A cat always lands on its feet

Along the same lines of the paradox that asks: “if you strapped a piece of buttered toast, face-up, on the back of a cat and tossed it into the air, which holds true: A cat lands on its feet or a piece of buttered toast always lands face-down?”

I don’t know if the following video is more cool or cruel (but I’m sure the cat got over it). It comes from the American Air Force Academy’s training on the KC-135A Reduced Gravity Research Program which flies an empty passenger jet (affectionately called the “Vomit Comet”) in a parabolic arc at the appropriate speed over the appropriate amount of time to simulate weightlessness within the Earth’s atmosphere. Researchers suspend a cat in the weightless environment while it tries to figure out which way is up.

Cat in 0G (Quicktime)

Queen’s Blogger Meetup – Post-game analysis

Homecoming weekend was a success. I met up with some old friends, introduced new grad school friends to some Queen’s traditions and met up with a few fellow bloggers.

It turned out that Alfie’s was in fact closed and Clark Hall Pub was open (contrary to the homecoming weekend schedule posted in the Journal) so after the initial meet-up inside the JDUC, we decided to move the fun to the QP where beer and good times were had by all. Al McLeod of Gen X at 40 joined the fun for a short while before going out for a night on the town with his better half (hopefully he caught the latter half of the BoSox game). John Hamilton, Matt Fletcher and the elusive “Blackhole” from View From In Here and myself talked about everything from AMS politics to, well, federal politics to our blog war stories and l’affair Kinsella.

The party then spilled out onto Aberdeen where we joined about 3000 Queen’s students, past and present, for the greatest Kingston block party of the year. I believe that the police presence didn’t dampen the party too much; however, it was the first year that I saw an alumnus (a 40 year old alumnus) in handcuffs and under arrest. I’m sure that even he would agree that the party was a mad success and that we’ll see everyone back on Aberdeen next year.

Cha Gheill!

Homecoming weekend 2004 002.jpg

(L-R) “Blackhole”, Stephen Taylor, Matt Fletcher, John Hamilton at the QP

Queen’s University Blogger Meetup

aberdeen-street-party-homecoming-queens.jpgNow is the time when we party

That’s right! It’s homecoming weekend… where alums, old and new, mix it up with the crazy kids at Crazy Go Nuts University for a weekend of football, pancake keggers and memories new, recalled and fuzzy.

We also thought that this would be a perfect opportunity for Queen’s past, present (and future) bloggers to meetup. The festivities kickoff at Alfie’s (formally the Underground for you older kids) at 6:30pm on Saturday and will probably spill into Aberdeen as the night progresses.

Join Joey (Accordion Guy) DeVilla, Matt Fletcher, John Hamilton and I and others at Queen’s this weekend for this 1st annual (yeah, 1st annual) Queen’s blogger meetup.

Every blogger currently at Queen’s, that has graduated from Queen’s or any Queen’s student/alum that plans to start blogging is welcome to join us for cheers, beers and an oil thigh this weekend.

Cha Gheill!

Give my cell a call if you’re lost this weekend: 540-2001