I haven't decided if I'm excited about it or weirded-out. (You've been living under a rock if you don't know what I'm talking about.) Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Unless it's a Snuggie.
Snuggie
We had a Secret Santa gift swap on my floor here at work. I got a beige (khaki?) colored Snuggie. This is me pretending to type and being snug:
I haven't decided if I'm excited about it or weirded-out. (You've been living under a rock if you don't know what I'm talking about.) Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Unless it's a Snuggie.
I haven't decided if I'm excited about it or weirded-out. (You've been living under a rock if you don't know what I'm talking about.) Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Unless it's a Snuggie.
Cold
In case there was any question, the cold has arrived in Boston. Cold coldness on the walk to the T this morning. No snow on the ground right now, but the cold and the wind are enough to make it feel like 12 below. Here's the weather report from my phone when I got to work this morning.Even with all the bundling up, my face still gets numb. And my mouth gets cold enough that I have a tough time forming words.
Brrr.
Chicken Pot Muffins
muffin tins last night. Very yummy.
Dumplings!
Went to a dumpling festival last weekend in NY, which featured dumpling-like food from a handful of countries.
There was even a giant dumpling which had it's own security (the dudes with the "I heart dumplings" shirts, naturally).
- Is it real?
- Yeah.
- What's in it?
- A million little dumplings.
Economic Micro-Stiumulus
I love using up change. I don't know why, and perhaps it says something about my personality, but I get excited when something costs $5.19 and I have the change to pay the $0.19 cents rather than paying $6 and receiving $0.81 in change. I readily acknowledge that the same amount of money is changing hands, but for whatever reason, I'm glad to have less change.
But I find (as I think most do) that a pile of change accumulates at my desk at work and at my dresser at home from each time I empty my pockets when I didn't have the precise combination of nickels and pennies and dimes that I needed. And it takes effort to spend down the accumulated pile of coins. Furthermore it's a losing battle, as I'm pretty sure there are coins at the bottom of my change pile that have laid undisturbed for years.
So here's my plan. Instead of spending through my pile of coins by attentively trying to pay with exact change, I'm planning a mini-micro-stimulus project aimed at local businesses. I will put more money into circulation, just like the government is doing. My plan is to get rid of it by dropping it in tip jars at stores nearby. I figure that this money hasn't been used in a while, it's not doing me any good, I might as well get rid of it as tips. I see only upside: I'm getting rid of a troublesome pile of change, I can feel good about leaving something in the tip jar, and someone else gets some previously idle money.
Though I do wonder whether the people working at the ice cream shop/pizza place where I might drop it off would actually want it. What if they feel the same way about the coins?
But I find (as I think most do) that a pile of change accumulates at my desk at work and at my dresser at home from each time I empty my pockets when I didn't have the precise combination of nickels and pennies and dimes that I needed. And it takes effort to spend down the accumulated pile of coins. Furthermore it's a losing battle, as I'm pretty sure there are coins at the bottom of my change pile that have laid undisturbed for years.
So here's my plan. Instead of spending through my pile of coins by attentively trying to pay with exact change, I'm planning a mini-micro-stimulus project aimed at local businesses. I will put more money into circulation, just like the government is doing. My plan is to get rid of it by dropping it in tip jars at stores nearby. I figure that this money hasn't been used in a while, it's not doing me any good, I might as well get rid of it as tips. I see only upside: I'm getting rid of a troublesome pile of change, I can feel good about leaving something in the tip jar, and someone else gets some previously idle money.
Though I do wonder whether the people working at the ice cream shop/pizza place where I might drop it off would actually want it. What if they feel the same way about the coins?
Dining Outside
Well, the nice weather is on its way out. It's official fall and it's chilly and that's all people seem to talk about riding the elevators at work now.
- "A bit chilly out. Had to wear a jacket."
- "Yep."
But at the beginning of the week it was still definitely mild out there. Nice enough that I had dinner outside at two different restaurants.
First Oleana. The meal was great and being outdoors on their private patio was fun.
Second was Olecito. I think it's well-known as the burrito bar sibling of Ole. Check out their website with their lucha libre mascot. Their outdoor seating was a metal table out back in the parking lot under a lamp and four chairs that belong in a local social hall. The food was tasty and despite the lack of a created "atmosphere" it was still a great dining experience.
- "A bit chilly out. Had to wear a jacket."
- "Yep."
But at the beginning of the week it was still definitely mild out there. Nice enough that I had dinner outside at two different restaurants.
First Oleana. The meal was great and being outdoors on their private patio was fun.
Second was Olecito. I think it's well-known as the burrito bar sibling of Ole. Check out their website with their lucha libre mascot. Their outdoor seating was a metal table out back in the parking lot under a lamp and four chairs that belong in a local social hall. The food was tasty and despite the lack of a created "atmosphere" it was still a great dining experience.
Work
In thinking about life, careers, employer subsidized health care, etc., I came to the following challenging life question:
Are you lucky to have them or are they lucky to have you?
Gotta figure that out.
Are you lucky to have them or are they lucky to have you?
Gotta figure that out.
The 13th Floor
used to be on 18, now I sit on 14... a much shorter commute. There's
no 13th floor in my building, however, so I guess the 14th floor is
actually the 13th floor when counting up from the lobby. It seems
kind of silly to me for them to omit the 13th floor. Aren't we all
adults here?
In NYC
Spent the holiday weekend in NYC celebrating July 4th and also the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson sailing up the Hudson. There was sun and nice weather for the fireworks. Walked around Manhattan a bit and made it over to Brooklyn briefly. A selection of pics:
A view of The Highline, a park recently opened that's actually an old raised railway line. Very cool to have park space winding through buildings.
Blue deviled eggs. We had plenty of red and white foods for a small pre-fireworks party, so these (somewhat) blue appetizers helped even things out.
A trailer park in Brooklyn. (Get it? There's a park... in an old camping trailer.)
Hard to see this one, but it's a sign on the Williamsburg Bridge that reads "Leaving Brooklyn. Oy Vey!"
A view of The Highline, a park recently opened that's actually an old raised railway line. Very cool to have park space winding through buildings.
Blue deviled eggs. We had plenty of red and white foods for a small pre-fireworks party, so these (somewhat) blue appetizers helped even things out.
A trailer park in Brooklyn. (Get it? There's a park... in an old camping trailer.)
Hard to see this one, but it's a sign on the Williamsburg Bridge that reads "Leaving Brooklyn. Oy Vey!"
Lesson learned
The cover of this week's Economist shows a protester from the
recent post-election demonstrations going on in Iran right now. The picture is not really a remarkable shot and the story is not exactly notable; news outlets throughout the world are covering this story (as best they can, I guess, given the limits placed on their reporting.) But it's interesting to note that the magazine chose a photo for their cover story of a protester wearing a mask. There could be many reasons for choosing a masked cover subject, including the green cloth which has significance in these protests. But I imagine the choice has to do with keeping the person featured in the photo safe from the authorities.
According to this article, a picture from the magazine's cover during
unrest there in 1999 had serious unintended consequences... The protester featured on that cover was subsequently found by authorities,
arrested, jailed, and tortured.
Obviously protesters in a state such as Iran assume considerable risk just by being in a protest. But it's scary to think that someone who unwittingly becomes the subject of photojournalism would get into so much trouble. And it begs the question how journalists ought to weigh the importance of their story against the safety of their subject.
Also, with the press earlier this month surrounding the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests, it makes me wonder if the subject of that photo was also targeted by his government.
Ice Cream
the money went to the Jimmy Fund. Even the Cake Sprinkles flavor with
a bright blue frosting swirl was decent. Everything was a win.
Movies and numbers
Alright, this is crazy. I'm sure some film fan out there has already spotted this, but check it out.
A recent visit to the movie trailers section on the Apple site (apple.com/trailers) reveals four different movies pertaining to the number nine. (See the movie posters below for "Nine" "9" "$9.99" and "District 9") One's a musical, one's a cartoony story from Tim Burton, one's a claymation-type thing about the meaning of life, and one's a sci-fi, end of the world thing from Peter Jackson.
I don't know what this means, I don't know anything about numerology or numberology and my math skills are slowly on the wane. But this is huge.
A recent visit to the movie trailers section on the Apple site (apple.com/trailers) reveals four different movies pertaining to the number nine. (See the movie posters below for "Nine" "9" "$9.99" and "District 9") One's a musical, one's a cartoony story from Tim Burton, one's a claymation-type thing about the meaning of life, and one's a sci-fi, end of the world thing from Peter Jackson.
I don't know what this means, I don't know anything about numerology or numberology and my math skills are slowly on the wane. But this is huge.
Kenyan Living
After our short safari, we hung out in my sister's camp for several days and visited some of the villages she's working with. This was far and away the highlight of the trip. I loved the chance to see what she has been up to and live a little bit of the life she's had over there. A few pictures:
We visited the home of Kididing, one of my sister's watchmen. This picture shows him, his wife, and kids, including his baby twins, in the blue outfits. They were scared of my sister because she had driven them to the doctor weeks before when they were sick. This is right after we had tea in Kididing's home, which we're standing next to.
We also had tea in the home of James, my sister's translator (though she speaks Swahili pretty well now.) This is James's wife and kids/nieces. The house had a similar construction to the one in the previous picture. Note the branches on the outside, but the smooth dirt on the inside.
Baking a cake for my sister's birthday. We had a recipe, ingredients we bought in town, but no means of measuring anything. The cake came out anyways, and we had enough time to write Happy Birthday.
Another part of the trip that always made me smile was the off-road driving (I'm such a guy). We drove everywhere in my sister's Land Rover. Mostly we stuck to the worn paths, but when there weren't any paths, we drove anywhere. In this video the sun has just come out following a downpour, but the path is still flooded.
We visited the home of Kididing, one of my sister's watchmen. This picture shows him, his wife, and kids, including his baby twins, in the blue outfits. They were scared of my sister because she had driven them to the doctor weeks before when they were sick. This is right after we had tea in Kididing's home, which we're standing next to.
We also had tea in the home of James, my sister's translator (though she speaks Swahili pretty well now.) This is James's wife and kids/nieces. The house had a similar construction to the one in the previous picture. Note the branches on the outside, but the smooth dirt on the inside.
Baking a cake for my sister's birthday. We had a recipe, ingredients we bought in town, but no means of measuring anything. The cake came out anyways, and we had enough time to write Happy Birthday.
Another part of the trip that always made me smile was the off-road driving (I'm such a guy). We drove everywhere in my sister's Land Rover. Mostly we stuck to the worn paths, but when there weren't any paths, we drove anywhere. In this video the sun has just come out following a downpour, but the path is still flooded.
Kenyan Safaris
Our trip started off with a safari, visiting two parks where we saw lots of animals. It was great to see all those animals up close, just hanging around. We all agreed that it was nice to take photos, but really, we could just find professional pictures if we wanted to see nice specimens of these animals. Regardless, here's a few from what we saw:
Giraffes. We saw a bunch of these. They're really pretty funny looking when you think about it.
Lions. We saw a couple groups of lions. The only reason this guy is walking around is that I think we interrupted his midday nap.
Rhinos. They're far away, but still pretty impressive looking. Behind them is a lake, with a pink shoreline. It's pink because there are thousands of flamingos hanging out.
Kate and I holding a pair of chameleons. These guys are ferocious. One bit my thumb off.
Giraffes. We saw a bunch of these. They're really pretty funny looking when you think about it.
Lions. We saw a couple groups of lions. The only reason this guy is walking around is that I think we interrupted his midday nap.
Rhinos. They're far away, but still pretty impressive looking. Behind them is a lake, with a pink shoreline. It's pink because there are thousands of flamingos hanging out.
Kate and I holding a pair of chameleons. These guys are ferocious. One bit my thumb off.
Back from Kenya
I'm back from my quick trip to Kenya. It was an incredible trip on many levels. Obviously the chance to travel to a country such as Kenya is a unique and special experience. But more importantly for me, it was incredibly rewarding to visit my sister and see what she's been up to over there. I am totally in awe of her and her friends who live there.
Pictures to follow.
Pictures to follow.
To Africa
I'm leaving this evening to visit my sis in Kenya. I'm incredibly excited. I'll be somewhere a few hours from here:
Sunscreen and camera and malaria meds are packed. I'll see you on the other side.
Strong Talent Pool
Our little party last weekend went great. The whole "job fair" theme was well-received and friends came ready to play along with the theme. Someone even printed up their own trading cards to hand out (they were a baseball player looking for work). A couple people drew their own graphs and this is my favorite...
It's a pie chart of bars and a bar chart of pies.
Awesome. Anyways, lots of fun. And as I said in this post last year, a "pat on the back to all the friends who made for a cool party," since it all really depends on them.
It's a pie chart of bars and a bar chart of pies.
Awesome. Anyways, lots of fun. And as I said in this post last year, a "pat on the back to all the friends who made for a cool party," since it all really depends on them.
Shipping Containers
stop-over in Boston for the past few weeks. The handful of teams have
set up camp down by the water. This is the Puma team's. It's made of
two dozen shipping containers, with room for a store and a bar. Two
bars, actually. Really cool concept.
Next Party
The next party is happening! It's somewhat related to current events (The screenshot on the right tells you I'm talking about the economy, not the flu.) I'm looking forward to it and hope it's not too much of a costume party. I think the drab colors portray the sense of hopelessness out there.Here's the link.
Bricks
school project. The precision is amazing, yet the robot is very
"dumb" and can't cope if things are out of place by a few
centimeters. This fact was actually somewhat comforting because we
imagined the robot dropping the bricks and coming after us. You can
just barely see the slight lean of the wall if you look closely at the
left edge.
Beer schedule
the day's lineup. Note the last matchup...
Immunity
Look!Four little bandages on my arm from four injections for four amazing diseases!
Combine this with a big charge for airfare on my credit card statement, and a trip to Kenya is imminent!
Sort of imminent. Two-months-from-now imminent. Very excited, though temporarily sore in this arm.
Talking with the doctor before the shots, I realized my awareness of my own immunization history is somewhat poor. I feel lucky that I don't have to be vigilant with regards to my polio booster, for example. But I feel uneasy at the thought that I tend to give so little thought to my own medical history.
Getting older means worrying about this crap more.
On the T
Unbeknownst to most, Skip's employer actually has a sense of humor. (A sign at the Harvard T stop.)
Saving humanity vs. saving the planet
I’ve downloaded a program for my work computer called Folding@Home. The idea behind it is that all the computing power I have (which goes unused while I create spreadsheets and so on) can be put to use in the name of science. The program runs in the background, analyzes proteins, and sends the results back to a central server at Stanford to help some researches learn more about bad diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and others.
Here's a screenshot of the protein analysis in action. Like, cool.
Running the program, even in the background, uses energy of course. A bunch. My battery drains at least twice as fast and the laptop's little fan has to run constantly (rather than intermittently). So in the process of contributing to science, I'm burning extra power. Of course progress has a cost, but where's the trade-off?
Here's a screenshot of the protein analysis in action. Like, cool.Running the program, even in the background, uses energy of course. A bunch. My battery drains at least twice as fast and the laptop's little fan has to run constantly (rather than intermittently). So in the process of contributing to science, I'm burning extra power. Of course progress has a cost, but where's the trade-off?
Telluride
substance. (This sign from the drink cooler at a bakery in town.)
Wedding
There are lots of pictures from the event, of course, but this is the
only one that matters: the cake's chocolate buttercream filling.
Amazing. And how could it not be with a name like "chocolate" "butter"
"cream"?
The pen
I'm amazed by the Boston Globe's web team right now. Check out the teaser headline (circled) for a story on signing some new pitching talent to the Sox. Just awesome. Sean Connery/Will Ferrell would be pleased.
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