On the future of gamma-ray burst cosmology
E Mörtsell et al 2005 J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. JCAP06(2005)009
doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2005/06/009

E Mörtsell and J Sollerman
Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University, AlbaNova, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
E-mail: edvard@astro.su.se and jesper@astro.su.se

Abstract. With the understanding that the enigmatic gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are beamed explosions, and with the recently discovered 'Ghirlanda relation', the dream of using GRBs as cosmological yardsticks may have come a few steps closer to reality. Assuming that the Ghirlanda relation is real, we have investigated possible constraints on cosmological parameters using a simulated future sample of a large number of GRBs inspired by the ongoing SWIFT mission. Comparing with constraints from a future sample of Type Ia supernovae, we find that GRBs are not efficient in constraining the amount of dark energy or its equation of state. The main reason for this is that very few bursts are available at low redshifts.

Controlled keywords: cosmological constant experiments, classical tests of cosmology

E-print number: astro-ph/0504245
Cited: by
Refers: to

Received 15 April 2005, accepted for publication 13 June 2005 Published 24 June 2005

http://www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/1475-7516/2005/06/009

Toyota's i-unit concept

Toyota's i-unit concept will make its U.S. debut at the 2005 New York International Auto Show. The single passenger i-unit is a form of "personal mobility" that seeks to balance freedom of movement, harmony with society, and harmony with the Earth's natural environment. Its design was inspired by a leaf and expresses the power of the unknown, the logic of living things and the simple beauty of waste-free functionality.

Toyota i-unit concept,(30 marzo 2005) http://www.duemotori.com/news/auto_news/6501_Toyota_i-unit_concept.php

amadou and mariam, 2005. dimanche a bamako. mali

Amadou Bagayoko y Mariam Doumbia son dos cantantes africanos, naturales de Mali, ambos sufren de ceguera y son marido y mujer. Llevan en el mundo de la música desde los años 70 y en el caso de Amadou, éste formó parte un tiempo de los legendarios Ambassadors.

Good Morning Burlington Vermont
Sun ra meets the beetles, wruv rocks out on the heavy jazz freeway.
Don't take it away : Singin' Sammy Ward?

What's on your mind?

20Q, Bandai

This ball-like gadget comes with artificial intelligence built-in and can guess what you are thinking by asking you 20 questions and analyzing your answers.

Already available in an English version, the Japanese version went on sale 11/11 for, alas, ¥2100. (http://www.asovision.com/20q/)

Spotted in Japan Today, November 9, 2005.  What's on your mind? http://japantoday.com/e/?content=product&id=940

Tokyo Nights by Donald Richie

Tokyo Nights
By Donald Richie

Review by Roy Mustang, JapanToday, October 21, 2005

Donald Richie's savage social satire of bubble-era Tokyo is as withering and hilarious as when it was first published in 1988. It's a dreamy but raunchy Shakesperian comedy of manners.

Paunchy company president Hiroshi and his aging mistress Mariko play out their little machinations against the backdrop of nightclub The Yamato (Old Japan), set to be remodeled at Hiroshi's expense - if only Mariko can parlay his wandering eye into guilt enough to open his bulging wallet.

Recently reissued, Tokyo Nights is required reading for the city's English-speaking ghetto of sociology majors with no fixed address: the foreign perspective coming from inside the house. ("He knows us better than we know ourselves,"  says Mariko of Mr Paul, the novel-s voiceless foreign observer.)


http://japantoday.com/e/?content=book&id=234

Memoirs of a Space Traveller, Entry 116,309

Entry 116,309 // We are approaching the speed of light. Hundreds of unknown phenomena. A new kind of elementary particle has made its appearance - squarks. Not very large, but noisy. Something peculiar is happening to my head. I remember that my father was Barnaby, but I had another named Balaton. Unless that's a lake in Albania. I must check in the encyclopedia. The aunts are buckling under, quantum by quantum, yet still gamely knitting away. Bad smell on the 3rd deck. Oliphant's child doesn't crawl now, it only flies, making use of the recoil from front and back discharges alternatively. Amazing, the organism's capacity for adaptation!

From Stanislaw Lem, Memoirs of a Space Traveller.

Solaris - the LEM station : http://www.lem.pl/cyberiadinfo/english/main.htm
   
Talks with Robots : http://www.lem.pl/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=english_cat;action=display;num=1087236037

Dzienniki gwiazdowe (1971) / The Star Diaries (New York, 1976), Memoirs of a Space Traveller (London, 1982)

Berlin Discos

Jakov im Osten
Hannover-Göttingen-Rostock:::::Sachen schreiben::::

Sonntag, November 06, 2005
Freitag abend im Rechenbunker Teil 2(jetzt ist es schon Sonntag...murmel)

http://jakov-im-osten.blogspot.com/
Berlín Discos

domingo, octubre 23, 2005
...Por motivos de viaje, las actividades de este blog quedan momentaneamente suspendidas.
Gracias por pasar a los que lo hagan, y...hasta pronto!

http://losdiscosberlin.blogspot.com/
A Modern Day Grand Tour
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Las cataratas de Iguazu

What a trip! Last weekend a couple of friends and I went to see the Iguazu waterfalls at the border of Argentina and Brazil. They were absolutely amazing. I really haven't seen anything like that in my entire life -- just truly breathtaking. The waterfalls are actually a group of around 250 waterfalls clustered together over a span of 2.5 miles. They are so many that you really can't get a sense of how big they are by looking at them. Right now its spring here and you would not imagine the amount of water tumbling over the cliff. The water was a bit of a brown color because of the spring rainfall but during the summer and fall, the water is blue.

http://grandtour-jk.blogspot.com/

Pink Noise

Noise : Drown Distraction   

It's the hottest sensation to sweep the nation: Pink Noise! Also known as a signal with even power distribution on a logarithmic frequency scale, pink noise masks background noise to help you concentrate. Now with source code and white noise, for those less colorful. Drown out annoying roommates and co-workers today!

 http://www.blackholemedia.com/noise/

Martin Léon Kiki BBQ

Martin Léon Kiki BBQ (La Tribu/Select)

This is the latest horse in the stable of La Tribu, the local label that’s also home to Les Cowboys Fringants and Jérome Minière. Léon’s particular spin on the neo-chansonnier formula comes off well, a folksy bluespop moderne with a sly groove and sly wit. A confidential, you-me-and-the-bedpost tone informs his delivery, almost whispered at times, of a lyrical stance halfway between thinking man and wise guy. In fact, the most earnest piece here is the nonsensical “Somelaihen” (the rest sport jouale so thick that the lyric book is a soup of apostrophes). Filled out with some spacey atmospherics and a little Beatles flavour (as on the title track), Kiki BBQ sizzles with slow-burning goodness. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

http://www.montrealmirror.com/ARCHIVES/2002/082202/disc2.html

Tu comprends rien

Tu comprends rien is what I've been hearing off and on CBX-FM, espace musique. I was able to catch the album title, Kiki BBQ, and from there the song, then the album, then the lyrics. It's perfect music for November, a lilting melody, a quick rhythm, and a larconic romanticism. The album liner notes show Martin Leon sitting in front of an old Smith Corona portable typewriter, which somehow  captures it's attitude nicely.

                       ô lili, ma lili
             'sont à 'veille de fermer
     ça faut deux heures que j'attends
              que tu viennes me parler
à quoi tu penses ? qu'est-ce tu fais ?
                quessé qu''t'as fumé ?
            dis-moé pas qu{tu vois pas
            qu'j'arrê d'te r'garder !?

                    tu comprends rien.

                 ô Méo, mon Méo
                 ch't'à veille de m'en aller
                 ça fait de mois que j'attends
                 que tu viennes m'embarasser
                 t'es marié ? t'es fucké ?
                 t'aimes pas mon décolleté?
                 tu vois rien ça s'voit ben
                 moé j'fais rien qu'te l'montrer !

                    tu comprends rien.


           j'aimerais tant savoir lire
                  le fond de ta pensée
                ça m'éviterait souvent
                       de me fracasser
                 mon amour savoir dire
                le fond de nos pensées
             ça nous éviterait souvent
                   ben des tracas, tsé

                                  mais
                     tu comprends bien
                   qu'on comprend tien



17 h 14
Titre: Tu comprends rien
Album: Martin Leon: Kiki BBQ
Interprète(s): Martin Leon
Compositeurs: Martin Leon
Étiquette: LA TRIBU, TRICD - 7203

http://www.radio-canada.ca/radio2/classique/progspecial/8021.shtml

http://cd.canoe.com/cd/fiche_complete/entrevue/79.html
http://cd.canoe.com/cd/video/

Updated, 2005.11.13.

Martin Léon - Kiki BBQ

Martin Léon - Kiki BBQ

http://www.martinleon.com

Ce disque est vraiment bon! Rythme empreint de folie, Martin Léon surprend! Mon coup de coeur? Grand Bill définitivement! L'album au complet est un pur délice pour l'ouïe. Je le conseille pour les amoureux de la musique québécoise. Un style différent qui traversera le temps. Martin Léon, on se souviendra de toi!