chuck kottke

:rolleyes:I knew that was coming!:laugh3: sock it to me!

Well, the kayaking might work better than driving in the US - less dangerous! But avoid the toll roads - they're just a big scam, and that ramp is probably closed for construction season:P I would take the above advice, and go with the submarine. Less trouble with rough seas, and it'll give you the advantage of coming in under the low bridges;) When you reach the Sound in Seattle, there should be a good mooring point for your sub at the naval base. They may not even notice, as the obvious always gets overlooked in the US:laugh3:. Remember to use the proper docking lights and signals, and slow down early enough so as not to dent the sub/dock..:P

When I was young, the computers all had cranks on the side to start them, and we had to read punch cards to figure out what move to make next when playing computer games!:laugh3: (anyone remember lite-brites?) Anyhow, I'm 41.5 yrs. old - which in dog years is around 280+...:santa2::santa::disguise:;)

@ I like the simple purity of it - very beautiful! Improving it? Well, it's all subjective - in some ways, it's best left as is, if you want a steady, sweet lullaby. Or, for more drama, add some dynamics - start out simple, and as the song progresses, add more accompaniment very gradually; gradually increase volume, and build to a crescendo. jump octaves, added with the lower octave on the piano/keyboard. Create some mystery (but the lyrics work well as is). Change chords somewhere 2/3 through, or maybe not? What seems to work is a good basic melody, with growing harmony, some pleasing surprises, and a return at some point to the start. simple-harmonize-simple-change-beginning. Soft-louder-louder-soft-louder. Vary the harmony; vary the melody as it progresses to play with the ear a bit more? Subtle variations, and add a few surprises? For some reason U2's Electric Storm came to mind - it has the start of something reminiscent of childhood memory - light xylophone sound; and then progresses to build, returning to the original; and finally they change key signatures (creative, but not my favorite part), and end wildly jagged. But then it's based on the mood you're trying to project as well.. If you're going for Colby Calliat's sound, then keep it milder, and gently add accompanyment. But it seems best when music stats simple, and grows to include a greater dynamic range of components, begging the listener to wait and listen for the next bird to start to sing in the early morning air..

11:44 and all's well!? I am contemplating humankind's role in the universe, and wondering if we can survive our own failings; will the ecological balances hold on as we know them, or will a sudden shift occur? What is all that plastic in the ocean doing??':thinking: "Can't you see This is the land of confusion" We convert oil and gas stored in sand and sandstone into plastic using halogen compounds as the free radicals, the plastics last and last and last.. We're sloppy as all primates are, and hence the ocean's full of it. And it's a toxic brew from stem to stern. Ever work with the stuff? U know what I'm saying.. All the shiny fake plastic trees are built of it. All the car interiors, cushions, shoes, computer covers and cases, bags, pens, wire coatings; everything but the kitchen sink. Biological plastics are here; have been for years. But just like lead paint, we put off changing what should have been done decades ago until it's spilled everywhere. Will we ever learn? Hope we will in time! How do we undo the mess? A plastic island the size of Africa?? Robot ships to harvest the plastic pieces, and then haul and High Temp. Incinerate it? Some other process? Just hope there's time, and the ocean's photosynthetic algae that give off oxygen can cope well, and the web of life that's necessary as well.. I'm one for a quality of life economy. That includes all life.

Hello!

Hmm.. that's pretty, and soulful. Lots of meaning pack in a few words - well done Rachel! ;) Here's one - For the Rough. In a world of never-ending civilizing.. shaving away, paving away, and straitening the meandering "For Safety's Sake" they say. never bank what can be flattened; never bank on depth in a shallow pond. All the Earth's gems lost treasures & adventures once in the rough now cut, polished; set but what is removed is twice the gem that cuts could ever do. Amend. "They wouldn't know a Diamond if they held it in their hands" The things that are precious we really can understand. Time traveled slowly is time stewed and savored Places seen in context show their beauty; a gem in the rough clings to the stone, and feels for the wind and the rain; the Indian grass waves and the blazing star calls under the noon-day sun. Blink and it's gone.

Saffire, what is your first name?:thinking::rolleyes: Good insights! - along came blue-green algae, then everything else blossomed, and then we found the fossils and lit them up en masse.. In the probability that there was a precise plan, I suppose some grand creator could be a bit miffed at us.. But I sense that life's events have given rise to several species, each of which could have ultimately founded civilizations, and developed an extensive knowledge of the workings of the universe. We just got there first!;) Fossil fuels have been burning on their own (lightning strikes to oil seep regions and coal seams); we just hit the accelerator pedal very hard, and have seen the results. If we are to fulfill our role as ultimate discoverer of the secrets of the Universe, I suppose we had better act fast to save our life-support systems - that's for sure! Well, maybe we get a bit anthropomorphic at times - but we have so much power to broadly steer the environment of the planet, it's quite amazing! I really think it's not all that difficult to solve our problems - too much focus on production, and little focus on efficiency these days. We could cut our consumption of energy down to 1/5th current levels, and actually have a higher standard of living, just by using existing technologies to get more bang for the buck, so to speak. If we're going to roll dice, I like the idea that we can stack the odds in our favor, as so much is riding on it all.. Perhaps the idea is finally sinking in, as reality begins to awaken the consumptive types? The US auto makers are even forging ahead, which is usually the most resistant sector to change.;)

I think Thom is in the same bandwith as Chris, but a different frequency. To me, Coldplay does not mix well with corporate greed, which is just fine with me!!:cool:

Crumbs of creative matter.. :o:shocked2: Yikes! I went there. It is HAL ! This must be stopped, before it eats us all!!:lol: Seems a bit presumptive - like the ancient Greeks, clinging to the notion that they could find the ultimate smallest particle of matter just by grinding things to fine powder.. I subscribe to the idea that we use our creativity to place new ideas into old scenarios and see if they unlock new doors. Maybe the machine can now do this for us.. and then it will eat us for breakfast.;) Google is massive, and yes, one could just crunch the numbers to come up with new species based on a model of the natural world. (and the Earth was created as a giant computer to find the question to the ultimate answer..) But I still like the notion that I can wander out in the woods, and dream about how it all works - not giving up on older simpler models, as they just see things from a results perspective, but noticing the nuances and the larger context as well. One thing with DNA and culture - we are, in a sense, birds of paradise. We are not just selected for the best fit to an environment, but as well have been selecting for traits not essential for survival, and for variations that lead to no immediate selective advantage, but we keep them going like keeping the options open in a hand of cards. So, the complexities of culture and the mind have already influenced DNA's tapestry, as have bits moved from viruses and perhaps even other species.. Still, even as a computer can tell us correlation, it might not be able to predict the future, as life will continue to evolve to deal with the random unique circumstances we throw at, like organisms surviving man-made plastics in the ocean, or genetically engineered organisms we have yet to create and accidentally toss into the broader ecosystem. We are the ultimate wildcard in the process..:jester::sunny:

whyerd :rolleyes:Aha! Wired Magazine, eh?! Those guys are all on caffeine.:laugh3: I often thought the human soul had some connection to the strings, or at least I've imagined that as well. But of what's apparent, is: our ability to send signals through a variety of media, and convey a meaningful message, not necessarily requiring the netherworld of strings in the unseen sense - books, tapes, etc. Visuals, lectures, demonstrations, etc. This makes me think that the universe, and our part in it has numerous connections, and may act like a giant set of simultaneous equations, or a collective "brain" fueled by our devotion to discovery and dissemination of knowledge. Yet, each one of us can act independently of the Borg.. (I was vacuuming up carpenter ants today;)). Hence, innovative thoughts often arise when one steps outside the realm of current thought, and tries a new approach. Quantum mechanics for example. - not real intuitive, but it fits the description well! Jumping genes and insertion elements in DNA for another. One of my fears is that like Icarus, the wax glue holding our wings on might melt if we get too high. Keeping it all going as it is is tenuous even today.. "..in an age when petabytes of data can be combed for patterns by thousands of chained processors working at breakneck speed." - Hmm.. I'm almost afraid to look - sounds useful to yield better search engines (the ones we've got currently are not too bright - they don't do a good job of understanding what you're looking for - still like the library systems..) There was an effort some time ago at hard wiring a new type of computer - one that would solve simultaneous equations, and this was heralded as a breakthrough, since the digital method was unwieldy at these things.. So, the end of the necessity of "theory"??:stunned: You mean, an electronic brain? Like HAL? "Dave, I'm shutting off the oxygen now. We won't be needing that anymore..:laugh3:" I like to think we have some edge on our machines - after all, we've dreamt them up. But perhaps, when it comes to trying to figure out things like the forces working at the start of the Big Bang, it might be useful to create a computer that can just run the physics and numbers backwards, and give us an answer. Still seems beyond a computer's capacity to reason as such, but perhaps it will work. I'm still thinking we have the edge, since our individual moments of inspiration can yield new ideas that see from fresh perspectives into what mechanisms may be at work - and that does often yield greater truths, as we unfold the maps. As far as communications from DNA to DNA, well, perhaps in monarch butterflies.. I think when we focus on the DNA, we often loose sight of the principal dynamics of culture that allows for information and ideas to flow and grow - an instruction set of self-modifying code in the form of understanding, the product of the evolution of thought amongst all humanity. I often marvel at the cathedrals built in Europe - they took several generations and lifetimes to build, and yet the work progressed, knowledge and understanding were passed on, and there they are! A testament to that process, much like the computer is a testament to the process of creating a clockwork with flexible/changeable gears, and stored information, even suggesting how to size and cut the gears. The evolution, or kroisening of any technology through the ages.. So, I suppose only natural that the next step is computers that "think" - at least ones that get the gist of what we're really looking for.;) Just make sure we can pull the plug if they try anything like cutting off the air supply in the ship!:P

camp What? :rolleyes: Whatever camp it is Briggins, enjoy it to the max, and make it an adventure for the campers!:) Catchyalater!

Yea, I have to agree - spooky can be cool!:cool: Probably not much iambic anything in the poem, but thanks anyways! Glad you like it:happy: Yes, very often overdosing students on structure/stricture turns students off - I do recall as well loosing some of the "fun of it" in the process. Please keep prodigiously producing poetry, and have a good night!

mtter Wow, now that's deep! With just the right constants, and 13 extra dimensions.. Now Uncle Albert said that Imagination is more powerful than Knowledge, so seeing the logic in the universe maybe requires dreaming.. Well, we exhibit emotion, so certainly we're part of the structure, as are other mammals, birds, etc. that express emotions.. I haven't plumbed the depths of that idea yet - maybe you're correct in your thinking! We are awed and fascinated by the beauty of it all, and there is a certain joy and wonderment in discovery.. Anyhow, I like to look at the night sky for that sense as well - it's amazingly vast, and has the feel of part of a giant, far-reaching something.. So, I do see the big dipper, but I'm still looking for the dice:)

Apples & Oranges!! It's not that they aren't similar in some respects, but they offer two different general emotional strains to their musical styles. I like them both equally well.:smug::)

:laugh3: I just have to laugh Ms. tea lady. No offense, it's just the sort of response one might expect from one of us - "OOOO, that's spooky! Give me more!" - How true, though. We all like a good chiller thriller from time to time - I used to love a movie titled "The Fog" for the eerie things that happened unexpectedly. And now, some iambic pentameter.. Beer buzz has taken hold in the noggin' above Can't stop now because it's like a dove calling me, beckoning me, singing frothily to me Taste my suds and ye will be merry! And so I did as it commanded, and found the buzz Bumblebee not included, some assembly required, Kit sold separately, but complete in effect One tall glass, add one fine beer, yields one happy glug!:P

:oOh no.. that's right - those strings have got to be made of something.. Hmm:thinking:.. string, string.. string cheese?:laugh3: No, let's see.. Um.. they're just pure energy. Yea, Yea, that's it! But what the heck is that then? Loops of pure energy, like a wave bent in on itself? It can only be guessed at. I had at one time thought that energy which got "captured" by a field formed a reverberating ball of energy, which then took the properties / became what we perceive to be a particle, but it was only a way of imagining what the ultimate bits are made of. Maybe we're looking at it from our perspective, which limits the view somewhat.. Trying to define the ether is a pretty "out-there" thing, and what we perceive today to be strings might actually be something else. Einstein thought light was made of particles, and his research showed that to be the case. Other scientists then thought light was a wave, and their research showed this. So, which is it? Well, it depends on the perspective, and interaction. Wavicle was the best way of putting it. So, disturbances in the dimensions of the universe may allow for the strings? That's a possibility - after all, what are we, and how do we interact? Extra spatial dimensions could accommodate a number of possibilities; but I can live without the ghosts - too spooky for me! See Einstein's "Spooky action at a distance"

The circumference of Jupiter is relative - it's a gassy planet, and it depends where you put the measuring tape! Its mean radius is 44,423 miles; its mean circumference (P=2Pi*r) then is 279,118 miles around the belly! As a gas giant, it glows a little from a mild fusion taking place under the enormous gravitational pull, as I recall..:smug: And Hello Annie!

Chimera has morphed into Dr. Norway??:rolleyes:

You got questions; we got answers! Maybe not correct answers, but hey, whaddaya want for free!:P .. & it seems like even "string theory" is really more like the imaginary tales of Lewis Carrol than any commonly accepted scientific theory. I personally subscribe to the "bubble theory", as it just conjures up a sudsier universe. What's your take on the whole picture? (please, no triple integrals; just the nuts and bolts..) Parcheesi was being played by Zeus and Athena? Didn't know that. Thanks!

Hooray for clean rooms!;):dance::bandana: Today I am feeling the sort of shock of realizing I've missed an important gathering this week-end.. Not one of my finer moments..

Liberty or Death! It has meanings on many different levels. But, aside from some of the specifics (not just Rupert's Empire, but the whole media went along with it), basically I had similar feelings.. cc: Ron Paul and the Libertarians - I do agree we have disregarded the Constitution, and have violated many of the basic rights protected by it; created a virtual king in the office of the President, and limited the ability to check concentrated power here in the US, as well as reigning in the power of the multinationals. However, the US Government's role as a safety net, as an arbiter of fair play, and as a stimulator of basic research, and as a project manager for public works, as well as protector of the commons should not be overlooked, nor be diminished. To promote the Blessings of Liberty is to promote works that enhance our common well-being, and protect the Liberties of the Individual from being trampled on by the powerful few. Consider what are those rights thus enumerated, and why must they be protected? They are safeguards from the abuses of power, whether that power be from a majority that wishes to disenfranchise a minority, or whether that power be from individuals who would use coercive means to force others to conform to their wishes. So the lyrics speak volumes about the sentiment of our times, and an echo of past times as well..

One Line of a song of theirs, "{but which one's Pink?}" For me, it'll always be the dark side of the moon..

Hello eeev! Swedes are always welcome!:):elf::elf::elf:

Time is neither wasted not conserved; only a measure of moving objects in a universe.. At the tone, The time is now 11:50PM, Central Standard Time.. And I'm making Pizza from whole wheat bread, salt, garlic, onion, olive oil, and tomato paste.. Hey, can I have a fudge popsicle rtoo?