Episode Twenty Four: Does Size Really Matter?

Today I'd like to discuss an issue very important to me, an issue about size.  As a woman I have a lot of opinions about the size of things- and something very dear to me has been mocked for being a small size comparatively.  Yes... as you may guess...

 

 

Don't let Jupiter make you feel inadequate little guy.

That's right, I'm talking about Pluto.  Now I know what some of the readers may be thinking- "Hold up, you're really blogging about this?  It's been years, get over it!  Sheesh- in 4-5 years maybe you'll blog about Egypt".  The blog, however, is about that inability to get over Pluto's epic demotion.  It's been years since Pluto has been stripped of it's planetary status but for some reason, it still stings for fans of our frigid little friend. 

It dawned on me that Pluto's dismissal from "Club Planet" was for most people of my age group the first time something we regarded as a major fact was debunked.  You're in college and you finally are in the throes of knowledge all the while feeling that you're young, current, and far from out of date.  You're not that crazy elder that believes that you clean a computer's hard drive by sticking the CPU in the dishwasher .  You're savvy- you're knowledgeable, and you are so wrong.... wait, what?? 

Finding out that Pluto does not qualify as a planet was a little shocking.  I can only imagine how angered people were to hear that- guess what- no, the Earth is NOT flat.  Even in the face of objective science, people hate being wrong, it's human nature.  Being wrong sucks- even if your fallacy was caused by a massive misconception believed even by reputable scholars. 

And let's face it- the Nine Eight planets of the solar system are pretty much personified for we inhabitants of Earth.  They aren't celestial objects, oh no, they are fun characters.  Pluto was the guy who was trying hard to keep up with the others.  He was far away and small, but he had a lot of heart.  He didn't have Saturn's rings, Mercury's "FIRST" position as the annoying commenter of the solar system, and he certainly wasn't trolling your elementary school science class like Uranus (snicker).  Pluto was the last, literally, and we loved him for it.  [Side note: I refer to Pluto as he because Pluto is named after a male god, therefore apparently Venus is a woman]

Pair the horror of being wrong with a natural love of underdogs and what do you have?  You have a swarm of Pluto sympathizers.   The debate stems from the question of whether the status of planet is based upon the size of the object or some other, intangible quality.  For many the question lingers, what's the harm in calling an object that is technically too small to be a planet a planet? 

Our panic is not unlike the recent distress over the debated new astrology sign.  Do we need to get over it?  Definitely, but give us time. 

In the meantime we'll be the crazy old people whom children correct for listing nine planets instead of eight.

Episode Twenty-Three: Reboot

If you've been following the blog you may wonder why I've been on such an extended hiatus.  The answer is simple: February.  February is a three month event of fear and anxiety.  First, there is a family superstition.  Two grandfathers, my maternal grandmother, and my only uncle on my mom's side all passed away in February.  A month which is normally a mere 28 days has lurked in the shadows of the calender as the silent assassin of my matrilineal line.  As such, the month is often the herald of anything I am secretly frightened of for the new year. 



After soul searching and some helpful phone calls to my student loan lenders, I've decided to reboot. The hunt for a career is still on, but in the meantime I'm going to work harder on my writing, launch new projects, and regain what makes me who I am.  Job hunting has been a nightmare in this economy.  Worst of all- I'm a silly, creative person.  The awkward formality of standard job hunting has siphoned off the source of my strength and left me feeling like a pod person.  I do my best work when I'm allowed to generate ideas and joke around with others. 

For the Curve Zone we're still searching for an identity.  However, I hope to add more images now that I'll be working on some new image edits.  As always, feel free to comment and give feedback.  The Curve Zone may be getting a cousin in the near future.  I have a story idea I've written a chapter to and I am considering publishing it via blog.  Unlike the Curve Zone it will be 100% fiction and 0% autobiographical.

And if you're finding yourself feeling sluggish, depressed, or just uninspired, take some time to reboot your own life in some respect.  People and computers are vastly different, but the one thing we share is the occasional need to start over.