(See the previous (March 2009) Homepage Writings/Rants HERE)
(See the next (May 2009) Homepage Writings/Rants HERE)
THURSDAY April 30th 2009
Big Scientific Discovery--Red Meat Will Kill You (from the the New York Times):
No news to a lot of people.
MONDAY April 27th 2009
A heavy case of the Mondays... and I've never actually used that term before, but it's for real hitting me today. Maybe because I worked too much this weekend? Everything is blending into each other, with constant, constant science and only occasional surfings I'm feeling a little dizzy. But not bad dizzy, just a little bit Monday, I guess.
Talked with the one and only Small Alpha Male today and it looks like he will be applying his superior shralping abilities to the finless-kind of surfings... the ALAIA!
Have I mentioned the Alaia before on the PRafterDotCom? A friend of mine (and probably of yours "(your's"? was that covered in the chapters I've read from Eats, Shoots, and Leaves?)) has been sliding on these book shelves for a couple of years and I decided to give it a whirl by taking his Alaia to my home in San Diego (his home is in Ventura) and sliding myself silly. Now, I've got a supply of Paulownia lumber in my back yard and a ready-made blank on the way. They are fun and the Small Alpha Male wants to make his own before all the "Goober Kooks" (or did he say, "Uber Kooks"?) in his town of WB-ville see the new Thomas Campbell movie and turn the Alaia into another fashion accesory (lame, but true, probably).
Enough jibber jabber--photos:
The wood arrives at the headquarters. It's so light! You need to pick it up to realize how light it is. Beautiful Paulownia.
Oh, he's going to be so embarrassed when he sees this!
Oh, he's going to be so embarrassed when he sees this!
Best quote of the night, "I want to do a shot off of those abs of steel!" - J.D.G.
Here's an article on this research trip to Yosemite (to be specific, Hetch Hetchy) my office-/labmate Lydia Roach put together. Too bad she bent over right when the picture was taken.
We are holding a freeze core of lake sediment. Groovy!
TUESDAY April 21st 2009
The pressure is on... I have a date set for my thesis defense and that means the thesis needs to be done in about 1.5 months! Yeah, there's a lot of work I need to do, so let's make this quick:
Science!
The Cassini space probe brings back amazing images from Saturn (and her moons):
Really amazing. These photos make me feel like I can finish this damn thesis on time (does that make sense?). Click here or on any of the images to see the whole set.
SATURDAY April 18th 2009
This one is going out to a friend who I'll only identify as "MP-HTP" (by the way, can't wait for your wedding!):
Dear Obama,
WTF?
You said you would adopt a dog from a shelter and now you get this kinda cute, but clearly the product of a breeder (lame).
Not cool. At least that other guy isn't around anymore.
Sincerely,
A guy who wears a t-shirt with your image on it (and still has the OG Obama sticker from Fall 2007 on his car).
Take a look at this truck. We see them in San Diego all the time... only heading south, never heading north. Now, I'm not a scientist or anything (oh wait--I am!), but it appears that these trucks take all our junk from the U.S. and drive it south of the border. I don't like stereotyping any race or class or any of that jive, but there is something in the water down south of the border (actually there's a lot in the water down there) that makes los Mexicanos think this is an entirely safe way to travel at 70+ mph. C'mon! And people wonder why there are so many random things found on the freeways (my favorite was when I heard NPR say, "traffic is slow at the I-5 / -805 split due to a doghouse on the southbound 5")
Here's the tail of a lizard that didn't make it... he ventured into my home, a home where a 80-something pound dog lives... I saw this lizard (or its ancestor) in the bush next to my front door years ago, but I didn't believe it. I subsequently convinced myself that a 1 foot long lizard does not live next to my front door. I guess I was right after all, but now it's much less than 1 foot and semi-mangled due to dog teeth gnawing... dude needs to hunt, it's in his genes!
It was very sunny and warm the other day and we had a little family beach day. Here is me (surprisingly NOT looking like Willem Dafoe), Brookie (looking hot), and Jake Serwatka with a tennis ball in his mouth. It was funny how many people wanted to talk to me about the Phillies that day, but when I was getting dressed, I was only concerned with choosing a shirt that was red.
SUNDAY April 12th 2009
Slow updating, but here's a lot at one time:
This here is one good-looking baby
Brookie, Julie, Colfey ("Nicole-Face") and Piper the dog (with a strange fist floating to the right)
An amazing Bachelor/Bachelorette party was had in St. Augustine. Many photos to come
Here's some video:
Went to see some of Patchy Chapman's work at this gallery, but we had to go really early and missed seeing Patchy at all. Here's some stuff from Pat:
We had to leave the art show to go to an early Seder. We used the "Santa Cruz Haggadah," ate Matzo, and I drank grape juice with all the pregnant ladies, while everyone else drank lots of wine. A note for my mom: No, I'm not Jewish, it's just a fun thing to do with our friends of Jewish ancestry:
I found this jacket in the trunk of my car and thought it was John DiGenni's. I thought that he would really like a picture of me wearing his jacket and giving Jake a hug (he really thinks dogs are cool and smart animals with emotions just like humans). Well, actually, it's not his jacket and I now think it is Davis McIver's jacket. Now, the photo doesn't make as much sense (although Davis likes Jake for real).
MONDAY April 6th 2009
If it's the 6th, then we're probably late paying rent. Better do that!
Lots of people enjoyed the video--it's pretty awesome if I say so. You know, when you're the one holding the camera in a crowd of your friends, you kinda feel like a dork. But it's so worth it later, especially in these circumstances where you miss a dear friend and you need to see them again.
Libby sent me a really amazing package today, here it is:
There were some stickers and some nice stuff written on the other side of the card. Forgot to take a picture of those. maybe later. All around a really good job by Lib. Thanks.
THURSDAY April 2nd 2009
I have escaped Florida once again. The Orlando airport is a little bit of a nightmare--excessively long line for the security check. But we did it and I read a good amount of Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals.
Now, I'm back in the SD and I am re-energized for the next stage of graduate school--finishing the thesis! Should be pretty amazing when I'm done (no low expectations).
Also, yes I officiated the wedding of Alison to Scott and it was really nice. Most people could hear me despite the howling south wind on the beach and they looked good (I did too). I didn't get them to cry--dissapointed.
Too much exciting science going across the computer screen for an extended update/wedding photos, but I do have a pretty amazing video featuring our friend Kristopher James Zuccato from back in 1997 (the year I took off school):
