More Bujold commentary

Unintentional as it was, my random order of reading Bujold stuff actually has some interesting payoffs. For instance, the two most recent reads were “A Civil Campaign” and “Cordelia’s Honor”, and I read them in that order. Which is to say, I read the one that was chronologically (in novel land) 30 years later first. So, the first time through, reading it, was like reading as part of the younger generation, that didn’t really know what had happened 30 years before. Then reading through bits and pieces the second time I caught so much more. And it was a good story both times. But the bit about the couch that Kou and Drou were sitting on (not to mention, who the hell they were), was so much more significant the second time. And Alys Vorpatril became a much richer character as well. The continuous stream-of-character works, so well. Great stuff.

any evolutionary scientists in the crowd?

Okay, so natural selection, I’m all down with that, makes total sense.

Speciation by separation of initially same species populations, sure that makes sense. You move to california and your siblings move to texas and conversation afterwards just never seems to work. Same basic idea.

But how on earth does the number of chromosomes change? That seems like an abrupt step, that would be discrete in nature, and I would thus expect very little variation in the number of chromosomes. I don’t understand how it would work unless chromosomes aren’t really so separate, like the various phases of mitosis, a human imposed deliniation on what is naturally continuous.

So, bio geeks, educate me.

upcoming travel plans

Destination Travel Mode Approximate Date Purpose
Zanesville, OH Greyhound End of finals Mom & Becky
London, KY Greyhound Christmas Extended Family (uncle dennis)
Pittsburgh, PA Greyhound 2 days before New Years cmu-ers & Jane
Chicago, IL Amtrak Jan 2nd soak up chicago & see
Minneapolis, MN Amtrak Jan 4th Get my ass back to work
Washington, DC Plane Jan 9th-13th Transportation Research Board, annual meeting
Austin, TX Plane Feb/Mar? loungerat gathering (hypothetically, anyway)
??? (taking suggestions) ??? Mar 11-20th Spring break!
Some Other Continent (Netherlands, Scandinavia, South America, let me see where the e-savers take me) Plane ??? (before next school year, I hope) Broaden my perspective

Must find housing for some of these. Some planning required, most notably the final three.

Little updates

Christian boy got back to me. His logically fallacies and emphaticness have increased. Not quite sure what to do with that one.

I found my wireless card, it was in the waterbottle holder of my backpack, presumably unnoticed for about 24 hours.

I worked out today, hardcore. It felt good. Keeping my heartrate pegged well above the recommended is both an ego-boost and a way of shaking off lethargy. Part of this awakening is generally an increase in libido. And immediately after, I’m showering, often with a hot guy or two in the same room. nothing really happened, yet, for those who don’t want to know…

small sadnesses

Today I am done with many things. My last stats quiz. My management and leadership presentation. Next to last econ homework.

This evening, in about 2.5 hours the minnesota DNC folks are having a forum where people can go to voice their views on how the DNC ought to be working. I want to to go, but it’s over an hour of public transit away (with two transfers). Way to make it accessible, folks.

And today I lost the wireless card for my laptop. No biggy, I can replace it for $40. But I’m a little strapped for dough as I wait for the recent maternal check to clear, so that one will have to wait. But between wireless woes, adapter trouble, a flicker-prone screen, and an epileptic right half of the keyboard, I think it’s time to put this puppy out to pasture. Not to mention the fact that it’s an antique P.O.S. =)

Next I will be a mac user. I am slightly saddened by the single button, but I will cope, and use a two button trackball at home. My debate is between a 14″ I-Book for $1200, or a 15″ PowerBook for $1800. My inner size (and resolution) queen urges me towards the Powerbook. But that is only a small whisper in comparison to my inner pinchpenny. The other differences are faster RAM 333 MHz, instead of 266; 32MB video foo v 64 MB; and a full size keyboard on the powerbook. All that’s nice, but I’m still thinking IBook. I also think their superdrive (DVD-R on top of the default combo DVD reader, CD-RW) would be virtually useless to me as I never seem to burn anything, let alone burn a shit-ton of data.

Abstinence only “education”

Reference from ljforchoice via .

Many American youngsters participating in federally funded abstinence-only programs have been taught over the past three years that abortion can lead to sterility and suicide, that half the gay male teenagers in the United States have tested positive for the AIDS virus, and that touching a person’s genitals “can result in pregnancy,” a congressional staff analysis has found.

…

Some course materials cited in Waxman’s report present as scientific fact notions about a man’s need for “admiration” and “sexual fulfillment” compared with a woman’s need for “financial support.” One book in the “Choosing Best” series tells the story of a knight who married a village maiden instead of the princess because the princess offered so many tips on slaying the local dragon. “Moral of the story,” notes the popular text: “Occasional suggestions and assistance may be alright, but too much of it will lessen a man’s confidence or even turn him away from his princess.”

I want the source text for this report. For some reason this phrase ran through my head this morning, and I now attribute it to a prescient awareness of this: Sweet baby fucking jesus.

[courtesy a comment in ‘s journal, here’s the report itself in pdf form. Found at http://democrats.reform.house.gov/]