Wow. A recent NSF survey found that 46% of Americans do not realize that the earth takes one year to orbit the sun: Study: Science Literacy Poor in US.
Actually, come to think of it, they’re right. It takes a year plus roughly 3 hours.
“Irony - subtle sarcasm or humor implying the opposite of what is expressed.” For weeks I’ve been struggling to come up with a better definition of irony, only to conclude that it is best defiend through example. And so I present my personal definition: Irony - That guy in every aeronautical engineering department who wears a shirt proclaiming, “Actually, I am a rocket scientist” when actually he’s not a rocket scientist. I’ve studied wings and propellers for five years, and I feel no more qualified to build a rocket now than during my model rocketry phase in elementary school. In those days, many innocent caterpillers lost their lives in tragic accidents involving my custom-designed “payload” rockets. I wonder if the guy who designed Ariane 5 was wearing one of those shirts.
Apparently I moved to Illinois to avoid all the Maryland tornadoes. What’s up with that?
From the Washington Post: Damaging Tornado Hits Md.
Glen, what does “WTF” mean? Could you explain? Thanks!!
This week Clark St. has been blessed with a Champaign institution known to many as “That guy who needs to get to Danville.” I don’t know his name, but he runs a very lucrative scam around town. Rachel gave him $5 last semester. Back then, he needed directions to Danville and oh by the way, his car was parked over at that gas station with his wife and two kids in the sweltering sun and he was out of gas and would you happen to have $10 to help him out? He’d really appreciate it. I first encountered him last week, when he was an investment banker from Chicago, wearing a bowling shirt emblazoned with a convincing Merrill Lynch logo. He didn’t have any kids this time, but he still needed to get to Danville to meet with a client (or go bowling, I’m not sure). When he found me again last Friday in the same spot, he was late for a meeting with his boss (in Danville) and had gotten lost and subsequently run out of gas. I didn’t give him any money, but he must have made it to Danville anyway. When I caught up with him again this past Monday, he was still working for Merrill Lynch, but his car had broken down and was being towed. Unfortunately, he was $10 short of what he owed the driver and didn’t want to have his car impounded. Some people have the worst luck.
Dude, I don’t know why but I had a dream about the guy from your blog entry last night. Maybe its because I was drunk and free-associating.
Maybe that guy should stay out of Champaign. Heck, he sure does have some bad luck there!
We have a mouse in our apartment, but we’re still debating how best to handle the situation. Which of the following options would you choose?
(a) Let the cats have a go at it and possibly save money on cat food
(b) Buy a conventional mousetrap and feel guilty if the mouse dies slowly
(c) Buy a humane mousetrap and risk a return visit by the mouse
So Dave captured the mouse (”Waldo”) in a large box and placed Otto and Lili in the ring for a much-anticipated cage match. Apparently cats must learn to hunt, because they both just sat and watched as the terrified mouse scurried about. After five minutes without so much as a pounce, Dave began to remove the cats and inadvertantly tipped the box, allowing Waldo to escape under the sink. He is still at large, although I can now hear the cats chasing him around the living room. Disclaimer: I was not present for these events and would have preferred to simply take the mouse outside.
Wow, how barbaric. Despite what you see in cartoons, cats actually just want to play with mice (small fast moving things). Unfortunately, they usually play with them until they’re dead.
Anyway, now that you’ve named it, you certainly can’t kill it. If it was captured in a box once, it can be captured again. Catch it, take it for a car ride, and let it free a few miles from your home. Think of the stories he’ll be able to tell his new friends.
Ack! Poor mousie! You know what they say about people who torture small animals. That’s quite scary. I think you have the right idea, Glen. Keep Otto and Lili away and take the mouse outside. But if you have one mouse, does that mean there are others?
Next time Dave wants a cat-and-mouse deathmatch, I demand a webcam broadcast of the event.
Tonight we bought a couple of humane mousetraps that hopefully will be more effective than the cats. At left is an image from last night’s failed cagematch, which will not be repeated. The next time anyone captures this mouse, it’s going to some farmer’s field.
Comment from Dave on 5 May. 2002, 11:29 am :
Isn’t it one year plus roughly 6 hours?
Comment from Glen on 5 May. 2002, 10:32 pm :
You’re right. A new poll shows that 100% of my research staff cannot do basic math.