THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE.

We inherit the Earth by Divine Providence and are asked nothing in return. On the other hand, our collective obligation is clear: leave the planet in good repair when we take our leave. One solution is to pay attention to your Carbon Footprint by exploiting renewable energy sources and ending your dependence on fossil fuels.

11/8/10

The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe 1845

http://luna.moonstar.com/~acpjr/Blackboard/Common/Webdocs/LINKS.html


The Raven


Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore--
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
" 'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door--
Only this and nothing more."
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; -- vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow-- sorrow for the lost Lenore--
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore--
Nameless here for evermore.
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me-- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating:
" 'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door--
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;
This it is and nothing more."
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came tapping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you"--here I opened wide the door;--
Darkness there and nothing more.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore!"
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"--
Merely this and nothing more.
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping something louder than before.
"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore--
Let my heart be still a moment, and this mystery explore;--
'Tis the wind and nothing more.
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he,
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door--
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door--
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore--
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"
Quoth the Rave, "Nevermore."
Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning--little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door,
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such a name as "Nevermore."
But the Raven, sitting lonely on that placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing farther then he uttered; not a feather then he fluttered--
Till I scarcely more than muttered: "Other friends have flown before--
On the morrow he will leave me as my Hopes have flown before."
Then the bird said, "Nevermore."
Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless," said I,"what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore--
Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of 'Never--nevermore'"
But the Raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore--
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore."
This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er
She shall press, ah, nevermore!
Then, methougt, the air grew denser, perfumed from some unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch,"I cried,"thy God hath lent thee--by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite--respite and nepenthe from they memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!--prophet still, if bird or devil!--
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate, yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted--
On this home by Horror haunted,-- tell me truly, I implore--
Is there-- is there balm in Gilead?--tell me--tell me, I implore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!--prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that heaven that bends above us--by that God we both adore--
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore--
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting--
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! --quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And the eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted--nevermore!

10/24/10

Solitude


"The worst solitude is to be destitute of sincere friendship." - Francis Bacon

"No man will ever unfold the capacities of his own intellect who does not at least checker his life with solitude."
 - Thomas de Quincey

6/11/10

Cheap Sweater

This blog has the URL Cheap Sweater because I thought we all have a casual item of clothing that is a favorite and that is perfectly comfortable.  Sweaters, sweat shirts or t-shirts usually fit the bill.

This is a very kinbd of subjective pleasure that we derive from some things in life and many of those things happen to be free like sunsets, fresh snow or an ocean breeze. My intention is to remind myself of these virtues of the well-lived life.

6/10/10

Lazy Day

Jack Adams
Lazy Day


Jack Adams was born with a pencil in his hand…(well not really,but perhaps a crayon). But seriously, in case you haven’t noticed, every test you have ever taken, from a Spelling Quiz to an I.Q.Test,to S.A.T., to College Boards are all testing Left-Brain ‘linear’skills. Conceptual Skills, Imagination, Fantasy Fulfillment, Spacial Analysis, Over-View analysis, are all ignored. In fact, Right-Brain dominant folks are likely to be somewhat dyslexic, and even though…’Dyslexia and IQ are not interrelated’…such kids in school are assumed to be less bright.

Busy Mind Seeks Alpha

"MY MIND IS A RAGING TORRENT, FLOODED WITH RIVULETS OF THOUGHT CASCADING INTO A WATERFALL OF CREATIVE ALTERNATIVES! "


- MEL BROOKS, FROM BLAZING SADDLES.






Pablo

Picasso - A clip from "Le mystère Picasso" by H. G. Clouzot.

Art

























"COULD WE EVER KNOW EACH OTHER WITHOUT THE ARTS?'
- GABRIELLE ROY

("NOUS CONNAITRIONS-NOUS SEULEMENT UN PEU NOUS-MEMES, SANS LES ARTS?")









5/17/10

Common Courtesy

Everyday we meet with groups of people socially and professionally. How we interact plays a large role in
the impressions we create. Are we taken seriously or do people discount what we say? Does people’s
respect for us grow or would they prefer not to be around us any more? What can you control?

Follow these tips in your next group meeting:

1.  Dress consistently with how you want to be viewed.
2.  Arrive early—Being early is a stress reliever.
3.  Put your cell phone away.
4.  Greet everyone—Make sure to greet all members of the group with a warm smile, a firm handshake if
appropriate, and repeat his or her name.
5.  Be friendly.
6.  Show an interest in others—Ask questions, listen carefully to what is being discussed.
7.  Introduce yourself— Be proactive and introduce yourself to others in the group.
8.  Introduce others.
9.  Wait to be seated—In a social setting ask the host or hostess where you should sit. You want to be
respectful of how they would like the group seated.
10. Body posture—Sit up straight. Poor posture is an indication of low self-esteem. Leaning forward
indicates interest. Crossed arms indicate disinterest or possibly anger. All of your body language sends
signals to the group members.
11. Focus your attention on the person talking—Maintain eye contact with the person talking to
demonstrate respect and interest in the conversation.
12. Don’t discount anyone’s comments—Don’t dismiss an idea just because it originates from someone who
has a different point of view. Remember everyone is different and the ability to think differently can
spark creativity and innovation.
13. Think before you speak— be a respectful listener and observer. When you do talk, carefully consider what you say.
14. Remember the “two second” rule- Don’t interject or comment until the person has clearly finished
speaking. A good rule of thumb is to wait two seconds.
15. Resist the temptation to monopolize the conversation. Instead, show an interest in others by asking questions. Then listen attentively and continue the conversation accordingly.
16. Include everyone when talking—When you are the one talking, be sure to share eye contact with each
person in the group. Each member will feel valued and included.
17. Don’t change the conversation—Unless there’s a clear indicator that the conversation is finished,
don’t change the topic. You don’t want people to feel you don’t have an interest in what’s being
discussed or you think what you have to say is more important.
18. Don’t start or participate in a side conversation.
19. Don’t get up to leave the table in the middle of a conversation. Wait until there
is a pause or a shift in the conversation. Otherwise your actions could be interpreted as a lack of
interest in the conversation and the person speaking may well take offense.
20. Take your leave — Make a good last impression.

Everything you do in a group setting makes an impression on everyone in the group.

Fish robot



4/23/10

Tetrapod Zoology


DIoW.jpg
For as long as I've been able, I have been writing and publishing popular, semi-technical and technical articles on the animals that interest me. My technical research on the Lower Cretaceous theropod dinosaurs of southern England led to my first efforts in the peer-reviewed literature: namely, a series of papers on isolated limb bones and vertebrae, and on historical taxonomy. In 2001 Dave Martill and I produced Dinosaurs of the Isle of Wight, a large, comprehensive overview to the dinosaurs of the Lower Cretaceous rocks of the Isle of Wight (and certainly not a field guide as suggested by the title of the series it belongs to). Though one reviewer described this work as over-indulgent and essentially over-detailed, it has generally been well received, and I know that I would be happy if other workers were to produce volumes like this on the dinosaurs (or other vertebrates) of their local geological units. Partly because it was produced in a tremendous rush (it had to be published prior to the 2001 opening of the dinosaur museum at Sandown on the Isle of Wight), Dinosaurs of the Isle of Wight contains numerous errors and is also now out of date in many places. A second edition may be produced in the future: certainly the sections on iguanodonts and sauropods will be completely different. More to be added soon.
Note: this page is a work in progress and will be expanded over time.
Current research interests and future plans
Luis%20eotyrannus.jpg
The origin and evolution of tyrant dinosaurs;YaverlandiaBecklespinax and Valdoraptor; Lower Cretaceous pliosaurs and ornithocheiroid pterosaurs; British dinosaur diversity (see Naish & Martill 2007 and this blog article); basal coelurosaur evolution; the palaeobiology of azhdarchoid pterosaurs (see Witton & Naish 2008 and this blog article) [adjacent Eotyrannus image provided by Luis Rey].
The history of Tetrapod Zoology
Tetrapod Zoology started its life on Saturday 21st January 2006 when, entirely on a whim, I decided to start blogging. For a review of TZ's first year in operation, go here. During December 2006 I was invited to join the scienceblogs network: this was finalized on 22nd January 2007, and I first posted on sb here. Unlike many bloggers, I sort of blog to a plan. Sure, I write about things that I bump into during the course of research, and I also write about brand-new discoveries that grab my interest. Anyway, the list of topics that I plan to cover is now horribly long and getting longer. Rest assured that, if something is promised it will appear one day.







The Tet Zoo guide to Gekkota, part I

The Tet Zoo guide to Gekkota, part I

This is a site dedicated to things that fascinate me :




Teratoscincus_keyserlingii_Gardner_2009_wikipedia_April-2010.jpg
A few other gekkotan groups have sometimes been recognised.Teratoscincus was considered worthy of its own 'subfamily', termed Teratoscincinae, by Kluge (1987) [T. keyserlingiishown here; from wikipedia]. The Cat geckoAeluroscalabotes felinus of south-eastern Asia has also been given its own 'subfamily' on occasion, dubbed Aeluroscalabotinae (modern classifications generally include A. felinus in Eublepharidae). The name Phyllodactylidae has sometimes been used for the American leaf-toed geckos (e.g., Blair et al. 2009) and a group of African gekkonines have sometimes been referred to as the Ptyodactylini.
We'll look at gekkotan phylogeny later on. Much more to come. Coming next: voices, eggshells and cervical sacs.
For previous Tet Zoo articles on neat squamates see...
Refs - -


Darren Naish - me - is, or was, a vertebrate palaeontologist, formerly based at the University of Portsmouth, UK. They still host my homepage, but have usefully deleted all the links to the pdfs I so lovingly uploaded (if you want pdfs of any of the papers listed there don't hesitate to email me and ask: eotyrannus at gmail dot com). From 1997 to 2006 I worked on the predatory dinosaurs of the Lower Cretaceous of southern England, focusing for my phd on the basal tyrannosauroid Eotyrannus. A full monographic description of Eotyrannus will be published one day. Between April and August 2007 I worked for Impossible Pictures, the TV company that produced Walking With Dinosaurs and other such projects, and right now (July 2008) I work as a technical editor and freelance author.
I like dinosaurs very much, but they're far from the only animals that I find interesting. I'm fascinated by all tetrapods and have some practical and research experience with Mesozoic marin