Well, we're about a year out from Katrina, covered a bit here before. You already know I follow the hurricane news anyway, so you know I've seen this, the suggestion that (as of this writing) Ernesto will be bearing right down on the gulf coast. It's too soon of course to pick a state, let alone a city as a target, so here is the updating forecast track. There's even a fair bit of uncertainty as to whether the system will stay strong into the gulf, but if it does, the water there is warm and it's a good bet to explosively intensify as Katrina did.
That's the future; let's not forget the past. The Wiki has a good page, of course. NPR will be running stories all week, as will the news channels I'm sure. The Discovery Channel will be running a special on Sunday, and I've heard good things about (but can't see) the Spike Lee documentary on HBO.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Stevis's Library of Shame
I decided to look about the house, and figure out which books I've started and not finished. Cripes, I found eight. This is ridiculous and I will now post the list in the hopes that public shame will get me to finish them.
I don't read like I did as a kid...sure I'm busy. And my life challenges my brain more than the K-12 system ever did, so I don't need as much of the intellectual stimulation a book provides. And I have more and cooler electronics, and those distract me. But I've got to make time, if I wish to continue to call myself a smart person, instead of just a smartass.
So here they are, in the rough order I might attack them. I will, however, listen to your suggestions on the subject.
Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson.
I have of course read Snow Crash, and liked it. I started Cryptonomicon right after..and I like it, but I've put 500 pages behind me, and I'm still pretty much in the middle. The bookmark in this is my boarding pass from Christmas.
Collapse, Jared Diamond
Guns, Germs, and Steel is of course now the classic "this is how the world got this way" book for geeks. So this examination of why some societies completely vanish while others thrive was a clear purchase for me...I've only read the intro though.
Baseball Between the Numbers, the Baseball Prospectus folk (Jonah Keri, editor).
This is a bunch of analytical essays on baseball. I've read some of these. Because of the shorter format, I've tried this as a bathroom book, but they're a little too long and a little too full of numbers and charts to be good for that purpose.
The Making of the Atomic Bomb, Richard Rhodes
The definitive history of the Manhattan Project, I had about 100 pages down on this and then that copy was ruined by a curry spill. Probably need to start from the beginning here. Perhaps I should move this up the list--as a physicist, I show know more of the intricacies of this. I will have to follow up with Rhodes's Dark Sun: The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb, but that's another giant tome...
Heat Wave, Eric Klineberg
Mostly finished, but I was reading this back in Chicago. It's a sociological examination of the killer Chicago heat wave in the summer of 1995, which I lived through with no AC in the 5th floor of a brick building in Holland, MI. We got a lot of research done that summer because the physics building had good AC. Probably need to skim some of the earlier chapters to be sure I have a gist of the thesis.
Schindler's List, Thomas Keneally
Started once, but would probably go from the beginning. Not an appropriate make-out book.
Bringing Down the House, Ben Mezrich
The story of the MIT blackjack team that engaged in elaborate card-counting operations to make money in Vegas. I've read excerpts, but have not done more than flip through this copy.
The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, Douglass Wallop
You may know it better as Damn Yankees. I picked it up at the SABR Bob Davids Chapter annual fundraising raffle. Only read the first chapter so far.
OK...if any of those links don't make sense, let me know--I may have copied something to the wrong place.
I don't read like I did as a kid...sure I'm busy. And my life challenges my brain more than the K-12 system ever did, so I don't need as much of the intellectual stimulation a book provides. And I have more and cooler electronics, and those distract me. But I've got to make time, if I wish to continue to call myself a smart person, instead of just a smartass.
So here they are, in the rough order I might attack them. I will, however, listen to your suggestions on the subject.
Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson.
I have of course read Snow Crash, and liked it. I started Cryptonomicon right after..and I like it, but I've put 500 pages behind me, and I'm still pretty much in the middle. The bookmark in this is my boarding pass from Christmas.
Collapse, Jared Diamond
Guns, Germs, and Steel is of course now the classic "this is how the world got this way" book for geeks. So this examination of why some societies completely vanish while others thrive was a clear purchase for me...I've only read the intro though.
Baseball Between the Numbers, the Baseball Prospectus folk (Jonah Keri, editor).
This is a bunch of analytical essays on baseball. I've read some of these. Because of the shorter format, I've tried this as a bathroom book, but they're a little too long and a little too full of numbers and charts to be good for that purpose.
The Making of the Atomic Bomb, Richard Rhodes
The definitive history of the Manhattan Project, I had about 100 pages down on this and then that copy was ruined by a curry spill. Probably need to start from the beginning here. Perhaps I should move this up the list--as a physicist, I show know more of the intricacies of this. I will have to follow up with Rhodes's Dark Sun: The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb, but that's another giant tome...
Heat Wave, Eric Klineberg
Mostly finished, but I was reading this back in Chicago. It's a sociological examination of the killer Chicago heat wave in the summer of 1995, which I lived through with no AC in the 5th floor of a brick building in Holland, MI. We got a lot of research done that summer because the physics building had good AC. Probably need to skim some of the earlier chapters to be sure I have a gist of the thesis.
Schindler's List, Thomas Keneally
Started once, but would probably go from the beginning. Not an appropriate make-out book.
Bringing Down the House, Ben Mezrich
The story of the MIT blackjack team that engaged in elaborate card-counting operations to make money in Vegas. I've read excerpts, but have not done more than flip through this copy.
The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, Douglass Wallop
You may know it better as Damn Yankees. I picked it up at the SABR Bob Davids Chapter annual fundraising raffle. Only read the first chapter so far.
OK...if any of those links don't make sense, let me know--I may have copied something to the wrong place.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
And I Feel Fine
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Cubs get toasted, but it's still fun
Despite their awful performance last Sunday night, I went to all three Cubs@Nats games...the Nats were having a "Grand Re-Opening" to celebrate both the new owners and some improvements. I had to snicker as they gave me a hat, t-shirt, and "Rally Towel" while I was wearing my Aramis Ramirez jersey...
Speaking of him, he was they only Cub to have a good weekend...Lee didn't start the first two games--supposedly they were resting his wrist--but Aramis had a pair of two-homer games. That's pretty cool when you're wearing the jersey. He didn't homer Sunday as the Cubs took their soundest thrashing of the sweep.
Also of news, they replaced the lame "Presidents Race" animation on the scoreboard with a super-cool "giant-headed Presidents" race on the field, reminiscent of the Sausage Races in Milwaukee. See below. The only thing that would make it cooler than the Sausage Races is if they had Secret Servicemen running alongside. Giant-headed costumes, or just guys & gals in black suits, I don't care. But they need Secret Servicemen to go over the top with this.
The pics:
Austin Kearns
Nick Johnson
Alfonso Soriano
Ryan Zimmerman
The view from this year's 20-game plan seat (Saturday)
The umps, from Sunday's seat
Aramis. All for one!
Derrek Lee, fouling off a ball
Neifi the Outmaker, Black Hole of Suckitude
The next five are the Giant Headed Presidents (band name!):
Speaking of him, he was they only Cub to have a good weekend...Lee didn't start the first two games--supposedly they were resting his wrist--but Aramis had a pair of two-homer games. That's pretty cool when you're wearing the jersey. He didn't homer Sunday as the Cubs took their soundest thrashing of the sweep.
Also of news, they replaced the lame "Presidents Race" animation on the scoreboard with a super-cool "giant-headed Presidents" race on the field, reminiscent of the Sausage Races in Milwaukee. See below. The only thing that would make it cooler than the Sausage Races is if they had Secret Servicemen running alongside. Giant-headed costumes, or just guys & gals in black suits, I don't care. But they need Secret Servicemen to go over the top with this.
The pics:
Austin Kearns
Nick Johnson
Alfonso Soriano
Ryan Zimmerman
The view from this year's 20-game plan seat (Saturday)
The umps, from Sunday's seat
Aramis. All for one!
Derrek Lee, fouling off a ball
Neifi the Outmaker, Black Hole of SuckitudeThe next five are the Giant Headed Presidents (band name!):
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Science Link Post
From the world of combustion chemistry, I bring you grilling with liquid oxygen. Do not try this at home. At least without me. Not that it would be safer, but I want to see it. (Some of you have probably seen it before; I couldn't find it on the net for quite a while.)
From the social sciences: computer simulations of societies, with very simple rules for the individual units, have surprising and disturbing results.
From the lines of the science-religion discourse, a physicist addresses how to talk to the general public about the "conflict." Probably of more interest to the scientists among the handful of readers; as a suggestion on how to approach the topic.
From the social sciences: computer simulations of societies, with very simple rules for the individual units, have surprising and disturbing results.
From the lines of the science-religion discourse, a physicist addresses how to talk to the general public about the "conflict." Probably of more interest to the scientists among the handful of readers; as a suggestion on how to approach the topic.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
I am a Patriot
I will not wrap myself in the flag; I will declare this to be the greatest country that ever was. I will not allow that to blind me to calls to make it better. Rectifying an injustice is not unpatriotic; nay, it is the height of patriotism. It's certainly how we got started.
You could argue that the current administration, and their enablers assembled in Congress (on both sides of the aisle), even hit these listed "Injuries and Usurpations," albeit only passively on the final:
Fortunately, we are not forced yet to pledge our Lives, our Fortunes and our Sacred Honor. (Yes, I spelled it as we do today. Sue me.) It's a critical campaign season coming up; do what you can, give what you can. OK, so maybe that is pledging your Fortune. As cynical as many of us have become, including me, it's not going to get better unless we work at it.
They say that the top athletes are those who are never satisfied, and constantly work to make themselves just a little better. That's how I feel about patriotism. Just because we have a lot of which to be proud, doesn't mean it's wrong to focus on being even better.
You could argue that the current administration, and their enablers assembled in Congress (on both sides of the aisle), even hit these listed "Injuries and Usurpations," albeit only passively on the final:
HE has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
HE has combined with others to subject us to a Jurisdiction foreign to our Constitution, and unacknowledged by our Laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
FOR depriving us, in many Cases, of the Benefits of Trial by Jury:
HE has plundered our Seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our Towns, and destroyed the Lives of our People.
Fortunately, we are not forced yet to pledge our Lives, our Fortunes and our Sacred Honor. (Yes, I spelled it as we do today. Sue me.) It's a critical campaign season coming up; do what you can, give what you can. OK, so maybe that is pledging your Fortune. As cynical as many of us have become, including me, it's not going to get better unless we work at it.
They say that the top athletes are those who are never satisfied, and constantly work to make themselves just a little better. That's how I feel about patriotism. Just because we have a lot of which to be proud, doesn't mean it's wrong to focus on being even better.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Rain Wrap-up
Washington evaluates its repsonse; I can't really say it was too bad, although as they point out in the article there are obvious traffic flow issues to work on. Of course, they're going to treat the mass of people trying to leave the Mall area after the Independence Day fireworks as an evacuation drill. Mostly in terms of reconfiguring the roads to be outbound-heavy, I would hope. Fake emergency announcements would be bad.
The opening 9/10 tourney game at CSLL on Thursday was rained out...by a brief thundershower. At that, you would have needed water wings to go from 2nd to 3rd. The fields were mostly alright on Friday night, but one of the bullpens (in foul ground) was a soggy mess. Fortunately no ball in play ever found that area.
In unrelated news, DC is experimenting with rubber sidewalks. If you could only chalk them up, that would be a hell of a hopscotch court.
The opening 9/10 tourney game at CSLL on Thursday was rained out...by a brief thundershower. At that, you would have needed water wings to go from 2nd to 3rd. The fields were mostly alright on Friday night, but one of the bullpens (in foul ground) was a soggy mess. Fortunately no ball in play ever found that area.
In unrelated news, DC is experimenting with rubber sidewalks. If you could only chalk them up, that would be a hell of a hopscotch court.
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