Build your own solar system

Neat interactive from National Geographic. Lets you choose different types of planets and then run the orbits. My worlds quickly crashed into the star. Good thing I don't really have god-like powers...it only seems that way ;)

A cool lego picture every day

Lego Diem

Comment -- I ran across this website when I was supposed to be doing something productive. The author posts a creative Lego picture every day. Who knew they could do some clever stuff with Legos (other than Lego Star Wars, of course.)

Jello Tetris, yum!

I thought this was an appropriate Memorial Day dessert for a geek: Jello that looks like little Tetris pieces. It makes me quiver with joy!

Really sexist advertising from days gone by

25 Horribly Sexist Vintage Ads | I Can Has Internets: "Since the 50’s, a lot has changed in way of women’s rights and their duties in and out of the house. I highly doubt any company could get away with phrases like “The Chef [mixer] does everything but cook – that’s what wives are for!” nowadays. Or how about an ad agency pitching a company an idea of a wife bent over her husband’s knee as he prepares to spank her."

Comment -- Wow, the ad pictured here is so wrong in so many ways!

Click over to see the entire list and you'll cringe at what advertisers got away with. Unfortunately they only reflected societal attitudes at the time. It does make you wonder, however, what people 50 years from now will think about our current advertising.

Gaming the system

Saving the world, one hit point at a time - tech - 25 May 2010 - New Scientist: "Another popular online game is Farmville, a Facebook application with more than 80 million players. Participants manage a virtual farm, cultivating crops and livestock and selling them for 'farm coins' which can be invested back in the farm. Edward Castronova, an economist at Indiana University Bloomington, explores why people play such games. There are several powerful motivators, he says, including immediate positive feedback from completing missions, a sense of empowerment and significance, adventure, the connection to others - and the taste of victory."

Comment -- I regularly play two computer games: Combat Mission: Shock Force, which I play-by-email with my pal Scottie in St. Louis, MO; and CIV-IV.

CMSF lets me move soldiers and tanks around and fight, much like I did when I was a little kid -- only with more verisimilitude.

CIV-IV is more cerebral, but just like in CMSF, I like the fighting parts the most.

By the way, CIV V is coming out in the fall and so far it looks awesome!

Pretty posies? Well, some kind of flower in downtown Lansing...

The City of Lansing planted these in front of our building. The downtown is looking pretty snazzy this summer!

Astonishing new pictures from Saturn

Checking in on Saturn - The Big Picture - Boston.com: "While we humans carry on with our daily lives down here on Earth, perhaps stuck in traffic or reading blogs, or just enjoying a Springtime stroll, a school-bus-sized spacecraft called Cassini continues to gather data and images for us - 1.4 billion kilometers (870 million miles) away. Over the past months, NASA's Cassini spacecraft has made several close flybys of Saturn's moons, caught the Sun's reflection glinting off a lake on Titan, and has brought us even more tantalizing images of ongoing cryovolcanism on Enceladus. Collected here are a handful of recent images from the Saturnian system. (30 photos total)"

Comment -- I guarantee these 30 photos will blow your mind. But as exciting as they are, I'm also discouraged to realize that humans won't be traveling to the Saturn system in my lifetime. We can't even get our act together to get to Mars, let alone Saturn. Maybe we'll be motivated to get out there if we spot some fish jumping out of those methane lakes on Titan...

Big meteor smackdown!

Australian scientists find Timor Sea meteorite crater: "Australian National University archaeologist Andrew Glikson said seismic activity led experts to the Mount Ashmore 1B site, and a study of fragments showed a large meteorite hit just before the Earth's temperatures plunged.

'The identification of microstructural and chemical features in drill fragments taken from the Mount Ashmore drill hole revealed evidence of a significant impact,' Glikson said, adding it was at least 50 kilometres (31 miles) wide and about 35 million years old.

A meteorite 100 kilometres wide hit Siberia at the same time, along with an 85 km one in Chesapeake Bay, off the US coast of Virginia, followed by a large field of molten rock fragments over northeast America, he said.

'This defined a major impact cluster across the planet,' said Glikson."

Comment -- That's three titanic meteor impacts at the same time about 35 million years ago. Yet, it does not appear that it caused mass extinctions.

I ran across an article that suggested that geologists can't really say all three hit "at the same time." The strikes may have been separated by a million years, which gave the biosphere some time to recover.

Big improvements in City Market

This is what the Lansing City Market looks like with me standing by the river and looking east.

The City Market seems to be really getting its act together. Much improved building, better hours and interesting vendors (like an on-site baker.)

Ketchup with the news!

New Heinz Ketchup recipe shakes up fans of the condiment - NYPOST.com: "Heinz will change the recipe for its flagship ketchup product this summer, sparking outrage among some lovers of the condiment Thursday. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Thursday that the salt content of the condiment will drop by 15 percent, saying it was the most significant change in the ketchup recipe in nearly 40 years. Under the new formula the average serving will have 160mg of sodium, down from 190mg.

Comment -- This article says that people on Facebook are upset that Heinz is lowering the salt content.

Seems to me that if you think the new ketchup formula is not salty enough -- get out the salt shaker and add a little.

Sometimes I wonder about people and their lack of problem solving skills...

Hot iron in downtown Lansing

This blacksmith was doing a demonstration in downtown Lansing today in front of the Lansing Art Gallery. On a table out-of-frame were displayed a number of artistic knives that he had made. Pretty interesting.

Now where did I put that stripe?

Jupiter loses a stripe - space - 11 May 2010 - New Scientist: "Jupiter has lost one of its prominent stripes, leaving its southern half looking unusually blank. Scientists are not sure what triggered the disappearance of the band."
The bands may normally appear dark simply because pale, high-altitude clouds prevalent in other regions of the planet are missing there, revealing darker clouds below, says Glenn Orton of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. "You're looking into different layers of the cloud structures of the planet," he told New Scientist.
The disappearance of the belt comes at a time of widespread – but mysterious – change on Jupiter, which has seen changes to the colour of other bands and spots in its atmosphere. "There has been a lot going on," Orton says.

Comment -- I haven't seen Jupiter through my scope for quite a while. I'll look soon to see if I notice the lack of a stripe.

For thousands of years, humans thought the heavens were perfect and unchangeable. The invention of the telescope changed that notion.

By the way, did you know that Jupiter is 1,331 times bigger than the Earth?

A heck of a grand river

This scene is me looking south, about a half mile from my office. Obviously, I shot it on a nice sunny day, not during today's Michigan monsoon

Lansing has a very nice riverwalk in the downtown area. You can stroll many miles if you have the time and ambition.

Until I read this historical information sign, I did not realize that the Grand River is Michigan's longest river and it was formed 12,000 years ago after the last Ice Age.

How to survive a tornado

NOVA | Hunt for the Supertwister | Shelter From the Storm | PBS: "NOVA: What if you're not in your house? Where should you go?

Marshall: Well, a couple of things have cropped up in the last few years that have alarmed me. One is that a ditch or an open depression is a good place to be. It's not, because that's a debris accumulation zone. We see more ditches filled with cars and boards and everything else. Another is that somehow underpasses are shelters. Drivers stop at a highway overpass, climb up underneath a girder, and think that's a safe place. Ninety-five percent of the time it's not."

Comment -- Interesting interview with engineer and tornado expert Tim Marshall. He says if you are in your car, drive away from the tornado -- you will likely outrun it.

If you are in your house, get to an inside bathroom -- the plumbing will keep the room from flying away. He does not mention basements, maybe because few houses outside the Midwest have basements.

Also, it's not usually the wind that kills people, it's the debris that's flying around in the wind.

A nicer photo from the Michigan Celebrates Small Business event last week

This was shot by one of the people at our table. It's much nicer quality than my camera phone photo.

Keep on truckin' at LCC

Spotted this truck parked on the Lansing Community College campus today.

Preschoolers and TV watching: correlation is not causation...again!

The Research Report: A Look at Studies on MS, Mosquitoes and Sugar's Effect on Cholesterol - WSJ.com: Each additional hour of weekly preschool TV corresponded to a 10% increase in 'victimization'—how often the child was teased, insulted and physically harassed by other students. And preschool television was also linked to poorer health in fourth grade: Children who watched the most also ate the fewest fruits and vegetables and the most soft drinks, and were more likely to be overweight."

Comment -- It seems to me that it's more logical to conclude that children who are teased, insulted and harassed by other students are likely to react by watching more TV -- rather than the other way around.

(photo by MelvinSchlubman http://www.flickr.com/photos/pauldineen/)

Country of Chile will host world's largest telescope

SkyandTelescope.com - News Blog - Peak Picked for World's Largest Scope: "With a billion-euro price tag and a construction timetable projecting 'first light' by 2018, the world's largest optical telescope will be a monster. Its primary's mosaic of 1,000 hexagonal mirrors will create an aperture 138 feet (42 meters) across. That's a huge engineering leap: four times the diameter of the largest single-aperture optical telescopes today. To put the optics in perspective, the E-ELT's secondary mirror will be bigger than the venerable Hale Telescope's 200-inch primary."

Comment -- I have a 5-inch telescope. The ELT will be a 1,656-inch scope. They should rename it the Big Old Honkin' Scope (BOSH).

You would think that space-based telescopes would be the wave of the future, but available technology doesn't exist to put a 138-feet-in-diameter scope in orbit.

My name was in the Wall Street Journal yesterday

'Racially Resentful' - WSJ.com: "There Oughta Be a Law Against Signing While Driving
'Granholm to Sign Ban on Texting While Driving'--headline, Detroit News, April 29"

If you click through and scroll down you'll see me in this list:

(Carol Muller helps compile Best of the Web Today. Thanks to Daniel Goldstein, John Williamson, Michael Segal, Joe Perez, Daniel Lepanto, Rodney Hoiseth, William Forsom, Paul Gross, Arlene Ross, Michael Rogers, Michael Kreger, Joseph Hogue, Bruce Goldman, Ronald Norton, John Pinneo, Nicki Kurokawa, Lore Goldberg, Ethel Fenig, Charlie Gaylord, Mordecai Bobrowsky, Michele Schiesser, Dennis Naughton, Kyle Kyllan, Michael Ellard and Kevin Howley. If you have a tip, write us at opinionjournal@wsj.com, and please include the URL.)

This is the third time I've been noted for being a Best of the Web Today contributor. Yay!

The more you eat, the fewer calories you consume? Ummm...probably not.

Fifteen Foods that Burn More Calories than They Contain - Diet - Lifehacker: "...the following 15 treats actual burn more calories in their digestion than they offer, so you can fulfill your snack craving without the guilt of a bag of potato chips. From apples to zucchini, these foods make the perfect snacks.

* Celery
* Oranges
* Strawberries
* Tangerines
* Grapefruit
* Carrots
* Apricots
* Lettuce
* Tomatoes
* Cucumbers
* Watermelon
* Cauliflower
* Apples
* Hot Chili Peppers
* Zucchini

Comment -- The Wikipedia article on "negative calorie foods" says there is no scientific evidence for this concept. Still, it certainly doesn't hurt you to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, even if you are forced to consume a few calories at the same time.

Aliens may not be friendly -- they may be hungry!

Stay home, E.T.: Stephen Hawking says aliens may pose risks | detnews.com | The Detroit News: "British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking says aliens are out there, but it could be too dangerous for humans to interact with extraterrestrial life. Hawking claims in a new documentary that intelligent alien lifeforms almost certainly exist, but warns that communicating with them could be 'too risky.'
The 68-year-old scientist says a visit by extraterrestrials to Earth would be like Christopher Columbus arriving in the Americas, 'which didn't turn out very well for the Native Americans.'"

Comment -- At first glance, this may strike people as kind of a loony comment by Hawking. But it's a commonly expressed viewpoint in astronomy circles. And, when you consider that we've detected hundreds of planets circling nearby stars...maybe it's a good idea after all for humans to hunker down and hope no one notices us.

Top 40 Nature Photographs

Top 40 Nature Photographs - a set on Flickr

This Ansel Adams photo of the Snake River and the Grand Tetons caught my eye because Jennifer and I have been there! In the late '70s we stayed in the Grand Tetons park for a convention and we took a raft trip down the Snake River. Wish I had some photos of that trip, but I fear they are long gone.

Click through to see more of the "Top 40 Nature Photographs."

It's always sunny by the Sun

Eruptive Prominence | Incredible Space Photos | Comcast.net

Pretty interesting new images from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite.

Flowering tree along the Grand River in downtown Lansing

Thought you might enjoy this picture I shot while I was out walking yesterday.

No reason to blow your top over volcanic eruption in Iceland

Volcanic eruption in Iceland unlikely to have global effects: "Toon said the amount of sulfur dioxide spewed by the volcano so far poses no threat to world climate as determined by an instrument aboard NASA's Aura satellite. But he noted than an apparently larger eruption of an Icelandic volcano in 1783 --which was written about by Benjamin Franklin -- caused some climate issues in Europe by creating smog-like conditions in London that partially blocked out the sun and persisted through the summer months. Toon compared the Icelandic eruption to the popping of a champagne bottle cork. When the pressure is released by breeching the rock 'cork,' gases bubble out, spewing tiny rock particles into the air like champagne droplets. Such rocks threaten the safety of airliners."

Comment -- I remember when Mt. Pinatubo blew up in 1991. It was the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century and killed 740 people. I personally noticed the impact of the eruption in my astronomy observations. During the summer and fall of 1991, when the ash from the volcano traveled into the stratosphere, the stars and Milky Way were noticeably dimmer than usual.

So far, it looks like the Iceland volcano won't have the same effect.

House fire in East Lansing this morning

This photo from Twitter shows a student apartment building in East Lansing burning down this morning. Luckily, all of the eleven residents escaped without harm. (photo by MaxKats88)

We could see the plume of smoke from our office windows in downtown Lansing. Hey, it wasn't like a volcano in Iceland but it was still pretty exciting.

Riled-up against federal taxes

At lunchtime I strolled down the street from my office and snapped this pic of the Tax Day participants. Gubernatorial candidate Mike Cox was delivering a spirited address.

I also bumped into Melissa!

Big changes outside my office window

I haven't blogged for a while -- sorry!

Here's a picture that gives you an update on the progress of the Accident Fund HQ building just to the northwest of my office. The large crane by the bridge is constructing a parking deck.

Michigan is pothole heaven

Michigan roads second worst in country | detnews.com | The Detroit News: "Michigan has the second worst roads in the nation, according to a 'Highway Report Card' released today by Overdrive Magazine, a publication for truckers and trucking company owners. Michigan placed third on the report card in 2009. Pennsylvania topped out this year's list with the worst roads, and New York and California tied for third place. Michigan drivers won't see much relief from crumbling roads in the next five years after the Michigan State Transportation Commission in January slashed 243 road and bridge projects from the Michigan Department of Transportation's 2010-14 road program."

Comment -- California has the third worst roads in the nation? Wow, that's not what I saw when we were in the Bay Area in February. They seemed pretty darn smooth.

Message to politicians: how about instead of raising road taxes, you figure out a cheaper way to build and repair roads? Like maybe more cost effective labor?

Go State Go! Victory for MSU!

FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right: Incredible Izzo Again Defies Odds: "Michigan State has played in 13 tournaments under Izzo. They've reached the Final Four six times: thrice as a 1-seed, once as a 2-seed, and twice -- including this year -- as a 5-seed. They've also failed to make the Final Four as a 4-seed, a 5-seed, a 6-seed, a 9-seed, a 10-seed, and twice as a 7-seed.

What are the odds of a team with these seedings advancing to the Final Four six times? Very, very low. We can do a good job of modeling a team's probability of making the Final Four by using a logistic regression model based on the square root of its seeding:"

Comment -- This Web site makes a statistical case that Izzo taking six teams to the Final Four -- only three of which were #1 seeds -- is an extraordinary accomplishment.

I had an extraordinarily good Sunday with my loved ones at our house to help cheer the Spartans on to victory. Thanks, everyone, for coming. Go Green!

Wild project involving a GPS and the DHL shipping company

BIGGEST DRAWING IN THE WORLD

Click through to read in detail how this artist sent his briefcase and GPS around the world, in a precise pattern, to generate this drawing. Cool!

A quick summary of what's wrong with the new health care reform law

Well, the President just signed the bill. It's not going to be repealed as long as Obama is in office, so the only reasonable step is to seek changes that will make it less damaging than it already is.

I think the Wall Street Journal put it well today when they said that if the objective was to cover the uninsured, it could have been done with a small federal program that provided a basic low cost insurance policy. Instead, we have this monster of a law that does next to nothing to bring costs under control but still raises taxes and sucks money out of the private productive economy.

Here's some more specific analysis regarding small businesses:

* Small business health premiums will continue to increase sharply, as even the Congressional Budget Office has determined.
* The legislation does nothing to encourage cost-conscious consumer behavior, aside from the unnecessarily blunt “Cadillac tax,” which will not begin to have an effect until at least 2018, and which is insufficiently transparent and imposes unintended administrative burdens on small businesses.
* The delivery system reforms are positive, but are too back-loaded, giving powerful vested interests years to water them down or remove them entirely. Even if implemented, they are not likely to have a significant effect on costs for a decade or more. Malpractice reform, absent from the current legislation, would make these reforms much more effective.
* Though currently excluding most small companies, the large increases in “free-rider fees” are troubling. If there was once a distinction between an employer mandate and a free-rider provision, it seems to have been lost.
* The very large tax increases on both earned and unearned income could have a significant effect on many small business owners and their ability to reinvest in their companies’ growth. These increases are in addition to the administration’s current budget proposal which calls for significant income tax increases on the same individuals. Together, these taxes will create a steep increase in marginal tax rates on the very entrepreneurs we need to be investing and creating jobs.

I'm sure more sordid details will come to light in coming months as we find out about the sweetheart deals that were cut for individual Congressmen to get their votes.

Crowd in a California parking lot

Back to my running travel commentary on our trip last month to California!

We're in the parking lot of the little park that overlooks San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate bridge. On a nice day it has the prettiest scenery imaginable.

But as you can see from this picture, we were there when the fog was rolling in -- which is still neat to see, just not real scenic.

SBAM op ed opposing sales tax-on-services published in today’s Detroit Free Press

I helped my boss, SBAM President and CEO Rob Fowler, write an an op-ed that appeared in today’s Detroit Free Press. The text of the op-ed:

First of all, let me say that I agree that the state of Michigan, and in particular our schools, need revenue. We have differences of opinion over priorities and precise levels of funding, but in the end we must have some amount of revenue every year to fund vital services like educating our children.

The question is how to generate that revenue. I disagree with the proposal that the best way to meet the revenue needs of state government and public education is by imposing a sales tax on services. That’s a tax hike, plain and simple, and it increases the overall tax burden on struggling Michigan citizens.

We need to get away from the tired old prescription of addressing revenue shortfalls by automatically seeking additional taxes. Part of the solution involves structural reform of state spending that makes state government operate more efficiently and live within its means. That makes perfect sense to small business owners. These entrepreneurs across Michigan have worked ceaselessly, and made tremendous sacrifices, to find ways to live within their means. They expect state government to do no less and are very impatient with the business-as-usual attitude they perceive in Lansing.

But you may be surprised to hear me suggest that another important part of the solution is growing government revenues, but growing them the right way – not by expanding the tax burden but by fostering a vigorous and prosperous state economy, an economy that provides an appropriate level of tax revenue that meets the needs of public services and schools without levying an undue tax burden on the private sector.

A thriving economy begins with entrepreneurial business growth that energizes job creation and boosts incomes. That in turn generates revenue for government. But a sales tax on services hurts consumers and hurts small businesses by taking dollars out of their pockets, and away from business growth in the private economy, and transferring an even higher percentage of private resources to the public sector. That’s exactly the wrong formula for solving our economic woes.

We’re at a tipping point in Michigan’s economy. We can either add more taxes, in the form of a sales tax on services that further burdens our struggling consumers, or we can take down barriers to business and income growth. Meeting Michigan’s revenue needs begins with expanding Michigan’s economy, continues with real structural spending reforms and concludes with a higher level of prosperity that benefits everyone in our state.

See the op-ed online at the Detroit Free Press Web site.

Skepticism over Prius pandemonium

Toyota struggles to find Prius fix | detnews.com | The Detroit News: "On Monday, a California Highway Patrol officer helped a motorist on Interstate 8 slow a Prius from more than 90 mph to a stop, after the accelerator pedal got stuck. 'I was laying on the brakes but it wasn't slowing down,' said motorist James Sikes, who told reporters his accelerator pedal got stuck as he was going 94 mph in his 2008 Prius."

Comment -- Actually, I think the real news story is that the driver got his pokey Prius all the way up to 90 mph! Heh heh...

It was interesting that the Wall Street Journal quotes a cop as saying that he pulled up next to Sikes' car and told him over the loudspeaker that he should try to shift into neutral and/or shut off the ignition. The story says that Sikes "shook his head to indicate that neither action worked."

So, the car accelerates out of control, the brakes don't work, and Sikes can't shift into neutral or turn off the ignition? Really, what are the odds of that happening all at the same time? I would think that such a catastrophic array of software/electronic/mechanical problems would probably lead to the car not running at all -- rather than it accelerating out of control.

I could be wrong, but this story doesn't pass the smell test. Prius pandemonium indeed!

Taking a bite out of Jennifer

Jennifer was poking around this toothy fellow at the California Academy of Sciences library. From the looks of those teeth, he flossed well.

These hills are actually on the roof of the Academy building. It's one of the "greenest" buildings on Earth.

Eventful weekend

The MSU basketball home season concluded Sunday afternoon at Breslin. We stomped (again) the hapless Wolverines. After the game, Izzo saluted the three MSU seniors. He then invited the crowd to come down to the floor of the arena. Jennifer shot this photo of me standing in front of one of the baskets. Now I have more fodder for my dream fantasy of running out of the stands to play hoops for MSU!











Friday night we attended Ignite Lansing 3.0. It was held on the first floor of the old Knapp’s department store building. The highlighted part of the Lansing State Journal photo shows Jennifer and I sitting in the audience, watching one the dancers who was brought in to fire up the crowd. In fact, the crowd was so fired up by the dancers, laser light show, beverages and loud music that they never settled down and paid much attention to the presenters.

Animals, alive and dead

This eel slithered out of the coral at the California Academy of Science aquarium and bared its teeth at me during our visit. I grinned back and told him that I’d eaten his cousin raw on a piece of sushi in Half Moon Bay.

This 87-foot skeleton of a blue whale hung from the ceiling of the Academy. I did not see any posters that explained where the skeleton came from. But a guy at our astronomy club meeting last night said that when he lived in the Bay Area about 15 years ago, a huge whale carcass washed ashore near Golden Gate Bridge. He said the carcass was buried for a decade, then dug up and rendered into the skeleton, which now hangs around in the Academy.

However the company that restored the skeleton says the bones are actually 55 years old. And this news release says the Academy has owned the skeleton for 95 years! The truth is out there...

Lots of butterflies

A highight of the California Academy of Science's rain forest was the dozens of butterflies (of various varieties.) This photo shows people taking...photos of the butterflies.

There were many signs that asked visitors to please check their hair and clothing to make sure no butterflies hitchhiked out of the rain forest into the main museum.

Vanessa's company closer to IPO?

As predicted, Silver Spring preps for IPO | VentureBeat: At the start of the year, when everyone was throwing out predictions for the rapidly growing cleantech sector, Tesla Motors and Smart Grid networking provider Silver Spring Networks were pegged as the companies most likely to go public in 2010. Less than a month later, Tesla filed for a $100 million public sale. Now, unsurprisingly, Silver Spring has tapped bankers for its own IPO.

The Redwood City, Calif. company has retained Morgan Stanley and Jeffries & Co. to underwrite a public sale, according to Dow Jones Clean Technology Insight (subscription). So far, it’s unclear what amount it will be looking for, though it has raised nearly $300 million in capital, and may be valued as highly as $3 billion (again, according to Dow Jones).

Silver Spring Networks provides a vital segment of the emerging Smart Grid: the equipment that creates wireless networks to transmit energy consumption between meters, consumers and utilities.

Comment -- Vanessa is a Senior Project Manager for Silver Spring Networks. The sentence above is a pretty good explanation of what her company does. I'm going to tattoo it on my wrist so I'll have a ready explanation next time someone asks me what Vanessa does!

Just hangin' around

This sticky-footed lizard clings to a glass wall at the California Academy of Sciences. Part of the rain forest exhibit.

Birds of a feather

These colorful birds are residents of the indoor four-story rain forest display at the California Academy of Sciences. It was a terrific experience -- more photos to come.

Don't confuse the colorful birds above with these two old crows!

Sushi at your fingertips

The California Academy of Sciences had a nice cafeteria where we had lunch Monday. The dining room had the wall-length aquariums that you can see in the picture.

Of course, we all had to joke about having sushi on the menu -- just go over to one of the tanks, reach in and take a bite. Yum! Doesn't get any fresher than that!

Speaking of sushi, I had the best sushi of my life when we went to Yoshi's Jazz Club in San Francisco on Monday night. After the meal, we saw a concert headlined by one of Vanessa's college chums from UM music school: Sachal Vasandani (guy on the left in the picture.) Vanessa says he was an awkward geek when she first met him, but he sure seemed to me to be one cool dude now. Guess it's hard to find a job much cooler than being a jazz singer.

One crazy gator

On Monday on our trip, Rory and Vanessa took us to the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. It's an amazing science museum with an aquarium, planetarium and indoor rain forest (photos of those later this week.)

This is a picture of their albino alligator. It was a weird looking beast and less-than-energetic. We were there for about three hours, and Rory said he thought he saw it move one toe -- but that was it.

Vanessa and Rory's famous neighbor

We took a walk Sunday after going to the Palo Alto Farmer's Market. Here's a shot of Jennifer and Vanessa about a half mile from Vanessa and Rory's apartment. The house in the background belongs to Apple CEO Steve Jobs!

I went up and pounded on the door and yelled "Hey Steve! I want an iPad!"

Sorry, that's ridiculous. I didn't yell that at all. I said "I want an iPhone!"

Back from our trip to see Vanessa and Rory

I'll spend the next couple weeks showing you pictures of our trip.

It's becoming a tradition that Vanessa and Rory take us to the Palo Alto Farmers Market on Sunday morning after we arrive. It was cool but partly cloudy -- no snow, hurray! -- and we enjoyed, as always, the gourmet food booths. But they sell much more...

Thought you might enjoy this picture of what people are growing out there in California: "Love Potion." Click on the photo to read the entertaining caption.

Smokin' joints!

Scientists design bioactive nanogel that regenerates cartilage in joints - SmartPlanet: "Researchers at Northwestern University have designed a bioactive nanomaterial that promotes the growth of new cartilage in the body’s joints.

Minimally invasive, the therapy activates bone marrow stem cells to produce natural cartilage, no expensive growth factors necessary.

The discovery is important because while bone can grow back, cartilage does not — leaving athletes and other active individuals with “worn out,” painful joints that can’t be rehabilitated by orthopedic surgeons."

Comment -- Important news for any of my readers who might be suffering from joint issues. You know who you are!

Our joints will benefit from nice weather in California next week. Clear skies and temps in the '60s. Bring it on!

I gotta get me some of this super high speed Internet!

Google to launch turbo-speed Internet trials - washingtonpost.com: "Google, the world's biggest online search engine, wants to turbocharge your Internet connection. The company said Wednesday it is getting into the broadband service business with trials for fiber networks that will deliver Internet access speeds that are 100 times faster than what most Americans are getting today."

Comment -- The article says Google is taking bids from towns that want to be part of the experiment. Delhi Township, you need to get on board!

We've come a long, long way from the early days of the Internet when the only option was single-color text, slowly crawling across your screen.

Total recall!!!

Toyota announces global recall of more than 400,000 Prius, other hybrid cars - washingtonpost.com: "The 2010 model of the car uses a two-stage braking system that includes regenerative braking to capture energy from the wheels, as well as conventional hydraulic brakes. On snowy or icy roads, however, the brakes can 'seem to soften for a split second' when an anti-lock braking system kicks in, Toyoda explained.

The delay is not the same as brake failure, and there have been no reported accidents or injuries because of the problem, he said. But Toyoda and Shinichi Sasaki, vice president of quality control at Toyota, said at the press conference that complaints about the braking issue have been increasing in recent months."

Comment -- The sentence above that "the brakes seem to soften for a split second" is an excellent description of my experience from time-to-time driving our Prius.

I think I'll wait another month or so and have the software update done the same time I drop off the car for an oil change.

As far as I've read, the Prius has not been implicated in any "sudden acceleration" problems like the other Toyota models allegedly have.

Despite this recall, I have to say the Prius is one of the nicest cars we've owned -- fun to drive, comfortable, roomy and cool-looking. And the 50 mpg are pretty easy on the wallet, too.

Software update for our Prius?

Toyota Recalling 270,000 2010 Prius Hybrids in Japan & US for Brake Issue | PriusChat: "Nothing official out of Toyota yet except for a very minimal statement, but the Nikkei news service in Japan is reporting that Toyota will recall 270,000 3rd generation Prius hybrids that have been sold since the May launch of the 2010 model. As we've reported a couple of times on PriusChat, Toyota performed a software update to the Prius brake computer system and it has been in effect for Prius models rolling off the line since January. But Prius hybrids sold between May and December do not have the updated brake ECU software, yet. This recall is to update the rest of the 3rd generation 2010 Priuses with the new software."

Comment -- I assume that we'll soon get a letter from Toyota instructing us to take the car to the dealer for the update.

I can't say I've really seen any noticeable problems with the brakes. A few times in the last six months, I have felt the car lurch a little as we rolled to a stop. But I don't know if that was an issue with the brakes, or if it was the engine kicking in at the same time I was rolling to a stop.

Regardless, it was nothing like a safety problem. Just a little quirk of driving a Prius.

I follow PriusChat.com and in the months leading up to this controversy, I can't say I've run across any discussions or complaints about the 2010 Prius brakes. And, since complainers are more vocal than are satisfied customers, you would think that if there were some kind of widespread problem, then we would have heard it first in the chat rooms.

Finally, if anyone in the domestic auto industry asked me, I would caution them to not be too gleeful about Toyota's PR disaster. As all cars get more and more technological and computer-guided, these kinds of software glitches could easily hit some GM or Ford product. Then the shoe would be on the other foot -- or brake pad, as it were.

Win or lose, it should be a thrilling game tonight

Star players? Who needs star players? MSU-Wisconsin�Preview - The Only Colors: "You may be aware that it's been a while since Michigan State won in Madison. KenPom doesn't see it happening this year, either, predicting a 65-59 Wisconsin win in a 62-possession game. Might as well have the numbers confirm what hard experience tells us: winning on the Badgers' home court will always be an uphill battle--regardless of the state of Bo Ryan's roster."

Comment -- Huge game tonight a 9 p.m. Wall Street Journal predicts a 2 pt. MSU win. Not to jinx the Spartans, but I believe a victory tonight will basically lock up a Big Ten title. Purdue will still be three games back with eight to play, and I can't see them catching us -- not with them still having to play us in Breslin.

On a different subject, I was interviewed by Ch6 this afternoon for a story on the President trying to free up more credit for small businesses. Don't know if it will be on at 6 p.m. or 11 p.m.

No MSU upset for Northwestern this year | detnews.com | The Detroit News

No MSU upset for Northwestern this year | detnews.com | The Detroit News: "Atop the conference standings with road games at Wisconsin (Tuesday) and Illinois (Feb. 6), it's hard for Michigan State to not feel good about its standing.

'We know teams are going to come at us,' guard Kalin Lucas said. 'Just stay focused, stay hungry.'"

Comment -- The highlight of Saturday night's game we attended was Chris Allen's soaring tomahawk dunk. The crowd went wild -- not only after it happened, but during the replays, too.

We got a bit antsy when Northwest closed to within single digits late in the game, but MSU hit their foul shots and we held them off.

State is now 9-0 for the first half of the Big Ten season. Admittedly, the schedule gets much tougher now with road games to Wisconsin and Purdue coming up. Still, we got this far, notably without any upsets. In other words, we won all the games we were supposed to win.

If I'm the Wisconsin or Purdue coach, I'm thinking right now that I have a very daunting task trying to make up 3 games in the standings with only 9 games left. Go State!

Could this be the year Spartans snag another national title?

Forde Minutes: 40 names, games, teams and minutiae making news in college hoops - ESPN: "Michigan State (5). Why the Spartans can win it: Seven players in the rotation were key parts of their 2009 run to the national championship game, and guard Kalin Lucas apparently has gotten the leadership message his coach sent a while back. Izzo is as good a coach as there is in the country, and you know his teams will rebound and defend until the last dog dies. Their 7-0 Big Ten start shows that Sparty is locking in right on time.

Why they might not: Michigan State doesn't have anyone taller than 6-foot-8 in the regular rotation, which could eventually create a problem despite the surplus of biceps in Izzo's lineup. The Spartans also could find themselves a step slower than some elite competition.

Record against RPI top 50: 2-1.

Record against RPI top 100: 7-3."

Comment -- Forde notes that every top team has its faults. MSU has fewer than most.

The great thing for us Spartan fans is that MSU could be even stronger next year! I think Lucas is coming back and we have a terrific, top-five-in-nation recruiting class arriving. On the other hand, Morgan graduates and that's a big loss.

Some small towns require a big income to live there

The 50 Most Expensive Small Towns in America 2010: No. 4: Los Altos Hills, Calif. - BusinessWeek: "Located between San Francisco and San Jose and just five miles south of Stanford University, Los Altos Hills is home to many executives in Silicon Valley. It has 65 miles of off-road paths and trails—or pathways, as locals call them—that allow residents to enjoy the outdoors."

Comment -- Many of the 50 Most Expensive Small Towns are located in the Bay area where Vanessa and Rory live. But most of the towns on the list are in the New York City region.

It would be interesting to see a list of the Least Expensive Small Towns.