Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 16:44:14 -0800 From: Wes Browning Subject: Re: Fill:academics + Intro On Fri, 6 Dec 1996, Judy Ray wrote: > 'The generation of random numbers is too important to be > left to chance.' > Source unknown > > Anyone care to hazard a guess about what that may mean? Greetings! I am new here, being invited to this list by Anitra/StreetWrites. I have been intending a different sort of introduction but couldn't pass up commenting on this. I used to be a mathematician (Now I am an artist and a writer for the Seattle Real Change homeless newspaper). I don't recognize the quote but I can tell you what it means to a mathematician. First, as you already know, randomness happens so we want to study it. So we want to make some to study. That would be the generating of random numbers of which the quote speaks. For this "generating" we need a method. There are two methods in common use. One is to exploit chance, as it is called in the quote. Mathematicians call this the Monte Carlo Method. Dice or numbered balls are involved. It takes too long. The other method is to cheat. Mathematicians admit the cheating by calling it "generating PSEUDO random numbers." It consists of the very rapid (usually by computer) generation of a nonrandom number sequence that "looks random" (an almost vacuous concept) and then praying to the gods that it is "random enough" (ditto) for one's research. Reading back over this I realize that it isn't so much an introduction as a nod and a handshake and some mutterings. I'll talk more tomorrow. --------------------------------------------------- (c) Dr. Wes Browning Have some gestalt on me!: http://www.speakeasy.org/~wes Date: Sat, 7 Dec 1996 16:49:58 -0800 Reply-To: Wes Browning From: Wes Browning Subject: INTRO: really, maybe OK I'm really going to introduce myself this time. So I'm Wes. I write. I write mostly dumb poems. Sometimes I write stories, and sometimes I try to write smart poems but mostly I write dumb poems cause I'm better at it. Telegraphic bio: ARMY BRAT ABUSIVE PARENTS SEVERE HEAD INJURY AT AGE ONE COMMA FOUR MONTHS COMA SCHOFFIELD BARRACKS OAHU LEARNED HAWAIIAN BEFORE ENGLISH COMMA PAGAN LEANINGS AGE FOUR IN STATES MORE HEAD INJURY RAPE LOST HAWAIIAN RETAINED LOVE OF SONGS PAGAN LEANINGS ESCAPED INTO MATH STOP EVENTUALLY GOT DOC IN MATH CORNELL 79 TAUGHT 5 YEARS PARENTS DIED PTSD STOP PANIC ATTACKS AGORA PHOBIA STOP BECAME HOMELESS CAB DRIVER 5 YEARS MORE PANIC ATTACKS STOP ON WELFARE HOMELESS AGAIN STOP BECAME JANITOR ARTIST ON ED BOARD HOMELESS PAPER STOP NOW WRITE DUMB POEMS FOR PAPER LAID OFF HOMELESS AGAIN END I put the dumb poems in a monthly "column" called Adventures in Poetry with Copyright Doctor Wes Browning. Here is one of my personal favorites. It appeared in the October issue. The beginning refers the local news that a woman had offered one of our homeless vendors $50 to vote for Bob Dole. Appeared under the title: BRONZE THIS! Speaking of people bribing Real Change vendors to vote for Bob Dole - did any of you out there know that I am a vendor? That's right! I don't just write this junk I PUSH IT ON THE STREETS! And, although my legal residence is an alley, I AM A REGISTERED VOTER!* So make your bids today! Send cash check or money order and a note telling me who to vote for , Bill Bob or whoever, to (c) Dr. Wes c/o this rag. The largest bid wins a beautiful framed certificate promising my vote to your candidate. All losing bids accompanied by SASE will be returned, and those not will be kept! I promise! - The Following Is An Unpaid Poetic Advertisement - We're open daily from nine to six For accepting all your electoral picks! No candidate will be considered absurd - We'll write him/her in! We give you our word! Hurry! Don't delay! Send your checks in today! Buy our vote NOW! It's the American Way! (* I've been asked to explain how this can be. OK, the trick is to tell the truth. "Gasp, no!" Yes! E.g., when registering, if you live in a doorway tell the County which doorway. Then give them your mailing address.) Recently the StreetLife Gallery was invited to set up a show at the park by the Darth Vader Building at 4th and Lenora. We got permission from the landlord, Martin Selig himself, famous big-time Seattle Developer. Ironically, many of the participating poor and homeless artists had been ejected from the same park in the past, and probably will be so in the future. This, and the knowledge that people who don't look poor are not generally run out of the park, and the consequently doubly offensive statues of poor people sitting on the park's benches, inspired a poem. The Park by the Darth Vader Building at 4th & Lenora or Opus 31 1/2, I Hate the Park by the Darth Vader Building or Opus 32 1/2, The Printable Version Pretty park by a shiny glass building! I WILL stay and eat my fries, why not? The flies stay, THEY got no pass; I set my ass down by the bronze bag lady. Made artistically she tells the likes of me "Feel free to stay, I'm welcome, you must be, too". So I DO stay to eat my fries, why NOT? Then the Man comes to say "This park's not yours, You THINK you can sit ANYwhere outdoors? You don't WORK here I don't know your FACE, I'll tell the COPS to kick you OUTta this place". Pretty park by a shiny glass building - Pretty people with pretty power wanting - To eat pretty lunches for a pretty hour - OH YES - I WILL stay and eat my fries - and THAT'S WHY. Martin Selig's bronze poor people tell me Selig really loves the poor - speechless and immobile. --------------------------------------------------- (c) Dr. Wes Browning Have some gestalt on me!: http://www.speakeasy.org/~wes