It’s starting to snow…

More snow – heavy stuff. NYC public school kids have already been told of closing! (of course, I’m still bitter about never having a snow day during my entire NYC public school life, and in high school, senior year, we had this one horrible winter when it should have been closed; ironically, schools did close, one year later…).

NY Times’ Quotation of the day for 1/27/04:

“There has been an enduring idea that one day everyone would fly in space. But now young people are saying maybe we all go into space but we go mentally, virtually, electronically — we don’t go with our bodies.” – Howard McCurdy, author of “Space and the American Imagination.”

According to the corresponding article, the excitement of the Mars rovers (who are cute little things to which people are attaching personalities and sympathies) are apparently making science/astronomy nerds out of all of us. It doesn’t hurt that NASA’s website is making it easier for people to feel the attachment – the pictures are amazing and our imagination just soars with them. Maybe something positive can come out of the Mars effort, assuming that the government and politics don’t co-opt it (perhaps wishful thinking on my part).

Okay, okay, so this is the article wherein the NY Times wonders if the cold’s making NY’ers’ brains go numb. Hmm. Makes me like the other article from yesterday, with the Icelander saying that this weather was worse than what he knew in Iceland. I just don’t like the idea of my brain going numb because of the cold weather. The idea sounds like a wacky B movie or something. Besides, malapropism is a problem that may not have anything to do with the cold weather numbing our brains; a person saying she’s “preparing for winter” when she meant “for summer” may be reflecting the thoughts deep in her mind – a Freudian slip to express one’s fondness for much warmer temperatures…

NJ Nets’ firing of head coach Byron Scott was rather stunning news. I mean, it was already unsurprising that he didn’t quite care about the possible move to Brooklyn, since he was more worried about his job security (the Nets weren’t going to make any move until 2005, and Scott, understandably, couldn’t imagine looking to that year if his team wasn’t doing so hot in 2004). But, they really terminated his employment fast.

Currently watching Nova – spooky and fascinating episode on the Mayans. An oldie but a goodie. Check it out when your PBS rebroadcasts it.

Interesting stuff

I have got to stay away from political stuff already, but – as the NY Times notes – these Vermont tapes of Dr. Dean’s gubernatorial days are fascinating for the nuance he has demonstrated in the past (but has been pressed to show these days). Then again, do voters want nuanced candidates (which Kerry sort of is, if we listen to him or check his voting record) or something else?

Right now on Mars – the little rover Opportunity has landed. This is amazing stuff.

As someone who majored in history in college, the impending release of Justice Blackmun’s papers sounds exciting to me. It also shows one pro argument to being a pack rat – you get to be adored by scholars for your treasure trove. (of course, we still have to think about the one con argument, like that guy in the news who was almost crushed by his piles of stuff; you can’t keep everything, unless you’re a Supreme Court justice with a Library of Congress to which you could donate the stuff).