HO HO HO

Merry Christmas to one and all!
I am full of lasagna...I must sleep now.

I'm done!

In the words of the great poet Jem Rolls
"We're done! we're done we're done we're done we're done we're done!"

We have met the requirements of the season. All is got and paid for (and mailed). All that remains is the shiny wrapping.
J just left to go visiting friends in a far away land for a few days and I am bored and lonely already. Pathetic aren't I? :)
Sure I have the whoe house to clean in the next few days before my parents come to visit for the weekend, but somehow I'm not bored enough yet to look into that.(funny how that works)
I did make a candy cane cheesecake tho...tomorrow it will be tested.
As for my 4 zillion cookies...the hounds have come and gone and there are 2 left. Hard to imagine 8 dozen cookies going to 2 in 2 days, but what can I say? People like the cookies.
Anyways..I must go tuck in my cake and grab a cat and be off to sleep.

And then there were gryphons...

I can die happy now.
I've seen gryphons.

I finally went to see the Chronicles of Narnia last night. As I watched I reverted back to my youth and I felt like I was reading the book again and lost in my head for the first time at 5 years of age. Oh sure, I had the odd little quibble, but then the fawn and beavers came...and then finally gryphons flew in and the animals I obsessed over as a child and daydreamed about all my life were real and right there and speaking to Peter. Then Aslan breathed on the statues to bring them back to life and I knew I had to be dreaming. Ever see something that is exactly how you imagined it?

I've always wanted to see a gryphon.
Utterly Fantastic.

Later:

ok...having read this over it sounds like pure treacle, but so help me, even a day later I can't remember having seen a film since LOTR that captured what I had in my head as much as this film did. And so help me there were gryphons. There aren't even words to express why that is such a big deal. It just is.

If you had a pair of pants made out of potato chips, *then* you would have a party

I have baked 4 zillion cookies. And let me tell you my friends...they are good!
I'm eating one as I type this. Given that I am bored, please find the following as I try to amuse myself:

What's Going on in My Life Right Now

Current attire: Blue jeans. Striped wool sweater, black specs, work boots/winter boots (and cookie crumbs)

Current mood: Bored. Not a lot to do today.

Current music: "Christmas in Frisko" webcast from Soma FM. A bizarre mix of all things Christmas.

Current annoyance: People who talk during films. I realise there is less and less of people being in theatres, and more renting - or maybe movies aren't such a big deal anymore. i don't know, but to me a movie is a big deal. I have a kickass system at home and if I wanted to stay home and watch a film I would. But when I pay to see something in a theatre nothing wrecks it more than some idiot yakking to his friend through the whole film. *sigh*

Current thing: Painting a christmas present for my sister in law. It has to be mailed tomorrow if its to get there in time so I gotta finish it (ah procrasatinations sweet company!)

Current desktop picture: A photoshopped picture of me as a jedi fro the Star Wars party...it's all sketchy and abstract.

Current song in head: Staunton Lick by Lemon JElly.

Current book: "What Einstein Told His Cook". A cookbook explaining why things happen by a biochemist. So very cool.

Current video in player: A blank tape with the very final 7th doctor episodes on it ("Battelfield"). It was on BBC kids late last night so we taped it...man the last few 7th doctor show were fantastic! Dark stuff.

Current DVD in player: Princess Mononoke. Watched it on Saturday.

Current refreshment: coffee and a sour cream cookie (Mmmmm)

Current worry: How do I get my Christmas presents to my brother ad his wife on time. If J goes to Edmonton to visit his friend for a few days, will he be safe on the roads. I worry too much.

Current thought: I should put up Nana's Christmas tree soon. I've got lights slathered all over the downstairs, but out big tree still isn't up - I haven't had the time. I suppose I'd better get on it if I'm going to.
___
And apparently I'm a green anarchist democrat...Hmmm...how I can be 17% nazi is puzzling. I am pleased that I'm even less of a republican than I am a nazi though!

"What political party do your beliefs put you in"
Green 100%
Anarchism 92%
Democrat 92%
Socialist 75%
Communism 67%
Fascism 25%
Nazi 17%
Republican 8%
(www.quizfarm.com)
___
There. That killed at LEAST 10 minutes.
OK...back to the lab.

An open letter to the stoners at the theatre last night

Hi.
I'll speak slowly so you get this.
I did not pay $12 to listen to you and your friends talk and giggle and play Mystery Science Theater 3000 to this or any film. If you wanna smoke up before the film I can't stop you and I honestly don't care but SHUT UP DURING THE FILM. If you were as funny as you seem to feel you are, others would flock to you for your wisdom and pay to hear you instead of telling you to shut up from all directions during the film. So guess what? It's late on a Thursday night on the freezing prairies and we just don't care if you've created your own squeaky monkey voice to say "wassup" and do voiceovers every time Kong appears. It's bad enough we have to watch commercials before the film - we don't need your help with the movie itself. I'm sure the director thought it out well enough for me.
Stay home and rent it. The movie I paid to watch is just fine without you.

Thank you.
Now go about your business...if you can remember what it is.

Haven't you always wanted a monkey?

Saw Kong late last night. I'm bag-tired at work but it was worth it.
Great monkeys godmother, I've been waiting for ithis film for a while and I have to say - it was great. Other than the talking giggling stoners sitting behind me (who, thankfully, were quiet once being humiliated by many people telling them to shut up) the film was as great as I expected . I'm so glad to see Jet girl doing some great work and Kong was magnificent. I love the style of the times as well...just a good movie. GIven my apprehension about the Narnia film (still haven't seen it yet - likely will this weekend) this was a great relief.
What a great film.

Freedom of the press can try your patience

OK.
I just learned of a book and have read a few quotes and sections from it and I am already angry.
It's called "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science". I have to read thru it completely to fully make sure I'm not misreading it but I'm already mad.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/089526031X/ref=pd_lpo_k2a_2_img/103-4212707-1996653?%5Fencoding=UTF8

*sigh*

I do hope it's a tongue in cheek piece or else, whew. Where do I begin? If you are going to attack science it is helpful to actually know something about it. I mean if, for any religious or faith reason you are opposed to parts of scientific theory then by all means, state so and try and refute it. That's what science is all about - challenging and learning. I read a brilliant book a while back that summarized the history of science up to the 1900's in all areas - unbiased history. It's fascinating to see how science developed and has changed, contradicted itself and ultimately advanced over time. Who is to say our theories now won't be refuted in the future? It is constantly repeated to me and others in our lab that we can't bias or place our hopes of results ahead of our actual true results. Results are what they are and theories have been "proven" by "tweaking" data and others that have been thought to be canon law have been proven true or false accurately. Many have been and many will be. That's what we're here in the lab for - to learn with an unbiased and interested mind. Part of learning what is true is finding out what is false. Refuting what is your theory of what science is is not helpful. Taking the crap associated with science and exposing it is fine - a lot of what is called "science" today should be closer examined. But jeez...

This books appears to just spout reactionist theory. If it was written as a opinion piece or even humor I could stand it, but it's nothing more than crackpot who hasn't made the effort to study the many things he opposes or more accurately the legitimacy of what he opposes in the scientific community, with responses that quite honestly make me angry and ashamed to have a belief and religion. Why oh why are we so frightened to honestly examine something analytically? Is our belief not strong enough? And if it isn't - why do we keep it around? We have minds - what we can accomplish with them for the betterment of all is staggering when it is focused on doing good. Science, like religion can be used to do bad things. People are bad...theories are not. They can be wrong, but I don't really think that makes them bad.
Burying your head in the sand will not make society better. Science is itself in many ways a religion of sorts. There are theories and beliefs, many things based on unproven (and often later disproven) concepts, but we work with what we have and try to learn. I mean Evolution is just a theory. Creationism if you break it down is just a theory (from a literal pont of view). Faith does not mean turning off your brain. Literal mindedness is not scientific. There are not enough scientifically minded people out there to read this book and go "Whah?". The more I learn as a scientist I worry when books are aimed at the non-scientific trained person and sell them the "many evil holes" of scientific theory. I am not a bad person. I am not a stupid person. In fact the more I learn about the intricacies of life and the way we work, I am more and more convinced things couldn't have "just happened". The fact that science and scientific method have nothing to do with that seems to fade ito argument for argument's sake.

I have seen both sides of this argument. I mean, I like to hope for interesting and unexplainable things (so I can try and explain them..!). There was a time after seeing "What the *&$@*! Do We Know?" that I got excited about the water scientist who calaimed to observe physical changes in the property of water when exposed to anger and joy and other thoughts and words and music styles and that he'd "published" his results. Turns out he was a quack as his work was not consistent and it is not reproducable - although I still like the idea behind it. I just can't accept it as a fact. Pretty pictures tho and I like to think that there are still people out there who believe in the impact of emotion and surroundings on nature and science. I've seen things I can't explain and I like it that way. I like to think that there are some mystical creatures still hidden away and that there is still magic in the world.
But apparently magic is bad too...
*Sigh*
What's a scientist to do?
Put her soapbox away and get back to the lab I guess...

Jiggly

I'm finally getting the Christmas thing..I've been so crazy busy helping out publishing a cookbook for our community station (OK doing most of it) and there was no snow, so I haven't been feeling too festive BUT we got a huge dumping of fluffy snow and the neighbors put the lights up and we went on a sleigh ride through the city's Festival of lights and I'm now in the holiday spirit. I have to get to our 8 zillion lights and put them up, but I pulled up some lights and pine garland to go around the door last night and that helped satiate my need for blinky shiny things.
Plus I watched the Invader Zim Christmas episode while waiting for an eggnog cheesecake to bake for a potluck at work today. I've never tasted it before but it looks gooood. (It took forever to make and I didn't start it til 9:30 so I finished around 1....so I'm really tired. Too tired to write a poem about how tired I am...but not tired enough to eat it). I love Gir...


I've started my christmas shopping out of necessity (as most of it has to be mailed and I just realised I'm screwed if they're not mailed by friday). I am a happy camper as I found that one of my favorite old shows Nowhere Man is finally out on DVD in January - joy. I know what I want! Honestly -I don't really care if I get any gifts for Christmas. It's never been about that - IF anythihng I hope to not have to dwell in a store or get too sucked into the commercial stuff. I'm just looking forward to a week off with J and lots of snow. I plan to race the neighborhood kids on the tobaggan hill down the street and drink eggnog and rum and mulled wine. My Dad makes wine and I"m not too fond of his red, but when it's mulled up, it's goooood.
If this eggnong cheesecake is approved by my guinea pigs at work I'll make it for the family over the holidays.
Ho Ho Ho. My jiggly friends.

So very tired

I'm so tired
So very tired
And there is nothing else to keep me occupied

Yes I am tired
So very tired
And I think I may just take a walk outside

Well I must wait until my break
But there's a path that I can take
And I can go and sit and watch the river run

And I can take my coffee time
By walking on that path sublime
Before I go back to my lab and have some fun
______________________________________________

Your 2005 Song Is

Feel Good Inc by Gorillaz "Love forever love is free. Let's turn forever you and me." In 2005, you were loving life and feeling no pain.

What Hit Song of 2005 Are You?

How true. It's been a good year.
Just sitting here with a big dumb grin on my face and trying to pass the time.
And now I have a groovy tune in my head to help me along.
Hope you all have a good day.
I think I will...

Apparently I have an ego problem...

But only as my alterego....

How to make a geosomin

Ingredients: 1 part pride 3 parts crazyiness 5 parts ego

Method: Blend at a low speed for 30 seconds. Serve with a slice of fitness and a pinch of salt. Yum!

My real name gives this....

How to make a me

Ingredients: 1 part friendliness 1 part humour 3 parts empathy

Method: Combine in a tall glass half filled with crushed ice. Add emotion to taste! Do not overindulge!

Username:

Personality cocktail
From Go-Quiz.com

Fun with google

In checking out Roximoons blog she had a neat idea I tried out and barring any scary pornoish images, I've posted the first pic google image search comes up with when I looked for: The name of where I was born, the name of where I live now, My name, My maternal grandmother's name (you can choose your favorite image for this), and my favorite food, favorite drink and favorite smell (in that order below):
So here ya go. The image that came up for where I was born was too awful (really-trust me) to post so it's' the 2nd one (Other than that it's all #1 result...
Where I was born:







Where I live now:








My name:






My late Grandma's name (Grace if you're curious):





Rice pudding...








Chocolate martinis


tied with what must be flowing through my veins by now - coffee...




And the fantastic smell of juniper





I'm curious - what do *you* come up with??