Fly me to the moon...but don't let me forget my parka.

(I have no idea what that post title has to do with what I'm talking about, except for the fact that it is going on the second day in a row without coffee...I must be delirious)

In the midst of news of tumbling markets, failed billion dollar corporate bailouts, and Washington politics as usual, the news of possible snow on Mars barely registered on my news radar. But there it was, a faint blip this morning:

NASA's Phoenix spacecraft has discovered evidence of past water at its Martian landing site and spotted falling snow for the first time, scientists reported Monday.

With summer waning, less sunlight is reaching the spacecraft's solar panels on Mars.

Soil experiments revealed the presence of two minerals known to be formed in liquid water. Scientists identified the minerals as calcium carbonate, found in limestone and chalk, and sheet silicate.

But exactly how that happened remains a mystery.

"It's really kind of all up in the air," said William Boynton, a mission scientist at the University of Arizona at Tucson.

A laser aboard the Phoenix recently detected snow falling from clouds more than two miles above its home in the northern arctic plains. The snow disappeared before reaching the ground.

Read the rest of the report at CNN.com...

Also in science news today, the Gray wolf is making the threatened species list once again in the Great Lakes region, which warrants suspension of nuisance predator licenses that had been granted to farmers through state wildlife management. The species now inhabits a slim percentage of its historical range in the United States. This makes me sad...

This just in! The new James Bond movie has a stupid, ambiguous title! Who do we blame? The movie's star: "Daniel Craig chose the name of the forthcoming James Bond movie Quantum of Solace - because he didn't want a grisly title with "death" in it. The British actor rejected several potential names during a brainstorming session with producers - before insisting they go with the title of a short story by Bond creator Ian Fleming. And he is adamant it was the right move - even though some movie critics have panned the name. Craig tells Britain's GQ magazine, "I was involved in making the decision. Names were coming out, some ludicrous stuff was going back and forth - I can't remember exactly, but you know the sort of thing: 'The Blood On Your Face'. "I knew I didn't want 'death', 'die', 'bleed' or any of those things in the title." But the actor admits that in the great tradition of Bond movies, the film's title is often meaningless. He adds, "As soon as it came out, people were saying, 'Ooh, it sounds like Harry Potter'. No, it's Quantum of Solace. I was saying, 'It's a Bond title!' "The name of a Bond film is not about anything. Live And Let Die? Octopussy? What does it mean? It means very little."

(By the way, one interpretation I saw for the title was "The smallest amount of comfort that can exist independently"...and several parody songs playing on the film's title are flying around the 'tubes these days.)

And also, here's to a blessed Rosh Hashana for my kosher friends!

It's all in the reflexes.

I spent Friday night being driven all over M's stomping grounds looking for something to do. Since malls universally never seem to want to be open past 9 pm, we ended up seeing a late showing of The Dark Knight. It was...intense (I thought about shielding my eyes at least once), and Heath Ledger was amazing. We acted like children after the movie had let out and took pictures with the promotional stand-ups for the coming attractions. It's kind of a tradition, at this point.

Saturday I was introduced to Wii Sports, and spent part of an afternoon trying to avoid being outscored by a 14 year old and a 6 year old. Yesterday my husband and I went to Toys-r-Us to get my son an MP3 player for our road trip later this month. The MP3 player I wanted to get was sold out. But they had something else that caught my husband's eye. The Wii's were in stock. For how long, we didn't know - so we gave in to the desire to impulse buy and got a Wii system, plus the Wii Play with additional games to get a second remote. My son was very surprised when he got home from church in the afternoon (apparently playing the Wii at grandma & grandpa's the day before was all he would talk about). My husband went out later to get the download card that lets you purchase the older Nintendo games...so we bought a Wii and he's playing Zelda. I'm sure this makes as much sense to others as it does to me. We're also going to have to rearrange our living room, in order to get the tv farther away from the couch and into a more safe area, away from flailing arms and wildly waving Wii-motes.

I'm signed up for the fourth installment of the CDP's Worldwide Mix Tape trade. I have two weeks to pick the playlist, burn the cd, work out the liner notes and get it out in the mail. I failed on the first one (and in all fairness, I never got a mix sent to me either) and sat out the second and third, but I think I'm up for the challenge this time.

My office is freezing...my coworkers are making things harder than they need to be...I haven't had any coffee yet and it is now almost lunch time.

Blogging the controversy.

Science is facts; just as houses are made of stones, so is science made of facts; but a pile of stones is not a house and a collection of facts is not necessarily science.
Henri Poincare (1854 - 1912)

Last night I watched the program The Neanderthal Code on the National Geographic Channel that focused on and gave a great deal of credence to the interbreeding theory, which hypothesizes that modern sapiens from the "Out of Africa" migration would have encountered Neanderthals on the European continent and, instead of replacing them, would have assimilated them and any advantageous adaptations Neanderthals would have posessed that could be passed down through their genes. In addition, this would have been a boon to the genetic diversity of modern humans and may have accelerated their development. Anthropological thought is divided on this issue, and until the genomes of both species are mapped in their entirety, it remains a contentious issue in the field of biological Anthropology.

To learn more about the enduring mysteries of Neanderthal DNA, National Goegraphic profiles the search for answers through genetic mapping in next month's issue.

You can also visit Anthropology.net for other topical discoveries and revelations in the field of Anthropology.

In other news, science sure doesn't pay what it used to...but being an (overpaid, out of touch) administrator sure isn't as intersting as being a (poor) researcher (toiling away in obscurity).


toothpastefordinner.com

Arrrrrgh, maybe?

Ahoy, ye scurvy dawgs! Ye be knowin' the significance of the day, aye? If ye not be knowin', may Davey Jones have mercy on yer soul...

A seaman meets a pirate in a bar, and the talk turns to their adventures. The seaman notes that the pirate has a peg leg, a hook, and an eye patch. "How did you end up with the peg leg?" he asks.The pirate replies, "I was swept overboard into a school of sharks. As my men were pulling me out, a shark bit my leg off.""Wow!" says the seaman. "What about your hook?""Well," answers the pirate, "we were boarding a ship when one of the enemy hacked off my hand.""Incredible!" says the seaman. "How'd you get the eye patch?""A seagull shiat in my eye," the pirate replies."You lost your eye to a seagull dropping?" the seaman asks."Well," says the pirate, "it was my first day with the hook."

Please feel free to post your best (worst?) pirate jokes in the comments!

America's future is secure

Apparently some time today some pillars of maturity decided to go around chalking boastful claims as to the size of their anatomy on the sidewalks around where I work.

My boss has been despairing over the students in the history class he's teaching this fall. He was grading maps earlier today and expressing his dismay over the fact that most of the young adults he's encountering couldn't even handle elementary-level geography. Of course, I promptly laughed and said I'd have some trouble with labeling the map, too. But I went through the Florida public school system, so I'm lucky I can even spell my own name...

At least it's an ethos

Today, while browsing through The Comics Curmudegeon, I read something that I have decided will be the first thing I ask myself when I get to the punchy-kicky-stabby-bitey level of desk jockey rage (also known as "threat level duck and cover", which is kind of an occupational hazard...I should post signs around the office like they do at the zoo):

"Are there any intervening objects that would impede the trajectory of my fist?”

The state of things

Reported in the news today is that a Vice Presidential nominee will refuse to answer a subpeona and will not particiapte in an ongoing investigation that began well before her nomination, and that the decision has the full support of the party's Presidential nominee who selected her. This is how they show respect for the law now...and this is exactly the level of respect that will be shown to the rule of law once they're in office. So there you have it. In the end we the people may get what we deserve, which is the opposite of what we probably need. A little further down on the website was a goofy poll that asked "Who would win in a McCain/Obama danceoff?". Politics. Such serious business...

Today feels like it should be Thursday. There's talk once again of having a mural painted inside the office. And once again I have to pee all over everyone's misplaced enthusiasm by reminding them that A) there's no money and B) we have other, more vital, things that any available budget would need to be allocated towards. Especially if we're going to be faced with additional budget cuts at the end of the year. People's priorities are so amazingly backward. The boss sets the tone, so I think that sometimes my coworkers get sidetracked by the trivial and lose sight of what is really important.

Event horizon

The LHC gets fired up today!

It is kind of like a giant fancy atomic salad spinner. Or a cosmic cotton candy replicator? The first major particle collisions won't happen until October 28th, so we still have time for wagers on that universe ending massive black hole theory.

Fight the system. Power to the pizza.

I spent all of yesterday trying to reorganize my resource binders. I'm only halfway done, though, because I'm trying to look up updated policies as I go. I looove the number of dead links and pages that say things like "This is a policies page" with a coming soon graphic that's been up for the last six months. I guess I can just pretend that policy doesn't exist, since I can't provide prove that it does?
Someone recently compared my bookshelves full of binders to a law library. I guess the comparison is fair, since sometimes I feel like I'm the only one keeping some of my coworkers from making mistakes that range from mildly inconvenient data errors to outright (and sometimes knowingly and willingly) violating state statutes.

This week a flurry of e-mails have been flooding my work inbox about the bonus all of the company's employees were supposed to receive. Well, it turnes out that those of us who are lucky (or unlucky) enough to be covered by a bargaining unit (which was voted in before I even worked here!) are not getting the bonus this month - as I figured out for myself early last week as I tried to decipher the way the initial notices had been worded, full of HR-speak and gibberish. So while the management level staff get their money at the end of the week, us peons have to wait to see if the bargaining unit will accept the terms, then we have to vote on whether or not to accept it. (I've heard at least one person say they think they'll vote no...which, I'm sure you can imagine, made me want to kick their shins violently while screaming "Well then Merry Effing Christmas to you, ya selfish bastage!") Now they're expecting it to take 60 days for the process of reviewing the proposal and approving the terms to run its course. Some of my colleagues are thinking it'll be more like 90 days. And ever opptomistic me - what do I think? I don't imagine I'll see a penny of my heavily taxed bonus until after the holidays. If at all. But they're throwing us a pizza party tomorrow, so apparently I'm supposed to be less disgruntled and paste a smile to my face because this solves everything! Pizza is obviously so much better than a bonus. Or even a raise. This place is the most misguided, backwards company that I've ever worked at in terms of resolving compensation issues and addressing morale problems. They're like : "Oh, you get paid $10,000 less than someone else with half the experience who has half the workload. Well, we can't do a comprehensive review of your duties and title and the quality of your work based on performance appraisals to adjust your compensation based on equity and merit, because that would make too much sense. Have some pizza instead, mmmkay!" So you know what I'm going to do? I'm gong to take extra pizza. That's right. I'm a rebel.

I decided to wear a skirt today. Bad move. Its windy, so the skirt is dangerously blowy. And I forgot I had the remnants of a large bruise on my calf. It is one of those yellow-purple monstrocities and is bout the size of my fist, which I assure you goes quite strikingly with my little ensemble. I would have changed into pants this morning once I realized I had this giant mark on my leg, but I was running out of time, so I just said the heck with it and walked out the door.

The good news, though, is that we've been spared the relentless onslaught of hurricanes. For now...

The mouths of babes

I was online Saturday night, wasting my time on one site or another, when my son came over and stood behind my chair. Now, this is my least favorite of his new habits, and I find it very annoying. He usually gets sent to his room now when he decides to lurk over my shoulder, because it normally leads to him asking if he can use the computer. Obviously, if I am using it, he is not. There are plenty of other things to occupy him in his room. But instead of asking if he could play computer games, he pointed out an image on the website I was reading. "That's Barack Obama". I was a little surprised that he knew who Barack Obama was, since we haven't really watched a lot of political programming this election, with the exception of the conventions for both parties. So I turned around and said "Do you know who he is?" The answer came back without a moment's hesitation - "He's the President."


If he calls this election correctly, I'm having him pick the numbers for lottery tickets from now on...

Stream of unconciouness

I have to hand it to the Republicans, and McCain's camp specifically - for a party that has displayed such a condescending attitude towards mere wordy speechifying (and that fancy, elitist booklearning), they sure have a skill with the theatrics. Better orchestrated propaganda than John McCain's bio video and entry to the convention I haven't seen in quite some time. I love the fact that there was more diversity featured in the video than probably existed in the whole crowd in attendance the last three nights. And right to the POW and September 11th references we go. I also noted that McCain's video didn't feature his first wife, or his oldest daughter, who he is supposedly not on speaking terms with...and I'm totally making my voting decisions on the power of his mother's word. No. And McCain should just let Palin do all of the speaking for him - by comparison, she has more of a talent for it (and by "it" I mean rabid fundamental zealotry and pandering to a willing audience), despite the seemingly affected midwestern accent, and he's awfully stiff up there at that podium (he's fumbled a bit, too...did he catch the spectre of Death impatiently looking at his watch stage right and nervously goofed the timing of the words appearing on the teleprompter screen?).

I just can't figure how the Republican party has now co-opted the "change" and "for the average joe" mantra that they've been attempting to ridicule and minimize for months now. NOW they distance themselves form the policies of the last eight years, from members of their own freaking party? All of a sudden they have to "recover" the people's trust? I thought they said everything was great!? These sentiments reek of false pretenses, to me.

(Ummm. What the hell just happened? Was that a total set up, or what? Who did they just escort out of the building? A protestor? Riiiight. More news at 11, I guess...)

Ohhhh! Sarah Palin has balanced a budget! So have I! Maybe I should join the PTA, and run for city council and set myself up as having "executive" experience. Whatever the hell that even actually means. I also don't get how McCain is making a point to mention how Palin understands what it is to pay a mortgage and worry about the price of a gallon of gas. Is that part of the reason she was selected to run as VP - because the candidate for the big chair doesn't come off as understanding or being able to relate to the issues affecting typical Middle America?

Wait. What is the "me first, country second" crowd being referred to? Babyboomers? But...the opposite of that would be "country first, me second"...which is...ah...something like...fervent nationalism. Inching towards socialism? With just a hint of communism? Oh. Awesome.

"Help workers whose jobs went away find a new one that won't go away"

I also need to just note that my husband misread a sign during last night's convention speech. Instead of "Hockey moms 4 Palin", he read it as "Honkey moms 4 Palin". One is probably just as accurate as the other, right?

Spitwash: transcends party lines

The only truly genuine moment from last's night's convention (catch it 4 seconds in):



I mean, honestly - that's a big ol' bundle of slobbery precious, right there. But be careful of that soft spot, punkin'...

Off the deep end

I'm officially over politics. And after this year is over and if we're all still here to bear witness to the aftershocks and repercussions, I am changing my registration to reflect "independent". I don't want to be affiliated with the ridiculous infighting and partisanship of either of the major parties. I'm pretty tired of hearing an issue made of Joe Biden's hairplugs. At least Biden doesn't have McCain's massive combover, okay?

Rise, toasters, rise: throw your support behind Tigh/Roslin in '08!

I made an attempt to watch the RNC last night, and let me just tell you...I thought the commentating at the Democtratic convention was pandering and partisan, but the participants at the RNC were tripping allover themselves to sing Sarah Palin's praises, and it reeked of a hard sell. I think I managed to sit through about five minutes before I turned it off in disgust. I don't know what the thought process for selecting Palin was (if there even was one), but personally, the "any ol' woman will do" approach to lure independents and undecideds isn't working for me. This particular woman represents everything I am not, and even stands for several issues that I am staunchly against. As much as I was determined not to vote for Hillary Clinton, I am twice as determined to not throw my support behind Sarah Palin just because we happen to share common anatomy. I don't care about the whole pregnancy scandal, although it is a prime example of how abstinence only reproductive education does not work (Congratulations - your daughter is now a statistic). What I care about are the issues, and what McCain and Palin together now represent and have to offer the American people. Which is what, exactly? I haven't heard much of anything about McCain's policies regarding the economy, the war, energy alternatives, education. Anything. All I'm hearing about are unwed teen mothers and decades old military service. And making "mooseburgers" out of reindeer meat. Which is just retarded. Reindeer does not magically transform itself into moose.

And parts of *this* just kind of scare me:

I really can't WAIT for the VP debate. :eyeroll:

Post Script...

This morning (Thursday) the boss engaged his assistant in effusive praise of Wednesday night's speakers at the RNC. It's a good thing I was already familiar with his political leanings before overhearing how great he thought Rudy was last night.

My husband had sinus surgery earlier in the week, and he's doing pretty well, all things considered. Personally, after seeing what he has gone through the last couple of days, and hearing other people talk about what an awful experience it was for them as well, I don't think I'd ever want to have that procedure done unless it was a last resort. In my husband's case it was, but he's paying the price for the ability to breathe easily.

I know I've mentioned before the fact that there was a tantalizing career-carrot dangled in front of me last year, in the form of a possible position in the administrative hub, which, as time goes on, seems less and less like it will pan out as expected (which is what I expected). Well - as a result of the pending acquisition of a whole slew of departments that will be enfolded in the warm and welcoming busom of the operational unit I work in, my boss just proferred a shiny new carrot at me this morning. It has both positive and negative implications, potentially. Positive: a "supervisory" role with more responsibility. Negative: Increased "responsibility" means an even more intensive workload and the likelihood that I'd be "supervising" another employee with a history of demonstrating questionable judgement and a lack of discretion. I've been given until Monday to mull over the options and lay out a plan to make this work. And to draft my request for title and compensation to match these new duties, although I'm not sure the boss has taken that part into consideration. Pray for me. I need this more than Alaska needs a pipeline...