how now brownpau
Courtesy yatesc, I now have a photo on the cover of a NASA publication — specifically this shot of Discovery, used for “Toward a History of the Space Shuttle: An Annotated Bibliography Part 2, 1992–2011.”
On the Friday before the 2013 Inauguration, NASA HQ had an Open House event in DC, and I was on a short vacation, so I took that opportunity to drop by and pick up some free copies of the book, look at the exhibits, and attend a panel.
What journalists should know about school shootings and guns — The good news is that school violence in general is in decline.
In Rust Belt, a teenager’s climb from poverty — Also see the followup letters, and Tab’s own Twitter account.
A Eulogy for #Occupy — I found the “bullet for Ganesha” part to be an especially “Eat Pray Love” kind of moment. Make of that what you will.
Washington’s Economic Boom, Financed by You — Increased government spending, especially in defense, from the Reagan era onward, has resulted in a new wave of DC area development and gentrification.
In Girl’s Last Hope, Altered Immune Cells Beat Leukemia — Disabled AIDS viruses were used to reprogram her immune system to attack cancer cells.
The Lying Disease: Why Would Someone Want to Fake a Serious Illness on the Internet? — I witnessed and got taken in myself by Internet Munchausen Syndrome in the case of Kaycee Nicole and MetaFilter.
North Korea: On the net in world’s most secretive nation — A proprietary operating system is used to access what’s effectively a countrywide intranet through a single national ISP. The actual internet is reserved for “elites.”
Quinoa: The Dark Side of an Andean Superfood — Popularity of quinoa has led to Bolivian land disputes and environmental and cultural problems.
Roger Revelle’s Discovery — AIP Global Warming History publication on the first scientist to realize the long-term effects of greenhouse gas emissions on global temperatures.
Abandoned Suitcases Reveal Private Lives of Insane Asylum Patients — Suitcases from the Willard Asylum photographed by Jon Crispin.
UX Things I Hate About Android — as of Sep 2012.
Diagnosing the Home Alone burglars’ injuries: A professional weighs in — “What was likely a simple second-degree skin burn is now a full thickness burn likely to cause necrosis of the calavarium.”
The theologically confusing nightmare that is the He-Man and She-Ra Christmas Special — “And the three wise men followed the star until they finally reached Bethlehem!”
Secret Origins of The Dark Crystal — production essay excerpts from the ongoing Dark Crystal: Creation Myths prequel series.
A week after adoption, Martha and Amelia are pretty well settled in. At the end of the first day, we introduced them to the rest of the place, along with various cat toys and scratching/biting implements we had purchased for them. They had a noisy and playful first night of running and jumping about, but have since generally learned to quiet down at sleep time.
The kittens are still not allowed in the bedroom without supervision, as they keep going after the plants we have by the window, one of which is a Norfolk Island Pine, sharp and potentially toxic. We hope to fix that with a few plant stands, some bitter apple spray, and extra cat-proofing.
Before adoption we wrapped exposed cords and cables in split loom tubing, which turned out to be a good preemptive move since the kittens are still teething and prone to occasional cord-nibbling. Amelia especially shows more signs of teething discomfort, frequently biting on the edges of her play cube, cardboard box flaps, and occasionally our fingers. When this happens we guide the offending kitty firmly to an appropriate chew toy.
The kittens’ feeding and litterbox behaviors have been exemplary so far, and it didn’t take long to condition them to come running at the sound of a can tab pop. For their water needs I got a ceramic pet fountain, which they like immensely, as many cats naturally prefer flowing water — and the filter frees me from daily water changes and bowl washing.
The litter box is in a bathroom corner, and they’ve had no problem with that location; no accidents or confusion on their end, and they even know to patiently wait their turn at the door when the bathroom is in use.
Martha and Amelia are definitely a rowdy pair, prone to rough play and inquisitive curiosity, like many kittens their age — but they’re also cuddly and affectionate when they’ve tired themselves out. And of course they decided the best place to rest would be not on the blanket or scratcher lounge or cube we got them, but on the chairs under the table.
Now we have to be careful about sitting.
It’s been over two months (but it feels like a lifetime) since Pandora’s death, and after a mourning period, we’ve been feeling ready to adopt since the first day of 2013. (New Year, New Beginning, and all that, I suppose.) Checking the list at local rescue shelter Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation (LDCRF) we came across a litter of kittens called “Companions,” each named for a recent Doctor Who character. The sister kittens Amelia Pond and Martha Jones were still available.
It started with a brief Twitter exchange between two famous Canadians, Star Trek actor William Shatner and ISS Expedition 35 Commander Chris Hadfield:
@williamshatner Yes, Standard Orbit, Captain. And we’re detecting signs of life on the surface.
— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) January 3, 2013
I spontaneously expressed my amazement at this “Life in the Future” moment as a well-timed Twitter @mention which appeared early in the stream of conversation:
An astronaut in space @cmdr_hadfield just sent a status message to a guy who portrayed a starship captain @williamshatner LIFE IN THE FUTURE
— brownpau (@brownpau) January 3, 2013
This afforded me some minor fame as journalists took notice of the two Canadian celebrities bantering about space on the Internet, and the red-shirted kibitzer in the first reply slot. So far I’ve popped up on Universe Today, HuffPost Canada, CBC News, and The Today Show (last link found via MetaTalk). A well-timed Twitter @mention can get you places.
CANADA MUST BE SO PROUD
— brownpau (@brownpau) January 3, 2013
Spent Christmas in New Jersey with Amy’s family. Darth Vader and Yoda were on the Christmas tree.
By some quirk of airfare pricing, an early morning United Express (Expressjet, formerly Continental Express) plane ticket from BWI to Newark Airport turned out cheaper than Amtrak this Christmas, so we took the flight to visit Amy’s family in New Jersey. The flight turned out to be a mistake which we will not repeat again.
We’ve had a few mornings of dense fog around DC and North Virginia. Once upon a time I would have taken the opportunity to walk around and get another photoset like this one of DC in fog from 2006, but for now we take what we can get.
And not related to fog, but I liked this photo anyway, of a rowing lesson on the river under Key Bridge:
(Buy an iPad mini just like mine on Amazon!)
While in Norfolk last month I dropped by MacArthur Center Apple Store to see the just-launched iPad mini. The store was bustling, and staff told me they had quickly sold out of all but the 64GB stock. I held a demo unit in my hand, and after a few minutes I knew I would drop a bunch of birthday money and walk out of there with a new 64 GB iPad mini. It was destiny.
“The Princess for Hire”: excerpts from a very long and fun SomethingAwful forum thread about being a professional party princess, by AssassinSparkle (aka AssassinPrincess on SA forums). Her stories are a simultaneously hilarious and profound glimpse into a world of princess-worship among little girls, of which I had only been peripherally aware before now. She’s also an accomplished artist/cosplayer, and has sprinkled her stories with fun illustrations of her princessly tribulations.
(Found via Phire Phoenix.)