04 January 2025 - Quantum Disentaglement

 This is the anniversary of a very important event in the history of quantum physics. 

On 04 January 1961, Erwin Schrödinger's cat, Lagerung, burst out of his box and observed his master's state, thus determining that Schrödinger was dead.
 

A New Song for the "Season" - 30 December 2024

 This song was "composed" while walking my dog, Billie, through the non-stop rain yesterday; just one day after taking two walks in the gorgeous sunshine and near-60F (15C) temps the previous day.

It's Refusing to Look at All Like Christmas (apologies to Meredith Wilson)

It's refusing to look at all like Christmas,
Anywhere I go;
There are puddles of rain all 'round
Deep enough mice have drowned.
For safety's sake we skirt them all, you know.

It's refusing to look at all like Christmas,
soon we'll need a torch.
But the saddest thing, you know,
is the sodden box they throw
on your own front porch.

A pair of hip-wader boots
or a big bumbershoot,
is the outfit now holding sway
If rain turned to snow, then the puddles we know
could be white and cushion a sleigh,
And Mom and Dad keep telling us
it snowed more in their day.

It's refusing to look at all like Christmas -
Rain and gloom all day.
All the water that's in the street,
Soaking our freezing feet,
It gives us chills that just won't go away.

It's refusing to look at all like Christmas,
soon we'll need a torch.
But the saddest thing, you know,
is the sodden box they throw
on your own front porch.

© 2024 Charles van Becelaere

Looking Forward to Spring - 11 December 2024

I'm already hard at work on enhancing our harvest with some new hybrid crops for our 2025 garden.

This should go well, as I have the help of my Garden G(e)nome!

Heirloom hybrids, here we come!

Coinage du Jour - 03 December 2024

mal de merde (n.)

Illness due to consumption of food or beverage containing e. coli bacteria.

Example:

After eating the contaminated lettuce at the ship's salad bar, John felt quite ill, suffering from mal de merde.

Life Imitates Art ... Again - 26 Jul 2024

 It's amazing how well films used to predict their futures (back before they all became vehicles for berating their audiences, anyway) - especially comedies.

I've been thinking of the 1996 film, "My Fellow Americans" recently, especially this scene with the sitting Vice President addressing two former Presidents. Uncanny.

The Results Are In! - 03 January 2024

 As you can imagine (just look at these pictures if you have trouble), I get a lot of comments and questions about our dog, Billie, when we're walking around town. "What a beautiful dog!" "What a strange looking dog!" "What kind of dog is that?" "Is that a dog or a goat?" and on and on they go.

Well, after telling folks (pretty much at random) that she's a mutt, or a rescue, or a Canardly (as in you canaradly tell what kind of dog she is), or a Flemish Pointing Griffon, we decided it was time to get her DNA checked. 

We were really hoping there was no fainting goat in her background, and we were overjoyed to find out she came back 100% pure canis familiaris. That should put the questions to rest, I think.

From Coast to Coast - 16 November 2023

Today is the anniversary of the 1885 execution of Louis Riel, the Métis "father of Canadian confederation."

It's not unusual in many towns across the country to find "a piece of the rope" used to hang Riel. In fact, these rope pieces are so common that it's said that if they were laid end to end, they would reach from Atlantic Canada to British Columbia.

A fitting, if somewhat grisly remembrance of one who has come to be seen as a patriot, despite having been convicted of and executed for treason.