Is this the right direction?

Chennai To Delhi

2011-10-17T09:26:00.001-07:00

I will be traveling to India and will be updating a different blog while I am there: chennaitodelhi.blogspot.com

2011-04-06T17:23:00.001-07:00

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My best friend

2011-04-06T17:19:00.001-07:00

My life is much fuller with this little chicken in it. I have realized recently that she has been with me for my entire 20s and now we will both continue to age gracefully as I move into my third decade, with her faithfully by my side. She loves me truly unconditionally (although I did challenge that by bringing Buddy into the picture). She is cross eyed, she has almost no teeth, her breath is horrible, she carries toys and slippers all over the house, she drools when she is overwhelmed with joy, she loves sleeping between our pillows, she does things she knows she is not supposed to do, she throws up when she gets lonely, she can't imagine sitting anywhere but your lap when you are working on a laptop...in other words she is perfect in every way.

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Returning from whence I came

2011-04-05T22:47:00.000-07:00

I realize it has been a while so I decided to take a quick moment to check in. So much has happened, as a friend said to me recently, I was a rockstar in March. As most of you know I have completed my Masters thesis and I have gotten a job doing research with the Veteran's Administration. I am slightly lost without the ability to hide behind my status as a student, but freedom from the thesis makes it all worth it. Hopefully I will feel inspired to update again soon with something more substantial.

Thesis Recruitment

2010-10-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

I have finally gotten IRB approval to recruit subjects that are not only in the intro to Psychology course at Long Beach State. If you would like to participate or if you know anyone that would be interested in participating please contact me. More specific information is on the flyer below. I still need quite a few participants so any help would be greatly appreciated!

Waiting for Tami

2010-07-09T18:25:00.000-07:00

As i sit here waiting for my dinner date to arrive I thought I would take a break from writing and look through some more furnishing ideas. First of all, we have found the couch we love and so far that is the only thing that is set:

Everything else seems to change daily. It is slightly overwhelming, albeit a blessing, to try to furnish and decorate a 3 bedroom home in a cohesive and attractive way. I am pretty sure we are leaning towards a simple table that is sturdy and well made so it will last a while and if we want to change styles down the road changing the chairs or the colors around the table will be effective. I was looking through craigslist and it seems like everyone has decided to get rid of their dining room tables from the 80s. Not only does it make craigslist not an option I thought it would be a good idea to try to go with something more timeless than a glass top with peach legs a la 80s art deco hipness. So far this is what I have found:

The flooring that is currently in the dining room is a lightish color beige? tile. I want to take it out and put wood down and leave the tile only in the kitchen. It looks like we are going to have a full month to get the house clean and painted and ready to move in but this new flooring idea may be a little ambitious and perhaps too expensive. The wall color we have agreed on so far is gray. I know it seems like it wouldn't be such a great choice but it is such a classic serene color without having to stick with a neutral like beige or get too crazy with color. It will make it easy to find accent pieces and change the mood of the room more often as the paint will compliment so many things. Of course, once gray was decided on we had no idea exactly how many shades there were. Once we get the keys we are taking the advice of our more color savvy friends and painting a few samples in different areas of the house to see how the light looks on it.

As a side note, I am typing away about color and furniture and I am happy that these are my biggest problems. The entire process has taken so long that I had to shut down the part of me that was excited about home ownership until things were more certain. Finally, things are certain and it is taking a bit for my giddiness to return. I am really looking forward to starting my little family and getting all nested in a home, not just a house. If you gave this post to a younger Beth she would have laughed at you...no way was it written by the same person! In other words, I am shocked that I would be so happy being so settled.

I cannot resist posting this

2010-07-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

I have been following Allie over at Hyperbole and a Half for a while now, and recently she posted a blog that relates to mid-twenties adolescence in such a perfectly hilarious way, I wanted to make sure it was enjoyed by all. I am not sure if everyone can relate, but I know that I have had the same thoughts (probably verbatim) and I wish I could tell her that turning 29 will make things easier, or at least you would feel like an adult, but really nothing changes and being responsible is just as exhausting as ever.

Enjoy: This is Why I'll Never be an Adult

Houzz.com

2010-07-07T23:51:00.000-07:00

I found a new site where I can collect some decorating ideas for the new place. I am working on picking some wall colors as well as searching for some unique dining room light ideas. So far I really like what I have been able to do on the site. Check out the collection of photos I have put into my "ideabook":

Color and Lighting ideas

Houzz- Kitchen Design, Bathroom Design and More»

Growing up

2010-01-17T21:40:00.000-08:00

So I think I may need to change the name of this blog, I think I may officially be leaving behind my adolescence. And it only took 28 years. Matt and I decided to start looking for houses. We went through the process of getting pre-approved for a loan, found an agent, found a house, and tomorrow we will be signing the papers for the offer on the house. Throughout this process we have had new noisy neighbors move in above us and the apartment next door managed to catch on fire, I feel as though the universe is in agreement with our decision to move. Our idea of a perfect place to move was a bit idealistic. We wanted a 2 car garage, a dishwasher, a place for laundry, a kitchen with counter space, a location closer to LA and Hollywood, affordable, a fireplace, and a private outdoor area. We feel like we found it! It is located in a stigmatized area of Pasadena, but after my Dad drove around today he confirmed that the stigma no longer holds true. I am probably too excited but I wanted to share, luckily it is not a foreclosure or short sale so we don't foresee too many obstacles in the process, but things can always happen. Here are a few pictures:

Front of the house:

Back of the house:

Front patio:

Front room:

Dining Room:

Kitchen:

Master bedroom:

The fireplace in the Master:

Confusion

2009-11-15T16:40:00.000-08:00

I am happy. I really am. I have taken steps in my life to ensure that happiness. I have cut back on the hours at my dead end job. I have made the completion of my thesis a priority. I have the support of an amazing husband. I love every single one of my friends, they all support me and I know they are there for me when I need them. I am lucky enough to have an amazing, understanding family who I love so deeply it sometimes hurts. Also, my pets are fun and comforting in their own special ways.

Why then am I unable to motivate myself? Why do I have difficulty getting out of bed in the morning? Why do I avoid talking on the phone when a friend calls? Why is it so hard to stick to the plans I have made for myself? I woke up this morning and planned to have breakfast then walk into the office to do some work, followed by some gym time and a walk home. Then my evening and night was going to be filled with thesis work. Not an overwhelming or intricate plan so why is it 5pm and none of it has been completed?

I am not writing this blog to whine, but perhaps to vent and see it writing and put it in public will force me to see how ridiculous I am being.

Heroes usually don't like being called heroes but that is part of what makes them heroes...

2009-09-02T18:46:00.001-07:00

First of all, I want to thank Matt for his service even though I am glad this strike team is over:

Next I wanted to share how we could help the families of the two fallen firefighters from LA County:

Donations are being accepted in their memory at:

F&A Federal Credit Union - "Memorial Fund"
P.O.Box 30831
Los Angeles 90030-9972

There have been three accounts opened to benefit the families of Captain Tedmund "Ted" Hall and Fire Fighter Specialist Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones. Their untimely death on August 30, 2009 has been a shock for everyone. Following are the accounts:

Tedmund "Ted" Hall:
Account/Member Number 617171

Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones:
Account/Member Number 617172

Combined Pool Contribution:
Account/Member Number 617170

Responsibly Made

2009-04-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

ok I know I owe a Coachella post but I keep seeing things saying they are responsibly made and I needed to rant a bit.

For a while now I have been making an effort to live my life in a more socially and environmentally conscious way. For example, I have started buying more Bamboo textiles instead of cotton, using sigg bottles instead of multiple plastic bottles, buying more products with natural ingredients, and trying to buy things that are made locally.

It seems like it is still very difficult, if not impossible, to be 100% 'good'. The bamboo requires chemicals to turn into cloth but it grows quickly and heartily, the sigg bottle is made of aluminum, the natural ingredient made products often come in wasteful packaging,and buying essential items locally is difficult when everything is made in China.

I have no problem supporting the global economy but I do find a sort of irony in the fact that shipping things from china to my local store is extremely ungreen seeing as how large barges and the trucks to move the product are a huge pollution problem. I am also intrigued when companies state that their product is responsibly made in China so they could bring it to you cheaper. Well, to be honest I would rather pay more for my products in order to provide someone with a real living wage and real benefits. I understand that if one company did in fact pay workers at a factory here in the US a truly living wage they would lose the competitive pricing edge, but it would have so many other positive effects: The money paid to them would go back into our sore economy, we would increase moral by creating more jobs available to the low skilled labor force, and we would cut down on transport pollution as well as production pollution since the US has more stringent regulations. I guess American Apparel created a more socially conscious business model, but not all of their products are made using organic cotton or bamboo.

I don't have any solutions, I am struggling with how to mitigate all of my concerns and I have yet to come up with anything solid. Once I figure out why all reusable grocery bags are made in China and how I can find some that are not, I think I will feel a lot better.

Who's got two thumbs and is headed to Coachella tonight?

2009-04-16T12:24:00.001-07:00

This girl:

As I was packing last night I realized I actually have dresses that are pretty much just for Coachella. I am also taking this parasol again so this is exact picture could potentially be taken this year.

I am so excited it's ridiculous. I thought it would make it difficult to focus on work today but actually I have been über efficient and have come to a lull as I wait for the day to catch up with my speed, so I blog.

I am sure you have all seen the awesomeness that is the lineup, but just in case:

I could list all the bands I am most excited about seeing, but that is slightly cliche and I usually find that I am pleasantly surprised by bands I had no intention of seeing...so the highlights of the weekend are difficult to predict.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...have I mentioned how excited I am?

Put some honesty back in hip hop

2009-04-13T15:27:00.000-07:00

Skillz presents... Hip-Hop Confessions from Visually Inklined on Vimeo.

Fear of an Arab Planet

2009-03-30T11:11:00.001-07:00

Since I have not been able to sleep well, I have been exploring the On Demand feature of my cable company and discovered the Sundance Channel. I came across an interesting documentary called Slingshot Hip Hop. I think the movie describes itself best:

"Slingshot Hip Hop braids together the stories of young Palestinians living in the West Bank, Gaza and inside Israel as they discover Hip Hop and employ it as a tool to surmount divisions imposed by occupation and poverty. From internal checkpoints and Separation Walls to gender norms and generational differences, this is the story of young people crossing the borders that separate them."

This movie moved me like nothing I have seen recently. I was able to view the conflict from the perspective of people living it daily, not from the well thought out words of politicians and corporate media. Even though the Palestinian rap may not be for everyone - even if it is for me - their story and struggle will tug at you if you are able to put aside your existing bias and truly listen.

I felt so extremely helpless after watching it. The only thing I could think of doing was supporting them by purchasing a t-shirt and the CD made from all of the artists that are featured in the film. I wanted them to know I heard them, I really heard them, and I will do my best to make sure a few other people hear them as well.

I hope you all can take a couple of hours to sit down and consider another side. Watch the trailer: HERE

Here is the shirt I bought also to spread the word just a little more:

Sleep is the cousin of death

2009-03-29T04:19:00.000-07:00

It is 4:24 in the morning, I am sick, I can't sleep and I really really want to. My mind is empty while moving 1,000 miles an hour at the same time. It is now 4:39, interesting how little I wrote in that period of time. I guess I should try again...

A neat way to do an instructional video

2009-03-25T22:37:00.001-07:00

also I dig this woman's style...and the song is pretty awesome too:

Nostalgia

2009-03-23T17:51:00.000-07:00

I love Google's street view! It is a lot of fun seeing where I lived in London. I miss it a lot!

This is the street view of Metrogate which was basically a dorm/hostel like facility, but it was a really nice area and a great location. Close to Hyde Park and easy access to the tube. The only thing that proved difficult was grocery shopping. We would fill our back packs and tromp back to the house in the pouring rain. Something would inevitably be smashed when we made it back. Anyway, I was so excited to see it I wanted to share with everyone:

View Larger Map

I can haz bail out?

2009-03-21T17:43:00.000-07:00

Eye Update

2009-02-20T11:23:00.000-08:00

So I went to the optometrist yesterday to get a new prescription for my contacts and glasses. Apparently my eye is not ready for contacts and she would actually like to put me on some steroid type drops next week when I get back from vacation. I am kinda sad because now I HAVE to wear glasses always. I was hoping that 2 months was plenty of healing time for the ulcer :(

To make lemonade out of lemons I went ahead and upgraded the glasses I had (which were really only meant to be back up for contacts). The new glasses are Burberry which is great because now they will match my perfume. I also got a pair of prescription sunglasses because really, you can't go to Jamaica without sunglasses!

I have another appointment on Sunday when I get back at which point I will get the drops that have to be administered 3 times a day for 5 days. My dad says I probably won't get to go back to contacts until December which is unfortunate but like he said it really is not that easy to get a corneal transplate so its better to err on the side of caution (I suppose).

Well here are some pics of my new fancy glasses:

Beauty in Long Beach

2009-02-16T22:01:00.001-08:00

A little light in my day...

Coachella Widget

2009-02-04T12:27:00.001-08:00

MetaProcrastination

2009-01-12T12:34:00.001-08:00

I find it interesting that I was looking up "Why people procrastinate" in a clear effort to actually procrastinate. Cambridge University Counseling Services had a page on procrastination that I figured I would share in an attempt to validate the last few minutes of my life:

Procrastination

If once a man indulges himself in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing; and from robbing he next comes to drinking and sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination.

Thomas DeQuincey

What is procrastination?

The avoidance of doing a task which needs to be done - postponing until tomorrow what can be done today.

Procrastination not only affects a person's work, but also commonly involves feelings such as guilt, inadequacy, self-disgust, stress and depression.

Often we try to disguise our avoidance by being very busy doing things that may be interesting, and even useful, but don't contribute towards the main goal - even doing something we normally hate - rather than writing, for example, just before an essay deadline!

Why do people procrastinate?

poor time management, often associated with a distorted sense of the time available

an inability to prioritise

overload of tasks at a specific time

anxiety about the task, so time is spent worrying rather than doing

difficulty concentrating

not knowing what is required

feeling overwhelmed by the task(s)

concern about failing or not meeting your own standards

fear of success and its possible consequences

perfectionism, often associated with unrealistic standards

negative feelings - e.g. "I'm stupid", "nothing ever goes right for me"

all-or-nothing thinking, where one setback is seen as a total catastrophe

being bored by the task

never having learned how to work or sort out problems while at school or living at home

avoidance of things which are disliked or difficult.

How to overcome procrastination

Overcoming procrastination usually involves both better organisational and time-management skills as well as a clearer understanding of its personal or emotional meaning.

The former skills can be learned and improved with practice. Although there are some useful tips that can help you improve, it is primarily a matter of finding the ways of working that best suit you rather than trying to rigidly follow someone else's model.

Counselling can help you to understand and change the personal or emotional aspects to your procrastination.

Here are some suggestions to help you get started:

Accept that there is no magic wand: you will have to do the task!

The words that we use to ourselves in thinking or talking about the task matter! They have feelings attached to them which colour our anticipation and experience of the work. Try changing the words "have to" and "can't" to "choose to" and "choose not to" - this won't always be true, but it will probably be more honest most of the time. After all, you don't have to do this work - you probably chose to come and do this course, research or job, and you could choose to leave it!

Take account of the sort of person you are, of your values and your expectations. Assess whether these "fit" with the way in which you are trying to tackle the task - do you need a new approach with which you will be more comfortable? Patterns of working vary from one person to another, and so do the desired outcomes.

Recognise self-defeating behaviour and its associated thinking. Try to work out why you procrastinate: what do you gain from it? Find out how to overcome such behaviour. You might choose to sort it out yourself, to refer to a self-help book or leaflet, or to consult the appropriate person, such as your tutor, supervisor, director of studies, manager, colleague or a counsellor.

Identify goals and make realistic decisions about how to do the tasks, and prioritise.

Ensure that you have the right equipment, information etc. to help in tackling the task. Some time spent in preparation and planning is vital - but not to the extent that no real work gets done. So set a time limit for the planning stage(s). Plan a (small) section and then work on it.

Whilst spending time planning is very useful, here's a word of warning to those who make very detailed plans which go wrong within an hour and are then ripped up in disgust - plans need to be flexible! Don't plan all the hours in the day; leave plenty of unplanned times and spaces - to allow for things taking longer than expected, and for you to have extra time for relaxation when they don't!

Break down tasks into manageable bits. Set yourself small goals - to read one chapter; to write 1 page; to work for 45 minutes, take a 15 minute break and then do another 45 minutes work.

Boost your motivation. Dwell on your strengths, on tasks you have accomplished and feel good about, in order to remind yourself that you can be successful.

Give yourself rewards when you accomplish something.

When you are getting stuck, rather than just stopping work, try a different strategy - take a pencil and an old, half-used piece of paper out of the bin, and scribble unplanned and unstructured notes and ideas to yourself for the task in hand. Or start on a different section of the piece (you don't have to work from the beginning to the end), picking the least demanding in thought or creativity.

Quite often procrastination is connected to anxieties about the quality of the work you hope (or fear) you will produce! At times like this, it is worth remembering that it's better to produce something rather than nothing!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-07T15:35:00.001-08:00

I know I am late, and this isn't going to be the full blog I should write, but it has been a little while so I wanted to post something.

So here is a picture of my kitten and I sleeping...pretty much where I would always rather be:

Happy Christmas Eve!

2008-12-24T10:39:00.000-08:00

I am at work and I am not very happy about it! Matt is working today too so I guess it's fine. I hope everyone is enjoying the season and enjoying each other!

Corneal Ulcer

2008-12-10T14:02:00.000-08:00

Now, this is definitely something you don't hear everyday: "I have an ulcer on my eye". I just got back from my Dr visit and have to put antibiotic drops in my eye every hour while at night I have an ointment I need to put in my eye before bed. My right pupil is dilated, and will be for 3 days because of some special drops he put in order to prevent spasming. I have to return to him tomorrow at 2:15pm so he can see if it is responding to the antibiotics and what our next course of action should be. He praised my quick response to the condition because it really allowed him to catch it early. He was a little perturbed by the fact that my primary car physician didn't prescribe any pain relieving eye drops. He was also late because of a surgery he was performing and by the time he got to me he realized his nurses hadn't given me any pain drops either which really irritated him. He put them in right away and they felt amazing. He said I must have been in a lot of pain, which I was but I don't like making too big of a deal out of it because I don't want to overreact. When his nurse checked me in she was going to do a preliminary exam but when she had me remove my sunglasses she said she couldn't do it cause looking at my eye was making her eyes water. She said she sees eyes everyday and mine was not good...um thanks? The light was hurting my eye so much that I wore an eye patch, sun glasses, and a hat while my mom drove me to Harbor City. I felt like a movie star running from the paparazzi (kind of) lol. Anyway, I am sure this is not completely coherent but I want to get an update out there and I really shouldn't be using the computer in the first place. I guess the only good thing coming out of this is no work or driving for 3 days...

The state of things

2008-12-09T11:42:00.000-08:00

So I am sitting here at work as my right eye swells and waters and turns red. I have no idea how it started but it is definitely getting worse. I have a ton to do so I cannot really go home, but I did try calling Kaiser at which time I was informed there were no appointments to see any doctor today and that they would call me to set something up as soon as possible. I don't understand that at all. What exactly am I supposed to do? Should I go into the office and drain my eye juices all over the receptionist until she can find some room to squeeze me in? How do people make their health insurance work for them? I stand by my belief that Kaiser is the McDonald's of health care, it is convenient, you know what you are getting, but it is never really that satisfying.

For those that are interested here is the current state of things:

*EDIT* I have an appointment at 1:50 today with my actual Primary Care Physician!!!

Bettie Page

2008-12-09T10:33:00.000-08:00

Has had a heart attack and is in a coma here in LA. She is 85 so it doesn't look very good...

Matt's Parade Picture

2008-12-08T11:25:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately my camera died right before the longest-parade-in-the-history-of-the-world ended so I had to use my camera phone to capture the moment. Obviously the quality leaves quite a bit to be desired but if you squint and tilt your head you can just make out that there is a Matt in the picture. Santa was strapped to an office chair that was in turn strapped to the ladder in front of the tiller box. I am not sure how Montrose is able to fill 2 hours (scheduled to be 3) of parade time, but I am fairly certain the city requires every inhabitant to participate in some way which is the only possible explanation I can conjure. My Dad, Martha, and sister all joined me to share in this exciting event which made the time so much more enjoyable! After the parade we walked down to Station 29 where I introduced my family to the other men at the station, it was a lot of fun for me to show it all off!

Holiday Season Update

2008-12-06T12:53:00.000-08:00

So today I finally feel the season begin to sink in. Tonight I am going up to Montrose to watch Matt tiller the fire truck through the parade route with a drunkard Santa strapped in to the ladder in front of him. I promise there will be plenty of pictures of this event coming soon! We also got our Season's Greetings cards which we designed together, so of course they are awesome! I cannot wait to send them out ASAP. Next week is our 2nd annual holiday party which means super decorating and lots of tasty foods to share with our friends. Oh and last night we booked a trip to Las Vegas where we will ring in the new year! Matt has only been to Vegas one time so it will be fun to show him around since I love the Vegas probably a little too much. Of course the family parties are really starting to add up as well: 21st - Van Winkles, 25th - My Mom, Matt's Mom, the Creekmurs, My Dad, 27th - the Safraneks. It's too bad I recently decided to wholeheartedly buckle down on my thesis, I hope it doesn't detract from the festivities too much :)

Closest Book Fun

2008-11-22T23:12:00.001-08:00

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST

Here was mine:

"Because of these individual differences, Stins and Michaels concluded that, for both S-R mappings, some subjects used hand-referenced response coding (which would yield a negative S-R compatibility effect with respect to the wheel rotation) and others used wheel-referenced response coding (which would yield a positive effect)"

Who's jealous of the way I am spending my Saturday night???

In Celebration of World Philosophy Day

2008-11-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

Today the BBC had an interesting article about Philosophy and 4 questions to make your brain hurt which can be read in its entirety here

I love having my way of thinking challenged especially since I know most of my conclusions come from years of learned behavior imposed on us by external forces. Below are the four questions from the article. I was going to include my personal thoughts on each question but I think it would be best to leave it untainted and let you make up your own minds. Enjoy:

1. SHOULD WE KILL HEALTHY PEOPLE FOR THEIR ORGANS?
Suppose Bill is a healthy man without family or loved ones. Would it be OK painlessly to kill him if his organs would save five people, one of whom needs a heart, another a kidney, and so on? If not, why not?

Consider another case: you and six others are kidnapped, and the kidnapper somehow persuades you that if you shoot dead one of the other hostages, he will set the remaining five free, whereas if you do not, he will shoot all six. (Either way, he'll release you.)

If in this case you should kill one to save five, why not in the previous, organs case? If in this case too you have qualms, consider yet another: you're in the cab of a runaway tram and see five people tied to the track ahead. You have the option of sending the tram on to the track forking off to the left, on which only one person is tied. Surely you should send the tram left, killing one to save five.

But then why not kill Bill?

2. ARE YOU THE SAME PERSON WHO STARTED READING THIS ARTICLE?
Consider a photo of someone you think is you eight years ago. What makes that person you? You might say he she was composed of the same cells as you now. But most of your cells are replaced every seven years. You might instead say you're an organism, a particular human being, and that organisms can survive cell replacement - this oak being the same tree as the sapling I planted last year.

But are you really an entire human being? If surgeons swapped George Bush's brain for yours, surely the Bush look-alike, recovering from the operation in the White House, would be you. Hence it is tempting to say that you are a human brain, not a human being.

But why the brain and not the spleen? Presumably because the brain supports your mental states, eg your hopes, fears, beliefs, values, and memories. But then it looks like it's actually those mental states that count, not the brain supporting them. So the view is that even if the surgeons didn't implant your brain in Bush's skull, but merely scanned it, wiped it, and then imprinted its states on to Bush's pre-wiped brain, the Bush look-alike recovering in the White House would again be you.

But the view faces a problem: what if surgeons imprinted your mental states on two pre-wiped brains: George Bush's and Gordon Brown's? Would you be in the White House or in Downing Street? There's nothing on which to base a sensible choice. Yet one person cannot be in two places at once.

In the end, then, no attempt to make sense of your continued existence over time works. You are not the person who started reading this article.

3. IS THAT REALLY A COMPUTER SCREEN IN FRONT OF YOU?
What reason do you have to believe there's a computer screen in front of you? Presumably that you see it, or seem to. But our senses occasionally mislead us. A straight stick half-submerged in water sometimes look bent; two equally long lines sometimes look different lengths.
Are things always as they seem? The Muller-Lyer illusion indicates not

But this, you might reply, doesn't show that the senses cannot provide good reasons for beliefs about the world. By analogy, even an imperfect barometer can give you good reason to believe it's about to rain.

Before relying on the barometer, after all, you might independently check it by going outside to see whether it tends to rain when the barometer indicates that it will. You establish that the barometer is right 99% of the time. After that, surely, it's readings can be good reasons to believe it will rain.

Perhaps so, but the analogy fails. For you cannot independently check your senses. You cannot jump outside of the experiences they provide to check they're generally reliable. So your senses give you no reason at all to believe that there is a computer screen in front of you."

4. DID YOU REALLY CHOOSE TO READ THIS ARTICLE?
Suppose that Fred existed shortly after the Big Bang. He had unlimited intelligence and memory, and knew all the scientific laws governing the universe and all the properties of every particle that then existed. Thus equipped, billions of years ago, he could have worked out that, eventually, planet Earth would come to exist, that you would too, and that right now you would be reading this article.

After all, even back then he could have worked out all the facts about the location and state of every particle that now exists.

And once those facts are fixed, so is the fact that you are now reading this article. No one's denying you chose to read this. But your choice had causes (certain events in your brain, for example), which in turn had causes, and so on right back to the Big Bang. So your reading this was predictable by Fred long before you existed. Once you came along, it was already far too late for you to do anything about it.

Now, of course, Fred didn't really exist, so he didn't really predict your every move. But the point is: he could have. You might object that modern physics tells us that there is a certain amount of fundamental randomness in the universe, and that this would have upset Fred's predictions. But is this reassuring? Notice that, in ordinary life, it is precisely when people act unpredictably that we sometimes question whether they have acted freely and responsibly. So freewill begins to look incompatible both with causal determination and with randomness. None of us, then, ever do anything freely and responsibly."

Congratulations Michelle and Edgar!

2008-11-16T13:39:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful wedding for a beautiful couple! I was honored to be included in their day and I know their love will be a lifelong gift to each other.

2008-11-11T20:42:00.001-08:00

more animals

So True...

2008-11-11T18:11:00.000-08:00

I really would like to know why people voted yes on Prop 8. I honestly cannot comprehend it at all. It seems to me this issue shouldn't be decided by a vote. I am so confused...

My new laptop is so pretty!

2008-10-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

I bought it last night out of desperation. The two laptops at my house are no longer functioning properly and although I would NEVER normally purchase a notebook from Best Buy I felt I had no choice given the current state of my lack of reliable computing. Anyway, I am really happy with the HP Pavilion DV 4 special edition I ended up getting:

This is how important voting is to me...

2008-10-22T15:10:00.001-07:00

I will even support you doing so if we disagree.

After all, as Chomsky said, “If we don’t believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don’t believe in it at all.”

I can't believe this is a REAL photograph...

2008-10-03T10:50:00.000-07:00

IMPRESSIVE!

A True Image from False Kiva
Credit & Copyright: Wally Pacholka (Astropics.com/TWAN)

Explanation: Is there any place in the world you could see a real sight like this? Yes. Pictured above is single exposure image spectacular near, far, and in between. Diving into the Earth far in the distance is part of the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy, taken with a long duration exposure. Much closer, the planet Jupiter is visible as the bright point just to band's left. Closer still are picturesque buttes and mesas of the Canyonlands National Park in Utah, USA, lit by a crescent moon. In the foreground is a cave housing a stone circle of unknown origin named False Kiva. The cave was briefly lit by flashlight during the long exposure. Astrophotographer Wally Pacholka reports that getting to the cave to take this image was no easy trek. Also, mountain lions were a concern while waiting alone in the dark for just the right exposure.

In preparation for the VP debates tonight

2008-10-02T14:45:00.000-07:00

Some snippets from an interview between Katie Couric and Gov. Palin can be found below and describe some of Palin's personal views and convictions. It is clear that the Governor and I are fundamentally different people, although there are definitely a few (very few) areas where we agree. However, during the interview Palin does make a good point about VPs not making or interpreting laws while in office...of course the concern here is that she won't remain only VP during McCain's administration. I know that essentially it is a terrible thing to discuss some one's potential death and I do hope that McCain lives many more healthy satisfying years, after all he deserves all the happiness in the world after everything he has been through. I just can't shake the uncomfortable feeling that McCain chose one of the least qualified individuals in our nation as his running mate. I feel as though his selection shows some seriously bad judgement on the part of himself as well as his campaign managers.

Anyway, I will let Ms. Palin speak for herself:

On Abortion:

Couric: Let me get your take, if I could Gov. Palin, on a number of social issues. Because that's, they've gotten some attention, your position. If a 15-year-old is raped by her father,you believe it should be illegal for her to get an abortion. Why?

Palin: I am pro-life. And I'm unapologetic about my position there on pro-life. And I understand good people on both sides of the abortion debate. In fact, good people in my own family have differing views on abortion and when it should be allowed. So … I respect people's opinion on this.

Now, I would counsel to choose life. I would like to see a culture of life in this country. But I would also like to see taking it one step further. Not just saying I am pro-life, and I want fewer and fewer abortions in this country. But I want, then, those women who find themselves in circumstances that are absolutely less than ideal, for them to be supported for adoptions to be made easier. For more support given to foster parents and adoptive families. That is my personal opinion on this.

...

Couric: But if you have a moral problem with abortion, it seems to me you would do everything in your power to make it illegal and overturn Roe v. Wade and …

Palin: Of course, it's the legislature, the law-making branch of our third, of our three branches of government …

Couric: But they …

Palin: …makes the laws.

Couric: …your vision or the administration's vision.

Palin: Well, let's be practical about it and let's be realistic about a vice-president's role in this debate. I can personally share my views, which I don't apologize when I share my views of being pro-life. And, you know, I'll do that all day long if you want me to. But a vice-president does not make law. And a vice-president does not interpret the law either.

Couric: So you're saying this won't be a top issue for you if you're elected?

Palin: I will do all that I can personally to encourage that culture of life, to remind women that I believe with more empowerment, they - more and more women will realize that they are strong enough … and they are able to carry a child and still continue a career, still continue education opportunities, all with the goal being fewer and fewer abortions in this world.

On Evolution:

Couric: Do you believe evolution should be taught as an accepted scientific principle or one of several theories?

Palin: Oh, I think it should be taught as an accepted principle. And, you know, I say that also as the daughter of a school teacher, a science teacher, who has really instilled in me a respect for science. It should be taught in our schools. And I won't ever deny that I see the hand of God in this beautiful creation that is Earth, especially coming from one of the most beautiful states in the Union and traveling around this country also in this last month. My goodness, just seeing, you know, the beautiful landscape of New Mexico recently. That was just breath taking and seeing the rolling hills in Virginia and all … the beauty that is this Earth, I see the hand of God in that. But that is not part of state policy or a local curriculum in a school district. Science should be taught in science class.

Couric: Should creationism be allowed to be taught anywhere in public schools?

Palin: Don't have a problem at all with kids debating all sides of theories, all sides of ideas that they ever - kids do it today whether … it's on paper, in a curriculum or not. Curriculums also are best left to the local school districts. Instead of Big Brother, federal government telling a district what they can and can't teach, I would like to see more control taken over by our school boards, by our local schools, and then state government at the most. But federal government, you know, kind of get out of some of this curriculum and let the locals decide what is best for their students.

On Homosexuality:

Palin: But you are talking about, I think, a value here, what my position is on homosexuality and can you pray it away 'cause I think that was the title that was listed in that bulletin. And, you know, I don't know what prayers are worthy of being prayed. And I don't know what prayers are gonna be answered or not answered. But as for homosexuality, I am not going to judge Americans and the decisions that they make in their adult personal relationships.

I have, one of my absolute best friends for the last 30 years who happens to be gay. And I love her dearly. And she is not my "gay friend." She is one of my best friends who happens to have made a choice that isn't a choice that I have made. But I am not gonna judge people. And I love America where we are more tolerant than other countries are. And are more accepting of some of these choices that sometimes people want to believe reflects solely on an individual's values or not. Homosexuality, I am not gonna judge people.

Ignorance Personified Warning: Strong Language

2008-09-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

I am in awe right now. I cannot believe how rude and disrespectful people can be to perfect strangers especially when attempting to conduct an exchange of goods for money. You would think there would be a slightly higher level of 'customer service'. The funny thing about this interaction (well there are multiple things) is that my friend was attempting to get information about a laptop and at some point along the way there was a severe breakdown in communication.

For the less tech savvy readers here is a quick background on laptop resolutions: They are a measurement of the amount of pixels across the screen by the amount of pixels down the screen. So, when someone asks what the resolution of your laptop is you would give them the highest possible setting available in order to show how good your product is. In the email that follows the seller mentions that his resolution is 1024 x 768 which is really low relative to what is available these days. A standard screen resolution could go up to 1600 x 1200 which makes a large difference. It is possible to set your resolution according to your preference but not all laptops let you set it very high.

Below is the email conversation between Jesse and Kevin:

Subject: DELL LATITUDE D610,VERY CLEAN LIKE NEW CONDITIONS,Fast Centrino,2.0ghz - $380 ( L.A. )
Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2008, 9:31 AM

Is the dell D610 still available?
Where are you located?
What is the screen resolution?

--Kevin

Subject: Re: DELL LATITUDE D610,VERY CLEAN LIKE NEW CONDITIONS,Fast Centrino,2.0ghz - $380 ( L.A. )

Yes i have the dell available, the resolution is normal set, 1024x768 so let me know

Subject: Re: DELL LATITUDE D610,VERY CLEAN LIKE NEW CONDITIONS,Fast Centrino,2.0ghz - $380 ( L.A. )
Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2008, 10:39 AM

Oh, that is a low resolution. How about $320 instead?
where could I pick it up?

From: JESSE
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2008 10:44 AM
Subject: Re: DELL LATITUDE D610,VERY CLEAN LIKE NEW CONDITIONS,Fast Centrino,2.0ghz - $380 ( L.A. )

resolution can be set to higher or lower, so is all about to set it up, $320.00 is way to cheap, i know the market and this laptop on e-bay for over $400.00 for such like new clean conditions, so i know what i got, NO LESS THAN $370.00!!

Subject: RE: DELL LATITUDE D610,VERY CLEAN LIKE NEW CONDITIONS,Fast Centrino,2.0ghz - $380 (L.A.)
Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2008, 10:49 AM

Its going for $260-$300 on ebay. I think $320 is fair, especially with the screen resolution being so low. Let me know if you change your mind. --Kevin

From: JESSE
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:56:26 -0700 (PDT)
: RE: DELL LATITUDE D610,VERY CLEAN LIKE NEW CONDITIONS,Fast Centrino,2.0ghz - $380 (L.A.)

LOOKS LIKE DID NOT READ MY LAST MESSAGE, TOLD YOU THE SCREEN RESOLUTION CAN BE SET TO HIGER OR LOWER, I GUESS YOU DO NOT KNOW ABOUT HOW TO SET A RESOLUTION, SI MY PRICE IS NO LESS THAN 370.00 SO DO NOT WASTE MY TIME, YOU WONT GET IT FOR LESS, I KNOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW THE MARKET. GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND FIND A CHEAPY ONE ALL SCRATCHED AND LESS THAN 2.0 GHZ AND 512 MB RAM, NOT LIKE MINE. BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Re: DELL LATITUDE D610,VERY CLEAN LIKE NEW CONDITIONS,Fast Centrino,2.0ghz - $380 (L.A.)
Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2008, 10:59 AM

Um, ok, so, laptops have a maximum screen resolution, and yours is 1024x768.
I prevoiusly bought 2 others on craiglist for 300 each, same specs as yours but higher resolution versions, so please don't tell me I don't know the market.
Have a good day.
--Kevin

Here is when is takes an odd turn, why couldn't Jesse just tell Kevin what the highest setting was rather than simply stating there was one and resorting to such confusing attacks:

From: JESSE
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2008 11:13 AM
Re: DELL LATITUDE D610,VERY CLEAN LIKE NEW CONDITIONS,Fast Centrino,2.0ghz - $380 (L.A.)

MY LAPTOP HAS HIGER RESOLUTION IF YOU SET IT HIGH, ALL RESOLUTIONS CAN BE SET IN ALL LAPTOPS, ONLY THOSE WHO CAN NOT BE SET OR HIGHER LIMITED.

YOU STUPID FAG, YOUR FAG ASS U STUPID SHIT HEAD FAG.

GET LOST YOU TRASH CHEAP FART, STUPID IGNORANT, STOP REPLYING OR I WILL HARASS YOU BADLY AND U CAN CONTACT LAPD AND WILL SHOW THEM U DID NOT STOP MESAGING ME YOU WEAK LOSER FAG STOP.. GET IT OVER SHIT HEAD FAG. ONE MORE MESSAGE FROM YOU AND I WONT STOP HARASSING YOU FAG.

Political Quote Fun

2008-09-16T23:25:00.000-07:00

Sarah Palin has advocated teaching both creationism and evolution in schools. To his [Dawkings] mind "the evidence for evolution is so strong that in order not to believe in evolution you must either be ignorant, stupid or insane". Prof Dawkins is not merely point scoring. He is concerned that a failure to accept evolution alters our conception of life, which in turn has an impact on medical science - particularly embryonic stem cells.

"While partisan bloggers and the sun scare industry will use this as an opportunity to undermine Gov Palin and demonize the indoor tanning industry, the fact is that Governor Palin's decision to get UV light from a tanning bed positively impacts her health."
Indoor Tanning Industry responds to the news that Sarah Palin installed a sunbed in the Alaska Governor's mansion

Washington correspondent Daniel Greenberg's reports while observing President Richard Nixon awarding the prestigious National Science Medal to a group of scientists, the president was heard to say: "I have read the citations and I want you to know that I do not understand them, but I want you to know, too, that because I do not understand them, I realise how enormously important their contributions are to this nation."

"What a president has to know is the amount of uranium necessary to set off a Hiroshima type bomb… how long it would take, what kind of infrastructure you'd need and how much money it would take to assemble," states Mr Kaku, before adding "this is the stuff for which nations go to war"

Note to self: Do not travel during hurricane season...

2008-09-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

So, I had big plans to travel to a newly opened resort in Jamaica and it was going to be glorious! An all inclusive resort that was opened to the public for the first time in September 2008, meaning I would have been the first person to sleep in my room! Anyway, the weather frightened us away since there was Gustav near it and Hanna and Ike were following closely behind. After a bit of scrambling I came across a really good deal on a 5 night cruise that would stop in Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada (Tami and I had agreed we would stay on the ship in Ensenada).

We were set to leave on Saturday, September 5 so we decided to stretch it out by spending the night in San Diego:

It was a very nice start to the whole vacation. Becky came down and we all had smores and hung out, it was lots of good wholesome fun!

We then went to the Port to meet up with our ship, The Elation:

After a little while on the ship I realized it was the exact same one I went on with my family when I graduated from High School...kinda neat.

Overall it was a lovely trip, but it does have a good punch line...Remember what I said about not going to Jamaica because of the weather? Well apparently the weather was in the Pacific also making it impossible for the ship to make it down to Cabo San Lucas! Tami and I simply found it amusing, OF COURSE we aren't going to Cabo, why would we??? So we decided to get off at Ensenada which was an exciting one hour jaunt through a Girls Gone Wild audition. It is so depressing to see the behavior of some people. So, Tami and I each bought a souvenir and made our way back to the ship for some more tasty food and relaxation!

Here are some highlights:

No Title Needed...

2008-08-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

(http://xkcd.com/197/)

Things I Want to Do

2008-08-14T10:33:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while, so I thought I would do a quick post with some visual aids. You know what they say...a picture is worth a thousand words.

The pics link to more relevant sites with more words...why reinvent the wheel?

Hopefully I will be back again soon!

i - Visit Matt in Shanghai:

1 - Visit India:

2 - Finish My:

3- See all of the movies I have been missing:

4 - See more bands:

5 - Move to Silver Lake:

6 - Sleep:

7 - Experience more LA Art:

Read like you mean it

2008-04-13T23:02:00.000-07:00

Adrienne found a list of 1,001 books a person should read before they die on listology.com. It was fun to see what I was missing and to assess how well I have done thus far. While reviewing my completed books I realized that I have read many "cliché classics" (for lack of a better phrase). Overall I have read 72 of these books....I have waaay too many to go! Perhaps someday I will be allowed to return to the land of leisure reading

Edit:

At Katie's request I am posting the books from the list that I have read (which is 74 on recount):

33. Middlesex – Jeffrey Eugenides
93. Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
143. The Virgin Suicides – Jeffrey Eugenides
166. American Psycho – Bret Easton Ellis
181. A Home at the End of the World – Michael Cunningham
203. The Satanic Verses – Salman Rushdie
238. The Cider House Rules – John Irving
241. Contact – Carl Sagan
246. Queer – William Burroughs
256. The Unbearable Lightness of Being – Milan Kundera
294. The Book of Laughter and Forgetting – Milan Kundera
301. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
320. Interview With the Vampire – Anne Rice
335. Ragtime – E.L. Doctorow
348. The Black Prince – Iris Murdoch
358. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – Hunter S. Thompson
367. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings – Maya Angelou
375. Slaughterhouse-five – Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
427. Cat’s Cradle – Kurt Vonnegut
436. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Ken Kesey
437. A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess
445. Franny and Zooey – J.D. Salinger
451. Catch-22 – Joseph Heller
456. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
461. Naked Lunch – William Burroughs
472. Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe
484. On the Road – Jack Kerouac
492. Seize the Day – Saul Bellow
494. The Lord of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien
496. Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
508. Lord of the Flies – William Golding
521. The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway
529. The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger
539. I, Robot – Isaac Asimov
547. Nineteen Eighty-Four – George Orwell
559. The Plague – Albert Camus
564. Animal Farm – George Orwell
565. Cannery Row – John Steinbeck
574. The Little Prince – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
587. For Whom the Bell Tolls – Ernest Hemingway
592. The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
608. Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
619. Gone With the Wind – Margaret Mitchell
649. Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
663. A Farewell to Arms – Ernest Hemingway
667. All Quiet on the Western Front – Erich Maria Remarque
671. The Sound and the Fury – William Faulkner
676. Lady Chatterley’s Lover – D.H. Lawrence
717. Siddhartha – Herman Hesse
723. Ulysses – James Joyce
767. The Jungle – Upton Sinclair
778. The Immoralist – André Gide
780. Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
781. The Hound of the Baskervilles – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
790. The War of the Worlds – H.G. Wells
794. Dracula – Bram Stoker
808. Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
809. The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde
820. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Robert Louis Stevenson
825. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
840. Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
863. Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
868. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
873. Les Misérables – Victor Hugo
876. Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
883. A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
889. Walden – Henry David Thoreau
895. The House of the Seven Gables – Nathaniel Hawthorne
897. The Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne
913. A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
931. Frankenstein – Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
983. Gulliver’s Travels – Jonathan Swift
992. Don Quixote – Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
1001.Aesop’s Fables – Aesopus

A Grief Observed

2008-04-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

When addressing the issue of death it seems that the default coping mechanism is religion. I have a great respect for the power of religion and the peace of mind it can offer to so many. Though, the ability for religion to alleviate the grieving process is generally where my respect for it ceases. I have been fascinated with religion since I was fairly young and have had the opportunity to learn about and experience a variety of churches in different faiths. During this process I never found anything that spoke to me deeply. I would be momentarily moved during a Hindu mantra, a Christian sermon, or a Buddhist prayer, but I think I was mainly feeding off of the spirituality of the followers especially since some of my experiences would be in languages I could not understand. The depth with which those around me were experiencing their religion would touch me. I have some fundamental issues with all religions I have experienced which can loosely be summarized in one word: Hypocrisy. Anyway, this is simply meant to illustrate that I have chosen a path without religion to comfort me, although it is not from lack of effort on my part. So, how does one without the support of their faith cope with death?

I searched the ever useful internet to see what others have said in this arena. It seems to me that even the most nonreligious attempts to offer insight still refer to verses in the bible. How can this be a comfort to everyone all of the time? I guess it doesn’t need to be everyone, but simply most. I have however, found snippets here and there that are somewhat helpful. Of course, there is no real answer as everyone experiences grief differently and no one can ever fully understand exactly what you are going through. The most important tool in our box is the support of the living. We don’t need them to understand what we are going through or even try to, but simply letting us know that they are there and that they exist in this world as someone who cares about you and your wellbeing. I would think that in the end this is the ultimate comfort.

I am not entirely new to loss either, yet I continue to struggle with it. I have been to about 6 funerals now and not a single one is easier than the last. It seems a bit strange that experience with loss does not make losing any easier. Anything else we do in our lives gets easier as we do it more often. I find that when I am reminded that our time here on Earth is limited my mind wanders to those who are still living and who are so important to me that I could not imagine trying to live without them around. This group of people is actually quite large. How do you ever get used to not being able to pick up the phone knowing that the person on the other end is the only person that could solve the particular problem you are calling about or the only person that could relate to what you want to share or the only person that knows you well enough to even want to listen to your silly story? Does time truly heal all wounds? Or do we learn to embrace our wounds with time?

“A life remembered in the hearts of the living is not lost” ~A headstone at Rose Hills I saw yesterday

With that sentiment I wanted to remember our recent losses

Grandma Rose (Matt’s Paternal Grandmother)
She was an amazingly kind and open woman. I was immediately welcomed into her home when Matt took me there to meet her as his girlfriend. She had a full life and actually received her BA in Social Work in 1946 which is an impressive feat in itself! She has three daughters and one son who will all hold her close to their hearts. I feel privileged to have known such a wonderful person and honored that she was able to make it to my wedding last year. I got this email from her the day after the wedding “The wedding was so nice. I'm glad I was able to be there. Love, Grandma Rose”

Jack
Although not on the same level as the loss of a person I feel the grief experienced from the loss of a pet effects us a great deal. My friend had to make the very difficult decision to put his cat to sleep today. This kitty was extrememly young but had a terminal illness (FIP) that has no cure. The vet thinks he probably already had it when he was adopted. As any pet lover will know this is the most difficult thing to go through and my thoughts are with him.

LOL

2008-04-08T00:14:00.000-07:00

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

Black Dog

2008-04-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I have updated this little blog of mine. It isn't exactly like nothing has happened I think it is more along the lines of too much happening. I don't have a well thought out coherent theme today so I will just go with the flow...

My cousin, Brandon, sent me this picture from his First Anniversary trip to the Grand Canyon. I guess what they say about the first year being the hardest is true as demonstrated here by Whitney's desire to throw Brandon into the canyon. Good thing Brandon was strong enough to catch himself on the edge. I hear she regrets doing it, but I am not so sure I will ever trust her again!

Now you have to watch this video that Brandon just sent me:

On a less amusing note, I would really like to be at the beach today. This office exhausts me, especially being alone in it most of the time. Here is the torturous view from my office (a little blurry):

Pi Day

2008-03-14T11:13:00.001-07:00

I just got off the phone with Becky who called to wish me a happy Pi day (3.14). I got her this Pi by numbers sweatshirt a couple of years ago, and although Pi is infinite it uses many, many of its numbers to create the shape. Anyway, she works with a 7th grade math class and wore it today in celebration. I was honored :) The class got to celebrate by measuring things and dividing by the diameter, along with eating pie that they brought for themselves. Becky was a little nervous about a potential food fight mainly because it was just herself and a sub. I am really excited that Becky is pursuing this path, whenever she talks to me about her time in the classroom she sounds so jubilant. I have felt that she would make a great teacher for some time now and it is neat to see someone embark on a path that is so perfect for them.

In other news, my brother-in-law is in a band called Buffalo Beard that just released their first EP. I ordered the CD from here and it just arrived on my doorstep today. I immediately opened it mainly because I am so excited for them, but also because I really have not seen a new CD in a LONG time. Any new music I get is in mp3 format. I forgot how much fun it is to paw at that tight plastic wrapping trying to get at the juicy goodness as quickly as possible but it is never fast enough! I am listening to it as I write and really it is so so good. I know I am probably biased but hey at least I get to say I knew them back when...I knew them way before YOU! Oh that reminds me of this shirt from boingboing:

I also have a meeting with my thesis chair this afternoon at approximately 2pm which I am really not looking forward to. I am still in the beginning stages of this entire process and the frustration of wanting to be done with this stage of my life is really starting to get to me. I still cannot see the light at the end of tunnel which makes it difficult to continue to trod forward in the dark. The draft that we are going over today is not even close to as long as it is supposed to be but I hope she will be able to inspire me to complete a larger chunk of it for the next go. It is sad how disappointed in myself I am in regards to this whole process. Perhaps this will be another step in my ongoing growth that will make me a stronger and more effective human later in life.

In more exciting news, today is Vickie's birthday YAY! Also, Shannon is celebrating her own birthday tonight with a little Phil Shane at Alex's down here in Long Beach which should be fun and tomorrow I get to celebrate Meishya's birthday at the Blue Dalia Cafe in LA. So many March birthdays! I am a little sad that I don't have any awesome St. Paddy's day plans this year. Since Meishya's birthday is actually on March 17th it has been quite nice to go where she tells me and essentially celebrate both events. I suppose it will be nice for her to not have to wear green at her party this year, but I will still miss her on St. Ps!

Ok I think I have done plenty of procrastinating for one day, time to prepare to get scolded by my chair for not doing well!

Two things

2008-03-11T11:35:00.000-07:00

1 - I got a new shiny phone that rings and plays music and other cool stuff, but the key here is that it rings which my other phone has not done since August 2007. I was waiting until I was eligible for a free phone upgrade and I finally was this weeked so I got this: The first thing I did with it was take a picture of Layla, of course:

2 - I love the change in time. Now when I leave work a little late I don't feel like I have lost my entire day; look how bright it was for my drive home yesterday at 6:30 :)

Something I Look Forward To

2008-03-01T00:42:00.000-08:00

On April 19th Matt and I are embarking on a week long getaway to enjoy each other with no distractions before he begins the academy for a not-yet-allowed-to-name city. We have decided to do something simple and relaxing while trying something that neither of us has done before. We find that doing new things together is actually difficult, especially stateside, because I have apparently been EVERYWHERE with my family at some point.

Anyway, even if no one is interested I am so excited I really wanted to share our itinerary! The first three days we will be in San Luis Opisbo. I am not sure how many of you are aware of a spectacular little place known as the Madonna Inn but it is somewhere I have always wanted to stay and now it is finally happening! We are torn between the Madonna Suite with its custom made carpet and rock bathroom:

Our other top choice is the Old World Suite which also has a Rock waterfall shower and fireplace:

I think the overall appeal to this place is fairly self explanatory but in case you are not yet convinced here is a picture of their Steak House:

Once we have spoiled ourselves in the lap of over-the-top luxury and kitsch we are heading a little further north to Big Sur. I have driven through and admired the beauty there many times, but I have never had the chance to spend the time required to truly appreciate it. We are staying at a super cool place called the Treebones Resort which has walk in camp sites and things I have never heard of before called Yurts. They are round little hut like structures that are a cross between a tent and a cabin. We will be here for two nights:

How amazing is that view?!? There is a dome on top so you can stargaze while lying in bed. The resort itself is pretty amazing as well. It is off the grid using propane fueled turbine to power everything and drinking water comes from a well. Here is the layout of the site:

We are staying in Yurt #16 which is the farthest one on the right. Although it is farther from the showers and restrooms the added privacy and full ocean view will be entirely worth it!

We will be heading back down to Long Beach on the 24th just in time to get ready to head to Coachella! Not a bad way to spend a week if you ask me!

Thesis Update

2008-02-26T11:01:00.000-08:00

How is my thesis going you ask?

Well, I have always found visual aids to be helpful when explaining things so here is the update:

Academy Awards

2008-02-22T12:58:00.000-08:00

Perhaps we will get some exciting moments like these on Sunday:

Fail

2008-02-21T14:58:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist, I really liked this one:

8 is Great

2008-02-21T10:06:00.000-08:00

1 - Why do movies, tv shows, and some radio shows have credits? I understand crediting the performers simply for the audience to reference, but why the behind-the-scenes people? I mean when was the last time you bought a car and it came with the credits of everyone on the factory line?

2 - I need to visit Cuba and soon.

3 - Did McCain have an affair with the female lobbyist?

4 - I feel for the Serbian minority in Kosovo. If my state made a unilateral proclamation to be independant of the country I identified with, I would be frightened and angry too, regardless of promises of safety from politicians.

5 - I am sick again. This will be the fourth time in a period of 6 weeks. I think I am doing something wrong.

6 - I want to be somepalce warm laying in a hammock by crystal clear waters in a bikini I am not ashamed to be wearing.

7 - My main motivation in life is sleep and vacation. Which explains why my thesis is far from done (or should I say started).

8 - A woman from Costa Rica, one of the healthiest democracies in South America, was intrigued by how intimately voters in the United States feel they need to know their candidates. She viewed this as a strength in our democracy. I am not so sure I would see it as a strength, since banal questions regarding personal perferences can overshadow a particular candidate's platform on relevant issues. I have an anonymous example regarding this: an United States voter I know went to votehelp.org and was matched on the issues with Obama. When this voter was asked to rate the character and personality of the candidates it actually outweighed the issues and brought McCain up as the forerunner.

Why we aren't "growing up"

2008-02-19T15:12:00.000-08:00

Just when does an adolescent transform into a mature, responsible adult? Some parents who are still cooking, washing and picking up after their 18 year old offspring may suspect the answer is never. These parents may feel vindicated when they hear of two Dartmouth researchers who claim that a person's brain continues developing toward adult maturity well into their early twenties.

Researchers Abigail Baird and Craig Bennett say their research, appearing in the journal Human Brain Mapping, has helped them achieve a better understanding of when key structural changes cease in the brain, and the physiological onset of adulthood begins.

Their research consisted of examining the brains of 18-year-old Dartmouth freshmen students who had just relocated themselves in order to attend the college. To achieve comparative results, a group of older students, aged 25 to 35, were used as a control group. "During the first year of college, especially at a residential college, students have many new experiences," says Baird. "They are faced with new cognitive, social, and emotional challenges. We thought it was important to document and learn from the changes taking place in their brains."

The team's experiment returned results that were consistent with their initial hypothesis; that there are significant changes taking place in the brains of people beyond age 18. The researchers say that the changes were localized to areas of the brain that integrate emotion and cognition. These areas of the brain are important, and in combination act as the interface between our internal emotional world and our perception of the external environments in which we live. "The brain of an 18-year-old college freshman is still far from resembling the brain of someone in their mid-twenties," says Bennett. "When do we reach adulthood? It might be much later than we traditionally think."

The team's accomplishment is an important addition to a mounting body of research committed to the period of human development between adolescence and adulthood. Research such as this may one day inform parents about what their children are going through psychologically as they grow toward the responsibilities of adulthood, and, more importantly, when and how they are likely to get there. Is it possible that "protecting" adolescents from worldly experiences may actually stunt their progress toward adulthood? Perhaps this research should come as a warning to parents that wrapping kids in cotton wool will not ultimately help them develop their mental faculties as much as sending them out into the big-bad-world will.
Source: Dartmouth College

My thoughts: Sure I have gotten married, but I am living in the same apartment I did during grad school and have not changed my lifestyle to represent being an adult in any other way. Although, since the wedding I do own a large amount of expensive kitchen accessories, some of which I am still not sure about the function they actually serve. I feel as though a lot of people in my circle of separation are experiencing what we see as setbacks. We are no longer sure if we want to work in the field in which we earned our BA (or BS), we are getting ourselves into serious debt that often requires the assistance of our parents to recover from, and the majority of us have had to move back home while we 'get back on our feet'. Now, what I do not understand is how so many people from stable families end up 'off their feet' in the first place. What is happening within our society to cause this?

Of course, I am not putting all of the blame on the ever popular scapegoat that is society, but I do think the fact that this is so widespread indicates that it has more to do with some sort of institutionalized system rather than individual differences or character flaws. There is also this luxury element that comes into play which allows us to be picky. We were told by our parents that we could be whatever we wanted when we grew up, and all we needed to do was go to college and the world would be ours! What an exciting sentiment, which was possibly true for the generation or two before ours, but is certainly not true today.

Yet the promise of being able to do what makes us happy still lingers which makes settling for a stable job increasingly difficult. So what do we do? We go back to school. Perhaps that Master's degree will do what the Bachelor's could not. Perhaps more doors will swing wide open for us and our soul searching will finally end and we will be 'happy'. I think this is a possibility, but I also worry that this is simply another way of setting ourselves up for disappointment. Once we get the next degree and start the new job will we remain happy? Of course not, there are always going to be days, weeks, months, and even years when we despise our jobs or superiors. I think this is part of our problem though, we have been told that we will find this elusive happiness and that we have every right to continue to search for it. This will continue to be our downfall. Our parents learned to suck it up and go to work every day, sometimes at jobs and places they hated, because they understood their adult responsibilities and obligations. Whereas we have somehow managed to simply have our happiness to be concerned with...