spacekadet

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Posted by monica at 07:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I discovered the fabulous acrononym "BFB" on the brilliant Brit comedy, Green Wing. What's it's stand for? Can you guess?

BFB = Better From Behind.

Oh yeah. And it turns out, the japanese have a word for it... bakku-shan - a girl who appears pretty from behind but not from the front.

This article is a bit of fun - foreign words for phrases we haven't defined in the English language, like croissant and khaki. Back to work I go, though I'd rather be out on an uitwaaien...

Posted by monica at 02:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

i am back in State College "on business. the flood of emotions is overwhelming. too many memories to process...

more news later.

Posted by monica at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

the power we need to crush those who oppose us.

compatible with our orbiting brian lasers.

i have more friends now.

genetically engineered cybergoats

gorgeous femme-bots with a penchant for evil.

it changed my lovelife.

this Linux Switch flash cartoon is a High-LAIR-ious play on Apple's switch ads.

Posted by monica at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

i haven't had much time to rock the spacekadet mothership. time has been filled by mostly better things - so my absence is good news. then this morning i found myself emailing a life update, and so i'm stealing most of the following from that.

Work is crazy - blah blah blah. But it's good. Reeeeal good. I'm lead writer on the latest project. Our team "theme" fullfills a childhood fantasy of mine: to be an officer on the Starship Enterprise (circa Star Trek: The Next Generation). And here I was, worried about losing my geek identity. Turns out I didn't need to be a math grad student to be a geek. I'm geek enough on my own.

I spent about an hour last night sketching some CD cover artwork. I was inspired by the recent popularity of a fake band I made up (just to keep the hipsters on their toes). The drawing was cathartic, and I sense more of it in the future. But at the same time, I have not been rocking the tattoo design: shame on me. Why have I been procrastinating on this? A workmate and I have been discussing the issue of procrastination lately (he's taken a ride into the danger zone of self help books, starting with "The Now Habit", which I supplemented with my copy of "Getting Things Done"). The Now book says there are two major sources of procrastination: "Fear of success" and "fear of failure". So which is it? I think I fear creativity. I don't know how to artistically brainstorm. But that's not true, as last night proved with the cd cover. So what got me started?

In other news, I've bonded with the roommates a bit. Not too much, just a smidgen. A week ago last Friday I ran into BK and various other mathies downtown after a work happy hour / dinner - I ended up joining them at some awful bars like "Rain" and "Oilcan Harry's". But I danced, and it was fun.

And on a related note, I haven't had anything alcoholic to drink since then which makes me feel good and in control in ways I haven't felt in a long long time. As a result of this hiatus, I've learned a lot about myself and my relationship with food and drink. I won't get in to it because it's woefully personally. I'll just say that I am calmer and healthier in mind, and it feel spectacular.

Back to roommate bonding. Yesterday, E and I went to the Hobby Lobby so we could both tackle some framing issues. I also needed to restring a necklace and practically had an orgasm in the bead aisle: I walked away with a roll of hemp string and some beads (I know, hemp is soooo 1998, but I saw someone wearing a hemp necklace the other day and I really liked it and I think my marble bead would look good in a hemp necklace ... and whatever, I'm crunchy, I can pull it off). Oh, but I also got some stuff for picture framing.

After the Hobby Lobby we went to Pippa's new Sex and the City apartment to meet her cat, who is a little gray ball of personality. Pippa has been taking cooking classes at the Central Market and showed us how to make Pad Thai. We have a lot to learn about thai cooking, but our lacking in culinary know-how was made up for by the shared mutual joy of preparing and sharing a meal.

Before the meal we made a trip to the Central Market where, among other things, I bought some chopsticks - I'd like to slow down my eating a bit and I think chopsticks are a good way to do that. Plus, it'll make me look cool and wordly. I also bought some fine gorgonzola cheese, aged extra long for that extra tang. I think it'll be really yummy with a pear I have in the fridge.

Next Sunday I'm off to State College, PA to meet the statisticians I'm working for. It would be cool if

a.) It wasn't in State College, where I attended the "Mathematics Advanced Study Semester" in 2000. This is where my career in math really started to take a plunge. Not a great time math-wise, but I did walk away with some great friends who I still keep in touch with (such as the couple who got married in Boston last month).
b.) I didn't have to miss day 3 of ACL for it.
c.) My flight back didn't require TWO plane changes.

I'm going to try to make the most of it. State College is in the valley of the Appalachian Mountains (the royal "they" call it "Happy Valley", which makes me want to puke). It could be potentially beautiful. I probably won't have much time for hiking, but the atmosphere of the woods and the mountains could be quite peaceful in itself.

Posted by monica at 09:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Awesome awesome awesome. What more can I say about this book that kept me up all last weekend?

"I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day in January of 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of 1974."

From first line to last, this book rivetted, moved, inspired, saddened, happied... it had it all - science, music, Greek myth, intrigue, death, despair, growth, joy, psychology, medicine, politics. The novel is, in a nutshell, a hermaphrodite's family history. And when the history was over, I was sad that my journey with Cal had come to an end.

Jeffrey Eugenides also wrote The Virgin Suicides, which I scored last night at Half Price Books (many thanks to the many who searched the "back room" to find this for me). I think I'm going to save it for next week, so I can catch up on some sleep.

Posted by monica at 03:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

James William Hindle - Secret

Via the spoilt victorian child, I have discovered James William Hindle - he's a little Belle & Sebastian, a little Ben Folds Five, a sweet little su'mm su'mm for this sunday Sunday... Silence is golden. oh yeah, and I love that trumpet solo.

If you like that, then there's more like it on Hindle's site. Check it!

Posted by monica at 05:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Working in the e-learning industry, I get to watch alot of educational flash movies. This one by Planned Parenthood is EXCELLENT: How Pregnancy Happens. Peter the penis is brilliant, and oh! just like a man!

And let's face it: I think we could all use a good laugh (and alotta education).

The animation was created by Flickerlab, whose portfolio is worth a gander.

Posted by monica at 03:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Rod Lee - Dancy My Pain Away

Baltimore Club blends the rabid energy of house music with the reckless defiance of hip-hop. It is spirited, primal, unrelentingly passionate and scatological, all the elemental sonic chakras that urge the body to move and the soul to lust. And this sound is Lee’s invention: not just the usual recipe of dance music, but an erstwhile alchemy of urban realism and scat kick drums, catastrophic vocal riffs and thunderous transition, from desperation to drive, full-on assault and kinetic affirmation.

Posted by monica at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

"It's remarkable that with the massive restructuring of the federal government that took place with the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security, they don't have more well thought-out plans to evacuate a city like New Orleans."
- Lloyd Dumas, professor of political economy and economics at the University of Texas at Dallas

"This is a national emergency. This is a national disgrace. Fema has been here three days, yet there is no command and control. We can send massive amounts of aid to tsunami victims, but we can't bail out New Orleans."
-Terry Ebbert, head of New Orleans's emergency operations

Posted by monica at 04:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Skyline View
Originally uploaded by spacekadet.

I've finally posted and organized my
Boston Photos on Flickr!

It was an incredible trip and it'd take me forever to go through the details. So how about a brain barf of tidbits?

My stay lasted from August 10 - August 18. For the first few days, I stayed with my good friend Dave-Diode and his lovely roommate, Stacy, in Somerville; after that I stayed with Charles and Courtney near Porter Square. Many thanks to these individuals for their wonderful hospitality.

Charles and Courtney got married! It was an awesome wedding. The ceremony lasted about 20 minutes; the reception and ensuing bar crawl went til all hours. Charles' sister gave me a pair of Mephisto flip flops: score.

The Diesel is the best coffee shop I've ever been to - it has pool tables, windows, space, gey girls, high cielings, cool art, freaks, mint brownies, oh yeah, and amazingly good espresso and coffee.

Thanks to Charles and Courtney for lending me a bicycle for the duration of my trip - a bicycle is THE way to get around Boston, as far as I'm concerned. The bike allowed me to LIVE it. Tourist, I am not.

Discovered Scot Miller at the Harvard Museum of Natural History - he had a photo exhibit of images from Walden Pond. They were gorgeous.

Bluefin Sushi is awesome. I ate there twice.

I got to hang with my good friend, Jason - he showed me the SETI lab, reunited me with my ex (thanks!), shared a brownie with me at the Diesel, and dined with me all around town. Alas, the trip only whetted my appetite - I'm hungry for more Jason.

MIT is new and blockular, except for the Stata Center.

I went to a high school teacher party. It was fun... the snacks were tasty... and high school teachers are way more attractive in Boston (an easy comparison given that my high school teachers were nuns).

Dave bought a Mac Mini. dr00l

Stacy's cats are adorable house pests.

Downtown Boston reminds me of The City of London

The Goodwill in Davis Square is a goldmine.

Like everyone else who's ever been to a Trader Joe's, I love the place.

Bars visited: Christopher's, The Miracle of Science, Jury's Hotel Lounge, McCormick & Schmick, Grendel's Den

Restaurants Dined at: Legal Seafoods, Bluefin Sushi, V. Majestic, The Rosebud, Tealuxe, Au Bon Pan, a forgettable place near MIT, Dave's kitchen (best restaurant of them all)

Yeah, of course there's more. But I'm out of time!

Posted by monica at 04:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)