Paper trail

I would like to go on record on the internet, like getting an information tattoo, one that will linger for the rest of my life, so confident am I that this sentiment will never change,

"FUCK YOU WALL STREET JOURNAL" and your skeptical climate change editorial, explained and rebutted pretty well here, though it's missing my favorite piece of evidence (answering the question, is it our fault?). I would like to send skeptics and thoughtful people seeking further evidence to an article that you can download here, effectively proving that climate change is caused by the burning of fossil fuels. They compare different isotopic ratios of carbon to show that you can see the isotopic signal of fossil fuels in the CO2 in the atmosphere.

In other news, I'm teaching a lesson on climate change to the kids, our nation's future. I'm trying to take the sex-ed approach, just the facts, no freak-out inducing bombast (this is the kind of enthusiasm that made be question that drugs were actually bad ... so over-the-top was our elementary and middle school DARE program). It's fun answering their questions, especially the ones that have to do with where the data comes from, and how do we know? Little skeptics in the making, being crushed in their natal state, not by fear but by information! I can't think of anything that gives me more joy.

nature's funniest home videos

Trap Jaw Ants

Andrew Suarez gave a talk a few weeks ago at BU. He played these videos and I laughed so hard I was sobbing. Sobbing in the seminar room. Best talk ever.

a very protest christmas

Visited Occupy Boston awhile ago to see a lecture from a volunteering UMass Boston econ professor. Lots of thoughtful question and answer. This was during the camp expansion, which coincided with the Sachem Bridge occupation, drawing the cops away during the move - well organized.

Also thematically related is the Low Anthem concert I went to last night. I was late late late because of an improvisational dance performance I was in with a visiting choreographer Michael Jahoda, kind of similar to a thing I did last year with Monica Bill Barnes, both loads of fun.

Anyway, so I only caught the last few songs inside the venue (Somerville Theater), BUT then the band went outside and proceeded to play for another hour, entirely folk classic singalongs. It was an impromptu night of outdoor occupation. All about community participation, improvisation, voice, and good lighting. Here's my cell phone cinematography: my first youtube video!

at the end of the world, cockroaches and jellyfish

All week, my 5th grade students have been asking me if I'm tired, if I'm getting enough sleep. One kid mentioned that under my eyes is dark and his mommy uses makeup for that. Thanks, kid. I guess I need some more sleep. Good thing we've got this long weekend coming up.

I'm unwinding from the week by watching a documentary to be found at leadwithlove.com, which is for parents of gay kids who are having trouble coping with the truth. It's kind of mesmerizing, with bad infomercial cinematography, but a good message, interesting interviews. There's this one kid named Rico, who looks just like Spock in profile.

I don't know.

Yesterday, I went to the New England Aquarium's Educator Appreciation Night. Free food, free shamelessly heartstring-yanking Disneyesque IMAX 3D movie narrated by Morgan Freeman, free livestrong bracelets that say "Myrtle" and books about icebergs, stop n shop tote bags, and other fabulously useless shit. In return, we're encouraged to bring our students to the aquarium for educational programming. Felt weirdly like a pharmaceuticals pitch. Apparently on the Harbor Cruise, which I missed, there was wine and beer and swank dinner things.

Today in class, Stephanie and I made pesto from the basil in the outdoor garden, served it to the kids on pasta. During 2nd period, Stephanie had to leave early and I got to run an impromptu lesson on moon phases. I confess: I love teaching. I love asking kids questions and treating them like adults and getting them excited about things. I love having a chance not to be the teachers I had in primary who were over it, and going through the motions. Everyone deserves better. I love having a kid explain to me with confidence how the moon changes shape or the earth blocks the light from the sun and I love BLOWING THEIR MINDS with the truth. SCIENCE IS AWESOME. It sells itself. I love the enthusiasm that I'm forced put on that then sinks into the cracks in my skin and becomes actual enthusiasm and I leave tired but happy, or at least feeling like I have successfully without religion or philosophy found a portion of purpose.

I'm hitting the field tomorrow, more for a hike and bit of exploratory scouting. On the way back I'm going to keep my eye out for a pink unitard to complete my watermelon Halloween vision. Because, you know, there'll probably be one lying on the side of the freeway. Ha ha.

save the world club

I taught my first lesson in the outdoor classroom this week. I also had my GLACIER fundraiser this Wednesday and raised over $900 with lots of help from my fellow fellows. A happenstance corporate sponsor may donate some serious educational tech.

I feel so self-righteous I could order a fair trade latte and explain to someone that it's really not that bad for the environment to fly it all the way over here, because I mean, LOOK OVER THERE I'M LAZY AND I NEED THE COFFEE AND WHEN I DON'T GET IT I WRITE IN ALL CAPS AND DON'T USE PUNCTUATION!!! OR TOO MUCH PUNCTUATION!!!)!!(@)(#!! OR INAPPROPRIATE PUNCTUATION!!

So nobody's perfect.
Here's the garage sale in full swing at Marsh Plaza.

Add caption

I also went to the Right to the City/Occupy Wall Street protest that Destry was a marshal for. Saw some people get arrested at the B of A. All pretty orderly. Here are some videos.

Charlie Rose

...turned me on to these simple but engaging educational videos by Salman Khan, a good example of lead learning and my future supplement to TED Talks.

yellowstone national park

Back from my camping trip! Dad was a chipper camper, and we had a lot of fun. I have about a trillion pictures of microbial mats, spouting geysers, landscapes landscapes landscapes, my parents, and Jackson Hole, WY. Here are a few highlights uploaded onto my mom's flickr (well, more than a few...).

Looking forward to coming home to my roomie family, adding Dan Kamen returned from South Africa, with Romain and Brandy and little kitty still close-by across the street. I'll be teaching science for my fellowship at Curley K-8 School, taking hoop/trapeze and aerial silks, classes, research, good times and autumn leaves.

In high school I learned that fall was the season of the tragedy archetype, the season of the fall from innocence in Genesis, when the dignity of man is backlit by his unfortunate circumstances. Spring is all about rebirth, Summer about romance, Autumn about tragedy, and Winter about satire and irony. But fall was always my favorite season, not because of the melancholia, but because of the colors. I never really understood the seasonality of literature anyway. I prefer the seasonality of temperate forests.