catdynamics | January 5, 2009not only am I missing the 213th (semi)annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society for the second year in a row, due to external extenuating circumstances, but I am managing to do so while actually in southern california, near where the meeting is...
bummer
Anyway, there's a bunch of bloggers down there chewing through the press releases and doing multimedia casts, check out:
Universe Today
Astro Engine
Star Stryder
US Node of International Year of Astronomy, 2009
actually looks like the Universe Today affiliates own this one, not even Phil P. made it to the meeting
if you're a…
catdynamics | January 4, 2009one of the best songs you have never heard of
from Todmobile - ok, so one of them is my cousin...
catdynamics | January 2, 2009An intruder received a taste of divine reckoning as he was chased from the Edinburgh flat he was breaking into by a man dressed as the Norse god Thor.
Strange for a grown man to be frightened by a
widdle pussy cat...
though Thor can be most fearsome when angered.
Oh,
that incarnation
well, duh.
'course the whole "Beta Ray Bill" story line was just dumb.
And "Thunderstrike"? Pleeaaseee...
catdynamics | January 1, 2009Oh me, oh nine.
We anticipate the arrival of '09, and road weary ask the Mighty iPod One: what, oh what, will the New Year bring?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
The Covering: Reel Around the Fountain - Smiths
The Crossing: Ligga Ligga Lá - Ómar Ragnarsson
The Crown: Banana Boat Song - Harry Belafonte
The Root: Klappa Saman Lófunum
The Past: My Youngest Son Came Home Today - Billy Bragg
The Future: In Too Deep - Genesis
The Questioner: Diamond Dogs - Bowie
The House: You've Been Flirting Again - Björk
The Inside: Seventeen - Sex Pistols
The Outcome: Come Back - Pearl Jam
Hm, lots of…
catdynamics | December 31, 2008That Bank is My Bank
Lew Rockwell compiles a comprehensive list of US Banks' Texas Ratio
In rank order.
Anyone over 100 is near collapse. Any over 50 are in trouble.
I count just over 100 banks with TR > 100.
More between 50 and 100.
catdynamics | December 31, 2008The Spiral Star.
Pretty.
Pretty Funky.
What is this?
Well, it is AFGL3068, aka Carbon Star L3068, aka IRAS 23166_1655, one of the poster images for the "Asymmetrical Planetary Nebula IV" meeting last year.
Soon, hopefully, to be an observing target of the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope, if Servicing Mission 4 ever takes place, and ACS is actually fixed, and Cycle 17 gets underway.
It is kinda funky.
Tempting to think of a binary companion explanation, but I am curiously prone to think of a binary companion as an explanation for most anything...
Here's the paper…
catdynamics | December 30, 2008a wise commenter over on Calculated Risk noted that the economic crisis will not be over until music has turned to anger again
see, this is how it goes:
this is where we are.
Insufferably cheerful and phoney, but with a kinda snappy dancable beat...
Don't believe me?
This is AOL's "best music of 2008".
I'd almost rather take "Russia's Greatest Love Machine".
We need to start here:
maybe it has already started somewhere, unnoticed.
Then you really get going, like so:
or like this:
Irony comes, with all its temptation and cynicism:
they never did mention "genetic engineer" or "web…
catdynamics | December 30, 2008or, why I didn't stop in Texas
Why I don't stop in Texas.
Did not have the intended effect.
Gonna pull crap like that
do it with some style
catdynamics | December 29, 2008The Sun undergoes quasi-periodic cycles of 22 years, which manifest most observably as 11 year sunspot cycles.
There have been 23 of these 11 year cycles in recorded history, going back to about 1750.
NOAA has a good summary.
The pre-historic cycles are done through reconstruction, and there is evidence for century scale variations superposed on the regular cycle, notably the multi-decade Maunder Minimum.
We just went through solar minumum, and cycle 24 is underway.
But, the current level of activity remains quite low.
It is not in the worryingly anomalous range yet - not like we can say we'…
catdynamics | December 29, 2008so I am out of touch for a few days, and yet again some damn fool goes and starts a war...
I don't want to rehash the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I realised 25 years ago that resolving it was beyond me (though one of my cousins still might...); and I don't particularly care "who started it" for the current round...
What I do not understand is Israel's strategy here?
The airstrikes, while heavy and targeted, in as much as they can be, are not enough to destroy or decapitate Hamas.
They can damage Hamas infrastructure and command&control, but if Hamas is half as competent as Hezbollah…
catdynamics | December 29, 2008The Priests of the Church of Iceland process to the Cathedral in downtown, trailed by their Lord and Master
seen on Making Light
Good to see some of our priests have a sense of humour.
catdynamics | December 26, 2008Rainy day friday, or at least it still is in some time zone...
So, oh Mighty iPod.
Roses?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
The Covering: Debora - T. Rex
The Crossing: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
The Crown: Brassneck - The Wedding Present
The Root: This Leaden Pail - Half Man Half Biscuit
The Past: International Jet Set - Specials
The Future: The Card Cheat - Clash
The Questioner: Pease Porridge Hot
The House: All You Pretty Girls - XTC
The Inside: The Len Ganley Stance - Half Man Half Biscuit
The Outcome: Malayan Jelutong - Half Man Half Biscuit
Well, you tell me...
As always, the Key…