The start of The Singularity?

Probably not.

But it's interesting that within the past few days:

• A man strapped a DIY jet pack to his back and flew across the English Channel.
• A private company launched a rocket into an orbital attitude.
• Physics Review Letters has apparently accepted an article (preprint here) hypothesizing an alternative explanation for "dark energy," which is that it doesn't exist because the Copernican Principle - the idea that earth is not located at a special point in the universe - is wrong.

Life is grand.

Cheers...

Apropos of travel...

It might be argued that, were I only to go to New York to use the place as a jumping-off point for my business trip, and to return once it's over (with, perhaps, a side trip to Orlando for the ATA conference), I wouldn't need the full complement of stuff that I might take if I were also to campaign in Kazakhstan.

So now, I have to figure out how to most efficiently pack a whole lot of extra stuff to take to New York with me, in addition to all of the other hoopla that's likely to go down around here over today and tomorrow.

The Plate™ weighs about 8,000 source words, and I must make certain not to add to its size. In addition, today I must finalize travel plans, send invoices, and spend a little time deciding whether it's feasible to build a lap desk that will allow me to work in the car while Galina is driving.

Daylight is smoldering viciously!

Cheers...

Up for air...

The current plan is to complete (and invoice) about 6300 words between today and tomorrow, which would leave about 1900 words to be done while literally "on the road." I've gone considerably more than halfway today, completing 3700 words.

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I have mixed feelings about the prospect of working in the car. On the one hand, I'm curious to see if it can be done; on the other, I'm slightly terrified of the possibility that it can.

The last time I did anything of the sort was back in November 2004 - on the Marine Corps Birthday, as a matter of fact - when I left my parents' place for the drive back to Colorado. Soon after crossing over from New York into New Jersey, I got a call from a client to do an urgent translation, which I did by pulling off the Interstate and finding a wifi hotspot in a coffee shop at a Borders bookstore.

I've already constructed a lap desk that seems serviceable, using some masonite and a plastic table drawer (which will provide convenient storage for Things That Must Not Be Misplace™). Now all I need is some rubberized shelf liner to keep hammer from sliding around while I'm working and a cardboard shield to keep the computer's screen out of the sunlight.

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Shiloh has acclimatized well to Pagosa. I was initially concerned that she might run off, but experience shows that she stays pretty close to the house, so I don't particularly worry about keeping her confined.

We'll be taking Shiloh with us to New York, because despite all of her juvenile antics - something that I keep saying I should do something about - she is a good companion. That quality about her will be particularly critical while I'm overseas and Galina is by herself.

Cheers...