My Favorite Meteorological Menace

I've regarded Peter Byrne as a menace ever since he dismissed the initial reports of TC Yasi's formation as more alarmist media at work. (WIN quickly yanked THAT particular video from the Web!) Fortunately for Byrne, Yasi was still far out at sea, so he had time to walk his dismissive nonsense back. One day, he won't be so lucky. The media excels above all at sounding the alarm, but if Byrne was in charge, no one would ever hear it.

The California Precipitation Forecast Is Improving!

Like, most of the coming week looks like it will be wet!

Thank goodness for cutoff lows! What would the climate be like without them? I wonder if there are planets where cutoff lows never occur? Those planets must really be ghastly!

Alex Martello vs David Jones ft. Paula Lobos - Stand Up (Club Mix)

'The Three Stooges' Online Trailer

Pointless Fun, But Mostly Just Fun

A version of March Madness:

After three weeks of careful consideration, deliberation and elimination from our panel of all-star judges, Vulture's Drama Derby to determine the greatest TV drama of the past 25 years is drawing to a close with a final face-off between last-shows-standing The Wire and The Sopranos. Our last judge, New York Magazine's own TV critic Matt Zoller Seitz, will be taking the weekend to make his deliberations and his final judgment will be posted on Monday at noon.

...While our judges have been narrowing the field over here on Vulture, our fans have been voting in a parallel bracket on our Facebook page, and it has led to a very different outcome. The Sopranos and The Wire have already been vanquished: The final readers showdown has come down to Breaking Bad and Buffy the Vampire Slayer — two shows that couldn't be more different, but inspire similar levels of fan devotion.

Flour-Bombing Kim Kardashian

The whole atmosphere around these celebrity events is ripe for something like a flour-bombing. I remember stumbling across Kim Kardashian in Las Vegas' Luxor hotel once, and I was really struck by the weird energy of the packed-like-sardines crowd, who seemed desperate for - something. Validation? Fame? Air? Who knows?:

Kim Kardashian was "flour bombed" Thursday night -- that is, someone hurled a baggie of flour at her -- as she arrived on the red carpet to market the launch of her new fragrance.

...The assault on Kardashian on Thursday night at the London Hotel in West Hollywood caused a momentary panic as those in attendance tried to figure out what the white substance was. Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies responded to the scene, as did firefighters. They quickly determined that Kardashian was struck with common flour, nothing more serious.

...In later interviews, Kardashian laughed it all off. "That probably is the craziest, unexpected, weird thing that ever happened to me," Kardashian told E! online. "Like I said to my makeup artist, I wanted more powder and that's a whole lot of translucent powder right there."

Stumbling Over Swarthiness In NM's Tourism Campaign

It's that 'light-skinned' Hispanic issue again! Truth be told, fewer people are more neurotic about swarthiness in New Mexico than New Mexicans. But if we can push the blame onto some faceless corporate casting agent, and avoid having to think about it ourselves, so much the better. But about being a "dry, barren wasteland with nothing to do" - well, that's a harder matter to avoid, because, in considerable measure, it's true enough!:

New Mexico was planning to celebrate its statehood centennial by inviting tourists to come experience the state's rich culture, take in its extraordinary views and have epic outdoor adventures.

...Focus groups in Chicago and Los Angeles assessed the public’s perception of New Mexico, and “the feedback was that it was a dry, barren wasteland with nothing to do,” Valencia said. “So [the state] set on a course to change this misconception.”

Austin, Texas-based marketing agency Vendor Inc. was hired in January to handle the campaign, titled “Adventures Steeped in Rich Culture.” The agency soon contracted with On Location Casting to assign roles in the ad, which was to be filmed in March.

Soon a casting call went out on Facebook seeking “Caucasian or light-skinned Hispanic” people.

The specificity of that call has caused quite a stir, prompting a critical editorial last week in the Santa Fe New Mexican and an even harsher reaction from the state’s Democratic Party chairman.

"Hearing that term brings to mind a vision of casting agents holding up paper bags next to people's faces to ensure they can pass," the New Mexican wrote. "We don't know, of course, who made it into the shoot and how New Mexico will be presented to the world once the campaign is unveiled. But really, light-skinned only? What were they thinking?"

The request seemed ironically appropriate to at least one historian, who noted the territory's long-ago efforts to attract more light-skinned residents.

“New Mexico's population in the 1900 census was 70% Nuevomexicanos [today called Hispanic] and 7% American Indian. In the quest for statehood, each group followed many of their traditions in language, dress, religion... all of which alarmed a few hardcore opponents of statehood in the U.S. Congress,” David Holtby, a research scholar of regional studies at the University of New Mexico, wrote in an email to The Times.

...Holtby added: “Now we have the newest ‘tourism message’ being revised to ‘lighten’ the color of people. This can be seen as an example of a throw-back to racial bias of a century ago."

The hubbub, however, is all an unfortunate misconception, Valencia said.

“We were casting for the role of ‘tourist,’ ” she said. “It was never our intention to make any of this about race. It was more to focus on the experiences and adventures that someone could have in New Mexico rather than the background of the people having them.”

...“We believe that people from all backgrounds visit New Mexico and it is not a place for any one type of visitor,” Valencia said.

Dismantling The Drum

M.: Here's the drum I got in Loomis!

T.: NNNNOOOO! You got ripped off!

M.: I don't feel like I got ripped off....

T.: Brother shouldn't have done that to you! You spent how much, and you can't even play it? I'm gonna go to Loomis and give him a piece of my mind!

M.: $300.00. But that's OK. I knew it had issues. It looks nice! And it's from Africa! By putting a new head on the drum I'll bond with the instrument!

S.: Yeah, it'll give Marc a chance to bond with the instrument!

T.: People shouldn't take advantage of new students!

M.: It'll be OK. All I need is a goat skin.

S.: Yeah, all Marc needs is a goat!

Others: (laughter)

M.: And if I can't use the drum on Saturday I'll pound on the goat!

T.: Here, start untying those tight knots and let's take the drum head off.

(more than an hour and a half later)

T.: Now all we have is the shell. The drum head rings are much too large: that's probably why the drum head ripped in the first place. They've got to be tighter! And the drum's dusty. Hmmm.... I'm conflicted. I have two other drums that need servicing too, and I know just the people to do it quickly, but I wonder if this is the right situation? Hmmmm..... Hmmmm..... In the morning, give me a call, and let's pay her a visit.....

Looking Around Corners

Russian Airline Passengers Panic Over ‘Hole In Wing’

Frickin' passengers! It's just a 'technical element':

What looked like a large hole in the wing did not stop a Russian airline jet from taking off for Siberia with dozens of panicked passengers on board.

The Boeing 737 jet was delayed on the tarmac of a Moscow airport when one of the passengers looked out of a window and noticed an oval-shaped gap on the left wing above one of the engines.

...The plane eventually landed more than three hours behind schedule in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk.

...Tyurkin said all that was missing from the wing was the cover to a hatch workers use to check the left engine. It was not immediately clear who had misplaced the hefty piece of equipment or why.

“This was a technical element. Its absence doesn’t prevent takeoff,” said Tyurkin. “It does not affect safety.”

Chongo, The Homeless Science Writer

The homeless man was passing out a Street Press newspaper for a dollar, and so, inveterate (I almost said invertebrate) consumer of news that I am, I purchased one.

Inside was a column by the homeless science writer, Chongo:

Why learn theoretical physics? The answer is simple. If you can learn something that, with certainty, can make you significantly "smarter" – which means having a more accurate understanding of nature, or of anything in it – in any endeavor you may pursue, taking only a month or two (or maybe four or five for really grasping the concepts) to learn what people have traditionally spent years of labor and study to understand, then you would be very "wise" to do so, if presented the rare opportunity. In other words, the reason one should learn theoretical physics is because, quite simply, for the first time in human history, it is possible to do so without spending years in the pursuit. The website chongonation.com provides that opportunity – for ANYONE – both the formally educated and those who are not, regardless (although it should be emphasized that chongonation.com is most of all trying to provide opportunity to those individuals whom would ordinarily be the most removed from that opportunity: the poor).

With his big-wall climbing and highlining, he certainly looks eccentric, but from a scientific point of view, he looks potentially helpful: able to reach audiences unaccustomed to science. We were all familiar with Chongo's general type in school: interested in physics from a more-conceptual vantage point, but able to do the math too.

A physicist doesn't really need a brick-and-mortar home: the Universe alone will serve.

Eyeing Djembes In Loomis

Last night, Craigslist brought me to Loomis; to the residence of John Daleuski, a former instructor of Afro-Cuban percussion at UCD, in order to purchase an African Djembe (my first musical instrument, ever!) I purchased this Djembe, and John showed me a little bit about replacing the drumhead (since it's totally worn out). I must now find a goat to sacrifice, or a music store that carries suitable goat skins.

On Saturday afternoon, Tyehimba Kokayi starts his first workshop on West African drumming, and I hope to be there.

John also has another Djembe, and a Conga drum, for sale:

Internet Is Down At Work Today

I am sad :-(

I Like These Cutoff Lows That Are Approaching

Starting over the weekend, first one, then another cutoff low will dive south just off the California coast: perfectly-situated to assist with making it rain in California! May they continue doing so at just this spot for months to come!

Imagine That!

Trayvon Martin, and the unequal coverage.

Jeb Bush Endorses Mitt Romney

Train leaving the station, and all that:

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush announced his support for Mitt Romney’s presidential bid this morning, a major boost for the former Massachusetts governor as he seeks to rally the party behind his candidacy.

...That he picked this moment to wade into the race is clearly meant to send a signal to the Republican party that the time is now to coalesce behind Romney. While others have said that the race is over before, Bush’s decision to call for it to end will hold significantly more weight — and draw significantly more media attention.

“He’s lost any hope that we’ll have anyone better ,” said one senior Republican operative about Bush’s decision to endorse Romney.

Dog and River Otter Play

Everyone's A Critic

I loved the comment I got on a previous blog post!

Dogs Against Romney

Time to send a signal.

Magnitude 7.6 Earthquake In Mexico

In Guerrero, specifically. That size earthquake has the potential to do a lot of damage.