Wednesday, 21 August 2019
Life, the universe, pies, hot-pink bunnies, world domination, and everything
Date: January 1, 2011
Categories: At the Top of the Blog, Muse Academy, The Musiverse
*steeps pot of oolong*
By the way, GAPAs, the link to Vol. III actually leads to the Massachusetts Kokonvention Photographs. Here is the link to the proper page: https://musefanpage.com/blog/?p=6403
Hmm, first one in. May I have some Nutella toast that is not loaded with carcinogens, please? I just ate some Nutella that tasted like plastic.
I love Nutella… *exits, stage left and pays chocolate*
Ewwww!
2- Sure thing. One Nutellatoast, hold the cancer.
Hey, the thumbs have transformed into pies! Wonderful, [GAPA who I assume to be] Robert!
I would like some cocoa, also hold the cancer.
I don’t think that nutella tastes like plastic, but Hershey’s chocolate does taste like wax.
I’ll have what vanillabean and oobatooba are having: Nutellatoast, hold the cancer. Only with some maple syrup on the side.
You may also want to hold the cancer on the syrup…
Some tea I think– maybe a mix of Earl Grey and Chai.
Piggy, may I please have some chai tea? and some Victorian sponge cakes, perhaps? Thank you.
Sorry, I pressed comment when I meant to press preview.
It’s 6 degrees out here. This morning it was -10. What’s the weather like elsewhere? It’s supposed to be a really freezing weekend.
trust kokopelli- Hm. I don’t believe I’ve heard of a mixture like that before. I’ll have the wungs create a few types of varying ratios and see which is the best.
Mikazuki- An excellent choice. As for weather: the temperature here is in the mid-twenties and it’s snowing. Supposedly we’re supposed to get three to five inches tonight, and then the wind’ll pick up. If their predictions are correct, it’s not going to be easy to drive to church tomorrow.
*drools near menu*
*reads menu*
Ahh.. Everything looks so good… I guess I will have all the drinks blended up together… Wait- that’d be grossly disgusting… hmm…
It’s been a tiring week, and I need to unwind my brain. I’ll order some Nepalese tea and a crumpet with a judicious amount of raspberry jam, and discuss something light-hearted yet intellectually stimulating.
May I have some Orange Pekoe tea?
How has everyone been? Who here lives in an area where it is summer? I’d really like to live in one of those places. :]
It’s been getting down around -18 C lately, and I’d really rather it didn’t.
Would anyone like to talk about languages? It’s one of my favourite topics. I really enjoy speaking in Spanish now that I know enough to have a conversation, and next year I’m starting Mandarin. :] What languages do all of you speak? Do you think they are difficult?
11- I don’t suppose you’d be willing to try some thimbleberry jam that the wungs made yesterday, would you? They’re quite proud of it–and for good reason, I must say.
Oh dear, I hope no one thinks I’ve ignored their orders. I guess I’ve been complying silently for a while now, and such silence may cause misunderstandings in this text-based format.
Anyway: light-hearted, intellectually stimulating conversation. Ideas, anyone?
12- Orange pekoe–good choice.
I’ve been all right. I sadly don’t live in the southern hemisphere, but it did get up to about 50 degrees Fahrenheit today, so that was nice. As for languages, I speak Spanish and study Latin and ancient Greek, and I’ve dabbled in a number of other languages. I don’t think I’d call any of them difficult, per se, though I’m not sure how that would be quantified.
I haven’t been on here in quite a while. It’s good to see you again, Piggy. May I have an Earl Grey and a scone?
15- It’s good to see you too, Ginger. The tea’ll be just a minute.
Piggy, may I please have some white tea? Thanks. Does anyone have trouble getting to bed at a reasonable hour? I try to be in bed by 9 o’clock because I have trouble getting up in the morning, but sadly the real time I get to bed is 11 (Wake up at six). I slept for 13 hours straight last night, through five telephone calls, dogs barking, the cat licking my face, and my mom telling me she was going snowshoeing (She came back before I woke up, though, so no harm done. It’s getting rediculous (sp…?). I try to go to bed, but then I get a good idea that I have to act on.
Languages? I know some French.
14(Piggy)- Very nice! How many years of each have you had?
17(Mikazuki)- I always mean to go to bed early, but I tend to go to bed after 10:30. Usually around 11. I go to bed earlier on weekends than school nights, which probably certifies that I am in fact a nerd.
Do you enjoy French? How long have you been learning?
Good evening Ginger!
(Is it always evening or afternoon in The Hare and Hedgepig?)
18- Spanish I’ve technically studied since kindergarten, but you don’t actually start learning anything substantive until high school (I’m a senior this year). Latin I’ve studied all four years of high school. Ancient Greek is a bit different. Three of us have met once a week with one of the Latin teachers for about a year and a half. So we haven’t learned a ton, but certainly more than anyone else at my school.
(Time doesn’t quite work right in the Oasis, so it could be evening, afternoon, both, or neither. No one can be sure.)
19- That sounds like such a nice way to learn Greek. I would love to have a little group like that here. Well, next year I’ll be going to university, so maybe there will be groups like that.
Did I mention that I’m going to start Mandarin Chinese next year? Right now I just know how to count to 10, say “thank you” and “hello”. I might be able to say “I am learning Chinese”, but my tones are awful so I don’t think it comes out right. (My tones on “thank you” are probably off too).
Foreign languages! Just what I meant when I said “light-hearted but intellectually stimulating.” And yes I would love some thimbleberry jam.
After a very warm week, it’s suddenly got a lot colder this weekend and on top of that it’s raining today. I think I’ll have a hot chocolate and perhaps a scone (or two) with strawberry jam and clotted cream, naturally.
Languages – on top of English, I know Cantonese, Mandarin and French. I don’t find any of them particularly hard, since I’ve been learning all of them for quite a while.
Cantonese along with English are my native languages, Mandarin I’ve been learning since the age of four, so nearly native and my tones aren’t off at all, and French since the age of seven.
Good luck on learning Chinese, Unintended Pun!
Oh, it’s been a while since I’ve been here. I’d like a vanilla cupcake with lots of frosting and some peppermint tea, please. Thanks.
Re: languages- I speak English, Telugu, some Mandarin, and Klingon.
Languages?
I’m learning French.
My dad speaks Swahili, French, and English fluently, and took Russian in college.
My mom speaks German and English fluently, and uses ASL in her work.
Languages! *takes deep breath* I’m learning French right now, but I also took German in sixth grade and Latin last year, and I speak pidgin Japanese, enough to communicate with my mom’s family. My sister’s learning German. My mom’s native language is Japanese, obviously, and also obviously she speaks English. My dad speaks what he calls “business, resteraunt, hotel, and can-I-have-another-beer Japanese”, is trying to learn French, and speaks a little bit of German too. *another deep breath* I’m pretty sure those are the only languages spoken in my family… It’s funny sometimes when we carry whole conversations in possibly three languages at once.
“Good morning, fireh.”
“Ohaio gozaiimas, dad.”
“Comment ca va?”
“Your pronunciation was off.”
“Ich bin gut.”
“Oh, Guten Morgen, [sister]!”
“Ohaiio….”
Piggy, may I have a green tea and a scone?
Bahaha, I code-switch ALL the time when talking to my mom.
Re: languages. I speak and write Korean and English, and I am learning Spanish at my high school.
I’ve mentioned before that I managed to get myself into a gap year in Jordan studying Arabic. It’s certainly beneficial, I know I’ve improved more in the last four months than I have in the past ten years of studying Arabic.
…I can’t legitimately call Arabic one of my first languages. First and a half, maybe. This annoys me a lot. Also something I kinda want to correct, hence the jaunt overseas. Then I get questions on “Why do you not speak the language already?” I have the answer to this question memorized; I blame my non-Arabic speaking mother.
re: Codeswitching: Whatever the state of my pure Arabic skills may be, I am fairly certain that I speak fluent Arabizzi–Arabic and English’s illegitimate offspring.
I also have this problem where the linguistic wires in my head cross and I want to say a word in two languages at once but instead the thought gets jammed and I end up staying silent because I can’t come up with the right word. Does that ever happen to anyone else?
Sort of, yes. It’s never that serious with me for spoken languages – just a momentary annoyance. I do, however, have a really irritating thing that happens in ASL class… My mind switches into MUST-SPEAK-IN-FOREIGN-LANGUAGE mode, but given that I don’t actually know too much ASL and I do know a lot of Spanish (and have been using Spanish the most for that mode of thinking), my head turns into Spanish and I can’t think of which English words I want to say.
It’s thoroughly confusing, and makes the whole experience pretty rough, but at other times it’s kind of laughable. Like when I’m coming out of class and I start talking to the other students in Spanish and nobody understands me. =rolls eyes=
-A
My mom can speak a bit of Arabic (she works in a hospital, so she gets quite a few immigrant patients.) She can say (properly adressing a male) “Hello” “Goodbye” and “Raise your right hand when you hear the tone”.
22-Selenium- Cool! I want to learn Cantonese and Mandarin but my uni only offers Mandarin. I just wanted to learn Cantonese so I could spend time in Hong Kong.
25- My family only speaks English. I speak Spanish, and my sister speaks German, but she doesn’t talk to me so there aren’t any opportunities for mixing languages here.
37- Awesome! I was debating between Arabic and Chinese. I want to do both but I know I can’t find that much time. I don’t really speak Spanish often enough to get crossed. I mostly write or talk to people around the same level as me.
I speak Spanish with my friend who is also studying in high school. We both really like languages, and we have similar levels of Spanish. She also knows about as much Croatian as I know Russian, so we like to just pick out words and ask each other if they are the same (the usually are).
In the summer I’m going to travel around Spain. I’m really excited! It’s going to be my first trip alone, and I’ll be able to speak Spanish. :] I hope it improves my Spanish a bit.
How’d you come up with the plan for your trip this summer to Spain? How are you funding such an excursion? Where are you planning to stay?
Can you tell I’m really curious slash interested in travelling to Spain?
-A
Gradster-
Sorry I took so long to reply!
I took part in a German exchange program. A girl came and stayed in my home for 10 days in November, and I’m going there for 10 days in June. After that, I am going by train across France and into Spain.
I was planning on going to Peru again (and probably doing volunteer work) until I did the German thing. I still wanted to go to a Spanish speaking place, but didn’t think I’d have the money or time to come back, reorganize myself, and go to Peru.
I decided that since I was already relatively close to Spain, I should just take the leap and go.
I’m still not totally sure about where I’m going. I’ll visit Madrid, then probably work my way from South to North along the coast. I think I’m going to end in Barcelona and stay there for the longest amount of time.
I’m going to be staying in youth hostels, and maybe with host families depending on how my organization abilities work.
I’ve been working at taekwondo for a while, and last summer I took up a second job in my mom’s business. I also got a lot of money for my birthday and Christmas. I thought that I was going to be pushing it with the money, but since my grandma gave me so much for the holidays I’m not worried about it.
I don’t really know what I’m going to do there. I’ll probably visit the major touristy things, but I want to spend most of my time making friends and doing local things.
Hey, you only took a week- I took about a month. >.>
So basically you’re just heading over there and… Poof? You’re on your way?
I… … need your life. And bravery. 
What you are planning on doing is something that I want just about more than anything, and yet I don’t… I don’t know how to explain it; I don’t… Have the audacity? I can’t muster up the courage? I don’t know, exactly. Something similar to that.
But I want it so badly…
-A
I’m fluent in English and Spanish, slowly learning French at school, and longing to try Mandarin. Does anybody know any good resources for learning languages outside of a structured class?
Since we’re talking about our families as well… My brother went to the same Spanish immersion school that I did but only until second grade (we moved), so he understands more than he can speak. It’ll be interesting to see what happens when he takes Spanish I next year in high school. My dad took Spanish in high school and tried Japanese in college. My mom studied French for a few years in high school as well.
In my experience, learning additional languages for the first time in high school is a challenge. It takes a lot of motivation.
29- I don’t know if the BBC has Chinese. I get the Spanish learning emails from them, and I’m going to start the German ones. They just do basics, but it’s good because there are sound clips and pictures.
I agree with the high school thing. I wish I had the opportunity to start younger.
Dum de dum, languages!
Cat’s Meow, I disagree- I think the difficulty of learning languages in secondary school varies quite a lot from person to person. I had no trouble picking up Spanish, and the French is coming along quite nicely… Yet other people in my classes tell me scary things like, ‘This is my hardest class!’ or, ‘I had to study five hours last night!’ =shrugs= I think there’s a knack for it, and some people have it, and others don’t, and still others have some of it but not the whole knack.
So anyway, I speak English, of course, as a native… I’m very close to fluent in Spanish and I definitely have conversational French down, if not more than that. I’ve dabbled in Esperanto – never did really get the hang, but that was just me being lazy – and next year, if I make it into the exchange program I applied to, I’ll be learning Russian, Arabic, or Korean. Should be fun! Wish me luck!
-A
Oh, shoot, I forgot one of the coolest ones- I’m almost up to conversational American Sign and currently taking a class at UVM with my mother.
-A
*glurgles with joy that the H&H actually has customers*
*fills orders*
The more Spanish media I take in, the more vocabulary, figures of speech, and grammatical constructions I absorb. Because of this, I’ve found myself trying to say something, but not knowing how to say it in English. Spanish just works better in some cases, and I have to figure out a workaround in English. Stupid ugly English. Hopefully sometime in university I’ll be able to spend a semester abroad. Chile would be ideal (I love Chile), but the two main partner schools they seem to prefer are in Mexico and Spain.
In a tenuously related remembrance: a few weeks (months?) ago I was sick for a few days–headache, dizziness, no appetite, etc.–and simultaneously strongly depressed. I’m still not sure why. But, lying in bed one night, unable to sleep, I realized that I had been repeating “Sé que me voy a morir, sé que me voy a morir” to myself for I don’t know how long. Still don’t quite have an explanation for that.
Anyway. My friend Justin would be adding a lot to this conversation if he were an MBer. I’ve mentioned before that he reminds me bizarrely of Robert. It’s uncanny. And if you took Justin and combined him with one of my other friends, you’d have J.R.R. Tolkien. Justin has created all sorts of languages and scripts, and Tim (the other friend) is always drawing intricate maps and has the most unusual and, well, beautiful handwriting I’ve ever seen.
Yes, I’m rambling. I’m tired, okay? I climbed a mountain.
My friend and I tried to make a language once. We gave up after about a week, but I think we might try again sometime. We often make substitution codes or write in English using the Cyrillic alphabet.
I’d really like to make a language.
When I was younger I wanted to be a cartographer for a while. Then I realized that nobody hand-draws maps anymore. :[
May I have an apple, please? I feel a bit guilty.
33- What sort? Gala? Fuji? Golden Delicious? Ambrosia? Spartan? McIntosh? Crispin?
I’d like whichever apple is most sour please, Piggy.
Hey, I’m back! What does “Sé que me voy a morir” mean?
“I know that I’m going to die”
35- Granny Smiths are pretty tart. I’ll have the wungs go and pick a couple for you. “Sé que me voy a morir” means “I know that I’m going to die.”
May I join the applefest and have a Wolf River, please? We had a giant one of those in our orchard this year. They’re good. *sips tea*
33- Why do you feel guilty?
Piggy, can I call you Guinen? And could I also have some really dark (75-80%) chocolate?
I just watched BOB (Best Of Both) worlds, and my Trekkiness has reached total obsession level.
I’ve just been on the stress and anxiety thread, you do give Guinen level advice, so please?
I’m afraid I don’t know who or what Guinen is.
Guinan (with an “a”), played by Whoopi Goldberg, was a wise, mysterious bartender in “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
Oh cake! did I actually spell Guinan wrong, and twice!? My pride as a Star Trek fan, and as a speller is ruined! (Not that I had pride as a speller to begin with…)
Thank you GAPA! That was very awkward.
Thanks Piggy.
Spring doesn’t usually come around here until the middle of March. I’m sitting around in a short-sleeved T-shirt. I here there’s some snow expected soon, though… *sigh*
May I please have some a wung button with plum jam, garlic bread, apple juice, and dark chocolate?
I only speak English and a little bit of Spanish, but I’d like to learn some other languages this summer, or at least more Spanish.
28 (Unintended Pun) – sorry, late reply, but it would be cool to learn Cantonese. I don’t have to learn it since it’s one of my first languages but Chinese learned from a foreign perspective seems like it would be hard. Hong Kong is awesome, please do consider coming to visit! (That goes for everyone on the ‘Blog.)
I speak Spanish, English, and would like to learn (in order): Japanese, Chinese, Latin, Russian, German…
Yes, I think we all have languages we’dlike to learn. Mine are (also in order) more Spanish, Latin, German (partly because it sounds awesome but mostly because so many things about tardigrades are written in it), Italian (also mainly because of tardigrades! /obsession/), ancient Greek, Esperanto, Icelandic, Hindi, Greenlandic, Hebrew, Japanese, Chinese, French, Russian, Cherokee, and Everything Else (the other languages I want to learn are in no particular order)
It never occurred to me that there exists a language known as Greenlandic. I thought they would just speak whatever they speak in Denmark. Wasn’t Greenland taken over by Denmark? I don’t remember.
I would like to learn every language if I could.
Last year I knew a guy who was conversational or fluent in around 10 languages. He went to the Air Force to become some kind of linguist/translator. He joked about giving up a certain number of languages for Lent.
I always feel inferior in my languages because I am only fluent in English and conversational in Spanish. (Latin doesn’t count because it’s not spoken) I feel like any useful world citizen should be fluent in at least 2 languages and conversational in at least one more.
Most people I’ve met from outside of the USA speak 2 or more languages other than English. My Indian friend spoke 5 languages/dialects at various levels before moving to America and learning English. I wish I spoke that many languages.
Yes, Greenland is a part of Denmark. I didn’t know Greenland had its own language, either, until Alice mentioned it on the blog somewhere. She said it was very difficult and that the most common letter was Q, usually without a U next to it. I love the letter Q and abhor the way no-one seems willing to use it without a U, even whe the U isn’t pronounced, so I immediately decided I wanted to learn it.
It makes sense that your Indian friend would speak so many languages; India has… what? 16 official languages, not including all the other ones people might speak there?
Also, in my list, I seem to have forgotten Middle English. I think I’d put it just before Greenlandic.
Middle English is pretty simple to learn. You just have to memorize the differences from modern English, as well as get used to some different vocabulary and extremely different pronunciation.
Greenland doesn’t speak Deutchs?
I don’t know how to spell it.
That is very interesting.
Exactly! German just sounds so cool!
It snowed and I got a 2-hour delay, then the rain came and melted it all away. But now there’s a wind that seemed to come straight from the Arctic.
Has anyone here made up ens own language, or at least got midway into starting it?
I tried once, and I’m thinking that I’m about to try again.
It will be interesting to have a language where there are words for things I think often but cannot normally express in English or Spanish without lengthy explanations.
The last time I tried to make up a language, I somewhat followed the way I learned Latin. I determined the singular and plural, m/f/n endings for nouns. I made a few words at first just to demonstrate the endings.
I did the same for verbs and adjectives.
I proceeded to make a lot of vocabulary words and constructed some sentences.
I think that my language ended up being a simple version of my Latin with different names for things, so I got bored with it.
I think this time I will make a unique writing system that doesn’t follow any phonetics I currently know. I’m probably not going to write left-to-right either.
I’ll let you know how it goes, and if I succeed I’ll be really excited and talk about it all the time.
I’ve created half a language before. It combined aspects of Latin, Spanish, Quenya, and Japanese. And, to a slight extent, German, in the sense that complex words were made by combining simpler words.
No, not yet, but that should be on everyone’s list for the future.
By the way, you just inspired me to make a language. Maybe it will have to do with Muse?
Who knows? It might take me a bit.
I tried to make up my own language, but I realized that I don’t know enough about grammar and language to actually make my own.
I’ll have a cream soda. Incidently, this may seem random but as good as any time to ask– Piggy, where did your blogger name come from? I’ve always wondered that– and always assumed it came from the Beatles song “Piggies”
It doesn’t come from there or the Lord of the Flies character. It’s a long story.
I knew that piggy sounded familiar! That’s what it was! *Facepies self (like a facepalm, but holding a pie)*
Hey! Don’t bring pies in here. This is a respectable tearoom.
Terribly sorry, even if I only hit myself with a pie. I will remember to leave my large stash of pies at the door next time.
May I have some Chorley Cakes and lime marmalade please?
Yallo. May I have a pair of chicken enchiladas, some refried beans with cheese, and ceylon tea?
*hunger*
Thanks so much.
I once created a language consisting mainly of Hindi and Welsh. It sounded rather like a crocodile coughing up a painful death.
Re: Languages: I speak English, German and French fairly well, though lately my French has been getting worse and worse because we never actually speak it in class. Still, I’m fairly confident I’ll be able to re-learn it in time for the school leaving exam & college (*considering going to college in France*). I know Latin too, though I’m obviously not fluent, and I’m learning Spanish (although I’ve now learned most of the grammar and almost all the vocabulary I’d need to be roughly A2 level, there’s hardly any immersion in this class either, which is making it tough for me). I’ve never really bothered trying to make up a language- there are so many out there that it seemed sort of superfluous.
Right now, I want to improve my Spanish. I’ve always wanted to learn Mandarin, partially because it’s supposed to be so difficult, Italian (I can read it and understand most of it if people speak slowly), Swedish (I spent half a summer in Sweden without pick up anything- this must be avenged!) and possibly Japanese (I have relatives in Japan). Ah, and I forgot Portugese. I know a few words from capoeira, but it’d be nice to speak it a little.
My dad speaks German and English and considered learning Spanish for a while but never quite got around to it. He managed to resist learning French even when my mother insisted on us speaking it so that we’d have an easier time learning it; the only phrase he knows is “visibilité mauvaise dans le bruillard”, after our summer in Canada where they said that in every French weather report. He also knows a little Italian but denies it vehemently.
My mom speaks English, German, French and she learned Spanish in high school, though she’s forgotten most of it.
My sister speaks English, German and French well. She can’t take another language at our school for two more years, but I guess it’s probably better if she gets to B2 level first. Anyway, she’s more the artistic one who loves painting, horseback riding and playing violin.
Speaking of which, I’ve decided to start piano (for the third time now; though the interval has obviously increased). Here I go again… But this time I’m at least doing it for the right reasons and I miss not being able to play anything besides the triangle (and a little pandeiro and berimbao for capoeira, but rather badly).
New topic: what instruments do you play?
I used to play the piano and guitar. Now I can only remember a couple songs on each. I love singing but I’m not very good at it.
My sister plays everything.
At my school, everyone learns ten songs on the recorder in 4th grade, and three songs on the guitar in 6th grade. Then everyone promptly forgets them after the test.
I play piano, violin, and the above stated instruments, but trombone is really my passion.
I’ve played piano for eleven years and organ for four or five. I also tinker around on the tin whistle, ukulele, and guitar from time to time. I wish I had a harpsichord that I could play regularly.
[predictable appearence in conversation about music and instruments]
Oh hello. Could I have a croissant, please?
I started violin when was seven and began alto sax for band in sixth grade. I started lessons on saxophone in addition to violin in 9th grade, but then last yer I switched to oboe and stopped taking sax lessons. I don’t have violin lessons almost at all anymore (if only there were more hours in a day!) but I still play, when I get the chance! I also play English horn, but that’s almost identical to an oboe. Sane for soprano sax, which I picked up for pit this year. Oh, and I got a beginning French horn book, so I’m going to see if I can teach myself a little of that this summer. I have some very rudimentary abilities on the clarinet too.
I like instruments
I’ve played the piano for almost eight years, recorder for either seven or six, and clarinet for about three. I have a guitar, a ukulele, an ocarina, and a harmonica that I play around with sometimes, but I’m not very good at those yet.
I played the piano for about seven years but had to drop it because of school and other things. I still like to play when I can, though.
Would anybody like to discuss the 8.9 earthquake in Japan?
I think that the earthquake was discussed on the Random thread and maybe Hot Topics. It’s terribly sad.
Excuse me, Piggy, do you have anything particularly cinnamon-y? I’ve got a craving for cinnamon. :]
I’d like to direct everyone to the music of Yann Tiersen. It seems like it would be appropriate for the H&H. The Amelie soundtrack is beautiful, and he has a lot of other music that is just as good.
GAPAs, I am sending you a photo of cookies that are very cute. They seem like they belong in the H&H, but without the pink icing.
Cinnamon? The wungs make a great cinnamon cream puff. Shall I have them make a batch?
So, Piggy, would it be convenient for the H&H to cater for the Yuri’s Night party?
Of course! We’d be more than happy to help out in any way possible.
59-Piggy, that would be great! Thank you, and thanks for helping with the Yuri’s Night party. :]
Does anyone here have penpals?
I do a program in school where we’re matched up with a kid from South Africa, I think. But since it takes so long to get letters, I only have one. She drew me a picture of her goat, since I drew a picture of my cat Sammy.
Aw that’s cool :]
Do you get to stay in contact with them after school is over? Or are all the letters just sent between the classes as a whole?
Unintended Pun sent us this photograph of some hedgepig cookies, which she found on another site (hence the watermark). Aren’t they unbearable adorable?
All together now: awwwwwwwww
These hover on that fine line between adorable and terrifying. I shall express my disgust at the pinkness in the following limerick, although I think them adorable.
The hedgepigs lie still as a log
With pink flowers their brains are fogged.
Their noses are pink
and they don’t seem to blink.
Whoever made these should be flogged.
Oh no, more late night poetry. What is wrong with me?
Yes, I just started writing something about my stuffed tardigrade, and it’s very… strange. It started out as a bad nursery rhyme, then became a poem almost worthy of Crraw, and it’s now an odd sort of cross between a poem and a silly letter… I should really finish it.
I actually really enjoyed your poem, though. It’s bizarre, of course, but it’s funny and very interesting.
You have a stuffed tardigrade?!?!?!
Life is just not fair.
You can get one, too! I bought it online. Just Google ‘tardigrade plush’ or ‘tardigrade toy;’ most of the results are just individuals that someone made that are already sold or else are ridiculously expensive or both, but the Hyspibius Dujardini from Giant Microbes is still availiable for a reasonable price! Bobbie and Lola on etsy have more (they sell tardigrade brooches as well, which I of course wear everywhere in public now), which are actually handmade. I plan to get theirs, too, even though no tardigrade is anything like those colors, but I haven’t yet.
Don’t buy from Etsy. They blatantly allow art theft and punish the people whose art was stolen.
Oh… I didn’t know. Thank you for telling me. Well, the tardigrade brooches are the only thing I’ve ever bought from there, but I should probably tell my mom; she goes there quite often.
At least the Hypsibius Dujardini wasn’t from there!
Awww…so cute. I love them. I want to eat them. Start at the head, picking of the eyes and nose and flower. Then those itsy bitsy legs. After that the body….*drool* Just thinking of how crunchy it’d be…the feeling of icing squishing between my teeth.
Am I the only one to be mildly disturbed by that post?
Not really
It was meant to be disturbing. XD I felt like trying my hand at it for once.
Well you succeeded quite well.
Oh. Em. Gee. *brain asplosion*
When I first saw the picture, I thought that it was supposed to be Shaymin in its Land Forme. *facepalm*
There appears a distinct similarity, yes…especially since I can’t see colors on this kindle here. It’s too pretty to eat, though…
Would anyone care for some chai? We just got a few pounds in from Calcutta. I like this particular blend–ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, mint, and black pepper. And tea, obviously.
Ooh, yes. That would be lovely.
Memememe! Thanks!
I am the only person I know who likes chai…
MEMEMMEMEMEMEMMEMEMEEMEMEMEMEMEMMEMEMEMEMEMMEMEME
Grh, stupid writer’s block.
63 (Dad)- That sounds delicious. May I please have a cuppa?
Of course. Have you finished your homework?
Of course I have, Dad. 
Don’t you roll your eyes at me, young lady!
Your avatar fits that statement perfectly. 
Whatever, Dad.
A little more respect your parents, young lady.
Piggy, I’d love some chai! It sounds delicious.
Sorry that my photo interrupted the thread a bit. Continuing from before, does anyone have penpals?
If you want me to talk about mine I will, but I’d like to hear some of yours first. :]
I don’t have any pen pals, but it occurs to me that ‘pen pal’ would be a moderately good way of describing MBers to other people. ‘Cause ‘online friend’ sounds potentially stalkerish, but pen pal is something everybody can understand.
For some reason, the picture of the H&H is in black and white. It never has been before. Is it just my computer?
I lack penpals, by the way.
*coughcoughAprilFool’sDay,remember?coughcough*
Yes, but that was before April Fool’s Day. It’s now in black and white in the Museion, though, so maybe they accidentally put it in the wrong place temporarily.
I had a Singaporean penpal when I lived in California, but then I moved here and met her, which kind of ruined it, since she turned out to be highly irritating in real life. I started writing to her because she’s my parent’s friend’s aunt’s half-niece (long story). When we agreed to meet she greeted me by telling me that purple socks were, “like, so not, lah.” I probably should have guessed. Her stationary was pink.
Piggy, may I have a butterscotch scone and some bubble tea please? Honeydew flavor would be nice if you have it, or maybe strawberry.
Never mind that last post. I need a churro. Piggy, would you give me a churro please?
You cannot get a churro in Singapore to save your life. They do have deep-fried cinnamon mochi, but that’s not really the same.
I never really liked churros…they’re just too rubbery for my taste.
Piggy, can I have some gingersnap cookies and hot chocolate please?
Hey, I happen to like rubber. 
Choklit Orange- Churros it is.
LBK- Sure thing. How snappy do you like your gingersnaps?
Piggy, could I have some chocolate? Any chocolate.
Re: Penpals: Last year I had a penpal in Ghana, but I only got one letter and then the schoolyear was over. I also have a penpal in France, who I get the feeling I’d really hate in real life.
I have a penpal in France. I think he is really sweet but awkward. I think if I met him I would feel really weird. I’d be nervous. I don’t really know why. I think it’s because he is so reserved. He types his letters instead of handwriting them. He signs them by hand and I really like his handwriting. It’s small and very neat. He says that he doesn’t write by hand because he doesn’t like his handwriting. I think it is because he is extremely shy and writing by hand would convey too much familiarity.
I’d be really happy to meet my Finnish penpals. I have 2 and they are both girls. They’re pretty normal. One of them is trying to decide what to do when she graduates because she lives in a tiny town without many options. The other just did her first year of university and wants to change her major but it’s a pretty hard thing to do in the Finnish system.
Piggy, I must say I am not familiar with most of your teas. May I please have a cup of whatever you recommend, preferably herbal, and a strawberry scone?
Herbal, eh? I’m quite a fan of this tea here–grapes, hibiscus, currants, and elderberries. I can’t think of the name, but I’m sure it’s floral sounding. I’ll make a large pot, because I’m going to have some as well.
I’ll have a cup of that tea too, if you don’t mind.
Ooo. Sounds delicious! Though, isn’t smelling of elderberries an insult? I can’t imagine it in a tea….
Elderberries are delicious, and smelling of them is only an insult in the mind of Frenchmen.
Do you have any kind of energy boosting drink or something to eat? I’m really, really tired. It’s been a hectic week.
I’d like some garlic bread, please, and a chocolate eclair.
Earlier we discussed languages; now I feel like talking about language. My mom just showed me a video of two babies having a conversation in their own sort of language, and it made me wonder of those things are universal. I wonder what the differences might be in the instinctual language of each baby and, since we always forget our baby talk once we learn English, whether a chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, parrot, or parakeet raised in captivity with humans and taught English or sign language who picks up that humans don’t understand en when communicating otherwise–if they do, they could pretend not to for the sake of the experiment–would still remember ens original communication system or at least keep the instinct for it enough that en could still communicate with other members of ens species properly. Does anyone know if this has been tried? I’m very curious.
I don’t think that any other animal is capable of the higher thought necessary to understand something like that.
Do you read Muse? If so, have you read the language issue from a few years ago?
Would they have to understand it? The animals I mentioned have all been taught to understand and, if biologically possible, speak English and/or sign language, and they can be raised in captivity, and if they remember or retain the instinct or in any way can still communicate with each other, chances are, they will. I’m pretty sure they’d participate without knowing why or even what to do. It’s never a good idea to tell your subjects your hypothesis, anyway, though I’m not sure that makes a difference with animals.
No animals can speak or understand English. They can equate various gestures or sounds with real objects or actions or sensations, but none can actually grasp an actual language.
What is language other than equating gestures and sounds with objects, actions, or sensations? Humans often do it more abstractly than “me want one banana”, of course, but that’s still the basic concept.
Bibliophile: I don’t quite understand what you’re saying. Are you asking if two members of an animal species – say, two chimpanzees – who had both been taught sign language or another form of humans communication would be able to communicate to each other that way? Or simply whether they would be able to retain their knowledge of that communication style throughout their lifetimes?
Language has to have certain aspects. It has to have grammar–a definite set of rules and formats. It has to be understandable–if you know the rules, you can decipher the intended meaning. It has to be open-ended–you can use it to describe bananas or the meaning of life. It has to have syntax–aspects that, in themselves, don’t mean anything, but that work with other words to form sentences (conjunctions, etc.). I’m not saying that gorillas, etc. can’t communicate. I’m saying they can’t use any full language.
Hm. Language is a complicated thing. By that definition, you’re right; they don’t use language properly. By Cat’s Meow’s, you aren’t quite. I’m not sure which I’d use, so I’m not sure what to do next… I’ll look up some other definitions and see what they’d imply, because I’m curious. It’s a controversial subject.
I did look up some definitions, and of the most accurate, I’d say many animals fulfill some of the requirements, but not all. Still, the experiment I mentioned could still be performed if–and only if–the animal would stop using its own communication system to communicate after a while, which I know doesn’t happen with birds; I don’t know about apes. We’d have to check.
Oh, and yes, I get Muse, but I haven’t read that article; I looked it up, though, and it looks interesting, so maybe I’ll buy it sometime. Cat’s Eye, I meant… Well, both would be interesting, but they weren’t really what I meant; I was wondering whether they’d still remember or retain the instinct for their original communication if they no longer needed it. I’d assume they would, of course, but we forget how we communicated as babies, so who knows?
Do we forget how we communicated as babies, though? Couldn’t infant communication just be the basis for more advanced spoken and nonspoken communication?
Maybe, to a degree, but can you remember it? I’ve always gotten the impression we learned more advanced communication from watching and listening to other people; actually, I’m pretty sure there’s scientific evidence for it. Still, the first language (whatever it is) must have evolved somehow, and that sounds like a reasonable way. I haven’t researched it much.
*brews a pot of rooibos*
I haven’t been back here in a while. Piggy, may I have some white pomegranate tea and a few caramel-and-chocolate cookies, please?
CO- Of course! That’s one of my favorite types of tea.
Piggy, if I may have a non-projectile-usage doughnut for the occasion?
Indeed! What sort would you like?
When I stepped into the kitchen this morning, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why the wungs had baked eight dozen doughnuts. It all makes sense now. They’re more on top of things than I am.
Ooh, the Hare and Hedgepig looks nice! Piggy, could I please have some chai and some scones with strawberry jam?
Sure thing.
If we have to leave electronic devices with the Pie Check Department, how do we talk to one another? How can we get to MuseBlog if we have no electronic devices?
Telepathy. We certainly seem to echo each others’ opinions often enough anyway. Maybe there’s something more to it.
Alternatively, we are not using electronic devices to access MB, but rather analytical engines.
Speaking of which, why doesn’t anyone ever visit the Museion anyore? I miss it.
I suppose it’s because it’s not new anymore, and never had a lot of traffic outside out of that first day.
But perchance one could nip down there and comment, if our good moderators (and fellow Musers) would oblige.
Cheese please? Maybe some nice Brie?
Food. Now.
That is, could I have a turkey-and-cheese sandwich and chai, please?
kiwimuncher- Cheese! Right away.
CO- Do you have any preference on the type of cheese?
Well, today was my last full day of school. Could, I have something that is filled with dark chocolate to celebrate?
May I please have a Time Cake? I hope the wungs know what it is, because I don’t; I just like the idea. A witch cake might be interesting, too, but rather dangerous. Maybe a cake shaped like a tardigrade instead? And also one shaped like a nudibranch, please.
I think I need to make a comment about a Time Cake now.
It was the Cake of Time…
Huh, that was supposed to say comic. Oh well, that works.
(I like the idea of a Time Cake too. )
LBK- Right away. Glass of milk?
Bibliophile- I’ll ask the wungs if they have any good Time Cake recipes.
I’m liking this Time Food idea. It was the Blintz of Times, it was the Wurst of Times…
Ooh, yes please! Whole milk, if you don’t mind.
Hi, I’m here for the space club? Anyone else?
I’d like some tea please. Green, I think, with mango flavoring. Thank you! And perhaps a small slice of chocolate cake.
Hi, I’m also here for the space club! Though I have to admit, I’m definitely on the arty side of the spectrum of those interested in space exploration. (With one side of the spectrum being softer sci-fi and art and such, and the other side being people guaranteed to be head of the research department of NASA one day. Okay, that metaphor ran away from itself.)
May I have extremely hot raspberry tea, if the bartender wouldn’t mind? Lots of honey, please.
Hiya, I’m here to inquire about a space club. And I’d like some peppermint tea, please.
Holding the organizational meeting in a tearoom was a stroke of inspiration.
Are you here for the space club too?
Muse Academy clubs are for students, but I’m the logical faculty sponsor for this one.
But I’m the Space Queen.
A thousand pardons, Your Majesty. I misspoke.
You should both be sponsors!
Being a sponsor is totally being here for the club too.
I know, it suggests the Enlightenment, doesn’t it?
I’ll have what Cat’s Eye is having.
So we have Robert and Rebecca as faculty co-sponsors, and oxlin, Cat’s Eye, and CO as student members.
I think the first matter should be deciding on a name. It would be great if we could make it a cool acronym.
I might not have time to join the space club, but if you ever want an interview with a Giant Space Squid I can hook you up 
It’s an informal organization. You just have to say “I want to be a member”, and you become a member. Everything afterwards is completely voluntary.
Is this the right room for the space club? Ah, I see it is. Hello, everybody.
Piggy, may I have some mint tea? And a plate of tarts, if you would.
On a side note about the space club, I just drew a pair of scissors dressed in drag in a rocketship flying by Saturn.
Can we be the NASA-Interested Museblogging Hegemony? And our members can be Really Astronomical Teens? I’ve always wanted to be a RAT of NIMH.
Can you scan and share it?
Hello, everyone. I’m here to join the space club? Ah, I see that people have settled in. Right now the only names coming to mind are DW ones, but I’ll think harder.
Hello! I’m here for the space club.
Being a RAT of NIMH would indeed be entertaining.
But I’m not a teenager anymore. I suppose it could be teens/twenties but then how would the sponsors fit?
Yes, I don’t want to exclude MuseBloggers older than 19 or younger than 13.
Hello all. I’m here for the space club.
I like the NIMH acronym.
Can I please join the NIMH? I like the name too.
I just changed my cell phone wallpaper to the Orion nebula to celebrate Atlantis. Well worth the $1.49.
Oooh, count me in for the space club!
Here to join the club!
Hello, I’m considering joining the space club. I don’t really know that much about space, and I don’t generally research it except when it has to do with tardigrades, but I usually find it rather fascinating when I do read about it. I love the RATs of NIMH idea, but let’s make it Really Astronomical TellurianS so as not to leave anyone out.
I don’t know much about space either, actually, though I’d like to know more.
(I’ve just looked up “tellurian” and find “Really Astronomical Tellurians” an excellent name.)
Everybody’s welcome here, and nobody should ever be afraid to ask “I don’t understand that, can you explain?”
Yes, that’s excellent. I do think I’ll probably join; I’m just not sure yet. Well, how about if I decide to do any activity related to it–I know that none are required, but if I don’t think there’d be a reason to join if I don’t even do 1–I’ll count myself a member. For now I’ll just go to the meetings and call myself a “possible member” or “quasi-member” or “tentative member” or whatever I feel like, I suppose.
RAT is also a good name because the Mars Exploration Rovers have RATs- Rock Abrasion Tools. (And when they use them to take samples, they become… dirty RATs.)
So our RATs so far are:
Oxlin,
Cat’s Eye,
Choklit Orange,
Koko’s Apprentice,
ZNZ,
Bibliophile,
Rainbow*Storm,
Maths Lover,
Mikazuki,
Shadowfire,
Jadestone,
Errata,
Jadestone,
Me
Faculty Co-Sponsors:
Robert and Rebecca
Don’t I get some mention? I know I’ve been too busy running back and forth to the kitchen to say anything, but I’d certainly like to be a member.
Of course, good sir! You’re certainly a member!
Heh, is Jadestone twice a RAT?
Of course I am! Me and my Giant Space Squid alter-ego
Hey NIMH-ites! Just found this fact else-intarwebz: “One year ago, we discovered Neptune.
One Neptunian year, that is. See, it takes Neptune 164.79 years to go around the Sun, and it’s been that long since it was discovered – on September 23, 1846.” I suppose if I did some addition I could figure out if it is still accurate but it is pretty close to being accurate in any case.
Cool! Happy Anniversary, Neptune!
Does anyone else feel that we should come up with other potential names? I mean, RAT is a good name, but it seems like it would be a good idea to come up with other options just to make sure we don’t miss out on something even better.
For some reason, I want to come up with acronyms that spell STAR or ASTRA or something, but it’s more difficult than I thought. Space Technology, Art & Research club? Astronomy Students’ Terrestrial Rhetoric Arena?
On a related note, Flying For Me came up on my iPod while I was writing this.
Sure, if you have other good ones. I’m rather bad at coming up with names.
If it was Students for the Promotion of Cosmic Exploration, it would spell “SPACE”.
Well, “SPOCE,” anyway. (Actually, to be consistent, it would be either SFTPOCE or SPCE.)
</GAP-ic_helpfulness>
You could throw in an “Advancement”.
*hits head on wall*
Whoops, I was typing that kind of quickly and didn’t realize I’d phrased it wrong.
I mean meant to say “Students Promoting the Advancement of Cosmic Exploration”.
And now I’ve typed that wrong, too. Something is wrong with me today.
Can you just change it to “Students Promoting the Advancement of Cosmic Exploration” in the first post? (107.2)
I like SPACE. Can we be the RATs of SPACE?
It would be appropriate. As the old palindrome reminds us, “RATS live on no evil star.”
As suggested by Robert and translated by me (see the random thread for the full conversation), a possible motto:
MURES NON SIDERE MALO VIVUNT
((Note: “I went with sidere instead of stella for ‘star’ because sidere also means ‘to settle’ or ‘to remain fixed’–RATS live on no evil star, and they also don’t live to be motionless and inactive in regards to their cause.”))
I like it!
Also, although “Tellurians” is a valid plural noun to describe beings from Earth, the synonyms “Terrans” or “Terrestrials” would be more easily recognizable to others when explaining our name.
True. Tellurians is such a nice word, though…
Okay, so we have our name and motto, does anyone have any ideas as to organization?
Should we have someone draw a logo? How often should our meetings be, and on which thread? What projects do you think we should undertake?
With the proprietors’ permission, of course, the H&H would be more than willing to host the meetings.
I beg to draw a logo. I already have a few in mind.
Couldn’t everyone who wants to submit theirs, and we can either choose one or have a lot of logos?
I like that idea. Everyone who wants can submit a design, and either:
1) Everyone votes and the design with the most votes wins.
2) The most-widely-liked elements from several designs are combined to make the final logo
3) We have several logos for the whole SPACE organization.
4) Number 1), but the runners-up are adapted as logos for subdivisions of SPACE.
Can I join?
Of course. Anyone can.
Since this seems to be the meeting place for SPACE, can I just mention how much I eternally adore Neil deGrasse Tyson?
Only if I can agree with you. He’s utterly fantastic. When my family was in New York, we went to Hayden Planetarium in large part because we knew he was the director and therefore that it was going to be awesome. Besides, he’s also been voted “Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive” by People Magazine.
Of course. And he is worthy of adoration.
So if nobody objects, this is what we’ll go public with tomorrow:
SPACE (Students Promoting the Advancement of Cosmic Exploration) is an organization for Muse Academy students interested in space exploration. Our faculty co-sponsors are Robert and Rebecca.
Any student with even a passing interest in space travel can join SPACE and become a RAT (Really Astronomical Tellurian/Terran). It is definitely not a club for only the technically-minded. Artists are welcome, and nobody should ever be afraid to say “I don’t understand that, can you explain it?”
Space is an informal organization. It is never supposed to be a club that gets in the way of your life, prior commitments, or responsibilities. Meetings will be held at the Hare and Hedgepig on a to-be-determined basis, but attendance is not mandatory.
The motto of SPACE is “MURES NON SIDERE MALO VIVUNT”, or “Rats Live On No Evil Star”. Our club does not have a logo yet, and anyone who wishes to submit a design should feel free to.
Like the Kokonspiracy and the Illumiminati, RATs are encouraged to do things in the Real World that promote knowledge and support of space exploration among the general public and to share these stories on MuseBlog. But no project is ever mandatory.
SPACE favors peaceful exploration above all else, but we do not engage in debates of human vs. robotic, government vs. private, or one company or country vs. another.
Most importantly, SPACE is supposed to be FUN. If it’s not fun, then we’re doing it wrong.
Our Current Members:
Oxlin
Cat’s Eye
Choklit Orange
Koko’s Apprentice
ZNZ
Bibliophile
Rainbow*Storm
Maths Lover
Mikazuki
Shadowfire
Piggy
Errata
Jadestone
KaiYves
Pie Girl
Hey Kai, I seem to remember a few months ago someone asked you about reasons to continue space exploration, and you responded with a super-long, super-informative, super-amazing post with all the reasons split up into different categories.
That post was absurdly awesome. Would you or a GAPA mind finding it and reposting it and/or linking it?
Here it is, with the atrocious spelling errors from the original fixed:
The Arguments of the Body:
Ameliorating Disasters- A presence in space enables us to see “The Bigger Picture”- we can see our planet as a whole and track and predict where prevailing winds and oceanic currents will carry hurricanes, volcanic ash clouds, and oil spills.
The Survival Imperative- A species that only exists on one planet is incredibly vulnerable. Supervolcanos, asteroid and comet impacts, pandemics, environmental damage and nuclear threats. We talk about any of those as “The end of the world”, but what we really mean is “The end of human civilization on THIS world.” Of course, if our civilization is ONLY on this world, than it WOULD be the end, but if we have colonies elsewhere… we will go on.
Eating… – Improved weather prediction aids farmers in growing more crops, and satellite mapping can help find areas that are more ideal for agriculture. While we can’t tell where the fish are biting, we can determine which areas in the sea have higher biomass concentrations, a good indication as to where more fish can be caught.
… and Drinking- Satellite mapping and measurements of gravity variations can reveal hidden sources of water in drought-stricken areas.
Unraveling Necklaces- You know how you can order all kinds of cheap things for parties from those novelty catalogues and if you get necklaces or lanyards, they always come all tangled up? Focusing on a knot by itself doesn’t get very far- you might free one necklace by working with another one on the other side of the whole mess. That’s what spinoffs are like- while developing technology for space travel, we discover something that could be useful in another area. Here’s a more comprehensive directory than I could ever give: http:// www. sti. nasa.gov /tto/
The Arguments of the Mind:
Comparative Planetology- Doctors have trouble treating a disease they’ve never seen anything like.
“So you’re an atmospheric scientist?”
“Yeah. I try to fix the pollution problems in our planet’s atmosphere.”
“So, how many planets’ atmospheres have you studied?”
“So, you’re a vulcanologist?”
“Yeah, I study volcanoes to learn what signs the planet gives that an eruption is coming, so that we can minimize damage.”
“So, how many planets have you studied the volcanoes of?”
For Science!- We want to know how the Universe works! We want to know the history of our solar system! We want to know how planets form! We want to know if there’s life on Mars, Europa, or Titan! There may not be immediate applications on Earth as with the applied science in the previous examples, but it’s better to know than not. As a letter in the latest issue of Sky and Telescope put it: “The finest of our scientists have never contented themselves with building a better photocopy machine.”
Getting Schooled- Now, you hear NASA PR people say “We’re going to inspire STEM education” a lot, but that sounds kind of boring. So here’s what they mean-
No MuseBlogger would ever be one of these kids, but you know the type. They don’t think it’s fun to be curious and find out how things work. They sit in science class using their phones, shooting spitballs at innocent victims like yourself, and going “What am I ever going to do with this, anyway?”
Now, after hearing this enough times, your teacher is going to get tired of dealing with that kid, and he or she is going to snap. He or she is going to give that kid a Deadly Laser Death Glare and shout “WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?”, and when the kid repeats “I said, what can I ever do with this when I’m grown up?”, your science teacher is going to go to their computer, turn up the sound on their SmartBoard, and throw up a video of the latest crewed rocket launch, and go “YOU CAN BE AN ASTRONAUT AND RIDE ON A GIANT FLAMING SPACESHIP AND FLY TO MARS AND BE AN INTERNATIONAL HERO, THAT’S WHAT!”
And that stupid kid is going to sit down and shut up, because he got Schooled.
The Arguments of the Spirit:
Curiosity and Exploration- So, what’s out there? What’s at the South Pole of the moon? What’s on an asteroid? What’s on Mars? What’s down that trail in the woods you’ve never hiked down before? What’s on that street in your city you’ve never visited? What’s at the end of the engrossing mystery book you’re reading right now? You want to know. The unknown makes us feel itchy, and the only way to scratch is to find out.
Good News and Bad News- Remember the story of Pandora’s Box? The one good thing inside, the thing that made it possible for humans to endure all of the evils that escaped, was Hope. Sometimes, especially for people our age, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and feel hopeless. In our own lives, we’ve got tests, homework, grades, zits, admissions, bullies, drama, and People Who Just Don’t Get Us. And in the news, we’re always reading about war, crime, violence, economic problems, environmental issues, and pretty much everything else that can go wrong. We might be forgiven for just deciding that “Everything sucks and I suck, too.”
But we’ve got the space program. We’ve got the moments when we can get on a computer in free period and read about new planets being discovered, about satellites being used to protect our environment, about astronauts and scientists and engineers doing things right. We’ve got the chance to put aside our differences and watch a launch with our parents or siblings or friends. We’ve got hearing on TV about how NASA expertise helped to save the miners in Chile. We’ve got the fantasy of floating weightless when we close our eyes at night. We’ve got some good news.
We’ve got hope. Always.
By the way, Kai, I won that debate. Thanks for your help in getting me started!
As part of my research, I found lots of other information and statistics about why the space program is important. If anybody’s interested in that, let me know and I can post some of it.
Go ahead, they would be interesting to see and definitely useful for when we encounter others who doubt its value.
Post them!
Righto, the shuttle is down and done. Time to talk about the future. What do you all know about the X37-B?
At first I read that as, “Ringo, the shuttle is down and done.” XD
Ha ha!
I’m now aware that it’s an unmanned space plane with automatic takeoff/landing capability. *Google*
Is it the future? If so, it could be worse. I know some people mourn the loss of a manned space program, but robots have their uses.
It’s probably most of the future of military launches into the upper atmosphere and near-Earth orbit. Non-military ones such as resupplying the space station (which the Air Force isn’t interested in) will be by Russian capsules and later by private companies. Deep-space exploration will be by robot probes and a crewed capsule still being developed.
I think the X-37 is beautiful, myself.
Yes, the X-37 is a very remarkable robotic vehicle, and, despite the catpoo the newspapers are saying, the shuttle’s landing is not the end of human space travel.
What’s the X37-B? I know nothing…
I have designed a logo and will send it in, if that’s okay. We don’t have to use it, but it’s a possibility. Also, it has a color (sort of) background, so if it needs to be more simple I can always take that away.
Great! I look forward to seeing it!
We still haven’t decided on how often we’re going to have SPACE meetings in the H&H, although monthly or bimonthly would probably be the best.
I was thinking that at each meeting, a few RATs could give “presentations”.
Now, that doesn’t mean you would have to literally role-play a presentation or lecture (Although you can if you want to.) It just means that you would “present” something you’ve created related to space. A piece of artwork, a short story, a poem, a song parody, a few jokes or riddles, a manifesto or musing, a list, the results of a poll conducted in real life or The Polling Place, or just a post describing what you’ve learned or what you think about a topic. (If you can think of something else to “present” that doesn’t fall into any of these categories, go ahead!)
Ideally, these would have been created since the last meeting, but if you think something you did before was your best work or if you’ve had a busy month, you could feel free to “present” something old.
For those stuck without inspiration, one of the GAPAs could make a numbered list of space topics, events, people, or concepts, and a RAT in need of inspiration could pick a random number and receive a prompt (ex: “The Mercury 13”, “Comets”, “The First Space-Related Event I Remember”, etc.) to “interpret”.
With Rebecca’s help, we could even collect the “presentations” into a zine-style format.
Sounds good. I’d like to make a presentation.
Hey, may I join SPACE? I’d love to design a logo, and this sounds really fun.
Of course you may! I’m just surprised you didn’t join earlier!
I’ve been very busy what with psychology and music.
This is awesome.
Kai, if it isn’t too much trouble, do you have an updated list of members? The latest one on this thread was on the 19th, I think…
Well, taking the one I posted on the Random Thread and adding everyone who’s joined since then, it’s:
Oxlin
Cat’s Eye
Choklit Orange
Koko’s Apprentice
ZNZ
Bibliophile
Rainbow*Storm
Maths Lover
Mikazuki
Shadowfire
Piggy
Errata
Jadestone
KaiYves
Pie Girl
Rosebud2
FantasyFan
Cskia
Enceladus
Muselover
SilverLeopard
Those who want to do presentations at our next (well, first) meeting:
Choklit Orange
KaiYves
Thank you.
Can we have a theme song? A Glorious Dawn would do nicely, I think.
Certainly!
Here is Mikazuki’s logo:
I like it! GAPAs, would you mind not posting the one I just sent? I’m working on one in color now.
Woah! That’s amazing!
Thank you!!!
I love it.
It’s beautiful!
Now, just because Mikazuki’s design looks good, doesn’t mean anyone else who made or is making a logo should be dissuaded from sending theirs in.
As it happens, another candidate came in from Cskia just this morning:
Thanks, Robert! And I apologize for the horridness of this webcam picture, because our scanner refuses to work properly.
It’s wonderful! As for the methods of choosing logos, I like 2 and 4 the best. Now that I see 2 candidates, though, I think 4 would work more than 2.
That’s awesome! Wow so beautiful. The Kokopelli constellation is such a nice touch!
Love the colors!
Wow! I love all the stuff you’ve incorporated!
Thanks!
These logos are flam! Good work!
Inspired by things I did today, here are some activities I recommend for other RATs to help our outreach mission:
– The next time you get your hair cut and the barber or stylist is making small talk, see if you can steer the conversation to space topics. It’ll certainly be a change from them from just hearing about school and sports from someone your age.
Of course, you want to do this smoothly, and bring up the topic casually such as asking “Did you see the meteor shower last night?” Another good idea, since true RATs are always building their knowledge base, is to talk about a space-related book or movie you’ve taken in when asked if you’ve read any good books or seen any good movies lately.
– Learn where the space and astronomy books are located in your local library, especially the children’s section. In Dewey Decimal classification, astronomy books are numbered 520-530, and space technology and exploration should fall around 629. (When you get to general transportation, you’re close)
Since you’re a Muser, you probably spend a lot of time in the library. If you ever overhear people say they’re looking for books about these topics, especially for school projects or because their kids are interested in the subject, you’ll be able to help them find what they’re looking for.
I think the only big thing left on the starting-a-club agenda now is to pick a date for our next (well, first) meeting.
Wait wait, I’ll send mine in soon! Just need to find a blue colored pencil!
TrES-2b. Opinions? I think it’s pretty…
Pretty, but a little on the dark side. (Buh bum bum!)
I am not quite sure what that is. :/
It’s a recently-discovered exoplanet that doesn’t reflect a lot of light.
Ah. Interesting.
So! When’s the first meeting going to be, everyone? Or are we all too busy with academic matters to talk about the wonders of the universe?
The Equinox might be a good date.
It’s past the equinox now, let’s try the solstice.
That’s good for me if it’s good for everybody else.
December 22nd?
Agreed!
I’d like an egg and cress sandwich, a cup of Earl Grey, and a crumpet with thimbleberry jam, if the wungs are still making it. I am rather hungry, as it’s almost luncheon, you know, so please make it quick. [Plops down on a large, comfy chair and starts reading the newspaper]
I’ve just popped in to dust the aspidistras. The wungs are very good at some things, but they just don’t understand aspidistras.
There! That’s better. Clean and shiny. Now I can settle down with a pot of Lapsang.
Hello, Paul! Are things good in wherever-PBJ-may-roam-land?
Things are quite delightful in Kingswinford, thank you. Even the weather was delightful today. Briefly.
I am about to repair to my slumbers with a warm glow, occasioned by the knowledge that the redesigned parchment layer of the gittern rose I cut yesterday is a success. I bid everyone good night, and sweet dreams.
AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! *runs around*
Attention RATs! Remember: There will be a SPACE meeting here in the H&H on the 22nd! If you have any space-related work you wish to share, remember that this is the place! And if you want to present something but don’t have anything made yet, you still have time!
(Okay, so I was traveling home most of today, but since our meeting only BEGINS on the solstice, we’re still okay…)
Hello, everyone! I would like to welcome all of you to the first official meeting of SPACE, the association of Students Promoting the Advancement of Cosmic Exploration.
Today is the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere– either the shortest or the longest day of the year. Many ancient cultures recognized this quirk of the Earth’s orbital tilt and marked it with special monuments and ceremonies.
At Chaco Canyon in the Southwestern United States, a spiral pattern is carved into the rock wall of a mesa, shaded by slabs of limestone. Today, and only today, sunlight falls through chinks in that structure, framing the spiral in two dramatic “daggers” of light. We many never know what specific significance this configuration held for the people of Chaco Canyon, but we know this: they were trying to understand our Universe.
Forty-three years ago yesterday, a Saturn V rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The three men onboard, Frank Borman, James “Jim” Lovell, and William “Bill” Anders, were the first people to ever ride aboard a Saturn V. In the days to come, they would be the first humans to enter orbit around another celestial body, and the first to see the far side of the moon with their own eyes. The Apollo 8 mission was an important step toward the historic moon landing the following year.
The Saturn V is still the largest and most powerful human-carrying rocket ever created. At liftoff, it produced enough power to light all of New York City for 75 minutes. It’s hard to imagine any technology further from those simple rock carvings at Chaco Canyon. But both come from the same place within the human soul. Like the ancient astronomers of the Southwest, the engineers and scientists of the Apollo Program were trying to understand our Universe.
Yesterday, another rocket launched from Baikonur Cosmodome in Kazakhstan, carrying three astronauts bound for the International Space Station. Oleg Kononenko, Don Pettit and Andre Kuipers, the crew of Expedition 30, are scheduled to dock with the station on Friday. The orbital frontier of forty years ago has become a familiar place to live and work. And, like those who came before, the space station crew are trying to understand our Universe.
The presentations you will see here are our personal attempts at exploring the Universe in which we live– learning about it and interpreting what we find through various forms of art. (See Post 117 for information on what you can present and how to present it. Since this is our first meeting, feel free to post something you created a while ago.)
Let the meeting begin!
*directs the wungs to prepare snacks and drinks for the RATs*
I only have a minute, so for now I’ll give a very short presentation:
One year ago today we discovered Neptune. One Neptunian year, that is. On September 24th, 1846, Johann Gottfried Galle, working at the Berlin Observatory, took a series of mathematical predictions by Urbain Le Verrier and confirmed with a telescope the existence of the planet Neptune. It had been observed in the past, but no one quite realized it was a planet. This discovery was an important step in that it confirmed Newton’s theory of gravity. As François Arago, a French scientist, put it, Le Verrier discovered Neptune “with the point of his pen”. This marks an essential shift in our study of the heavens. For millennia we watched the skies and mapped them, but now we were able to map them without looking at them. Just as scientists surmised that a planet past Uranus had to exist because of irregularities in Uranus’ orbit, we are now studying planets light years away from our solar system by looking at the effects they have on their stars.
And with that I have to be off. Who’s next?
Very nice, Piggy!
My presentation today is a “cleaned-up” version of the poem I wrote in April of 2010 as part of the “You know the feeling, right?” series of poems that various people wrote in response to Daisy*chain’s original. All of us really put our own spin on the theme, writing about circumstances in our own lives at the time. In my case, that was divisions within the NASA fandom at the time:
Untitled (I Know The Feeling)
Oh yes, I know the feeling
The yearning for one final look
When it’s already far too late
And I’ve been up reading far too long
But who can resist the moon?
Not my heart, I cannot.
Don’t take off the glasses, just stand and stare
At the window in the dark, sleepy-eyed.
So high above the city’s glow
Looking down, kindly.
A destination for my dream-ships if no others.
On warmer, summer nights
I’ve lain on coastal lawns
And stared long eternities at Vega and the Rift
Or climbed high in slick trees,
Moss-covered branches
Half-blinded in the dark
But not blind to what lies above me
Pulling myself up to a sitting-place
And watching the great cascading band of stars
Between the wind-blown leaves
It’s good to remember
On stuffy, cloudy winter nights
Alight with city-glow
After long chatroom debates
On policy, budgets and messiness
On rage and criticism, of hopes won and lost
That wonder in the rural trees or fields.
It’s GOOD to remember.
But I wrap myself up tight
And call it back,
Let it overcome my worries
As it must
And feel again the wonder and serenity
It’s good to remember on those stuffy nights
Those summer eve feelings
For these are the feelings…
For these are the feelings…
That set our minds and souls and bodies to voyaging
It’s good to remember-
WHY.
Hello! Sorry I’m a bit late, everyone! I did a mini-comic sketch thing with a giant space squid for the meeting, as soon as I get to a scanner I’ll pop it in and send that along.
Love the poem, Kai.
As for now, I think both of you have probably heard this poem (I discovered it in the summer and posted it everywhere), but in case anyone comes by who hasn’t, it really brings up in me my love for space when I read it. It emulates the words of an astronomer on his deathbed.
“The Old Astronomer to his Pupil”
Sarah Williams
Reach me down my Tycho Brahe, I would know him when we meet,
When I share my later science, sitting humbly at his feet;
He may know the law of all things, yet be ignorant of how
We are working to completion, working on from then to now.
Pray remember that I leave you all my theory complete,
Lacking only certain data for your adding, as is meet,
And remember men will scorn it, ’tis original and true,
And the obliquy of newness may fall bitterly on you.
But, my pupil, as my pupil you have learned the worth of scorn,
You have laughed with me at pity, we have joyed to be forlorn,
What for us are all distractions of men’s fellowship and wiles;
What for us the Goddess Pleasure with her meretricious smiles.
You may tell that German College that their honor comes too late,
But they must not waste repentance on the grizzly savant’s fate.
Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;
I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.
What, my boy, you are not weeping? You should save your eyes for sight;
You will need them, mine observer, yet for many another night.
I leave none but you, my pupil, unto whom my plans are known.
You “have none but me,” you murmur, and I “leave you quite alone”?
Well then, kiss me, — since my mother left her blessing on my brow,
There has been a something wanting in my nature until now;
I can dimly comprehend it, — that I might have been more kind,
Might have cherished you more wisely, as the one I leave behind.
I “have never failed in kindness”? No, we lived too high for strife,
Calmest coldness was the error which has crept into our life;
But your spirit is untainted, I can dedicate you still
To the service of our science: you will further it? you will!
There are certain calculations I should like to make with you,
To be sure that your deductions will be logical and true;
And remember, “Patience, Patience,” is the watchword of a sage,
Not to-day nor yet to-morrow can complete a perfect age.
I have sown, like Tycho Brahe, that a greater man may reap;
But if none should do my reaping, ’twill disturb me in my sleep
So be careful and be faithful, though, like me, you leave no name;
See, my boy, that nothing turn you to the mere pursuit of fame.
I must say Good-bye, my pupil, for I cannot longer speak;
Draw the curtain back for Venus, ere my vision grows too weak:
It is strange the pearly planet should look red as fiery Mars,
God will mercifully guide me on my way amongst the stars.
I’d seen it when you posted it then, but it’s great to see it again. It’s truly beautiful, and I look forward to seeing your drawing.
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