#Buridan’s ass

[horsehoedownshowdown]

[master-missysversion]

I've got a little over 100 pages left so I'll probably finish this book tomorrow, I could probably finish tonight but it's getting late and this feels like a good stopping point

I'm very excited to see the sontarans :D

[pb-dot]

Rubber Duck Troubleshooting

I'm still not entirely sure if using the Rubber Duck Troubleshooting method actually works for me, or if it just harnesses my natural anxiety to force me to settle on whatever decision or choice is in the top of the pile at the moment. As long as it gets words on the page, I suppose it doesn't matter all that much, there's always the edit after all.

[etirabys]

the hardest coding tasks are not the ones that are technically difficult but the ones where all the plausible solutions are ugly. buridan's ass about multiple port-a-potties that are all equally gross in different ways

[dr-futbol-blog]

The Defiant One, Pt. 10

Finally, things come to a head.

Sheppard and the wraith both run out of bullets at the same time. Sheppard takes out his knife, preparing to fight to his death. The wraith strikes him and sends him hurling to the ground to what he believes is his final moment. He's going to end up like Abrams. He's going to end up like Col. Sumner. And he's going to die alone.

And that is when Rodney appears. Completely out of his depth and having just witnessed something shockingly horrible happen right before his eyes, he is yet able to mount a daring rescue. McKay shoots at the wraith and even seems to be accurate enough to hit it, which is impressive for a man with minimal training.

The episode started with Sheppard giving McKay a lesson, and it ends with him giving McKay a lesson (with smaller lessons scattered throughout), each one of them intended to give McKay skills for survival. Earlier in the episode, Sheppard told McKay: "Shoot only when I tell you to shoot!" Here, McKay seems to be doing exactly what he was told. He is learning, and he is learning well. Sheppard himself is able to do little else than give him direction:

McKay: What do I do now? Sheppard: Keep firing everything you've got! McKay: OK, what now?! Sheppard: Reload!

The situation is new to McKay so telling him what to do probably does keep him from paralyzing or seizing up with fear. But it also gives him the emotional support he needs to be able to do what he had wanted to do ever since Sheppard left them into the hive. This is also relevant for the upcoming episode: here, Sheppard is directing McKay as though the other man is an extension of himself, McKay's body executes Sheppard's will. We see the very same thing happen the other way around in Hot Zone (S01E13).

Sheppard sounds both relieved and agitated. Seeing Rodney appear out of nowhere when he was about to die was probably the best sight his eyes have ever seen but at the same time, this isn't what he had planned. Rodney was supposed to be safe somewhere far away from here. Rodney wasn't supposed to die, his own death was meant to assure that.

It's amusing how, even here, they are able to create their own insulated world around them that excludes everything else. The wraith doesn't seem to know what to do, which one to go after, as Sheppard and McKay continue to have a conversation right over it. The wraith is like Buridan's ass, unable to choose between hay to sate its hunger and water to sate its thirst. It's kind of like the wraith isn't even there. This serious adversary, this monstrous creature, is not enough to distract them from one another.

Finally, Sheppard is able to formulate a strategy that actually works. It was never that this particular wraith possessed some special cunning or was especially indomitable. Sheppard hadn't been able to formulate a working strategy because he had gone after it for the wrong reason. His faulty motivation likely kept him from subconsciously finding a way to defeat it.

But now, he's not running from his feelings. He doesn't want there to be anything between himself and McKay. Trying to keep a distance to Rodney and protect him at the same time had very almost gotten him killed. Clearly, they have a much better chance of keeping each other alive if they work together.

So, while the wraith is distracted by Rodney, he thinks of a way to get it: to hide a power bar on its person and let Ford take it out from the heavens. Blow up the thing that's standing between them sky high.

McKay, of course, doesn't know that this is what the Major had planned. But it's a testament to his character that even when he is completely out of bullets, he doesn't take one step back. He's not paralyzed with fear, he just has no intention of backing down when he has a Sheppard to save.

It's only when Sheppard tells him to run that he runs, again doing exactly what he says without question, without hesitation. He doesn't know Sheppard's plan, doesn't know why he has to run, only that Sheppard told him to do it. He has perfect trust in the Major. And not wanting to let him out of his sight now that he's found Sheppard again, McKay actually continues looking straight at him right up until Sheppard ducks behind his rock, which is when he immediately, instinctively does the same. There's several yards of distance and a wraith between them, and he's still mirroring Sheppard in perfect sync.

And McKay continues to be Sheppard's first thought. After the wraith is eliminated, the first thing he does is make sure McKay is alright. It's like he can only breathe after he knows that for a fact.

He can't quite control his face here. Like he doesn't entirely know how to feel right then. Relief, yes, definitely. But it's more than that. That smile, when he sees McKay, sees that he's alright, he's not in any danger anymore. And McKay had come for him, had come to save him. Someone had come to save him, and that someone had been McKay.

And oh my god, the way he gets up from behind the rock, the romantic music playing in the background, telling Ford that they can wait. They run toward each other. This is like the romantic coda at the end of every James Bond movie from the 1960s, where they make out while waiting to be rescued from some remote location. How do you read this as something other than romantic?

And, uh. The way the soldiers in the jumper exchange knowing glances when he tells them that they can wait? They sure seemed to think that the Major might want a few extra minutes for something.

I also want to point out that Sheppard is looking at McKay when he says "It's about damn time!" to the radio, and Teyla seems to misunderstand him. Again, Sheppard's tone and what he's saying don't match because he's not actually thinking about the people in the jumper while he's saying it. Like in the previous episode where he pointed out that Teyla had a "new friend" in the captured Genii. His tone of voice and facial expression did not match what he was saying because it wasn't what he was thinking right then. Yes, it was about damn time for the wraith to be eliminated. But his mind was entirely somewhere else right then.

They both thank the other for coming through. They both make sure each other is okay. But what's even more significant is that they're both vulnerable here, they allow the other to see that they've been hurt. Sheppard was hurt physically by the wraith, McKay was hurt emotionally by Brendan. Granted, neither man is a good at talking about things with their real names, there's a tacit understanding here. They both got to show the other person that they care, that they're there for them.

Jesus Christ, Sheppard tries to look away at first -- he had been avoiding looking at McKay ever since the end of The Eye (S01E11), after all -- but he can't not look at McKay. And when he does, he looks at him like he's the most amazing thing he's ever seen. How could he not look when in his entire life he hasn't wanted to do anything more?

The events here are enough to heal some of the rift caused by Kolya and the Genii. It does bring them closer together. But at the same time, even though Sheppard asks McKay to dismantle the shield keeping them from getting to the jumper, it's Brendan's death that raises a different kind of invisible barrier between them that keeps them from getting to each other.

Sheppard doesn't know what happened, but he can tell that McKay is far from alright. It's testament to how damn well he knows the other man by now that to distract him from what ever is eating him up inside, he immediately finds something to occupy his mind with (three things, as a matter of fact):

Sheppard: You'll have to put the ship back together, provided you can disarm the shield. McKay: Fine. As long as we get to go home. Sheppard: You can drive.

Look at Sheppard, here. Shot in the arm and yet walking animatedly, cracked ribs yet turning his whole body toward McKay again like he did before the storm. This man is not feeling any of the pain his body is in.

Note that while the Genii-arc started with Sheppard musing about home, how Atlantis was becoming like a home to him, here we return to the topic. Only here, it's McKay that calls it home. With this too they are very much on the same page. And it isn't the place, it's a home they share in each other.

With no one else around, they are free to walk as close to each other as they want. They're free to talk as softly as they like.

These men. They are in love. I don't know what else to tell you.

[kaiayame]

you know that Buridan's ass theory where a donkey is equally hungry and thirsty and put exactly midway between a stack of hay and a pail of water and since it can't rationally go towards either because neither is closer thus creating a paradox that the donkey ends up dying from, that's me trying to choose what to do during my free time.

[astralbondpro]

Fargo // S01E06: Buridan’s Ass

[donaardaardendrian]

Schröccavlekhovidan's Cazoguass

Schrödinger's Cat : The Cat is Dead and Alive at the Same Time

Occam's Razor : The Simplest Explanation is often the Best

Pavlov's Dog : The Dog Salivates at the Sound of the Bell

Chekhov's Gun : If a Gun is Shown, it will be Used later

Buridan's Ass : The Donkey Dies unable to Choose Straw or Water

Schrödinger's Razor : The Razor Does and Doesn't Cut at the Same Time

Occam's Dog : The Underdog Explanation is often the Best

Pavlov's Gun : The Gun Shoot in Full View of the Spectators

Chekhov's Ass : If a Donkey is Shown, it will Make a Choice later

Buridan's Cat : The Cat is Put Down, not Wanting to go in the Box

Schrödinger's Dog : The Dog is Hungry and Full at the Same Time

Occam's Gun : The Half-Cocked Explanation is (Surprisingly) on Target

Pavlov's Ass : The Donkey Dies at the Sight of a Choice

Chekhov's Cat : If a Cat is Shown, it will Die later

Buridan's Razor : The Razor Break unable to Provide an Answer

Schrödinger's Gun : The Gun is Empty and Loaded at the Same Time

Occam's Ass : The Stupidest Explanation is often the Best

Pavlov's Cat : The Cat Dies at the Sight of Poison

Chekhov's Razor : If a Razor is Shown, it will Cut its User

Buridan's Dog : The Dog Starve unable to Eat without a Bell

Schrödinger's Ass : The Donkey Ate and Drank at the Same Time

Occam's Cat : Giving an Explanation put the Cat among the Pigeons

Pavlov's Razor : The Razor Cuts at the Touch of Someone

Chekhov's Dog : If a Dog is Shown, it will be Fed later

Buridan's Gun : The Gun Jams unable to Shoot an Innocent

[abigailmarx]

going to school hungry is weird because you'll be just listening to the first hour of your lecture and then suddenly you're on the taco bell website for like ten whole minutes and you're like why am i here. it is the harvest season. why am i not the master of my own verdure and harnessing my sustenance from the mother earth? then you on gardening website until class is over and you realize that you can't just grow fresh vegetables Overnight. so then its back to taco bell wwebsite in a postmodern Buridan's ass paradox until you die

[horsehoedownshowdown]

[dwagom]

hazel's voice and delivery are hypnotic, boyle's one of the funniest people on youtube, and me here, i am buridan's ass

[kushblazer666]

PAWG whose two cheeks are exactly equal in attractiveness call that buridan’s ass

[malcolmcooks]

finding myself in bed after work, hungry and needing to make dinner, but also tired and wanting to have a little sleep, unable to make myself either settle down for a nap or get up and cook -- my thoughts turn to Buridan's Ass, the hypothetical donkey doomed to starve because it cannot choose between two identical piles of hay. So, looking it up on wikipedia, I find a criticism of the paradox that says it is entirely rational to realize that both choices are equal, and to therefore arbitrarily choose between them

so i shall flip a coin

[jitzbala]

The Chronicles of a Nostalgic Holidaymaker!

Daily writing promptWhat is your favorite holiday? Why is it your favorite?View all responses Having seen over 50 summers, I’ve had quite a few memorable holidays. But if you ask me to pick a favourite, I’d be as indecisive as a Buridan’s ass. However, there’s one that always brings a nostalgic smile to my face. As a kid, all our summer breaks were spent in our family home in God’s Own Country,…

[grabhanem]

was getting lunch with this guy named buridan, asked him what he wanted to eat. his ass took so long to decide