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Assorted Items of Note - 9 July 2025
Jul. 9th, 2025 05:15 pm1. Meet some more people who believe that, in religion, there must always be compulsion.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/why-you-should-be-worried-about-a-new-trump-appointed-commission-you-probably-haven-t-heard-of-opinion/ar-AA1IfTTD
2. A science fair about things that won't be learned.
https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/science-fair-congress-canceled-grant-funding
3. Not only are we dealing with wildfires up here at home at the insistence of the fossil fuel industry, certain members of the US Congress are bashing us while Trump's making annexationist noises...
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/canadian-wildfire-smoke-ruining-americans-summer-1.7580738
4. Coal Taurozzi, the last of the Parliament Hill Cats, is no more. :-(
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/last-parliament-hill-cat-dies-1.7580650
5. Our chartered banks can be mean at times. One of the latest cases in point:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/rbc-bank-investigator-scam-1.7577770
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/why-you-should-be-worried-about-a-new-trump-appointed-commission-you-probably-haven-t-heard-of-opinion/ar-AA1IfTTD
2. A science fair about things that won't be learned.
https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/science-fair-congress-canceled-grant-funding
3. Not only are we dealing with wildfires up here at home at the insistence of the fossil fuel industry, certain members of the US Congress are bashing us while Trump's making annexationist noises...
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/canadian-wildfire-smoke-ruining-americans-summer-1.7580738
4. Coal Taurozzi, the last of the Parliament Hill Cats, is no more. :-(
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/last-parliament-hill-cat-dies-1.7580650
5. Our chartered banks can be mean at times. One of the latest cases in point:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/rbc-bank-investigator-scam-1.7577770
Spreadsheet Issue
Nov. 30th, 2023 07:14 pmI need to do a bulk conversion of two columns' worth of numbers, parsecs to light-years. I know what to multiply by, but not how to make the conversion happen in my spreadsheet software (OpenOffice Calc).
Yeah, I use spreadsheets for everything but math and financials, and I only started learning to use them after the 1990's.
Yeah, I use spreadsheets for everything but math and financials, and I only started learning to use them after the 1990's.
The Demon-Haunted Panel of 2023
Sep. 1st, 2023 10:53 amOkay, I'm back.
Hosted by the Roddenberry people - yes, that Roddenberry family! - and they apologize up-front for the sound quality as it was recorded at Star Trek Las Vegas 2023. The panel title was inspired, of course, by Carl Sagan...
https://www.missionlogpodcast.com/the-demon-haunted-panel-live-at-stlv-2023/
I hope everyone involved got home safe from Las Vegas. Of course, I remain convinced that the Pandemic in Progress is not yet done with us. We need to do more work on multiple fronts, including resuming masking-up properly.
Hosted by the Roddenberry people - yes, that Roddenberry family! - and they apologize up-front for the sound quality as it was recorded at Star Trek Las Vegas 2023. The panel title was inspired, of course, by Carl Sagan...
https://www.missionlogpodcast.com/the-demon-haunted-panel-live-at-stlv-2023/
I hope everyone involved got home safe from Las Vegas. Of course, I remain convinced that the Pandemic in Progress is not yet done with us. We need to do more work on multiple fronts, including resuming masking-up properly.
Space Software: Some Good News
Apr. 10th, 2023 06:02 pmGaia Sky is finally working for me as the designers intended! #Planetariumware #astronomy
I do, of course, have ideas for new features...
I do, of course, have ideas for new features...
CBC: David Suzuki Retires
Oct. 24th, 2022 09:38 amhttps://www.cbc.ca/news/science/david-suzuki-retires-the-nature-of-things-1.6625011
I can't remember a time when Dr. Suzuki wasn't hosting/narrating The Nature of Things on CBC's English-language TV division. This, despite the fact that he was not the series' first host.
Well, it's my expectation that he will not be the last host of the series, either. This, despite his longevity in that role across the decades. CBC has a number of qualified people already on the payroll to fill the gap. I'm leaning in favour of Nicole Mortillaro. They will do well together, given the chance.
CBC will do as it will do, of course, regardless of my opinion...
I can't remember a time when Dr. Suzuki wasn't hosting/narrating The Nature of Things on CBC's English-language TV division. This, despite the fact that he was not the series' first host.
Well, it's my expectation that he will not be the last host of the series, either. This, despite his longevity in that role across the decades. CBC has a number of qualified people already on the payroll to fill the gap. I'm leaning in favour of Nicole Mortillaro. They will do well together, given the chance.
CBC will do as it will do, of course, regardless of my opinion...
École Polytechnique: We Still Remember
Dec. 6th, 2021 09:47 amGeneviève Bergeron (b. 1968), civil engineering student.
Hélène Colgan (b. 1966), mechanical engineering student.
Nathalie Croteau (b. 1966), mechanical engineering student.
Barbara Daigneault (b. 1967), mechanical engineering student.
Anne-Marie Edward (b. 1968), chemical engineering student.
Maud Haviernick (b. 1960), materials engineering student.
Maryse Laganière (b. 1964), budget clerk in the École Polytechnique's finance department.
Maryse Leclair (b. 1966), materials engineering student.
Anne-Marie Lemay (b. 1967), mechanical engineering student.
Sonia Pelletier (b. 1961), mechanical engineering student.
Michèle Richard (b. 1968), materials engineering student.
Annie St-Arneault (b. 1966), mechanical engineering student.
Annie Turcotte (b. 1969), materials engineering student.
Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz (b. 1958), nursing student.
Hélène Colgan (b. 1966), mechanical engineering student.
Nathalie Croteau (b. 1966), mechanical engineering student.
Barbara Daigneault (b. 1967), mechanical engineering student.
Anne-Marie Edward (b. 1968), chemical engineering student.
Maud Haviernick (b. 1960), materials engineering student.
Maryse Laganière (b. 1964), budget clerk in the École Polytechnique's finance department.
Maryse Leclair (b. 1966), materials engineering student.
Anne-Marie Lemay (b. 1967), mechanical engineering student.
Sonia Pelletier (b. 1961), mechanical engineering student.
Michèle Richard (b. 1968), materials engineering student.
Annie St-Arneault (b. 1966), mechanical engineering student.
Annie Turcotte (b. 1969), materials engineering student.
Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz (b. 1958), nursing student.
Ideas: Ibn Khaldun and Asabiyyah
Jun. 25th, 2021 10:52 amListening to this as I continue the job search this morning:
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/beware-of-bitter-oranges-modern-lessons-from-a-medieval-thinker-1.6078888
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/beware-of-bitter-oranges-modern-lessons-from-a-medieval-thinker-1.6078888
Canadian Census 2021
Jun. 7th, 2021 07:29 pmI just filled out the form for my household. We drew the short form this time out. I'm mildly disappointed about that. Mainly, though, I'm satisfied that it's done now.
(no subject)
May. 18th, 2021 02:30 pmThe job search continues. I've got two offers, one I have to decline because lack of experience and temperament. The other seems to be real, and might be interesting. There's no guarantees, of course, but I'll wait for the reply to my reply.
While I keep looking for other leads in the meantime, there's this episode of Ideas about the sounds of space, "Music on Mars". And there is sound to be listened to and to be listened for.
More later...
While I keep looking for other leads in the meantime, there's this episode of Ideas about the sounds of space, "Music on Mars". And there is sound to be listened to and to be listened for.
More later...
From American Georgia to the Stars
May. 2nd, 2021 09:11 amListening to this because Stacey Abrams (among others):
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/sunday/the-sunday-magazine-for-may-2-2021-1.6008904
Reading this as well:
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/this-mission-to-deep-space-could-last-a-lifetime-or-even-more-1.6008763
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/sunday/the-sunday-magazine-for-may-2-2021-1.6008904
Reading this as well:
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/this-mission-to-deep-space-could-last-a-lifetime-or-even-more-1.6008763
What are environmentalists fighting FOR?
Mar. 31st, 2021 08:20 pmCBC Radio's Ideas has a go at answering this question tonight.
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/environmentalists-what-are-we-fighting-for-an-environmentalist-argues-it-s-not-clear-1.4917208
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/environmentalists-what-are-we-fighting-for-an-environmentalist-argues-it-s-not-clear-1.4917208
Books I'm Trying to Read - Mid-March 2021
Mar. 16th, 2021 07:35 pmI make no guarantee as to whether I'll be able to finish reading all of these, and several are loans from the local library.
- As I Walked About - A Collection of Walking Columns from the Ottawa Citizen - Phil Jenkins
- Star Trek: Picard - The Dark Veil - James Swallow
- The Information - James Gleick
- Glimpses of Cumberland Township - For the Honour of Our Ancestors - Cumberland Township Historical Society
- In Defense of Housing - David Madden and Peter Marcuse
- Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus - Douglas Rushkoff
- Cartographic Grounds - Projecting the Landscape Imaginary - Jill Desimini and Charles Waldheim
- Thunderbird - Jack McDevitt
- Tracing The History of Your House in Ottawa - City of Ottawa Archives
- Packaged Toronto - A Collection of the City's Historic Design - Matthew Blackett, Wayne Reeves and Alexandra Avdichuk
More good stuff from Kevin Jardine.
Stars with planets are green-circled with numbers of known planets where known. And some extra stuff thrown in that we didn't know we needed to chart...
https://twitter.com/galaxy_map/status/1337901467160743939
Stars with planets are green-circled with numbers of known planets where known. And some extra stuff thrown in that we didn't know we needed to chart...
https://twitter.com/galaxy_map/status/1337901467160743939
SPACE/MAPS: Gaia Sky 3.0.1
Dec. 10th, 2020 05:56 pmApparently, there was an OpenGL issue that kept crashing Gaia Sky on my computers every time I tried to launch the program.
That problem is now history with version 3.0.1. It's fixed. It ran slow on my current iMac the first time I used it, but I am inclined to chalk that up to my choosing to download the EDR3 "medium" dataset for use with Gaia Sky. 4 GB to download, it self-extracts into a 14 GB file once it gets to your machine! I think I want to install more RAM to run such a thing with, right?
Lots and lots of stars with only 16-digit GAIA DR#-prefixed catalogue numbers instead of names so far to run around to. Hoping the search function allows for a lot of fun. I would really like for the Gaia Sky and Celestia programming teams to network a bit.
That problem is now history with version 3.0.1. It's fixed. It ran slow on my current iMac the first time I used it, but I am inclined to chalk that up to my choosing to download the EDR3 "medium" dataset for use with Gaia Sky. 4 GB to download, it self-extracts into a 14 GB file once it gets to your machine! I think I want to install more RAM to run such a thing with, right?
Lots and lots of stars with only 16-digit GAIA DR#-prefixed catalogue numbers instead of names so far to run around to. Hoping the search function allows for a lot of fun. I would really like for the Gaia Sky and Celestia programming teams to network a bit.
Never Forgotten
Dec. 6th, 2020 09:31 amGeneviève Bergeron (born 1968), mechanical engineering student
Hélène Colgan (born 1966), mechanical engineering student
Nathalie Croteau (born 1966), mechanical engineering student
Barbara Daigneault (born 1967), mechanical engineering student
Anne-Marie Edward (born 1968), chemical engineering student
Maud Haviernick (born 1960), materials engineering student
Maryse Laganière (born 1964), budget clerk in the École Polytechnique's finance department
Maryse Leclair (born 1966), materials engineering student
Anne-Marie Lemay (born 1967), mechanical engineering student
Sonia Pelletier (born 1961), mechanical engineering student
Michèle Richard (born 1968), materials engineering student
Annie St-Arneault (born 1966), mechanical engineering student
Annie Turcotte (born 1969), materials engineering student
Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz (born 1958), nursing student
Hélène Colgan (born 1966), mechanical engineering student
Nathalie Croteau (born 1966), mechanical engineering student
Barbara Daigneault (born 1967), mechanical engineering student
Anne-Marie Edward (born 1968), chemical engineering student
Maud Haviernick (born 1960), materials engineering student
Maryse Laganière (born 1964), budget clerk in the École Polytechnique's finance department
Maryse Leclair (born 1966), materials engineering student
Anne-Marie Lemay (born 1967), mechanical engineering student
Sonia Pelletier (born 1961), mechanical engineering student
Michèle Richard (born 1968), materials engineering student
Annie St-Arneault (born 1966), mechanical engineering student
Annie Turcotte (born 1969), materials engineering student
Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz (born 1958), nursing student
