Monday, February 23, 2004

Mt. Pinatubo, Phillipines, 1991 What We Study Linus has really been into volcanoes for the last couple of weeks, so we checked out a National Geographic movie about them from the library.  It's a pretty great summary of the subject, with some outstanding footage and descriptions of various eruptions throughout history.  In particular, there is good coverage of Mt. Pinatubo's eruption in 1991.  Let me just say, when that thing blew, it blew.  It sent a smoke column 12 miles into the air, deposited 2 cubic miles of debris into the atmosphere and surrounding area, and completely blew the summit off the mountain.  I know there have been other eruptions since then, but as far as I know that was the last major eruption in the world, meaning that another is probably just around the corner. Much of the movie talked about vulcanologists, which led to this discussion with Linus: Him: "What are those guys doing?" Me: "They're vulcanologists.  They study volcanoes." Him: "Why?" Me: "So they can predict when volcanoes will erupt, to help save lives." Him: "What does 'study' mean?" It's a constant process of trying to extend the boundaries of his world, but also of doubling back and filling in the gaps that you've missed in your efforts to get to an explanation that you understand.  Helping young kids understand the world is sort of like doing technical writing.  You can't just say: "Connect everything and turn it on."  You have to explain what goes where, define things as though the people who are reading the instructions have no idea what you are talking about.  Likewise, you can't just tell kids that the Earth orbits the sun.  You have to tell them what "orbit" means, and once you do that, they ask why, and you end up discussing gravity and a dozen other things. It's good.  It can be a challenge, at times, but when you break things down to their basic elements, sometimes you can see things in a new way yourself.  We both learn. The concept of "study" seemed to catch his attention in some way that I couldn't quite pin down.  I explained that studying things was a good way to learn about them.  Some people study plants, others study history (which started a side discussion on history that I shortened for a later time), and others might study paintings.  There was a ladybug in his room, and I told him there were people who spent almost their whole lives just studying ladybugs.  He scrunched up his face and looked at the bug for a few seconds.  Well, maybe that one's not for him.   3:43:16 PM    Say what?[]

Lucinda Williams' First Album In the last three or so years, people who enjoy music and who aren't particularly bothered by copyright concerns have seen their music collections expand greatly.  Widespread ownership of CD burners has allowed an unprecedented sharing of music between friends.  In my case, I ended up with so many new CDs, so fast, that I still have several that I haven't been able to listen to yet.  It is a backlog of quality music that I happily work my way through a little bit at a time.  Sometimes I stumble on to something that completely blows me away, and that slows down the process of hearing all this new music because that album is going to stay in the CD changer for more than its fair share of time.  That's what happened when I put in Lucinda Williams' Ramblin On My Mind.  I've been a big fan of Lucinda Williams ever since I hear her incredible 1998 album Car Wheels On A Gravel Road.  I was late to the charms of country and alt-country, and I'm not really sure Lucinda Williams fits into either of those categories completely, but I love whatever it is that she does. Turns out, she did a couple albums at a young age in the late 1970s, and then more or less disappeared for about 10 years.  I didn't know this, and was surprised when my friend Brad presented me with a burned copy of her first album.  It took me almost a year to get around to listening to it, but it hasn't left my player since I put it in about two weeks ago.  Some of the songs are just traditional arrangements of old folk and country songs, and some are original pieces written by her.  She's got a beautiful southern Texas/Louisiana drawl, and a little bit of a hard edge in her voice even at age 25. It's good stuff.  So good, I might even buy a copy of the actual album if I can find it. 1:45:54 PM    Say what?[]

Some Advice For The Frozen Burrito Crowd When eating a frozen burrito, take care not to inspect the contents of the burrito too closely. I can't think of a time when eating a frozen burrito didn't sound like a good idea to me.  I wonder how many frozen burritos I've had in my lifetime?  Over a thousand, I am certain.  But today I think I hit Frozen Burrito Critical Mass.  There was just something about the red chili beef burrito I had for lunch today that turned my stomach.  It wasn't the burrito's fault, I don't think.  It was the same as any of the many other red chili beef burritos I've had in my life.  It was spicy and warm and full of things that could potentially be beef-related.  It was a perfectly fine burrito, if you go for that sort of thing. Maybe it's me.  Maybe I'm just getting too old to eat all of the same crap I've eaten in my life.  But I can't seem to reconcile the letdown feeling I have after eating a frozen burrito with the appeal that the burrito seems to have to me before I buy it.  I always think, "Yeah!  I'll get a frozen burrito!", but I'm never that excited after I eat it.  Instead, I feel like I just woke up after a one-night stand or something.  I shamefully try to hide all evidence of the burrito by burying the wrapper in the garbage. It's a sickness, this affinity I have.  In the convenience store today, I noticed they have a new burrito.  It weighs a pound, and it's called "The Bomb".  I saw that and my brain immediately released a bunch of those chemicals that make you want things.  I think they're called burritomones.  Those, combined with a marketing strategy that so clearly has me pegged, made it nothing less than a miracle that I didn't walk out of there with The Bomb in my pocket.  I mean, how can you not want to buy a burrito called "The Bomb?" I'd like to think I can go the rest of my life without buying a meal at a gas station, but that might be asking a bit much for someone like me. 11:56:30 AM    Say what?[]

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