A Love Affair & A Thank You

Well, today is the day. Not only does today mark the tenth anniversary of Carl Sagan's passing and the beginning of a new moon, it is the day that a certain someone returns from overseas and into my arms. Dr. Sagan is partly responsible for this lasting love affair of mine, and after thinking all week about what to write today for the blog-a-thon, this seems appropriate.

Cosmos first aired a year before I was born, and so I didn't come to know Carl's face until college, when my dear friend and roommate began borrowing the series from the public library on VHS. At this point, I had a couple of the doctor's books under my belt and an amateur passion about science. My introduction to the Cosmos television series coincided with the beginning of a relationship with a certain young lady, and those late nights on the living room couch - the VCR humming, Vangelis swirling about us, and Carl's entrancing enunciation - helped to seal a bond which continues to grow after four years. Dr. Sagan helped us share the wonder of existence with each other, and for this (among countless other things) I am immensely grateful to him.

Nine days ago, while daydreaming in my cubicle and chatting with Bryan H., we decided to start celebratingsagan.com in order to commemorate this important man's passing. I can't express what a fulfilling project it's been. I want to thank everyone who has contributed; I share your sentiments whole-heartedly. I also want to give a special thanks to Joel for conceiving of today's blog-a-thon, to Nick Sagan for helping to spread the word, to boingboing for their post yesterday (surely the biggest reason we've been getting so many hits), and to Ann Druyan for her encouragement.

Carl articulated something that no other scientist has managed to do. All chemistry and physics aside, WE ARE STAR STUFF. The fact of that sentence still gives me the most profound sense of security. It is a timeless four word poem for all of humanity. For an atheist like myself (albeit a reluctant one some days), reading and rereading Carl's words are akin to prayer. Feeling small, it seems to me, is the beginning of understanding the truth about who and what we are. We are star stuff. We are a way for the Cosmos to know itself.

Thank you, Carl.

Random Weekend Goodness

While celebratingsagan.com awaits its fate, I decided to go ahead and make a lazy post to lay false my claim of hiatus.

Andrew made latkes last night - the first night of the most important holiday in all of Judaism. We decided to observe, but we couldn't keep the sabbath as it's meant to be kept, we wanted some pictures. We didn't laugh at religion, with laughed with it.

It was Zack's first Chanukah so he lit the candles and improvised a blessing, then we snapped a family portrait and watched the candles burn for four hours until they were out. A lot of people don't know this, but according to the Torah, if you don't watch the candles burn all the way down on the first night of Hanukkah, the Hanukkah Frog won't come and there will be no presents. Andrew had to "pee" while we watched them burn last night and went to the bathroom despite our pleas for him to use a cup. The Frog never came. Zack cried some. If Andrew didn't want to dirty the cup he could've at least wet himself.

Now here's Bob Ross feeding a squirrel to cheer everyone up:

There's plenty more Bob Ross on youtube. Maybe there's a nice little bush right there. Maybe there are a lot of them. It doesn't matter. Let your imagination go.


And Ron Juice Links:

Did your mother have you young enough? $Dinosaur Egg Nest$ The air car (view the video), and remember Police Academy.

Hanukkah or Chanukah? Can we just pick one?

Celebrating Sagan

Get Dirty will be on hiatus for a while. With the ten year anniversary of the passing of Get Dirty Patron Saint, Carl Sagan, coming a week from today, my energy is dedicated to the new site celebratingsagan.com. Please check it out and contribute if you like. Then, on that very day, December 20th, 2006, not only will it be a new moon, but Ashuri will arrive home from her adventures beyond the great ocean in the west for the Christmas holiday. So, needless to say, I'll be away from my computer a lot more than usual. Love to all, and thanks for reading what little I post.

The Perry Bible Fellowship

Good web comics are good. Thanks Robotmessiah for keeping track of them for me.

Searching for the Wrong Eyed Jesus

On a tip from friend and father-to-be, Michael B, I watched this movie last night and insist on passing on the recommendation. It's a beautiful little documentary about the American South starring singer/songwriter Jim White and featuring the great writer Harry Crews (he steals the show). If you like, check out the trailer:
There's so much good music and gorgeous photography in this film, and, if you're like me - enjoying long shots out the passenger side of a car going fifty down a two lane road in Louisiana - it's right up your alley. Put it in your netflix queue. If you happen to have a projector handy, call me if you're screening it.