The Scrumpestuous Observer-Picayune

DC has its perks

2012-04-19T21:41:00.006-04:00

Readers of this blog (if there are any left) shouldn't today's topic too surprising. I recently finished up my PhD and moved to the DC area. I miss NYC fiercely but my new digs do have their perks. For example:

Tuesday morning I managed to catch a glimpse of something that I've loved since I was a kid, the Space Shuttle. This is actually a photo from it's second pass by where I was watching as is the following shot.

While it was pretty great to see it as close as it was that second time, the first time was even better. For those of you who might be in NYC, try to be on a rooftop this Monday with your cameras out as the Enterprise is headed your way. For now, enjoy my favorite shot from the first flyby.

Scoop

2011-10-21T12:54:00.002-04:00

New York Times, you've been scooped, by the Daily Universe, no less. Here it is folks, Mormon Hipsters.

LCD Surgeon

2011-10-20T17:38:00.003-04:00

I got the latest issue of NYU Med's News & Views and noticed something funny about the surgeon in this picture. I wonder if he's wearing that ironically?

Science is cool

2011-10-05T09:48:00.002-04:00

I know what you're thinking. I'm biased. Well, of course I am. But check out this story (link) and tell me that science isn't cool. I dare you.

Again, this one came to me from Cabeza, who always provides me with a bunch of great reading material.

Oh, and make sure you watch the video on that site if you can. That guy has the scientist look down pat.

This guy is awesome

2011-10-03T09:36:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Cabeza for sending me this link. Guys like the one in this article are pretty damn awesome, if you ask me.

Comms

2011-09-20T12:52:00.003-04:00

The biggest drawback of my particular field of science is that I'm constantly isolated. I'm not in a lab, I'm in a cube, and more often than not, I'm the only occupant of my group of cubes. It's great for getting work done, but I can go days at a time where the only person-to-person interaction I have is with the waitress at the Thai restaurant by my office. And I have to pay her for that. I should have gone in to used car sales.

Best Ripping Off of a Friend's Post

2011-09-09T18:46:00.010-04:00

Before you read this, you should go over to Brigham's blog and read this, because I'm going to piggyback on his experience to share some of my experience at the fantastic Udvar-Hazy center in Virginia. If you've been following this blog, you'll notice that I've already shown you one of my favorite pics from my trip there. You'll also know that I'm an aviation nut. So, let me show you a few more.

So, first of all, they've got a Space Shuttle. I cannot tell you how excited that made me. I really could have just spent my whole time there, but there was too much to see, including this guy who decided to spacewalk in an Earth gravity environment. He's been up there for a while, and I don't think he'd going anywhere anytime soon.

This is one that I'd have missed if I hadn't taken the tour. So you know how the Air Force flies the president around in a plane but the Marines fly him around in a helicopter? I'd always wondered how that arrangement came about. Well, it's because of that helicopter in the middle. As it turns out, President Eisenhower was kind of an important guy when it comes to the history of presidential air travel. He ushered it in to the jet age (on a plane that I've been in many times). He was around when they first started using the call sign "Air Force Once" for presidential flights. And he was also approached by the Air Force about using this helicopter for shorter trips. He took a test flight and reported that the 5-seat helicopter was a bit too small for his needs (since the minimum complement of 1 pilot, 1 co-pilot, 1 secret service agent and 1 president only left 1 seat free). When the Marines heard the news, they approached the President with a "why don't you take a look at one of our Sikorskys" and the rest is history. The Marines simply had a bigger helicopter. Kind of funny how stuff like this works out.

One of Brigham's pics is of a big yellow and red Boeing plane. When I realized what this plane was, and that I'd been hearing stories about it (well, really only the one) my whole life, I got really excited. I could tell you the story, but you might as well hear it from the source, so check out this clip before you read on:

The story goes that Boeing sold a lot of 707s that day. This was the first commercial jet airliner and one of the best selling planes ever and ended up being a huge payoff for the Boeing company (who had basically bet the company on the success of this plane). Growing up as a kid in Seattle, it seemed impossible to meet someone who wasn't connected to Boeing in some way and without this plane the history of the region would be very different. So, I hope you understand why I geeked out when I saw the plane there.

There's so many other things to see at the Udvar-Hazy center, and maybe I'll put some more pics up later, but in the meantime, if you can go, you should go. Before I sign off, I'm going to rip off a bit of another one of Brigham's posts and show you one of my favorite pictures from Capitol Hill Books:

Real attention to detail at that store.

Balls!

2011-08-31T14:54:00.002-04:00

I know hipstamatic gets overused. Oh well, it's a fun app. Here's a little something from a lab mini-golf trip we took to celebrate a new job for a labmate. I played horribly. Also, I know the best way to start a "down period" on a blog is probably not by adding another post, but I've made peace with that.

Slow and steady

2011-08-31T10:25:00.003-04:00

So, I've been pretty good about blogging lately, but it's going to slow down over the next few weeks into a more manageable pattern. Hopefully I'll have some more great pics for you all, and maybe even some writing, but most of my time will be spent writing my dissertation and applying for jobs and basically trying to become more of an adult. Here's to hoping that I succeed!

Opening Night

2011-08-30T10:33:00.003-04:00

Irene passed us by and I even managed to make it out to the opening night of the US Open. Unfortunately, I think that last night might be the most I get to watch of it, due to this little thing called a dissertation that I'm writing...

Here's to Calm Skies

2011-08-26T09:15:00.001-04:00

When I was a kid, my grandpa taught me how to play horseshoes. It's the simplest of games, but amazingly addictive. This pic was taken last year in Rhode Island, where I'm headed today to wait out Irene. Here's to hoping that we all make it out safe and sound.

Just about all I saw of Cinque Terre

2011-08-25T08:26:00.000-04:00

(Too Late to) Rally Fries

2011-08-24T09:11:00.000-04:00

It's baseball season and my team is so far out of competition that it no longer matters. In those cases, you just have to sit back and enjoy the benefits of an evening at the park. In my case, I go for the garlic fries.

Blackbird

2011-08-23T08:49:00.000-04:00

Hey, it's planes again! Big surprise, I know. This time it's an SR-71 that's currently housed at the Udvar-Hazy center just outside of Washington, D.C. If you go, make sure to take the tour, it's worth it. Also, there's a space shuttle there, which is about as amazing as it gets.

This one goes out to Darren, who is a big fan of butt shots.

Don't Tell Mom...

2011-08-22T08:38:00.005-04:00

Most people reading this blog know Jenna. You can see some more shots I've taken of her on her website (the head shots, mostly). This was taken while jumping on the bed at a rental house. I don't think she does this at home.

2011-08-19T11:56:00.003-04:00

When I saw this sign on a roof in Florence, the Transformers fan in me had to take a picture. I guess those are the associations you make when you're a nerd that doesn't drink. (PS - it doesn't look so crunchy if you enlarge it)

Quonochontaug

2011-08-18T09:12:00.002-04:00

Taken a few years back in Rhode Island. Love that place.

Wonder Wheel

2011-08-17T12:45:00.001-04:00

I recently found out that my grandfather lived in NYC in 1939 and saw some of his snapshots of Coney Island. I figured I'd add to the family collection.

I sure hope they got there

2011-08-15T23:30:00.001-04:00

I sometimes don't realize how fun a picture can be until years later.

Blown mind

2011-01-20T08:46:00.009-05:00

A little while ago, I had my mind blown. I had recently purchased a Miles Davis CD, and noticed that it was recorded at the CBS 30th St. Studios. Now, I know a lot of stuff gets recorded here in NYC, but since I happen to work on 30th St, I figured I'd look it up and see where this studio was located. Turns out, it is about half a block from where I work. I walk past it all the time! Here's what it looks like today:

Yeah, it's been torn down and turned in to apartments, but here's what it looked like while it was still in existence:
Basically, from what I've read, this was one of the premiere studios in the city, but mostly used for Jazz and Classical (though later on, others greats like Bob Dylan recorded here). Here's a sampling of some of the albums that were recorded (all of these I own):

As you can see, lots of Miles Davis. Pretty cool to think that I work a few yards away from where all these great albums were recorded.

Red and white and blue

2011-01-14T00:07:00.004-05:00

Apparently, I've become something of a one-trick pony, so here's a little break in the monotony. More airplane photos to follow!

Concorde

2011-01-12T00:15:00.001-05:00

I wish I could have flown on one of these. Still, being able to board it, even in retirement, is pretty cool.

Biplanes

2011-01-10T11:59:00.001-05:00

It's really hard to imagine these being effective in war time, but we really owe a lot to the early aviators.

Jet Engine

2011-01-06T11:38:00.002-05:00

It's not very often that you get to stare down a jet engine from a Blackbird.

2011-01-05T17:48:00.003-05:00

This is probably one of the biggest downers in TV history, if you watched the whole thing, that is.