2014 December
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My Most Retweeted Tweet
Well. It's official. Far and away my most re-tweeted tweet appeared Christmas day. Here are the 125 characters (my usual length) in their entirety:
"On this day long ago, a child was born who, by age 30, would transform the world. Happy Birthday Isaac Newton b. Dec 25, 1642"
Everybody knows that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25th. I think fewer people know that Isaac Newton shares the same birthday. Christmas day in England - 1642. And perhaps even fewer people know that before he turned 30, Newton had discovered the laws of motion, the universal law of gravitation, and invented integral and differential calculus. All of which served as the mechanistic foundation for the industrial revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries that would forever transform the world.
My sense in this case is that the high rate of re-tweeting, is not to share my enthusiasm of this fact, but is driven by accusations that the tweet is somehow anti-Christian. If a person actually wanted to express anti-Christian sentiment, my guess is that alerting people of Isaac Newton's birthday would appear nowhere on the list.
Some even called for me to delete the tweet. But instead, earlier today, I tweeted this:
"Imagine a world in which we are all enlightened by objective truths rather than offended by them."
A few facts: My average re-tweet rate falls between 2,500 and 3,500. My fun tweets can go somewhat higher - up to 10,000. My boring tweets barely break 1,000. The Newton Christmas day tweet, as of this writing - a day after posting -- is rising through 62,000 re-tweets.
I wonder if you are as astonished by this fact as I am. For example, I've made direct reference to Jesus in previous tweets that have not come close to this number. How about:
"Some claim the USA is a Christian nation, compelling me to wonder which assault rifle Jesus would choose: the AR-15 or AK-47."
Posted September 7, 2014, that one garnered 13,000 re-tweets. So I can honestly say that I don't understand the breadth and depth of reaction to the Newton tweet, relative to all my other tweets over the years.
In any case, I'm happy to see that many people liked my "Santa knows Physics" tweet from Christmas day:
"Santa knows Physics: Of all colors, Red Light penetrates fog best. That's why Benny the Blue-nosed reindeer never got the gig"
I worked hard on that one, which has received 13,000 re-tweets in a day -- a factor of 4-5 times my average.
One last bit of historical fact. All of England was celebrating Christmas the day Newton was born. But the Gregorian Calendar (an awesomely accurate reckoning of Earth's annual time), introduced in 1584 by Pope Gregory, was not yet adopted in Great Britain. To do so required removing ten days from the calendar -- excess time that had accumulated over the previous 16 centuries from the mildly flawed Julian Calendar, introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC. These remnants of the turbulent schism between the Anglican and Catholic churches meant that Catholic Christendom was celebrating Christmas ten days earlier than anybody was in England.
If you wanted to reckon Newton's birthday on today's Gregorian Calendar, we would place his birth on January 4, 1643.
Happy Holidays to you all. And a humble thanks for your continued interest in what I have to say about life, the universe, and everything. But most importantly, enjoy a Happy New Year. A few days after, I'll be tweeting about Earth's perihelion. Just a head's up in case people want to avert their eyes over that one.
I am, and always will be, a servant of your cosmic curiosity.
-Neil deGrasse Tyson, New York City
p.s. For those who are Facebook-friendly but Twitter-averse, my tweets stream, almost in real time, to this Facebook page:
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Where my short people at? Haha
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2014 November
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MarvelMotivatio nMonday
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2014 October
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“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.” - Mother Teresa
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Never give up. http://9gag.com/gag/ag0Aeow?ref=fbp
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Stay safe
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Alice 105.9
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Rurouni...DOLPH IN? At part 2 na!?!? @_@
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2014 August
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映画『るろうに剣心』 『京都大火編』がまだまだ大ヒッ ト公開中です！が『伝説の最期編 』の予告編が完成！ 剣心、薫、蒼紫、志々雄他それぞ れの戦いの先に何が見えるのか・ ・・。 比古清十郎は剣心に何を与えてく れたのか・・・。 9/13（土）ついに完結！ The "Kyoto big fire compilation" is still a big hit! The trailer for the final edition of the legend is complete! What do you see ahead of the battle of kenshin, kaoru, Aoi, Zhi, and others. What did juro juro give to kenshin? 9/13 (Sat) finally finished! Translated from Japanese Play Video
2014 July
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This made the rounds, but not with Christopher's friends' reactions. Child stars always have it tough. Oh bother....
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Magic?
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2014 June
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Best. Cosplay. EVER. EVER!!!
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Jessica Tang
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2014 May
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These are pretty good rules for everyone else too.
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HAHAHA!
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HAHAHAHA! LOOL See Translation
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#PBlikes THE FOREVER WATCH: A NOVEL by David Ramirez. Available for P999 (hardcover) in Powerbooks.
An exciting new novel from a bold up-and-coming sci fi talent, The Forever Watch is so full of twists and surprises it's impossible to put down.
All that is left of humanity is on a thousand-year journey to a new planet aboard one ship, The Noah, which is also carrying a dangerous serial killer...
As a City Planner on the Noah, Hana Dempsey is a gifted psychic, economist, hacker and bureaucrat and is considered "mission critical." She is non-replaceable, important, essential, but after serving her mandatory Breeding Duty, the impregnation and birthing that all women are obligated to undergo, her life loses purpose as she privately mourns the child she will never be permitted to know.
When Policeman Leonard Barrens enlists her and her hacking skills in the unofficial investigation of his mentor's violent death, Dempsey finds herself increasingly captivated by both the case and Barrens himself. According to Information Security, the missing man has simply "Retired," nothing unusual. Together they follow the trail left by the mutilated remains. Their investigation takes them through lost dataspaces and deep into the uninhabited regions of the ship, where they discover that the answer may not be as simple as a serial killer after all.
What they do with that answer will determine the fate of all humanity in David Ramirez's thrilling page turner.
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2013 November
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Please spread the word.
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If you have helped someone or donated money it is unbecoming to declare the amount or % of your income. Just donate and ask friends to do the same. This is not about you.
If you do not believe in God, it is unbecoming to mock the prayers of those who do. Isn't it logical that if you don't believe in prayer, a better use of your time would be to volunteer? This is not about you.
If you do not believe in government or relief agencies or the military, it is unbecoming to mock the documented service of others. If you think everyone has an agenda, shouldn't you demonstrate yours by working to make sure relief is deployed properly? This is not about you.
This is about the survivors. This is about coming together regardless of faith or politics. Don't tell me what you're doing, don't tell me what other people may or may not be doing.
Facta non verba. Deeds, not words.
If you have helped someone or donated money it is unbecoming to declare the amount or % of your income. Just donate and ask friends to do the same. This is not about you.
If you do not believe in God, it is unbecoming to mock the prayers of those who do. Isn't it logical that if you don't believe in prayer, a better use of your time would be to volunteer? This is not about you.
If you do not believe in government or relief agencies or the military, it is unbecoming to mock the documented service of others. If you think everyone has an agenda, shouldn't you demonstrate yours by working to make sure relief is deployed properly? This is not about you.
This is about the survivors. This is about coming together regardless of faith or politics. Don't tell me what you're doing, don't tell me what other people may or may not be doing.
Facta non verba. Deeds, not words.
2013 September
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LOL! Lord of the Rings + Harry Potter + Narnia + Game of Thrones
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