What's on my mind…

I know, people. I know. It’s been entirely too long. It’s not that I’ve been completely neglecting this blog. Okay, okay it is. However, I’ve been updating every day at my other blog, “An experiment in positive thinking.” If you really want to cling to my every word, you can check that out here: http://fivepositivethings.wordpress.com. See? I’m not a blogging slacker, honest. I have a new strategy and I will do my best to update once a week. However, I do update there daily.

So what’s happened over the past eight months? Way too much, my friends. Way too much. Not with my life, not much has changed, actually. I’m still freelancing and working part-time at the gym. I’m still job hunting, though I’ve switched back to looking for journalism jobs and not public relations/communications. It’s a recent development. Every day I read about unemployment numbers and while I’m not in the best situation and I really miss having things like health care, I am grateful that I make enough to pay the mortgage every month.

However, in the world, wow. There’s the spill, the confirmation hearings of a new Supreme Court Justice, the financial situation in Greece and much more. I’ll see you guys next week…and I’ll actually write about something!

–Carolyn

This is one of my favorite commercials of all time:

Over the past few weeks, there has been some science & nature news that is mind-blowing and, well, awesome.

• There was an article on National Geographic online about a remote control submersible camera capturing an “elbowed” Magnapinna squid about a mile and a half below the surface. Look at how freaky this thing is:

  I would hate to run into that thing while water skiing. Luckily for me, that is pretty unlikely–they are very rarely seen. This video marks the first time one of these squids has been seen at an oil development, though, according to the article, scientists don’t think that has any scientific significance. What amazes me the most is that we’ve spent hundreds of years studying the ocean in one way or another and we have only barely brushed the surface.

• BBC News has an article announcing that US scientists may have detected dark matter. The scientists can’t confirm it, but they’re expecting some upgraded equipment in 2010 and the new equipment should be able to give them a more definitive answer. It sounds like some sort of malicious force or something out of the Da Vinci Code, but it’s theorized that dark matter makes up around 90 percent of the universe. It is believed that it exerts gravitational forces, but it doesn’t emit detectable light or radiation. Interesting stuff.

• This article also caught my eye, as I don’t often think of mountains as “enigmatic.” However, the Gamburstevs are in Antarctica and they are totally buried under the ice cap. An international team spent two months in 2008 ad 2009 surveying the mountains.I’m not sure I would have signed up for that expedition-two months in one of the harshest places on the planet just doesn’t appeal to me. However, what they’re finding about these mountains is pretty fascinating.

That’s all for now, but next time you’re reading a news site or a newspaper, don’t be so quick to ignore the science section. It has some pretty interesting stuff that showcase just how awesome our world is.

In case you missed it…

I think it was realistic. It’s easy to get pie in the sky when you’re accepting a peace prize, but sadly, he does not have that luxury. I enjoyed his take on a just war. Commentators on BBC radio were pointing out how a lot of his speech was directed at the European community, who are often hesitant to use force, even when others insist it is necessary. Which, I sometimes applaud and I sometimes disagree with (as in the case of Rwanda). However, I also like that he didn’t back down from his love of diplomacy. He even referenced Reagan and Nixon, which given how much the GOP hates him, I think is an act of diplomacy in itself : ). Do I wish we could withdraw all of our troops from Iraq and Afghanistan tomorrow? Yes. And I think everyone else does, too (including our president). However, I also acknowledge that he didn’t start this war, but it would be irresponsible of him not to finish it.

Your thoughts?

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