John Trant

Nice round number. Why not use it again and again?

If a grifter gave us a huge donation, our leadership would probably give them a gig. I'm not going to pretend we can't be bought. It's just no one has REALLY tried. But we do have standards in general if the donation doesn't lie above about 20 million.

Like...how much DO you work for? Asking for a University.

We also don't give grifters gigs. Which is something I can't say for the Ivies.

We had Marshall McLuhan and Joyce Carol Oates here as lecturers BEFORE they were famous. It's a good starting point is what I'm saying.

Sounds like something you make in situ. In high dilution. With a blast shield. Or two.

While I've long advocated for bringing Canadian CIHR/NSERC funding inline with US NIH/NSF funding...

I didn't mean like this.

Today I spent 1 hour largely discussing whether 16.2 m was significantly different from 16 m and 9.6 seconds was lower than 10 seconds around eyewash station placement. Regulatory probably ok. Practically...this is way too far.

The one thing I've learned is that scheduled losses are generally wins, and scheduled wins are generally loses. I expect them to blow out the Avalanche.

Personally, I think this should require added data forensic info. An explanation showing how it happened, the original data from the instrument, and good tracking of it all. Innocent mistakes are clear. Fabrication is also clear.

Probably a lot of zeroes on this contract--two commas I'm sure.

Yup. Same.

With multiple children, as long as you remember one name, you should be good. When all else fails, just call out your last name. I find that works.

Yeah. The problem with being your own boss is that guy's an asshole. And the employee is a shithead. It's a tough situation really, except you are also HR and rather unhelpful.

We are going quieter this year. I think only about 30 or so.

yes. But a scam that doesn't kill you is different from a scam that causes active harm. Like not getting vaccinated. That's a bad scam. Which I think is connected to this one. (This is how they make money?)

We all know what happens with CSC abstract submission deadlines. It's kind of like the band leaving the stage, and then coming back for the encore. It's expected at this point. I'll be shocked when they don't! (That being said, we submitted ours yesterday and Sunday).

Likely safe because likely unstable. Unless you mount a systemic immune response and die I guess because that's what your HLA and T-cell receptors are feeling like today (by being encoded in your genetics and the random selection of circulating T-cells, and your past exposure to exogenous peptides).

#ChemSky

Today we celebrate the annual extension of abstract submission for the Canadian Society of Chemistry conference (this year in Toronto). Extended to Feb 10, 2026. Come to Canada! See our science! Buy me a drink!

Abstract submission:

www.xcdsystem.com/cic/abstract...

The one thing I've learned is that scheduled losses are generally wins, and scheduled wins are generally loses. I expect them to blow out the Avalanche.

This is a good joke.

Consulship: its MY turn to use the power of the people we control through the threat of force for personal enrichment and glory. Your turn next year!

Essentially there was no early Roman state at all. Simply an uneasy power sharing alliance between super wealthy thuggish families that thought it better to team up than to fight each other. Makes more sense for the entire history of the empire that it built off that.

Yeah. The 3rd century man. Unclear if one can call many really emperor. So many died before power was actually consolidated.

As a middle-aged white man, I spend a lot of time thinking about the Roman Empire. Armstrong's new book "Children of Mars" says something new to me.

We have a lot of writings from the 4th and 5th centuries and they spend very little time on the big picture catastrophes. And a lot of time on the day to day normalcy.

Yes. Absolutely true. Even long after it was over and the writing was EVERYWHERE (450 AD), no one could imagine an alternative. A bit more political violence though.

How challenging would it be to move ALL the US-based games to Mexico and Canada for #Fifa2026? Like, we both have the facilities to host all built already and ready to go. Finals in Mexico City. I think it would be a continental party!!! This could likely be arranged quickly.

I think the little guy needs to be stored bottom left while that gets moved around. I think I see the moves, but I might be missing something here.

The one you have top right in the final pic, needs to fall to the bottom side of the right hand side. Then the little guy will be able to be pushed all the way up and taken out of the game (or moved to the final position). You have blocking pieces in all quadrants here preventing progress.

Looks like a sliding version of the Tower of Hanoi puzzle? Should be the same algorithmic solution?