Darkest Day in 372 Years

The lunar eclipse will happen Tuesday morning at 12:33am Central Time (tomorrow). The full process will take about 4 hours and should end around 4am Central Time.  So why is this the Darkest Day in 372 Years?  The last eclipse to fall on the Winter Solstice (which this is and which is also the shortest day of the year) was in 1638.  I am not sure but I doubt many of you were around to see that one so this is a bit of history for us all.

Things to accomplish during this time:

1. Locate the moon (hint: it's in the sky above you)
2. Around 1:41am the whole moon should be covered.
3. Now is the time to start your freakish rituals and consume...well...what you need to consume.
4. Dress like Barney the dinosaur and call yourself pretty in purple.
5. Violent rituals have also taken place during lunar eclipses.  Do what you will but I do not recommend it.

So around 4am you should be completely spent after all the fun you have had torturing small animals or dressing as your favorite cartoon character to appease the gods (gods of what I am not quite sure).

Enjoy.

Body Browser by Google

Google has release Body Browser. Sounds a little dirty but it is really a cool application. You will need Google's new Chrome Beta installed to use it but I think it is worth it. You can view the skeletal, endocrine, cardiovascular and other systems of the body with this tool. Below is an image of the skeletal system.

Along with this you can move the image, resize it  and phase in different systems all at the same time.  Clicking on a bone or a system part will bring up a tool tip showing what that system part is called.

At this time I cannot seem to find any detailed information about each body part but I think it is pretty new so I am sure that will come with time.

Have fun and enjoy this application by Google.

Link:  Body Browser

A drop of water at 10,000 frames per second

Humpty Dome Collapses

As most of you have surely heard by now the roof of the Metrodome collapsed from snow on Saturday night.  I even got a chance to drive by it and see it on the way to the U of M Gopher hockey game (a venue whose roof was safe and sound).

If you have not seen the video, click on the link:  http://gizmodo.com/5712693/watch-the-metrodome-collapse-from-the-inside.  What is almost better than the video though is the comments from loving fans all across our nation.

My favorite quote:  "The roof collapse had nothing to do with the snow. It happened because the Vikings suck so hard."

iPad Generation 2?

It is an early rumor but the iPad 2 looks like it is on the horizon.

From Gizmodo:

We've heard these rumors in bits and pieces before, but today Reuters reports with conviction that the next will have front and rear-facing cameras, a higher res display, and will start production in the early months of next year.

Reuters cites multiple supplier sources, two of whom said that production would begin soon for iPad 2. The next generation of Apple's tablet is expected to be thinner and lighter, with an improved screen resolution that will can hopefully keep up with the iPhone 4's retina display. Most importantly, it will add a front-facing camera to allow for video chat.

It's everything you would expect, given Apple's track record of yearly product updates. But the more confirmation I get about an iPad 2 FaceTime camera, the more I start saving up my pennies. [Reuters]

The Hunger Games Trilogy

The Hunger Games Trilogy includes The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay (of which was released in August of 2010).  All three books come in right at 400 pages and are well written.

These are the first books I have read by Suzanne Collins and I did enjoy them.  I think I read all three in under a weeks time.  There are a lot of reviews out there about the under development of the characters but I think, based on the audience intended, that under development of characters and a better storyline are OK.

Breakdown of the story:

• Post apocalyptic America called Panem
• An over reaching government that controls 13 districts, all which cater to a different "profession" (mining, tailoring, farming and so on).
• 70+ years ago the districts stood up to the government and were pushed back and nearly wiped out.
• The Hunger Games is the punishment for this quell.  Every year a child is picked to represent each district in a fight to the death in the main capital.  The survivor and the survivors district reap the benefits of the win for one year (extra food, fuel, etc).   The survivor must then go on to train next years pick for the Hunger Games from his/her district.
• Katniss is the main character who stands up and takes the place of her younger sister when she is picked to be in the Hunger Games.

And this is where the fun starts.  As a reader you side with Katniss immediately and want her to succeed while always thinking there is no way out of this alive for any of them.  There are some quirky teen issues thrown in but for the most part the book is paced well and the story is well told.  This goes for all three books. 

 

The bad (but good) part is Collins gets you sucked into liking some of the other contestants.  As a reader you identify with them, get to know them, get to like them and all the time knowing...they are more than likely going to die.

The books are well worth the read and won't take up much of your time.  Yes there are other books out there with the same precedence such as The Running Man but I think I like the characters and the idea in these books much better.  Pick them up or get them at the library (if you can tear them from the tween who currently has it in his/her hand).