Crazy times, crazy times. I thought the summer would be busy, but it seems that I misjudged the autumn. There is a real press to get a bunch of analyses out the door and into publication, some of which I have my hands in. The batch system at SLAC is […]
Not so long ago, my father asked, “When *was* the last time it rained where you are?” The fact that it hasn’t rained a drop on the peninsula since about April doesn’t surprise me, but always surprises folks from other places. Well, today the long dry spell is broken – […]
I finally heard from Jodi this morning. It’s been eating at me for days, not hearing from her. I know it’s a reflection of my being spoiled with technology, but not talking to her for just three days has really taken its toll on me. Coupled with all the other […]
It’s Nobel Prize season! I’m not a big fan of doing science for a prize, but I value the public impact that the prize has. For instance, today two American scientists, John C. Mather and George F. Smoot, were recognized with the prize for their tireless effort to realize the […]
When I stay up late to work, I usually switch in NPR’s “Day to Day” program. It’s taped earlier in the day, but here on KQED airs late at night. They were reviewing listener letters concerning a piece criticizing extreme religions and also criticizing the behavior of self-labeled “moderate Christians” […]
The Constitution of the United States guarantees that the U.S. government shall not abridge any expression of religion (covered under free speech), nor establish a state religion (the “Establishment Clause”). As “Bob Park”:http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN06/wn092906.html pointed out this week, and as I had heard would happen, the House of Representatives passed a […]
I usually consider the boundaries of the seasons to be somewhat arbitrary. Winter is my favorite. Starting on December 22, winter comes long after all the feature I associate with it: bone-chilling cold, snow, lots of dead vegetation (or, in the case of California: cool, rain, flourishing vegetation). This year, […]
I stayed up pretty late last night, rearranging the stereo and TV equipment in our living room (I get the “move stuff around” bug whenever Jodi leaves) and watching CSI and “Firefly”. Consequently, I was still sleeping when Jodi rang me from Dublin at 08:30. She and her sister arrived […]
Jodi and her sister have left for Ireland. This is a long-planned trip, one that they’ve dreamt about since they were teenagers. Half of their family hails from Ireland, and this trip offers a chance for relaxation and history. In fact, Jodi’s sister has spent several months assembling geneology information […]
I hate spiders. When I lived in Atherton, as a student, I often woke up in the middle of the night only to see a 1.5-inch long brown, armored spider slowly trekking across the ceiling. Ick. I guess that’s why I am fascinated by them. Our recent acquisition of a […]
Just in case I ever find myself doubting that I gave a seminar at the University of Chicago, here’s some proof!
The internet has only been available to me in starts and fits these past three days. It began with my departure from home via San Jose Airport to Denver, then onto Chicago. For the fourth time in three months, I was on my way to give a talk. This time, […]