When is the next time you will be visiting us in Nor*Cal???

Love the dog names. I have cats right now, and I don’t think astronomical names lend themselves very well to cats.

We once had a big cat with a prominent ruff named … what else? … Leo.

Of course, if I get two at once, I’ll name them Courage and Triumph.

How about Chara and Asterion?

“Bad Vibrations”

Enjoy.

http://sciencenews.org/articles/20071124/bob10.asp

–James

Didn’t Calatrava design the art museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as well?

But if I got a dog again, I would want to give it a star name. I’ve always thought “Mintaka” (middle star of Orion’s Belt) would be a cool name for a big dog (maybe “Taco” for short). As for a little dog, I would want to name it Gomeisa (the *other* star in Canis Minor).

Of course, if I get two at once, I’ll name them Courage and Triumph.

About Calatrava…he also designed the “Estação do Oriente” or “East Station” in my home town, Lisbon, Portugal

Check it out !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FvBv3P6OWE

Let me ask you — was he sitting in coach?

Re: the tan jacket — I think dress codes are slipping a bit for the USSS guys who don’t guard the high-value targets (HVTs) like the sitting prez and vp. I’ve known several who work in non-HVT areas, and some of them just don’t know how to dress. I feel like they aren’t representin’. I know that none of them (HVT or no) get clothing allowances, though, and their starting salaries are shockingly low, IMO, so maybe some of them just say screw it.

Based on Phil’s photo, he appears to have been there on an overcast day, when that aspect of the bridge would not have been evident. Another benefit of visiting Redding on a clear winter day (as I did) is that both Mt Shasta and Mr Ranier were visible from certain locations in the city (in their full snowcaped winter glory). My memory is a bit hazy. I’m not certain that either mountain (volcano) was visible from this park (although I believe one — Mt Lassen — was). Mt Shasta, seemed to be visible from fewer locations in the city than Mt Lassen.

One memory I have is meeting a man in the park who was pulling a wagon with a large dog in it (I believe the dog’s name was Sammy). The man said he and the dog used to walk in the park frequently, and the dog had really loved these outings. When dog had become too old to walk that far, he started bringing him in the wagon so the dog could still enjoy the “walks” in the park.

Maybe it’s just me, but… DOES this bridge function as an actual sundial, or NOT? I’m going crazy now. A simple “by the way, it’s not a real sundial” would have sufficed, LOL!

http://www.clearskies.se/Venus%20halo%20&%20Earthshine.htm

http://hea-www.harvard.edu/hrc.ARCHIVE/2005/2005315.000000-2005315.240000/SpaceWeather/

A member of my family once spent some time as a Special Advisor to a British PM on IT issues, and often traveled with said PM.

I am informed that they were remarkably open to conversation that was presented to them in an unthreatening manner, and would often spend an entire flight talking to “commoners”.

Next time you have the ear of an Ex-Prez, speak your mind, They’ll listen.

Shaun