Extraterrestrial Browser

I like this, but I like many of the posts at this site.
see famous look-a-like faces
Variable Star V838 Monocerotis Totally Looks Like Firefox Logo
Here's another that cracked me up:

see famous look-a-like faces
This Funky Cat Totally Looks Like The Funky James Carville

Monday Mineral: Natrolite

Starting with a crop from the first picture in last week's Monday Mineral, you can see the acicular (needle-like) crystals of natrolite in amongst the blocky crystals of apophyllite. Natrolite is a member of the zeolite group of minerals. They are hydrated alumino-silicates, meaning that there is water bound onto an aluminum and silicon oxide framework, along with various metallic ions; in the case of natrolite, the major metal is sodium.The name "zeolite" comes from the Greek "zein," meaning "to boil," and "lithos," meaning "stone." As a group, heating them causes them to swell and give off water vapor. Natrolite doesn't show this as well as some others, but it does show it. There are two reasons to start with this particular zeolite: first, I've got a couple of decent samples. : ) Second, it's the most common zeolite around here. As a budding geo undergrad, it was the first mineral I could dependably identify. Like apophyllite, it is tetragonal, It is orthorhombic (I really should look this stuff up rather than counting on my memory) but only a few samples I've ever found allowed me to actually observe that symmetry. The crystals are normally in dense, radiating clusters. They seem to start at a point of nucleation, then grow outward en masse. So the color (white to light pastels) and the radiating bundles, along with occurence (mafic to intermediate igneous rocks, as a secondary mineral in fractures and voids, especially in pillow basalts), are the features I find particularly useful for ID. The above picture shows the surface of a goup of clusters; below is an oblique view to show the side and top together. And below is a side view of the clusters. This is the bottom of the same sample; this would have been the surface from which the whole mass grew.
Since it's a very showy mineral, and contrasts with its darker host material, people out on hikes tend to pick it up and carry it home. Eventually it makes its way to the garden, as with this piece I pried out of a neighbor's yard this morning. I put it back before I ID'd the glassy mineral on top of this sample; trying to tell from the picture, I suspect it's either calcite (but the cleavage doesn't look right) or analcime (another fairly common zeolite). The sample pictured in the middle four images is from a quarry on McCulloch Peak in McDonald State Forest. The forest is a Oregon State Research facility, so you can't drive here without permission and a key to the gates. But you can hike, bike, or ride a horse; the public is allowed on the forest lands, they just can't drive onto them. And the built-up area to the lower right (SE) is my lovely home town- or a small corner of it. Pin coordinates are 44.634523° -123.346144°

Superb Owl

I'm not a fan of sports, as I've mentioned before, but as long as the event doesn't impose on me (with, say, screaming in the streets), I can tolerate it. Thus yesterday's event had little impact on me. It is fun to read about people's culinary experiments, and fun to read about folks having fun. It's my kind of sports. But I have to say, this piece by Teddy Partridge at FireDogLake moves it from "indifferent" to "positive" for me. And heading it with a clip of Roseanne Roseannadanna is genius... necessary, but genius.

FDA Warning

The FDA has issued an alert to keep the computer laser-mouse devices away from children. There is apparently serious concern that kids can get LED poisoning from them.

Dropped Call

I don't have a phone. Dislike them intensely. I understand they're a necessity for many, but why for God's sake do you need to have it out at Crater Lake? Maybe taking a picture, I don't know. But the short story is, man drops phone, friend tries to retrieve it, falls 200 feet into the Crater Lake Caldera, stops 20 feet from a cliff that would have dropped him into the lake.

Long story with pictures here. Cell phones aren't worth it.

Interzone People: Nicholas and Ben

Ben snapped these the other day. The cute kid in his lap is Nicholas, Iris and Bill's younger boy.
He's less of a howler than Jonathon (their older son) was at the same age, very good natured and giggly.
Incidentally, I waited until I asked Iris if I could post these. I think it's important to have permission before I start slapping people's pictures up on the interwebs.
I'm not really sure about that funny hat Ben's wearing, but the colorful wall that really makes these pics vibrant is the mural in the west room here at my favorite coffee shop.

Reykjavik

I'm not a huge fan of Thomas Friedman- his enduring support for the illegal war in Iraq has irritated me from its beginning. However, I do think he is thoughful, and I sometimes agree with what he says. When I don't, it's like a puzzle in that I try to find substantive ways to argue with him. From time to time, he passes on a real funny.

From today's column: "What is the capital of Iceland? Answer: $25."