Progress on the Cloak of Invisibility

Here's the conclusion to the recent paper A rigorous analysis of high order electromagnetic invisibility cloaks, by Ricardo Weder:

We gave a rigorous mathematical proof, in the time and frequency domains, that first and high order electromagnetic invisibility cloaks actually cloak passive and active devices in a very strong sense. This puts the theory of cloaking in exact transformation media in a firm mathematical basis that will allow us, in the next step forward, to analyze the stability of cloaking in the approximate transformation media that are used in the applications.

So, it sounds like the cloaks are not quite available in stores yet, but maybe it's time to preorder, or join the appropriate mailing list.

Rumsfeld appointment

From an article from the Stanford news service titled Hoover Institution director explains, defends appointment of Rumsfeld, with my "writer's embellishment" in italics:

* * * *
The director of the Hoover Institution told the Faculty Senate last week that he did not regret his decision to appoint former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld as a distinguished visiting fellow, but was sorry he had "blindsided" his bosses—Provost John Etchemendy and President John Hennessy—by not informing them beforehand.

John Raisian, director of the institution since 1989, had been invited to appear before the senate to explain the criteria he used to make the controversial appointment.

Speaking to the senate Thursday, Raisian said he was "saddened by the reaction of some of my Stanford colleagues." He said the appointment was "not intended to be provocative."

"I mean, c'mon, Donny's like the Prince of Darkness," Raisian went on. "How are we supposed to run an Evil Empire inside Stanford if we can't swing for the fences? It's not like this is the 'Hoover Institution for Peace'—it's the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, for chrissakes!"

Cole's origami

Dude, Katie! Your Dress is So Cute

Dude, however, is better situated than guy for grammatical widening into exclamation because it enjoys not only unmarked gender but also connotations of power, thanks to its message of "cool solidarity." Just googling dude provides an indication of the power imputed to the word. Such a search in July 2004 yielded millions of commercial web sites belonging to entrepeneurial dudes, including Pizza Dude, Beer Dude, ArtDude, DrummerDude, the more serious CVSDude, firedude (a resource for firefighters), and even the fearless Public Defender Dude. There far fewer such commercial sites that bothered to include guy, and those that existed were definitely less glamorous: History Guy, Family Guy, Pathology Guy, Fat Guy, Homeless Guy, Sock Guy, and Crazy Drunk Guy.

—From Dude, Katie! Your Dress is So Cute: Why Dude Became an Exclamation, by Muffy Siegel, VERBATIM Vol XXX, No. 4