catdynamics | December 19, 2007Bad budget news in the pipeline for science
NASAwatch has the NASA budget summary
As you know, Bob, the US is already into fiscal year '08 but most of the bugdet bills have not yet been passed, and the government is operating under a continuous resolution (basically rolling over last years budget, pro-rated).
A reason the bills are not yet passed, and they must by by friday this week, or the government will shut down, is that President Bush has let it be known that he will veto any bill that goes over his proposed request to Congress.
Congress added $22 billion in discretionary spending to…
catdynamics | December 19, 2007Ekki um jólin...
Latest seasonal viral video
Er, from Iceland.
REI - they are very sought after for their geothermal power expertise, right now.
catdynamics | December 19, 2007Skyrgámur is the scariest elf of all.
He will steal all your skyr!
Yes, in the old days they had skyr by the barrel load... none of these individual portion cups.
catdynamics | December 18, 2007little things noticed in the last few seasonal shopping time units...
as someone who perused "stocking stuffers", it is very noticeable that the "under a dollar" li'l knick-knack, that is actually mildly functional or amusing, is no longer available - almost everything under a dollar is pure crap, and anything of any functionality is up in the $3-5 range.
anecdotally, groceries are getting considerably more expensive.
Good thing groceries don't count in terms of "core inflation", eh?
But cheap knick-knacks do.
In a pinch we can always eat flat screen TVs (or CRT TVs if you're a starving…
catdynamics | December 18, 2007Happy Holidays.
This is, of course, the original by The Firm
Not to be confused with the not quite as good Dr Demento cover.
Here is the original video.
I should note, for extra credit, that I own a copy of the original single.
Bought with great difficulty in a small store in the Lanes in Brighton, in early June 1987.
catdynamics | December 18, 2007Chandra has a fun press release on some clashing galaxies, one active
At 1.4 billion light years, I have to say 3C321 is a nice galaxy, but I don't believe that the jet can transform planets' atmospheres in the target galaxy.
Planetary atmospheres have surprisingly high column densities and at 20,000+ light years even a full blown quasar jet has a hard time doing much. Hard to know for sure without knowing the actual mechanical luminousity of the jet, but unlikely.
Pretty though. The hi-res animations are worth a click
catdynamics | December 18, 2007Chad, rightly, considers "Fairytale of New York" to be one of the greatest holiday anthems of all time.
News have now arrived, via Iceland of course, that the BBC is censoring the song during play.
The problem is Kirsty McCall's "You scumbag, you maggot/You cheap lousy faggot" line. The Beeb now fades Kirsty's voice on that last word.
Offensensitivity folks.
The locals respond
Personally I rather like faggots, especially with lots of onion and gravy chased down with a nice beer. Don't understand what the fuzz is about.
Maybe it is some public school thing.
And mushy peas! Lots of mushy…
catdynamics | December 18, 2007Hurðaskellir - you know he's coming, but the slam of the door will surprise you anyway.
Classic "condemned man's paradox".
He's not hungry. You just won't sleep tonight.
catdynamics | December 17, 2007Askasleikir - askar are the wooden all purpose bowls - of course after dinner, you put them down for the cats and dogs to lick them clean.
Very energy efficient.
This lad will distract the animals and then snatch askurinn to lick them clean himself.
Helpful, as these lads go.
catdynamics | December 16, 2007Pottasleikir - little ice storm and some snow is not going stop this one.
He likes to lick the pots - yum, and we're cooking a pot roast today!
catdynamics | December 15, 2007Þvörusleikir - fourth elf made it before the storm.
Tall, lanky lad, likes to lick the cooking spoons...
catdynamics | December 14, 2007Stúfur - is the shortest of the lads.
He'll steal your frying pan and lick off the crusty bits. Yum.
catdynamics | December 14, 2007Not snowing right now, but right crunchy it is.
So, will the snow in the possible, maybe, somewhere nor'easter this weekend be delightful, and I ask that in the spirit of my inner child?
Woosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
The Covering: Gimme Danger - the Stooges
The Crossing: I Want to Come Over - Melissa Etheridge
The Crown: Dite alla giovine - La Traviata
The Root: Footprints - Half Man Half Biscuit
The Past: Rat Trap - Boomtown Rats
The Future: Carnival of the Animals: The Elephant
The Questioner: Paintballs Coming Home - Half Man Half Biscuit
The House: Rite of Spring 3 - Stravinsky
The…
catdynamics | December 13, 2007Giljagaur is the second of the lads to come to town.
Happy to report the munchkins got new gloves/mittens from him, so they're almost cat-safe.
catdynamics | December 12, 2007Today is the 12th of december, and there are 13 days until christmas.
This means, of course, that the first of the yule elves came to town this morning.
As you know, Bob, there are thirteen of the Yule Lads, or jólasveinar, as we call them.
And they are not really elves, since their mother is a troll.
The childstealing, cannibal Grýla, of legend.
Stekkjastaur is the first to arrive.
They come to town, one each day until christmas eve, and then leave in order, starting christmas day and finishing on the 6th of january.
They leave small treats or presents in the shoes of good children, if…
catdynamics | December 12, 2007I just got a "I wanna go to grad school letter".
These are always interesting, sometimes scary, and generally require serious work, like thoughtful and prompt (hah!) responses.
The Female Science Professor Explains.
READ IT!
There are, of course, type I, type II and type III letters (I knew she wasn't an astronomer, everyone knows it is type Ia, Ib and II); think about which one you are right now, and strive to become type III!
The primary reason for wanting to spend ~ 5-10% of your life in pursuit of a PhD, ought to be that it is something you really, really want to do with your life.
That…
catdynamics | December 12, 2007UK Science and Technology Facilties Council has a "Delivery Plan" for 2008-2011
STF...
They confirm withdrawal from Gemini, but also say they want to negotiate access to Gemini (North), since they are also ramping down the Isaac Newton Group telescopes on the Canaries, which would leave them with acres of glass in the south, but nothing in the northern hemisphere.
Y'know half of all the galaxies are in the northern hemisphere...
I suspect Gemini would let then negotiate access to the northern telescope, and that bidding will start at $8 million per year.
'Course if the brits wait for a…
catdynamics | December 12, 2007Definitive word on the CoRoT results...
Heard by e-mail from an authoritative source, and independently sourced from spacEurope (see comments in CoRoT update thread) that there will be a press conference and associated press release on the early results from CoRoT on 20th December.