Monthly Archives: March 2014

Wallpaper Monday

Posted on 31 March 2014 by

I know it hasn’t been too long since we were last in Canada, but Vancouver has always held a special place in my heart (and Victoria, a ferry ride away, even more so). This is a different sort of view, … Continue reading →

Posted in wallpaper | 1 Comment

We regret to inform you that there will be no joy today.

Posted on 28 March 2014 by

Last Friday, one of my favorite musical artists of all time made a shock announcement: she was going to perform live, in a string of concerts at the Apollo Hammersmith in London. KATE BUSH IS PERFORMING LIVE. Other than a … Continue reading →

Posted in event, life | 13 Comments

The cat that scented death

Posted on 26 March 2014 by

From the July 2007 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine: Making his way back up the hallway, Oscar [the cat] arrives at Room 313. The door is open, and he proceeds inside. Mrs. K. is resting peacefully in … Continue reading →

Posted in life | 3 Comments

Wallpaper Monday

Posted on 24 March 2014 by

According to the photographer: This picture was taken in Beilstein by the river Mosel in Germany. It was one of the most famous of the small old towns situated there. The image was made of several vertical photographs processed into … Continue reading →

Posted in wallpaper | 4 Comments

Gravitational waves illustrated — with a towel

Posted on 20 March 2014 by

In yesterday’s post, I mentioned that my reaction upon reading a second article about the gravitational wave discovery was, “Yeah, but — huh?” Even after the fifth article, I still had one large, unanswered question: How did the gravitational waves … Continue reading →

Posted in astronomy | 8 Comments

The astronomy world is abuzz about swirlies

Posted on 19 March 2014 by

Big news hit the space-geek scene on Monday, when an astronomy team announced the first direct, physical evidence supporting cosmic inflation theory. And if that sentence fried your brain, try this one: The Big Bang, which until now was just … Continue reading →

Posted in astronomy | 3 Comments

How wet does it get in western Oregon?

Posted on 18 March 2014 by

This wet: My mom sent this photo, taken on 9 March. Yes, that is moss growing on the fronts and legs of the mailboxes, and on the pavement beneath. The green stuff on the sides is probably mold, though I … Continue reading →

Posted in Oregon | 2 Comments

Wallpaper Monday

Posted on 17 March 2014 by

Capilano Lake, in North Vancouver, British Columbia. I particularly love the dusting of snow on the mountain tops, and can just imagine what the air must smell like…crisp and moist, with essence of conifer and decomposing leaf litter. Heck of … Continue reading →

Posted in wallpaper | 1 Comment

If the Moon were only 1 pixel (and Cosmos)

Posted on 13 March 2014 by

We watched the first episode of the new Cosmos last night, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Of course my wife and I spent every minute comparing it to the original, while our son thought it was all new and cool. My … Continue reading →

Posted in astronomy | 2 Comments

The great bee shortcut

Posted on 11 March 2014 by

A few weeks ago, I was watching one of Portugal’s massive black carpenter bees (Xylocopa violacea) feeding from an ornamental flowering bush. The bush had large, bell-shaped, pendulous flowers, which were plenty big enough for the bee to enter, but … Continue reading →

Posted in biology, Portugal, wildlife | 2 Comments