Ephemeris Racicotis

[Amici Racicotis] [Vita Racicotis] [Republica Racicotis]
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009
4:40 pm - Cape Cod Getaway 2009
This year will be my 11th year riding in the Cape Cod Getaway, a 150 mile charity bike ride to end Multiple Sclerosis. The two-day ride starts at the Marina in Quincy, MA and goes to Provincetown.

I want to take this opportunity to say thanks to those of you who have donated in the past. I really appreciate your help! I know times are pretty tight right now, so I imagine that many of you won't be able to donate as much, or at all, but if you can do so, I hope you will make a pledge.

I've set up my personal website to link to the donations page. I hope you will follow the attached link and make a donation.

Thanks in advance if you make a donation!!! And if you find you can't do it this year, please accept my thanks for your past support.

Link to Donations Page

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Wednesday, March 11th, 2009
10:17 am -
so last night i watched an episode of "house" where a young hot guy had to have his right hand removed. it bothered me a LOT. Like, I almost couldn't finish watching. I find the idea of amputation really upsetting, in general. And I suspect that I found it even more upsetting because the guy was so attractive. So today I am feeling manipulated and a little self-conscious. Also, thankful for my hands.

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Friday, November 14th, 2008
2:34 pm - Voting and Donating are Different
Look.

Boycotting businesses that campaign for causes that hurt you is not some scary form of censorship. It's not any form of censorship. It's a boycott. I get to decide where to buy the goods and services I need.

Of course I am going, whenever possible, to avoid spending that money in shops that will donate the profit to support causes that intend me harm. Of course gay people all around the country are boycotting businesses that donated substantial money to Yes on 8.

I am tired of hearing about how boycotting people and businesses who donated over $1000 to support the Yes on 8 campaign undercuts the democratic process by undermining a citizen's right to vote in secret.

When you donate money to a political cause, you are not voting. You are campaigning. Campaigning is not, and should not be, conducted in secret.

Voting on a ballot issue is still secret. Unless you choose to tell a pollster how you voted, your vote is a secret. Your $1000 donation, which is distinct from your vote, is not and should not be a secret.

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Friday, November 7th, 2008
10:44 pm - Regarding California
What to do about it.

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Thursday, November 6th, 2008
11:03 am - Dollhouse.

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Monday, October 27th, 2008
1:38 pm - Captain Hammer Comic
Check it out

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Thursday, September 11th, 2008
1:44 pm - Links for Election Information
I've been trying to find reliable sources of information about where each presidential candidate stands on each of the issues that I care about, but of course it's very difficult to weed out all the nonsense, the personal attacks, the unsubstantiated rumors. Anyhow, I've been looking for websites today, and asking around, and so far I've got these:
    On The Issues
    Provides a summary of each candidate's responses and positions on a variety of issues, and includes links to full quotations (I have not followed these links, though). I don't know much about the organization that maintains this website.

    Fact-Check Dot Org
    Offers Snopes-style fact-checking for claims being made about candidates on both sides. Seems relatively unbiased, more interested in finding the facts. I like it. Recommended by a person whose judgment I trust.

    League of Women Voters
    I trust them, and I like the voter's guide they publish, although they have not yet published one for this election.

    PEW Forum
    PEW analyzes the intersection of religion with public policy. I think this will be increasingly important.

    Barack Obama's website

    John McCain's website


If you have suggestions for other information resources, or you have opinions or interesting information about a particular resource already listed, please leave a comment.

Stuff I want to check out but haven't yet:

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Monday, July 28th, 2008
1:42 pm - Note on Middle English "Pearl"
Takes place in a garden, typically (and I think wisely) associated with a cemetary. Also, still a garden, with all the baggage of Eden - that is, this is a setting in which we must expect the narrator to face temptations. In this case, temptation takes the form of worldly misunderstandings of doctrine.

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Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008
2:16 pm -
First off, the word 'doily' is specifically designed, I think, to sound undignified.
That said, a billion years ago I made the Swinging Bells Doily in rose and cream colors, and apparently the people setting up the Ravelry page for the pattern liked it enough to make it their illustration.
What I mean to say is: Whee!
Ahem.

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Monday, June 30th, 2008
3:39 pm - Asparagus.
I meant to post about the mars soil analysis last week when I first read about it, but I didn't, so here is me posting now.

As it turns out, NASA scientists have analyzed some Martian soil samples and determined that on Mars the soil is appropriate for growing asparagus. Yeah, I know.

Anyhow, I am going to share with you my favorite terraforming plan EVER, and I have come up with a lot of terraforming plans. Here it is.

Are you ready?

OK:

First off, we ship our excess greenhouse gases to Mars. I see a large syphon in my imagination, but I suppose we could do it with spacecraft instead. Anyhow, we release all our extra carbons on Mars, close enough to the surface that Mars gravity will keep it there. This will cause some global climate change on Mars, increasing the planetary temperature.

We know that heating Martian soil causes it to release water vapor, so when the new moisture- and CFC-rich Martian atmosphere is several inches deep, we plant asparagus all over the planet. The asparagus convert the CO2 to oxygen.

When the atmosphere contains enough oxygen to support small animals, we put some smallish rodents - maybe squirrels or chipmunks etc - to eat the excess asparagus and fertilize the soil with their droppings (and eventually their corpses - it's the sad truth that squirrels don't live that long).

As we continue to pump greenhouse gases to Mars, this process results in a larger and larger, deeper and deeper atmosphere. When the atmosphere is deep enough, we bring in some predatory birds to deal with the inevitable squirrel overpopulation problem. They will also contribute to the soil-enrichment process by contributing their droppings and eventual carcasses. Also, the urine from all these animals should increase the nitrogen content of the atmosphere, which will contribute to eventually making it human-breathable.

If it turns out that heating the soil to release moisture does not provide adequate hydration to support asparagus growth, we can irrigate the asparagus fields using human labor. This will create jobs!

I envision a labor force living in sealed oxygen tents, who each day emerge in spacesuits to water the asparagus from large tanks.

This overall plan has the following benefits:
  • The reduced burden of greenhouse gases on Earth will slow down undesirable terrestrial global climate change.
  • Surplus Martian asparagus can be used to help eliminate hunger on Earth.
  • Eventually, Mars will be human-habitable, which will help with the increasing threat of terrestrial overpopulation.
  • New Jobs!
The only drawback I can think of is that the mutant Martian asparagus army might resent the predatory presence of squirrels or the culling of their population to feed Earthlings. I am confident that the Bush administration or its successors will be willing to address the Martian Asparagus Invasion decisively.

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