Monday, February 16, 2009

Death by Black Hole


Neil De Grasse Tyson has come out with a great collection of essays on astrophyisical subjects. Tyson is a very entertaining scientist who creates concrete pictures of astronomical ideas, depicting abstract issues as they bear on the senses. He also has a great sense of humor and knows how to extend our sense of reality through science. The best thing he does is show how the scientific mind works. In his most famous essay, " Death by Black Hole" placed in this compilation, Tyson tries to describe what it would be like to be drawn into a black hole from a personal and scientific point of view. He goes into detail about how your body would be stretched when entering the black hole (spagettification) and in so doing describes the physical processes that would distort the body. Tyson makes these difficult concepts of physics understandable. In another essay, Tyson discusses the ends of the world, plural, showing how the universe will slowly disperse and cool. He also considers the role of chaos in the functioning of the solar system despite the phyical laws it follows and he considers the role of antimatter in maintaining the balance of the universe. He is a very lively and interesting writer who can make science an attractive subject for almost anyone. This is a good read.


This Week at Watha T. Feb. 16-23

Good Morning Neighbors!

We've got a couple of hot book clubs for you this week. So stop in and talk to us about your favorite urban fiction and learn a little something about Manga for adults.

Here's what's going on this week at Watha T.

Monday, 2/16

10:00: Mother Goose on the Loose
12:00: Picturing America: Lincoln
3:00: Film Presentation: The Presidents - Washington to Lincoln

Tuesday, 2/17

10:00: Story Time
4:00: Tech Tuesday: Online Job Applications

Wednesday, 2/18

10:00: Rock Along with Casey
4:00: Towanda's Hot Picks
6:00: Chess Club

Thursday, 2/19

3:30: Game Time for Teens
4:00: Comic Reader's Group discusses Manga for Adults

Friday, 2:20

3:30: Anime

Saturday, 2/21

10:00: Story Time for Families
12:00: Black History Film Series: Biography of Thurgood Marshall
3:00: Black History Lecture Series: Carter G. Woodson's Washington

Sunday, 2/22

3:00: Sunday Folktales with Nick

Monday, 2/23

9:45: Mother Goose on the Loose
3:30: Homework Help from Capitol Letters Writing Center
6:00: Lecture: Gandhi and Non-Violence

Thursday, February 12, 2009

The Sanctum Sanctorum

Sanctum SanctorumWhile in New York for NY Comic Con my partner and I made a detour to have dinner with his sister at a wonderful tapas restaurant in Greenwich Village. Never having been to that part of town I wasn't sure what to expect. It was kind of a hip, trendy little neighborhood with some fabulous shops and about every third person asked us for directions like we knew something.

While we were killing time standing there on Bleecker it hit me. Dr. Strange (my favorite Marvel comic book hero) was supposed to live in the Village, but where? I did a google text request to get the address for "Sanctum Sanctorum Greenwich Village New York" and it came back: 177A Bleecker St New York.*

I about lost my mind. Here I was standing on Bleecker, and we looked at the shop numbers and we were in the 170's. We looked across the street and there on this white awning it said 177, and I snapped this picture.

177 Bleecker

Of course the building there was 177 specifically, and it looked nothing like the awesome building that we see in the comics. And of course we both found it endlessly amusing that Dr. Strange lives above the frozen yogurt bar "Pinkberry" right next the DC crossover "Joker Tattoos" shop. And of course I started theorizing about how there was really some magical dimension shifting business going on there and the Sanctum was just in one of those Harry Potter-esque sideways places like #12 Grimmauld Place.

If you'd like to see a better shot of the street there you can see it on Google Maps using the "street view".

I think this ranks at the top of the list of the geekiest things I've ever done.


* I also got a second text with the address 1407 Greymalkin Lane, West Chester New York, which is the address of the Xavier Academy in X-Men.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

This Week at Watha T. Feb. 10-16

Good Morning Neighbors!

Here's what we've got going on this week at Watha T.

Tuesday, Feb. 10

10:00: Story Time
4:00: Tech Tuesday: Blog Your Life

Wednesday, Feb. 11
10:00: Rock Along with Casey
6:00: Chess Club
7:30: Knitting Group

Thursday, Feb. 12

3:30: Open Game Tables

Friday, Feb. 13

3:30: Anime club presents: Bleach

Saturday, Feb. 14

10:00: Valentines Day Storytime
12:00: Black History Film Series: The Harlem Renaissance
3:00: Black History Lecture Series with C.R. Gibbs: Black, Copper and Bright: DC's Civil War Regiment

Sunday, Feb. 15

3:00: Folktales and Fairy Tales with Nick

Monday, Feb. 16

Watha T. Daniel will be OPEN for President's Day. Please join us for our special program lineup.

9:45: Mother Goose on the Loose for infants and toddlers
12:00: Picturing America: Washington and Lincoln
3:00: Film: The Presidents

Monday, February 2, 2009

This Week at Watha T. Feb. 2 - Feb. 9

Good morning neighbors!

Welcome to another wonderful week at Watha T. Daniel. It's February, and we've got a lot of exciting programs lined up for Black History Month, including a film and two lectures this week. We're also excited to announce the return of the infant and toddler program "Mother Goose on the Loose" now on Monday mornings at 9:45. Come and check it out.

Here's what's going on this week at Watha T.


Monday, 2/2

9:45: Mother Goose on the Loose with Eric
3:30: Homework Help with Capitol Letters Writing Center
6:00: Lecture: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Beginning of the Civil Rights Movement

Tuesday, 2/3

10:00: Storytime
4:00: Tech Tuesday: Email Basics

Wednesday, 2/4

10:00: Rock Along with Casey
6:00: Big Kid Movie Night: Akeelah and the Bee
6:00: Chess Club

Thursday, 2/5

3:30: Open Game Time for Teens

Friday, 2/6

3:30: Anime Club presents: Bleach

Saturday, 2/7

10:00: Story Time with Nick
12:00: Black History Film Series: African American War Heroes
3:00: Black History Lecture Series: Black America, Africa and World War II

Sunday, 2/8

3:00: Fairy Tale Time with Nick

Monday, 2/9

9:45: Mother Goose on the Loose with Eric
3:30: Homework Help with Capitol Letters Writing Center
7:00: History Book Club discusses: Lincoln the Writer