catdynamics | December 23, 2008Kertasníkir - and we are done!
The Elfs are all here.
He'll try to swipe the candles from the kids hands (which might leave them vulnerable to the Christmas Cat!).
Better hope someone loved you enough to give you a piece of clothing also, or you will be cat meat!
As he comes, his oldest brother, Stekkjastaur, gets ready to leave as the brothers celebrate the 12 days of christmas in town.
catdynamics | December 23, 2008If Herwig's can do chocolate covered bacon as a dessert, then ought we not to try chocolate covered hákarl (putrified shark), or better still, chocolate covered skate?
Chocolate bacon
catdynamics | December 23, 2008Happy Feast of Saint Thorlacius.
Again.
I hope everyone got some "cured" skate!
It is the reason for the season, the excuse for all Manly Men, and Women, to go somewhere suitable (like the garage, your uncle's house, or a restaurant desperate enough to put up with the smell and serve the stuff) and eat the food traditional to this Eve of of the Day of the Advent of Yule.
Þorlákur, is the patron saint of Iceland, in what is a truly novel game of Thor's - to have one of his own be the patron Saint.
His feast has been celebrated on this day for 809 years, by law.
Party on.
Tindaskata - from…
catdynamics | December 22, 2008"Warning: A dangerous new virus, FIV, is rapidly spreading the globe."
Links are good.
Part 2 is here
PS: no endorsement of actual economic policies implied.
Just thought it was amusing.
catdynamics | December 22, 2008Ketkrókur - is another hungry wee lad. He'll hook the meat from the rafters and run off with your dinner.
Strange thing is, he doesn't seem to like skate!
Vicious rumour says he loves sachertorte though.
catdynamics | December 22, 2008Gáttaþefur - has a masochistic streak, he just stand by the door and sniffs, and sniffs.
If you're not good, he might sniff up all the good smells from the christmas meal.
Of course in our frantic state, we burned the (leftover) pizza, so he can sniff all he wants.
We went Herwig's Austrian Bistro - Herwig's - where bacon is an herb!.
There I learned two things: they now have chocolate covered bacon for dessert, and if you're the last customers, and they have a lot of sachertore left, the portions get bigger.
Much bigger.
catdynamics | December 20, 2008Gluggagægir
Happy Winter Solstice!
Remember, an Evergreen and a Flame - or Winter Will Never End.
Feels like it anyway...
Tonight's elf is not particular, he'll scout the place out like a financial advisor looking for a commission, peering through the window, and then he'll make a move on anything "nice" he spots.
catdynamics | December 20, 2008Varmus and Lander co-chair Presidential Council of Advisers on Science and Technology.
h/t ScienceDebate2008
primary source here - good speech.
Harold Varmus and Eric Lander both biology/medicine oriented.
I said The Big O would need some biologists onboard in some authoritative positions.
And so he did.
Hmmm.
Nah...
Anyway, big question is what role PCAST will play within the administration - whether it will have a seat at the table as it were.
I suspect Holdren will listen to Varmus and Lander, but will Obama listen to Holdren?
We will soon know.
I think he will. Sensible chap.
Next the…
catdynamics | December 20, 2008Bjúgnakrækir - he will swipe your sausages, even if you hang them high.
Mmm, horse sausage is making a comeback in Iceland.
Poor peoples' food, that, and whale steaks.
catdynamics | December 19, 2008it is strange what compromises of standards we are sometimes driven to make,
for the children of course
Wham!
I just paid real money to acquire this blast from the past...
iTunes. Single version of course.
I blame the (rather good) ice skating routine that used this at the christmas holiday show.
That is my excuse anyway, and I am sticking with it.
catdynamics | December 19, 2008Oh, Mighty iPod! Tell us, if you will, as we contemplate the ice pellets plinking down on the impending solstice; what Change may we expect in the coming year?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
The Covering: Stereotype - Specials
The Crossing: I Don't Want To See You Again - Undertones
The Crown: Bengali in Platforms - Morrissey
The Root: The End - Doors
The Past: Used To Love Him - Fiona Apple
The Future: Menuett G-Dur - Mozart
The Questioner: Turning Blue - Undertones
The House: First of the Gang to Die - Morrissey
The Inside: Concerto #6 in B flat major - Brandenburg Concertos
The…
catdynamics | December 18, 2008ScienceDebate2008 are reporting that John Holdren is going to be nominated as Presidential Science Adivsor, and Jane Lubchenco for head of NOAA.
This is good news.
John Holdren is a physicist (plasma/fusion physics) with expertise in energy policy, environmental issues and security.
Good combo, and, strangely, my pick, way back when (see comments).
More Holdren info.
Good choice, but Obama is going to need a high up biologist somewhere, since Chu and Holdren are now the top scientists on board and they overlap in expertise.
Jane Lubchenco will be in charge of air and oceans.
Excellent choice…
catdynamics | December 18, 2008The Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Objects Spectrograph on the Hubble has been resuscitated.
Damn, that means those 50 odd supplemental proposals are in the running as well as the almost three hundred WFPC2 proposals already in the queue...
"As of 1:20pm EST Tuesday 16 December 2008, the compressor on
the NICMOS Cooling System / NICMOS Cryo-cooler (NICMOS
NCS/NCC) was restarted and the system has since started
cooling successfully, with NICMOS expected to be operational
in a few weeks from now."
They let the pump warm to 10C, the blockage must indeed have been water ice and it is gone - cold…
catdynamics | December 18, 2008Skyrgámur is the most terrible of the Elfs.
He will steal your skyr!
We're down to our last tub... no steenkin' Elf is taking the last of our skyr.
catdynamics | December 18, 2008Hurðaskellir - hear the door slam in the middle of the night?
It is the door slammer, and he is pissed.
Sleep is for the weak!
catdynamics | December 17, 2008Askasleikir - catching up with the times.
This lad like to swipe your Askur...
We like to feed to leftovers to the cat, which also saves on dishwashing of course, but being able to compete with pets for food is useful, but desperate.
Then you have to compensate the cat of course, no win.
catdynamics | December 17, 2008Pottasleikir - pot licker, gets the last scrape of food out of the pot, ahead of the children, natch.
Useful survival skill that.
catdynamics | December 17, 2008Þvörusleikir - spoon licker - silver of course; he was late and lackadaisical - he inherited a majority stake in an investment bank and decided to semi-retire to Surrey
catdynamics | December 17, 2008interesting discussion at infoproc and uncertain principles on teaching effectiveness at K-12 level
because... everybody!... linking is an intrinsic good!
catdynamics | December 14, 2008Stúfur is the short stumpy one - he'll swipe your frying pan if you don't beware.
Rumour is he spends summers interning at Kaupþing.