Why the long drought?
Well...
I can't really explain it except that when we took a short holiday at the end of July I discovered that I enjoyed being unplugged. And then, as soon as we got home, the deluge began that finally culminated last week with two massive grant submissions.
When I told my Dad, when we visited him Labour Day weekend, that the next ten days were going to be hellish and filled with late night data crunching and keyboard banging he looked up from his paper and said, 'Don't you have somebody to do that for you by now?'
I didn't have an answer for him right away but when I mentioned it to a younger colleague, who is both a sharper scientist and a much better musician than me, he noted that the fact that I'm still coming up with grant ideas means just that. Which, I realized, when I thought about it a little, is a good thing.
Of course, we'll see if anybody thinks the ideas are good ones in a few months - early January to be exact.
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When I'm spending a lot of time sitting in front of the keyboard I listen to a lot of stuff. Here are a few auditory notes from the last couple of weeks...
'Dead Eyes' - a podcast from a working actor about the time he lost a small part in a big production because Tom Hanks, allegedly, said he had 'dead eyes'
Bob Mackin seems to the be only local media guy who is really digging into the upcoming civic election so far.
Friend of the Blog Glen Clark was on for a full hour with Mo Amir and noted that big money, no matter where it comes from, is a very bad thing for the health of the body politic.
Lastly, I cannot believe that I entirely missed the Replacements back when they, not mention me, were young and bastardly...I blame it on gradual school and microscopes and the excitement of figuring out how to culture subpopulations of adrenocortical cells and all that.
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As for that very sudden cheap 'holiday' on Monday that is resulting in so many people's last minute schedule juggling misery?....This! (because, as we all know, the rain is coming)....
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4 comments:
Nice to have you back. Glad you had a good time unplugging. Sometimes its a good to just do nothing and hear nothing.
Yes, the municpal elections ought to be fun. We have the Vancouver Mayor candidates in court this past week arguing about what language they could use. Some one needs to figure out rules or we could have candidates using a dozen different languages to ensure their names draw attention, OMG, they went to court. Don't judges have enough to do. Oh, well politcs is wierd sometimes.
The lastest news regarding a candidate for the leadership of the NDP "recruiting" or trying to recruit Green Party members to support her for leadership. Having been active in my riding once upon a time when I was young, I can recall a candidate selection meeting was suddenly up ended when it turned out the less favoured candidate had a bus load of people brought in, that no one expected. Yes, he won. Now to do that on a province wide basis, is possible if you're organized and keep your mouth shut, well your friends also.
Political parties might want to take a lesson from what the young woman did. Its very serious and on the other hand funny, one political party could take over another using her method and have the parties money to boot. Politcal parties need to start being careful with how they nominate candidates and leaders. We also need Elections B.C. and Elections Canada to provide a few rules so this type of thing can't happen. Parties might want to implement a shorter time to sign up members and close sign up a couple of months before the voting.
As much as I understand that the "calling" of your important research has to take priority ---- have to admit that I missed being able to read your musings on a regular basis. Back to work now!!!
Can't believe no one has left a greeting here. Everyone needs the time to do other things, but I have to say that it was painful not getting the periodic bits of wit and wisdom that grace these electrons, especially since so many blogs have completely disappeared. I was down essentially to Owen Gray on the morning read-around and could hear the echoes of BC Mary, Grant, Saltspringnews, and so many others rattling around in the dead blog archive like something out of Procol Harum's Grand Hotel. In any case, just want to leave a wish that the grants be plentiful and fruitful and that life proceed apace at work and at home and that the odd perspective liven up an intermittent set of mornings. And some music.
Welcome back, glad to hear you had a little fun and time to enjoy the summer before reality kicked into high gear.
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