Mass Carriers and Britain from the Sky

Well, it appears that I am now a bunch of mass carriers... :)

Nothing wrong with that! In a world of computerized battling, I dominate. That being said, this is a world in which hordes of flying centipedes often randomly fly around, shooting green vomit out of their mouths, and armored tanks engage in battles with giant, glowing white men who can cast spells.

In other words, it is exactly like real life.

Well, carriers aside, I am here more to post another useless link that should keep you from doing work for at least the next few minutes:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1197898/Pictured-The-Google-Earth-alphabet-Britains-hedgerows-roads-buildings.html

You may think, well, that's not all that impressive, but one thing I have learned from working with remote sensing is... it's pretty hard to do! You've got to get those coordinates just right. In fact, one of the coolest things I have on my desk right now is a copy of something a friend of mine here at Clemson made for GIS class-- it's a similar image to the Britain one above, but instead it has "Clemson University."

So that impressed me for the day; I've heard also that Britain is currently "iced over" and that this can also be seen on Google earth. I've been meaning to check this out. Speaking of ice, I had a pretty stellar run today; it was about 24 degrees here and I didn't think that the ice storm had actually affected Clemson, but part of my run was through the back of the forest by the dikes, and there were several trees that were wearing ice jackets. When I looked up over the golf course, some of the lower Appalachians were snow-dusted. One of my favorite things about this place is how well the people know these foothills. I mentioned this afternoon to someone that I had seen the snowdusting; they asked where; I replied "on the fourth mountain over from table rock, and also the long flat one with two peaks." Immediately my respondent knew exactly what I was talking about. I thought during today's run, you know, Clemson isn't the most exciting place in the world, but its wonderfully authentic. The people who live here know this land in such an intrinsic way, and as much deer as they shoot and beer as they drink, I think there's something to be said for that.

I feel also in light of the brilliant quotes included in previous posts by Pericles I should therefore also add in a particularly awesome quote... and may I be one of the few Christian folk out there who thinks that Nietzsche, yes, Nietzsche, says one of the most beautiful lines I have ever heard:

"I still live, I still think: I still have to live, for I still have to think. Sum, ergo cogito; cogito, ergo sum. Today everybody permits himself the expression of his wish and his dearest thought; hence, I, too, shall say what it is that I wish from myself today, and what was the first thought to run across my ehart this year-- what tought shall be for me the reason, the reason, warranty, and sweetness of my life henceforth. I want to learn more and more to see as beautiful what is necessary in things; then I shall be one of those who makes things beautiful. Amor fati: let that be my love henceforth! I do not want to wage war against what is ugly. I do not want to accuse. Looking away shall be my only negation. And all and all and on the whole, someday I wish to only be a yes-sayer."

Okay, well I hope you enjoyed, and at least maybe if you hadn't heard that Nietzsche quote you thought, well, that's an interesting quote.

By the way, Rice Chex are now gluten free, and that's a big win.