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
Month: December 2006
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.
Top of the Pops
Friday’s a good day for silly pop music lists, so here’s a couple adapted from a “meme” via Jamie Bowden: Go to http://popculturemadness.com and find the Greatest USA Hits of the year you turned 18. I refuse to spend a bunch of time dinking around with typefaces, and I’m not going to list all 75… Continue reading Top of the Pops
Every Picture Tells a Story
So, what’s the deal with that graph I was talking about the other day? I sort of left it hanging at the end, there, but I ought to actually interpret the figure. It also serves as a nice and fairly simple illustration of how physicists approach experimental data. Here’s a newer version of the plot… Continue reading Every Picture Tells a Story
The Education Gap
The Times last weekend had a big article on the “achievement gap” in education, where poor and minority students are found to lag behind upper- and middle-class white students in many subjects. The author looks at a number of innovative shools that are producing good results with students from the at-risk groups, and considers a… Continue reading The Education Gap