vernor future binders, then I think I have to classify Robin as an unbound.
Look at that grin... Robin is The Joker! (incidentally the other Robin really did become The Joker in Frank Millers Dark Knight Returns, but that's another post...)