Call & Response
The New York Times also has a great article on the science of fireflies. We're in the middle of firefly season here and I always love to watch their displays when I run at night.
The fireflies flashing in the air are all males. Down in the grass, Dr. Lewis points out, females are sitting and observing. They look for flash patterns of males of their own species, and sometimes they respond with a single flash of their own, always at a precise interval after the male's. Dr. Lewis takes out a penlight and clicks it twice, in perfect Photinus greeni. A female Photinus greeni flashes back."Most people don't realize there's this call and response going on," Dr. Lewis said. "But it's very, very easy to talk to fireflies."
Strike Out
I'm a bit sad to learn that the planned film version of Michael Lewis' classic book, Moneyball, has been scrapped. They were about to begin filming when the studio pulled the plug.
The powers at Sony Pictures, which was supposed to finance the film, and the Creative Artists Agency, whose prize client Brad Pitt had agreed to star in it, were, meanwhile, wrapping up a rhubarb with the director Steven Soderbergh, a clutch of producers and each other. This followed Sony's decision to halt the picture just days before shooting was to have begun in Los Angeles, Oakland and Phoenix last week.The last-minute demise of a high-profile film project, especially one starring an A-list star like Mr. Pitt, is Hollywood's equivalent of a bridge collapse. Painful, expensive, and damaging to all involved, the spectacle is rare.
The Big 4
Cooper had a great 4th birthday on Sunday. We had our relatives (including Seattle family) over for lunch, then hit the local YMCA for a gymnastics party with his friends and cousins. Julie and I got him a bike, which I wasn't sure if he would like since we've tried them at the store before with little success. However, when we took it out for the first time he hopped on and took off. By the end of the outing he was riding one-handed and perfecting his skid. He said, "Dad, this is totally awesome!" His smile tells the whole story.
One Paper Town
The Seattle P-I will print its last edition on Tuesday and transition to an entirely online "newspaper", leaving Seattle with just one daily. I hope they succeed, as their experiment will be watched by many newsrooms across the country contemplating similar fates.
Related: The NYT is featuring the closing on its homepage right now.
Update: You can view/download the final front page of the P-I. That globe is one of Seattle's true visual icons.
Land of Lincoln
The entire state of Illinois has been building up to this day (this whole bicentennial year, actually) for a long time - the 200th birthday of our very own Abraham Lincoln on February 12, 2009. Here are a few interesting resources to mark occasion.
- Lincoln in Photos - The Library of Congress created a nice album of photos on Flickr covering the 20 year period from 1846-1865.
- Lincoln Bicentennial | Live the Legacy - Official site for the bicentennial celebration.
- A Bicentennial Celebration - A list of events hosted, and resources created, by the University of Illinois.
Fine Aged Entries (Older Stuff)
« Feb-12: Happy Birthday Anna!
Yesterday was Anna's 2nd birthday. It's cliched, but time sure does fly. While we plan a larger party for her on Sunday she did get to celebrate with her preschool friends by bringing Elmo crackers, string cheese and bananas to... read entry»
« Feb-05: Closing of Pages
One of our favorite local establishments, Pages for All Ages, just announced it is closing for good. There was no advance notice. Julie said Cooper cried when she told him the news - it was a great spot for kids.... read entry»
« Feb-02: Google Trends
Through a referral I recently became a fan of Google Trends, which is a simple website listing the top Google searches in nearly real-time. Not only is it interesting to see what people want to know about right now (punxsutawney... read entry»
« Jan-30: Happy Birthday
Today would have been my mom's 64th birthday. Happy Birthday Louise! I usually mark the date by making a donation to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which I think I'll do right now.... read entry»
« Jan-23: Some Kid Moments
Recent quotes from Anna: I'm such a big boy! I don't have gas. I have one more story, in my room, before bed. I have to potty! (heard 100 times/day) Need snack, in my bowl, yellow bowl. Going to be... read entry»
