New respect for flying rats

Yesterday on my walk I noticed an explosion of pigeon feathers on the lawn of the Ellipse. It wasn't gory, but it was impressive. Definitely a whole pigeon's worth. "Huh," thought I, "I wonder what's hunting the pigeons?" Red-tail hawk was my first thought. Then mere minutes later as I was crossing the Washington Monument grounds, I had my answer: Two birds came haring into my field of vision, right on top of each other, flying all rickety in what looked like close formation, until one veered off suddenly to safety among a little copse of (I think) old cherry trees, and the other swooped up to take a scanning perch on a much taller tree at the edge of the lawn. Not a red-tail; a peregrine falcon. Very pointy. Wings almost like a seagull at first glance. Knowing that a pigeon can outmaneuver a peregrine in (pretty much) level flight gives me new respect for pigeons.

Macrobeauty

High-speed photography of colorful water droplets. I'm not sure where the color comes from (lights? paint?) but they sure are cool. Thanks to Will for the heads up. (Oh, upon further investigation: it is paint.)

Eerie.

While taking my pulses this morning, my Chinese doctor (hereinafter referred to as JPG, which are his initials, not a file extension) asked me if I had a cold. "Mmmaybe," said I. "Not a cold, I don't think. Just the sniffles."
During my lunchtime walk I was meditating cheerfully on the pleasingness of the expression "the sniffles". All onomatopoeiac and quaint, like "the ague." Plus it's fun to say. Sniffles.
Now I'm pretty sure I do have a cold. All kinds of sneezing and nose-blowing and itchy throat. Booooo. But good on JPG for being able to tell me I had a cold eight hours in advance of me becoming aware of it.

Humor!

I'm not generally a big humor-forwarder on the tubes, but Darth Vixen sent me this "Font Conference" and I thought I'd pass it on.

Disappearing Ducks!

They're gone.
All the ducks in Lafayette Park are gone.
The grounds-crew there is in the process of cleaning out the eastern pond, presumably as part of Inauguration Day preparations (which are messing with my lunchtime walk bigtime).
The pond is empty.
I want to know where the ducks went.

Optimism as a revolutionary act

I'm not talking about Obama.
I was thinking about Lloyd Dobler (because Ehren confessed during our "favorite movies" staff meeting that Lloyd Dobler is his role model).

Ducklings, hope, and gambling

There are ducks in Lafayette Park. I am looking cheerfully forward to the spring, when I imagine there will be ducklings.

My favorite thing about the election results is that I feel they are a triumph for hope over fear, for optimism over doomsaying, and for dreams over nightmares.

My least favorite thing about the election results is that Maryland voters approved the slot machine referendum. I've been getting gradually more disapproving about gambling, including lotteries and slot machines. I feel like they are an amusement for the rich and a tax for the poor. Since much of the slot machine revenues are supposed to go into school coffers, I hope the schools teach kids enough math that they grow up to never risk their grocery money on slots.