Christmas Presents: What Did Santa Bring You?

[ergospherical]

Alright guys, spill the tea... what'dya get?
Santa gave me a neat little periodic table paperweight-thing with some samples inside.
Happy Christmas!

 

[berkeman]

Very nice Periodic Table! I saw that advertised in my Facebook feed a month or two ago, and almost bought one. It was pretty pricey, though, so I passed it up. Whoever gave it to you was very generous (and on-point, of course)!

My present was a baseball pitch/catch trainer thingy. I used to have a very accurate cannon of an arm back in high school, but recently I tried playing catch with my 11 y/o grandson, and I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with my throws (it was aggravated by the fact that he was very tentative catching the ball, so I was trying to be super careful to throw easy).

I got it early and have used it a couple times now, and my throws are improving...

 

[Janus]

Very nice Periodic Table! I saw that advertised in my Facebook feed a month or two ago, and almost bought one. It was pretty pricey, though, so I passed it up. Whoever gave it to you was very generous (and on-point, of course)!

My present was a baseball pitch/catch trainer thingy. I used to have a very accurate cannon of an arm back in high school, but recently I tried playing catch with my 11 y/o grandson, and I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with my throws (it was aggerevated by the fact that he was very tentative catching the ball, so I was trying to be super careful to throw easy).

I got it early and have used it a couple times now, and my throws are improving...

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My older brother sure could have used that when I was growing up. He used to use the back of the couch. Mom would yell at him for it, saying that if he missed, he put a hole in the wall. His response was " I won't miss." Long story short, while Mom and Dad were out, and he was left watching My sister and I, he took the chance to get some pitching practice in. My parents came home to all all of us quietly sitting on the couch. Then my brother slowly moved his head to reveal the baseball sized hole in the wall.

 

[StevieTNZ]

Money (love money) and chocolate. My half-sister got me a Mittens (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mittens_(cat)) hoodie which I absolutely love.

 

[Fervent Freyja]

My favorite two presents that melted my heart:

My mom took my daughter shopping for my present and she chose one that perfectly displays her compassion and awareness. A little elephant that helps you when your “tummy” is hurting. It’s meaningful because I know she pays more attention to me than I had reckoned! That it’s actually a stuffy to soothe babies and she didn’t know that makes it all the more sweeter.

The second was an unexpected message and $50 Amazon gift card from a coworker that made my Christmas Eve. I love it when people speak their minds. And the gift also suggests that I might just have another good friend in the making. I’ll be taking her out for sure. She’s very interesting and adventurous (expert skydiver). Now I know what she thinks about me.

 

[StevieTNZ]

Money (love money) and chocolate. My half-sister got me a Mittens (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mittens_(cat)) hoodie which I absolutely love.

Oh, and watching Her Majesty The Queen's Christmas message. That's always a good Christmas gift.

 

[Keith_McClary]

I passed it up.

I was thinking of physics socks or astronomy socks but there are so many I couldn't decide.

 

[sysprog]

I was thinking of physics socks or astronomy socks but there are so many I couldn't decide.

How about for the New Year, a pair of Homer Simpson slippers?
https://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Simpsons-Mens-Homer-Simpson-Slippers/195230832

 

[Dr Transport]

My best present wasn't a present for me, but for the whole family.

My wife had one of our dogs spit in the cup for a DNA breed determination. As we suspected she is a purebred Treeing Walker Coon Hound.

 

[phinds]

My daughter who lives in Laos and is back in the US for a rare visit, and who of course is well aware of my love affair with wood, brought this back as a Christmas present for me. It was carved in a village near where she lives. It's Burmese padauk / Pterocarpus macrocarpus, which in Laos is called maidu / maidou, which means "red wood". It's 6.5" tall and 7" long. Not sure what the tusks are made of but they appear to be wood. Probably just particularly clear sapwood of the same tree.

 

[pinball1970]

Slim pickings to be honest. My niece and sister always get me books that have a science connection. I requested they just left it this year as I don't read books any more I research on the net. Anyway I got three books. One had the word 'brain' in the title. Charity shop.
Anyway on a lighter note I DID get a great birthday present (week 1-3 December) It was a T shirt from my co-workers. The standard model.
I'll post a picture.

 

[StevieTNZ]

My daughter who lives in Laos and is back in the US for a rare visit, and who of course is well aware of my love affair with wood, brought this back as a Christmas present for me. It was carved in a village near where she lives. It's Burmese padauk / Pterocarpus macrocarpus, which in Laos is called maidu / maidou, which means "red wood". It's 6.5" tall and 7" long. Not sure what the tusks are made of but they appear to be wood. Probably just particularly clear sapwood of the same tree.

View attachment 294768

View attachment 294769View attachment 294770

I like!

 

[Klystron]

My favorite brother-in-law gifted me with three hard cover political science books: "Peril", "Betrayal" and "The Changing World Order". I shall read each book, discuss them with my BIL, then offset the gloom induced by harsh reality with some light fiction (or hard science).

Perhaps the new English translation of Felix Salten's 1923 novel "Bambi" (original title: Bambi: Eine Lebensgeschichte aus dem Walde) featuring talking animals to predict the Holocaust will lighten the mood (/s).

 

[Mondayman]

Spent Christmas with my mom's dog and my kitty. Ordered myself a copy of Quantum Concepts in Physics by Malcolm Longair and a book about soldiers going through Ranger School.

 

[George Jones]

Ordered myself a copy of Quantum Concepts in Physics by Malcolm Longair

I love this book. It gives the gist of what really happened during the development of quantum theory, including original references. It is a nice supplement to, but not replacement for, standard courses.

 

[Mondayman]

I love this book. It gives the gist of what really happened during the development of quantum theory, including original references. It is a nice supplement to, but not replacement for, standard courses.

I always wanted a historical presentation. There is a great looking series by Jagdish Mehra on the history of quantum theory, but sadly all the books (there's like six or seven) cost about $250-350 Cdn each.

 

[sysprog]

I love this book. It gives the gist of what really happened during the development of quantum theory, including original references. It is a nice supplement to, but not replacement for, standard courses.

Similar in those regards (but more historical, and less technical) is George Gamow's Thirty Years That Shook Physics:

 

[StevieTNZ]

Also this book - https://www.bookdepository.com/Quantum-Manjit-Kumar/9781848310353
Plus - https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Quantum-Story/9780199566846