Eve

Standing in line with a 50 lb bag of concrete and a couple of crescent wrenches, the cashier asks me, "Not buying Christmas gifts this year?" I thought, if anywhere, Home Depot would have considered concrete worthy of being a Christmas gift. In other thoughts, i wonder how often Armstrong bikes home with 50 lb of concrete, and frozen brakes. I should really keep my bike indoors.

Gone

At 9:15am on Wednesday December 16, 2009, i had my 4 wisdom teeth removed. It went rather well - i was at work 90 minutes later. Showed up with blood on my face and couldn't talk for hours, but no one at work seemed surprised by those details. 4 days later and i'm still doing quite well.

Stinky

It's about as cheesy as a vegan can get - i'm quoted in this article on my work's website.

Reviews

For those of you wondering how the 2 weeks volunteering in crocodile research went, here's the letter i'm sending to Earthwatch, maybe with some edits once i'm more awake.

An Open Letter to the Decision Makers at Earthwatch

I volunteered in the November 2009 expedition of Crocodiles of the Zambezi, run in the field by Audrey Detoeuf-Boulade and Kevin Wallace. The first time I met Audrey and Kevin was at the beginning of the expedition, and am writing to express my admiration for the two; they form a phenomenal, invaluable team.

Audrey and Kevin are both capable of handling a wide range of technical problems. Whether it is engine issues, food/lodging logistics, health concerns, or simply getting water, they are unfazed by the adversities of life in the bush, responsive to all problems that arise, and relentless in their pursuit of getting the work done. And both cook great meals, even with minimal utilities when necessary.

Along with fantastic field skills, both have the social and managerial skills to handle all manner of personal and personnel issues. They are enjoyable people to simply hold a conversation with but can take charge when needed. In handling employees, interacting with locals, or managing volunteers, Audrey and Kevin perfect that elusive combination of true professionals, great leaders, and wonderful friends.

And still there is more to Audrey and Kevin – they excel as scientists and teachers. Both show profound dedication to their fields, knowledge of their areas, a thirst to discover more, and a desire to better their environment. They are willing to explain all the details of their work yet are receptive to new ideas and suggestions. And while both demonstrate a deep understanding of the science, they are also capable of providing simplified explanations for the lay person. These are the kind of scientists that truly make the world a better place.

Thus, if Audrey and Kevin should ever ask Earthwatch for funding, please accept them without hesitation. And should they not come to you in the near future, it is in Earthwatch’s best interest to actively pursue them. This is a couple that will greatly benefit any organization they are associated with.


Sincerely,


Francisco Luis Roque

Yes, Kev and Auds are that cool.

Copenhagen

Based on usage figures from the World's entry in the CIA World Factbook, some random calculation on the efficiency of solar panels and their cost, and some other figures on the conversion of oil and natural gas to electricity, i am looking to raise $201 trillion in order to solve our Climate Change (with the snow outside, that's a much better phrase than "Global Warming") problem - $200 trillion for the solar panels and $1 trillion towards utterly conquering Western Sahara, which will then be completely covered in the requisite panels.

Yes, that's right, today we can assure all our energy needs are met by renewable (for the next 5 billion years, give or take) solar energy by covering 262000 square kilometers with solar panels. Conveniently, Western Sahara is 266000 square km, is rather sunny, and doesn't have much of a government, so we can invade, set up a stable government and some solar panels, and save the world.

Still not sure how to distribute that power around the world, but after dropping $200 trillion on panels, i expect the vendor to solve that one for free. Then there's that incovenient conversion of existing petrol and oil devices to run on electricity, but i can't solve everything tonight - watch for a future post.