David Malakoff reports some unfavorable results of research into the effect of sequestering CO₂ on the ocean floor, an idea that the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute has been actively pursuing. It turns out that the pools of supercold, superdense carbon dioxide have an adverse effect on seafloor copepod populations.

This is the way research proceeds: you come up with an idea, and you ask nature whether it will work. You don't always get the answer you want, or expect.

posted: 9:12:58 PM  

We had three clean runs this weekend, and I am depleted. It is Sunday night, and I just want to swill chardonnay and watch Dick Van Dyke episodes on DVD. I do not want to clean my smelly bathroom; I do not want to wade thru the in-basket with the stack of this month's bills.

Last night there was a moment of disquiet when the lights flickered during the preshow while a thunderstorm rolled through. I counted three flashlights that we could use, two immediately to hand in the booth, should the need arise to escort people out of the building. Fortunately, nothing came of it. And when I was striking this afternoon and I smelled something toasty, I realized that I didn't know where the fire extinguishers were, so I rectified that ignorance pronto.

Christina soldiered through the Saturday and Sunday shows nursing a cough; Bill will be back with me for the next two weekends. We have some sort of weird circuit out in the dressing room: all the lights work, but the strip of power outlets seems to be dead. I e-mailed Don about that.

Martha (as Evelyn) smashes a can of food down onto a family heirloom cameo at the climax of act 2 scene 4, and Martha packs a wallop. The can of green beans that she's been using this week looks like somebody very large stomped on it.

posted: 9:00:58 PM