Random
catdynamics | December 21, 2006Happy Winter Solstice!
Gleðileg Jól!
Festive Yule.
I just wrote "Merry Christmas" in elvish.
You see, we found ourselves in a position where we have folded four separate winter solstice festival traditions into the season, much the the delight of the munchkins.
However, the Big Kid is definitely getting suspicious and decided to do some hypothesis testing.
Now, the primary event this season is the arrival of the 13 jólasveinar on successive days before christmas (and their in order departure through Jan 6th).
Just remember - on the 13th day of Jól you take the tree (which is dry by now) and…
catdynamics | December 20, 2006This is completely unrelated to anything.
But, why is the Texas hold'em version of poker the one that is currently so popular?
I don't gamble. Don't have any emotional need to, and know far too much mathematics to even contemplate it.
Only temptation I've ever had to do so was in considering whether to join a "card-counting" blackjack student group which rotated through some casinos playing the odds in situations when a player with deep pockets (ie a sponsored group) had consistent odds in favour of them.
Other than those cases, the House always wins.
Gambler's Ruin is one of those…
catdynamics | December 20, 2006US considers naval build-up as warning to Iran
"...Under the proposed build-up, first reported by CBS television, the Pentagon would send an aircraft carrier to join one already in the region. The proposed deployment was described as a message to Tehran not to take provocative steps, and was not preparation for an attack..."
As the article notes, it would most likely be the Stennis (which is not a cruiser, even by Royal Navy classification schemes... dear old Grauniad). It has finshed training and declared "surge ready".
If they needed more, than Reagan, Truman, Roosevelt and Lincoln could…
catdynamics | December 18, 2006NASA and Google announce a formal relationship (from NASAwatch)
Google is God.
Do no evil.
Best of all, Google is much prompter and more efficient about disbursing payment...
...hey, that gives me an idea.
Use google rank to allocated PI funds! Dood.
Entirely different ways to game the system!
...Among the details of this new cooperative project, Google will be contributing funding to support NASA employees - and not just at ARC - but at other NASA centers as well...
I wonder if Sergei likes Alien Life?
Maybe his cousin David could prevail upon him...
catdynamics | December 18, 2006Having rolled through the Icelandic cover of Jona Lewie's "Stop the Cavalry" in my random walk through seasonal music, I had the misfortune of hitting a cover of "Merry Xmas Everybody" done by the Smurfs, in Icelandic.
My ears are now bleeding.
PS interestingly, "dub-i-dub-i-dum-dum" translates to "bomborombombombom"
catdynamics | December 15, 2006Seasonal friday, and we ask the iPod - what is the meaning of the lone top quark discovery at Fermilab?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
The Covering: Cold and Bitter Tears - Billy Bragg
The Crossing: Let It Snow - traditional
The Crown: La serenade interrompue - Claudio Arrau
The Root: Spanish Castle Magic - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Past: Novelty - Joy Division
The Future: Ég hlakka svo til - Svala
The Questioner: Walz of the Snowflakes
The House: Lion Rock - Culture
The Inside: Core N'Grato - Three Tenors
The Outcome: Lil' Jack Slade - Dixie Chicks
Er, it will snow?
As…
catdynamics | December 14, 2006Apparently someone heard that soy has estrogen mimickers and over-extrapolated their conclusion, the Chimp Refugee has all the details you need to know
Got to look on the bright side though, this might significantly boost breastfeeding in a segment of the population which could do with encouragement to do so.
Seriously.
catdynamics | December 12, 2006the Saudi ambassador to the US has resigned suddenly
wazzup with that?
is he going home to spend more time with the family?
is he going back for a promotion and needs to consolidate his position internally?
does he know something we don't? a kossack speculates
if Turki really resigned on Sep 4th 2001 as reported, then it'd be interesting to know more
I don't believe the Saudi's have "dirty bombs" nor that they would want them (I'm sure they could get some if they really wanted, but talk about overrated!)
what is more intriguing is recent reporting that the Saudi's have a pre-arranged contract…
catdynamics | December 8, 2006Thanks to Chad I will now be humming this for the next two weeks.
Stop the Cavalry! With added bonus inadvertent political symbolism!
Jona Lewie
Ah well, maybe it will flush "Silver Bells" from my brain for a while.
catdynamics | December 8, 2006Cold and snowy friday, and we ask the iPod: wazzup with the water on Mars thing?
Are the intermittent outbursts really liquid water, and what does it all mean?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
The Covering: King Rocker - Generation X
The Crossing: Leysum vind - Stuðmenn
The Crown: The Hunters Arrive - Peter and the Wolf
The Root: Is There Anybody Out There? - Pink Floyd
The Past: Common People - Pulp
The Future: Capital Radio - Clash
The Questioner: A Change is Gonna Come - Billy Bragg
The House: Memories Can't Wait - Talking Heads
The Inside: Wishing the Days Away - Billy Bragg
The…
catdynamics | December 6, 2006Earlier I argued that religion is axiomatic, rational and wrong, and that science methodology pushes religion either into allegorical distinct domains through heterodoxy, or it faces direct conflict with orthodox religions.
I want to argue that any particular religion really is axiomatic and that the axioms are "arbitary" in the same sense that the axioms of geometry are arbitary, there is freedom to choose different, incompatible axiom sets that lead to different inferences.
We can consider religion as a social structure, that communicates its precepts among both its adherents and to…
catdynamics | December 5, 2006I had a conversation about war
"...IF this was representative, the army has 18 months, in my estimation, to get out of Iraq, or they will be done for for a decade"
Not actually all that prophetic, go read Steve Gilliard he's on a roll.
catdynamics | December 1, 2006Wet and windy friday, and we ask the Mighty One a sexy topical question: is XTE J1739-285 really spinning at 1122 Hz?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
The Covering: Long Time Gone - Dixie Chick
The Crossing: We Do What We Can - Sheryl Crowe
The Crown: Catch - The Cure
The Root: Litirnir - Edda Backman
The Past: Knights of the Round Table - Monty Python
The Future: Everyday I Write the Book - Elvis Costello
The Questioner: Add It Up - Violent Femmes
The House: Stína Og Brúðan Hennar - Helga Möller
The Inside: Ghost Town - Specials
The Outcome: Highway Patrolman - Dar Williams
So that's…
catdynamics | November 28, 2006For some strange reason the book I grabbed for the latest travel is a paperback of "Who Dares Wins", Geraghty's anecdotal account of Special Air Service (UK) history from 1950 (Malaya) to 1982 (Falklands) and the regiment's involvement in some select actions, as well as their selection and training.
It is interesting history but two things struck me: one is the account of UK involvement in South Yemen and Oman respectively - one an object lesson in how not to handle an insurgency, the other an success; the other was the account of the interrogation/survival training in selection of…
catdynamics | November 28, 2006The US consumes about 385 million gallons of motor gasoline per day
That is about a gallon and a bit per day per person.
Or 140 billion gallons per year.
Coincidentally, the off-budget cost of the war in Iraq is roughly $70 billion per year. Approximately.
Or $0.50 per gallon.
We should probably pay for this war, cash. I think the credit is about maxed out any month now.
Trick is how to do that...
Now, 50 cents per gallon won't really pay for the cost of the war, only the marginal cost.
Probably need $1 per gallon in the long run to pay the cumulative additional cost.
If it is not done…
catdynamics | November 28, 2006Chad spreads contagious concepts.
if this were a real meme you would now be getting ideas
Acephalus wants data on meme propagation speeds through blogs for the MLA.
Read, link and accelerate. Don't want to be a deadender, now do we.
catdynamics | November 24, 2006Yikes, thank Thor it is friday!
We stay on topic, and ask the mighty iPod: oh Mighty iPod, will the LHC find anything interesting beyond the Standard Model, like a nice Higgs particle or two?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
The Covering: Funky Days Are Back Again - Cornershop
The Crossing: Spanish Stroll - Mink de Ville
The Crown: Occasionally - Melissa Etheridge
The Root: A13 Trunk Road to the Sea - Billy Bragg
The Past: The Duck is Caught - Peter and the Wolf
The Future: Cool Water - Talking Heads
The Questioner: Avalon - Roxy Music
The House:A Child is Born in Bethlehem - King's…
catdynamics | November 23, 2006Something to be thankful for this thanksgiving...
It started last night when a friend of ours, 9 months pregnant, called. She was picking up the kids from the sitter, she was in labour, her husband was at work, could she come to our house?
Ok.
We already had a play date, and another heading over (called off), so that made 5 rambunctious stressed kids. No prob. Installing an infant carrier in the dark, a prob (don't ask, it could have been done the next day, but something you just do).
She can't drive, but she won't go to the hospital, yet, so we take her home, which leaves us with 4 hungry…