We caught only a glancing blow from the latest Snowpocalypse event, with maybe six inches of light, powdery snow. It’s difficult to estimate depth, because it’s so light and powdery, and very, very windy. To give you an idea of the local conditions, here’s a picture of the thistle-seed feeder hanging outside our front window: […]
Month: December 2010
Holiday Highlights Open Thread
I spent a lot of time on my feet over the weekend, probably more than I should’ve given my ankle. Thus, I plan to spend most of today lying on the couch with my foot up and on ice. I’ve got a bunch of things to work on that I can do from this position, […]
Christmas Toy: All About Light
My big Christmas present this year was an external flash unit for my camera. Which means that, among the 354 (!!) pictures I took while at my parents’ were a bunch playing with different flash settings. Why? These two pictures should give you the idea: The first is taken with the flash angled straight ahead, […]
Science on the Tree 2010: Pets
Our final science-themed Christmas ornament is this Santa and friend: What does walking a dog have to do with science? If you have to ask that, you’re reading the wrong blog. Dog-walking is essential to science– that’s where we get some of our best ideas! In a broader sense, this one can be said to […]
Thursday Gourmet Chef Blogging 122310
I foolishly neglected to get an Appa picture this morning, but I wouldn’t want to deprive you of your cute toddler fix for the week. And, of course, it’s important to get at least one picture of SteelyKid playing with her spiffy new kitchen out: We gave this to her last night, and it was […]
Science on the Tree 2010: Dinosaurs!
Next up in our series of science-themed Christmas ornaments are these two dinosaurs: Why? Because dinosaurs are awesome. Seriously, do you really need to ask?
Links for 2010-12-23
The Greatest Letter Ever Printed On NFL Team Letterhead “In 1974, a Clevelander wrote the Browns complaining of the menace posed by the then-fad of throwing paper airplanes, and implicitly threatened litigation. The Browns’ response is just about the most awesome thing ever committed to paper.” (tags: sports football law history stupid) The Christmas sermon […]
Science on the Tree 2010: Squirrels
Next up in our series of science-themed Christmas ornaments is this squirrel: A reminder that you can’t trust those furry little bastards… What do squirrels have to do with science? As Emmy (and any other dog) will tell you, squirrels are representatives of all that is evil and twisted. And, unfortunately, science is just as […]
Notes Toward a Unified Theory of Modern Christmas Songs
As is often noted, most modern recordings of Christmas songs range from utterly bland to excruciatingly awful. There are some that sorta-kinda work, though, and a bare few that are brilliant: In the interest of promoting, you know, music that doesn’t suck, it’s perhaps worth taking a look at what makes the good songs work. […]
Links for 2010-12-22
Hyperbole and a Half: The Year Kenny Loggins Ruined Christmas “I walked through my front door with purpose and gathered my family members in the living room to tell them about my vision. I was going to rewrite the birth of Jesus Christ and I was going to make it POP. My mom, always wanting […]