Science: theory vs. practice.

It's funny, thinking back to when I was a kid I and a few friends were totally into science, i.e. NASA, microscopes, lasers, reading Omni magazine, building complex models, breadboarding and the like.  We didn't neccessarily want to figure out how stuff worked, but were content in our fascination that it worked at all.  Nothing was sacred.  One week it might be radio-controlled cars, the next telescopes.  rockets then a Timex-Sinclair 1000. 

While none of my old pals nor myself ever became "scientists" in the strictest sense, many of us had become what I can now call practical scientists.  Think for a second about the academic scientist.  Gets a grant, shows up daily to a lab, classroom or office often worrying about publishing or perishing.  No one would question their station as a scientist per se.  Admit it, you see a white-guy in a lab coat probably wearing glasses with cold hands and greying temples.

Now think for a second about the practical scientist.  That contruction crew working on the new freeway overpass?  the electrician?  the network administrator at work?  Hell, even the plummer?  All practical scientists in my book.  In fact, I think they are and other professions are getting screwed, tossed into the blue-collared bin of status and pay while their supposed brainier counterparts walk ivory corridors envisioning and theorizing.

Don't get me wrong, I have a total appreciation for academia and empirical/theoretical science.  I just wonder who determined that the geometrist is a scientist but the man responsible for actually building arches and buildings with complex angles every day is not.  Or that Georg Ohm was a pioneering physicist, but the electrician who utilizes Ohm's Law daily and whose very life might even depend upon its understanding isn't considered a scientist, either.

I just wonder when a social revolution of sorts will change that, kind of the way that punk rock challenged the notion that it somehow took something a lot more than a cheap guitar and three chords to start a band and become millionaires.  Perhaps selfishly, I for one welcome a change and and am broadening my view of what a scientist exactly is.  Join me?

Well looky here

Looks like my trial period must've ended.  I'm a full-fledged Razorcake contributor now:

On a related note, I took some pics of Handski at the Eagle Rock Music Festival a couple of months ago and they can be seen here.  I don't know what happened to the third one.  :(

A no-kill deliciouso recipe

For reasons I won't go into right now, I've been conciously eating a lot less meat and a lot more grains and veg.  This has led me to a few recipes that I will log here.  Probably more for my reference than yours, since no one reads this blog.  :(

Anyway, this one is a Quinoa dish.

1 cup quinoa
2 cups organic veggie stock
1 small onion, diced in very small slices
1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme
1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley
1 teaspoon olive oil

In pan, heat olive oil, add quinoa over medium heat, turn occasionally for about 5-6 minutes.  In 2 quart sauce pan, add the quinoa and 2 cups stock, cover and bring to boil for 5 minutes.  reduce to simmer for about a half hour, until stock reduces fully and quinoa is done.  Fluff quinoa and add the thyme, parsley and onion and mix well until all are distributed.

Enjoy!

Volunteering for Operation Gratitude

You can feel however you wish about the government and the "wars" we are fighting, but don't forget that most all of the military personnel in our various conflicts around the world would probably be doing anything else if they could.  Many (like my father so many years ago) joined the service as a way of escaping their hometowns and getting some skills for work and life.  Watching the recruiting videos and believing the hype, I'm sure there are plenty of soldiers who thought they were signing up to learn skills to "work with computers" or some such and instead ended up in the desert holding an AR-15.

So, thinking of these poor souls, Chelsea and I volunteered to help pack Christmas boxes for Operation Gratitude who for those who don't know, package boxes to send to the troops at the holidays.  While we had a good time helping out, it was way overcrowded.  I am certain that the whole operation would have gone smoother with about half of those in attendance helping out.  But in any case, it felt good to do something good for someone.  It just gets you thinking about how good we really have it as Americans.  As much as a negative, pessimistic person I am I am still glad I am not a soldier.  There.  I am thankful for something after all.