Wednesday, May 19, 2004
I rule
Yesterday, on the way home from work, while listening to Star 97 I decided to give it a dial when they announced "Be the ninth caller to win tickets to see Norah Jones." Being one that had never won anything through a radio promotion (I have been close before, caller 6 out of 9 for seats on the glass for the Colorado Avalanche back when I was in Denver), I decided to give it a whirl cause I really would like to go see Norah Jones (last weeks giveaway was for a 5 day 4 night trip to Hollywood to see Liz Phair which would have been great also). So I picked up the cell phone and figured "What the hell, the worst that can happen is I will get a busy signal." Well, to my suprise, the DJ answered the phone and said "Who is this?" followed by "Do you realize you are the ninth caller and are going to see Norah Jones at Starwood Amphitheater?" I was definately suprised and almost speechless, not knowing if he was joking or serious. He ended up playing me winning on the air while I was on hold, which was definately a weird experience.
Now i just need to play the lottery.
Now i just need to play the lottery.
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
Iron Age tool marks move to steel
A tiny Iron Age tool found in Holland is one of the oldest objects unearthed in Europe made from the alloy steel.
The 6cm-long punch has a carbon content (2%) rarely seen in iron-based objects from the region at the time.
The 4th Century AD tool, which may have been used as a nail, was probably made using the process of furnace smelting.
This tool is a remarkable find, showing that the Germanic tribes were able to produce steel at an early age and were not from Roman origin.
From BBC Online.
The 6cm-long punch has a carbon content (2%) rarely seen in iron-based objects from the region at the time.
The 4th Century AD tool, which may have been used as a nail, was probably made using the process of furnace smelting.
This tool is a remarkable find, showing that the Germanic tribes were able to produce steel at an early age and were not from Roman origin.
From BBC Online.
Hubble sees 'planet' around star
The historic first image of a planet circling another star may have been taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.
The "planet", 5-10 times the mass of Jupiter, is orbiting a small white dwarf star about 100 light-years away.
Astronomers are being cautious, saying they require more data to be sure it really is a planet and not a background object caught in the same field of view.
It was only a matter of time before we were going to be able to detect planets around other stars. Even though this one is quite larger than any planet in our solar system, it is going to help us further understand how to search and photograph them.
From BBC Online
The "planet", 5-10 times the mass of Jupiter, is orbiting a small white dwarf star about 100 light-years away.
Astronomers are being cautious, saying they require more data to be sure it really is a planet and not a background object caught in the same field of view.
It was only a matter of time before we were going to be able to detect planets around other stars. Even though this one is quite larger than any planet in our solar system, it is going to help us further understand how to search and photograph them.
From BBC Online
I never knew I would be a full season ticket holder for the NHL
Katy and I just purchased 2 full season tickets to next years Nashville Predators NHL season. We are in the upper bowl, first row, so no one will be standing in front of us. This is exciting, and I can't wait until hockey season starts up again here in Nashville.
Friday, May 07, 2004
Destroying a link to the Hohokam
Priceless 1,500-year-old Hohokam sites have been destroyed by workers on the expansive La Osa Ranch development northwest of Tucson, state experts say.
When George Johnson International Inc. owned about 19,000 acres near Ironwood Forest National Monument, it did nearly $9 million of damage to prized archaeological sites on hundreds of acres of adjacent state land, state experts say.
Many of the sites are clustered around a platform mound, a monumental feature used as an elevated service for public and private functions. Such mounds, which would have required a group effort to build, are clues to Hohokam social organization.
This is just the initial estimate for the archaeological sites, the number will go up once it is determined how much damage was done to vegetation. I do not think that this is actually steep enough - they should actually be forced to donate all public land
that borders the Ironwood Monument to the state or BLM.
From The Tucson Citizen.
When George Johnson International Inc. owned about 19,000 acres near Ironwood Forest National Monument, it did nearly $9 million of damage to prized archaeological sites on hundreds of acres of adjacent state land, state experts say.
Many of the sites are clustered around a platform mound, a monumental feature used as an elevated service for public and private functions. Such mounds, which would have required a group effort to build, are clues to Hohokam social organization.
This is just the initial estimate for the archaeological sites, the number will go up once it is determined how much damage was done to vegetation. I do not think that this is actually steep enough - they should actually be forced to donate all public land
that borders the Ironwood Monument to the state or BLM.
From The Tucson Citizen.
Thursday, May 06, 2004
Ancient arthropod caught moulting
Arthropod animals were moulting to make room for growth more than 500 million years ago, fossil evidence confirms.
Scientists have long believed these creatures shed their hard outer layers, just like their modern counterparts - such as insects - do today.
Now, the journal Nature reports the discovery of the first fossilised creature to actually be caught in the act of shedding its exoskeleton.
The Cambrian arthropod was found in the famous Burgess Shale, Canada.
This is quite a significant find for a fossilized creature in its soft state. Anyone who has studied historical geology or paleontology knows how important the Burgess Shale is.
From BBC Online.
Scientists have long believed these creatures shed their hard outer layers, just like their modern counterparts - such as insects - do today.
Now, the journal Nature reports the discovery of the first fossilised creature to actually be caught in the act of shedding its exoskeleton.
The Cambrian arthropod was found in the famous Burgess Shale, Canada.
This is quite a significant find for a fossilized creature in its soft state. Anyone who has studied historical geology or paleontology knows how important the Burgess Shale is.
From BBC Online.
Mayan Queen's Tomb Found in Rain Forest
While excavating an ancient royal palace deep in the Guatemalan rain forest, archaeologists made a rare discovery — the 1,200-year-old tomb and skeleton of a Mayan queen.
Archaeologists announced the find Thursday, and said the woman appears to have been a powerful leader of a city that may have been home to tens of thousands of people at its peak. They found her bones on a raised platform, with evidence of riches scattered around her body.
"We find clues of people's existence in the past all the time, from the garbage they left or the buildings they built. ... But when you actually come face-to-face with human beings, it's a deeply sacred moment for all of us," said David Freidel, an anthropology professor at Southern Methodist University, which sponsored a team of 20 archaeologists excavating the site.
The rainforests of Central America do not want to give up their secrets easily, and I expect many more discoveries like this one to happen in the future.
From Yahoo - Science AP.
Archaeologists announced the find Thursday, and said the woman appears to have been a powerful leader of a city that may have been home to tens of thousands of people at its peak. They found her bones on a raised platform, with evidence of riches scattered around her body.
"We find clues of people's existence in the past all the time, from the garbage they left or the buildings they built. ... But when you actually come face-to-face with human beings, it's a deeply sacred moment for all of us," said David Freidel, an anthropology professor at Southern Methodist University, which sponsored a team of 20 archaeologists excavating the site.
The rainforests of Central America do not want to give up their secrets easily, and I expect many more discoveries like this one to happen in the future.
From Yahoo - Science AP.
