What Galileo Started

Anyone caring to read my comment for today, it's in the last kit. Have a great day, folks.

Hey where is everybody?

We're all looking at the stars, dr...

:-)

Its just so strange. Normally, by the time I get finished 'looking at the stars', you guys are way far ahead.

It seems like yesterday when the Hubble went up. Hard to believe that it has been 20 years. Our knowledge of what is out there has come so very far.

Would that our ability to live in peace had come so far.

Mornin' everybody...

I don't need a telescope. What I need is a giant magnifying glass to focus the sun's rays on the minivan's windshield (and my freezing butt).

Just ventured outside to start the car and give the engine a chance to warm up (the only part of the car that'll heat up since the heater is on the fritz). Brrrr! We're now up to 3F which is 2F better than when I checked at 6am. How you Canucks live with this carp in July is beyond me.

Today the "F" doesn't mean Fahrenheit, but instead rhymes with "ducking".

Time for one more coffee before heading out into the southernly-shifted Arctic Circle to get my morning errands done.

Peace out :-)

My dad and I built a reflector telescope (including polishing the mirror) when I was in junior high. I think I sort of took the home technology of mirror polishing for granted. Why shouldn't you be able to produce a highly accurate curved surface at home?

The local skies were dark because we had ocean on two sides and there really wasn't much ashore. The milky way and Canopus were impressive.

Nice article, Joel. I particularly liked the image of us with huge heads and eyes that could see radio waves. I also enjoyed the telescope naming. European Extremely Large Telescope! Very Long Baseline Array! Just great.

I wish I had time to Boodle on this, but I'm going to have to hold it until I'm done with my morning meetings.

Wish I hadn't had that second Kit this morning.

bc

'Toon, how we live with this carp is that it makes the night air still and dark and perfect for telescopes & binoculars.

(And until you've walked home on a Christmas Eve in -35C temperatures under Northern Lights that covered half the sky, you haven't lived.)

Also, our weather keeps the beer cold until we're done playing the hockey. It's win-win, baby.

On Obama the writer:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123154076720569453.html

Toodling around town on Friday, Jan. 2, I caught the introduction to the first program of the new year on NPR's Science Friday with host Ira Flatow, titled
"Looking Forward to a Year of Science." Unfortunately, I had to duck in at my destination and missed the show.

Here's the blurb about the program and link to the audio of the broadcast:

http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/200901021

"2009 marks 150 years since the publication of Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species,' and 200 years since his birth. It's also the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first use of a telescope to study the skies and the publication of Johannes Kepler's first two Laws of Planetary Motion. In this segment, Ira talks with M. Lee Allison, one of the organizers of a 'Year of Science' celebrating scientific methods and discoveries."

What fascinates me is that two great men were born on Sunday, February 12, 1809: Charles Darwin and Abe Lincoln. Too bad Obama doesn't pay half the attention to Darwin as he does Lincoln (example: the choice of pastor Rick Warren to give the inaugural invocation).

I've looked around Texas for ways to observe Celebrate Darwin Day on Feb. 12. (T-shirts, mugs, etc. available via the Web.) Houston is going all out for Darwin 2009 and even has its own website listing numerous activities. San Antonio's Trinity University seems to be the only local entity doing anything significant on Feb. 12 this year. Trinity's sponsoring a lecture by Ronald Numbers, professor in the department of medical history and bioethics at University of Wisconsin-Madison, who will speak about “Anti-evolution in America: From Scientific Creationism to Intelligent Design.” I'll be at this lecture.

http://medhist.wisc.edu/faculty/numbers/index.shtml

Interesting tidbit about stratigrapher Charles Lyell, about whom Joel blogged recently and whose writing so influenced Darwin when he was aboard the Beagle. His poor eyesight influenced his career choice to become a geologist, rather than a barrister. His philanthropy is interesting, too--he gave books to the Chicago Library (Obama's hometown) after the great fire in 1871--about 14 years or so before Walter Loomis Newberry established another library in Chicago.

Don't hold it too long, bc... people have been known to explode unexpectedly while doing that.

Oh, my, permit me to disagree with something: Hubble is not the first of the space observatories, it is the first of NASA's Great Observatories, which is a specific set of flight missions. Before Hubble, there was the Einstein X-ray observatory, also known as HEAO-2, there was the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE, at whose Science Operations Center [SOC], ScienceTim met the future ScienceSpouse); there was Copernicus (Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 3, or OAO-3), there was IRAS (the Infrared Astronomical Astronomical Satellite), all the way back to OAO-2 in 1968 (OAO-1 only worked for 3 days). The series numbers may suggest to you that there were several other OAO and HEAO spacecraft, plus others of even greater obscurity.

Good Morning Boodle!

JA, great Kit!

I can finally understand why I don't understand nuttin. My head is too small.

byoolin... I like the idea of northern lights and hockey and cold beer (being a one-time Penguins season ticket holder and no stranger to the "Igloo" or overpriced nachos).

That -35 is a problem, though. Makes certain parts of me emulate startled turtle behavior.

One more thought:

Joel wrote:
There does not appear to be anything particularly special about our place in the universe.

"Life is sort of a small fraction of what the universe is about -- depending on your perspective," said Adam Burrows, a Princeton astronomer. "If you look out in the universe, it's a pretty dead place. . . . Anyone coming from [Galileo's] time would be shocked by the diminution of mankind in the context of the universe."

I just so happened to buy at the nearby used bookstore yesterday a copy of John McPhee's 2000 Pulitzer-prize-winning "Annals of a Former World." Looking forward to reading the section about Assembling California, but I did read the well-written paragraphs yesterday that echo the same thought Joel tackles: that man is just a nib in the context of the history of the universe.

Other funny-named plans for giant telescopes: The Over-Whelmingly Large telescope (OWL) and the California Extremely Large Telescope (CELT).

There is a monitoring station on Mauna Kea right now, establishing a baseline understanding of wind and weather conditions at a specific off-summit spot planned for the 30-meter telescope.

I forget where, exactly, but somewhere in Texas there is a single-element 10-meter mirror telescope (the 10-meter Keck telescopes use mirror segments to build a giant mirror) that spins a huge shallow pan of mercury to create a parabolic surface for a mirror. It works very nicely, but people are allowed to view the telescope only when the mercury humidity is low enough that they don't suffer brain damage. You can see how that might be a challenge. Also, the telescope is hard to point at things -- it can basically look pretty much straight up, only, with a little bit of targeting provided by steering the secondary mirror.

This is a wonderful kit. One for the "greatest hits" LP.

Is there any scientific instrument that has produced more inspiration than the telescope?

The microscope, what with all those "little beasties" Leeuwenhoek found, is a candidate of course. But to me nothing compares to the wonder of using a machine to see back in time by looking further into space.

Like many kids, I remember buying an inexpensive telescope during the Apollo era and pointing it at the moon. The sense of "being there" was overwhelming. And from this sense of wonder comes the drive for scientific discovery. Gazing at the moon that cold winter night in the early 1970s was truly a great moment in my life.

The only thing cooler would have been if among the lunar craters I could have seen some little beasties

Strangely enough ESO's Extremely Large Telescope is a scaled back model of the Overwhelmingly Large Telescope.
I wouldn't be surprised to learn the OLT itself a scaled back version of the Absurdly Large Telescope for Astronomical Research.

Then there's the Dream Telescope, the one that we have decided we aren't yet ready to build but we're all thinking about it -- the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF). The European Space Agency (ESA) version of this is Darwin, so they are now referred to collectively as TPF/Darwin a concept that is not yet ready to be engineered.

To say that "life is a small part of the what the Universe is about" is true in the mass-weighted sense, but it strikes me as somewhat like saying that "the brain is a small part of what life is about." Again: true, in the mass-weighted sense, but I find it unappealing to consider life without one. Perhaps that's just me.

Great kit Joel, I was struck first that Hubble is twenty years old - I have truly reached that stage in life where I frequently find myself say - really that long ago it just seems like yesterday.

The first picture in the photo gallery caught my eye as well, I know it is a picture of a highly sophisticated and expensive telescope but it still reminds me of something you would see on Lost in Space.

byoolin - LOL - reminds me of the picture of a Newfoundland fridge, a large snow drift with beers stuck in the snow.

Back from the Ultrasound, not just have to wait for the Rads report.

This guy Barra was spinning mercury pools a couple of hundred feet from my lab back in the days when I was doing my masters. He had the best granit table I've ever seen as a base for his spinning pool.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1200/is_/ai_4371602

I just found out that Kingmaker been nominated for best novel of 2008

Please vote at:

http://www.critters.org/predpoll/novelsf.shtml

You will find KINGMAKER in the thriller list under K

I think today is the last day. Many thanks for your support

Brag

The basic telescope is a very simple device, consisting of just two pieces of glass, either two lenses or two mirrors. You might get wild and put a mirror and a lens together, or go commando and use just one mirror or lens. We've had these doodads for 400 years, spending that time figuring out how to make better and bigger mirrors and lenses; how to make mirrors and lenses (and cameras) that work for light that we can't see with our eyes; thinking of new places to point our telescopes; and struggling with the implications of what we see. We're still doing what Galileo did when he looked at the changing phases of Venus with his telescope and realized it proved that planets orbit the Sun, not the Earth. We are still pursuing nothing of immediate utility, while challenging our notions of how our universe works and where we belong in it. Our useless activities have discovered chemical elements, taught us how to navigate the face of the Earth, shown us how weather works, developed the digital cameras that are everywhere nowadays, enabled us to fly above our planet and see its puny and fragile isolation, and shown us that mighty forces remain at work in the universe today, creating new worlds, reshaping old ones, capable of obliterating us within an instant. The telescope gives us perspective. Perspective is enlightening. Enlightenment is growing up, and growing up is scary. After 400 years, it's still a challenge to face the universe we see through the telescope.

Hiya all. Momentarily lurking and posting in advance of a conference call in about 5 minutes.

I love looking at the stars and always enjoyed visits to the Planetarium when I was a child. When I was in Tanzania, and when we were outside of the Serengeti (where you've got to get out of the park by 7 p.m.) we were able to take night drives to see if we could see leopards in action (not, alas). The most magical thing happened to me, which I shall always remember -- as the sun went down, the stars came out and while everyone else were gazing out the sides of the jeep for game, I looked up and kept looking up until it was time to get out of the vehicle. The stars provided such a dazzling spectacle, completely unshrouded by any city lights. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. It was the most gorgeous canopy, seemingly sprayed upon the heavens for my own personal enjoyment. When I think of it now, I can't help but smile and think about packing my bags for the return visit. Wow!

Back to work. If I can. . . .

Mercury poisoning may explain my spelling and other language issues.
His telescope at the time was 4-5 ft in diameter but they seem to be ready to go to 4-8m now. That's a lot of mercury to pass under the nose of those nice OSHA people. The local OSHA totally freaked out over about 100kg of the stuff we needed for a project I was involved with 15 years ago. Hg has the double whammy of high vapour pressure and fairly high long term/low level toxicity.

I don't get this ...

"Life is sort of a small fraction of what the universe is about -- depending on your perspective," said Adam Burrows, a Princeton astronomer. "If you look out in the universe, it's a pretty dead place. . . . Anyone coming from [Galileo's] time would be shocked by the diminution of mankind in the context of the universe."

If the universe is "pretty dead," doesn't that make life a pretty big deal? I yam so confoyoosed.

Another fine science for general audiences piece by JA. If it weren't for Joel and NPR Science Friday I probably wouldn't know anything about science after the discovery of DNA.

Martooni-30 below keeps the riff raff out! That's the unofficial North Dakota state motto.

Don't know what this means in the grand scheme of things, but our regional Weatherization Assistance Program (window replacement, insulation, high efficiency furnaces etc.) for very low income families, seniors and people with disabilities just had its budget increased by 10X. Our fair city has many very proud people who qualify for the assistance who won't apply, but I hope to change that by appealing to their desire to help our local economy by putting idle contractors to work. Plus, for some the tipping point will be their dedication to being good stewards of the planet.

Son-of-a... Jeez is it cold out there!

The new insulation is keeping the wind out of the shop, but the ambient temp is hovering around 10F -- and that's with the heater on.

The local classic rock station is doing a themed lunch time show -- the Joy of Sex. Of course, I had to call one in: "Sex and Drugs and Rock'n Roll" by Ian Dury and The Blockheads. Couldn't remember who dunnit (the song, that is) so I Googled it. You wouldn't believe what turned up.

I just may have to take the afternoon off.

That's a very profound point KAP. Does the existence of a tiny speck of life in an essentially dead universe mean we are special or just irrelevant noise? I guess it depends on who you ask and what is meant by meaning.

If one finds meaning in Geology, then that one of the lesser planets has some kind of semi-sentient scum on it could be considered nothing but an annoyance. A deviation from true perfection. (Reference Dr. Manhattan in "Watchmen.")

But as members of the more talkative portion of the biosphere, it is natural for us to value ourselves as being unique and special in a quantifiable way.

However you look at it, the data suggests we are an outlier.

And all good scientists know you must value the outliers. While outliers might not support any general theories, they often point to unusual and unexpected insights.

So that’s one way to view human existence. An opportunity for unusual and unexpected insights.

These great astronomy kits always send me back to Psalm 8:

"When I look up at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers,
the moon and the stars set in their place by thee,
what is man that thou shouldst care for him,
mortal man that thou shouldst remember him?"

My best encounter with the Milky Way was on a clear August night camping at Pisgah National Forest near Asheville, NC. The stars were numberless, and they sparkled like diamonds all over the sky. Magical.

This is somewhat star related, last or two week when the cresent moon and (Mars or Venus?) were putting on their lovely display, I walked into our living room to find my husband and younger daughter gazing at the sight out the front window. My husbands exclamation was that he had never seen a star so bright, thanks to this wonderful place I was able to reply in my best intelligent voice - that is not a star it is a planet, but then of course I forgot which one.

This is so embarrassing. I went back to what I had sent to Joel and thought "y'know, I can fix that up a little better, seeing as how Joel hasn't posted it yet", then I posted it to the Boodle. Now I look like such a repetitious Boodle hog.

Nope, not a boodle hog SciTim...it was great and well worth reading twice.

SciTim, NASA my want to put your post on the front page of their next budget request - a great explanation to the ordinary person (like me) on why what they do matters.

What Kim said.

Well, I felt so pleased with myself that I sent it (the revised version, from 10:58) to my leadership on the International Year of Astronomy working group in which I participate. We'll see if it can go anywhere from there.

Meanwhile, I need to get back to the telescope data that I'm supposed to be working with, right now. See ya!

Is it still ok to say good morning?

In response to CqP, one of the better guitar solos by a BooNet customer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge9u4g12FsE

Thanks for that link to "Twisted Physics."

Ms. Oullette's blogs are always a delight to read. (Didja check out her bit at "Cocktail Party Physics" about traffic jams? It suddenly made driving the Beltway much more intellectually satisfying.)

I used to be pretty good at guessing the number of jelly beans in a jar simply because I once ran such a contest. Once you have an exemplar, of sorts, to work from it's a lot easier to do. You just adjust up or down from your known.

Based on this approach I also once guessed the number of Legos (that is, Lego-brand building blocks) to win a bunch of cool Lego toys for my young son. These toys caused great joy. And my son liked them too.

Whew, I'm glad I can let this Stream of Boodling out...

Joel's piece on telescopes and Our Place in the 'verse reminded me of a guest Kit I'd done some time back...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/achenblog/2006/07/bcs_cosmic_gumbo.html

"The Universe that we can Observe with our senses (augmented with telescopes, cameras, and scratch-and-sniff cards for Smell-o-Rama, etc.) is a big, big place and getting bigger all the time, like Charles Foster Kane's dining room in Xanadu, or Britney Spears."

and Joel's piece about telescopes reminded me of his Ode to Telescopes circa 2007...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/achenblog/2007/05/ode_to_telescopes.html

More on this current piece momentarily.

bc

Hmmmmmmmmm. Burrows may be a brilliant pointy head and astronomer, but I think I may have to challenge him on his "pretty dead universe" notion, on three grounds.

First, it isn't any kind of observable "fact" that the universe is "pretty dead"; it is only an assumption on his part. Just because we haven't been able to observe life anywhere else from our (admittedly limited) perspective doesn't mean much, to me anyway. There is that famous equation whose name I can never remember postulating the number of planets capable of sustaining life: they have to be the right size, right distance from a star, and so on. But the end result of that equation postulates that there ought to be a heckuva lot of planets capable of sustaining life as we know it. So basically Burrows seems to be contradicting that equation, and without any apparent evidence. This is basically an argument about mathematical numbers [how many life-possible planets might exist] and then about lack of evidence confirming or debunking Burrows' notion.

Second, here's what we know about life on earth: it is pretty damned inventive and tenacious. It appears to pop up in just about every possible environment and climate this planet can throw at it, from deep-ocean steam vents to the worst arctic/antarctic areas, to floating about in clouds, to living anaerobically inside other animals. It is almost impossible to convceive how it could possibly be any more diverse than it already is. It appears to be incredibly adaptable.

Now, granted, these are somewhat subjective evaluations, but I think everyone would be comfortable with them. I think we can come up with a tentative but strong conclusion that "life," whatever it is, is pretty darn prolific and amenable to whatever environment is thrown at it, within a certain range.

Given that life is a tough cookie, why assume it is pretty much absent in the universe, except here? This isn't an astronomer's argument; it belongs to the biologist, I would think. In this regard, Burrows doesn't know any more about this question than Ewell Gibbons does.

end of part 1

part 2:

Third, let us postulate that there is not only life on this planet, but also at least on "some" unknown number of other, but similar planets. Let's say, just for argument's sake, we can find out what that number is: it X number of planets out of 1,000. Now, who is to say that number is "pretty dead," or just "moderately dead," or moderately alive, or actually "teeming" with life? What is the baseline against which Burrows is making that call? How do we know what "a lot" is, and how do we know this universe doesn't have "a lot" of life in it. Hell, maybe a universe with "only" 20 life-planets is a lot. Maybe it's a little. How do we know? How do we arrive at the judgment.

One thing I think Burrows would probably agree with: to a large degree, even for his profession, the answer is irrelevant. Whether there is "a lot" of life out there, or very very little, even if we knew that answer, it wouldn't deter us or deflect us one iota in what astronomers and other scientists, and institutions like NASA are trying to do.

But I just don't see the point in postulating that the universe seems to be "pretty dead." I don't think we are remotely close to knowing that.

Great kit. A great example of JA's lucid science writing.

Also thanks to SciTim for adding his comments.

KPage: welcome. Did I see correctly that we have another lawyer in the boodle?

Mudge... y'know... what you postulate can work in reverse. Think "Horton Hears a Who". Who's to say we don't have entire universes filled with living things in our thumbnails?

Just a matter of scale.

I'm afraid it's off-topic but I think some will appreciate this irreverent hoax by a Czech sculptor.
"The eight-tonne work, entitled Entropa, depicted Romania as a Dracula theme park and the Netherlands as completely covered by water, with only the tops of minarets sticking out. The French component had the word “Strike!” emblazoned on it. And was that a hint of a swastika in the German entry, a bird’s-eye view of a series of autobahns?"

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article5512107.ece

Telescopes *are* wonderful things.

While we point them upward and outward, looking at Everything we can, perhaps the most important outcome of our Observations is how we think of ourselves.

And as I've said many times, I think one of the most important days in history will be the day we look into the newest, largest, most wonderful telescope humanity can produce, and what we see through that lens - through space and time and Everything - will be an eye, looking back through a telescope at *us.*

bc

PS [At least I didn't recycle the bit about seeing the bald/blind spot on back of our own head]

Apropos of nothing whatsoever - An old entry (about deep-fried Oreos, recipe included) from my favorite fun food blog from Toronto.
http://www.hungryinhogtown.com/hungry_in_hogtown/2007/06/i_believe_i_can.html

I was particularly amused by the comment suggesting a healthier alternative:

"You might want to make your own Oreos, sans trans fat. (Bisquick also contains trans fat.)"

Somehow, I don't foresee a whole lot of overlap between the "I want some deep-fried Oreos" crowd and the "I'm deeply concerned about trans fats" gang.

I am not a number, I am a FREE MAN!!!

RIP, Number Six...

*SIGHHHHHH*

http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=347713>1=28101

Afternoon all
Man is it as cold as a Brass Monkey on a toilet seat.Lucky Joel,being in long Beach,I am sure it is a little warmer there.

I love to look at the stars,usually with the naked eye,still haven't figured out my telescope after all these years.I love watching the progression of certain stars as they travel the night sky.

As for the universe and your analogy Tooni,I hope that isn't the case,cause Saturday night watching the Ravens game,I probably destroyed half of that universe.

Off to work

Have a great day everyone!!!

oh, I am aware of the email problem and steps are being taken....thanks

Oh, man. Perhaps it's time to dust off my Prisoner DVD set and do a marathon.

Mudge, re. your 12:47/48, please see the Drake Equation.

There's lots of discussion of said equation with philisophical and practical applications and implications of it in this really good book called "Captured by Aliens," written by some Achenbach dude.

I'm just sayin,' is all.

bc

PS Speaking of time machines, these recent Kits and Boodles are setting the Boodle Waybach Machine to 2006/7, aren't they?

Did I miss this somehow, or did the media miss it???

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/14/obama.gays.military/index.html

pssst Scotty... CNN *is* media.

No! Say it ain't so, Yo!

:-)

s'nuke-the hed on that cnn piece frosts my knickers and chaps my @ss. "must wait" no duh. I think a lot of things will wait while the new admin attends to more pressing things. Personally, I think "don't ask don't tell" is bound to die a de facto death as more and more service members just ignore it. Congress might as well get ahead of the curve so no one has to fear even more arbitrary and capricious enforcement. (redundancy for emphasis in lieu of all caps)

Call me a fool or stupid or whatever. It's not like I don't have *real* work to do (as in the paying kind), but I just spent the last half hour straightening out our slightly large snowman. He was already leaning, but started leaning even more precariously after last night's winds. So now we have a straight and upright snowman and my toes are frozen and my back hurts.

I'm thinking stupid is the most fitting adjective.

And Mrs. M seconds that.

Did Patrick McGoohan die, Scotty? Cuz that link gave me a page that had a lot of crap on it, but no references to "Number Six" that I could see.

Drake Equation, right, that's it. Thanks, bc. The Drake Equation would tend to argue against Burrows, I think. And martooni, your point is essentially my point: we don't have enough data either way to make an assumption about how much or how little life there is in the universe. However, my point about the ubiquity and wildly prolific nature of "life" argues it would seem to pop up all over the place, wherever it could, rather than not.

There seem to me to be a lot of interesting dynamics in the psychology of the question of "are we alone in the unverse." I suspect we can't handle the answer if it is "yes." Everything in our art, literature and religion argue otherwise. And that's one problem with Burrows' assertion, too.

A quick search of "obama+gays+military" leads to lots & lots of links, from every major & minor media source imaginable.

US News & World Report already covered the ground of the CNN story in early December:
http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/campaign-2008/2008/12/02/obama-opposes-gay-military-ban-but-repealing-it-could-take-a-year-or-two.html

And his support of ending the ban on military service by gays was discussed plenty during the campaign.

Fleame Grossehumour is now available as a boodle handle.

A friend provided me with this story: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/peter_foster/blog/2009/01/12/sri_lanka_a_voice_cries_freedom_from_beyond_the_grave

A sobering lesson about what can happen when you set out to "do whatever it takes" to fight terrorism. This is where things go when you let Jack Bauer run policy.

martooni, you are an artist. You don't have to justify your obsessions.

Hear, hear, mudge!

I agree, Mudge... if we were to learn for sure for sure that we are alone in the universe it would have one of two effects:

1. We'd finally start valuing life in all its shapes and forms (including our own) and do everything possible to protect it. (not likely)

or 2. We'd go on as we are, thinking we're "da bomb" or "God's chosen" and succumb to our nihilistic tendencies and blow the whole mother up just because we can.

We're our own worst enemy.

OK, saw the Patrick McGoohan obit. Yes, RIP. Never cared for "The Prisoner," but liked "Secret Agent."

HOwdy y'all. This is a fine Kit. Like frostbitten, I particularly appreciate Joel's ability to write science for non-sciencey types. I have gained new respect from friends and family through my Kit- and Boodle-acquired knowledge.

I, like bia, was much taken iwth the idea of giant heads with eyes which can see radio waves. That would be the physical manifestation of the "mom" sense I tell the Boy I already have.

I agree with those who doubt the suggestion that the universe is a cold dead place. If there's no evidence either way, then it is just a matter of how you look at things, and I choose to look through a different lens. So to speak.

As much as I liked the snowman tilted I can see that it had to be brought to plumb immeditately, Martooni. I don't think it's too much to say that you may have possibly averted a near tradegy. You are a credit to Gnomekind.

Mudge - what you say is true. But I interpret Burrows as saying something very different, something more along the lines of the Jelly Bean Jar shown in Jennifer Oullette's blog.

What I interpret him is saying is that even if more planets support life than do not, heck even if every stinkin' planet out there is rife with biology, the universe must still be viewed as mostly dead. This is because it is just so unbelievably huge, and composed mostly of with vast tracts of nothingness and dark matter. And these vast tracts are, by any reasonable account, truly most sincerely dead. And the universe is certainly far, far bigger than what Galileo believed it to be.

To me, it is as if one were to talk about the South Pacific and only concentrate on the islands, while ignoring the fact that the South Pacific is, in fact, mostly water.

To any comments about whether the Universe is a cold, dead place, I'd say it depends on where you look.

Take my house for example; look in my refrigerator and in my bedroom. One's a cold dead place, one's not.

bc

PS And sometimes it even changes.

Yes, Boko... a Little Bean flattened by a ton of toppling snowman would have been a Very Bad Thing to have happen and it's all I can do to attempt to stay on her mother's good side as it is.

So that’s one way to view human existence. An opportunity for unusual and unexpected insights.

Posted by: RD_Padouk | January 14, 2009 11:28 AM

RD, could you not also say that Human existence (sapience, meta-cognition, sentience) is not just an opportunity but a requirement for insight? And Lego-joy?

And, of course, Mudge has got it right in bringing up the Drake equation. Sure, the circumstances have to be jjjuuuust right for life to happen, but given enough time (is several hundred million years enough?) and enough places, it is going to happen. Then, Katie, Bar The Door!

Besides, "It just so happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive." Ok, someone quoted that here a few days ago but I thought it worth repeating. Almost everything we know about life is explained in "The Princess Bride."

While I have the input box open, was sorry to miss the Diane Krall thread several kits back. She is one of my favorites, her "Girl in the Other Room" (song and album) sends me into fits of ecstasy. Just Beautiful.

DLD

Former lawyer, engelmann, former. Currently a nothing.

::snif::

;-)

Au contraire, KAP. A Boodler!

I think the assumption that even space-faring life must communicate by radio just hubris in the extreme.

Speaking of cold places, I cancelled my regular propane delivery a couple of monnthe=s back because I had some left and the price at that time was atrocious. Two days ago, after studying the relevent data, flipping a coin, and consulting the state of my nerves I broke down and placed the order with the expectation of delivery within three to five days. The propane ran out this morning and my new space heater doesn't work.
Oh well, the manager at the lumber yard will cheerfully replace it and if I complain about my lost time and fuel she'll give me coffee and cake.

BTW. Today is the kind of cold day when all season tires begin to act like hockey pucks. They're not too good at stopping but are excellent for pulling donuts in parking lots.

Have fun, I'm off to the lumberyard. They have acres of parking lot, not to mention heaters , coffee, and cake.

Calling any bird experts, just took the dog outside and notice a fair sized bird sitting the neighbours tree, hard to get a great look at it through branches but thought it might be a hawk - I have only seen hawks flying around so unsure what they look like at rest.

If anyone can identify I would appreciate it, also photo of a cardinal in my vine, who unfortunately would not sit still and pose for me.

http://dmdgarden.blogspot.com/

Red tailed hawk. I see them sitting on fence posts and street lights all the time.

dmd, the one on the right looks like a tinsel-breasted tannenbaum, with a little fledging tannenchick at the left.

C'mon, buck up Pagey. You know the law yer still you. Ergo wacko, you're still a lawyer.

when is the next BPH

I need a Boodler shoulder to cry on

Jumper1: "I think the assumption that even space-faring life must communicate by radio just hubris in the extreme."

Oh, a tad unfair. It's more like we have no alternative technology that we can detect with sufficient sensitivity to be relevant to interstellar distances. Optical SETI has been an issue also, looking for coded optical beams. The problem is that lasers are much easier to aim with precision than radio, thus we would have to be very close to a signal's intended target direction in order to intercept some of it if aliens were communicating by optical beams.

The SETI assumption is that the aliens would be using a beacon whose purpose is to advertise their presence. Accidental detection would be tough, since they would have no need to deploy radio signals strong enough to be readily detected at interstellar distances if their only goal were to communicate amongst themselves. Radio can be transmitted omnidirectionally, if your goal is to create an interstellar beacon. Light is not so easy to transmit in all directions at once. If our alien brethren were intentionally trying to communicate with us, radio holds the prospect of easy omnidirectionality and a relatively straightforward technology to adapt to interstellar distances. They may use other techniques to speak to each other, but radio makes sense as a way to get the attention of the slow children in class (us).

In the absense of a BPH, you could always try dbioyoki@hotmail.com

Will a virtual shoulder help Omni?

Thanks Yoki - guess it is too cold for the Hawk to be flying in search of prey.

Tingling with pleasure at all this boodle string. Doffing cap to JA and SciTim. SciTim! I will use this paragraph as a sample of cohesion between sentences to increase clarity:

"The telescope gives us perspective. Perspective is enlightening. Enlightenment is growing up, and growing up is scary. After 400 years, it's still a challenge to face the universe we see through the telescope."

Analysis:
You open and close the para with key and visual idea -- telescope. 'Perspective' (x 2 in strategic repetition) chaining to 'enlightenment.'E's predicate compliment to the gerund "growing up." (x two in strategic redundancy) with a summative observation.

Bully boy!

Back to curriculum development for newbie colleagues.

RT thanks
Brag I voted
Omni take care and think on all the kind deeds you undertake.

That is likely true, dmd. I have always been interested in biological calorie-balancing that all animals seem to be able to calculate. If it will take more effort expended to find food than the calories provided by the food, rest is the better option.

Thank you, CqP. Everything I think I know, I deduced from the streets (and from reading writers whose work I admire)(and from listening to good storytellers).

Hey ... Boodlers are more wacko than lawyers! winkywinkysmileysmiley

I guess that still makes me a wacko. Or, as my dad spells it, whack-o.

Time to walk the dogs.

I smell the approach of a new Kit. In the meantime, read Joel's item at the '44' blog:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2009/01/14/retired_fighter_pilot_to_run_n.html?hpid=topnews

Hummm, that bird looks a little dainty and red breasted for a red-tailed hawk. The head tucked in the shoulders for warmth makes it looks more beefy than it is. Depending on size, a sharp-shinned hawk (crow+) or cooper hawk (raven), maybe but the cooper is not very common. A suburb-loving bird hunter, the sharp-shinned, vs the rodent hunting red-tailed more familiar in wilder or more agricultural terrain. But durn hard to tell from a pitcher.

Hey, JA's doing the political stuff again!!

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2009/01/14/retired_fighter_pilot_to_run_n.html

:-)

I like your contribution to the kit, ScienceTim, and I found the changes in the second version illuminating.

But wait! Shouldn't you be using binoculars for perspective? :-)

The new new space heater works and the nice propane lady says I'll get me some to-morrow :-))

"Khaaaaaaaan!"

Ricardo Montalban has left the stage: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/14/AR2009011402602.html?hpid=artslot

I hope I didn't get all your virtual shoulders too moist

Thanks dmd, Yoki, and CqP, and all the rest of the shoulders soon to lean in towards me.

I dunno, Tim. Seems like we are coming close to identifying some sympatico planets near us, soon. (If any exist and I'm betting they do.) Alien tech might have advanced at least a little ways past us, so let's presume they are able to target their own likely spots. And you are right, I was thinking about lasers and optical SETI. Nice writing today, btw.

There was a good SF story I read about a race of advanced intelligence that did NOT want to be found, and an unlikely intercepted data beam in deep space was the only clue (some advanced) humans had to work with.

Let's look at General Gration's resume:
http://www.af.mil/bios/bio.asp?bioID=5605

I think I'm on the Sharp-Shinned side. Might be a juvenile, with the breast feathers not yet fully colored.

Re: The skies. Living in the DC area does have its perks once in a while, like being able to view Saturn through the Naval Observatory's big refractor (college elective Astronomy course visit); or watch the aurora dancing all over the skies in an Iceland winter. It would have been cool to pursue something like SciTim, but I just was never that great in calculus or physics. Got to work late tonight, so that's why I'm boodling this late.

Just a quick update:

Two hours before the close of the Preditors & Editors Best Novel of 2008 closes, Kingmaker was number 12 and climbing in the thriller category.

To vote: http://www.critters.org/predpoll/novelthrill.shtml

Poll closes at 7 PM EST

Brag :o)

I am saddened to hear of the passing of Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán Merino. He was a unique talent, able to combine camp and class so thoroughly that you couldn't tell one from the other.

Because of him, it is generally accepted that the phrase "Corinthian Leather" cannot be uttered without mentally superimposing a sonorous Mexican accent.

And to those of us weaned on such things, he will forever be the imposing dictator in exile - Khan.

He made the mysterious Mr. Roarke work, invigorating a thoroughly stupid concept like "Fantasy Island" with campy pathos.

And even in his later years he radiated a sort of idealized latin machismo tempered with cultured sensitivity.

Ah Ricardo. None quite like you shall again walk this earth.

Lo, a turn of phase
and a turn of phrase, alike
open worlds anew

RD... don't forget those Dodge commercials... "Volare! Oh-wo-wo-wo!"

Or was that Chrysler?

Oh martooni. Do not besmirch the glory that was the Chrysler Cordoba:

http://en.sevenload.com/videos/3QWfA7m-Chrysler-Cordoba-commercial-with-Ricardo-Montalban

Did someone say merino?

I was just checking out some old clips of Montalbán as Khan in the original Star Trek episode of 1967. Oh the memories. Some kids wanted to be Spock. Some kids wanted to be Kirk. Yet I, a skinny maladjusted powerless kid, I fantasized about being Khan Noonien Singh.

But I'm all better now.

I wanted to be a tribble (and with the copious amount of fur on my face and head, my short stature and generally glib approach to life and its absurdities, I think I succeeded).

I am tribble. Hear me giggle.

Volare was/is one of my favorite songs. I remember riding in the back of the car on the PA turnpike, listening to that song when I was about 5 or 6.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volare_(song)

It was Sergio Franchi who did the Plymouth Volare commercial, according to...

How about a red shouldered hawk? They have that buffy colored chest, but I did not check their range...

A nice homage to a voice (and chest) made of Corinthian leather, RD. And Martooni made me laugh.

So, the free concert on Sunday has a mighty good lineup of artists, but it turns out that not just Bono, but all of U2 will be appearing. It's supposed to be broadcast on HBO later. I figured I was out of luck, since I don't get HBO, but Barack says:
On Sunday, there will be "a free celebration at the Lincoln Memorial that's open to the public, Obama says, "And to allow Americans across the country to join us, HBO will broadcast the event for free that evening."

So, will I be able to see it? What time will it be broadcast on the west coast? So many questions...
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2009/01/14/the_participatory_inaugural.html?hpid=topnews

Anybody planning to go?

Thanks for the help regarding the hawk, a red shouldered hawk is also a possibility - since I live close to the border in a more temperate climate it would not be that unusual that one might be around - also a Cooper's hawk.

Unfortunately, I could not get a better picture than I took - limited zoom and had to look over the fence.

It look different from the red tailed hawks I see all the time, but perhaps a female.

Just seeing it sitting in the tree, and the black squirrel curling up a few branches away was interesting.

I missed the squirrel. If the squirrel is even remotely in the same plane as the hawk this is a sharp-shinned hawk. It is the only hawk that is small enough.
I cut the hawk and squirrel out and put them side by side in this picture.
http://picasaweb.google.com/ShriekingDenizen/Oiseau#
Bonus VLP and pileated woodpecker pics. First time we had a Big One feeding on a suet block.
Nice little bird hunting hawk, but around here they seem to specialize in cardinals. Over the years we saw a couple of successful attacks on males and last week I saw one eating a female on the ground.

SCC small enough in that colour pattern

Plenty of smaller hawks around.

¿Quien es mas macho?

¡Ricardo Mantlban!

Sweet. The frostrents will be in St. Paul this weekend and I was wondering what to do with them on Sunday evening before a very early Monday departure for all of us. The concert will be perfect!

Boko-wish I had your nerves re: proprane. Had I been willing to risk running out I could have saved $75. Even with running afoul of the $35 leak check, mandatory when you run out, I would have been ahead by waiting a mere 3 days. Stupid since it is a back up heat source. Alas, what would happen to the guinea pig if the propane tank was empty and the electric went out? Don't anyone ever tell you a $9 pet is a bargain.

Ricardo, sigh. I swear I'm going to join a dead pool next year. I'll just pick all my childhood crushes and a few long shots who do risky things.

Yoki, can I make the cheddar olive balls the night before, store in the frig and bake the next day? Is this off topic, cheddar olive balls may very well be a life form out there.

SCC: Don't ever let anyone tell you...

Can I plead working in an unheated office in -17 weather. The electric space heater is frying my left knee while everything else shivers. I'm typing by alternating wearing a glove on one hand until my fingernails turn blue on the exposed hand, then I swap. I think the dedication and stupidity curves have finally crossed.

Yes, I got a frozen shoulder a few months from working next to a cold window, Frostbitten. It's not worth it, get thee somewhere warmer where you can be more dedicated and effective.

Hypothermia is not dedication.

omni, here's hoping you feel comforted soon. I recommend a good night's sleep. And I will take my own recommendation and sign off for the night, wishing everybody happy dreams.

The problem with propane, IMHO, is the smell. We have gas logs in the mountain place. It's supposed to smell bad, I understand that, but I just don't care to smell it all the time. The primary HVAC is a heat pump, but Mr. T likes to use the logs a lot when it's cold, so I'm stuck.

Strange story of coincidence regarding hawks...

One of my college profs and I stay in touch semi-regularly and I lovingly (not in that way) refer to him as "Old Hawk". A book he's been working on mentions an encounter with a hawk on a lonely stretch of road and his identification with that particular bird.

So one day I'm sitting at the 'puter in the kitchen and not having a good day and was thinking of my professor/friend when I look out the window and see a gigantic bird perched on the corner of our back porch. You see these things in wildlife documentaries, but film just doesn't do them justice. This bird was simply majestic -- and it was watching me through the window as I watched him (or her, I didn't think to check). We eyed each other up for probably 15 minutes or so before I finally picked up the phone and called my old prof. Apparently he had been thinking of calling me at the same time and when I mentioned the winged visitor staking out the corner of my back porch, we were both pretty much speechless.

Spirits fly and sometimes land when and where they're most needed.

- CB - !

Yes. Just be sure that you have very well drained and dried the olives on paper towels (but not to the point that the olives are *shriveled*); cool the dry olives in the fridge but keep the pastry at room temperature as you will be unable to enrobe cold olives in cold pastry.

I think, my cookingZen tells me, that cheddar olives will actually be better when the pastry rests cold overnight. It never occurred to me.

Well done! You have taught me something, which is always a highlight of my day.

My M-I-L makes cheese olive balls with a semi-sweet pumpkin sauce, are they the same?

Played a trick on the dogs, got them out for the last out then walk them to the end of the street and back. The dirty look the VLP gave me is worth the ice forming on my glasses when I came in...

My first job after babysitting -- and before life guarding at Boy Scout camp -- was stuffing pimento strips into olives. Yes, people-powered pimento placement in the 70s at the Lindsay and Oberti fruit packing sheds.

Having done that, I cannot eat olives of this species. Like the black ones, though.

So...not a tinsel-breasted tannebaum, huh? I coulda sworn...

Lindsay Olive Growers responsible for horrible pollution in Tulare County. Might want to check (California) State Water Resources Control Board, Board Meeting Session--Division of Financial Assistance, March 8, 2006 for history of operations and pollution levels by LOG and Console Foods.

OK, mudge I will change the header picture on the site. :-)

My favorite trick with olives -- which I've now passed on to Little Bean -- is to stick them on the tip of each finger, make monster noises and claw in a monstrous manner at the air surrounding whoever happens to be in the immediate vicinity and then eat said olives one by one.

Yes, I'm easily amused.

No, no, dmd. I'm just being...me.

Slyness, if you can smell your fuel gas, then I think you have a problem. The smell is a gas that is added so that you will know if you have a leak. If the fuel is burning properly, it should be converted (almost, I suppose) completely into CO2 and H2O, with a very small amount of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide thrown in. If you can smell it while burning, then it is not burning fully. If you can smell it while not burning, then you have a potentially life-threatening gas leak.

Front Page Alert for... the Rideau Canal!

The tbt has migrated south by this time mudge.
That Cordoba ad (4000 lbs of small Chrysler with a 360 c.i. V8 engine...) brought back memories. I worked cleaning and night watchman duties in a couple of Chrysler dealerships in the late 70's. At night, I was finishing CEGEP (don't ask) at the time. I had many a late lunch in those Cordobas, they had very comfortable seats. One model year (quite sure it was 1980) they came up with the Cordoba replacement, the Mirada I think it was called. I came for work after the first snow storm of the season, around 21:30, to find maybe 10 Miradas with their back windows caved-in parked around the dealership, one of the biggest on Montreal's south shore. With 7 or 8 more parked inside in the same condition. The windows were exploding when the owners started the electric defrost if the window covered with snow. Pretty cool. Some guys were without their cars for weeks, as spare windows were getting pretty rare...

hahha, toon. When #2 was very very young (maybe, 3) she used to take a pimento stuffed olive, turn it around so the red bit faced her interlocutor, and squeeze it in between her thumb and forefinger (imagine a little olive-mouth with a red tongue) and sing!

Ole! Ole! Ole! Ole!

*Hilarious!*

Slyness-get your fireplace checked by a professional. I know the smell of propane very well and could not dwell in a house with even a whiff (migraine trigger). Yet, I am well pleased with our gas fireplace. Then again, it is fairly new (2005) so perhaps it is just an improvement over previous models. Still, I'd have it checked.

Wilbrod-I am home and thawing quite nicely. The unheated office is just a temporary outpost, that I hope will be history by Monday.

Mr. F is an olive snob, and I can't say I don't enjoy his Gorganzola stuffed favorites. But, give me a cheap jar of pimento stuffed green olives and I'm quite happy. Unlike Martooni, I eat them in the grown up way. Slurp out the pimento and slip onto a pinkie finger, then eat.

Been a bit of a crazy day--Good night, Boodle

You must remember that I spent three decades of my life in the fire service. We added a CO detector when we bought the place; wired smoke detectors are now required by code. I think it's just the smell of combustion, not a leak. The logs were installed two years ago, and we've had them checked already, when the CO detector malfunctioned. So it's okay. I can smell it when a new tank is delivered and set up. Yuck.

I liked stuffed green olives when I was a kid, but I love black olives now. My mother didn't like ripe olives, I guess; at least, she never had them in the house.

Sorry slyness, I forgot that you have professional expertise in this arena. Be careful.

I get it, Slyness. You must be using the tall cylinders if you get a new "tank" each time, and they do stink. I have a big 500gal tank set up some distance from the house. The big tanks smell too if you open the lid to read the gauge and take a deep breath.

aaaah, the smell of ethyl mercaptan in the morning!

I think I went to junior high school with an Ethel Mercaptan.

Thanks for the link to item on The Universally Acclaimed and Celebrated Rideau Canal, SciTim.

I was deeply shocked to learn from the article that Immaculatta High School now admits boys. It just seems so wrong somehow.

Ottawa Hooker to offer Obama-tails at Canadian embassy.
http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/01/14/obama-tail.html

*snort*

Good night, Boko. Good night, Boodle.

Anybody watch the PBS comedic retrospective? I was very, very, very, sorry that I did. There have been many of these programs in the past, (and I do realize this one will have two more segments which may raise the status) but the female narator "read" her script, and so much of the material was just the same old stuff. Sad.

Evening all
Snow covered ride home,hard to concentrate on the road with so many gliitering flakes falling and sparkling everywhere.The moon kept peaking through the clouds and was quite awesome.Very cold now 15 and snowing pretty good.

Fire is going and I am going to watch Wrath of Khan in honor of Khan.

Looking for an inaugural ball that isn't sold out, where you can wear flip flops (or slippahs, as we say in this land), aloha shirts, and where there will actually be food you can eat? Lots of it! Check out the Inaugural Luau at the Hotel Monaco, http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090107/COMPUB05/901070321/1226

They've got lots of seats left and some great entertainment and food lined up.

That does sound like fun, MotP! Bet it will be the most laid back party of all. The local paper had an article about what's going on here on Inauguration Day and talked to the owner of the Hawaiian restaurant Mr seasea eats breakfast at often, because he likes the people and the atmosphere so much. He reported no catering job, not yet. We had an Inauguration Day storm once, I think for Clinton's first. Hope we have a bright, sunshiny day.

nellie, I would have watched the comedy show, but I had a long movie from the library to get through. Glad I didn't miss much.

Some 25+ years later the"Wrath Of Khan" is such a great movie,especially for Trek fans. Ricardo Montalban as Khan with some great lines.The old Klingon proberb that "Revenge is a dish best served cold"
and
"from hells heart I stabbeth thee,for hates sake I spit thy last breathe at thee"

I still get sad when Spock dies at the end,even though he goes on to make Star Trek 3-7!

And to the boodle from me
"I have been and always shall be your friend. Live long and Prosper"

RIP Khan

I have fond memories of watching the Wrath of Khan at a drive-in theater with about 10 friends. We put out lawn chairs and watched it under the starts.

Seasea, been following your governor's inauguration ball. I think the word geoduck is hilarious! Sounds like some party!

Have I ever mentioned before that insomnia STINKS?

Well... it doesn't stink *literally*, but waking in the wee hours to nothing but infomercials and canned/looped news programming stinks. The frigid cold stinks, too.

Guess I'm on de-icing the Dawn Patrol flyers again.

(I better get a bagel with cream cheese out of this or I'm gonna start channeling the Lone Mule)

Anybody else here addicted to Facebook? I set up an account a while back and forgot about it, but was recently contacted by a friend from my high school days via FB and have since been reunited (in the virtual sense) with a few other friends and old flames and now I can't quit clicking "reload" to see what they're all up to. It's almost as bad a time-consumer as the Kit/Boodle. Not that the Kit/Boodle is a *waste* of time... I'm just weak and easily distracted. Shiny... must... have... shiny... thing...

(*smack to forehead*)

Okay... so Mudge's biplane (he's so old school) is de-iced, bc's flying car is all washed and waxed and ready to go, RD's black copter is fueled up and stealth-mode engaged and the feathers of Cassandra's angel wings have been preened and unruffled and ready for flight.

I'll be flying the Fokker.

*faxing martooni a thank-you note and a toasted extra-large onion-sesame seed-poppy seed bagel with a double dollop of Philadelphia Brand 1/3 less fat Neufchatel cream cheese, and a large cup of WaWa coffee*

'Morning, Boodle. Oh, it's so nice to wake up to a pre-warmed, de-iced Sopwith. The weatherman and radar say there's a band of snow just north of town and headed this way within about half an hour. With any luck, I'll make it to the bus stop, and then I don't much care what happens after that; I'll read and snooze through the worst of it, and wake up a few blocks away from work. (Reading Geraldine Brooks' "Children of the Book." It's pretty good.)

Doug Hill, our local weatherman/icon says the cold snap that's coming will be the coldest we've had quote in 10 or 12 years, unquote. So you'll have to excuse us while we whine and snivel. Darn Saskatchewan Clippers.

For those of you who live in tropic climes, a little feigned sympathy would be nice.

Interesting pieces this morning about Obama having dinner with 8 top Conservs at george Will's house, as well as E.J. Dionne's piece on Obama's dislike of ideology.

OK, gotta run.

This time of year is payback for the great summer steambath. I'm contemplating the cost of getting the storm shutters up to current standards. What was more than adequate five years ago is now seen as vulnerable to flying missiles.

There's this odd white stuff falling out of the clouds. And I think the oil in my crankcase has frozen. Please excuse me from Dawn Patrol this morning.

'morning all. We've cleanly broken the -30C barrier for the first time in 4-5 years. It was an invigorating -34C/-28F for the morning walkie. Which was mercifully short. Of course it was also time to fill-up the car's gas tank. I had my 3-4 minutes of meditation, cursing the idiot who made dead-man switch nozzles mandatory for self-serve station.

I feel silly complaining about the cold after hearing from Yoki, Frosti and Wilbrod, but darn it’s freezing!

Quick update on #2. She’s home from the hospital with an IV fanny pack thing which she will need through the middle of February. Her spirits are better but she’s still mourning the loss of her trip to Costa Rica. Her husband will be going there next week for six weeks and she has hopes of joining him in March for a few weeks.

Sneaks, glad to hear she's improving!! Hum her a few bars of Billy Joel's "Vienna" when she gets restless... ;-)

Ah, how glorious to see white stuff on the Dawn Patrol runway this morning! Darn impolite of it to not fall when I could watch, however. As a consequence of the dusting, the stalwarts of MoCo DOT had their sanding trucks out this morning -- saw one with the most interesting sign: "Stay back 48 feet" Now THAT'S precision! *L*

Farewell, Fernan... I mean, Ricardo! And no, we shall not speculate on the very likely interior fabric for his casket.

*lookin'-for-an-extra-large-mug-of-caffeinated-hot-beverage Grover waves* :-)

Martooni ... LOVED your hawk story. Doo-dee-doo-doo! (Uh ... that's my rendering of Twilight Zone music.) I, too, am a life-long insomniac. Falling asleep is no problem, but staying that way is a challenge. The infomercials keep me awake (from irritation), but popping in a movie I've seen a hundred times often does the trick.

Yer welcome, Mudge. And thanks for that faxed bagel. Funny thing though... it kinda tastes like paper. But I ain't complainin'.

I managed to get another hour of snoozing in. Woke up to 0F now and very seriously considering just going back to bed. They're closing or delaying most of the local schools (except Little Bean's, HA!). I still don't know how Yoki and our other friends up north deal with this stuff without retreating to a winter condo in the Bahamas.

The coffee's on, anyway.

I'm afraid to even poke my head in the shop. Had a dream that the jigsaw and router were huddled up in a corner shivering their little blades off and blaming me for being too cheap to install heat-delivering ductwork out there. They should be happy I finally got around to insulating the joint. Too bad I can't operate the buggers by remote.

I wonder if sticking a blow dryer in my Nanook of the North coat will help (and not electrocute me).

P-p-p-pah-peace out :-)

shriek... I learned a trick with those pumps. Stick your car keys between the lever part and the the handle frame and it'll pump unattended. Gotta keep an eye on it or you may end up with a large puddle of gas you'll be paying for, but it always worked for me.

Martooni, can't speak for Yoki or Shriek and Boko, but here in the "banana belt" of Canada we do not handle the cold well. Just as the rest of the country about the 6 million people in the GTA who a) cannot drive in winter and b) whine endlessly about the cold (which is not nearly as cold as other regions of the country - about the same as your area minus lake effect snow).

I take consolation in the fact the as useless as we are in winter in this area - people in the Vancouver and Victoria areas are even wimpier. When it snows there it is like bumper cars on the streets :-).

The only way I survived 4 years in Ottawa was the underground tunnels on Campus. Toronto downtown also has an extensive system of pathways underground so when it is really cold they are a great alternative I could go from my office to the train station all underground.

Morning, all. My day has already been totally bamboozled by having to take Mr. T to work. I'm going to take him to the airport this afternoon, so it made sense to take him to work so he doesn't have to come home this afternoon. But it wrecked my morning routine. Oh well, I'll survive for one day.

35 here, but supposed to be really cold tomorrow. I've heard a low of 9 and a low of 16 - either way, very cold. I think I'll skip the walk.

Onward, I'm out for the walk and will be back in a little while...

Morning, Boodle.

I feel for you all. Extreme cold is complaint-worthy, I think.

We had a large amount of snow yesterday, hope the plows have been out before the morning rush starts.

I have an interesting day lined up at the office, so I'd better get to it. Stay warm, have a nice day everybody.

dmd - yes, I know what you mean. Washington State and BC both are blessed (and cursed) with that constant flow of warm moist air from the Pacific. Serious snow is a rarity, and serious cold even more so. And the region doesn't handle it well, I fear, as recent events confirm.

Fortunately, none of my relatives in the Seattle area either froze in the snow or drowned in the floods.

But there was much complaining.

We were talking in the office the other day and a co-worker shared a story from his friend the tow truck driver from Vancouver, they are experiencing more snow than normal this year. The driver called just to share this story, in one day he had helped 4 vehicles all who had been stuck in the snow. The resolution - put the car in 4 wheel drive!

My sister lives in a lovely location on the water on Vancouver Island, normally quite warm this year they received three feet on snow.

A co-worker just walked from his morning constitutional. He's been walking about 40 minutes to&from work since the beginning of the public transit strike. This morning, he had a few choice words for the striking workers. I didn't understand all of it because of his frozen jaws but I think I caught his drift.

Looks like our winner for the coldest North-American spot is the lovely small town of La Sarre QC. -40 all around.

The gall of some people. Brother1 kills his wife of 11 years. Estate becomes difficult to settle as murdering husband is next-of-kin but can't benefit from his crime. Brother2 barges in (in-laws never seen him before in 11 years) a couple of days ago to change all the locks of the empty house, disables the garage door opener and declares himself in charge. Expensive legal chaos ensues.
The grieving family of the murdered wife doesn't need that sh1t.

I won't lecture our Official Boodle Fire Marshal. But my brother has propane fire logs and no smell of MMC. I suspect leak at or right past the "on" valve.

I claim the right to gripe about the cold today, even in balmy NC. I plead less insulation than the Great White North. In any case, I'm into the hickory logs. Good thing I saved them for last. The poplar and maple are good, they just don't have the oomph.

God loves us so much more than we can imagine through Him that died for all, Jesus Christ.

Good morning, friends. Have a great day.

Good morning, all.

Been busy with work and personal business over the past couple of days and for the next few, so my Boodling will be spotty at best (as if it weren't already, at least from a quality perspective).

I'm saddend to hear about Ricardo Montalban's passing. Way back, I helped some friends build a replica of the old Fantasy Island car they used on the show, and just a few weeks ago I bought a USS Reliant Hallmark Christmas ornament for my tree (at the 70% off after-Christmas sale, natch). The warp nacelles light up, cool.

More later.

bc

Well, the brief snow squall came through here about 5 a.m. Nothing more than a dusting, but it immediatly glazed over many of the rural roads. The traffic reports say that the trip from Frederick to the DC Beltway (about 30 miles) was taking over 2 hours. It's not supposed to make it out of the 20's today, then another clipper is to come through tonight and knock the temps down another 10 degrees or so for tomorrow.

I think Doug Hill is right--we've gotten off easy the past few winters. Remember the second Reagan innaugural, when the high was 7? They did the swearing-in inside the Capital, and cancelled the parade.

'Mudge -- Would you agree that the headline for this article needs a major rewrite?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/14/AR2009011404003.html

Morning all
We ended up with about 3 inches of the white stuff and it is a balmy 12 now with wind.....Yikes that is cold.And with the temps predicted to dip even lower,I am sure the snow will be around for a while.Sure is pretty in the mountains with every ridge and valley well defined.Out to shovel the decks and bring in some wood( i guess loading up the sled with wood is the best option today.)

This cold snap has me pining for the woodburner my parents had. It was one of those big iron things that slipped into the opening of an existing fireplace with thermostat-controlled fans built in to blow more of the heat out into the living space (instead of letting it all escape up the chimney). Very efficient, too. Three decent logs would heat two thirds of the house for about three to four hours and the furnace would sit idle.

My options for additional/complementary heat sources today are a cigarette lighter and a hair dryer. The clothes dryer is tempting, but all that spinning and bouncing around makes me nauseous just thinking about it.

Well, Bob Woodward certainly lays it all out on how Dubya screwed up:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/14/AR2009011402791.html?hpid=topnews

Here's to hoping Obama reads and listens to what Bob has to say!

Did I miss the morning patrol?

We are supposed to whine about bad weather. Its an internationally recognized unifying force. In truth, your cold damp weather is much much more difficult to bear.

Go forth be warm, wear long johns.

It ain't the best hed I've ever read, Scotty. However, what they are trying to say is fairly complicated, and I couldn't immediately figure out a much better way to say it. They didn't even say it all that well in the lede graf, where they had no space restrictions that a hed carries.

Yes, slyness, that was a pretty good think piece Woodward wrote. I was shocked in hearing about that Rice/Rumsfeld scuffle for the first time, and Bush's refusal to deal with it. She should have put her foot down, or quit over it. But then, Bush should have never walked away from it. (Or all the other stuff he walked away from.)

Mudge--

New Eggs in Old Wombs Don't Work

Two comments eaten in a row! A new record!

Good morning Boodle. It is cold here too. Temperature in the teens with a wind chill hovering around zero. I broke out my dad's old WWII Army parka. It is showing its age but still far and away the warmest coat in the house. Y'all keep warm.

I hope you won, Brag. I voted for Kingmaker.

Even In Vitros Need to Check Vajayjay 'Use By' Date

G'morning boodle! Eric Holder is now addressing basketball skills at his confirmation hearing. Pleads the need for time to get up to speed but doubts he'll beat the prez even then.

Just closed our after school program for the day. Not as nerve wracking as deciding to close a school system, but parents rely on us to have their children until they get home from work. However, our furnace cannot keep up with these temps while we're renovating. I don't think they'd appreciate sending us live beings and getting kidsicles in return.

On living in this cold-it is best to remember that it is very dangerous, everything takes longer than usual, and everything breaks. This time of year I just keep a heavy parka, blanket, extra gloves, snow boots, a snow shovel, emergency kit, food and water in my vehicle at all times. (among other things the kit includes a candle, matches, and metal container to melt ice/snow). Always let someone know where you're going and what time you should get there.

MotP-that looks like some inaugural party. Would go just to hear John Cruz. We're doing a Hawaiian theme for our Chinese New Year party this year. I'm going to try making spam musubi. Any tips would be appreciated.

Good morning you all.

Wonderful kit, JA and 4 stars to ScienceTim, from one who has been faintly enlighted by your efforts.

Missed all of the bird discussion, but compared the posted link to the bird in question and then studied my field guide to eastern birds. The Sharp-shinned hawk, the Cooper's Hawk & the Red-tailed Hawk (light phase) photos were on adjoining pages and easy to compare. Must say, Shriek, you know your hawks! It was easy to identify the bird with the book in hand, not so easy from looking at the hawk in a tree. The squirrel never did look like a squirrel to me, more like a dark squirrel's nest, but not really.

DMD, the cardinal photo was very good, they are so shy, took them the longest time to get used to me, now I just look like a meal ticket. So, how's your gall bladder?

New kit, folks.