Thursday, January 13, 2011

Morning Walk...

I miss Orion in the sky; at this time of year it has already set in the west before I get up.  And it looks odd to me to see the Big Dipper (Ursa major) “upside down”, almost straight overhead.  But the clear skies I really enjoy.  The half-moon was very high in the southern sky this morning, and bright enough to wash out most of the stars.  There was plenty of light to walk by.

Race chased pine cones, as is his want.  He likes any sort of ball or toy that's kicked or thrown, but for some reason pine cones are his absolute favorite.  You can see his delight when he finds one, and his joy when he chases down one that I've kicked – he runs back to me with it held in his jaws, practically skipping and dancing with happiness, his head whipping back and forth.  Then down it goes on the pavement just in front of me, and he crouches, focused totally on that pine cone and the moment of my kick.

The three field spaniels wandered from smell to smell.  I want to be able to ask them “Who visited there?  How long ago?”  I'm assuming they know, that they can tell from what they're smelling.  Maybe I'm wrong, though; maybe those smells are to them like a nice glass of wine to me – I don't really understand it very well, but I sure enjoy it!

I got to thinking, during our walk this morning, about Debbie, who is away with her friend Marsha Y. in the Los Angeles area.  I miss her, of course.  But I'm very proud of the way she leapt in to support her friend.  She and Dick (Marsha's husband) are so far Marsha's only visitors.  This isn't because Marsha is without friends or family (she has plenty of both).  I don't know why others aren't there to be with Marsha.  But Debbie is there, when Marsha needs friends and family the most.  I'm proud that my wife is the kind of person who responds to a friend's need in the way that she has.

Marsha appears to be making good progress.  Last night she was able to eat on her own, for the first time since the stroke.  In my last call with Debbie, her tone was full of optimism and hope...

A Clear Path to $1B in Revenue...

Now that's the sort of thing I really, really enjoy hearing from my boss...

NGC 3521...

From APOD, of course.  As always, click to enlarge.

Tough Stuff...

Just by happenstance, I know someone working on this stuff.  They think it just might be the next “miracle material”, with the potential to be as revolutionary as the advent of plastics...

Obama's Tuscon Moment...

Long time readers of this blog will know that it's rare for me to agree with a position that President Obama takes.  It's rarer still for me to agree with – much less admire – something that he does.

Last night was an exception.  I thought his speech in Tuscon was an exemplary one, delivered with all the skill and theatre that he's famous for (but has so rarely actually delivered).  Obama surprised me by staying well above the left's rhetoric of the past few days, instead delivering an message of unity I always hope a politician would hit in such situations, but which so few actually do.  He also did a superb job of honoring the dead and injured, without using the occasion directly for his own ends.

Nice job, Mr. President.  Thank you.

More like that, please...