My favorite jazz of 2010

This is my annual list of the new jazz albums I picked up and really liked. It's not representative, but if I didn't happen to buy it, it can't make my list!

Jacky Terrason, Push. I based on Nate Chinen's review and loved it. This was my favorite of the year. I need to go see him when he comes to Wilmington, Delaware's Piano Jazz Summit.

Gregory Porter, Water: This is a great vocal album. My wife would put it first without a doubt.

Keith Jarrett and Charlie Hayden, Jasmine. I love Keith Jarrett and he didn't let me done. Incidentally, I finally saw his trio live last June. Wow.

Those top three are way ahead.

Bobby Watson and the UMKC Concert Jazz Orchestra, The Gate's BBQ Suite. One reviewer said it's "smokin'." That's exactly right.

Esperanza Spalding, Chamber Music Society. Not exactly my thing, but it was just $5 at amazon.com and I enjoyed it enough to play it repeatedly. Nice to see her win at the Grammys too.

Jason Moran, Ten. I never know why I don't listen to Moran's albums more because they really are good as the critics say, yet I don't.

The Bad Plus, Never Stop. It's good, but I still like Give better.

The only other new album I bought was Joey DeFrancesco's Michael Jackson tribute album. I hate the tracks with singing, but picking up just Billie Jean would have been worthwhile.

Speaking at Chester County Astronomical Society

I'm looking forward to giving a talk at the Chester County Astronomical Society on "Brown Dwarf Stars."

• Tuesday, March 8, 2011 - CCAS Monthly Meeting, Room 113, Merion Science Center (former Boucher Building), West Chester University. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. Guest Speaker: Dr. John Gizis: “Brown Dwarf Stars.”

The mission of the CCAS of Pennsylvania:

The Chester County Astronomical Society was formed as a non-profit organization dedicated to the education and enjoyment of astronomy for the general public. The Society holds meetings (with member or guest speakers) and observing sessions once a month. Anyone who is interested in astronomy is welcome to attend meetings and become a member of the Society. In addition to the monthly meetings and observing sessions, the Society also provides a variety of services to the public, including astronomy classes as well as telescopes and expertise for "star parties" for school, scout, and other civic groups.

Time to move on Python

I've been starting some new projects and the unholy mix of IDL, Perl and Fortran I use to look at data and solve problems can't be efficient. So I've resolved to follow the smart people and move over to Python. It's free and there are lots of astronomy routines available, plus our undergrads at University of Delaware will all learn it in CISC 106, so I'll be able to use it for teaching too. Last year I said the same thing but only got as far as installing everything. Starting today, I'm going to get through the Astronomy Python Tutorial.

Physics Opportunities: Department of Energy

The Department of Energy Scholars program looks pretty interesting:

What is the DOE Scholars Program?

A unique new approach within DOE for introducing students or post-graduates to DOE’s mission and operations.

As a participant in the DOE Scholars Program, you will have a competitive edge for familiarizing yourself with DOE functions while showcasing your education, talent, and skills. Appointments are available in a variety of disciplines at participating facilities nationwide. The DOE Scholars Program presents you with the opportunity to explore a federal career with DOE at various stages in your education.

It seems to be basically a summer program but figure it out for yourself! More programs for undergraduates and everyone else are available.

Physics Careers/Scholarships: Department of Homeland Security

This Department of Homeland Security scholarship looks like a good opportunity for Physics majors if your interests run this way:

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) realizes that the country’s strong science and technology community provides a critical advantage in the development and implementation of counter-terrorist measures and other DHS objectives. The DHS Scholarship and Fellowship Program is intended for students interested in pursuing the basic science and technology innovations that can be applied to the DHS mission. This education program is intended to ensure a highly talented science and technology community to achieve the DHS mission and objectives. Eligible students must be studying in a homeland security related science, technology, engineering and mathematics (HS-STEM) field with an interest, major, or concentration directly related to one of the homeland security research areas listed below:

1. Advanced Data Analysis and Visualization
2. Biological Threats and Countermeasures
3. Border Security
4. Chemical Threats and Countermeasures
5. Communications and Interoperability
6. Community, Commerce and Infrastructure Resilience
7. Emergency Preparedness and Response
8. Explosives Detection, Mitigation and Response
9. Food and Agriculture Security
10. Human Factors
11. Immigration Studies
12. Infrastructure Protection
13. Maritime and Port Security
14. Natural Disasters and Related Geophysical Studies
15. Risk, Economics, and Decision Sciences
16. Social and Behavioral Sciences
17. Transportation Security

Click through to get the details. You have to be a sophomore when you apply (or a junior in a five-year program), there's a summer program, and you need to do a year of service after graduation.

Physics Teaching Jobs

Southern Teachers has a poster up at UD's Department of Physics and Astronomy looking to recruit physics teachers. They recruit teachers at private K-12 schools in the South.

President Obama Honors Young Scientists

President Obama hosted the new White House Science Fair:

“If you win the NCAA championship, you come to the White House. Well, if you're a young person and you produce the best experiment or design, the best hardware or software, you ought to be recognized for that achievement, too,” the President said in November. The White House Science Fair kicks off a week that culminates with the USA Science and Engineering Festival on the National Mall and in 50 satellite locations, poised to engage more than a million people nationwide.

The Obama speech on the Science Fair is on youtube: