December 2009
15 posts
“Explosions are basically a waste of energy in space. On the ground, these are...”
– Quantum Rocketry » Blog Archive » thoughts on space battles
Top 10 Boutique Coffee Shops: In the Magazine :... →
Good to see Octane on this list. It was my favorite coffee shop when I was in Atlanta.
Octane Coffee Bar and Lounge Atlanta - This loft-style shop brews coffee in French presses, and its syrups (chocolate, caramel, and vanilla) are made in-house. To go with your coffee, try the grilled PB&J.
Nonbelievers, please leave Christmas alone →
Garrison Keillor - what is wrong with you?
And all those lousy holiday songs by Jewish guys that trash up the malls every year, Rudolph and the chestnuts and the rest of that dreck. Did one of our guys write “Grab your loafers, come along if you wanna, and we’ll blow that shofar for Rosh Hashanah”? No, we didn’t.
One of our guys? Seriously? Just so, so wrong…
Top Ten Astronomy Pictures of 2009 →
who doesn’t love astronomy pics?
“It is the mark of an educated mind to expect that amount of exactness which the...”
– Aristotle, Ethics
“Isaac Bashevis Singer wrote for more than four decades on an Underwood portable....”
– Erica Wagner on writers’ superstitions - Times Online
Thoroughly unmodern twitter →
The 30 Best Cover Songs of the Decade (2000-2009) →
I love cover songs, so I’m glad that Paste has come out with its list of the 30 best cover songs of the decade… they’re all excellent.
Why Your Older Brother Didn't Share →
This explains so much of my childhood:
If you watch enough television, you’ll witness what psychologists describe as birth order stereotypes. Take Alex P. Keaton of the 1980s U.S. sitcom Family Ties. Firstborn Alex was far more brash and competitive than his younger sisters, reading The Wall Street Journal while in high school, for example. Now scientists report that the stereotype is valid:...
Paper City →
Very cool construction
The Smalltalk Question →
An excellent idea!
I propose instead that one ask “What have you been thinking about lately?” First, the question is extremely open-ended. The answer could be a book, a movie, a relationship, a class, a job, a hobby, etc. Even better, it will be whichever of these is most interesting at the moment. Second, it sends the message that thinking, and thinking about thinking, is a fundamental human...
8 Reasons Normal People Should Juggle →
I agree completely. I learned to juggle in college (taught by a roommate) and it has been a great tool for me ever since. I keep a set of juggling balls at my desk (as I did all through grad school) and they help me focus my thoughts and get my blood flowing. Of course, the downside is that I tend to see any three of oranges or apples as juggling tools, making trips to the grocery store all the...