Swans on Tea

Endeavour’s ‘Shuttle Xing’ Signs on Sale as ‘Mission 26′ Memento

Many also took notice — and snapshots — of the 4 by 4 foot (1.2 by 1.2 meters) custom aluminum road signs that were placed along the space shuttle’s route. The reflective orange markers featured a black silhouette of the orbiter in profile and the words “Shuttle Xing,” or “Shuttle Crossing.”

“We love this road signage!” the California Science Center (CSC) wrote on Twitter, in response to a photo of one of the signs that was taken by collectSPACE.com outside of the airport.

Store link

99 Life Hacks to make your life easier!

17 Tips To Make Your Life Easier

This one probably won’t make my life easier, but YMMV.

Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It’s a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It’s also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn’t like when you tried it in your hair…

On Networking: A rant.

Ok, then! I am told to go up to the people I am interested in meeting, and INTRODUCE MYSELF! We all have name tags! I’m sure it’ll be fine! And I’ll just go up and say who I work for and drop some pithy comment that they will think is totally cool and in line with current perspectives on the field. Then I will smoothly invite them to my poster.

Except it doesn’t go like that at all. You go up to the person you want to meet at a conference or seminar? They WILL be talking to someone else. You can hover and looking annoying or weird, or try to butt in without interrupting and look annoying and weird. They will give you a sideways look to inquire WHY you are interrupting, and inform you with that look that you are annoying and weird.

I have no answers for this. When I was in grad school, I went to a conference or two with my prof, and he was really bad at introducing me/us to people he knew. He was just starting out, so I couldn’t drop his name when I was at a conference alone — few people knew him. So I really developed no contacts in grad school. I, too, felt the awkwardness of trying to introduce myself (and try not to forget that now that I’m in a more senior situation). My best progress was made at conferences where I gave a talk, because there were a few people who would come up to me afterwards to discuss details, and you have an excuse to talk to others who spoke in the same session, because they are now quite likely to know who you are and should be working in similar fields if you are speaking in the same session.

In my current job, there was a deliberate attempt to have me give talks at conferences when I first started, to give me exposure, and so that people would identify me as being with our group. That’s part of a much better atmosphere of having colleagues who introduce me to people they know.

There’s also part of networking where the people come to you — lab visits and seminars/colloquia, where you can have your professor make the introductions. Once you’ve done that, the second meeting (perhaps at a conference) is easier, since you can mention that you’ve already met and remind them of the circumstances. Even if they don’t remember, you’ve still gotten yourself into a conversation.

Star Wars Ice Trays

This, and more, answered (sort of) by Michael Palin John Cleese

I’m going down to Augusta Georgia, looking for a soul to steal to give a timekeeping talk as part of the Augusta State Savannah River Scholars Program. (I imagine if you are in the area and would be inclined to go you already know about it). I looked up the program, and found that my affiliation is (currently) listed as the Naval Research Laboratory. Sigh. At least it gives me a chance to bust the chops of a former navy shipmate who invited me to give the talk; I know that he (as I did) used to call up the Naval Observatory’s Master Clock voice announce to get the official time so that one would do evening colors at the right time when standing watch.

I’m back from ScienceOnline 2012, which was great, and am now in detox recovery mode. Catching up on things, including sleep — being “up” all day and part of the night, because of all the interesting discussions, is tiring, but it’s a good kind of tired. I expect this will leave me energized in the way I was last year once I get my bearings again. I intend to write up my thoughts on the conference as I did last year. I also have photos to edit and upload from a visit to the JC Raulston Arboretum.

Linking to video because my cold is in the way of writing much…

Greatest posts/year-in-review lists seem to be all the rage, so why not?

The top traffic posts that are not simply one of my many links, i.e. there is significant commentary or it’s an original piece. Not always about physics or technology.

MiniMe, You Retweet Me

Blogging: You’re Doing it Wrong! (Part 1) (and others in the series)

Here Be Dragons

Time for a New Article on Time

Have You Checked the Woodworking Lately?

Thou Shalt Not Dilate Thy Time

Other physicis-y post highlights for the year

There Must Be Room for Debate

Poolside Optics

The Butler’s Name is Emissivity

Today is Fara Day

Photography and Physics Tutorial: Filtering and Polarized Light

You Can’t Even Hope to Contain Him

The Nose Knows Physics

And one non-physics highlight:

If I Did It

A pumpkin carved by my brother. Awesome. That is all.

For Berkeley physicist, worldwide fame and campus parking

Inevitably, a reporter wondered when Perlmutter would get his Nobelist’s parking permit, one of the international prize’s notable campus perks. “I was assuming today,” Perlmutter replied, adding that “the only reason to win a Nobel Prize is so that you can park on campus.”