April 2020

Cursed Images

My teenager and their friends are all going on about cursed images, which are nothing new; they've been around for a few years and have even become memes in the process. But I can't get any of them to actually describe what makes them so "cursed."

Thanking Your Delivery Drivers

Everyone is sharing a bunch of great ways to thank their delivery drivers, but I'm on the fence as to what is most helpful--and what's even helpful at all. For example, I'm tipping as generously as I can for online orders for takeout delivery, which go to the drivers, but what about tipping in person? No contact is a must right now, but is leaving cash considered safe? I'm sure cash has more germs than anything! I don't even have any in the house right now.

Nuclear Weapons 726 - U.S. State Department Accuses China Of Illegal Underground Testing of Low-yield Nuclear Warheads

Chinese nuclear weapons.jpg

Caption: 
Chinese nuclear weapons

    A new report from the U.S. Department of State on compliance with arms control, nonproliferation and disarmament was obtained by the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. The report concluded that China may be violating international law by conducting low strength nuclear tests underground in the northwest part of the country.

Watch for Amphibian Crossing

Weeks ago we celebrated the return of the sound of the frogs, and now it's time to help the frogs and salamanders as they trek to find places to spawn. This is a dangerous journey for many amphibians, but one of the brighter parts of many humans staying home means that there will be fewer humans to run them over or otherwise interfere with this annual pilgrimage to parenthood.

Crazy Rooster Brewing

The Grateful Dead has served as inspiration for many a food and beverage, from booze to black bean burgers to even infused treats that definitely fit with the band's focus. But the new Crazy Rooster Brewing company might be the first Grateful Dead inspired business to open during the Coronavirus, which means that they've had to adapt, selling their product via car windows rather than in a pub-like setting where people might expect.

Movie BINGO

Lots of people are playing BINGO games with their TV and movie binging lately, and it's not only a fun way to enjoy a movie with your housemates (and throw in a few stakes, like winner choosing takeout or loser owing chores!), but it's also a fun way to watch movies and play with people remotely. You can play these while you use services like Netflix Party and stream movies as a family or friends, even if you're not in the same house.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Developing Laser Ablation For Analysis Of Uranium Debris From Nuclear Explosions - Part 2 of 2 Parts

Part 2 of 2 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
     Harilal said, “It's a question of scale. The lasers create the same fireball chemistry that happens in a nuclear explosion, so we can study the chemistry and how it reacts to different environmental conditions. It's small, but the light is good. We can collect it with no problem.”

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Developing Laser Ablation For Analysis Of Uranium Debris From Nuclear Explosions - Part 1 of 2 Parts

Part 1 of 2 Parts
  Many sophisticated laboratory tests have been developed for determining the composition of a material of interest. However, there are times when it is just not possible to bring a sample into the laboratory for testing. One example would be testing contents of shipping containers on the dock. Another would be analyzing a rock on the surface of Mars.

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