Riding the Waves
chaoticutopia | October 21, 2006(/lurk)
As a fan of the dark and eerie, a student of the strange, and a writer of creepy tales, I'm delighted by the approach of Halloween. It sort of snuck up on me, as those dark little twists tend to do. Usually, when my various research projects lead me to those shadowy alleys of the imagination, I'll lurk. (I'll admit, a lurking blogger is a contradiction of terms, but explains the recent silence.) This time of year, however, everyone has a chance to partake. So, for 10 days, I'm going to set philosophy and science aside. (But not too far away.... remember, some subjects have a way of…
chaoticutopia | September 10, 2006On Thursday, my SciBling Coturnix tagged me with this meme. So, here goes:
Why do you blog?
Since 2nd or 3rd grade, I've wanted to write. When I reached my teens, it became a compulsion. Then I became an adult, and finally learned how to write. So, writing became my craft, a delicate art requiring constant practice and attention. I blog, because it seems to be the appropriate medium for the craft in the 21st century.
How long have you been blogging?
I kept journals as a teenager, but filled them primarily with angst. Some pages were devoted to miniature essays, noting convergences or…
chaoticutopia | September 9, 2006Ok, people, it's on. If you haven't heard, we are in the midst of a nerd-off, triggered in response to the Hottest Science Blogger list.At first, I was reluctant to join in. (Actually, I was too busy playing adventure games on my beloved computer, while singing along to "the Sun is a Mass of Incandescent Gas" by They Might Be Giants.) Then, after my nerd score put me in the upper half of the ScienceBlogger rankings, I figured I shouldn't bother to hide it. So, without further ado, here is my entry into the battle of the nerds:
My Nerd Scrapbook
I've always been a nerd. It probably started…
chaoticutopia | September 5, 2006Since my fellow SciBlings Shelley and Nick are both bragging, I figured I should chime in.
According to Flags and Lollipops, I am officially the planet's second hottest science blogger. While I would have expected Tara to rank higher than myself, I feel quite honored. Thanks, to those of you who "voted" for me.
chaoticutopia | September 4, 2006A touch of dark comedy for all the working stiffs out there:
Bad Bosses Go To Hell
Happy Labor Day!
Video hosted by Atom Films.
chaoticutopia | August 24, 2006My husband's name is Alan Franklin, but we affectionately call him Al. So, ever since he began to dabble in progressive politics, I've been expecting this day: Al Franken meets Al Franklin.
My Al's thoughts on the encounter can be found on his blog, at ProgressNowAction.org, along with a larger version of this picture. (We'll be sure to save a framed copy, to torture, er, I mean show the grandkids, someday.)
chaoticutopia | August 24, 2006I must apologize to anyone who stopped by in the past week. I had planned for a week long vacation, but neglected to plan for the usual chaos on my return, so it turned out to be more like two. Today was my son's first day of kindergarten, so we've been preparing supplies and talking about the "big kid school." I can't remember... was it that scary and exciting for us, as kindergarteners? Or has it always been more of an emotional struggle for the parents? Of course, my nerves are always shot on the first day of class, even in college. I also started classes this week. I realized that…
chaoticutopia | August 22, 2006I'm not sure why I write so many poems about the waves. They must be somewhat cathartic. I've been having trouble writing what I ought to be, and this one sort of spilled out. Please, pardon if the meter is a little rough... I have yet to polish it up.
(Untitled)
Who are they to think
That you can battle a wave?
Should you plunge a sword
In translucent swirling depths?
Or construct a mighty dam
And form a defensive front?
Force an attack
Splashing back
Make another wave
Cancel that approaching swell
Or will you increase its size?
Be inclined to ride the surf
To go with the flow
Or be ripped…
chaoticutopia | August 10, 2006
Via Sluggy Freelance by Pete Abrams
Sluggy Freelance, my favorite webcomic, is in the midst of a "Stick Figures in Spaaaaace" week. While the stick figures don't show off Pete's artistic ability, they offer a chance for stand-alone gags in a serial strip. (It's a little harder to share a single strip when you have to spend an hour describing the back story.) It came at the perfect time... After a week full of philosophy posts, I needed a break.
chaoticutopia | August 4, 2006Friday sort of snuck up on me. When it did, it brought along a multitude of small annoyances. My cable modem has been flaking out, intermittently. When the modem is working, my pond is flooding and blowing the fuse to my office. I've managed to get a little work done, but I'm about ready to take this as a sign and go somewhere else. I'll admit to being a bit of a techno-geek, but every once in awhile, computers disgust me.
Like, when I get a letter from this company, "NetNet", notifying (in the tiniest font I've ever seen) me that they lost a computer tape containing my personal information:…
chaoticutopia | August 3, 2006It's a dimension of chaos! Shall we battle, or ride the waves?
They say it's a catchy phrase, but I know what they're thinking. They hear words like, "dimension", "chaos", or "battle", and think laser guns and villains with curling mustaches and deep, evil laughs. They hear "ride the waves" and think of blond-haired muscular heroes being cooed at by girls in polka-dot bikinis. They smile, and thus cheered, move on with their lives. Maybe that's what they think. If so, I'm inclined to let them be. Others, who understand why I obsess over fractals and philosophical notions of existence and…
chaoticutopia | July 31, 2006Last week, my Scibling* Janet tagged me with the Book Meme. There's also been an "old book" meme going about, sort of a do-it-yourself thing, so instead of doing separate posts, I just tacked an extra question on the end of this one:
1. One book that changed your life?
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert M. Pirsig
2. One book you have read more than once?
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
3. One book you would want on a desert island?
Sensitive Chaos: The Creation of Flowing Forms in Water and Air by Theodor Schwenk
4. One book that…
chaoticutopia | July 26, 2006I've been saving these for a rainy day--a game or other timesinking tidbit for each ScienceBlogs category. I originally was going to wait until a rainy weekend, but the climate hasn't favored that idea. As it is,I'm behind on other projects, so today works. Besides--it is pouring outside, leaving me in dire need of something to chase the rainy blues away. Rather than making ten separate posts, I've crammed the distractions all into one list, counting down to my favorite. I'll admit, some of the categorizations are a stretch (you try coming up with something about politics that is a fun…
chaoticutopia | July 17, 2006The following letter, by House Representative Diana Degette, was sent to 25,000 Coloradans, urging them to show their support for science by signing this petition. I'd like to forward this request on to the scientific community at large. I hope that every ScienceBlogs reader can take a moment to sign. You'll only need to take a minute to enter your name, email, and zipcode. (Apparently, this also signs up for the ProgressNow.org mailing list. They occasionally send out calls to action in other progressive areas. If you aren't interested, it's very easy to unsubscribe.)
Dear…
chaoticutopia | June 30, 2006I promised poetry, and here it is. I've written many poems about chaos, but this one is probably my favorite. It fits about any definition of chaos you can use and explains "battle or ride the waves" far better than I ever could while spewing philosophy. Poetry is just cool like that. The title, "Reminder", is suggestive of a note tacked under a refrigerator magnet. It's part fridge note, part old movie scene, where one character is hysterical ("OMG! Whatever are we going to do!?!") and another slaps them in the face. ("Thanks, I needed that.") Here is that reminder, that slap, that we all…
chaoticutopia | June 28, 2006Why does chaos always strike in threes? I've spent the past three days* dealing with what I can only describe as personal chaos. Of course, I don't mean it in the classic sense; I haven't been floating in a void of disarray. (It just feels like it sometimes.) Rather, I refer to the variables in life... those which we knew were possible, but seem unbelievable when they occur. I'm still seeking order (riding the waves, with a touch of battle, here and there) so it will be a few days before I have time to write. In the meantime, I'd like to share a few bits from my old site--about chaos, of…
chaoticutopia | June 22, 2006In a delightfully sweet announcement, Enstrom's Candies revealed their plans to save Stephany's name in chocolate.
Anyone who ever frequented a Colorado mall remembers Stephany's Chocolates, an Arvada-based company specializing in truffles, mints, and other chocolaty delights. They usually offered free samples, winning the heart of each and every sweet-toothed passerby. Unfortunately, earlier this year, profits took a downturn, leaving owner Hal Strottman unable to pay his employees. Then things really took a turn for the worse. On April 4 of this year, Strottman was found in his home, dead…
chaoticutopia | June 19, 2006The question:
How is it that all the PIs (Tara, PZ, Orac et al.), various grad students, post-docs, etc. find time to fulfill their primary objectives (day jobs) and blog so prolifically?
The answer:
Since I'm still an undergrad, I suppose I fall under the "etc" category, here. I can't say that blogging interferes with my studies; rather, I think it enhances them. In some cases, I've taken a paper or a project, and transformed it into a blog post or series. (Like this.) I've yet to find a professor who minds; most seem to appreciate a well-written paper accompanied by charts and images.…
chaoticutopia | June 16, 2006I'm having some computer difficulties (the gnomes in my CPU are battling the dwarfs inhabiting the cable modem) that have made it difficult to upload anything, let alone image-heavy posts. So, the Friday Fractal and other posts may be a little late today. Thanks for your patience!
chaoticutopia | June 14, 2006I see that PZ already mentioned this yesterday, but I think it's worthy of a bump. I hardly ever watch TV (despite owning a big screen) but tonight I will, for the outspoken comedian George Carlin will sit along side the rather scary Ann Coulter on Leno. This should be good.
Coulter, the acid-tongued conservative with a new book out, and Carlin, the quick-witted, antiestablishment comedian who's in the voice cast for the new animated film "Cars," were booked at separate times for the NBC late-nighter, a spokeswoman said Monday.
But the duo's meeting could produce serious fireworks for "…