When you least expect it...

I return!

I know it has been an absurdly long time since I have last updated, and for those of you still around, thanks for your patience.

This blog needs to take a life of its own, and has been floundering of late. Why shouldn't it reflect my own life, in all of its own weirdness?

So what has happened to me of late?

I am now in my last year of my PhD, aiming to finish by 1 June of next year. That leaves me with 324 days left, and I will be trying to update my progress as often as I can.

After years of trying to figure out the dating culture here, realising that was not going to happen and resigning to being single for the rest of my Ph.D, planning on trying to date when I lived back in America, a friend of friends asked me out, unexpectedly. It was very much that cliche "As soon as you stop looking..." and we are now living together. It seems soon for a lot of people, but the two of us are very similar and the perks outweigh the risks. Actually, when it feels right, it's the least scary thing in the world.

The last Harry Potter film comes out on Friday. You can bet there will be a long post similar to my post "Alan Rickman and Me". I do not think I'm ready for this to end and I have blocked out all weekend for scheduled epic blues.

The News of the World hacking scandal has taken my attention by storm. I cannot stop reading about it and wonder how far this will reach and how effective it will be as a cathartic moment for politicians and the media. I could write more, but I will save reflections for future incidents and not burden you with long, drawn out retrospective comments.

I want to go to Dragon*Con. The Comic-Con holiday was an epic failure, due to the incompetence of ticket sales and unfortunate coincidences. Leonard Nimoy, Carrie Fisher and Mary McDonnell, as well as seeing friends are currently battling money and time within my mind. It's not a pretty battle. Seriously, I suspect the headache I feel is the rational part of my brain gathering up all the fangirl, nerdy parts of my other brain and slamming the brain pulp against my skull in wicked punishment for their irrational thoughts.

My work is finally progressing nicely. After a year (a YEAR) of writing, debugging and rewriting the main code for my research, I have been able to start the runs. May I just say, the memory management in my code is nothing less than sexy.

Rachel Maddow's show last night gave me the heebies about some bat-shit preachers going to Gov Rick Perry's prayer event of madness in Texas. PZ Myers does a much better job describing it (and can provide a link to the actual episode) at Pharyngula.

In short, I am back. Tell your friends. Hear me roar.

Heffington Post

Right, so I have disappeared for a while. I was in desperate need to get away from the city, away from work and away from people. What better than a 3-day weekend? Thank you, Glasgow, for treating me to such an event! A day in Glencoe, a day riding horses on the Scottish coastline and a day in front of the telly; mind is back on track.

However, I did get into work this morning and see a post on Pharyngula about a new candidate for Governor for Kansas, Joan Farr Heffington It causes me much distress to link to her page, and I warn you, her picture will haunt your eyeballs. Though I no longer live in America, I am a little tied to it, and I really would like my friends and family to lead a happy existence. This is not going to be achieved by sending a theocratic politician like Heffington to such a high level of power. She even lays out her goals on her website bulleted by crosses. Really? Have some semblance of conformity to the whole 'separation of church and state'. There are four references to Christianity on her one and only page. I am respectfully (though not deservedly) ignoring each little bullet point cross.

I know the people who read this have little or no connection to Kansas, but be afraid, be very afraid. We do not want her near policy. I am tired of people letting their neighbouring states do as they please, not thinking it is going to affect their lifestyle. A good example of this is the infamous Texas Board of Education Curriculum. (Holy Cuchulain! They have a link to 'Bible Literacy'! *slams forehead on desk*) When the discussion began, a lot of people rolled their eyes and went 'Oh, Texas' until they realised the little details, like how California buys a lot of their textbooks from Texas. See? It's this whole thing called a nation. We cannot escape it.

The point is, folks, we need to keep science in schools, moderated GM produce, funding for scientific research (yes, even the controversial stuff) and other knowns and unknowns that will advance our society. Heffington wants to "Require that a Biblical and Constitutional reason exist for the passage of any new laws" -- yikes. Think about that for a second. Yeah, so you agree with me, right? That's correct, bye bye science.

I hope she is not a serious candidate. She is currently running in the Republican primary to be held on 3 August. I am pretty sure her face is as contrived as her respect for the United States. Do not elect that face. Do not let this plague spread through to Washington.