If anyone reading this knows the (Chinese?) dialects being spoken, feel free to throw in a translation! (Or must make stuff up if you like.)
Below the fold. May not be work safe. Depending on where you work.
Monthly Archives: October 2011
It’s fall. Time to start hoarding bird books.
Here in the Northern Hemisphere, many of our birds fly away in the fall. Other, very cool birds from even farther north, depending on where you live then arrive. But just about now, where I live, we are at the tail end of the migration out and not quite at the migration in, so this is a good time to take stock of what is important: Which bird books do you want people to give you for Christmas?
Before I make any suggestions, I would like to point out that Princeton, an emerging and major player in the Bird Book world, has a facebook page that, if you “like,” will automatically enter you in a contest to get some signed bird books and stuff. Go here to like that page and you may get a free book. Since I already have all or most of the Princeton books, if I win one I’ll give away my old copy (and keep the signed copy they are giving away …. bwahahahaha!!!!)
Continue reading It’s fall. Time to start hoarding bird books.
Abducted by Aliens…and Dropped Off at the Grand Canyon
North American Geology. It’s complicated. I’m pretty sure Amanda and I were abducted by aliens this morning. This is not the first time for me. I was abducted with two others about 20 years ago in Southern Maine while looking for antiques, back when you could still get them cheap even in antique stores (inexpensive antiques, not aliens). You can tell you were abducted because one moment it is a certain time and the next moment is it much later in time and you have no memory whatsoever of he ensuing span of minutes or hours. Since that is essentially impossible, alien abduction is pretty much the best possible explanation.
Back in Maine, it caused us to miss a critical turn just by the Big Red Barn antique store. This morning, it caused Amanda to go rushing out of the house only half ready for a day of teaching Life Science and me to sit here wondering, “Why did I just spend 20 minutes reading pages in this creationist web site called Answers in Genesis?”
Well, I’m not sure how Amanda’s day is going to go, but I’m going to make use of this abduction and talk about the Grand Canyon.
Continue reading Abducted by Aliens…and Dropped Off at the Grand Canyon
Column Editing in Emacs (cua mode)
This is very nice:
hat tip: Got Emacs?
Man sought after attacking woman with frozen armadillo
Birds and Climate Change
When climate changes, causing habitats to move, birds can get up and fly away to a new habitat, so really, they’ll be fine. Right?
Well, no.
Interesting sciencey items on the intertubes
The Universe has been simulated more accurately than ever before. There’s a video. More whooping cranes have been shot to death, you can check on the details yourself but I suspect this problem is related to the fact that you can legally hunt some cranes (not whooping cranes) so you accidentally shoot the nearly extinct cranes.
What is your professional responsibility? Physioprof wants to know. What does a science librarian want to read? How are we doing with this malaria vaccine? Scientists were recently lauded at the white house.
What are the most pressing energy related challenges? There’s a poll on that.
Check out this cool brown dwarf, and video asking questions about homeopathy.
FDA and Homeopathy
On the Ownership of Large Dangerous Wild Animals
Years ago, I read an old newspaper account of chaos in 19th century New York City; A storm damaged many of the cages at the Central Zoo, and most of the wild animals got out. The next day or two was spent rounding up the animals, and even the mayor and the governor, who were experienced big game hunters, got involved in tracking down the rhino and the hippo and the lions and the rest of them.
A few months ago, for some reason, that story re-emerged in my memory for the first time in decades, so I went and looked it up and found out that it was a hoax. I don’t remember if I knew it was a hoax when I first read it … I think not. I think I read it in a magazine at the dentist office and never followed up on it. As stories go, it’s a great story. As hoaxes go, not so much. A bad hoax of a great story adds up to … uninteresting.
But last weeks events were neither uninteresting nor a hoax.
Continue reading On the Ownership of Large Dangerous Wild Animals
Homeopathy and the FDA
Earthling Selifes
Land Of Lisp Book Giveaway
You will recall that I recently reviewed the book Land of Lisp. It turns out I’ve got two copies of it, and would like to give one away. To you. As a bounty.
Continue reading Land Of Lisp Book Giveaway
What is our most pressing energy challenge?
click image to vote in poll
XFactor: First Live Show is Tuesday
As you know, my nephew LeRoy is a contestant on the X Factor. I expect you to go vote for him on Tuedsay, OK? Assuming there is voting. I’m not sure how it works, actually.
Anyway, here’s LeRoy getting through the last round (and some other guy):
Every Culture Has A ….
… has a what!?!?