the far corners

My English final paper:

A rain drop falling into a puddle or a rock thrown into a pond gives us a fascinating collection of circles. The Sun and Moon rise and set as circles in our sky. Circles devastate us in the form of tornadoes and hurricanes as well as bring us beauty in the form of daisies, dandelions, and dahlias. They are subtle yet they surround us.

There is no way around it; the circle is the most captivating, the most crucial of all things. However, in order to properly circumstantiate the importance of the circle, we must consider what a circle is and what a circle is not.

Algebraically, a circle is the set of all points equally distant from a given point. Geometrically, a circle is the cross-sectional area produced by the intersection of a cone and a plane parallel to the base of the cone. A circle can be defined any number of ways and every accurate definition will reveal that circles do not exist. Realistically, a true circle is merely a concept. We cannot restrict ourselves to a concept; the value of the circle lies in the shape.

Circles are everything; they are nothing. The circle represents the value of false in the binary number system and, in many languages, the circle assumed the role of the zero digit when zero became widely accepted as a number. It has survived as a letter in most Germanic and Romance languages, including English. Linguistically, it is possible for us to come full circle, go around in circles, square the circle, and circle the wagons. One can circulate, circumnavigate, circumscribe, circumvent, or even be circumcised.

In any circumstance, circles are central in our everyday lives, from the turn of a phrase to the turn of a wheel. We keep time on clocks and commit ourselves to marry with rings. We calculate the digits of pi; we bake pie. We shop with coins and shop for tires. Circles save lives as aquatic life rings. They are Life Savers. In the circle of life, the Circle is life.

i am waiting until i don't know when, because i'm sure it's going to happen then

I'm sufficiently mentally isolated, again, to turn to my blog as an outlet. That's all I have to say for myself.

I've successfully navigated my way out of being deprived of (read: losing) my scholarship. If nothing else it was a humbling, if expensive, experience and it's satisfying to know that the work I've put in has paid off. An even 3.5 over the last two semesters, and honorable mention for the Spring 2007 Dean's List. I suppose I just have to make sure that my next step is away from the hole I just crawled out of.

After the good experience I had in my English class and discussion group last semester I've been really motivated to explore my writing further through the UA. I'm signed up for two English classes this fall and I applied for a science writing/journalism internship. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but I think the internship would be a lot of fun and would be a good indication of what writing really means to me at this point. I have yet to rule out the possibility that I enjoy thinking about writing more than I enjoy writing, so I figure immersing myself in it for a semester will be a good polarizer. Though I can't let myself enjoy it so much that it detracts from the rigors of E&M, Quantum, Astrophysics, and Linear Algebra. And programming. And research. And sleep? Nah.

My circles are changing. I'm quickly finding that I fit much better with the "new" people than most of the old. I'm not sure what exactly has driven me from the old people, but I'm not sure that I actually care to figure it out. It's uncomfortable at times, but I'm kind of enjoying finding my way into a niche of new people.

At this point, I have no clue where I'm going or how quickly I'm getting there, but in considering where I am at the moment, I'm not sure that's a bad thing.

so it was a year ago, yada yada yada, let's move on

Buffer post:

368 idle blogging days.

Good chat.