New pictures from the Cassini mission show how truly strange Saturn’s rings are. The rings as seen in pictures taken by the Voyager mission twenty-five years ago have changed somewhat–features have moved or disappeared–and new structures in the rings have been noted. Go! Look! Marvel!
On Civilization Addiction
CivAnon, an organization for people addicted to playing Sid Meier’s Civilization computer games, whatever their forms. A twelve-step program for people who need to play just one more turn. An amusing website for those who have spent too much time marshalling their forces for the knock-out blow. 🙂
On Klingon Lullabies
I mentioned Klingon fairy tales a few days ago. Today I receive an e-mail — Klingon lullabies. Courtesy of Chris Woodall and Top5, may I present a Klingon lullaby, the tale of the Three Blind Targs: Three blind targs, three blind targs, See how they run, see how they run. They all ran after theContinue reading “On Klingon Lullabies”
On The American Spectator
A few years ago, completely by accident, I subscribed to The American Spectator. By accident I mean confusion, and I was confused–I thought I was re-upping my subscription to The American Prospect. Spectator is a right-wing magazine, Prospect falls to the left. So, for a year The American Spectator would come through the mailbox, I’dContinue reading “On The American Spectator”
On The Batman Cereal
Grocery store yesterday, buying lunch meat for dinner. I need breakfast cereal–I’d finished my box of Peanut Butter Cookie Crisp that morning. I don’t recommend the Peanut Butter Cookie Crisp, but that’s a story for another time. What do my eyes spy, but a cereal box with Batman on the front. The Batman cereal, LimitedContinue reading “On The Batman Cereal”
On Katrina and the Gasoline Situation
According to the morning’s newspaper the gas station in the shopping center where I work shuttered its doors yesterday–their pumps had run dry. Also yesterday, Governor Mike Easley called upon all North Carolinians to limit their fuel consumption–the hurricane in Louisiana shut down the gas pipeline through the southeast which leaves North Carolina with theContinue reading “On Katrina and the Gasoline Situation”
On Bush, the Emperor Nero, and the Historical Perspective
Nero fiddled as Rome burned. Bush strummed as New Orleans sank. Nothing more to say, really. Except that someone in the Bush White House has lost all sense of historical perspective.
On Work and Scheduling
Nothing makes the year seem shorter than it is than doing a work schedule. Specifically, four weeks’ worth of schedules, taking us from Labor Day until the first of October. It’s not even the end of August, and I can tell you who will be working when on October 1st. Working the schedule that farContinue reading “On Work and Scheduling”
On Hurricane Katrina
At the risk of being insensitive… Is it cynical of me to wonder whether the President will visit storm-ravaged New Orleans anytime soon? He’s on his vacation, after all. He famously said that he “need[ed] to get on with his life.” The deaths of hundreds, the devastation of a city, would these prompt him toContinue reading “On Hurricane Katrina”
On the Use of Hamsters
The things students will do. One built a hamster-powered cell phone charger. [Peter] Ash told Ananova: “I thought the wheel could be made to do something useful so I connected a system of gears and a turbine.” He then patched the output to his mobe’s charger and voila! – free hamster energy at around thirtyContinue reading “On the Use of Hamsters”