Gratitude List (Sep. 21 – 27)

Posted on 2016-Sep-28 by corwin
  1. Physics Lunch Club at Murphy’s
  2. A feast of BBQ for dinner and leftovers (Sep. 21)
  3. I did well on our second playing test in the Symphonic Band
  4. Important conversation about my class
  5. Interesting and well-presented colloquium on the expanding Universe
  6. The siding project has started, and two sides of our house have the old siding removed.
  7. The exposed sides of our house are sealed against the weather with house wrap.
  8. Time to rest this weekend
  9. Watching Star Trek Beyond
  10. Good conversation at The Well about different expressions of grief
  11. Harvesting another zucchini from the garden (Sep. 27)
  12. The first phase of our siding project (removal of old siding) is complete
  13. Good conversation with a big group at The Wobbly Table (Sep. 23)
  14. Watching SPS compete in Pumkin’ Chunkin’ at the Rapid City Pumpkin Festival
  15. Pizza and fruit from the Farmers’ Market
  16. Recovering from a bad start to the day on Sep. 26
  17. Practicing my slides for class (Sep. 26)
  18. Getting some graded homework assignments returned
  19. Chicken tortilla soup
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Gratitude List (Sep. 14 – 20)

Posted on 2016-Sep-21 by corwin
  1. Despite some current problems with a contractor, we have a house and the wealth to take care of it be hospitable with it.
  2. Physics Lunch club at (and leftovers from) Mongolian Grill
  3. Good advising meetings with my students
  4. First yoga class of the semester
  5. Informative forum on four of the 10 upcoming state ballot issues. The next one will be Oct. 13
  6. Planning for the solar eclipse in 2017.
  7. Being accepted as part of a group planning eclipse education and travel in 2017
  8. Interesting seminar on the 1972 Black Hills flood from a first-hand perspective
  9. Buying fruit from Farmer’s Market
  10. Learning how to use a credit card at the Market
  11. Watching the new Ghostbusters movie with friends
  12. The movie was better than I expected (I usually have low expectations for remakes or “reboots”)
  13. We have our house prepared for siding removers
  14. Good conversation with the electrician working as part of our siding project
  15. Biking to a new location from home for the first time
  16. Harvesting tomatoes and zucchini from our garden
  17. Making scrambled eggs, which turned out to be the best I eggs I remember making (Sep. 18)
  18. The first phase of re-siding our house has finally begun!
  19. Eating take-out outside with my wife for dinner
  20. Good advising meeting with graduate student
  21. My students finally got our lab computer connected to the internet.
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How to Vote in November – Paul Borthwick

Posted on 2016-Sep-20 by corwin

Source: How to Vote in November – Paul Borthwick

I would like to just quote Mr. Borthwick’s post verbatim, but I will just give you the most important points for me:

As a Christian, I am challenged to keep control over my tongue (James 3) and offer speech seasoned with grace so that I know how to answer people (Colossians 4:6).  I know that our national family and my Christian family deeply disagree over this election, the candidates, and the issues at hand, but I must be willing to air my views as graciously as possible, with conviction but without trash-talking the people with whom I disagree.

“What do these candidates tell me about my country?  About our values?  About ongoing racism?  About our commitment to truthfulness?  About our view on the sanctity of all human lives? About me?”  I find it easier to confess before God that “I live amongst a people of unclean lips,” but I don’t like the idea of confessing that “I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6).  I hate turning the mirror on myself and acknowledging that I am part and often a participant in America’s problems and sins.

my research on the person I vote for as president is important, but so is the research I do on who I vote for in the senate and the House of Representatives, all the way down to the local school committee or sheriff.

That last point is especially true in a state like South Dakota where the winner of the Presidential race is already almost certain.

 

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Gratitude List (Sep. 7 – 13)

Posted on 2016-Sep-14 by corwin
  1. We did well in our first group “playing test” in Symphonic Band
  2. A meeting with a student and ADA counselor went well
  3. My class went well (Sep. 7)
  4. My parents and sister had a safe drive to South Dakota
  5. I was able to be home to greet them when they arrived
  6. They enjoyed our home and their guest rooms
  7. Visiting Dinosaur Park with my family
  8. Getting pizza and kombucha at the Farmers’ Market with them
  9. My sister and wife playing an impromptu flute duet
  10. They thought our grilled food wad delicious, and I think they were right.
  11. Touring my wife’s office, my office, my lab, the Geology Museum, and the Music Center with my parents and sister
  12. They enjoyed our department root beer float social event
  13. Dinner with my family at Murphy’s
  14. My mom’s reaction to our washer and dryer
  15. My mom brought a photograph with four generations of our familyfourgenerations
  16. Good food and discussion at The Well potluck (Sep. 11)
  17. Walking in a fundraiser for the Black Hills Symphony Orchestra
  18. We both won door prizes at the fundraiser
  19. I was able to get enough work done to relax and enjoy my family’s visit
  20. Enjoying leftover’s from Murphy’s
  21. Made grilled cheese sandwiches in the department toaster oven for the first time (Sep. 12)
  22. I was able to help a student submit his quiz through our school’s online system.
  23. My wife and I could communicate despite a forgotten phone (Sep. 12)
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Gratitude List (Aug. 31 – Sep. 6)

Posted on 2016-Sep-07 by corwin
  1. Talking with the President at Payday Coffee and Cookies
  2. Meeting the Assistance soccer coach (Andrew) and a trainer (Sean) at Payday Coffee and Cookies
  3. Physics Lunch Club at Dickey’s
  4. My class went better than I expected (Aug. 31)
  5. First set of homework assignments for my class are with the grader
  6. My new book for the Wobbly Table arrived
  7. Productive Gradate Committee meeting
  8. Our TV room is cleaned and ready for guests
  9. We found some missing curtains
  10. I bought lots of good fruit at the Farmers Market
  11. Explored some streets on my bike that I had not ridden before.
  12. My wife and I cleared out enough floor space for a guest in a previously cluttered room
  13. Time to rest on Sunday morning
  14. Found mint essential oil for sale near our house
  15. Found good deals on work pants at Kohl’s
  16. Found a bicycle route to Kohl’s
  17. Processed a large stack of mail
  18. Bought groceries for my family’s visit this weekend
  19. Intervarsity prayer meeting
  20. Good meeting planning for a trip to see next year’s total solar eclipse in Nebraska.
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My Prayer For Today

Posted on 2016-Sep-01 by corwin

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. -Ephesians 1:17-21 (NRSV)

Father of glory,

You are powerful enough to have raised people from the dead. You are powerful enough strengthen your followers to endure unimaginable pain, hardship, and death for the sake of what is true. You are loving enough to use that power for those who believe in you.

Surely then, you are powerful enough to grant me what I need to do what is good in my life today.

Amen.

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Gratitude List (Aug. 24-30)

Posted on 2016-Aug-31 by corwin
  1. Meeting with an old friend from high school while they were visiting Rapid City!
  2. Meeting my wife’s colleagues at the President’s welcome picnic
  3. Starting to implement an active learning technique in my graduate physics class
  4. First group meeting of the semester with our undergraduates back on campus
  5. More good fair food
  6. Riding fair rides as part of the Moonlight Madness deal
  7. Playing Bingo at the fair
  8. Winning two bingo games at the fair
  9. The view of the city form the top of the Ferris Wheel.
  10. Viewing an art exhibit by one of my fellow professors at SDSM&T in our city’s art gallery.
  11. Time to rest this weekend
  12. Getting lots of work done around the house
  13. Cooking with my wife (Chicken a la king)
  14. Cooking and eating produce from our garden (kale, bell peppers, and zucchini)
  15. Our first staff meeting of the semester was shorter than scheduled
  16. Eating dinner outside with my wife before band rehearsal
  17. Keeping in touch with friends via e-mail and social media
  18. Installing new parts on radon monitor.
  19. Useful meeting with our admissions staff
  20. Moving a piece of equipment from a colleague’s lab into ours
  21. Learning much about Lakota culture by attending my first Lakota Cultural Forum
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Stars on the Flag: 60

Posted on 2016-Aug-29 by corwin

For an explanation of this post and the origin of these designs, see the Introduction. We would have needed a flag of 60 stars if

Star060_CheckStar

This arrangement has been suggested elsewhere.

Star060_Arkansas Star060_CheckBlue Star060_CheckBorder Star060_CheckEven Star060_CheckEvenInv  Star060_Circle_Hex Star060_Circle_Pent Star060_Colorado2 Star060_ColoradoM4 Star060_Grid Star060_Illinois Star060_NC Star060_NevadaM4 Star060_Utah

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Gratitude List (Aug. 17 – 23)

Posted on 2016-Aug-24 by corwin
  1. I took the opportunity to ask a question of the President of SDSM&T at the Fall Convocation
  2. Someone later complimented me on the question
  3. Gathering with graduate students and my wife at the Firehouse after Qualifying Exams
  4. Watching a thunderstorm on our back deck
  5. Meeting with one of our incoming Physics freshman and his mother
  6. Hosting a Community Meal at our house (Aug. 23)
  7. Meeting new friends at the community meal
  8. Watching one of my friend’s older children hold and play with another’s baby gently.
  9. My friend’s daughter wearing Darth Vader earrings
  10. The first band rehearsal of the new semester
  11. Having a new tuba player in our section
  12. Our new band director is very organized.
  13. Shopping with my wife at the Farmers Market
  14. Sampling the surprisingly good gluten-free
  15. Buying tickets to a concert by Itzhak Perlman.
  16. The surprise decorations my wife put on our basement wall
  17. Teaching my first class of the semester
  18. Nachos and cream puff at the Central States Fair
  19. Watching the Society of Physics Students Wrestle a Pig at the Central States Fair
  20. Biking with my wife to and from the fair.
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The World Wide Web, brought to you by Particle Physicists!

Posted on 2016-Aug-23 by corwin

Internaut day is being celebrated around the world on 23 August to mark the invention of the World Wide Web. An “internaut” is a person who possesses a thorough knowledge of how to use the Internet and its history. But what is the history of the web?

Source: Internaut Day and the World Wide Web | CERN

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