Kozone

World Cup Update

2006-06-26T17:10:00.000-07:00

Wow, I have watched so much of the World Cup thus far! U.S.: disappointing, but England is still alive! Lots of yellow and red cards. Germany and Argentina are the most impressive teams. Soccer fans know that the Brazilian players mostly go by single names, like Ronaldo, Juninho, and Ronaldhino. Find out what your Brazilian soccer name might be! Mine is "Keito". I like it!

Small Made Big

2006-06-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

Hard for me to type much; painful left arm. But, here is a model of a hydrogen atom that shows just how much empty space makes up atoms, and therefore, matter! See if you can find the electron.

Whining Like You've Never Heard

2006-06-13T17:56:00.000-07:00

It was originally invented to repel teenagers, but now the ever-clever teens are turning it into something useful, well to them, anyway. The product is a high-pitched tone that supposedly very few people older than 30 or so can hear, but younger people can. Store owners in England have apparently tried using it to keep crowds of kids from hanging out. Now kids are downloading it as a ring tone and using it as a text message alert that teachers can't hear!

Of course, I can't resist the science within the matter. First of all, there seem to have been two different tones mentioned in different stories. So try listening to them (they are on the page as #1 and #2; wait for them to load) via The Sneeze (a very funny website!) and see if you can hear them.

Someone went a little further and posted a set of MP3's of different frequencies so you can crudely estimate your hearing threshold. Try them. Mine was at the 16,000 Hz level.

I, For One, Welcome Our New Designer Overlord

2006-06-03T17:24:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like I was all turned upside-down about intelligent design. My scientific self required proof, well here is some for you: the Designer speaks! Worth a look and a laugh. Nice shades.

Hard Core

2006-03-26T05:47:00.000-08:00

Wow, our Science Olympiad team finishes 2nd out of 23 teams, and earns a spot at the national tournament in May. A spot at nationals for the first time ever.

How about that?

Another Eye-Roller

2006-03-12T16:24:00.000-08:00

I wonder why I never seem to get lucky enough to find anything really cool that will earn me my well-deserved fifteen minutes of fame. I mean, couldn't it have been me that found the Virgin Mary in my grilled cheese sandwich? Instead, some lady gets it. Or how about seeing Jesus in a tree? I have trees nearby! But no, it appears for a Hindu man (now THAT seems unfair)! Why, even in my own area I can't be the one to find Mary in the salt-water runoff under the Kennedy Expressway!

Those are old examples, so maybe the next one is for me! Sigh, a holy figure has once again chosen to appear in food in order to reveal Truth to mere mortals. Yes, Christ has now surfaced in some guy's manicotti. Once again, I miss out. I must be deficient somehow. I never could see any of the hidden images in those hated Magic Eye puzzles (dinosaur my butt). Then again, maybe it isn't me, maybe it is them! Pareidolia, anyone?

Idiot's Justice

2006-02-08T19:00:00.000-08:00

Well, it turns out that Mr. Deutsch (see post before this one) has resigned his position. It seems that saying you graduated from Texas A&M on your resume, when you really didn't is bad PR. Whoopsy!

Idiots

2006-02-04T19:50:00.000-08:00

The Republican war on science continues. Some 24-year old Bush appointee demands that every reference to "Big Bang" have the word theory attached to it in web pages made about Albert Einstein for middle schoolers (yeah, students of mine, you guys). The funny part is that adding the word theory does not water it down, really, if you know what the word means. This guy doesn't. Go read about this for yourself at the really good Bad Astronomy Blog.

The Universe As We Know It

2006-01-01T17:14:00.000-08:00

Just what is our universe made of? How does it work? Massive questions, with many parts of them not quite answered, or answered unsatisfactorily at this time. Here is a tutorial on "where we stand" in our scientific understanding of the universe. It segues nicely from elegant, verified theory into troubling yet fascinating issues that are yet to be dealt with. Highly recommended. Hat tip to the folks at Cosmic Variance, a wonderful blog where I found the link.

If You Crave Dollars So Much, I'll Send You Some

2005-12-10T19:16:00.000-08:00

The way the story of a man being shot on American Airlines Flight 924 was presented by the major media outlets, it would seem that the federal air marshals were justified in their actions. Quietly, some details are emerging that cast some doubt on the standard story. At least seven passengers heard the "suspect" say nothing at all as he rushed toward an exit, let alone anything about a bomb. It is still possible the man, Rigoberto Alpizar, said something about a bomb while on the jetway; only the air marshals can testify as to this, and they also say he reached into his backpack, certainly a suspicious move.

I don't know what happened on that plane. What is disgusting, though, is the reaction by so many to what is so obviously a tragic accident. The idiots that populate Little Green Footballs are bad enough, but then we come to some of those fun-loving guys at Fox News. Read James Wolcott's take on it. One of them recommends investing in American Airlines stock as a result of the shooting incident!

Oh well, I guess that is one way capitalism works. You can count me out. Christ, if you need money so badly, I'll give you some. Ghouls.

Disowned?

2005-12-04T19:56:00.000-08:00

You know you are in trouble when people who are supposed to be on your side don't back you. The folks behind the "intelligent design" movement have done a great job of publicizing themselves, no doubt about it. Unfortunately for them, the thing just ain't science! It would appear that many people are coming around to this realization. A recent article in the New York Times, summarized courtesy of Pharyngula, suggests as much; revealing that many conservative schools, evangelical churches, and even the Templeton Foundation (known to promote a joining of science and religion) have simply found the idea wanting of scientific merit.

Is this the end of ID? I wouldn't think so, not yet. The people of the Discovery Institute are pretty crafty. That may be true, but in the end, it is all about the science. And ID has none.

Will It Work? Right Now Its Up in the Air . . .

2005-11-19T20:39:00.001-08:00

The United States Patent Office has for some time now required a working model in order to issue a patent to anyone purporting to have invented a perpetual motion machine. Unsurprisingly, none have been issued, since a PPM must violate one or more major laws of physics. Apparently such a sensible requirement is not applied to patents for so-called "anti-gravity devices, since a patent has been issued for one. And hey, fellow Hoosiers, the patent is owned by someone in Huntington, Indiana!

I for one am not holding my breath waiting for a working demonstration.

So There!

2005-11-06T09:52:00.000-08:00

All of you that think I am a heartless, evil teacher bent on torturing students and world domination, take a look at my results for the Are You Scary Quiz (link below, take it yourself!):

You Are Not Scary

Everyone loves you. Isn't that sweet?

How Scary Are You?

So there you have it. I am none of those things. Well, except I am after world domination . . .

Two New Members of the Solar System?

2005-10-31T16:40:00.000-08:00

Hubble has apparently detected two new moons of Pluto! The bodies are being referred to as "candidate" moons; astronomers will need to follow their motions to determine if they are indeed gravitationally bound to Pluto.

All of my Science Olympiad team members might need to take an updated solar system test because of this . . .

Creepy Crawlies

2005-10-23T19:18:00.000-07:00

I remember the 17-year cicadas when I was a lot younger; they were all over the place! Stumbled on this really cool movie that illustrates the entire life cycle of these insects. I humbly note with Hoosier pride that the movie comes courtesy of the Indiana University biology department.

Oh, if you don't like bugs you might want to skip this. Or at least hold your teddy bear during the gross parts.

AAAAAAHHHHH!

2005-10-20T18:39:00.000-07:00

Too busy to post much. Will return soon, hopefully.

The Most Famous Equation

2005-10-02T06:27:00.000-07:00

100 years ago this month, Albert Einstein published a brief paper that contained notes about an offshoot of his special theory of relativity. The final equation printed in a that paper was a relationship between energy, mass, and the speed of light:

m = E/c²

Of course, we have all come to know it as:

E = mc²

See this article in this weekend's NY Times (registration required - but it's free!) for an intriguing discussion of the history and implications of this little equation.

"Shining"

2005-10-02T06:17:00.000-07:00

Warning: This post will only be fully appreciated by those who know of the 1980 Stanley Kubrick version of Stephen King's "The Shining"

In response to a film editing contest, Robert Ryang chose an already-existing movie and created a trailer for it that portrays it as a movie very different than the one it really is. Ryang selectively spliced clips of "The Shining" together and added appropriately hokey music to make the movie seem like the story of a frustrated writer and a lonely boy coming together! It is hilarious, but only if you know the original movie!

The Highest Tech Elevator Ever

2005-09-25T19:32:00.000-07:00

Arthur C. Clarke is one of the most prolific science fiction writers ever. Some of his ideas have even come to fruition. He is generally credited with the idea of geosynchronous satellites, for instance.

"In a short letter published in 1945 by the British magazine Wireless World called "V2 for Ionospheric Research," Clarke proposed the notion of geosynchronous communication satellites. He wrote, "An 'artificial satellite' at the correct distance from the earth would make one revolution every 24 hours, i.e., it would remain stationery [sic] above the same spot and would be within optical range of nearly half the earth's surface. Three repeater stations, 120 degrees apart in the correct orbit, could give television and microwave coverage to the entire planet."

(from http://www.webstationone.com/fecha/clarke.htm)

In the news lately is another of his futuristic ideas, an elevator that rises up to space!

Of course he is best known for 2001: A Space Odyssey. Some don't realize there are three sequels to it, the titles bear the years 2010, 2061 and 3001. In the last one, he discusses the space elevator.

By the way, I often discuss the movie made based on 2010 as one of the most underrated sci-fi movies. Check it out if you have the chance.

Uh Oh; Style Change May Be Needed; Some Don't Like

2005-09-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

Well. Some students and I had a discussion recently in which some of them noted that I tend to use semi-colons kind of frequently. It would appear that some literary cognoscenti may disapprove. I say 'may disapprove' since I found the article nearly unreadable; maybe they should use semi-colons like me . . .

In an unrelated note, I have enabled comment verification, and in the process discovered how to enable anyone to comment, not just registered users. Duh on me. I would have done that a long time ago if I had bothered to think about it.

Friday Random Ten

2005-09-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

A long-overdue edition! You know the rules: turn your iPod or iTunes on shuffle and list the first ten songs:

1. Debonair - The Afghan Whigs; I was very long in "discovering" this group, but I now am a big fan! There is a strong element of cool about the lead singer, check out the very beginning of this song for a dose.

2. Monday, Monday - The Mamas & The Papas; ah, a fine oldie! One of their best-known songs, certainly, but not a particular favorite of mine.

3. They Can't Save Us Now - Kill Hannah; great song, full of teen-like angst; good local Chicago band; they are all guys in the band, I guess, despite the high-pitched vocals; any of you that can't get past that, why don't you get over yourself already?

4. Straw Dog - Something Corporate; this band is pretty good; this was my first download by them; Space is another really good song by them.

5. Only Happy When It Rains - Garbage; a very recent download; it took a long time for the older stuff by Garbage to appear on iTunes; when this song and Garbage debuted, I was convinced that Garbage was superior musically to No Doubt. I still think I was right. Take that, Gwen!

6. Shame - Stabbing Westward; an underrated alt-thrash band; I see them as a simpler Nine Inch Nails.

7. Kennedy - Kill Hannah; a repeat appearance by KH on the Random Ten! And whoa, this was the one that got me interested; for some time summers ago this song owned a spot on Q101's Top 9 at 9, back when they used to do that; I would wait for it, stop what I was doing, and then sit right next to the speakers and listen to this song! It was also one of my very first music downloads of all, before I started doing it legally . . . no questions please!

8. Figured You Out - Nickelback; can't quite make up my mind about Nickelback, but this is a good song; I can do without the lead singer, but the guitar work is great.

9. 1985 - Bowling for Soup; ugh, I feel kind of bad about having ever downloaded this; so bubble-gummy. Let's move on to number ten . . .

10. Second Guessing - R.E.M.; nice for the Athens boys to appear on the Random Ten, even though the track is from my least favorite R.E.M. album, Reckoning.

The Night the Power Came Back On (but not for long . . . )

2005-09-16T19:05:00.000-07:00

Imagine the feeling some residents of theNew Orleans warehouse district felt when the power finally came back on. A sign of hope, a sign of recovery! Well, sort of . . . See, the power came on right around the time a certain motorcade made its way through the area. Unfortunately, the power went out again, not too long after a certain speech was made in the area.

Hey, I wasn't there, so how do I know? Brian Williams was, so read it.

Words Say So Much

2005-09-11T18:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a collection of really inane quotes from all kinds of people associated with the Katrina natural disaster and the following unnatural relief disaster. Just a taste:

9) "I mean, you have people who don't heed those warnings and then put people at risk as a result of not heeding those warnings. There may be a need to look at tougher penalties on those who decide to ride it out and understand that there are consequences to not leaving.” –Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA), Sept. 6, 2005

Senator Santorum is the source of so much hilarity! Well, it would be hilarious if he weren't a United States SENATOR, for crying out loud! I will be the first to admit the Dems can't seem to win elections, but it sure looks like Little Ricky is gonna be outta there, so here's to good news!

Incompetence

2005-09-04T17:46:00.000-07:00

Is there any excuse for the poor federal response to the plight of the people victimized by Katrina? Really, the only excuse is the title of this post. Remember how 9/11 changed everything? How Bush whispered to then Attorney General John Ashcroft to not let this happen again? Guess what, it happened again. People running for their lives and scrambling to survive in a major city in the richest, most developed country in the world. The Bush-Cheney ticket ran for re-election on just a few major issues: 9/11, anti-gay rights, 9/11, kill social security, and 9/11. Well, I tell 51% of America to look up: nothing has changed since 9/11. The many of you who voted on issues of national security have been cheated. The federal government in its current incarnation is incapable of protecting you from act of terrorist or act of God.

The itinerary of our president during the days following the crashing of Katrina into the gulf coast just makes the incompetence of he and his ridiculous inner circle of cronies that much more galling. Strumming guitar in San Diego and cake with John McCain: it is as if Bush was able to combine the worst of Nero and Marie Antoinette into one body. Meanwhile, 10,000 or more were dying in Louisiana alone.

Oh no, no, don't try the excuses that are already being test floated by Bush's loyal group of idiotic sycophants. Yes, people did imagine that the levees might break, and they imagined that before 9/11 even. Yet the president spectacularly uttered such a thought on Good Morning America on the Tuesday after landfall. Maybe the Republican-dominated government truly did not anticipate this, after all they cut funding for the kinds of programs that would have funded things like levee repair. Yes, the local government officials and agencies reacted poorly, but the disaster was well beyond their capabilities. What in the world is FEMA for? News flash: the 'F' in FEMA stands for federal. No surprise the head of FEMA has shown himself to be a fool, his major work experience prior to this was as head of the International Arabian Horse Association. Hey, I'm a teacher, surely I am as qualified for, maybe, Secretary of Defense as this clown was for his post! And, lo, how well did our shiny new Homeland Security department fare? Miserably. Michael Chertoff claims not to have known about thousands in a downtown New Orleans convention center. Turn on a cable news channel, fella, CNN, MSNBC, and Fox all had people on the ground down there talking about it! Even the Fox reporters, so groomed to pay all tribute to Bush the past five years, were aghast (take the time to click on the link for the video; it is unreal) at the scenes.

What do we pay you for, Mr. Bush? I can't in all reality call for you and your impotent posse to resign in disgrace, how would this country go about replacing its entire leadership? Oh well, I guess a guy can hope, can't he . . .?

Projects

2005-08-28T18:46:00.000-07:00

Well, the school year is here, and if you thought I blogged infrequently lately, just wait. Well here are some projects I hope to address with future posts:

Protest Playlist; want to put together a bunch of songs that have a general anti-war, anti-bad government theme, I have a number, and it would be neat to collect them on one list

"Intelligent Design"; what a crock, but it is wedging itself into society and schools, particularly since Bush, Frist, and DeLay have spoken out for it (god, three of the biggest stooges of all time), for all of you thinking it is way off from here, let it be known that Columbus, Indiana has felt this issue already . . .

New Music; besides the Protest Playlist, there seems to be a lot of good new stuff out, including cuts from some favorites: Franz Ferdinand, Interpol, Nine Inch Nails

More Harping On Bush; man, I used to not even take myself seriously when I would call him the worst president in my lifetime, but gee whiz, I think it is even LIKELY he will end up that way.

Friday Random Ten

2005-08-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, now that I have returned to the blog after leaving it fallow for a time, here is another Friday Random Ten:

1. Heavy - Collective Soul; I have really enjoyed some of Collective Soul's offerings, they provide some good easy listening, and sometimes give an edge to their music as well.

2. Time After Time (annElise) - R.E.M.; from Reckoning album, which for some reason has always been my LEAST favorite one by my favorite band.

3. Bad Day - R.E.M.; capping an R.E.M. back-to-backer is this one off of their most recent Best Of production; remember seeing the video for it shortly after the release.

4. Don't Stand So Close to Me - The Police; although I am a school teacher, this song doesn't resonate with me because of the lyrics (look 'em up to understand that), but rather it conjures memories of my own high school because the song was out then for me.

5. Meaning Of Life - Disturbed; a really cool song, raunchy lyrics, thrashy guitar, good energy song. Good workout song.

6. Moving in Stereo - The Cars; of course this song is best known for the scene it accompanies in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, this group has a lot of really good songs, although I did not care for much of their later work.

7. Struggle - Ringside; yet another download from the epic Quest For 200 Free Songs of 2005, and this is a really nice tune. Bigger band that they kind of remind me of: The Bravery.

8. The End of the World - The Cure; ha, not the R.E.M. similarly-named song, but one by English 80's dominating alt band The Cure, although this song is from, ahem, 2o04 . . .

9. Angie - The Rolling Stones; I don't have much from them in the library, but anyway, Mick & Co. sure have made some waves with their current release about neo-cons . . . take that Dubya! Check out this song for Jagger's tortured rendering of the lyrics.

10. How Beautiful You Are - The Cure; and Robert Smith's gang score a double entry tonight! This one IS from their 80's stuff (1987), and I LOVE this track! The piano bits (which I really like in a song in general), and the bass line, plus the story-telling of the lyrics. Definitely a favorite song by a group that has a lot of songs I like.

From Ape to Man

2005-08-12T19:31:00.000-07:00

Hopefully you got a chance to view the History Channel show Ape to Man which has been shown recently. It provides an overview of the major fossil finds comprising early human ancestry. And with that said, the link above provides yet another "educational" game! Click on the Start Your Journey button for The Missing Link Challenge. I didn't think I was going to make it through all the "challenges", but I did! The bone-collecting phases are pretty dumb, and certainly not educational. The second task is a word find puzzle - *eye roll* - hardly educational. The human evolution quiz is pretty good, and I aced it; but, I have to admit I had already seen the TV program, which was immensely helpful. Go ahead and give it a try.

Some Back to School Fun

2005-08-12T06:27:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a while, but I have been busy, what with school rushing toward us. So here is a link that is both educational and fun. Well, it is as educational as you make it, but anyway . . . It is a game that purports to integrate some knowledge of special relativity, and . . . oh forget it. You get to shoot aliens, ok? Now go get 'em.

Friday Random Ten

2005-07-29T17:46:00.000-07:00

I am bored with my blog right now, so this is an easy thing to post! Here goes:

1. Take You On a Cruise - Interpol; their music grows on you, and this song is one of my most played on iTunes, I love the 'black goddess, white goddess" stuff near the end

2. All Downhill from Here - New Found Glory; pretty decent semi-thrashy pop rock

3. NYC - Interpol; well, got it because it was by Interpol, doggone it, but doesn't do much for me

4. We Both Go Down Together - The Decemberists; have to admit they make pleasant music, but it is alternative enough to still be alternative, does that make sense?

5. Bus Stop - The Hollies; nice oldie, really like the broken phrases that begin the story

6. Shake the Disease - Depeche Mode; did not begin my Mode kick until after first visit to England, I will still play a whole string of their songs when in the mood for Mode

7. Just Like a Pill - Pink; okay, okay, stop laughing; she made a niche for herself among the Britneys, Christinas, etc. by being edgier, and I don't mean in looks, I mean in her music

8. It's My Life - Bon Jovi; just feels inspiring, I like very little early Bon Jovi, I like a lot of the later stuff, go figure

9. Hanging By a Moment - Lifehouse; I am very leery of any song that has some twang to it, but this one works out to be just a pretty good rock song

10. All The Way To Reno - R.E.M. - surprising so little R.E.M. has come up on my random lists, as they have the most tracks on my iTunes of any group/singer by far, this one is from Reveal, and is ok, I "worry" that my zeal for new alternative is leaving the Athens, Georgia group in the rearview mirror as far as my musical tastes go

Friday's Random Ten (A Day Late)

2005-07-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

Here is what my iTunes had to offer on shuffle:

1. Midnight Train to Georgia - Gladys Knight and The Pips; a good oldie
2. Airport Motels - The Crystal Skulls; went out on a limb with this download, I don't care for it too much
3. Doing the Unstuck (Saunders 12" Remix) - The Cure; an uninspiring mix of a superb Cure song
4. Easy to Be Hard - Hair; memories of the musical
5. Radio Song - R.E.M.; this is actually the song that began my R.E.M. fanship, I went on to get all of their stuff
6. Philosophy - Ben Folds Five; discovered this song playing on someone's xanga
7. Doll Parts - Hole; the only song involving Courtney Love I have
8. Desire (Come and Get It) - Gene Loves Jezebel; song off 1999 album with an 80's sound to it
9. The Rat - The Walkmen; their sound is unique, but this song just strikes me as a good rock track
10. Heaven - Live; the music is good, but I best like this song for its lyrics

Another pretty good ten.

Classic Toy

2005-07-12T09:25:00.000-07:00

Today is the 45th anniversary of a classic toy: the Etch-A-Sketch! Thanks to the internets (sic) you can get something of a feel for it here.

You Gotta Get This

2005-07-12T05:47:00.000-07:00

Google Earth is a super-cool application! You can zoom in and out on any region of the earth, and the view uses satellite imagery. I picked out my car in the school parking lot! I scrolled around to my parents' house, my sister's house and various Chicago landmarks before trotting off to other world cities to look for things like the pyramids and the Superdome. To wit, for anyone who downloads this (free!) program, here is a little scavenger hunt. Try and find:

1. Washington Monument
2. Great Pyramids of Egypt
3. the obelisk in St. Peter's Square
4. Wrigley Field
5. evidence of the San Andreas Fault
6. Parthenon (hat tip, Jennifer)
7. Taj Mahal
8. Mt. St. Helens
9. Mackinac Bridge
10. Stonehenge (I haven't tried this one yet)

Good luck!

It's Time For Him To Go!

2005-07-12T05:42:00.000-07:00

I have held my tongue on this until now, but Karl Rove must be fired by the White House. It is unclear at this time if Mr. Rove committed a crime, according to the letter of the law. But he has allowed the White House to cover for him, and they have lied, intentionally or unintentionally, as a result. To catch some wind of the firestorm surrounding this, don't miss this video of part of the White House press gaggle of Monday, July 11.

Friday Random Top Ten

2005-07-08T19:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I am stealing this idea from a bunch of other blogs! Turned on party shuffle in iTunes, and here are the first ten songs:

1. Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine - The Killers; good song, quite dark if you listen to the words

2. The Rat - The Walkmen; another really good song, have not looked too much for other tracks by them

3. Don't Save Us From The Flames - M83; nice fusion of rock and electronic

4. Everything Will Be Alright - The Killers; this group has at least a dozen songs better than this one

5. Leif Erickson - Interpol; another cool group I discovered at the same time as The Killers, I like their ballads a lot

6. Perfect Circle - R.E.M.; an early, classic song by R.E.M., has the kind of piano track in a song that I really like

7. Cupid de Locke - Smashing Pumpkins; I hope Billy Corgan does get them back together, like I have heard rumored

8. Popular - Nada Surf; great high school angst song

9. Give It All - Rise Against; an experimental download when I had all those free songs, this one is so-so

10. Buried Myself Alive - The Used; I like The Used's thrash-emo sound, though this isn't my favorite by them

All in all a pretty good ten! No embarrassments here. Just wait for future lists though (hint: Partridge Family is in there somewhere)!

Flash Mind Reader

2005-06-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

Here is a cute Flash applet that purports to read your mind. Go here and try it. There really is only some simple math behind it. Students of mine, try and work it out! Keep reading for for help.

Here is how it works:

For any number you choose, x, it will be the sum of a digit in the tens place (a) and one in the ones place (b):

x = 10a + b

The instructions call for you to add the digits of your original number x and then subtract from x:

10a + b - (a + b)

Combining like terms gives:

10a - a +b - b = 9a

Thus, no matter what number you choose, the manipulation of it according to the directions will give nine times the tens digit, and the number you calculate must be a multiple of nine, i.e., 9, 18, 27, 36, etc.

Now examine the symbol chart and look at the symbols "predicted" for 9, 18, 27, . . . They are all the same! So the mind reader can not be wrong, since your math MUST produce a multiple of nine. But wait!

But wait! Not all multiples of nine have the same symbol! Look at the chart at 90 and 99. Different symbols! However, following the directions correctly will not allow an answer of 90 or 99 (or any number greater than 81, for that matter - try it). So the chart "safely" lists alternate symbols for those multiples of nine, since they can never come up!

Finally, you may be amazed that different symbols come up in the crystal ball when you retry the program again and again. Well, the symbol chart scrambles when you try it again, but the same symbol is still present for all possible multiples of nine.

Hat tip to Andrew Sullivan (a favorite blog of mine) for identifying this neat little gimmick - waste of time indeed!

Ever Get So Mad . . .

2005-06-23T07:28:00.000-07:00

. . . that you want to destroy the earth? Well, here is a good place to start your research!

They're heeeerrreee . . . .

2005-06-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

OK, for all you readers too young to remember that line from the little girl in the movie Poltergeist, I was reminded of it when I saw this story. Yup, crop circles right here in good old Indiana! Turns out this occurred in Randolph county, on the east side of the state, butting right up against Ohio. In fact, I graduated from Jay County High School, in Jay County just north of Randolph county.

It is hard to believe even the mild hysteria expressed in the newspaper article linked to above. Look at the picture people, those "patterns" are random. Downburst winds from severe storms would do this easily, and does anyone recall some pretty nasty storms sweeping across our area of the midwest in these first couple of weeks of June? I do.

Perhaps the most striking bit about the article is the fact that there is an organization called the Independent Crop Circle Research Associates, and the founder is from Fort Wayne! Alas, a googling of that title turned up only similar names, none apparently the same as the one the Star-Press saw fit to access for a quote. Small-town journalism at its best (eye-roll).

Crop circles are kind of old and tired these days, don't you think? As an alien-caused phenomenon, that is. Well, for those that like good fiction, read the information about Signs, go rent it, enjoy it, and then let the issue die.

Remember How Gore Invented the Internet?

2005-06-13T17:59:00.000-07:00

Of course you do. That was one of the statements that showed what an idiot Gore is, right? Too bad the whole thing is a myth. This is a classic example of Republicans spinning statements so hard they fly right out of context. Al Gore was instrumental in terms of legislation promoting the Internet you are using to read this. Hey wingnuts, your boy Newt Gingrich said so!

So what is the story behind the infamous "comment"? Check it out here and here.

Want some icing for that cake? Al Gore was just given an award for his contributions toward the Internet. Yup, he won a webby award! The kicker to this is that webby recipients are confined to a five word acceptance speech. Gore's is wonderful . . . "Please don't recount this vote."

WOW! I like WoW!

2005-06-07T13:56:00.000-07:00

World of Warcraft is an awesome game, just the kind of swords and sorcery roleplaying I have always found addictive. Survived a combination realm maintenance/patch update today. I thought all my characters were lost! Anyway, for those of you who know what I am talking about, here is my roster:

Urz: level 31 orc warrior
Runnik: level 22 night elf hunter
Sardin: level 9 gnome mage
Athazar: low level undead rogue
Uldor: low level tauren druid
Arkenbrand: low level human paladin
Throrn: low level dwarven priest

All characters except Throrn are on the Perenolde realm. See you there . . .

The Second Universe

2005-06-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

How to conduct experiments on the universe? This is the problem astronomy faces compared to other physical sciences. But scientists are ever clever! Nature magazine reports on a computer simulation of a model universe. Sorry, Nature demands a subscription, but you can view the abstract here. Better yet, here is a good synopsis in a newspaper. Now why is it such an article must be found in a British newspaper rather than one here in America? Good question, and a topic for another time . . .

I'm back!

2005-05-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

Well, well, here I am. Between major school improvement work, regular school work, World of Warcraft, and furious iTunes downloading, haven't been around here much. Here are some of the issues I am following, and you should be:

1. Man, this, via Tiny Revolution, is just about the scariest thing I have seen in a long while. I hope it is a joke, but I am pretty sure it isn't. Click on the picture and shudder at the video intro.

2. Continuing the relgious stuff kick, did any of you follow the "debates" held in Kansas recently? The intelligent designer folks decided to hold a party, and the scientists refused to come. Now, if I hold a debate between myself and nobody else, I should expect to win, no? Pretty funny that the ID'ers could not manage it! Check out Red State Rabble wrap-up for an excellent summary.

3. Perhaps the mildest sub-plot of the "Nuclear Option" story is the war over who started the "nuclear" phrase. Here is a history of it, according to kos.Of course, the Republicans did; just do a little research. Of course, the Republicans have been trying to pin it on the Dems for some time now. Maybe they are right, after all, if the right wing had done it, wouldn't it be the "Nu-kyuh-lurr Option"?

Where Have I Been?

2005-04-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

Oh, man! Curse all of you students that badgered me to get World of Warcraft! It is a good game. Right now my night elf hunter is level 11, and having a heck of a time completing a couple of quests. Looks like some of my bloggin time will be spent playing this game. For those of you that like fantasy MMORPGs, get this game now!

Meanwhile, stay tuned for more Bill Frist garbage. The doctor that "diagnosed" Terri Schiavo from a few minutes of video is at it again. How in the world did this country let this guy become a senator, let alone Senate Majority Leader?

Free Songs Update

2005-04-13T19:33:00.000-07:00

To date, 173 free song caps redeemed, with four more waiting to be entered! Thanks everybody!

Roundup

2005-04-09T18:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the stories I have been keeping up on while not posting to this blog for awhile:

A tiny bit of zircon has been put on display at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. So what, you say? Well, it happens to be the oldest dated thing on Earth, as far as we know! Too bad you need a microscope to see it.
The goofballs at Power Line still can't stand it that their out-of-left-field ideas about the Schiavo talking points memo have been blown out of the water. Here is a good round-up, via kos, of some of the better post-mortems. I went ahead and offered the link to Power Line, that is, if you want to waste your time. Well, I read it when I am itching for something to rail against!
C-SPAN 2, for some reason, invited quasi-journalist "Jeff Gannon" to participate in a panel discussion about (snicker) journalism. Crooks and Liars has posted a nice chunk of video in which Gannon (Gueckert, for real) demonstrates his "skills".
A sickening twist to the issues raised in the Schiavo case in Australia: a man who apparently attempted to kill his wife opposes removing her from life support, else he could be tried for murder. I wonder when Tom DeLay and Bill Frist will rush to Australia to back him up?

Moral Exhibitionism

2005-04-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

Check out this article from a South Carolina newspaper. I think it aptly describes some of the public posturing being done these days.

"moral exhibitionism"

2005-04-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

With apologies to others who came up with this before me (The Union Daily Times of South Carolina, and dhonig over at dailykos, I think the phrase "moral exhibitionism" does a fair job describing the kind of public posturing over morals playing all around the public square these days. It covers the pharmacists described in my previous post, and the unreal spectacle about the hospice in Florida.

It remains to be seen if any politicos from the left or the right are held accountable for their dubious involvement in the Schiavo affair. But it sure seems to me like some, particularly Frist and DeLay, were guilty of just such moral exhibitionism.

You're Fired!

2005-03-30T21:26:00.000-08:00

Recently a group calling themselves Pharmacists for Life have been in the news. These people reserve the "right" to refuse filling prescriptions if the situation conflicts with their moral or religious principles. Two examples were reported on in November, 2004 by USA Today. One incident involved a Wisconsin pharmacist's refusal to refill a prescription for birth-control pills. The other took the form of a Texas pharmacist refusing to give a woman, described to be a rape victim, contraceptives.

Here is another anecdote involving the president of Pharmacists for Life, as described by her on Bill O'Reilly's show:

O'REILLY: I got you. Now, when the customer complained, what happened there? Did you refer that customer to somewhere else?

BRAUER: I asked -- I -- she did not complain to me. OK? What happened is, she came in for a refill. I informed her that we did not carry the drug at the time. And I offered to call a copy of her prescription to the pharmacy of her choice.

O'REILLY: And then she complained. But did you -- how -- why would she complain about that, if you didn't have the drug on hand?

BRAUER: Somehow she found out that this pharmacy actually did have the drug at the time.

O'REILLY: So you lied to her.

BRAUER: Yes, I did.

O'REILLY: Ohh. Well, that wasn't good.

BRAUER: The situation concerning her privacy and concerning the people present did not really -- it was not really amenable to giving her information about her drug.

If a doctor has issued a prescription to a person, doesn't a pharmacist have an obligation to fill it? Any pharmacist acting in a manner as described in the examples above is unprofessional, and ought not to have entered the profession in the first place. Can you imagine a college professor assigning the reading of a particular book, but a librarian refusing to issue the book to a student because that book conflicts with the librarian's views?

These people can form their group and cluck to one another about how odious this or that aspect of their jobs may be, but the first time any of them refuse to fill a prescription, they ought be shown the Ronald Reagan air traffic controller treatment! In Brauer's case, she was fired! The Wisconsin pharmacist faces "possible disciplinary action, and no word as to the fate of the one in Texas. Can you just see the religious right ready to mount a defense of these people? Unfortunately, some states already have a defense in place, as reported by Associated Press:

Last year, Mississippi lawmakers passed a bill that allows all types of health care workers and facilities to refuse performing virtually any service they object to on moral or religious grounds. Anti-abortion organizations and a group called Pharmacists for Life are urging pharmacists to refuse to distribute emergency contraceptives.

Land of the Free?

2005-03-30T21:10:00.000-08:00

Apparently George W. Bush only wants to push his Social Security "plan" to people that like him. Check out this story, as reported by kos, about three guys attending an event in which the president was to discuss the plan to privatize Social Security.

People who followed the past presidential election may recall many (underreported) instances of non-Republicans denied access to Bush stumping appearances. It was argued that such events were intended for Republicans only, and funded by the RNC. Can't argue that here, can they?

Ridiculous.

iTunes promotion update

2005-03-29T17:54:00.000-08:00

Well, I have amassed 124 free songs during the latest iTunes promotion via Pepsi. Thanks to everyone who saves their winning caps for me!

Tired old moon hoax

2005-03-26T19:10:00.000-08:00

Sigh. Not again. In today's PARADE magazine, someone writes to Marilyn vos Savant asking that weary question: if men actually landed on the moon, why does the flag flap, as if in a breeze, which is impossible on the airless moon?

Ms. vos Savant does a decent job explaining this, I suppose. When the astronauts twisted the flagpole, the flag waved due to this force, not the force of any wind. Interestingly, in the absence of air resistance, the flag will actually wave more than it would due to the same force here on Earth!

This "issue" and many more are thoroughly debunked here:http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/tv/foxapollo.html

For all you moon hoaxers, spend fifteen minutes on this site and welcome yourself back to reality.

Ideology about ideology

2005-03-26T06:12:00.000-08:00

Been reading the Power Line guys. Not because I particularly agree with them, but more because I am trying to learn how to blog! That said, I can't ignore the post by deacon, who argues that ideology drives much of the Schiavo postions on both sides. Predictably, he then morphs into a rant on how the "left" or "liberal" ideology is worse.

Science is the best tool we have by which to make decisions. If deacon wants to argue that we need more advances in science to address questions of consciousness and "awareness", fine, I am all for it. But the current state of neuroscience tells us that Terri Schiavo is beyond hope of regaining function beyond autonomic responses. She is alive, but she is not living. The ideology latent in the phrase "culture of life" acts to keep her alive, with no life, ghoulishly.

Finally, deacon's weak attempt to connect dots between the "ideological left" on this issue with Iraq and election envy is a non-starter. More logically, it is a non sequitur, that is, it does not follow.

John Edward still has a pulse?

2005-03-25T18:33:00.000-08:00

Anyone that knows me is aware that I have little patience for pseudoscience. Thank goodness that John Edward, of Crossing Over (canceled!) fame has faded from public view. But, thanks to "fair and balanced" Fox News, he had a stage again! He weighed in on the Schiavo case and pretended to know what she felt and what her state of consciousness is.

Irresponsible and unbelievable.

Science Olympiad

2005-03-25T17:45:00.000-08:00

Our Science Olympiad team has just finished its thirteenth season. We were good, but did not have enough mustard to crack the top five teams in Indiana. We finished sixth out of twenty-six teams. Congratulations and thanks to this year's team: Eric, Chris, Stephen, Anisha, Suchita, Swara, Andy, Robin, Viraj, Kevin, Neelam, Abhinav, Sujay, Sidarth, Hannah, Armando, Surbhi, Nikhil, Santhosh, Elizabeth, Fengyee

I am sure I will see many of these students at next year's (remodeled) tryouts, and the older ones will hopefully continue Science Olympiad at the high school level.

Terri Schiavo

2005-03-25T17:39:00.000-08:00

On a much more serious note, it is terrible what Terri Schiavo has gone through ever since she collapsed fifteen years ago. With court decision after court decision going against the Schindlers, this affair is now a grim death watch. Nobody will be happy with the ending. That is all I will say for now.

Good New Music

2005-03-25T17:35:00.000-08:00

I am a second generation iPod owner, and I love the thing! With all kinds of free songs via the Pepsi promotion, I have found a bunch of good new music (well, new to me anyway . . .). So here are some recommendations:

L-L-Love by Astaire
Believe Me Natalie by The Killers
Take You On a Cruise by Interpol
Pounding by Doves
L.S.F. by Kasabian
The Hand That Feeds by Nine Inch Nails

Well, I will leave it to you to decide what kind(s) of music I like. What, not your type of music? Sorry!

Welcome!

2005-03-25T17:22:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is! Stay tuned for more posts, I am only in the experimental stage now.