moving...moving...moving!

i'm moving tammytoes to wordpress. because it rocks amillionpercent harder than any other blog platform out there. see ya, blogger! it's been superfun - but we're BREAKING UP.

check out the new site:

tammytoes.wordpress.com

rad! can i get an amen?

.... hat tip to design ranger chris s. who informed my idiotic ass that i could import the WHOLE DANG THANG to wordpress by pressing a single magic button ...

last days of work, 600 mile drive

First I sang Lita Ford to my co-workers. Then I sang Buffy with a crowd. Realized for the first time that some of this staff have become my best friends. Wished that I'd realized that a long time ago. Cleaned out my car for the last time. A sweet man who does equations for a living but who looks like an Italian race car driver wished me a wonderful, restful trip.

I made to the plains.

Plotted relationships between landscape, time and zombies. Thanked the universe for always sending a Journey song to the radio when I needed one (this time, in Abilene). Called Zeke the Killer from a display of Louis L'Amour novels in Salina. Decided that this is the first time I've truly been excited about what I'm doing for work since I started the grad school application process exactly a decade ago. Hugged my parents and talked about their new plans to disembark from Kansas in a few years. And made a short to-do list on my way to bed that read: do a fuckton of sit-ups, take the dog for a walk, write this down, get clients, go to sleep. And to sleep I went.

tammytoes does tetris

I'm sad that it took me this long to discover one of Denver's finest events, the monthly Tetris tournament at Forest Room 5. Featuring big screen Tetris action, overpriced drinks, super fly folks and the most complex Xcel bracket program on the face of the planet (not to mention the best Tetris players I've ever met), the competition was the most awesome entertainment I've had in a long time.

Speed Tetris is pure Tetris: it's all about making the lines. I was unprepared for the lightning speed of the better players, and their ability to make creative and complex choices. I feel like I made a pretty respectable rookie appearance, but I would need to do some serious practice in order to be a contender.

Writing would cheapen the epic magnitude of the event, so I'll let the tourney web site speak for itself. In addition, you can check out films of the matches here, thanks to Joe. Unfortunately, Joe's camera battery ran out before the final match between Vinnie and Paul G., which featured a jaw-dropping come-from-behind finish. However, there are some pretty good matches in this set.

My films show spirited, but lackluster play. It's pretty clear when I choked in both of my last two matches. My favorite part is Joe's running commentary. And the comments of the crowd. I would study these in detail and track down an old Super Nintendo in anticipation of August's event if I was staying in Denver, but alas.

Anyone in NYC fancy a game of Tetris?

stupid string theorists

This article on Higgs boson research, the particle accelerator race, and blogs in the physics universe caught my eye this morning. Mostly because I realized that the last time I thought about the Higgs boson was in 6th grade, and also because the fact that I thought about the Standard Model, heavy matter and the like in 6th grade is really, really bizarre. Over the years, I've re-engaged with the physics world as a casual reader and participant in the whole post-posty humanities embrace of quantum-through-the-looking-glass theory gobbledygook, but when I get psyched up by reading an article like this, I realize that I still find hard science pretty sexy.

One of my favorite moments here is science smack talk:

"Now with blogs even string theorists who can’t spell Higgs became immediately aware of inside information about D Zero data.”

Fucking string theorists and their fucking blogs.

Also very interested in this blog noted in the article. Might add it to my regular blog reader.

...a case of the sunday night hmmmmms...

there are lots and lots and lots of questions that have plagued me over the years, but the one that occurs to me right now is this:

how DO you solve a problem like Maria?

got any ideas?