I am in Los Angeles, fighting against the forces of evil. The above photo was taken during one of my training sessions with Cadet Flanagan. In order to develop as many random skills as possible, one must be open-minded about occasionally fighting off-planet, even if it's far outside our territory and may cost the lives of many tiny, green, three-eyed men. But I admit I can't feel too bad; they're soulless puppets living their fake plastic lives in hollow hope of becoming one of the billions of images that flicker across a squarish electric box. Truly alien.

I'm having a great time. I hope you are, also.

[assignment: Brief History of My Experience With Science Fiction and Fantasy, or, Would You Like To Know More? completed well ahead of schedule]

As I look back on my academic misadventures, I realize that I have the dubious distinction of being sent to the principal's office in elementary, middle, and even high school for thought crimes.

Well, not exactly thought crimes. They weren't even my thoughts. They were other people's thoughts and I just found them to be much more interesting and informative than the majority of the subjects my teachers prattled on about.

I would consistently get in trouble for reading in class. Much of what I read was science fiction, fantasy, mythology, and a brief flurry of "young adult" pulp thriller type novels (i.e., Christopher Pike.) I wasn't much of a discriminate reader; I didn't even think to look for specific authors. A sticker on the spine of a little rocketship circling a planet was enough to get my attention.

Still, a few novels stood out. Dune, Dragonlance (Dragons of [season]'s [time of day]), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Lord of the Rings (although I admit skipping the poetry the first time), The Chronicles of Narnia, Slaughterhouse 5, and a lot of Ray Bradbury.

Today, I am enamored of China Mieville (who I believe is the exception to Dr. Cook's rule against mixing fantasy and science fiction), the graphic novel Transmetropolitan, the cancelled but still alive in our hearts animated series Futurama, and I just finished Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson and it was even better than Diamond Age.

I've attended a few Comic-Cons in San Diego and spoken (albeit briefly) to Greg Keyes, Ray Bradbury, David X. Cohen.

Our culture is living science fiction. I often go to technovelgy.com to see which fantastic ideas have become reality while I slept. Science fiction, and writers who choose to convery how technology can be catalyst and crucible of the human condition, may prove to be the next great force that shapes American culture.

Well, besides the internet, I mean.

I'm a bit intimidated right now. I'm working from 6:30 am to 11:30 am with my classes in the afternoon and evenings. It's not too bad; my latest class ends at 7:30 but it's only one day a week. What worries me is...the reading. There's going to be a lot of reading. I'm a good reader, but a novel a week on top of everything else may prove a bit tricky. Of course, I can always stay home on weekends and curl up with my homework. I mean, I think I can. It's been done before, I should say. Not by me, really, but I've heard others have done it.

My science/writing ambitions seem to be taking me all over the place. My schedule of classes sort of fell together of its own accord. I'm taking Statistics for the Biosciences (or "Damned Lies For Godless, Baby-eating Liberals"), History of Medicine (such as the origins of the Hippopotamus Oath), the Politics of Women's Health (Desperate Pharmacist's Wives), Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy (or Damned Lies for Friendless, Cheeto-eating Role-playing-gamers), and Eco-Literature (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal Stories).

Hence the reading. Statistics seems to be the only class that requires counting, so I'm sure I'll be fine.

The Politics of Women's Health is a small class with pre-med, graduate, and honors students in the majority. We even have one student purusing her doctorate. All are female. There is one other male in the class, but he is considerably older and in a wheelchair so he won't be much help if the women turn on us. In that event, my plan is to just run for it. Sorry, other guy, I will leave a man behind. I'm Army trained, and we, in fact, leave men behind like breadcrumbs.

You know you have a good schedule when most of your professors incorporate casual swearing into their lectures.

I am now pursuing a double major in Biology and Society and Creative Writing.

It was bound to happen eventually.

Good guesses, everyone, but no gummy worms for you, sour or otherwise. Jess came close by recognizing it as a medieval labyrinth.

I was surprised no one thought to image search "fig043.jpg" which brings it up on page one. But it's too late now; in the future I will change the image name for all my photo quizzes.

This labyrinth comes from the Lucca Cathedral in Italy. I was pleased when I delved into the history of the design I chose. It is a finger labyrinth and in the stylized design one follows the black, not the space between.

Strictly speaking, labyrinths are not mazes. There aren't any wrong turns or dead ends. The choices are: go forward, go back, or go nowhere. The goal is to reach the center (be it minotaur or David Bowie) and then return with the experience and knowledge acquired from the journey.

So it's about going on the grand adventure, but it's also about coming home to tell your mom about it.

Also, as far as my views on suffering, I think I understand what the Catholics were going for. Essentially, suffering sucks but it is inevitable (for whatever reason (desire, original sin, being human)) and in light of this, it would be wasteful to pass up a chance for reflection during this time. You know, like peeing in the shower, but in a more spiritual sense.

Goodnight everybody.

"What would your life be like if from this moment forth you regarded your sufferings as refinements? Then the image of sacrifice and refinement would work deep in your mind and soul. The suffering, which is inevitable, would be the vehicle for the recasting of your nature. Then pathos might becomes mythos, and instead of suffering in the school of hard knocks, you would find yourself whipped into consecrated shape, becoming a Grail instead of a crushed plastic cup."

Jean Houston, from The Search for the Beloved.






I've decided to get a labyrinth tattooed on my back. I've been looking at labyrinths for hours and I've selected this one. Guess which labyrinth it is and I will give you a dollar or a bag of sour gummy worms. Your choice.

Also, I've learned that "labyrinth" is one of those words which start to seem mispelled if you look it at too many times.

I picked a few random quotes fromhere that reflect some of the things I feel about stuff.

"There are people whom one loves immediately and forever. Even to know they are alive in the world with one is quite enough."

Nancy Spain

"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers."

Charles W. Eliot (1834 - 1926),

"There is nothing glorious in dying, anyone can do it."

John Lydon

"Wonder is the beginning of wisdom."

Greek Proverb

"I was born not knowing and have only had a little time to change that here and there."

Richard Feynman (1918 - 1988)

"First things first, but not necessarily in that order."

Doctor Who

"The intelligent man finds almost everything ridiculous, the sensible man hardly anything."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

"See first, think later, then test. But always see first. Otherwise you will only see what you were expecting. Most scientists forget that."

Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001)

"Speech is the mirror of the mind.
(Imago Animi Sermo Est)"

Seneca (5 BC - 65 AD)

My body hurts. At work, I move hundreds of pounds of industrial equipment a day. It comes in all shapes and sizes but most are big and awkward. The problem seems to be that I am capable of manipulating more weight than my joints, tendons, and ligaments are used to dealing with.

Muscle growing faster than ligaments and tendons? I'm really starting to doubt this whole "Intelligent Design" idea...