Stumbling upon new stuff can be quite enjoying. After hearing an interview with George Hrab on a podcast, I knew I had to check out his podcast and music.
I finally checked it out a few days after he released a quick-and-dirty video for a fabulous song: Out of My Mind.
The music really reminds me of Thomas Dolby. Perhaps his shaven head doesn’t hurt that impression. But the thoughtfulness and the clean production quality moreso points that direction.
I’m sure I’ll come to enjoy the podcast in my regular rotation, and may have a few iTunes album purchases in my future.
Geologic Promo MP3
July 31st, 2008
Posted by
bshirley |
music, pod, science, web |
no comments
Described in an article this week, the Beelzebufo, or Devil Frog is the largest currently known frog to have existed.
It totally makes me want to support the reanimation of extinct creatures from DNA. I want a frog from hell as a pet!
They were predatory. He could live under my house and eat the neighborhood rats.
It also wins for best scientific name of the week.
February 25th, 2008
Posted by
bshirley |
inthenews, science |
one comment
This is actually more of a free speech case. It’s disappointing on both levels.
I just found out that Ms. Chris Comer was forced to resign as the director of the Texas Education Agency. (I wished she would have forced a firing - but everyone much choose their own battles.) She was forced to step down for forwarding an email about a lecture.
Her interview on NPR’s Science Friday was horrifying to listen to. I had to respond to the chron’s Science Guy, who reads as defending the state’s stance, with the following:
Eric,
You’re going to invoke Richard Smalley, born in 1943 in Ohio, raised in Missouri, schooled at Hope College, University of Michigan, and Princeton - as proof that today’s state of public science education is healthy?
The mere fact that Ms. Comer was ejected from the Texas Education Agency under such ridiculous circumstances is case enough to state that there is a HUGE problem!
It’s also sad, that the link you had to provide was from the Austin American-Statesman, and a google searching of chron.com provides me a dead link.
Did the editorial board address this issue? Though it’s of minimal effect, it’s something they should have done!
I expect heads to roll over this. I will be sorely disappointed.
December 8th, 2007
Posted by
bshirley |
inthenews, media, politics, science |
no comments
Knock, knock. Hello? Anyone home at the AP?
Weather improving for tomorrow’s shuttle launch
Associated Press Aug. 7, 2007, 4:40PM
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The weather is improving for Wednesday’s planned launch of Endeavour on a space station delivery mission featuring NASA’s first educator-astronaut.
…
Seven astronauts are assigned to the mission, but the spotlight is on Barbara Morgan, who was Christa McAuliffe’s backup for Challenger’s doomed mission in 1986.
…
Christa McAuliffe was the first educator-astronaut. Because she died doing her job does not disqualify her from the title.
I hope she and the rest of the STS-51-L crew will be watching over the Endeavour.
August 7th, 2007
Posted by
bshirley |
media, science |
3 comments
Ahh, jokes about non-deterministic polynomial time complexity problems. Doesn’t get much better than that!
Thank you xkcd: a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.
(If you don’t Get It, you’re not a computer scientist.)
If you want to know more: np-complete, knapsack problem, traveling salesman, xkcd.
July 9th, 2007
Posted by
bshirley |
science, web |
one comment
There was one of these at the national arboretum a year or two ago. There were huge lines to get in to see it. I’ve always wanted to experience one, but still haven’t. I do think I can pass on planting one in my yard, though.
An Amorphophallus titanum, known locally as a ‘carcass flower’, blossoms at the Cibodas Botanical Garden in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia, Sunday, March, 14, 2004. The rare flower, which smells like rotting flesh, has set a new height record for the species, officials said Saturday. Officials at the garden on the southern outskirts of the capital Jakarta claimed this particualr flower reached a height of 9.5 feet, a new record as the tallest Amorphopallus titanum. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
-b
March 15th, 2004
Posted by
bshirley |
science |
no comments
