Animals
This is a brief summary of things I enjoy during the few minutes each day that I'm not an astronomer. For those who are interested in my research, I have links to my CV and research pages below.
Animals
I enjoy being with animals, and I will often ask pet owners if I can pet their
dog or cat. I also pet-sit for some of my friends and coworkers. By the way,
check out Bill Sebok's page. He
has LOTS of pictures of his ferrets (I even looked after some of them once!).
I also enjoy maintaining an aquarium of fish, and you can catch some of my
cheap advice on my aquarium page. I really enjoy
caring for fish, and I find them relaxing to watch.
Calligraphy
I also enjoy doing calligraphy, and I used to do a lot of calligraphy for
church groups, weddings, and a variety of ceremonial occasions. These days,
I'm very crunched for time, so I only get to do small pieces. However, I enjoy
the chance to do something artistic as a break from heavy analytical work.
Cartoons
I love cartoons, particularly the Bugs Bunny cartoons. My favorite character
is Marvin the Martian, and my bedroom is full of Marvin stuff. I also never
tire of the Coyote and Roadrunner, and I think the themes in those segments
are absolutely timeless. Who do you feel sorrier for - the Coyote or the
Roadrunner?
Mosaics
I've recently taken up glass mosaic art, and I have found it to be a lot
of fun. I've recently completed my first piece, a mosaic mirror, and
I've received many compliments on it. I'll soon be making a glass mosaic
table. I learned glass mosaics from Alex Eusebi at
DeCola and Eusebi Studio
in Austin, TX.
Reading
While I don't have lots of time for pleasure reading, I enjoy reading a
smattering of books. I enjoy retellings of well-known tales from different
perspectives (e.g. The Mists of Avalon). I also love learning, and I
am finding that as I get older, I'm enjoying non-fiction more than fiction
(I'm finding most fiction to sound too artifical to me). Books on the history
of science and technology are particularly enjoyable to me. However, these
usually take a back seat to my other work and interests.
Science Fiction
My love of science fiction is what got me interested in science. While I don't have much time to keep up with it these days, I have enjoyed attending sci-fi conventions in the past. I have enjoyed watching Star Trek and Star Wars, but I have a particular fondness for the 1950s "little green men" sort of stories. Some of my favorite movies include Forbidden Planet, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Thing from Another World (50s version), and Alien. I also have a large collection of Star Trek and Star Wars comic books.
If you are interested in seeing my CV, you can view it here. If you are interested in comets, go here.