A blog within a blog

One of my former students, who shall remain delightedly anonymous, suggested that I make this blog about science newsy stuff.  I like the idea, but that's not all I'm about.

However...

When I come across things that are interesting, I want to share them.  So, here is my first Science Newsy Stuff post:

First, you would have to have been almost comatose to not notice that President Obama has effectively canceled all space activity outside of low-earth orbit.  Now, our astronauts have to hitch a ride with the RUSSIANS, which, being a child of the Cold War era, I find utterly reprehensible.  All those gains, advances, achievements that meant WE were the good guys, and WE beat the EVIL SOVIETS - they mean nothing now... because we're hitching a ride on their rockets.  Dude, what were you smoking when you decided that?  Bad, bad, bad decision.  What does our country have to shoot for now?  No goals, no "Sputnik moment" as Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson has said.

Who's that, you say?  He's the really smart African-American dude who has shown up on all kinds of television programs, including Steven Colbert and John Stewart's programs, talking about why we need space exploration.  I'm currently working on reading his book, Space Chronicles.  It's a good read, you should check it out.  He also has a weekly radio program called "Star Talk Radio."  But I digress.

I find President Obama's choice to be disheartening and short-sighted.  When I was a kid, we launched two probes, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, in 1977.  They have been slingshotting themselves around planets and moons in our solar system, sending back fantastic images of Jupiter and its moons, Saturn, Saturn's rings, Uranus (the planet, immature noobs), Neptune, and beyond.  In 1990, Carl Sagan suggested that Voyager 1, which had left the plane of planetary orbits, turn around and take a photograph of the planets.  Our beloved home, Earth, occupies one little blue dot, and prompted Sagan to record "Pale Blue Dot," which I am linking to on YouTube here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wupToqz1e2g  You really need to watch it.  Puts everything in perspective.

Now the Voyager probes are nearing the edge of our solar system.  What's the "edge," you ask?  Apparently it's when the solar winds - charged particles moving outward from the sun - dissipate into nothingness.  At that point, we'll know that the Voyagers have reached interstellar space.  The news story is all over, but perhaps NASA tells the story best.  http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/voyager/index.html Or you could read the article that I read, in Smithsonian:  http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Timothy-Ferris-on-Voyagers-Never-Ending-Journey.html?utm_source=direct&utm_medium=printmagazine&utm_campaign=2012-May&utm_content=voyager

We've sent many other probes into our solar system since Voyager 1 and 2.  There has been Galileo, which went to Jupiter. Cassini visited Saturn and is still dinking around the planet and its moons.  And let's not forget the little Mars rover that is diligently digging samples of dirt and rocks to analyze and report back to earth.  When scientists learned that Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, might have water beneath its icy surface, they chose to deliberately incinerate Galileo into the Jovian atmosphere upon completion of its mission rather than risk it crashing into Europa and contaminating it.  Today, NASA Solar System Exploration reports that recent data sent back from Cassini about Titan, one of Saturn's moons, indicate it might have water beneath its icy surface, too.  Check it out: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/display.cfm?News_ID=39823

DO YOU KNOW WHAT I AM SAYING TO YOU??? WATER!!!! ON TWO OTHER BODIES IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM!!!!

I now come full circle back to Carl Sagan, who wrote many books, including Cosmos, which was broadcast as a critically-acclaimed TV series, and Contact, which was made into one of my favorite movies ever, starring Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey.  One of the best lines from Contact is the quip that if we're the only living beings out there, it seems to be an awful waste of space.

Maybe it's not such a waste of space, after all.  Godspeed, Voyagers.

I miss the mitten

Cue piano music - it's the theme from "Cider House Rules."  Oh no!  Another Pure Michigan commercial, and before I have a chance to push the correct button on the remote, Tim Allen's voice lures me into yearning yet again for my home state.

Tim Allen? What's the big deal?  Well, he's a Michigander, as am I, and the familiarity of his narrative, and the fact that I know he knows what he's talking about, draw me in like our cat to the sound of the can opener.  I just can't help myself.

It's not that Indiana is a bad place to live, because it isn't.  The cost of living is almost obscenely low, the family values that established the Midwest prevail here to a great extent, and world-class education is available at a fairly reasonable cost.  Purdue University has graduated more Astronauts than any other university, and Ball State's architecture program is ranked fifth in the nation.  There are four distinct seasons (usually), the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400 races are amazingly fun and still family-oriented, and the Pacers and Colts provide great sports entertainment.  State parks are well-kept, well-run, and really beautiful.  I could go on and on but suffice it to say, when the girls' father got a job in Indianapolis almost 18 years ago, moving here wasn't a difficult decision.  It's a good place to raise a family.

However, I underestimated the extent to which I would miss my home state.  We were a camping and boating family.  Every summer, and I mean every summer, my parents, sister, and I spent a week or two camping on the shores of one of Michigan's many lakes - usually Black Lake just south of Mackinaw City, or Lake Leelanau in Michigan's "pinky finger" region.  I learned the different ways to fish for walleye, perch, bass, and trout.  Dad often went charter fishing on Lake Michigan and even took me one year.  That turned out to be a huge mistake because the lake was rough and I spent the whole outing either being sick over the side of the boat or passed out on Dramamine.  Still, the water, and northern Michigan, draw me in like the sun pulls the planets.  I can't see the attractive force, but I can definitely feel it.

Michigan has lots of naturally-occurring lakes.  Indiana has man-made reservoirs.  Michigan has shores and shores of coast line, from rocky to sandy.  Indiana has Indiana Dunes, love it, and Gary, which, well, let's just say I don't go to Gary much.  I attended Michigan Technological University, waaayyyyy up in Houghton, Michigan, closer to the North Pole than to the equator.  Michigan has nearly all the history of my family.  In Indiana, I'm a transplant, and only claim citizenship by virtue of the fact that I've lived here much of my adult life and both my girls were born here.  This is their home, and this is where they will attend college, most likely.  This is where their roots have been laid, and to where they will be drawn when they are adults.

Still, I miss the mitten.  I miss the mitten like you wouldn't believe.  I see beautiful photographs on my Facebook news feed because I have "liked" the pages for the state tourism bureau and the Upper Peninsula travel agency.  I don't get back there nearly as much as I would like.  I keep talking about some day moving back but I can't help but be a little worried that somehow the mitten has changed in my absence.  Would the mitten have me back? Or would it be like visiting with your childhood friend, awkward, because you no longer have anything in common?  Can I go home again?  Well, it will be quite some time before I can even find out.  In the mean time, I'll just have to dream about home.

74 Comments on THAT???!!!

Sometimes I share things on Facebook that, in my ever-so-humble opinion (ahem), are relevant, informative, and, well, worthy of comment, and those things get no response.  Zero.  Nil. Nada. Zilch.

Then there was the day one of the underwires in my bra just broke for no apparent reason.  It was a Tuesday, which is a rather ordinary day most of the time.  Anyway, I posted it as my status, and you know, I got 74 comments!  What can make so many people, from so many varied backgrounds, want to comment on such a crazy post? 

Hold your judgment until you read how it went.  I have gone through the whole thing and changed all the names to first names, or nicknames, or initials, to protect the innocent.  It kind of reads like a one-act play, with some people staying on stage the whole time, and some wandering in and out randomly, making a single, perfectly timed comment.  It brought me a lot of laughs, and I hope it does the same for you.

Caryn My stupid underwire just snapped right in half.

Top of Form

Jacca and Kim like this.

Kim Bahahahaha!!! I hate it when that happens!!!

Caryn ME TOO

Jen LMAO...I almost spit my drink out!!!!!

Kim Time for some new boob holsters!!!

Jen that's not what I meant by adding details!

CB I hate when that happens!

Caryn It's just that booby baskets are not cheap. :P

Jen well better your bra than your panties...THAT would be a problem!

Mikey I guess calling them fun bags is a point-of-view issue...

Sub Pics or it didn't happen! ;)

Mikey Pics like they do at the popo station. Front view, side view...

Jen umm...that's okay!

Caryn ‎Mikey, how sad is it that the only thing to drag you out of the lurking woodwork is a discussion about the functionality of my brassiere!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!  And in response to you kind gentlemen requesting a photo, no.

Karen I hope it didn't stab you!

SJ That happened to my mom a couple days ago

Caryn Weird thing is I was just sitting here, working, and leaned forward to pick up my glass of water.

Jacca I HATE when that happens!! What's an underwire??

Dana Aww crap!!! I hate when that happens too!!!

Jo Should have checked the tensile strength before buying.

Caryn I think this particular garment has long outlived its intended life span.  I find it highly interesting that a status about my underwire breaking has generated this much ... coverage.

Blondie Too much weight. Most people pay for that.

Caryn Are you calling me fat???

Bottom of Form

Blondie In your boobs.

Staci LMAO! Men just don't understand how difficult it is to find the "right" bra and that you need a second mortgage to finance it once you do find it!

Kevin That's why I go without. I don't have to worry about it breaking, then.

Judi I am not laughing...I am lying....:)

Caryn I think I found my first blog subject!!!

Ron I am on my way to weld it back together Caryn. Hold yourself together.

Kevin I must say that your subject matter is very titillating.

Caryn HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Staci Leave it to Ron!

Ron Why do woman wear underwire ones anyways? Just wear the flapover pregnancy one. Makes it easier for you and us. LOL

Caryn Well, for one, those are 3x more expensive than regular ones. For two, they're butt ugly. And for three, it might shock you to know, our choice in undergarments is rarely made with your convenience in mind.

Staci On the floor! Point for Caryn!

Ron One of them or both of them on the floor????? What if only one of the doors is open?

Caryn Hey now, I'm not that old!!

Corissa I LOVE my vanity fair bra, have had it for almost 7 years and its still like new and I wear it ALL the time.

Sally I just about bust a wire laughing, Caryn!!! You should start another discussion about Spanx, especially in HOT weather!! :O

Jen spanx are great till ya hafta pee...if ya pull them down and it's hot...you will spend the next hour pulling them up...so I hear...lol

Cory I think this thread just bumped Facebook stock back up...cuz this is priceless!

BFFE Bwaaaaahaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaa....you all are cracking me up. But I'm laughing hardest at the busted underwire. I have so much to say, but I am trying to be so nice. Ouch, this hurts.

Caryn I so totally ♥ my friends

Deb Hilarious! Mine break & stab me all the time. Clearly a woman did not invent underwires, so why do we continue to wear them?

Caryn I think the main reason is gravity...

Deb Seems like someone as smart as you could invent something more comfortable & less dangerous that would do the job......just saying! :-)

Caryn Hmmm.....

Caryn Not sure I'm THAT smart.

Deb I'm not all that convinced that the underwire serves any purpose other than causing us pain.

Caryn I bought one that had a pseudo-underwire, some kind of plastic, flexible thing, and it didn't work nearly as well. Let's just say it needed more antigravity.

Deb WTH, after 3 kids I can just tuck 'em in my waist band & go. LOL!

BFFE It seems to me, Caryn and Deb, that you may be surpassing the weight limit on the steel. I've never had that happen.

Deb Seriously?!?!? Consider yourself a lucky woman BFFE. This is a very common occurrence for me......

Jen i can never quite understand how that little wire is supposed to hold up boobage...it goes under your boob, so don't your boobs just kinds flop over it? maybe it's just big boobs that have issues...hmmm

Deb That's what I'm saying! There's gotta be something else!

Jen lol...i have nver been comfortable in underwires...they poke and bend...but i also fall in the excess boobage category...sigh...

Jen i've just always worn "normal" bras...they hold me up and in and sometimes they even look good...who cares? no one sees them but me and Jeff and he prefers them on the floor...lol

Deb I'm not sure why, but I keep humming that song, Does Your Chain Hang Low. ".....Can you tie it in a knot, can you tie it in a bow! Does your chain hang low?"

Jen i always thought it was ears...but, whatever...mine do NOT hang low enough to tie in a bow or a knot or any other such thing...lol

Van Oh goodness this is hilarious! Ive always worn underwire. It seems to lift and separate. I hate the uni boob look! I am a bit of a critic on the subject. I love love love Vanity Fair from Kohls. They are worth the money and come in a variety of colors and styles. They last forever, never ride up and I have never had a wire PoP on me!!

Caryn I've had old ones break in the washing machine, but this is the first out of the blue.

Jen that's what you get for laughing at my missed hair appointments...never underestimate karma...muwahahaha!

Sally I wish my boobs could break a wire...

Caryn ‎^Needs to go on a T-shirt

Sally Yes!!

Ron It just hit me after laughing about this for 2 days. Isn't there a warranty or recall on an underwire bra that causes an unleashing. What if the units got poked and leaked---there are a few choices of leaked what here. And to all the women that wished they had more to justify and underwire bra--------I wish I needed underwire underwear.

Caryn RON!!! LMAO!!!! Underwire underwear... hahahahahahahahahaha..... units leaking.....
HEY!!! These are all natural, dude!!!

Ron That's what I KNEW you would say----that's why I said a few choices. ie MILK!!!! LOL And imagine if my underwire underwear broke a wire...OUCH!!!! LOL

Caryn Yeah your junk would be skewered! OW!

Jen i apparently have enough to justify a wire, but just dont like them...maybe there is a boob to wire ratio that i'm crossing...and i'm not touching underwire underwear...why would you wanna walk around with your junk lifted and seperated???

Jen on a side note...my comment was #69...interesting...hehehe

Ron LOL Good one Jennifer :) And to both of you, do not refer to as junk-----maybe a prize. LOL

Jen lol...well you were the one who said you wished you had enough to warrent a wire in your panties!

Ron Again-----not panties!!!! Men wear underwear. I wear my speedo------------BACKWARDS EVERYDAY!! LOL

Jen well that explains a lot! lol

What this blog is about

Ever have a notion that grabs hold of your brain and just won’t let go?  Yeah me neither.  :-) Just kidding.  Obviously, I’ve been thinking about starting a blog for a long time.  My biggest hesitation, and greatest fear, is that it makes me seem self-absorbed, as if what I have to say is somehow so much more worthy of your time than something else you need to do.  Believe me, it’s not any more or less worthy of your time.  It just … is.  But that’s the point of blogging, isn’t it?  To just share one’s thoughts in the hopes that another person is touched by them?

Sometimes I get really angry for really good reasons.  Sometimes I have what I think is an amazing insight.  And, other times, I’m amazed, yet again, by my kids, and how wonderful they’re turning out to be in spite of me and my mishaps.

So read, or don’t, and comment, or don’t.  My prayer is that you will leave what I write somehow feeling like you’ve connected with a sister, or made a new friend, or just saw a new way of looking at things that makes you think.  Thinking is the best thing.  From thinking comes learning, and from learning comes knowledge, and from knowledge comes insight and teaching, which inspires thinking.