It comes courtesy of the Cline Observatory at Guilford College (I have used Photoshop here to lower the noise in the image and to raise the relative brightness of the asteroid). The folks there took it as a challenge to find the minor planet with my name on it (figurately, not literally), and having located what looks to be it, compared the image to an earlier image of the same patch of sky to make sure that what they thought as the asteroid was indeed wandering through. Johnscalzi is currently at magnitude 17 (extremely dim), so the fact they managed to image it at all is kind of remarkable.

If you’re looking for it yourself, it’s currently in the vicinity of the constellation of Leo, near the lion’s butt. The precise location, for this or any other day, can be had by going here, then clicking on the “Ephemeris” link near the top, and having done that, clicking the “generate ephemeris” button at the page you’re taken to. It’ll then generate all the information you need to find it. That said, again, it’s at about magnitude 17 right now, so you’ll need a big telescope, or the ability to do time-lapse image stacking, or, probably both.

I have neither at the moment, so I’m thrilled that the folks at the Cline Observatory took a little bit of time out their evening to give it view. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m hugely thrilled to have a minor planet named for me. Being able to see it, even just a little, is also hugely thrilling.

— JS

Look, this isn’t a real post. It’s just me sharing a story that might help you if you’ve been in my same predicament. When I was little my great grandmother (on my mom’s side) used to make the most incredible peach cobbler but she absolutely refused to share the recipe with anyone because the womenContinue reading "The Peach Cobbler that went missing for 40 years."

The most chilling part of JD Vance's statement is not its aggression. It's its calm.

"I want every ICE officer to know that their president, vice president, and the entire administration stand behind them," Vance wrote on social media, responding to public outrage over an Immigration and Customs Enforcement killing that was neither lawful nor justified. — Read the rest

The post When the vice president blesses the killing appeared first on Boing Boing.

On January 7, an ICE agent in Minneapolis shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three who local officials say was acting as a legal observer during an immigration enforcement operation. According to NBC News, Minnesota's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has now been cut out of the investigation entirely — blocked from accessing the crime scene, video evidence, and witness interviews. — Read the rest

The post Minnesota officials say they're being blocked from investigating fatal ICE shooting appeared first on Boing Boing.

Alas, not even cats are immune to the crushing yoke of capitalism. What is the world coming to when even our wonderful creatures are forced to get jobs?

At least they look cute doing it. In my continued search for the strangest niches on the Internet (that won't put this website on a watchlist), the Bodega Cats Bluesky account is one of my favorites. — Read the rest

The post Bodega Cats documents the hard-working felines of New York convenience stores appeared first on Boing Boing.

Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell says that the Trump Administration has threatened him with criminal indictment over his testimony to congress last year, a threat he describes as an act of political intimidation. President Trump, who appointed Powell in his first term of office, has been at odds with the Federal Reserve since his return to power: Trump wants interest rates slashed and more control over the Fed. — Read the rest

The post Trump admin threatens Fed Chair Jerome Powell with indictment appeared first on Boing Boing.