So, the participants are set for the Mythical “National Championship” of college football. It’s Florida vs. Ohio State, thanks to USC’s loss to UCLA, and we’re going to be treated to about three weeks’ worth of whining about how Michigan got jobbed. I pretty much agree with Charles Kuffner on this one, though. I dislike… Continue reading BCS Madness
Product Placement
Another idle thought inspired by the Bond movie (I may or may not post comments about the movie as a whole, but you can check out Kate’s spoiler-laden comments. I liked it a little more than she did, but I’m more familiar with the genre, and willing to cut them more slack…): From what I… Continue reading Product Placement
Politicization of Scientists
The Union of Concerned Scientists has a statement on scientific integrity denouncing the various abuses of the scientific process perpetrated by the Bush Administration. If you’re a scientist, and you’re concerned about the politicization of the science used for policy-making, you might want to sign on to the statement by going to their site. This… Continue reading Politicization of Scientists
Experiment in Live-bogging
I have a tablet PC that I am borrowing from work to see if I like the way it works. As a test of it’s usefulness, I’m going to attempt to live-blog at least part of the Giants same. So, let’s see how this works… The Giants score on their first posses, on, after Dallas… Continue reading Experiment in Live-bogging
Fulfilling My Obligation to Say Something
As an avowed Giants fan, I suppose I really ought to say something about the epic meltdown they suffered in the past week, ideally before today’s game with the Cowboys. The trouble is, last week was so horrendous that it’s hard to say anything coherent… I ought to say something, though, so I’ll collect a… Continue reading Fulfilling My Obligation to Say Something
Idle Bond Thought
Kate and I saw the new Bond flick last night (short review: nice re-launch of the franchise, Daniel Craig does a great job with the role), and as the final credits started to roll, they played that signature James Bond riff– the “dum di-di dum, da-da-da” bass line, the “da-da di dahh, di dah-daaaah” brass… Continue reading Idle Bond Thought
Helping Others Help Themselves
I don’t normally do blog carnival announcements. I’m not really organized enough to remember the deadlines, and most of the carnivals out there don’t interest me all that much. The first edition of a new one has just been posted, though, and it’s definitely worth publicizing: “Help Us Help Ourselves” (or “HUHO,” if you like… Continue reading Helping Others Help Themselves
The Queen in Chains
The Queen of Niskayuna is being repressed: Actually, ignore the reproachful look. She spends every night, and all day on weekdays in her crate, and she’s perfectly happy to go in there. In fact, most of the time, she goes in there of her own accord, some time before we’re actually ready to leave for… Continue reading The Queen in Chains
Extra Dimensions in the Automotive Industry
One of the options that came with my new car (I bought one that they had on the lot) was an “Eight-Way Power Driver’s Seat.” As a physicist, I thought this sounded pretty exciting, because, you know, we appear to live in a three-dimensional world, and to get eight directions of adjustability would need to… Continue reading Extra Dimensions in the Automotive Industry
Ask Mr. Language Person
Stolen from a discussion on an email list, a small usage question: What’s the difference between a “fiasco” and a “debacle”? Is there a difference, or are they perfect synonyms? My thoughts below the fold.