I started the week with a two inch tall pile of grading (I kid you not). If I had checked my bags, the airline would have charged me extra for the weight in grading that I was carrying. As of now I'm down to only have ten lab reports left to grade. It only took several days of on and off effort and about half a bottle of Jack Daniels. Happy US Thanksgiving.

Solider on brave space-cadets.

I've got a chance to watch some parts of movies over the past few days. I was pleasantly impressed with the remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still.

Things I didn't like:
1. A more indifferent and less empathetic Klatuu. But that's what you get when you cast Keanu Reeves in any role.
2. Gort was portrayed as more vindictive. In my mind Gort is a force of nature and shouldn't even acknowledge when someone else is in the room. The sequence in the flash chamber where he stared down everyone was creepy, but out of character.

Things I liked:
1. "I'll take you to our real leaders." And then she takes Klatuu to see a Nobel Prize winner. Very nice.
2. The "evolve at the precipice" thing was an interesting piece of philosophy.
3. I like how the writers updated this remake with our current societal fears. It seemed that they actually understood the subtext of the original and updated it very nicely.
4. The directors resisted adding some banal and redundant explanation of what happened or a happy ending at the end of the movie. End with a punch in the gut. That is good movie making.

I'd recommend this one for sci-fi fans.

Solider on brave space-cadets.

Don't stare at these images too long... wouldn't want you eyes to stay crossed that way. But they are just so cool I had to post the link. They are the latest raw images from the Cassini probe orbiting Saturn.

http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00002225/

Solider on brave space-cadets.

This is why healthcare costs continue to go through the roof; scientific results be damned, let's spend money. Go!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/18/AR2009111802545.html

I acknowledge that this is partially an education issue. If we did a better job of educating patients to weigh risks and benefits for themselves they would probably reach similar conclusions given the same data. But on the other hand maybe not. People tend to be very emotional about their health decisions and doctors, afraid of being sued are more than willing to give a patient anything they ask for rather than be responsible for denying a useless procedure, test, or treatment.

Yes, mammograms have saved lives. There are people who are alive today who would be dead if it hadn't been for a preventative mammogram. All this panel of experts was concluding is that the number of people helped was less than the number of people hurt by mammograms. They've concluded that women under 40 who get mammograms are rolling the dice and an unfavorable outcome is more likely than a favorable one. I think if the press reported it that way maybe we'd be having a more productive conversation about it with less of the irrational screaming, accusations, and gnashing of teeth. This is also BTW why I've never been a fan of the American Cancer Society.

Solider on brave space-cadets.

Jump on that band-wagon Newt!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/09/AR2009110903302.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

I firmly believe that if a deity or other intelligent force really had knocked Newt Gingrich off his horse that it would have also insured that Newt would have split his skull open on a rock. The only way to sum up his behavior in my mind is: pathetic pandering. The idea that the United States was founded on purely "christian" values is a delusional fallacy unbecoming of anyone who fancies himself a professor and an academic. You aren't living in the Republic of Gilead Newt.

Solider on brave space-cadets.

Well I guess its easy to spread lies and ignorance anywhere you've got religious zealots:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/07/AR2009110702233.html

A civilization that refuses to understand or be curious about the forces that shaped it has no hope of controlling its own destiny. To me that's a pretty sad state of affairs.

Solider on brave space-cadets.

I know this is an opinion piece but it gives a pretty objective description of the "protest" that occured:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/05/AR2009110504566.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

How can any politician even acknowledge a crowd like this? It's despicable. The "protestors" are free to their opinions. But those opinions are ugly and racists. And any politician that would use this as a wave of support should have their membership in the human race revoked. You can almost forgive the hateful ignorance of the crowd. But the people at the front egging them on should go right to hell.

Solider on brave space-cadets.

I'm in New York to visit goodguyseatpie and give a talk to his students. FYI for everyone, this trip was pretty simple. He's just a hop (airplane to LGA), skip (bus to the MTA North Station), and a jump (train the rest of the way) away. And yall know how much I complain about travel so if this was simple for me, it's _simple_. Of course I'm also batshit tired because I taught a night class yesterday and got up at 3 am to drive to the STL airport. But details, details.

Solider on brave space-cadets.

This is for all the astronomy teachers out there. This week I'm teaching jovian planets in our solar system. Every week I do an in-class cooperative learning activity. But this week I don't have anything and I'm running low on ideas. Does anyone out there have good ideas for activities that students can do in class related to learning about jovian planets?

Solider on brave space-cadets.

I'd like to tell the Pope that if he thinks people shouldn't let their children dress up as witches and devils on Halloween that maybe he should just let the Celts have Samhain back. We'd be happy to take it. Honestly this is the only co-opted "christian" holiday I can get behind anymore. It's celebrated with true acts of humor and charity and no one feels like that are obligated to get anyone a gift. This is what all community holidays should be like.

Solider on brave space-cadets.

This is amusing in a really sad and stupid kind of way:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/10/28/did-schwarzenegger-say-fk-you-to-legislature/

Actually its the kind of immature stunt that gets low level cogs in a cult of personality fired. Look for the Schwarzenegger aide that announces their "retirement" or "leaving the governor's office for a new career opportunity" in the next few weeks. Honestly, only a real putz would think they could get away with this stunt. It isn't even really clever. It's just sad.

Solider on brave space-cadets.

Kidney stones! At least that's the best explanation that the Dr had to offer for my discomfort Monday morning and yesterday. They were probably small enough that they just passed on their own but all the symptoms I had seem to point toward a small calcified mass winding its way through the pipes. In retrospect it makes some sense considering my family medical history and that puffinesq has upped the calcium in our diets while she's been nursing. It makes me long for the days when I was younger and my insides didn't seem to care what I ate. Still good to know it probably isn't something creepier or more "serious." I put "serious" in quotes because if you've ever had the flu and kidney stones at the same time you'd think they were serious on some level or another.

Solider on brave space-cadets.

As I was flipping through day-time TV, I went past the public access channel which had an advertisement up on the screen. It was just solid text from the top to the bottom. No pictures. No sound. It was up on the screen about 30 seconds. At the top it read: "Dyslexia Seminar." Um... Maybe you want to rethink your outreach program you've got there.

Solider on brave space-cadets.

I woke up with some wicked pain this morning that at first I thought was the Indian food and chile that I ate yesterday fighting it out in my intestine. But it got worse. It fortunately did not follow the pattern of appendicitis or kidney stones. But puffinesq called a doctor when I started writhing on the floor. The pain stopped four hours later after I found I could sooth it by laying on my back in about two inches of hot water in the tub. I actually fell asleep that way. puffinesq insisted that I stay home in bed. I am starting to think that it might have been a lower back muscle thing. I have a doctor's appointment for Wednesday and hopefully then I get some answers.

Well, back to going stir crazy confined to my bed.

Solider on brave space-cadets.

Um. Wow:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/21/AR2009102102719.html

If this report turns out to be half true it will be the biggest slap big business has been dealt from government in years. I'm stunned speechless and waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Solider on brave space-cadets.

If anyone wants to give up TV from their lives it is easy. Just take a teaching job and get yourself a five month old infant to take care of. You will not have time to watch TV.

Still I DVRed some stuff weeks ago and puffinesq and I are just getting around to watching it in fits and starts. I was mildly interested in this show Flashforward on ABC. But in retrospect I should have known better. It's been years since a broadcast network has been able to take a decent premise and make a decent show. This is why I feel like I'm not really missing out by not seeing TV.

So my top three gripes about Flashforward:

1. If you think we are too stupid to watch and understand your show then DON'T MAKE IT. What's with the little leads into commercial breaks that go something like, "Did you see the kangaroo? You really should have seen the kangaroo. It could be important later. Remember the kangaroo!" Jesus H. Christ people. I know the god damned kangaroo was important because of the way the scene was shot. Either that or it was meant to be a major mis-direction. Cause you don't spend 30 seconds of airtime with a kangaroo in the middle of the shot unless you wanted everyone to see it. It was on the screen so long that I kind of wish that Shakespeare had taken out his gun and shot it. For Pete's sake!

2. This show was made for Television Without Pity. I think I would die laughing reading the synopses especially since they normally referred to characters by names of better known characters that the same actors had played in the past. "Scene: Shakespeare and Harold are driving down the LA express way [What ho! Is that a White Castle that by yonder window break!]."

3. Do we get to see every woman on the show without her shirt off eventually? Just in the first show we got flashed forward by two of the three adult female characters. I guess that's okay but when do we get some men without shirts? And as a side thing, does everyone on TV now sleep in the nude? Pajama manufacturers must be furious!

Solider on brave space-cadets.

So the Twin's and the Tigers comes down to the last day of the season tomorrow. Awesome. Too bad I'm not living within walking distance of the Dome anymore. I'd totally be there.

The Cubs ain't playing for anything but pride tomorrow.

Solider on brave space-cadets

With today's headlines about the Olympics for 2016 being given to Rio, I now know where all the storms and generally dismal weather has come from over the past few days. Beware the wrath of Oprah.

Solider on brave space-cadets.

Any of my astronomy buddies out there going to the winter AAS meeting and want to share a room in the conference hotel? The grant pays for the room either way but I thought one of you might tolerate me to stay in the conference hotel at half price. Email me.

I have a funny but true occurrence to share. It appears over the past few days there have been a rash of excuses for students missing class that center around injuries suffered at a "pep rally" on Monday evening. Several faculty I know have been mildly amused and swapping the student's excuses. I'm wondering just what happened. It must have been one hell of a pep-rally.

I'm feeling rather ill today. If I wasn't teaching and hadn't already cancelled class once this week, I'd be at home in bed.

Solider on brave space-cadets.