Studying biology, The Phoenix Guards and letter games

[tarigwaemir]

Lowell House, on the Feast of Ste. Celestine

I have a whole litany of complaints about my first final yesterday, my study group today, and my physics final on Saturday, but I've whined about it to my blockmates, so I shall present a more mature face and speak of other things instead.

1. I was looking through the section notes for biology this morning--they are brilliantly organized, and I adore my TF for writing them up--and for the first time this semester, it suddenly hit me all over again: biology is beautiful. The extracellular matrix is beautiful. The cytoskeleton is beautiful. ATP synthase is beautiful. The nuclear pore complex is beautiful. The cell is so immensely complex and delicately structured, and what's even more beautiful is when you can imagine the progression of how these immensely complicated networks of molecular interactions may have evolved. All this semester, I've found it difficult to be excited about biology as I was last semester, and it took not reading our boring textbook to finally remind me what it feels like to be in love with the subject. I think of intersecting pathways and complex systems, and I feel, momentarily, that it's worth it, memorizing all these names and acronyms, if only to glimpse blurrily the innards of the cell.

(I had a miniature digression on how to parse complexity and how to describe networks by understanding its central nodes and the difficulties of creating a really accurate model of the cell in complete high resolution, but I think I'll save it for later.)

2. Yesterday, in a fit of foolishness, I finished The Phoenix Guards. In retrospect, a very stupid way to use the few precious hours I have left before the physics final, but as schwimmerin told me consolingly at dinner, we must live without regrets.

My favorite quote happens to be this particular exchange:

Shortly before arriving at the outer wall, Tazendra suddenly announced to Khaavren and Pel, "I have been wondering again."

Pel shrugged. "I had thought you had given over such activities."

"Well, I seem unable to stop myself."

"It is a sign of intelligence," said Khaavren, "to be unable to stop wondering."

"Is it indeed?" said Tazendra, who was greatly pleased by this thought.

"Entirely."

"Well, that is good; I had suspected I was intelligent, now I know that I am, and beacuse of it--"

"Well?"

"I will continue to wonder."

And the follow-up:

"What? You have more to wonder about?"

"I do, indeed. What do you say to that?"

"That I had no idea you were so intelligent."

"Well, it is true that my second cousin on my mother's side, Deraff, was a tactician."

"You say, was?"

"Yes," said Tazendra, "he was killed in an ambuscade on his first campaign."

"That is too bad."

"Yes, I have always thought so. But it shows there is intelligence in my family."

I didn't like Porthos much in The Three Musketeers, but Tazendra has completely won me over. I rather like Pel best, though, at least so far. My mind may change later. Khaavren is much more clever and less foolish than d'Artagnan (a plus, I suppose), although Aerich doesn't quite have the allure that Athos did (Athos was my favorite of the four).

3. This summer, I want to try writing one of these. Anyone interested? ^_^

Yours &c.

Comments

[lazulisong.livejournal.com]

I'm game.

[troisroyaumes]

Yay! Would you prefer to do it by LJ or by email? Oh, and do you want to start or should I? ^_^

[lazulisong.livejournal.com]

I think you'd better start; my mind is pedestrian at best when it comes to thinking up scenerios. >_>

Uh... which would you prefer? It seems like it would be easier to LJ it? Shared journal or something? Or else we could do it in email and then worry about posting it later.

[jaebi-lit.livejournal.com]

I've seen one of those on LJ, actually, gloriamundi (don't know if there's an underscore in there), between Harry and Malfoy. Postwar AU. It's kind of interesting.

[troisroyaumes]

I haven't seen the one you've mentioned, but I was friends-list-hopping and found lettergames and lettersbynight, and I thought it looked fun. ^_^

[jaebi-lit.livejournal.com]

Ah. The comm is _gloriamundi_.

[svz-insanity.livejournal.com]

Letter games. They have a name? XD *is oblivious*

I've seen a lot of fics like that and I used to own P.S. Longer Letter Later. . Sounds like a fun idea, I hope you have fun!

[troisroyaumes]

I didn't know until recently myself. XD But I stumbled across some LJ versions, and they looked very fun. ^_^

[clocklike.livejournal.com]

Interesting favorite quotes you have there. Amusing amusing. :D

The letter game sounds awesome! I'm up to it. I'll have plenty of time during the summer.

I'm halfway through the Hikago downloads! I promise I'll finish getting them soon. (I feel so bad. ;____;)

♥

[troisroyaumes]

Heh, aren't they? I definitely recommend the series (the Khaavren romances by Steven Brust), if you have any time to kill during the summer.

Oh, another taker! <3 I'm free after my last final next Wednesday...Do you want to do it by LJ or by email? And do you have any preference as to who starts? ^_^

No need to worry about the Hikago. It's a lot of links to get through, and my server space isn't doing much this month anyway. XD I hope you enjoy the series!

[ladydaera.livejournal.com]

first: yes, biology is beautiful. yay!
second: omg, you read the phoenix guards! i should have come home for dinner just to listen to you. *grin* but we will discuss it... later. yay! i'm glad you adore tazendra too.
third: that's hilarious. i just sent off a letter yesterday to one of my high school friends in which i suggested exactly the same thing. ^_^

[troisroyaumes]

Hee, yes. It was stupid of me though because I haven't studied enough for physics as a result. (Wherever did you get the impression that I've been good about physics, by the way? My study group for Charlemagne yesterday took all day, so I wasn't able to do any studying. ;_; I haven't studied much in the evenings either, so I've slacked off terribly this week. And I didn't get much done today either...I'm so doomed! Agh.)

Ooh, great minds think alike! You must show me what results from yours. XD

[troisroyaumes]

(I put your "physics is water" quote up on my facebook profile because nothing is more apt at the moment. ^_^;;)