Ransen's Blog

I love clouds, my friends mock me or look at me as if I'm mad, but a goodly shaped cloud just gives me a warm infinity feeling. These photos were all from the balcony of my flat over the last two years or so. It's tempting to stay inside and watch Law & Order I know, but with a bit of effort there's a whole strange universe out there before my very eyes. In this photo you can see that the Earth's horizon is cutting off the sun's rays halfway down the cloud... ...behind my head the sun is going down. I tried to imagine what strange winds could have created this... ...I suppose there was an invisible undulation of air. And for real drama... I don't need to waste money going to exotic places, it is all here before me, if only I'd remember to open my eyes more often.

I read, in Incognito I think it was ... ...that even when the eyes are closed the brain continues to produce images. And somewhere in the Instructables site there was an article about how to produce "safe hallucinations."  Both these things came to my mind recently because I've started having a midday nap. I've found that it better prepares me for the afternoon's work than, for example, reading a book,  watching TV, or browsing the Internet. Books, TVs and Internet do not leave my mind free to wander or sleep. They distract me from work, which I suppose is good, but keep the brain tethered. So as an experiment a few months ago, I decided to have a 30 minute nap. I use a timer, a blindfold (which you used to get on long haul flights) and some ear plugs. My hallucinogenic paraphenalia: I need the timer (which beeps for a minute after the set time) for two reasons If I fall asleep it will wake me. If I am restless I know there is a limit, and I ca

My Veho 200X microscope has come up trumps again, here is the center (stigma? carpel?) of an oleander flower: Isn't it amazing?  (Since where I live there is a ton of light pollution I've turned my attention to the microsopic.)

If you are bored out of your mind with current popular music (some very skillful, but old ideas and techniques repeated ad-nauseum) have a listen to this: Hawk To The Hunting Gone by You Are Wolf (aka Kerry Andrew). Something original, new, lovely... My favourite tracks are Cuckoo (strangely happy) and Three Ravens (odd and dark). You can buy the album at from her site, look for the album Hawk To The Hunting Gone .

This morning there was a thump and rustling on the balcony and I wondered what our cat was up to. He came into the house and hid under the stairs with something small and black in his mouth. It was a tiny bird. I shooed him back out onto the balcony, He was anxious that I did not get hold of his prey and went out pretty easily. I think the bird was already dead by then. I shut the door of the kitchen and he settled down outside to eat what he'd caught. I went out later and all that was left was a tiny puddle of liquid and a feather or two. A few hours later the cat walked in and did not appear to notice a small black and white bird standing near the remains of the other bird. The live bird had thumped into the window half an hour previously, but luckily had recovered itself enough to fly away. Anyway, I thought that maybe the eaten bird was this tiny live bird's mate, and for a quarter of a second I just wanted to give up and die.

- I know that two bars of chocolate eaten together with a pot of yoghurt can solve all my problems. - You know that, like, scientifically? - I'm sure of it. - Has it worked yet? In the past I mean? - Not yet. - What do you attribute that too? The fact that it hasn't worked yet? - I didn't eat enough .

It's nice driving to work, that last part among the trees. But it is even nicer, after 4 or 5 hours programming to drive away from work, out from under the trees... (Sometimes, on really clear days, you can see the alps behind the houses)