Dynamics of Cats

Presidential Question Time

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:14:36 -0500

There was a truly weird advert or contributed op-ed on the radio a couple of days ago.

Some conservative anti-tax guy, and a left-wing editor had joined in calling for a US "Question Time", a la the UK "Question Time" in Parliament.
ie the President doing questions and answers with Congress, formally.

Inspired, in part, I suspect, by Obama's performance against the congressional republicans in a question and answer session, though conservative dude brought out the old teleprompter canard against Obama in explaining why he thought it was a good idea.

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acts of gods

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:57:18 -0500

Why do the gods keep interfering in football championships?
And which gods?

I'd think Loki, by default.
But Manning's throw away really smells of Óðinn - he always had a macabre sense of humour about bringing down established fighters through mischance or misjudgement.

'cause, y'know, when football players invoke the gods in their victory, you really have to think first about "which god?"

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Y rant on Mann hunt

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:46:29 -0500

The Yorkshire Ranter analyses the Climate Research Unity coverage in your friendly neighbourhood grauniad.

Robert P. points us to an analysis of the crack itself - kinda blah. Basically trawling through a misconfigured server by a script kiddie.

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Agent Fresco

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:32:21 -0500

Newish super trendy band out of Iceland.

Jazzy math music with touch of heavy rock.
Or so I was told.

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Climate Research Unit Cracking - play the ball

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:48:07 -0500

Penn State has released the preliminary conclusions of its inquiry into the purloined e-mails from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia.

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grad admissions - what are y'all doing?

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:20:15 -0500

Ok, peeps, time to 'fess up - pseudonymously

what are people doing with grad admissions?

I'm hearing contradictory stories: some places claim to be doing normal admissions, but some of those same places have also lost TA slots, I hear; I know some places are cutting admissions, by factors of 2 or more - you know who you are, lets hear it; I also hear of at least a couple of places who are sticking their neck out and increasing admissions - true?

The pool of applicants is larger than in recent years, and look strong, it will be an interesting year.

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linkedy links xxii

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:57:49 -0500

been a while since l looked to see what is out there, but here is a smattering of recent blog stuff that caught my attention

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NASA: pinin' for the fjords

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:49:50 -0500

NASA 2011 budget is out, and with it the new 5 year plan.
It is drastic, bit more so than I expected.

Short version: Constellation is dead, Dead, DEAD!
Ares I, Ares V and Orion are shut down. ~ $10 billion thrown away, again, with nothing to show for it, again.

More money,

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Geoff Burbidge RIP

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:23:55 -0500

Another loss to cosmology, as Geoff Burbidge dies at 84.

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Andrew Lange RIP

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 23:25:57 -0500

Andrew Lange RIP.

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Apple's Breakthrough

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:57:51 -0500

The buzz is on - the New Apple Mega Must-Have is to be announced next friday,
and we exclusively reveal:

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random felicitous ponderings

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:54:12 -0500

why are there no cats in Middle Earth?

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very model of a modern language professor

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 22:56:39 -0500

signs of the times at the MLA

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hubble fellowship grist needed

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 22:51:18 -0500

hey y'all - where have the Hubble Fellowships gone?

Einstein has announced (congratulations to the winners)
- the Hubble committee met, I'm told
so where are the offers?
Inquiring minds gots to know.

the rumour mill is grinding and needs some grist

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Which astronomical object are you?

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:24:00 -0500

Apple offers a "login picture", and on many of my accounts I have a selection of astronomical pictures to choose from, rather than the default set.
Mostly HST images, natch.

So... one evening, sitting on the sofa cuddled up with the laptop, the Dynamic Wife leans over and says: "what's that then?".
"My login picture" says I.
"And what is it?" she asks rhetorically.
"er, a supernova..." says I.

She looks at me.
There is silence.

So, now my login picture is a globular cluster...
one of the nice old Messier ones.

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