"I For One Welcome Our New Computer Overlords"

This week, Jeopardy had a unique series of shows air Monday through Wednesday (just in time for sweeps, coincidence?) Two former Jeopardy champions, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, played two games against Watson, an IBM supercomputer.

If you don't know what happened and don't want spoilers, stop reading now (of course I think most of you are well enough informed that you probably ran across the coverage by now!)

Everyone gone who hasn't seen it? Good.

Watson kicked this asses. You might think that a computer would easily win at Jeopardy, but it's a much more complicated problem that you think. Jeopardy clues are frequently based on puns and wordplay. The answers often give clues to the question. Sometimes I can think of more than one right question, but a combination of the answer and the category guides you to the right one. Computers are very good at looking up information in a database. Understanding natural language, puns and wordplay, that's a much more difficult computer program to write!

One of the interesting things they did was have Watson produce a graphic showing his top three choices for answers and his confidence level in each. Watson had a threshold to buzz in, he had to be confident of his answers or he wouldn't buzz in. Watson was very quick on the buzzer and you could tell Jennings and Rutter were frustrated. They knew many of the answers and were just beaten to the buzzer. Watson missed final Jeopardy the first night but was very far ahead and made a small wager (I took consolation in the fact that I knew that final Jeopardy!)

Watson made mistakes and didn't always understand the question. Once Watson said the same incorrect answer that was just given by Jennings.

Okay, so computers are now superior right? Well, one thing I noticed is that the second game was much closer than the first, Jennings and Rutter seemed to learn how to play against Watson. What would have happened in a third game? With practice, could they beat it? Does Watson have the ability to learn (without the input of external programmers) to stay ahead of the human challengers? It was an interesting exhibition, but I think these are a few questions that would be fun to explore as well.

And the quote in the title of my blog? Ken Jennings added that to his final Jeopardy answer on the second day. It's a reference to the Simpsons episode when Homer flies on the space shuttle. Some ants in a science experiment escape and one of them floats in front of a camera during a live broadcast leading Kent Brockmant to conclude that the shuttle was taken over by giant ants and say, "I for one welcome our new insect overlords". I don't think Watson understood the joke.

UPDATE: Here is the clip from the Simpsons

Four for Fridays

Hello everybody! Yep another Friday is here and it's time for Four for Fridays! This week's questions are about the radio.

1) What is your favorite radio station?

2) Do you think the radio overplays songs?

3) If so, which ones?

4) What would you like to hear on the radio?

Enjoy your weekend!

Open Blog - Friday

'Ponch' wants you to know what day it is. 

Does Anybody Else Think this Commercial is Weird?

It's not that it offends me. It just seems stupid to market your product as delicious if you eat someone who has eaten it. I don't know, maybe it's just me.

Here's the 30 second version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e0Gsn4khss

Science on my iPod

I have been busy but want to get back into the habit of more frequent blogs again. I will kick that off by posting something I have meant to for a long time: the science and tech podcasts I listen to on a regular basis. Some of these are tech, some science, some specifically astronomy. I know there are a lot of great shows out there and I can't listen to them all so feel free to add your favorites in the comments. All of these are free subscriptions so there is no excuse not to try them if you think they look interesting!

I am putting these in alphabetical order since that's the way they display on iTunes!

Are We Alone : AWA as it is known is a weekly podcast from the SETI Institute. Seth Shostak, Molly Bentley and the gang tackle a different topic each week in a lighthearted, humorous manner, interviewing a wide variety of scientists in the process.

Astronomy Cast : Pamela Gay and Fraser Cain take you on a weekly facts based journey through the cosmos in the form of an informal conversation. If I ever go back to teaching, I would love to use this series instead of a textbook for an introductory astronomy course. Yes, it's that good.

Buzz Out Loud : BOL is a daily podcast "of indeterminate length" about developments in the tech world. Quirky, funny and informative. You will be hooked after you hear your first "Molly rant".

Geologic Podcast : Not quite a hard science/tech podcast but I think it belongs here anyway. Skeptic/musician George Hrab, well how to describe it. He can talk passionately about music, science, skepticism and any other weird thing that happens to him that week. Careful if you listen to it in the gym...I don't want anyone dropping weights on themselves from laughter!

IT Conversations : IT Convserations is a channel dedicated to information technology. I found them carrying the series Tech Nation with Dr. Moria Gunn. There is much more here as they carry talks from TED and many annual meetings including the O'Reilly Emerging Media Conference, Web 2.0, Where 2.0, Emerging Telephony and many others. I don't listen to every show in this feed because there are so many and lots of them are very technical in areas outside my areas of interest (although I imagine others would love them). Still there are a lot of gems in this feed.

Lab Out Loud : The National Science Teacher's Association podcast. Targeted at science teachers but frequently has interviews that would interest a general audience as well.

Naked Astronomy : Monthly podcast on astronomy news with typical British humor.

The Naked Scientists : Weekly science podcast with British wit (this week: What makes mucas green?)

Nature Podcast : Weekly podcast from the journal Nature, one of the big names in science journals.

Science Friday : NPR's weekly podcast with Ira Flatow that covers current science stories.

Skepticality : The official podcast of Skeptic magazine features interviews with noted skeptics and scientists.

The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe : "Your Escape to Reality" starts each show. SGU takes on pseudoscience, medical quackery, and doomsday nonsense every week. They will feel like old friends after a few weeks.

Skeptoid : Brian Dunning's short (~10 minutes) weekly podcast takes on a different topic each week. Well researched and entertaining.

This Week in Science : "The Kick Ass Science Podcast" is the tag line. They do their best to live up to it with fun and interesting conversations on the latest science news.

This Week in Tech : A long and leisurely review of the week's tech news with Leo Laporte and friends.

WNYCs Radio Lab : Radio Lab is a very well produces series that explores different topics in science. My big complaint is that they don't air episodes more frequently, but they put a lot of time and effort into each show.

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast : Originally conceived for the International Year of Astronomy in 2009, it just keeps going. Each day features about a 10 minute podcast on a different topic produced by professional and amateur astronomers from around the world. I am producing one a month for the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (we have the 17th of each month), work on the Dark Skies podcasts we produce and do some on topics of personal interest as well.

As you can tell, I listen to a lot of podcasts while running, at the gym, commuting and at home. With all the free content out there presented in different styles, there is no excuse not to be well informed (oh, and I listen to things OTHER than science podcasts as well, but that is another blog!)

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my warming trendsetters! How are you? Hasn’t it been lovely to watch so much snow melt? And ugly, too, when it reveals all the dirt and debris beneath. Those huge piles of snow by the lake in Pershing Park are incredible. I drove by and almost expected to see a St. Bernard dog with a keg of brandy on patrol up there. Never in my life have I seen such accumulations of snow in Racine. We really are getting a break with the warm up to melt it, as long as flooding doesn’t occur.

Racine’s mayoral primary was yesterday, so Eric Marcus and John Dickert will face each other in the April 5th election. May the best man (Eric Marcus) win.

It’s been a slow week, my dears, so I don’t have a lot to blog about. Now that the Packers have secured the Super Bowl, I should let you know that I am not a March Madness type girl. Basketball has never moved me the way that football does. It must have something to do with all that brute, male force in football. Oh my.

I know there is a major brouhaha occurring now over our new governor’s budget bill. I don’t think that anything I could say would add to the debate. I tend to keep my opinions focused on more local issues, where my voice is more likely to be heard. When I have insomnia, I call my alderman and complain about problems in the neighborhood. That’s how I do my part.

I was happy to see Mr. OrbsCorbs’ blog concerning the return of the Racine Post. Those gentlemen over there have always done such a marvelous job of covering the Racine scene. While I’m heaping on the praise, I should also mention Racine Uncovered and the marvelous job that Ms. Beth does on reporting crime and political shenanigans in Racine. We are fortunate to have such a vibrant online community.

Finally, I assume that you’ve already seen this, but in case you haven’t, here is the cutest Volkswagen commercial:



Thank you, thank you, dear Irregulars and regulars alike, for taking time to read my blog today. I so enjoy your company. It’s soothing to sip a cup of coffee, watch the snow melt, and read the JT Irregulars. Are you already anticipating the first blossoms of spring? I am.

Please send your campaign dirt and bomb threats to: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.

It was very slippery went I went out earlier today. Be careful out there, my dears. The snow may be melting, but there are still huge piles at some intersections, limiting your vision. Take your time and you’ll get there. Tyrotoxism!

Open Blog - Wednesday

 

Melting, messy, mushy slush. 

"Two Racine doctors among seven indicted in drug case"

http://www.jsonline.com/news/crime/116268219.html

Cocaine.  Sheesh.

The 2011 Interactive Budget

The New York Times has put up an interactive graphic of Obama's proposed 2011 budget. They did this last year as well (and I believe I linked to it here as well). Each part of the budget is to scale so you can see how much is spent on different programs and can play the "I can cut this budget easily" game. Here is a snapshot of this year's budget.

I know you can't read everything here..the interactive graphic lets you zoom in to see what those small squares are. The colors indicated whether the funding has increased or decreased from last year.

Spending is only half the issue. I would love to see an interactive graphic that shows where the government revenue comes from.

Today is Racine's Primary Election Day

So many sacrificed so much for your right to vote.  Please use it. 

Find your Polling station

You can't vote if you don't know where to go. Use this handy interactive website to find where you need to go.

http://www.cityofracine.org/City/Departments/Clerk/Poll.aspx?id=196

John Dickert and the "Embezzler"

I've been informed that Mayor Dickert spoke on WRJN yesterday. I believe he does that regularly, but I don't listen to the station, so I don't know. Apparently, he referenced a problem with his Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). He said there had been an "embezzler," who he fired. As it turns out, the only person fired from the NSP was Bill Bielefeldt, the city's award-winning lead abatement specialist who blew the whistle on lying John's lead paint removal violations in the NSP. Lying John responded by firing Bill, and Brian O'Connell sent the police to Bill's house to intimidate him. You can read the history here: http://news.racinepost.com/2010/09/racine-housing-program-creating-lead.html
http://news.racinepost.com/2010/10/racine-police-used-to-deliver-letters.html
http://news.racinepost.com/2010/10/whistleblower-forces-racine-to-clean-up.html

As I understand it, lying John and his cronies have been desperate to get something on Bill ever since they fired him. They've tried a number of different approaches, but nothing would stick. It appears that Mr. Bielefeldt is honest. (That alone would scare the hell out of a pathological liar like Dickert.) So I guess they've settled on "embezzler" as the purported reason for firing Bill, months after the fact, and minus any apparent criminal investigation.

Once the dust settles, there will be a wrongful termination lawsuit filed against the city. Mr. Bielefeldt will win (or, more likely, the city will settle), and the citizens of Racine will have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for lying John's deceit and arrogance.

Party on, lying John!

Why Doesn't Anyone Tell Me These Things?

The Racine Post is back, sort of: http://news.racinepost.com/2011/01/so-where-were-we.html

I think this is great news, even if the site will not be the same as before. I've truly missed the Post. I hope they have some input on our upcoming mayoral election.

Open Blog - Valentine's Day

Who is your Valentine?

Spring time humor

Four brothers left home for college, and they became successful doctors and lawyers and prospered. Some years later, they chatted after having dinner together.. They discussed the gifts they were able to give their elderly mother who lived far away in another city.

The first said, "I had a big house built for Mama."

The second said, " I had a hundred thousand dollar theater built in the house."

The third said, "I had my Mercedes dealer deliver an SL600 to her."

The fourth said, "You know how Mama loved reading the Bible and you know she can't read anymore because she can't see very well. I met this preacher who told me about a parrot that can recite the entire Bible. It took twenty preachers 12 years to teach him. I had to pledge to contribute $100,000 a year for twenty years to the church, but it was worth it. Mama just has to name the chapter and verse and the parrot will recite it."

The other brothers were impressed. After the holidays Mom sent out her Thank You notes.

She wrote: "Milton, the house you built is so huge I live in only one room, but I have to clean the whole house. Thanks anyway."

"Marvin, I am too old to travel. I stay home, I have my groceries delivered, so never use the Mercedes. The thought was good. Thanks."

"Michael, you gave me an expensive theater with Dolby sound, it could hold 50 people, but all of my friends are dead, I've lost my hearing and I'm nearly blind. I'll never use it. Thank you for the gesture just the same.."

"Dearest Melvin, you were the only son to have the good sense to give a little thought to your gift. The chicken was delicious. Thank you."

Love you,
MAMA

45.4 °F

45.4 °F in West Racine at 4:18 PM, according to Weather Underground.

HOORAY!!!

We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming.

JUST A TAP

A passenger in a taxi leaned over to ask the driver a question and gently tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. The driver screamed, lost control of the cab, nearly hit a bus, drove up over the curb and stopped just inches from a large plate glass window. For a few moments everything was silent in the cab. Then, the still shaking driver said, "Are you OK? I'm so sorry, but you scared the daylights out of me." The badly shaken passenger apologized to the driver and said he didn't realize that a mere tap on the shoulder would startle the driver so badly. The driver replied, "No, no, I'm the one who is sorry, it's entirely my fault today is my very first day driving a cab. I've been driving a hearse for 25 years.

Big bubbles

Maybe you've seen the guy walking through a campsite followed by kids as he's made huge soap bubbles. Maybe you've even seen a stage shoe, or something on TV. Have you ever wondered what they used to get those three foot round bubbles? Here is a GREAT recipe.

One bottle of "Dawn Classic" *Do not use Ultra. (Classic can be found at the Family Dollar store.)

One tube of personal lubricant. (the cheap store brand is fine.)

One 4oz bottle of glycerin. (Can be found at drug stores.)

One gallon of distilled water *Important to use distilled, not tap water.


pour 2 cups distilled water, the tube of lubricant and 2-4 oz of glycerin into a microwave safe bowl. Heat until hot. No need to boil.

Pour Dawn and distilled water into a bucket at a 2-1 ratio water to Dawn. Stir with as little agitation so you mix, but don't make bubbles.

Add your hot glycerin/lube mix slowly while stirring until well mixed.

Let age over night. Can be bottled and stored, but aged mix works better than virgin mix.

You can dilute the concoction when you go to use it to stretch it, but thicker makes bigger bubbles than thinner. If you make it too thin, just add some more of the base mix.


Bubble wands

Go buy some cotton string. The kind they used to use to wrap meat is perfect. You want a string that holds solution well, but also wicks away freely as the bubble is formed.

Also find two 1/4 to 3/8" dowels

Use loosely braid three 4' long lengths of this string. You don't want a tight braid that makes the bubble wand string rigid, but just enough to keep three lengths together.

Tie one end the braided string to one dowel end then tie the other dowel between 12-14" down the string from it. Finally tie the other end of the string to the first dowel. The end result is a loop of string you can open and close by bringing the dowels together, and then spreading apart. This closes the loop so you can make new bubbles until the string needs reloading with solution.


I've used dawn Ultra and it is not nearly as good as Dawn Classic. Knowing where to find Dawn Classic will have me making big bubbles this summer. It's a great stress reliever.

What to Get The Love of Your LIfe Who Has Everything...

Stuck with ideas for Valentine's Day? Well the Bronx Zoo is here to help. They will let you name a Madagasgar Hissing Cockroach after your loved one for the low price of $10 (proceeds to benefit the Wildlife Conservation Society). Just imagine the look on his or her face upon receiving the certificate of having a hissing roach named after them...what could possibly go wrong?

After all, according to the website, "Naming a roach in honor of someone near and dear to your heart shows that you've noticed how resilient, resourceful, and loyal that person is. Or maybe it's in recognition of your one and only's virility, or strength in the face of high radiation. You're not afraid to say, "Baby, you're a roach!""

And you can even go to the Bronx Zoo to see the cockroach. They have a life expectancy of 2-3 years, much longer than flowers!

Four for Fridays

Hello everyone! Another Friday is here! How about that? Seems like they are coming quicker these days. This week's questions are about Valentine's Day.

1) Do you think of Valentine's Day as a "Hallmark" holiday?

2) What place would a good place to take your special someone out to dinner?

3) Any special Valentine memories?

4) Any special Valentine plans?

Enjoy your weekend!

The Shaving Helmet - Real or Fake?

The above video appeared online a few days ago and has caused some controversy; specifically, is it real or fake? Personally, I think it is an obvious fake. What do you think?

Open Blog - Weekend

And I'm hanging my head out of the window.

Citizens for Responsible Government to Take Out Anti-Dickert Ads

Racine Uncovered reports the story here: http://racineuncovered.org/?p=30398

Citizens for Responsible Government's website: http://www.jobsforracine.com/

Citizens for Responsible Government say they will take out ads and also do some spots on WRJN. This could be an interesting election. A press conference has been scheduled for immediately after the city's Redevelopment Authority meeting tomorrow to discuss a request for a $1.2 million loan from the city for a company promising jobs: http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/article_ea272bcc-348f-11e0-a8fc-001cc4c002e0.html One can only assume that the results of that meeting are predetermined and that Mayor Dickert will be announcing the "creation of 100 jobs" less than a week before the primary. Remember American Tire? Remember Treasures Media? Remember the proposed development of the empty lot in West Racine? I do.

Party on, lying John!

Catholic Church unveils iPhone app

All right, digital guilt.

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my frigid friends! How are you? Have you unthawed from our overnight temperatures yet? With the wind chill, it’s colder than the surface of the moon. We certainly are having a “real” winter in Racine this year, but we’re hardly alone. Even amongst the Irregulars, we have Ms. Mary and Ms. Why Not and Ms. Minnesota Chick each battling winter in their respective locations. Ms. Beejay is probably battling bugs and snakes. If you follow the news, you know that weather patterns are screwed up worldwide and natural disasters have been occurring with frightening frequency. Most pundits ascribe this to global warming or climate change. You may believe whatever you wish, but I think I may have a better idea of why our weather is so messed up: Mother Nature is going through menopause. Shhh! That’s not the kind of thing you would want spread around about yourself, so please keep it to yourselves. But when you think about how disruptive, up and down, and downright loony some of the weather has been, my explanation makes perfect sense.

Hail, hail, o glorious Green Bay Packers! Hoorah, hoorah! Welcome back to Titletown, o noble conquerors. Thank you for returning the Lombardi Trophy to its rightful place. Thank you for playing your hearts and souls and guts out all season long for us. The Super Bowl was quite a game. Although the Packers led the entire time, I was on the edge of my seat throughout the game, especially those last few minutes when they led by only 6 and the Steelers had the ball. Oh my. But our wonderful, super-duper, extraordinary Packers saved the day. We are the champions! Thank you, mighty Packers. And thank you, mighty Packer fans.

This is a public service announcement, my dears: please vote in Racine’s mayoral primary, next Tuesday, February, 15, 2011. I know that’s a week away, but my next blog won’t appear until the day after that. I would also like to reiterate my endorsement of Mr. Eric Marcus for Mayor of Racine. I’ve liked the cut of his jib ever since he started sparring with Mayor John Dickert at City Council meetings. Mr. Marcus is not a yes-man to the “good old boys” who infect Racine’s government and politics. Besides, he already has a little extra going for him with the power of Zoltar® behind him.

Here’s an interesting little video that restores my faith in justice, if only within my age group: “Old Lady with a handbag fights off 6 Robbers armed with Sledge Hammers”



“Magnificent,” indeed. Too bad she didn’t have a brick in that handbag.

That’s my frozen blog for a frozen day, my dear readers. I hope that you are managing to stay warm and cozy. The weather prognosticators say it will warm up by the weekend, maybe even above freezing. A heat wave! Thank you for taking the time to stop by today. It’s always a pleasure to be with you.

Show me yours, and I’ll show you mine: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.

Be careful out there, my beloved Irregulars and regulars. These kinds of temperatures make everything as hard as a rock. If you slip or swerve, it could hurt a lot. Remember, easy does it. Let me know when you see the first robin. Jentacular!

Open Blog - Wednesday

What animal are you riding today?

A Championship Scooter

Meteorologist Freaks Out Over Blizzard

That video was posted a year ago, but I think the performance is pertinent today.
I also think it's pretty funny.

Kitt Peak Green Flash

Not the best green flash tonight, but I got it setting behind the Mayall 4 meter telescope (taken near the corner of Old Spanish Trail and Houghton in Tucson). That puts Kitt Peak 70 miles away roughly to give a little sense of scale here.

I wasn't sure I was going to get anything when I set up. There was a large dust cloud over Kitt Peak. You can still see a little bit of it in the pics on the left side of the mountain. Fortunately, these things move and it was moving to give me a shot. Could have moved a little bit more...would have been better. But here goes...tonight's sunset.

Compare the pics to the one from February 3rd. You can see how far north the Sun has moved in a few days. Unfortunately, I was unable to take photos on Friday and the weather didn't cooperate Saturday and Sunday. I will give this another try in the fall when the Sun is making its southward journey.

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicst Blog.

Dark Skies Podcast From NOAO

It's almost time for our annual GLOBE at Night campaign which begins on February 21st, 2011 (and will be the subject of an upcoming blog post). In preparation for the campaign, NOAO had produced another podcast for the 365 Days of Astronomy focusing on light pollution and it's effects on human health.

Many people dismiss light pollution as only important to astronomy. However, light pollution affects many types of animals including humans. Excess night time lighting has been linked to sleep disorders and some types of cancer. The American Medical Association has released a statement advocating for the reduction of excess night time lighting due to its effects on human health.

The 365 Days of Astronomy podcast features a short show each day on a different topic in astronomy. Each day is produced by a different person or group ranging from high school students (think I even heard a couple done by middle school students), college students, and both amateur and professional astronomers from around the world.. It is free to subscribe to on iTunes and if you haven't already subscribed, you should (and I don't just say that because I am doing a LOT of podcasts for them this year!) Better yet, if you like astronomy (or know someone who does) that would want to contribute, they are still looking for people to fill open dates in 2011.

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

Open Blog - Monday

Hooray, the Packers won the Super Bowl!

Are You a Synesthete?

Well, I am. I have synesthesia. It's not a serious or debilitating condition for me fortunately, just a little quirk I have to deal with occasionally.

Synesthesia is a condition where your senses get a little mixed up. Music might cause a person to see colors. With me, certain textures cause me to experience taste. Yep, touch and taste get a little mixed up.

I don't taste everything I touch. Usually rough surfaces provoke the response. Sandpaper has a range of tastes. Rough sandpaper tastes different than relatively smooth sand paper. Cardboard nail files are the worst tasting thing I have ever touched...they get me a little nauseous (it tastes extremely bitter). Tools with rubber handles frequently provoke a taste response. So do car tires, especially if I run my fingers over the tread. My cell phone case tastes rather pleasant fortunately! Fortunately most everyday objects do not provoke a taste (or it could be that I am used to them).

Estimates are that a few percent of the population experiences some form of synesthesia. Anyone else here ever get their senses mixed up?

Super Bowl Blog

Super Bowl XLV - 5:30 PM CST - Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas - TV: Fox (Ch. 6 and 32 ); Radio: WTMJ (620 AM); WRJN (1400 AM); WEZY (92.1 FM)

"DPW truck watches citizens remove snow and calls police"

This is interesting. Racine Uncovered reports that Dino's Restaurant and Twins Food Mart on 16th Street took it upon themselves to hire a contractor to remove the dangerous snow mounds on their sidewalks. A DPW truck driver sat in his truck and watched the process for half an hour, then called the police. The police responded and found no problem. Read and see about it here: http://racineuncovered.org/?p=30119

I wonder what the DPW driver's problem was?

ordering early pizza for the game

I tried to order a pizza from Pizza Rut for the championship game. I ordered at half time, and got a delivery time of twenty minutes after the game ended. Not only that, but it never arrived! This time I will not be denied. You can pre-order days, even weeks in advance, so I did. 5:00 pm, Sunday. I'm ready.

Four for Fridays

Hello everyone! What a crazy week! With the storm and everything going on it is hard to believe it is Friday already. This week's questions are about high school.

1) Did you like high school?

2) What was your favorite class?

3) Describe yourself in high school.

4) Did you go to the prom?

Enjoy your weekend!

Open Blog - Weekend

Even though the blizzard is over, be careful out there.

Green Flash Near Kitt Peak

I was on the east side of Tucson taking sunset pictures. From this point, the Sun is setting just to the south of Kitt Peak. I got a pic tonight of a modest green flash at sunset.

Click to embiggen. You can see the Mayall 4 meter dome at the far right and the sideways 7 that is the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope toward the left of the peak in the full size version. The Sun is setting to the south of Kitt Peak which means that it will soon be setting directly behind Kitt Peak as it journeys northwards as summer approaches. One of my goals is to get a pic of a green flash behind some of the telescopes.

Two things about this pic. First, I am shooting with a Canon 70-300mm zoom lens now so I get a slight boost in magnification. Second, my camera is in the shop so I took this with a borrowed Canon T1i which has a higher pixel count than my usual camera. I can tell a difference when I crop the image.

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

The Age Gap

At 85 years of age, Boudreaux married Marie, a lovely 25 year old. Since her new husband is so old, Marie decides that after their wedding she and Boudreaux should have separate bedrooms, because she is concerned that her new but aged husband may over exert himself if they spend the entire night together.

After the wedding festivities Marie prepares herself for bed and the expected knock on the door.. Sure enough the knock comes, the door opens and there is Boudreaux, her 85 year old groom, ready for action. They unite as one.. All goes well, Boudreaux takes leave of his bride, and she prepares to go to sleep.

After a few minutes, Marie hears another knock on her bedroom door, and it's Boudreaux, Again he is ready for more 'action'. Somewhat surprised, Marie consents for more coupling. When the newly weds are done, Boudreaux kisses his bride, bids her a fond good night and leaves.

She is set to go to sleep again, but, aha you guessed it - Boudreaux Is back again, rapping on the door, and is as fresh as a 25-year-old, ready for more 'action'. And, once more they enjoy each other.

But as Boudreaux gets set to leave again, his young bride says to him, 'I am thoroughly impressed that at your age you can perform so well and so often. I have been with guys less than a third of your age who were only good once. You are truly a great lover, Boudreaux.'

Boudreaux, somewhat embarrassed, turns to Marie and says: 'You mean I was here already?'

The moral of the story:

Don't be afraid of getting old, Alzheimer's has its advantages.

Russian inventor shows off propeller backpack

I want one of those. In the summer, I could use roller skates or blades. A few years ago, I could have built one in mom's garage. Now I don't have access to facilities or parts. To hell with Segways, I think this is the wave of the future.

"Snow flakes."

Snow flakes.

I counted till they danced so
Their slippers leaped the town,
And then I took a pencil
To note the rebels down.
And then they grew so jolly
I did resign the prig,
And ten of my once stately toes
Are marshalled for a jig!

--Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson (1830 -1886) was an American poet who led a reclusive life. Her poetry was almost unknowm until after her death.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Dickinson

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my Racinesicles! How are you? Are you digging out yet? Oh my, oh my, oh my. Even I, of Zoltar® fame, would not dare to predict the total amount of snow we’re going to get from this one. Lake effect snow is notoriously fickle. In any case, I hope we have enough to satisfy the blithering and blathering weathermen and women who have been relentlessly yammering about this storm for the last 72 hours. I don’t know which is worse, the constant harping and hyperbole from the media, or the storm itself. Give it a rest, please. We live in Wisconsin. It is winter. Please inform us and then STFU. (I learned that from Junior.)

Such weather concerns are far from the minds of our illustrious Green Bay Packers as they prepare to meet the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV this Sunday. As I have stated elsewhere, I predict a Packers win. No matter what happens, though, our Packers have played an extraordinary season and I congratulate them on that. They have overcome great odds to get to where they are: NFC Champs. Hail, o mighty Packers! Defeat the Steelers on Sunday! Crush their skulls and grind the dust into the field! Oh my.

Speaking of the Super Bowl, are you having a party or going to one? No, I’m not looking to crash your party; I’m just cuprous about what my Irregulars are doing on such a festive and historic occasion. I plan to watch the game on TV with Junior and some of his friends. (If they get a little too rambunctious, I just slip a pinch of Zoltar® brand Relaxium into their sodas. Zzzz….) I’m grilling brats and hot dogs on the porch, if Junior clears the snow off. We’ll also have some potato salad, some veggies, some snacks, etc., etc. Maybe a little wine for me. (Hic – oh dear.) What are you having? Where are you going? Who is going to win?

I want to comment on a local story that the Journal Times published online last Friday:

http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_1632ede0-2b40-11e0-bcc0-001cc4c002e0.html

The article is entitled, “Crime rates drop in 2010 - Racine rates decline for second year in a row” and it is one of the biggest loads of crap I have read in a long, long time. I consider it terribly unfortunate that those who run this city think it is better to try to deceive our residents than it is to work with them towards solutions to our problems. I thank Racine Uncovered for publishing a response to such hogwash:

http://racineuncovered.org/?p=29333

I get so angry when someone lies to the people of my beloved Racine. Grrr! I can make you go bald.

Finally, my friends, I present a very pertinent video for your perusal, “Snow Shoveling Tips by Dr. Vogelmann:”



Chiropractors make a good buck, don’t they? I wonder if he’s single.

Thank you for reading my blog today. I hope that wherever you are, you are safe and warm. We’re having a blizzard, but who isn’t these days? I love you dear, dear readers.

Please forward your spam and threatening messages to: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.

Listen to the dear doctor and take it easy out there today, please. If you don’t have to go out, don’t. Today would be a good day to practice navel gazing or self-hypnosis. Or maybe navel hypnosis. Réaumur!

Open Blog - Wednesday

If you're snowbound today, just stare at the picture above and relax. 

I hate asking this but...

My friend knows a couple that have two children with a rare genetic disorder. The cute kids probably won't live past twelve years of age, and be a burden even though they are cute and seem normal now. My friend has been pushing all her friends to vote for a PEPSI funded research grant, and at the moment they are in first place inn the grant contest. Just squeaking by though. I would like anyone interested in helping out, to vote each day. i think you can vote twice a day even.

Thanks


http://www.refresheverything.com/curesanfilippo

The Big Snow Blog

"A blizzard in the forecast" - http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/article_1a3e9212-2d53-11e0-8b4e-001cc4c03286.html

National Weather Service Blizzard Watch - http://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=mkx&wwa=blizzard%20watch - "NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS COULD BE A HISTORIC BLIZZARD CAPABLE OF PARALYZING PARTS OF SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN."

Are you ready?

Are you afraid?

Or are you eagerly awaiting it?

Then we're supposed to drop into the deep freeze again.

Personally, I hope they've overestimated the snowfall amounts.  But I'm resigned to whatever happens because it is winter in Wisconsin, so there's not a lot you can do but make sure you have enough food and whatever else you need  for a couple of days.  And try to think spring.

Open Blog - Monday

Me, too.

St Paul Winter Carnival

http://spwc.smugmug.com/popular/1/462218661_VbdZK#462218661_VbdZK
These are pictures from the St. Paul, MN Winter Carnival. The snow sculptures are amazing!! We didn't get there to see them in person, but this is a good place to see all of them without freezing your tootsies off!
Check out #2! Is that SER??

This link has some pictures of the ice sculptures.
http://www.365twincitiesmn.com/day-264-ice-sculptures-at-the-st-paul-winter-carnival/

Catapot

No, that's not a typo. Drug smugglers have recently been using a catapault to send bales of marijuana over the U.S.-Mexico border.



When will they learn to build a trebuchet?

Be My Valentine?

I'm so glad that you allow my strange mind to flourish without too much ridicule.. 

I had a bunch of stuff floating around up there: my band's cd/album cover, Valentine's Day, poetry and limericks, and Sassa's naughty valentine. It all gelled into this overnight. 

Now I see that there is a poet laureate contest?  Hmmm... Somehow, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be interested. :D

"Apply by Feb. 15 to become poet laureate of Racine or Kenosha"

"Racine and Kenosha Public Library systems have extended the deadline for submissions of the poet laureate program to Feb. 15.

"Poets are encouraged to submit applications to become the poet laureate of their respective communities. The poets laureate will be crowned in early April during National Poetry Month.

"The honor also includes publication of the poets’ work and a $500 award, given to each poet, from the Friends of the Kenosha Public Library and Friends of the Racine Public Library.

"Poets must be age 18 or older and a current resident of Racine or Kenosha counties in order to apply. Application forms and more information are available at all library branches in Racine and Kenosha counties. Forms and information are also available on the Web at www.mykpl.info and www.racinelibrary.info"

More: http://www.journaltimes.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/article_1cd1563a-2a57-11e0-8f34-001cc4c002e0.html