tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145949942024-03-13T13:04:01.514-05:00Around the KegNoahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345059376742159966noreply@blogger.comBlogger1073125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-15792672505614075602014-01-28T22:41:00.001-05:002014-01-28T22:42:58.227-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipM0pSRxI0F15yOwSqv07A8E6rjfeVtJwx7LVxfHD9qrqBXWRwPuaU7oXrJl53CIlLiP6dxAb8cnbSUhyphenhyphenKHFSzLcCuxRn5KkQXWaEkdj3kmRSlKJXzthIdris-IkA9P88rYFea/s1600/testPattern.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipM0pSRxI0F15yOwSqv07A8E6rjfeVtJwx7LVxfHD9qrqBXWRwPuaU7oXrJl53CIlLiP6dxAb8cnbSUhyphenhyphenKHFSzLcCuxRn5KkQXWaEkdj3kmRSlKJXzthIdris-IkA9P88rYFea/s400/testPattern.png" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669616484991718478noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-88161129476933053332013-12-28T22:42:00.001-05:002013-12-28T22:42:12.642-05:00Butchers take on Vegans<a href="http://imgur.com/gallery/pP9yabe">Butchers take on Vegans - Imgur</a>steveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08862590608695420004noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-90884418198132221592013-10-21T14:48:00.001-05:002013-10-21T14:48:58.647-05:00If Beer Ads Were HonestContinuing on the beer theme:<br />
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<div><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://cdn-i.dmdentertainment.com/DMVideoPlayer/player_cr.swf" id="player" height="365" width="650" ><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="movie" value="http://cdn-i.dmdentertainment.com/DMVideoPlayer/player_cr.swf" /><param name="flashVars" value="demand_rvdisplaymode=2&demand_iconlink=http%3A//www.cracked.com/&demand_rvthumb=http%3A%2F%2Fi.crackedcdn.com%2Fphpimages%2Fimage%2F0%2F1%2F1%2F211011_v1.jpg&DESC=&demand_bghex=0&height=22&KEYWORDS=&TITLE=If+Beer+Ads+Were+Forced+to+Be+Honest&demand_rvbg=&adPartner=Adap&demand_continuous_play=1&demand_page_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cracked.com%2Fvideo_18663_if-beer-ads-were-forced-to-be-honest.html&demand_uihex=FFD000&demand_content_id=18663&COMPANION_DIV_ID=adaptv_ad_companion_div&demand_site_id=CRCC&demand_rvpip=0&sitename=Cracked.com&comscore_c3=7290858&demand_cat=Weird+World&demand_autoplay=0&ADPTAG=GoodNeighbor&video_title=If+Beer+Ads+Were+Forced+to+Be+Honest&demand_content_sourcekey=cracked.com&KEY=DemandMediacracked&skin=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn-i.dmdentertainment.com%2FDMVideoPlayer%2Fplayerskin.swf&demand_show_replay=true&ADAPTAG=&CATEGORIES=Weird+World&source=http%3A%2F%2Fi.crackedcdn.com%2Fphpimages%2Fvideos%2F9%2F2%2F2%2F210922_758X426.mp4&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fi.crackedcdn.com%2Fphpimages%2Fvideos%2F9%2F2%2F2%2F210922_758X426.mp4&demand_preroll=false&demand_iconurl=http%3A//i-beta.crackedcdn.com/ui/shared/images/global/icons/Video_Cracked.png&ID=18252&demand_related=1&demand_preroll_source=http%3A//i-beta.crackedcdn.com/ui/shared/resources/Pre-Roll1b_cr.swf&demand_icontext=Watch%20more%20videos%20at%20Cracked.com%20America%27s%20only%20humor%20site.&v=3.0.6.f&wa_vemb=1" /></object><br><a href="http://www.cracked.com/video_18663_if-beer-ads-were-forced-to-be-honest.html">If Beer Ads Were Forced to Be Honest</a> -- powered by Cracked.com</div>steveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08862590608695420004noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-24234409474718242582013-10-10T08:06:00.003-05:002013-10-10T08:08:33.626-05:00Your beer may be furloughed.It's bad enough that people are being laid off, we may default on our debts, children aren't receiving medical treatment, ,but now this government shutdown may impact our beer.
This means war.
From the <a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20131009/POLITICS03/310090083#ixzz2hF29qoG03craftbeer#">Detroit News</a>: <br />
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"...the shutdown has closed an obscure agency that quietly approves new breweries, recipes and labels, which could create huge delays throughout the rapidly growing craft industry, whose customers expect a constant supply of inventive and seasonal beers." </blockquote>
I hate fall, but love me some seasonal beer.
<b>Damn you Republicans, Damn you all to hell</b>! Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669616484991718478noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-6368258763929268842013-10-03T08:15:00.004-05:002013-10-03T08:16:21.182-05:00In the HOPperThis weekend, I keg the Wheat Ale I brewed, and in another week, I keg the Saison. Those ought to turn out fine, and perhaps we'll hold a few bonfires and invite people to help drain the kegs ASAP.<br />
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This is important because of the next 3 beers I have coming-up:</div>
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1) Spiced Pumpkin Ale. This will be my first attempt at a pumpkin ale - including using real pumpkin in it. Going for a <i>hint</i> of pumpkin pie, not this-beer-is-too-sweet pumpkin pie.</div>
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2) Bourbon Barrel Porter. I brew porters frequently; most notably my Maple Syrup Porter. In this, I have some bourbon barrel oak spirals that I will put in the fermenter to infuse that bourbon-y character I'm after.</div>
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3) Spiced Winter Ale. Nice basic copper-colored Brit "bitter" brewed with beautiful, aromatic mulling spices. Looking forward to this one!</div>
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More details as they come, but you should all at least be informed of what my kegs will contain this Fall/Winter.<br />
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Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345059376742159966noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-9701283734568966402013-10-01T07:57:00.001-05:002013-10-01T07:58:25.179-05:00Sci-Fi In SixI recently stumbled across a great Tumblr called Sci-Fi in Six. It is just that: science fiction stories told in six paragraphs or less (I highlighted this Tumblr on my last post here, <a href="http://aroundthekeg.blogspot.com/2013/09/another-list-of-power.html">Another List of Power</a>).<br />
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I've sifted through a gob of these. Like any site of this nature, some are poor, some are wonderful, intriguing, deep, or fun. I'm considering submitting one of my own. What do you think:<br />
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Ensign MacGould stood surrounded by the throng, a grin starting to spread across her face. What started as hair-raising, skin-crawling fear was fading quickly, replaced by amusement. </div>
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A taller being adorned (so to speak) with much more...foliage...than the others, made its way with what could only be described as reverence through the seething mass who even only moments ago seemed so threatening. The well-adorned being stopped, wide...eyed, and promptly fell on its face in front of her. It held up its appendages and spoke, or rather, made some noises that MacGould associated with a bad cold and the sounds of vomiting. </div>
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Immediately, the throng around her fell to their faces, and repeated the sounds, gag for gag, hock for hock. Over and over and over.</div>
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And MacGould stood in her impeccable white uniform surrounded by the sounds of a sick-bay after an epidemic wondering if, all these millennia and millennia ago and worlds away, this is how it all started. </div>
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She grinned benevolently. And maybe opened her palms just a little. </div>
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’What's the harm,’ she mused. </div>
Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345059376742159966noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-12182009670103559992013-09-28T10:40:00.000-05:002013-09-29T08:56:35.208-05:00Another List of PowerIn this next installment of self-aggrandizement, I'll share some of my favorite web sites. From science and social-science blogs to my favorite webcomix, the list below is what occupies my internet time when I'm not watching the <a href="http://aroundthekeg.blogspot.com/2013/09/atk-list-of-power.html">YouTube vids</a> I shared last week.<br />
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This week: Best of the Web.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">The Best (IMO) of the Web</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Blogs</u></span><br />
Besides for our favorite blog friends (Streak, Mrs. Furious, Mr. Furious, us), here's a couple blogs I enjoy in no particular order:<br />
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<a href="http://what-if.xkcd.com/">What If</a>?<br />
From the cartoonist of <a href="http://xkcd.com/">XKCD</a> (see below) comes his blog whereby he answers wild and weird questions from whomever emails him. He picks the most fun or intriguing, and using a combination of good science and wild-assed guesses, he does his best to answer. This site is so fun. My favorite: the first one that kicked-off this site. <a href="http://what-if.xkcd.com/1/">Relativistic Baseball</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/">It's Okay to be Smart</a><br />
This is the Tumblr that started the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH4BNI0-FOK2dMXoFtViWHw">YouTube Channel</a> I shared last week. Joe got his start blogging his thoughts, linking to cool and engaging science, and generally celebrating what we know and can know about the universe.<br />
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<a href="http://www.thedrunkenmoogle.com/">The Drunken Moogle</a><br />
The blend of Geek culture and adult beverages. This guy makes up mixed drinks based on popular video game and geek culture. He also links to interesting nerd-related drinking apparati (pint glasses with superhero capes, shot glasses etched with Game of Thrones sigils, etc). I might or might not have some of the glassware listed there...<br />
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<a href="http://skepchick.org/">Skepchick</a><br />
One of my favorites, second only to What If, above. It's a blog run by women, whereby they discuss feminism, atheism, secularism, science, pseudoscience, and skepticism. Their commentary on feminism is especially thoughtful and engaging and makes me think really hard about my privilege and how I might come across, and my own latent sexism that I don't even recognize. Challenging stuff. I love their takedown of internet trolls. They have a daily "Skepchick Quickies" post that always links to fun, angering, enlightening bits, beautiful of teh interwebz. They've created some spin-off sites as well; one of them is <a href="http://madartlab.com/">Mad Art Lab</a>. Beautiful art based on scientific principles.<br />
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<a href="http://scifiinsix.tumblr.com/">Sci-Fi in Six</a><br />
Quite simply: science fiction stories told in 6 paragraphs or less. Fun! Little tastes of much bigger stories. Concepts come to fruition in just a few sentences. Worlds revealed that make you curious for more. Love this kind of stuff.<br />
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<a href="http://tinylittlelovestories.tumblr.com/">Tiny Little Love Stories</a><br />
Whoever runs this blog is sick. A sick, sick bastard with a sick sense of humor. And I love it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>WebComix</u></span><br />
What I really enjoy about webcomix is that they can be examinations and critiques of our world presented in a way that finally makes sense. Humor blasts through things that make us so mad or concerned. Laughter in recognition of our own faults is wonderful medicine. Here's some of my faves.<br />
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<a href="http://questionablecontent.net/index.php">Questionable Content</a><br />
It's hard to describe why I like this comic so much, but I'm hooked. It takes place in an alternate Earth, where much is the same as ours but there are other advancements that are much different. It allows Jeph Jacques, the author, to introduce interesting concepts, characters, and technology without it being a big deal why. Other than that, it's a "slice of life" comic with characters I like a lot.<br />
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<a href="http://realmofatland.com/">Atland</a><br />
The comic is over now, or at least <i>for</i> now. It's storyline has been resolved, but left open if Nate Piekos, the author, ever comes back to it. I hope he does. But it's worth going to the beginning and reading through. Fantasy comic, funny, subtly picks fun of typical fantasy tropes while being an engaging comic.<br />
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<a href="http://wondermark.com/">Wondermark</a><br />
Smart-assed, snarky humor mixed with old hand-drawn comics in the Victorian style. Bizarre and hilarious comic.<br />
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<a href="http://xkcd.com/">XKCD</a><br />
Do I really need to describe XKCD? If you're not reading it, you're not a nerd. And you don't care. This is the grand-daddy of webcomix. Sometimes, to get the math or computer programmer humor, I have to use Google, but that's not often with this one. Brilliant.<br />
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<a href="http://www.smbc-comics.com/">Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal</a><br />
Sometimes updated multiple times a day, this comic is hilarious, twisted, sick, poignant, and everything in between. I love how the author plays on common concepts.<br />
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<a href="http://theoatmeal.com/">The Oatmeal</a><br />
Another funny, insightful comic. One of the best, actually.<br />
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Enjoy all this as much as I do!Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345059376742159966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-52706271757103457952013-09-22T13:27:00.000-05:002013-09-22T13:27:18.442-05:00ATK List of PowerIt takes a ton of work to be as nerdy as possible. From SCIENCE to fantasy/sci-fi to video games to the best of nerd tv, I figured it's finally high-time to come out of the basement (closets are reserved for other comings-out; nerds seem to be basement-based), engage in some self-aggrandizement, and share with anyone who cares (which is really no one) the various ways I find to entertain myself and stay on top of being the biggest nerd.<div>
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This post: YouTube Channels.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Best (IMO) of YouTube</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaBf1a-dpIsw8OxqH4ki2Kg">Geek & Sundry</a></div>
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Founded by nerd icon Wil Wheaton and his equally nerdy friend Felicia Day (of The Guild fame), Geek and Sundry is kind of an uber-collection of various contributors. My personal favorites on the channel are Wil Wheaton's TableTop, in which he plays wonderful board games with his friends (tv and movie stars, fellow YouTube-rs, etc), and Felicia Day's 5-minute-episodes of The Guild, a fun bit of fic that follows a group of MUD users who are online "friends" in a world much like World of Warcraft. </div>
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TableTop has introduced me to many of the board- and card-games I own; it is actually a great way to see how some games work in a crowd; kind of a risk-free play test.</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHW94eEFW7hkUMVaZz4eDg">Minute Physics</a></div>
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Using stop-animation whiteboard illustrations, physics concepts, chemistry, and science in general is explained in 1- or 2-minute clips. Never have Relativity and other complicated concepts been explained so simply and elegantly. Bonus: my kids watch it with me, and are able to "get it."</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6107grRI4m0o2-emgoDnAA">Smarter Every Day</a></div>
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Join Destin and his various underwater and high-speed cameras as he demonstrates and explains physics stuff. This usually involves guns, bullets, explosions, and breaking things.</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHnyfMqiRRG1u-2MsSQLbXA">Veritasium</a></div>
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Another "use short vids to explain awesome science" site, but well-edited, well-done, and engaging. Kind of Myth Busters-like in editing and use of science (just without the prove/disprove aspect).</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeiYXex_fwgYDonaTcSIk6w">Minute Earth</a></div>
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Minute Physics, but this time: biology!</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6nSFpj9HTCZ5t-N3Rm3-HA">VSauce</a></div>
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These guys find a fun or a my-mind-just-got-blown fact, and explain it. Sometimes deep, always well and simply explained.</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC552Sd-3nyi_tk2BudLUzA">ASAP Science</a></div>
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VSauce with an animated whiteboard.</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX6b17PVsYBQ0ip5gyeme-Q">CrashCourse</a></div>
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A few teachers offer "crash courses" in higher-level concepts - including biology, US History, economics, world history, ecology, and chem. "Reconstruction and 1876;" "Westward Expansion;" and "Equilibrium Equations" are just a handful of the many vids on this channel.</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH4BNI0-FOK2dMXoFtViWHw">It's Okay to be Smart</a></div>
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PhD Biologist Joe Hansen's YouTube channel, based on material from his very popular Tumblr of the <a href="http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/">same name</a>. He won a big grant from PBS to make his Tumblr content available in vid format. I like his videos quite a bit, and he's got a decent online presentation style. His Tumblr site sometimes waxes a tad philosophical - drippy sometimes - but I'm almost always guilty of the same. </div>
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A couple more that I watch on occasion:</div>
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These couple of sites are less accessible than the ones above, so I watch them less often, but they are no less fascinating when I'm in the mood:</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR3AOHJ5xJvHMARCaa1hKgQ">Seven Seven Seven</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvBqzzvUBLCs8Y7Axb-jZew">Sixty Symbols</a></div>
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My kids have responded well to Minute Physics, ASAP Science, Minute Earth, and Smarter Every Day.</div>
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There you have it. These channels are what I call church on a Sunday morning. A hot cup of coffee, kids playing quietly as the house wakes up, and these vids. Thought-provoking, fun, fascinating, funny, and celebratory of geek culture. I hope you like them.</div>
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Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345059376742159966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-61660949123048129012013-09-06T12:08:00.002-05:002013-09-06T12:10:44.233-05:00Syria QuestionAm I the only lefty who thinks it was a bad idea for President Obama to ask Congress for a resolution authorizing military action in Syria? (Over Syria?) I am not asking if the military action itself is a bad idea, I just don't think the President should have gone to Congress about it. <br><br>
What do ATK's 1.6 million liberal readers and 2.3 conservatives think? Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669616484991718478noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-65344531676112132872013-09-04T08:37:00.000-05:002013-09-04T08:37:08.883-05:00Game ReviewThe Geekbox "Comedy Button" reviews church as if it were a video game.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ypN5Km_t2gc" width="420"></iframe>Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345059376742159966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-49387769606052686162013-08-19T17:44:00.001-05:002013-08-19T17:44:54.834-05:00I Have Tracked Him DownI know that things have been pretty slow around here. I have started a new job and managed to track down a real, honest to good superhero. He is hiding out in the Far East. Here is his ID:<br />
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<a href="http://www.opposingviews.com/sites/opposingviews.com/files/imagecache/gallery_image/gallery/batman.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://www.opposingviews.com/sites/opposingviews.com/files/imagecache/gallery_image/gallery/batman.jpeg" /></a>steveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08862590608695420004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-84125130479939916872013-07-22T12:46:00.003-05:002013-07-22T12:46:47.972-05:00You Can Be My Wingman AnytimeJoel and I caught the Sunday morning viewing of <a href="http://www.pacificrimmovie.com/">Pacific Rim</a>.<br />
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Everything you need to know about this movie can be gleaned from Top Gun.<br />
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In fact, I am 90% certain you could take the lines from Top Gun, voice it over this movie, and it would largely make sense.<br />
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Fortunately, Joel and I are Top Gun fans, so we enjoyed the movie for its entertainment value and for the fact that we tried to pick which Top Gun lines and characters would apply to a given scene or character in Pacific Rim. <br />
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The acting was actually decent (nothing like this <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/battleship/">unspeakable travesty</a>), and the story was well-conceived, though formulaic. But you can't go into a Giant Summertime CGI Blockbuster expecting Oscar material, except for maybe the CGI. Largely, the storyline for Pacific Rim was a delivery vehicle for CGI fights between giant 50-story robots and 50-story alien creatures.<br />
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And. It. Was. <i>Awesome</i>.<br />
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But it had it all: diamond-in-the-rough hot-shot pilot with a personal tragedy, the Ice Man, the incredulous Commander always busting the hero's balls, the uncertain "co-pilot" (each robot is piloted by 2 troops, who must be able to establish a mental and emotional link for the robot to move), the forces of good on the brink of defeat, a faceless bureaucracy ready to dismantle the world's best chance of defense, on and on. There's actually, as Joel and I discussed, plenty of room for a series based on this, given the rich back story only hinted-at in the first 15 minutes of the movie. Pacific Rim for sure has way more style points and predictably-satisfying scenes and outcomes, but damn...it's fun! And I can't say enough about the CGI. These fights looked and felt real without the herky-jerky, hard-to-follow Transformers fight scenes.<br />
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Now, I kept it short on the review because that's not really my goal with this post. Go see Pacific Rim; I plan to take my 8-year-old to see it, who will probably go apeshit for it. My goal is this, reiterated from the 2nd sentence of this post: everything you need to know about this movie can be gleaned from Top Gun.<br />
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Pick any movie about pilots, piloting big machines, and maverick-y heroes, and they all stem from Top Gun. Top Gun, IMO, is the progenitor of that type of movie. These pilot/co-pilot, fantastic machinery flicks follow the Top Gun formula devised by late MSU professor <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Cash">Jim Cash</a>.<br />
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This led our discussion to: all cop movies stem from Lethal Weapon (the uptight 'gimmie your badge and your gun' commander whose past turns out to be strangely similar to the hero's, the cop-on-the-edge, the reluctant but faithful partner who is wounded or dies, etc).<br />
<br />
No point on a summer Monday other than: discuss.Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345059376742159966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-21790520686577840102013-07-16T21:06:00.000-05:002013-07-16T21:06:26.781-05:00My Mid-Life CrisisSo my team of maniacs has now signed up for the <a href="http://www.ironwarriordash.com/register_midwest.php#prettyPhoto">Iron Warrior Dash</a> on September 21 in Walker, MI. Ity is the same day as the Warrior Dash, with a couple key differences:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>The Warrior Dash is a 5k; the Iron Warrior Dash is 15.6 miles.</li>
<li>The Warrior Dash has 12 obstacles; the Iron Warrior Dash has 24.</li>
<li>The entire Warrior Dash if, again, a 5k; the Iron Warrior Dash has a 5k smack in the middle of it just for fun.</li>
</ol>
The Tough Mudder was a really good time, and weighed-in at 12.4 miles. Not too shabby. But it also wasn't a timed event; rather, it was a "can you finish" event. Yes, apparently, these 40-year-olds can indeed, thank you very much. The Iron Warrior, however, is a timed event, so not only is it about finishing, it's about racing as well, so we're all training a little harder to get our run times a tad faster.<br />
<br />
I <a href="http://www.ironwarriordash.com/obstacles.php">took a look at the obstacles</a> for this event, and they look a good deal more physically demanding than the Mudder, which varied in terms of difficulty and relative misery. Really, the obstacles along the Mudder were more designed to make you dirtier, wetter, and more miserable as you went along. These look to do the same, but involve much more climbing, hanging, and relative strength/endurance. Lucky for us, at least 2 of us on our team have years of experience being wet, dirty, miserable, and tired.<br />
<br />
Bob asked how one trains for this. <br />
<br />
First, I have gone over to the insane asylum and do Crossfit. <a href="http://crossfitmalleus.com/">Here's my gym</a>. Regular gym guys who like to scream through 8 bench presses and then sit on the bench for 5 minutes between sets flexing or watching Sports Center like to disparage Crossfit because it involves a lot of leaping, Olympic-style lifts, and bad decisions; they think it looks silly or that they get better results. But I submit: the Marine Corps was the first branch to switch their entire fitness regimen to Crossfit, and now all the branches use it to keep the troops in top shape. I've never been in such good shape (down to 184 lbs now!!). And the guys who crushed the Tough Mudder? Every one of them wore a Crossfit gym's shirt. Every guy who was walking by mile 4 and skipped obstacles? Muscley-looking dudes in Fitness World shirts. But I digress: a typical Crossfit "WOD" (WorkOut of the Day) might look like:<br />
<br />
<u>Warmup</u><br />
2 times:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>200 M run</li>
<li>30 jumping jacks</li>
<li>20 air squats</li>
<li>10 lunges</li>
</ul>
<u>Mobility/Stretching</u><br />
<u>Strength</u><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>5 x 1 push press (think: standing military press), increase weight every set to achieve 1-rep maximum (mine is 180#)</li>
</ul>
<u>WOD</u><br />
15 minutes, As Many Rounds As Possible (AMRAP); each round consists of:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>12 push press (50% of max)</li>
<li>12 pull-ups</li>
<li>24 air squats</li>
</ul>
Done. In and out of the gym in 40 minutes. And it's all I can take. Check out my gym's site for more examples of just how well Crossfit conditions your entire body.<br />
<br />
Then, I mix-in running. I kinda-sorta use <a href="http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51130/Half-Marathon-Training-Guide">this site </a>as a rough week-by-week guide of how far and how many times a week I need to be running to get myself to the half-marathon mark. But as aggressively as Crossfit works me, I break-down my Crossfit and Running schedule: odd weeks - Crossfit 3 days, run 4 days; even weeks - Crossfit 4 days, run 3. 2/3 of my runs in a week are 5k, some at a slower pace to "feel" the pace I need to survive a half marathon, and some at a blistering pace to push myself and my limits, which ultimately makes the "slower" pace faster and faster. Then the remaining runs I have in a week are longer distance, starting at 6, then 8, then 10 miles.<br />
<br />
Then the week before the race? 1 or 2 light jogs, some nice brisk walks around the neighborhood to keep the hips and ankles mobile, some light, basic, "open gym" work at the gym just doing some light basics, a solid deep tissue massage and hot tub soak about 3 days before. The day before? Nothing much at all, and eat only meals I am really familiar with and have eaten many times before. Hydrate like MAD to the point where I have to piss on the hour every hour.<br />
<br />
Now, with diabetes, I have to watch my sugar. Hours and hours of physical exertion can threaten to leave me hypoglycemic. So I load up on good, diabetes-friendly carbs (whole grains) and protein bars and shakes to further slow the absorption of the carbs. For instance, the night before the Mudder:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Dinner: grilled salmon over a double-helping of mixed greens, Sesame dressing, whole-grain roll</li>
<li>Snack: Popcorn (it's a whole grain!)</li>
</ul>
Morning-of:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Race time: 11:40 am</li>
<li>Breakfast (6:30 am): 1/2 C Egg Beaters mixed with 2 T hummus, 1 C low-fat Greek yogurt topped with 1/2 C granola</li>
<li>8:30 - Protein bar, with dark chocolate</li>
<li>10:30 - Another protein bar with dark chocolate</li>
<li>11:20 - <a href="https://guenergy.com/">Gu</a> packet</li>
</ul>
<div>
Every 45 approximate minutes of race time: Gu packet</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Hypoglycemic" is a blood-sugar level of less than 70. 45 minutes after the race, after I was finally hosed-off enough to do so (but my body was still, after all that, burning energy like crazy), my reading was 83. The race company offered Cliff protein bars just past the finish line; in the future, I'll take advantage of that just to get my levels to a comfy 100 or so.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And that is how I prepare for these "adventure races."</div>
Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345059376742159966noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-44254032860754075372013-07-10T15:52:00.001-05:002013-07-10T16:54:51.462-05:00Too Many Craft Beers?Time Magazine Asks: <a href="http://business.time.com/2013/07/04/too-much-of-a-good-thing-concerns-about-craft-beer-saturation/">Are There Too Many Craft Beers</a>?<br />
<br />
What?<br />
<br />
Don't the big two or three beer producers in the U.S. have like 90% of the market share?<br />
<br />
No, there aren't too many craft breweries as long as they are making a few bucks and there are more Coors drinkers to convert.
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669616484991718478noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-24731798527077082572013-07-03T09:43:00.000-05:002013-07-03T09:43:44.430-05:00FirestarterWOO-HOO!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJopVgbdyd29SRH7MY4gFrV3Z8Td0ncuSTNbf_qI2HazCK0OXRmonC_XtNp9Wg6AntoTo6HRQZG9F8F9nWmXWBGYN6jUtCZfhKuSbzjeawmxM5c7S0SrtutKDZLM4Z-YTf5AU0cg/s1600/Fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJopVgbdyd29SRH7MY4gFrV3Z8Td0ncuSTNbf_qI2HazCK0OXRmonC_XtNp9Wg6AntoTo6HRQZG9F8F9nWmXWBGYN6jUtCZfhKuSbzjeawmxM5c7S0SrtutKDZLM4Z-YTf5AU0cg/s400/Fire.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Tough Mudder 2013<br />
12.6 miles<br />
20 obstacles<br />
<br />
My team of 4 - a distance runner, a Marine, a Ranger, and a Navy Corpsman - did it in just over 3 hours. Loved it so much, we're headed <a href="http://www.ironwarriordash.com/register_midwest.php">here</a> in September.<br />
<br />
Smitty's mid-life crisis apparently consists of joining Crossfit gyms and running in "adventure races."Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345059376742159966noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-7136217911223298962013-06-27T08:11:00.002-05:002013-06-27T08:11:47.052-05:00Still The OneMrs. Smitty and I woke up this morning, nearly 24 hours after SCOTUS' DOMA decision, and we found our marriage still intact.<br />
<br />Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345059376742159966noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-72548622635204898432013-06-26T10:19:00.001-05:002013-06-26T10:19:07.172-05:00What's Love Got To Do With ItWhat is love?<br />
<br />
Well, apparently, <a href="http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2013/06/26/supreme-court/?hpt=hp_t1">according to SCOTUS</a>, love is love.<br />
<br />
This is a good day.Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345059376742159966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-6613266355702585812013-06-12T08:25:00.000-05:002013-06-12T08:25:29.439-05:00Progress CheckGood news from the doc.<br />
<br />
I took a blood test recently. The best, most ideal indicator of how "under control" diabetes is is the A1C test. It's in essence how much of your red blood cells have sugar attached. When sugar is attached to your blood cells, it's harder for them to squeeze into smaller capillaries like in your feet. One reason why diabetics with out of control disease lose their feet: blood isn't getting in there.<br />
<br />
The A1C is a better indicator than the day-to-day glucose test I take, because that's a reading based on hour-by-hour eating and fasting. The A1C is like a 3-month snapshot average, thus providing a really good glimpse of just how under control the disease is. I can fake a day's worth of little finger-prick tests if I do shit like eat a boatload of sugar then take a couple shots of vodka, or eat a loaf of bread then do an hours-worth of wind-sprints. You can cheat the gluco-meter. You can't cheat the A1C.<br />
<br />
A "normal" non-diabetic person would have an A1C result of somewhere between 4.5% and 6%.<br />
<br />
My blood test: 4.8%.<br />
<br />
Bam.<br />
<br />
The doctor has put me on metformin, an oral drug with huge benefits. He has also taken me off of insulin. Further, my metformin dose is half the regular dose. The goal is to even some day work me off of metformin.<br />
<br />
Metformin isn't fake insulin. In fact, it works specifically with my body's own insulin, which I'm producing some of. From a med journal:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Many people may wonder, "How does it work?" Metformin belongs to a class of drugs known as biguanide medications and works in several ways. The medicine reduces the amount of sugar made by the liver, limits the amount of sugar absorbed into the body from the diet, and makes <a href="http://diabetes.emedtv.com/insulin/insulin.html" style="text-decoration: none;" title=""><span style="color: black;">insulin</span></a> receptors more sensitive (helping the body respond better to its own insulin). All of these effects cause a decrease in blood sugar levels.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Since metformin does not increase the amount of insulin produced by the body, it is less likely to cause dangerously low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), as many other <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://diabetes.emedtv.com/diabetes/diabetes.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">diabetes</span></a> </span>medications can do.</span></blockquote>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It also reduces my long-term risk of heart disease, a common co-occurring disorder with diabetics, and vastly reduces pancreatic cancer risk.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is huge. No more shots. My body is working again. Other diabetic risks diminish both because of my diet and exercise and because of this med. I tend not to get hypoglycemic during my completely insane workouts now. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm really pleased, and really proud.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345059376742159966noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-481582249577653382013-05-24T15:49:00.003-05:002013-05-24T15:49:45.912-05:00Some Good News About CrimeDespite the best efforts of the NRA to get rid of all gun laws and arm criminals, there is research that suggests we are on track to having the <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2013/05/17/rick_nevin_murder_statistics_safest_year_ever.html">lowest murder rate in 100 years</a>. This is also reflected in data that just looks at <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-gun-crimes-pew-report-20130507,0,3022693.story">gun crimes</a>. Interestingly enough, the same study shows that Americans believe that gun crime has been going up. This doesn't come as a huge surprise. Media saturation of violent events probably leads many people to believe such events are commonplace. I am not going to speculate to why this has gone down. As Jay has said on more than one occasion, it is very difficult to pick out causal factors when you are dealing with something this complex.steveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08862590608695420004noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-31463883229272583292013-05-13T10:17:00.002-05:002013-05-13T10:17:39.626-05:00Craft Beer Week<div class="tr_bq">
Christmas is nice and all, but around these parts of the web, our Season of Joy is <a href="http://www.craftbeer.com/news-and-events/american-craft-beer-week">American Craft Beer Week</a>!</div>
<br />
This is a week of celebrations and revelry from Coast to Coast, border to border. Click <a href="http://www.craftbeer.com/news-and-events/calendar">here</a> to find events near you.<br />
<br />
There's a <a href="http://www.craftbeer.com/news-and-events/american-craft-beer-week/resources#Manifesto">manifesto</a>.<br />
<br />
At 8:00pm EST this Thursday, there's a<a href="http://www.craftbeer.com/acbw-news/american-craft-beer-week-nationwide-toast"> nation-wide toast</a>.<br />
<br />
And don't forget to <a href="http://www.craftbeer.com/acbw-news/american-craft-beer-week-social-media-images">change your Facebook and Twitter profile pics</a> in acknowledgment of celebration of the holiest week here at ATK.<br />
<br />
AND AS IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH....<br />
<br />
As of last Thursday evening, <a href="http://brewers.informz.net/Brewers/archives/archive_2337077.html">home brewing is legal in all 50 states</a>!<br />
<br />
From the presser:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
On Thursday, May 9, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley signed homebrew legalization bill HB9 into law, making Alabama the 50th state to legalize homebrewing.<br />
<br />
Post-Prohibition, homebrewing was not federally legal until President Jimmy Carter signed H.R. 1337 on October 14, 1978, which officially went into effect on February 1, 1979. Shortly after that bill was signed, the American Homebrewers Association was formed by Charlie Papazian and Charlie Matzen to promote and celebrate homebrewing. Since then, the AHA has taken a leading role in advocating for homebrew rights and supporting the legislative efforts of local homebrew communities.</blockquote>
Celebrate beer!Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345059376742159966noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-63488554286154017512013-04-30T11:18:00.000-05:002013-04-30T11:18:33.278-05:00Brew Day!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZEPwX0PQDJyCIWAcTVlv5qn95lYn2BAA0loBuojd-VHFt1yivbvL04d-NxXc-3ubKgvJu5Xj8QiPO53qSn2f1GrcWCi2nOlmgxyc_dgC1mFgaxchjGLs0W1u_tsQ82_S6Jn0kg/s1600/Maple+Porter+April+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZEPwX0PQDJyCIWAcTVlv5qn95lYn2BAA0loBuojd-VHFt1yivbvL04d-NxXc-3ubKgvJu5Xj8QiPO53qSn2f1GrcWCi2nOlmgxyc_dgC1mFgaxchjGLs0W1u_tsQ82_S6Jn0kg/s320/Maple+Porter+April+13.jpg" width="240" /></a>Last Sunday was again Brew Day at the Smitty household. Joined by a few of our beer buddies from this blog, we took care of my "world famous" Maple Syrup Porter. <br />
<br />
I had intended to do 2 brews simultaneously, but due to a small error (I didn't have the right ball vales and barbed fittings for my smaller set of mash/lauter tuns), we had to skip the American Wheat Ale and stick with the Porter. Oh well...gives me an excuse to brew again!<br />
<br />
My top-secret recipe, for those of you wishing to try my favorite brew:<br />
9 lb Maris Otter<br />
1 lb English Brown Malt<br />
1 lb Crystal 40L<br />
10 oz. English Chocolate Malt<br />
1.25 oz English Fuggles (60 min)<br />
0.5 oz. English Fuggles (10 min)<br />
32 oz Grade B maple syrup (end of boil)<br />
1 smackpack White Labs London Ale (WLP013)<br />
<br />
Mash 18 Q water for 60 min at 154 degrees (water in tun @ 166 degrees)<br />
Mashout 6Q at 175 degrees for 10 minutes<br />
Sparge 23.25 Q water at 170 degrees<br />
<br />
1 week primary, 2 weeks secondary.<br />
<br />
Force carbonate 10.2 psi at 45 degrees for 1-2 weeks; desired volumes: 2.1.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSORHuk29rvnSng6GGZPVgNR5NA66AW_gA0WWM_9aLh3lpy7yk4NtjiBkJJ44ICPBirHeAxpz3aVkfIjKqMvYpsqm_WtoJyjAkjkqGApvGzBr6tIizvKMb4COajSKYo5YSwzLdA/s1600/Maple+Porter+Ferment+April+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSORHuk29rvnSng6GGZPVgNR5NA66AW_gA0WWM_9aLh3lpy7yk4NtjiBkJJ44ICPBirHeAxpz3aVkfIjKqMvYpsqm_WtoJyjAkjkqGApvGzBr6tIizvKMb4COajSKYo5YSwzLdA/s320/Maple+Porter+Ferment+April+13.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
And here, less than a day later, is some beautifully active fermentation!<br />
Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345059376742159966noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-52972990094043749362013-04-24T14:38:00.002-05:002013-04-24T14:42:22.480-05:00Today in Science HistoryContinuing in our chain of sciencey threads...<br />
<br />
<br />
If you had the controls of the mars rover and could place historic tire tracks on the Martian surface, what would you do? <br />
<br />
Head to the nearest high value science target? Sign your name? Write: “Hi mom”? <br />
<br />
Nope.<br />
<br />
I’d do what the folks at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory did. I’d draw a giant phallus.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vBcqlSHiqHf37Ixp7_wknjGVSbqBI9ZaH10bHvNrY7adSYXBuqyfXf3FaCY_0KmwUHGr4Csrynpu7EVQ13qtoBxdhJ3Q0mBMWFOsRQgyday4KXlTMil-LtvaZKAHhPM9N6Rh/s1600/mars.rover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" lwa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vBcqlSHiqHf37Ixp7_wknjGVSbqBI9ZaH10bHvNrY7adSYXBuqyfXf3FaCY_0KmwUHGr4Csrynpu7EVQ13qtoBxdhJ3Q0mBMWFOsRQgyday4KXlTMil-LtvaZKAHhPM9N6Rh/s320/mars.rover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2313986/Clarkson-proud-Tracks-left-Nasas-Mars-rover-reveal-obscene-penis-picture-red-planet.html" target="_blank">link</a></div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12669616484991718478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-39958537272483757482013-04-24T11:09:00.000-05:002013-04-24T11:09:29.399-05:00Evolutionary RegressionOn a whim, on one of my favorite blogs (<a href="http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com/">It's Okay To Be Smart</a>), I decided to take the science test offered at a link in one of Joe's posts.<br />
<br />
My result:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59O1Lk_qHdjVXdkX2wdiJbkgIOZ7qchyphenhyphenwQUAR3-CLNePKKLGV8VtThCRf38ottrGuIDQpdCHNXtjW4DaHk3VARZyE4assiWs9nyq-o87DkNr_0ZMQ33gB5mveWsXP_9rqWBOIOg/s1600/SciTest.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59O1Lk_qHdjVXdkX2wdiJbkgIOZ7qchyphenhyphenwQUAR3-CLNePKKLGV8VtThCRf38ottrGuIDQpdCHNXtjW4DaHk3VARZyE4assiWs9nyq-o87DkNr_0ZMQ33gB5mveWsXP_9rqWBOIOg/s640/SciTest.png" width="640" /></a></div>
13 out of 13.<br />
<br />
I outscored 93% of the test-takers.<br />
<br />
I am not writing this to brag or pat myself on the back.<br />
<br />
I am writing this because if somebody gets <i>any one</i> of these questions wrong, it's no wonder we lag the way we do in our science scores. I <i>expected</i> to get the score I did, because the questions are so easy, I'm pretty sure Smitty Jr knows the answers. Everyone on this blog will get 13 of 13.<br />
<br />
Seriously: "Lasers work by focusing sound waves. True or false." That kind of stuff.<br /><br />
But the bulk of test-takers got between 3 and 6 wrong. And the 1% that got 0 or 1 question correct...I hope they are still in elementary school, or trolls.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/quiz/science-knowledge/">Take the test</a>.Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345059376742159966noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-4446843772362911842013-04-19T14:53:00.003-05:002013-04-19T14:58:56.142-05:00Dick of the WeekCo-opting a theme from long-time beer buddy <a href="http://misterfurious.blogspot.com/search/label/D.O.W.">Mr. Furious</a>, I present to you this week's Dick of the Week:<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I wonder how many Boston liberals spent the night cowering in their homes wishing they had an AR-15 with a hi-capacity magazine? <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%232A">#2A</a><br />
— Nate Bell (@NateBell4AR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NateBell4AR/status/325238796079747072">April 19, 2013</a></blockquote>
<br />
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To do what with, Nate? Cuddle it close like a blankie?<br />
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I think law enforcement is doing a fine job.<br />
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***Update***<br />
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<a href="http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2013/04/19/1896971/family-group-appropriates-tragedy-to-oppose-sexual-liberalism/">A close second-place</a> Dick of the Week. Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345059376742159966noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14594994.post-82404116510685098112013-04-16T09:54:00.002-05:002013-04-16T09:54:31.891-05:00I Can't Think of a TitleFirst, this thought from occasional kegger Bry_Mac:<br />
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Some days I am amazed by the compassion and generosity of my fellow man. And some days an 8-year-old gets killed for watching a race.<br />
— Bry Mac (@Bry_Mac) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bry_Mac/status/323930806638747649">April 15, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Exactly.<br />
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And then, there's this:<br />
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<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/16/us/boston-boy-killed/index.html">Report: 8-year-old boy killed in Boston Marathon blasts identified</a><br />
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Here's my guy, who turns 8 in a month and a half:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeBf6R8iqS0aJ8JsLrxc4IjEoorAeKVfUR75UKlSEPBBgF3sRmg9mpcCNT4SrnZTse4n9B0WEVOpmMbx6WC9BmbpbIHpd-jfUwBsHIcMvqSupg6GxMgR9VNuoqzET7ohPbh6CJQ/s1600/Ike+Airplane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeBf6R8iqS0aJ8JsLrxc4IjEoorAeKVfUR75UKlSEPBBgF3sRmg9mpcCNT4SrnZTse4n9B0WEVOpmMbx6WC9BmbpbIHpd-jfUwBsHIcMvqSupg6GxMgR9VNuoqzET7ohPbh6CJQ/s320/Ike+Airplane.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Nope. Can't imagine.<br />
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I trust the FBI and Boston's Finest are doing everything they can to find the <strike>perpetrator</strike> terrorist responsible for this.<br />
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No politics. No statements. Just...find them. It won't bring the 8 year old back, it won't heal his mommy's traumatic head injury and it won't give his little sister her leg back. It won't make the world, governed by randomness, make any more sense. But we have a system of justice, and this is a person or these are some people in <i>dire</i> need of some....justice. If you catch my drift.Noahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14345059376742159966noreply@blogger.com8