Scientists have issued a weather forecast for the oily oceans of Titan, Saturn's major moon and a target for a space probe landing next year.

Read all about it here.

Here's a link for more on the Cassini mission and the Huygens probe.

Thanks to Across the Atlantic for the pointer.

Posted by: Ted at 10:54 AM | category: Space Program
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Here's a neat page about the oldest-surviving McDonalds (the third one built), with pictures. Growing up, we had one very much like this in our town. Not real close, it was a treat for us every time we went.

Thanks to Transterrestrial Musings for the pointer.

Burger King sucks.

Posted by: Ted at 09:57 AM | category: History
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1 I am a lifelong Burger Thing hater. And usually surrounded by fans of the abominable franchise. Thank God Mrs. Buckethead is not a BK fan.

btw, thanks for the compliment on the space history post.

Posted by: buckethead at April 01, 2004 05:34 PM (ztNrs)

2 Always been a McD's person myself, too. BK's fries are gross. Always cold. Even when they're not cold, they're gross. IMHO. Aren't you glad I stopped by to participate in the discussion? Heh.

Posted by: topdawg at April 01, 2004 07:18 PM (JMaAr)

3 On two different occasions, in two different states, we were driving on vacation and the only thing on the interstate was BK. I ordered a burger and TWICE we got on the road and discovered there was no top bun. That's not incompetence, that's malice.

Plus their commercials insult my intelligence.

Posted by: Ted at April 01, 2004 08:16 PM (ZjSa7)

4 Oh, and Topdawg, I'm enjoying the hell out of TND! You keep me smiling.

Posted by: Ted at April 01, 2004 08:17 PM (ZjSa7)

5 At least in Australia, Burger King/Hungry Jack burgers are far superior to the pallid offerings purveyed by Mackers.

Of course the local greasy-spoon burgers are better still, with pineapple, beetroot, lettuce, egg, bacon, onions, tomato, and ketchup. Oh yes, and something vaguely meat-like in there too. (We find the idea of Pickles or Mayo on burgers ... disturbing.)

Mackers, OTOH, does have Party Rooms and Ice Cream cakes, so for those of us who have toddlers underfoot, they have certain advantages on birthdays.

My 2-year old son Andrew summed it up yesterday:
"Mackies! Chippies!"
"OK Andrew, you've been a Good Boy, what do you want?"
"Burger King Chidren Mee!"
(No, I'm not joking, and it's vaguely worrying...)
The nearest Mackers is about 2 km away, the nearest Hungry Jack's is at the other end of the city. *SIGH*

Posted by: Alan E Brain at April 01, 2004 10:13 PM (JtN0G)

6 I must confess to a loathe of McDonald's, though I don't eat so much fast food. I like BK, and even Wendy's, but I do have a thing for Popeye's, when I'm in the mood for it.

Although I was eating Jack in the Box out west and that works for me.

Posted by: Scott at April 06, 2004 04:28 PM (zL4bg)

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Perfect for those days you just don't want to work that hard.

Posted by: Ted at 06:14 AM | category: Links
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March 2004 will go down in the family history as one rotten month all around. Good riddance! Here's a partial rundown, because I need to vent a little, but I'm going to stay vague about some things.

1. Liz's trip to the emergency room when they discovered a mass in her head. She's fine, no problem, getting taken care of.

2. Two other family medical situations, both potentially severe in the long term. One was discovered very early and wil be taken care of in the immediate future, the other one is pretty much untreatable.

3. Me getting the flu or whatever the hell it was. It's been a long while since I've felt that lousy for that long a time. Getting better.

4. Still medical-related, a friend and co-worker was diagnosed with an agressive cancer. It started a month or two ago, and it doesn't look like he'll survive the year. He's right around my age.

5. We had a serious Mookie issue that I won't go into other than to say trust was betrayed. To her credit, she admitted it, feels terrible, and knows she screwed up (none of this "you don't understand, you're being unfair" nonsense). We're working through it together.

6. At work, I got notice that my position is being terminated. I work for a great company, and the day they called to tell me that, they pointed me at a possible new position, which I'll interview for in the next week or two. I expect I'll still have a job with my company, just in a different place. Because I didn't have enough stress going on in my life, fate added this little cherry on top.

So all in all, we're doing fine. There was nothing there that doesn't happen to many people every day, it just didn't have to happen all in one month, ya know? Thanks to my wife Liz, who helps me stay sane (and I, her), and Mookie (who's a good kid if a little odd sometimes), and the two who've already gone out into the big bad world, I know that there's more right with Ted's Universe than wrong.

Thanks also to my friends who let me vent (you know who you are), and those who sent emails and comments. You're appreciated and cherished.

I feel better now. It's a whole new month...

Posted by: Ted at 05:46 AM | category: Seriously
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1 Good luck with the position change. Hope you will still have time to keep up the blog - I certainly enjoy it.

Posted by: Ozguru at April 01, 2004 06:11 AM (pir/c)

2 Oogle. Yeah, sometimes you just need to put the old month behind you and set out into the new.

Best wishes and fingers crossed for all involved.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at April 01, 2004 06:42 AM (+S1Ft)

3 {Ted}

That's a hug--and I wish you a great April!

Posted by: Susie at April 01, 2004 09:10 AM (dD4I4)

4 It is really funny (not haha), how sometimes it seems it can't get any worse and then other times you feel like it's going too good and something bad is going to happen.
Good Luck!
You know that good times will come soon....

Posted by: Blogeline at April 01, 2004 02:02 PM (O27QY)

5 I too bid good riddance to March. (spit!)

Seriously, though, I hope things go much better for you in April. Good luck with the interview, etc.

Posted by: Jennifer at April 01, 2004 03:11 PM (DdBLw)

6 Hmmm, perhaps my share of crap tunneled through the Muniverse and straight to you... March was pretty uneventful for me -- no good or bad stuff, just blah. Sorry, 'bout that. I'll try to pick up the slack this month, ol' bean!

Posted by: Tuning Spork at April 01, 2004 09:51 PM (TNcjc)

7 2004 has so far Sucked. Just been told the 14-yr-old son of a good friend died in a climbing accident last week. I'm still helping another friend whose wife died on New Year's Eve.

I've been unemployed now for 3 months, but that's not big deal - we have our health.

Hope that Karmic balance is soon restored, with all your problems solved. Good Luck and Best Wishes.

Posted by: Alan E Brain at April 01, 2004 11:23 PM (ZtWwy)

8 Let's be right about it, no one really likes March. Even those with birthdays in March. So good riddance I say.

Posted by: Simon at April 02, 2004 05:31 AM (UKqGy)

9 Sending good thoughts your way. Your attitude seems like the type that you will soon be turning things around. Best wishes.

Posted by: John Lanius at April 02, 2004 10:12 PM (QpV7d)

10 March is absolutely the longest month of the year. Day-um. You've survived, and with a smile on your face, no less! I hope that you've gotten your ass kicked enough by fate in March to last the whole year through. *hugs*

Posted by: Dawn at April 07, 2004 01:57 PM (L6pam)

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