Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Wanderers 2015.6.16


I met up with Elise at Sokongdong BBQ, part of the Fubonn Shopping Center, catering to Asian cultures.

I bought a bag of black rice afterward, then high tailed it to Wanderers, stopping home to share a red bean ice cream ball with mom.  Carol is not a huge sweets fan but enjoys the occasional sticky dough sphere.

Don was setting up the projector when I arrived, eager to share the above video.  That's a level of physical coordination you don't see everyday, worth filming.  Tap dancing in roller skates, sheesh.

Discussion turned to the TMT in Hawaii, the newest telescope.  The synergies between astronomy and local culture -- lots to investigate, we barely scratched the surface (excuse choice of words).

Earlier today, on a break from teaching (in the teacher's lounge as we say), I studied the physics of dam disasters, with help from Youtube.

I researched the failure of the St. Francis dam, serving LA, with much interest.  That was a disaster some people saw coming apparently.

Before then, the dam feeding the Pennsylvania canal system, or intended to, before trains took over in the transportation business, ended up re-purposed, only to end in disaster.  Talking about Johnstown.