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Mix Master Mike

Sitting in Mike’s lab right now, writing an article (and blogging) while he works on his fluids experiment, I feel like I’m learning so much more about him.

Not because he’s explaining his engineering techniques to me.

And not because I’m getting to see him in action.

Ok, so this isn't quite what Mike's moves look like ... Photo from dicktay2000 on Flickr.

It’s entirely because Pandora is blaring a sweet combination of Stevie Wonder, The Beatles and Aerosmith, and he’s dancing around as if his life depended on it.

At first I was flattered to think that he was trying to impress me, but since he’s been jumping and jiving for the past half an hour (and he’s showing no signs of stopping), my ego is starting to deflate a bit as I realize his joviality has nothing to do with me.

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I might be a bad person …

No, not because I hate my roommate’s cat.  (I do, but I that’s besides the point.)

I’m wondering because each time I head to work at the Daily Camera, I’m hoping that a group of people are outside smoking so that they can let me in the locked door.

Nope. It's not one of these. Thanks to ~Brenda-Starr~ on Flickr for the sweet pic.

Thus, because I’ve temporarily misplaced* my key, I’m promoting lung cancer.

*Misplaced=Lost likely permanently

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The beauty of G-Chat

So I’ve never been a huge fan of “chatting” on-line. I didn’t have the Internet when AOL was huge. I never really got into AIM. And I’m not on Facebook long enough to have any sort of conversation.

And let’s be honest … far too often it’s some random person who you haven’t spoken with since high school (and who you didn’t really like in high school) who’s apt to “chat” you.

But today, sitting in a Boulder coffee shop, Cafè Sole, next to two great friends, I made excellent use of the G-Chat function of G-mail.

See, somebody nearby smelled. BADLY.

If you smell like this ... take a shower before you go out in public. Please. Photo from poolie on Flickr.

So obviously, it would have been rude to say something along the lines of “Holy crap, what’s that rancid stench?” Or, “For crying out loud, who’s wearing onion-flavored deodorant?”

Enter G-Chat’s functionality. We were able to mock, laugh and deride whichever individual sitting near us hadn’t showered in a month. All in a (relatively) silent manner.

Actually, both ladies thought I should use my investigative journalism skills to figure who the culprit was. But what publication would run the story?

Obviously … The Onion.

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Evilness

It’s a beautiful spring day here  in Boulder, Colo. today.

The birds are chirping.

The sun is shining.

And I’m stuck inside a classroom writing this damn paper.

Conclusion #1: Procrastination is the devil.

Conclusion #2: The weatherman who said it was going to rain today was wrong. And that makes him a jerk.

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Names I will not name my children*

Sure, it’s a free country, but I think that some lines should be drawn when it comes to bestowing a moniker on a tiny little human that he/she will have to live with for the rest of his/her life.

For example:

No Name may be better than some names. Photo from Flickr photographer, NatalieMaynor.

Brutus: Et tu? Too Shakespearean; also implies impending doom.

Astrid: The woman rode “astrid” a donkey. You don’t name your kid that.

Anything that is or sounds like it could be a candy bar.

Shithead: Sounds pretty until you write it out.

Anything that is or sounds like it could be an insect.

Uranus: Sure it’s a planet, and if you pronounce it one way, it has an attractive ring to it. If you don’t, then your kid is bound to be an ass … or at least called one.

Ultimately, I have no beef with people with any of these names. How could I? It’s their parents who should be reprimanded and whipped with a wet noodle.

*This is all, of course, assuming I do give birth someday; definitely not a certainty since I’m not married and I’m way too selfish with my personal time.

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Aspiring writers: here’s help

A writer at SEED magazine once said:  “Nearly everyone reads. Soon, nearly everyone will publish.”

Flickr photo from soartsyithurts.

Of course the reference is made in regards to blogging, the open forum capabilities of anyone with a computer and an Internet connection.

Still, not everyone can get something published … you know, like in a magazine.

Since that’s something I’m aspiring to do–and perhaps something you, dear reader, are as well–I thought I’d share this link to a collection of tips for writing the query letter.

Check out this article by Robbi Hess: How your query letter can land you the assignment.

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