WEDDING BELLS ARE BREAKING UP THAT OLD GANG OF MINE

Wonderful news from the enchanted land of Nebraska. My good friend James "Genghis" Kuehn has asked a wonderful young lady, Lenetta Johnson, whom he has been seeing whether she would do him the honor of being his wife, and believe it or not, she actually said "Yes". In a move that can only be classified as "Rural Nebraska Chic" he got on one knee in a frozen barren pasture while they were mending fence...ahh, the romantic flair of a farmer!

They have narrowed the possible dates to early October and mid-December, so I guess I know about when my next trip to Nebraska is going to be.

So, congratulations are in order for Jim and Lenetta.

FURTHER CONGRATS

Further congratulations go out to other folks with whom I am lucky enough to be friends...

Jim Kuehn also celebrated his 27th Birthday on January 6th.

Marié López del Puerto (fellow Alaskan Intern-UAF 2000) from Puebla, Mexico completed her coursework and successfully defended her research thesis to receive her undergraduate degree in physics from Universidad de las Americas-Puebla. Her research pertained to the detection of solar flares using a detection array at the University of Notre Dame, where she spent a year going to school and doing research.

Jeremy Allen Bill (the famous "Man with 3 first names", friend since consciousness) got the good news that he will never have to take another test again in his life. He received news that he has passed the final exam in the series along the way to becoming a Fellow in the American Society of Actuaries. Susan, his wife, is no doubt more relieved that he. Get ready for the "Honey Do" list to explode, Jeremy.

Also, Jeremy celebrated his 26th Birthday on the 13th of January.

Amy Winbinger (fellow Railmen alum and UNK "Pride of the Plains" marching band "bad attitude" perpetuator, now in her last semester of school) celebrated her 26th birthday in late December.

Ingrid Jordon-Thaden (my good friend Leland's younger sister) learned that her paper on "The Chemistry of Thistles: A Role in Ecological Risk
Assessment for Biological Control of Weeds?" has been accepted for
publication in "The Journal of Biochemical Systematics and Ecology" Way to go!

Supreme congrats go out to Mark and Jen Liljehorn (Mark was a roommate of mine during college) who are proud parents of a baby girl named Brooklyn Grace, born on Nov 27th and Frank and Shannon Ibero (Frank was a music ed major at UNK and was on drumline with me, I was a groomsman in their wedding) who are also parents of a baby girl named Ashlyn Janae born on November 17th.

WE START THIS WEEK WITH A LOOK AT THE CINEMA

For the last month, I have been in somewhat of a cinematic holding pattern", waiting for the few films that I actually might find appealing to make their appearance here in the frozen north.

The first film of the season to catch my eye was, of course, the second Harry Potter film, "The Chamber of Secrets", which I saw with my sister and fellow Potter Head, Ruth. It is a fun movie, though a bit scary. If you like Harry Potter, you will like it. If you don't, well, you don't.

The next one to come out was "Catch Me If You Can", Spielberg's latest film. After an uppity and pretentious film like "AI", it is nice to see him do something clever and fun. I really enjoyed this film. Go see it.

Next was the second Lord of the Rings film. These films are all about barely understandable dialogue, confusing names, and grand sweeping shots of the mountains of New Zealand. I just saw the first Lord of the Rings on DVD this month, so I am late in getting into this series. The movies are very violent, but altogether, well done. Good acting helps (Gee, imagine that! Just think of how good Titanic could have been had they spent a bit more of that $220 million on decent acting talent.) Go see it.

Lastly is "About Schmidt", which was filmed in Nebraska, and more importantly, had scenes filmed in my hometown of Minden (Pioneer Village) and Kearney (Great Platte River Road Archway Monument). Woo-hoo...not that I can make any comments about the film...you see, it has yet to get here. The corporate giant theatre here thinks that it is in their best interest to devote 6 screens to such obvious pieces of cinematic genius as "Kangaroo Jack" and "National Security". That is Fairbanks for you. I hope it is as good as everyone is saying it is.

LINUS

I would like you all to meet Linus. He is my cat. I adopted him this week. He is cute, as you can see by his picture which is attached. He is named 45% for Linus Van Pelt (and his ever-present security blanket) from the "Peanuts" comic strip, 45% for Linus Pauling the American chemist and only person to ever win two unshared Nobel Prizes (for Chemistry in 1954 and the Peace Prize in 1962), and 10% for myself, because I took this quiz and found out that I was a "Linus".

Which Peanuts character are you? Find out here: http://brakpage.milkbag.net/quiz/peanuts.html

Anyway, in honor of my new roommate, I present a poem by my favorite humorist, Garrison Keillor. (Disclaimer: My sister Ruth has a cat named Oliver. The use of that name in this poem is NOT my addition, and IS INDEED the intent of the author. Any characterization of my sister's cat as being less that adequate in comparison to my cat, real or implied, is not malicious.)

Alaska Cats by Garrison Keillor

Alaska cats don't take no crap
They don't sit in no one's lap
They don't let you brush their fur
Or have cute names like Oliver
They mumble, but they seldom purr

Alaska cats are 3 feet tall
They drink beer and play pinball
And you may notice that when they call
They don't wash themselves at all
Just once in the Spring and once in the Fall

Alaska cats are always dressed
In jeans and boots and outdoor vests
Its not stuffed with hide or down
But hair from dogs around the town
Some black, some brown

Once a year to hold of famine
They jump in the boats and they fish for salmon
Slap those big fish with their paws
Catch 'em, bone 'em, and then
Toss 'em in a pan with catsup on 'em

Alaska cats chew catnip snoose
And spit just about anywhere they choose
The freest cats that you ever saw
They have no owners, no leash law
They laugh at pet cats...ha ha

Ha ha
Ha ha
Ha ha

CROSSED FINGERS

Keep me in mind this week as I should hear whether my current research is going to be accepted for presentation at the American Meteorological Society's 7th Conference on Polar Meteorology and Oceanography. If it is accepted, this will be my first official technical presentation.

INJECTIONS D'HUMEUR

Two vultures board an airplane, each carrying two dead
raccoons. The stewardess looks at them and says, "I'm sorry,
gentlemen, only one carrion allowed per passenger."

Yay! More!

These friars were behind on their belfry payments, so they
opened up a small florist shop to raise funds. Since everyone
liked to buy flowers from the men of God, a rival florist across
town thought the competition was unfair. He asked the good
fathers to close down, but they would not. He went back and
begged the friars to close. They ignored him. So, the
rival florist hired Hugh MacTaggart, the roughest and most
vicious thug in town to "persuade" them to close. Hugh beat up
the friars and trashed their store, saying he'd be back if they
didn't close up shop. Terrified, they did so, thereby proving
that: Hugh, and only Hugh, can prevent florist friars.

After that one, I should quit so I do not incur too much of y'all's wrath.

Have a great weekend.

Brian "Security Blanket" Hartmann

A quick follow-up!

Good news...I heard this morning that my research, as well as two other papers on which I am a secondary author, were all accepted by the AMS for the 7th Conference on Polar Meteorology and Oceanography to be held in May in Hyannis, Mass. Cape Cod in early May will be a nice way to get into summer! Attention Boston contingent!

I am happy. Nervousness to follow.

Brian