Isn't That Special

Rapture-Ready Evangelicals Impersonate Army Officers.

PotW

The new picture of the week is up.

15 June 2008 Mountain Charlie McKiernan's Silver Skull The main body of the text on this monument tells the story: Near here in Mountain Charlie gulch on May 8, 1854, Charles Henry "Mountain Charlie" McKiernan and a friend named Taylor were attacked by a grizzly bear. The bear sprang from a thicket, both men fired, but the bear grabbed Mountain Charlie, biting him on the arms and face. A piece of skull about 4 inches square was bitten from over Mountain Charlie's left eye and nose by the bear. Dr. T.J. Ingersoll of San Jose prepared a plate of silver and applied it to the area of the missing skull at McKiernan's request. In the ensuing week, the plate was not healing and it was removed against Mountain Charlie's protests. About a year later an operation to remove an abscess under the brain relieved his intolerable pain. Mountain Charlie was much disfigured from his wounds, but he survived another 38 years. Thus began the legend and folklore about the man with the "silver skull." Approx. location: 37° 07' 37" N, 121° 59' 20" W

The link to the story is different in the details; the thumbnail links to a photo of the whole plaque.

Indians Fire/ Friday's Sky

This was our sky here Friday around six PM. The color has not been adjusted. EDIT: apparently it was smoke from the Indians fire, not the Martin fire.

Kangaroo Paws

Just for fun, a shot of Kangaroo Paws taken at the University of California Santa Cruz Arboretum a couple of weeks ago.

Kangaroo Paws are native to Australia, but adapt quite nicely to the conditions around UCSC.

How are textbooks chosen?

An amazing account of how math textbooks for public schools in California were chosen back in 1964, by Richard Feynman.

I don't know how closely this represents the way it's done now, but I'd bet it's still pretty similar.