Usefulness of Blogs

I just finished having a colloquium with Kim Obbink from Montana State University, working with Distance Education in the said university. She gave a lot of good information about connecting with students using technology. It was a very wonderful presentation. But there was one thing in particular that hit me.

A couple of nights ago, I began thinking about where I am in my education and what other great professionals have done. I realized that almost all great professionals have kept a journal as they study their field. So I thought that perhaps I should do that as well. But today, Kim gave me an idea that I thought would be great. After all, what good is the stuff I learn if it doesn't help somebody else?

One technology that I realized in today's presentation as useful for classes is a blog. I need to look into using a blog for the next class I teach. I figured that in the meantime, that this would be a great idea for a new blog. You can see my new Teaching Journal at http://teachingmeo.blogspot.com/. I hope that this idea as well as those to follow become useful to some who browse through this blog.

My claim to fame

Erin is a good friend of mine and Eliza's. She just posted a very good metaphorical blog:
http://redheadedalto.blogspot.com/2009/04/for-one-single-moment-my-eyes-are-held.html

This is my response to one thing I think she was referring to:


(Last complete row to the right, right in the middle in a red shirt with red hair.)

Great job, Erin. We enjoyed your singing!

Update

Hello, everyone! Yes, it's time for my January blog post! Wahoo!

I figure that since there was a lot of change for me last year, I should change my title bar. So, first of all, the title. Yes, I am a Weather Weenie. However, I have sadly not been able to envelop myself in weather for almost a year since I graduated from the U. So, now I'll classify myself as what I really want to do: Space Weather Forecasting.

Since January 2007, I have been looking forward to this field. It's the entire reason I'm here at USU. So I found it fitting that the picture is one of Space, but a clear view also of the weather on Earth. I got this picture from APOD (Astronomy Picture of the Day). If you want to browse there, it's at http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080412.html.

Santa's Frozen in Carbonite!!!

He's been frozen in carbonite!  He should be quite well protected--if he survives the eating process, that is...

Christmas

Ok.  We had fun with our Christmas Tree this year.  I am proud to announce that Eliza and I have caught ourselves a beautiful, 100% pure, genuine plastic tree!  Sad.  I really wanted a pine.  But, when you're gone for 2 weeks straight, we figured that the plastic was easier to take care of.

If you look closely, you will find our 4 favorite ornaments.  The first 3 are ornaments that we bought from a Fund Raiser for Emma's school.

The first three pictures are the ornaments, and the last is what we did to them.  It was a rather cool effect!  We liked it.

But most importantly, we put up our must-have ornament:

For those who don't recognize it, this was the ornament that Joe and Lacey put on our wedding cake last May.  We only thought it fitting that the temple take its place at the top.

Yes, we love our tree.

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!

Yet another new job.

Yeah. I don't know how it happens. But without even trying, jobs just fall into my lap. But this one's a doozie.

As I was finishing a lab for the day, the Physics Department Advisor poked her head in the door and said, "Michael, check your email." Uh-oh. She laughed and said it's really good. So I looked, and she had sent me a note saying that there was a potential job opportunity for me. So, I went to talk to the professor she mentioned. We talked for a while about the position. It involves computer programming, which I have always loved. There was a person involved in this project who wrote a program to demonstrate some electrodynamic effects. However, when they demonstrated the final results, showing that there won't be a problem, they realized that "Of course there won't be a problem! It's only in one dimension!" So, it's back to the drawing board. But the guy who wrote the program doesn't have time to work on that, so they decided to hire a graduate student--they're always cheaper and good for slave labor, right? So, I was invited to help. He told me to think about it, and to talk it over with Eliza, but I was half tempted right then and there to just say "Yes! I'll take it!"

Now, I think it only fitting to tell you why I was so eager to say yes. Well, this is a program modelling the electrodynamic effects of a satellite. In fact, it was made for a particular satellite called the James Webb Space Telescope. If you're unfamiliar with this project, click on the link. It's basically a modernized Hubble Telescope. In fact, you remember how Atlantis is supposed to go up for the last servicing mission for the Hubble? Well, from how I understand it, this project is why--we're sending up something bigger and better.

An opportunity to work on the James Webb Telescope? Absolutely! Will it be hard? Absolutely! But I wouldn't give it up for the world. Great experience, great time to learn, great for resumes...what more could I ask for?

By popular vote, Hurricane Katrina is a result of Global Warming!

AAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Can I say it even more clearly? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tell me, why is it that because someone in the media has the wild idea that a severe natural disaster can be explained by man's misuse of the planet, that becomes doctrine?  I just went to a seminar on Global Warming for a class, and as is inevitable, someone brings up Hurricane Katrina.  Let me ask you: What is so rare about a category 2 hurricane?  There was NOTHING odd about Katrina.  NOTHING!!!  The only thing that was odd was that it happened to pass over the right spot, and the storm surge (associated with Fluid Dynamics, not with Global Warming) broke through the levies.  So, is it because I drove to the store when I first got my driver's license that the levies broke and New Orleans was desolated?  I think not.

And how much confidence do you have in a guy who is saying we need to cut back on pollution, but in the same breathe says "It would take a lot for me to leave my car and use my bike more frequently?"