MetaBlog: March 2, 2012

Dear Reader: I’ll be traveling, mostly to London, for a couple of weeks, but plan to keep up the blog as usual (semi-irratically regular*); I will mostly keep msc meanderings under the wraps of “pages” (I don’t know if anyone ever reads them, I’m still trying to figure them out actually.)

I will be giving a Popper Lecture at the LSE on Tuesday March 6**.  It’s on the philosophy of experiment, no direct discussion of PhilStat; however, I’ve reserved a space Wednesday March 7, mid-day, for anyone who wants to meet to talk about recent PhilStat ponderings, the business on the strong LP, and related issues. If you’re in the neighborhood, write and I’ll give particulars, error@vt.edu.

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Some idiosyncrasies that immediately tell me I’m in England, aside from the need to constantly remind myself that I do not know how to cross a street, and must keep looking the wrong way…

1. In topping up my UK phone, my credit card is “lovely” and my choices are “brilliant”.
2. No weight-watchers or other diet dinners in the grocery freezer.
3. Military time adjustments—ugh.
4. Virtually no electric coffee-makers (why?***).
5. In the underground (subway): Must hold on to that ticket for the way out, or be whisked into a police booth to be reprimanded.  (why exactly?****)

*There is a regularity, only you have to known the pattern.

**I am a visiting professor at the Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science (CPNSS) at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

***I know they prefer tea, but to provide only those shmoosher-type coffee makers that I’ve never been able to use, and not even the little Holiday-Inn automatic type….

**** I’m sure those nice bobbies explained all this….but I’m usually too horrified to listen.  I might note that my new Oyster card, with its balky cover, really helps. Unfortunately, I have to unlearn this back in NYC, since I find that in our subways, being sensible, nobody ever wants my clenched Metrocard on the way out.