Archive for December, 2011
A most Impudent School-Mistress of Alexandria
You know you’ve lived life well when the Christians start calling you names. See The History of Hypatia, a most Impudent School-Mistress of Alexandria: Murder’d and torn to Pieces by the Populace, in Defence of Saint Cyril and the Alexandrian Clergy from the Aspersions of Mr. Toland.
Backbreaking data analysis
I felt about a thousand years old as I got up to stretch my achy back and refold the blanket I use to cushion my desk chair. Data analysis should not be this hard on my back. I may be lusting after another pair of shoes, but a new deskchair is a much more practical […]
What motivates that crazy activist?
Friends and family (but mostly family) have called me alarmist for the way I talk about climate change. They think people like Tim DeChristopher, who’s in prison for an act of nonviolent civil disobedience, are absolutely nuts. But consider this conversation DeChristopher had with IPCC author Terry Root at one of her presentations: I went […]
New Pants
When I moved to Epiphyte City, my migraines got a lot better, leaving me with more time and energy to do all sorts of things, including an hour of yoga every day and swing dancing several nights a week. Despite all the new exercise, I’ve steadily gained weight. I had no idea why, until I […]
Epiphyte City
One of my favorite things about my new city are the epiphytes. Lichen and moss quickly take up residence on nearly any exposed surface – from tree trunks to stop signs. So from now on, I’ll be referring to my new city as Epiphyte City.
Holiday anecdote (at least I’m not as crazy as my family)
It’s 6:30am. My sister stretches, makes a noise somewhere between nails on a chalkboard and cartoon opera singer, turns to me and says, Sometimes when I yawn I feel like an air raid siren. What do you feel like when you yawn?
Eating and sleeping – more complicated than you might think
One day a few weeks ago I hit a few migraine triggers on the same day. The night before, I’d been so engrossed in the work I was doing that I accidentally stayed up two hours later than usual. Then my day was busy, so I was really, really hungry by the time I found […]