i was just surfing around and ran across this statement:
"...the RIKEN BNL Research Center supercomputer...The computer has 10 teraflops of peak computing power, which makes it capable of performing 10 trillion arithmetic calculations per second, with sustained speeds of five teraflops."
wow! finally something that won't make me wait! but then: "The $5-million computer took three years to build..." well, at this moment i don't have an extra 5 mil.
(http://www.physorg.com/news4276.html)
Thursday, August 31, 2006
true crime -- small town beat
August 29: Officers were asked to assist a man while he discussed an unpleasant family matter with another family member who had a difference of opinion. Officers remained until the men had finished their discussion.
August 26: Officers received a noise complaint. The reporting person said that it sounded like a loud party. Upon arriving, several people ran from the area and were not located. Officers spoke to the one remaining person. He believed that since it was Friday night, he could have a late night cookout, complete with loud music. He denied that anyone had run away and insisted that there was no under-age drinking going on. After a brief discussion with officers, the person decided he would turn down the music and make sure everyone was quiet. Extra patrol was provided.
August 26: A resident reported that her boyfriend was missing. Officers spoke to the man's roommate who stated that the person in question was out of town and expected back by Wednesday. The girlfriend was notified.
August 26: Officers received a noise complaint. The reporting person said that it sounded like a loud party. Upon arriving, several people ran from the area and were not located. Officers spoke to the one remaining person. He believed that since it was Friday night, he could have a late night cookout, complete with loud music. He denied that anyone had run away and insisted that there was no under-age drinking going on. After a brief discussion with officers, the person decided he would turn down the music and make sure everyone was quiet. Extra patrol was provided.
August 26: A resident reported that her boyfriend was missing. Officers spoke to the man's roommate who stated that the person in question was out of town and expected back by Wednesday. The girlfriend was notified.
perspective
the other morning hubby morosely said, "i think i've all-of-a-sudden got a lot more grey hairs." well, what could i say to that? getting old is a bitch. but ... it happens. if you're lucky. anyhow, i commiserated, said he was still handsome, still my knight in shining armor, etc.
this morning i woke up, showered, dried my hair, and .... found a GOB of new, grey hairs. AAAAAIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
hmmm, well, actually they are CLEAR hairs, not grey hairs. i can live with that.
this morning i woke up, showered, dried my hair, and .... found a GOB of new, grey hairs. AAAAAIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
hmmm, well, actually they are CLEAR hairs, not grey hairs. i can live with that.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
peter piper
the husband and i were talking about things that are hard to say. he had just sort-of sneezed and i said, "pretty puny sneeze" and he said "got some pepper in my nose" and i said "pretty puny pepper powder ... say that fast 3 times" and he said "say 'federal railway administration' fast 3 times" and so i tried it -- it came out something like fedwalwailmailmistration. hahahahaha.
your turn.
your turn.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
already warmed up
i've just finished a quick skim of msnbc.com -- some of the articles are old-hat, but one that surprised me was about breast-feeding in america. it seems there are a lot of people who think it's obscene, objectionable, disgusting, etc. hmmm ... how curious.
i breast-fed both my boys (in public and private) and would encourage every mother to do so if she's physically able to. should breast-feeding in public be allowed? well, do you eat in public? are kids bottle-fed in public?
it seems strange to me that people equate breast-feeding with sexuality. and for a woman to express disgust about another woman breast-feeding, makes me wonder what is in her head and in her past for her to think that way. there's no sweeter thing on this earth than your baby grinning and gurgling while he's nursing.
americans have some really disturbing ideas about reality.
i breast-fed both my boys (in public and private) and would encourage every mother to do so if she's physically able to. should breast-feeding in public be allowed? well, do you eat in public? are kids bottle-fed in public?
it seems strange to me that people equate breast-feeding with sexuality. and for a woman to express disgust about another woman breast-feeding, makes me wonder what is in her head and in her past for her to think that way. there's no sweeter thing on this earth than your baby grinning and gurgling while he's nursing.
americans have some really disturbing ideas about reality.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
no regrets
we sold our lovely mountain place to a really pleasant, cheerful canadian couple. it was so nice for the new owners to be such special people -- we didn't go through a realtor so everything was handled just between the four of us, except for the legal stuff which the excellent, small-town escrow company handled.
we posted our 'for sale' notice on the 6th and had two showings set up for the 13th. the first buyers took it and the second ones said 'call us if the deal falls through'. during the last 14 days, the web site has had 850 hits which shows how healthy the glen is. go to http://7-25attheglen/ if you'd like a trip through heaven.
we posted our 'for sale' notice on the 6th and had two showings set up for the 13th. the first buyers took it and the second ones said 'call us if the deal falls through'. during the last 14 days, the web site has had 850 hits which shows how healthy the glen is. go to http://7-25attheglen/ if you'd like a trip through heaven.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
vignette
She walked along the beach at a leisurely pace, looking for interestingly-shaped driftwood. "I mean, how hard can it be," she muttered, getting distracted by a pretty peach-colored rock. After picking it up and looking at it for a bit, she decided against putting it in her pocket and turned back to the wood.
"Too plain ... too ugly ... someone used that one for firewood ... that one's too big ..." She continued on, looking at and dismissing piece after piece as she wandered farther down the shore. All of a sudden the perfect piece was sitting right there in the mist -- she reached down to pick it up and nearly tumbled onto the sand. "Damn! That's heavy!" It wouldn't even budge. "Huh. I guess it true." She'd heard that driftwood was heavy but thought that was just a tale.
After an hour of searching she had found two pieces that were just the right size, just the right weight. And just in time. She turned around to start her walk back to the car and finally noticed how much the fog had crept to the shore. "Gees, this is spooky." Juggling the hefty wood, she picked up her pace and made her way over the rocks, past some brambles, and under a downed tree.
The fog completely surrounded her now and the stillness pressed down. She was the only thing in the universe, at least it felt that way. It was really disorienting. She paused a moment to get the full effect, then hurried on, hoping that the tide wasn't going to cut off her return route.
Finally she noticed it was getting lighter and realized the fog was backing off. "Heh. Thought you could scare me. Heh, no way." Finally the mist lifted enough that she could see the city lights coming on in the late fall afternoon dusk. It was beautiful.
She stopped and put the wood down, to rest a bit and enjoy the lights. "It's always so peaceful and life-affirming to see those lights," she thought. "Just makes me feel--" She cocked her head and looked closer. Something didn't seem right. The outline was off and the lights didn't seem to fit the pattern she knew by heart. And the longer she looked, the stranger it got.
"Those don't look right," she mumbled to herself. Shaking her head she picked up the wood and continued on. "I've got to get to the car, get home, and get something to eat. My brain needs food." She walked along thinking she should be just about at the parking lot by now, but couldn't tell that the bushes were thinning.
"Good grief. How much farther?" She continued on, starting to worry a bit, and hoping to get to the parking lot before it got dark. "Where is it?" she said, as she picked up her pace.
"Too plain ... too ugly ... someone used that one for firewood ... that one's too big ..." She continued on, looking at and dismissing piece after piece as she wandered farther down the shore. All of a sudden the perfect piece was sitting right there in the mist -- she reached down to pick it up and nearly tumbled onto the sand. "Damn! That's heavy!" It wouldn't even budge. "Huh. I guess it true." She'd heard that driftwood was heavy but thought that was just a tale.
After an hour of searching she had found two pieces that were just the right size, just the right weight. And just in time. She turned around to start her walk back to the car and finally noticed how much the fog had crept to the shore. "Gees, this is spooky." Juggling the hefty wood, she picked up her pace and made her way over the rocks, past some brambles, and under a downed tree.
The fog completely surrounded her now and the stillness pressed down. She was the only thing in the universe, at least it felt that way. It was really disorienting. She paused a moment to get the full effect, then hurried on, hoping that the tide wasn't going to cut off her return route.
Finally she noticed it was getting lighter and realized the fog was backing off. "Heh. Thought you could scare me. Heh, no way." Finally the mist lifted enough that she could see the city lights coming on in the late fall afternoon dusk. It was beautiful.
She stopped and put the wood down, to rest a bit and enjoy the lights. "It's always so peaceful and life-affirming to see those lights," she thought. "Just makes me feel--" She cocked her head and looked closer. Something didn't seem right. The outline was off and the lights didn't seem to fit the pattern she knew by heart. And the longer she looked, the stranger it got.
"Those don't look right," she mumbled to herself. Shaking her head she picked up the wood and continued on. "I've got to get to the car, get home, and get something to eat. My brain needs food." She walked along thinking she should be just about at the parking lot by now, but couldn't tell that the bushes were thinning.
"Good grief. How much farther?" She continued on, starting to worry a bit, and hoping to get to the parking lot before it got dark. "Where is it?" she said, as she picked up her pace.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
true crime -- small town beat
Aug 4: An officer responded to a complaint that a barking dog was locked in a van on a hot day. The car was parked in the shade with windows open. There was a full bowl of water in the vehicle. The dog's owner checked on Sparkie while the officer was present and the dog was healthy.
Aug 3: An officer assisted a person by removing a (live) kitten from her car's motor compartment. The kitten was uninjured.
Aug 3: A resident reported that an adult relative was missing and had failed to return home. An officer located the missing man by calling his cell phone, and discovered he was in fine condition and at a golf tournament. No information was available on his score.
Aug 2: At the request of a passerby, an officer checked the welfare of an unresponsive woman in a laundromat in the 700 block of 3rd Street. The lady was found to be peacefully napping and not in need of assistance.
Aug 3: An officer assisted a person by removing a (live) kitten from her car's motor compartment. The kitten was uninjured.
Aug 3: A resident reported that an adult relative was missing and had failed to return home. An officer located the missing man by calling his cell phone, and discovered he was in fine condition and at a golf tournament. No information was available on his score.
Aug 2: At the request of a passerby, an officer checked the welfare of an unresponsive woman in a laundromat in the 700 block of 3rd Street. The lady was found to be peacefully napping and not in need of assistance.
Friday, August 11, 2006
fight back!
i just read a short article about widespread rudeness in america today (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14235322/), and the author concluded it was because of celebrities and their 'me first/me only' attitude.
it used to be that people aspired to having 'class'. not so, these days. and this man says he's had it up to here with all that crap and he isn't playing into that sick syndrome any longer.
"I’m not going to run around trying to fix the awful people, upbraiding wrongdoers like a one-man clean-up crew. No more righteous indignation, no more flipping off selfish drivers, no more yelling at old guys bugging me...It’s bad for my blood pressure...So I’m going to observe the speed limit, I’m going to alert the usher, I’m going to say “Oh by all means, you go first,” when very important nobodies barge into line at the supermarket, yammering into their Motos about all the important nothing they have to say. I’m going to quietly resist the culture of entitlement but I won’t let it get me down anymore. I’ve got too much classy living to do."
hear, hear! a touch of class all around, please.
it used to be that people aspired to having 'class'. not so, these days. and this man says he's had it up to here with all that crap and he isn't playing into that sick syndrome any longer.
"I’m not going to run around trying to fix the awful people, upbraiding wrongdoers like a one-man clean-up crew. No more righteous indignation, no more flipping off selfish drivers, no more yelling at old guys bugging me...It’s bad for my blood pressure...So I’m going to observe the speed limit, I’m going to alert the usher, I’m going to say “Oh by all means, you go first,” when very important nobodies barge into line at the supermarket, yammering into their Motos about all the important nothing they have to say. I’m going to quietly resist the culture of entitlement but I won’t let it get me down anymore. I’ve got too much classy living to do."
hear, hear! a touch of class all around, please.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
a constant project
i don't know if this link will work or not, but here's a link to a friend who has some really great marriage advice -- http://furzicle.livejournal.com/85676.html
Saturday, August 05, 2006
a laugh by any other name...
an e-mail friend just sent me the following notice --
Once again, The Washington Post has published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words. The winning definitions are:
1. Coffee (n.) - the person upon whom one coughs.
2. Flabbergasted (adj.) - appalled over how much weight you have gained.
3. Abdicate (v.) - to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.
4. Esplanade (v.) - to attempt an explanation whilst drunk.
5. Willy-nilly (adj.) - impotent.
6. Negligent (adj.) - describes a condition in which you absent-mindedly answer the door in your nightgown.
7. Lymph (v.) - to walk with a lisp.
8. Gargoyle (n.) - olive-flavored mouthwash.
9. Flatulence (n.) - emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.
10. Balderdash (n.) - a rapidly receding hairline.
11. Testicle (n.) - a humorous question on an exam.
12. Rectitude (n.) - the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.
13. Pokemon (n) - a Rastafarian proctologist.
14. Oyster (n.) - a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.
15. Frisbeetarianism ( n.) - the belief that, when you die, your soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.
16. Circumvent (n.) - an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.
where it came from may or may not be true, but it's got me ROFL just the same!
Once again, The Washington Post has published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words. The winning definitions are:
1. Coffee (n.) - the person upon whom one coughs.
2. Flabbergasted (adj.) - appalled over how much weight you have gained.
3. Abdicate (v.) - to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.
4. Esplanade (v.) - to attempt an explanation whilst drunk.
5. Willy-nilly (adj.) - impotent.
6. Negligent (adj.) - describes a condition in which you absent-mindedly answer the door in your nightgown.
7. Lymph (v.) - to walk with a lisp.
8. Gargoyle (n.) - olive-flavored mouthwash.
9. Flatulence (n.) - emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.
10. Balderdash (n.) - a rapidly receding hairline.
11. Testicle (n.) - a humorous question on an exam.
12. Rectitude (n.) - the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.
13. Pokemon (n) - a Rastafarian proctologist.
14. Oyster (n.) - a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.
15. Frisbeetarianism ( n.) - the belief that, when you die, your soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.
16. Circumvent (n.) - an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.
where it came from may or may not be true, but it's got me ROFL just the same!
Friday, August 04, 2006
small town crime
July 31: A traffic flagger called police when a vehicle started driving in the wrong lane, nearly causing a collision. The flagger feared the driver was intoxicated. Officers interviewed the driver and found she was sober and simply confused.
July 30: A resident reported a large plastic bottle piggy bank holding $400 in coins was stolen from their apartment. The empty bank was found by the resident and was impounded.
July 28: A mother complained about bullying at the skatepark, and advised that a 13 year-old boy threw her eight-year-old's skateboard on the ground. An officer investigated and learned the older boy was tripped by the younger boy, who lost control of his board. The older boy was advised to control his temper or he would be barred from the skate park, and his mother was advised of the incident.
July 27: A business called to report their employees were following a shoplifting suspect on foot. Officers located the 49-year-old suspect who still had the alcohol and cosmetics in her possession. She was arrested, cited, and released with a court appearance date.
July 27: Officers were dispatched after midnight to a report of a band of teenage boys circling a car and screaming at the lone female occupant. The hooligans were contacted, detained, and transported to their guardian's residence.
July 30: A resident reported a large plastic bottle piggy bank holding $400 in coins was stolen from their apartment. The empty bank was found by the resident and was impounded.
July 28: A mother complained about bullying at the skatepark, and advised that a 13 year-old boy threw her eight-year-old's skateboard on the ground. An officer investigated and learned the older boy was tripped by the younger boy, who lost control of his board. The older boy was advised to control his temper or he would be barred from the skate park, and his mother was advised of the incident.
July 27: A business called to report their employees were following a shoplifting suspect on foot. Officers located the 49-year-old suspect who still had the alcohol and cosmetics in her possession. She was arrested, cited, and released with a court appearance date.
July 27: Officers were dispatched after midnight to a report of a band of teenage boys circling a car and screaming at the lone female occupant. The hooligans were contacted, detained, and transported to their guardian's residence.
who knew?
i used to use a treadmill, but it never occurred to me to SING ... http://www.hedonistica.com/yt.php?path=http://www.youtube.com/v/pv5zWaTEVkI
Thursday, August 03, 2006
be nice to nerds
i just got an e-mail from a friend of mine which listed 11 things that bill gates supposedly said to a class of graduating kids. the advice, which is pretty good, really originated with Charles Sykes, author of Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can't Read, Write, Or Add. it turns out there are actually 14 rules and even though they aren't contained in the aforementioned book, they can all be found here -- http://www.snopes.com/language/document/liferule.htm -- with the accompanying info about the story rolling around on the 'net.
take to the skies
we just watched an excellent movie -- Winged Migration -- a french documentary with beyond-excellent music, no dialogue, and minimal narration. the scenes were not doctored and there was absolutely no graphic addition, enhancement, or adjustment going on.
my favorite parts (for humor) were the clark's grebes and the red-crowned cranes.
if you ever feel snippy, cranky, depressed, out-of-sorts, or bored, this is the movie for you. it's like snuggling up with your favorite blankey and sucking your thumb. (well, except for three tiiiny little scenes.) and if you start out feeling good, you'll end up feeling even better after watching this. i loved it!
p.s. if you don't want to be disillusioned, don't watch the special features.
my favorite parts (for humor) were the clark's grebes and the red-crowned cranes.
if you ever feel snippy, cranky, depressed, out-of-sorts, or bored, this is the movie for you. it's like snuggling up with your favorite blankey and sucking your thumb. (well, except for three tiiiny little scenes.) and if you start out feeling good, you'll end up feeling even better after watching this. i loved it!
p.s. if you don't want to be disillusioned, don't watch the special features.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
don't leave home without it
did you know that they send along a roll of duct tape on every manned space mission? 'tis true. it's also true that they've used it!
the latest incident came up on july 11 when the connecting latches came loose on the jet backpack the astronauts use on all space walks. the men wanted to tape things securely before their next walk, and planned to use Kapton (apparently an updated version) which "is like duct tape but is slippery and able to withstand both frigid cold and fiery hot temperatures."
( http://www.octanecreative.com/ducttape/NASA/ )
duct tape was called into stand-by service for a repair problem on a mission on august 2, 2005, as well as on a 4 1/2-month mission on the international space station in 2001 (there was no kitchen table so the frustrated astronauts built one out of scrap aluminum, and duct taped the top), the apollo 17 mission (dust trouble from the lunar rover on the moon, december 1972), and of course the suspenseful apollo 13 mission wherein duct tape played a role in the ingenious and crucial fix of the air filtration system during april 1970.
pretty amazing, huh?!
the latest incident came up on july 11 when the connecting latches came loose on the jet backpack the astronauts use on all space walks. the men wanted to tape things securely before their next walk, and planned to use Kapton (apparently an updated version) which "is like duct tape but is slippery and able to withstand both frigid cold and fiery hot temperatures."
( http://www.octanecreative.com/ducttape/NASA/ )
duct tape was called into stand-by service for a repair problem on a mission on august 2, 2005, as well as on a 4 1/2-month mission on the international space station in 2001 (there was no kitchen table so the frustrated astronauts built one out of scrap aluminum, and duct taped the top), the apollo 17 mission (dust trouble from the lunar rover on the moon, december 1972), and of course the suspenseful apollo 13 mission wherein duct tape played a role in the ingenious and crucial fix of the air filtration system during april 1970.
pretty amazing, huh?!
finally
it seems there is debate over whether there are physiological differences between men and women in the brain. logically it would be a given, wouldn't it? besides the obvious physical differences between the sexes, there are also the emotional differences, obvious or otherwise.
A woman uses about 20,000 words per day while a man uses about 7,000.
A woman remembers fights that a man insists never happened.
A woman knows what people are feeling, while a man can’t spot an emotion unless somebody cries or threatens bodily harm.
A woman over 50 is more likely to initiate divorce than a man.
(statements from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0767920090/002-4145275-8475238?v=glance&n=283155)
now there is a book out which purports to enlighten us about the whole thing called The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine, a neuropsychiatrist. i've been aware for decades of the lack of empathy/sympathy/concern that women get from male doctors. (go to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13989048/site/newsweek/?GT1=8404 for more info.)
i can't wait to read the book!
A woman uses about 20,000 words per day while a man uses about 7,000.
A woman remembers fights that a man insists never happened.
A woman knows what people are feeling, while a man can’t spot an emotion unless somebody cries or threatens bodily harm.
A woman over 50 is more likely to initiate divorce than a man.
(statements from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0767920090/002-4145275-8475238?v=glance&n=283155)
now there is a book out which purports to enlighten us about the whole thing called The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine, a neuropsychiatrist. i've been aware for decades of the lack of empathy/sympathy/concern that women get from male doctors. (go to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13989048/site/newsweek/?GT1=8404 for more info.)
i can't wait to read the book!
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