So I'm spending a few days in south Florida at the Asian American Journalists Association's annual convention.
I made it down here despite a delay that afforded me enough time to enjoy a paraffin manicure. FYI: it's kind of like getting a hand sculptures at the state fair, only not as much fun.
But! Perhaps if the flight were on time, I would not have seen from the plane my first "full-circle" rainbow -- the entire circle, rather than just the bows we kept stumbling upon in Hawaii last summer and in February. Gorgeous.
It reminds me of one of those moments that reinforces the fact that yes, I am getting old. During a tour through Scotland while studying abroad in Stockton-on-Tees at Durham University I was struck by the beautiful scenery, then struck by an entirely alarming thought: I must be an adult.
Because if I were still eight years old, I'd say, yeah, this scenery is nice, but Disneyland is nicer.
Okay, off to bed before a rousing day of workshops and big-picture thinking ...
Monday, July 30, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
bad reality tv
I stumbled on Instant Beauty Pageant on the Style Network one night and regret that I can never get that hour of my life back again ... five women randomly approached in a mall and given three hours to prepare for a beauty pageant, complete with gratuitous product placements.
The highlight of the episode I saw: when contestants almost came to blows in the bar of a chain restaurant while preparing (read: doing shots) before the big event.
It was like a bad car accident -- couldn't look away.
The highlight of the episode I saw: when contestants almost came to blows in the bar of a chain restaurant while preparing (read: doing shots) before the big event.
It was like a bad car accident -- couldn't look away.
Just when you think your life is difficult
stories like this put everything into perspective:
Wide awake, Costa ready to fish again 
It took persistence and medicine, but Tim Costa no longer sleeps with the fishes.
Today, unencumbered by two sleeping disorders that forced him from professional bass fishing six years ago, Costa begins his long comeback on the Potomac River in the Stren Series Northern Division competition, a part of FLW Outdoors.
"It's an amazing change. I was so tired all the time for so long that I didn't realize you weren't supposed to feel that way," says the Erie, Pa., native.
Obstructive sleep apnea and narcolepsy - a one-two punch that caused him to fall asleep without warning - made it impossible for Costa to drive his boat or car. He could barely stay awake at his construction job in Plano, Texas, and was a frequent no-show at family activities.
"It was a toxic-type sleepiness," says Costa, 36. "I was living my whole life exhausted, feeling worse when I woke up than when I went to sleep."
Costa admits he was crushed to walk away from his fledgling career in 2001, having worked his way up to 26th place in the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League. But he insists he could never risk harming others.
Wide awake, Costa ready to fish again
By Candus Thomson
Sun reporter
July 18, 2007
Today, unencumbered by two sleeping disorders that forced him from professional bass fishing six years ago, Costa begins his long comeback on the Potomac River in the Stren Series Northern Division competition, a part of FLW Outdoors.
"It's an amazing change. I was so tired all the time for so long that I didn't realize you weren't supposed to feel that way," says the Erie, Pa., native.
Obstructive sleep apnea and narcolepsy - a one-two punch that caused him to fall asleep without warning - made it impossible for Costa to drive his boat or car. He could barely stay awake at his construction job in Plano, Texas, and was a frequent no-show at family activities.
"It was a toxic-type sleepiness," says Costa, 36. "I was living my whole life exhausted, feeling worse when I woke up than when I went to sleep."
Costa admits he was crushed to walk away from his fledgling career in 2001, having worked his way up to 26th place in the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League. But he insists he could never risk harming others.
This made me happy
When I first opened the box (I get a lot of hopeful promotional items in My Line of Work) I was convinced it's was the ugliest teddy bear I'd ever seen, or as the Redhead said, like it shouldn't be fed after midnight. Now, after consultations with others, I realize it's a sheep, though it could be a lamb. Symbolism works either way, I suppose. Lined in rabbit's fur, though?
Perhaps I should have a Holy Ghost party someday ...
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
okay, now I'm impressed
Most of the plastic-bag reuse projects I've encountered are heavy on virtue but low on style, except for these plastic bag chickens fashioned by South African crafters. Really gorgeous.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Yup, this makes me go ew.
So, I've been roaming the craft-er sites lately, looking for directions for all kinds of projects I probably won't finish anytime soon. There's some interesting recycling-reclaiming projects out there, with people knitting iPod covers out of cassette tape and fusing plastic bags into raincoats .
But this one really made me want to hurl, and I don't know why, because I've been known to wear an animal product or two, certainly lamb's wool or sheep's wool ... why not cat?
Make felt from pets
But this one really made me want to hurl, and I don't know why, because I've been known to wear an animal product or two, certainly lamb's wool or sheep's wool ... why not cat?
Make felt from pets
Friday, June 22, 2007
parking
So this black girl reads posted about hunting for premium parking spots yesterday.
I'm definitely in one of the first two categories, lot laissez-faire or parking pragmatist. Whenever I find myself hunting for a close spot I think about how I have these perfectly functional legs that might not be so functional someday. When or if that happens, I'll hunt for a good parking spot. Until then, I'll hoof it from the back or the top level ... leaving the closer spaces for the not-so-mobile.
I do believe in parking karma, however. That finding a perfect space without trying indicates that the universe is telling you that you were meant to be in this place, at this time.
As primarily a street parker, however, I have to say that if I could chose a super power, I want the ability to shove cars that are rudely parked in the middle of two parking spaces out of the way to make room for my vehicle.
Many times I travel through my Mount Vernon neighborhood cursing my fellow residents who carelessly stopped their vehicles about a half-car's length away from the no-stopping sign at the end of the block, or some other misanthropic move. I fantasize about leaving notes on the dashboards of mean parkers and others praising the considerate ones.
Can you see me now, eyes clouding over like Storm, as I whirl around and create gusts of wind that gently-but-quickly realigns cars on the street? It would be so great.
The functional-legs consideration also comes into play when debating stairs-vs.-elevator. Some day, I may long for the time when I could dash up a flight of stairs because I can't.
I'm definitely in one of the first two categories, lot laissez-faire or parking pragmatist. Whenever I find myself hunting for a close spot I think about how I have these perfectly functional legs that might not be so functional someday. When or if that happens, I'll hunt for a good parking spot. Until then, I'll hoof it from the back or the top level ... leaving the closer spaces for the not-so-mobile.
I do believe in parking karma, however. That finding a perfect space without trying indicates that the universe is telling you that you were meant to be in this place, at this time.
As primarily a street parker, however, I have to say that if I could chose a super power, I want the ability to shove cars that are rudely parked in the middle of two parking spaces out of the way to make room for my vehicle.
Many times I travel through my Mount Vernon neighborhood cursing my fellow residents who carelessly stopped their vehicles about a half-car's length away from the no-stopping sign at the end of the block, or some other misanthropic move. I fantasize about leaving notes on the dashboards of mean parkers and others praising the considerate ones.
Can you see me now, eyes clouding over like Storm, as I whirl around and create gusts of wind that gently-but-quickly realigns cars on the street? It would be so great.
The functional-legs consideration also comes into play when debating stairs-vs.-elevator. Some day, I may long for the time when I could dash up a flight of stairs because I can't.
the Enzyme theory of relationships
Apologies in advance for mangling scientific theories for my own personal use.
So let's pretend humans are like atoms, bouncing around in the universe.
Most atoms are at a higher "energy state" when they haven't formed a bond with other atoms. They're kind of tooling around faster, trying to get in the right position so they can share electrons with another atom. Then they kind of 'relax' because they're at a lower energy state. (Are the parallels clear so far?)
But it's hard for atoms to just randomly orient themselves near other atoms in a way for those bonds to form on their own. Most reactions require a certain amount of extra energy, called activation energy, to take place. You do that by adding things like heat, for example.
What enzymes do is reduce the activation energy needed for a reaction to take place by moving atoms and/or molecules close to each other, in the correct orientation for bonds form. Think of atoms like jigsaw puzzle-like pieces that two atoms in a hypothetical reaction would fit into.
"Enzymes" could be anything that helps two people (or more, if you're into that kind of thing) in the situations where they can get to know each other better. Enzymes could be mutual friends, or cooking classes, or social sports leagues, or random parties. Even elevators could be enzymes! You just kind of have to be open to the experience.
There are several addenda to this theory, including one about breakups that parallels one of Newton's first Law of Motion, the one about inertia --- every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.
I swear I came up with this while taking general science classes a decade ago, but I just found this much more detailed similar theory with visual aids.
So let's pretend humans are like atoms, bouncing around in the universe.
Most atoms are at a higher "energy state" when they haven't formed a bond with other atoms. They're kind of tooling around faster, trying to get in the right position so they can share electrons with another atom. Then they kind of 'relax' because they're at a lower energy state. (Are the parallels clear so far?)
But it's hard for atoms to just randomly orient themselves near other atoms in a way for those bonds to form on their own. Most reactions require a certain amount of extra energy, called activation energy, to take place. You do that by adding things like heat, for example.
What enzymes do is reduce the activation energy needed for a reaction to take place by moving atoms and/or molecules close to each other, in the correct orientation for bonds form. Think of atoms like jigsaw puzzle-like pieces that two atoms in a hypothetical reaction would fit into.
"Enzymes" could be anything that helps two people (or more, if you're into that kind of thing) in the situations where they can get to know each other better. Enzymes could be mutual friends, or cooking classes, or social sports leagues, or random parties. Even elevators could be enzymes! You just kind of have to be open to the experience.
There are several addenda to this theory, including one about breakups that parallels one of Newton's first Law of Motion, the one about inertia --- every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.
I swear I came up with this while taking general science classes a decade ago, but I just found this much more detailed similar theory with visual aids.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
A Prairie Home Companion
I have to say that although I'm a self-avowed NPR addict, I could be persuaded to change stations instead of listening to all the news from Lake Woebegone. But I can't live without Garrison Keillor's columns. Here's a great excerpt from this week's column:
"Unrestricted immigration is a dangerous thing - look at what happened to the Iroquois. They failed to impose border controls and before they knew it, they were dying of infectious diseases they had no names for. In the case of California, however, it was Spanish before it was English and now it's simply tending back that way."
"Unrestricted immigration is a dangerous thing - look at what happened to the Iroquois. They failed to impose border controls and before they knew it, they were dying of infectious diseases they had no names for. In the case of California, however, it was Spanish before it was English and now it's simply tending back that way."
Sunday, June 03, 2007
financial survival
The NYT has published a sequel to its 2006 column advising young people to lay off the lattes and instead put the money that would buy fancy coffee in a piggy bank (read: IRA) that will allow you to survive until you die.
Survival, it should be noted, is what we're talking about here --- not necessarily living a life enhanced by pleasures that Americans often purchase regardless of their ability to pay. Don't eat out, don't buy new things, and maybe you'll be able to take a cab to the doctor's office when you're old, instead of waiting in the rain for the bus. And, if you start being miserly now, you'll be accustomed to that lifestyle by the time you're old.
Thankfully, I'm already doing a lot of what Damon Darlin recommends. I've been saving for retirement in various ways and am debt-free. As mentioned here before, as the Child of Immigrants I have witnessed firsthand the way the frugal methods my parents followed to save the money to establish themselves in this country and grown to appreciate how they instilled those values in me. Today, however, they have the means to live more comfortably but can hardly bear to spend money on themselves.
I would like to use my money for things that are truly important to me. Better writers have said this more eloquently than I do, but money buys safety, security, peace of mind. You also can use money to support your interests, but lately I'm struck by how much money I spend to support my goals indirectly.
Why did I pay others to prepare and serve at least a dozen of my meals in the last week, when I could cook similar food better myself? Why did I go places and struggle to get the attention of someone who could pour me an alcoholic beverage?
Mostly, it's because no one (more or less) lives in my house but me, and it's easier to meet a group of people at a restaurant or bar than to try to organize a gathering. So, I'm paying for convenience --- and like it or not, getting what I pay for.
Then there's the separate issue of missing the big picture. Why do I drive miles out of the way to save a few dollars on groceries and then waste larger sums paying late fees or parking tickets?
My goal this month: to determine the true reasons behind my spending and see whether it's really worth it.
Survival, it should be noted, is what we're talking about here --- not necessarily living a life enhanced by pleasures that Americans often purchase regardless of their ability to pay. Don't eat out, don't buy new things, and maybe you'll be able to take a cab to the doctor's office when you're old, instead of waiting in the rain for the bus. And, if you start being miserly now, you'll be accustomed to that lifestyle by the time you're old.
Thankfully, I'm already doing a lot of what Damon Darlin recommends. I've been saving for retirement in various ways and am debt-free. As mentioned here before, as the Child of Immigrants I have witnessed firsthand the way the frugal methods my parents followed to save the money to establish themselves in this country and grown to appreciate how they instilled those values in me. Today, however, they have the means to live more comfortably but can hardly bear to spend money on themselves.
I would like to use my money for things that are truly important to me. Better writers have said this more eloquently than I do, but money buys safety, security, peace of mind. You also can use money to support your interests, but lately I'm struck by how much money I spend to support my goals indirectly.
Why did I pay others to prepare and serve at least a dozen of my meals in the last week, when I could cook similar food better myself? Why did I go places and struggle to get the attention of someone who could pour me an alcoholic beverage?
Mostly, it's because no one (more or less) lives in my house but me, and it's easier to meet a group of people at a restaurant or bar than to try to organize a gathering. So, I'm paying for convenience --- and like it or not, getting what I pay for.
Then there's the separate issue of missing the big picture. Why do I drive miles out of the way to save a few dollars on groceries and then waste larger sums paying late fees or parking tickets?
My goal this month: to determine the true reasons behind my spending and see whether it's really worth it.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Say it ain't so
Rochester, N.Y. makes the NYT's most-e-mailed list, but wish it weren't for this reason.
Two Failures Do Not End Dreams of a Rochester-to-Toronto Ferry
ROCHESTER, N.Y., May 23 — Two years ago, this city of 190,000 people — with more per-capita murders, high school dropouts and children living in poverty than any other in the state — paid $32 million for a high-speed ferry. It was considered a way to help revive the local economy by shuttling thousands of passengers a day to and from Canada, across Lake Ontario.
The idea was not a new one, and a recent, short-lived attempt gave cause for concern about the city's venture. In the summer of 2004, two private investors had launched a ferry that took two and a half hours to journey between Rochester and Toronto. But they went out of business after just 11 weeks when low ridership, unexpected breakdowns and rising fuel prices left them unable to shoulder the costs of the operation.
The investors' 770-passenger vessel, the Spirit of Ontario, was seized by creditors and remained moored in the ferry terminal here for months. After no one stepped forward to take over the service, the city bought the vessel in February 2005 and got into the ferry business itself, offering three round trips a day. But the city did no better than the investors, and by the end of 2005, the operation was $10 million in the red.
When a new mayor took office in January 2006, he put the boat on the market. "I had to stop the bleeding," the mayor, Robert J. Duffy, said in an interview.
In many ways, Baltimore is kind of like Rochester squared, but while Charm City always seems to disdain the nearby American capital, the Flower City has tried to capitalize on its proximity to Canada's Gotham. So it's sad to see the fast ferry die ... the Redhead and I took one round trip and didn't think it was that bad. Wasn't amazing, but still.The Namesake
Not the movie, silly ... funny what a little vanity surfing will dredge up. Loving the creepy robo-dancing and wine glass smashing.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
not the kind of thing you'd expect to read in Christianity Today ...
much less on the 'most-read' list ... unless you've added their most-read list to your Google homepage and now know exactly what kinds of those things those Christians be readin' ... but it's interesting, even for you secular humanists out there ...
7 things you need to know about sex
Friday, May 18, 2007
LDRs
So the Divine Miss James has been posting observations this week about long-distance lovin' on her blog, BaltAmour.
I noted that technology like IM and unlimited nationwide cell phone minutes -- and discount airlines -- make LDRs much, much easier to maintain than they probably were in the Pony Express era, when people had to rely on Cold- Mountain-style missives to keep the home fires burning.
I forgot to mention there that all the technology, especially the internet phone service Skype, definitely helps people maintain LDRs over far greater distances than many people would attempt -- even internationally. I have one friend who was based in D.C. but now lives in South Africa with her husband ... they married after about a year apart. Then again, there's the Crab-Kiwi example that definitely didn't work out.
Sometimes I wonder whether LDRs can accelerate feelings of intimacy -- you know, absence makes the heart grow fonder? Or allow a relationship to perpetuate indefinitely because you don't see the things that would lead you to break up sooner.
For example, I talked about how all those Southwest Airlines trips can seem like a honeymoon. But when visits are planned ahead of time, you're totally on your best behavior --- no dirty dishes stacked up in the sink, porn cleaned out of the computer cache (if either of those are deal-breakers for you).
But this doesn't mean surprise encounters are a good idea. I have both surprised and been surprised, and I would not recommend it without intricate support from the significant other's friends. Invariably the other person is busy, or had made plans, plans that do not include you.
I noted that technology like IM and unlimited nationwide cell phone minutes -- and discount airlines -- make LDRs much, much easier to maintain than they probably were in the Pony Express era, when people had to rely on Cold- Mountain-style missives to keep the home fires burning.
I forgot to mention there that all the technology, especially the internet phone service Skype, definitely helps people maintain LDRs over far greater distances than many people would attempt -- even internationally. I have one friend who was based in D.C. but now lives in South Africa with her husband ... they married after about a year apart. Then again, there's the Crab-Kiwi example that definitely didn't work out.
Sometimes I wonder whether LDRs can accelerate feelings of intimacy -- you know, absence makes the heart grow fonder? Or allow a relationship to perpetuate indefinitely because you don't see the things that would lead you to break up sooner.
For example, I talked about how all those Southwest Airlines trips can seem like a honeymoon. But when visits are planned ahead of time, you're totally on your best behavior --- no dirty dishes stacked up in the sink, porn cleaned out of the computer cache (if either of those are deal-breakers for you).
But this doesn't mean surprise encounters are a good idea. I have both surprised and been surprised, and I would not recommend it without intricate support from the significant other's friends. Invariably the other person is busy, or had made plans, plans that do not include you.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
I like new friends!
Thank you, sad panda, for introducing me to the lovely resident of Scarlett Place ... I am actively seeking to introduce him, with the assistance of the Redhead and other compadres, to the joy that is Charm City.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
addendum to: the Pretty Woman rule?
Speaking of arbitrary lines ... according to other Swingin' Friend, sometimes even boys at speed-dating events abide by the following standard:
Saturday, May 12, 2007
the Pretty Woman rule?
Okay, so my swingin'-single friend told me something that threw me for a loop today.
She said some guys will mess around with girls but refuse to kiss them, saying they've reserved that intimate act for serious relationships. Because, it's really far more intimate to put your tongue in someone's mouth than your penis ... anywhere. Right, of course.
You may recognize this scheme as first voiced by Julia Roberts in the modern-day Cinderella movie Pretty Woman. Did it not seem questionable then, even as a loosely veiled plot device?
I also can't believe there are guys out there who are ignoring the proverbial bases (however you define them) and trying to slide straight for home plate.
But Swingin' Friend said the phenomena was more of a commentary on where people draw the cheating line ... that somehow arbitrarily 'saving' some acts for a longer-term partner makes it okay to indulge in other acts with your "chick on the side" that most ordinary people would also describe in a randomized survey as intimate.
Whatever the justification, a refusal to make out with a fling is a good reason to end what already promised to be a brief encounter even sooner than expected.
Friday, May 11, 2007
turn-ons, turn offs
I like to jokingly respond that my turn-ons are strong hands and windy nights, a combination I swear I wasn't creative enough to come up with on my own. But the meditative state induced by a giant Diet Coke (yuck) and a three-hour drive prompted these realizations, in no particular order:
Turn-offs
-- apathy.
Damn, I hate it when people don't care. Don't care about this, don't care about that, don't care about anything. I care about a lot of things! I am energetic and enthusiastic, and it kills my buzz when others are nonchalant and oblivious! RRRRR.
Turn-ons
-- Strong hands (that one's a keeper)
-- doing things.
I like people who do stuff, who are good at doing the stuff they do, who can take control and lead. People who accomplish things, even weird things that benefit society in ways that are not immediately perceptible to many people around them. Maybe this, like all my other neuroses, stems from being the Child of Immigrants who don't spend money on stuff like hobbies, but I find myself easily impressed by people I encounter in my Line of Work for this reason as well.
The bottom line: I am easily impressed.
-- knowing me better than myself.
I spend a lot of time thinking and some of that time (not enough) thinking about people I care about. The converse/contrapositive (that freshman-year Logic class seems far away now) is that it's nice to know that others care about me, too. One way people show they care is by showing you are thinking about someone else by doing favors or giving gifts that are nice because they are personal.
That is, somehow revealing some knowledge of a conversation you once had or perhaps observing a need this person has ... not because the gift requires a personal loan.
Like, the copy of Mother Angelica's biography that I'm giving Mom for Mother's Day ... I get a steady stream of review copies of these books in My Line of Work, so this didn't cost much, but she's going to love it. Don't spoil the surprise!
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