science related theme
The US elections have come and gone, sadly exactly as I suspected: too many of my fellow Americans are lazy and stupid. So the next pandemics are brewing. Climate change is happening. Techbro oligarchs and Christian Theocrats are trying to rebrand the US into their own fiefdoms. Now is the time to rebuild on our…
Read More Autumn MusingsHappy very late December! Now that my initial rant is behind me, let’s move on to more positive things. What did I do this year, other than survive? In writing, this year was a wash. I’ve been too busy to write much long-form fiction. I had pieces more-or-less edited and ready to go, so I…
Read More Pandemic Year 2: In Review, Part 2Happy late December! I’m going to start this series of posts by being extremely cruel and vicious. Fair warning, I rant about Covid and the economy. We are all still here (except for those of us who aren’t)* because the world can’t manage a mutating virus. In the US, Australia, Canada, and the UK, specifically,…
Read More Pandemic Year 2: In Review, Pt 1This. Today. Right now. I have lost patience, understanding, and tolerance for people who won’t wear protective masks in public. Who *could* get a Covid vaccine, but choose not to for insanely stupid reasons. Immune system compromised? That’s a good reason. I want to protect you. But if your excuse is some fake medical news…
Read More The End Of My PatienceI’ve now had my second dose of the Moderna vaccine. In three or four weeks I should have as much Covid coverage as I’m going to get. Of course, I will continue to be masked in public. I enjoyed the lower allergies last year! Also, there will more handmade masks, and more *obnoxious* masks in…
Read More Moderna vaccine!Because I can’t stay away from fiber arts. These fabric masks have an outer shell of embroidered and beaded cloth, surgical cloth filters, and inner linings of copper-infused bamboo and cotton cloth. They can be washed and sterilized. They fit very well. Are they the equivalent of N95 masks? Hell, no. But they help with…
Read More Three Covid MasksHeading into a grim week. So far, I and my loved ones are safe. Arizona lagged behind others in setting a ‘Stay Home’ order. I only go to grocery stores, mail drop, a health clinic, and work. I’ve been masked in public for a week (my own sewn masks). Work…is problematic. My company is essential…
Read More Covid19 update: ArizonaAround lunchtime last week, I looked up at the sky and thought, “Hey, those look a LOT like wall clouds. And that sky has a color I haven’t seen since Portales*. Oh, look, that hubcap-shaped cloud is…” Rotating. Over the next 45 seconds, this elegant funnel dropped out of the clouds. It skimmed northeastward, the…
Read More Accidental StormchasingNow in its natural habitat! I have a dear friend who has to endure dialysis three times a week. This sucks on many levels. One injurious indignity involves a theoretically-padded chair that is just on the more-padded side of a cheapass emergency-room waiting room metal bench. No one should have to spend ten minutes in…
Read More The Supercomfy Non Skid Chair PadFor a couple of years recently, I worked at a strenuous but fun job painting faux finishes on fiberglass architectural forms. A mostly outside job winter or summer, it involved schlepping big cast brickwork arches onto sawhorses, fixing the (numerous) flaws from the manufacturer, and painting a three tone finish to mimic a particular type…
Read More Myself from SpaceBecause they make me smile: Sugar Skull ceramic planters from a nearby Trader Joe’s. I’m wondering if I could coax a Datura seedling into growing in one, instead of the succulent shown. Probably shouldn’t, though. Responsibility in gardening, and all that. But honestly: wouldn’t it be gorgeous?
Read More Happy Halloween, 2017!Note: ‘Natural’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘safe’. A surprising number of herbal products can harm or kill you, used improperly. This stuff is no exception. So if you are mad enough to make your own horehound candy, be careful and don’t overdo it, either in the making or the eating. These are horehound candy ‘sanded’ lozenges…
Read More Horehound candy from scratchI may go on a rant later about the twin dangers of deregulation and ignoring manmade climate change, and how millions of people in south and central Texas will be paying for those governmental, industrial, and institutional mistakes. But right now, let’s consider the sheer power behind this ‘historic’ storm, made immeasurably worse by warm…
Read More Hurricane HarveyHappy Independence Day, for my fellow US friends (and for everyone else!) While we’re on the subject of independence, do you know about Patreon? The company bills itself as the best way for creators to build a sustained income. From what I’ve seen from many Patreon accounts, it’s succeeding. 35 creators each earned over $150,000…
Read More Patreon Ahoy!That’s right folks, the madness that is Phoenix Comicon starts in just a few hours! I probably won’t attend this year because of schedule conflicts with other work and art stuff. If you’re brave enough to deal with the heat and crowds, I can promise there will be lots of insane, wonderful, awe-inspiring moments for…
Read More Phoenix Comicon 2017Americans are so myopic, sometimes. In the rush to ‘teach to the test’ or advance our science and math education (well, until Betsy DeVos became Education Secretary), we’ve forgotten that art can involve some high levels of math and science, too. Follow this Racked.com and Twitter thread for an in-depth look at the MetGala dresses…
Read More STEM and artTechnology is wonderful. Especially when bright but otherwise bored people say ‘Hey, these zirconium ceramic ball bearings and whetstones are nearly as tough as sapphire. I bet we could make jewelry out of this stuff!’ Jewelry wonks are already familiar with Cubic Zirconium, the relatively cheap and readily available diamond-substitute gem, usually faceted and sold…
Read More Black Ceramic ChainThe predatory vanity publishing world is not limited to fiction. Academic and scientific papers are also a hot commodity, since the legitimate markets can have high entry barriers in fees and vetting. A host of predatory and often outright criminal publishers have surfaced to ‘serve’ those customers. Many scientists and academics need to publish work…
Read More Beall’s List and fake academic publishersFirst off, to the Russians who keep trying to hack me: why? I’m small fry, not worth your effort. I have 13 subscribers with a handful of other readers, and I run a blog that is mostly a wall o’text. No pretty pictures, no clickbait ads, and no one powerful cares what I think. Granted,…
Read More What up, Russians?The lessons are piling on from last Friday’s horrific ‘Ghost Ship’ fire in Oakland, California. At least three dozen people died. To recap: The Ghost Ship was an urban warehouse illegally and shoddily converted into cheap work-live housing for artists, musicians, and other creatives. Electricity and water were siphoned from neighbors, and frequently didn’t work.…
Read More Artists, protect yourselves