Comments on: Walkabout http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/01/05/walkabout/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:23:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Out West - Asymptotia http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/01/05/walkabout/#comment-153412 Out West - Asymptotia Fri, 15 Dec 2006 09:15:10 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=543#comment-153412 [...] Mostly, I just want to disappear for a while. Leave the planet for a bit and go walkabout, like I did last year’s holiday season. That might happen, but I have to be partly available for a little while fror a number of duties. Either way, I need to get out of the old mode, and into the more contemplative one. In order to begin the resetting, I decided to hide away from campus entirely and in the afternoon visit one of my other offices… the beach. [...] [...] Mostly, I just want to disappear for a while. Leave the planet for a bit and go walkabout, like I did last year’s holiday season. That might happen, but I have to be partly available for a little while fror a number of duties. Either way, I need to get out of the old mode, and into the more contemplative one. In order to begin the resetting, I decided to hide away from campus entirely and in the afternoon visit one of my other offices… the beach. [...]

]]> By: The Search for Coffee | Cosmic Variance http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/01/05/walkabout/#comment-14345 The Search for Coffee | Cosmic Variance Sun, 26 Feb 2006 05:19:20 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=543#comment-14345 [...] Saturday night, and I’m doing a bit of blogging after clearing weeds in the garden. Shouldn’t I be getting ready to go out on the town and live it up a bit? Perhaps. I’ll see how I feel in an hour or so. Let me tell you a bit more about my Taiwan wanderings. I’m cheating a bit by borrowing (heavily edited and abridged!) extracts from one of the other blogs I keep…this one being a real diary that lives on my laptop, which I started while on Walkabout as a means of clearing my head (the point of the trip), by essentially talking to myself. [...] [...] Saturday night, and I’m doing a bit of blogging after clearing weeds in the garden. Shouldn’t I be getting ready to go out on the town and live it up a bit? Perhaps. I’ll see how I feel in an hour or so. Let me tell you a bit more about my Taiwan wanderings. I’m cheating a bit by borrowing (heavily edited and abridged!) extracts from one of the other blogs I keep…this one being a real diary that lives on my laptop, which I started while on Walkabout as a means of clearing my head (the point of the trip), by essentially talking to myself. [...]

]]> By: Taipei 101 | Cosmic Variance http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/01/05/walkabout/#comment-12761 Taipei 101 | Cosmic Variance Fri, 03 Feb 2006 04:42:18 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=543#comment-12761 [...] Just when I came to the Empire State building I stopped and asked if anyone knew which was the world’s tallest building (by three of the four measures that count…so no silly communication structures…..ok Toronto?)… Actually, it did not take long to get the correct answer……after all, we are a major Pacific Rim city, and USC has a large number of asian students….. and I learned from a conversation with our President the other day that USC is one of the main US destinations for students from Taiwan. So yes. The answer was Taipei 101, which is in Taipei. I then realised that precisely one month before that very day - December 31st - I was still on my Walkabout (see also here) and I was at the top of that very building! I mentioned this to them. So it was appropriate to modify the example we were discussing to use Taipei 101 instead of the Empire State Building. [...] [...] Just when I came to the Empire State building I stopped and asked if anyone knew which was the world’s tallest building (by three of the four measures that count…so no silly communication structures…..ok Toronto?)… Actually, it did not take long to get the correct answer……after all, we are a major Pacific Rim city, and USC has a large number of asian students….. and I learned from a conversation with our President the other day that USC is one of the main US destinations for students from Taiwan. So yes. The answer was Taipei 101, which is in Taipei. I then realised that precisely one month before that very day - December 31st - I was still on my Walkabout (see also here) and I was at the top of that very building! I mentioned this to them. So it was appropriate to modify the example we were discussing to use Taipei 101 instead of the Empire State Building. [...]

]]> By: The Southern Reaches of Heaven | Cosmic Variance http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/01/05/walkabout/#comment-11922 The Southern Reaches of Heaven | Cosmic Variance Tue, 24 Jan 2006 08:47:31 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=543#comment-11922 [...] So you’ve got the idea by now (if you’ve been reading about my Walkabout) that Taiwan is wonderful for food. Taipei is said to be the most important city on the world map of Chinese cuisine for the sheer quality, quantity and variety. That may well be true enough….. [...] [...] So you’ve got the idea by now (if you’ve been reading about my Walkabout) that Taiwan is wonderful for food. Taipei is said to be the most important city on the world map of Chinese cuisine for the sheer quality, quantity and variety. That may well be true enough….. [...]

]]> By: Yellow Heaven | Cosmic Variance http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/01/05/walkabout/#comment-11774 Yellow Heaven | Cosmic Variance Sun, 22 Jan 2006 02:57:16 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=543#comment-11774 [...] Well it is a bit late, but I’ve started the task of rampant pruning and other Winter tasks in the garden. This is mostly hedges, various shrubs, a large bougainvillea bush, a couple of fig trees and roses. Then endless organic trash -leaves, berries, citrus detritus, stuff from palm trees blown off in the recent storms, more leaves- needs to be swept up. Over the time I was on Walkabout, it seems that the skunks have battered two huge holes in the back fence, and there are signs of digging everywhere. I will have to rejoin the battle with them, starting first with repairing these holes…. This whole series of things will run over at least two days. [...] [...] Well it is a bit late, but I’ve started the task of rampant pruning and other Winter tasks in the garden. This is mostly hedges, various shrubs, a large bougainvillea bush, a couple of fig trees and roses. Then endless organic trash -leaves, berries, citrus detritus, stuff from palm trees blown off in the recent storms, more leaves- needs to be swept up. Over the time I was on Walkabout, it seems that the skunks have battered two huge holes in the back fence, and there are signs of digging everywhere. I will have to rejoin the battle with them, starting first with repairing these holes…. This whole series of things will run over at least two days. [...]

]]> By: Wonderful Food on Walkabout | Cosmic Variance http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/01/05/walkabout/#comment-11228 Wonderful Food on Walkabout | Cosmic Variance Tue, 17 Jan 2006 01:44:30 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=543#comment-11228 [...] When I dream about food, a likely place to feature is Taiwan, where I was on my walkabout, as described earlier. One of the things I love about the place is the remarkable variety of high quality and delicious food which is available everywhere, and at a wide range of times of the day. I’ll focus on smaller places for now…. street food and small places selling noodles and dumplings. A typical street-food scene is something like this: [...] [...] When I dream about food, a likely place to feature is Taiwan, where I was on my walkabout, as described earlier. One of the things I love about the place is the remarkable variety of high quality and delicious food which is available everywhere, and at a wide range of times of the day. I’ll focus on smaller places for now…. street food and small places selling noodles and dumplings. A typical street-food scene is something like this: [...]

]]> By: The Curse Of The Scooter | Cosmic Variance http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/01/05/walkabout/#comment-10769 The Curse Of The Scooter | Cosmic Variance Thu, 12 Jan 2006 02:56:56 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=543#comment-10769 [...] I really love the cities I’ve visited in Taiwan on my walkabout. I’m particularly excited to see how Taipei has been transformed in so short a time by its wonderful new subway system, and I hope a similar transformation will happen here in LA, once the projects that have been put into motion come to fruition…If they do it all properly. [...] [...] I really love the cities I’ve visited in Taiwan on my walkabout. I’m particularly excited to see how Taipei has been transformed in so short a time by its wonderful new subway system, and I hope a similar transformation will happen here in LA, once the projects that have been put into motion come to fruition…If they do it all properly. [...]

]]> By: It Just Keeps Getting Better | Cosmic Variance http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/01/05/walkabout/#comment-10589 It Just Keeps Getting Better | Cosmic Variance Tue, 10 Jan 2006 15:36:38 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=543#comment-10589 [...] So to my surprise yesterday, when I went to take the bus home, a completely new bus design pulled up! It seems that while I was on walkabout, for a month, the MTA made some further improvements. [...] [...] So to my surprise yesterday, when I went to take the bus home, a completely new bus design pulled up! It seems that while I was on walkabout, for a month, the MTA made some further improvements. [...]

]]> By: Grooming for the New Semester | Cosmic Variance http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/01/05/walkabout/#comment-10469 Grooming for the New Semester | Cosmic Variance Mon, 09 Jan 2006 06:31:41 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=543#comment-10469 [...] Why am I telling you this? It’s just because I thought of it this afternoon while I got ready for the new semester starting tomorrow. I was in the middle of a haircut, which involves two mirrors, lots of newspaper on the floor, and a cetain amount of spatial perception and dexterity to get everything right. (Yes, I cut my own hair, what’s the big deal?….. Oh, maybe that’s why he’s single….again). I’d left my hair to grow long (for me) over the last walkabout month, and a serious beard has also appeared. Had to get cleaned up as I could not really turn up on campus looking all shaggy like I’m still on a camping trip. [...] [...] Why am I telling you this? It’s just because I thought of it this afternoon while I got ready for the new semester starting tomorrow. I was in the middle of a haircut, which involves two mirrors, lots of newspaper on the floor, and a cetain amount of spatial perception and dexterity to get everything right. (Yes, I cut my own hair, what’s the big deal?….. Oh, maybe that’s why he’s single….again). I’d left my hair to grow long (for me) over the last walkabout month, and a serious beard has also appeared. Had to get cleaned up as I could not really turn up on campus looking all shaggy like I’m still on a camping trip. [...]

]]> By: Back To The Future | Cosmic Variance http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/01/05/walkabout/#comment-10193 Back To The Future | Cosmic Variance Fri, 06 Jan 2006 23:56:00 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=543#comment-10193 [...] For my walkabout, I went Back To The Future. [...] [...] For my walkabout, I went Back To The Future. [...]

]]> By: Clifford http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/01/05/walkabout/#comment-10192 Clifford Fri, 06 Jan 2006 23:33:26 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=543#comment-10192 Bugger.... those CV readers are everywhere. In fact, I guessed you were a CV reader since when I borrowed your computer terminal that time to send a printout of a paper from hep-th, I accidentally noticed that the URL for CV was among the recent pages visited in your browser. I decided not to say anything. Well, pleased to meet you, David! Thanks for not blowing my cover when I was fully "in hiding" as it were. -cvj Bugger…. those CV readers are everywhere. In fact, I guessed you were a CV reader since when I borrowed your computer terminal that time to send a printout of a paper from hep-th, I accidentally noticed that the URL for CV was among the recent pages visited in your browser. I decided not to say anything.

Well, pleased to meet you, David! Thanks for not blowing my cover when I was fully “in hiding” as it were.

-cvj

]]> By: serial catowner http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/01/05/walkabout/#comment-10176 serial catowner Fri, 06 Jan 2006 16:51:05 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=543#comment-10176 You say walkabout, I think...Jenny Agutter. I'm guessing you wouldn't be back so soon if she had been your discovery. My dad grew a beard while he was in the South Pacific (WW II-related stuff.) Said it came out straggly and every color of the rainbow. Made him a lifelong devotee of the electric shaver. You say walkabout, I think…Jenny Agutter. I’m guessing you wouldn’t be back so soon if she had been your discovery.

My dad grew a beard while he was in the South Pacific (WW II-related stuff.) Said it came out straggly and every color of the rainbow. Made him a lifelong devotee of the electric shaver.

]]> By: amy http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/01/05/walkabout/#comment-10175 amy Fri, 06 Jan 2006 16:18:22 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=543#comment-10175 Welcome back! There's a speaking invitation for a women in physics conference awaiting you in your inbox. (To talk about your research, not women in physics). I thought I might try this route as I've been told that you read your blog. While I'm at it, some others might be interested to know about our conference, so here's the link: http://physics.usc.edu/~wiphys/conference.html Welcome back! There’s a speaking invitation for a women in physics conference awaiting you in your inbox. (To talk about your research, not women in physics). I thought I might try this route as I’ve been told that you read your blog.

While I’m at it, some others might be interested to know about our conference, so here’s the link: http://physics.usc.edu/~wiphys/conference.html

]]> By: David http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/01/05/walkabout/#comment-10169 David Fri, 06 Jan 2006 10:27:01 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=543#comment-10169 Hmm, let me guess, it wouldn't have been Taiwan by any chance? Actually I'm pretty sure it was. And how might I know this? Well, for a couple of days I had the honor of sharing an office with the man himself in the physics dept of National Taiwan University... Little did he know that he was cohabiting with a CV reader and fan... I didn't say anything at the time, since I sort of had the impression that he was there to get away from it all (why else would anyone be spending the xmas-new year period in Taiwan - unless they had local connections as in my case). So I'll take this opportunity to say, belatedly: Hi Clifford! (And yes, i can confirm that he was sporting a beard; didn't notice any gray though...) Hmm, let me guess, it wouldn’t have been Taiwan by any chance? Actually I’m pretty sure it was. And how might I know this? Well, for a couple of days I had the honor of sharing an office with the man himself in the physics dept of National Taiwan University… Little did he know that he was cohabiting with a CV reader and fan…
I didn’t say anything at the time, since I sort of had the impression that he was there to get away from it all (why else would anyone be spending the xmas-new year period in Taiwan - unless they had local connections as in my case). So I’ll take this opportunity to say, belatedly: Hi Clifford!
(And yes, i can confirm that he was sporting a beard; didn’t notice any gray though…)

]]> By: Moshe http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/01/05/walkabout/#comment-10161 Moshe Fri, 06 Jan 2006 02:31:33 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=543#comment-10161 Welcome back Clifford, you were missed (my high school English teacher insisted I use the passive tense whenever appropriate...) Welcome back Clifford, you were missed (my high school English teacher insisted I use the passive tense whenever appropriate…)

]]> By: LambchopofGod http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/01/05/walkabout/#comment-10159 LambchopofGod Fri, 06 Jan 2006 01:33:02 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=543#comment-10159 Welcome back cvj...however I am a bit perturbed that you think it necessary to assure us that you got a lot of work done...a one-month vacation is not considered particularly sinful or even unusual in civilized parts of the world, and obviously you earned it....also, "Kung Fu" was far indeed from being a bad TV show! Compare it with the stupid nonsense on TV today, for instance..... Welcome back cvj…however I am a bit perturbed that you think it necessary to assure us that you got a lot of work done…a one-month vacation is not considered particularly sinful or even unusual in civilized parts of the world, and obviously you earned it….also, “Kung Fu” was far indeed from being a bad TV show! Compare it with the stupid nonsense on TV today, for instance…..

]]> By: Clifford http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/01/05/walkabout/#comment-10158 Clifford Fri, 06 Jan 2006 00:49:30 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=543#comment-10158 (Somewhere.....waiting for the next leg of my tranport home.....remarkably there is a wireless connection...) Athena, erc :- can you really be sure that I was not in Durham? I have a "stealth" mode, you know. Janet, you're good! I did not think that anyone else would get that first line's reference. It is one of my favourites of the whole set of books, and I've been known to burst into tears on encountering it after yet another re-read of the books. Plato, David, Ick of the East, Joe, Plato, Amara : - Interesting. But I swear the police have me mixed up with that famous actor who was visiting there around the same time. (Psssst! They didn't find a trumpet under the bed as well did they?) Wolfgang: I tried to explore the landscape, and even bring back some pics to show everyone.....but large parts of it sort of kept shimmering and disappearing.... apparently they were mirages..... I wonder if its all like that? Paul: Hmmmm.....I never got the call from the producers about that. But you know that can't be right as I'd be voted off the island (out of the house..... whatever) within a few days. I wouldn't last a month. Levi, Dissident, bittergraduatestudent :- nice choices. Count, Sean, Elliot :- also interesting...... Everyone: Thanks for welcoming me back! -cvj (Somewhere…..waiting for the next leg of my tranport home…..remarkably there is a wireless connection…)

Athena, erc :- can you really be sure that I was not in Durham? I have a “stealth” mode, you know.

Janet, you’re good! I did not think that anyone else would get that first line’s reference. It is one of my favourites of the whole set of books, and I’ve been known to burst into tears on encountering it after yet another re-read of the books.

Plato, David, Ick of the East, Joe, Plato, Amara : - Interesting. But I swear the police have me mixed up with that famous actor who was visiting there around the same time. (Psssst! They didn’t find a trumpet under the bed as well did they?)

Wolfgang: I tried to explore the landscape, and even bring back some pics to show everyone…..but large parts of it sort of kept shimmering and disappearing…. apparently they were mirages….. I wonder if its all like that?

Paul: Hmmmm…..I never got the call from the producers about that. But you know that can’t be right as I’d be voted off the island (out of the house….. whatever) within a few days. I wouldn’t last a month.

Levi, Dissident, bittergraduatestudent :- nice choices.

Count, Sean, Elliot :- also interesting……

Everyone: Thanks for welcoming me back!

-cvj

]]> By: janet http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/01/05/walkabout/#comment-10155 janet Thu, 05 Jan 2006 23:17:51 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=543#comment-10155 Given the opening line of the post, I'm guessing the Grey Havens. Cirdan the Shipwright wouldn't give you passage, eh? Given the opening line of the post, I’m guessing the Grey Havens. Cirdan the Shipwright wouldn’t give you passage, eh?

]]> By: Count Iblis http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/01/05/walkabout/#comment-10154 Count Iblis Thu, 05 Jan 2006 22:50:23 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=543#comment-10154 <a href="http://www.earth.rochester.edu/pmag/arctic/arctic2000/Arctic2000-5.html" rel="nofollow">This is my guess</a> <blockquote> The center of town, like any good crossroads, has a mileage marker pointing toward various destinations. You get the feeling that you are a long way from the rest of the world.</blockquote> :) They have a <a href="http://www.resolutebay.com/" rel="nofollow">hotel</a> with <a href="http://www.resolutebay.com/resolute-bay-hotel-services.htm" rel="nofollow">internet connection</a> <a href="http://www.arcticcircle.ca/Baffin/Res/page_01.htm" rel="nofollow">Some more pics</a> Perhaps Clifford likes this place so much now that he will organise a string theory conference there :) This is my guess

The center of town, like any good crossroads, has a mileage marker pointing toward various destinations. You get the feeling that you are a long way from the rest of the world.

:)

They have a hotel with internet connection

Some more pics

Perhaps Clifford likes this place so much now that he will organise a string theory conference there :)

]]> By: wolfgang http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/01/05/walkabout/#comment-10153 wolfgang Thu, 05 Jan 2006 22:49:32 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=543#comment-10153 Clifford, I assume you were wandering around in the Landscape 8-) Looking forward to your posts ... Clifford,

I assume you were wandering around in the Landscape 8-)
Looking forward to your posts …

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