Steinn Sigurðsson
Professor of Astrophysics at Pennsylvania State University. Science Editor at Astrophysical Journal. Icelandic. Herder of Cats.
catdynamics
Posts by this author
January 5, 2009
not only am I missing the 213th (semi)annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society for the second year in a row, due to external extenuating circumstances, but I am managing to do so while actually in southern california, near where the meeting is...
bummer
Anyway, there's a bunch of…
January 4, 2009
one of the best songs you have never heard of
from Todmobile - ok, so one of them is my cousin...
January 2, 2009
An intruder received a taste of divine reckoning as he was chased from the Edinburgh flat he was breaking into by a man dressed as the Norse god Thor.
Strange for a grown man to be frightened by a
widdle pussy cat...
though Thor can be most fearsome when angered.
Oh,
that incarnation
well, duh…
January 1, 2009
Oh me, oh nine.
We anticipate the arrival of '09, and road weary ask the Mighty iPod One: what, oh what, will the New Year bring?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
The Covering: Reel Around the Fountain - Smiths
The Crossing: Ligga Ligga Lá - Ómar Ragnarsson
The Crown: Banana Boat Song - Harry…
December 31, 2008
That Bank is My Bank
Lew Rockwell compiles a comprehensive list of US Banks' Texas Ratio
In rank order.
Anyone over 100 is near collapse. Any over 50 are in trouble.
I count just over 100 banks with TR > 100.
More between 50 and 100.
December 31, 2008
The Spiral Star.
Pretty.
Pretty Funky.
What is this?
Well, it is AFGL3068, aka Carbon Star L3068, aka IRAS 23166_1655, one of the poster images for the "Asymmetrical Planetary Nebula IV" meeting last year.
Soon, hopefully, to be an observing target of the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the…
December 30, 2008
a wise commenter over on Calculated Risk noted that the economic crisis will not be over until music has turned to anger again
see, this is how it goes:
this is where we are.
Insufferably cheerful and phoney, but with a kinda snappy dancable beat...
Don't believe me?
This is AOL's "best music of…
December 30, 2008
or, why I didn't stop in Texas
Why I don't stop in Texas.
Did not have the intended effect.
Gonna pull crap like that
do it with some style
December 29, 2008
The Sun undergoes quasi-periodic cycles of 22 years, which manifest most observably as 11 year sunspot cycles.
There have been 23 of these 11 year cycles in recorded history, going back to about 1750.
NOAA has a good summary.
The pre-historic cycles are done through reconstruction, and there is…
December 29, 2008
so I am out of touch for a few days, and yet again some damn fool goes and starts a war...
I don't want to rehash the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I realised 25 years ago that resolving it was beyond me (though one of my cousins still might...); and I don't particularly care "who started it" for…
December 29, 2008
The Priests of the Church of Iceland process to the Cathedral in downtown, trailed by their Lord and Master
seen on Making Light
Good to see some of our priests have a sense of humour.
December 26, 2008
Rainy day friday, or at least it still is in some time zone...
So, oh Mighty iPod.
Roses?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
The Covering: Debora - T. Rex
The Crossing: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
The Crown: Brassneck - The Wedding Present
The Root: This Leaden Pail - Half Man Half Biscuit
The…
December 23, 2008
Kertasníkir - and we are done!
The Elfs are all here.
He'll try to swipe the candles from the kids hands (which might leave them vulnerable to the Christmas Cat!).
Better hope someone loved you enough to give you a piece of clothing also, or you will be cat meat!
As he comes, his oldest brother,…
December 23, 2008
If Herwig's can do chocolate covered bacon as a dessert, then ought we not to try chocolate covered hákarl (putrified shark), or better still, chocolate covered skate?
Chocolate bacon
December 23, 2008
Happy Feast of Saint Thorlacius.
Again.
I hope everyone got some "cured" skate!
It is the reason for the season, the excuse for all Manly Men, and Women, to go somewhere suitable (like the garage, your uncle's house, or a restaurant desperate enough to put up with the smell and serve the stuff) and…
December 22, 2008
"Warning: A dangerous new virus, FIV, is rapidly spreading the globe."
Links are good.
Part 2 is here
PS: no endorsement of actual economic policies implied.
Just thought it was amusing.
December 22, 2008
Ketkrókur - is another hungry wee lad. He'll hook the meat from the rafters and run off with your dinner.
Strange thing is, he doesn't seem to like skate!
Vicious rumour says he loves sachertorte though.
December 22, 2008
Gáttaþefur - has a masochistic streak, he just stand by the door and sniffs, and sniffs.
If you're not good, he might sniff up all the good smells from the christmas meal.
Of course in our frantic state, we burned the (leftover) pizza, so he can sniff all he wants.
We went Herwig's Austrian Bistro…
December 20, 2008
Gluggagægir
Happy Winter Solstice!
Remember, an Evergreen and a Flame - or Winter Will Never End.
Feels like it anyway...
Tonight's elf is not particular, he'll scout the place out like a financial advisor looking for a commission, peering through the window, and then he'll make a move on anything…
December 20, 2008
Varmus and Lander co-chair Presidential Council of Advisers on Science and Technology.
h/t ScienceDebate2008
primary source here - good speech.
Harold Varmus and Eric Lander both biology/medicine oriented.
I said The Big O would need some biologists onboard in some authoritative positions.
And so…
December 20, 2008
Bjúgnakrækir - he will swipe your sausages, even if you hang them high.
Mmm, horse sausage is making a comeback in Iceland.
Poor peoples' food, that, and whale steaks.
December 19, 2008
it is strange what compromises of standards we are sometimes driven to make,
for the children of course
Wham!
I just paid real money to acquire this blast from the past...
iTunes. Single version of course.
I blame the (rather good) ice skating routine that used this at the christmas holiday show.…