So, yes, something came up and scrambled all my mathematics blog writing last week. Here's what did come out. Also, there's What's Going On In Gil Thorp? for September to December 2017.
- Reading the Comics, December 9, 2017: Zach Weinersmith Wants My Attention Edition
- What You Need To Pass This Class. Also: It’s Algebra, Uncle Fletcher
- Reading the Comics, December 11, 2017: Vamping For Andertoons Edition
All right. Let me try to carry on with life. Here's pictures from the state pinball tournament early this year.

The 2016-17 State Championship trophy, as well as the three trophies that bunny_hugger made for the side tournament.

Ready for play! The official International Flipper Pinball Association sheet with the roster of who's invited, who's committed to attend, and who's actually attended. All the top 16 players were invited and did attend, bad news for the alternates.

The games to play: the double-elimination brackets, blank, ready to work out the champion and all the lower positions.

Looking over the results board; it's not always good news.

Getting ready for the news: a championship like this is great human-interest news, what with how there's plenty of footage of bright shiny pinball machines to cut between talk about how yes, pinball is making a comeback.

bunny_hugger consoling herself after not getting out of the first round by getting ready to bonk Rudy in the face with two pinballs.
Trivia: 116 of the 185 principal investigators for Apollo 17 lunar science projects received samples in February 1973. Source: Where No Man Has Gone Before: A History of NASA's Lunar Expeditions, William David Compton. NASA SP-4214.
Currently Reading: The Fascinating World of Graph Theory, Arthur Benjamin, Gary Chartrand, Ping Zhang.