Blog Memes and Such
jlynch | December 7, 2008It's that time of the year again, the time to complete the end of year blog meme. Here is last year's entry. Rules are simple - post the first line of the first post for every month. I've omitted my Monday Mustelid, Today In Science and Friday Poem (semi-)regular posts, so it actually means this is the first post for December.
January: It's not like ASU did wonderfully against Texas (losing the Holiday Bowl 52-34), but at least they turned up to play somewhat (albeit not in the first quarter).
February: PZ has noted that the boyos over at Uncommon Descent have deep-sixed a comment thread…
jlynch | August 26, 2008Via Cocktail Party Physics, a list of popular science books. Rules are simple: Bold those you've read in full, asterisk those you intend to read, add any additional popular science books you think belong on the list (I'll try and do that next weekend, class prep allowing), and link back to Jennifer (who has never read Origin, horror!). Here we go:
Micrographia, Robert Hooke
The Origin of Species, Charles Darwin - oh, so many times
Never at Rest, Richard Westfall
Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman, Richard Feynman
Tesla: Man Out of Time, Margaret Cheney
The Devil's Doctor, Philip Ball…
jlynch | August 15, 2008
Via Chad, a list of 100 food items. You are supposed to bold the ones you have eaten (55) and strike-through those you'd never try (4).
1. Venison 2. Nettle tea 3. Huevos rancheros 4. Steak tartare 5. Crocodile 6. Black pudding 7. Cheese fondue 8. Carp 9. Borscht 10. Baba ghanoush 11. Calamari 12. Pho 13. PB&J sandwich 14. Aloo gobi 15. Hot dog from a street cart 16. Epoisses (I don't like strong cheeses) 17. Black truffle 18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes 19. Steamed pork buns 20. Pistachio…
jlynch | January 2, 2008Some of the other SciBlings are doing it, so why not ...
My compatibility with the current gaggle of presidential candidates:
Kucinich (95)
Gravel (90)
Richardson (82)
Edwards (81)
Dodd (78)
Clinton (74)
Obama (72)
Biden (72)
Paul (61)
McCain (44)
Thompson (38)
Huckabee (36)
Romney (35)
Giuliani (34)
Hunter (28)
Somewhat predictable, though I’m surprised at Clinton over Obama. Feel free to comment as to your results.
jlynch | December 15, 2007Last year a few of us did this - basic idea is to reproduce the first sentence of the first post every month over the past year. I’m going to ignore "Today in Science" posts. Let’s see what we got ...
What is this mystery beast captured on film in Kayan Mentarang National Park, East Kalimantan, Indonesia in 2003? [link]
Today I ran a workshop for my freshmen on argumentative writing, so this seems appropriate: [link]
As Razib notes, Arthur Schlesinger has died at the age of 89. [link]
Well, we know where McCain’s priorities lie: [link]
Four years ago on this day, Bush declared that "major…
jlynch | October 4, 2007Since PZ got it from Wilkins, I might as well chime in. I bold those I’ve read and italicize those I’ve partially read.
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Anna Karenina
Crime and Punishment
Catch-22
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Wuthering Heights
The Silmarillion
Life of Pi : a novel
The Name of the Rose (Multiple times - great book)
Don Quixote
Moby Dick
Ulysses
Madame Bovary
The Odyssey
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Eyre
The Tale of Two Cities
The Brothers Karamazov
Guns, Germs, and Steel: the fates of human societies
War and Peace
Vanity Fair
The Time Traveler’s Wife
The Iliad
Emma
The Blind…
jlynch | August 9, 2007
You’re 50% Irish
You’re probably less Irish than you think you are...But you’re still more Irish than most.
How Irish Are You?
This despite being born, and spending 25 years, in Ireland. Just goes to prove how dumb these online quizzes are! (Via Mike).
jlynch | July 22, 2007So Orac is worth $3590 and Janet tunes in at $4875
Me? I’m
worth $4050.00. Dead though.
$4050.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth. From Mingle2 - Free Online Dating
Mingle2 - Free Online Dating
jlynch | July 21, 2007Which LOLcat are you? I are serious cat (37% affectionate, 33% excitable, 51% hungry). Who haz my sandwich?
Hungry for knowledge in any internet forum, you demand decorum. Any off-topic remarks, absurd statements, or tomfoolery on the interweb is deeply frowned upon by you. Truth has no room for drollery.
jlynch | July 19, 2007Easing myself into blogging with the Personality Defect Test. Apparently I’m a Robot: 100% Rational, 42% Extroverted, 14% Brutal and 0% Arrogant.
Your exact opposite is the Class Clown.
Other personalities you would probably get along with are the Hand-Raiser, the Emo Kid, and the Haughty Intellectual.
I hated "class clowns" at school. PZ is a "Haughty Intellectual" with scores of 100/14/0/57... we seemed to get on when we met and he is remarkably quiet in meatspace compared to his online persona. He’s an arrogant bastard though :)
jlynch | March 30, 2007
You scored as Existentialism. Your life is guided by the concept of Existentialism: You choose the meaning and purpose of your life.
"Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does."
"It is up to you to give [life] a meaning."
--Jean-Paul Sartre
"It is man's natural sickness to believe that he possesses the Truth."
--Blaise Pascal
More info at Arocoun's Wikipedia User Page...
Existentialism
65%
Justice (Fairness)
55%
Hedonism
55%
Utilitarianism
50%…
jlynch | March 11, 2007Once again, my sheep-like characteristics manifest themselves and I find myself dutifully following Orac, PZ, Bora, Joseph, John, Rob,
and Afarensis in listing (in bold) those of the "Most Significant SF & Fantasy Books of the Last 50 Years" that I have read.
The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien
The Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov
Dune, Frank Herbert
Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein
A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin
Neuromancer, William Gibson
Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick
The Mists of Avalon…
jlynch | February 10, 2007
What Famous Leader Are You?
And apparently, I'm Dr Doom as well ("Blessed with smarts and power but burdened by vanity"). The possibilities are endless. (HT to GrrlScientist and Afarensis respectively)
jlynch | January 27, 2007
I am: Arthur C. Clarke Well known for nonfiction science writing and for early promotion of the effort toward space travel, his fiction was often grand and visionary.
Which science fiction writer are you?
PZ made me do it.
jlynch | December 20, 2006Bora and Janet have done it, so why not. Basic idea is to reproduce the first sentence of the first post over the past year.
I've noted before that a significant number of lawyers not only to deny evolution but also appear to think that their training as a lawyer enables them to adjudicate scientific "controversies" (real or percieved).
Some quick blasts as it's mid-week, I'm busy, and probably wont do much blogging until the weekend.
Still busy here.
I seem to have annoyed someone by the moniker of 'dlamming', apparently a graduate student who is interested in yeast.
This more or less…
jlynch | December 9, 2006Chad made me take the Brutally Honest Personality Test:
Crackpot - INTJ33% Extraversion, 60% Intuition, 93% Thinking, 56% Judging
People hate you.
Paris Hilton hates Nicole Richie. Lex Luther hates Superman. Garfield hates Mondays. But none these even rates against the insurmountable hate, people have for you.
I mean, you're pretty damn clever and you know it. You love to flaunt your potential. Heard the word "arrogant" lately? How about "jerk?" Or perhaps they only say that behind your back.
That's right. I know I can say this cause you're not going to cry. You're not exactly the most…
jlynch | December 5, 2006
Your Political Profile:
Overall: 10% Conservative, 90% Liberal
Social Issues: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal
Personal Responsibility: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal
Fiscal Issues: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal
Ethics: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal
Defense and Crime: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal
How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?
Shelley and Chet made me do it.
jlynch | December 3, 2006I don't think anyone is surprised by this ...
Your 'Do You Want the Terrorists to Win' Score: 94%
You are a terrorist-loving, Bush-bashing, "blame America first"-crowd traitor. You are in league with evil-doers who hate our freedoms. By all counts you are a liberal, and as such cleary desire the terrorists to succeed and impose their harsh theocratic restrictions on us all. You are fit to be hung for treason! Luckily George Bush is tapping your internet connection and is now aware of your thought-crime. Have a nice day.... in Guantanamo!Do You Want the Terrorists to Win?Quiz Created…
jlynch | October 21, 2006
HowManyOfMe.com
There are:2,216people with the name John Lynch in the U.S.A.
How many have your name?
Apparently, there are just shy of 135,000 Lynchs and there are 23 Charles Darwins.
HT to Joseph.