I’m getting a little sick of the current rotation on iTunes, which means it’s probably time for another shopping spree. I’ve got a couple of albums on my list to buy already (the new Tom Petty, the new Richard Thompson), and I’ve heard a couple of good tracks on KEXP that I’ll check out (new… Continue reading Audience Participation Friday: Pimp Me New Tunes
Month: August 2006
Audience Participation Friday: Rate Graduate Schools
As noted in a previous post, I’m teaching the senior seminar this fall, which means I’ll be meeting weekly with our senior majors (13 of them!) to discuss topics of interest to them. Which will involve a fair amount of discussion of graduate school, because that’s one of the options, whether people think it’s a… Continue reading Audience Participation Friday: Rate Graduate Schools
Audience Participation Friday: Introduce Yourselves
I usually try to post some lighter material on Fridays– dorky polls, random tracks, that sort of thing– and this week, I thought of three different topics that are all basically hooks for comments. So, I’m declaring it a theme for the day, because, well, I can do that. I doubt this will become a… Continue reading Audience Participation Friday: Introduce Yourselves
It’s Friday, Have a Glass of Wine
Well, OK, you might want to wait until after work. But if you’re into wine, you might be interested in The Naked Vine, a wine-recommending blog started by a guy from a mailing list that I’m on. The origin in explained in the mission statement: The August 2006 issue of Gourmet magazine has a sidebar… Continue reading It’s Friday, Have a Glass of Wine
Thursday Night Dog-Blogging
Since dogs are superior to cats, and she’s the best Emmy ever, here are some dog pictures a day ahead of the usual pet-blogging schedule. This one shows Her Majesty in her element, basking in the back yard in a little hollow under a bush. (More after the cut)
Wanted: Non-Academic Physics Types
The discussion surrounding the recent post about jobs continues to bubble along nicely, both in the original post, and the follow-up. I love it when a plan comes together. There’s been a lot of discussion of following the advice in the Katz letter and seeking non-academic careers, but Jeff F. (who I know from my… Continue reading Wanted: Non-Academic Physics Types
More Lawyer Jokes
Well, OK, it’s really another of those stories about a cut-up judge, who, in this case, issued an order compelling Defendant’s counsel to accept the Plaintiff’s counsel’s lunch invitation: There are a number of fine restaurants within easy driving distance of both counsel’s offices, e.g., Christopher’s, Vincent’s, Morton’s, Donovan’s, Bistro 24 at the Ritz-Carlton, The… Continue reading More Lawyer Jokes
The Domesday Book On-Line
I’m not sure if this is really new, or just new to me, but via a mailing list, I learned that the National Archives of the UK has made the Domesday Book available on-line. What is the Domesday Book, you ask? At Christmas 1085 William the Conqueror commissioned a great survey to discover the resources… Continue reading The Domesday Book On-Line
Career Options for Theorists
As noted by several people, most recently JoAnne Hewett, one of the players at the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event is a Ph.D. physicist: Michael Binger, recently of SLAC. So, I guess we need to expand the list of non-academic physics careers to include “professional poker player.” I’m not sure… Continue reading Career Options for Theorists
Important Note for My Students
A while back, I noted that one student wrote on the all-important course evaluation form “He should wear more pink.” I’m still not sure what that meant. Given that the second most ridiculous comment in that class was “[student name] is the worst Warcraft player ever,” I should probably point our majors to this interview… Continue reading Important Note for My Students