FW: Happy 2014 Winter Solstice!

[Robert <http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert>]

 > From: Simon Levy <http://www.gmail.com/~simon.d.levy>
 > Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 18:29:31 -0500
 >
 > *I think, eventually, I'll be the only person on the planet without a gmail
 > address.*
 > 
 > Well, not the very last <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blMhx6OAKjA>.
 > 
 > Speaking of Sony, I'm cynical enough to have understood the Seth Rogan /
 > Kim Jun Un hack as a lame publicity stunt, but not cynical enough to have
 > anticipated the wag-the-dog  follow-up
 > <
 > http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/23/world/asia/attack-is-suspected-as-north-korean-internet-collapses.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
 > >.
 > "You hacked a Japanese company making a straight-to-video comedy with
 > has-been actors?! THIS IS FARGIN' WAR
 > <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLcNdkfPG5M>!!!"
 > 
 > Whatever; they're all just jealous that the pudgy little motherfucker has
 > the coolest haircut
 > <http://www.trunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/external.jpg> in human
 > history.
 > 
 > On Mon, Dec 22, 2014 at 4:45 PM, Robert <http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert> wrote:
 > 
 > > To: Simon Levy <http://www.gmail.com/~simon.d.levy>
 > >
 > >  > From: Simon Levy <http://www.gmail.com/~simon.d.levy>
 > >  > Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 15:00:11 -0500
 > >  >
 > >  > Hi Robert & Noelle,
 > >  >
 > >  > Thanks for you news and holiday greetings!  It was really great seeing you
 > >  > on board that Navy ship -- you clearly missed your calling as a military
 > >  > officer ;^)  Drop and give me ten, you maggots!
 > >
 > > :-)
 > >
 > >  > I've been busy here, mostly with robotics, which attracts more students
 > >  > than cognitive science.  I found a really great open-source community,
 > >  > OpenPilot, who produces some of the best autopilot designs and software out
 > >  > there.  They're constantly battling the bullshit from the commercial drone
 > >  > community, like 3DRobotics, who is kind of the Macrosoft of drones.
 > >
 > > Cool.  My nephew may be interested ('tho, I suspect he's more on the
 > > cognitive science/AI side of things).
 > >
 > >  > So
 > >  > anyway I'm trying to get better at making videos of myself flying these
 > >  > things:
 > >  >
 > >  >   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VjwOWVAa4c   (filmed by my dad)
 > >  >
 > >  >   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BougXBAtgK4     (head-mounted GoPro)
 > >
 > > We will.
 > >
 > >  > Not much other news.  I've completely drunk the google kool-aid, so please
 > >  > use http://www.gmail.com/~simon.d.levy from now on.
 > >
 > > I think, eventually, I'll be the only person on the planet without a gmail
 > > address.
 > >
 > >  > Mark Reimers may have told you
 > >  > that he and DeAndra Beck moved to Lansing, Michigan, to take jobs at
 > >  > Michigan State.
 > >
 > > Yes, he told us.
 > >
 > >  > I'm sad they're not in Richmond any more, but it sounded
 > >  > like an excellent career move for both of them.  I'm hoping to visit them
 > >  > by train in 2015, having completely given up on flying (which makes my life
 > >  > much better).
 > >
 > > Sounds like a long slog.  (My longest train trip was from  to
 > > Seattle back in 1989 when I was visiting grad schools on the west coast.)
 > > Trains are definitely better for the environment in any case.
 > >
 > >  > Happy holidays!
 > >  >
 > >  > - Simon