A Little Light Blogging

• OLD: A nice video of an optical illusion that includes the resolution of the illusion in the video.
  
• OLD: I definitely agree that too many kids are going to college: NYT and the AP.
  
• Blogging has been light lately :)...I've had a few things to say, but just with as busy I've been, I never could exceed the threshold. But when someone people miss you, you can't just let them down.
  
• I've been doing lots of traveling. It's ridiculous how much time I spend either booking travel or assembling receipts/forms to get reimbursed for it.
  
• For all you US taxpayers, however, the travel definitely contributes to my productivity. I won't go into details, but I got some ideas and possible collaborations going. One of these ideas actually came from attending a talk.
  
• I've been pretty disgusted with a variety of organized religions lately. But it occurred to me where the last vestiges of the supernatural remain in my psyche. A crying kid in the backseat while driving through a major metropolitan area and I find myself praying to the gods of traffic...there must be more than one to produce such assorted effects.
  
• A couple NYT pieces I should read, but won't: on tenure and a donation of Jim Simmons.
  
• I hadn't been on an NSF panel in at least a couple years, so I'm happy to see that they refrain from showing panel members the mailed in reviews before you submit your own. Definitely a good idea.
  
• So I was told I look young and that I am old all at the same conference. I take both as compliments. However, I am noticing more and more of the truly older people are appearing less and less.
  
• What's up with the earthquakes? I think I've been in "the neighborhood" of one three times in just the past few years (none of them while at home).
  
• There's something about the Bourne movies that really captures me...whenever I see one on cable I just get hooked. I have no spy-skills, but somehow I see myself as a lone warrior against the larger powers that be. My skills are probably more aptly described as clown-skills (juggling, unicycle, etc).
  
• I like cars, and so people buying new cars often ask me my opinion. But sometimes it's hard not to show some of my disgust. I'm mostly fine with people getting what they want (but I think people should pay more to register and use large, truck-like vehicles). But it's so annoying the rationalizations and brainwashing people have.
  

  I want something with three rows.
  

  How about a minivan?
  

  No, I need lots of space and often have the third row down.
  

  You can do that with a minivan.
  

  Uhhh...., no. I am looking at this crossover.
  

  "Crossover"? It comes with a tow package and the manufacturer compares it on the webpage to the Honda Pilot. Wake up, it's an SUV.
  

• I've given three talks in recent weeks. All but one went very well. The exception wasn't just not good, but it was bad. I just never hit my stride. Strange.