Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
The Grand Conjunction: Sunday Night Photos
Just thought I would post my best two photos from tonight of Venus, the Moon and Jupiter.
Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.
Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.
The Festivus Pole is up and Ready....
Let the "Airing of Grievances" begin!
Now be nice...
Here is mine, “That f&%k’in White Mans Club, who is blaming chemicals on the pumping system so now the children of Racine can not run and play in the water fountain by the lake”! I have to stop here otherwise; I will use some real potty words.
Now be nice...
Here is mine, “That f&%k’in White Mans Club, who is blaming chemicals on the pumping system so now the children of Racine can not run and play in the water fountain by the lake”! I have to stop here otherwise; I will use some real potty words.
FACEBOOK - do you use it??
OK, a friend from England (a lizard guy) sent an
invite to join Facebook to me.
My kids do facebook, alot of people do facebook,
am I missing something or what??
Do you use Facebook? Are you a facebook junkie?
What's the draw? What's the deal? I just started
but I really don't get why it's such a big thing,
I need your input.
Do you facebook?
Why or why not?
invite to join Facebook to me.
My kids do facebook, alot of people do facebook,
am I missing something or what??
Do you use Facebook? Are you a facebook junkie?
What's the draw? What's the deal? I just started
but I really don't get why it's such a big thing,
I need your input.
Do you facebook?
Why or why not?
Saturday, November 29, 2008
And This Weeks "Nice Going Klutz" Award Goes To.....
Ohio Police Chief Shoots Himself While Teaching Daughter Gun Safety
Saturday, November 29, 2008
MONROE, Ohio — Police in southwestern Ohio say a police chief mistakenly shot himself in the thigh after giving his daughter a gun safety lesson.
A police report says 54-year-old Middletown police Chief Greg Schwarber was preparing to clean his Glock .45-caliber pistol on Friday and didn't realize the gun was still loaded.
The report written by officers from neighboring Monroe says the bullet entered Schwarber's leg just above the knee.
When officers arrived, they found the chief lying on the floor with a towel covering his leg. Schwarber was taken to a hospital for treatment.
The hospital had no record of Schwarber being treated or admitted. A home phone number for him couldn't be found
Reminder: Venus-Jupiter and Moon Conjunction
Just a quick reminder that Venus and Jupiter are converging in the western sky after sunset. They are the two brightest things out there, no telescope necessary. Their closest approach is tomorrow night (Sunday) but based on the forecast for Racine, you might want to check it out tonight.Sunday night (if you catch a break in the clouds) the Moon will be below the two planets and Monday night the crescent Moon, Venus and Jupiter will be spectacularly close together.
If you have a pair of binoculars, try them. You should be able to see Venus is not a circle, but has phases just like our Moon. You might even catch a moon or two of Jupiter depending on the size of your binoculars.
And to wet your appetite, here is an image from Spaceweather...be sure to go there and check out the other photos!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Football in 3D!
3D television is the next big revolution and December 4th, the NFL is going to broadcast the Chargers-Raiders game in 3D. Unfortunately, it is the Chargers-Raiders game which means you probably won't be too disappointed to learn that it is only being broadcast to theaters in New York City, Boston, and Los Angeles (and only big muckety mucks are invited).
In answer to your question, yes, you still have to wear the silly glasses!
In answer to your question, yes, you still have to wear the silly glasses!
Reminder: Buy Nothing Day is Today
Okay, I slept in and with the time zone out here, this is probably way too late for most, but today is Buy Nothing Day, a day to strike back against conspicuous consumption and maybe even to remember Christmas is about more than getting loot (or so I am told). Besides, the best bargains are going to come later as desperate retailers cut prices.
So relax and enjoy the day (easy for me to say...partly cloudy and getting into the mid 60s here today!)
So relax and enjoy the day (easy for me to say...partly cloudy and getting into the mid 60s here today!)
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Napoleon Dynamite and the $1 million Netflix Challenge
I listened to last week's edition of On the Media and heard they did a piece on the Netflix Prize. The Netflix Prize is a $1 million prize being offered to a team who can improve the engine that drives the Netflix movie recommendations by 10%.
For the unititated, when you rent from Netflix, you can rate the movies you rent. Netflix then recommends movies you might like based on your answers. That's how they keep you coming back. You can imagine it is pretty important to have a good recommendation system.
There are several teams getting close to the magical 10%, but progress is very slow. It turns out that one movie accounts for 15% of all the missed recommendations: Napoleon Dynamite. That just blew me away: Out of the tens of thousands of movies, one accounts for 15% of the misses! Most of the rest of the errors are caused by a few similar quirky indie flicks.
If you can figure out how to predict if your friends will like Napoleon Dynamite and write some comptuer code, you could be on your way to $1 million!
For the unititated, when you rent from Netflix, you can rate the movies you rent. Netflix then recommends movies you might like based on your answers. That's how they keep you coming back. You can imagine it is pretty important to have a good recommendation system.
There are several teams getting close to the magical 10%, but progress is very slow. It turns out that one movie accounts for 15% of all the missed recommendations: Napoleon Dynamite. That just blew me away: Out of the tens of thousands of movies, one accounts for 15% of the misses! Most of the rest of the errors are caused by a few similar quirky indie flicks.
If you can figure out how to predict if your friends will like Napoleon Dynamite and write some comptuer code, you could be on your way to $1 million!
Mayor Becker to have Cancer Surgery
http://news.racinepost.com/2008/11/mayor-becker-to-have-cancer-surgery-dec.html
Best wishes to the mayor for a full and speedy recovery.
Better have them double-check your liver while they're in there - you only have one of those.
Best wishes to the mayor for a full and speedy recovery.
Better have them double-check your liver while they're in there - you only have one of those.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Dear Madame Zoltar
Hello, childrens, hello! Happy Thanksgiblet to you all!I thought I might not make my deadline this week. All because of a shameless hussy, namely Lisa Marie, a local “phychic” who runs the ad at right in the Journal Times.
How dare she horn in on my territory without even the courtesy of a how do you do? I called this scammer up and made an appointment under an alias. You should’ve seen the look on her face when she saw me, Mme. Zoltar, sitting in her parlor. “I don’t care if you were married to Wacko Jacko,” I yelled as I flung Serbian beetle dung dust at her, “you don’t dis me in my hood without paying the price!” Things deteriorated rapidly from there. By the time the police and fire department arrived, I was running late. I astral projected out of there and to my personal computer to get this blog composed. Before I left, though, I got in a good shot to her jaw, saying, “I get 20% off the top, bitch, or they find you at the bottom of a wishing well.” Needless to say, I predict prompt submission of my royalties.
I am so glad that I made it back in time to respond to a question from the resplendent Ms. kkdither, who wrote:
Dear Madame,
I am somewhat anxious about the upcoming cook-a-thon. I haven't had the responsibility to make the whole shebang myself in years. The turkey already almost broke my finger (frozen heavy #$%^ came between me and the grocery counter) I'm wondering if you have any forboding as to the outcome of this spectacle... Specifically, how will my guests react when I "give them the bird?"
Sincerely anticipating your response,
kkdither
p.s. I'll save a drumstick for you
Dear kk, you will be fine. The food will be fine. Your guests will be fine. Everything and everyone will be fine, except, of course, the bird, which will be cooked. Thank you for being one of millions of tireless souls who labor so hard in our kitchens that millions more may share in a Thanksgiving meal.
P.S. And a little stuffing and mashed potatoes and gravy and cranberries, too?
I hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and that we all find much in our lives to be thankful for.
Don’t forget, you can always contact me about your concerns or questions at madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.
See you next week, dearies, or be L7.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
JTI Forum?
I was messing around and created a JT Irregulars forum on a free hosting site: http://jtirregulars.21.forumer.com/index.php. It is a phpBB forum and it's currently set to require registration to post, but anybody can read. As I understand it, ads will soon start popping up on the site to "finance" it. Anyway, I wouldn't suggest using your primary email address to register. I have no idea if anyone will be interested in anything like this, so you can poke around and try it out if you want. If you have any suggestions for subforums, or anything else, please don't be shy. Anything can be created. Moderators can be appointed for subforums. This type of board has private messaging.
I put a link to it in the Features section on the sidebar so that it can be easily accessed. We'll see if it catches on.
I put a link to it in the Features section on the sidebar so that it can be easily accessed. We'll see if it catches on.
Angry conservatives
Why is it when a liberal debates a conservative, 95% of the time when things get angry, it's the conservative releasing smoke? Name calling, threats, anger, it all comes to the surface. Recently I attempted to find a middle ground and was told bluntly there was no middle ground. Even when I moved to the Right in my possition, the conservative couldn't or wouldn't move at all from his steadfast possition. During the discussion the next thing to happen was the Wolf Pack attack.
I'm getting tired of being steam rolled and the one thing I've seen is that people with Liberal persuasion just stop the debate once the level of abuse gets so far. During this talk, a person I've resapected and admired out of the blue lashed out that I "Lusted to take away his wealth." I've always felt he worked hard for it and deserved it. We weren't even talking about such things, but off the wall this came out.
On another website Obama was being maligned as not being worthy of being a President because he had no experience in the military. I pointed out that Bush went AWOL for a year which got covered up by losing his records (Now how many of us have had our records lost?), and there were questions about McCain's version of the Forestal fire and his leaving the ship on a helicopter full of reporters without permission to do so. Palin needed five colleges to get her degree and had no military experience either. The venom that unleashed was shocking.
Something that has been said and repeated is that (oh gosh) Obama is the ANTICHRIST and we're all in for it now. When it is pointed out that the Rapture hasn't happened and shoots that bit right in the foot, it's again, anger and cries that I must be a liberal. Huh? A Liberal atheist that knows the Bible better than a psuedo Thumper?
If the rhetoric is questioned, fight it with flame. If the facts don't bear out, fight the truth with flame. If someone tries to find a middle, fight that with flame. When I've been shown I'm wrong, I make a change and relook at what I believe. I have never seen a conservative give an inch. No, that's wrong. It happens so rarely it feels like never.
Interesting enough, one conservative said that he found that Supreme court justices that changed the interpretation of the constitution were all liberals. That gay marriage should be banned on a constitutional level. That anyone that claimed the constitution was living and breathing should play poker with him. He'd make sure the rules we played by were "living and breathing" also. I told him "I'd be glad to play when he told his wife she was a second class citizen and didn't deserve the vote. I mean what better example to show that yes, the constitution has been changed and today we take it for granted, but at the time conservatives fought tooth and nail because to allow the female vote would hurt them in some obscure way." Whoa, the venom that statement unleashed.
Just getting tired of our divided country. Tired of fingers in the ears LA LA LA LA refusal to consider anything but the lockstepped Rush Lambaug conservative platform. When people are asked to defend their views, a general assertion that"Its just wrong or right" doesn't cut it. Be prepared to say why you think it's wrong or right and defend that possition. Denying another the same freedoms you expect should have a much better argument than, "God, you must be a Liberal."
I'm getting tired of being steam rolled and the one thing I've seen is that people with Liberal persuasion just stop the debate once the level of abuse gets so far. During this talk, a person I've resapected and admired out of the blue lashed out that I "Lusted to take away his wealth." I've always felt he worked hard for it and deserved it. We weren't even talking about such things, but off the wall this came out.
On another website Obama was being maligned as not being worthy of being a President because he had no experience in the military. I pointed out that Bush went AWOL for a year which got covered up by losing his records (Now how many of us have had our records lost?), and there were questions about McCain's version of the Forestal fire and his leaving the ship on a helicopter full of reporters without permission to do so. Palin needed five colleges to get her degree and had no military experience either. The venom that unleashed was shocking.
Something that has been said and repeated is that (oh gosh) Obama is the ANTICHRIST and we're all in for it now. When it is pointed out that the Rapture hasn't happened and shoots that bit right in the foot, it's again, anger and cries that I must be a liberal. Huh? A Liberal atheist that knows the Bible better than a psuedo Thumper?
If the rhetoric is questioned, fight it with flame. If the facts don't bear out, fight the truth with flame. If someone tries to find a middle, fight that with flame. When I've been shown I'm wrong, I make a change and relook at what I believe. I have never seen a conservative give an inch. No, that's wrong. It happens so rarely it feels like never.
Interesting enough, one conservative said that he found that Supreme court justices that changed the interpretation of the constitution were all liberals. That gay marriage should be banned on a constitutional level. That anyone that claimed the constitution was living and breathing should play poker with him. He'd make sure the rules we played by were "living and breathing" also. I told him "I'd be glad to play when he told his wife she was a second class citizen and didn't deserve the vote. I mean what better example to show that yes, the constitution has been changed and today we take it for granted, but at the time conservatives fought tooth and nail because to allow the female vote would hurt them in some obscure way." Whoa, the venom that statement unleashed.
Just getting tired of our divided country. Tired of fingers in the ears LA LA LA LA refusal to consider anything but the lockstepped Rush Lambaug conservative platform. When people are asked to defend their views, a general assertion that"Its just wrong or right" doesn't cut it. Be prepared to say why you think it's wrong or right and defend that possition. Denying another the same freedoms you expect should have a much better argument than, "God, you must be a Liberal."
Penn and Teller: Magic With a Message
I am in Vegas now and saw Penn and Teller last night. Wonderful show, but two segments stood out in particular.
The first was an illustration of the tricks of the trade for psychics and people who claim to channel the dead and such mumbo jumbo. Penn made quite clear his opinion of these people (they are lying slime taking advantage of people) before illustrating multiple ways they do readings with audience members. Each time he used joke books and had people randomly select jokes. His cold reading was amazing...the guy was visibly nodding and shaking his head, totally subconsciously, allowing Penn to zero in on the joke he choose.
The second part stated with a U.S Flag onstage. They took it down and folded it (in the little triangle just like you are supposed to). They took out a copy of the Bill of Rights and wrapped it around the flag. They then set the flag on fire (not really...they switched it out for a bunch of flash paper) and he said, "The Flag is gone, but the Bill of Rights remains." Which one is more important...which would you rather lose? They then took out a sheet of clear film to represent China's Bill of Rights (there isn't one) and repeated the trick. At the end, the flat magically appeared on the flagpole again and they were both looking at it reverently as the lights blacked out. It has mercifully been a few years since a bunch of yahoos have tried to get that Flag burning amendment passed. Next time it comes up, Penn and Teller should do this routine for the entire House and Senate. Anyone who votes for an amendment banning flag burning after seeing this is too stupid to serve in Congress.
The first was an illustration of the tricks of the trade for psychics and people who claim to channel the dead and such mumbo jumbo. Penn made quite clear his opinion of these people (they are lying slime taking advantage of people) before illustrating multiple ways they do readings with audience members. Each time he used joke books and had people randomly select jokes. His cold reading was amazing...the guy was visibly nodding and shaking his head, totally subconsciously, allowing Penn to zero in on the joke he choose.
The second part stated with a U.S Flag onstage. They took it down and folded it (in the little triangle just like you are supposed to). They took out a copy of the Bill of Rights and wrapped it around the flag. They then set the flag on fire (not really...they switched it out for a bunch of flash paper) and he said, "The Flag is gone, but the Bill of Rights remains." Which one is more important...which would you rather lose? They then took out a sheet of clear film to represent China's Bill of Rights (there isn't one) and repeated the trick. At the end, the flat magically appeared on the flagpole again and they were both looking at it reverently as the lights blacked out. It has mercifully been a few years since a bunch of yahoos have tried to get that Flag burning amendment passed. Next time it comes up, Penn and Teller should do this routine for the entire House and Senate. Anyone who votes for an amendment banning flag burning after seeing this is too stupid to serve in Congress.
Will Ya Look At That......I'm Dead
Have you ever glance at the obits or death notices to find your name listed?
"Government announces new loan programs"
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ioHc80xKMiATnqCpK0cDKJzk_nPQD94M2QCG0
In related news, the government also announced that "a thousand gazillion jillion megabillion dollars" are going to be rocketed into the sun in an effort to jump start solar power.
According to one unidentified Treasury official, "We're not going to stop until every last penny of America's money is spent in one way or another. You can rest assured that we are responding to the economic meltdown by mortgaging your and your descendants' future as rapidly as we possibly can."
In related news, the government also announced that "a thousand gazillion jillion megabillion dollars" are going to be rocketed into the sun in an effort to jump start solar power.
According to one unidentified Treasury official, "We're not going to stop until every last penny of America's money is spent in one way or another. You can rest assured that we are responding to the economic meltdown by mortgaging your and your descendants' future as rapidly as we possibly can."
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Brand New Angel
Gov't Mule is a side project for Allman Brothers Band guitar extraordinare Warren Haynes. Formed in 1994 with Matt Abts on drums and Allen Woody on bass. I was fortunate to see this line up in concert where they backed up Jimmy Page and the Black Crowes at the Marcus Ampitheatre in Milwaukee on 6/29/2000. Allen died two months later.
The band carried on looking for a new bass player. This search resulted in three LP's worth of music containing famous bass players like Roger Glover from Deep Purple,Les Claypool from Primus,Jack Bruce from Cream,Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers,Jason Newstead from Metallica,Phil Lesh from the Grateful Dead,and many many more. They settled on an unknown bass player Andy Hess. Danny Louis joined the fold as the keyboardist.
They recently released a live DVD, A Tale of 2 Cities,which I acquired about 2 weeks ago. This song is on it. It also can be found on their 2006 classic,High and Mighty
My friend Irregulars,I present Brand New Angel. Enjoy!
More information on Gov't Mule.
Information on their setlists
The LP's I recommend are:their debut LP and High and Mighty.
The band carried on looking for a new bass player. This search resulted in three LP's worth of music containing famous bass players like Roger Glover from Deep Purple,Les Claypool from Primus,Jack Bruce from Cream,Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers,Jason Newstead from Metallica,Phil Lesh from the Grateful Dead,and many many more. They settled on an unknown bass player Andy Hess. Danny Louis joined the fold as the keyboardist.
They recently released a live DVD, A Tale of 2 Cities,which I acquired about 2 weeks ago. This song is on it. It also can be found on their 2006 classic,High and Mighty
My friend Irregulars,I present Brand New Angel. Enjoy!
More information on Gov't Mule.
Information on their setlists
The LP's I recommend are:their debut LP and High and Mighty.
The Big Picture: Dubai
Dubai has been getting a lot of press coverage recently (at least in the press I read and listen to!) due to its extraordinary growth and wealth. This week's Big Picture from the Boston Globe focuses on Dubai. Of the many remarkable images this week, perhaps the most striking is one of the Burg Dubai.
It is already the world's tallest freestanding structure and will be 2684 feet tall (over half a mile) when complete. Looking at all the images in this collection, I wonder how much longer until they have a crash of epic proportions...or replace the U.S. as the land of conspicuous consumption.
It is already the world's tallest freestanding structure and will be 2684 feet tall (over half a mile) when complete. Looking at all the images in this collection, I wonder how much longer until they have a crash of epic proportions...or replace the U.S. as the land of conspicuous consumption.
The Process of Choice and Our Fickle Brains
I just listened to the new episode of Radio Lab and the theme this week is choice. How do we make choices in life? How can marketers and politicians influence these choices? How much free will do we really have?
One segment highlights Baba Shiv's work on fruit and cake. Which would you choose if offered a piece of chocolate cake or fruit salad? Okay, now what if you were distracted? What Shiv did take two groups of people. One group was asked to memorize a seven digit number and the other group a two digit number (the subjects were told this was a memory experiment...one thing I remember from my college sociology courses is that you always lie to the subjects about the purpose of the study!) After they memorized they numbers, they were offered a choice between cake and fruit salad. The peope that memeorized the longer number were much more likely to choose cake. We all know that fruit is better for us, but when you distract the brain by asking it to memorize a long number, then the impulsive side comes out and we do things we know aren't quite so good for us.
Another segment focuses on Lawrence Williams research on the connections between physical sensations and emotional judgements. He has subjects hold a cup of hot or cold coffee as they read a description of a person. The people holding the hot coffee described the person they read about as having a "warmer" personality. Could your opinions of Obama and McCain depend on whether you were drinking a cup of hot coffee or an ice cold soda when you watch their speeches? Research says yes.
Another segment was on how casinos keep players gaming. Casinos use those loyalty cards to keep track of how much people lose before they quit playing. As you near that limit, that is when the casino sends someone over and offers you the free tickets or dinner or some other little incentive to make you happy, forget your losses, and keep playing (I am going to Vegas for the first time tomorrow due to the fact that hotels are criminally cheap right before Thanksgiving...however, I know the odds and don't gamble and the only coins I am going to drop into a machine are going to be at the Pinball Hall of Fame Museum).
I am sure most people like to sit back and think they are too smart to fall for such tricks. However, it is important to remember that you are not even aware of the most effective ways people manipulate the choices you make. The very layout of stores is designed to get you to spend more (to say nothing of the maze that is your average casino!) I am very analyitical but Shiv's research shows one way to get to me is to overwhelm me with information.
As prevelant as these techniques are in our world, they receive very little coverage outside of academic journals. Media has little interest in covering them since they make their money from advertisers who frequently use these techniques! With our current economic downturn, you can bet retailers are going to be emptying their arsenal in the next few weeks to part you from your dollars.
Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.
One segment highlights Baba Shiv's work on fruit and cake. Which would you choose if offered a piece of chocolate cake or fruit salad? Okay, now what if you were distracted? What Shiv did take two groups of people. One group was asked to memorize a seven digit number and the other group a two digit number (the subjects were told this was a memory experiment...one thing I remember from my college sociology courses is that you always lie to the subjects about the purpose of the study!) After they memorized they numbers, they were offered a choice between cake and fruit salad. The peope that memeorized the longer number were much more likely to choose cake. We all know that fruit is better for us, but when you distract the brain by asking it to memorize a long number, then the impulsive side comes out and we do things we know aren't quite so good for us.
Another segment focuses on Lawrence Williams research on the connections between physical sensations and emotional judgements. He has subjects hold a cup of hot or cold coffee as they read a description of a person. The people holding the hot coffee described the person they read about as having a "warmer" personality. Could your opinions of Obama and McCain depend on whether you were drinking a cup of hot coffee or an ice cold soda when you watch their speeches? Research says yes.
Another segment was on how casinos keep players gaming. Casinos use those loyalty cards to keep track of how much people lose before they quit playing. As you near that limit, that is when the casino sends someone over and offers you the free tickets or dinner or some other little incentive to make you happy, forget your losses, and keep playing (I am going to Vegas for the first time tomorrow due to the fact that hotels are criminally cheap right before Thanksgiving...however, I know the odds and don't gamble and the only coins I am going to drop into a machine are going to be at the Pinball Hall of Fame Museum).
I am sure most people like to sit back and think they are too smart to fall for such tricks. However, it is important to remember that you are not even aware of the most effective ways people manipulate the choices you make. The very layout of stores is designed to get you to spend more (to say nothing of the maze that is your average casino!) I am very analyitical but Shiv's research shows one way to get to me is to overwhelm me with information.
As prevelant as these techniques are in our world, they receive very little coverage outside of academic journals. Media has little interest in covering them since they make their money from advertisers who frequently use these techniques! With our current economic downturn, you can bet retailers are going to be emptying their arsenal in the next few weeks to part you from your dollars.
Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
The Coordinator's Report - what fun!!
We had a great time tonite!!
Not a bad turn out but those of you that didn't make it sure missed it!
Our bowling was fun, we threw things, things fell down, all in all,
a great time.
Logjam... we waited for you...
AA, eventually you will have to come out of hiding...
Beejay, HaleBopp and Whynot, you have to come sometime!
The rest of you - it's time to get on board already!
Our next outing will actually be an 'inning'
Date and time - Mark your calendars NOW
Saturday, January 10th, 4pm
Highlights of the evening -
1st annual Irregular Christmas Party
Potluck/game night/Christmas Party/Christmas cookie eating contest
Watch for more info as to HOW to get hooked up and be part of it,
info to follow closer to actual Christmas!!
Any questions, email me anytime
lizardmom@wi.net
From your humble coordinator...
Not a bad turn out but those of you that didn't make it sure missed it!
Our bowling was fun, we threw things, things fell down, all in all,
a great time.
Logjam... we waited for you...
AA, eventually you will have to come out of hiding...
Beejay, HaleBopp and Whynot, you have to come sometime!
The rest of you - it's time to get on board already!
Our next outing will actually be an 'inning'
Date and time - Mark your calendars NOW
Saturday, January 10th, 4pm
Highlights of the evening -
1st annual Irregular Christmas Party
Potluck/game night/Christmas Party/Christmas cookie eating contest
Watch for more info as to HOW to get hooked up and be part of it,
info to follow closer to actual Christmas!!
Any questions, email me anytime
lizardmom@wi.net
From your humble coordinator...
Hamster On A Piano (Eating Popcorn)
That's one mellow hamster. Why can't he get up after he falls off the key?
Rust in Pieces, Yugo
The last Yugo, the car that became the joke of a generation, is about to roll of the assembly line. If you are like me, you are probably finding yourself amazed that they still make those things.And you think Detroit has problems, look at the Yugo!
Name that Rover (18 and under, some restrictions apply)
NASA is having a contest to name the next Mars Rover, open to students. The new rover, to be launched in 2009, desperately needs a new name as it is currently known as the Mars Science Laboratory.This beefed up rover will be nuclear powered and focus on whether Mars is or has ever been a place hospitable for microbial life. More power means more science instruments and a greater range for more exploration.
The winning entry gets a free trip to the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena (where they build the rovers). Pass this on to teachers you know so we can get a lot of entries!
Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicst Blog.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
One Can Shy of a Six Pack
This post was inspired by Drewzepmeister with his post of "Sounds like this lady is a burger patty short of a full burger" on the goofy lady from Oregon post. And in my past post of "What two things will end at midnight" I think it was he that came up with "Sounds like the cheese is sliding off the cracker." (or was it Orbs?). Anyhow, what snappy repartees do you have in your arsonal? (If you rather not divulge them now and save them later for the appropriate moment that's fine). Just no quoting the "Grumpy Old Men" movies......there are ladies that read these blogs!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
From your events coordinator... Confirmations needed!
Hi guys, time for roll call for Friday nights get-together.
You should have received the info and invite,
if for any reason you didn't,
** please email me ASAP at **
lizardmom@wi.net
Now is time for corrections, updates, forgotten RSVP's, etc.
This is who I have coming...
ORBS, KK, SER, DREW, ABBY, LIZARDMOM, LOGJAM, and CYNDI
Those that I know can't make it -
the hibernating Beejay :)~ ,
Whynot, HaleBopp, also hibernating in warmer climates...
and AA. If you are on the list in either category and need to change it
please let me know. If you haven't responded yet - hint, hint...
EMAIL ME SOON!!!
I probably have too many lanes reserved but don't want to give any
up unless I'm sure we won't need them.
If you forgot what's going on, again, please email me soon!!
Thanks for you help, hope to see more of you Friday!!
***UPDATE***
I am going to correct the number of lanes needed down to 4, but will
insist on keeping them those nearest the door,
watch for our sign, anyone from the picnic should recognize it well
You should have received the info and invite,
if for any reason you didn't,
** please email me ASAP at **
lizardmom@wi.net
Now is time for corrections, updates, forgotten RSVP's, etc.
This is who I have coming...
ORBS, KK, SER, DREW, ABBY, LIZARDMOM, LOGJAM, and CYNDI
Those that I know can't make it -
the hibernating Beejay :)~ ,
Whynot, HaleBopp, also hibernating in warmer climates...
and AA. If you are on the list in either category and need to change it
please let me know. If you haven't responded yet - hint, hint...
EMAIL ME SOON!!!
I probably have too many lanes reserved but don't want to give any
up unless I'm sure we won't need them.
If you forgot what's going on, again, please email me soon!!
Thanks for you help, hope to see more of you Friday!!
***UPDATE***
I am going to correct the number of lanes needed down to 4, but will
insist on keeping them those nearest the door,
watch for our sign, anyone from the picnic should recognize it well
First It Was "One Small Step For Man". Now It's "Oh Great"
This from Fox News:
Astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper was working on a solar panel when her grease gun exploded. As she was wiping the grease off her face shield, she let go of her tool box which floated off into space. Kinda like your wife or girlfriend dropping your Craftsman rench down a sewer.
'Oh Great': Astronaut Loses Tool Bag During Spacewalk
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,453845,00.htmlAstronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper was working on a solar panel when her grease gun exploded. As she was wiping the grease off her face shield, she let go of her tool box which floated off into space. Kinda like your wife or girlfriend dropping your Craftsman rench down a sewer.
Change – What is it?
The 36th President Lyndon B. Johnson was in office when I graduated from high school. I turned 18 in May graduated in June and 5 day later received my draft notice.
LBJ was going to change the world. Since we have had several changes in Presidents. Nixon, Ford, Carter, then the people of the United States wanted a big change so Ronald Reagan was elected.
Then came Bush, Clinton, Bush and now President elect Obama. All of them where or are out to make change.
In the mid to late 60’s and early 70’s many protest songs where written and recorded. One which comes to mind is “Eve of Destruction”. This song is a protest song about political issues of the '60s, this song was banned from many radio stations for its antigovernment lyrics, but still managed to hit #1 in the US. The song takes on racism, hypocrisy and injustice.
Imagine that, racism, hypocrisy and injustice, look around, its 2008 where is the change.
I believe it’s time people, politicians in particular, add the word “hope” or “pray” in front the word “change” every time they use it!
Some feel the song Eve of Destruction was written “before it’s time”. Please listen to the song and you decide, where’s our change.
More about the song can be seen at Eve of Destruction.
LBJ was going to change the world. Since we have had several changes in Presidents. Nixon, Ford, Carter, then the people of the United States wanted a big change so Ronald Reagan was elected.
Then came Bush, Clinton, Bush and now President elect Obama. All of them where or are out to make change.
In the mid to late 60’s and early 70’s many protest songs where written and recorded. One which comes to mind is “Eve of Destruction”. This song is a protest song about political issues of the '60s, this song was banned from many radio stations for its antigovernment lyrics, but still managed to hit #1 in the US. The song takes on racism, hypocrisy and injustice.
Imagine that, racism, hypocrisy and injustice, look around, its 2008 where is the change.
I believe it’s time people, politicians in particular, add the word “hope” or “pray” in front the word “change” every time they use it!
Some feel the song Eve of Destruction was written “before it’s time”. Please listen to the song and you decide, where’s our change.
More about the song can be seen at Eve of Destruction.
Dear Madame Zoltar
Hi, my friends! It’s good to be with you again.I’ve decided that this week I would tell you little about my family background. The picture below is of Grandpa Emilio Zoltar, the first psychic to foresee the Great Depression and throw himself off of a Wall Street window ledge because of it:
Before he made his grand exit, though, Grandpa Emilio married. He was a strange man with strange tastes. He fell in love with a wax dummy named Marge:
It was love at first sight. They melted into each others arms. Their connubial bliss produced a son, the man I later married, Karl “The Reptile” Zoltar, known for his cold, almost mechanical, mannerisms:Our union produced a son, Karl “The Robot” Zoltar, Jr.:
Unfortunately for everyone involved, Karl Sr. is a piece of trash lowlife who can’t keep his pants on. I had to divorce the lying scumbag and raise Junior on my own. It’s pretty funny to listen to Karl talk about “doing” versus “intending” in that video. He was always “intending” to pay the child support, but never “doing” anything about it. So I had to come up with a way to support myself and our son. Thus, Madame Zoltar was born. I tapped into my personal psychic sources and became a legend. Today Junior is successfully engaged in his YouTube career and paint huffing activities. We live a modest suburban life, but don’t really lack for anything. I owe it all to you, my faithful friends and fans, and my many loyal customers. Thank you for making Madame Zoltar your Guide to the Spirits and the Stars.
Please remember to send you comments and questions to me at madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.
Thank you for letting me chat with you today. I look forward to doing it again next week. Until then, farewell my friends.
$700 billion? What the Frak?
If you are like me, you have been hearing a lot of numbers thrown around with all the bailouts of banks and what not. Trying to keep a running total in my head, I started thinking, hmmm...that sounds like more than $700 billion to me.
Turns out my powers of estimation served me well, but not well enough. CNBC has been keeping track. They came up with a number of almost $4.3 trillion for all the bailouts! That's off by about a factor of 6! This really is a government operation complete with huge cost overruns.
Turns out my powers of estimation served me well, but not well enough. CNBC has been keeping track. They came up with a number of almost $4.3 trillion for all the bailouts! That's off by about a factor of 6! This really is a government operation complete with huge cost overruns.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Today Must Have Been "National Idiots Day"
In a earlier post we saw a woman in Oregon pee away 400 grand on a Nigerian e-mail scam. Later today a postal worker in Milwaukee was arrested for delivering more than mail.
lhttp://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/34714699.htm
lhttp://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/34714699.htm
Tuesday Noon Grin
POWER OUTAGE DURING A MAMMOGRAM
I actually kept my mammogram appointment. I was met with, 'Hi! I'm Belinda!' This perky clipboard carrier smiled from ear to ear, tilted her head to one side and crooned, 'All I need you to do is step into this room right here, strip to the waist, then slip on this gown.
Everything clear?
I'm thinking, 'Belinda, try decaf. This ain't rocket science.'
Belinda skipped away to prepare the chamber of horrors.
With the right side finished, Belinda flipped me (literally) to the left and said, 'Hmmmm. Can you stand on your tippy toes and lean in a tad so we can get everything?'
Fine, I answered. I was freezing, bruised, and out of air, so why not use the remaining circulation in my legs and neck and finish me off?
My body was in a holding pattern that defied gravity (with my other boob wedged between those two 4 inch pieces of square glass) when we heard, then felt a zap! Complete darkness and the power went off!
'Oh, maintenance is working. Bet they hit a snag.' Belinda headed for the door.
'Excuse me! You're not leaving me in this vise alone are you?' I shouted.
Belinda kept going and said, 'Oh, you fussy puppy...the door's wide open so you'll have the emergency hall lights. I'll be right back.'
Before I could shout 'NOOOO!' she disappeared.
And that's exactly how Bubba and Earl, maintenance men extraordinaire, found me, half-naked and part of me dangling from the Jaws of Life, and the other part smashed between glass!
After exchanging polite 'Hi, how's it going' type greetings, Bubba (or possibly Earl) asked, to my utter disbelief, if I knew the power was off.
Trying to disguise my hysteria, I replied with as much calmness as possible 'Uh, yes, yes I did thanks.'
'You bet, take care ' Bubba replied and waved good-bye as though I'd been standing in the line at the grocery store.
Two hours later, Belinda breezes in wearing a sheepish grin. Making no attempt to suppress her amusement, she said, 'Oh I am sooo sorry!' The power came back on and I totally forgot about you! And silly me, I went to lunch. Are we upset?'
And that, Your Honor, is exactly how her head ended up between the clamps...
I actually kept my mammogram appointment. I was met with, 'Hi! I'm Belinda!' This perky clipboard carrier smiled from ear to ear, tilted her head to one side and crooned, 'All I need you to do is step into this room right here, strip to the waist, then slip on this gown.
Everything clear?
I'm thinking, 'Belinda, try decaf. This ain't rocket science.'
Belinda skipped away to prepare the chamber of horrors.
With the right side finished, Belinda flipped me (literally) to the left and said, 'Hmmmm. Can you stand on your tippy toes and lean in a tad so we can get everything?'
Fine, I answered. I was freezing, bruised, and out of air, so why not use the remaining circulation in my legs and neck and finish me off?
My body was in a holding pattern that defied gravity (with my other boob wedged between those two 4 inch pieces of square glass) when we heard, then felt a zap! Complete darkness and the power went off!
'Oh, maintenance is working. Bet they hit a snag.' Belinda headed for the door.
'Excuse me! You're not leaving me in this vise alone are you?' I shouted.
Belinda kept going and said, 'Oh, you fussy puppy...the door's wide open so you'll have the emergency hall lights. I'll be right back.'
Before I could shout 'NOOOO!' she disappeared.
And that's exactly how Bubba and Earl, maintenance men extraordinaire, found me, half-naked and part of me dangling from the Jaws of Life, and the other part smashed between glass!
After exchanging polite 'Hi, how's it going' type greetings, Bubba (or possibly Earl) asked, to my utter disbelief, if I knew the power was off.
Trying to disguise my hysteria, I replied with as much calmness as possible 'Uh, yes, yes I did thanks.'
'You bet, take care ' Bubba replied and waved good-bye as though I'd been standing in the line at the grocery store.
Two hours later, Belinda breezes in wearing a sheepish grin. Making no attempt to suppress her amusement, she said, 'Oh I am sooo sorry!' The power came back on and I totally forgot about you! And silly me, I went to lunch. Are we upset?'
And that, Your Honor, is exactly how her head ended up between the clamps...
How About Coming Up With a Ban of Your Own
With a new batch of legislators headed of to Congress, Madison, and Municipal Boards around the country, you can bet something is going to be targeted to be banned. Kenosha is instituting a ban on texting while driving. In Madison they are thinking about a ban on bisphenol A in plastics. I'm not saying all bans are ill thought out or stupid. It's something we are going to see a lot more in the future. Knowing the JTIs, this is a group that could come up with bans; some serious, some darn right....well you know. Perhaps one like this: Banning driving while operating a motor vehicle.....
Another Lawsuit Against City Hall?
The Racine Post reports today: "The same attorney who filed sexual harassment charges against City Administrator Ben Hughes is now threatening to file a discrimination claim on behalf of Racine Public Health Administrator Janelle Grammer."
http://news.racinepost.com/2008/11/city-facing-charges-of-discrimination.html
Attorney Nola Cross, who filed charges in July against Hughes on behalf of Sandra Tingle, Mayor Gary Becker’s ex-administrative assistant, sent a letter to the city on November 13th alleging that Grammer has been discriminated against on the job.
Is this a case of a litigious attorney looking to stir up trouble, make some money and a name for herself, or is there something hinky with the Becker administration?
http://news.racinepost.com/2008/11/city-facing-charges-of-discrimination.html
Attorney Nola Cross, who filed charges in July against Hughes on behalf of Sandra Tingle, Mayor Gary Becker’s ex-administrative assistant, sent a letter to the city on November 13th alleging that Grammer has been discriminated against on the job.
Is this a case of a litigious attorney looking to stir up trouble, make some money and a name for herself, or is there something hinky with the Becker administration?
Boogie
O'Mary sent this to me...I have it playing in the background right now. So cool. http://www.paradisecomputerclub.org/boogie.htm
How Many Ways Can You Spell "Stupid"?
This from Fox News:
Oregon Woman Loses $400,000 to Nigerian E-Mail Scam
Monday, November 17, 2008
Regrets
As it is with most things in life, things move fast. I regret that I will be unable, once again, to attend our upcoming meeting of the Irregulars. I was really hoping to meet you guys and gals.
I was invited to go up North for opening day at this really nice hunting lodge. It is a slot I've been hoping would open up for some time.
For you Bambi lovers: I have no intention of shooting a deer. I love being out in the woods, but, because there are things that consider me food, and, the occasional drunken idiot, I always carry some firearms with me.
BTW, the mail account of avengingangel@wi.rr.com is working again, so please send updates there.
Once again, sorry I can't make it.
I was invited to go up North for opening day at this really nice hunting lodge. It is a slot I've been hoping would open up for some time.
For you Bambi lovers: I have no intention of shooting a deer. I love being out in the woods, but, because there are things that consider me food, and, the occasional drunken idiot, I always carry some firearms with me.
BTW, the mail account of avengingangel@wi.rr.com is working again, so please send updates there.
Once again, sorry I can't make it.
Pirates Capture Saudi Supertanker
"DUBAI -- The U.S. Navy said Monday that pirates commandeered a Saudi-owned supertanker hundreds of miles off the Kenyan coast, an attack officials said was unprecedented for its distance from shore and the size of its target."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122693177440733229.html
Arrr, shiver me timbers, the price of gasoline just went up a few doubloons.
I was saying to my sister yesterday that the only good thing to come out of the economic meltdown is the drop in gas prices. Now, along with everything else, we have to worry about pirates hijacking oil? Where's Captain Jack Sparrow when we need him?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122693177440733229.html
Arrr, shiver me timbers, the price of gasoline just went up a few doubloons.
I was saying to my sister yesterday that the only good thing to come out of the economic meltdown is the drop in gas prices. Now, along with everything else, we have to worry about pirates hijacking oil? Where's Captain Jack Sparrow when we need him?
Maukie
http://www.broenink-art.nl/anneke/maukiehome/
Hale-bopp's blog (below) made me think of Maukie, the virtual cat. Move your mouse cursor over Maukie to play with him. According to the website, you can get one for your desktop, but I've never tried.
My Cat Got a Word in the Dictionary
Yep, she did. My old cat, who I got in November of 1996, has an unusually large vocabulary. In addition to the traditional "meow" and purring, she could say a lot of other expressions including "rah", "nah" and, the winner, "meh".
Now it turns out that Harper Collins in including "meh" in the dictioary! It is defined as "as an expression of indifference or boredom, or an adjective meaning mediocre or boring" which my cat agrees with totally. Since the article states that it gained popularity in 2001 after being used on the Simpsons, my cat's usage of the word clearly pre-dates that by several years.
You can even buy shirts and sweathers with meh on them.
For future editions of the dictionary, "rah" is an expression of extreme annoyance and "nah" means "don't pet me there!"
Her name is, of course, Hale-Bopp.
Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicsit Blog.
Now it turns out that Harper Collins in including "meh" in the dictioary! It is defined as "as an expression of indifference or boredom, or an adjective meaning mediocre or boring" which my cat agrees with totally. Since the article states that it gained popularity in 2001 after being used on the Simpsons, my cat's usage of the word clearly pre-dates that by several years.
You can even buy shirts and sweathers with meh on them.
For future editions of the dictionary, "rah" is an expression of extreme annoyance and "nah" means "don't pet me there!"
Her name is, of course, Hale-Bopp.
Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicsit Blog.
Jouranl Sentinel Online Photo Gallery
These are weather related pictures submited by readers of the Journal Sentinel. Some are spectacular. I was going to post one of the winter ones, but we'll be seeing that for ourselves soon enough.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
C-leberty
I recently won tickets to see Queen+Paul Rodgers at a theater. Won them off on our regular irregular friend's Barbara's blog. My son and I had a great time. They played a two hour set that included some of their usual hits,new stuff,solos,and Bad Company songs. People were dancing in the aisles. I was surprised at what my son knew about Bad Company and Queen. He was air guitaring and singing along to whole thing.
Here's a video of a song that was played at the movie. The song is off of their latest release The Cosmos Rock I think the song is quite catchy. I like it! Enjoy!
Here's a video of a song that was played at the movie. The song is off of their latest release The Cosmos Rock I think the song is quite catchy. I like it! Enjoy!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Goodbye Mom
|
India's Satellite Crashes Into The Moon!
But they tried to do that...no, really. The satellite called Chandraayan 1 carried a small impactor. While the main satellite stayed safely in orbit, the impactor was sent on a collision course to the Moon.
The 64 lbs impactor carred a laser altimeter, a camera, and a mass spectrograph to study what little air there is on the Moon. It crashed this morning (10:31 am Eastern time). They have not released any results yet, but early indications are everything went as planned. It hit the Moon at a speed of about a mile per second, so needless to say, it's not going to be sending back any more pictures!
However, it wasn't supposed to. If functioned as designed and I am Jonesin' for some pics!
Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.
The 64 lbs impactor carred a laser altimeter, a camera, and a mass spectrograph to study what little air there is on the Moon. It crashed this morning (10:31 am Eastern time). They have not released any results yet, but early indications are everything went as planned. It hit the Moon at a speed of about a mile per second, so needless to say, it's not going to be sending back any more pictures!
However, it wasn't supposed to. If functioned as designed and I am Jonesin' for some pics!
Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.
WOW, what a ride it's been so far!! Reporting from somewhere in Italy!
Lizardmom's IRREGULAR transportation
Wow, what a trip!!
Here in our 'duck', we're on the lamb, maybe we should visit a zoo too!
AA got out of control while driving, we've been banished from a few countries...
Now in Italy, so far we haven't gotten into any trouble - YET!
Pass the pizza, this is good stuff!!
Where are we off to next guys?
Wow, what a trip!!Here in our 'duck', we're on the lamb, maybe we should visit a zoo too!
AA got out of control while driving, we've been banished from a few countries...
Now in Italy, so far we haven't gotten into any trouble - YET!
Pass the pizza, this is good stuff!!
Where are we off to next guys?
Kids banned from running through Laurel Clark Memorial Fountain
"RACINE — The Dr. Laurel Clark Memorial Fountain will not be open for children to play in next year."
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2008/11/11/local_news/doc491a5b047891e944848161.txt
They've been adding chemicals to the fountain's water for health reasons. Turns out that those chemicals are messing up the works.
And they're talking about putting a chain link fence around the fountain to keep kids out of it next year.
A chain link fence? Do they mean specifically around the center where the water shoots up, or around the entire memorial? Either way, I think it will be ugly and/or defeat the purpose of the memorial. It would be better with the fountain off, or on very low volume.
Seeing the delight on the faces of kids as they ran through the fountain has been one of my favorite parts of summer. I understand why, but it's too bad that something as simple and spontaneous and innocent and joyful as that cannot be allowed to continue.
Update - thanks to fungi, I stand corrected on the chain link fence issue. This is the type of fence they are talking about when they say "chain fence:"
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2008/11/11/local_news/doc491a5b047891e944848161.txt
They've been adding chemicals to the fountain's water for health reasons. Turns out that those chemicals are messing up the works.
And they're talking about putting a chain link fence around the fountain to keep kids out of it next year.
A chain link fence? Do they mean specifically around the center where the water shoots up, or around the entire memorial? Either way, I think it will be ugly and/or defeat the purpose of the memorial. It would be better with the fountain off, or on very low volume.
Seeing the delight on the faces of kids as they ran through the fountain has been one of my favorite parts of summer. I understand why, but it's too bad that something as simple and spontaneous and innocent and joyful as that cannot be allowed to continue.
Update - thanks to fungi, I stand corrected on the chain link fence issue. This is the type of fence they are talking about when they say "chain fence:"
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Obama to pioneer Web outreach as president
"NEW YORK (AP) — Transition officials call it Obama 2.0 — an ambitious effort to transform the president-elect's vast Web operation and database of supporters into a modern new tool to accomplish his goals in the White House. If it works, the new president could have an unprecedented ability to appeal for help from millions of Americans who already favor his ideas, bypassing the news media to pressure Congress."
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gfM9zjyAkvCrig1-pSPe71NoLkmwD94DK6O81
I find that heartening and scary at the same time. Heartening because I'm a big proponent of democracy and I see the Internet as a great tool for enabling and sustaining that. Scary because I also see the Internet as a great tool for the dissemination of misinformation and propaganda.
They say that JFK was the first president to use TV to his advantage. Looks like Obama will be the first cyber-wise president.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gfM9zjyAkvCrig1-pSPe71NoLkmwD94DK6O81
I find that heartening and scary at the same time. Heartening because I'm a big proponent of democracy and I see the Internet as a great tool for enabling and sustaining that. Scary because I also see the Internet as a great tool for the dissemination of misinformation and propaganda.
They say that JFK was the first president to use TV to his advantage. Looks like Obama will be the first cyber-wise president.
Reminder of summer past.......
How many of you have already forgot the flooding in Racine?
More pictures located at Summer Pictures.
But Do They Obscure the View of Venus?
Big news today...we officially have the first images of planets orbiting other Sun-like stars! It was only a matter of time, and we are now there.
Exhibit A is from the Hubbls Space Telescope.
The star is blocked out by a small bar (literally) called an occulting bar. The star is so bright we need to block its light to see the dim planet nearby. That little speck of light is the planet! It may not look like much, but it has been imaged multiple times to confirm it really is a planet in orbit around the star. The star itself is called Fomalhaut and is one of the brightest stars in the sky.
The next example orbits the star with a much more obscure name, HR8799. The big news here is we can see THREE PLANETS!
Note the three red dots in the image at the right. This image was taken in the infrared. Planets give off a lot more light in the infrared so they are easy to detect in an infrared image. Even the closest of the three planets is about 3.8billion km from the Sun (close the distance of Uranus from the Sun.) In other words, theere is plenty of room for more planets closer to this star...maybe small, rocky, planets like...well, let's not get carried away yet!
Once we found the first extrasolar planet, the pace of discoveries rapidly increased. Now that we have the first images, I hope we do as well at getting more!Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Gee, Wally! What a Swell Sculpture!
And its going to be in the Louvre! Let's get June, Ward and the Beaver and go see it!Yep, that Wally, Tony Dow, will have a sculpture on display at the Louvre titled "Unarmed Warrior" from December 11th to the 14th.
Originally, the sculpture had arms until Eddie Haskell heard it was going to be at the Louvre and decided to take it out to try and pick up girls. The arms were lost in comical, but unfortunate accident involving popcorn, and a top hat at an early 3D movie. Afterwards, Haskell charmed everyone into believing the accident was caused by a mysterious one armed man.
I think this is kind of cool. Sometimes former celebrities have strange talents and go onto successful second careers...although I am not sure Wally and the Beaver would fully appreciate abstract sculpture!
Dear Madame Zoltar
Hello, my friends, hello! Did you go to the Christmas parade? Neither did I.Our first and only email today comes from the beloved SER, who writes:
Madam,
There are those who claim December 21, 2012, schools out...it’s the end of the world. My question is, does your crystal ball fall in line with this date and if not do you have one in mind? I really wanna know this way I can spend a shit house full of money on credit cards knowing in advance I’ll never have to pay them off!!
Dear Mr. SER, you sly devil, you. You don’t have to do that. You can go out and rack up an outhouse full bills on credit cards right now, and then just declare bankruptcy. It’s the American way. In fact, if you get into really, really, really big debt, maybe the government will bail you out.
However, if you still insist upon a hint on the end of the world, I can tell you that the warranty on my crystal ball runs out on December 12, 2012 – and it’s not renewable.
Here’s something interesting, friends, an interactive fortune teller. Kind of cute, but I don’t think it will ever replace the real thing:
And here’s an incredibly bad video entitled "Fun Rangers #5: The Fortune Teller." I have no idea what this means, but I’m sure it’s funny if you ingest the right combination of chemicals:
Well, it has been a joy visiting with you. Please send your questions and comments to me at madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.
Hasta la vista, dearies.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Don't Google "Flu" Unless You Are Really Sick...
Because it turns out that Google is using aggregate search data to track flu outbreaks. The basic idea is simple. If a lot of people in Des Moines are doing Google searches about the flu, odds are a lot of people in Des Moines are coming down with the flu. They claim they can detect outbreaks faster than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since they don't have to rely on collecting lots of reports from health care providers.
There is an interactive flash map at the Google Flu Trends site as well as a flu shot clinic locator.
So if you all want to test it out, start doing lots of google searchs for the flu where you live and see if you can trick it into thinking you have an outbreak!
Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.
There is an interactive flash map at the Google Flu Trends site as well as a flu shot clinic locator.
So if you all want to test it out, start doing lots of google searchs for the flu where you live and see if you can trick it into thinking you have an outbreak!
Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.
Jim Doyles KRM Christmas Song
(Sung to Jingle Bells)
tax and spend
tax and spend
choo choo on the brain
oh what fun it is to ride
this empty little train.....
Come On KRM Committee.... our Pockets are empty. We are taxed out and cant pay anymore to fund pet projects. Give us a fricken break!
tax and spend
tax and spend
choo choo on the brain
oh what fun it is to ride
this empty little train.....
Come On KRM Committee.... our Pockets are empty. We are taxed out and cant pay anymore to fund pet projects. Give us a fricken break!
The Journey to Palomar
You will have to check your local listings...this week a special called the Journey to Palomar premieres on PBS. It chronicles the quest of George Ellery Hale to build the world's largest telescope. And he did...four times! His telescopes include the Yerkes 40 inch refractor, the Mount Wilson 60 inch and 100 inch reflectors, and his namesake, the Hale 200 inch reflector at Mount Palomar. The 200 inch (5 meter) Hale Telescope was the largest in the world for almost 30 years. As a child, it captured my imagination and I couldn't think of a better job in the world than sitting in the observing cage all night long every night (I know...kids have some crazy ideas about good jobs!)
Thanks to modern cameras and upgrades, the Hale Telescope remains a productive scientific instrument 60 years after its completion.
The Hale Telescope also inspired me to ask questions. Namely, why haven't we built a larger telescope in the last 30 years? As I explored the answer to that question, I started getting my first lessons in engineering and the limitations of technology at the time. Over the next thirty years, I have watched how we have overcome many of those limitations and we are now planning telescopes 30 meters across and more! These innovations include spun cast, low weight mirrors, segmented mirrors, advanced CCD cameras, and adaptive optics to remove atmospheric distortion.
Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.
Good Night, Sweet Phoenix
The Phoenix Mars Lander mission has come to an end. The setting Sun is no longer high enough in the sky to for the solar panels to collect enough energy to keep Phoenix going. Phoenix has not been heard from since November 2nd. Although they will listen for potential signals for the next few weeks, no one really expects to hear anything. Soon the lander will be covered with snow and its solar panels will probably snap off, ending any chance of hearing from it in the spring. Phoenix found the water ice it was designed to search for, analyzed the soil of Mars finding perchlorate salt in the soil, and even observed snow falling!
Although the data collection is officially at an end, the data analysis is just getting under way. Scientists will be analyzing and debating the data sent back for years to come and use the results in designing future exploration of Mars.
Next up, the Mars Science Laboratory scheduled to launch in the fall 0f 2009.
Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicst Blog.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Hope no one got our license plate
Rueters:
Dateline: Liechtenstein
In a scene reminisient of the movie "Apocalypse Now", this peaceful alpine hamlet was the scene of a bizarre invasion that caused thousands of deutschmarks in damages and left a population shaken.
Early in the morning of November 8th, with music blaring from its speakers, an amphibious light amoured vehicle rumbled through the cobblestone streets of Vaduz. Hans Gruber, the local baker, described the scene:
It came speeding down Lettsrasse, paused, then made a left turn onto Bangarten. It began careening back and forth smashing into storefronts. If you didn't know it was a precision military manuver, you would think some drunken reveler was behind the wheel. It suddenly stopped, took dead aim at the Beerhaus, and accelerated through the window. A bunch of them then jumped out and began looting the stores. It was truly frightening.
Government officials confirmed the loss of 673 pounds of chocolate, six barrels of beer, 50 pounds of cheese and one cuckoo clock. Since Leichtenstein has no standing army, the government speculates that this was an irregular militia group from either Germany or Italy. The matter has been referred to interpol for investigation.
Luke Intuit, Rueters News Service
Dateline: Liechtenstein
In a scene reminisient of the movie "Apocalypse Now", this peaceful alpine hamlet was the scene of a bizarre invasion that caused thousands of deutschmarks in damages and left a population shaken.
Early in the morning of November 8th, with music blaring from its speakers, an amphibious light amoured vehicle rumbled through the cobblestone streets of Vaduz. Hans Gruber, the local baker, described the scene:
It came speeding down Lettsrasse, paused, then made a left turn onto Bangarten. It began careening back and forth smashing into storefronts. If you didn't know it was a precision military manuver, you would think some drunken reveler was behind the wheel. It suddenly stopped, took dead aim at the Beerhaus, and accelerated through the window. A bunch of them then jumped out and began looting the stores. It was truly frightening.
Government officials confirmed the loss of 673 pounds of chocolate, six barrels of beer, 50 pounds of cheese and one cuckoo clock. Since Leichtenstein has no standing army, the government speculates that this was an irregular militia group from either Germany or Italy. The matter has been referred to interpol for investigation.
Luke Intuit, Rueters News Service
Favorite TV shows (and GOOD reasons to procrastinate!)
I want to grow up to be JUST like Maxine!Happy Monday all,
here is a twist on the Monday OPEN BLOG,
it's a
"what are your favorite shows"
and
"what is your favorite ways to procrastinate?"
BLOG!!
Google Does it Again
This is nationwide and it is absolutely free! Click on the link below and watch the short clip for a quick demonstration.
“GOOG-411”
“GOOG-411”
Your Monday Morning Physics Lesson...
My friend Kevin just sent me the following video.
You might remember Newton's First Law, something about inertia...objects at rest staying at rest? Very nicely illustrated here and a good way to kick off the week!
Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.
You might remember Newton's First Law, something about inertia...objects at rest staying at rest? Very nicely illustrated here and a good way to kick off the week!
Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.
AIG Bailout Jumps to $150 Billion
That's right. The insurance group that threw a $440,000 party for its executives after we gave them $85 billion in September has posted a third-quarter loss of $24.5 billion. They're being rewarded with a reworked bailout of $150 billion of tax money. W00t! I wonder how big a party they'll throw this time? I wonder if any taxpayers will be invited? I wonder why we pretend that hard work and honesty are the paths to success?
Saturday, November 8, 2008
To My Dear JTI Friends,
Somewhat embarrassing to admit, but Christmas is tight this year. I will be making bedroom slippers for you all as gifts. Please let me know your sizes. You'll most likely agree that it's a splendid idea, and should you wish to do the same, I've included the instructions below.
How to make bedroom slippers out of maxi pads:
You need four maxi pads to make a pair.
Two of them get laid out flat, for the foot part.
The other two wrap around the toe area to form the top.
Tape or glue each side of the top pieces to the bottom of the foot part.
Decorate the tops with whatever you desire, silk flowers (this is most aesthetically appealing), etc.
These slippers are:
Soft and Hygienic
Non-slip grip strips on the soles
Built in deodorant feature keeps feet smelling fresh
No more bending over to mop up spills
Disposable and biodegradable
Environmentally safe
Three convenient sizes: (1.) Regular, (2.) Light and (3.) Get out the Sand Bags.
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I've attached a photo of the first pair I made so that you can see the nifty slippers for yourself....
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Awaiting your response. It's crucial that I get the right size for each one of you.
.
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Pork Truly Won This Election...
Trouncing another fatty food, Fries.
I honestly thought this was a joke made with one of those sign generators until I looked it up and the Denver Post website confirms the elections was between Bacon and Fries.
I honestly thought this was a joke made with one of those sign generators until I looked it up and the Denver Post website confirms the elections was between Bacon and Fries.
Friday, November 7, 2008
'Corpse flower' Webcam
The Milwaukee Public Museum's corpse flower is about to blossom. When it does, they say that the stink can travel for miles. I wonder if we'll be able to smell it in Racine?
"Watch from home and avoid the stench:" http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/33590989.html
"Watch from home and avoid the stench:" http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/33590989.html