Well, Well...

Via Doug S., Jimmy C., Laura F., Bob C. and probably several others whom I've forgotten: James Gosling, of Java fame and recently resigned from Oracle, has landed – at Google.  I can hardly wait to hear what he's going to be doing there.  It's hard to imagine any role for him at Google that wouldn't be good for the future of Java...

The Rational AGW Proponent...

This video was recommended to me by reader and friend Doug W.; it's over an hour long and I haven't had the time yet to view it myself.  The guy in the video is Professor Richard Muller, a physicist at U.C. Berkeley.  Doug liked many of his points (especially vis a vis Al Gore) and his rationality.  Given that he's employed at U.C. Berkeley (the academic home of some notable kooks), the latter is particularly noteworthy.

MESSENGER: First Image from Mercury Orbit!

MESSENGER is doing fine.  The mission controllers are progressing along their planned “wake up” sequence, working their way through all the systems and instruments, getting them ready for MESSENGER's primary science mission.  It won't be long now before the science data start pouring in.

The main imaging system was just brought on line, and as you can see at right (click to enlarge) it's working just fine.

Woo hoo, and three cheers for MESSENGER!

Cryptanalysts: the FBI Wants Your Help!

The FBI has an old, unsolved murder case wherein one of the main clues is some (apparently) encrypted notes (like the one at right; click to enlarge) that they've been unable to decrypt.  It could be that the author of the notes was just nuts, or they could be an actual clue.  Nobody knows for sure.

Can you help?

Jamul Casino Update...

Lakes Entertainment has posted their latest results, and it's more of the same: the long, slow slide downhill.  I've heard no other news about the Jamul Casino for over a year now...