A whole bunch of awesome.
We’re leaving for vacation tomorrow, at which point I will be closing all commenting capabilities, but this time I won’t leave a picture of a 1980s dude’s belly on the front page for days.
How about this.
It looks like a flawless computer animation – a pitch-black aircraft silhouetted against a cloud. But this U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor has no need for artificial effects.
The tactical fighter plane is surrounded by a cloud known as a ’shock collar’ or vapour cone as it approaches the speed of sound.
The effect is known as the ‘Prandtl-Glauert singularity’ and is caused by pressure differences around the aircraft. A sudden drop in pressure associated with high speed allows water vapour, which is normally invisible, to condense as fog.
I have another cool pic. This might be upsetting to some of you as it was for me, but it’s all right – the baby seal got away, after completely freaking his shit – and lived despite the ingenuity of the Killer Whale.
Where is your God now? I kid. Just look at the picture:
Apparently, some killer whales have learned how to essentially “beach” themselves in order to feast on baby seals. There’s a whole series of photos at the link, and I’m pretty sure I won’t sleep tonight after looking at them.
Don’t know if it’s the killer whale or the baby seal that makes me most think of Sunny, but it reminds me to mention that I talked to my parents today and they said that for unknown reasons, Sunny lately has been waking them at roughly dawn with yelps and cold dog noses to their sleeping human faces. She used to randomly do the same thing to me and Rupert, and there is no explanation. Maybe she had a bad dream, or possibly a good dream about green beans and bacon, and she doesn’t know how to separate dream from reality, and is sure if she shoves her cold wet snout in Dad’s face at 5 a.m., he will give her a treat.
My sister took this pic of Sunny a few weeks ago. Something really freaks me out about the gloves being upside-down.
Anyway, we’re going to Vienna, Prague, Krakow (and of course Auschwitz), and Warsaw. As usual, I will take many pictures, and will have official Hillbilly Travelogues when I get back. We aren’t taking any computer stuff so I won’t be online for a solid 11 days, and it’s going to be pretty great.
You’ll be jonesing for some online activity by then.
Have a great vacation.
July 1st, 2009 at 9:48 amESTLooks like Sunny’s getting ready to pull weeds.
July 1st, 2009 at 9:58 amESTA few years ago, here in a small town in Massachusetts, all the dogs in my neighborhood and surrounding areas, reported the same thing. It heralded a pack of coyotes moving into our area.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:04 amESTCompletely OT to this post, but I wanted to get this link where Physics Geek would see it.
Only in San Francisco: http://tinyurl.com/ludbdm
Scary, huh?
July 1st, 2009 at 10:08 amESTKiller whales and seals, that’s just the cold harshness of nature! If people are offended by wild animals eating wild animals they can go live on the moon where no wild animals exist.
Enjoy your vacation!
July 1st, 2009 at 10:33 amESTHave fun lass- lookin’ forward to the Hillbilly Travelogue upon your return.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:43 amESTLOVE the pic of Sunny. Classic.
Have a GREAT time! I can’t wait to read the travelogue.
July 1st, 2009 at 11:09 amESTAh, Vienna and Krakow – these are places I’d love to visit. To sit in a street cafe, one with a tiny cup of divine coffee after another, then wander the streets and breath the life past.
Have a great time, Rachel.
[and those gloves bother me, too. Sunny's face is cute, though]
July 1st, 2009 at 11:11 amESTTwo snapshots of science and nature exerting just one aspect of its awesome caught in a millisecond of time. I love it when my planet reminds me it is the greatest amusement ride ever.
Have a wonderful eleven days of pure organic stimulus. You may take that sentence anywhere you like =)
July 1st, 2009 at 11:14 amESTHave a good time!
July 1st, 2009 at 11:23 amESTDing-dong.
“Who is it?”
“….Landshark”.
Seal didn’t escape, he let him go. Would you want to eat something that had just crapped all over itself?
July 1st, 2009 at 11:48 amESTLandshark! Ah ha ha ha! Anyone see “Deep Blue Sea” where Samuel L. Jackson gets eaten right in the middle of a speech because he was standing too close to the water? Man, I loved that moment.
Have lots of fun on your trip. We’ll be here when you get back, awaiting the hillbilly musings.
July 1st, 2009 at 12:01 pmESTThe gloves thing bothers me too. Like ah! the arms don’t twist like that!
And that seal pictures crack me the hell up. I can’t believe these haven’t been demotivated yet. I shall look.
July 1st, 2009 at 12:27 pmESTThe outdoor restaurant in the big park next to the Marriott in downtown Vienna has the best “Wienerschnitzel” you will ever eat! I recommend the Imperial Palace [and the military museum] and if you are limited for time, don’t bother with the Sigmund Freud museum there, in Vienna.
Safe travels, Rachel [and Rupert, too]! See you when you return with your Hillbilly Travelogues that you’ll share with all of us.
July 1st, 2009 at 12:29 pmESTAbout Sunny yelping early in the morning — the same thing happens with my dog sometimes. It’s leg cramps and a pinch of gatorade powder in his dog food fixes it. Have a great vacation.
July 1st, 2009 at 12:43 pmESTRache,
Be aware that you may never want to leave Vienna, once you’ve been there. Be sure to visit the Julius Meinl grocery shop at the far end of the Graben. It makes Fortnums look like a 7-11.
Enjoy the coffee. Start off with a melange, then work your way up to a Schwarzer.
(And by the way, you’ll be glad you left yer laptop behind, for Vienna at least: Intarwebz access there is spotty and verr’ expensive. Ditto your cell phone: do NOT call or text anyone from Austria.)
Connie asked me to tell you that she hates you, for getting to Prague before we did.
Uncle Kim
[Heh. Well you two have been about 100 more places before me, so we're even. Thanks for all the advice, by the way, as I do take note even when I'm too lazy to say anything. And about your later comment re: hot dogs, oh hell yes. I shall have one. It's written down now.
- Rachel]
July 1st, 2009 at 12:44 pmESTI should have guessed California would be the place where someone could crack someone across the face with a skateboard and the jury couldn’t convict on assault and battery charges. I guess that being homeless makes you a protected class. The little bastard.
And yes, I know that he wanted to make sure that I saw the quantum physics discussion. I was just sorry that they didn’t post the contents of the discussion. For all I know, the guy speaking could have said that String Theory is complete and utter bullshit (he’d be right) and the homeless guy was a former String Theory researcher, meaning he spent research grants in viewing online porn, and was pissed that someone was dissing his magic unicorn science. No such luck, though.
Thanks for the linky, and thanks to Rachel for allowing our stream of consciousness commenting here. it makes this place so fun.
Okay, the doggy pics help, too.
July 1st, 2009 at 12:49 pmESTOh, and I forgot. Be sure to get a kasewurst (cheese hot dog) from the street vendor right at the entrance to the Graben (next door to the gun store). Add mustard (senf) to taste.
You’ll never want to eat another kind of hot dog, ever again. (Daughter Wendy’s comment upon eating her first one: “This is the best fuckin’ hot dog, ever. Might be the best fuckin’ food, ever.”)
July 1st, 2009 at 12:52 pmEST*sigh* The whole tactical thing really needs to die a horrible bloody death. Sharp’ish.
July 1st, 2009 at 1:01 pmESTpoppycock! i’ve got a tactical bottle-opener that totally kicks **ass**! only cost me 40 bucks, too.
July 1st, 2009 at 1:18 pmESTand I’m haff an hour from the start of a tactical pub crawl, rehearsals for the strategic pub crawl this w/end
July 1st, 2009 at 1:37 pmESTHave a safe trip.
@physics geek, not so fast on the string theory!
July 1st, 2009 at 1:44 pmESTHave a fantastic trip! So looking forward to your pics when you get back.
July 1st, 2009 at 1:46 pmESTSunny reminds me of that Seinfeld “Puffy shirt” episode where George became a hand model and wore those ridiculous gloves everywhere.
Have a great vacation!
July 1st, 2009 at 1:56 pmESTI met a guy at summer camp once whose hands were attached to his arms backwards. Talk about being bothered by seeing something! He was a really nice kid, but looking at the weird angle of his hands was really disconcerting.
July 1st, 2009 at 2:44 pmESTDzien Dobry!
What a great trip….I’ve did one very similar in 2006.
I’ll never forget an incident while taking the overnight train from Prague to Krakow. The train stopped on the tracks at 2 AM on the CR-Polish border. Everyone on the train was awakened and a Polish border guard moved through the cars checking passports. He came to my comparment and slammed the sliding door open. He was dressed in a solid black uniform, bloused trousers, tall jack boots and a mean looking sidearm. He had a nazi-style high brim cap. All I could think of was “Germany – 1930’s” and “Oriental Express.” He stamped my passport and moved on of course. Nevertheless….the image remains to this day.
Take plenty of Kleenix with you to Auschwitz. It is a place that everyone should visit if they can….but only once. You won’t ever, ever want to return!
July 1st, 2009 at 3:24 pmESTWhoa. It’s frikkin G-Force! Straight outta Battle of the Planets – the Fiery Phoenix, baby. They’re making my childhood come fabulously true. I demand that they change the name from ‘Prandtl-Glauert singularity’ (wha?) to ‘Fiery Phoenix’ on the grounds that one sounds awesome, while nobody can remember the other, including Prandtl and Glauert.
July 1st, 2009 at 3:50 pmESTHa! There are no atheists in a whale’s pah hole!
WayneB and PG,
I just want to know: was the jury captain named Heisenberg?
July 1st, 2009 at 4:48 pmESTThese are much better pictures to leave us with than the last time! I love them all. That has to be one happy seal, after it recovered from the adrenaline rush.
Have a great time, take lots of pictures, and be happy.
July 1st, 2009 at 5:02 pmESTWhoops! Almost forgot to bid you “Safe Home!”
July 1st, 2009 at 5:06 pmESTYou see what that Killer Whale is doing to that seal.
Cows would be doing the same thing to us if we did not process them into tasty morsels from heaven.
In a few minutes I will be making the weekly pilgramage to “Five Guys”. Just doing my bit to keep humanity safe.
No thanks necessary.
July 1st, 2009 at 5:14 pmESTI would be quite envious if I wasn’t leaving for Italy next week. Aw hell, Vienna, Prague, Krakow, and Warsaw — who am I kidding? I am slightly envious. I so want to see Prague having heard that it’s wonderful. Glad you’re getting the opportunity to go, and I can hardly wait for the Hillbilly Travelogue.
Don’t forget to have afternoon coffee and genuine Sacher-Torte at the Hotel Sacher. It used to be a mildly expensive treat but well worth it.
I can’t believe no one has mentioned schlagobers yet.
Du hast eine gute Reise, Rachel.
July 1st, 2009 at 5:42 pmESTAnd of course you post that killer whale thing right before my tactical family beach visit to Padre for the 4th….
And why yes, we do have the upper-floor room facing the beach fireworks launch zone, just in case we’re too lazy to watch from the beach itself. Or too afraid of killer night whales.
July 1st, 2009 at 5:55 pmESTThank you very much for letting us know why you might not be posting. I love your site. Thanks.
July 1st, 2009 at 7:16 pmESTHave a great time, Rachel & Rupert. Looking forward to hearing travelogues as only Rachl Lukis can do ‘em.
July 1st, 2009 at 7:37 pmESTHarsh I know, but Orcas gotta eat, too.
Still, glad that particular seal got away…at least for now.
July 1st, 2009 at 8:16 pmESTNo, Sunny’s gloves are good. Palms up and all that. I’m not bovvered.
I’ll add an event in Outlook eleven days out to check back here.
July 1st, 2009 at 8:37 pmESTIf a killer whale eating a seal gets you in a fluster, Auschwitz will be a life-changer. I saw Dachau in ‘95 and felt the absence of…well…there was like a spiritual black hole there. It provoked ire, rage and reverence all at the same time. Absolutely without equal as far as the human experience goes.
Enjoy the time off. And thanks for the “no belly” policy this time around.
July 1st, 2009 at 8:49 pmESTRachel, enjoy! Vienna is so very beautiful (and the BEST ceasar salads and BEST schnitzel!)
July 1st, 2009 at 9:11 pmESTNaturally, the ad now showing is a flabby-tummy ad.
Enjoy the hell out of the vacation, Rachel. Somewhere between Pilzn and Budovice is where a quarter or so of my ancestors originated. If you reach the general area, wave at ‘em.
July 1st, 2009 at 11:12 pmESTI have the F-22 picture posted on my desktop. As I have a vested interest in this plane (work for a company that manufactures structural components) I really enjoy seeing pics of it. Have fun in Europe, drink a weizen for me.
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:01 amESTSunny is still an ace at manipulating the heartstrings, isn’t she? I’m always happy to see pics of the doggie-luvs!
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:29 amESTEnjoy your time off, Rachel: have an amazing vacation, and please say a silent prayer on my behalf whilst you are at Auschwitz. Someday I will go there: until then, I will look forward to your upcoming travelogues.
The gloves are just right. Fill mah paws with pork and green beans!
July 2nd, 2009 at 2:23 amESTOh, and your trip? When you get to Auschwitz say whatever prayer your soul allows. I had some distant relatives that lived a bit east of there. I never knew if they made it to the camps or just died there. Maybe they fled east and didn’t make it through Stalin. Whatever, the letters stopped in ‘39 and never started again, so said my grandparents. Damn statists of all stipes! May they all rot in the Hell Rachel doesn’t believe in.
July 2nd, 2009 at 2:32 amEST