Monthly Archives: October 2012

The travesty of Halloween…

Posted on 31 October 2012 by

…as viewed by Henri, the French existential cat. (hat tip to Power Wench) Advertisements

Posted in humor | 3 Comments

The unsung heroes of Sandy

Posted on 30 October 2012 by

While going through the avalanche of Sandy news today — the flooding, the power outages, the destroyed homes, the fires — I only came across three references to a fact that for me had stood out above all others: that … Continue reading →

Posted in politics, science, USA | 6 Comments

Wallpaper Monday

Posted on 29 October 2012 by

Remember when aerial views of storms consisted of pixellated radar scans on the local TV channel’s weather forecast? Maybe I’m dating myself here, but I’m still goggled by the kinds of images we routinely get on our computers these days. … Continue reading →

Posted in science, USA, wallpaper | 7 Comments

The brain works in mysterious ways

Posted on 26 October 2012 by

Earlier this week, I was driving down the highway and listening to the radio when the DJ tossed out a morning quiz: Which song were these lyrics from? In a monotone, he read out the words, “It’s gonna take time, … Continue reading →

Posted in life, video | 5 Comments

An ad too far

Posted on 26 October 2012 by

I’ve been watching the US election cycle with a wary eye, grateful for my distance from it (US elections mean a constant, unrelenting bombardment of TV and radio ads, yard signs, highway billboards, mail flyers — and total misery for … Continue reading →

Posted in politics, USA, video | 8 Comments

Fool enough to stand in the rain

Posted on 25 October 2012 by

We’ve been having torrential rains lately, which is typical of the drought-breaking autumn rains. Yesterday was no exception, but after a morning torrent it seemed to dry out, despite the layer of clouds. I put on my shoes to head … Continue reading →

Posted in life, Portugal | 10 Comments

Headline of the day (hint: it involves beetles and poo)

Posted on 24 October 2012 by

Wired has a short but charming article on the recent discovery, by researchers at South Africa’s Wits University, that dung beetles have an interesting method of thermoregulation. Those of you who are geeks probably already know that dung beetles got … Continue reading →

Posted in science | 5 Comments

One more time: Endeavor’s LA drive

Posted on 22 October 2012 by

Endeavor’s landing at Los Angeles International Airport wasn’t the end of her final journey. She still had to get to the California Science Center, 20 kilometers away, and there was only one way to do it: driving down the streets … Continue reading →

Posted in science, tech, USA, video | 5 Comments

Wallpaper Monday

Posted on 22 October 2012 by

This gorgeous Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the Milky Way, the Tre Cime di Lavaredo peaks of the Italian Alps, and…airglow. Unlike aurorae powered by collisions with energetic charged particles and seen at high latitudes, airglow is due to … Continue reading →

Posted in wallpaper | Leave a comment

Kite ballet

Posted on 20 October 2012 by

This one’s for pure fun: a master kite flyer named Ray Bethell makes not one, not two, but three kites dance a ballet to “The Flower Duet” from the opera Lakmé. His control over the kites seems effortless, and the … Continue reading →

Posted in life, video | 7 Comments