Dark matter detector doesn’t find dark matter.
In a cavern, mile below the surface of South Dakota, is the world’s most sensitive dark matter detector. They haven’t detected any dark matter
Author: Richard Nestoff (Page 15 of 58)
There is something wrong with Disney that will be difficult to fix. The Acolyte was in trouble before it even aired. Snow White opens next year, and will fail.
RCS: Germany’s Disastrous Switch Away From Nuclear
It’s interesting to watch a country intentionally destroy itself. Germany presents itself as a technically-minded country with high-quality manufacturing, not a country that makes uninformed and impetuous decisions.
Just another picture of Sparky enjoying a car ride.
Sparky keeps hoping that I’ll come out of the store with a can of Pringles or a slim jim.
Sparky takes umbrage at being told he has to cut weight.
He accused me of fat-shaming him. I was, so that line of argument wasn’t persuasive.
He said that he was just big-boned. I explained that his bones didn’t get bigger in a month.
He has been packing on muscle from fighting that coyote and running down rabbits. I reminded him that he prefers baby snatching to bunny chasing.
I’m not making excuses when I say that it’s not his fault that he’s been packing it on. Well, except for eating babies and garbage he finds in the woods. That’s on him. Sparky has been on doxycycline all month after our vet visit.
Sparky is averse to taking pills, so measures were taken to hide the antibiotic. The capsule is dipped in peanut butter, then mixed in with his dog food. A bit of gravy is dripped on the capsule blob and the rest of his dog food. The success rate is about 95%. Last time he was on doxy, it was about 60%.
Sparky is a sap for love, so he wanted me to take a photo.
Look, I don’t spend all my time screwing around with Sparky, but I’m not going to post about cutting the grass, changing the oil or doing the laundry. Nobody cares about politics because our current president has dementia, and Trump will be elected or the deep state will cheat sufficiently to elect a diversity candidate. No new movies or TV shows seem worthy of comment and I’m deep into a science fiction book series that isn’t boring enough to quit or interesting enough to care too much.
Rather than open my mail or pay bills, Sparky and I went for a long walk that included a visit to the tree fort. Joe and I built it 20 years ago as a deer blind and it seems to be holding up well.
When I was a kid, we used to roam around in the woods and play at the old boy scout camp. We called it that, but who knows if that’s what it was. Now, at some point, neighborhood kids were sneaking up into my deer blind. They didn’t leave any trash laying around, so I don’t care. Plus, that must have been years ago.
Sparky is in bad dog jail for insubordination.
In the woods, right behind his dog house, Sparky found a clutch of baby rabbits. Prior to relieving himself, Sparky sniffs around a little bit and probes the edge of the woods. He stuck his head into the brush, his back legs were still on the lawn, and came out with a baby bunny in his mouth.
This is his fifth baby bunny. Watching him, it seemed like a fat guy who cheats on his diet by hiding Girl Scout cookies all over the house. Sparky goes to this spot all the time, so it looks like the rabbits are setting him up.
Sparky is a baby-snatcher. That is known. This time, Sparky did the math. Would I pry his mouth open before he could swallow it? I told him to drop it, Sparky turned his head and chomped a little. We went through that routine a few times, then it was gone. Insubordination cannot be tolerated.
When Sparky is free-roaming and pokes into the woods, I call him if he is in too long. I wonder if it would be better not to call him out. Sparky would back out when he’s done eating. I have little sympathy for the rabbits. They have to evolve more robust maternal instincts. I wouldn’t think that baby bunnies are bad for him. I can’t be sure he’s eating babies, is in a stand-off with a skunk or found a carcass.
The ongoing battle of wits with Sparky doesn’t take all of my time. I am occasionally productive.
A friend had a maple tree taken down, so we diced it up. Now is a good time of year for putting up firewood because the weather has been mild. Even with a good system, it can be strenuous work.
I’ve got a good system, so can handle 24″ diameter logs without busting a nut. Big rounds like that take some muscling, but yield a better wood to bark ratio. My best trick is to elevate the trailer ramp so it’s at about the same height as the splitter rails. The trailer, towed by the quad, is positioned on the other side of the splitter.
If the logs are close to round, I can roll them up the ramp, muscle them onto the splitter, chunk them up and toss the firewood into the trailer. If it works right, I never have to lift a round, and only touch the firewood to put it in or take it out of the trailer.
That trailer-load yielded a half-cord of firewood. Next summer, I will move that into the wood shed, and burn it the following winter. That half-cord will heat my house for about a month.
Sparky is always thinking, but he’s got a dog brain.
Sparky was free-roaming while I was stacking wood. He had been investigating a big bush, similar to the one shown behind him. His anchor got caught up in the multiple stems at the base of the plant. That happens, so Sparky was waiting patiently, knowing that I would save him.
His leash was a crazy Gordian knot, so I had to lie on my belly to really get in there. Sparky was sitting at the end of his leash, about six feet away. As soon as I was on the ground, with my head under the low branches, he walked over and sat between my legs. Sparky wasn’t trying to help or getting in close to watch, he just sat there.
Lying prone, legs are needed for maneuvering. As my legs wiggled around to get me positioned, he remained. It wasn’t clear what Sparky was trying to accomplish, so I shot a few blind photos.
Sparky likes free-roaming and likes being rescued. He thinks that letting me rescue him, gives me a meaningful way to contribute to our relationship. Apparently I crave that sense of accomplishment. Sparky should be smiling. Why does he look so sullen?
Sparky has reliable responses to a few of my actions. I’ve mentioned these before. If I put my pants on and grab my car keys, he thinks we are going on a car ride and stands by the door. If I sit on a chair, he comes over to give me the opportunity to pull him on to my lap. If I sit on the floor, ground or deck, with my legs splayed, he comes over to sit in close, between my legs, so we can talk about the day, get some snuggling in or look for ticks.
I think that’s what he’s doing here. Dog brain sees two legs, on the ground, spread apart a little. Sparky is expecting some quality time, and for some reason, I won’t look at him or give him any attention.
Sparky figured out his error, but his reputation for correct action is important to his self-image. He is a concerned that I will notice how he misjudged the situation, and won’t hold him in such high regard. That could diminish his free-roaming privileges or his future prospects of having rotisserie chicken.
With that much on the line, it’s easy to see why Sparky was morose. I didn’t bust his chops or call him out. He’s my buddy, so I acted like I didn’t notice.
Living with Sparkles is not all beer and skittles.
No matter what Sparky is doing, if I sit in a comfortable chair, he will come over and put his paws up on the cushion. Sparky wants to sit on my lap, but sometimes, I just want to put on my shoes.
Sparky puts one paw up like he’s some kind of Purple Heart wounded hero dog. Then he tilts his head like a liberal. His last trick is to avert his eyes like a Charles Dickens street waif. It’s way too much.
After teaching for 25 years, I’ve got a black and flinty heart, so I can resist, but it’s a near thing.