Christopher McKitterick's Blog, page 19

Miscellany!

Y'know, checking my posting frequency really reveals how much time grading and teaching-related work consumes a teacher's life from mid-terms through the end of the semester. Sorry! Dropping in for a quick update before, yes, getting back to grading.

But first, I'm going to VOTE EARLY at the Burge Union at the University of Kansas! If you live in Douglas County, KS, I urge you to make a write-in vote Matt Maksimowicz for Sheriff. Why choose the lesser evil?

You can probably vote early where you live, too. But whether you do or you wait for the Big Day, VOTE.

Over the last week, I've:

* Tinkered with the Chevelle. Wanted to do a lot more, but... life.

*Finally bought myself a proper solar telescope, which I've been coveting since the Venus transit observing event in the spring. I got a super deal for it barely used on eBay; it's a double-stacked Coronado SolarMax 40mm Hydrogen-alpha with the SM40 and T-Max tuner. Here it is:



As soon as it arrives (just got it from eBay - half price!), you KNOW I'll drop it onto my antique German equatorial mount with slow-motion handles to track the Sun across the sky, take some photos, and post 'em here.

* Reorganized the sheds to make room to move the (wrecked, soon-to-be Land Speed Record) Aprilia RS50 and put the BMW R100S away for winter. This means the covered front-porch parking spot is available for my winter transportation: My Vespa S150! (With windshield, of course.)

* Wrote another 2500 words on the novel, which means I finally broke the 20k barrier! So while the wordcount finally breached this milestone, the notes document has also just surpassed 17,000 words. That's only the .doc file, not counting dozens of pages of hand-written notes. Taken together, Jack and Stella technically comprises nearly a novel's worth of writing so far. Huh. I'll be using the NaNoWriMo excuse to work lots more on it this coming month.

The Galactic Adventures of Jack & Stella progress:


In case you haven't seen it yet, John Scalzi wrote a smart (and disturbing) response to some politicians about rape and politics. Check it out, but be warned it's just plain creepy. Some of the responses are disturbing in other ways. But it's an important thing to read right now as we head into politics season, as The Handmaid's Tale becomes less SFnal and more mimetic.

Speaking of politics,
xkcd does it again with a fascinating infographic on changing political demographics in the US.

To those who live out East, please be safe as the big storm blasts your way.

Best,
Chris

Yellow-Jacket Hell update. Also "Science on Tap" tonight.

Well, it seems I am a little allergic to wasp-stings, after all. The lip is just a little less swollen today as it was yesterday, which was worse than the day I got stung; I think holding a 3-hour lecture class last night did me no favors. That was fun. Picture not being able to feel one side of your mouth very well, and that side is thicker than usual. Yes, my friends, I was sort of drooling during class. Go ahead, laugh. In fact, I was so sore and swollen after class last night that brushing my teeth caused my lip to slip open :-(

Took two Benedryl last night before bed, which caused me to sleep 10 HOURS. Unfortunately, it barely seems to have helped reduce the swelling. Took a trio of ibuprofen this morning, and am drinking a beverage full of ice today. These things help a little, I think.

By the way, on a tip I looked up "yellow jacket," and it appears that's what assaulted me, not a bee. Yellow jackets are WASPS. Thus BASTARDS. They do not pollinate plants like our little friends the bees. Folks out at the KC Renaissance Festival call all the little stabbers out there "sweat bees," but they certainly are not. Sweat bees are a very different critter, and also not evil like the wasps. I'm pleased to feel friendly toward bees once again.

I should point out that, as a teen camping in northern Minnesota, I was once stung about 200 times by an entire hive of yellow jackets. They clung to the backs of my legs as I sprinted away down a hillside, stabbing and stabbing. That night, I enjoyed a great deal of hallucination and could not sleep for seeing a red-eyed, crysknife-toothed monster about the size of a raccoon in the corner of my tent. That was something else.

On a positive note, here's something that everyone in the area ought to visit: "Science on Tap," hosted by the KU Natural History Museum. Tonight's event is called, "Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Expanding Universe," a talk by Professor Bharat Ratra of Kansas State University, from 7:30pm - 9:00pm at the Free State Brewery in downtown Lawrence.

EDIT: More info about "Science on Tap":

It meets in what used to be called the beer garden - the back room of Free State Brewery. For really full talks, they have held as many as 100 people back there (some opted to stand). I understand that the waitstaff is very patient about this.

They recommend big groups arrive by 7pm and maybe call ahead to request a large table. That room has two of those big 12-seat tables.

Hope to see you there!
Chris

Stung.

I can't bring myself to post a photo of my IMMENSELY SWOLLEN LIP, because GROSS. Instead, imagine if you will this scenario and its consequences:

Yesterday, I put a BEE IN MY MOUTH. (Do I need to specify this was an accident?) It didn't like its new environment and plunged its stinger deep into the inside of my bottom lip. The little bastard was really embedded, too, so I had to force it out of my mouth using a finger.

Ever been stung? Now imagine that INSIDE YOUR MOUTH. Feels a bit like someone is punching you in the face and one of your teeth is trying to work its way through your lip. Oh, and the swelling makes eating and drinking interesting.

Two doses of three ibuprofen each with a variety of boozes helped, but this morning I awoke more swollen than ever. I've taken another dose of ibuprofen, but so far, no reduction in swelling. Can't wait to do my 3-hour lecture tonight....

Number 133,038 in a list of adventures I have experienced so you don't have to. Tip: When in the vicinity of stinging monsters who like sweet-smelling beverages, always look inside your glass before placing it near your mouth.

On a positive note, it's nice to know I'm still not allergic to bee stings.

Chris

Things I love about my job:

Getting to teach science fiction EVERY SEMESTER as the primary focus of my job. LOVE. Here's one of the courses I look forward to teaching all year, offered in the Spring at KU:

English 507: "Science, Technology, and Society: Examining the Future Through a Science Fiction Lens." Science and technology offer countless benefits to individuals and to societies, yet they also present many challenges. This course explores the past, present, and possible future effects of science and technology on society through readings and discussions of nonfiction articles in conjunction with science-fiction stories and novels. Each week, students write a short respone to that week's readings. Other projects include a mid-term research paper, a live presentation, and a research paper or creative work as a final project.

Speaking of classes I love to teach, back to grading interesting and insightful papers for English 506/690: "Literature of Science Fiction: The Short Story." Of the five grad students I have in this course, three are creative-writing MFA students, one is English lit, and another from a different department altogether. Makes for good discussions!

Chris

Neil deGrasse Tyson Is Full of Awesome. So is KU, it turns out.

This post is for you science-lovers out there... that's everyone who likes heat in the winter, A/C in the summer, cell phones, food, modern roads... you get the idea. But especially for those who love contemplating the universe and our place in it, here are two things I must share. First, an event:

Did you know that the KU Natural History Museum hosts a series called, "Science on Tap"? Next Tuesday evening, October 16, the event is called "Dark Matter, Dark Energy and the Expanding Universe." It's held at Free State Brewery from 7:30pm - 9:00pm. Description:

More than a decade after the Nobel-prize-winning discovery about the accelerating expansion of the universe, scientists are still trying to pin down exactly what dark energy is and solve one of the most profound questions in modern physics. This mysterious force repels gravity and is estimated to account for about 70 percent of the substance of the universe. For this Science on Tap, Bharat Ratra of Kansas State University will discuss dark matter, dark energy, and how scientists understand these components of the ever-expanding universe.

Sounds fantastic. I'll be there!

Speaking of things that fill me with joy, Neil deGrasse Tyson is my hero. Check it out:

Everyone should hear these wise words - especially our world leaders.

Chris

PSA: Westboro Baptist Lunatic Running for KS Board of Education

Aaaaaaaaa!
Seriously? People who aren't the Phelpses are MEMBERS of this abomination? And they're running for political positions where they can dictate that our children's future includes hatred and ignorance?

Can you even imagine how Dark Ages that Kansas could become should someone like that get on the Board of Education? The mind boggles.


Click the image to see the HuffPo article and more people messing with the Phelpses.

If you live in the appropriate district, please vote this lunatic off the island. Thank you.

This has been a public service announcement. Spread the word.

Chris

Why science fiction is awesome, reason #34,872.

Writing a space opera or otherwise using space combat in your SF? This is a fantastic article on the topic.

My favorite quote, and something I will almost certainly use when discussing SF in any context:

"Science fiction can inform policy-making directly. One of the great strengths of science fiction is that it allows you have a conversation about something that you otherwise couldn't talk about because it's too politically charged. It allows you to create the universe you need in order to have the conversation you want to have."

In other news, I made an impromptu trip with Kij to Salina on Saturday evening, where she was doing a reading and signing at Ad Astra Books & Coffee House. If you're ever in Salina, Kansas, and want to pick up a copy of my novel Transcendence , the Sentinels In Honor of Arthur C. Clarke collection, the Westward Weird collection, or one of Kij's books, stop by the place! Downtown Salina is charming, as well, and the town has the best BBQ joynt I've yet to enjoy.

Chris

...and now for something unbearably cute

Baaaaby gibbon and her kitty friend at a animal sanctuary and rescue facility:


*ded* from teh cute.

Chris

"Flowers for Algernon" and Me (odd duplicate post)

Over the last few days, I've forgotten to refill the pill-box on my desk so I can take my afternoon Adderal before class. I tell you what, I won't be doing that anymore. I've been feeling like Charlie Gordon from Flowers for Algernon .

I haven't talked about this here before, because I felt uncomfortable doing so in public. For a long time, I'd been suspecting I might have ADD - not the hyperactive part, but the fragmented-attention part, so I was uncertain and avoidant. But I certainly suffered many of the symptoms, the worst of which was having great trouble focusing on one task (especially when I had many things to do, as I always do!), difficulty concentrating on things, and serious impairment in listening to one person talking in a noisy room, and so on. What I didn't realize that many of my anxiety issues also stemmed from the ADD, and overcoming this is perhaps my favorite result of the new meds: Even though I'm a light sleeper now, I used to startle awake at the slightest sound; I used to experience near-panic-attack levels of stress when I had too many things on my plate - and I've always been exceptionally good at putting too many things there. Brilliant. Imagine how emotionally straining it was for me when I was working full-time for both Microsoft and KU, plus trying to maintain my writing career, plus trying to stay in relationships. Since childhood, I've always been prepped for attacks whenever walking past people.

Are these things normal? I think not. They certainly weren't doing me any good. Of course, most of these symptoms - by nature of only existing inside my head - no one knew about, but they constantly plagued me.

Yet I felt that an ADD diagnosis would be problematic, a dirty label. Even now, I'm going back and forth whether to post this publicly or friends-only. How will the professional world, my co-workers, view me if they knew? I didn't want to be "one of those people," and I certainly didn't want to see myself like [insert names of people who are barely functional]. I despised having to admit that I have even more problems. As my suspicions rose, I asked myself, Why shouldn't I just be able to overcome this on my own? I actively avoided reading about ADHD. I mean, I lived through childhood. I've been successful in adult life. I'm smart, quick, capable of dealing with lots of crap all at once. Except I wasn't. Sure, I've always managed to deal with things. Except not very well, and it took a serious toll on me, my life, my writing, my career, my relationships... you get the idea.

So these broken-in-half little blue dextroamphetamine-amphetamine pills have transformed my life. I can now pay attention to a single conversation at parties. I can work on single projects until I'm done or reach a stopping-point. My stress level has dropped at least 90%. In class, I stay on track so well - even if a student's question redirects the discussion for several minutes - that I can return to what I was saying before. I'm WAY better at tracking time in a linear fashion. I'm more patient and less prone to frustration. When I have a dozen things to do and only time to deal with half of them, I can now tactically or strategically determine which needs to be dealt with first without the Beast Anxiety rearing up and trampling my ability to decide. And so on.

Strange that forgetting to take my pill - even at such a minimal dose - causes me so much trouble now, when I didn't even start taking them until last winter. How did I ever teach so many classes or get anything done before I started the stuff? How did I ever finish writing projects as long as novels? Most of all, how did I ever live with such stress before?

Thank you, modern medicine. Thank you for your patience, everyone who had to put up with me before. And thank you, everyone who not only supported me in pursuing a solution but also didn't think less of me when I acquired a new label.

I don't feel more broken now, bearing new scarlet letters. I feel more human. In fact, I feel superhuman at times, in control of a newly freed mind, able to focus while still retaining the hypervigilance that once wore me out. Simply taking these meds, I feel much more capable of taking control of this oft-quarrelsome mind. I mean, who doesn't have some kind of issues, right? Plus, ADD and ADHD no longer bear quite the stigma they used to. Though I'm still troubled by children getting the diagnosis, I waited too long before addressing this.

This much is certain: I won't be forgetting to refill my office pillbox anymore.

Chris

"Flowers for Algernon" and Me

An LJ friend's post about forgetting to take his meds prompted this disclosure and discussion:

Over the last few days, I've forgotten to refill the pill-box on my desk so I can take my afternoon Adderal before class. I tell you what, I won't be doing that anymore. I've been feeling like Charlie Gordon from Flowers for Algernon .

I haven't talked about this here before, because I felt uncomfortable doing so in public. For a long time, I'd been suspecting I might have ADD - not the hyperactive part, but the fragmented-attention part, so I was uncertain and avoidant. But I certainly suffered many of the symptoms, the worst of which was having great trouble focusing on one task (especially when I had many things to do, as I always do!), difficulty concentrating on things, and serious impairment in listening to one person talking in a noisy room, and so on. What I didn't realize that many of my anxiety issues also stemmed from the ADD, and overcoming this is perhaps my favorite result of the new meds: Even though I'm a light sleeper now, I used to startle awake at the slightest sound; I used to experience near-panic-attack levels of stress when I had too many things on my plate - and I've always been exceptionally good at putting too many things there. Brilliant. Imagine how emotionally straining it was for me when I was working full-time for both Microsoft and KU, plus trying to maintain my writing career, plus trying to stay in relationships. Since childhood, I've always been prepped for attacks whenever walking past people.

Are these things normal? I think not. They certainly weren't doing me any good. Of course, most of these symptoms - by nature of only existing inside my head - no one knew about, but they constantly plagued me.

Yet I felt that an ADD diagnosis would be problematic, a dirty label. Even now, I'm going back and forth whether to post this publicly or friends-only. How will the professional world, my co-workers, view me if they knew? I didn't want to be "one of those people," and I certainly didn't want to see myself like [insert names of people who are barely functional]. I despised having to admit that I have even more problems. As my suspicions rose, I asked myself, Why shouldn't I just be able to overcome this on my own? I actively avoided reading about ADHD. I mean, I lived through childhood. I've been successful in adult life. I'm smart, quick, capable of dealing with lots of crap all at once. Except I wasn't. Sure, I've always managed to deal with things. Except not very well, and it took a serious toll on me, my life, my writing, my career, my relationships... you get the idea.

So these broken-in-half little blue dextroamphetamine-amphetamine pills have transformed my life. I can now pay attention to a single conversation at parties. I can work on single projects until I'm done or reach a stopping-point. My stress level has dropped at least 90%. In class, I stay on track so well - even if a student's question redirects the discussion for several minutes - that I can return to what I was saying before. I'm WAY better at tracking time in a linear fashion. I'm more patient and less prone to frustration. When I have a dozen things to do and only time to deal with half of them, I can now tactically or strategically determine which needs to be dealt with first without the Beast Anxiety rearing up and trampling my ability to decide. And so on.

Strange that forgetting to take my pill - even at such a minimal dose - causes me so much trouble now, when I didn't even start taking them until last winter. How did I ever teach so many classes or get anything done before I started the stuff? How did I ever finish writing projects as long as novels? Most of all, how did I ever live with such stress before?

Thank you, modern medicine. Thank you for your patience, everyone who had to put up with me before. And thank you, everyone who not only supported me in pursuing a solution but also didn't think less of me when I acquired a new label.

I don't feel more broken now, bearing new scarlet letters. I feel more human. In fact, I feel superhuman at times, in control of a newly freed mind, able to focus while still retaining the hypervigilance that once wore me out. Simply taking these meds, I feel much more capable of taking control of this oft-quarrelsome mind. I mean, who doesn't have some kind of issues, right? Plus, ADD and ADHD no longer bear quite the stigma they used to. Though I'm still troubled by children getting the diagnosis, I waited too long before addressing this.

This much is certain: I won't be forgetting to refill my office pillbox anymore.

Chris