All of the weekdays I came in and worked 8 hours. Did I ever not come in?
Do you get full value on your service? I want full value on my fucking paycheck.
I will dig a hole
Save my pennies for a rainy day
I will dig a hole
Saving pennies for a rainy day
I'm not scared
I will build a wall
Sensing trouble from a mile away
I will build a wall
Saw it coming from a mile away
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Carnival of the Cats #70 is up at L'Oubliette.
The Great Blue Hunter Is No More
My grandmother's cat, Mitzi, died a week ago.
Mitzi was friendly and aloof, confident and arrogant, distant and close. From when she was adopted into my grandmother's home after life on the streets of a small town, to her unavoidably too soon death at the age of 16, she was a cat that provided companionship to people, disliked other cats, and lived for the hunt. Perhaps her imperious nature, which combined with her almost flawless Russian Blue pedigree led to her nickname, "The Tsarina Mitzi," was responsible for her complete ease in the presence of any people, while also resulting in her condescending and disliking attitude towards other cats. Or maybe that was the result of her formative experiences when she was first brought to my grandmother's house.
There she met Angie, an aging cat that was both similar and different from Mitzi, in having equal dislike for people and cats. Mitzi outlived Angie, and also Gigi, a female cat that was adopted when she was not much older than a kitten. Gigi was treated with distaste by Mitzi, but was a joy to people with his youthful playfulness and friendly demeanor. Sadly, Gigi met a tragically early and random end. But Mitzi's life went on, and for a long time she lived without any other cats. It was during this time that the day of events occurred that made Mitzi's hunting legendary.
It was a summer day, and Mitzi was found in the morning to be stalking and playing with a "hop-toad" in the field behind her home. The hop-toad was rescued before Mitzi could, hypothetically, eat or kill it. Around noon that day, my family returned home to find Mitzi standing near the driveway with part of a 2-foot long green garden snake in her mouth, and the rest of it wrapped around her neck. That was, and still is, the only time I have ever seen a snake in the area of my grandmother's home. The snake was also rescued, and slithered away to hide in some bushes. Late in the afternoon, the penultimate event happened. Mitzi was seen from an enclosed porch to be walking up the lawn out of the woods while holding something in her mouth. As she came closer, I could see that it was a baby rabbit, about half a foot long. My brother's and I ran outside to try to save the rabbit. Seeing us running towards her, Mitzi dropped the rabbit and hid under a nearby tree. For half a minute, the rabbit lay on the ground feigning death. Then it got up and made what was indisputably the biggest mistake of its short life: it ran under the tree where Mitzi was biding her time. That day is the reason I believe that with Mitzi's death, the world has lost a feline hunter par excellence.
Mitzi is survived by three cats; JD, a cat that once belonged to my family, and two kittens that were adopted a few weeks before her death to give JD feline companionship Mitzi was loath to provide. In disgust at the presence of so many other cats in the household, in the last weeks of her life she disappeared for days on end three times, probably living off of her great hunting skill. The final time she returned, she must have known she would not live much longer, and in the final days of her life she returned home; not for food, which she was too sick too eat, but for the companionship of the people who cared for her. At the very end, she was purring.
What can be said about a cat that hated other cats, lived for the hunt, and enjoyed the company of people? That it lived a long life that was not long enough for the people that cared for it, but the lives of our pets never are. That it was a companion, a friend, just like millions of other departed pets. No, what made Mitzi unique, what made her special, was that in spite of her dislike of other cats, despite spending most of her life living in a house with other cats, despite her personal dislike of three of those cats, she was generally a happy cat, and despite her arrogant nature, she liked people. Mitzi wasn't a perfect cat, but she was a good one, despite her flaws. Perfect cats, if they exist, are not as special as the good ones, because it is their flaws, their "felinity," that makes a cat special, and it is how they work their ways into our heart even with their flaws, that endears them to us, and makes their loss so piercing.
Goodbye Mitzi.
My grandmother's cat, Mitzi, died a week ago.
Mitzi was friendly and aloof, confident and arrogant, distant and close. From when she was adopted into my grandmother's home after life on the streets of a small town, to her unavoidably too soon death at the age of 16, she was a cat that provided companionship to people, disliked other cats, and lived for the hunt. Perhaps her imperious nature, which combined with her almost flawless Russian Blue pedigree led to her nickname, "The Tsarina Mitzi," was responsible for her complete ease in the presence of any people, while also resulting in her condescending and disliking attitude towards other cats. Or maybe that was the result of her formative experiences when she was first brought to my grandmother's house.
There she met Angie, an aging cat that was both similar and different from Mitzi, in having equal dislike for people and cats. Mitzi outlived Angie, and also Gigi, a female cat that was adopted when she was not much older than a kitten. Gigi was treated with distaste by Mitzi, but was a joy to people with his youthful playfulness and friendly demeanor. Sadly, Gigi met a tragically early and random end. But Mitzi's life went on, and for a long time she lived without any other cats. It was during this time that the day of events occurred that made Mitzi's hunting legendary.
It was a summer day, and Mitzi was found in the morning to be stalking and playing with a "hop-toad" in the field behind her home. The hop-toad was rescued before Mitzi could, hypothetically, eat or kill it. Around noon that day, my family returned home to find Mitzi standing near the driveway with part of a 2-foot long green garden snake in her mouth, and the rest of it wrapped around her neck. That was, and still is, the only time I have ever seen a snake in the area of my grandmother's home. The snake was also rescued, and slithered away to hide in some bushes. Late in the afternoon, the penultimate event happened. Mitzi was seen from an enclosed porch to be walking up the lawn out of the woods while holding something in her mouth. As she came closer, I could see that it was a baby rabbit, about half a foot long. My brother's and I ran outside to try to save the rabbit. Seeing us running towards her, Mitzi dropped the rabbit and hid under a nearby tree. For half a minute, the rabbit lay on the ground feigning death. Then it got up and made what was indisputably the biggest mistake of its short life: it ran under the tree where Mitzi was biding her time. That day is the reason I believe that with Mitzi's death, the world has lost a feline hunter par excellence.
Mitzi is survived by three cats; JD, a cat that once belonged to my family, and two kittens that were adopted a few weeks before her death to give JD feline companionship Mitzi was loath to provide. In disgust at the presence of so many other cats in the household, in the last weeks of her life she disappeared for days on end three times, probably living off of her great hunting skill. The final time she returned, she must have known she would not live much longer, and in the final days of her life she returned home; not for food, which she was too sick too eat, but for the companionship of the people who cared for her. At the very end, she was purring.
What can be said about a cat that hated other cats, lived for the hunt, and enjoyed the company of people? That it lived a long life that was not long enough for the people that cared for it, but the lives of our pets never are. That it was a companion, a friend, just like millions of other departed pets. No, what made Mitzi unique, what made her special, was that in spite of her dislike of other cats, despite spending most of her life living in a house with other cats, despite her personal dislike of three of those cats, she was generally a happy cat, and despite her arrogant nature, she liked people. Mitzi wasn't a perfect cat, but she was a good one, despite her flaws. Perfect cats, if they exist, are not as special as the good ones, because it is their flaws, their "felinity," that makes a cat special, and it is how they work their ways into our heart even with their flaws, that endears them to us, and makes their loss so piercing.
Goodbye Mitzi.
Saturday, July 23, 2005
This Day in Canadian History
The "Gimli Glider".
Canadians are great. They're government and health-care system may be completely fucked, but only in Canada could something like this happen, and it would end up as a case of SNAFU.
The "Gimli Glider".
Canadians are great. They're government and health-care system may be completely fucked, but only in Canada could something like this happen, and it would end up as a case of SNAFU.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Trade-Offs
Laurence Simon has been thinking about how to maximize ease of grilling.
I think he's still in the trial and error phase.
Laurence Simon has been thinking about how to maximize ease of grilling.
I moved the grill from the far end of the patio to just outside the living room sliding glass door.
I keep telling myself it is so I can grill when it rains and it makes dumping the ashes into the ash bucket easier, but the truth is I don't want to have to walk the extra twenty or so feet back and forth.
Some smoke comes in through the open door when I cook there.
Everything in life is a trade-off.
[...]
UPDATE:
I used bamboo skewers this time.
Coconut milk, ginger, shallots, chili powder, oil, peanut butter... makes an excellent messy glaze.
I burned my thumb.
My corn popped out of the holder as I was flipping it, and the whole place filled with smoke because I had moved the grill close to the door.
The grill's back in its old location. And it's staying there.
Now pass the aloe vera.
I think he's still in the trial and error phase.
Saturday, June 18, 2005
The Bomb, Somebody Set Up Us
In honor of the 5th birthday of the original internet phenomenon.
(Thanks to Laurence Simon for the original image hosting)
Operator: We get signal.
Captain: What !
Operator: Main screen turn on.
Captain: It's You !!
Cats: How are you gentlemen !!
Cats: The way to destruction, you are on.
Captain: What you say !!
Cats: No chance to survive, you have, your time...make.
Cats: HMMMM-HA HA HA HA ....
In honor of the 5th birthday of the original internet phenomenon.
(Thanks to Laurence Simon for the original image hosting)
Friday, June 17, 2005
Christopher Nolan is a Genius
I just saw Batman Begins. It is without question the best Batman movie ever. If you like a good superhero film, you should see it. It could be one of the greatest of them.
The preceding was not hyperbole. It is a fantastic amazing film.
I just saw Batman Begins. It is without question the best Batman movie ever. If you like a good superhero film, you should see it. It could be one of the greatest of them.
The preceding was not hyperbole. It is a fantastic amazing film.
Thursday, June 02, 2005
I knew how to spell this word! I even know what it means.
Monday, May 23, 2005
Free-Floating Abstract Political Entities
Close to what my feelings are today, except I didn't live through the '60s or '80s: "Leaving the Left."
Close to what my feelings are today, except I didn't live through the '60s or '80s: "Leaving the Left."
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Tom Dreams of Lair Simon
The funniest blog post about a dream with Laurence Simon in it ever. Probably the only one as well.
The funniest blog post about a dream with Laurence Simon in it ever. Probably the only one as well.
Paragraph Movie Review
I saw The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy a few weeks ago.
I think the only person involved in making the film who was a fan was Douglas Adams, and he died in 2001. Everything in that film that wasn't based on the original material was not that funny, and putting that in resulted in the exclusion of a lot of the original material that was funny. Also, one of the funniest characters, Zaphod Beeblebrox was completely and needlessly changed. A lot of people who see the film who aren't already fans will wonder what the big deal is about, and will have no idea of the Wodehousian greatness of Douglas Adams' works.
My recommendation: Instead of watching the movie, listen to the original radio series.
"Listen, I'm so hip I have trouble walking, and I'm so cool you could store a shot of meat in me for a month."
I saw The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy a few weeks ago.
I think the only person involved in making the film who was a fan was Douglas Adams, and he died in 2001. Everything in that film that wasn't based on the original material was not that funny, and putting that in resulted in the exclusion of a lot of the original material that was funny. Also, one of the funniest characters, Zaphod Beeblebrox was completely and needlessly changed. A lot of people who see the film who aren't already fans will wonder what the big deal is about, and will have no idea of the Wodehousian greatness of Douglas Adams' works.
My recommendation: Instead of watching the movie, listen to the original radio series.
"Listen, I'm so hip I have trouble walking, and I'm so cool you could store a shot of meat in me for a month."
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Bistromathics!
Good times last night. Good times.
"Do you want a banana?
Peel it down and go
Mmmm-mmm-mmm.
Do you want a banana?
This banana's for you!"
The third and most mysterious piece of nonabsoluteness of all lies in the relationship between the number of items on the check, the cost of each item, the number of people at the table and what they are each prepared to pay for. (The number of people who have actually brought any money is only a subphenomenon in this field.)
Numbers written on restaurant checks within the confines of restaurants do not follow the same mathematical laws as numbers written on any other pieces of paper in any other parts of the Universe...
Good times last night. Good times.
"Do you want a banana?
Peel it down and go
Mmmm-mmm-mmm.
Do you want a banana?
This banana's for you!"
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Catholicism Wow Redux: My most recent post on the blog of the Lair Simon Dead Pool.
These are some very cute photos.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Aviation Watch
Airbus finally flew the A380. This plane has been a long time in the making. The crux of whether it will be competitive depends on two things, the cost per passenger to purchase, make the airports compatible, run, and maintain; and whether there is enough demand for air travel that the 840 seats will be filled. There is apparently demand for the plane from aircraft companies, as 154 advance orders have been made. Airbus is claiming the per-passenger costs are a fifth of that for the 747, so if it is even only the same as the 747, it is unlikely to suffer from the chief failing of the Concorde, ridiculous per-passenger operation costs.
An interesting side-note is that Boeing is not working on another large passenger aircraft, but a smaller long-range one. It's possible they're trying to sweep the market right out from under large jetliners by creating very high efficiency cost-effective jetliners that are significantly more economical than the larger ones. The one significant non-engineering problem with this strategy is that a limiting factor exists in logistics of airlines. There is a finite amount of runways, hangers, and terminal space so it may be impossible to substitue a large fleet of smaller more efficient jetliners for large aircraft like the A380.
The biggest issue with all modern airline development is that it is predicated on an imminent boom in air travel comparable to the introduction of the jetliner, as has been predicted for the last decade. If this does not happen, all we will see is the slow replacement of present airliners with the newer ones, and a lot of planes will end up sitting in the factory hanger or in the airplane graveyard in Arizona.
Airbus finally flew the A380. This plane has been a long time in the making. The crux of whether it will be competitive depends on two things, the cost per passenger to purchase, make the airports compatible, run, and maintain; and whether there is enough demand for air travel that the 840 seats will be filled. There is apparently demand for the plane from aircraft companies, as 154 advance orders have been made. Airbus is claiming the per-passenger costs are a fifth of that for the 747, so if it is even only the same as the 747, it is unlikely to suffer from the chief failing of the Concorde, ridiculous per-passenger operation costs.
An interesting side-note is that Boeing is not working on another large passenger aircraft, but a smaller long-range one. It's possible they're trying to sweep the market right out from under large jetliners by creating very high efficiency cost-effective jetliners that are significantly more economical than the larger ones. The one significant non-engineering problem with this strategy is that a limiting factor exists in logistics of airlines. There is a finite amount of runways, hangers, and terminal space so it may be impossible to substitue a large fleet of smaller more efficient jetliners for large aircraft like the A380.
The biggest issue with all modern airline development is that it is predicated on an imminent boom in air travel comparable to the introduction of the jetliner, as has been predicted for the last decade. If this does not happen, all we will see is the slow replacement of present airliners with the newer ones, and a lot of planes will end up sitting in the factory hanger or in the airplane graveyard in Arizona.
Monday, April 25, 2005
This is an absolutely horrible, horrible idea. The idea is so horrible I can't go into why it is so horrible right now. Our lawmakers are a bunch of idiots, and I will definitely xercise civil disobedience on this one.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Albert Einstein, 50 Years Later
Yesterday was the semicentennial of Albert Einstein's death.
Lost in Einstein's fame is the totality of why he was so famous. He can be fairly regarded as the founder of three fields; Special Relativity, General Relativity, and Nuclear Chemistry; and an assistant to the founding of Quantum Physics, whiich is ironic given his opinion that much of it was wrong.
His first accomplishment was the quantum explanation for the Photoelectric Effect that he published in 1905, a mere five years after Plank founded quantum physics. His solution implied the existence of the photon, and thus gave a physical meaning to what had previously been just math by Plank, and gave solid proof of the wave-particle duality of light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation.
His second discovery was the Special Theory of Relativity, which has become an integral part of quantum physics, and also led to the formulation of one of the most famous equations in history. The relativistic motion form of this equation, from which the rest form is derived, led to de Broglie's theory of the wave behavior of particles, which was the antecedent of the Uncertainty Principle which Einstein was convinced was flawed. The Uncertainty Principle is the basis for all quantum physics since becoming, in effect, the fundamental theory of quantum physics with the proof of Quantum Field Theory, which describes all particles as fields, similar to electric and magnetic fields composed of photons. This theory has been essential in mathematically describing all forces other than gravity, including the forces that cause nuclear decay, the other corollary to Einstein's mass-energy equation.
His theory that took the longest to conclusively prove, and to fully utilize (which, it could be argued, has yet to be done) is the General Theory of Relativity. Despite Einstein's mistake in assuming the existence of a cosmological constant, this theory gave a solid foundation to astrophysics, and is essential for planning the orbits and paths of satellites and inter-planetary probes.
All of the mathematics in the General Theory has been proven correct with great precision. Part of the reason for this is that General Relativity is not an equation in the normal sense, but is a collection of condition, differentials, and relations that the gravity around a system of masses is in accordance with. The first equation based on General Relativity was not discovered by Einstein, and was a description of the system of a compact massive object at rest, which was realized to be a black hole. A consquence of General Relativity not being a single equation is that an unexplained system in rotational relativity (which the explanation of was the main reason the only significant alternative to Eistein's General Theory was made) ended up being described by General Relativity through a new solution to the system of equations in the theory.
In conclusion, the continuing fame of Albert Einstein is well-deserved. He was an insightful and prodigous theorist who was a major figure in laying the foundation of modern physics. He was also involved in non-scientific areas of society, which I have not discussed here, and had a notably good sense of humor. He was truly a great man.
Yesterday was the semicentennial of Albert Einstein's death.
Lost in Einstein's fame is the totality of why he was so famous. He can be fairly regarded as the founder of three fields; Special Relativity, General Relativity, and Nuclear Chemistry; and an assistant to the founding of Quantum Physics, whiich is ironic given his opinion that much of it was wrong.
His first accomplishment was the quantum explanation for the Photoelectric Effect that he published in 1905, a mere five years after Plank founded quantum physics. His solution implied the existence of the photon, and thus gave a physical meaning to what had previously been just math by Plank, and gave solid proof of the wave-particle duality of light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation.
His second discovery was the Special Theory of Relativity, which has become an integral part of quantum physics, and also led to the formulation of one of the most famous equations in history. The relativistic motion form of this equation, from which the rest form is derived, led to de Broglie's theory of the wave behavior of particles, which was the antecedent of the Uncertainty Principle which Einstein was convinced was flawed. The Uncertainty Principle is the basis for all quantum physics since becoming, in effect, the fundamental theory of quantum physics with the proof of Quantum Field Theory, which describes all particles as fields, similar to electric and magnetic fields composed of photons. This theory has been essential in mathematically describing all forces other than gravity, including the forces that cause nuclear decay, the other corollary to Einstein's mass-energy equation.
His theory that took the longest to conclusively prove, and to fully utilize (which, it could be argued, has yet to be done) is the General Theory of Relativity. Despite Einstein's mistake in assuming the existence of a cosmological constant, this theory gave a solid foundation to astrophysics, and is essential for planning the orbits and paths of satellites and inter-planetary probes.
All of the mathematics in the General Theory has been proven correct with great precision. Part of the reason for this is that General Relativity is not an equation in the normal sense, but is a collection of condition, differentials, and relations that the gravity around a system of masses is in accordance with. The first equation based on General Relativity was not discovered by Einstein, and was a description of the system of a compact massive object at rest, which was realized to be a black hole. A consquence of General Relativity not being a single equation is that an unexplained system in rotational relativity (which the explanation of was the main reason the only significant alternative to Eistein's General Theory was made) ended up being described by General Relativity through a new solution to the system of equations in the theory.
In conclusion, the continuing fame of Albert Einstein is well-deserved. He was an insightful and prodigous theorist who was a major figure in laying the foundation of modern physics. He was also involved in non-scientific areas of society, which I have not discussed here, and had a notably good sense of humor. He was truly a great man.
