Don S. Davis

The fine character actor Don S. Davis has passed away. I was a fan of his from his work on The X Files as Dana Scully's father, but ever thereafter I was delighted to find him in other series and movies. I enjoyed his performances on Stargate SG-1 as well. What a shame.

Tough year for this sort of thing, isn't it?

(Acknowledging terri_osborne for the tip.)

Current events from scarlettina's perspective

(This first item comes care of grubb_street.) Today is the 100th anniversary of the Tunguska Event, an enormous explosion that occurred near the Tunguska River in Russia, cause unknown. Pictures of the Tunguska Event appeared in many of the books about unexplained phenomena that I read as a kid. At that time, it was the pictures that entranced me, and I didn't really bother to read about the actual event overmuch. Present day theories suggest that the explosion was the shattering of a meteor or asteroid in the atmosphere over the spot. I don't know if any conclusive solution will ever resolve itself, but I like the meteor explanation. It's another reminder that we're still part of an active, changing universe.

This month's issue of The Numismatist includes some really cool stuff. Like every magazine, it has its waves and troughs. This month's issue is definitely a high spot. Among other stories, it includes an article showing a variety of souvenirs of American political conventions (some of these things are works of art). It also includes a large article about the new Arizona quarter. I gotta say: This is the first time I've seen the design and, with apologies to friends in Arizona, this design is a godawful mess. It's such a hodgepodge of imagery and it makes no sense. It includes a scene of the Grand Canyon, a large saguaro and other cacti, and a banner saying "Grand Canyon State". It comes together in no coherent way. I'm disappointed, especially in the wake of the simple, beautiful New Mexico state quarter. The canyon vista all by itself would have made a beautiful coin. I grumble. ::grumble::

This morning, on the way to work, I spied a large bird perching on one of the sculptures alongside the Evergreen Point Bridge. The closer I got, the more recognizable the bird's profile became. It was a bald eagle peering out across Lake Washington. If I have to go to work, that's not a bad way to start the week.