I'm the IT manager for the UVa Physics Department. I have a PhD in physics, and used to do research in nuclear physics. I teach introductory programming to undergrads. Also, flies are underrated.
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2026-08-17T10:03:25Z Event JSON
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Last Notes npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright I'm reading _Empire of Grass_, the second volume of Tad Williams' "The Last King of Osten Ard", but I have to put it down fequently because of anxiety about the characters. One thing I love about Tad Williams' writing is that I have no idea how this book will end. I'm constantly surprised by the twists and turns of the plot (and many sub-plots). npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright Here's something you don't see every day. "Baseball sized hail"?! "80 mph winds"?! There was also a tornado warning. A severe storm passed over us a few minutes ago, but didn't do any damage here. npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright For a while now I've been trying to track down an obscure late-1970s TV show that I vaguely remember. I don't recall the title, but I think the show was syndicated and shown by local stations in empty weekend afternoon slots. npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…gtjj npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright I love the fact that these sweet little bundles of fuzz are called "pussytoes" (Antennaria). npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright Magnolia buds, from a month ago. Now they've opened, faded, and are gone again until next year. npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright Yesterday's picture of a mayapple blossom prompted me to look them up in Wikipedia, where I was surprised to find that they're a member of the barberry family. npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…yn42 npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright I've been re-reading _Love and Rockets_ and I'm surprised at what a sympathetic character Vivian Solis is when she's first introduced. Vivian is a beautiful, loud, self-centered, annoying, impatient person. She has no idea why people do the things they do. Their reactions are a mystery to her, and this frustrates and bewilders her, but she's become numb to it much of the time. Sometimes it's too much, and she seems to want to grab people, shake them, and shout "Explain it to me!" npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright We went to a #NoKings rally today in the small town of Orange, in rural Virginia. My guess is that there were a couple of hundred people there. This is a red town in a red county, but the vast majority of the cars passing by were supportive. npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright I've been rearranging our audio files, putting them all onto a Jellyfin server, and I came across a recording of this, captured from a scratchy LP. Back during the 80s I loved this album and played it constantly. Sometime in the 90s I heard them live here at UVa. Apparently, this album still gives me goosebumps. npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…texd npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright Another comic: npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright Another recently-read comic: npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…mzx8 npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…pfuj npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…8g36 npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…8g36 npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…ck2t npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright This is a little gothic chapel on UVa's otherwise neoclassical red brick / white columns grounds. A few nights ago I dreamed that the area around this building was covered with shoulder-high cattails. Brick-paved paths wound through them, for the benefit of people allergic to cattails (dream logic!) npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…d4c6 @nprofile…pfuj npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…texd npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…texd npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…texd npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…texd npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…pfuj npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…cxs6 npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…ef5q npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright Earlier, my son unexpectedly tossed me a snack bar, prompting a whole discussion about "manna from heaven" and leading to this fascinating Wikipedia article. npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…vx93 npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…7eat npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…lhzn npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…qxqf npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…qxqf npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…emut npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright Birthday books! npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…5uqu @nprofile…9pr4 npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…texd npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…xtr4 npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright This article raises questions: npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright The problem with sunny winter days is that the lumps of ladybugs, previously solidified in the corners of the cieling, begin to melt and then evaporate. There's a cloud of warm ladybugs zipping around the bathroom. npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…szxa npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…2mmh npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…pfuj npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…pfuj npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…zcd6 npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…r2dc npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…texd npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…texd npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…pfuj npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright We attended a memorial and Protest today in honor of Renee Good, who was recently murdered by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright #SilentSunday npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…nger npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…nger npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…r2dc npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…pfuj npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…hfhx npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…pfuj npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…r2dc npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…r2dc npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…r2dc npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…texd npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…pfuj npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…texd npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…qxqf npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…qxqf npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright Some recently-closed Wikipedia tabs. npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…pfuj npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…texd npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…gpr7 npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright A small frog basking in the sun. npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright #SilentSunday npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…pfuj npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…pfuj npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…lfh7 npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…5tsk npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…texd npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…d4c6 npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright Geese, rock, river, driftwood, sunlight, all badly framed. npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…qxqf npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…texd npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…qxqf npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…qxqf npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…gwtx @nprofile…as6p npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright The first comic I read this year was volume 6 of LumberJanes. This is pure, delightful comfort reading and I love it. npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright I've been reading a lot of books from StandardEbooks lately, and my first book of the year was this short collection of short stories by Daphne DuMaurier. Some of these just came into the public domain in the US on January 1. The stories tend to be deep, insightful character sketches of ordinary people facing ordinary problems, often due to personality quirks that are beyond their ability to control. npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…08j2 npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…dknm npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…zmxz npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…dknm npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…9qke npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright Here's a sample of the writing: npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright I've started reading _The Patient in Room 18_ by Mignon G. Eberhart and it's wonderful. Mysteries often revolve around small details of everyday life, so old mysteries like this one, written in 1929, give an intimate view of a former time. In this case, the setting is a large midwestern hospital, as seen through the eyes of a middle-aged nurse. npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…e4ry npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…34wl npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…6mcg npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…e4ry npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…0k89 npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…hj7d npub18p7c0mamknhwsdlt334ndmlawkyet8s5s2w85ahydcxnv8pasyxsa7txpu Bryan Wright @nprofile…z4s0 @nprofile…a8pg
