Category Archives: Department of the Drama

Personal musings.

Neurotransmitter recharge

Posted on August 2, 2007 by cicada

A long daybreak jog around Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, while listening to Scissors for Lefty: sufficient dopamine for at least 24 hours. Not to mention the serotonin.

Posted in Department of the Drama | Comments Off

More Good Company

Posted on July 29, 2007 by cicada

I’m way behind on writing, my laptop power convertor blew, and I now have 3500 (!) unread posts on my feeds. Apologies, everyone! But this weekend I did get a blogger’s treat – a real-world visit with another blogger, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs and Blogging, Department of the Drama | 3 Comments

Poem of the Week: Sonnet 116

Posted on July 29, 2007 by cicada

Ah, the British Library. In one room: Shakespeare’s First Folio, Thomas More’s last letter to Henry III, Lewis Carroll’s diary, the Gutenberg Bible, a letter from Darwin to Wallace, a letter from Newton to Hooke, Shakespeare’s mortgage, Magna Carta, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Department of the Drama, Littademia, Museum Lust, Poetry | 1 Comment

Good company

Posted on July 27, 2007 by cicada

Today I visited Darwin and Chaucer in Westminster Abbey. Newton was there too, but he was being all standoffish behind an iron railing (possibly to deter enthusiastic fans of The Da Vinci Code, but more likely for some liturgical reason). … Continue reading →

Posted in Department of the Drama, Destinations | 6 Comments

Wander-lust

Posted on July 25, 2007 by cicada

I woke up yesterday in Idaho, today I’m in Seattle, and in a few hours I fly to London. Woohoo. I’m somewhat sleep deprived and I still have to pack my bags, so I’m going to drop this link and … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Biology, Department of the Drama, Frivolity | Comments Off

A non-trivial trivia question

Posted on July 10, 2007 by cicada

Dear readers, I’m in need of advice.  I love Trivial Pursuit, but I have the original questions long memorized (long live Avery Brundage!), and some of my friends have the same problem with subsequent Genuses. When I went online to buy … Continue reading →

Posted in Department of the Drama, Frivolity | 4 Comments

Is biology hard?

Posted on July 1, 2007 by cicada

PZ Myers at Pharyngula just generated an interesting thread, “we don’t have physics envy, but we still have to deal with physics snobbery,” about whether biology is regarded as a lesser discipline, compared with “harder” sciences like physics. PZ references … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Department of the Drama, Education | 11 Comments

Eight random facts about moi

Posted on June 28, 2007 by cicada

Oh no, I’ve been tagged with a blog meme! I generally tiptoe past memes when I encounter them; as they drowse in the hot summer sun, they are unlikely to retaliate – unless prodded with vintage medical paraphernalia, of course. … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs and Blogging, Department of the Drama | 10 Comments

Rethinking fat

Posted on June 25, 2007 by cicada

Normalcy One Size Does Not Fit All, 2002 Beverly Naidus A while ago, I promised to share my impressions of Gina Kolata’s Rethinking Thin. I finished the book last month, but I wanted to let my response percolate before posting. … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Books, Department of the Drama, Science | 3 Comments

Just Tired

Posted on June 8, 2007 by cicada

I’ve been out of it lately, for stupid reasons that I ought to be handling better. I’m just so tired. My life has been in a state of uncertain flux for too long, and I’ve gotten way off-balance. As I … Continue reading →

Posted in Department of the Drama | 5 Comments