Gum & Carrots

Don't You Subjugate My Jejuneness

2007-06-17T00:23:00.000-06:00

If you have a high school degree, then the American Heritage Dictionary thinks you need to know these 100 words. The list ranges from words like impeach (ooo! I know that one!) to tougher ones like lugubrious. I feel like my Linguistics degree definitely isn't paying off right now.

But come on, does a person really need to know all these words? How often do you use supercilious in a sentence when you could just say arrogant? Or quotidian instead of daily? I'll admit, they may be advantageous to know for reading or writing, but that's what the dictionary/thesaurus widget is for right?

The Senior Editor of the American Heritage Dictionary states that, "If you are able to use these words correctly, you are likely to have a superior command of the language." Well, I flat out disagree with that. It doesn't seem like it's appropriate to say you have a "superior command of the language" when a good percentage of your listeners would most likely have no idea what you're talking about if you said, "My quotidian life keeps me quite sanguine."

Mr. Senior Editor, I only have one thing to say to you: It seems churlish of you not to consider bowdlerizing your lexicon due to its chicanery. Take that.

“Please Occupy Us!”

2007-06-15T10:07:00.000-06:00

This past weekend while on his European tour, President Bush visited what could be the world’s most pro-American country. Yep, a European country may actually love us more than we love ourselves.

As one of the first countries to send forces to join America’s troops in both Afghanistan and Iraq, Albania has consistently supported American policy. As it happens, they also dig our cornbread names. Bill and Hillary have been a few of the most popular baby names since the end of the cold war and some anticipate a string of baby Georges to spring up due to his recent visit.

Albania went all out in preparing for Bush’s tour of Tirana, the capital. A street was named for him, commemorative stamps were printed and their Parliament passed a bill allowing “American forces to engage in any kind of operation, including the use of force, in order to provide security for the president.”

All that said, it came as a shock to hear that a sly Albanian stole President Bush’s watch right off of his wrist during a walkabout. Bold. Very bold. Although several reports deny this, the video seems to prove otherwise. I would keep a lookout on Ebay.

Confession

2007-05-28T12:19:00.000-06:00

I feel that honesty is the best way to keep any relationship healthy, so I guess it's about time I fessed up. I've been blogging for someone else.

Last week I began my internship at the Weekly Alibi, an event I was highly anticipating. And man, it's pretty awesome. I'm officially a web intern and my tasks are to webify (I'm still learning the jargon) and to blog. Webifying, in Alibinese, means to add links within a story or article. For example, at the beginning of this post, I made "Weekly Alibi" into a link. So I read through the articles, find things that I think people might want to read more on or just don't know about, and make those into links. It's actually pretty fun.

But the really exciting part is the blogging. I haven't had any of my writing posted on their blog yet, but I believe it will begin soon. If you check out the Alibi's blog, you'll probably notice that the content is quite similar to G&C, with the exception of more local news. This has proved to be a double-edged sword. It's great because since my topics I bring up on G&C are so similar, it won't be that difficult to write articles the Alibi will like. BUT, recently, since those ideas for posts have automatically been put towards writing posts for the Alibi, G&C has been suffering from my lack of attention. I've thought about double posting, for example, if I write something for the Alibi, I would post it on G&C too, or vice-versa, but I just feel like that's unfair. I want to keep both original and separate. That's easier said than done, though.

So I'm in a pickle.

If any of you have any advice, please share it. I'm open for any suggestions.

Documenting Zombies = Guaranteed Death

2007-05-26T23:07:00.001-06:00

This is the kind of stuff I like to see. People getting creative in really outlandish, extensive and (oh yes) public ways.

On Friday, San Francisco had a surprise visit from a rather large plague of zombies (other fun collective nouns here). It appears they were able to create quite a uproar as they stumbled through town, transforming innocent onlookers into their own kind, leaving blood smears as they went and even managing to piss off a few Scientologists. Not a bad day if you ask me.
Check out the awesome photo journal of the entire event.

For those of us who don't follow the tenets of Vodoun or come from the Middle Ages, I think we can agree it's fair to conclude that zombies are a big fat myth.

So what was the real reason behind the invasion? Honestly, I doubt you would ever guess this one. A wedding. Awesome right? For some reason, when I found out this was actually a wedding, it just made me smile.

The zombies even got to take a short break from the killing spree and show off their moves on the dance floor.

Stop Hatin' On the Babies

2007-05-17T17:06:00.000-06:00

Firstly I would like to apologize for my extended absence from G & C. I have no acceptable excuse, it was poor form on my part. If you so kindly choose to accept my apology I would like to share an interesting find with you.

Our beloved baby carrot has had quite a stressful last week due to a wave of bad publicity. It seems like everyone who hears the truth about the baby carrot has turned against it, choosing to never again indulge in such a satisfying yet healthful snack. If you haven't heard the news, allow me to fill you in.

There's no such thing as a "baby" carrot. Calm down, just take a deep breath, I'll explain. Baby carrots are whittled down from normal size carrots into their cute little uniform size that we all know and love. However, the carrots that are chosen to become the baby version aren't perfect. They're the ugly, abnormal, for lack of a better word, "special" carrots. For those of you out there that have ever grown carrots, you know what I'm talking about. It's hard to get those perfect carrots.

This should be a positive attribute for baby carrots right? If it weren't for the idea of chopping up these ugly carrots into little clones, these carrots would be tossed. That was the initial reason for baby carrots, to keep from wasting hundreds of unsellable carrots.

Of course, there are a few bad facts that come along with this. For one, baby carrots are more expensive than normal carrots. But that should be expected since they are processed more, such as being pealed, whittled down, etc. Also, since baby carrots come from less desirable carrots, they lack 30% of the beta carotene present in normal carrots. That means they still have 70%, not bad if you ask me.

So in my opinion, the good outweighs the bad. Although baby carrots aren't as healthful or cheap as their larger counterpart, the fact that they avoid a large amount of waste and seem to provide an alternative snack for many of our overweight, fast-food-addicted citizens, it a good enough reason to keep these little guys around.

Mother's Day for Peace

2007-05-12T17:15:00.000-06:00

Here's a good option for those of you who have conveniently forgotten about the big M-Day mañana. The video is definitely cheesy at points, but the overall message is crucially pertinent to our world's current situation.

Encyclopedia of Life

2007-05-09T20:00:00.000-06:00

Check out the Encyclopedia of Life here.

There's No Crying in Sumo Wrestling!

2007-05-04T12:03:00.000-06:00

Mellow Monk's blog today featured a very interesting, albeit peculiar, Japanese tradition known as konakizumo or "crying-baby sumo". I'm dying to know what you're picturing right now.

As the tradition goes, two sumo wrestlers enter a wrestling ring and duke it out man to man... holding babies... trying to make them cry. What? You're confused?? Allow me to explain.

There is an ancient saying in Japanese which translated says, "A child who cries will thrive." The origins of this came from back in the day when infant mortality was much more common. Parents were proud to hear their babies cry since it conveyed to them the baby was strong and healthy. Conversely, a quiet baby could mean malnourishment or some detrimental disease.

Soooooo, konakizumo emerged from that belief. In a match, the first baby to cry, wins! Pretty simple but seemingly entertaining as well. Just the thought of two gigantic men, each holding a baby probably 1/100th the size them, just trying to get the little fella to bawl. Priceless.

CNN has some awesome pictures of the whole ordeal, this one by far my favorite.

Those are some hardcore rug rats.

Finding Joy in Concoctions

2007-05-02T12:21:00.000-06:00

While browsing through the list of 50 Ways to Find Joy number 14 particularly caught my eye:

14 Awaken your Inner Julia Child. Create a dish without a recipe from just the ingredients in your pantry. Discover your creative power.

As our kitchen is currently in a muddle of scarcity, I realized I successfully completed this task the night before. And yes, I would have to agree, it was a joyous experience. So joyous in fact, I would like to share it with you readers. Really, it's staggering what you can throw together from the odds and ends scattered throughout your kitchen.

Spinach Chili Pasta

In a skillet:
Cook: 2 cloves garlic in some olive oil for a few minutes
Add: - 2 cans tomatoes, retaining juice from one
- good spoonful of tomato paste
- a bunch of chopped green chili (As much as you want, I used a grip)
Thaw: 1 package of frozen spinach and add to sauce
Add: lots of basil, parsley, Pasta Sprinkle, and salt and pepper to taste

Let simmer for about 10 minutes
Serve over pasta, top with shredded mozzarella, and yes, believe me when I say, it was marvelously delectable.

Ohmygod... bee infestation! Must go!! I'll explain later!!!

Angry Post #1

2007-05-01T17:03:00.000-06:00

Once you've admitted to someone that you used to work at a tearoom, automatically you morph into their tea guru, no longer a simple, innocent bystander. Now you are someone able to answer all their (what they consider to be) "crucial" tea issues.

This has been my life ever since my short time spent working at a local tearoom (I am electing to NOT advertise for them on my precious blog, it's a touchy issue). Everyone seems to believe that tearoom employees somehow are filled with all knowledge pertaining to tea, like all tearooms have some Matrix-style rig cramming our brains full until we become mentors for all you novices.

Well I'm here to tell you all something: I'm sick of it! Honestly I don't know that much about tea, but to many of my devout followers, I'm like Tammy Faye Baker. Come on people! Don't believe everything I say!

I apologize for I digress. My point: Until I start receiving respectable questions about tea I will be referring all to this post, listing the 5 facts about tea that I'm sick of repeating.

All tea (minus herbals) come from the same plant. Green tea doesn't come from the green tea plant while black tea comes from the black tea plant. They're all from the Camellia Sinensis plant and variations in tea are purely due to processing and/or variation in growing conditions.
If you insist on using teabags, reuse them! While black teabags can usually only be reused 1 or 2 times, green tea as well as herbal teas such as spearmint can easily brew up to 5 cups. Saves money too.
Decaf it yourself. No more excuses for not drinking more tea throughout the day. Even if you don't have decaf tea on hand, simply do it yourself. Steep the tea as usual but for no more than 30 seconds, discard the brew and then re-steep the same leaves and voilà! Decaf tea!
Use boiling water! Duh, right? However I've seen several people boil water and then just let it sit there for minutes on end, cooling off! Finally they'll get around to making their tea, not surprisingly producing a weak, low quality flavor. If you're making black tea, when the water comes to a boil, pour it over the tea immediately, none of this cooling crap. If you're making green tea, either pour the water over the tea just before it comes to a boil or use it after letting it cool for 10-20 seconds after it boils.
Yes, tea is healthful. Just get over it and admit it, tea is good for you. Obviously there's no doubt about it. Well maybe there's a minuscule, virtually invisible iota of doubt, but honestly, come on. Just taste the stuff. It's so unmistakably wholesome.

Goods from the Grickle Guy

2007-04-30T15:01:00.000-06:00

If you're planning on subscribing to any channel on YouTube make sure it's the grickle channel. You won't be sorry with this quirky, occasionally freaky, collection of short animations. Personally, I can't get enough. Although at first I was vexed by the pace of grickle's shorts, before long I came to realize most of my entertainment stems from that oddity.
Also, you'll quickly notice that grickle tends to prefer his "wild chimp" audio clip as well as that dramatic/disturbing soundtrack. Once you realize those characteristics will most likely be part of every video, I found that it's quite amusing to see how he incorporates them.
I'll admit, it may be an acquired taste.
Space Wolf is by far my favorite piece by grickle (which regrettably does not use the "wild chimp" audio).

Here's a link to grickle's blog also, which is just too much fun.

Captain! She Can't Handle Internet Speed!

2007-04-26T21:44:00.000-06:00

So there's a new theory out there hypothesizing that MySpace is doomed to future failure. Although I strongly support this theory purely based on personal opinions on the efficiency of MySpace compared to other social networking websites (*coughfacebookcough*) I decided to investigate further into the topic.
According to David Louis Edelman's blog, several arguments exist that question the stability of MySpace. For example, MySpace's

"Slowing pace of innovation. Adapt or die, that’s the unofficial motto of the Internet. And unlike, say, Google, which continues to pump out features and applications by the gallon, MySpace has remained largely sedentary for the past year. They released a lamentable, old-school IM client and better video integration, but otherwise the system is pretty much the same as it was 18 months ago. As MySpace’s technical problems grow and their folks spend more and more time just keeping up with demand, they’re going to fall even further behind."

It's true. Anyone who's a member of MySpace as well as some other social network such as facebook, can easily recognize the lack of change in all of MySpace's features.
MySpace had a great idea but it just got messy and unreliable. Members are shifting from the desire to have flashy, look-at-my-awesome-song profiles to simple, clean, dependable profiles. And added to that, they want new features! that keep them up-to-date on current popular trends. While facebook is incorporating characteristics of twitter and flickr MySpace continues on just as it started. It's a real shame. They were onto something good. But without the simple fact that change is necessary, they ruined it for everyone. Except facebook that is.

All Dahled Up

2007-04-24T22:05:00.000-06:00

I feel my blog has swayed into the "much too serious" region again. I apologize. To make up for it, here is a wonderful poem by Roald Dahl who, by the way, was also an anti-television supporter, as you will soon discover (check out Trash the Tube for my reasoning to be anti).

Mike Teavee...
The most important thing we've learned,
So far as children are concerned,
Is never, NEVER, NEVER let
Them near your television set —
Or better still, just don't install
The idiotic thing at all.
In almost every house we've been,
We've watched them gaping at the screen.
They loll and slop and lounge about,
And stare until their eyes pop out.
(Last week in someone's place we saw
A dozen eyeballs on the floor.)
They sit and stare and stare and sit
Until they're hypnotised by it,
Until they're absolutely drunk
With all that shocking ghastly junk.
Oh yes, we know it keeps them still,
They don't climb out the window sill,
They never fight or kick or punch,
They leave you free to cook the lunch
And wash the dishes in the sink —
But did you ever stop to think,
To wonder just exactly what
This does to your beloved tot?
IT ROTS THE SENSE IN THE HEAD!
IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!
IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND!
IT MAKES A CHILD SO DULL AND BLIND
HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND
A FANTASY, A FAIRYLAND!
HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE!
HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE!
HE CANNOT THINK — HE ONLY SEES!
'All right!' you'll cry. 'All right!' you'll say,
'But if we take the set away,
What shall we do to entertain
Our darling children? Please explain!'
We'll answer this by asking you,
'What used the darling ones to do?
'How used they keep themselves contented
Before this monster was invented?'
Have you forgotten? Don't you know?
We'll say it very loud and slow:
THEY… USED… TO… READ! They'd READ and READ,
AND READ and READ, and then proceed
To READ some more. Great Scott! Gadzooks!
One half their lives was reading books!
The nursery shelves held books galore!
Books cluttered up the nursery floor!
And in the bedroom, by the bed,
More books were waiting to be read!
Such wondrous, fine, fantastic tales
Of dragons, gypsies, queens, and whales
And treasure isles, and distant shores
Where smugglers rowed with muffled oars,
And pirates wearing purple pants,
And sailing ships and elephants,
And cannibals crouching 'round the pot,
Stirring away at something hot.
(It smells so good, what can it be?
Good gracious, it's Penelope.)
The younger ones had Beatrix Potter
With Mr. Tod, the dirty rotter,
And Squirrel Nutkin, Pigling Bland,
And Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and-
Just How The Camel Got His Hump,
And How the Monkey Lost His Rump,
And Mr. Toad, and bless my soul,
There's Mr. Rat and Mr. Mole-
Oh, books, what books they used to know,
Those children living long ago!
So please, oh please, we beg, we pray,
Go throw your TV set away,
And in its place you can install
A lovely bookshelf on the wall.
Then fill the shelves with lots of books,
Ignoring all the dirty looks,
The screams and yells, the bites and kicks,
And children hitting you with sticks-
Fear not, because we promise you
That, in about a week or two
Of having nothing else to do,
They'll now begin to feel the need
Of having something to read.
And once they start — oh boy, oh boy!
You watch the slowly growing joy
That fills their hearts. They'll grow so keen
They'll wonder what they'd ever seen
In that ridiculous machine,
That nauseating, foul, unclean,
Repulsive television screen!
And later, each and every kid
Will love you more for what you did.

Lucid Dreaming - Phase 1

2007-04-23T18:21:00.000-06:00

While looking around the web a couple of days ago, I found this really interesting website, Lucidipedia. The point of the site is to teach members how to have lucid dreams (those dreams where you know you're dreaming and can control stuff). I remember as a kid I thought lucid dreams sounded so cool (don't get me wrong, I still do) and went through a phase of trying to figure out how to have one. However, after a few nights of no success I promptly gave up. Now that I'm a bit older, perhaps with a little more patience, seeing this topic again excites me and peaks my curiosity.
For awhile now, I've been searching for something fun to work on, not necessarily a life skill but just something fun. Learning how to have lucid dreams seems to fit the bill quite immaculately.
So I signed up and, having completed my first task (learning what lucid dreaming is) am working on my second task: Remembering your dreams. Definitely a good step. No sense in having a lucid dream if you can't remember it.
With becoming a member (which is free by the way) you get a free dreamJournal. This is a where you record your dream content, dream recall, sleep patterns, occurrence of lucidity and a bunch of other info. I still haven't really remembered my dreams the last few nights so haven't used this part yet, but looking forward to it.
Apparently lucid dreaming is beneficial for self exploration and growth since, with this ability you can experience all kinds of different things, such as overcoming fears. Some people use lucid dreams to practice presentations or lectures. Not a bad idea.
So that's my plan: work on lucid dreaming... well at least for now work on remembering my dreams. I know it's definitely a long process and I may never really learn how to do it, but it's worth a shot.

Support from Rocketboom

2007-04-21T18:24:00.000-06:00

If you haven't seen the Rocketboom episode for yesterday, April 20 2007, check it out. It definitely supports my Earth (Every)Day post.
I couldn't figure out how to embed the video in my post, so use the link.

Earth (Every)Day

2007-04-20T14:44:00.000-06:00

In celebration of Earth Day, I wanted to share a list of ways to make your life a little greener. Although there is no doubt that Earth Day is a wonderful holiday to spread awareness, one day of not driving your car or not buying fast food is not going to solve anything. It needs to become a lifestyle. And guess what? It's actually pretty easy! These little changes to your everyday life can eventually make a huge impact.

I found this list on the Worldwatch Institute's website and picked out the 5 easiest, most practical ways to live a greener life (but you might as well check out the list and just do all of them, right?).

Buy used.

Whether you’ve just moved to a new area or are looking to redecorate, consider a service like craigslist or FreeSharing to track down furniture, appliances, and other items, rather than buying them new. Check out garage sales and thrift stores for clothing and other everyday items.
Use your creativity in gift giving, including making homemade gifts, donating to a good cause, or even regifting. (And gift green, in general.)
Your purchasing habits have a real impact, for better or worse. When making new purchases, make sure you know what’s “Good Stuff” and what isn’t.

Buy local.

Shop at your local farmers’ market. Though the offerings can be more expensive, you can generally count on a higher quality product—and the entire purchase price goes directly to the farmer. Buying any goods produced locally saves energy by reducing the fossil fuels needed to transport food and other items across the country and around the globe.

Add one meatless meal per week. (or more!)

While strict vegetarianism isn’t for everyone, even the most devout carnivores can cut back on meat consumption without cramping their style—and save money in the process. Industrial meat production requires huge energy inputs and creates noxious waste problems. The proliferation of factory farms is damaging the environment, and the global nature of the industry creates conditions that promote the spread of diseases such as avian flu, potentially costing society billions.

Think twice about new electronics.

E-waste from discarded cell phones and computers is a growing environmental problem. Mounds of electronic refuse are being shipped abroad illegally for ‘disassembly’ by workers with little protection against the mercury and other toxic substances they contain.
Keep your electronics as long as possible and dispose of them responsibly when the time comes.
Buy higher-quality items and don’t give in to ‘psychological obsolescence’ marketing campaigns.
Recycle your cell phone and support good causes at the same time!

Use your local library and other public amenities.

Borrowing from libraries, instead of buying personal books and movies, saves money and printing resources. Consider donating the money saved to your local library.

Kitty Drug Fest

2007-04-18T15:42:00.000-06:00

If you know any German, some clarification would be great.
As far as I can tell, it's a bunch of alley cats freaking out on catnip. I guess there's not much else to know. Made me lol.

Digg This: Reddit Rocks

2007-04-17T19:35:00.000-06:00

My effort into researching why Reddit is superior to Digg ended in frustration. I couldn't find many clear arguments that I completely understood. So I abandoned my search and chose who I wanted to win in the first place: Reddit. I have my reasoning.
To clarify, in case you don't know, Digg and Reddit are community-based popularity websites. Users submit interesting stories or pretty much anything else they wish to share and other users rate these stories.
So, back to why I think Reddit rules.

Direct links: On Reddit, when you click on the story you're interested in, it takes you directly to that page. Which makes sense. Why would you design it any other way? Well, Digg thinks you need to first be taken to a cover page for the story. Waste of a few valuable putzing-around seconds, if you ask me. Just take to what I want to see already! It seems so simple.
No clutter: Reddit is clean... uncomplicated... easy. What you see is what you get. No annoying ads or flare. Just the story titles in a nice, easy to read blue font.
Everybody runs it: I did discover that Digg is controlled by a handful of people, while Reddit's content is run by every single user.
More interesting: The majority of stories on Digg are just plain boring. Lots of techy, computer program stories. Stuff I wouldn't mind in moderation but definitely no more than that. Reddit provides a wide variety of stories, whether they're news stories, interesting wisdom, funny pictures, stupid videos or just juicy info. They're all clumped in there together.

That's my list for now. I can't really think of any other reasons. However, I feel these are vital characteristics in order to enjoy a website. Check out this ongoing meter monitoring the debate.
Also, check out Reddit and Digg if you haven't. Let me know what you think. If you find something really awesome about Digg, tell me about it. I guess there's a chance I could have a change of heart.

Spelunking and Spookiness

2007-04-16T14:06:00.000-06:00

It's quite a boast to say you've been in an authentic haunted house on Friday the 13th, but it is a statement I can now claim.
Anybody who knows anything about the student ghetto in Albuquerque, knows about the haunted house on Cornell and Silver. Interesting historical fact: Also known as the Werner-Gilchrist House, it was built circa 1908 and was apparently on Albuquerque's eastern most border at the time.
Until recently, the house had been concealed behind a forest of trees, weeds and chain link fences. But now, after truckloads of crap were cleared away by the city, we all could finally see the face of the haunted house.

Definitely a fixer upper. But with the house so exposed, I realized it didn't seem creepy anymore. Just sad. Unquestionably, this house needs some love.
Luckily, someone did decide to be just that person to give the house what it needs. And to my personal benefit, that person was a friend of a friend of a... whatever. In other words, I got to go inside! And on Friday the 13th! Check out the pictures here.

That was the spookiness, now for the spelunking.
It's amazing what bored weekend afternoons can turn into. In our case, it turned into a short day trip to Sandia Man Cave. Discovered in 1936, it is believed a man - the "Sandia Man" - lived periodically in the cave 10,000-12,000 years ago. Cool fact to know, but it was unfortunate to notice how vandalized the cave is now.
Besides that, the cave was really quite thrilling. It goes 300 feet in, with most of it requiring visitors to crawl and get really dirty, which I think just added to the fun.

Lots more pictures here. I would definitely recommend it. If nothing else, it's a fun way to take up a free afternoon. Plus you'll be able to say you've been spelunking.

Ambitions for My Next Life

2007-04-13T17:38:00.000-06:00

After viewing Nova's program on cuttlefish, Kings of Camouflage, (thanks Ian!) I became conscious of a significant personal aspiration, something that could possibly alter my future well being: I want to be reincarnated into a cuttlefish (but not a Flamboyant one. Nothing against flamboyancy, I would just rather have a cuttle bone and perhaps be a bit bigger.)
I'm not sure if reincarnation is something you're allowed to have a direct say in, but if there is a possibility in any way, shape or form, I'm making it official today, here on G&C. Even though they are related to slugs, cuttlefish are without a doubt the coolest animal on Earth, or at least one of the coolest (I have a soft spot for anything that flies, minus insects). Who wouldn't want to have the ability to change color and texture on command? And in the blink of an eye? So many possibilities, it's mind boggling! They also have amazing eyesight.
Plus, it is comforting to know that I wouldn't be trapped inside a creature that is... how shall we say... stupid. Apparently, cuttlefish can learn. Quickly. And, I don't mean to boast, but as a cuttlefish I feel I could prove to be a rational, perspicacious little cuttlefish. I could help to influence the establishment of the first cuttlefish colony. I would revolutionize cuttlefish life as a whole!!
Although... they can only live for like, 2 years or something. I'm not sure if I can learn all that is needed in order to colonize an entire species in that amount of time. Maybe I'm being unrealistic.
But hey! At least I could hypnotize my food.

Spring into It

2007-04-12T15:04:00.000-06:00

It is always an exciting time, nearing the end of the Spring semester. With approaching Summer weather, longer days and the realization of the dearly needed 3-month break from school (unless that is, you're doing the whole Summer school thing...) life starts to feel a bit more productive. Like today!
We finally got our little garden all planted today and ready to grow, even though Albuquerque's current weather is not what I would consider Spring weather as I listen to the thunder. Anyway, we went for a new mix of vegetables this year: eggplant, okra, tomatoes (including yellow and purple - I know, purple! Weird right?) and lots of green chili (two types: Santa Fe and Española, represent). It should prove to be an interesting crop.

We also got our herb garden going, with basil, chives and tons of spearmint. Sadly we had to sacrifice our beloved cactus which occupied this bed previously... however! We were able to replant most of it.

Another interesting thing I did today: I transformed my face! Go here to do it yourself. I first heard about it on Rocketboom and then saw my friend Katie's transformed faces on Facebook. I had to do it.
Check it out! Starting top left: Old HBop, Asian HBop, chimp HBop, Artsy HBop, East Indian HBop, Man HBop (this one kinda creeps me out) and finally normal HBop!

You can do other transformations too, but these came out best for me.
What else... Oh! I recently discovered a new artist I really like, Audrey Kawasaki. She's amazing. I think I love every single one of her paintings. All of her paintings are done on wood, which gives them a really rich, mystical feel.

My banana bread just came out of the oven and it smells so good, I'm going to have a fresh slice.
And that's great... it's pouring outside. I hope my little plants survive the night...

Fake, False, Fiction... Phonesthemes!

2007-04-11T15:41:00.000-06:00

Last semester, I took a linguistics class from Melissa Axelrod (best teacher ever) called Morphology, the study of the smallest meaningful parts of words. For our term papers, we had the freedom to study any topic we wanted, as long as it had at least some distant connection to morphology. At the end of the semester we then had to briefly present our papers. I remember most papers, including mine, sounded pretty boring, but one definitely stuck in my mind: a study on phonesthemes. I've taken a lot of linguistics classes, but I had never heard this term before.
Phonesthemes are either a sound or group of sounds that occur in words with similar meanings. For example, the phonestheme /sn-/ occurs in words all having to do with the nose: snot, sneeze, snout, sniff, etc. This was the first example the two presenters of this paper gave, so at first I thought they simply made up this theory since all I could think of were exceptions, like snail, snow and snack. Apparently, however, loads of research have gone into the study of phonesthemes. There's even a Wikipedia page. Plus I found this gigantic list of known phonesthemes, which of course you can find exceptions to, but it is an interesting idea. Here are my favorites from the list. I think they may have made up some words, and the categorization seems a bit far-fetched, but you get the point.

/skr/ Unpleasant, Acoustically Complex Sound: scrape, scritch (screech, shriek), scream, screak (screech), screech, scranch (crunch), scraunch (crunch), scroop (creak, squeak), scrunch
/sr/ Unpleasant Sound Or Horribleness: shriek, shrieky, shrill, shrew, shrewish, shrapnel {eponymous}, schrik (a sudden fright or panic), schrecklichkeit (horror, horribleness, devilishness, terribleness)
/skw/ Violent, Distorted Movement: squirt, squabble (wrangle, brawl), squirr, squiggle, squirm, squeeze
/pl/ Dull Impact, Chiefly In Connection With Water: plump, plunge, plash, plod (walk heavily), plop (drop into water without splashing), plap, plodge (walk in mud, water, plunge), pluff (strong puff), plip, ploosh

Just to clarify, my title to this post was my attempt at discovering a phonestheme:

/f/ Untrue, Exaggerations: fake, false, fiction, phonesthemes.

Yeah, if you have to explain your joke, it's just not funny anymore.

Trash the Tube

2007-04-09T16:23:00.000-06:00

This morning, I discovered one blogger's list of the top ten reasons why not to own a television, and myself being a non-owner of one, I was intrigued. I decided I would fashion my own list, incorporating several of the same arguments, but the point being it would be my list. There are few things in my life that have come closer to the satisfaction felt from posting an original, well written post. I know, this one isn't completely original, but at least I didn't cut and paste, something I was considering.

So without further ado, my list.
If you don't own a television...

You save money. Even if you're not paying for Comcast or On-Demand, you're still paying something, even if it's just the electricity. That alone can cost you almost 50 bucks a year!
You have more energy. I swear, TV sucks the life out of you. Once you stop watching, you'll notice you want to do stuff, like actual productive living. Which leads me to my next point,
Your house will be cleaner. Without a TV there to distract you, you'll finally notice all the things around the house that need to get done. That lightbulb'll get replaced, those dead cockroaches will get swept up and you'll notice how unearthly disgusting your microwave is.
You have an ungodly amount of free time. Now, you can finally take up a new hobby, maybe blogging! Guaranteed, if we watched TV, Gum & Carrots would have never been born.
You don't feel like a zombie. I remember sitting in front of the tube for hours on end, absorbing all those ads and mindless entertainment. When I would finally get up to actually do something, I felt like I just woke up from a dream, like I had been in some alternate universe for those last few hours. What a waste. Life's too short to spend it zoned out.

Okay, so my list only has 5 points, but I felt that was adequate to do the no-TV life justice.
Anyway, even if you can't necessarily get rid of your television, (you live with family, roommates, etc.) at least try not turning it on for a week, just to see what it would be like. Trust me! You won't regret it!

The Blog Identity

2007-04-06T10:39:00.000-06:00

This semester I'm taking a linguistics class called, You Are What You Say, focusing on how and what types of identity are expressed through discourse. Sounds a lot cooler than it is, but for the most part a good class.
My most recent assignment was to analyze modes of communication as well as demonstrated identity in computer-mediated communication (CMC). I chose to analyze (big surprise) blogs! My vision for this paper was much more monumental than what actually became my final report, but hey! I just got it back today and got an A+! I didn't know they actually gave those in college. Anyway, my analysis was a comparison between (another big surprise) my blog Gum & Carrots and my friend Hannah's blog, Autobiography of Blue (my life with fibromyalgia). I initially wanted to analyze several blogs, but as it turned out, I only got around to looking at two.

So if you're interested at all, here's my paper. (Sorry about the smallness of the figures, but it was the only way I could make them fit.)

Data Analysis Report 2 – Blogs

In the last 15 years or so, the act of communicating with one another has quickly and drastically evolved into many new forms aided by the creation and popularization of the personal computer and more importantly the Internet. Presently, a business person can go to work, work on his/her computer all day, contacting people, setting dates or appointments, getting everything done, going home and never having to open his/her mouth once. This is all accomplished with computer-mediated communications (CMCs). Since CMCs are acting to replace face-to-face communication, many characteristics of face-to-face communication have bled over to CMCs, creating a sort of talking-writing hybrid. Within the category of CMCs are blogs, journal-style websites that are usually made by businesses, a group of people with a common interest or even an individual person. This is an interesting example to analyze because of its informal style. By looking at three variables - the use of the first person pronoun, contractions and addition of pictures - in two different blogs it is clear that although blog writing appears formal in its nature it more closely resembles face-to-face communication and also provides an interesting look into expressed identity.

Analysis of Blog Features
For this study I analyzed five posts each from two different blogs (ten total posts), both created and run by an individual person. A woman named Hannahb runs the first blog. Hers is a daily blog documenting her daily life living with fibromyalgia (a chronic disease characterized by persistent pain and fatigue, among other things). HBop runs the other, also a daily blog, but her posts present information on daily findings on the Internet or interesting daily experiences. In both blogs there is nearly a new post everyday, each new post is added above the previous one in chronological order and allow reader comments. These two blogs were chosen to compare based on their similarities. However, each has very different topics as well as writing styles. Therefore, the features that are studied focus on presentation of information: the use of the first person pronoun, use of contractions and how pictures are incorporated into posts.
According to Chafe and Danielewicz (1987) the use of the first person pronoun occurs most commonly in letters and conversations, occasionally in lectures and rarely in academic papers. This is due to the increasing formality in each mode of conversation. Being that blogs have a formal appearance (typed document, spelling and grammar are checked, accessible to anyone with an Internet connection, etc.) it would be assumed that the format would be similar to lectures or academic papers. However, figure 1 shows the results found in each blog for usage of the first person pronoun.

Interestingly each blogger had a very high usage of the first person pronoun, much higher than what is usually present in lectures or academic papers. This statistic appears more similar to that found in conversations or letters, which creates the assumption that less formality is required in the blogging atmosphere and a casual approach is more desirable. This high usage also resembles that of a journal or dairy, focusing on personal experiences or thoughts. However, it is also interesting to note that while Hannahb’s blog focuses on her daily life, which would assume a high usage of first person pronoun, HBop’s blog does not focus on her life but uses the first person pronoun over 1% more of the time. (This will be discussed more in the identity section of this paper.)
The second characteristic that was focused on was the usage of contractions, such as I’m or haven’t. In Chafe and Danielewicz’s study, they found that contractions were used most in spoken communication and rarely to not at all in written. The result from looking at these blogs, however, shows a counterintuitive result. Figure 2 shows what was found.

From this result, it shows that no only does blogging aspire for an informal feel, but also highly resembles spoken communication.
The third feature studied was the usage of pictures in posts, not a feature used by Chafe and Danielewicz, but an interesting element present in blogs. Many blogs exist that do not use pictures at all and solely rely on writing to communicate the desired information. However, since both of these blogs made use of pictures to aid in their posts it was considered a valuable aspect to study.
In both cases, pictures that had some relevance to the topic being discussed were incorporated into the text of the post. For example in Hannahb’s blog, she writes,
“With the daily pain, exhaustion, and myriad other distressing, often inexplicable symptoms I experience with FM, dysautonomia, etc, it is easy at times to become disheartened and bitter (not sweet or salty, but occasionally sour).”
She then follows this passage with the following picture:

HBop’s blog used a total of 4 pictures in the 5 chosen posts (one post did not have a picture) while Hannahb’s blog used a total of 23 pictures. Because of the high occurrence of pictures in Hannahb’s blog it seems to convey information to the reader more clearly and accurately, a benefit that does not hold true as successfully when reading HBop’s blog.

Analysis of Constructed Identity
Within each blog, very different types of identity are expressed. By first simply looking at what each blog tends to focus on, strong theories on the bloggers’ identities can be made. Starting with HBop’s blog, it is quickly noticeable that only on rare occasion does she write a post centering on a personal issue. Instead, light-hearted topics are addressed such as the superiority of tea, techniques for eating edamame or even simply “random things” (as in the third sample from her blog). Nothing personal is ever explicitly discussed, while conversely in Hannahb’s blog, that is the main topic: personal issues. Her daily struggles with fibromayalgia is openly talked about as in the following excerpt:
“Sometimes I forget what it’s like to feel excited about something, to feel hopeful, to lose myself while focusing on something enjoyable, especially as many of the activities I used to find delight in are now difficult or impossible.”
An interesting aspect that arises from such personal expression is how extremely one-sided the constructed identity is here, compared with that in face-to-face communication. Of course readers can leave comments, but it is assumed that these comments will focus on the topic Hannahb brings up. The control of the floor will never switch to the other interlocutors such as it does in face-to-face communication. It can then be concluded that Hannahb’s life is very focused on the issues of her personal disease.
As was brought up earlier, the usage of the first person pronoun was used more often in HBop’s blog, even though the focus of her blog is not on her personal life. This can be associated with the slightly less formal writing in HBop’s blog. The writing in hers is simpler, less developed, which can then be related to age of the blogger. The feeling one gets from reading HBop’s blog is younger and less professional.

Conclusion
From this study, blogs have been shown to be much different from other CMCs, considering their formal appearance but actual informal style as well as conversation-like qualities. Although blogs are published, publicly accessible documents, they lack consistent parallel characteristics with the two forms of writing communications presented by Chafe and Danielewicz: letters and academic papers. Conversation was the only form of communication that closely matched blog style. Since both of the blogs that were analyzed are by individual young women, it was assumed they would have more similarities. But, as has been shown, by simply looking at three different features, completely different conclusions on expressed identity can be made about each one.

My Best of 'Burque'

2007-04-05T17:55:00.000-06:00

Recently I've been looking for guest writers to add some extra pizazz to Gum & Carrots, spice it up a bit, give new perspectives. And I feel this one definitely succeeded. Today's post is by my awesome friend Kristin who works at the Alibi. Enjoy! ~HBop

This week the Alibi came out with it's 'best of' issue and since HBop asked me to do something for her blog I decided I wanted to share my favorite places in the city. I spend most of my workday researching ABQ businesses so I think I have some authority to boast my opinion. My list is simple and doesn't include a lot of what the Alibi's list does.

Let's start with food...

Best Restaurant:
I really like Il Vicino, why? Because you pay first and the pizza is delicious! I wanted to be able to list a New Mexican food place as my number one but the only place I like in ABQ is Church Street and even then the food isn't that good, but the atmosphere is awesome!

Best Sushi:
I really like Sushi King. Every time I've been there the food has been fresh and that’s all that really matters.

Best Smoothies:
Vitality Juice, they are sooooo healthy it’s almost gross.

Best Fish Tacos:
I don't know why this is a category but Carom Club, yes!

Best Cupcake:
I like Cake Fetish...but I had a good red velvet at The Grove.

Grocery Store:
Ghetto Smiths, why because it is my neighborhood grocery store and I sort of like the idea that I could get shot at any moment, it's thrilling!

Shopping...

Best Boutique:
Definitely 2 Time Coutoure, but I think people should be aware that Cutie Pie, a new thrifty boutique on Central, has some good clothes too.

Best Sex Shop:
Self Serve, this place is so friendly and you can get good condoms really cheap! They sell them with a really low mark-up.

Best Thrift:
Absolutely Buffalo, I'll never stop shopping there! Yes there are too many hipsters running the place but oh well.

Best Shoes:
None in ABQ. There are a couple of places that are cool like Ruby Shoesday and Ground and Vision but they are too weird and overpriced!

Best Jewelry:
IMEC is the best. Yes the owner is an ass but whatever his jewelry is awesome.

Nightlife...

Best Bar:
hmm...take a guess...

Best Dancing:
I don't know I wish I did! I've heard Sauce and Raw is getting better and they have Salsa night on Wednesday's I just need to go.

Best Patio Bar:
Gecko's for sure, mmm they have good food! You just can't go during the winter because it is too smokey when you are trying to eat.

Best New Bar:
People should check out The Tavern. I work with them and the place is pretty cool.

Last but not least...

Best Place to Exercise:
Maple Street of course! I need to go and do the Strip Tease dance class but I'm not about to pay $20. The only problem with Maple Street is the space is too small, but there is something to be said for it because the energy is more intense, you just can't move around very much.

Best Salon:
Heart and Soul. It is a great space and it's where I found my 'salonmate' Mario. Yes he charges $50 but that price includes psychotherapy, no not scalptherapy, psychotherapy.

Best Place to Go on a Date:
The zoo!

There it is! My Best of List!

a little bad news... LOTS of Good News

2007-04-04T11:42:00.000-06:00

There are a few issues I would like to address.
First, coming back to my post on words for snow in Inuit languages, it appears the future hope of putting an end to this misguided fact will simply evolve into something new, never actually being rectified.

A sad fact to come to terms with, but at least I am solaced with the knowledge that you readers recognize the truth of the situation.

Despite that, my spirits were lifted upon the discovery of LibraryThing. If you're a reader or if you want to pretend you are, this site is for you. It's like the delicious of libraries. Here, you create your own library, organizing books you've read or are reading, get recommendations from the site or other users, AND if you have a blog or website LibraryThing has a widget that will tell your readers what you're current reading interests are. (I plan on getting mine on here ASAP!)

My last two issues relate to recent artsy findings, the first being a music video by The Whitest Boy Alive. Just a few months ago I heard about this band through friends and have been listening to them quite regularly ever since. I never would have imagined their video to come out like this, but after seeing it, I feel that the music and animation fit together surprisingly well.

My other artsy finding is this really awesome Ukrainian graffiti. How wonderful it would be if all graffiti looked as outlandish and quirky as these masterpieces. Walking to school would be so wonderfully quizzical!

Oh, and of course my last bit of good news: HAPPY BIRTHDAY IAN!

From Standing Cats to Egg Mosaics

2007-04-03T16:24:00.000-06:00

As I searched around the Internet today, trying to discover a piece of information valuable enough to blog about, I noticed several blogs focused on pictures today. Alas, this was my theme yesterday.
However, luckily I feel inclined to completely disregard that and continue on with the daily trend. So here are some of the popular pictures today that inspired positive feelings. Hopefully the same response will result from your viewing as well.

Some kitties getting a fresh (squeeze?) of milk

Apparently there's no photoshop here, just one giant wave

A happy diver that made me smile

Those are all eggs! Get a better idea here.

How pretty it is when milk meets coffee, beautiful! More pictures here.

Blog Breather

2007-04-02T10:56:00.000-06:00

As you can probably tell, I took the weekend off. I wasn't even really planning to, it just happened. Stuff to do kept on popping up and I just couldn't make myself say, "Sorry I can't, I have to go home and blog." So instead, I had a busy, fun (surprisingly unproductive) weekend, and I loved every minute of it (except when I thought I broke Evan's ipod.)
So here are the "best-of" moments from my blog hiatus:

Becoming Queen of Africa with Kristin

Drinking ~~lots of~~ mimosas early in the morning outside

Watching some awesome Ultimate on two beautiful days

Eating some deliciously cheap sushi

And taking that first satisfying Spring swim

Blogs Not Bombs

2007-03-30T09:42:00.000-06:00

Since I've recently joined the blogging community (which I have to admit I'm highly addicted to) I decided it would be courteous to show my support for my friend's and family's blogs. Whether they're up-and-coming or established, artsy or scientific, I pay a visit to each of these blogs almost everyday. I love seeing people I know utilizing this great medium to express themselves, even if it does give us a glimpse into their peculiar thought processes.

..dotted and undotted dotterings..: My brother's blog on "science, life, culture and exciting et cetera". Only on its second post, this blog is thought-provoking, knowledgeable, witty and periodically over my head.
Autobiography of Blue (my life with fibromyalgia): As Hannah puts it, "The purpose of this blog is to coax my desire to write out of hibernation, to discuss and revel in the strange and lovely, and, especially, to explore and share my ongoing experience with fibromyalgia (FM)." A journal-style blog characterized by splendid writing and delightful images.
fr.ivolo.us: There is plenty to explore on this blog, with its Sketchbook, Quotes, Blog and Snippets sections. Currently, Josh has been exploring and experimenting with Polyphasic sleeping. Certainly a fascinating read.
Freestyle Quilting: If you're interested in quilting, sewing, design or just crafts in general, this is a really cool, innovative style of quilting to check out.
Sunlight Homes Blog: Based in Albuquerque, NM, Sunlight Homes is an amazing business, building "custom designed green homes with passive solar design". Visiting their blog is a great way to educate yourself on the monumental importance of this topic.

If I know you and your blog isn't listed here, please tell me about it and I'll add it on! I want to make sure I know and recognize all my acquaintances' blogs. We must support one another!

On a final note, I wanted to share this picture with you. I found it on Freedigitalphotos.net and just really liked it. Yep.

The Future of the Past

2007-03-29T12:50:00.000-06:00

According to the futurologists of the 1970's, our current generation should be much further along in creating those self-contained cities. I just found Buckminster Fuller and Paolo Soleri's Sea City 2000 concept of 1979. What are we still doing living in houses, taking up all this space?? We're supposed to be living in floating cities!
I really liked the idea behind their concept, and wanted to find out if anything like it has actually been done or is in the works.
The most interesting thing I found was the Shimizu Mega-City Pyramid, a proposed project over Tokyo Bay. It's 12 times higher than the Great Pyramid at Giza and would house 750,000 people! Crazy! I hope to see something like this come into existence before I die.
I guess this just goes to show, you really can't predict what's gonna happen.

Eureka!

2007-03-27T21:43:00.000-06:00

Today marks my first doodle in my new sketchbook. I've had this new book for well over a month now, but hadn't been sparked with enough inspiration to make that first mark, which is agreeably the most distressing. Now, I assume my entries to come about more routinely and with less attachment. I wanted to share it with you.

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It's just my desk. My little plant that sits next to me while I work and the edge of my computer. Nothing profound, just what I saw. I was waiting for some amazing idea/design to pop into my head, an idea that I wouldn't be able to describe just in the right way so instead I would have to draw it. A there it would be...a revelation! A eureka moment!... At least that's what I hope to experience some day. But for now, drawing what I see is satisfying enough.
I liked how my plant looks like it's plugged into my computer, a plant-powered computer. How clever.
In celebration of this joyous day, I would like to share other famous firsts in history. I really enjoyed the section on famous pinball firsts.
Have a festive Tuesday evening!

What's So Evil about Pool?

2007-03-26T12:33:00.000-06:00

Here are a couple of videos that made me smile and giggle.
Oh come on, it's Monday. Don't expect much.

Reason to be Green?

2007-03-25T12:39:00.000-06:00

For the last week(ish), I've consciously added more green tea to my diet, around 3 cups a day. Plus, unintentionally I haven't had any black tea. Interesting... at least for now, I guess green tea is able to suffice my hot beverage/caffeine quotient. But why, you might ask, did I elect to incorporate this earthy elixir into my routine?
Well, that's a good question.
I'm not really sure. Perhaps I wanted a change, or maybe just because it's healthier.
Or is it??
Most people assume green tea is the healthiest of the teas, but this made me wonder how that's possible since black, green, oolong, pu-erh and white teas all come from the same plant. So then, how can the variations in the processing of these different types of tea account for such drastically different levels of health benefits?
From my wanderings around the internet, it seems that the biggest reason, is simply that green tea is almost always the focus of tea studies. Other types of teas have scarcely been studied. Tea research is definitely still in its early stages.
Having said that, I was able to find one study on black tea conducted by the Netherlands National Institute of Public Health and the Environment. About.com gives a good synopsis. Apparently black tea can do as much as green tea! (Unless, of course, you take milk in your tea.) Both black and green teas were shown to have high levels of (albeit different) antioxidants.
I guess the best thing to do, as WebMD advises, is to just drink lots of tea - at least 6 to 10 cups a day!! I reckon my elementary 3-cups-a-day routine is in need of an upgrade.

p.s. - If you're curious about what exactly the tea benefits are, then check out Wikipedia's page on the topic.

Punished Punctuality

2007-03-24T09:29:00.000-06:00

It has been done. Evan and I signed up for Netflix. I would like to make clear that this was something I was initially firmly against, being that Netflix was a big reason Alphaville went out of business, personally a very sensitive topic. However, after exploring Netflix a bit more (seeing our options, lining up our queue, etc.) there are admittedly many added conveniences that come along with this membership.
But honestly, I still can't say I'm OK with it. It just feels... evil. Like when you go to Wal-Mart or McDonald's - it's that same feeling. I couldn't find any justification for this feeling, so I turned to Google: E-V-I-L N-E-T-F-L-I-X. Over a million results!
I found this article (which I highly recommend reading) on msnbc.com, explaining how if renters return their movies "too quickly" their accounts are "throttled", which delays movie shipments and re-queues your order! Apparently the "unlimited rentals" is a bunch of bull if you exhibit any sort of prompt character... Which I do!
We definitely watch a lot of movies in this house, considering we don't watch TV, we're students and don't have that much expendable income. So needless to say, this came as a great concern to me. We just got our first movies in the mail yesterday, so no harm has been done... yet.
I really hope this is worth it... I miss Alphaville.

Sand on Sound

2007-03-22T23:37:00.000-06:00

Well, it's 11:30pm and I still can't find anything that interesting to post, (I call it blogger's block) so I went with a video. At least it's something right?
I watched this a few days ago, and wow! I have no idea how this works, but it's absolutely astounding. Make sure your volume isn't turned up too loud, the high pitches towards the end are a bit painful to listen to.

I Got Inland in My Brain

2007-03-21T09:39:00.000-06:00

Last night, I had an altogether unforgettable experience: I saw Inland Empire. (Here's the Wikipedia article and a trailer if you haven't heard of it.) I'd like to say I have a wide range of tastes when it comes to film genres, however, going from seeing Happy Feet the night before to this was perhaps too drastic of a jump. Either way, I don't think there was much that could have prepared me for this film.
Wow... I'm not really sure what I can say... Well, I would like to start off by saying I thought I actually did prepare myself for this viewing: I knew it was by David Lynch (i.e., emotional rollercoaster, optional plot, occasional disturbing images), I already considered it to be an epic film (I knew it was 3 hours long) and I accepted that I most likely wouldn't understand any of it. But I tried so hard! I wanted to understand something, just one thing. My brain was working so rigorously, trying to formulate connections, conclusions, even hypotheses but... nothing. Maybe that was the point.
This morning was dedicated to searching the internet, trying to find something that would bring me some resolve. But nothing helped. Either people were quick to call it a masterpiece (probably just because they didn't get it) or say that no plot existed, it was purely emotionally based. I'm not here to give you an in depth analysis, trust me I wouldn't know where to start, but I just wanted to say these few things:

I can't call it a masterpiece - like I said, I couldn't find one plot line in the entire 3 hours! But, the acting was amazing, I thought it was a beautiful film, and it did seem genuinely random (a truly difficult task).
I'm glad I saw it. I don't feel like I wasted 3 hours of my life, instead I got to see something original, different, definitely something that will stay on my mind for many moons.

I don't like my blog to be too serious so here are some happy trees to brighten your day.

Cayenne to the Rescue!

2007-03-20T13:08:00.000-06:00

I just read on reddit a very interesting cure for a sore throat: cayenne pepper. Apparently, if you gargle a mixture of water, cayenne and salt (optional) your sore throat will magically disappear. Instantly. I haven't tried it yet, but when I do, don't worry, I will blog about it.

This cure comes from Earth Clinic, a website with an eclectic mix of folk remedies and holistic cures. The layout of the website is nice, since readers/patients of these remedies can post comments about their personal experiences with the treatment, in a yea or nay fashion. It looks like the cayenne pepper remedy is by far the best received, with well over 100 yeas.
I just got over a cold, (damn!) so I have no need to experiment with this as of now... however I do have a slightly stuffy nose...

Here is a supposedly good recipe I got from this blog:

1 standard drinking glass of hot to warm water
1 teaspoon of cayenne powder
a couple pinches of salt for good measure (most people say its not necessary but it won’t hurt)

Please, if you try this, let me know how it goes, I am so curious!

Edamame Eaters: Beware

2007-03-19T15:31:00.000-06:00

The point of this post is to warn all edamame eaters. This is the second time this has happened to me so I assume it could be a common occurrence and I don't want anyone else to have to experience what I had to twice. And if it does happen to you, I want you to be prepared.

It is twice now that I have found a worm, yes a worm, a dead one, inside an edamame pod I was eating. It almost made me gag, which is saying something because it takes A LOT to gross me out.

Both times, I went to pop the seed out, and as I popped it out, I noticed the seed looked a bit brown, nothing that unusual, since occasionally there are little brown spots on edamame seeds. However, my quick glance at this seed turned into a longer inspection as I noticed this seemed to have a bit more brown than normal. As I opened the pod to get a better look, I realized the entire inside of half the pod was covered with a brown substance, and there, on top of the seed I was so anxiously awaiting to eat, was a dead worm. Ughhhhh.... now as I write this I'm getting the same churning feeling in my stomach as when I found that horrid creature... From my research on the subject, I haven't found much, only a few other bloggers telling a similar story. But I was able to conclude that it was most likely a soybean podworm, also known as a corn earworm.

However, I am such a fan of edamame, that I haven't let this experience turn me away. Instead, I have learned a valuable lesson:

DON'T pop the seeds out of the pod using your mouth, causing the seed to pop directly from the pod into your mouth, since this technique doesn't allow you to see the seed at all.

DO pop open the pod using your fingers, quickly glance at the seed and then eat it. This quick glance is all that is needed, since you will be able to tell immediately if closer inspection is required.

I hope you all continue to enjoy edamame, but do so with a more educated approach.

Proof that Nature Enjoys Treats Too

2007-03-18T13:45:00.000-06:00

This is an article from the Washington State Department of Transportation's (WSDOT) blog, describing their newest discovery (I'm inclined to think they don't make too many discoveries). Truly amazing though. I'll take my snow doughnut with a small coffee please.

When I first got these pictures from our maintenance crews on the North Cascades Pass (SR 2o), I assumed they had used Photoshop and were pulling my chain. I called to verify the validity of the pictures. The crews promised that these were indeed real, and that snow doughnuts are a naturally occurring phenomenon. I had never seen this type of thing before, so I asked around the office and it appears no one else has either. I decided to send the pictures to the media, who also thought we used Photoshop.
According to Mike Stanford from our WSDOT avalanche team, snow doughnuts are a natural occurrence in nature. We do not build them. They form when there is a hard layer in the snow and is then covered by several inches of dense snow. Then you add a steep slope and a trigger, such as a clump of snow falling out of a tree or off of a rock face, and voila you have snow doughnuts.
As gravity pulls the clump down, the snow rolls down the hill, and 99.9% of the time the center of the rolling snowball collapses in on itself and creates what we call a "pinwheel". If it doesn’t roll down the hill, then it will just slide, which is actually one of the mechanisms of a loose snow avalanche. But,
if the snow is the perfect density and temperature, it rolls around onto itself leaving the hole in the center, creating the doughnut-looking shape.

Stanford says he’s rarely seen it happen. The temperatures and snow conditions have to be just right. In 30-plus years of playing and working in the snow, this was the second time he had ever seen them. Snow doughnuts seemingly could grow very big if conditions permitted. The one seen in the photograph is about 24" in diameter.

A Clutter of Collective Nouns

2007-03-16T12:18:00.000-06:00

After writing my post yesterday, I realized how much I enjoyed it! Linguistics is so riveting... so here's another one!
Collective nouns are words such as group or team, a singular word that identifies more than one of a certain animal, plant, person, anything. You're probably familiar with the collective nouns used to identify different groups of animals, such as a flock of birds, a school of fish, a pride of lions. I recently discovered that HUNDREDS of these collective nouns exist. Check out Wikipedia's article on all the known collective nouns in English, but I wanted to provide you with my absolute favorites, I hope you get a thrill out of it too.

A woop of gorillas
A kettle of hawks
A trip of hares
A crash of hippopotami
A morning of hammers
A storytelling of crows
A murder of crows
A drunken ship of cobblers (I think that's a fish)
A colony of chinchillas
A spoonful of caribou
A caravan of camels
A stumble of drunks
A charm of hummingbirds
A fluther of jellyfish
A neverthriving of jugglers
A leap of leopards
A mischief of mice
A superfluity of nuns
A yoke of oxen
A huddle of penguins
A waltz of piglets
An aurora of polar bears
A conspiracy of ravens
A swerd of stem cells
An ugly of walruses

And I wanted to save my favorite for last:

A vomit of goblins

The Great Myth

2007-03-15T15:20:00.000-06:00

Being that I am verging on having a degree in Linguistics, I realized it would be best to touch on the subject from time to time, simply for the benefit of sharing (and clarifying for myself) a few of the interesting topics the subject has to offer.
So I elected to begin with one of the most popular topics in Linguistics: the myth of the number of words for snow in Inuit (Eskimo) languages. It seems like everyone has heard it, and loves to quote it. According to the myth, Inuit languages have anywhere between 20 and 100 words for snow, depending on who's telling the story. Sounds cool, but, sorry to break it to ya, it's simply not true.
First, just to clarify, there are a number of Eskimo-Aluet languages, the family of languages to which Inuit belongs. So depending on which specific language you look at, the explanation will vary. But, since this forum is reasonably informal, I will generalize.
So, to begin with, Inuit languages are polysynthetic languages. Simply put, this means they can say in one word what English speakers would say in one sentence. They start with a root word, and then stick other lexical or grammatical items onto it, making one long word. This is from where the misunderstanding stems.
Many Inuit languages have several root words for snow, just like English: slush, blizzard, drift. (Whenever this myth is being told, the fact that English itself has several different words for snow is usually left out.) Then, to these roots, through suffixation, different adjectives/nouns can be attached.
Language Log gives a good conclusion:
"That does not mean there are huge numbers of unrelated basic terms for huge numbers of finely differentiated snow types. It means that the notion of fixing a number of snow words, or even a definition of what a word for snow would be, is meaningless for these languages. You could write down not just thousands but millions of words built from roots that refer to snow if you had the time. But they would all be derivatives of a fairly small number of roots."
The Wikipedia article is a good continuation of the topic, Eskimo Words for Snow, if you're interested.
The moral of the story? Don't think that languages are purely based on words!

Forced Abnegation of Blogging (plus a few vocab words)

2007-03-14T10:46:00.000-06:00

Here I am, finally back in the 505. It's good to be back, especially after my 12-hour day of traveling yesterday. Considering how much free time I had yesterday, sitting for hours on end in one of the most standoffish, sterile settings, you would think that would've been ideal time for blogging. However, I was absolutely shocked to discover that in both Fort Worth and O'Hare airports, the internet wasn't free! I would like to add that, indeed, the Sunport provides free WiFi.
So, being that I didn't want to support such a feckless system, as well as due to the maladroit ownership which I would have preferred simply to defenestrate, I elected to abstain.

Moments from Chicagoland

2007-03-12T20:03:00.000-06:00

My last night in Chicago...(actually Evanston but don't worry about the details) and it's been a great trip. On my arrival I expected to feel overwhelmed with Chicago, as I have felt towards other big cities I've visited (definitely less than 5, again, just details). But Chicago felt different, a little easier to deal with, "livable" you might say: understandable downtown layout, actual fun things to do, surprisingly easy-to-learn transit system, reasonable prices (on food and shopping that is, don't get me started on housing prices) and overall nice people. I even felt like I fit right in with my North Face coat, being that every-other person I saw was wearing something North Face.

So here is a list of the best moments in Chicago:

~Seeing myself as a giant mercury jellybean would

~Looking behind Gerhy's Pavillion

~Having the urge to slide down the side of a bridge

~Watching geese walk on ice/pretending I was in Antarctica

~Being on Davis street in Evanston

~Being able to say I've seen a Puffin

~And, the best moment during my trip? Having dinner and cocktails with my wonderful mom.

Atention, Atention

2007-03-09T21:54:00.000-07:00

I'm in Chicago right now, visiting my mom. I feel like I've been traveling all day - I'm such a wuss - so I don't have much energy to entertain ya'll. But I would like to share that I really enjoyed reddit today... so here ya go:

An Introvert Stands Up for the Right to Stand Alone, an article that almost brought a tear of joy to my little shy eye...
The Best Toilet Ever, simply that, and yes I would do it
One of the Coolest Business Cards
Incredible Graffiti-Covered Building, I wanna add to it!

Knowing You Don't Know

2007-03-08T21:31:00.000-07:00

What an interesting day... full of stress, boredom, a bit of excitement, realization of ignorance and topped off with a dollop of fun.
Today marked my most intense day of midterms, my focus being on my Medicina tradicional de México examen parcial (midterm), one I got up at 7:00 AM to study for. As it turned out, it wasn't nearly as bad as I had imagined it to be, however I have yet to receive my grade, so I'll let you know if my opinion turns out to be true.
Then after that, in my Identity Through Discourse class, we had a guest teacher lecturing on performed identities online, via emails, IMs, social networks (i.e., myspace) and blogs. At first, I thought "Oh, internet? Ha! I know plenty about that, what does this lady have to tell ME about the internet??" It was a short lecture, but, as it turned out, caused some personal mixed feelings to arise.
For the last "while" (I'm not clear on how long it's been) I've been consciously trying to discover new things on the internet, searching and educating myself on current, modern technologies, popular sites, and general "things to know". And honestly I feel I've been quite successful, considering that my friends and family have been able to use me as a source for learning about online popular culture. However, this lecture - given by an obviously huge internet geek - made me feel so...superficial. There is clearly so much that I know absolutely nothing about!
So here, here is a list of 5 things that I knew nada about. Educate yourself, stay in the know. I don't want you to feel like I did.

L33t - that is "Leet Speak", an online writing system used in games or, more and more, in popular online forums.
/b/-Random - I'm not quite sure yet why this site is so big, but apparently it is. The link here is to the main page, but /b/, the random imageboard is what all the hoopla is about. If you figure anything out, please, fill me in.
Cat Macros - also know as Kittah, this is just something really odd. What else can I say? People take pictures of cats, photoshop some random text onto it, and think it's funny. Again, I don't really get it, but I guess I'm supposed to know about it. Check out this link to see some good examples.
Memes - if you find one, please share it.
And I guess HTML is just something that people should know. This I did know, and I'm working on it, even though I have no desire to. It's for the sake of knowledge people, teh knowledge.

If you know of anything else I should bother educating myself with, feel free to let me know. No offense taken. I'd rather feel stupid when I ask for it, instead of when I'm put on the spot.

Battle of the Brews

2007-03-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

Returning to my argument first brought up last week on the Superiority of Tea, I would like to add to the ever-
growing demise of "the bean" beverage. My post last week definitely stirred some deep feelings readers had regarding their stance on the topic. I had a whopping 4 responses! Indeed, is appears the tea/coffee debate is a black and white subject: you're either a tea person or a coffee person, just like you're either a Beatles person or an Elvis person. Maybe there is no clear right or wrong side to take... but when there's evidence at hand, there's no sense in leaving it unexploited!
Again, my ally, the BBC has produced more evidence against the dreaded bean. A new study shows that regular coffee drinkers are not actually gaining any heightened alertness by having their morning cup. Instead, their morning fix of caffeine simply returns their bodies to normal alertness, no more than your average non-coffee drinker, or even tea drinker for that matter. Interesting! So what does that make me think...Well, at least tea drinkers don't rely on a placebo to get through their day. Muah haha!

Sunday Treat

2007-03-04T13:56:00.000-07:00

One of the best Daily Show clips out there. Enjoy a nice Sunday treat.

Don't Punch That Wall!!

2007-03-04T12:41:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I read this article on Null Hypothesis about anger. It argues against the idea that venting anger is the best solution. Instead they suggest just trying to calm down and taking a few deep breaths should solve the problem more successfully. This got me thinking...
I'm not much of a "venting anger" kind of girl, but the few times I've let myself explode and do something emotionally rash, the feeling I had afterwards was not one of satisfaction, but of embarrassment and guilt for what I just did. So, needless to say, I was happy to read this news. During the past few days, I've consciously tried to test this hypothesis, and I have to say, I like it. At least with little things. I mean, I haven't really had anything ridiculously anger provoking occur in the last couple of days, just the standard items of frustration: being late, traffic, not being able to find that other sock, birthday presents, you know. But through all that, by simply trying to relax I've stopped myself at frustration, and not moved on to actual anger. Plus I actually feel like those feelings dissipate. So like the author of the article writes, "Next time I'm ready to explode I'll hug that pillow instead of beating the living daylights out of it."

Haiku on the Carrot

2007-03-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

I lack a sweet treat
So crunch your orange with glee
Annoyance has come

The Superiority of Tea

2007-02-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

I'm a tea drinker. Ok, occasionally I do indulge in a cup o' Joe, usually just to get through a boring class or stressful test, but I feel the satisfaction I get from a simple cup of tea far outweighs that heightened alertness - and then later complete loss of energy - you get from coffee. I might even go so far as to say I think it's better than water. Preposterous you say? I think not. I've got the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition on my side. BBC News recently published an article showing the EJCN's findings on just how magnificent tea is, claiming that, "Tea not only rehydrates as well as water does, but it can also protect against heart disease and some cancers."Lead author Dr. Ruxton goes on to say, "Tea replaces fluids and contains antioxidants so its got two things going for it." And what does water have to say to this? Even coffee, do you have anything you'd like to add? That's right, you can just stay quite. I always knew tea would come out on top.
While we're on the topic, if you too enjoy the healthiest beverage on Earth, then check out Adagio Teas. It's a beautiful site just look around on and their ingenuiTEA products are great to have. Excuse me while I put the kettle on...

Websites I Couldn't Live Without

2007-02-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

1. Del.icio.us - I just don't know how I actually believed I was even remotely organized before del.icio.us entered my life. Delicious allows it's users to categorize and share all their bookmarks with other users. Genius! So simple but oh so necessary for the ever expanding realm of the internet. Thank you Ian!

2. Rocketboom - a daily vlog almost as random as Gum & Carrots. I entertain myself with the belief that I'm educating myself by watching it. But if you're too cool to watch Rocketboom, feel free to gorge yourself with The9.

3. Craigslist - everybody better know what this is by now. If you don't, go to this site now, and stop spending money on posting your classified ads in the Journal. I don't use craigslist as often as the other listed sites, but when I need it, it saves my life. I sold my car after only having it posted for 2 days!

4. Pandora - This is the best internet radio site I've found. It's free - if you want it to be - and lets you create your own stations. Your stations are based off a chosen band or song you like, and then randomly plays related songs. As you listen you rate each song played, and the station becomes more and more specific to your likes.

5. Digg.com - almost identical to reddit.com, these 2 sites allow users to post interesting things they find on the internet, and rate them, by either "digging" them or giving them points. These sites help me keep up to date with those obscure little facts buried somewhere online. Let other people find them, you just judge them.

6. Well, #6 used to be Daily Monster, but alas, that era has passed. So I guess I'll stay in the same category and pick Drawn, an illustration and cartooning blog. As you may already know, I lack a talent for drawing and desire a more professional skill. This site has definitely provided some much needed inspiration to get me doodling again.

7. Allrecipes.com - not that cool, but I have to admit, I use it almost daily. Honestly, the title is not a lie, which I first expected it to be. It really has everything. Especially a great veggie section.

8. I really don't want to say what I have for #8...but what's a blog if it's not honest... myspace, there I said it. Or facebook. Definitely a guilty pleasure, but - perhaps I'm lying to myself - I do feel that I stay better connected with my friends. 'Nuff said.

Forever Young...?

2007-02-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

Aging is such an interesting topic. Some people spend much of their lives trying to figure out how to accept it, some learn to look forward to it in anticipation of gaining wisdom, while still others want to ignore it. There is another group, however, a group trying to end aging. This group is the Immortality Institute. I found this video on thoughtware.tv and at first was a bit uninspired to watch it. Afterwards, however, my mind flooded with questions and speculations about what this could mean for humankind. Definitely a worthwhile watch.

My Ode to Stefan G. Bucher

2007-02-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

Today marks the last Daily Monster from Stefan G. Bucher. It's been a great last 100 days, starting off every day with a healthy dose of skritchy sharpie sounds and air-blown paint streaks. And then topping it all off with a lively animation - oh there is nothing more satisfying. Whether it's dancing, glaring, or just acting sketchy, each monster has been a joy. I do have one regret, in regard to being such a fan of DM, I never posted a story for one of the monsters. All those fans that regularly created astoundingly creative stories for these recent acquaintances have my profound respect. But what of all those fans, perhaps bigger fans than I? If I feel like my daily routine is being forced to find new morning entertainments, how do these people feel? The ones that put in at least an hour or more everyday, just trying to create a meaningful story. How will they ever get over it? How will they fill the void that the arrival of the 100th monster has created? Will they find something new? Better? Hmmm...Maybe they will come across a new blog, one where they can write comments...give advice to a new blogger...gum and carrots anyone???

Carrots - the way to any girl's heart

2007-02-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

So I randomly came across this site entirely dedicated to everything carrots, (no really - EVERYTHING carrots) called the Carrot Museum and was surprised to find real carrot jewelry. "Each piece is sliced and dehydrated by hand in a process that maintains the natural texture, colour and shape. This curing process can take between 4 and 6 weeks to ensure there is absolutely no moisture left that could cause it to rot. They are then covered with a protective resin for longevity and durability." I guess carrots can provide inspiration for anything. Check out all the jewelry and don't forget to pick up one of those fruit tile motifs as well.

Seeing New Dimensions

2007-02-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

My brother used to give me this same example when it came to understanding what other dimensions would be like. Now it's in a cartoon! Surprisingly this really helped me to put things into perspective. A bit cheesy at times, but an overall success. This article also aids in comprehending a forth dimension.

My 10 Random Things - sick version

2007-02-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

So I first posted this on my myspace blog, but thought I should share it here as well. I felt this was a good exercise to get writing. Just write a few sentences about any 10 random things that pop into your head. It's surprisingly fun!

1. Gum and carrots, the name of my blog, plus the two things that annoy the hell out of Evan when I chew them. I just can't resist! That crunch of a fresh carrot, or the smack of a good piece of gum!

2. short hair - so I heard this was supposed to be easier. As I recall, with long hair, I could get up in the morning, put a hair tie around it and go. But with short hair, I now understand the concept of "bed head". Not the most flattering look in the morning.

3. Oh Kristin! Of course, she has to be one of my random things. Whether it's getting coffee in the morning or going out for drinks, I have found a new best thing in life with this chica!

4. Another "best thing in life" would have to be all our plants. We have a ridiculous amount, over 30 I think. I just love taking care of them, watching them grow-- ok, I'll just stop right there.

5. So I'm sick right now, and it blows. I know exactly when I started getting sick - during that movie at Kristin's! Damn that movie! I don't know why it did this to me. I'm never watching it again.

6. My congested head is having a hard time with number six...

7. There' one thing in life I wish I was better at: drawing. I have spent much of my education doodling away during class, yet somehow it has not improved my skill at all. Maybe I need a new medium, perhaps colored pencils.

8. So we watched The Evil Dead last night, and I have to be honest, I wasn't that impressed. Ok, I did jump once, but mostly I found myself frustrated with how LONG some of those scenes were. I get it, she got stabbed and it hurt, I don't need to hear her scream about it for 5 minutes!

9. Getting up in the morning and making tea. It's just plain dandy. I'm definitely a morning person, and I feel that is the part of the day I am most happy. Evan is definitely NOT a morning person, but I think I make his morning a little bit better when I hand him his morning cup of tea.

10. Fluffy pillows and flannel blankets. That is where I'm headed now.

In the Beginning...

2007-02-22T20:42:00.000-07:00

So blogging huh?? A very interesting concept, being that anyone with basic literacy and internet access can create their very own page. And to do what? To simply share what's on their mind or with the idea that they have some knowledge they wish to impart on the rest of us? The first thought that comes to mind is that there must be some pretty boring blogs out there. Anyway, for some reason I feel drawn "to blog" (interesting verb usage) even though I do not consider myself a strong writer. Just the thought of writing something original daily(ish) causes an uncomfortable feeling (as I notice I've bitten off a few nails just trying to write that sentence). But I'm still so excited about blogging. I'm curious to know why exactly... is it because I feel like I have something to share? Or maybe I just need another outlet? Perhaps I simply enjoy talking about myself, however I don't feel that the latter fits my personality type. I want to say that this blog is just for me, some exercise in life, learning how to confront difficult tasks and completing them successfully and thoroughly, something I know I really lack. Putting myself out there, not caring what people think, not always agreeing with everyone, having my opinion heard...maybe this will encourage those traits to express themselves more clearly. But, who knows...
Anyway, this being my first post I was hoping to create some sort of direction for this blog. My above blabbing was an attempt to find that direction, however, as of now, I've got nothing. I felt that my title choice will allow me to take any path I want, perhaps changing on a daily basis. Yeah... that sounds good... a kind of wild card, you never know what's going to pop up.