Small.Island.in.World.Three

It went well. There was a cloud in the way of the sunset. But I think the solstice hoops were lined up quite well. Just that one couldn't see it (unless one inferred the sun's location from the brightest spot on the top of the obscuring cloud). Perhaps a bonfire and then post-sunset party there would be cool, but that will have to wait for some more secluded area. As it was, my place did o.k.

This actually gets to the point of a party. Is it better to have a loose tangle of people finding their own subsets and topics? Or better to have a ready focus of attention at all points in time? Don't know. I sorta think the former (but the tightly packed tangle of people did o.k.).

As for my meeting this morning. It went both better than I had hoped, and worse by far than most fears. There is so much electrochemistry that I need/want to learn. Also I spent a few minutes in a machine shop today. I'm quite happy to share a genome with creatures whose habitat includes such places.

Much more I've thought to say, but it is too late. My bio-brain is low on information transmitters. But one last thing I've been meaning to mention for a while is that this guy (and those like him) give me some hope that civilization might not ever crash too far (given some constraints on death tolls). At least, there will likely be good seeds for the recivilization/re-tooling of humankind.

The cycles continue.

The master's thesis experiment possibilities are moving erratically. I suspect that if I were to stop and take stock of everything, I would notice that I don't have much chance of finishing the thesis by the end of the summer. So I don't stop to take stock. Just keep moving. I have an appointment with someone tomorrow morning who could hinge the whole endeavor for the better.

I had a great father's day phone conversation with my father. If ever someone (myself most of all) were to compile the story of my life, I think that the first chapter must be about him. He seems to be happily working hard, and I am deeply thankful that he continues to have health and vigor.

The summer solstice is tomorrow. Having a party to mark the occasion at sunset. I hope it goes smoothly.

Despite less data-taking than I wanted done today, I came into use of a nice probe station (among other things). So I'm feeling good about how that part of the day went.

I tried another sunset azimuthal angle measurement with "FileHenge".

Much better than last(first) time. Only off from theoretical by one degree. The rotating marker with the sight pins really helped (though it needs a better surface for seeing the shadow of the far sight pin). As did finding my solar observation glasses. Totally unhappy with the smaller compass I tried, so I used my good one again (in pic).

June began.

I've continued thinking about our place in the galaxy. Actually, in the same vein, I started thinking about henges. Not like this, like this.

It would be cool to build a henge. And such an "easy" project, a class of elementary kids could do it. Come to think of it, it would make a good science project for kids. As a pro, it builds their understanding up along the same path that the whole of personkind has developed. This kind of thing really should be done. The biggest thing one(s) need is time. Kids have that.

I made my first, handheld, version of a henge this weekend. We'll see how it works out. Plenty of ideas for improvements in the works.

Next. Potluck went quite well tonight. New faces, old patterns, good food. The tribe continues.

Next. (Note: I'm marking topic boundaries, I'm not always so kind, dear reader.) I feel I'm mostly over something that I never should have been stuck on to begin with. Occasionally such things happen. Perhaps I shouldn't stick. I do. Perhaps it is a fault in me. Regardless, time passes.

Next. I wish well to another (speaking of moving on). They have my best wishes.

Next. I recommend a star wheel. It may seem to be uninteresting pieces of paper at first (many years). However, there is a realm of things around us which our minds and bodies are too small to normally comprehend. It seems to really exist (barring the "unreasonable" skeptic). More sure than other "our place in it all" conceptions. And it will go on long after reasonable predictions have us long gone. We are but a small arc on a great circle.

Next. KXUA is nice. Good electronica in Ark. Rock on.