Update and upcoming changes

Hi all, I am back from the Antarctic, and what a trip it has been. I promise pictures (there's lots) and some stories soon. But first I think there's going to be some changes to my blogging service. It's been a long while since I've blogged, mostly because I did not have internet access on the ship. We do have a limited email account, and it would have been easy and awesome to send the occasional update and small photo to my own blog and not depend on the project blog to do the storytelling for me. That blog is great to see how we are doing, but some of you want to know how I am doing, and that can be quite another matter. So I think I am going to switch to Blogger. I considered them when I started this blog, and in reading the reviews, Wordpress seemed to be the winner. However, I did not read that carefully - the opensource and free content manager at Wordpress.org is great when you have your own webhost setup at your cost. The free (and therefore graduate-student-budget-friendly) Wordpress.com comes with a slough of limitations and lack of features. Blogger allows you to send an email to post to your blog. Wordpress.com does not. Blogger is very Picasa friendly (I use Picasa way more than Flickr), Wordpress is not. Anyway... expect to update your bookmarks soon. I know... it's flakey to change midstream, but it's the blogosphere and flakeyness is sort-of the status quo around here. I am working like a dog to get all my samples running. That means 12 hour days in the lab with lots of concentrated acid and benzene to keep me company. Anyway, it may take me a week or so to get my pics and new blog up. Enjoy the anticipation.

Flamethrower Storage

This is posted on  a cabinet on the R/V L.M. Gould, my soon-to-be home for 4 weeks.  If you don't know the connotations of this, you should take the opportunity to watch the '80's version of The Thing. Kurt Russell is sooooo awesome in that movie.

Chile

Made it to Chile! After only around 20 hours of travel time, we have arrived in Punta Arenas, Chile. The local news this morning included Territorio Antarctica in their weather report. 3 degrees celsius and showers. Balmy! The group is quite fun and we went to a local pub to try the local drink. Pisco sours. Waaayyyy too easy to drink. Here's; a photo of a few of the group at the Santiago airport. (I'm behind the camera). I will have internet access for a couple more days here at the hotel. After that, it will be very sparse, but keep checking http://antarctica-ncsu.blogspot.com for updates from the ship...

Why being an oceanographer is awesome (one reason)

Wicked shark photos

A great little photoset from the Telegraph..  I would like to see a shark flying though the air... from the safety of a large boat, of course.

Polar lions

Made it to Raleigh.. (and photos of the continental crossing)

I have arrived. The entire trip could be distilled into 5 hard days of driving, but luckily I stopped in Denver, Texas, and Oklahoma to be with family. Turned out to be pretty relaxing actually. Maybe I should move across the country more often... mmm, not so much. I don't have many photos of the actual trip (I was busy driving...), but I do have a few of my stay in Oklahoma over Thanksgiving. Definitely very thankful to have had the time to spend with family this time around. I've got more photos on my Google page (Link to album) and the obligatory YouTube of a cute nephew: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTIUrV0-1x4] And one more of redneck heaven... [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOnaBJs6cYY]

Making the crossing..

I have departed the left coast and am slowly making my way to Raleigh.  My truck is loaded and the trailer is full.  Even though it's a slow slog, the old truck is doing okay.  I got from Portland to Dever in two days, and Oklahoma in one more.  Right now I am writing from my birthtown, Amarillo, TX, in the library where I spent quite a bit of time when I was younger.  Everything seems a lot smaller than it did then... I'll be visiting family and on the road to Raleigh till Dec. 1.  I'll also be starting my work preparing for the Antarctic.  Look for more updates and photos from the trip then.  Happy trails.

Alternative Energy - reality

Saw this article (via) and you know, with reports that peak oil may be already come and gone, this comes as a very refreshing breath of fresh air.  Again, this is the kind of innovation that needs to be pushed into reality by inspiring leaders and focused funding.  The US is so poised to take the lead on this...  We can put a man on the moon if empowered and inspired.  Education in math and science will improve if kids have something meaningful to work on.  America has the creativity and technical prowess to make this happen (and make some killer $$ along the way).  When will a presidential candidate or member of congress vow to do this?  With the money we've spent in Iraq, we could have had solar powered Jetson cars by now...  and cell phones that work...

See Mike Draw

Holy shit, these are some of the funniest comics I've ever seen!

Lessig's virgin talk on Corruption

I am a little over halfway through watching this lecture, and it's pretty moving.  Lawrence Lessig has been a big name in copyfighting circles for years (see close to every 5th post on Boingboing).  He's now working on corruption issues, and he makes an amazingly good argument.  Worth a watch. Democracy requires personal responsibility AS WELL AS community responsibility.  If you see someone stealing something, do you speak up and do something about it??  If you know that someone is cheating on their taxes, do you speak up?  If you know that someone is molesting young children, do you speak up??  I'm not passing judgement on the answers of any of these questions, but just provoking thought.

Is this the new story of our times?

Article. I read this and wonder. I go back and forth when I get the opportunity to give advice to young people about to decide what to do with their careers. Sometimes I say, "Do what you love, the rest will work itself out." Other times I defeatedly say, "Get a law degree, kid.. fuck science. NO money." And reading this article just makes me even more confused. Is it really social inequity that keeps me from being able to make ends meet.. and I'm not even doing anything THAT idealistic right now. Sure, I'm going to grad school to study the oceans and climate change, but right now, I'm doing environmental consulting. Don't let the 'environmental' in that title confuse you - what I do consists of mostly industrial enabling. We help people clean up their messes, sure, but at the lowest cost and just baaareeley enough to keep the agencies and regulators off their backs. Sell out I am, but broke nonetheless. I could have taken a job similar to my father's - working as a pipeline inspector and make twice the salary I make now. Only then would I really be able to 'make it' in the current economy. Teachers can't make it, young researchers can't make it. WTF? Are these people jsut young yuppie primadonas that are whining their way into debt? Certainly some of them are, but not all. I have wondered about my individual plight through mediocre salary and massive student debt, and if I skrewed up somehow. It seems I'm in a boat with a lot of people, and we're all drifting along hoping for a break. Well, anyway, I've decided to go back and do what I love. I'll be broke some more, and may never make enough money to be very comfortable. But fuck it, who else is going to save the world?

Secrets of PBF

An interview with the creator of the greatest internet comic strip ever.

First Post...

Hi all, and thanks for visiting. I intend this little blog to be a diary of experiences, photos, and errata for a new chapter in my life. I recently found out that I have an opportunity to do a few things that I always wanted to do - go to grad school, study oceanography and climate change, and travel to Antarctica. I wished it, and the universe responded in kind. In short, I'm eff-ing giddy with anticipation of what's to come. So stay tuned. I will add details of my studies and travels as I get them figured out. Now things are mostly a blur of barely laden plans and ideas... And please, email or leave a comment. I probably would love to hear from you.