chocolate, and freezepop, among other things

i just ate roughly 1/6 of the chocolate bar i bought with dinner at the metropolitan market. that is all that i am allowed to eat, since that chocolate bar was not only espresso flavor, but filled with crunchy espresso bean chunks. that chocolate was yummy, but i think it's better breakfast chocolate than after-dinner chocolate. how's that for a great idea - an espresso flavored chocolate bar for breakfast. mmmmm.

so i might be going back to school in june, which is pretty cool. that is, if my boss assents to me taking 2-hour lunches and not working thursday mornings. and if i can get into the class i want. i want to take the first quarter biology class, just to get it out of the way. it doesn't really sound tough, but if I take it in the summer, there's fewer people, so there's less competition to get into the class (which'll make it easier to get it on subsequent quarters as well). it'll be fun. i've been reading about organic chemistry, too, about covalent bonds and hybrid orbitals and Lewis structures. Ah, memories. So when I take O-chem, the first week won't be in a foreign language. After that, all bets are off.

and now, for your listening pleasure: science genius girl, by freezepop! (This song was originally written about me. just kidding. but it's dorky like me.) when i'm in the right mood, freezepop is the best thing in the world. first off, there's plastic stars, the first freezepop song i ever heard, and the second song that Jared ever sent me, right after the postal service's Such Great Heights, so it's an our song, as well. Then there's Science Genius Girl. "I'm the science genius girl/ i won the science fair." You might not know this about me, but I won my school's science fair, went to the regional and state science fairs two years running, and got an honorable mention the second time. that's pretty damn good when you're from TEXAS. So that song speaks to me. Then there's Tenisu No Boifurendo - it's all in japanese. about how you play good tennis, do you want to play tennis with me, i want to be with you. it's adorable. And then there are all of their other songs. Freezepop just plain rocks.

man, talk about a quarter-life crisis. last night, after watching a fascinating episode of the eyes of nye, bill nye (the science guy)'s new show, it dawned on me that what i've been planning on doing with my life is all wrong.

the episode focused on stem-cell research and therapeutic cloning, a subject that i find infinitely fascinating. so it dawned on me, if i'm so into stem cell research, why the hell am i trying to be an art major? i'm not artistic. i'm not even remotely creative. i have an extremely scientific mind, one that has always grasped cellular and biochem processes ridiculously easily. anytime i see anything talking about women in science, and the challenges they face, i feel inherently guilty for not pursuing that path. the only reason i'd never considered a biology major before was because i was afraid of pre-meds. and i've come to the conclusion: fuck the pre-meds. they should be scared of me, not the other way around. i'll ruin their curve. bwahaha.

so, i'm thinking that i'm going to major in biology, with a concentration on molecular, cellular and developmental bio. i've been reading course descriptions and major requirements, and nothing looks too scary, or too hard. i can do this... it's what makes sense to me. and then, i'll do mad research, and get a killer position with a biotech firm, and make bank. and then i'll buy all that awesome furniture i wanted in the first place.

the kitties, about half an hour ago. it is an absolutely gorgeous day here - 70 degrees and sunny. it's really starting to sink in that winter is gone, and it's going to be warm for awhile. my plan of action for surviving the summer? american apparel skirts and a great pair of espadrilles. i'm still searching for the espadrilles - i haven't seen anything i like in my price range yet. but the quest will continue until i am espadrilled.

more kitties. sorry they're blurry, but i couldn't get another shot at this one, since the kitties dispersed shortly thereafter.

so today i had a fitting for the neodandi show, down under the viaduct in pioneer square, at lunchtime. so i kinda got sidetracked and wandered a bit, and snapped a few shots. i'm slowly getting the hang of this, at least enough to wish i had a nicer camera. someday.


shooting from the hip. plus, my screen suxors during the day, you can't see it for shit.
i've noticed that i tend to take pictures of everything, rather than of something. i need to work on this.

So yesterday was Free Scoop Day at Ben and Jerry's. This is an annual event equivalent to the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca - the Ice Cream Hajj. OK, so not QUITE as important, but close. Anyway, I got there somewhere around 7 and the line was already to the Ann Taylor store.

It took almost an hour for me to get my free ice cream, but it was well worth it. My iPod had enough juice to keep me rockin' out the whole time (yes, even being that weird girl who dances to her headphones at times), which enabled me to tune out the vapid conversations happening around me and absorb myself in people-watching. Jamie, if you're reading this, I saw your fucking clone there - from 4 years ago. This girl looked EXACTLY like an 18 year old Jamie, complete with big backpack, bike helmet, and stainless steel commuter's mug. She was even Jamie's height and looked like she might even be Lebanese. It was kind of creepy, but it made me all nostalgic.

I didn't take a picture of the ice cream I finally got for free, but I got a sugar cone of triple caramel chunk, which is an absolutely awesome flavor. Yum.

It's hard to believe it's already april. the cherry blossoms are almost gone because it's been rainy and windy for the last week, but today it's bright and sunny. for some unknown reason, my body decided to wake up at 9:30 (oh wait, that was Jared, who started jabbering at the kitties) and I gave up on falling back asleep. i walked up to the honey bear bakery (which is inside the Third Place books on 20th and 65th in Ravenna) for breakfast for Jared and I and obtained a pair of these delicious cinnamon rolls with cream cheese and raspberries on top. Delectable. On the way home I took a shortcut through Ravenna Park, which is absolutely beautiful right after it rains. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to take my camera out and snap a picture. Next time. I need to work on this photography habit.

After that wonderful breakfast, Jared and I took the bus up to the Ave and visited american apparel. this store seriously kicks ass. they have just about any article of clothing imaginable, in a really soft cotton knit, in seventeen different colors. pink, yellow, red, lavendar, teal, turquoise, blue, black, brown, gray. t-shirts, long-sleeve tees, tanks, skirts, exercise clothes, legwarmers, scarves. it's like this great big house of basics, that you can layer on to be bright and cheerful. and it's all 100% sweatshop free, made in downtown LA. the workers all get full benefits and the best wages in the industry. they even have an organic cotton line and are working on integrating the organic line into the rest of their clothes. it's so fuckin socially conscious, it's great. so i am comfy and guilt free! plus their shirts just look hot on me.

i'm hungry.

The following is a communique from a group calling themselves Unitarian Jihad. I found it here and I felt the need to reprint it in this space. Beware! Unitarian Jihad is upon us.

"Greetings to the Imprisoned Citizens of the United States. We are Unitarian Jihad. There is only God, unless there is more than one God. The vote of our God subcommittee is 10-8 in favor of one God, with two abstentions. Brother Flaming Sword of Moderation noted the possibility of there being no God at all, and his objection was noted with love by the secretary.

"Greetings to the Imprisoned Citizens of the United States! Too long has your attention been waylaid by the bright baubles of extremist thought. Too long have fundamentalist yahoos of all religions (except Buddhism -- 14-5 vote, no abstentions, fundamentalism subcommittee) made your head hurt. Too long have you been buffeted by angry people who think that God talks to them. You have a right to your moderation! You have the power to be calm! We will use the IED of truth to explode the SUV of dogmatic expression!

"People of the United States, why is everyone yelling at you??? Whatever happened to ... you know, everything? Why is the news dominated by nutballs saying that the Ten Commandments have to be tattooed inside the eyelids of every American, or that Allah has told them to kill Americans in order to rid the world of Satan, or that Yahweh has instructed them to go live wherever they feel like, or that Shiva thinks bombing mosques is a great idea? Sister Immaculate Dagger of Peace notes for the record that we mean no disrespect to Jews, Muslims, Christians or Hindus. Referred back to the committee of the whole for further discussion.

"We are Unitarian Jihad. We are everywhere. We have not been born again, nor have we sworn a blood oath. We do not think that God cares what we read, what we eat or whom we sleep with. Brother Neutron Bomb of Serenity notes for the record that he does not have a moral code but is nevertheless a good person, and Unexalted Leader Garrote of Forgiveness stipulates that Brother Neutron Bomb of Serenity is a good person, and this is to be reflected in the minutes.

"Beware! Unless you people shut up and begin acting like grown-ups with brains enough to understand the difference between political belief and personal faith, the Unitarian Jihad will begin a series of terrorist-like actions. We will take over television studios, kidnap so-called commentators and broadcast calm, well-reasoned discussions of the issues of the day. We will not try for "balance" by hiring fruitcakes; we will try for balance by hiring non-ideologues who have carefully thought through the issues.

"We are Unitarian Jihad. We will appear in public places and require people to shake hands with each other. (Sister Hand Grenade of Love suggested that we institute a terror regime of mandatory hugging, but her motion was not formally introduced because of lack of a quorum.) We will require all lobbyists, spokesmen and campaign managers to dress like trout in public. Televangelists will be forced to take jobs as Xerox repair specialists. Demagogues of all stripes will be required to read Proust out loud in prisons.

"We are Unitarian Jihad, and our motto is: "Sincerity is not enough." We have heard from enough sincere people to last a lifetime already. Just because you believe it's true doesn't make it true. Just because your motives are pure doesn't mean you are not doing harm. Get a dog, or comfort someone in a nursing home, or just feed the birds in the park. Play basketball. Lighten up. The world is not out to get you, except in the sense that the world is out to get everyone.

"Brother Gatling Gun of Patience notes that he's pretty sure the world is out to get him because everyone laughs when he says he is a Unitarian. There were murmurs of assent around the room, and someone suggested that we buy some Congress members and really stick it to the Baptists. But this was deemed against Revolutionary Principles, and Brother Gatling Gun of Patience was remanded to the Sunday Flowers and Banners committee.

"People of the United States! We are Unitarian Jihad! We can strike without warning. Pockets of reasonableness and harmony will appear as if from nowhere! Nice people will run the government again! There will be coffee and cookies in the Gandhi Room after the revolution."

Sweet.

i think i'm trying to be artistic with some of these. this is fun, this concept of making images with an electronic box. perhaps i could like this.

frida and a door.


maxwell and a bathtub.


agent scully the second. or, something else, if you can come up with a better name.

i'm going to start carrying my camera around with me in my purse, so expect more photos. in fact, i should post a picture of my purse, because it is rad. i'll do that later.

i've decided to make an effort to start taking and posting more pictures. sharing pictures is fun. i have a digital camera, why don't i ever use it?

this one via metafilter: Takashi Murakami. He's being called the Japanese Andy Warhol. He produces awesome artistic images with a uniquely modern japanese aesthetic



but he also markets the hell out of himself and makes hella bank.


Also, he's the guy who redesigned the Louis Vuitton logo we've all come to know and hate over the last 10 years:

He's inspired more than his share of criticism from the art world - but what truly revolutionary artist doesn't?

Anyway, check out the MeFi links for more reading on Murakami. He's good stuff.

edward and me

yeah, edward and i are buddies.

note to self: when photographing self, apply concealer to eye region. raccoon = not hot.