The President's Budget and Me

The President released his budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2012 this morning.  It may not mean much since we don't yet have a budget for this year.  However, the New York Times has a nice chart showing how the administration is proposing to spend our tax money.

The part of the budget that affects me most directly is the Department of Energy because a grant from that Dept. pays my celery salary, and it provides most of the funding for the experiments on which I work.  It is marked "ENERGY" in the lower right hand portion of the Times chart.  More specifically the budge of High Energy Physics, the subfield in which I work, receives a small increase, as you can see in Slide 24 of Secretary of Energy Steven Chu's presentation of the proposal.

Secretary Chu's FY 2012 Budget Briefing

On Slide 6, you can see that the Tevatron run will not be extended.  This was officially conveyed in a Dept. of Energy memo and has gotten coverage in Fermilab Today, the Beacon News, Science News, and The New York Times.

Upcoming Travel: Miami, Columbus, and Venice!

From Feb. 5 - 8, my wife's late birthday and early Valentine's Day present is a trip to someplace warmer than here!  That doesn't narrow things down very much, but having a friend offer to host us in the Miami area certainly does.  When I planned this trip, I didn't realize it was Super Bowl weekend.  However, we certainly plan to be watching Pittsburgh vs. Green Bay.  I am from Wisconsin and married into the Steeler Nation, so whoever wins, I will have a reason to celebrate.

On Mar. 13, we will be in Columbus, OH to see our friends Stephen and Danielle get married.

That evening, we will fly from Columbus to Venice, Italy, where I am scheduled to give a presentation on the MINOS experiment at the 14th International Workshop on Neutrino Telescopes!  We are going to be in Italy for a week.  It should also be warmer than Chicago.  This will be my second trip to Italy and Kelly's first.

It really is amazing all the blessings God has given us, and the places (both literal and figurative) that he is taking us.

Super Bowl XLV

I believe

I believe

God can heal

all our wounds.

Cold Ride

This is what the thermometer read when I left to ride my bicycle to work this morning.  The bottom number is the outside temperature in Fahrenheit. In this weather, I appreciate the irony inherent in the fact that I ride in part to combat global warming.

NOvA's First Neutrino!

"It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out."- Proverbs 25:2

"An Acquisition" A short play

Scene 1

[Interior, sparsely decorated kitchen with Roommate 1 sitting at a table eating cereal. A calendar on the wall indicates the date is Oct. 30]

[Enter Roommate 2]

Roommate 1: Morning

Roommate 2: Morning. The house seems warmer this morning.

Roommate 1: Yeah, it got cold enough last night that I finally turned on the heat.

Roommate 2: Okay...

Roommate 1: Don't worry; I only put the thermostat at 60. I'll still be able to pay my share of the gas bill.

Roommate 2: Thanks. By the way, we're low on toilet paper.

Roommate 1: Oh. [pause] I'll pick some up tomorrow.

Roommate 2: Thanks.

[End Scene I]

Scene 2

[Exterior, A scarecrow sits in a lawn chair near a tree in front of a house. Lit jack-o-lanterns are also present. Sounds of children trick-or-treating are in the background.]

[Enter several youths wearing mischievous grins and bearing toilet paper.]

Youth 1: [whispers] Ready?

Rest: [whisper] Ready.

[Several youths cock their arms to throw the toilet paper.]

Scarecrow: Hey you kids, get off my lawn!

[Scarecrow leaps out of chair brandishing a large menacing gun, pointed at the youths]

Youths: [Various profanities]

[Youths drop toilet paper and run off stage]

Scene 3

[Interior, same as scene 1]

[Enter Roommate 2 in full paintball gear]

Roommate 2: Morning.

Roommate 1: Morning.

Roommate 2: Have you seen my paintball gun?

Roommate 1: I put it back on your dresser.

Roommate 2: Ah, thanks.

[Exit roommate 2]

Roommate 2 [from offstage]: Oh, thanks for getting the toilet paper.

Roommate 1: You're quite welcome.

Roommate 2: How much do I owe you for it?

Roommate 1: Nothing. It was a donation ... of sorts.

Roommate 2: Okaaaaaaaaay.

[End]