http://www.ckrec.occsci.com The Journal of Bavarian Cookie Recipes (and occasional science) Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:34:06 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en It's been an insanely busy month, as a few friends have been moving away- the chance to see them before they go has been time well spent, though it also means even less blogging than usual. A few highlights: - The cats are okay (the bat, less so). In the process of ... http://www.ckrec.occsci.com/2008/08/15/this-thing-looks-familiar/ Earlier this afternoon, I came home from grocery shopping to find a frog hopping across my living room. By itself, that's pretty bizarre, even if I do live on the first floor-it's pretty hard to get even a housefly by my cats, much less anything larger. Then I realized two things, in ... http://www.ckrec.occsci.com/2008/07/13/holy-bat-hop-robin/ Another late night of experiments. Tedious, but I've found that you can learn all sorts of things once you pass a certain point of sleep deprivation. For example: I've got a bit of a lisp, but it's one that I've had for years (much to the annoyance of speech therapists everywhere). ... http://www.ckrec.occsci.com/2008/07/10/its-4am-do-you-know-where-your-laser-is/ As my schedule for a busy July month sorts itself out, it's time to look ahead to August, and plan a trip for the summer. This is an idea that I first began to float last year, and it's become more pressing as I've watched a good friend finish her seven-year ... http://www.ckrec.occsci.com/2008/07/10/seeing-the-world-one-inch-at-a-time/ It's been a hectic few weeks, including a trip to Kansas last week for a funeral. I can't say that I ever enjoy these things, but in a way, my labmate's family did a good job of making it more about a memorial for his life than about the fact of ... http://www.ckrec.occsci.com/2008/06/30/the-nature-of-funerals/ If you were to pick one moment from each day to remember, what would you choose? The new and exotic, or the familiar and cherished? The whimsical, or the practical? And how would you preserve that memory for your future self, years down the line? Nowadays, the internet makes that ... http://www.ckrec.occsci.com/2008/06/30/a-life-in-pictures/ Overheard on a college campus Dude: I'm bored- let's go streaking! Dudette: Ok! But we need a reason. (long pause. Then, inspiration strikes)  Dude: For OBAMA! http://www.ckrec.occsci.com/2008/06/26/streaking-for-obama/ It was a beautiful morning, and I took the opportunity to go kayaking with a friend today. The route took us through some fantastic scenery, past several species of birds that I've never seen before... And, rather unexpectedly, I learned how dragonflies mate. (Hint: they're talented little critters) It took me a ... http://www.ckrec.occsci.com/2008/06/14/ill-never-look-at-dragonflies-the-same-way-again/ From the Wall Street Journal's health blog comes this shining gem: FDA Budget Swells as Administration Bows to Congress In a nutshell, the FDA is the federal agency responsible for regulating the quality and safety of a variety of products. As more manufacturing of drugs has moved overseas, this job has become ... http://www.ckrec.occsci.com/2008/06/12/is-that-a-designer-muzzle/ While resting from Thursday's 25-hour laser marathon, I spent the weekend doing some catchup on reading, cooking, and cleaning: I made truffles, and pancakes, and a carrot cake for a friend whose birthday was Saturday. It was a bit warm, but overall pleasant, and I got some needed rest. I say it ... http://www.ckrec.occsci.com/2008/06/12/farewell-mr-hooper/