Last weekend, the circus came to town, and Grandma and Grandpa came up to help us take the kids. We took SteelyKid a couple of years ago, and figured The Pip was old enough to go this time, too. Having bought tickets a couple of years ago, I got sent a pre-sale offer link, and… Continue reading What a Circus
Category: Personal
Messing With Texas
I had hoped to have another post or two scheduled for the end of this week, but The Pip got some kind of stomach bug, and threw everything into disarray. And tonight, I’m flying to Houston to give a couple of talks as part of Physics Day at Space Center Houston. Life being what it… Continue reading Messing With Texas
SteelyKid Demonstrates Relativity
Before going to the playground Saturday to investigate non-intertial frames, SteelyKid and I went over to campus to do some experiments in relativity. Galileian relativity, that is: What you see here is SteelyKid sitting on a rolling lab cart with a camera bolted to it. She throws a ball up in the air a couple… Continue reading SteelyKid Demonstrates Relativity
Guardian Emmy
“DAAAAADDDDDYYYYY!!!!” “What’s the matter, honey?” “I don’t like being alone.” “Well, I’m sorry, honey, but I have work to do, and it’s time for you to go to sleep.” “But when I’m alone I get scared.” “Well, I can put on some music if you like. You can listen to that, and it might give… Continue reading Guardian Emmy
Go Fly a Kite
The kids spent last week at Grandma and Grandpa’s, as school was closed for Passover/Easter (best wishes for each of those holidays to those who celebrate them), and Kate and I went down there for the weekend. During which trip we went up on top of the flood control dam in town, and flew a… Continue reading Go Fly a Kite
On Exclusivity
Yesterday’s frat boy post prompted some interesting discussion, one piece of which is a response from Matt “Dean Dad” Reed (also at Inside Higher Ed), who overlapped with me at Williams for a year, but had a very different reaction to the social scene there. His take mirrors mine from the other side, though, which… Continue reading On Exclusivity
On the Positive Features of Drunken Idiots
I was invited to a dinner last night hosted by one of the umbrella organizations for fraternities on campus, with a stated goal of improving communication between faculty and frats. It ended up being kind of a weird crowd– most of the non-students there were Deans of one sort or another; I think there was… Continue reading On the Positive Features of Drunken Idiots
Spring Break
This week is Union’s spring break, and like basically everything associated with Union’s academic calendar, it’s too short. I have to turn in my Winter term grades today, and next Monday is the start of my Spring term class. I also find myself in a place right now were every little thing is pissing me… Continue reading Spring Break
Equal Time for the Little Dude
Since not all that long after he was born, I’ve been referring to The Pip as “Little Dude,” which had become ingrained before I realized it was lifted from Otto the bus driver on The Simpsons. He’s not as talkative as his sister yet, which is why she gets more press on the blog, but… Continue reading Equal Time for the Little Dude
Science at Bedtime
“Daddy? How do you make water?” “You mean, what is it made of?” “Yeah, what’s water made of?” “Hydrogen and oxygen.” “Oh. And what’s hydrogen and oxygen?” “They’re chemical elements.” “So, when we drink water, we’re drinking chemicals?” “Well, yeah. In a sense, everything is chemicals. Water’s a chemical, air is made of chemicals. ”… Continue reading Science at Bedtime