Hubble photos are some of the most amazing pictures you'll see (at least to these eyes). Here's a nice compilation of some award winners. Seeing pictures of things so unfathomably vast and eerily beautiful always takes my mind to the Bigger Questions.

I had no idea that there were giant man made tunnels under Niagara Falls. This site about them is pretty interesting.

The world will soon have its first Swedo-cablinasian. Cheers! Some pundits are already wondering if this development will distract Tiger and hamper his game. It's as if, after 8 years of covering him on the PGA Tour, they still don't know the guy.

Labels: neat-o

I just have to say, that was probably the best football game I've seen in years. I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling relief that we won't have to watch the New England Yankees Patriots in the Super Bowl yet again this year. When Reggie Wayne fumbled that ball into the air, in that split second I thought, "okay, here we go again. This is where the football gods intervene and give New England the turnover they need to win." When he plucked his own fumble right out of the air, securing at least the field goal and tie for Indy, the football gods said, "Eh, come to think of it, we're sick of the Patriots, too. Here ya go, Reggie."

Manning basically secured his legacy with that win, and it's good to see Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith make history together. Might as well make a prediction. Colts 31, Bears 23.

Labels: games

I've gotten a couple of "where ya been" sorta messages lately. I haven't written much here in the past few months, for several reasons. First, the rugrat is far more demanding now. Constant workus interruptus translates into working evenings, when all I really wanna do is chill with The Family Unit. This blog among countless blogs has seemed, of late, to be unimportant to me. I started it to keep my mind alive and hopefully create discussions that had been lacking in my life on weekdays. Pets are limited conversationally. The home office situation has many nice advantages, but socializing is not among them.

I didn't wanna bug Nik or friends at work, so except for the odd work calls and meetings, "Waan-Go ousside?" was typically the most involved verbage I uttered for the better part of quite some time. Something had to be done, or my brain was going to shrivel into a raisin.

Then the baby came along and nothing has been as important since. Or better since. But my daily dialogues improved only slightly. Before Tess, my major daily utterances included things like, "how can you STILL be licking yourself?!" and "if you MUST barf a hairball, can you pleeeease do it on the hardwoods instead of the living room rug?", which has never once worked. Now, my typical dialogue has been upgraded to ABCs, Sesame Street ditties, "isn't that yummy?" "more milk? more? no?", "Did you get cuter again overnight?", and some normal talk that I know she won't understand, thrown in for good measure, and for my own sake.

Then there's the fact that ya just can't always write. Even though these are one-off ramblings, it's still writing, and you still need a catalyst. A comment from my bud Ty was the catalyst for this. Writing anything, for me, requires some kind of trigger. Without one, days pass and I don't even think about this thing.

I've been in a long trough, the bottom of a sine wave. My head has been in the home. Lately I've avoided subjects that interest me and which tend to foment internal discussion (which pours out into this site) in favor of the comfort of routine.

It's also because I don't always get the kind of discussion that I'd hoped for, which tells me that I'm not making this thingy discussable (discussible?) enough. When some of your most discussed blog entries are about peanut butter in ice cream and the mystery of discarded bread end pieces, it's time to gravitate toward where the dialogue is, as dialogue is the point. Thusly, I'll end with this question: Why is it that I'm considered a freak for loving black licorice? Aren't you people tasting what I'm tasting?

Labels: at home

It's 50 some-odd degrees this January 4th. The entire Northeast is having a springlike winter so far. Last year was mild, but this seems a bit ridiculous. The 10-day forecast calls for more of the same, 38-52-ish temps and spotty rain here and there. I sure am glad I pre-paid the plow guy.

So I'm letting the dog out and there they are—geese. Geese on January 4th, flying in formation and squawking like it's March 25th or something. Are they confused, or are they way ahead of the game here? Animals know what's up weather-wise. I remember after the tsunami all the scientists marveled at the fact that very few animal carcasses were found. They seemed to have a sixth sense and got to higher ground well ahead of time. Well ahead of technology. Pretty eerie, but pretty damn cool, too. Any ornithologists out there who can tell me that geese in January is not uncommon around here? Maybe they're just now leaving? Maybe winter will arrive in February and kick our butts through April.

Whatever, weather continues to puzzle. I like the warmer winters, but not if it also means a Louisiana under water or an altered Gulf stream. It'll be interesting to see what the new Congress has to say about future policy as it relates to new data and related predictions.

Labels: ponderage