The Color 50

Ok. Here goes. I just celebrated 50 years of age in September. Here is a picture of me with my boys, Brooks and Ross.


Gina and Val


Carolyn and John


Carolyn and Brooks


Karen and Sue, Rob and Brooks in the background


Val and me - Surprise!


Me and Gina


Karen and Susan


Susan and Russ - my brother Frank was not in any of the pictures, probably by design, he's so shy. I had the best time ever. Thanks a bunch everyone for the surprise and all of the fun.

The View from my Office October 9, 2008

A clear day in Chicago looking south.

The Venerable and Delicious BLT

Since I was a kid, I have sought out the BLT (Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato) wherever and whenever possible. Here is how I do mine at home, or in the field, when I am unable to procure a BLT by other, less labor-intensive, means.

As an initial matter, it is well established that most folks prefer the BLT on toast. Before we go any further, however, we must agree that burnt bread is an abomination to a person with a functioning olfactory system. Heed my warning, this is critical - if you must toast, do so lightly, you are going for texture, yes, and a nice nutty bouquet, but not something which will scrape the enamel from your teeth. Also, note that this is a double-decker. Anything less constitutes an unsuitable lack of intake for a living person. Most of the time, more is better.


Cook bacon. A well-seasoned iron skillet is preferred. I like bacon to be not too crispy. But I acknowledge and respect the need for a difference of opinion. You will see I am not so flexible elsewhere. You have to make your own call on the degree of bacon crispiness.


The tomato must be fresh, firm, juicy. Cut thick for maximum impact.


Choose lettuce according to your preference. Iceberg is fine, romaine is better. Again, use the crispy crunchy parts. This is a serious sandwich, with enough stuff and in such a state as to create the maximum sensory experience. Don't cheat yourself.


Cut the lettuce so that it hangs out of the sandwich. Being polite will get you nowhere when it comes to the essential nature of the BLT. The aim, on the off chance you haven't figured it out yet, is slobbery goodness.


Butter is great on lots of stuff. Not on a BLT. Mayonnaise is the only way to go. Again, don't be shy. Just know that you are gonna want to nap after this.


Assembly required. Neatness is contraindicated.


There you have it. Goes good with any beverage, preferably beer. Don't get fancy with the sides, because everything you need is in there.


Say no more.


Here is mine from tonight. With an olive! Thanks to Ross for the expert assistance in la cucina. Mangiare, my friends, and spread the love.

Little Baby Black Holes

Just in case you were wondering, there is a website for people objecting to the operation of the Large Hadron Collider, believing that firing the thing up will initiate the end of the universe, or some such.

The head pot stirrer of the site is one Walter Wagner, who, according to an affidavit filed in the US District Court of Hawaii is: "a nuclear physicist with extensive training in the field. I obtained my undergraduate degree in 1972 at Berkeley, California in the biological sciences with a physics minor, and graduate degree in 1978 in Sacramento, California in law."

It appears, while Mr. Wagner is sometimes referred to as a doctor, that no graduate science degrees were completed. There is no evidence to the effect that a full physics degree was ever earned, other than that represented by the minor. He allegedly worked in the Nuclear Industry in some capacity and claims to have discovered some kind of new particle.

More: "Wagner is a lawyer and former physics lab technician. In 1975, he worked on a project that claimed to discover a magnetic monopole in cosmic ray data ("Evidence for the Detection of a Moving Magnetic Monopole", Physical Review Letters, Vol. 35, (1975)). That claim was later withdrawn in 1978 ("Further Measurements and Reassessment of the Magnetic Monopole Candidate", Physical Review D18: 1382-1421 (1978))"

The website is: www.LHCDefense.org
THE OFFICIAL SITE FOR CITIZENS AGAINST THE LARGE HADRON COLLIDER

One of the problems with Mr. Wagner's injunction, which was thrown out by the court, was the incorrect assertion that a U.S. court had jurisdiction to stop operations of the Collider, which is located in Geneva, Switzerland. Oh, well.

Mr. Walter is now retired, but states he a Wikipedia science editor, and has involvement in some capacity in a botanical garden in Hawaii.

Cool.

It recalls an English paper that Michael Durka wrote in High School entitled, "When you drive a truck, you are a truck driver." Michael, as I recall, despite some fairly persuasive stuff, received an F.