"Fig-Witted Idiot"

I didn't expect this, but I'm starting to like Kathryn. She's kind of like Elf used to be (and Elf was always my favorite Schlock character).

Prisms

I've completely solved the problem of simple closed geodesics on rectangular prisms. The solution, phrased as non-technically as possible, is under the cut. (No proofs or computations, I promise.)

( Wrapping Ribbons )

I started working on this problem December 19 of last year, on my holiday flight to California, and I've been wrestling with it pretty steadily for almost three months. It's done; now I have to write the article.

WOO-HOO!

Civ V

I'm in the middle of my first real game of Civ V, and it really has a different feel from IV. The question of diplomacy with the city-states makes things interesting. The constraints on establishing new cities seem pretty effective, too. In IV, I usually go to four cities as fast as possible and expand from there as opportunity arises; here, I was well into the game with only three cities. I'm playing as Nobunaga. I've established alliances with Edinburgh, Budapest, and Bucharest, and have conquered and set up puppets in Lhasa and Belgrade. Both conquests came at the behest of my allies. Unfornately, Budapest and Bucharest are on the outs now. I don't know what effect that will have on our alliances; so far, monetary gifts have kept both of them sweet. Genghis and George Washington are on the same continent with me, and both are pissed by my expansionist policies, but I've got a couple of Great Generals posted, along with significant armies, along both borders. (Conquering Lhasa taught me a thing or two; I didn't make much headway until I planted archers on two nearby hills and starting raining arrows on them. That gave my spearmen a chance at a frontal assault.) I've finally started overseas exploration, and have nice trade agreements with Augustus and Elizabeth. There's one more civilization out there that I haven't met yet, but my caravel is still exploring.

Could be an interesting game, but it's definitely not IV.