Laugh it Off

“All anyone can do,” he said, “is laugh.”
Talib al-Sudani, writer/creator of Iraqi comedy news program, “Hurry Up, He’s Dead”

Is that the human reaction? When things get so bad you can’t imagine them worse, do you laugh? Is this what separates us from other animals? Is our sense of humor our humanity?

It sure seems like people who take things too seriously, can’t take a joke, aren’t really helping to fix this mess we’re in, but rather are making it worse.

So, laugh… laugh and find a way out.

See? I Have Been Busy…

The lovely people over at memetherapy’s brain parade were nice enough to ask my opinion on a couple of their questions. My answers actually got published:

In a World of Their Own

Mistrust of Science Part One

Thanks, Jose!

Long Time No See…

So, I haven’t written in a while, but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been busy. Burning Man was my Labor Day Week labor of love from which it took me nearly a week to recover. Honestly, the older I get the harder it is to snap back from sleep deprivation. Back here in good old Davis, I have been focused on the writing of my dissertation and my various other endeavors (radio show, being president of defunct AWIS chapter, having a life, etc.). The writing is coming along slowly but surely. I submitted the first of three chapters to a journal last week for review. We’ll see what they think. I definitely have my fingers crossed. Chapter two is in rewrite. I think it will be ready to send to my advisers by the end of next week though. Hopefully, it will be submitted for publication before the end of October. And then onward to the final chapter of fun. The big date for submission of the dissertation to the Graduate Studies office is December 4th. At this point, I am actually more concerned about getting comments back from my committee in time to be able to make the final edit than I am about my ability to get it done in time. The limiting factor in finishing this quarter seems to be the schedules of the people with the power of the signature. I guess learning how to deal with other people is just as much a part of the learning process as doing the research itself. It still stresses me out though.

Macho Flies

So, I’ll have to admit that I never really thought about what flies are doing when they buzz around my house, sometimes rolling around on the table clasping each other like lovers going down on the Titanic. I guess I just assumed that they were after my food, having sex, or laying eggs somewhere. Never did the idea of territoriality come into my mind. Why would flies be territorial?

Well, it turns out that male fruit flies can be quite territorial, and that this territoriality for resources like food and women is probably genetically determined. Researchers recently assayed the genes of non-aggressive and extremely aggressive fruit flies and found that a gene called Cyp6a20 was highly correlated with aggression. Those flies with mutations in the gene were the most combative in territorial situations created by the scientists. No one knows exactly what the gene does yet, but it is interesting to note possible genetic contenders that might underlie behavior.

Here is a video of fighting flies (I can’t believe I always thought they were having sex!).

Birth Day…

So, I am another year wiser today. Funny how the years are starting to progress so much more quickly. It’s all relative to how long I’ve been alive I guess. This year, while difficult in parts, has been one of the most exciting transition filled years of my life. The next will only be moreso. I will complete my dissertation and within the next few months become a Doctor with a capital D. Hopefully, I won’t go around sticking my PhD in my mouth too often. Marshall and I will move to someplace other than Davis. The most likely candidate is San Francisco because that’s where M wants to go, and I made him live in Davis for the past 4 years so I could finish school. It’s his turn to choose. Then comes the job. Where will I work? Who will I be? Will I be able to parlay my radio program into a career? The questions and more are yet to be answered.

There is so much adventure yet to come. I can’t wait for tomorrow.

But, in the meantime, if you were interested in getting me a present, I present the words as sung by Marillyn Monroe in Gentlement Prefer Blondes (ironically my grandfather sent me these lyrics today of all days… what is he saying?):

Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend

The French are glad to die for love
They delight in fighting duels
But I prefer a man who lives
And gives expensive jewels

A kiss on the hand may be quite continental
But diamonds are a girl’s best friend
A kiss may be grand but won’t pay the rental
On your humble flat, or help you at the automat
Men grow cold as girls grow old
And we all lose our charms in the end
But square-cut or pear-shaped
These rocks don’t lose their shape
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend

Tiffany’s! ……..Cartier!…….Black Star, Frost, Gorham
Talk to me Harry Winston,tell me all about it!
There may come a time when a lass needs a lawyer
But diamonds are a girl’s best friend

There may come a time when a hard-boiled employer
Thinks you’re awful nice
But get that ice or else no dice
He’s your guy when stocks are high
But beware when they start to descend
It’s then that those louses go back to their spouses
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend

I’ve heard of affairs that are strictly platonic
But diamonds are a girl’s best friend

And I think affairs that you must keep liaison ic
Are better bets if little pets get big baguettes
Time rolls on and youth is gone
And you can’t straighten up when you bend But stiff back or stiff knees
You stand straight at Tiffany’s

Diamonds!!… Diamonds!!…
– I don’t mean rhinestones –
But Diamonds, Are A Girl’s Best, Best Friend

For a hint as to my preferred type of diamond follow this link.

Water is not self-conscious

Ok, yes, I am a skeptic. But would someone please tell me how this is not just frozen water? Why don’t people go to a chemistry textbook before making websites and going on book-tours? Yes, the water crystals are pretty. No, polluted water doesn’t crystalize the same. I don’t understand why this is so amazing. I am ready for the hate mail. Last skeptic standing is a monkey’s uncle.

From the FAQ:

“The misssion of water is to act as a multidimensional transporter, carrying out our thoughts and whatever is in front of them.”

Politicians are NOT scientists

Urg… the whole stem cell bill issue makes me want to throw up. Here is an article from Wired correcting a few statements made by politicians in the course of debating the three bills that went up for vote last week. I swear politicians make me sick.

Mormons on the side of science

It seems the fight for science in education is not yet over. Utah is currently considering a bill that would basically require teachers to “disclaimer, disclaimer, disclaimer” when introducing evolution in science classes. This is a similar idea to the Dover, Pennsylvania case that was recently shot down by the legal system, and many other bills that states around the country are still considering. Does it never end?

Well, there’s no end in sight yet, bit it might be a changing playing field. In Utah the majority of people subscribe to the Mormon faith, the Church of Latter Day Saints, which doesn’t have much of a problem with science or even evolution for that matter. However, passage of this bill would send the message that Utah is pro-intelligent design. That would be a funny event because Mormon’s don’t believe in ID, they have different beliefs entirely. So, Mormon Senators are beginning to wake up to the idea that passing this bill might not be such a good idea… for their religion.

Now, another religiously based bill is also up for debate, which will promote prayer in schools. That’s something that a lot of religious people would like to see happen, but according to an article the NT Times the Mormon lawmakers are starting to realize that their religion is in a minority in this country, and that by allowing Mormon prayer in their schools they are promoting regional religous majorities having prayer in their schools. That wouldn’t do at all now, would it? Little Mormon Bobby going to school in a Protestant district, and having to say Protestant prayers?

University of Utah Professor Kirk Jowers had this to say:

“It was kind of a realization that if you push to have prayer in school, then outside of Utah, the prayer would not typically be a Mormon’s prayer, so is that road you want go down?”

These two bills go hand in hand in a way. Although, people say that the evolution bill is about science, not religion, it comes down to religion in the end. And, a minority religion may wind up on the side of science inadvertently by simply refusing to promote a view that goes against their religion (i.e. intelligent design). The more that these miorities in the national religious scene realize that the zealots within the majority Christian Right are going to eventually affect their freedoms to worship/believe as they like with sneaky tactics like playing on religious sentiment to get bills passed into laws, the sooner science as it is taught in schools will be free of the politics game.

Ah, yes… The Self-Control

According to this article, the science of how we develop could go a long way to inform educational policies and programs.Just think… we could have schools that actually work to teach our children rather than beat them into submission and underachievement.

Oh, and if that weren’t enough to keep you busy thinking. Here’s something else to do with your time. I think I’ve just about got it perfected.

Laws for the Lawless

OK. So, here’s an article from MSN that I found interesting. It brings up the fact that our lawmakers are in the process of rewriting the Telecommunications Act to include rules and regs for the internet, which up to this point has been relatively ignored. Mainly the new act will have a lot to do with how much companies, and which companies, can charge us for using bandwidth, taxes for internet commerce, and the freedoms associated with copying information found and bought on the internet. I think that the ideas that our lawmakers and lobbyists are pondering are well worth understanding, as they will eventually affect us all. You are reading this via the internet aren’t you?

Wikipedia has some great information on the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

If you are interested in what the bill/amendment that is being debated actually looks like, I found a link to a pdf on ZD Net, in a very well written article about the Net Neutrality issue that is a significant part of the bill.