July 28, 2005
Observed @ Sam Goody
Observed @ Sam Goody
Originally uploaded by smooth.
From the Museum of Bad Marketing... Shouldn't music be something you can't live without?
Posted by sam at 03:08 PM
July 25, 2005
Tales from the Davis Zoo
Because one of my aunts mentioned how much she likes info from Meagan's...
Meagan is on a zoo rotation right now, which means that she's spending two weeks at the Davis zoo with a few days at the SF and Oakland zoos thrown in.
Today at the Davis zoo one of the vets had to anesthetize a monkey for a routine exam. When he came to the monkey cage, the monkeys all went crazy because they know him as the guy who knocks them out.
Soon the anesthesiologist felt a sprinkle on her leg. One of the monkeys was at the edge of the cage yelling and trying to pee on them.
Then the vet had to knock out two monkeys with darts. The first, immediately after getting shot, pulled out the dart and threw it right back at the vet. The next monkey, after getting shot, carefully dipped the dart in his own feces before throwing it back at them.
What fun! I don't know about you, but I'm disappointed Meagan couldn't take any photos.
Posted by sam at 06:01 PM
July 21, 2005
China loses the dollar peg
So China finally drops the currency peg to the US dollar. And Malaysia says "me too!"
What does it mean? Not much, at the moment. The change is estimated at only 2% vs. the 10-15% some analysts wanted, and the yuan will now trade in "a tight 0.3% band against a basket of foreign currencies." The closing price each day will be the midpoint of the next day's trading band.
The real impact is that China will be buying fewer t-notes, decreasing demand and increasing yields. This also reflects the declining importance of the US dollar in world capital markets. The world economy is simply too large these days to be dominated by any single currency, and we may see similar moves by smaller countries, maybe even OPEC.
Posted by sam at 11:52 AM
John Roberts aces the essay question
From Chris, The Stakes in Roberts's Nomination:
As it happened, the day before that ruling was released, President Bush interviewed Judge Roberts at the White House. Judge Roberts, it is widely reported, aced his interview; but his appeals court decision due for publication just twenty-four hours later--about the rights of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay--was, in effect, the essay question.
What a huge conflict of interest. This is ridiculous. To be making an important decision like this while waiting for an appointment to the highest judicial position in the country, when the pres' position on the case is pretty obvious...
Posted by sam at 09:09 AM
July 16, 2005
Breean's birthday
Happy birthday Breean! I love you babe and I hope you've had a wonderful birthday.
And no, I'm not just posting this because you asked!
Posted by sam at 06:06 PM
Cold fusion returns
"Coming in out of the cold: Cold fusion, for real"
After the 1989 announcement of fusion in a bottle, so to speak, and the subsequent retraction, the whole idea of cold fusion seemed a bit beyond the pale. But that's all about to change.
A very reputable, very careful group of scientists at the University of Los Angeles (Brian Naranjo, Jim Gimzewski, Seth Putterman) has initiated a fusion reaction using a laboratory device that's not much bigger than a breadbox, and works at roughly room temperature. This time, it looks like the real thing.
Posted by sam at 09:24 AM
Economics of Smoking
You think health warnings, new laws, etc. affect smoking? Nope, it's just economics:
Posted by sam at 08:55 AM
July 11, 2005
If your friend jumped off a cliff...
Apparently sheep really do act like sheep: 450 Sheep Jump to Their Deaths in Turkey.
Posted by sam at 03:47 PM
July 10, 2005
Snake Bite: Pit Vipers and Coral Snakes
Things I've learned about snakes while reading Meagan's homework:
- human snakebite victims are disproportionately represented by men less than 30 years old, and the bites are often associated with use of intoxicants and other illicit substances
- attempts at on-site first aid, such as sucking the wound, ice, heat, etc., are generally useless and possibly harmful
- approximate 99% of all venomous snake bites in the United States are inflicted by pit vipers - or Crotalids, which includes rattlesnakes, copperheads and cottonmouth water moccasins
- Though copperheads are responsible for the majority of venomous snake bites to humans in North America (because of their proclivity for living next to human habitation), rattlesnakes account for the majority of deaths in both humans and animal victims
- 90% of venomous snake bites occur in the months of April through October
- the average rattlesnake needs 21 days to replenish expended venom
- cats are more resistant, on the basis of milligram of venom per kg body mass, to pit viper venom than dogs. Yet because cats are smaller than dogs and tend to hide after a bite, cats are generally in worse shape when receiving medical attention
- to distinguish venomous coral snakes from harmless fakers, use this rule: if yellow (caution) touches danger (red), stay away. if not it's probably harmless
- oh yeah, also that in 85% of bites the snake has to be shaken or pulled off. supposedly it feels like peeling velco.
Posted by sam at 12:51 PM
July 09, 2005
Toyota Prius vs. Honda Accord/Civic Hybrids
For my own reference, cars we might like to purchase one day...
| Model | MSRP | City mpg | Highway mpg | Cargo volume | Passenger volume | Net horsepower |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accord Hybrid | $30,140 | 29 | 37 | 11.2 cu ft. | 102.7 cu ft. | 255 |
| Civic Hybrid | $20,900 | 46 | 51 | 10.1 cu ft. | 91.4 cu ft. | 93 |
| Prius | $20,975 | 60 | 51 | 16.1 cu ft. | 96 cu ft. | 110 |
Posted by sam at 08:07 PM
Prius overload
We thought that Toyota Priuses (Prius' ?) were taking over the streets of Ithaca. But here in Davis, I think there are even more Priuses than cows.
Posted by sam at 12:45 PM