Monthly Archives: March 2011

The largest telescope on Earth

Posted on 31 March 2011 by Fletcher DeLancey

Remember when I posted that awesome presentation of the Scale of the Universe? And remember how, as you moved from large to small, you realized how absolutely gigantic the wavelengths of radio waves are compared to optical light waves? Well, … Continue reading →

Posted in science | 4 Comments

Heaven and Hell

Posted on 30 March 2011 by Fletcher DeLancey

Received this joke in the mail yesterday. It could only have been written by a European… Heaven is where: The police are British, The chefs are Italian, The mechanics are German, The lovers are French and it’s all organized by … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, Europe, humor | 3 Comments

A dose of hummingbirds

Posted on 29 March 2011 by Fletcher DeLancey

Reader Erik, taking note of how much I miss hummingbirds, posted a great link in the comments to the Eagle Cam post. It led to a web page put up by photographer Alek Komarnitsky, who discovered the nest of a … Continue reading →

Posted in life | 1 Comment

Wallpaper Monday

Posted on 28 March 2011 by Fletcher DeLancey

I was all set to post a wallpaper, but got derailed by one of the most gorgeous videos I’ve ever seen of the aurora borealis. It’s today’s Astronomy Picture of the Day. Videographer Terje Sørgjerd took advantage of a major … Continue reading →

Posted in science, video | 1 Comment

Walking in Lisboa

Posted on 26 March 2011 by Fletcher DeLancey

A couple of months ago I took a walk through Lisboa, starting in the Lapa district and heading, via a slight detour to a friend’s flat, to the river and then Belém. Here are some of the highlights: One of … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, life, Portugal | 4 Comments

The advantage of dawdling

Posted on 24 March 2011 by Fletcher DeLancey

Thursdays are my day to take my stepson to school, because I teach Pilates immediately afterwards and it makes sense to merge the two driving errands together. (Three-person family + one car = careful logistical arrangements.) Since I have now … Continue reading →

Posted in life, Portugal | 1 Comment

It must be spring

Posted on 23 March 2011 by Fletcher DeLancey

…because the swifts are back! I just heard a screaming party go rifling past my veranda. And when I checked my blog, I found that I’d posted about their arrival last year on 21 March. Consistency, thy name is Apus … Continue reading →

Posted in life, Portugal | 6 Comments

A dose of clarity

Posted on 22 March 2011 by Fletcher DeLancey

As the struggle to stabilize the Fukushima reactors continues, the media coverage has ranged from understatement to confused to wild overstatement to outright hysteria. It’s hard to know where to look for any actual, y’know, facts. One of my favorite … Continue reading →

Posted in science, tech | 6 Comments

Wallpaper Monday

Posted on 21 March 2011 by Fletcher DeLancey

We’re back to the US for this week’s wallpaper. It’s a place most Americans can immediately identify, but few have actually seen in real life: Monument Valley. The backdrop for a zillion classic western movies, this vast sweep of land … Continue reading →

Posted in USA, wallpaper | 2 Comments

Eagle cam

Posted on 19 March 2011 by Fletcher DeLancey

Need a weekend timewaster? Try the Eagle Cam, a live feed of a bald eagle nest in Norfolk Botanical Garden, Virginia. The eagle pair being observed on their nest appear to be superstars in terms of reproductive success: where most … Continue reading →

Posted in life, science, USA | 9 Comments