The miracle of the loaves

As a half-Italian guy who believes he is 100% Italian, I always have a few loaves of Italian bread in the freezer.

I used to take a loaf out and cut a shallow line into the frozen bread, all around in a ring. And then I'd crack the loaf on the edge of a formica counter. One day I noticed that the severed halves had a smooth cut all the way through. How could that be? I'd only cut a millimeter or two into the bread. Yet the entire cut was perfectly smooth.

I realized what this meant. So the next time I took out a frozen loaf, I didn't cut it at all. I just smashed it on the edge of the counter and it split in half with a perfectly smooth cut as if I'd done it with a knife.

I don't understand how this happens. Stay tuned for more weird things in future posts. And if any reader can explain why this isn't weird at all, but quite normal -- chime in with a comment. (Something about the crystalline structure that occurs in freezing?)

The iPhone sketcher's subway series

If you haven't visited the iPhone Sketchbook Drawings blog, give it a click. The blogger is Eric Molinsky and the site showcases his drawings of people he encounters in the NYC subway system.

He does the drawings with one finger on his iPhone, using Sketchbook Express, the same program my cousin Carmine used to draw the popey guy.

Molinsky's drawings are simple yet each one seems to capture a living person. You almost feel you know things about his subjects. What a talented guy.

Nice crow story today in the NYT

The New York Times has an interesting story about New Caledonian crows. They're the smartest of all crows, which is saying a lot. If you like stories about smart crows, you'll enjoy this one. (But the author ends on an abrupt, clunky note. Very odd.)

New, fuzzy bunny scanners

It seems America's innocence and purity will be preserved after all. Have you seen the new "modest" scanners for airport use? 

Instead of those darn intrusive scans that showed, you know, stuff, these new, improved modest scanners only show a pink fuzzy bunny figure for women, and a blue fuzzy bunny figure for men. 

Thank heavens!  I know I'll rest easier tonight. You?

The ice storm cometh

An ice storm is heading my way tonight, on top of the snowstorm that's still occurring. There's lotsa snow out there. So if I disappear from these fine intertubes for a day or so, have no fear. I will dig myself out and claw my way back here as soon as I can. 

But jeez, enough with the winter storms already. It's wearing on us; it really is. I've met so many people lately who are depressed. Their energy has been drained by the fierce cold and endless storms. We need Spring and baseball now! Do you hear me, Flying Spaghetti Monster? (And hey! It's only two weeks to pitchers and catchers, or is it catchers and pitchers? Either way: hoo hoo!)

Having the right people on your side

AP: "Egypt's military pledged not to fire on protesters in a sign that army support for President Hosni Mubarak may be unraveling on the eve of a major escalation — a push for a million people to take to the streets Tuesday to demand the authoritarian leader's ouster."

It's very cool when you have the military on your side. It made me wonder. If we get a ton of gay men and lesbians to enlist, and they take over the armed forces, maybe the military will be on our side when the government goes completely bonkers and tries to imprison us all. 

 Wouldn't that be cool? What? Oh. Never mind. 

Oh, for a robot companion

I long for an robot companion. At least, we used to call them robots. But as they inched closer and closer to human form -- in fiction, anyway -- someone invented a term to distinguish these human-form robots from their tin predecessors. And this happened in the 1860s; is that weird, or what? I had thought it was a modern term.

In any case, we now have the term android, meaning a robot in human form. Me, I like robot. No need to muddy the issue. And I think when the reality comes along we'll call them what they are: robots. Sorry if this offends you, Data.

If humans still exist in the distant future, they will live with robots (or more likely, be robots, but I'll cover that in a later post). These machines will be so sophisticated we can't even sniff it from here. These perfect beings call to me, especially as I drift off to sleep. I would give my (nonexistent) soul to meet one, and even more, maybe something real, to be one.

All of which is a major digression on the way to a simple book query. In one of Isaac Asimov's stories, there is a scene where someone, perhaps Daneel Olivaw, visits a woman who lives with robot companions. On her world, humans no longer interact physically. They live their lives entirely without human contact, preferring the company of robots -- as servants, companions and lovers. I liked the sound of that.

The problem is, I'm vague about where I read this. Maybe it wasn't even Asimov. I would love to reread the book or story. If this is familiar to anyone and they can point me to the book, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.