out of the blue

Sarah claims that I'm more of a velociraptor than a robot-alien. Thoughts?

Why can't candidates promise to cut taxes after reducing spending? I'm sorry, but your average middle class family in America does not need a tax break. But your average lower or middle class child does need music and arts instruction, properly funded after-school programs, and more attention from teachers.

I'm all for reducing governmental overhead and congressional earmarks. I would love to see us avoid getting embroiled into trillion-dollar wars. I would love to see money not thrown away to protect the interests of certain money-grubbing lobbies. But the reductions come first; the tax breaks come last.

Promised tax breaks are a great way to get elected. They're a shitty way to run a country.

After weeks of waiting, Josh and I finally have internet at our apartment. This means no more connections that drop every few minutes, no going to Hopkins solely for internet, and no more waiting hours for YouTube to load videos.

I've done some tests, and it looks like we'll be getting about 1264 kb/s actual download, and 560 kb/s actual upload. When I tested on speedtest.net, it gave me a projected download speed of 1326 kb/s and an upload speed of 560 kb/s, so their numbers jive pretty well with the actual speeds. (Remember that kb/s is kilobits per second, and how network speeds are usually measured; KB/s is kilobytes per second, and how file sizes are usually measured; one KB is eight times larger than one kb.) So I may continue to use speedtest.net for a few months, and then ask Sarah to perform some statistical analysis of the results (you can download them in csv format). Dating a scientist who enjoys mathematical analysis has its definite advantages.

Josh suggested we call the wireless network "Zephyr". I think it's a very good name.

This is the beginning of life: void and without form, pliant and mutable. Yielding to will.

Then the first firmness, a point. Not pointy: a speck. A grain, a salt seed, a kernel of tungsten. One appears, then another, then closer and closer and one-upon-another. They coalesce into constellations, drops of star-water, puddles of light and energy. They sizzle and boil, sputter fire. Fill the atmosphere of the universe.

This is the beginning of life. Or, rather, the roots of what will become life, the rules and whims that govern life and give it shape. Stone wheels circle majestic suns, the timing of invisible gears — the clicking and whirring, celestial and inexorable. On, on, turn again, around and purposeless eon-work. But there is a way of growing in the cracks.

This is the beginning of life, in the cracks abounding.

My internet was completely dead today. It made me sad. But I will return one of these days in a blaze of fiery light. And goodness. Look for me.

I'm in the apartment, surrounded by three different directions of sound. From my open bedroom window come the sounds of thunder from the storm that is passing to the North. From the kitchen, the sound of a kettle softly warbling as it turns to a full boil. From the window by the couch, the sounds of rain and of cars splashing down the street. Josh is on the couch reading Life of Pi by Yann Martel. I'm in the brown chair reading War for the Oaks, by Emma Bull, and the mood fits.

Josh and I are ensconced in our new apartment. I was going to post this from campus, but Josh was ready to go back before I had the chance. Then, when I reached the apartment, I realized that the internet had not come disconnected. The Gonzaga wireless network still had a couple bars. I realize this is cheating, but I'm not going to complain.

I took some pictures of the apartment today, but I am not going to put them in this post. Later. Be patient.

Those of you in Spokane: talk to me; make plans to impose your presence upon me.

Here are some recent and forthcoming books that the Spokane Public Library has either on its shelves or on order, and which I will reserve at my earliest opportunity:

Here Comes Everybody, Clay Shirky

A much-talked-about book on group dynamics with the power of the internet, and the ability of groups to transcend traditional organizational structures.

Jhegaala, Steven Brust

The new Vlad book. Fantasy assassin with biting humor. Not set at the end of the timeline so far, but bound to fill some of the holes in the Vlad narrative. And be hugely entertaining, of course.

Saturn's Children, Charles Stross

A new book in the Accelerando universe, Young Adult space opera. I have read no synopses or reviews, so I'm not sure what to expect. Except Strossy goodness.

Zoe's Tale, John Scalzi

John Scalzi's contribution to Young Adult, in the style of a Heinlein Juvenile, taking place in his Old Man's War Universe. To be released July 19.

The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman

A riff on The Jungle Book, except darker and spookier. Neil Gaiman says it's the book that he wanted to write for a long time, but never felt good enough. Then he decided that he'd never feel good enough, so he might as well write it. He sounds quite proud of it. Due for release September 30.

A few other books that I plan to reserve, but aren't notably new:

Stand On Zanzibar, John Brunner

I just read The Sheep Look Up, his classic book about the ecological apocalypse, and loved it. This means that I will be looking up his other well-known books and making my way through them. This is the most notable of those. (Except the Spokane library doesn't have it… Must find elsewhere.)

In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan

Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma was pretty good. This focuses more on processed food and the American diet. Amazon quotes what may be a seven-word synopsis of the entire book: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

War for the Oaks, Emma Bull

Emma Bull's debut urban fantasy novel. Rock music and faerie. So far I'm only familiar with Bull for collaborating with Steven Brust. Reading this should remedy that situation.

If you want to watch meteors this year, check out the Perseid meteor shower tonight. It's probably going to be the best one of the year. Although the moon is rather large (83% of visible disk illuminated), it should set around 1:01 am, leaving the darkest part of the night undisturbed. The sun should rise at 5:43 am, but it will begin to (slightly) lighten the sky two hours before that. The sky should be completely dark by 10:17 (technically, that's the end of astronomical twilight, the least [or greatest] of the twilights). The darker the sky, the more meteors you'll see and the brighter they will appear. So go watch them from 1 to 4, if you have the chance. Try to get away from cities. The shower will be visible from Portland and Seattle, but not nearly as good as, say, a mountaintop in Eastern Oregon. Look towards the north-eastern sky.

I am still in Pullman, which means I can drive ten minutes and be away from nearly all light pollution. There is a completely clear sky with only a faint breeze. In other words, perfect viewing conditions. I hope you are as lucky.

Today's xkcd is excellent.