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The tandem pull of the sun and the moon
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wSunday, June 30, 2002 |
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For your edification:
Diatoms, featuring Chaeotoceros and Skeletonema, early bloomers of the plankton.
I know.. you can hardly contain yourself. Me too. I made wallpaper and a screensaver out of this and some other plankton shots. I thought it would be really cool if Apple computer distributed plankton wallpaper and screensavers with their OS because, aside from being quite beautiful, diatoms' bodies (called frustules) are made of silica.
Kinda cool.. but probably too geeky for Apple.
posted by
Just Mary at 7:15 AM
8 comments
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Well this is a little better. This is a modified template and I'm sorry to say I don't remember who's responsible for the original. It's a little more serious in look than I want, but it has that marine blue thing going, so it will work for now. It needs something a bit more distinct on top. Maybe I'll play around with it.
Major thanks to Alex, the faithful and patient blog host, for going in and commenting the template to help me transition to a new look. I always hate to ask him for help because he's hosting me out of the kindness of his heart and I don't wanna bug him. Yesterday when I mentioned how much I was hating the look of my blog, he said "oh I can help with that" and went in and commented out what I need for his site.. He's been really great in terms of helping me out with getting things up and running.
I'm sorry he's leaving clanlord. My character always gave his grief (one of the few court cases I've ever lost, dammit) and I always enjoyed the interaction. He's left a rich legacy behind and I really appreciated the wonderful ambiguity of his more controversial character. I also appreciate that he's willing to let a dopey clanner like me continue to use space on his server.
So thanks Alex... if I can help out with any marine biology or plankton needs you might have, let me know. (cough) That includes any questions about algae sex.
posted by
Just Mary at 5:30 AM
11 comments
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Inspired by some of the fab blogs appearing on the scene, I'm cleaning up my blog act. Pardon the dust while I pretty this place up.
posted by
Just Mary at 4:00 AM
2 comments
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wFriday, June 21, 2002 |
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Bah. I'm in a bad mood. End of the week and I haven't gotten the things done I wanted to get done. I hate that. My house is a mess, I didn't get out to do my own plankton tow over at Capitola Wharf, I haven't spoken with one of the grad students in the lab I need to talk to, another grad student in a different lab still hasn't gotten my keys back to me, and I need to do laundry. I've let myself get distracted, which is bad. I guess I'm also trying not to face something that's bumming me out.
Bleah.
I'm not very happy right now for personal reasons related to a fucking boy and I'm smacking myself in the head and calling myself an idiot. I need to let this go and move on.
Trying to find someone reasonable and decent to hang out with sucks. I think I'll just go back to hanging with plankton. Or maybe I'll become a nun. But there's the whole "married to God" thing (raised Catholic) not to mention all the bullshit mysogyny of the Catholic church.
At each of my parent's funerals, I spent the service pissed off at the priest. With my dad's funeral, it was all the "our father this and our father that..." With my mom's funeral, I was furious because I had to fight to have a eulogy said for my mother. When Dad died, it was assumed there would be a eulogy. When my mom died, the priest acted like it was some big deal unusual thing to say a eulogy for my mom. What, she's female and doesn't deserve one? I was astonished that while it was assumed there would be a eulogy for my dad, my mother wasn't afforded the same respect. Why would there be one for my father and not my mother? Was her life not worth remembering or discussing?
Sigh. I'm well aware, of course, that in times of grief, anger can be easier to access. So being angry at the priest and at the Church isn't surprising. Especially if you happen to find the sexism of the judao christian tradition distasteful. Well, offensive as hell, really.
How did I get off on this rant? Sorry folks.. in a bad mood.
Ah, lets look on the bright side of life (ta da, dada dada dada).
Plankton. Had a great meeting with the professor who's lab I'll be in this summer. I am taking on my own project, something no one in the lab is doing, but that she'd like to see done. I'm really jazzed about it. She has this way of bolstering my self esteem (she's the one who gave me the A+s). She said to me in this meeting in an offhand way "I think of you as a grad student, not an undergrad because of the sophistication of your work." (gosh n shucks, say I, secretly pleased as hell.) Anyway, the work/career thing is ok, I guess, even if I wasn't able to get the tow and look for this species. I got the papers I need to read, at least. I'm also learning more about the microbial world, which I'm happy about, because I need to know more to flesh out some ideas I have.
Music. Saw friends last weekend and PLAYED and sang. We do these gatherings called "singthings" where the entire point is not to showcase the musicians -- the guitarists with the occasional fiddle n bass. Rather, the point is to get everyone involved in singing. So we play standards that everyone knows... beatles tunes, 50's do-wop, stuff like that. Was nice to see these people again -- I'd been playing music with them once a month at these things for about 6 years before I went off to school. Was gratifying to see that they missed me. Heh. Such a narcissist I am... "enough about me what do you think about me."
Cats. My cats rock. Even if they do wake me up far too early in the morning. The depresso in me wants to add "at least they luv me..."
heh. Self-pity is *such* an attractive quality.
I think I'll go ride my bike to work off all these positive happy cheerful fucking thoughts I'm having. Or get drunk. Maybe I'll do both. Maybe I'll go down to the beach and drink gin. From a paper bag. While soaking my feet in the ocean.
posted by
Just Mary at 1:13 PM
11 comments
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wFriday, June 14, 2002 |
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Mark rules. I know he's going to read this and get all embarrassed; I know he knows the esteem with which I hold him, but still I wanted to say it out loud: Mark is an awesome guy (he hates it when I call him a man... sorry babe, you are one, but I'll try not to embarrass you TOO much.)
(how am I doing?)
So wow, I've been enjoying summer a *ton* so far. Relaxing... neglecting stuff, playing geetar, contemplating work.. so I finally started putting some stuff together. Picked up a bit of web work, set up some meetings with lab people for next week... looked around for other jobs as well. Sent email to a prof who wrote me an evaluation for a class that was so glowing it made me blush. I'm hoping I can do some course assistant or reader work for him next year. I had talked to him earlier in the spring and someone had already asked... but maybe they'll flake. In any case, I know things can happen when you stay in someone's face -- in a polite, non intrusive way, of course. Anyway, I'm trying to get some momentum going again.
This weekend is shaping up to be fun. I have music with friends tonight, and a friend's daughter's Bat Mitvah reception tomorrow night. Two social events in one weekend! What a concept!
Oh and just to follow up: that paper that I handed in that I didn't like... apparently it was good enough. I pulled off an A+ in both lab and lecture for my plankton class (she says immodestly.)
posted by
Just Mary at 1:26 PM
8 comments
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wMonday, June 10, 2002 |
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*Stressful* week last week. Oh man.. finishing up exams, papers, sketchbooks... I was not super happy with the paper. Not because of the writing -- the writing was good, imho. Decent paragraph transitions, tight and focused... What I was unhappy with was the results. Inconclusive. My professor wasn't kidding when she said the project could be a Masters or Phd.
Ah well. I am happy with myself for writing up and turning in what I had on time rather than continuing to fret over making it perfect. I have a real problem turning in papers sometimes because I want them to be perfect and brilliant. But as I worked on this one, I kept in mind the advice of a friend (you know who you are) who said that success in academia isn't about being clever but about writing it up. Or something to that effect. anyway, I listened. It helped me let go of this project for the time being and turn it in, even tho its not really complete. The project cries out for more followup and I need to learn more molecular techniques to really do it justice.
I found out on Friday -- the day before I walked -- that the University lost my declaration of candidacy (for graduation)... I'd had 3 hours of sleep the night before finishing up said paper I promptly burst into tears at that lil factoid. Oy. I was so jazzed after turning in my last work for the quarter -- hearing that they'd lost my graduation paperwork was a major "wind dumped from my sails" moment. The college academic preceptor told me not to worry, they'd file a quick exception petition and I could walk on Sat. (and yes, they didn't do what they were supposed to and I had more wrangling to do Sat morning.)
The end result is that I got to walk, but I was not assessed for college or major honors, nor was my name printed in the program. I haven't figured out what I should do about the honors thing. Try again next year?
BUT, I did get my name announced and I walked across the stage and got my diploma. (a blank piece of paper rolled up -- they mail the real one). And I had my own lil cheering section -- even some clanners.
and and.. I got presents! That was unexpected... The most unusual one would have to be the tiara. heh.
In short a couple of people conspired to help make the day special for me and that was pretty cool. I was touched that people wanted to come to the ceremony and even more touched by the attention and well-wishing. It made me very happy.
I'm still a little bit amazed that I've finished. Only, I haven't completely -- I still have the senior thesis to finish and there's this petition I'm trying to get through the academic senate. But no more classes. Least not officially.
Many people have asked the question "what now?" ooh, good question! I figure I'll be another unemployed marine biologist prone to geeking out on Clanlord from time to time. I will be working in a lab this summer (unpaid) with my plankton prof, doing some kind of paid work to pay bills, preparing for the GREs in the fall and applying to gradual school.
Onward and upward? sideways? Anything but backwards.
posted by
Just Mary at 11:58 AM
8 comments
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wSunday, June 02, 2002 |
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Gah. I still feel like dogmeat. Sunday. Two days left to six hours of finals. I'd really rather go back to sleep. The cats woke me up this morning... Annie does her clever lets peek through the venetians in the bedroom and make 'em rattle really loud to wake her up.
Grrr.
Music plans two weeks from yesterday. Can't wait.
Today I'm missing a reunion of surviving members of the Grateful Dead at Frost Ampitheatre on the Stanford campus. I'm way bummed not to be there. Its a gorgeous venue, and all my deadhead friends are going. Sam even flew in from Washington DC (where he's now a mucky muck environmental policy wonk and I'm not going to be there to give him shit about administration environmental policies. The guy is brilliant, but working for the repukicans. go figure. ) I guess my foregoing this show to take care of studying means I've grown up or something. Goddamit I hate that.
Ah well. I get to play with toxic algae again later today, so it's not all bad. And soon, I'll be done. And natch, here I am procrastinating instead of studying physics like a good lil undergrad.
sigh.
posted by
Just Mary at 11:21 AM
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Kira: The Grateful Dead (note the spelling) is not antithetical to geekliness (which we all know is next to godliness). In my house, a Dead poster (art from a Seva benefit show, Toronto '84) hangs next to a bathymetric chart of monterey bay. I don't have the periodic table on my wall only because its pretty easy to remember those relevant organic elements. And I have a pocket chart in the wallet just in case.
So girlfriend... deadheads can be as geekly as they come. Plus, I don't think The Pope is a deadhead. He is, however, a nerd par excellance. Funny, he thinks that's a bad thing... go figure. I on the other hand, only aspire to his level of nerdliness. Actually, there's a few clanners who have nerd credentials I'm envious of... someday, someday.
So Kira, embrace yer InnerNerd�.
(damn, you people have got to get comments systems... )
Got a really messed up throat tonight.. ears, etc. Caught a cold from a party girl who showed up for my lab practical all sick (she's always sick or absent from class.. 2+2=4). We had to do scope work for the practical, which means putting our faces on her germs after she'd used the scopes. I'm kind of annoyed about it all (can you tell?) cuz I have 2 finals tues and a lot of work I need to finish up this weekend. I've been sleeping a lot and being sick and taking it easy when I should have pedal to the metal. Ah well. As a friend says, it is what it is. Tommorrow I'll go do the lab work I need to do. All I can do is the best I can do. I'm just no good when I'm sick, so hopefully the rest time has been a good thing. I've moved from dwelling in sneezeville to sore ears and throat.
Gretchen also got sick this week, which compounded my stress. She's 16 and has a long history of bladder infections. She had surgery this past year -- removed a big honking spiked bladder stone. The vet hadn't seen her since after the surgery so he decided he wanted her to come in. He's worried about kidney infection -- I just wanted a bottle of Baytril to get her through it. $175 later, we leave the vets with the baytril, kidney panel and an injection of antiobiotics. Damn that hurts. This is a really lousy time of year to get hit with $200 unexpected expenses. Still, she looks good for a 16 year old cat. heck she looks good for a cat half her age. So I can't imagine not spending the money on her. The timing sucked, however.
sleep time.
posted by
Just Mary at 3:22 AM
14 comments
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