great nickathlon in support of salsa

Many people tell me that they like the nicks that I use for my diverse IM accounts, so I will celebrate a nickathlon next Thursday. I will change my nick each minute for 8 hours. That sacrifice will be done to support salsa music.
That's about it, just giving some promotion to the nickathlon.

Crabs at high pressure

Even more stuff about the wonderful world of crabs. Today, we will study the effects of high pressure on crabs.

This is a video taken in 6000 feet of water. An undersea robot is sawing a 3mm wide slit (1/10th of an inch ... remember that width) in a pipeline. The pressure inside the pipeline is 0 psig, while the pressure outside is 2700 psi, or 1.3 tons per square inch. Then a crab comes along....

The video can be found here. Holy shit. Now you see the crab. Now you don't.

Salad Fingers

This flash animation is somewhat charming and extremely creepy.

The feeling of rust
against my salad fingers
is almost ORGASMIC

Of Pandas and People

Sigh.

Heather Geesey, a Dover Area School Board member, said she came to believe intelligent design was a scientific theory based on the recommendations of Alan Bonsell and William Buckingham — both members of the board's curriculum committee.

"They said it was a scientific thing," said Geesey, who added that "it wasn't my job" to learn more about intelligent design
[...]
"The only people in the school district with a scientific background were opposed to intelligent design ... and you ignored them?" he asked.

"Yes," Geesey said.

The Kneecap of Creation

The only debate on Intelligent Design that is worthy of its subject made me laugh out loud.

Intelligent Design advocate: YEAAARRRRGGGHHHH! YOU BROKE MY KNEECAP!

Scientist: Perhaps it only appears that I broke your kneecap. Certainly, all the evidence points to the hypothesis I broke your kneecap. For example, your kneecap is broken; it appears to be a fresh wound; and I am holding a baseball bat, which is spattered with your blood. However, a mere preponderance of evidence doesn't mean anything. Perhaps your kneecap was designed that way. Certainly, there are some features of the current situation that are inexplicable according to the "naturalistic" explanation you have just advanced, such as the exact contours of the excruciating pain that you are experiencing right now.

Hollow's eve

This weekend has been about walking around the city wearing Halloween's costumes. I was The Flying Spaghetti Monster, and was surprised to be recognized as the FSM by several people, as well as seen others with FSM costumes too!

The weekend has had its up and downs, but looking back, it was pretty fun.

por favor no me le hagan daño a la yegua

Noticias directamente desde Nicaragua.

Rescate de niño que cayó en letrina

MASAYA, (Edwin Somarriba).- Un niño de cuatro años cayó en el hueco de una letrina, cuando se encontraba jugando, mientras sus padres se dedicaban a orar en un templo evangélico.

Vecinos del templo religioso situado al Este de Masaya manifestaron que fueron ellos los que sacaron al pequeño de iniciales M.A.S., el cual tragó excrementos al momento que cayó en el lecho de la letrina. De inmediato, el menor fue bañado y desinfectado con cloro, mientras otros niños fueron a avisar de lo ocurrido a sus padres.

Aunque el pequeño sobrevivió a la caída, la piel se le irritó a causa del cloro y luego fue sometido a un lavado gástrico en el hospital de esta ciudad, donde quedó internado para su observación.

Hay que mantenerse al dia

Grosería con una yegua

MATAGALPA, (Francisco Mendoza).- Una yegua quedó tuerta cuando un sujeto desalmado, sin importarle que era un animal que no se podía defender, le lanzó una enorme piedra que terminó con la visión del animal. La denuncia fue interpuesta por el ciudadano Jerónimo Soza, propietario de la hermosa yegua, quien habita en la comarca Azancor, municipio de Muy Muy, quien asegura que a su casa se presentó el sujeto Anselmo Chavarría, el que sin motivo alguno apedreó al animal que usaba para movilizarse. Tras provocar el mal, Soza se marchó del lugar, como si nada había hecho, por lo que pide castigo para este sujeto que perjudicó a su hermosa yegua que utilizaba para las fiestas patronales.

When you drink, you sure can be an asshole

One drunk guy tells the other at a bar:
"You can jump off this 4th story building and nothing will happen to you. There is a draft that will put you right back in the 4th level."
"I don't believe you."
"I'll show you."
They go up the building, and the first guy jumps down, and just before he hits the floor, he comes up again and lands precisely where he started."
"Wow man! You were right!"
"Do you want to try it?"
"Of course." He says as he jumps off, falls and hits the floor really hard.
Then the bartender comes up and tells the first guy:
"Superman, when you drink, you sure can be an asshole."

That was a true story. Or sort of. Check this news article:

They said the man - who apparently had drunk several bottles of red wine before attempting the jump - appeared at the window ledge at around 4 a.m. and shouted: "I am Superman! Nothing can happen to me!"

about my last post

The don raton y don ratero post caused a lot of confussion. I am not Phobos, Phobos is not me. We are in fact two different entities. Phobos still has his Alienware, I still DON'T have my Alienware and it is very probable that I never will.
Regarding the hemorroids, I have nothing against people with hemorroids. I think in fact that most of them are nice people and it is really sad that they have to suffer such a terrible pain. I DO wish that the man who stole my laptop gets hemorroids, he deserves them. I work hard to buy my own stuff. For the rest of you with hemorroids, there are ANALgesics that can help you. Contact your rectal doctor for more information.

Just toss it into Mount Doom

My breadventure has reached an end, and I have failed at it. The bread didn't rise as much as it was supposed to, and it was hard in the center. It doesn't taste bad, but the texture is horrible. I have some ideas of what I could try next time, and I will ask some of my friends that know about baking.

I will conquer bread making.

I shall return!

At least I had fun.

Rise, Bread, Rise

As we speak, I am witnessing how I screwed up with the bread. It seems like the kitchen wasn't warm enough, and it didn't rise as much as I would have wanted it to. In a few minutes it will be done, and I will know for sure how it came out.

I am old

... and I have decided that today I will make bread. I have never made bread from scratch.

Why do you keep talking about the stupid medal?

Yes, I'm still blogging about the Nobel Prize.

Hindustan Times has a very accesible article explaining Sudarshan's part on the understanding of Coherent States.

“Although the coherent state representation was fully elucidated by Sudarshan, Glauber continued to think it was not fully general. The priority issue was settled by Glauber who got Sudarshan to acknowledge him without a reciprocal commitment,”

Kitchen floor

This is an interesting story I heard about a very memorable pick-up line.

He was drunk, and had been rejected that same party by some girl he liked; he was vulnerable. He notices a girl drinking a beer and peeling the label off.
"Did you know that peeling off the label of a beer bottle means that you are sexually repressed?" is the first thing he said.
"Yes" she responded embarrassed.
"It is ok, I do that too, so I must be sexually repressed like you."
And there was an uncomfortable silence.
"Maybe I could help you with that..."
More silence.
And then he reaches for her bottle and starts helping her to peel off the label.
The story ends with them making out in the kitchen floor surrounded by beer bottles with their labels peeled off.

Maybe I should try that line sometime.

The Exact Words of God

The exact words of God are contained only in The King James Bible. That is what this essay in one of my favorite websites claims.

Instead of trusting in man and his whim-of-the-day Bible version, trust only what God's people gave their lives to preserve: God's words in English, the King James Bible.

Explanations of the different currently used versions of the bible in English can be found here. My favorite version of the bible must be the one that Jules quotes as Ezekiel 25:17 in Pulp Fiction:

The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

Where KJV reads:

And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.

KJV has so much to learn from Samuel L. Jackson.

don raton y don ratero.

The other day I arrived to my house and found the door unlocked. Someone broke into my house and stole the following:
My old Alienware laptop
My rent check
Some underwear
A can of fruits
My perfume
my watch
my pokemon cards

Luckily he didn't take anything else, but I am so angry. I just don't know what he is going to do with such random things, maybe he's constructing a robot to take over the world. I just wish that he gets hemorroids or something.

Philosophers and Crackpots

Physicists believe that we and only we can figure out the universe.
That, and our arrogance about it, is why we are the main target of many philosophers and crackpots (note that there is a distinction).
Yes, modern physics has some deep philosophical implications. The sad part is that they seem to escape the philosophers, as most tend to have a very narrow and inaccurate picture of what it represents. If I ever hear another person claiming that relativity and quantum mechanics say that everything is relative and that we are uncertain about everything and use this to start some deep philosofical discussion, I think I'm going to cry.
But also we have the crackpots. What is a crackpot? Well, this articles summarizes very well the set of rules to detect them. A perfect example of one is this one. Note how it starts with a vague idea of what quantum mechanics, electromagnetism and relativity are. Then, writes one equation, and points out that since part of the equation is less than one, it therefore must be a probability. And then claims that with good expensive equipment it could be tested out. Tested out what? No predictions are given, no logical argument, nothing. Go back to the set of rules to detect crackpots, and you will see the article follows most of them.
Why are there so man crackpots, and in particular, why are there so many with a technical background? This very interesting post proposes an explanation.

This can't be happening

I have been trying to accept the fact that reggaeton is here to stay, and that Salsa music is being forgotten. I have tried very hard.
What I will never accept is El Gran Combo remixed to reggaeton rhythms!

The latest release from one of the most popular salsa bands of all times, like the title, implies a retrospective of El Gran Combo's music and sounds of yesterday, today and tomorrow. Original tracks from many of its mega hits are remixed and edited in the hands of several leading DJs in the business, rejuvenating and updating the well-known classics to the dancehall sounds of today's turntable masters. Salsa purists may find many of these transformations hard to swallow at first but the truth is that they still swing and rock. [...] The classic Brujerí­a is featured [...] in a reggeton mix by DJ Kazzanova and DJ Créme with added raps by Yaga & Mackie. The selection Y No Hago Mas Na' also bares the same fate [...]

This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening.

Carcinazation

Watch out, there are many crab-looking things that aren't really crabs!

There is a process knows as carcinazation, where convergent evolution makes crustaceans take forms very similar to crabs. The best studied example is the King Crab. Also known as Stone Crab, this delicious creature it is not a real crab at all! Just count its legs, it isn't even a decapod! Unbelievable!
Actually, it is closely related to the Hermit Crab (Cobito), which in turn isn't a real crab either! Both the King Crab and the Hermit Crab are asymmetric, while real crabs are symmetric.

Amazing!

My Juey or the Highway

My mom sent me some salmorejo de jueyes (crab meat) from Puerto Rico. She even added some claws and legs too, so I've had a lot of fun cracking those open to eat them. What a feast! Gourmet!
Jueyes live in the swampy areas around mangroves. To catch them, traps are placed with food (they are particularly attracted to corn). Sometimes they can be farmed too.
I found this excellent website that doesn't talk about Jueyes, but of Cocolias, their water cousins. Cocolias (blue crab) can be fished in waist-deep water using chicken guts as bait. Tie the guts to a piece of string, walk into the water, and wait. When you feel them nibbling the chicken, just pull them out, they won't let go of the food! I prefer Jueyes, but they aren't bad.
Another variety of edible crabs from Puerto Rico are Buruquenas. They live in creeks and rivers, hiding under rocks. To catch them it is necessary to lift the rock, or just stick your hand in their caves. These bite really hard, so don't try this unless you wear proper gloves. They can make grown-up men cry if they grab onto a finger, even with proper gloves been worn. During their mating season, they go crazy and try to cross streets near the creeks to reproduce. Their smashed carcasses can be seen all over the pavement. They aren't as tasty as their mangrove or salt water relatives.

Crabs can be fun as well as tasty, so please consult your local library to learn more about them!

bull vs pit bull

Seems like the story behind those pictures is really interesting.
Here's Babelfish's opinion:
First picture:

15 September, Phoenix, the state of Alabama. Two pitbulya, which were remained after hurricane without the masters, obtain to themselves food independently.

Last Picture:

Finale histories - dog are shot down.

Wikipedia's opinion on pit bulls (pitbulya??):

Specifically, these dogs accompanied farmers into the fields to assist with bringing dangerous bulls in for breeding, castration, or slaughter.

No wonder the bull was so scared.

Cow vs Dogs

Pictures of a cow fighting two dogs.

"You son a bitch!"
"Your momma is a cow!"

The Skatalites

After grabbing the best burger in town at a punk bar, I went to the bar next door to see The Skatalites. Many of the band members were from the original band back in the day when they invented Ska.

Their sound was impeccable, and their music fun, even for my friends that have never heard them before. Some stupid people decided to Mosh Pit in a Ska concert and ruined the mood for some time, but at least it didn't last for too long.

how the emoticon killed the internet.

Emoticons were the best method to give personality to conversations and help the other person understand when you were being sarcastic or serious. However, now they are too popular. I am tired of those stupid Smiley Central banners.
I've turned off all of the custom emoticons from all of my messenger services, they are just too annoying. I know people that use a custom emoticon for most letters, each message is just a bouncing mass of unreadable images. This makes it too difficult to have a conversation. Many times I've talked with people whose messages get changed automatically. "suboblique" gets transformed into "suSPONGEBOBSQUAREPANTSWAVINGHISHANDSlique".
The problem now is that people have custom emoticons for random strings. Now when I receive messages like "good bybbbbb!!!!" I automatically assume that I should be seeing some annoying thing in there. I don't even ask, because I will expect to get a reply like: "can'tttttt uuuu ccccc my :))))))???????".
The custom emoticons are one step away from facilitating communication between thinking beings.
I will start to use text custom emoticons to confuse the people that use custom emoticons.
"LITTLEDEVILDANCINGAROUNDFIREo. SMILEYHOLDINGQUESTIONMARK are SMILEYPOINTINGATYOU QUESTIONMARKQUESTIONMARKQUESTIONMARK11"

Even more on the Medal

The New York Times has a piece on the nobel prize, they also mention ECG Sudarshan's contribution. This one pretty readable, unlike my previous links.

More on the Medal

The Advanced Information given by the Nobel committee refers to Sudarshan's work (Ref 11 in it). Here is his earlier paper on the subject, published almost at the same time that Glauber published his. I will not dwell into the controversy around this, but if you are into this kind of things, enjoy this very beautiful paper.

The Medal

The Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded. Roy J. Glauber got his "for his contribution to the quantum theory of optical coherence". In other words, he got 1/2 for the theory of the laser.

E.C.G. Sudarshan has also made very significant contributions in this field. Check out this paper, and the references in it.

Euthanizing a Virtual Pet

I found this short post that describes what made a Computer Scientist euthanize a Tamagotchi.

Scarface vs Teletubbies

This is paradise, I'm tellin' ya. This town like a great big pussy just waiting to get fucked.
-Tony Montana

The FBI found a cocaine shipment labeled with pictures of the Teletubbies.