blivet 2.0

Sigh #

This is a portion of what I just emailed to a good friend. Upon reviewing it, I edited it slightly and thought it was appropriate as a blog entry as well. I’m hoping they don’t mind…

This summer’s heat is hitting me harder than ever before. I’m already tired of it and tired of being tired of it. Three days last week were over 110ªF at the site (’unofficial’ of course, but they are real readings from the ‘official’ USGS climatic station we have on-site). I’ve never felt old, much less so damn old, before.

Audrey is homesick (four more days In Texas) and I’m Audrey-sick here in Nevada. Ian appears completely unphased from all this flux in his life, I guess kids really are pretty resilient.

It is interesting being a parent. Not long before all the Grandparents left last Wednesday, Grandma Hughes taught Ian how to make farting noises by blowing on his forearm. I think Oscar Wilde was right, you should skip children and just go straight to grandchildren.

I really missed the boat when I didn’t pay more than the requisite attention in my classes that dealt with cognition and childhood development because it is fascinating to be a part of this childrearing process. Ian, like most 19-month old kids, can understand fairly abstract utterances but has a collection of perhaps 30 words he uses. (ie., ‘go get the truck in your toy box’, which is not the truck he was playing with two minutes ago which is within reach on the floor. He goes directly to the toy box and gets the other truck, but he can’t say ‘truck’ or ‘toy box’, or use verbs yet. Fascinating.) I have this mental image of his first sentence emerging as haiku or iambic pentameter and I get further confused in the nature v. nurture debate.

Hmm, I started out with small aspirations and got all distracted. I think I needed some contact with intelligent life.

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Reunion #

I got to spend some of the evening with one of my undergraduate advisors, a kind, wise and gentle man by the name of Mike Finnegan, who also happens to be a Forensic and Physical Anthropologist. He was at the Lake Mead Lodge attending the 2003 meetings of the Mountain, Desert & Coastal Forensic Anthropologists.

What Matrix Persona Are You? #

Neo. Yeah, right. I just can’t resist this stuff, especially when I really have nothing to say. Quiz via DC Thornton.

You are Neo, from “The Matrix.” You
display a perfect fusion of heroism and
compassion.

What Matrix Persona Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

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Happy Birthdays! #

Today is the birthday of both Craig [BookNotes] and Julie Hawkins [who is with Alwin].

Happy Birthday Audrey! #

Today is my lovely wife’s birthday and though she is far away in the wilds of Texas’ Big Bend National Park, I wanted to note it here.

Meanwhile, we have incorporated her committee’s suggestions into her thesis and sent it off to the Graduate College for their approval. Almost there… It has been a series of late nights and early mornings around here and all three grandparents will be here through the middle of next week. There are a lot of things worth pointing to or commenting on, but I’m tired!

OK, a couple of things. Dave’s comment, “[t]here are plot holes in your own life, or haven’t you noticed?” concerning many Matrix:Reloaded reviews, is priceless. I have started using the phrase ‘fashionable technological illiteracy’ after seeing it at ethel’s (see also Demon Haunted World). Cherry picking or not, I still like garret’s sunsets.

That’s it. I’m down for the count.

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Mom and Dad’s Night Out - The Matrix: Reloaded #

Thanks to Grandpa and two Grandmas, Audrey, Sir Death and I were able to watch The Matrix: Reloaded tonight. Great fun.

days later edit: fixed embarrasing title typo.

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The 14 Defining Characteristics Of Fascism #

If for no one else, this is for James, who has been my friend since childhood. [via Metafilter]

Congratulations Audrey! #

Audrey successfully defended her Master’s thesis this afternoon. I tried to post this earlier, but was unable to. I am very proud of her. Who is the Master Now?

Dante’s Inferno Test #

Hmm, that was awfully generous. I must have subconsciously fibbed about something.

The Dante’s Inferno Test has sent you to the First Level of Hell - Limbo!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Very High
Level 2 (Lustful)	High
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	Low
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Very Low
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	Low
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Moderate
Level 7 (Violent)	Low
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	Moderate
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Low

Take the Dante Inferno Hell Test

“Klingon Language Interpreter” Urban Legend #

Because I’m a known Trek geek and am getting emails about a ’story’ in Oregon…

via kuro5hin.org: "Every once in a while, in order to remind myself of the quality of information typically reported, I trace down the source of a particularly ridiculous story. The “Klingon Language Interpreter” myth, which is spawning now, provides an amusing case study of the process of pack journalism." [more]

Mother’s Day #

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the Mothers, Grandmothers, and other Mothers out there. I especially want to wish my Mother and the Mother of that little boy a Happy Mother’s Day.

Audrey’s Mother (Ian’s Grandmother) is here now and my Mother is coming on Wednesday. It will be Grandparent Central through the end of the month.

Mother’s Day is not just about cards and such. Below is something from mark at wood s lot concerning its origins.

Mother’s Day Proclamation
by Julia Ward Howe, 1870

“We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage,
For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity,

mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country,
Will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.”
(more)

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Our son was 18 months old on 21 April and we had these pictures taken the following day. I’m pretty biased, but I think he’s a pretty good looking litle guy.

He wasn’t real thrilled about standing next to the stepladder.

Now he is smiling. Check out that dimple!

More smiles…

Ian did not particularly want to stay sitting long enough to have this pose taken. The photographer was very good at catching that split-second he sat still.

A little ‘cutting canine teeth’ drool action. Oh well.

update 9 May: After viewing this page with my PC at work, I replaced the previous files with some that were ‘brighter.’ They looked OK on the iMac at home, but appeared a bit muddy and dark on the monitor at work. So, if they look a bit different, that is why.

Five pictures of Ian at 18 Months #

Today Audrey picked up the photos we had taken of Ian the day after he turned 18 months old (21 April). The scanner is fired up and I’ll update this entry when I have things posted.

later: OK, here they are …

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