Have discovered that my parents' hotel is actually about two blocks from the site of yesterday's explosion in New York. It's actually all fine, and they've got theater tickets and are museum-ing themselves, but between that and the weather, it does rather seem like the apocalypse landed on their travel plans.

OMG, and that whole area is like on lockdown. My sympathies!

Wow, Dana, that sucks. Also, Polyamorous Recs is blocked from my work and I have no home access anymore, so I am sort of bereft, because I wanted to see if you had any Dr. Who recs.

I also just had a really weird conversation with my conservative, yet wonderful boss. She really is great, and is our personal moral code of honesty and integrity, even in "sales" makes us work really well together. However, every once and a while we talk politics. And I say I can't vote for a Republican president because (among other things) I support gay marriage. So, she is really into not TELLING people the "right" point of view, so she questions me, saying "So, tell me, do you support polygamy?". I think I surprise her because I actually say that if three consenting adults want to get married, bully for them!. But WTF?

because I wanted to see if you had any Dr. Who recs.

We do. And Torchwood. Would you like me to send them to you?

That would be great, Dana! I like to print off stuff for the busride home. I am at nbrookstaylor at gmail dot com.

Today's random Wikipedia entry before I go off to write:

Abu Musa Jabir ibn Hayyan (Arabic: جابر بن حيان) (c. 721–c. 815), known also by his Latinized name Geber, was a prominent Shia Muslim polymath, chemist, alchemist, pharmacist, philosopher, astronomer, astrologer, engineer, physician and physicist. He has been widely referred to as the "father of chemistry".

Jabir is mostly renowned for his contributions to the modern discipline of chemistry, though at the time it was pre-alchemy. He emphasized systematic experimentation, and did much to free alchemy from superstition and turn it into a science. He is credited with the invention of many types of now-basic chemical laboratory equipment, and with the discovery and description of many now-commonplace chemical substances and processes – such as the hydrochloric and nitric acids, distillation, and crystallisation – that have become the foundation of today's chemistry and chemical engineering.

He clearly recognised and proclaimed the importance of experimentation. "The first essential in chemistry", he declared, "is that you should perform practical work and conduct experiments, for he who performs not practical work nor makes experiments will never attain the least degree of mastery."

Jabir is also credited with the invention and development of several chemical instruments that are still used today. By distilling various salts together with sulfuric acid, Jabir discovered hydrochloric acid (from salt) and nitric acid (from saltpeter). By combining the two, he invented aqua regia, one of the few substances that can dissolve gold. Besides its obvious applications to gold extraction and purification, this discovery would fuel the dreams and despair of alchemists for the next thousand years. He is also credited with the discovery of citric acid (the sour component of lemons and other unripe fruits), acetic acid (from vinegar), and tartaric acid (from wine-making residues).

Jabir applied his chemical knowledge to the improvement of many manufacturing processes, such as making steel and other metals, preventing rust, engraving gold, dyeing and waterproofing cloth, tanning leather, and the chemical analysis of pigments and other substances. He developed the use of manganese dioxide in glassmaking, to counteract the green tinge produced by iron — a process that is still used today. He noted that boiling wine released a flammable vapor, thus paving the way to Al-Razi's discovery of ethanol.

The seeds of the modern classification of elements into metals and non-metals could be seen in his chemical nomenclature. He proposed three categories: "spirits" which vaporise on heating, like camphor, arsenic, and ammonium chloride; "metals", like gold, silver, lead, copper, and iron; and "stones" that can be converted into powders.

Freakin' genius! King of acid.

Also, of etymological interest...

Jabir states in his Book of Stones (4:12) that "The purpose is to baffle and lead into error everyone except those whom God loves and provides for". His works seem to have been deliberately written in highly esoteric code, so that only those who had been initiated into his alchemical school could understand them. It is therefore difficult at best for the modern reader to discern which aspects of Jabir's work are to be read as symbols (and what those symbols mean), and what is to be taken literally. Because his works rarely made overt sense, the term gibberish is believed to have originally referred to his writings.

... no one got (or more likely, wisely ignored) my lameass car joke....

Blarg. I'm having to get all pissy with support. There is no reason it should take a week to get access to a table. It's one line!

Freakin' genius! King of acid.

At least until Owsley came along.

Alchemy carried on his tradition of writing in near-indecipherable code forever.

Anyone else familiar with the Voynich manuscript?

In the "Oh, Color Me So Very Surprised" Department:

BREAKING NEWS: A federal judge has dismissed former CIA operative Valerie Plame's lawsuit accusing members of the Bush administration of leaking her identity, the Associated Press is reporting.

I have had more stupid work interactions today than I usually do when I'm there. WTF? I think I'm going to get back in bed again.