Booga, Booga, Booga

Well, it seems that I have made it without posting for an entire week! Ooops!

That time of year again. Birds, sun, green grass, flowers, tornadoes... Yesterday was the annual Severe Weather Seminar that Tom Skilling puts on at Fermilab and, as usual, it was awesome. The entire five hours was very fascinating with discussions on lightning, tornadoes, and flooding and some awe inspiring weather footage. The power of the storms is always amazing.

Speaking of lightning, Frankenstein and his Creature have finally passed on. I do not know what it was about the book, but it came across to me as being rather stupid. Do not get me wrong, it was intriguing and gave a lot to think about, but it just seemed incomplete and to have its foundation on rocky premises. When one thinks of Frankenstein, an image comes to mind of a mad scientist in a white coat turning knobs and pushing buttons in his lab while a storm rages outside. Lying tied down on a table is a large, green monster with bolts coming out of his neck and a scar on the side of his face. With a bright flash of lightning the evil monster comes to life, wrecking havoc by murdering all those with whom he comes into contact and going "Booga, booga, booga." What is that monster's name? Surprise, surprise: he has no name. He is not "Frankenstein" as the common misconception, but a nameless entity created by science student who goes by that name. Also, he is not evil, his only wish is to help others and to be "good," and he becomes a menace only through the abandonment of his creator and the fact that society will not accept him because of his hideous features. He is innately good and a victim of his circumstances. When Frankenstein refuses to make him a companion for fear that they will destroy human society, the monster swears revenge and starts a campaign of making his creator as lonely and miserable as himself. He kills everyone near to Frankenstein, which in turn makes Frankenstein swear revenge on him, and they eventually die. The End. An interesting investigation of human nature, scientific ambition, societal norms and acceptance, and the need for companions, but full of improbable holes. Why did not the dead body parts that Frankentstein was piecing together to create the monster decompose? Did not the scientist see how hideous the creature was before he woke him up? Why didn't he destroy him when he first saw him? Why didn't Frankenstein tell anyone else about his discovery and error before it was too late? How did the creature learn so much about the world from sitting outside a small French cottage and peering in? Frankenstein had no foresight and created a creature much smarter, more cunning, stronger, faster, and altogether more than his match. Frankenstein was just stupid. I am surprised that he didn't go completely insane and start doing the "booga, booga, booga."