A Day for the Doctor

There is a show that I have watched since I was barely a teenager--a show that came on so late at night on the public station that I had to stay up way past when I should have been asleep.  That show and its characters inspired my imagination as I grew up, and it created in me a love that has lasted through time.  That show is Doctor Who.

Future Friday

I'll be away in Sacramento for the next little while; so, my next update may not be very big on Monday.  Hopefully you'll all survive the weekend and the first day back to work on Monday without me, though.

I am trying something for the first time ever today--writing a blog post in advance and scheduling it to post for me (hopefully) today--Friday.  We'll see how this works, and if it works well, ...well, ...you may see more of this in the future.

A Little Bit of Sunshine

I was privileged to find a video in my YouTube suggestions today that features Neil deGrasse Tyson speaking about life, the universe, and everything.

I figured you all should have a chance to listen to it and understand that the man who now hosts COSMOS has a rich history and depth of intellect that spans more than the show's limited timeframe allows us to really see.

It's important, I think, to view this with an open mind and see just how much Dr. Tyson really loves not only science, but also life.

So I'll leave you to it, and I hope you enjoy today's blog post featuring just a little bit of sunshine in the form of really smart guy.

Sometimes There Will Be Setbacks

As you may (or may not) have noticed, I didn't post to the blog yesterday.  I had become frustrated with an idea that I couldn't find a good way to express.  I was looking at the forest and trying to explain it like it was a tree, and the more I tried, the more frustrated I became.

So I took a step back yesterday and vented my frustration with some Diablo III.  While it wasn't as therapeutic as I'd have liked, it did help me get somewhere that was.  I finally took a moment during dinner to chat with John about what was bothering me--not everything, of course, but a piece of it.

And then I let it marinate for a while.

Play Date

Well, it's Friday, again, and I am all ready running an hour behind to start my weekend.  That said, what I found to share with you all today was worth it.  So, sit back, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the show!

A Little Bit of This....

...and a whole lot of that.

It becomes clear to me that the more I write this blog, the more I care about things in general--about people, ideas, systems that govern our lives, music, theater....  You name it, and I care a little more about it when I'm having to think about it and write about it.  And it's been interesting to me to see how very different I think about things when I'm not having to write here about them every day.

I find myself easily caring less about the world around me and focusing more on myself.  Interestingly enough, though, I still look; I just find myself less interested in what I happen to see--as though, somehow, the world holds very little of real importance unless I'm thinking about others.

It makes me wonder if writing a blog would be a good exercise for everyone just so that they can see how and why things become, or are, important to them.

That said, here are some fun things I found for you all today.

Having One of "Those" Days

I am conflicted, and I can't find the right words to tell you all, in any coherent manner, why that's the case.  It has something to do with money, greed, beliefs, hypocrisy, propaganda, and a lot of other ideas that only somehow make sense in my head.  But when I try to put them here in this space, they sound clichéd and wrong.

So rather than leave you with a less-than-coherent, whimsical rant, I want to say something that I hope will make the most sense of it all that I can:

There is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

And then, just to make things complicated:

KISS -- Keep it simple, stupid.

Enjoy Your Weekend!

As we head into the weekend, I wanted to leave you with some really awesome videos that I found via a few sites I frequent.  They're kind of fun, but the last one is something you might not want to view with little kids around.  You've been warned!

So Much Science Talk!

So it's Thursday, and I've been trying to play catch up with my article reading and doing a fairly poor job of it because there is just so much interesting stuff out there.  It's impossible to read everything, sadly, and it's a lot more difficult when I have to spend more time reading stories that, to me, are not quite as straight-forward as they seem.

That said, the things I've shared on Facebook recently interest me because of the discourse that occurs when I share them.  The same is true when I talk to friends and family who have read the blog, and they share their thoughts and ideas.  It's important to have a shared dialogue, I think, because no one person can know everything about everything.  So, please know that I welcome your thoughts, criticisms, and ideas.  They help to shape my further understanding of situations and the world, and they are much appreciated.

On a related note, a few days ago I was writing about Roth's Divergent series, and I wanted to let you all know that I have finished it.  I am not sure how people couldn't have enjoyed the third book, and I am having a hard time finding criticism for her work.  She stayed true to the characters that she wrote, and she offered a compelling story about someone who believed in actions to effect changes in the world.  If it inspires bravery in the young men and women who read it, I don't think that's a bad thing; and if it inspires in those who read it a desire to look at the world as we know it in a new light, I think that, too, is a good thing.  Overall, I thought the concept held up, had merit, and showed how we can blind ourselves to some important ethical questions when it comes to "scientific facts".  In short, I would recommend the books to anyone who is interested in reading about a dystopian society that challenges us to look at our own modern ideas of bigotry, psychology, and war.

Let's move on from science fiction to some science facts, though (and bear with me; there is a lot to cover today).

It's a Beautiful World

It's that time when the sun starts to shine again, the flowers bloom, and the seeds we planted in winter begin to wake from their long slumber.  This is a good time, too, for us to stop and take a moment to revel in all of nature's beauty--to clear away the last vestiges of winter from our lives, open the windows, take a deep breath...and hope our allergies won't destroy us.

Seriously, though, this is a good time to evaluate where you are, consider those resolutions you made at the beginning of the year, and work on improving those areas where you might have slipped a little in the last few months.  After all, if nature gets to start over every spring, so should we!

With that in mind, I want to start us off by celebrating the cherry blossoms.

Mental Landscapes

So today's post is coming later than usual as I contemplate moving to a 3-day posting schedule at the request of John's Aunt Mary.  There are plenty of reasons that this would be great for me--allowing me to actually get something more done every day than just the usual writing of this blog and opening up other opportunities for writing on other things besides life's wonders and geek culture.

I have to admit that I am enamored of the idea, but I'm going to give it until the end of the week before I make any final decision.  That said, the benefits of moving to a smaller number of posts per week seems an overall benefit for me--and it allows y'all  to digest the information I've posted here without feeling like you're on information overload.  That said, if I happen to find something I want to blather on about on an "off" day, you may find a few extra posts here and there.  Or I may just throw a post or two up on Twitter, Facebook, or my Tumblr account.

With that all out of the way, ...I figured we could start off with one of my favorite topics: space!

It's a Brand New Day!

It's Monday, again, and though for most people today isn't their favorite day, I still love it as it symbolizes a new beginning each week--a new start to being better, learning more, and being able to share that knowledge and wonder with the rest of you.  So for me, Mondays are probably my favorite day of all as I get a chance to impart some of the fun things I've seen while I was away over the weekend.

Pieces of the Puzzle, Threads in the Weave

So...it's Friday.  I have a ton of things still left to do before we head out for the weekend, and while I can't say I have a theme for today, I had a lot of them spinning around in my head depending on what I was reading or looking at.  The truth is, though, that today is just kind of a mish-mash of things that I was interested in; so, I hope you can continue putting pieces of the puzzle of me together, or weaving a broader picture of who I am by the things you see here.

Look up! The April Sky Is Full of Events!

There are some pretty awesome things going on in the April sky this year; so, I figured you'd want to know about them.  If you're looking for a good guide on finding all there is to watch this month, check out this article from EarthSky.  It's got you covered with everything from pictures to explanations.

And here's a helpful video.

Perceptions and Perspectives

Money is speech.

That is the foundation of two controversial Supreme Court decisions that have been made since the turn of the century--and one of those decisions was made today.

You've probably heard a lot about it.  You're probably sick of hearing about it.  But this is an important matter--something that effects my ideals and beliefs about the world, and it should be important to all of you, as well.

Tuesday Science

Mad Scientist by gamera1985 on deviantART
I considered boring you all with the history, uses, and side-effects of my antibiotics today, but you were saved that "amazing" episode of thrown-up research by a few gems that I found while going through my e-mail today.  So if you want to thank someone, please be sure to include John, The Mary Sue, and TED Talks for today's more awesome science discussion.