(no subject)

polentaaaaaa

polenta polenta polenta polenta

mmmm, polenta

you are almost as good as cornmeal mush

(but not quite)

[LJ Genie] spare GSM?

Anyone in the bay area got a spare GSM phone (unlocked, or locked to T-Mobile) they're not using and want to get rid of / are willing to loan for a week or three?

Lemme know.

(no subject)

Frey, littermate of Odin (pictured in this icon), died last night after a struggle with kidney problems. He was in kitty hospital and being well cared for, and it sounds like he was as comfortable as he could be when he went.

He was just over 11 years old. That's a good run for a cat. I still have pictures (the printed-on-glossy-paper kind) of him and his kitten brothers and sister climbing my jeans in the kitchen when they had just learned to climb.

Goodbye, Frey. I'm glad I got to see your chubby belly again before I left the Midwest. Sleep well.

(no subject)

Viewed from human scale to city-block-scale, city streets look well-aligned, on a grid, planned out in meticulous detail. (And they are; city planners and surveyors get paid good money to ensure this.)

Viewed from slightly higher up, they look like slime molds:

A fascinating chapter from a book about our friends the Dictyostelia

Now, what I'd like to know is, what are the self-assembly rules for Dictyostelia? What kind of space do they like to have between them and their neighbors?

Well, thanks to the magic of green fluorescent protein, here's how they come together:

Also, their cell signaling has been caught and immortalized on film:

Thanks, internet!

PSA: do not expect me to be useful

My joints have decided to do that exciting grating-together thing again, and it is of course just as comfortable as ever (which is to say, no fun at all). Keeping myself fed and watered is a challenge, so right now my focus is on (1) basic life needs, (2) family stuff, and (3) work, in that order. If I have committed to doing anything in a short timeframe for you, the chances of my flaking are high.

I am loading up on glucosamine/chondroitin and hitting the NSAIDs, but if previous experience is any indicator, this'll be done with me whenever it's ready to be and not a day sooner. :-/

Hey, massage therapists: what's useful for tight muscles plus a heavy dose of O BTW YOUR JOINTS HATE U?