Tonight at mando meal:
"Have you seen models from back then, sir? Wide hips were hot stuff; they were really popular...like tomagotchi, sir."
I lost it at that point in the conversation. I think it made up for the horrid, lightly chilled block of chicken we had rather than the delicious brisket sandwich I had anticipated.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
This is a new one
Relatively frequently, the Bancroft Hall 1st Lt. affords room 3209 the opportunity to train our bodies to better withstand hardship by turning off our hot water. This lets us have cold showers and is amazing. However, this evening, something different happened that I've never had happen before.
I was in the course of my regular shower, just having lathered my head full of herbal essences coconut milk and orchid shampoo and conditioner (that stuff is AMAZING!, it smells great, feels good, AND is light blue (the actual shampoo, not just the bottle)). Now, I sometimes like to get a really good lather going--like in those commercials--and tonight was one of those nights; normally, this is a very good feeling that makes my head feel good when I rinse it out with the warm (sometimes cold) flowing water.
However, tonight, after the lather had built up, the water in the shower stopped flowing. Now, here I was, stuck with no water and a full head of lather. I banged my hands against the walls, my roommate asked what was wrong, and I responded that my water had just stopped. He ran over to see for himself, turned on the water in the sink, and started handing me cupfulls of water from the sink without any prompting. I rinsed myself with said cupfulls, and it worked incredibly well.
HA! Bancroft Hall 1st Lt. gave us a very surprising and very challenging training situation (my plan was to grab a towel and run across the hall (it was about 0030)), that we overcame using Rm. 3209's finely oiled (and shampooed) teamwork machine.
However, now we have no water in the shower, and it recently turns out, no water in the sink (my teeth are unhappy). Train on!
"He that waits upon fortune, is never sure of a dinner."
-Benjamin Franklin
I was in the course of my regular shower, just having lathered my head full of herbal essences coconut milk and orchid shampoo and conditioner (that stuff is AMAZING!, it smells great, feels good, AND is light blue (the actual shampoo, not just the bottle)). Now, I sometimes like to get a really good lather going--like in those commercials--and tonight was one of those nights; normally, this is a very good feeling that makes my head feel good when I rinse it out with the warm (sometimes cold) flowing water.
However, tonight, after the lather had built up, the water in the shower stopped flowing. Now, here I was, stuck with no water and a full head of lather. I banged my hands against the walls, my roommate asked what was wrong, and I responded that my water had just stopped. He ran over to see for himself, turned on the water in the sink, and started handing me cupfulls of water from the sink without any prompting. I rinsed myself with said cupfulls, and it worked incredibly well.
HA! Bancroft Hall 1st Lt. gave us a very surprising and very challenging training situation (my plan was to grab a towel and run across the hall (it was about 0030)), that we overcame using Rm. 3209's finely oiled (and shampooed) teamwork machine.
However, now we have no water in the shower, and it recently turns out, no water in the sink (my teeth are unhappy). Train on!
"He that waits upon fortune, is never sure of a dinner."
-Benjamin Franklin
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Favorite quote of the night
We had an ATFP Brief this evening and Captain Groah, USMC, father of the "manamals" had this to say about how to make ourselves less appealing to terrorist kidnappers:
"Look at this cute little kitten. He's got a little pink nose, probably some little baby-teeth in there, soft fur, he doesn't look like he would claw anybody, and he's happy. He's also completely unaware of his surroundings or that anybody would want to tear his head off. You probably don't think that anybody wants to tear that little kitten's head off, but a terrorist does!
You can't be like that kitten. You need to be like this (shows a picture of a running armadillo).
Look at that thing! It's like a freakin' tank! It's got armor plating all over it, big teeth, some sharp claws, it's running and it's gonna rip something apart. But at the same time, it knows that there is a bigger, angry predator out there that is just looking for an opportunity to eat him...maybe. You've all got to be armadillos."
That man always makes for an interesting brief. He gave us our "man brief" in the fall, along with LT Logan, and it was one of the best mandatory briefs we've ever had. Good times at the Naval Academy.
"Look at this cute little kitten. He's got a little pink nose, probably some little baby-teeth in there, soft fur, he doesn't look like he would claw anybody, and he's happy. He's also completely unaware of his surroundings or that anybody would want to tear his head off. You probably don't think that anybody wants to tear that little kitten's head off, but a terrorist does!
You can't be like that kitten. You need to be like this (shows a picture of a running armadillo).
Look at that thing! It's like a freakin' tank! It's got armor plating all over it, big teeth, some sharp claws, it's running and it's gonna rip something apart. But at the same time, it knows that there is a bigger, angry predator out there that is just looking for an opportunity to eat him...maybe. You've all got to be armadillos."
That man always makes for an interesting brief. He gave us our "man brief" in the fall, along with LT Logan, and it was one of the best mandatory briefs we've ever had. Good times at the Naval Academy.
Monday, February 26, 2007
I have another post in the works but...
I learned this a few weeks ago in HLS as a kind of side-note, wrote it down, and forgot until I was redoing my little to-do list thingie that I keep:
It's known to many young people these days who have taken Calculus that the first derivative is called the slope of a function.
The 2nd: Curvature
Less commonly known is that the 3rd is called the skew.
And what I learned in class is that the 4th derivative is called (drum roll, please):
Kurtosis!
I kind of like that word, it's nifty.
"What they should be saying at these schools, rather than correcting technical flaws, is--do something with your spirit and your relationship to the universe."
-Lynne Sharon Schwartz
It's known to many young people these days who have taken Calculus that the first derivative is called the slope of a function.
The 2nd: Curvature
Less commonly known is that the 3rd is called the skew.
And what I learned in class is that the 4th derivative is called (drum roll, please):
Kurtosis!
I kind of like that word, it's nifty.
"What they should be saying at these schools, rather than correcting technical flaws, is--do something with your spirit and your relationship to the universe."
-Lynne Sharon Schwartz
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Sick as a dog
If my brain were operating at a higher level, I might be able to say something of meaning without grammer or spellin errors. However, as it stands, I've been awake for about 9 of the last 48 hours; and of that 9, I've probably been completely lucid and cognizant for about 2 of them. When I get sick, I really get sick.
My roommates think that I was posessed by a demon because of the flip-flopping and strange, African/Arabian sounding words that were coming out of my mouth while I was asleep. Then, they decided that it would take them a few hours to figure out if I was dead or just in a coma-like existence.
Anyway, I think the stomach part of all this is mostly over, we'll just see if I can come into a more 'normal' less 'lsd-hallucination-filled' consciousness by tomorrow. I'll send an update when I know what's better.
Sorry, no quote tonight, I can't see or think straight enough to get one.
My roommates think that I was posessed by a demon because of the flip-flopping and strange, African/Arabian sounding words that were coming out of my mouth while I was asleep. Then, they decided that it would take them a few hours to figure out if I was dead or just in a coma-like existence.
Anyway, I think the stomach part of all this is mostly over, we'll just see if I can come into a more 'normal' less 'lsd-hallucination-filled' consciousness by tomorrow. I'll send an update when I know what's better.
Sorry, no quote tonight, I can't see or think straight enough to get one.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Califonia Dreamin'
Denny Doherty died last week. I was a little saddened by that news. I know that John Phillips was the one who was the Annapolis dropout, but Denny was part of the team, and I'm listening to that song right now and since it's about the Dark Ages at the Academy, I'm feeling the words particularly relevant to the current situation.
I spent a fair amount of time in the Catholic Library today (intermittently between standing watches and doing other things), and I got a lot of work done. I'm very happy with how it's going so far.
When I was down there, I stopped in the Rotunda Chapel (as I usually do), and I picked up a white rose left by our Blessed Mother. I think it had been there a while because it's kind of wilted, but I've got it on my desk now and it makes me happy. That was one of the many high points of the day.
It's time for yet another hour-and-a-half (at least) of CMOD...weaving a thick, woolly blanket of freedom for Eighth Company, one pace and one tour at a time.
"All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we're giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That's one of the things that connects us as neighbors--in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver."
-Mister Rogers
I spent a fair amount of time in the Catholic Library today (intermittently between standing watches and doing other things), and I got a lot of work done. I'm very happy with how it's going so far.
When I was down there, I stopped in the Rotunda Chapel (as I usually do), and I picked up a white rose left by our Blessed Mother. I think it had been there a while because it's kind of wilted, but I've got it on my desk now and it makes me happy. That was one of the many high points of the day.
It's time for yet another hour-and-a-half (at least) of CMOD...weaving a thick, woolly blanket of freedom for Eighth Company, one pace and one tour at a time.
"All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we're giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That's one of the things that connects us as neighbors--in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver."
-Mister Rogers
Thursday, February 15, 2007
2nd Post of the Day!
Well, there was a power outage between the time that I started writing this post and the time that I'm writing now, much later, because I had rehearsal and Bible study between then and now; so my post got erased--and I was so excited about having two in one day. I suppose I just wanted to say that I successfully got through my interview/presentation for the new Naval Academy peer education program. My friend Ryan and I had to work off one another with a presentation about how the words we use affect our view of gender roles in society. It was a topic that I've worked with some in the past, so I was fairly comfortable with it, and Ryan and I--in my humble opinion--worked well together as a team so we had a pretty solid presentation. Our only criticism was that we didn't leave very much room for audience input. We definitely should have, as that's sort of the point of the program (to get the audience involved and awake), but we weren't sure how hostile the audience was going to be (I've been to a number of midshipmen briefs where the mids aren't always the most polite people). Oh well, I feel confident about getting one more activity to take up my free time, but at least it's one that I think I can make a difference with.
In other news, we're just gearing up for the opening of Oklahoma! next weekend which means lots and lots of rehearsal (woo-hoo!). I really do enjoy playing the music, and seeing the musical come together; but I'd also like to actually see it as an audience member, and not spend every day with musical songs stuck in my head (especially songs that I don't know all the words to). Alas, such is the life of a pit musician. I'm glad this week is over and I get to spend the weekend catching up on things other than school-work (my goal is to finish up the library stuff and pound out a couple of ten e-mails to people I owe them to).
Good-night, and good luck.
"Notice the difference between what happens when a man says to himself 'I have failed three times,' and what happens when he says, 'I am a failure.'"
-S.I. Hayakawa
In other news, we're just gearing up for the opening of Oklahoma! next weekend which means lots and lots of rehearsal (woo-hoo!). I really do enjoy playing the music, and seeing the musical come together; but I'd also like to actually see it as an audience member, and not spend every day with musical songs stuck in my head (especially songs that I don't know all the words to). Alas, such is the life of a pit musician. I'm glad this week is over and I get to spend the weekend catching up on things other than school-work (my goal is to finish up the library stuff and pound out a couple of ten e-mails to people I owe them to).
Good-night, and good luck.
"Notice the difference between what happens when a man says to himself 'I have failed three times,' and what happens when he says, 'I am a failure.'"
-S.I. Hayakawa
Good lab period
I walked out of third wing today to go to class, only to discover a great crowd of people standing outside Chauvenet in the cold. Apparently a fire alarm started going off during the passing period, and they weren't letting anybody in the building (some commander came around to chase you off if you stayed inside); so I stood outside--again, in the cold (I'm honestly not a huge fan)--for thirty minutes watching fire truck reinforcements arrive and storm into the building while I was thinking "I wonder if they should have a hose?" We eventually got into Chauvenet and started walking toward our lab only to discover that when a fire alarm goes off, the building locks down and makes it a lot more difficult to get places--seriously--there were several giant steel doors in our way that I didn't even know existed.
Anyway, we got to lab where we had to shorten the lab significantly and where I discovered that I am probably one of the most unsafe lab workers in the world. I can' t explain it, but I just always have a very strong urge to touch and mess with things, even if those things are large, charged metal plates or liquid nitrogen freezing capacitors. I have a compulsive need to touch things and see what happens when I adjust this or that setting, even when it may involve peril to my life or limb (frequently the limb part). This, I suppose, it what makes me a scientist--my innate insane curiosity about the world around me. I think stuff and information is cool, so I go look at it more closely. I don't really worry about equations and constants and what exactly describes what is going on, I just care about seeing what is going on.
I decided during this lab period that on my show in the future, there will be lots of liquid nitrogen in the science and learning part because that stuff is just really, really cool (it's boiling point is about 70 K, where room temperature is about 300 K).
"It's not that I'm afraid of dying, I just don't want to be there when it happens."
-Woody Allen
Anyway, we got to lab where we had to shorten the lab significantly and where I discovered that I am probably one of the most unsafe lab workers in the world. I can' t explain it, but I just always have a very strong urge to touch and mess with things, even if those things are large, charged metal plates or liquid nitrogen freezing capacitors. I have a compulsive need to touch things and see what happens when I adjust this or that setting, even when it may involve peril to my life or limb (frequently the limb part). This, I suppose, it what makes me a scientist--my innate insane curiosity about the world around me. I think stuff and information is cool, so I go look at it more closely. I don't really worry about equations and constants and what exactly describes what is going on, I just care about seeing what is going on.
I decided during this lab period that on my show in the future, there will be lots of liquid nitrogen in the science and learning part because that stuff is just really, really cool (it's boiling point is about 70 K, where room temperature is about 300 K).
"It's not that I'm afraid of dying, I just don't want to be there when it happens."
-Woody Allen
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Insurance
I was just thinking about health insurance (that's not a normal topic in my head, I've just had a long day, am tired of homework, and it came up as a topic on one of the podcasts I listen to), and I realized that it's just one more of those ways that the real world is going to be a lot different than the government owned, run, and provided military world that I live in now. That is, there will be a point in my life that I won't just be able to walk across to the other side of Bancroft (or even to the clinic on the base down the street) to schedule an appointment for an eye checkup or dental exam whenever I feel like I need it.
Someday, if I get in an accident (likely, given my propensity for falling down and running into things), there may not be free, relatively immediate care for whatever befalls me or my family. That's a bit of an unsettling thought, and very real to me because finding a good source of health insurance is something that my family has been dealing with for the past few months. I'm taken care of by the government, but my parents and brother and sister are on their own in the whole, wide, dangerous world. Eventually, that will be me also. Despair not, though, for the Lord, I'm sure, will lead us to a fine way.
Quote time:
"On a metaphysician: A blind man in a dark room--looking for a black hat--which isn't there."
-Charles Synge C. Bowen
Someday, if I get in an accident (likely, given my propensity for falling down and running into things), there may not be free, relatively immediate care for whatever befalls me or my family. That's a bit of an unsettling thought, and very real to me because finding a good source of health insurance is something that my family has been dealing with for the past few months. I'm taken care of by the government, but my parents and brother and sister are on their own in the whole, wide, dangerous world. Eventually, that will be me also. Despair not, though, for the Lord, I'm sure, will lead us to a fine way.
Quote time:
"On a metaphysician: A blind man in a dark room--looking for a black hat--which isn't there."
-Charles Synge C. Bowen
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Geothermal Energy
An article from the Austin-American Statesman from a few days ago:
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/business/stories/other/02/07//7geothermal.html
Contrary to popular belief, I'm not actually a tree-hugging, long-haired hippie. But I do care about the environment, and I do support green companies (most recently, Dell comes to mind), and I do like it when our state gets behind these initiatives to make us less oil-dependent. One of my favorite things about working for Rep. Baxter was the fact that we (as a member of the House Regulated Industries Committee) were very involved in legislation for using public lands for wind energy. Energy/the environment and education are two of my biggest political concerns, and I'm happy that they are at least getting fixed in some degree from the mess we were in just a few years ago. Nowadays, I'm happy to report, the vast plains of West Texas are seeing tremendous growth in electricity-producing windmills sprouting from the ground. It's nice to see the land actually used for something, especially something that really does benefit all Texans involved.
Hopefully, this geothermal energy proposal will get off the ground and some great new technology will come of it that can help us work clean and green even more, so that the beauty that is nature will be preserved for the generations to come.
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/business/stories/other/02/07//7geothermal.html
Contrary to popular belief, I'm not actually a tree-hugging, long-haired hippie. But I do care about the environment, and I do support green companies (most recently, Dell comes to mind), and I do like it when our state gets behind these initiatives to make us less oil-dependent. One of my favorite things about working for Rep. Baxter was the fact that we (as a member of the House Regulated Industries Committee) were very involved in legislation for using public lands for wind energy. Energy/the environment and education are two of my biggest political concerns, and I'm happy that they are at least getting fixed in some degree from the mess we were in just a few years ago. Nowadays, I'm happy to report, the vast plains of West Texas are seeing tremendous growth in electricity-producing windmills sprouting from the ground. It's nice to see the land actually used for something, especially something that really does benefit all Texans involved.
Hopefully, this geothermal energy proposal will get off the ground and some great new technology will come of it that can help us work clean and green even more, so that the beauty that is nature will be preserved for the generations to come.
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