Musings

Georgia’s capitol dome rises above a now-abandoned above-ground human hamster-tube/habitrail/hobbit-trail.

That’s the Georgia dome—the one covered in gold and not the one that hosts athletic events.

I always look at data in Wikipedia with a suspicious eye, so this may be in error, but the WikiPee “says” that by the end of 2009, humans had mined 165,000 tonnes* of gold. As of the end of June 2009, the IMF held 3217 tonnes or just under 2% of the estimated total.

Just to continue with scattered information: the WSJ is reporting that there’s a new iPad on the way that will have more, more, more (capabilities), and weigh less and be thinner—plus have at least one camera.

* A tonne is a thousand kilograms, or about 2200 pounds, which is about one long ton, commonly called a ton.

Posted at 6:31 PM | 1 Comment »

JCB and I have different zones of awareness. Of course, I almost walked by this, but he probably spotted it as we started down the block!

I was focused on a crocus or two, I think.

Posted at 5:51 PM | 2 Comments »

Flash attempt captures the amaryllis profile better than the facing bloom.

Started Frederick Grinnell’s Everyday Practice of Science: Where Intuition and Passion Meet Objectivity and Logic (2009) today—via the Kindle app on the iPad, that is, on Téo.

And, tada!, I discovered there’s a white-text-on-black-background option that I find much easier to peruse that the usual black-on-white presentation!

Posted at 7:01 PM | 2 Comments »

Seems to me that certain colors in certain light situations just are not captured accurately by our (digital) cameras.* The “little” one, the Lumix, has a hard time with deep blues and purples. It looks like the “big” one, the Canon, struggles with the reds, although it’s pretty close (this is natural sunlight).

* Could also be that I don’t know what settings to use, and that the camera sensor systems are tip-top.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Lighting by Ma Nature

All four trumpets are OPEN!

What a great antidote to my morning with the Yersinia pestis of Justinian’s day—this morning’s research topic (yawn)—and thesga.org post wrangling—this afternoon’s chore!

Be forewarned that my morning and afternoon activities only intersected on my desk/Mac; otherwise: no relationship.

At least, unlike KW’s life, no HTML!

Posted at 9:44 PM | 2 Comments »

From last week, but hints at my temp today.

Most of the day I’ve been cold. I think I’ve been sitting too much (as I don’t feel sick).

Wait: I know it.

Part of my brain has been wondering where this Egypt/Yemen/Tunisia uprising phase is going, so maybe that’s been contributing to my chills.

Off to make more green tea (third ration of the day), hoping that will help….

Posted at 6:30 PM | Comments Off on Chilled and chilling

…the well-tempered clavier—which in my extreme youth I thought had something to do with what a person would be described in Spanish as being pacifica…umm, we have a well-traveled fleur.

Now, with two open trumpet-blooms.

And no Bach involved.

I see that temperament in music has to do with fine-tuning to a different tuning, compromising the “pure” intervals of just intonation. I know KW, Jay, and others (I’m sure) can follow all this, but it’s over my head!

And, yes, I’m writing about flowers and music because I don’t want to contemplate missing the Brookwood Borders—although not the Borders closest to my house—everything but magazines 30% off—or more. After all, I remember Borders back when it was one fun store, and I think had an apostrophe.

Posted at 6:14 PM | 1 Comment »

I made a speedy, all-too-short trek (stomp?) to the library mid-day, and paid my accumulated fine (a big 20¢). Still, I did get outdoors. (Yippee!)

The overcast later converted to rain, so I was wise to scoot when I did.

And, no, I don’t know what kind of bird this is. Something tropical?

For more and better bird photos, I refer you to many of the daily posts by the bicycling photographer of St. Louis aka Marquis.

Posted at 6:18 PM | 7 Comments »