While searching for some videos on YouTube that might do a better job of explaining the phenomenon of rogue waves than I can, I actually found some really, really good material. First, one of my absolute favorite people on the Intertubes, Hank Green, who is also half of the awesome duo that is the vlog brothers. Here, Hank talks about rogue waves on his SciShow channel.
Continue reading “The science and history of rogue waves, part two”
I had to go to our branch office in Bedford, New Hampshire on Friday, which gave me a chance to have dinner with my sister Liz and her family in Lee. It also allowed me to make a trip to Mt. Washington the next day to do some hiking for the Longest Day with coworker Jason Lynch and his team. I had never been to Mt. Washington before, but I have wanted to climb it for years. So I finally had my chance.
Continue reading “Quick trip to Mt. Washington in New Hampshire”
A recording of J. R. R. Tolkien made at a “Hobbit Dinner” in the Netherlands in 1958 is going to be remastered and released later this year.
Wow. Just… wow.
I love the idea of Tolkien himself attending a feast inspired by his own writings. Makes me think of how Sariann and Chelsea did something similar with GRRM when he came to Boston for his book tour. I also love that Tolkien was apparently delighted by the whole thing and really enjoyed himself (as did GRRM). As a huge fan of Tolkien and GRRM and of creating food inspired by fantasy books, I can hardly wait to hear the whole recording.
It also makes me a little sad that I never had the opportunity to meet Tolkien, this warm, brilliant, remarkable man, before he passed away. I was only a toddler when he died. But I am hopeful for the opportunity that perhaps one day I will have the chance to meet George R.R. Martin. Maybe on his book tour for The Winds of Winter.
-Geoff
We’re back from Brimfield. While we haven’t had a chance to photograph all of our cool finds yet, we did get a chance to take some photos while we were there of some odd stuff. This post, a lot like the last one, is dedicated to the weird, the strange and the downright bizarre. Fair warning: if you don’t have a sense of humor this post may not be for you.
Remember that post I did a while back when I talked all about Old World/New World foods? I mentioned that I added potatoes to some of my favorite Westerosi dishes, like Roast Aurochs with Leeks, because in GRRM’s writings there are already a lot of other New World foods in Westeros. After all, beans, squash, pumpkins, pecans, and corn are all post-Columbus (and thus unknown in Medieval Europe) but make an appearance in Westeros.
Well, it turns out that at least on HBO’s Game of Thrones, potatoes do in fact exist in Westeros.
Continue reading “So maybe there are potatoes in Westeros after all”
The Books are Taking Over... 