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Schroedinger's Cat
Aug. 12th, 2013 12:55 pmIn honor of Schroedinger's birthday & today's Google Doodle, I bring you Schroedinger's Cat by Cecil Adams http://bit.ly/15vcCOJ
Too good not to share
Jul. 13th, 2013 10:57 amhttp://www.tomscott.com/weather/starwars/
Plug in a city and get your Star Wars weather. Even the error page is awesome. Temperatures are in Celsius.
Plug in a city and get your Star Wars weather. Even the error page is awesome. Temperatures are in Celsius.
Remember that visit to the embassies
Jun. 9th, 2013 08:48 pmwith the photobooths? and I threatened promised to share them?
And who wants to vote on my new icon?
( Queen Karen, Cap Karen, Plain Karen )
And who wants to vote on my new icon?
( Queen Karen, Cap Karen, Plain Karen )
Happy Groundhog Day
Feb. 2nd, 2013 04:50 pmI was watching a PBS series on NASA and they showed the video from Columbia just before it broke up. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I got a little teary there for a bit.
We've had a couple days of wretched cold weather. They are predicting "conversational snow" for this evening. I never knew snow could be chatty :) Actually it seems that's the new term for a dusting to one inch. Enough to have a conversation over and maybe spoil a few commutes.
I've been working on a photo thing inspired by the Washington Post. For inauguration day, they listed sites that they associated with the 43 presidents. I had about 28 of them, so I've been hunting down the others. In a few instances I've substituted some better options. Really, the State Department for Harry Truman. Boring and fenced in with Jersey barriers. Blair Lee House was a much better choice. It's a work in progress. Here's how far I've gotten http://flic.kr/s/aHsjDQ33JS
And finally Amazon is selling the weirdest thing I've seen all week. http://amzn.to/YJsKPk Faux jeans and CHAPS! Just the Valentine's Day gift we've been looking for.
We've had a couple days of wretched cold weather. They are predicting "conversational snow" for this evening. I never knew snow could be chatty :) Actually it seems that's the new term for a dusting to one inch. Enough to have a conversation over and maybe spoil a few commutes.
I've been working on a photo thing inspired by the Washington Post. For inauguration day, they listed sites that they associated with the 43 presidents. I had about 28 of them, so I've been hunting down the others. In a few instances I've substituted some better options. Really, the State Department for Harry Truman. Boring and fenced in with Jersey barriers. Blair Lee House was a much better choice. It's a work in progress. Here's how far I've gotten http://flic.kr/s/aHsjDQ33JS
And finally Amazon is selling the weirdest thing I've seen all week. http://amzn.to/YJsKPk Faux jeans and CHAPS! Just the Valentine's Day gift we've been looking for.
Potty humor!
Jan. 19th, 2013 03:27 pmBecause I am twelve.
There are porta-potties all over the streets of DC. Seriously, they are everywhere. On street corners, parks, everywhere. There was a huge bunch of them lined up at Navy Memorial-Archives behind portable barriers, I guess waiting to be deployed. It looked really strange, like they were being held prisoner.
Once you are inside the security zone on Monday, you won't be able to leave, so people will be glad of them no matter how cold it is.
There are porta-potties all over the streets of DC. Seriously, they are everywhere. On street corners, parks, everywhere. There was a huge bunch of them lined up at Navy Memorial-Archives behind portable barriers, I guess waiting to be deployed. It looked really strange, like they were being held prisoner.
Once you are inside the security zone on Monday, you won't be able to leave, so people will be glad of them no matter how cold it is.
Funny photos
Jan. 9th, 2013 12:30 pmBuzzfeed has put together The Most Perfectly Timed photos of 2012. One minute 44 of some of the funniest juxtapositions ever. I do love the one where Obama is looking into the ball of light.
http://youtu.be/kqKCCIFfvzs
http://youtu.be/kqKCCIFfvzs
Rabbit, Rabbit!
Oct. 1st, 2012 12:37 pmHappy October 1!
Some Like it Hawk by Donna Andrews. Her books are always so much fun. I love the notebook-that-tells-Meg-when-to-breathe. I like that her characters are growing and changing. Her trademark wackiness is there.
Side-Tracked by Henning Mankell. I've been enjoying the Wallender stories shown on PBS. Kenneth Branagh is excellent in the role. I can't believe this is the first book I've read by Mankell. It's practically a how-to for police procedurals but the characters and the sense of place are just perfect as well. A very absorbing read. I'll be hunting up more of his books.
A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny. Mostly set in a small village in Quebec. What works great in this book are the depictions of the villagers. I loved that curling played a major role. Her characters are very finely drawn. The hints of a conspiracy work the least well.
On Conan Doyle: The Whole Art of Storytelling by Michael Dirda. A little gem of a book on Arthur Conan Doyle, all his works, and their context. Also some fun information on the Baker Street Irregulars. It's a good introduction to Doyle's lesser-known books. He clearly loves Holmes and Watson, too.
Getting Organized in the Google Age by Douglas Merrill. I found myself taking notes on some points. He includes writing tips almost as an aside, but they are worth making note of. It's not for everyone but he suggests picking and choosing and there were enough helpful tips for me to find it worthwhile.
Still Life by Louise Penny. The first book in the series but the third one I've read. She contrasts characters' interior monologues with their actions very well. She shows how one character interprets the actions of another character in line with her own character. It's a good mystery too. I never guessed whodunit.
Some Like it Hawk by Donna Andrews. Her books are always so much fun. I love the notebook-that-tells-Meg-when-to-breathe. I like that her characters are growing and changing. Her trademark wackiness is there.
Side-Tracked by Henning Mankell. I've been enjoying the Wallender stories shown on PBS. Kenneth Branagh is excellent in the role. I can't believe this is the first book I've read by Mankell. It's practically a how-to for police procedurals but the characters and the sense of place are just perfect as well. A very absorbing read. I'll be hunting up more of his books.
A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny. Mostly set in a small village in Quebec. What works great in this book are the depictions of the villagers. I loved that curling played a major role. Her characters are very finely drawn. The hints of a conspiracy work the least well.
On Conan Doyle: The Whole Art of Storytelling by Michael Dirda. A little gem of a book on Arthur Conan Doyle, all his works, and their context. Also some fun information on the Baker Street Irregulars. It's a good introduction to Doyle's lesser-known books. He clearly loves Holmes and Watson, too.
Getting Organized in the Google Age by Douglas Merrill. I found myself taking notes on some points. He includes writing tips almost as an aside, but they are worth making note of. It's not for everyone but he suggests picking and choosing and there were enough helpful tips for me to find it worthwhile.
Still Life by Louise Penny. The first book in the series but the third one I've read. She contrasts characters' interior monologues with their actions very well. She shows how one character interprets the actions of another character in line with her own character. It's a good mystery too. I never guessed whodunit.
One final Olympics post
Aug. 14th, 2012 05:01 pmMaking the rounds:
Here are the top nine comments made by NBC sports commentators during the London Summer Olympics that they would like to take back:
1. Weightlifting commentator: "This is Gregoriava from Bulgaria. I saw her snatch this morning during her warm up and it was amazing."
2. Dressage commentator: "This is really a lovely horse and I speak from personal experience since I once mounted her mother."
3. Paul Hamm, Gymnast: "I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father."
4. Boxing Analyst: "Sure there have been injuries, and even some deaths in boxing, but none of them really that serious."
5. Softball announcer: "If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing again."
6. Basketball analyst: "He dribbles a lot and the opposition doesn't like it. In fact you can see it all over their faces."
7. At the rowing medal ceremony: "Ah, isn't that nice, the wife of the IOC president is hugging the cox of the British crew."
8. Soccer commentator: "Julian Dicks is everywhere. It's like they've got eleven Dicks on the field."
9. Tennis commentator: "One of the reasons Andy is playing so well is that, before the final round, his wife takes out his balls and kisses them... Oh my God, what have I just said?"
Here are the top nine comments made by NBC sports commentators during the London Summer Olympics that they would like to take back:
1. Weightlifting commentator: "This is Gregoriava from Bulgaria. I saw her snatch this morning during her warm up and it was amazing."
2. Dressage commentator: "This is really a lovely horse and I speak from personal experience since I once mounted her mother."
3. Paul Hamm, Gymnast: "I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father."
4. Boxing Analyst: "Sure there have been injuries, and even some deaths in boxing, but none of them really that serious."
5. Softball announcer: "If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing again."
6. Basketball analyst: "He dribbles a lot and the opposition doesn't like it. In fact you can see it all over their faces."
7. At the rowing medal ceremony: "Ah, isn't that nice, the wife of the IOC president is hugging the cox of the British crew."
8. Soccer commentator: "Julian Dicks is everywhere. It's like they've got eleven Dicks on the field."
9. Tennis commentator: "One of the reasons Andy is playing so well is that, before the final round, his wife takes out his balls and kisses them... Oh my God, what have I just said?"
News of the weird
Jul. 25th, 2012 01:36 pmA Ferris Wheel? Really? As a mood ring, too?
"The London Eye, that city’s famous Ferris wheel, will become a giant mood ring, projecting England’s Twitter-based sentiment about the upcoming Olympic Games.
EDF Energy, a utility in that country, has enlisted “the UK’s foremost expert on Twitter sentiment analysis,” Mike Thelwall, and Sosolimited, a team of MIT graduates with expertise in linguistic analysis, to interpret UK-based tweets that reference the Olympics. The group will scan Twitter for tweets including phrases like “Olympics,” “Torch Relay,” “#energy2012″ and “London 2012.” Then, a sentiment algorithm will determine the amount of positive and negative emotion contained in the message. The prevailing sentiment will be reflected in the color of the lights on the London Eye during a nightly 30-minute light show during the games: Yellow is positive, green is neutral and purple is negative."
Can't wait to see this.
"The London Eye, that city’s famous Ferris wheel, will become a giant mood ring, projecting England’s Twitter-based sentiment about the upcoming Olympic Games.
EDF Energy, a utility in that country, has enlisted “the UK’s foremost expert on Twitter sentiment analysis,” Mike Thelwall, and Sosolimited, a team of MIT graduates with expertise in linguistic analysis, to interpret UK-based tweets that reference the Olympics. The group will scan Twitter for tweets including phrases like “Olympics,” “Torch Relay,” “#energy2012″ and “London 2012.” Then, a sentiment algorithm will determine the amount of positive and negative emotion contained in the message. The prevailing sentiment will be reflected in the color of the lights on the London Eye during a nightly 30-minute light show during the games: Yellow is positive, green is neutral and purple is negative."
Can't wait to see this.