HaPpY nEw YeAr!!! My new years goals are NO CANDY FOR A HOLE YEAR!!!!! wish me luck luck luck!! HaPpY nEw YeAr again!
♥Briannekirkby
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
this blew my mind...
so, sometimes i think non-scientists get a little too enamored with the theories that scientists espouse about the world or even about what is out there in broader space. journalists take a scientists theory, dumb it down, and go nuts with statements of certitude that were never vetted through scientific process. (think anthropogenic global warming, for one example). the end result is we end up with a general populace that are sometimes more misinformed because they tried to learn something about science from a journalist.
some people (read journalists) just want to believe that science has all the answers and that they can be distilled into a few lines of simple explanation.
the broader truth is that there is a heck of a lot about our own world, let alone broader space, that we have no clue about (yet).
the bloop is one example of this.
the bloop is a sound picked up on oceanic spy equipment (relics from the cold war) that has the "audio profile of a living creature", according to experts. the surprise is that any creature that could make such a sound would have to be many times bigger than a blue whale, the largest known creature on the planet.
there's something down there and it's big and we have no clue what it is or how it lives.
or maybe i'm just an example of a non-scientist grabbing a bit of data and taking the claim too far ;)
in any case it's kinda cool to think about. it's the kind of thing you would see as an opening scene of a sea monster movie. some grizzled old sea captain on a research ship with a bunch of nerdy scientist off the coast of south america.
they get an audio signal and some nerdy scientist type starts freaking out "this thing would have to be big, really big, HUMONGOUS!".
the sea captain just stares ahead, narrows his eyes and simples says "ayup" leaving the impression that he knows something the scientists don't through a grand tradition of fable telling and good old fashioned intuition.
some people (read journalists) just want to believe that science has all the answers and that they can be distilled into a few lines of simple explanation.
the broader truth is that there is a heck of a lot about our own world, let alone broader space, that we have no clue about (yet).
the bloop is one example of this.
the bloop is a sound picked up on oceanic spy equipment (relics from the cold war) that has the "audio profile of a living creature", according to experts. the surprise is that any creature that could make such a sound would have to be many times bigger than a blue whale, the largest known creature on the planet.
there's something down there and it's big and we have no clue what it is or how it lives.
or maybe i'm just an example of a non-scientist grabbing a bit of data and taking the claim too far ;)
in any case it's kinda cool to think about. it's the kind of thing you would see as an opening scene of a sea monster movie. some grizzled old sea captain on a research ship with a bunch of nerdy scientist off the coast of south america.
they get an audio signal and some nerdy scientist type starts freaking out "this thing would have to be big, really big, HUMONGOUS!".
the sea captain just stares ahead, narrows his eyes and simples says "ayup" leaving the impression that he knows something the scientists don't through a grand tradition of fable telling and good old fashioned intuition.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Stake Christmas Fireside
Hi all! This is Liz. So many of us blog here lately, I feel I have to introduce myself :)
Tonight was our Stake Christmas Music Fireside. It was beautiful and filled with the spirit. I am on the stake music committee and was the director for some of the music pieces. It was fun being on the planning committee. We had each ward in the stake perform a special musical number. There were choirs, small groups, soloists, pianists, etc . . . We had a great turn out. The pews were packed and the chairs were full to half way to the back of the gym (in a Stake Center, that's pretty big).
Right before it began, the Stake President came to the stand and shook my hand to greet me. He asked me "are you singing tonight?" I said "No, not tonight. I'm leading some music is all." Apparently that was not the answer he wanted to hear and said "yes you are!" I said again shaking my head "no, not tonight". He said "yes. yes, you are. What is your favorite Christmas hymn?" I just looked at him stunned and said "Are you serious?" He smiled and nodded very seriously. I quickly scanned through the hymnbook Christmas section and came across "The First Noel". I remembered singing it a few years ago at our ward Christmas program and knew it was in my range. I told him my selection and he said "you and President Johnson can sing that at the end!" and he got up and asked the organist if he'd be willing to accompany us to The First Noel. ACK!!! Sure enough as we began the program, it was announced that President Johnson and I would be singing.
So towards the end of the program, President Johnson (the 2nd counselor in the Stake Presidency) and I got up and sang an impromptu rendition of The First Noel. He sang melody and I sang the alto harmony. It actually turned out quite nicely and I was honored to sing with him - he has a fabulous tenor voice. President Draper was pleased. Afterwards, I said to a friend "I should get a 'get out of a calling free' card for doing that!"
So if any of you have ever been called up at the last minute in a meeting to bear your testimony --- just be glad you didnt have to sing!
Tonight was our Stake Christmas Music Fireside. It was beautiful and filled with the spirit. I am on the stake music committee and was the director for some of the music pieces. It was fun being on the planning committee. We had each ward in the stake perform a special musical number. There were choirs, small groups, soloists, pianists, etc . . . We had a great turn out. The pews were packed and the chairs were full to half way to the back of the gym (in a Stake Center, that's pretty big).
Right before it began, the Stake President came to the stand and shook my hand to greet me. He asked me "are you singing tonight?" I said "No, not tonight. I'm leading some music is all." Apparently that was not the answer he wanted to hear and said "yes you are!" I said again shaking my head "no, not tonight". He said "yes. yes, you are. What is your favorite Christmas hymn?" I just looked at him stunned and said "Are you serious?" He smiled and nodded very seriously. I quickly scanned through the hymnbook Christmas section and came across "The First Noel". I remembered singing it a few years ago at our ward Christmas program and knew it was in my range. I told him my selection and he said "you and President Johnson can sing that at the end!" and he got up and asked the organist if he'd be willing to accompany us to The First Noel. ACK!!! Sure enough as we began the program, it was announced that President Johnson and I would be singing.
So towards the end of the program, President Johnson (the 2nd counselor in the Stake Presidency) and I got up and sang an impromptu rendition of The First Noel. He sang melody and I sang the alto harmony. It actually turned out quite nicely and I was honored to sing with him - he has a fabulous tenor voice. President Draper was pleased. Afterwards, I said to a friend "I should get a 'get out of a calling free' card for doing that!"
So if any of you have ever been called up at the last minute in a meeting to bear your testimony --- just be glad you didnt have to sing!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Book signing with Shannon Hale!
So, last Thursday, December 4, I got the opportunity to go meet Shannon Hale. She is my all time favorite author! I got all of the Bayern Books signed! I also got Princess Academy signed. These are my all time favorite books. If you haven't read them, Then I strongly recommend these books! The Goose Girl, Enna Burning, River Secrets, and Princess Academy. Also Shannon Hale is writing a Fourth book in the Bayern Series, Forest Born. When I told my mom about this, she thought I said Forest Porn...
Well anyway! I am soooo excited for the fourth book to come out in September of '09!!
♥ Brianne Kirkby
Well anyway! I am soooo excited for the fourth book to come out in September of '09!!
♥ Brianne Kirkby
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Willow Creek 7th Grade Secretary
So, I've decided that I'm gonna run for 7th grade secretary. WOO HOO!! And so, I need some good catch phrases for my posters. My mom thought of "You can look up to her" but, that's kinda cheesey. If I can't find a good one, I'll use hers, but I need your guys help. So, if you can think of a good one, make a comment on it! I also need a good idea for hand-outs, but it can't be food, so, if you could give me an idea for that too, that would be great!!
♥Brianne Kirkby
♥Brianne Kirkby
Monday, December 1, 2008
anthropogenic global warming
i am, and have been for a long time, a global warming skeptic. i'm going to try and find (or perhaps recreate) a post i made about 5 years ago on the topic that traced the history of some of the global catastrophe scares going back to the late 19th century.
but for now, i'll let this article say a lot of what i would.
but for now, i'll let this article say a lot of what i would.
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