Rock Hound

Our 4 year-old boy has been a fiend for rocks since he's been old enough to pick them up. A visit to the lakeshore invariably ends with his gallon ziploc filled with non-descript nuggets. On vacation in Vermont, we visited a granite quarry: he completely ignored the multi-ton slabs being lifted on cables from thousands of feet below, and spent his time examining the exotic (to him) crushed granite parking lot. In fact parking lot gravel and landscaping pebbles have always been his focus. They're just the right size for putting into pockets.

Pockets full of rocks make their way home from daycare with defeating regularity. Though this tailed off briefly with the beginning of K4, it soon ramped up again with his discovery of a magical word. "FOSSIL". He didn't really know what it meant, despite my best efforts, but every piece of gravel brought home had to be examined for "fossils". Every void, every nodule in a piece of gravel was evidence that this piece, too, was one of the magical items.

When I picked the boy up today, heinformed me that he'd found a fossil today. I envisioned another hour spent staring at fists full of gravel. But today, I got a surprise! Today, the boy actually found a fossil in the gravel! It's a horn-shaped rock about an inch long with some grooves along the sides. A little web-searching identified it as a fossilized horn coral. That a web pic of horn coral fossils at right. TheBoy's looks a lot like the one in the top left corner. How cool is that?

The best part is that I'd never heard of horn coral before, so I got to learn something new today, too! According to wiki, these little guys lived in the seas that blanketed this area 250 to 350 million years ago. They would have been attached to a solid surface at the small end with, possibly, a ring of poisoned tentacles surrounding the wide end. Poisoned tentacles score double points for K4 kids (and middle aged geeks, too), FYI. Now that I know what they are, I'm sure I'll be seeing them everywhere... and all thanks to my little rock hound!

Happy Other Day

I'm getting really tired with all of the xenophobia around my land, lately. Apparently, anybody whose skin is a little darker than average is a problem in the eyes of much of America. And too much of it is centered around my birthhday, 9-11. And as I'm sure I've previously mentioned, it's pissing me off.

So, I'm instituting a new holiday today (sorry for the lack of advanced warning). It's a xenophilists dream holiday. I call it "Other Day". Other Day is a day to get out and experience 'The Other'. Take it slow this year. We can ramp up more next year when we've got more time to prepare.

Some ideas to celebrate:
= Go out to a foreign restaurant (are you comfortable with your choice? pick something different, then. Go morrocan instead of mexican, or vietnamese instead of chinese!)

= Watch a foreign film, or a film about some demographic with with you are unfamiliar (competetive pigeon racers? brazilians? transvestites? hindus?).

= Say Hello to a stranger (with a skin tone different from yours... or with clothing that is unfamiliar... or with an accent you don't recognize).

= If there's an group you are appalled by, spend some time looking up and reading the websites supporting their side of the question.

= Attend an interfaith meeting.

= Visit a business in that part of town that 'your people' never visit.

But stretch for it. Push yourself a little. We've all got blindspots. We've all got people we don't trust. Let's try to wear down that discomfort with those who differ from us with a little more experience of that Other. It might be good for us all.

And next year (or next week, if you find you've caught the bug), we can push it a little further. Eventually, this country may be an even better place to live!

In recent days, New Glarus Brewing has been tantalizing me on their Facebook feed (and elsewhere) with talk of their new Abt beer. Apparently an Abt is some obscure Belgian style of beer that might also be called a Strong Belgian Dubbel. Who am I kidding? They had me at 'Belgian'. Well, they had me at 'New Glarus' and 'Belgian'. These guys know what they're doing!

As I walked in to Woodman's tonight, I was reminded that I wanted to try some. What reminded me? The case (as in six 4-paks at $9 per) set aside for someone at the front of the liquor department. That's quite a commitment - especially when you consider that it's really meant for laying down in your cellar rather than drinking now.

But who can wait a year, or two or more? Not me. So I cracked one open when I got home. First impression: wow that's a lot of malt! Second impression: wow that's a lot of alcohol! (9.6% ABV, a little more than double that of your MGD). As I sip this gigantic brew, I'm getting lots of fruity qualities (I see that the press release says raisiny. I'll agree). And it's damn good. (These guys say it better than me.)

But it's begging to be aged, so I'll oblige. The alcohol is punching me in the face right now. It needs some time to simmer down, just like that little blue bottle of Sam Adams did. So, I say goodbye to the Abt for now, and shuffle it to that special 6-pak holder in the back of the beer fridge to wait for time to pass... and wait... and wait... Maybe I'll crack one to celebrate TheGirl's high school graduation! (Class of 2016, represent!)

I’ve decided to take this blog back to it’s origins: show and tell. So, what’s captured my interest this week? Dragonflies, for one thing. And how could they not, since a particularly large variety has been gathering in great numbers along the shores of Lake Michigan for the past few days. I take this as a good sign, given the even greater numbers of mosquitos that have gathered in the same areas this summer.

I first sighted the dragonflies out the window while I consumed my lunch. The breakroom at work is tiny, but two of the walls are floor-to ceiling windows. As you might imagine, this room can become a bit stuffy in the summer. It’s worth it, though, for the views. The ever shifting lake spreads out before me as I eat my daily leftovers. Some days, it’s colored with the foreboding grays and browns of a highland loch. Other days, it sings with turquoise and a near Bahamian blue, as if doing its best impression of those faraway waters. And other days, the waters are pale and misty, fading off before reaching any visible horizon into the equally pale and misty sky. On the clearest of days, the silhouettes of the Chicago skyline are just visible in the far distance. Other days, hawks or even turkey vultures soar by looking for their next meal. And a few days ago, the dragonflies arrived.

Dragonflies origins stretch back beyond those of the dinosaurs by 100 million years or more. Perhaps it is this ancient origin that gives them the aspect that frightens children. When a dragonfly flew by my 4-year old the other day, he screamed in fear that it would bite him. Every region seems to have tales about them: They’ll stitch shut your mouth if you swear, lie or curse. They’ll poke out or stitch shut your eyes. They’ll poke out your ear drums. Are you catching a theme here? Sometiems, it is believed that devils or hobgoblins use them, as steeds, as balance weights, even as awls. Perhaps strangest of all is the belief that they follow injured snakes and stitch up their wounds.

Looking out of the breakroom window, I watched their mesmerizing, chaotic dance. As far as I could look to the north and south, I could see them. They zipped around in a vast cloud that reached from the ground to a spot well above my 4th floor perch. In my imaginings, they took on the aspect of a vast (and poorly organized) helicopter air force. Perhaps they hoped to take back the land that they had lost to the vertebrates so long ago. Whatever their sinister plans, they didn’t seem interested in going after any of the oblivious people below. No mouths were stitched shut, no eyes poked out. For the time being, at least, we appear safe from these darting hordes.

Thanks to hisgett for use of the dragonfly photo!

A head scratcher

I've been reading Astropixie off and on since before she was Dr. Astropixie, back when we were both just speedracers and Scientists United for the Global Advancement of Awesomeness (gimme some SUGAA!). Well, SUGAA has faded from view, and the speedracers are napping, but Astropixie is still going strong, frequently posting little bits of scientific awesomeness. A couple of weeks ago, she posted a painting by Nikola Bogdanov-Belsky (Counting in Their Heads, 1895, at right). It features a group of kids working through a math problem in their head.

Now I love doing mental calculations and estimations. I recall once mentally calculating with my roommate the number of silver dollars that would fit within the space occupied by the First Wisconsin Building (now the US Bank building, and soon to be the site of my fundraising climb to benefit the American Lung Association. Sponsor me here!) I don't remember the number we got, but I enjoyed the process... the mental calisthenics. So, when Astropixie challenged her readers to answer the chalkboard question themselves, I leapt at the challenge. Here's the calculation the kids are working:












I'm amazed to report that I actually got the correct answer - calculating in my head, and without taking notes! Given my poor memory, I never thought 'd make it. But the most amazing thing is the answer. I'll put it in the comments on the blog website. But give it a try first, see if you can do it.


The big question then: Is this an indicator of something? Or maybe of some other thing? I'm guessing not. Perhaps it's just a warning that not all beatufiul answers need be significant.

No Problem!

What the hell. I'm going to do it. 43 stories, 1034 steps. Yep, I'm climbing to the top of the First Wisconsin building. (OK, technically, it's the US Bank Building now, but to me, it will always be the First Wisconsin.) Why would I do such a stupid thing? Let me, as Shakespeare says, count the ways:

1) to raise money for the American Lung Association. More about them here. We lost my father-in law to lung cancer a few years ago, so this one is near and dear.

2) to challenge myself. 1034 steps. Doesn't sound like much 'til you run 100 stairs. 1000 is a whole f-ing lot of stairs.

3) to motivate myself to get in a little better shape. Strike that - a LOT better shape. I've got a month. That means running stairs, riding the bike, and portion control. If I don't knock this body into some sort of reasonable cardiac fitness in the next month, I'll never make it to the top.

4) Kevin started a team. That's where the NO PROBLEM comes from. It's his team name. So far, he's the only one listed. I'd hate to make him climb alone. So, I'm going to climb too. Not that I think our times will be anything alike. But again... what the hell.

Points 2 and 3 are allo my own. But for point 1, I need some help. Help me out, friends, family and loyal reader. I've got a fundraising page up here. I'm targetting $200 as my first goal. If you could contribute a few bucks, I'd really appreciate the hell out of it!

(Thanks to the National Archives of the Netherlands for the use of the photo above.)

Hypochondria

I'm not sure if I qualify under the official rules, but if I'm not a hypochondriac, then let's say I'm "suggestible" on health-related matters. This is why I never took the second semester of psych. It's why I stay away from medical newsletters, and why I only watch medical shows with exceedinly rare diseases (e.g. House). The problem with this suggestibility is manifesting right now. I'm in a lab alone. I smell a strange odor, reminiscent of fresh cut grass. I feel a little, very slightly lightheaded. Am I about to pass out from some mystery gas concocted on the upper levels of the building? Or, am I psyching myself into symptoms that I don't actually have. Heck, for all I know, there isn't even an odd smell. Maybe I smelled some hand lotion I put on earlier, or the acrid perfume of a hall-walking secretary (sorry, Administrative Assistane). It's all very much like the scene in that King Arthur movie, where Arthur is talking to Merlin about a cake that Guinevere has just given him. He suspects it may be spelled, and asks Merlin if he should eat it. Merlin tells him that the cake is like life - you can't be sure until you eat it. And then of course, it's too late. By sitting here, am following the same course Arthur did by eating the cake - a course that caused Merlin to mutter "Too late..."? Time will tell, I guess.

Six-word memoirs

The thing I like most about using twitter is the brevity of it. Few of my ideas fit naturally into 140 characters. They need to be distilled, concentrated. I'm forced to pare away every extraneous shift in thought, to ask myself "What is it that I want to say". The end result of this process is not always beautiful. I sometimes find myself resorting to abbreviation, poor grammar, or other shortcuts. But in the best cases, I end with a pure thought inless than 141 characters.

Now that you know what I like about twitter, you might correctly guess that I 'm a huge fan of smithmag's six-word memoirs. Even more brief, and requiring a degree of concentration that's a bit frightening - an entire life distilled into six words. Of course not everyone tries to encapsulate a life. There are six-words discussing love affairs, New Year's resolutions, job loss and every other thing that might feel like a whole life in a given moment. But, in my opinion, the entries that actually attempt to encapsulate a life are the best. I'll list a few here for your perusal. Mine's the last one.


Not quite what I was planning.

Shy mother bewildered by self-confident daughter.

I do not snap: I flex.

Brought it to a boil, often . (This one by Mario Batali)

I am stronger than they think.

Found a few worth my time.

Colors of Winter

Even on a January day where temperatures didn't break 15 deg F, the woods are filled with color... if you take the time to look. (I took all of these photos today in Johnson Park in Racine).

This being the start of a new year, I thought I'd share a few resolutions of mine. In addition to the traditional resolutions (lose weight, be more understanding, get out of debt, don't yell at the kids as much, stop shooting heroin, etc.), I'm doing some frequency resolutions. It's a way to help me remember to do the things that make me feel happier and more centered - good for me, and good for those around me.

Without further ado, my frequency resolutions:

1. Get out into nature every week. (Geocaching is my favorite tool for this. It gives me a destination.)

2. Create something every week (f'rinstance, a fimo sculpture, a fancy dinner, a chapter in a book, or... a photo collage!)

3. Dinner with friends every month (With family events, the kids school and sports, and projects around the house, I sometimes find that I haven't seen any of my friends from outside of work and family for a month or even two. It's completely unacceptable).

4. Volunteer somewhere every quarter (Ideally, I'd do this more often, but I've gotten completely out of the volunteering habit, and this is a baby step to get back into it.)

My latest purchase

The pic below is of a piece of original comic art I recently ordered. I have to say, I think it kicks ass! It's the page inked by Scott Wegner from the Atomic Robo comic. Color and speech balloons were added later. The robot is Atomic Robo, an nigh invulnerable AI robot designed by Nikola Tesla in the 20's. The guy is Carl Sagan. He's holding a lightning gun, also designed by Tesla. The monster was once H.P. Lovecraft, but he's been taked over by what might be called an eldritch horror, and is now referred to as "The Lovecraftian Horror". Can you see why I love this comic? And now I have a piece of it of my very own. It's sandwiched between glass in my bedroom, where Sagan and Robo can use Tesladyne technologies to defend me while I sleep. Have I mentioned that I have a very understanding wife?

Trock On!

I'm home with (maybe) the flu or (maybe) pneumonia or possibly dengue fever. I've had a fever of around 100F for over a week now. Today's the day I finally call the doctor. Not to be confused with The Doctor, which is what this post is really about.

While waiting for my doc's office to open, I've stumbled across a musical genre with which I was previously unfamiliar. It's called Trock. Short for Time Lord Rock. Basically, it's rock and roll about Doctor Who. Don't know who Doctor Who or Time Lords are? You prolly should. I mean, it's been on TV on and off since the early 60's! Turn on PBS or BBC America once in a while, Aina'? Better yet, go DVR a few eps, or check out some CDs from your local library and come back once you're caught up.

The currently biggest Trock band (and coiner of the term)is Chameleon Circuit. (For those who don't know, The Chameleon Circuit is that bit which allows a TARDIS [It stands for Time and Relative Dimensions in Space... it's a time-travelling space ship thingie - seriously, why are you still reading this? Go! Watch!] to change its exterior appearance to blend in with the local landscape. The Doctor's chameleon circuit is usually broken, so his TARDIS almost always looks like a british police box, circa the 1950s - see at right) . A couple of videos may be appropriate at this point

Here's a vid of Chameleon Circuit's song "An Awful Lot of Running":



and another of their song "Exterminate Regenerate" about TheDoctor's ongoing battle with the Daleks [They're kind of cyborg killing machines on wheels (nice design, that)that go about shouting Exterminate! EXTERMINATE! The regenerate comes about because ... oh hell, just watch the show, why don't you?).



The band TheTimeLords has been doing Dr Who themed tunes for ages, but maybe a bit lacking on the originality?

The Maine Objection

So, Maine has gone ahead and repealed its same-sex marriage law. Perhaps this is the time to stop and think about this, ask ourselves why people are so vehemently opposed to same-sex marriage in the first place. I think there’s an easy answer – religion. But maybe my meaning isn’t what you think.

I propose that most people, and especially those opposed to same-sex marriage, think of marriage as an essentially religious event. And they see the support of same-sex marriage as getting the government involved in their religion. They forsee government telling them who they have to allow to marry in their church, and it makes them crazy. And you know what? They’re right.

Marriage is a religious event masquerading as a civil event, or rather as a series of civil events. It’s a financial and legal joining of two households, a simple substitute for a will, medical power of attorney, financial power of attorney, a joint custody agreement (in case of children) and so on. I’m sure there’s a list somewhere online that details all of the things marriage represents in law. My point is: it shouldn’t.

Perhaps marriage should be left up to the churches. They could decide who can get married, how they can get married and whether the marriage is under any circumstances allowed to end before the end of time. But (and here’s the important part) it wouldn’t (and shouldn’t) have any force or meaning in civil law. Just as baptism/christening doesn’t (and shouldn’t) determine what your legal name is. Domestic partnerships would take up the legal end of things.

What is the possible objection? It provides freedom of religion without making anyone a second class citizen. Government still gets to push around the same people it was pushing around before, only religion doesn’t tie it’s hands. Religions get to set clear rules… or byzantine structures that can only be interpreted by the chosen initiates – as they wish. And we, the people, can get on with our lives, and stop butting into everyone elses. Pretty much the only people who will see this as a loss are those who think Christian Morality (read as /their/ morality) ought to have force of law for all people. And quite frankly, I’ve had about enough of their bullshit.

There’d be a lot of legal issues to get straight before it could be put in place of course. For instance, what if you get married in church, but do not put a domestic partnership in place to support it? How will existing marriages be handled? What if you have an existing state marriage, but object to the domestic partnership on philosophical or religious grounds? Do you have to accept it? I’ll leave all of that to the lawyers.

And for the future, I forsee arguments about multiple domestic partnerships, group domestic partnerships, and customized domestic partnerships (with prohibitions on certain behaviors (sex ouside of partnership, smoking, drug use)? financial restrictions? expiration dates? Lotsa fun. The lawyers should love it, too! See, everybody wins.