That’s right, I think I’m at my lowest weight in something like five years. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I tipped the scale at less than 180 lbs, but I KNOW it’s been more than three years. Naturally, I’m feeling quite pleased with this morning’s scale reading. My next goal is 175, which long ago was a weight I had trouble imagining myself ABOVE.
–Howard
The AP release about the Mars Rovers has been quoted all over the Net. Hurray! They’re two years old, and have outlived their warranties by an amazing margin. You can find the complete text of the article here, or from any number of other sites — pick from this list of feeds at Google News.
The final paragraph in the article is annoying:
“Rock layers are the barcode of Mars history,” said John Grotzinger, a science team member from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “Every time we encounter new layers, it’s another piece of the puzzle.”
Maybe it’s just me, but when I think of “pieces of a puzzle,” I don’t think of barcodes. Unless, of course, the barcode has been given the Enron treatment, and your checker at Wal-Mart is trying to tape it together so you can get scanned and find out how much you’re paying for the Barbie & Ken CD Player.
At any rate, hurray for Spirit and Opportunity. The bar has been raised for space programs worldwide. NASA may have screwed up big-time in the past, but with Spirit and Opportunity they’ve gotten it right.
–Howard
I meant to write this yesterday, but I was too sick to.
I’ve pretty much lost two days of work to being sick. I’m only feeling a little bit better today, but I’m going to get some work done regardless.
The problem with being self-employed is that nobody picks up the slack for you when you’re sick. The nice thing about having a buffer of comics is that at least my readers don’t read me the riot act every time I forget to take my Vitamin C.
–Howard
I’m headed into the mountains for a bit. Friends of ours have invited us to their cabin for an “eve-of-Christmas-eve evening,” and I’ve been led to understand that the closest tie with civilization will be an FM radio reciever (no transmitter.) I’m betting my cellphone will be useless except as a clock, and that the wireless card in my laptop will visibly shiver from loneliness.
I’m bringing the laptop anyway. Who knows when inspiration might strike? I’m not about to hand-write my notes.
I’m also bringing Star Munchkin, Grave Robbers from Outer Space, Falling, UNO, and Phase 10. Oh, and a proper boom-box, my iPod, and my iPod FM transmitter. I can’t use it to call for help, but I can broadcast christmas music to any reciever within about 5 meters.
I’ll be back by Christmas Eve. If I don’t post anything before then, Merry Christmas everybody. Be safe, be kind, be joyous, be well.
–Howard