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vanizeSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA


Posted:
Well, since so many people had their intro threads wiped out and are starting new ones, I figure I could use these events to start my own, ultra-untimely intro, seeing as how I've been around HoP for like 3 years.



So then:



Name: Vance

Alias: Van, Vanize, Add, Zaidou (my 'African' name) ... oh, and I almost forgot, Pixie Banger! (don't ask if you don't really want to know).

Age: 34 (35 now)

Location: Potchefstroom, South Africa (WSW of Jo'berg) presently. Grew up in Houston, Texas. Most of my Family lives in Austin, Texas. I'm moving to Berlin, Germany in January for 2 years. (ok, been in Berlin for a year now)

Favourite Toys: sailboats (been sailing 29 years), surfboards (been surfing 19 years), poi (3.5 years) (almost 5 years now)

Occupation: Reasearch scientist (Ph.D. in space physics)

Hobbies: Too many - sailing, surfing, poi, scale models, travelling, collecting stamps and paper money from places I visit, Dungeons & Dragons, SCUBA diving, tropical fish, reading, painting, drawing, getting projects ready for Burningman, ....

Your favourite website/s: www.burningman.com

Music: I'll listen to most anything except modern country music. My favorites are classical (e.g. vivaldi, beethoven), trance, classic rock (led zep, hendrix, beatles), and what used to be called alternative (foo fighters, pixies, whale, ...)

Movies: blade runner (director's cut), strictly ballroom, band of brothers (more like a mini series I guess), amelie, ... er, I know there are more, but I can't think of them just now.

Books: mostly sci-fi, fantasy, and history.

Philosophy: Technological Gaiaism, Quantum Fatalism

Favourite Colour: Burgandy ( sorry Alice!)

Favourite Quote/Saying:

From a movie: "Gentleman, we have a blind date with destiny, and she just ordered the lobster!" - the Shoveler (Mystery Men).

From literature: "The great tragedy of life is not that men perish, but that they cease to love" - W. Somerset Maughn

From personal life: "I was just telling Sara K. that I have no particular segway between being stone cold sober and really wasted. Then she kicked her glass of water across the room..." - Zouwera (Christmas day, 2002, west africa)



So that is that. We'll see if it goes anywhere, eh?


EDITED_BY: vanize (1111489303)

-v-

Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!


vanizeSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA


Posted:
You are so not going to beleive me, but I had dinner with Carl Sagan once in my parents house. He was friends with my father back in the day (my father was also an astronomer, whose named happened to be Karl), and he dropped by for old times sake. I can't remember how old I was though - somewhere between 7 and 10 I think.

-v-

Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!


MikeGinnyGOLD Member
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA


Posted:
1) You f#¢king b@$†@rd butt-munching ho. (No, I'm not jealous...) wink

2) Was he cool?

-Mike

Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella



A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura


vanizeSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA


Posted:
frankly I don't remember too much about the visit. I do remember he talked to me for a little while, which was more than most of my father's professional friends ever did. I know my dad liked him. My father made it a point to make everyone in the family watch every episode of the cosmos TV series because it was kind of a personal thing I think. They had more than a bit in common, as they were both sort of ex-astronomers. Sagan sort of became an outcast from the serious astronomer community because of his efforts to popularize the field with the tv series and books and other stuff he did (astronomers these days revere him for doing it, as the public support it helped create saved their funding in the end, but back then they just looked at him as a sell-out). My father sort of quit the astronomy community to become an astronaut, and in some ways met with the same attitude from former associates.

-v-

Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!


vanizeSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA


Posted:
vanize has expanded the beach bar to include a convinience store based on the barter system

There! the rules for the convience store is that if you need something for a party or whatever in someone else's thread, you just pick up what you need here and leave note saying what you took and what you left in trade so that I can keep track of my inventory.

Thanks
-the management

vanize grabs a liter of milk for cookies in pounce's thread and takes off

-v-

Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!


telicI don't want a title.
940 posts

Posted:
eek

My dream relationship is described in part by Carl Sagan, on p159 of my edition of Contact: " 'Let's see if I've got this straight,' he returned. It was a phrase of hers that he had adopted. 'It's a lazy Saturday afternoon, and there's this couple lying naked in bed reading the Encyclopaedia Britannica to each other, and arguing about whether the Andromeda Galaxy is more numinous than the Resurrection. Do they know how to have a good time, or don't they?' "

Next, you'll tell us you've had dinner with Douglas Hofstadter, my childhood hero.

E pluribus unum, baby.


vanizeSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA


Posted:
Quote:

Next, you'll tell us you've had dinner with Douglas Hofstadter, my childhood hero.





Nope, can't honestly claim that one. Sorry

-v-

Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!


MikeGinnyGOLD Member
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA


Posted:
Quote:

My dream relationship is described in part by Carl Sagan, on p159 of my edition of Contact: " 'Let's see if I've got this straight,' he returned. It was a phrase of hers that he had adopted. 'It's a lazy Saturday afternoon, and there's this couple lying naked in bed reading the Encyclopaedia Britannica to each other, and arguing about whether the Andromeda Galaxy is more numinous than the Resurrection. Do they know how to have a good time, or don't they?' "




Find me THAT partner. *sigh*

-Mike

Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella



A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura


vanizeSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA


Posted:
numinous

SYLLABICATION: nu·mi·nous

PRONUNCIATION: AUDIO: nm-ns, ny- KEY

ADJECTIVE: 1. Of or relating to a numen; supernatural.

2. Filled with or characterized by a sense of a supernatural presence: a numinous place.

3. Spiritually elevated; sublime.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin nmen, nmin-, numen.



From that set of definitions, I would have to say the resurrection wins for more numinous in definitions 1 and 2. The resurrection, should it occur, would definitely be more supernatural than the andromeda galaxy. However, by definition 3, I would say that the Andromeda galaxy is more numinous. It is certainly more sublime (Sublime:1. Characterized by nobility; majestic. 2. Inspiring awe; impressive.) than the resurrection, the latter being merely a human invention designed to make us feel better about dying. In fact, now that I put it that way, I think the andromeda galaxy wins on all counts, even though there is nothing supernatural about it, since there is nothing supernatural about people inventing a nice story to feel better about death either.



vanize, having made his point, fluffs pillow and lays back on the bed with hands behind his head, looking sidelong at Regyt and Lightning

-v-

Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!


telicI don't want a title.
940 posts

Posted:
::resists urge to molest vanize with great difficulty::



I agree with your analysis of definition 3. Likewise, under definition 2, I find that the andromeda galaxy evokes more of a sense of the supernatural in me than the resurrection. However, under definition 1, I think the rationale needs to be slightly different. Your argument only holds if we're discussing the idea of the resurrection - I was under the impression that we were referring the resurrection itself, assuming it came about. If it came out, it would be as related to the natural world as the andromeda galaxy and therefore of equal, not lesser, numinosity. Oh, and - I have never wanted you more.



Lightning, you sure you can't be bi? (Just teasing! ~.^ ) What a threesome that would be... ubblove

E pluribus unum, baby.


MikeGinnyGOLD Member
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA


Posted:
Well, my argument is a bit simpler. The Resurrection, being a supernatural event, is more numinous than the Andromeda galaxy, a collection of stars.

THAT SAID, because I do not believe that the Resurrection actually ever occurred, it cannot be numinous because it does not and has never existed. Thus, the Andromeda galaxy wins by default.

However, if the Resurrection had occurred, then it would win.

And Regyt, that threesome would be...numinous beyond all the galaxies and Biblical tales that exist.

-Mike

Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella



A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura


vanizeSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA


Posted:
well, if we assume that the resurrection does in fact occur, then I will concur that under definition 1, the resurection would actually be more numinous from almost any current human viewpoint. Then, from definition 2, things would be debateable, and opinions would likely fall along religious lines. However, being rather irreligious, I would still find myself thinking the resurrection was filled or characterized by a supernatural presence were I to actually observe it. Observing M31 (Andromeda) on the otherhand;

Non-Https Image Link

I find not so much a sense of the supernatural, but rather a sense of how super nature is.

-v-

Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!


MikeGinnyGOLD Member
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA


Posted:
Amazing. An entire galaxy made up of millions (billions?) of stars. All neatly packaged into a phtograph maybe 10 centimeters on a side.

And in the galaxy, how many of those suns have worlds that circle them? And how many might harbor life? And how many of those might harbor intelligence?

When I look up at Andromeda, is someone looking back?

-Mike

Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella



A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura


DentrassiGOLD Member
ZORT!
3,045 posts
Location: Brisbane, Australia


Posted:
ouch. my head hurts.

so what are you researching in space physics? i took a semester of basic astronomy for my science degree which was pretty easy and fun.[doing chemical eng. + science [chemistry] double degree at sydney uni].
but for the big essay at the end, i chose the really hard stupid option for the one on gamma ray bursts. it was absolutely fascinating. it was soon apparent that most sources of info are 1/2 page summaries that dont actually tell you anything, so i ended up working everything out from abstracts from the astrophysical journal. it was great fun! i didnt go into the maths at all [shudder!], but just focused on the theoretical models for GRBs.
it made me remember how much i enjoyed astronomy and physics!

cheers. beerchug


"Here kitty kitty...." - Schroedinger.


telicI don't want a title.
940 posts

Posted:
Lightning makes the right point, I think. The potential for sentient life. What strikes you as more supernatural - a deity, or the ability to realize that 1 + 1 = 2 and that there is a me to think about it? Supernatural is generally defined as miraculous... and I think that sentient life is more miraculous than a deity. Big daddy in the sky creates the world? Big deal. ::shrug:: But a kid understanding how grammar applies to nonsense words, that's a miracle.

E pluribus unum, baby.


vanizeSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA


Posted:
I don't see life as supernatural, but rather an inevitable expression of entropy.



Quote:

When I look up at Andromeda, is someone looking back?




It is beyond doubt in my mind. Life must be common. Sentient life may be rare, but life in its basic forms must surely exist virtually everywhere that is capable of supporting it. I am convinced of this. The more we study the origins of life, the more we see that the universe is filled with the basic building blocks in abundance, and the more we see how easily life springs forth from them. At every turn, we find the most inhospitiable enviroments on our Earth are still teaming with life. RNA is easily produced in a lab trying to simulate primordial conditions on Earth.



But even if sentient life is increadibly rare, it must happen since we are here, and in nature, nothing ever happens once. If it happens at all, it happens over and over again.



Quote:

An entire galaxy made up of millions (billions?) of stars.




Our galaxy contains about 300 Billion stars. 30 Billion of those are more or less like our Sun. Our best estimate (which is starting to look fairly resoanble) is that about 1.5 billion of those are fairly sure have planets around them (perhaps more, but probably not less).



Andromeda is considerably bigger than the milky way, so there are certainly billions of places there for life to have a chance to exist.



there are roughly as many galaxies in the observable universe as there are stars in the milky way.



All in all, It is thought that there are about 70 sextillion - or 70 thousand million million million - observable stars within the range of our telescopes. That is about ten times the number of all the grains of sand on all the beaches and deserts of Earth combined.



life does exist elsewhere. intelligent life does exist elsewhere. to think otherwise is to be so incredibly self centered and willfully blind to the facts as to border on clinical insanity. It is literally impossible for us to be unique in something so immense.

-v-

Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!


vanizeSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA


Posted:
Hi Dentrassi!

I am currently researching the effect the heliosphere has on the modulation (variability of observed intensities) of cosmic rays during the various parts of the solar cycle. Since I am studying the lower energy range of cosmic rays in the electron form, I am also closely studying the production of high energy electrons in the Jovian magnetosphere (they overlap).



I did my PhD on electron density variations within the terrestrial magnetosphere due to solar coronal mass ejections and geomagnetic storms.



My next job that I am starting in Germany in January will be on the variability of the Earth's extreme upper atmosphere during changing solar conditions and the effects this has on objects in low Earth orbit (say, like the international space station).

-v-

Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!


GnorBRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
5,814 posts
Location: Perth, Australia


Posted:
all that and you have seen men without hats in concert..

Ive found my moving buddy ubblove.....(I love pixar films) biggrin

In awe
Gnor

Is it the Truth?
Is it Fair to all concerned?
Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?

Im in a lonely battle with the world with a fish to match the chip on my shoulder. Gnu in Binnu in a cnu


vanizeSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA


Posted:
Quote:

I love pixar films




me too! I realy adore their shorts especially. Finding Nemo was only just last week released in South Africa. I had a hard time being patient or its release after hearing everyone talk about it.

-v-

Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!


GnorBRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
5,814 posts
Location: Perth, Australia


Posted:
The bloopers at the end were pretty spesh.....
..Mulan is another good one and of course Shrek ubblol

Is it the Truth?
Is it Fair to all concerned?
Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?

Im in a lonely battle with the world with a fish to match the chip on my shoulder. Gnu in Binnu in a cnu


PheonnexxBRONZE Member
member
89 posts
Location: Plymouth, UK


Posted:
Shrek was fantastic and finding nemo was well funny i saw that with my little sister i think the seagulls and the turtles were the best oh and the fish that had an obsession with the bubbles.

Burn !


vanizeSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA


Posted:
why... you're a girl dragon... I mean, of course your a girl dragon!

I should post that to rouge dragon's intro.

-v-

Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!


DeepSoulSheepGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
2,617 posts
Location: Berlin, Ireland


Posted:
I haven't seen Shrek. I heard it's good....is it true that Princess Fiona turned out to be evil in the end?

I live in a world of infinite possibilities.


vanizeSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA


Posted:
aren't all women evil? wink

but really, you wouldn't want us to spoil the story for you, would you?

-v-

Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!


SpitFireGOLD Member
Mand's Girl....and The Not So Shy One
2,723 posts
Location: Calgary, Alberta Canada


Posted:
No...not all women are evil.....just some of 'em. biggrin

Solitude sometimes speaks to you, and you should listen.


vanizeSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA


Posted:
oh, right... thanks for keeping things in perspective.

-v-

Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!


SpitFireGOLD Member
Mand's Girl....and The Not So Shy One
2,723 posts
Location: Calgary, Alberta Canada


Posted:
That's what I'm here for, dear. ;-)

Solitude sometimes speaks to you, and you should listen.


pounceSILVER Member
All the neurotic makings of America's lesser known sweetheart
9,831 posts
Location: body in Las Vegas, heart all around the world, USA


Posted:
yes but i'm sure you enjoy some of us evil women. at least when we spank you eek

spank spank spank spank

**giggles**

I was always scared with my mother's obsession with the good scissors. It made me wonder if there were evil scissors lurking in the house somewhere.

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.

**giggles**


SpitFireGOLD Member
Mand's Girl....and The Not So Shy One
2,723 posts
Location: Calgary, Alberta Canada


Posted:
I'm...not sure Vanize is one to want to get spanked...I could be wrong, but....

Solitude sometimes speaks to you, and you should listen.


spritieSILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
2,014 posts
Location: Galveston, TX, USA


Posted:
If cute womens are doing it, he just might like it biggrin

pounceSILVER Member
All the neurotic makings of America's lesser known sweetheart
9,831 posts
Location: body in Las Vegas, heart all around the world, USA


Posted:
ooh ooh ooh, am i cute enough?? i wanna spank him!!! spank

or perhaps a whipping?
Non-Https Image Link


**giggles**

I was always scared with my mother's obsession with the good scissors. It made me wonder if there were evil scissors lurking in the house somewhere.

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons for you are crunchy and good with ketchup.

**giggles**


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