Building a Smarter Favela: IBM Signs Up Rio | Fast Company
Reading list. Tech saving cities? Emergency Preparedness options?
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Abbe + Clyde from snowy NY
I forgot how awesome their place is - gorgeous modern-Japanese-style furniture and big-name modern art prints on the walls (Chagall, Keith Haring, Jim Dine), mixed in with usual middle-aged couple/parent stuff. Plants and teapots everywhere.
More pics from the city this weekend.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Moving a Yup'ik village, a story of climate change | Mark Dowie | Orion Magazine
Moving a Yup'ik village, a story of climate change | Mark Dowie | Orion Magazine
Reading list note for later.
I'll be following up on the previous post/comment tomorrow. Thanks Anon for your info, I'm going to look more into it and answer you properly when I'm not hosting a party/drinking cocktails/watching Die Hard.
Reading list note for later.
I'll be following up on the previous post/comment tomorrow. Thanks Anon for your info, I'm going to look more into it and answer you properly when I'm not hosting a party/drinking cocktails/watching Die Hard.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sourdough Starter-Along: Day Zero | Slice Pizza Blog
Sourdough Starter-Along: Day Zero | Slice Pizza Blog
A project for when I return from the holidays.
Also just gave a little cash to Heifer International, a FANTASTIC charity that I helped raise money for back in my tele-fundraising days. The best thing about that job was learning what the good charities are, and Heifer is one of them.
You can give a gift of a specific animal, or give to a project, or just give money for them to put where they need it. They provide people in need with enough livestock to start breeding, training in how to care kindly for the animals, and how to make money off of the gift. The requirement is, once babies start arriving, those babies go to their neighbors to start the cycle anew. Entire areas can start to get an economic base and food supply going. Great stuff.
PS - charities really, really REALLY love monthly donations rather than one-time gifts.
A project for when I return from the holidays.
Also just gave a little cash to Heifer International, a FANTASTIC charity that I helped raise money for back in my tele-fundraising days. The best thing about that job was learning what the good charities are, and Heifer is one of them.
You can give a gift of a specific animal, or give to a project, or just give money for them to put where they need it. They provide people in need with enough livestock to start breeding, training in how to care kindly for the animals, and how to make money off of the gift. The requirement is, once babies start arriving, those babies go to their neighbors to start the cycle anew. Entire areas can start to get an economic base and food supply going. Great stuff.
PS - charities really, really REALLY love monthly donations rather than one-time gifts.
Friday, December 10, 2010
'The Land is Washing Back to the Sea' | OnEarth Magazine
The Land is Washing Back to the Sea | OnEarth Magazine
This is heartbreaking. I've studied/wrote papers on some of the physical factors mentioned here (subsidence due to oil & gas drilling, Mississippi levees preventing soil deposits, and the accelerated pace of erosion when buffer wetlands disappear, particularly during storms/hurricanes) but I hadn't found anything about the impact on the Tribal lifestyle.
Protecting the wetlands in the Gulf is a more complex issue than protecting the barrier islands of the Outer Banks or the Waddenzee. Mostly because of the major influence of the Mississippi and how many different states it crosses, all of which would have to agree to a sediment management plan that would put probably billions of dollars of development and infrastructure at risk upstream, in order to save the Gulf wetlands.
It's one thing when someone who's lived on the Banks for generations to see their house get swallowed by the ocean - that's a way of life, it's how things have always been. Same in the Waddenzee islands. But here, where the land was fairly balanced for generations, only to have it disappear within a single lifetime because of the ignorant, selfish or poor decisions of others, must be frustrating to the extreme.
I read part of an excellent book about the early history of the Army Corps of Engineers and the single man whose stubborn ego and bitter personal feud created the massive problems we have today. It was borrowed, so I couldn't finish it, but I'll be adding it to my next Amazon purchase: Rising Tide: The Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How it Changed America, by John M. Barry.
The sad thing is, even if they had the money and policies in place, the rate at which the land is disappearing and the time it would take to institute the changes make it impossible to save what's there. With appropriate changes to land use and some hard engineering solutions, it could be possible to rebuild it and resettle it, though. Just ask the Dutch.
This is heartbreaking. I've studied/wrote papers on some of the physical factors mentioned here (subsidence due to oil & gas drilling, Mississippi levees preventing soil deposits, and the accelerated pace of erosion when buffer wetlands disappear, particularly during storms/hurricanes) but I hadn't found anything about the impact on the Tribal lifestyle.
Protecting the wetlands in the Gulf is a more complex issue than protecting the barrier islands of the Outer Banks or the Waddenzee. Mostly because of the major influence of the Mississippi and how many different states it crosses, all of which would have to agree to a sediment management plan that would put probably billions of dollars of development and infrastructure at risk upstream, in order to save the Gulf wetlands.
It's one thing when someone who's lived on the Banks for generations to see their house get swallowed by the ocean - that's a way of life, it's how things have always been. Same in the Waddenzee islands. But here, where the land was fairly balanced for generations, only to have it disappear within a single lifetime because of the ignorant, selfish or poor decisions of others, must be frustrating to the extreme.
I read part of an excellent book about the early history of the Army Corps of Engineers and the single man whose stubborn ego and bitter personal feud created the massive problems we have today. It was borrowed, so I couldn't finish it, but I'll be adding it to my next Amazon purchase: Rising Tide: The Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How it Changed America, by John M. Barry.
The sad thing is, even if they had the money and policies in place, the rate at which the land is disappearing and the time it would take to institute the changes make it impossible to save what's there. With appropriate changes to land use and some hard engineering solutions, it could be possible to rebuild it and resettle it, though. Just ask the Dutch.
Saturday, December 04, 2010
Tió de Nadal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tió de Nadal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This just in: other countries have strange and fucked-up holiday traditions. I'm wondering which of ours seem the weirdest to others.
Bum-rushing stores at 2 a.m. on Black Friday is probably one of them.
This just in: other countries have strange and fucked-up holiday traditions. I'm wondering which of ours seem the weirdest to others.
Bum-rushing stores at 2 a.m. on Black Friday is probably one of them.
Friday, December 03, 2010
Vegan Italian Sausage Recipe
via the Everyday Dish TV
Spicy Italian Vegetarian Sausages
Makes 8 links
2 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup chickpea flour
2 tbsp Bills Best Chik’Nish Seasoning (if using another brand which is salty, or saltier than Bill’s Best, you’ll want to greatly reduce the amount you use)
2 tbsp granulated onion
1 to 2 tbsp fennel seed, optional
2 tsp coarsely ground pepper, preferably freshly ground
2 tsp ground paprika
1 tsp dried chili flakes, optional
1 tsp ground smoked paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground allspice
2 1/4 cups cool water*
6 to 8 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1. In a large bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients. Whisk together the water, garlic, olive oil and soy sauce and using a fork, gently stir into the dry ingredients. Stir just until ingredients are mixed. If dough mixture is too dry, you can add another tablespoon of water or as needed.
2. Scoop 1/2 cup dough mixture at a time and shape into logs. Place logs on piece of aluminum foil and roll up, twisting ends. Place sausages in steamer and steam for 30 minutes. Once sausages have cooled, remove from foil and refrigerate until ready to eat. After cooling, the sausages may feel a bit dry on the outside. Don’t worry, as they will soften and firm up considerably after chilling.
Variation: You can shape the dough into little patties instead of links. If you don’t want to use aluminum foil, you can wrap the links in damp muslin or tea towel and tie ends with cotton twine.
***************
There was exactly a 1" strip of aluminum foil left in the box (WTF?!) so I tried it with cheesecloth. What a freaking pain that was. We'll see if they explode or not.
***
Edited to add: This recipe is GREAT. Easier and definitely better texture than the last time I tried - I think it's using chickpea flour instead of mashing the beans. The cheesecloth worked but is a pain in the ass to take off - definitely wrap with wax paper or similar next time before putting the cheesecloth on. Or just use foil!
Spicy Italian Vegetarian Sausages
Makes 8 links
2 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup chickpea flour
2 tbsp Bills Best Chik’Nish Seasoning (if using another brand which is salty, or saltier than Bill’s Best, you’ll want to greatly reduce the amount you use)
2 tbsp granulated onion
1 to 2 tbsp fennel seed, optional
2 tsp coarsely ground pepper, preferably freshly ground
2 tsp ground paprika
1 tsp dried chili flakes, optional
1 tsp ground smoked paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground allspice
2 1/4 cups cool water*
6 to 8 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1. In a large bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients. Whisk together the water, garlic, olive oil and soy sauce and using a fork, gently stir into the dry ingredients. Stir just until ingredients are mixed. If dough mixture is too dry, you can add another tablespoon of water or as needed.
2. Scoop 1/2 cup dough mixture at a time and shape into logs. Place logs on piece of aluminum foil and roll up, twisting ends. Place sausages in steamer and steam for 30 minutes. Once sausages have cooled, remove from foil and refrigerate until ready to eat. After cooling, the sausages may feel a bit dry on the outside. Don’t worry, as they will soften and firm up considerably after chilling.
Variation: You can shape the dough into little patties instead of links. If you don’t want to use aluminum foil, you can wrap the links in damp muslin or tea towel and tie ends with cotton twine.
***************
There was exactly a 1" strip of aluminum foil left in the box (WTF?!) so I tried it with cheesecloth. What a freaking pain that was. We'll see if they explode or not.
***
Edited to add: This recipe is GREAT. Easier and definitely better texture than the last time I tried - I think it's using chickpea flour instead of mashing the beans. The cheesecloth worked but is a pain in the ass to take off - definitely wrap with wax paper or similar next time before putting the cheesecloth on. Or just use foil!
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Thanksgiving post-mortem
Well, Thanksgiving was pretty crazy. I ended up getting started a bit late because the kitchen was occupied by a cooking roommate until about noon, and I didn't get around to making the sweet potatoes early as I had planned. Then the whole turkey smoking thing was kind of a fiasco.
First, we had to stop by the grocery store and pick up a pan to catch the drippings and hold the wine, onion & celery. So we do that and I realize I forgot to bring charcoal and matches, but figure that Tyler's left some charcoal in the shed along with the wood chips, so I just need a lighter. Which takes me forever to find and I end up causing a scene with me holding up a line on Thanksgiving and then having to chase down the checkout guy to tell him I already found it.
Then we go down to the in-laws' house, I almost slip and fall on the icy street, and get the extra thingies and frighten Tyler's mother-in-law in the process. She's lovely though so it was all good.
We get to the house and hey, the shed is locked. No charcoal, no wood chips. Sam calls, comes over with charcoal and we realize we have no idea how much charcoal to put in. We start the fire, go back to the same store and pick up more charcoal and woodchips, and Sam buys about $80 worth of beer. Of course.
Now the smoker's going fine, we put the turkey in... turkey is too tall. We have to flip all sorts of things over, which have now been roasting in a 800 degree smoker for 30 minutes. We have no tools or gloves. Eventually we find a random metal pipe and maneuver things. Turkey is still too tall, but the turkey neck fits in the smoker neck and maybe it'll work except now it's 250 degrees, instead of the 350 we were aiming for.
We head home and watch a few instructional youtube videos about how to use the Green Egg and I start cooking like a madwoman, leaving Sam & Matt to figure out the turkey business. Turns out, though needed more charcoal, that we did everything right. Also, not using match-light charcoal is best for taste reasons but apparently it came out okay, though worryingly pink because smoked turkey is always pink? Well the USDA said it, good enough for me. Everyone was a bit unsure at the dinner, I found out later.
I'll summarize the craze of cooking, but everything turned out... okay. Not great because I was just doing too much, even with help, and unless I had 2 ovens it's really hard to cook everything and keep it warm for the table. Brussels sprouts ended up overdone so it wasn't as tasty as Evangeline's and I think I put too much something in the dressing. Stuffing was dry, mashed potatoes were a bit dry, gravy was lumpy (no idea how the turkey gravy tasted). Sweet potatoes awesome as always, love that recipe. Pumpkin pie turned out great.
Well anyway we had a shit-ton of food, and leftovers lasted a good few days anyway. Damn it, that's what counts!
First, we had to stop by the grocery store and pick up a pan to catch the drippings and hold the wine, onion & celery. So we do that and I realize I forgot to bring charcoal and matches, but figure that Tyler's left some charcoal in the shed along with the wood chips, so I just need a lighter. Which takes me forever to find and I end up causing a scene with me holding up a line on Thanksgiving and then having to chase down the checkout guy to tell him I already found it.
Then we go down to the in-laws' house, I almost slip and fall on the icy street, and get the extra thingies and frighten Tyler's mother-in-law in the process. She's lovely though so it was all good.
We get to the house and hey, the shed is locked. No charcoal, no wood chips. Sam calls, comes over with charcoal and we realize we have no idea how much charcoal to put in. We start the fire, go back to the same store and pick up more charcoal and woodchips, and Sam buys about $80 worth of beer. Of course.
Now the smoker's going fine, we put the turkey in... turkey is too tall. We have to flip all sorts of things over, which have now been roasting in a 800 degree smoker for 30 minutes. We have no tools or gloves. Eventually we find a random metal pipe and maneuver things. Turkey is still too tall, but the turkey neck fits in the smoker neck and maybe it'll work except now it's 250 degrees, instead of the 350 we were aiming for.
We head home and watch a few instructional youtube videos about how to use the Green Egg and I start cooking like a madwoman, leaving Sam & Matt to figure out the turkey business. Turns out, though needed more charcoal, that we did everything right. Also, not using match-light charcoal is best for taste reasons but apparently it came out okay, though worryingly pink because smoked turkey is always pink? Well the USDA said it, good enough for me. Everyone was a bit unsure at the dinner, I found out later.
I'll summarize the craze of cooking, but everything turned out... okay. Not great because I was just doing too much, even with help, and unless I had 2 ovens it's really hard to cook everything and keep it warm for the table. Brussels sprouts ended up overdone so it wasn't as tasty as Evangeline's and I think I put too much something in the dressing. Stuffing was dry, mashed potatoes were a bit dry, gravy was lumpy (no idea how the turkey gravy tasted). Sweet potatoes awesome as always, love that recipe. Pumpkin pie turned out great.
Well anyway we had a shit-ton of food, and leftovers lasted a good few days anyway. Damn it, that's what counts!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Vegan Thanksgiving
I may update this later with a post-mortem, but thought I'd go ahead and put all of my recipes in one place for selfish reasons.
This year I'm hosting and cooking 90% of the dishes for myself and 7 other people, one of whom is vegetarian. I'm paying extra for a $1.99/lb free-range fresh turkey rather than a $.39/lb frozen Butterball. My friend Tyler, who lives a few blocks away, has graciously offered us the use of his Big Green Egg to smoke the sucker, which will leave our oven free and generally be less of a hassle.
Other than that, I picked up a lentil-sage and a wild-mushroom Field Roast as the protein since I'm making lots of stuff. A chopped salad with romaine hearts & assorted veggies, choice of dressings; basic mashed potatoes (Yukon gold + soymilk + margarine + salt & pepper); Pillsbury crescent rolls, and canned cranberry sauce. Approximating the stuffing recipe on the back of the bag, 1 with turkey juice and 1 vegan with pecans and apples.
Pre-dinner noshes will be Safeway salsa + chips, assorted veggies & dip (dressing or I might make a hummus or onion/tofu dip), leftover cheese and crackers.
Others are bringing a lemon cream pie, pfeffernusse cookies and fresh cranberry sauce.
Here are my recipes for everything else:
Gram's Cranberry Sherbert
4 cups fresh cranberries
2.5 cups water
1.5 cups of sugar
Juice and zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon.
1 teaspoon of gelatin (I used 2 teaspoons of vegan cherry-flavored jel dessert)
1. Cook berries in water until berries stop popping and strain into pot, saving juice.
2. Using food mill or a fine metal sieve, a flat metal spoon and a lot of effort, smash the pulp out of the cranberries into the pot, keeping the skins out.
3. Add sugar, cook on low until dissolved.
4. Add gelatin; cool.
5. Stir in juice and zest.
6. Pour into freezer tray.
7. Beat with mixer 2 days prior to serving, refreeze and serve on Thanksgiving.
Evangeline's Brussels Sprouts, Apples and Walnut Salad
I sliced the sprouts in half and steamed them (I cooked mine for too long, they should be just underdone). Then I pan-seared them in olive oil and a couple cloves of crushed garlic, really letting the sliced sides get crispy. Just before removing them, I stirred in some maple syrup (1 tsp? 1 tbsp? a little goes a long way) and removed them from the heat before the sugar burned too much. Actually, it got pretty smoky. Good luck. I added chopped fresh apple (I used half a medium-sized apple, something tart, sweet and crispy but I don't remember what kind) and walnuts pan-roasted with a pinch of salt and a little maple syrup. I can't remember if I added shallots, but they would be good in this. I made a dressing out of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lots of thyme, a pinch of cumin, 1-2 tsp of brown deli mustard and something sweet, either a tablespoon of honey or maple syrup again, I'm not sure which.
Praline Topped Sweet Potatoes
3 one-pound cans of yams in light syrup, DRAINED
1/2 c. margarine, melted
1/2 c. cashew cream (equal parts raw cashews to water, blended)
2 Tbsp milled flax seed mixed with 1/2 cup water (i.e. 2 large eggs)
1 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 c. chopped pecans
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
1. In a food processor, puree yams with 6 Tbsp. margarine and 2 Tbsp. cashew cream.
2. Add flax/water and 1/2 c. brown sugar, process until blended.
3. Pour into 2 qt. baking dish.
4. Preheat oven to 375.
5. In a small saucepan, combine remaining ingredients EXCEPT for vanilla. Bring to boiling, simmer 5 mins.
6. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.
7. Spoon mixture over potatoes.
8. Bake 20 minutes or until bubbly.
Serves 6-8.
Vegan Pumpkin Pie
(adapted from this recipe
9" store-bought graham cracker crust (because pssssh)
2 cups canned pumpkin or puréed home-cooked fresh pumpkin (see note)
1 cup low-fat soymilk or rice milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar cane syrup
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 Tbs. dark molasses or to taste
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. In large bowl, mix all remaining ingredients until smooth and blended. Pour into prepared crust and smooth top. Bake 10 minutes.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 350F; bake until filling is set, about 50 minutes. Set on wire rack to cool, then refrigerate overnight. Top with your choice of dessert topping if desired.
This year I'm hosting and cooking 90% of the dishes for myself and 7 other people, one of whom is vegetarian. I'm paying extra for a $1.99/lb free-range fresh turkey rather than a $.39/lb frozen Butterball. My friend Tyler, who lives a few blocks away, has graciously offered us the use of his Big Green Egg to smoke the sucker, which will leave our oven free and generally be less of a hassle.
Other than that, I picked up a lentil-sage and a wild-mushroom Field Roast as the protein since I'm making lots of stuff. A chopped salad with romaine hearts & assorted veggies, choice of dressings; basic mashed potatoes (Yukon gold + soymilk + margarine + salt & pepper); Pillsbury crescent rolls, and canned cranberry sauce. Approximating the stuffing recipe on the back of the bag, 1 with turkey juice and 1 vegan with pecans and apples.
Pre-dinner noshes will be Safeway salsa + chips, assorted veggies & dip (dressing or I might make a hummus or onion/tofu dip), leftover cheese and crackers.
Others are bringing a lemon cream pie, pfeffernusse cookies and fresh cranberry sauce.
Here are my recipes for everything else:
Gram's Cranberry Sherbert
4 cups fresh cranberries
2.5 cups water
1.5 cups of sugar
Juice and zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon.
1 teaspoon of gelatin (I used 2 teaspoons of vegan cherry-flavored jel dessert)
1. Cook berries in water until berries stop popping and strain into pot, saving juice.
2. Using food mill or a fine metal sieve, a flat metal spoon and a lot of effort, smash the pulp out of the cranberries into the pot, keeping the skins out.
3. Add sugar, cook on low until dissolved.
4. Add gelatin; cool.
5. Stir in juice and zest.
6. Pour into freezer tray.
7. Beat with mixer 2 days prior to serving, refreeze and serve on Thanksgiving.
Evangeline's Brussels Sprouts, Apples and Walnut Salad
I sliced the sprouts in half and steamed them (I cooked mine for too long, they should be just underdone). Then I pan-seared them in olive oil and a couple cloves of crushed garlic, really letting the sliced sides get crispy. Just before removing them, I stirred in some maple syrup (1 tsp? 1 tbsp? a little goes a long way) and removed them from the heat before the sugar burned too much. Actually, it got pretty smoky. Good luck. I added chopped fresh apple (I used half a medium-sized apple, something tart, sweet and crispy but I don't remember what kind) and walnuts pan-roasted with a pinch of salt and a little maple syrup. I can't remember if I added shallots, but they would be good in this. I made a dressing out of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lots of thyme, a pinch of cumin, 1-2 tsp of brown deli mustard and something sweet, either a tablespoon of honey or maple syrup again, I'm not sure which.
Praline Topped Sweet Potatoes
3 one-pound cans of yams in light syrup, DRAINED
1/2 c. margarine, melted
1/2 c. cashew cream (equal parts raw cashews to water, blended)
2 Tbsp milled flax seed mixed with 1/2 cup water (i.e. 2 large eggs)
1 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 c. chopped pecans
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
1. In a food processor, puree yams with 6 Tbsp. margarine and 2 Tbsp. cashew cream.
2. Add flax/water and 1/2 c. brown sugar, process until blended.
3. Pour into 2 qt. baking dish.
4. Preheat oven to 375.
5. In a small saucepan, combine remaining ingredients EXCEPT for vanilla. Bring to boiling, simmer 5 mins.
6. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.
7. Spoon mixture over potatoes.
8. Bake 20 minutes or until bubbly.
Serves 6-8.
Vegan Pumpkin Pie
(adapted from this recipe
9" store-bought graham cracker crust (because pssssh)
2 cups canned pumpkin or puréed home-cooked fresh pumpkin (see note)
1 cup low-fat soymilk or rice milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar cane syrup
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 Tbs. dark molasses or to taste
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. In large bowl, mix all remaining ingredients until smooth and blended. Pour into prepared crust and smooth top. Bake 10 minutes.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 350F; bake until filling is set, about 50 minutes. Set on wire rack to cool, then refrigerate overnight. Top with your choice of dessert topping if desired.
Monday, November 08, 2010
Haiti Quake Intensity Was Affected by Local Terrain, Study Finds - NYTimes.com
Haiti Quake Intensity Was Affected by Local Terrain, Study Finds - NYTimes.com
Reading list item of the day. On one hand, yay for better planning and forecasting. On the other, I feel like the last two plans I worked on may have missed something. I guess that's one of the perils of working with scientific data: your work becomes outdated as the knowledge base builds. Ah well.
Reading list item of the day. On one hand, yay for better planning and forecasting. On the other, I feel like the last two plans I worked on may have missed something. I guess that's one of the perils of working with scientific data: your work becomes outdated as the knowledge base builds. Ah well.
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
BBC - Earth News - Snake gives 'virgin birth' to extraordinary babies
Snake gives 'virgin birth' to extraordinary babies
Obviously the Bible was slightly off in its description of the Anti-Christ.
Look, they even have built-in evil goatees! BWAHAHAHA.
Obviously the Bible was slightly off in its description of the Anti-Christ.
Look, they even have built-in evil goatees! BWAHAHAHA.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Partner in crime
Lit up
Friday, October 29, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
The Case for Obama | Rolling Stone Politics
The Case for Obama | Rolling Stone Politics
Did I already blog this? My browser is hella slow after doing genealogy research for the last several hours. I made it back to the early 1500s in England. Craaazy. Also: Quakers. Lots of Quaker farmers in rural PA.
Did I already blog this? My browser is hella slow after doing genealogy research for the last several hours. I made it back to the early 1500s in England. Craaazy. Also: Quakers. Lots of Quaker farmers in rural PA.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Today's Reading List (Planitizen)
Architects and Designers Explore Urban Pandemics | Planetizen
Levee Construction Around New Orleans Enters a Period of Uncertainty | Planetizen
Hello Moynihan Station - Goodbye Penn | Planetizen
In completely unrelated news, considering buying a diamond-tipped Dremel bit set for a few dollars off eBay and completing those rune stones from Irish beach pebbles that I started several years ago.
It's gotta be better (read: more productive) than playing God of War for three straight days.
Levee Construction Around New Orleans Enters a Period of Uncertainty | Planetizen
Hello Moynihan Station - Goodbye Penn | Planetizen
In completely unrelated news, considering buying a diamond-tipped Dremel bit set for a few dollars off eBay and completing those rune stones from Irish beach pebbles that I started several years ago.
It's gotta be better (read: more productive) than playing God of War for three straight days.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Friday, October 08, 2010
The Now Habit: Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play
The Now Habit: Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play
More good tips from Lifehacker. I'm going to try the unscheduling.
I start my new contract sometime in November/December. I'm looking for short-term work but haven't made appointments with temp agencies yet because I really dislike some of the placements I have to do (front desk, mainly). But once they offer me work I can't, in good conscience, turn it down. So I just haven't made the appointments. Garrgh.
In other news I freaking love Star Wars: Battlefront and Civ 4. Sigh.
More good tips from Lifehacker. I'm going to try the unscheduling.
I start my new contract sometime in November/December. I'm looking for short-term work but haven't made appointments with temp agencies yet because I really dislike some of the placements I have to do (front desk, mainly). But once they offer me work I can't, in good conscience, turn it down. So I just haven't made the appointments. Garrgh.
In other news I freaking love Star Wars: Battlefront and Civ 4. Sigh.
Monday, October 04, 2010
What we can learn from procrastination : The New Yorker
What we can learn from procrastination : The New Yorker
A great article. On one hand, I feel much better that other 'great' people struggle with procrastination, from Nobel laureates to General Maclellan to Victor Hugo (loved that bit).
On the other, I doubt my procrastination speaks to some great existential crisis that I'm not facing.
Hmm.
Well, maybe it does at that.
(insert "I'll think about that later" joke here)
A great article. On one hand, I feel much better that other 'great' people struggle with procrastination, from Nobel laureates to General Maclellan to Victor Hugo (loved that bit).
On the other, I doubt my procrastination speaks to some great existential crisis that I'm not facing.
Hmm.
Well, maybe it does at that.
(insert "I'll think about that later" joke here)
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Spiders
To the Arachnid Nation:
Look, spiders. We have had this discussion I don't know how many times. I'm not sure how much clearer I can make this.
Unless you want to die a horrible fucking death, there are 3 locations that are off-limits. Everywhere else ends in either an assisted catch-and-release or inter-species tolerance, even admiration on my part.
1. My person. In general, do not approach.
2. My bathroom, when I am in it and can see you. Spiders smaller than a pea are exempt. Nudity can turn infractions into explosive situations.
3. My bedroom, again when I am present and you are visible. (I know for a fact that some have taken advantage of darkness and bit me in my sleep, I assume in revenge for the death of a loved one. Well played.)
You KNOW these rules; I explicitly stated them aloud during the short-lived Basement Tenancy of '08. So why, WHY did one of your party just RUN TOWARDS MY ANKLES WHILE I WAS TAKING A DUMP?!
I had no choice but to execute.
I think I have been more than fair with these limits. I hope you decide against retribution.
Sincerely,
-W
Seriously though it is like alien spider invasion out there WTF.
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Look, spiders. We have had this discussion I don't know how many times. I'm not sure how much clearer I can make this.
Unless you want to die a horrible fucking death, there are 3 locations that are off-limits. Everywhere else ends in either an assisted catch-and-release or inter-species tolerance, even admiration on my part.
1. My person. In general, do not approach.
2. My bathroom, when I am in it and can see you. Spiders smaller than a pea are exempt. Nudity can turn infractions into explosive situations.
3. My bedroom, again when I am present and you are visible. (I know for a fact that some have taken advantage of darkness and bit me in my sleep, I assume in revenge for the death of a loved one. Well played.)
You KNOW these rules; I explicitly stated them aloud during the short-lived Basement Tenancy of '08. So why, WHY did one of your party just RUN TOWARDS MY ANKLES WHILE I WAS TAKING A DUMP?!
I had no choice but to execute.
I think I have been more than fair with these limits. I hope you decide against retribution.
Sincerely,
-W
Seriously though it is like alien spider invasion out there WTF.
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Monday, September 06, 2010
Losing sight of what matters in America - CharlotteObserver.com
Losing sight of what matters in America - CharlotteObserver.com
Interesting take on the cons of individualism. I talked about this in my thesis - there's so much emphasis on 'me' that 'us' is a foreign concept, or even a traitorous one. It's not just NIMBY-ism, it's the people on the mainland of North Carolina wanting the island-folk to get washed into the sea so they don't have to pay for the Army Corps to protect them.
At the same time, it's the people building houses right behind the dunes because if they can buy the land, it's their right to build. And it's the landowners who reject setbacks from the ocean because it's their right to sell the land to a builder. It's never about the town or the community having enough room to be safe; it's about the individual's right to do whatever the hell he wants, especially if it means profiting. They'd rather their neighbors be destroyed than be prevented from doing what they want.
I'm afraid this attitude is too entrenched in our history and culture to change. Perhaps the dynamics of the population will be sufficiently altered in the next 20-30 years, and the burgeoning families of immigrants from more culture-valuing societies will be the catalyst we need. American individualism was useful in the age of pioneers (from the American government's point of view and not, say, a Native tribe's) but at this point I think it's holding us back. Wars aren't enough anymore. What will it take?
Interesting take on the cons of individualism. I talked about this in my thesis - there's so much emphasis on 'me' that 'us' is a foreign concept, or even a traitorous one. It's not just NIMBY-ism, it's the people on the mainland of North Carolina wanting the island-folk to get washed into the sea so they don't have to pay for the Army Corps to protect them.
At the same time, it's the people building houses right behind the dunes because if they can buy the land, it's their right to build. And it's the landowners who reject setbacks from the ocean because it's their right to sell the land to a builder. It's never about the town or the community having enough room to be safe; it's about the individual's right to do whatever the hell he wants, especially if it means profiting. They'd rather their neighbors be destroyed than be prevented from doing what they want.
I'm afraid this attitude is too entrenched in our history and culture to change. Perhaps the dynamics of the population will be sufficiently altered in the next 20-30 years, and the burgeoning families of immigrants from more culture-valuing societies will be the catalyst we need. American individualism was useful in the age of pioneers (from the American government's point of view and not, say, a Native tribe's) but at this point I think it's holding us back. Wars aren't enough anymore. What will it take?
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Hurricane Katrina reading material
So, it's been 5 years. I still remember the way the room changed when we found out a classmate was a Katrina evacuee, who didn't plan on moving back home anytime soon. He hadn't even visited since it had happened. This was June of 2007, so less than 2 years later. It was still something raw and terrible to us, and I wasn't even directly affected. I imagine for those who were, it's still terrible, but less raw and more survivable. For the rest of us, I think it's regret, pity, shame, and still a little bit of incomprehensible horror.
Anyway, here are 2 "what now" articles about Katrina that caught my eye, in particular:
What would happen if another Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans today? - CSMonitor.com
Sewage As Hurricane Protection? New Orleans Could Use It To Regrow Wetlands : TreeHugger
The Banks are in for a wallop with Earl, although hopefully not a direct hit. There could still be some major damage, and I hope people are overly cautious about evacuating. Oh barrier islands, and your idiosyncratic inhabitants. What a consternation you are for emergency managers.
Anyway, here are 2 "what now" articles about Katrina that caught my eye, in particular:
What would happen if another Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans today? - CSMonitor.com
Sewage As Hurricane Protection? New Orleans Could Use It To Regrow Wetlands : TreeHugger
The Banks are in for a wallop with Earl, although hopefully not a direct hit. There could still be some major damage, and I hope people are overly cautious about evacuating. Oh barrier islands, and your idiosyncratic inhabitants. What a consternation you are for emergency managers.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
This is why I'm fat
Urban Planners Make You Fat
Several professors in my department are studying this phenomenon. I always feel as if I'm a walking validation of their research because I'm from the suburban Southeast. Part of me always got the sense that they'd love to ask me questions but were afraid it might End Badly.
I find it terribly amusing that the bottom of that post has a list of other things that make you fat, including proximity to fast food restaurants, cheap gas and the government. It's not the fact that I hate exercise and love carbs, it's because I grew up in an area where walking was dangerous and half of the restaurants nearby had value meals. Oh, and gas used to be less than a dollar per gallon.
I was doomed from the start!
See, the problem with articles like these is that they could be seen as self-justification for fatties. That's not at all what they're intending, but I bet a lot of people are going to misinterpret it that way. For instance, right now I live in a neighborhood with a high walking score, where even the 'fast food' restaurants are fairly healthy and public transit works. I'm not losing weight though, because it's not all about the environment, at least not at the individual level.
The point of these articles is to study obesity as a pandemic. It's like tracking an outbreak. It's not why YOU are fat, it's why so many other people are fat.
I agree that this needs to be studied, because it is a growing trend that we need to figure out. It's tied into food systems, urban planning, transportation, possibly other health issues (e.g. stress). I think mostly it's a symptom of a wealthy society and a culture that values leisure time and paying other people to do things for you as an indicator of success.
Obesity has some similarities to diseases such as alcoholism and addiction - many people believe that the fault lies with the individual. They all may have roots in psychological as well as biological issues. Studying obesity, and coming up with solutions for it, is going to run into some very tricky areas. It's not the same as wiping out polio - you don't blame children for drinking contaminated water. This is something that academics have to consider, and being that the ones I know who are studying the problem tend to have BMIs in the "normal" range, may not be as fully aware of the pitfalls. They have to be careful if they want to be taken seriously.
Anyway, in my case it is an urban planner making me fat. I have the degree to prove it.
Several professors in my department are studying this phenomenon. I always feel as if I'm a walking validation of their research because I'm from the suburban Southeast. Part of me always got the sense that they'd love to ask me questions but were afraid it might End Badly.
I find it terribly amusing that the bottom of that post has a list of other things that make you fat, including proximity to fast food restaurants, cheap gas and the government. It's not the fact that I hate exercise and love carbs, it's because I grew up in an area where walking was dangerous and half of the restaurants nearby had value meals. Oh, and gas used to be less than a dollar per gallon.
I was doomed from the start!
See, the problem with articles like these is that they could be seen as self-justification for fatties. That's not at all what they're intending, but I bet a lot of people are going to misinterpret it that way. For instance, right now I live in a neighborhood with a high walking score, where even the 'fast food' restaurants are fairly healthy and public transit works. I'm not losing weight though, because it's not all about the environment, at least not at the individual level.
The point of these articles is to study obesity as a pandemic. It's like tracking an outbreak. It's not why YOU are fat, it's why so many other people are fat.
I agree that this needs to be studied, because it is a growing trend that we need to figure out. It's tied into food systems, urban planning, transportation, possibly other health issues (e.g. stress). I think mostly it's a symptom of a wealthy society and a culture that values leisure time and paying other people to do things for you as an indicator of success.
Obesity has some similarities to diseases such as alcoholism and addiction - many people believe that the fault lies with the individual. They all may have roots in psychological as well as biological issues. Studying obesity, and coming up with solutions for it, is going to run into some very tricky areas. It's not the same as wiping out polio - you don't blame children for drinking contaminated water. This is something that academics have to consider, and being that the ones I know who are studying the problem tend to have BMIs in the "normal" range, may not be as fully aware of the pitfalls. They have to be careful if they want to be taken seriously.
Anyway, in my case it is an urban planner making me fat. I have the degree to prove it.
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Soul sister
The internet has kindly shared a couple of posts from Hyperbole and a Half with me, and I feel a kinship towards the creator. Mainly because she makes things like this:
The rest of that post could have been written by me, basically.
Sometimes when I write lately I put in completely the wrong word. It's very strange, and I don't recall it happening until recently. I've decided either I'm dying of brain cancer OR I have some sort of severe vitamin deficiency. The latter is more likely but less interesting. Maybe it's both.
At the moment it's a shitty, rainy day in Seattle (shut up) so naturally my neighbors have decided to have a raucous outdoor party. It might be a barbecue? I don't want to look and risk eye contact and seem like I'm being prudish or something (I'm wearing a cardigan, that will be their first thought). I just know they're screaming a lot and have been for hours. I realized that perhaps the reason that their kids are always screaming isn't because all kids do that, but because the parents also think it's normal to yell constantly if you're in a group. Or maybe they've just been blind drunk since noon. Likely.
I'm still pretty sure all kids scream constantly while playing, though. Like engines on motorcycles.
The rest of that post could have been written by me, basically.
Sometimes when I write lately I put in completely the wrong word. It's very strange, and I don't recall it happening until recently. I've decided either I'm dying of brain cancer OR I have some sort of severe vitamin deficiency. The latter is more likely but less interesting. Maybe it's both.
At the moment it's a shitty, rainy day in Seattle (shut up) so naturally my neighbors have decided to have a raucous outdoor party. It might be a barbecue? I don't want to look and risk eye contact and seem like I'm being prudish or something (I'm wearing a cardigan, that will be their first thought). I just know they're screaming a lot and have been for hours. I realized that perhaps the reason that their kids are always screaming isn't because all kids do that, but because the parents also think it's normal to yell constantly if you're in a group. Or maybe they've just been blind drunk since noon. Likely.
I'm still pretty sure all kids scream constantly while playing, though. Like engines on motorcycles.
Monday, August 02, 2010
Epic craft project in my mind
We've got 3 (THREE!) cats and no big climby thing. This seems silly. It also seems silly to pay $80-$200 for what's basically scrap wood with some carpet glued to it.
I'm trying to conceptualize something that would be so awesomely nerdy it would manage to eclipse its own lameness. The kind of thing that, were I male, would set me up for unending teasing about how I would never know the touch of a woman, but if done right might even gather some admirers on the interwebs (IMPORTANT).
Cat Minas Tirith.
Bear with me here. I think it can be done, the question is how well can it be done. I want this to look freaking sweet, yes, but I also want it to make the cats happy in a way that also doesn't make them destroy the part I worked hard on.
So far I'm trying to come up with creative uses of carpet. And also, Cat-Toy-Steward-of-Gondor on a string, dangling off the precipice for theNazgûl cats to play with. Nyyeeah?
I'm trying to conceptualize something that would be so awesomely nerdy it would manage to eclipse its own lameness. The kind of thing that, were I male, would set me up for unending teasing about how I would never know the touch of a woman, but if done right might even gather some admirers on the interwebs (IMPORTANT).
Cat Minas Tirith.
Bear with me here. I think it can be done, the question is how well can it be done. I want this to look freaking sweet, yes, but I also want it to make the cats happy in a way that also doesn't make them destroy the part I worked hard on.
So far I'm trying to come up with creative uses of carpet. And also, Cat-Toy-Steward-of-Gondor on a string, dangling off the precipice for the
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Good Tuesday night
Watching The Lost Boys and eating takeout Thai is a good time.
"My own brother, a goddamn, shit-sucking vampire!"
The hair, the clothes, the headbanging to saxophones, the terrible music and awkward sex scene. Amazing. And I'm so glad I survived the 80s and don't have to go through it again.
In other news, my next couple of crafty projects will come courtesy of Lifehacker, of course.
1. Turning pallets into backyard furniture. I fit 7 in my car yesterday and only dropped 2 on my toe! Win and fail.
2. Sprouting herb clippings in all the empty Mexican Coke bottles around the house.
Beyond that I'll be organizing the spice rack, fixing my PC and hacking my Wii. Why all these projects?
Well, I finished my contract, almost, and am soon to be unemployed. So I renew my job search, website design, business card design, cover letter writing and networking. My FAVORITE.
Maybe I should just steal one of these things and drive it around America confusing the hell out of transportation planners:
Thursday, July 15, 2010
I grew stuff!
ETA: Cooked up veggie etouffee, watching True Blood. YEAH.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Brussels Sprouts with Dijon and Balsamic Vinegar
I've been trying to nail down different ways to do Brussels Sprouts. The vaguely Chinese-style is pretty easy (minced garlic, ginger powder, soy sauce, sesame seeds, maybe some rice vinegar or cooking sherry), but I really like Balsamic with them, too. I was aiming for vaguely French-inspired, although I don't do much French food since it doesn't play well with veganism as far as I can tell.
Trader Joe's Brussels Sprouts in the microwaveable bag (1 lb.)
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Sea salt
Dijon mustard
Cooking sherry
Black pepper
Fresh thyme
1. Microwave sprouts for 4 minutes, with a piece of bread to absorb a little of the ass-smell. Cut in half, lengthwise.
2. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in large pan on medium-high heat. Add shallots and sautee until they begin to brown.
3. Add sprouts and sautee until they begin to steam. Add a healthy splash of balsamic - 2tsp, maybe 1 TBSP. Sprinkle with 3 or 4 pinches of sea salt.
4. Cook about 5 minutes, then add about 1 tsp of mustard and a couple of healthy splashes of cooking sherry.
5. Stir well and cook for 2 more minutes. The vinegar, sherry and mustard should make a sort of paste that clings to the shallots and coats at least part of the sprouts. If it's too thin, keep cooking it down; if it's too thick, add more sherry.
6. Remove from heat, grind some pepper on top and tear the leaves off of a few sprigs of thyme. You don't need too much. Stir together and serve immediately.
Trader Joe's Brussels Sprouts in the microwaveable bag (1 lb.)
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Sea salt
Dijon mustard
Cooking sherry
Black pepper
Fresh thyme
1. Microwave sprouts for 4 minutes, with a piece of bread to absorb a little of the ass-smell. Cut in half, lengthwise.
2. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in large pan on medium-high heat. Add shallots and sautee until they begin to brown.
3. Add sprouts and sautee until they begin to steam. Add a healthy splash of balsamic - 2tsp, maybe 1 TBSP. Sprinkle with 3 or 4 pinches of sea salt.
4. Cook about 5 minutes, then add about 1 tsp of mustard and a couple of healthy splashes of cooking sherry.
5. Stir well and cook for 2 more minutes. The vinegar, sherry and mustard should make a sort of paste that clings to the shallots and coats at least part of the sprouts. If it's too thin, keep cooking it down; if it's too thick, add more sherry.
6. Remove from heat, grind some pepper on top and tear the leaves off of a few sprigs of thyme. You don't need too much. Stir together and serve immediately.
Procrastination Triggers, Tips & Tricks
The last several weeks have been rough. Chaos at home, insanity in the family, nearing the end of the contract, boss traveling and the ever-dreaded job hunting.
I don't want to get into all that but suffice to say the end result = lots of procrastination, little accomplished. There have been a few relevant posts on Lifehacker recently that have got me thinking about ways to fix this. The basic problem for me is anxiety & depression make me want to hide and not think about real-world things, which make the real-world things worse. Blah blah blah. Here's what I've been working out about my causes, stages and possible solutions:
Procrastination Triggers
Depression: This is tied into anxiety (see below), but if things aren't going well it can make you depressed and take away your energy and positive outlook on working. For me, I sometimes deal with this via self-punishment. I procrastinate so that I have another reason to feel bad, and berate myself for my bad choices. This is where cognitive-behavioral therapy comes in. Other solutions in general are giving yourself a pass for socialization, fun-time, 'me-time', exercise and sunlight. Don't push it off as a reward for getting things done, and don't feel guilty while doing it. It's part of getting work done and it'll help you push through the problem. Talking it out can help as well.
Anxiety: External life events or project-specific, either way this is the biggest problem for me. As my overall anxiety level increases, so does my urge to hide and hope everything goes away. Project-specific anxiety is somewhat easier to deal with, but it has to be examined first to determine the cause. This can be difficult given the run/hide habit, but it's a good first, distancing and depersonalizing step.
Solutions
Being Overwhelmed: The next step in the project is big, murky, full of things I'm not sure how to approach, information I don't know how to get, or seems impossible to complete in the amount of time left. The first step is to identify any low-hanging fruit that doesn't fit the above descriptions and do that first. It needs to be done anyway, and once you're working you can look at the rest of it and ferret out even more low-hanging fruit that you didn't realize was there.
The next step is further breaking down the big project into little projects. As you do this you'll find more easy stuff and the hard stuff will make itself known; leave that until a bit later. As you complete the easy things, further diagram the big things. You can break almost everything down into smaller pieces. If for some reason you can't break things down into completable blocks, or it doesn't make sense, break them down time-wise. Work 30 minutes on an easy thing, then spend 5 minutes looking at or working on the hard thing. Also, think about that hard project when you're winding down into relax time; dabble in it when you're watching a movie you've seen before or a low-intelligence TV show. You're not committing to working on it, there's no need to complete it today, but it'll help you start to digest it, plan an approach and won't be the big scary thing you haven't looked at in weeks.
Bad Habits: I've found that sitting in one place means I can often, but not always get work done. Going to a cafe or sitting outside (where I can't get internet access) is effective 90% of the time but can be quickly draining. Sitting on the couch almost never works. Scheduling a meet-up at a cafe can work, enjoying a lovely day outside is a reward for getting things done, and moving your workspace to the right place before bed can help you get on track the next morning. Make sure things are charged overnight so the next day you have no excuse to stay in the non-working space because your phone/computer battery is almost dead.
Procrastination by Accomplishment: When I finally move out of the miasma of Not-Work back into Work, it's often through a transition period wherein I accomplish things on my general to-do list before I actually sit down and get started. Yardwork, cooking, cleaning, laundry, errands - while these can take up significant amounts of time and further delay getting work done, crossing them off your mental list can also reduce your general anxiety level and boost self-esteem. Just knowing that you can complete tasks, shorten your to-do list, see your progress, all of those start good, positive feelings moving through your system, clearing out the negative, "Can't Won't Never" thoughts that have been clogging everything up. Just be careful not to stay in this state too long - when you're making a decision between running an errand that could take a while and sitting down to get work done, decide what your true motives are. On the other hand, if you're still not ready to get work done and will just waste time instead, run the errand and just make sure to get a few minutes of work done when you get back.
Minimum Standards: This was brought up in the Lifehacker article recently. Joni uses it to get herself outside for a run on even crappy days when she really doesn't feel like it. Start with just 5 minutes. Just open the document and read the first paragraph. Just start drafting the e-mail. Once you start, another few minutes won't seem so hard, and you've already accomplished your goal so it's all bonus work from there.
Letting Go: A major problem with me is that I get so backed up, or I waste so much time, that I feel that I somehow have to catch up on all of it before I can proceed. Starting with a few minutes, or even a couple of hours, each day just won't cut it - I need to work for 8, 10, 12 hours straight to get caught up! I need to read all 10 chapters before I read this week's assignment! Sometimes just deciding to start at the most immediate need and work your way backwards is what it takes to unblock the dam. Often you'll find that you can just skim those chapters because you've covered most of it in class already, or the time you thought you needed to spend on a project is better spent elsewhere anyway. This isn't to say that there aren't consequences to procrastinating, but if that's what's keeping you from moving forward, just deal with them later. You're good at that, right?
I don't want to get into all that but suffice to say the end result = lots of procrastination, little accomplished. There have been a few relevant posts on Lifehacker recently that have got me thinking about ways to fix this. The basic problem for me is anxiety & depression make me want to hide and not think about real-world things, which make the real-world things worse. Blah blah blah. Here's what I've been working out about my causes, stages and possible solutions:
Procrastination Triggers
Depression: This is tied into anxiety (see below), but if things aren't going well it can make you depressed and take away your energy and positive outlook on working. For me, I sometimes deal with this via self-punishment. I procrastinate so that I have another reason to feel bad, and berate myself for my bad choices. This is where cognitive-behavioral therapy comes in. Other solutions in general are giving yourself a pass for socialization, fun-time, 'me-time', exercise and sunlight. Don't push it off as a reward for getting things done, and don't feel guilty while doing it. It's part of getting work done and it'll help you push through the problem. Talking it out can help as well.
Anxiety: External life events or project-specific, either way this is the biggest problem for me. As my overall anxiety level increases, so does my urge to hide and hope everything goes away. Project-specific anxiety is somewhat easier to deal with, but it has to be examined first to determine the cause. This can be difficult given the run/hide habit, but it's a good first, distancing and depersonalizing step.
Solutions
Being Overwhelmed: The next step in the project is big, murky, full of things I'm not sure how to approach, information I don't know how to get, or seems impossible to complete in the amount of time left. The first step is to identify any low-hanging fruit that doesn't fit the above descriptions and do that first. It needs to be done anyway, and once you're working you can look at the rest of it and ferret out even more low-hanging fruit that you didn't realize was there.
The next step is further breaking down the big project into little projects. As you do this you'll find more easy stuff and the hard stuff will make itself known; leave that until a bit later. As you complete the easy things, further diagram the big things. You can break almost everything down into smaller pieces. If for some reason you can't break things down into completable blocks, or it doesn't make sense, break them down time-wise. Work 30 minutes on an easy thing, then spend 5 minutes looking at or working on the hard thing. Also, think about that hard project when you're winding down into relax time; dabble in it when you're watching a movie you've seen before or a low-intelligence TV show. You're not committing to working on it, there's no need to complete it today, but it'll help you start to digest it, plan an approach and won't be the big scary thing you haven't looked at in weeks.
Bad Habits: I've found that sitting in one place means I can often, but not always get work done. Going to a cafe or sitting outside (where I can't get internet access) is effective 90% of the time but can be quickly draining. Sitting on the couch almost never works. Scheduling a meet-up at a cafe can work, enjoying a lovely day outside is a reward for getting things done, and moving your workspace to the right place before bed can help you get on track the next morning. Make sure things are charged overnight so the next day you have no excuse to stay in the non-working space because your phone/computer battery is almost dead.
Procrastination by Accomplishment: When I finally move out of the miasma of Not-Work back into Work, it's often through a transition period wherein I accomplish things on my general to-do list before I actually sit down and get started. Yardwork, cooking, cleaning, laundry, errands - while these can take up significant amounts of time and further delay getting work done, crossing them off your mental list can also reduce your general anxiety level and boost self-esteem. Just knowing that you can complete tasks, shorten your to-do list, see your progress, all of those start good, positive feelings moving through your system, clearing out the negative, "Can't Won't Never" thoughts that have been clogging everything up. Just be careful not to stay in this state too long - when you're making a decision between running an errand that could take a while and sitting down to get work done, decide what your true motives are. On the other hand, if you're still not ready to get work done and will just waste time instead, run the errand and just make sure to get a few minutes of work done when you get back.
Minimum Standards: This was brought up in the Lifehacker article recently. Joni uses it to get herself outside for a run on even crappy days when she really doesn't feel like it. Start with just 5 minutes. Just open the document and read the first paragraph. Just start drafting the e-mail. Once you start, another few minutes won't seem so hard, and you've already accomplished your goal so it's all bonus work from there.
Letting Go: A major problem with me is that I get so backed up, or I waste so much time, that I feel that I somehow have to catch up on all of it before I can proceed. Starting with a few minutes, or even a couple of hours, each day just won't cut it - I need to work for 8, 10, 12 hours straight to get caught up! I need to read all 10 chapters before I read this week's assignment! Sometimes just deciding to start at the most immediate need and work your way backwards is what it takes to unblock the dam. Often you'll find that you can just skim those chapters because you've covered most of it in class already, or the time you thought you needed to spend on a project is better spent elsewhere anyway. This isn't to say that there aren't consequences to procrastinating, but if that's what's keeping you from moving forward, just deal with them later. You're good at that, right?
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Too Much Coffee
I've been having trouble waking up at a decent time lately. My day didn't really get started today until nearly 4, at which time Matt and I did a coffeehouse tour of several Seattle neighborhoods. It was 8 o'clock by the time I drained the rest of my cold soy latte and headed home.
Joni was a little drunk on wine and in her cooking addict mode, so after baking a pastaless zucchini lasagna and mixing up egg salad sandwiches for her hike with Jami tomorrow, she made vegan chocolate chip cookies. I think I had about 6, some tortilla chips and a Mai Tai. We still have about 482 little umbrellas left so I'm trying to get more creative.
Suffice to say my intention to restart Weight Watchers isn't going well.
Went to a show this past Thursday. I've been listening to Erin McKeown for several years and really enjoy some of her songs but can get bored with others. Still, thought she'd be good live and tickets were cheap. Figured we'd be in the company of several lesbians given she's gay but didn't realize the first opener, Timmy Straw was a transman. Makes sense. Gorgeous voice, very talented, needs to vary his style to keep interest (in my decidedly inexpert opinion).
I knew all the hipsters were there for Emily Wells. They cleared out after her set, as predicted. But wow, major new artist for me. Total accidental discovery and I'm super happy about it. iTunes purchase the next day and no regrets so far. Can't believe she layered and mixed her violin (viola?), harmonized background vocals, electronic tones and drum beats right there on stage, then sang on top of it. And played guitar and ukulele too? Ah-mazing.
Erin was great, true professional rocker. Some of her stuff is still about 30 seconds too long for me, and could use some more variety/change-ups, but she's obviously doing fine as-is. Good on her.
Glad we got a chance to get out in the city. It's all well and good to brag about the music scene in Seattle over Pittsburgh and Charlotte, but then I'm twice as lame for not going.
Sleep isn't happening so I'm typing long-ass blog entries on the snozzberry and listening to The Deadly Snakes. So good. Some songs make my toes curl and eyes roll back. My luck they broke up a few years ago. God effing dammit.
I haven't been stupid drunk in a while and I kind of want to be. I wish you could guarantee full control of bodily functions but I suppose that's the chance you take. Ah well.
I need more of my bad decisions to include fun things. Lately all they contain is stress and recrimination. LAME. Eff that noise, it needs to change and soon.
Tomorrow: first new shoes in 3 years.
Joni was a little drunk on wine and in her cooking addict mode, so after baking a pastaless zucchini lasagna and mixing up egg salad sandwiches for her hike with Jami tomorrow, she made vegan chocolate chip cookies. I think I had about 6, some tortilla chips and a Mai Tai. We still have about 482 little umbrellas left so I'm trying to get more creative.
Suffice to say my intention to restart Weight Watchers isn't going well.
Went to a show this past Thursday. I've been listening to Erin McKeown for several years and really enjoy some of her songs but can get bored with others. Still, thought she'd be good live and tickets were cheap. Figured we'd be in the company of several lesbians given she's gay but didn't realize the first opener, Timmy Straw was a transman. Makes sense. Gorgeous voice, very talented, needs to vary his style to keep interest (in my decidedly inexpert opinion).
I knew all the hipsters were there for Emily Wells. They cleared out after her set, as predicted. But wow, major new artist for me. Total accidental discovery and I'm super happy about it. iTunes purchase the next day and no regrets so far. Can't believe she layered and mixed her violin (viola?), harmonized background vocals, electronic tones and drum beats right there on stage, then sang on top of it. And played guitar and ukulele too? Ah-mazing.
Erin was great, true professional rocker. Some of her stuff is still about 30 seconds too long for me, and could use some more variety/change-ups, but she's obviously doing fine as-is. Good on her.
Glad we got a chance to get out in the city. It's all well and good to brag about the music scene in Seattle over Pittsburgh and Charlotte, but then I'm twice as lame for not going.
Sleep isn't happening so I'm typing long-ass blog entries on the snozzberry and listening to The Deadly Snakes. So good. Some songs make my toes curl and eyes roll back. My luck they broke up a few years ago. God effing dammit.
I haven't been stupid drunk in a while and I kind of want to be. I wish you could guarantee full control of bodily functions but I suppose that's the chance you take. Ah well.
I need more of my bad decisions to include fun things. Lately all they contain is stress and recrimination. LAME. Eff that noise, it needs to change and soon.
Tomorrow: first new shoes in 3 years.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
When working isn't a problem
Things have taken off, and my schedule has stabilized. This may be, in part, due to roommates waking up insanely early even on the weekend to go showshoeing and mountain climbing and other alien pursuits. Also this cold hasn't helped, I've been waking up before my alarm from the sound of my tongue cracking (since my nostrils don't work).
The thing I am still having trouble with is getting things done around the house, and sticking to an exercise schedule. My new thought is that if I have fun new video games to play, it will get me down in the exercise area and function as a non-food reward (those are hard to find). Of course I can't afford to buy new games so instead I made a small investment so I can do a little h4x0ring. Stay tuned.
The other day, when the pantry was a bit bare, I decided to try cooking up some of this grain mix that's been sitting around forever. It's a combination of Trader Joe's harvest grains mix, some buckwheat groats, and assorted unknown dried beans, legumes and grains. Possibly rice? Who knows. Here's what it looks like:
So I cooked it up with some Italian spice blend (no salt when cooking lentils) and it came out tasting like mashed ass. After that initial disappointment, I decided it was a perfect time to make some burgers to freeze for quick protein. Lately my joints have been extra achy and my brain malfunctioning what with the cold, so I decided I might be low on Omega fatty acids. Hence this recipe:
Omega Burgers
Makes 10+ burgers depending on how big you make them.
1 cup walnuts
4 cloves garlic
6 green onions, white parts only
3 cups mixed, cooked grains
1/4 cup ground flax seed
2 TBSP soybean oil (aka vegetable oil)
2 TBSP soy sauce
1/4 can beer
1/2 C chickpea flour (or other flour)
1/2 C cornflake crumbs (or breadcrumbs or panko)
olive or vegetable oil
season salt
black pepper
Combine walnuts and garlic in a food processor and run until fairly well chopped. Add green onions and puree. Scrape the sides and add grains, flax, oil, and soy sauce. Process until it starts to freak out or a large clump starts circling, then slowly pour in beer until it has a paste-like texture. Scrape into a bowl and mix in chickpea flour and cornflake crumbs, adding more beer if it becomes too thick to work, or more flour & crumbs if it's too wet. You're aiming for something that you can shape into a patty in your hand that sticks together, but doesn't stick too badly to your hand.
It'll look about like this (note I used Busch Lite because it's not like I'm going to be drinking it or anything):
You can either panfry these or bake them. Panfried are squishy in the middle, but have a nicer color and a crisp crunch.
To bake, preheat oven to 400 (or maybe 425, I had them at 375 and it was too low). Brush a baking sheet in olive oil. Shape burgers by about a 1/3 to 1/2 cupful in your hand. You can squash them flatter on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with olive oil and shake on a dash of season salt and grind some fresh pepper on the tops. Mine looked like this:
Bake for at least 20 minutes and keep checking until they're firm, starting to brown on the bottom and hopefully will release easily from the sheet. It might take longer so adjust times/temps accordingly.
For panfrying, cover a plate with paper towels or torn pieces of a paper bag. Heat a skillet on medium heat and add enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Drop in a burger (I did mine one at a time but you can be daring and try more), and cook a few minutes until you can see the bottom edge starting to brown. Flip and cook the other side for a minute or two and cook until it's as brown as you like. Here's about the color after the first flip:
Put the cooked burgers on the paper-covered plate to absorb the extra grease. Use the leftover oil to caramelize onions, if you like.
I had mine with caramelized onions, salsa and avocado, or the next day with some ketchup and mustard on a cracked wheat sourdough roll. Both are good.
If you have a dog that does well with onions and garlic (they can be toxic), or you leave those out, get the dog to clean your hands for you:
Thanks Lulu!
The thing I am still having trouble with is getting things done around the house, and sticking to an exercise schedule. My new thought is that if I have fun new video games to play, it will get me down in the exercise area and function as a non-food reward (those are hard to find). Of course I can't afford to buy new games so instead I made a small investment so I can do a little h4x0ring. Stay tuned.
The other day, when the pantry was a bit bare, I decided to try cooking up some of this grain mix that's been sitting around forever. It's a combination of Trader Joe's harvest grains mix, some buckwheat groats, and assorted unknown dried beans, legumes and grains. Possibly rice? Who knows. Here's what it looks like:
Omega Burgers
Makes 10+ burgers depending on how big you make them.
1 cup walnuts
4 cloves garlic
6 green onions, white parts only
3 cups mixed, cooked grains
1/4 cup ground flax seed
2 TBSP soybean oil (aka vegetable oil)
2 TBSP soy sauce
1/4 can beer
1/2 C chickpea flour (or other flour)
1/2 C cornflake crumbs (or breadcrumbs or panko)
olive or vegetable oil
season salt
black pepper
Combine walnuts and garlic in a food processor and run until fairly well chopped. Add green onions and puree. Scrape the sides and add grains, flax, oil, and soy sauce. Process until it starts to freak out or a large clump starts circling, then slowly pour in beer until it has a paste-like texture. Scrape into a bowl and mix in chickpea flour and cornflake crumbs, adding more beer if it becomes too thick to work, or more flour & crumbs if it's too wet. You're aiming for something that you can shape into a patty in your hand that sticks together, but doesn't stick too badly to your hand.
It'll look about like this (note I used Busch Lite because it's not like I'm going to be drinking it or anything):
You can either panfry these or bake them. Panfried are squishy in the middle, but have a nicer color and a crisp crunch.
To bake, preheat oven to 400 (or maybe 425, I had them at 375 and it was too low). Brush a baking sheet in olive oil. Shape burgers by about a 1/3 to 1/2 cupful in your hand. You can squash them flatter on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with olive oil and shake on a dash of season salt and grind some fresh pepper on the tops. Mine looked like this:
For panfrying, cover a plate with paper towels or torn pieces of a paper bag. Heat a skillet on medium heat and add enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Drop in a burger (I did mine one at a time but you can be daring and try more), and cook a few minutes until you can see the bottom edge starting to brown. Flip and cook the other side for a minute or two and cook until it's as brown as you like. Here's about the color after the first flip:
I had mine with caramelized onions, salsa and avocado, or the next day with some ketchup and mustard on a cracked wheat sourdough roll. Both are good.
If you have a dog that does well with onions and garlic (they can be toxic), or you leave those out, get the dog to clean your hands for you:
Monday, February 01, 2010
Stress!
Freelance tip #1: Just because your paycheck arrived super-quickly the last time, do NOT budget for that to happen again.
My last mailed paycheck arrived on the same day that I thought it would be mailed, so I assumed it would be that quick again. Not so! Now my rent check was mailed Saturday and is probably in the hands of my landlady already. Will my check arrive tomorrow? Not until Friday? I have no idea. And I have $12 to my name. Bad scene!
Also, I'm making sure we have everything set for our big long meeting next week, and remembered that way back in October before I took time off to finish my thesis, the GIS guru and I had discussed installing HAZUS on one of the computers in the office so that I could run some scenarios and do some analysis. For the most part, I don't need this until next month, but I suddenly realized that actually, having a couple of maps would be useful right now, and I'm kicking myself for not taking care of that earlier.
There's also this bit of imbalance where I'm not sure if I should take the initiative in contacting people or if I'm overstepping my bounds as a contractor. It makes me question my actions in a way I didn't anticipate.
On a more positive note, here are some tips that are helping me get some work done from home, many of which were gathered from Lifehacker:
My last mailed paycheck arrived on the same day that I thought it would be mailed, so I assumed it would be that quick again. Not so! Now my rent check was mailed Saturday and is probably in the hands of my landlady already. Will my check arrive tomorrow? Not until Friday? I have no idea. And I have $12 to my name. Bad scene!
Also, I'm making sure we have everything set for our big long meeting next week, and remembered that way back in October before I took time off to finish my thesis, the GIS guru and I had discussed installing HAZUS on one of the computers in the office so that I could run some scenarios and do some analysis. For the most part, I don't need this until next month, but I suddenly realized that actually, having a couple of maps would be useful right now, and I'm kicking myself for not taking care of that earlier.
There's also this bit of imbalance where I'm not sure if I should take the initiative in contacting people or if I'm overstepping my bounds as a contractor. It makes me question my actions in a way I didn't anticipate.
On a more positive note, here are some tips that are helping me get some work done from home, many of which were gathered from Lifehacker:
- Make a schedule that works with your natural schedule
- I found myself only able to get down to work around noon, but then I was able to crank away until dinner time. So I set that as my work schedule, rather than trying to force myself to wake up every morning at 8 or 9 and get right to work. Before I start work that gives me some time to wake up, take care of house chores, cook, work out, etc.
- An aside to this: if I bring my computer up to my room when I go to bed, this schedule will fail. I'll stay up late doing stupid stuff, sleep in through my alarm, then spend hours the next morning in bed doing stupid stuff on the computer. My Precious stays downstairs at night now and I can check e-mail on my blackberry so I don't have to worry about missing a time-sensitive e-mail.
- Set up a work space
- It's not a private room where I can close the door and remove distractions, but our cafe setup is made for working, and not as comfortable for relaxing. It helps to have others working at the same time. I can leave my Wacom tablet and hard drive in the same place, and the printer is there, too.
- The pomodoro method (set a timer for 25 minutes, work until it's done, take a 5 minute break)
- I just started this and today had so much to do that getting myself to focus wasn't an issue, so the jury's still out on this one. I can see how it would work well, though.
- Task list
- At the beginning of the week, I make a task list with several items, grouped by deadline or project. Throughout the week I cross them off as I go, and if I hit a wall on one item, I check my list and switch to something else. Whatever is left at the end of the week goes on the next week's task list. I e-mail a copy to my client so she knows what I'm working on, and can add items if she thinks of something that would be useful.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Stuffs to be working on
Hopefully you'll see blahg posts about all of these exciting things in the next few weeks. By exciting I mean pretty boring.
Painting: I have to finish this one that I started yesterday. At least I finished the fruit bowl so we can use the fruits now, but I'm not sure what I want to do with the background. Ink wash? Pencil or charcoal? The background's mostly black so I hesitate to do more pastels.
Gardening: I'm sure it's just being a tease, but the weather's actually been... sunny? Not raining?! In Seattle, in January, so I should take the opportunity to put down some mulch and maybe a few bulbs, since daffodils are apparently already sprouting. I bet there's a blizzard.
Various restaurant and cafe reviews: How to eat out as a vegan in non-vegan places is always a fun topic. The best coffeeshops to work in, their pros and cons are another useful one.
Debt management: One of these days I should have enough money for both bills and creditors. I may also switch to a credit union so that Bank of America doesn't keep stealing $35 overdraft fees from me every time I'm short a few bucks (AND HAVE PLENTY IN MY SECONDARY ACCOUNT YOU FUCKING BASTARDS). If I have any tips for dealing with collections I'll post my experiences.
My current schedule involves attempting to wake up at or before 9 (today it finally happened!), playing until about lunchtime (should not be on the computer though) and working until dinner or so.
Now... a little Wii and then I get to work!
Painting: I have to finish this one that I started yesterday. At least I finished the fruit bowl so we can use the fruits now, but I'm not sure what I want to do with the background. Ink wash? Pencil or charcoal? The background's mostly black so I hesitate to do more pastels.
Gardening: I'm sure it's just being a tease, but the weather's actually been... sunny? Not raining?! In Seattle, in January, so I should take the opportunity to put down some mulch and maybe a few bulbs, since daffodils are apparently already sprouting. I bet there's a blizzard.
Various restaurant and cafe reviews: How to eat out as a vegan in non-vegan places is always a fun topic. The best coffeeshops to work in, their pros and cons are another useful one.
Debt management: One of these days I should have enough money for both bills and creditors. I may also switch to a credit union so that Bank of America doesn't keep stealing $35 overdraft fees from me every time I'm short a few bucks (AND HAVE PLENTY IN MY SECONDARY ACCOUNT YOU FUCKING BASTARDS). If I have any tips for dealing with collections I'll post my experiences.
My current schedule involves attempting to wake up at or before 9 (today it finally happened!), playing until about lunchtime (should not be on the computer though) and working until dinner or so.
Now... a little Wii and then I get to work!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
V-con dinner
This is curry-marinated baked tofu, garlic saffron rice and cornmeal-masala roasted Brussels sprouts from the Veganomicon. 3 mix and matches, all vaguely Indian spices inspired.
Sam, the thieving bastard, has been hoping I forgot about my large glass casserole dish for the past several weeks so I've been going crazy trying to figure out where it was and making things in smaller containers. Tonight it would have helped, but instead I baked the tofu in my George Foreman G-5 for a hella long time on medium-low, which kinda worked.
The cornmeal sprouts really didn't turn out as advertised. Way too much oil, I got a batter rather than crumblies, and it never really toasted up in the oven. This may be because the rack was a bit low, or maybe it would have done better on foil or a cookie sheet. I cooked it for an extra 10 minutes, too.
I used brown jasmine rice instead of white, so I cooked it for 40 minutes instead of 20, and then forgot to move it off the heat and open the lid after 10 minutes so it got a bit squishy.
All in all, though, still yummy, just some things I would change for next time. Like, say, use 3 tablespoons of oil instead of 6 in the sprouts.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Blueberry Almond Scones
Joni accidentally opened an extra box of soymilk, so I thought I'd make some scones. Of course in our house, we call them sconces - back in my Starbucks days there were a few customers who were unaware of the difference between pastries and home decor. I can't find my copy of Vegan with a Vengeance for some odd reason so I had to use my google-fu, and altered this recipe to match my ingredients.
Cherry Almond Scones
1 C. All-Purpose White Flour
1 C. Whole Wheat Flour
1⁄2 C. Turbinado/Raw Sugar
2 t. Baking Powder
1⁄2 t. Baking Soda
1⁄2 t. Kosher Salt
1⁄4 C. Margarine
1⁄2 C. Soymilk (plain or vanilla)
1 t. Vanilla Extract
3⁄4 C. Fresh or Frozen Wild Blueberries
1⁄2 C. Slivered Almonds
Extra Soymilk and Sugar, for topping
1. Preheat the oven to 400º.
2. Mix together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the margarine and cut into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter (two butter knives held together) or your fingers, until the mixture resembles a coarse, crumbly meal.
3. Add the soymilk, almond extract, blueberries and almonds. Mix well with a wooden spoon or your hands until the mixture comes together to form a dough. You may need to add an extra tablespoon of soymilk if the mixture is too dry.
4. Scoop the scones in approximately half-cup mounds onto a cookie sheet and press the tops flat; round the edges if needed.
5. Brush the tops with a bit of soymilk (I used my fingers) and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the edges and bottom are golden. Place scones on a plate to cool.
Makes 9.
Cherry Almond Scones
1 C. All-Purpose White Flour
1 C. Whole Wheat Flour
1⁄2 C. Turbinado/Raw Sugar
2 t. Baking Powder
1⁄2 t. Baking Soda
1⁄2 t. Kosher Salt
1⁄4 C. Margarine
1⁄2 C. Soymilk (plain or vanilla)
1 t. Vanilla Extract
3⁄4 C. Fresh or Frozen Wild Blueberries
1⁄2 C. Slivered Almonds
Extra Soymilk and Sugar, for topping
1. Preheat the oven to 400º.
2. Mix together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the margarine and cut into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter (two butter knives held together) or your fingers, until the mixture resembles a coarse, crumbly meal.
3. Add the soymilk, almond extract, blueberries and almonds. Mix well with a wooden spoon or your hands until the mixture comes together to form a dough. You may need to add an extra tablespoon of soymilk if the mixture is too dry.
4. Scoop the scones in approximately half-cup mounds onto a cookie sheet and press the tops flat; round the edges if needed.
5. Brush the tops with a bit of soymilk (I used my fingers) and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the edges and bottom are golden. Place scones on a plate to cool.
Makes 9.
Blogging: Redux
I've been thinking about getting a new blog going for a while. "I have enough content that it can be something other than angry, drunken rambling", I thought: the best cafes in Seattle to work from, how to freelance when you suck at time management, getting along as a professional when still broke... plus fun things, like creative projects, vegan recipes, restaurant reviews, and perhaps the occasional story about crazy friends and family, or tales of living with 4 very distinct personalities, a dog and a cat.
Since I had this and used it for a while, I thought I'd resurrect it rather than taking up yet more space in the tubes. There are some parts about this layout that I really like, and some parts that are really dated and lame. Some of those things are the same, because I'm a little bit dated and lame, myself.
Also, I will attempt to use the labels function effectively for navigational excellence.
Since I had this and used it for a while, I thought I'd resurrect it rather than taking up yet more space in the tubes. There are some parts about this layout that I really like, and some parts that are really dated and lame. Some of those things are the same, because I'm a little bit dated and lame, myself.
Also, I will attempt to use the labels function effectively for navigational excellence.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
6 Years of Posts
I stopped using this back in 2003 and switched to livejournal and have been posting from there for the past six years. If for some strange reason you feel the need to have a complete picture of my life, go there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)