Look for the next big meteor show on the morning of Monday, May 5.
The Eta Aquarid meteors are debris left behind by Halley's Comet and are active from mid-April until the end of May. Best viewing opportunity will be before dawn this coming Monday. The new moon will create good, dark sky conditions. Astronomers also think this year's shower will produce twice the normal activity, which has its radiant near the star Eta in the constellation Aquarius.
Typically, the Etas rate about 30 meteors per hour and is obscured as the radiant doesn't come overhead before dawn. The theory is that the shower's activity rises and falls based on interaction from Jupiter, which orbits the sun in about 12-years and creates a 12-year cycle for the Etas.
Optimal viewing for the shower is in the Southern Hemisphere and declines as you go north. However, due to the expectation of greater-than-normal activity and the bonus of no moon interference, even Northern viewers should be able to see a good show. EA meteors follow long paths, leave trails and average a magnitude of 3. Streaks should be easily visible. Early morning (also possible on May 4th and 6th, but with less meteor frequency), look to the southeast and, for those in the Northern Hemisphere, close to the horizon. You can orient yourself with this great tool.
You can hear Astronomy magazine Senior Editor Francis Reddy discuss the background of this shower in this podcast.
In other Astronomy news, researchers looking at the past have discovered nine young and very compact galaxies. These galazies are a fraction of the size of today's mature galaxies, but contain as many stars.
4.29.2008
4.25.2008
Next stop...immortality
Sort of.
Back on the topic of the cougar that wandered into the mean streats of Chicago and faced off against Chicago's finest, which I mentioned here.
It seems that the remains are now in the hands of Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History, who have the fifth largest collection of mammal specimens in the world.
The body has been skinned, measurements taken, and biological study done by the Cook County Animal and Rabies Control agency and the Brookfield Zoo. Now the skeleton gets the flesh-eating beetle treatment, then frozen, labeled and stored.
It seems an unfitting end to such a magnificent animal. On the other hand, the process will let its death mean something far more than a blip on the News of the Weird. The remains will be available for scientists and researchers well into the future who seek to understand these animals and their habitat.
Just remember....as an occupant of both above and below, this long-tailed wildcat's spirit has moved on, but he left behind his message to balance power and intent.
Back on the topic of the cougar that wandered into the mean streats of Chicago and faced off against Chicago's finest, which I mentioned here.
It seems that the remains are now in the hands of Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History, who have the fifth largest collection of mammal specimens in the world.
The body has been skinned, measurements taken, and biological study done by the Cook County Animal and Rabies Control agency and the Brookfield Zoo. Now the skeleton gets the flesh-eating beetle treatment, then frozen, labeled and stored.
It seems an unfitting end to such a magnificent animal. On the other hand, the process will let its death mean something far more than a blip on the News of the Weird. The remains will be available for scientists and researchers well into the future who seek to understand these animals and their habitat.
Just remember....as an occupant of both above and below, this long-tailed wildcat's spirit has moved on, but he left behind his message to balance power and intent.
4.23.2008
Sichuan Hotpot
Hotpot, the Asian kin to fondue. The Sichuan hotpot is, as you might expect, spicy. Did I mention that it's spicy? It is. Try to catch the Anthony Bourdain show, No Reservations, when he visits Chengdu for some hotpot. It's entertaining to see the bubbling cauldron and the diners continuously wiping sweat from their domes. If seeing that doesn't make you hungry, I don't know what will. Take a gander at these youtubers digging the roiling miasma of the hotpot.
At the core of this concept is the szechuan peppercorn. Once banned in the US (1968-2005) due to concerns that they could be carrying citrus canker, the szechuan peppercorn is a culinary gem. It isn't about the heat, the dried berry husk (not related to black pepper or chili pepper) has a lemony undertone and the stunning ability to numb the mouth. This tingly feeling is what sets the stage for the more spicy onslaught of the chilies.
I grabbed a recipe from iheartbacon.com that was itself derived primarily from the cookbook, Land of Plenty. It can be made in a hotpot, a slow cooker, a fondue pot or a pot over a burner.
The assembled ingredients:
For the broth, melt the lard slowly in a pot. Then turn up the heat and add chili paste for a minute or so, then black bean garlic sauce and ginger and stir fry until you get a good aroma (again, not long). Now add the chicken stock. When that boils, add the sugar and rice wine. At this point, I refrigerated the broth for use that night.
When it's go time, reheat the broth (don't be scared of the skin on the refrigerated broth), adding the chilies that were prepared earlier and the peppercorns. Simmer for half an hour.
While waiting, get your dippers ready. Thinly sliced meats, veggies (cabbage, mushroom, etc), noodles (udon, rice) and some dipping sauces. I used a hot chili sauce (hey, I'm scorching this from start to finish), peanut sauce and a soy-mustard sauce.
The platter of various thin-sliced meats.
Worked to perfection. The best part is saving a bit of room to ladle some broth in a bowl, add some noodles and savor a nice, spicy soup to finish with. The noodles really take the flavor well. Pretty easy setup and a damn good time. I can still feel the tingle.
At the core of this concept is the szechuan peppercorn. Once banned in the US (1968-2005) due to concerns that they could be carrying citrus canker, the szechuan peppercorn is a culinary gem. It isn't about the heat, the dried berry husk (not related to black pepper or chili pepper) has a lemony undertone and the stunning ability to numb the mouth. This tingly feeling is what sets the stage for the more spicy onslaught of the chilies.
I grabbed a recipe from iheartbacon.com that was itself derived primarily from the cookbook, Land of Plenty. It can be made in a hotpot, a slow cooker, a fondue pot or a pot over a burner.
The assembled ingredients:
- a load of dried Tien Tsin chili peppers (I used about 20 because I was going for molten hot)
- peanut oil
- lard
- chili bean paste
- black bean garlic sauce
- fresh ginger (peeled and sliced into thin strips)
- chicken stock
- granulated sugar
- rice wine (or dry sherry, which I used)
- szechuan peppers
- stuff to cook in the broth
- dipping sauces
For the broth, melt the lard slowly in a pot. Then turn up the heat and add chili paste for a minute or so, then black bean garlic sauce and ginger and stir fry until you get a good aroma (again, not long). Now add the chicken stock. When that boils, add the sugar and rice wine. At this point, I refrigerated the broth for use that night.
When it's go time, reheat the broth (don't be scared of the skin on the refrigerated broth), adding the chilies that were prepared earlier and the peppercorns. Simmer for half an hour.
While waiting, get your dippers ready. Thinly sliced meats, veggies (cabbage, mushroom, etc), noodles (udon, rice) and some dipping sauces. I used a hot chili sauce (hey, I'm scorching this from start to finish), peanut sauce and a soy-mustard sauce.
The platter of various thin-sliced meats.
Shitake mushrooms, various noodles, and very firm tofu.
Triumvirate of sauces.
Sriracha Chili Sauce, don't leave home without it.
The szechuan peppercorns from The Spice House on North Wells.
A view of the liquid gold.
Worked to perfection. The best part is saving a bit of room to ladle some broth in a bowl, add some noodles and savor a nice, spicy soup to finish with. The noodles really take the flavor well. Pretty easy setup and a damn good time. I can still feel the tingle.
4.15.2008
Encroachment
After the authorities waved away claims of a large, wild cat roaming the greater Chicagoland area, the CPD was forced to deal with exactly that yesterday.
Police shot and killed a cougar on Chicago's Roscoe Village neighborhood.
I can't say that I'm pleased that this animal was gunned down like John Dillinger. However, I don't expect the police to be equiped to deal with this in any other way. Given the high population density of the area, safety concerns are paramount in dealing with a cat that is in excess of 5 feet in length and weighing in at 150 pounds.
I just wish they could have gotten their act together before it came to this.
Police shot and killed a cougar on Chicago's Roscoe Village neighborhood.
I can't say that I'm pleased that this animal was gunned down like John Dillinger. However, I don't expect the police to be equiped to deal with this in any other way. Given the high population density of the area, safety concerns are paramount in dealing with a cat that is in excess of 5 feet in length and weighing in at 150 pounds.
I just wish they could have gotten their act together before it came to this.
4.11.2008
Two of My Favorite Loons in one Package
Tonight on Larry King Live, you are liable to see some ridiculously entertaining stuff. I know this sounds dubious, but bear with me.
If you don't know, Larry King is a crotchety old TV personality with his own show. In theory, King interviews various famous people. In reality, he does no such thing. Mr. King is a train wreck. This website recaps some awesome moments. CNN has the show transcripts, which are really great reading. I dissected one in this post. Larry, you see, doesn't prepare questions for interviews, has never used the internet and doesn't listen to his guests, preferring to bounce around at random with unrelated and typically ill-conceived questions. He is a broadcasting genius.
Now, let's add to the mix a lovable ex-cop and father, Drew Peterson. Mr. Peterson, a 54-year-old (now former) police officer in Bolingbrook, IL, is a suspect in the October 2007 disappearance of his fourth wife, 23-year-old Stacy Peterson. This eventually prompted the reinvestigation of the accidental drowning of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, who was found dead in a dry bathtub in March 2004. From the Tribune "Dr. Larry W. Blum is the forensic pathologist who performed the Nov. 13 autopsy. In his report, he determined that 'compelling evidence exists to support the conclusions that the cause of death . . . was drowning and further, that the manner of death was homicide.'"
If you have a minute, you really need to look through this nice aggregate of stories from the Chicago Tribune. It's spectacular. Just reading the various headlines will leave you positive this is a plot from a CSI episode.
So, Peterson and his attorney will appear on Larry King Live tonight (CNN) and allegedly will answer viewer questions.
"Joel Brodsky, Peterson's attorney, said he's not worried about the types of calls his client will have to face."There's no rules. Larry King's people tell me that they screen out the nuts. Which is fine," he said."
The potential for awesome here is unbounded. I hope it turns out as swell as Peterson's appearance on Chicago radio legend Steve Dahl's morning show, which ended in Peterson agreeing to do a Win a Date with Drew contest (which never happened, of course). The Matt Lauer interviews were also quite wonderful as Peterson explains that his wife ran off with "a 'nudder man" and that he isn't going to look for someone that isn't missing. He explains to us that he is a jokester and that this is all very hard on him, what with the media bothering him. You may also find out that Drew and Stacy's children believe their mum went on vacation.
No I'm not making this stuff up. We can only wait with baited breath to see what manifests on CNN tonight.
If you don't know, Larry King is a crotchety old TV personality with his own show. In theory, King interviews various famous people. In reality, he does no such thing. Mr. King is a train wreck. This website recaps some awesome moments. CNN has the show transcripts, which are really great reading. I dissected one in this post. Larry, you see, doesn't prepare questions for interviews, has never used the internet and doesn't listen to his guests, preferring to bounce around at random with unrelated and typically ill-conceived questions. He is a broadcasting genius.
Now, let's add to the mix a lovable ex-cop and father, Drew Peterson. Mr. Peterson, a 54-year-old (now former) police officer in Bolingbrook, IL, is a suspect in the October 2007 disappearance of his fourth wife, 23-year-old Stacy Peterson. This eventually prompted the reinvestigation of the accidental drowning of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, who was found dead in a dry bathtub in March 2004. From the Tribune "Dr. Larry W. Blum is the forensic pathologist who performed the Nov. 13 autopsy. In his report, he determined that 'compelling evidence exists to support the conclusions that the cause of death . . . was drowning and further, that the manner of death was homicide.'"
If you have a minute, you really need to look through this nice aggregate of stories from the Chicago Tribune. It's spectacular. Just reading the various headlines will leave you positive this is a plot from a CSI episode.
So, Peterson and his attorney will appear on Larry King Live tonight (CNN) and allegedly will answer viewer questions.
"Joel Brodsky, Peterson's attorney, said he's not worried about the types of calls his client will have to face."There's no rules. Larry King's people tell me that they screen out the nuts. Which is fine," he said."
The potential for awesome here is unbounded. I hope it turns out as swell as Peterson's appearance on Chicago radio legend Steve Dahl's morning show, which ended in Peterson agreeing to do a Win a Date with Drew contest (which never happened, of course). The Matt Lauer interviews were also quite wonderful as Peterson explains that his wife ran off with "a 'nudder man" and that he isn't going to look for someone that isn't missing. He explains to us that he is a jokester and that this is all very hard on him, what with the media bothering him. You may also find out that Drew and Stacy's children believe their mum went on vacation.
No I'm not making this stuff up. We can only wait with baited breath to see what manifests on CNN tonight.
4.10.2008
More Water Wars
No, I'm not talking about the fucking non-stop parade of crappy weather that is getting me sopping wet and giving me a headache.
I'm talking about more of your precious resources getting sold back to you.
The fine entrepreneurs at Nestle have gotten permission to take spring water from the Madison Blue Spring in Madison Blue Spring State Park (that's in Florida, go look it up). The previous owner of the land had been granted a permit to bottle in 1998, which was never used.
Now, of course there was some political wrangling, some promises of economic benefits and a little bit of hand wringing from greener parties. You can read it yourself. I'll just say it is the same story that has been told in most of these situations. Nestle made a solid, economically sound proposal and short-sighted (for some good and some bad reasons) bureaucrats pushed the deal through. Now, all the promises are water under the bridge and Nestle has excuses for not measuring up to the originally stated goals.
That's typical. Not truly evil, as the company is a fluid organism and it should be expected that times change. However, the bottling of your own water has to concern you regardless of whether Nestle fell 100 jobs short of their promise of 300 or if the corporation is getting tax refunds from the state. Not to mention the spring is in the middle of a serious drought.
Nestle likes to point out that since nobody there is being charged for water (other than, of course, the cost of property ownership), they shouldn't be singled out. Once again, pretty good logic. Where's my wallet, I just might get me a case of that snake oil.
Anyway, what I'm saying is, love they neighbor (but not his wife!) and drink some fucking tap water.
I'm talking about more of your precious resources getting sold back to you.
The fine entrepreneurs at Nestle have gotten permission to take spring water from the Madison Blue Spring in Madison Blue Spring State Park (that's in Florida, go look it up). The previous owner of the land had been granted a permit to bottle in 1998, which was never used.
Now, of course there was some political wrangling, some promises of economic benefits and a little bit of hand wringing from greener parties. You can read it yourself. I'll just say it is the same story that has been told in most of these situations. Nestle made a solid, economically sound proposal and short-sighted (for some good and some bad reasons) bureaucrats pushed the deal through. Now, all the promises are water under the bridge and Nestle has excuses for not measuring up to the originally stated goals.
That's typical. Not truly evil, as the company is a fluid organism and it should be expected that times change. However, the bottling of your own water has to concern you regardless of whether Nestle fell 100 jobs short of their promise of 300 or if the corporation is getting tax refunds from the state. Not to mention the spring is in the middle of a serious drought.
Nestle likes to point out that since nobody there is being charged for water (other than, of course, the cost of property ownership), they shouldn't be singled out. Once again, pretty good logic. Where's my wallet, I just might get me a case of that snake oil.
Anyway, what I'm saying is, love they neighbor (but not his wife!) and drink some fucking tap water.
4.08.2008
What Up?
This evening, the waxing crescent moon will show very nicely next to the Pleiades for northeastern US and eastern Canada (passes 1 degree north).
The moon will not be overbright and will allow close clusters to be seen, in this case the Pleiades, a naked-eye star cluster. Starting around 9.45 pm, the earthshine of the crescent moon will occult some of the northern Pleiades. Eastern Ontario is the best location for viewing, but other locations will still see the cluster and the crescent close together.
Check out more here.
The moon will not be overbright and will allow close clusters to be seen, in this case the Pleiades, a naked-eye star cluster. Starting around 9.45 pm, the earthshine of the crescent moon will occult some of the northern Pleiades. Eastern Ontario is the best location for viewing, but other locations will still see the cluster and the crescent close together.
Check out more here.
4.03.2008
More Laws Will Save Us
Each new asinine thing that is dreamed up pushes me a little closer. Just like Grandmaster Flash, I'm tryin' not to lose my head.
Say what?
The latest foray into the absurd is courtesy of Illinois lawmakers, who have decided that it should be illegal to talk on a cell phone and walk across the street at the same time.
It's a safety factor, you see. People are getting hurt! How can we stop this? Legislate.
I've also seen bike riders get hurt. Perhaps we can eliminate bikes.
The government must have the ability to save the people. It must.
God forbid these fuckwits spend more time thinking about how to better the Chicago Public Schools and getting the state budget done on time. Possibly, they could stop engaging in the kind of activity that gets the IL Governor linked to the likes of Antoin Rezko. I know we aren't going to spend much time on a long standing history of political patronage, especially not the more recent variety.
Those sorts of things are overblown. The populace is too stupid to see how innocent it all really is. They are, in fact, so stupid that we need to protect them from themselves...and their phones.
Say what?
The latest foray into the absurd is courtesy of Illinois lawmakers, who have decided that it should be illegal to talk on a cell phone and walk across the street at the same time.
It's a safety factor, you see. People are getting hurt! How can we stop this? Legislate.
I've also seen bike riders get hurt. Perhaps we can eliminate bikes.
The government must have the ability to save the people. It must.
God forbid these fuckwits spend more time thinking about how to better the Chicago Public Schools and getting the state budget done on time. Possibly, they could stop engaging in the kind of activity that gets the IL Governor linked to the likes of Antoin Rezko. I know we aren't going to spend much time on a long standing history of political patronage, especially not the more recent variety.
Those sorts of things are overblown. The populace is too stupid to see how innocent it all really is. They are, in fact, so stupid that we need to protect them from themselves...and their phones.
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