Happy Winter Holidays.

We now have a brussels sprouts tree in my brother's place, thanks to Trader Joe's! It looks similar to this one:


Ah, California. As a visitor to your state, you have succeeded in making me feel inadequately green. You've made my efforts to recycle, save, and spend a sustainable dollar feel insignificant compared to your conservation-friendly, sustainable infrastructure and your abundance of widely-available organic food. Sadly, New Yorkers often only embrace a green, sustainable diet/lifestyle because it's the "trendy" thing to do. It's OK to be crunchy here.

Be blessed in knowing that, now, in the most desolate time of year, God loves you.

Amaranthine flowers feel no decay.

I drank something with elderberry liqueur, ginger, and absinthe in it recently, so I've been thinking about the language of flowers.

Amaranth = immortal, Rose = fleeting.

Milton, Paradise Lost:
"Immortal amarant, a flower which once
In paradise, fast by the tree of life,
Began to bloom; but soon for man's offence
To heaven removed, where first it grew, there grows,
And flowers aloft, shading the fount of life,
And where the river of bliss through midst of heaven
Rolls o'er elysian flowers her amber stream:
With these that never fade the spirits elect
Bind their resplendent locks."

Winter cheer to brighten your cold day.

In this photo provided by Disney, the canine stars from Disney's new holiday DVD 'Santa Buddies: The Legend of Santa Paws' pose on Sunday Dec. 6, 2009 on Main Street U.S.A. at the Magic Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., while taping a segment for the 'Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade' TV special. The annual holiday telecast is scheduled to air December 25 on ABC-TV.


A participant rides with his eagle during an annual hunting competition in Chengelsy Gorge, some 150 km
(93 miles) east of Almaty, December 5, 2009. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov


Finally, a use for lazy cats.

Sesame Street's 40th birthday

Some songs have gotten stuck in my head over the years. Others, for example, the Letter "U" video, have been more like nightmares - downright scary.

The Ladybug's Picnic


Do De Rubber Duck

Offensive Halloween Costumes

Chinese Food Delivery Guy

"Fee Ling Yu"

Elderly Hip-hop choir

Green Halloween

Every year, it kills me to see the amount of packaging wasted on single-serving bags of candy passed out on Halloween. Tiny bars of chocolate, each wrapped in their own plastic covering, sold in a huge bag of 50, are cute - and safe, for practical, hygienic reasons - although the amount of wrapping used seems wasteful. Several ideas for a more conscious breed of candy-giving:

Give out things that come packaged in recyclable cardboard or paper rather than plastic. Whoppers (in the cardboard box), raisins, paper-wrapped candies and gums are a great start.

Avoid high-fructose corn syrup and other artificial products. Organic lollipops, natural licorice, fruit leather and fruit snacks are an alternative to heavily sweetened pseudo-foods.

Go for foil-wrapped chocolates that are low on wrapping. Earth chocolates are pretty cool.

Non-food items I used to get when I was a kid included pennies/spare change, small toys such as whistles and puzzles, and stickers. If you own your own business, this is a great opportunity for free, wide-ranging advertising: print your own candy wrappers and distribute.

Don't forget, candy wrappers can be recycled as craft material. Save bright plastic wrappers for art projects, such as this woven bracelet.

Rare Cloud Formations

Spotted on Wired: Weird, Rare Clouds and the Physics Behind Them.

Morning Glory


Lenticular


Noctilucent (Creepy!)

Aliens in a Crowded Establishment

I recently read John Gatto's Weapons of Mass Instruction: A Schoolteacher's Journey Through the Dark World of Compulsory Schooling (2008). See a short, interesting guide here. The indoctrination of mass consumerism starts at a very young age in America. I always knew that high school was always about being popular and having the clothes/toys/things of the moment, but now I understand why.

The Scholar's Desk

Some interesting things that I've seen in professors' offices over the years:
-Dog testicles from a neutered pet, dipped in gold and framed on a plaque. (She was a veterinarian/evolutionary biologist)
-6-foot tall Greek sculpture
-Academic regalia (perfect for those days when you're out of normal clothes, or when they're being laundered)

My desk is my creative space, my Paracelsan alchemical laboratory, my place to think and tinker. I'd actually prefer to have the thing entirely clean and clutter-free, that is, without a single object in sight - but at times, when one gets writer's block or needs to take a break, it's better to have some kind of inspiration than to stare off into space (or at the very worst, a blank cubicle wall). Blank, empty spaces are supposed to be better for sparking one's imagination, but I have too much junk and distractions on my desk. Toys are good for breaks, too (think of slinkies, rubik's cubes, and puzzles that you turn over in your hands, such as the breakable sphere, Jacob's ladder, infinite edamame toy, etc).

Worst possible thing for "inspiration" breaks: picking up any kind of handheld electronic device such as an iphone, checking e-mail or FriendFace.

Here's what's in my workspace. Even if you are not Dan Brown, feel free to interpret the symbolism of each object.

Framed painting of Darwin

Color-changing LED eggs

Vase with no flowers, at the moment

Framed family/friend photos

Stuffed Chihuahua, an old friend

To add:

Sculpture #1: Glass sculpture of embryo inside a round-bottomed flask

Never:
Food, with the exception of coffee/water/tea

Funnies for Friday

A Caveman Can
September 3, 2009

While channel-surfing, my dad stops at an educational channel that’s showing a documentary on Neanderthals—at a part of the documentary that happens to be without narration. After two full minutes of watching a Neanderthal going about his business in silence, Dad uttered: “This is a really long Geigo [sic] commercial.”

Why Puccini makes me cry.

Spotted at MedGadget: Latest Print Ad Campaign for the Zurich Chamber Orchestra.

Metaphors of Mind

M.C. Escher

Excerpted from Roger von Oech's A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative (Hachette Book Group, 2008, p. 56):

The models people use to understand mental processes often reflect the technology of their time.

For example, in the 17th century, people thought about the mind as though it were a mirror or lens, and this "reflects" the advances made then in the fields of optics and lens making.

The Freudian model of the mind, developed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, seems based on the ubiquity of the steam engine locomotive. Ideas billow up from the subconscious to the conscious in the same way steam moves from boiler to compression chamber.

In the early twentieth century, the mind was viewed by some as a vast telephone switching network with circuits and relays running through the brain.

For the past forty years or so, we've had a new model of the mind: the computer. This model does a good job of describing certain aspects of our thinking. For example, we have "input" and "output" and "information processing." There is also "feedback," "programming," and "storage." This is fine as far as it goes, but some people take this model literally and think that the mind really is a computer. Indeed, they may not only dismiss the soft types of thinking for not being "logical," but even treat other people like machines.

I believe that the mind is not only a computer that processes information, it's also a museum that stores experiences, a device that encodes holograms, a playground in which to play, a muscle to be strengthened, a workshop in which to construct thoughts, a debating opponent to be won over, a cat to be stroked, a funhouse to be explored, a compost pile to be turned, and forty-one others [including a drunken crazed monkey that has St. Vitus' Dance, cavorting in a cage. Take that as a compliment, human.]
-------
I'm guilty of thinking of my mind as a machine. Why do we bang our heads repeatedly against the wall when we're frustrated, or against a desk? It's like when we smack a vending machine to get it to work, futilely.

I've also thought of my brain as a huge filing cabinet, one of those memory-ball keeper things from The Neverending Story, and a labyrinth with many unknown rooms to be discovered. If only we could. My brain is aware of itself? Sorry, it's getting pretty embarrassed right now.

My hair's way too long, therefore...

It's within one's capacity, as a native speaker of English, to understand and explain the difference in meaning between the following two sentences:
1) I really don't like pizza.
2) I don't really like pizza.

However, how would one explain the following difference? I've been thinking about this all evening.
I freaking need a haircut.
I need a freaking haircut.

Stuff to keep you entertained while my brain organizes its thoughts...

An 18th-century German physician designs a cat-piano (katzenklavier). The possibilities for LOLCAT captions are endless.

I am frequently guilty of using Thought-terminating Cliches when I assume neutrality on bothersome issues. (No one needs to know what I really think until I know you well enough.) I am also guilty of using these phrases when I don't want to engage someone in a dialogue that might lead to an argument. (Thanks to Best of Wikipedia blog)

IKEA catalog from 1965. The Scandinavian gestalt or aesthetic is still there. What did living room items look like in 1639?

Facedown - Matt Redman

Welcomed in to the courts of the King
I've been ushered in to Your presence
Lord, I stand on Your merciful ground
Yet with every step tread with reverence

And I'll fall facedown
As Your glory shines around
Yes, I'll fall facedown
As Your glory shines around

Who is there in the heavens like You?
And upon the earth, who's Your equal?
You are far above, You're the highest of heights
We are bowing down to exalt You

So let Your glory shine around
Let Your glory shine around
King of glory, here be found
King of glory

Three Wise Monkeys

"See No Evil, Hear No evil, Speak No Evil"


17th-century carving at a shrine in Nara, Japan

The origin of this ditty is debated. It has been attributed to a phrase in Japanese, a play on words, "Mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru" (don't see, don't hear, don't speak).

At the interface of Man and Machine

Gary Numan, cover by Nine Inch Nails

We're in the building where they make us grow
And I'm frightened by the liquid engineers
Like you

My Mallory heart is sure to fail
I could crawl around the floor just like I'm real
Like you

The sound of metal I want to be you
I could learn to be a man
Like you

Plug me in and turn me on
Oh everything is moving

Heinlein - Specialization is for Insects

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

-Robert A. Heinlein

Core Human skills

- post via Kottke.org

Children Full of Life

A must-watch documentary about the teaching of compassion, empathy, and team spirit in Japan.

Dumpster Dipping (NYT)

Dumpsters: 6-7 feet deep, and often hugely wide (have you seen the 30-footers?). Line with sandbags and waterproof material. Add water, and you get an instant swimming pool!

Check out the urban oasis below.

Things to Eat and Not To Eat

Some interesting and unfamiliar food items that I came across on Wikipedia.

The common ingredient: Egg!
Scotch Egg- hard-boiled egg wrapped in mincemeat and fried
Welsh Rarebit (Welsh Rabbit) - toasted bread covered in cheese sauce
Croque-Monsieur- grilled cheese and ham sandwich
Brain (as Food!) - GROSS, MAN...which brings us to the next article,
Transmissible Spongiform encephalopathy
Loco Moco - Hawaiian diner meal consisting of rice topped with burger patty, fried egg, and gravy

Others (mostly bacon dishes):
Angels on Horseback (UK) - oysters wrapped in bacon
Meze - Middle Eastern appetizers
Sfiha - Chaldean pizza
Baconnaise (I shudder to think...) and Bacon Lip Balm
Chivito - Uruguayan sandwich
Luther Burger - Burger with Glazed Donuts in place of bun

And now, I have the serious munchies for bacon & eggs.

Caught A Lite Sneeze (by Tori Amos) - Evans Blue Cover

A little less delicate, much more angry. How often do male bands do covers of female-sung songs, anyway?

Green Mobile Phone

Motorola recently released a new cell phone for T-Mobile that is made from recycled plastic water bottles.

The Moto Renew claims to have a carbon footprint of zero, based on the fact that Motorola will purchase carbon credits for every Renew consumers purchase. (Could it be any clearer that their target market is people like me?)

Checked it out in the retail store today since I'm shopping for a new phone (and possibly new carrier). I was kind of disappointed, since plastic isn't the best material for cell phones. It was very light and felt like a toy in my hand, almost like a Barbie play phone. I imagine it would get very hot after a few hours' use and that the plastic, however nicely recycled, wouldn't dissipate heat very well - not quite as well as the cold-to-the-touch sleek titanium gadgets that I've been spoiled by. It didn't help much that T-Mobile didn't have a live model available for me to play with. I was almost going to switch carriers for this phone!

Riff that gets stuck in my head and hits me when I'm least expecting it, like 2pm on a Tuesday at work.

In The News

"I Got the Sucker!" The White House Infested with Flies.

Cappadocia, Turkey

LA TIMES: Cappadocia's Fairy-tale-like landscape.

I WANT TO EAT EVERYTHING.

White Castle

Chicken Nuggets

Croissant Sandwich

Xiao Long Bao

Ravioli


Which of the above would actually taste good after going through a blender?

FOOD IS EVERYWHERE AND I AM NOT IMMUNE TO FOOD ADVERTISING. ARRGGHH. I HAVE TO EAT BABY FOOD FOR AWHILE WHILE MY MOUTH HEALS.

The Lamb, the Ram, the Heavenly Scales...

Go Dipsy! Go Dipsy! Go Dipsy!

More stuff I found interesting lately.

A pretty good article from the March 2009 issue of Fast Company titled, "What Should I Do With My Life Now?"

Earworm of the moment.
Beyonce-Halo.

Naturaleza

I realized why I prefer eco-vacations to culture-vacations: because God's glory will always be greater than anything ever made by man. The most marvelous architecture and art in the world, the world's splendid steel-and-glass cities, museums, streets lined with cafes and beautiful people - All pale in comparison to God's glory.

Some people like to go to Vegas, casinos, or take decadent cruises to tropical beaches. I like cold-weather winter vacations to see nature. It gives me great joy to see clear blue skies, endless dark seas, rocky mountain peaks, the northern lights in winter, constellations of stars in twinkling in the infinite night sky.

Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim, You Are Amazing, God.
Happy Easter!

0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13, 21...

Mandibles!

Huge Rabbit.



English Mastiff PUPPY.




Just Born, the place where Peeps are fabricated.

Acai, "Purple Gold."

After much exhortation from my mother, I was finally convinced to take a trip to Costco to buy some cactus juice. (It's good for you!) I couldn't find what she was telling me about, so I bought Acai berry juice instead (~$9.50 for two one-liter bottles).

I drank a small glass of it with my dinner. It was bittersweet and had a thick, viscous consistency, almost like a syrup - not like any of that watered-down Apple Dandy stuff that kids drink today. I was pretty buzzed for awhile, and I'm wired on it now! I don't know how I'm going to fall asleep; it's almost 10pm and I feel pretty energetic. I should've had it early in the morning as recommended, as a replacement for coffee/tea.

This stuff is great and claims to have the equivalent of 110 servings of fruit in terms of antioxidant power in one serving. I don't know if it would be great for losing weight, though. In terms of taste, the bottle I got had blueberry juice mixed in, so I couldn't tell what the pure juice tasted like. It might be pretty bad....

It's pretty amazing that the acai berry has gone mainstream, a lowly, once-unknown fruit from the Amazon now blown to stardom by Oprah and spam generators. This once-humble fruit is now available to the general public, Walmart shoppers! According to this NYT article, 53 new acai-containing food products were introduced in the US in 2008, up from 4 in 2004, with over $106 million in sales in 2008.

Sunday

Sometimes you wish you could go back and undo something. Sometimes you wish it were as easy as pressing CTRL+Z, but unfortunately, there's no "undo" button on life.

The only person who can hit the undo button for us is Christ. Through his blood, we are made perfect again, and all our flaws become nothing.

Fried Eggplant Sandwich

Sorry for the lack of content. Eat this in the meantime.

EDIT: One of the neat features of Blogger is that it saves old drafts that you never published and allows you to retroactively publish them. I just went and published a few of those half-thoughts from earlier this year.

Slumdog Millionaire - Mausam and Escape by AR Rahman

Pretty intense.

Work and Life Poll

Harris Poll, why must you torment me?

Paean.

I'll say it loud here by your grave, those angels can't ever take your place.

One of Tori's most mournful songs, written for the daughter she miscarried while on tour in the 90s. She blames herself for being a rock star mother, inadequate, etc. I didn't understand that this song was a paean for her lost daughter until I listened to it about 100 times and finally understood the meaning. Definitely listen to the CD version - some covers have too fast a tempo, a flirtatious bent, and forget that this is a song of mourning.

Omnia Vanitas

Vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas. -Ecclesiastes 1:2
Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.

Vanitas, -atis, f. (L)- falsity, unreality, deception, untruth, bragging, lying, vanity, worthlessness, frivolity

One of my favorite painting styles is the Vanitas still life, a medieval kind of symbolic art that captures the transience of the mortal life, the futility of material possessions, and the inevitability of death. Wikipedia article, I couldn't have said it better myself. Some examples:


David Bailly. Self-Portrait with Vanitas Symbols, 1651.

Oh great, this is cluttered, this is as messy as a dorm room desk, but there are always some things that I don't understand, so many different layers of complexity. The man holding a portrait of himself as an old man, for example. His expression is unreadable. What is he feeling? Does he know that he is going to die?


Charles Allen Gilbert (1873-1929). All is Vanity. This image is more popular in the optical illusions circuit, I'm afraid. I think this painting would be better if the mirror were broken.

An artist by the name of Alain Khadem has done some 21st-century retakes on the vanitas style to fit the "absurdities of our fast-paced modern life. I especially like the one with the Molotov cocktail, and Overacheiver/Underacheiver.

/absinthe.

Megalomaly

chronological anomaly = Anachronism

I was looking down my flixster queue and realized that I had several movies about Guantanamo Bay on it. In the future, hopefully, we'll look back on Guantanamo as a horrible relic of the Bush administration, or even think of it as a place like Auschwitz.

To think of it, a third of my life was spent under the Bush administration and wartime conditions.

Barack Obama: he completes us.

I saw this on the Daily Show when Obama first accepted the Democratic party nomination in November, and it's still as inspiring today, after the inauguration.

Engrish

Some Great Instructional Videos.

How to be Happy.

Step 6: Stop Dwelling.
Leading psychologist Sonia Lubamersky has found that the happiest people don't dwell on negative or ambiguous events. Furthermore, excessive introspection may sap your mental resources, making it harder for positive changes to occur. So turn off that Morrissey record and go outside!

How to Give a Man Hug.