I am 20 weeks pregnant today - half-way through the pregnancy. It seems so weird to be half way through, and I can't believe how much more I have to do before he/she gets here!
We have been looking into buying a new car because our 15 year old Blazer with 190,000 miles (while it runs great) maybe a little too unreliable for a new born.
We've been looking into day cares. The plan is that I will stay at home for 6 months or so and look to start a job next summer... but we still need to start putting our names on waiting lists so we can have a good spot at a place where we feel comfortable.
We still need to set up the baby's room! We need to register, buy furniture and start getting the house ready!
And finally I need to graduate. Wow. I can't believe I've been in school for over 5 years, and I am still not done. 2 papers under my belt with so much more to do! I was looking at the calendar today made me realize that if I want to graduate before the baby comes then I need to to get some major work done in the next 3 months!
As far as how I've been feeling. My back was aching a little last week, but that seemed to have tapered off after going to the pool twice. I have been sneezing a lot and wake up a stuffy nose. I've started to forget a few things. For instance today I couldn't remember my social security number or a website I visit all the time... But after reading horror stories, I've been very thankful at my lack of symptoms. Hopefully the second half of my pregnancy will be just as smooth as the first.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Belly Pics!
So, I'm a little embarrassed to show these, but oh well, this is what I look like. We went to the pool yesterday and I just felt fat, not round and beautifully pregnant. Even though I've only gained 9 pounds, I feel like I look 30lbs heavier!
Here it is in all its glory for all of those who have asked. Pictures from the beginning.
Here it is in all its glory for all of those who have asked. Pictures from the beginning.
Friday, June 26, 2009
It's alive!
Where have we been? Well, I've been baking a baby, is that enough of an excuse? Hopefully I'll be more consistent, but no promises! I am currently 17 weeks 4 days and yes, we are having a baby! Above is an outdated picture, but it's the best I have so far. This was taken at 12 weeks 4 days when the baby was only 2 inches... It's now almost 6 inches and I have started to feel it moving this last week. It's like popcorn in my stomach!
I'm afraid this blog might become more of a kvetching board (kvetch: v. [Yiddish] to complain). But oh well... that seems like that is what everyone is interested in. I have never had so many people asking me "how are you feeling?"
Coming soon - Belly Pics and how I've been feeling.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Amanda is quoted in an Indy article
The Monti revives the lost art of oral storytelling
Stand and deliver
22 April 2009 * By Jessica Fuller * Link to Story
Once upon a time, there was no television or Twitter to aid in the creation and dissemination of stories. In those days, if one wanted a story, someone would have to tell it.
Storytelling may be a nearly lost art, but on a recent Tuesday, there were glimmers of its revival. Sure, there was no blind guy named Homer or inventive girl named Scheherazade; instead, visitors to Alivia's Bistro in Durham listened to New York comic Sara Barron talk about snogging an old crush and heard other tales, including one from a man who awoke one night as a child and found a bat on his chest.
This gathering, founded one year ago by Cary Academy science teacher Jeff Polish, is called The Monti. A showcase for raconteurs, it brings personal narratives and old-fashioned storytelling to a live audience. Polish started the group, named for an old college friend, after seeing an advertisement in The New Yorker for a New York-based storytelling organization called The Moth. The group encouraged people from all walks of life to stand on stage and tell a story—no notes, no script, no fiction.
Polish, who has a doctorate in genetics from Washington University, said that the experience "sounded like everything I'd always wanted to do but didn't have the guts to try."
"I had no idea it would become the phenomenon it has become," he said.
In April of last year, Polish opened the first Monti show at Spice Street in Chapel Hill. So far the group has sold out all 12 of its shows, with tickets going in as quickly as 30 minutes.
"The stories are compelling. They turn life experiences into a story, the banal into something interesting," said one attendee, Amanda Marvelle from Durham, a graduate student in genetics at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
This particular evening was the second Monti StorySlam, an event best described as a combination of karaoke and a poetry reading. Audience members submit their names into a hat (or, in this case, a Samuel Adams pitcher) and are chosen at random to come to the mike and tell a five-minute story. Audience members also serve as judges, giving each a score from 1-10 based on how well the story flows, stays within the time limit and fits the night's theme.
The evening's theme, "Animal Instincts," seemed perfect for Barron, its guest host. A delightful combination of Saturday Night Live's Kristin Wiig and a frizzier-haired Lucille Ball, Barron took the stage (a 3-foot-by-3-foot wooden box) in a flurry of skinny jeans and purple fingernails.
"Since tonight's theme, Animal Instincts, is sort of sexual," she said with a growl, "I thought I'd read a little something to get us in the mood." She pulled out a gift from her dear Jewish grandmother, a copy of How to Talk So Men Will Listen, and set the crowd rolling on a night of touching, hilarious, gritty, real stories.
But there was far more to the event than the polish of a professional like Barron. The success of the evening would ride on the amateurs who, in a fit of bravery or foolhardiness, signed up to talk. "I can't eat my meal I'm so nervous," said Mark Solomon, a clinical neuropsychologist from Durham, before he was called to the stage. But he captivated the crowd with his tale of discovering bacon after 12 years in a strict vegetarian home. "
"Where did you get this?" he asked, mimicking his mother when she found him sneaking bacon home in his jeans pockets after a sleepover. "Is this responsible for your drop in grades at school?"
Only after Solomon told his story could he eat his dinner peacefully. His meal? A bacon cheeseburger, of course.
There were tales of taking on Florida panthers wearing only a towel, fighting off hippos in the Zambezi River, and eating goat in Kyrgyzstan under the threat of explosive diarrhea. Someone with a double-lung transplant shared the story of fleeing her apartment when she thought she was being robbed, and a man told how his life was changed by the Coalition to Unchain Dogs.
As judges assessed each story, Barron kept up the room's energy with tales of growing up dorky in suburban Chicago and by flirting with the dude from The Regulator who was there with copies of her book, People Are Unappealing.
"I'm staying at the Days Inn, people," she said. "What is the point of staying at the Days Inn if you can't have weird sex with a stranger?"
Montek Singh, an assistant professor of computer science at UNC, shared his story of choosing graduate schools and coming to this country from India. He was told that schools in California have beautiful weather and women, and schools in New York were surrounded by grit and crime but many restaurants.
He shared the question he pondered before making his choice: "Food? Or sex?"
After a well-timed pause, he continued, "So I landed at JFK airport...."
"I'm really impressed with the people willing to get up there," said Briana Brough of Durham, a photographer for Durham Magazine and Chapel Hill Magazine. "The stories are great and very entertaining. It's way better than TV."
Barron, a New York comedy veteran, deemed the performances even stronger than ones she has seen up north. "I was impressed with the caliber and how the community is so supportive."
Along with putting together next month's StorySlam, Polish hopes to gain nonprofit status for The Monti to explore the possibilities of storytelling workshops to spread the art form. Currently, the group uses donated space and spends most of each show's $600 ticket revenue on sound equipment and technicians to preserve the stories shared.
Brian Crawford, a resident of Greensboro and a 20th-century American literature professor at Elon University, summed up the importance of The Monti shows.
"Telling a story for five to 10 minutes is a lost art. People don't have the patience, and people don't know how to listen," he said. "I teach in front a classroom all day long, and it's nothing like this."
The next StorySlam is set for May 19 at Carrboro's DSI Comedy Theater. For information on Monti events, visit www.themonti.org.
Stand and deliver
22 April 2009 * By Jessica Fuller * Link to Story
Once upon a time, there was no television or Twitter to aid in the creation and dissemination of stories. In those days, if one wanted a story, someone would have to tell it.Storytelling may be a nearly lost art, but on a recent Tuesday, there were glimmers of its revival. Sure, there was no blind guy named Homer or inventive girl named Scheherazade; instead, visitors to Alivia's Bistro in Durham listened to New York comic Sara Barron talk about snogging an old crush and heard other tales, including one from a man who awoke one night as a child and found a bat on his chest.
This gathering, founded one year ago by Cary Academy science teacher Jeff Polish, is called The Monti. A showcase for raconteurs, it brings personal narratives and old-fashioned storytelling to a live audience. Polish started the group, named for an old college friend, after seeing an advertisement in The New Yorker for a New York-based storytelling organization called The Moth. The group encouraged people from all walks of life to stand on stage and tell a story—no notes, no script, no fiction.
Polish, who has a doctorate in genetics from Washington University, said that the experience "sounded like everything I'd always wanted to do but didn't have the guts to try."
"I had no idea it would become the phenomenon it has become," he said.
In April of last year, Polish opened the first Monti show at Spice Street in Chapel Hill. So far the group has sold out all 12 of its shows, with tickets going in as quickly as 30 minutes.
"The stories are compelling. They turn life experiences into a story, the banal into something interesting," said one attendee, Amanda Marvelle from Durham, a graduate student in genetics at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
This particular evening was the second Monti StorySlam, an event best described as a combination of karaoke and a poetry reading. Audience members submit their names into a hat (or, in this case, a Samuel Adams pitcher) and are chosen at random to come to the mike and tell a five-minute story. Audience members also serve as judges, giving each a score from 1-10 based on how well the story flows, stays within the time limit and fits the night's theme.
The evening's theme, "Animal Instincts," seemed perfect for Barron, its guest host. A delightful combination of Saturday Night Live's Kristin Wiig and a frizzier-haired Lucille Ball, Barron took the stage (a 3-foot-by-3-foot wooden box) in a flurry of skinny jeans and purple fingernails.
"Since tonight's theme, Animal Instincts, is sort of sexual," she said with a growl, "I thought I'd read a little something to get us in the mood." She pulled out a gift from her dear Jewish grandmother, a copy of How to Talk So Men Will Listen, and set the crowd rolling on a night of touching, hilarious, gritty, real stories.
But there was far more to the event than the polish of a professional like Barron. The success of the evening would ride on the amateurs who, in a fit of bravery or foolhardiness, signed up to talk. "I can't eat my meal I'm so nervous," said Mark Solomon, a clinical neuropsychologist from Durham, before he was called to the stage. But he captivated the crowd with his tale of discovering bacon after 12 years in a strict vegetarian home. "
"Where did you get this?" he asked, mimicking his mother when she found him sneaking bacon home in his jeans pockets after a sleepover. "Is this responsible for your drop in grades at school?"
Only after Solomon told his story could he eat his dinner peacefully. His meal? A bacon cheeseburger, of course.
There were tales of taking on Florida panthers wearing only a towel, fighting off hippos in the Zambezi River, and eating goat in Kyrgyzstan under the threat of explosive diarrhea. Someone with a double-lung transplant shared the story of fleeing her apartment when she thought she was being robbed, and a man told how his life was changed by the Coalition to Unchain Dogs.
As judges assessed each story, Barron kept up the room's energy with tales of growing up dorky in suburban Chicago and by flirting with the dude from The Regulator who was there with copies of her book, People Are Unappealing.
"I'm staying at the Days Inn, people," she said. "What is the point of staying at the Days Inn if you can't have weird sex with a stranger?"
Montek Singh, an assistant professor of computer science at UNC, shared his story of choosing graduate schools and coming to this country from India. He was told that schools in California have beautiful weather and women, and schools in New York were surrounded by grit and crime but many restaurants.
He shared the question he pondered before making his choice: "Food? Or sex?"
After a well-timed pause, he continued, "So I landed at JFK airport...."
"I'm really impressed with the people willing to get up there," said Briana Brough of Durham, a photographer for Durham Magazine and Chapel Hill Magazine. "The stories are great and very entertaining. It's way better than TV."
Barron, a New York comedy veteran, deemed the performances even stronger than ones she has seen up north. "I was impressed with the caliber and how the community is so supportive."
Along with putting together next month's StorySlam, Polish hopes to gain nonprofit status for The Monti to explore the possibilities of storytelling workshops to spread the art form. Currently, the group uses donated space and spends most of each show's $600 ticket revenue on sound equipment and technicians to preserve the stories shared.
Brian Crawford, a resident of Greensboro and a 20th-century American literature professor at Elon University, summed up the importance of The Monti shows.
"Telling a story for five to 10 minutes is a lost art. People don't have the patience, and people don't know how to listen," he said. "I teach in front a classroom all day long, and it's nothing like this."
The next StorySlam is set for May 19 at Carrboro's DSI Comedy Theater. For information on Monti events, visit www.themonti.org.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Why we love Durham
We were recently asked by a friend of ours to write a few sentences about why we love Durham for a class that she is taking. Here is our response:
We love Durham.
We love the diversity, creativity, and intelligence of the Durhamites. Durhamites are all not here for a university or for a particular company, but rather there is a broad spectrum of folks with large numbers of educated people interested in the arts, food, culture, etc. But there's also a realness about Durham - blue collar, Durham-born and bred for generations folks that grounds it and gives it character. Its not a hippie, yuppie island of people trying to isolate themselves in a paradise of their own making.
We love the friendliness (perhaps it comes from being in the South) of Durham's people. People are open and welcoming to each other, smile when they pass in the street, and willing to lend a hand. There isn't a natural suspicion of others' motives that we've felt in other cities.
We love the energy the community has for the revitalization of Downtown. So many are genuinely excited about this process. Some create new businesses and the community is so eager to support them. And its created a positive cycle that seems to gain momentum everyday. We feel that we can participate and can be integral part of it because it's so community-driven. This might be due to the small size of Durham which means that everyone has to play a role. Everyone is talking or blogging or emailing about the new restaurants, activities, etc (and so are we) and so we hear about the new things and can participate.
And the community is energized for good reasons - there are great things to do in Durham and nearby. Universities and their academic and athletic events, restaurants/bars, the Farmer's Market, the Durham Bulls, music (DPAC, Pinhook, and Cat's Cradle, etc), and much more. Its location near Raleigh and Chapel Hill gives us access to those places while still enjoying everything we love about Durham.
There is real history to Durham and its discussed and celebrated. Its buildings are being revitalized and repurposed. While there are dark parts of Durham's history, those aren't being ignored, and the great parts of its history are being celebrated.
We love Durham.
We love the diversity, creativity, and intelligence of the Durhamites. Durhamites are all not here for a university or for a particular company, but rather there is a broad spectrum of folks with large numbers of educated people interested in the arts, food, culture, etc. But there's also a realness about Durham - blue collar, Durham-born and bred for generations folks that grounds it and gives it character. Its not a hippie, yuppie island of people trying to isolate themselves in a paradise of their own making.
We love the friendliness (perhaps it comes from being in the South) of Durham's people. People are open and welcoming to each other, smile when they pass in the street, and willing to lend a hand. There isn't a natural suspicion of others' motives that we've felt in other cities.
We love the energy the community has for the revitalization of Downtown. So many are genuinely excited about this process. Some create new businesses and the community is so eager to support them. And its created a positive cycle that seems to gain momentum everyday. We feel that we can participate and can be integral part of it because it's so community-driven. This might be due to the small size of Durham which means that everyone has to play a role. Everyone is talking or blogging or emailing about the new restaurants, activities, etc (and so are we) and so we hear about the new things and can participate.
And the community is energized for good reasons - there are great things to do in Durham and nearby. Universities and their academic and athletic events, restaurants/bars, the Farmer's Market, the Durham Bulls, music (DPAC, Pinhook, and Cat's Cradle, etc), and much more. Its location near Raleigh and Chapel Hill gives us access to those places while still enjoying everything we love about Durham.
There is real history to Durham and its discussed and celebrated. Its buildings are being revitalized and repurposed. While there are dark parts of Durham's history, those aren't being ignored, and the great parts of its history are being celebrated.
Friday, March 20, 2009
UNC vs. Duke - My last basketball game as a student
UNC vs Duke from Nathan Marvelle on Vimeo.
Even though the image is black there is a movie if you press play :)
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Marvelle Musings' 101st post!! & Facebook 25 things
Why do I note that this is our 101st post? Well, just to point out that last night the Tar Heels scored 101 points against Duke to continue their domination at Cameron for yet another year... GO HEELS!
In other news...
In the past few weeks, a chain letter called "25 Random Things About Me" has wormed its way through Facebook at an alarming speed and Slate wrote an interesting article about it (as well as The Post and The Times and many others) trying to track its origin and why THIS trend has spread so quickly. If you've been involved in this "25 things" craze go to their website: http://www.slate.com/id/2210697/ and fill out their survey.
I've decided to post my 25 things for those of you who aren't on facebook:
1. I wrote 20 random things then my Firefox shut down and I lost them...
2. I am a procrastinator, so I am writing them again.
3. We adopted a dog named Pancake. Could he have come with a better name?
4. I met Nathan at a free CAKE concert on 8th and G in DC.
5. I will NOT eat mayonnaise, American cheese, or drink milk. I believe I can trace this back to a traumatic experience in day-care, but who would want to eat those nasty things anyways?
6. Thank God for the red underlines in Word and Firefox, because I can't for the life of me spell.
7. I have been focusing on Genetics for over 7 years (grad school + pre-grad school), but I still don't know what the heck I want to do with my life. Maybe open a tea shop? Maybe I'm afraid of making a decision? Maybe I will always be looking?
8. There is nothing better than a brunch of tamales, eggs (with cheese, cilantro, and jalapenos of course), tortillas, beans, rice, and coffee at Don Jaime's in Mt. Pleasant.
9. I am in love with This American Life and more specifically Ira Glass. I have joked that I would marry Ira if we were both single (and he wanted to, of course). My "joke" was broadcasted on the NPR station for over a year on their My Source soundbites.
10. While studying abroad in Denmark, I went to a crazy week long rock festival, The Roskilde Festival. In order to pay for my ticket I drove a cherry picker and took down the electrical wiring afterward. You evidently don't need a permit to drive one of those things in Denmark.
11. I will be going to New Zealand in February. I hope to do an extreme sport - maybe skydiving? bungee jumping? or luge down the side of a mountain? Only if Nathan is up to it and well, let's just say, he's not too enthused by my eagerness.
12. I love documenting events with pictures and posting them on the web for everyone to see - I wish everyone did the same so I could see all the pictures from events where I didn't have my camera!
13. My legs are disproportionally long, and I have a hard time buying pants. I went through the first few years of adolescence wearing high-waters.
14. I have always dreamt of running 400 meters in less than 60 seconds. I once ran it in 60.1 (seriously! ) and have now resolved that I will never be able to obtain this dream. At 27 years old, I am way past my prime...
15. I cannot resist a sliced fresh picked tomato with a dash of salt and pepper. The best is if it is from my parent's garden.
16. I am a nerd, and I'm proud of it.
17. I had a belly button ring for almost 10 years... to top it off my mom was the one to initially pierced it - I had it redone a few years later with my friend Kim at a computer science conference in Pigeon Forge, TN. I'm a nerd as established in #16.
18. I have never broken a bone, but I have dislocated my shoulder on multiple occasions and tore my ACL to shreds. I think I would have much rather broken a bone than had two surgeries with extremely long recoveries.
19. I am addicted to the internet. I know that an iPhone or Blackberry would be detrimental to my health.
20. As a freshman in college, I drop-kicked a guy who was trying to pick me up and broke his nose. I could have killed him with my ninja moves.
21. When I find a song I like for the first time, I will listen to it over and over on repeat (up to several hours at a time). Is this crazy?
22. I am the handy-(wo)man around the house.
23. I thrive on doing things with other people and could easily do something every night of the week if given the opportunity. So if you are doing something, let me know. If I'm free, I'll join you!
24. I've swam with penguins and sharks in the Galapagos Islands.
25. I love Durham, and want to live here for a long time! My dream is to buy a historic home in downtown and renovate it.
In other news...
In the past few weeks, a chain letter called "25 Random Things About Me" has wormed its way through Facebook at an alarming speed and Slate wrote an interesting article about it (as well as The Post and The Times and many others) trying to track its origin and why THIS trend has spread so quickly. If you've been involved in this "25 things" craze go to their website: http://www.slate.com/id/2210697/ and fill out their survey.
I've decided to post my 25 things for those of you who aren't on facebook:
1. I wrote 20 random things then my Firefox shut down and I lost them...
2. I am a procrastinator, so I am writing them again.
3. We adopted a dog named Pancake. Could he have come with a better name?
4. I met Nathan at a free CAKE concert on 8th and G in DC.
5. I will NOT eat mayonnaise, American cheese, or drink milk. I believe I can trace this back to a traumatic experience in day-care, but who would want to eat those nasty things anyways?
6. Thank God for the red underlines in Word and Firefox, because I can't for the life of me spell.
7. I have been focusing on Genetics for over 7 years (grad school + pre-grad school), but I still don't know what the heck I want to do with my life. Maybe open a tea shop? Maybe I'm afraid of making a decision? Maybe I will always be looking?
8. There is nothing better than a brunch of tamales, eggs (with cheese, cilantro, and jalapenos of course), tortillas, beans, rice, and coffee at Don Jaime's in Mt. Pleasant.
9. I am in love with This American Life and more specifically Ira Glass. I have joked that I would marry Ira if we were both single (and he wanted to, of course). My "joke" was broadcasted on the NPR station for over a year on their My Source soundbites.
10. While studying abroad in Denmark, I went to a crazy week long rock festival, The Roskilde Festival. In order to pay for my ticket I drove a cherry picker and took down the electrical wiring afterward. You evidently don't need a permit to drive one of those things in Denmark.
11. I will be going to New Zealand in February. I hope to do an extreme sport - maybe skydiving? bungee jumping? or luge down the side of a mountain? Only if Nathan is up to it and well, let's just say, he's not too enthused by my eagerness.
12. I love documenting events with pictures and posting them on the web for everyone to see - I wish everyone did the same so I could see all the pictures from events where I didn't have my camera!
13. My legs are disproportionally long, and I have a hard time buying pants. I went through the first few years of adolescence wearing high-waters.
14. I have always dreamt of running 400 meters in less than 60 seconds. I once ran it in 60.1 (seriously! ) and have now resolved that I will never be able to obtain this dream. At 27 years old, I am way past my prime...
15. I cannot resist a sliced fresh picked tomato with a dash of salt and pepper. The best is if it is from my parent's garden.
16. I am a nerd, and I'm proud of it.
17. I had a belly button ring for almost 10 years... to top it off my mom was the one to initially pierced it - I had it redone a few years later with my friend Kim at a computer science conference in Pigeon Forge, TN. I'm a nerd as established in #16.
18. I have never broken a bone, but I have dislocated my shoulder on multiple occasions and tore my ACL to shreds. I think I would have much rather broken a bone than had two surgeries with extremely long recoveries.
19. I am addicted to the internet. I know that an iPhone or Blackberry would be detrimental to my health.
20. As a freshman in college, I drop-kicked a guy who was trying to pick me up and broke his nose. I could have killed him with my ninja moves.
21. When I find a song I like for the first time, I will listen to it over and over on repeat (up to several hours at a time). Is this crazy?
22. I am the handy-(wo)man around the house.
23. I thrive on doing things with other people and could easily do something every night of the week if given the opportunity. So if you are doing something, let me know. If I'm free, I'll join you!
24. I've swam with penguins and sharks in the Galapagos Islands.
25. I love Durham, and want to live here for a long time! My dream is to buy a historic home in downtown and renovate it.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
This week's edition of MarvelleHD
We've gotten to babysit Camden every other Monday for the past few weeks. During this time we have been able to see him progress from a little scooting to a full on crawl. Here is our documentation of him learning to crawl.
Camden Learning to Crawl from Nathan Marvelle on Vimeo.
Camden Learning to Crawl from Nathan Marvelle on Vimeo.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Poor Mr. Pooch
This weekend Pancake had an accident and cut himself on his snout. He had to have multiple stitches and is wearing an Elizabethan collar. He is not at all excited by this and we think that he actually might have doggie depression. Here is a pitiful picture of him with his collar on.
Friday, February 6, 2009
How do I leave my individuality on the world?
As I was listening to Radio Lab, an NPR podcast that delves into a variety of scientific topics in an interesting way, I was exposed to an insight about science that I had never really thought about. Everyday I’m reading papers, doing research, and learning about science in general. However, this was above and beyond the actual day-to-day science; it was more of a philosophical take on science.
The set-up: Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich are interviewing Alan Lightman, an ex-theoretical physicist. Alan was working on the problem of how globular clusters (a glob of stars) hang together - the gravity that links them. He thought he had found something so unique, but as he was in the process of writing up his research, he began to look at papers of other people who did simlar work. He was flipping thorugh some current journals and stumbled upon a title that look alarmingly like it could have been the title to the paper he was working on. After reading the paper, Alan realized that two guys from Japan had found exactly what he had found...
Below is my attempt at a transcript from the interview:
Jad Abumrad: So what they had found was exactly what you had found?
Alan: Well they would have had to find exactly what I had found, because this is the world of science. And the world of science has this terrible precision.
I was crest-fallen. I was so disappointed. I felt humiliated. I felt stupid.
And then another sensation went through me and that was a felling of amazement. That these two guys on the other side of the planet with no communication with me, sitting at their desk, worked on the same problem, and had gotten the same results.
Jad: The exact same results ...
Alan: Any scientist anywhere in the universe solving this problem would have gotten that answer. There really IS something outside of our bodies and independent of our minds. This is both a wonderful thing and a terrible thing.
It’s a wonderful thing because there is a beauty to it, there is a feeling of power and control.
But the tragedy of this, which I felt at the same time, is that, what is the relevance of me as an individual person if anybody else could have solved the same problem? Then why was I needed? What was the meaning of my life? How do I leave my individuality on the world? Certainly not through - science.
Jad: Here is what happened. Alan gave up the practice of bench science and became a novelist. Einstein’s Dreams won the Pulitzer Prize. (great book) That’s his work. It couldn’t have happened without him.
Alan: And that is a profound difference between the sciences and the arts.
Jad: If the Ode to Joy had not been in Beethoven's head it might not necessarily been come around.
Alan: The Tempest would not have been written by anyone but Shakespeare.
You can listen to a stream of the podcast "here" under Thrill of Discovery.
So here's the question... When a scientist makes a discovery, is it their brilliant work, the product of a beautiful mind, or is it just out there in the world, waiting for whomever happens to get there first?
This whole concept is weird to think about. It's not that I am not fulfilled in making discoveries that others could make if they were working on the same problem. It is just something that I have never thought about before.
The set-up: Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich are interviewing Alan Lightman, an ex-theoretical physicist. Alan was working on the problem of how globular clusters (a glob of stars) hang together - the gravity that links them. He thought he had found something so unique, but as he was in the process of writing up his research, he began to look at papers of other people who did simlar work. He was flipping thorugh some current journals and stumbled upon a title that look alarmingly like it could have been the title to the paper he was working on. After reading the paper, Alan realized that two guys from Japan had found exactly what he had found...
Below is my attempt at a transcript from the interview:
Jad Abumrad: So what they had found was exactly what you had found?
Alan: Well they would have had to find exactly what I had found, because this is the world of science. And the world of science has this terrible precision.
I was crest-fallen. I was so disappointed. I felt humiliated. I felt stupid.
And then another sensation went through me and that was a felling of amazement. That these two guys on the other side of the planet with no communication with me, sitting at their desk, worked on the same problem, and had gotten the same results.
Jad: The exact same results ...
Alan: Any scientist anywhere in the universe solving this problem would have gotten that answer. There really IS something outside of our bodies and independent of our minds. This is both a wonderful thing and a terrible thing.
It’s a wonderful thing because there is a beauty to it, there is a feeling of power and control.
But the tragedy of this, which I felt at the same time, is that, what is the relevance of me as an individual person if anybody else could have solved the same problem? Then why was I needed? What was the meaning of my life? How do I leave my individuality on the world? Certainly not through - science.
Jad: Here is what happened. Alan gave up the practice of bench science and became a novelist. Einstein’s Dreams won the Pulitzer Prize. (great book) That’s his work. It couldn’t have happened without him.
Alan: And that is a profound difference between the sciences and the arts.
Jad: If the Ode to Joy had not been in Beethoven's head it might not necessarily been come around.
Alan: The Tempest would not have been written by anyone but Shakespeare.
You can listen to a stream of the podcast "here" under Thrill of Discovery.
So here's the question... When a scientist makes a discovery, is it their brilliant work, the product of a beautiful mind, or is it just out there in the world, waiting for whomever happens to get there first?
This whole concept is weird to think about. It's not that I am not fulfilled in making discoveries that others could make if they were working on the same problem. It is just something that I have never thought about before.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
CNN Map Insanity
The folks at CNN clearly have not seen the parody SNL did of their map fetish. Its about a minute into the clip.
Monday, January 19, 2009
A love affair with my slow cooker
For Christmas my mom got us a slow cooker. Admittedly, I never bought one or put it on our wedding registry because I could never imagine using it often.
With a perfect storm of a left-over ham bone from our New Year's Fest weekend at the beach and a brand new slow cooker, I christened it by making split pea soup. It was the easiest thing I have ever done. 1 bag split peas, 1 Ham bone with lots of delicious ham still on it, 1 clove minced garlic, 2 quarts chicken broth, 2 bay leaves, some celery. Put it all in the pot for 8 hours on low. And Voila! liquid gold! It was so so yummy!
The next week I decided to try my hand at another dish, corned beef. Again some potatoes and onions on the bottom of the pot, a bay leaf, a juicy corned beef brisket on top of the veggies and a little water. 8 hours later we had a wonderful meal.
Well, I was on a roll so when I offered to make dinner for Michelle and Mark I decided the slow cooker was the best bet. I Googled the ingredients we had on hand - chicken and sweet potatoes and came up with this wonderful dish:
There is no end to what the slow cooker can do!
With a perfect storm of a left-over ham bone from our New Year's Fest weekend at the beach and a brand new slow cooker, I christened it by making split pea soup. It was the easiest thing I have ever done. 1 bag split peas, 1 Ham bone with lots of delicious ham still on it, 1 clove minced garlic, 2 quarts chicken broth, 2 bay leaves, some celery. Put it all in the pot for 8 hours on low. And Voila! liquid gold! It was so so yummy!
The next week I decided to try my hand at another dish, corned beef. Again some potatoes and onions on the bottom of the pot, a bay leaf, a juicy corned beef brisket on top of the veggies and a little water. 8 hours later we had a wonderful meal.
Well, I was on a roll so when I offered to make dinner for Michelle and Mark I decided the slow cooker was the best bet. I Googled the ingredients we had on hand - chicken and sweet potatoes and came up with this wonderful dish:
Slow Cooker Latin Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans
Ingredients
- 3 lbs bone-in skinless chicken thighs
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- salt
- pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 3 large garlic cloves, pressed
- 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- lime wedge
Directions
Sprinkle chicken thighs with 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.
Heat 12-inch skillet over med-high heat until hot;add chicken and cook until browned on all sides.
While chicken is cooking put beans and sweet potatoes in slow-cooker.
Place chicken on bean mix in slow-cooker.
In skillet, mix paprika, allspice, broth, remaining cumin, salsa, and garlic.
Pour this over chicken in crock pot.
Cover with lid and cook on low 8 hrs or 4 hrs on high.
Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
There is no end to what the slow cooker can do!
Yes, we did.
Wow! it is almost here...
...Future generations of Americans will look back at this moment of crisis and opportunity and they will judge us -- but not by our words. They will measure us -- but not by the promises we make. For language has the power to move us to action, but it is never a substitute for it.
Our children's children will ask only this: What did they DO, back then? Did they rise to the challenges providence had set before them? Did they unite as one people, with a common destiny? Did they set aside the old partisan rancor in order to protect our great nation, to strengthen democracy and human rights at home and abroad and to safeguard the blessings of the natural world for all time? Did they live up to the great promise cradled in that name: America? What will these future generations say?
They will say, "Yes, they did."
Because, my fellow Americans, yes, we will. We embrace these challenges, all of them. Because that is where we find meaning in our lives...
This is an excerpt taken from the collaboratively written inauguration speech done on our friend's site: MixInk. This site allows large groups to democratically create a single collaborative document. This speech was created by 454 members of Slate using the democratic, collaborative writing tools at MixedInk.com.
...Future generations of Americans will look back at this moment of crisis and opportunity and they will judge us -- but not by our words. They will measure us -- but not by the promises we make. For language has the power to move us to action, but it is never a substitute for it.
Our children's children will ask only this: What did they DO, back then? Did they rise to the challenges providence had set before them? Did they unite as one people, with a common destiny? Did they set aside the old partisan rancor in order to protect our great nation, to strengthen democracy and human rights at home and abroad and to safeguard the blessings of the natural world for all time? Did they live up to the great promise cradled in that name: America? What will these future generations say?
They will say, "Yes, they did."
Because, my fellow Americans, yes, we will. We embrace these challenges, all of them. Because that is where we find meaning in our lives...
This is an excerpt taken from the collaboratively written inauguration speech done on our friend's site: MixInk. This site allows large groups to democratically create a single collaborative document. This speech was created by 454 members of Slate using the democratic, collaborative writing tools at MixedInk.com.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Thursday, December 11, 2008
A confession
There are many things I indulge in: ANTM, Cook Out milkshakes, American Idol, the list goes on and on...
Tonight, I admit I watched a Lifetime movie, Flirting with Forty. With a mindless predictable plot, this movie is not worth noting except for the fact that the co-star was one of the hottest actors I have seen in quite some time, Robert Buckley.
In thinking of words to describe this man I realized that I could not do any better than this blog which said:
In addition, he has a crazy resemblance to Ben (Scott Speedman) from Felicity. I fawned over him during high school. But Buckley is way hotter!
I might be setting our DVR to tape Lipstick Jungle, Buckley's latest endeavor. OK, I WILL be setting my DVR - who am I kidding? Add one more thing to my list of indulgences.
Tonight, I admit I watched a Lifetime movie, Flirting with Forty. With a mindless predictable plot, this movie is not worth noting except for the fact that the co-star was one of the hottest actors I have seen in quite some time, Robert Buckley.
In thinking of words to describe this man I realized that I could not do any better than this blog which said:
"Ah Robert Buckley... what appropriate adjectives can I use to describe this 27-year old former financial consultant turned model/actor from West Covina, California...
I'd like to call him hot, but his sexiness tends to override his hotness. I'd like to call him sexy, but his cute side threatens to overshadow his sexiness? Maybe settling with 'the total package' might do him justice... great personality complemented by killer looks always make for a dangerous combination..."
In addition, he has a crazy resemblance to Ben (Scott Speedman) from Felicity. I fawned over him during high school. But Buckley is way hotter!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
The Monti at Alivia's
This month the Monti featured Holidays from Hell at a Durham staple, Alivia's. [Side note: they serve amazing stuffed challah french toast with mascarpone at brunch]
Jeff, the organizer and founder of the Monti events, started off with a racy story about a stuffed unicorn and a great dane... use your imagination. The following stories were just as hysterical.
There was not hint at what the next show will feature or where it might be - Durham, Chapel Hill, some where far away (oh please no!). So until next time, Jeff and 5 or 6 of the best ever Monti stories will be on The State of Things sometime late in December... be on the look out!
Jeff, the organizer and founder of the Monti events, started off with a racy story about a stuffed unicorn and a great dane... use your imagination. The following stories were just as hysterical.
There was not hint at what the next show will feature or where it might be - Durham, Chapel Hill, some where far away (oh please no!). So until next time, Jeff and 5 or 6 of the best ever Monti stories will be on The State of Things sometime late in December... be on the look out!
Friday, December 5, 2008
An attempt to chase down Only Burger
We have been anticipating our first taste of Only Burger for several months! Many Durham food blogs have written about this restaurant on wheels. It has been described as the Triangle’s latest dining innovation: a white truck that randomly drives around Durham and serves burgers and fries. It was started by our favorite caterer, Tom Ferguson of Durham Catering.
Friday the 5th, Nathan stumbled upon Only Burger's site which stated: "OB is in the move and will be on East Campus shortly!! Thanks for your patience." I-was-pumped! We invited Michelle, Camden, and Mark to join us for this experience. So independently, Nathan, M&M, and I drove from our separate work places to meet at East campus. None of us spotted anything looking like a tasty burger truck. A quick stop at M&M's to check the internet revealed OB website had stated: "OB experienced a collision today and will not be running for some time. We'll keep you posted. Happy Holidays." OH NO!
Our next stop, our favorite burger place in Durham, Dain's Place on 9th street (also our favorite bar). And we were again disappointed because at 7:30 they were already packed! We resolved to go to Elmos. I ordered a burger, but was severally disappointed. It was dry and hockey puck esque.
ONLY BURGER WHERE ARE YOU!?? I want to eat you!
Here is a picture of Camden at Elmos... the highlight of the evening. What is cuter than a baby in a hat with eyes?
Friday the 5th, Nathan stumbled upon Only Burger's site which stated: "OB is in the move and will be on East Campus shortly!! Thanks for your patience." I-was-pumped! We invited Michelle, Camden, and Mark to join us for this experience. So independently, Nathan, M&M, and I drove from our separate work places to meet at East campus. None of us spotted anything looking like a tasty burger truck. A quick stop at M&M's to check the internet revealed OB website had stated: "OB experienced a collision today and will not be running for some time. We'll keep you posted. Happy Holidays." OH NO!
Our next stop, our favorite burger place in Durham, Dain's Place on 9th street (also our favorite bar). And we were again disappointed because at 7:30 they were already packed! We resolved to go to Elmos. I ordered a burger, but was severally disappointed. It was dry and hockey puck esque.
ONLY BURGER WHERE ARE YOU!?? I want to eat you!
Here is a picture of Camden at Elmos... the highlight of the evening. What is cuter than a baby in a hat with eyes?
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