A few lazy summers ago, I read a book by Oliver Sacks, called The Island of the Colorblind. In the first part of the book, Sacks describes his visit to the tiny island of Pingelap, part of the Micronesian State of Pohnpei; a place where 5-10 percent of the population suffer from an extreme form of colour blindness called achromatopsia. People with ( Read more... )

Here's a sentence for y'all to toss around.

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

Sure, it might look all bull; but nay, it's actually gramatically valid.

Essentially, three senses of 'buffalo':

1. Buffalo, the city.
2. buffalo, the animal - used in the plural.
3. buffalo, as a verb - meaning to intimidate.

So now: Buffalo1 ( Read more... )

Three months, two interesting research ideas, two new roommates, an almost complete thesis, three tough goodbyes, a few hellos, one good reunion with a long interning buddy, much Dickens, much Cohen, much Fairport Convention, Doom Patrol, a birthday, a broken air-conditioner; and I find that somehow, I've survived the summer. Meh, it wasn't half ( Read more... )

So I'm walking to the lab this morning with the usual spring in my stride, song on my lips (as, I suppose, does everyone)- when I happen to look up and see this:


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107F today, and counting. Sigh.

I can hear fire hydrants whistling for the dogs.

More in a bit.

Remember those idyllic days of February? The world seemed a much simpler, rounder place in which to live. My daily foibles were accompanied by a bouncy Vaudevillian trio who would suddenly jump out from around the corner and sing a hilarious, yet appropriate ditty; the air smelt of daisies in a meadow and we all skipped about unabashedly like ( Read more... )

How many roads must a chicken walk down, before you can run to your camera?


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There are bad movies. And then, there are movies that are so bad, that they cross that line (it's over there, to your left) and become deliciously good. Raw and underdone, apparently disgusting and looking as if little work had gone into the production - yet delightfully tasty. Just like sushi.

Ok, it took a lot of effort to work that last analogy ( Read more... )

I saw the strangest thing today.

Walking home from the lab this evening, I'm a couple of blocks away from home, and out of nowhere comes a chicken. And it's crossing the road. Do not scoff, for I kid you not. I know not from whence it came (though it's entertaining to imagine the chicken fighting its way out of the Wendy's across the street), or ( Read more... )

So, funny story ( Read more... )