Today is the first day of school throughout the NY tri-state area, and my commute will change drastically. There is a high school on the main drag near my workplace, and to avoid passing it, I would have to drive significantly out of my way. I live across the street from a school, so I have to contend with bus traffic if I don't leave my house considerably early. All said, the commute completely changes when school is in session, from a mildly annoying one to a much, much more exasperating drive.
Also on the topic of a return to academics, I had a somewhat depressing conversation with one of my upstairs neighbors last Friday. **REDACTED** is a very nice girl, but she's totally unenthusiastic about school. She's entering the tenth grade and she doesn't like any of her subjects. When I spoke to her, she hadn't finished her summer reading and she still had an essay to write. I'd try to get her on the topic of some subject that might be interesting to her, but she's not an enthusiastic student at all. She's a great girl- last winter, when I shoveled the neighbors' driveway, she joined me and cleaned off their front porch. She ultimately plans on attending the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and going into law enforcement, where her compassionate nature could serve her better than her academic achievements. Still, though, I think back on my love of school and I can't help but feel a little sad.
Hopefully, she'll find some subject to be more enthusiastic about.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Sunday, September 8, 2013
You Have the Greenest Eyes
Have you ever had one of those days when your latest musical obsession has an eerie relevance to an experience in your life? The latest song I've been playing the hell out of, Beauty in the Eye by Milk Carton Superstars kicks off with the awesome line:
You have the greenest eyes for someone who never recycles anything.
I was planning on posting a link to the song anyway, but my hand is forced by circumstances. My co-worker **REDACTED** is, to put it succinctly, a flashlight nerd. He has a plethora of flashlights, ranging from tiny keychain AAA-cell LEDs to a fifteen-pound monster that could throw a circle of light onto the full moon (on the one occasion he brought this one to work, the cops paid a visit to see what the hell was going on- that's how bright the sucker is). Yesterday, he brought a Dorcy LED headlamp to work and he discovered that it was perfect for spotting wolf spiders by creating a bright green "eyeshine". For some reason, our site flashlights are not good for spider spotting, so he left his headlamp with me at the end of his shift and I went out spider spotting.
It's remarkable how pronounced spidershine is, you can see the green luminosity from a distance of twenty feet, easily. We have a huge compost heap on site, and the thing looked like a deposit of emeralds from the reflections of hundreds of spider eyes. Talk about finding beauty in the strangest of places!
For a taste of spidershine, this video of a single spider gives you a good idea of it... now multiply this effect a few hundred times!
UPDATE: Actually thinking with my brain, the reason why the headlamp gives better results in spiderspotting is probably due to the fact that the light is emanating from the vicinity of one's eyes, so it's a matter of positioning rather than spectrum. Gonna have to test this out next midnight shift.
You have the greenest eyes for someone who never recycles anything.
I was planning on posting a link to the song anyway, but my hand is forced by circumstances. My co-worker **REDACTED** is, to put it succinctly, a flashlight nerd. He has a plethora of flashlights, ranging from tiny keychain AAA-cell LEDs to a fifteen-pound monster that could throw a circle of light onto the full moon (on the one occasion he brought this one to work, the cops paid a visit to see what the hell was going on- that's how bright the sucker is). Yesterday, he brought a Dorcy LED headlamp to work and he discovered that it was perfect for spotting wolf spiders by creating a bright green "eyeshine". For some reason, our site flashlights are not good for spider spotting, so he left his headlamp with me at the end of his shift and I went out spider spotting.
It's remarkable how pronounced spidershine is, you can see the green luminosity from a distance of twenty feet, easily. We have a huge compost heap on site, and the thing looked like a deposit of emeralds from the reflections of hundreds of spider eyes. Talk about finding beauty in the strangest of places!
For a taste of spidershine, this video of a single spider gives you a good idea of it... now multiply this effect a few hundred times!
UPDATE: Actually thinking with my brain, the reason why the headlamp gives better results in spiderspotting is probably due to the fact that the light is emanating from the vicinity of one's eyes, so it's a matter of positioning rather than spectrum. Gonna have to test this out next midnight shift.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
The Syria Dilemma Summed Up in One Sentence
I touched upon the dilemma of a military strike against Syria in a couple of blog posts. Should there be a "limited strike" against Syria, and what would the implications of such a strike be? There is no international consensus, and Syria has the support of Russia and Iran, with Russia sending naval vessels to the Syrian coast.
Yesterday, a caller to the Thom Hartmann show, reflecting on the complexity of Syria's alliances and international relations, summed up the situation in one sentence: "The partisan who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assured that it was a limited strike."
On a less depressing note, Franz Ferdinand's new single is really catchy:
Yesterday, a caller to the Thom Hartmann show, reflecting on the complexity of Syria's alliances and international relations, summed up the situation in one sentence: "The partisan who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assured that it was a limited strike."
On a less depressing note, Franz Ferdinand's new single is really catchy:
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Another Sci-Fi Titan Gone
This year saw the passing of one of my all time favorite authors, the SF/Fantasy master Jack Vance. Well, another of the greats has shuffled off this mortal coil. Frederik Pohl, noted publisher, editor, and author has left this world and, somewhat to my shame, I hadn't been aware that he was still with us.
One of Pohl's greatest works is The Space Merchants, a scarily prescient 1952 satire written in collaboration with Cyril M. Kornbluth. The book presents a view of a society in which megacorporations run things and marketing is a powerful force, conducted in ruthless fashion:
"Well, about this Coffiest," he said. "We're sampling it in fifteen key cities. It's the usual offer --- a thirteen week supply of Coffiest, one thousand dollars in cash, and a weekend vacation on the Ligurian Riviera to everybody who comes in. But --- and here's what makes the campaign truly great, in my estimation --- each sample of Coffiest contains three milligrams of a simple alkaloid. Nothing harmful. But definitely habit-forming. After ten weeks the customer is hooked for life. It would cost him at least five thousand dollars for a cure, so its simpler for him to go right on drinking Coffiest --- three cups with every meal and a pot beside his bed at night, just as it says on the jar."
One of Pohl's most accessible works is The Day the Icicle Works Closed, another depressingly prescient short story about a society gripped by a depression kicked off by the collapse of its greatest industry, which leads to a sharp divide between the haves and the have-nots. The story was reviewed by a blogger of note, and can be read here. The Liverpudlian band The Icicle Works took their name from this short story.
Rest in Peace, Mr Pohl... your ability to predict the foibles of society was unparalleled. Truly, we're living in the future you predicted.
One of Pohl's greatest works is The Space Merchants, a scarily prescient 1952 satire written in collaboration with Cyril M. Kornbluth. The book presents a view of a society in which megacorporations run things and marketing is a powerful force, conducted in ruthless fashion:
"Well, about this Coffiest," he said. "We're sampling it in fifteen key cities. It's the usual offer --- a thirteen week supply of Coffiest, one thousand dollars in cash, and a weekend vacation on the Ligurian Riviera to everybody who comes in. But --- and here's what makes the campaign truly great, in my estimation --- each sample of Coffiest contains three milligrams of a simple alkaloid. Nothing harmful. But definitely habit-forming. After ten weeks the customer is hooked for life. It would cost him at least five thousand dollars for a cure, so its simpler for him to go right on drinking Coffiest --- three cups with every meal and a pot beside his bed at night, just as it says on the jar."
One of Pohl's most accessible works is The Day the Icicle Works Closed, another depressingly prescient short story about a society gripped by a depression kicked off by the collapse of its greatest industry, which leads to a sharp divide between the haves and the have-nots. The story was reviewed by a blogger of note, and can be read here. The Liverpudlian band The Icicle Works took their name from this short story.
Rest in Peace, Mr Pohl... your ability to predict the foibles of society was unparalleled. Truly, we're living in the future you predicted.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
I Feel it Coming on Again Just Like It Did Before
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee narrowly passed an authorization to use military force against Assad's Syrian regime. A military foray against Syria has bipartisan support- funny how Congress can agree about blowing the crap out of Middle Easterners but they can't agree to a jobs bill for citizens of the United States (unless they work for military contractors).
While the Assad regime is brutal, the opposition is a multifarious assemblage of disparate groups, ranging from pacifists to Islamic fundamentalist jihadis. My biggest concern is that U.S. foreign policy won't take into account the complexity of the former Syrian society, and that the Sunni/Alawite, Turkish/Arab/Kurdish, Druze/Salafi, and the Just-About-Everybody/Armenian conflicts that threaten to boil over and scald the entire region. The simplistic approach to the Iraq invasion led to a decade of sectarian violence, a conflagration which will only be "fanned" by a poorly-executed attack on Syria.
As if that weren't enough, Russia opposes American intervention and Iran, while not keen on Assad's use of chemical weapons, stands in opposition to U.S. military intervention as well. Does the U.S. government really need to get into a proxy war with Russia and Iran (the true victor in Bush's Iraq War)?
The title of the post is derived from the Soft Boys' song I Wanna Destroy You, a song which parodied punk rock and, ironically, became a much covered punk anthem. Here's a 2001 rendition of the song by a reconstituted Soft Boys, which Robyn Hitchcock dedicated to Dubya:
While the Assad regime is brutal, the opposition is a multifarious assemblage of disparate groups, ranging from pacifists to Islamic fundamentalist jihadis. My biggest concern is that U.S. foreign policy won't take into account the complexity of the former Syrian society, and that the Sunni/Alawite, Turkish/Arab/Kurdish, Druze/Salafi, and the Just-About-Everybody/Armenian conflicts that threaten to boil over and scald the entire region. The simplistic approach to the Iraq invasion led to a decade of sectarian violence, a conflagration which will only be "fanned" by a poorly-executed attack on Syria.
As if that weren't enough, Russia opposes American intervention and Iran, while not keen on Assad's use of chemical weapons, stands in opposition to U.S. military intervention as well. Does the U.S. government really need to get into a proxy war with Russia and Iran (the true victor in Bush's Iraq War)?
The title of the post is derived from the Soft Boys' song I Wanna Destroy You, a song which parodied punk rock and, ironically, became a much covered punk anthem. Here's a 2001 rendition of the song by a reconstituted Soft Boys, which Robyn Hitchcock dedicated to Dubya:
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Didn't Do a Thing Today
I worked hard this weekend, and the job was characterized by long shifts, running around and reacting to various conditions... a couple of visitor injuries, a couple of dashes to the handicap-accessible .service gate to admit wheelchair bound patrons, an hour just spent locking up after the event. I was pretty beat by the end of the weekend.
Having a day off, I spent today sleeping in and goofing off. I didn't accomplish a blessed thing today, while most people had to return to work or school after their three day weekend. It wasn't bad leading a life of leisure for a day, though I have to say that when this guy goofs off, it's unseemly.
Having a day off, I spent today sleeping in and goofing off. I didn't accomplish a blessed thing today, while most people had to return to work or school after their three day weekend. It wasn't bad leading a life of leisure for a day, though I have to say that when this guy goofs off, it's unseemly.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Cat Brevet
On my principal job site, we have two buildings that require the presence of mousers. As regular readers of mine would know, we recently lost Moses, one of our mousers, to cancer at the age of fifteen. Our two other mousers are siblings Fred and Ginger, who are about four years old. Fred and Ginger were the offspring of a feral cat cared for by a former site director, who took them in and found a job for them handling mousing duties when their predecessor, Mischief, succumbed to a kidney ailment. Fred and Ginger were not kittens when they arrived- they were lanky adolescents. At the beginning of last year, I was actually concerned about Fred, who was looking a bit gaunt, but this proved to be a dramatic growth spurt, and now Fred is about twice the size of his sister.
Since losing Moses, we've had to figure out a solution to our mousing needs until we can get another cat- nobody wants to split up the Fred and Ginger "team" by having them work in separate buildings. Cats being territorial animals, Moses was very jealous of his turf, even though the incorrigible Ginger tried on numerous occasions to impinge on Moses' domain. Sad to say, Moses and Ginger would occasionally squabble, and Ginger would hide atop a radiator above the communal cat water bowl in a "neutral" building and take a swat at Moses when he came to drink... incorrigible.
We hit on a solution of acclimating Fred and Ginger to Moses' former bailiwick, in effect to brevet them to the new position. Ginger overcame a reluctance borne out of shooings out fairly quickly, but Fred needed to be coaxed into the building. When they are both acclimated to the new mousing environment, we'll probably have them alternate between the two buildings. Fred and Ginger both follow me all over the grounds, so it'll be a matter of playing doorman for cats so we have full coverage.
Meeses beware!
Since losing Moses, we've had to figure out a solution to our mousing needs until we can get another cat- nobody wants to split up the Fred and Ginger "team" by having them work in separate buildings. Cats being territorial animals, Moses was very jealous of his turf, even though the incorrigible Ginger tried on numerous occasions to impinge on Moses' domain. Sad to say, Moses and Ginger would occasionally squabble, and Ginger would hide atop a radiator above the communal cat water bowl in a "neutral" building and take a swat at Moses when he came to drink... incorrigible.
We hit on a solution of acclimating Fred and Ginger to Moses' former bailiwick, in effect to brevet them to the new position. Ginger overcame a reluctance borne out of shooings out fairly quickly, but Fred needed to be coaxed into the building. When they are both acclimated to the new mousing environment, we'll probably have them alternate between the two buildings. Fred and Ginger both follow me all over the grounds, so it'll be a matter of playing doorman for cats so we have full coverage.
Meeses beware!
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