Pavlov's Piratess

I really am still a pirate under all that awesome anime. I won't be blogging per se for the next few days because I'm under going some serious training.
Read all about my adventures with the DoggerLords and KittyQueen at The Trained Human!

:) LJS

Still in progress

Like the new template? I'm still working on it. :)

Artist in residence

Laine is taking a design class, and she comes up with some zinger projects. I really liked her latest design! She asked us for some feedback and so I gave some. If you have some time, stop by her Lair and check out a very creative lady!


{Ahem}
Welcome to another edition of Masterpiece Design. I am your hostess.

I am so very pleased to be discussing this masterpiece with you, indeed! This piece has an immediate appeal, and also invites the viewer to draw deeper into the work. The near-fractal nature of the ring geometry challenges the viewer to witness their own reaction to chaos and confusion. The clever use of shading and gradations of the usually boring "black and white" theme piques the curiousity of the viewer. I allowed myself to be welcomed into the each layer of rings, and delightfully found that each layer revealed truths about human nature previously hidden.
Because the rings nearly touch, and some do not touch at all, it reveals the isolation and sadness that each of us face in a society where we are more connected but feel more lonely. The process of looking at each ring as a separate entity, but then at the piece in its entirety reveals an optimisitic spirituality of the artist. She is, undoubtedly, conveying a message of hope and community to the viewer. This art reviewer was thoroughly delighted with this piece and walked away from viewing the piece only after several hours of thoughtful contemplation.

Piratess no longer! LJS is converting!

I think that I'd like to change up my persona, being a piratess gets kinda boring when your high seas are the Great Lakes.

Great thing about pseudonyms, aliases etc is that they are so changeable. I'll still be your Lady Jane, but instead of an epee, I may wield something with a bit more velocity.

Impulse

If I never have to say "I can't/won't buy this because I'm a graduate student", it'll be a day too soon. Being creative with finance and making sure my head stays out of Credit Card Land often means not getting a CD or a book (or that trashy gossip mag with Angelina on the cover)that I'd like to read. My impulse purchases are thus rare.

But, when done, it is a celebration worthy of many words. Oh yes.

Yesterday I bought Bright Eyes new album "Cassadaga", inspired by the town Cassadaga, FL.
Apparently, Cassadaga, FL is a hot-spot for psychics and all sorts of crazy wisdom. The album seems to reflect both the mystique and the energy of the town, not that I've been there.
My ears are so very happy. This is a country-twanged album, with lots of complex lyrics and melodies, much like "I'm wide awake, it's morning". But Cassadaga has a sophistication that was lacking in the bare-bones IWAIM. Although Cassadaga is not as much of a "protest album" as IWAIM was, one can easily find the anti-war sentiments that is prevalent in many of Bright Eyes more current works.

So, check out the NPR link I put in yesterday. "Middleman" is my favorite. It's great music.

:) LJS

A Bright kind of day

Yay! Bright Eyes has a new album out, Cassadega. NPR has three songs available for your listening pleasure.

Another thing, I set my Shuffle to play songs in reverse album order, so the last song of the album is played first. This has been very interesting, because it has kinda put my music cosmos into a strange wonk-and I'm totally enjoying both the music but also how I react to expecting an album to be played in a certain way and it doesn't happen.

These little things to throw off your schedule, your routine, your cosmos is really fun. I highly recommend it! What are some things to try?
playing your music in reverse order, sleep on the OTHER side of the bed, sitting on the floor to watch TV like you did as a kid, move your furniture around, put your coffee cups into a new cabinet, walking around backwards, talk to your local squirrels, etc..

Enjoy! :) LJS

Alienated

Runners, my friends, have a strange sense of humor. You see, our idea of having fun on April Fools Day is to wake up at a very early hour to run our guts out. Today was the Martian Marathon, where southeast Michigan gets invaded by little plastic aliens and endurance runners (or, in my case, endurance wroggers-a slow running/jogging pace) lined up at 8:30 am to tackle a lovely course through two colleges and a very nice string of rolling hills and metroparks.
I ran with G-man, and we had fun getting into the spirit of the theme. We wore little bobble glow-in-the dark antennea headbands for the first mile. This race was not the size of Detroit's marathon, and it was nice to have a small group of runners. The race was really well supported-there were aid stations every two miles. Although it would have been nice to have a more energetic crowd, the ducks and skunks did their best to liven up the weary runners.
Miles 9-12 went much better here than during both times at Detroit, maybe because of there not being a very strong headwind. The finish was good, and they had pizza (!!) for us afterwards.
It was definitely a 2007 goal to run in a spring half marathon. But I went into this race feeling really unprepared, so I approached it like I would a long run-enjoy it, don't worry about pace or time. But...as it turns out, I did pretty well for slow wrogger such as myself. I guess I was really enjoying it! I set a good time (2:27:49) which is really motivating for this year's Detroit!

Now I'm convalescing and eating dinner. I made Dragon's recipe for Killer Mac-n-Cheese. It is super-delicious! Have you visited her lately? You really should!

:) LJS

Biking to a theatre near you

Awwww yeah! Once again, I am mobile. The bike has been tuned up and it is running great! The gears are switching with ease and the new handlebar grips are awesome. I'm very much looking forward to some wonderful biking weather!
:D LJS

After thought: The opportunity afforded by bicycling to enjoy the lovely Michigan spring/summer/fall is also an opportunity to come face-to-face with the careless driving behaviours of its denizens. Nonetheless! I love biking.

The worm is mine OK?

Ever have one of those afternoons where your reality is spinning faster than Jenna Jameson on a Astroglide bender?

Yeah? You too? Well, slide on up to the LJS Saloon where the booze is strong. Your hostess is not known for her charm and wit, but she'll scare up a bit of sociability just for you.

Sarah is on the jukebox, and a bottle of Anejo awaits. Let us saturate ourselves in the sweet revelry of just going along with the day's events, shall we?

Maybe I'm not ready just yet for the sociablity part.

Window Dressing

Tiff's March 26th posting, entitled "I'm not her", set off a legion of thoughts ranging from the near sociopathic jealousy of the always put-together girl on the 9:40 bus to the uber-feminist "fuck the Man for trying to make me shave, wear makeup, and push up my breasts in order to fit into the so-called ideal of beauty". The question of "how much is too much" is really appropriate here, especially when it comes to us gals.

I am of the less-is-more sort, but not in a uber-feminist sort of way. I do like feeling like I didn't scrape myself off of the gratings of the latest car that tried to hit me, so there's basic every-day sort of stuff like showering, brushing teeth and hair, and clean clothes (makeup and blow dried hair's optional). And then there's days when I like to feel more dressy-so some makeup, maybe fuss a bit over my 'do, and some extra nice clothes.

I really like to see people when they're not all dressed up or make-up-ed up (how's THAT for a new word?). My favorite is to see people running-watching hot people run notwithstanding-because I can see the real person, the blood, sweat, and tears. I like being able to see people's eyelashes, they're really pretty and soft. I like seeing freckles, large pores, and the wrinkles. It's great to see people blush. I love seeing my honey's freckles and moles on his left cheek.

Sometimes I feel like we put alot of effort into window dressing, without paying too much attention to what's in the proverbial store. Sure we can blame clever marketing, society, movies, the Media etc. But, ever wonder what would happen if we were all perfectly coifed and Photoshopped? I'd hate to see what would happen if we all looked like Cosmo or GQ cover people-it would be quite boooring to me. So, many kudos to Tiff and all the other wonder women who let us see that they're beautiful on the inside, no window dressing necessary. It's not laziness, it's freedom.

:) LJS

International Barn Overlord Day

Go visit the Overlord, he's out done himself today. And, he turns 7 this week. I'll be making a beef-jerky cheesecake for the Man later on, any ideas for a topping?
:) LJS

Wedding Photos are up!

It's so hard to believe it's only been 10 days since Francis and I got married, I guess that the distance makes each day drag like molasses in January.
Our wedding was so happy and joyful. I know that it'll be amongst many many more. I've uploaded some photos (in no particular order) in my flickr account.

Next week is the Martian half. Awwwwww yeah! But for now I'm going to immerse myself in the awesomeness of "Deadwood". It's a great show, and it's GREATLY expanded my vocabulary of rotten things to call drivers who do not share the road. Muahahahaha.

:) Ahoy! Lady (that's Mrs. Lady to you) Jane Scarlett

Evil Genius?

Dude...I'm on par with...Al Gore???

I am 58% Evil Genius.

Evil courses through my blood. Lies and deceit motivate my evil deeds. Crushing the weaklings and idiots that do nothing but interfere in my doings.

Take the
Evil Genius Test
@ FualiDotCom

My new cause

Today, during lunch, I discovered a shocking silent epidemic that's overtaking millions of American households. I was eating my vegetable soup, and was horrifed to notice the label had mentioned that all of the vegetables were...chunky. It made me wonder how did the vegetables get chunky. What are “they” hiding from us? The truth is out there, and....dammit, I'm going to do something about it!

Now imagine you're a wee pea vegetable, and you're growing up in a vegetable soup farm. Life is good, but you begin to notice that you're given a bit more Pepsi, you have a lot less room to play than the rest and, most importantly, you have so much spare time that you're at level 60 in WoW. One day, one fateful day, you look up from your veggie couch and notice millions of other vegetables all in a row...all drinking protein-enhanced Pepsi and slogging on cheesy poofs. Then you collapse because you can’t hold up the heft of your massive pods.

Awwww. Poor pea.

Do you think that, after all that suffering, your benevolent vegetable farmer would reward you with a little metal plaque or perhaps an upgraded video card? No! Poor vegetables. They are sacrificed like lemmings: usurped from their comfortable (if not cramped) abodes, chopped and boiled nearly-alive and then…of all indignities…called…Chunky.

Like I said...silent epidemic.

I hereby propose a new campaign. The “Pirates for the Emancipation of Rotund Vegetables” group. PERV’s everywhere will lobby for ethical treatment of veggies. We’ll have a two pronged approach. The first one is to campaign for free-range vegetables. When veggies can roam free, they taste better.

The second approach is to reduce the stigma of “chunky” that dominates our current soup market.

(btw...how can a vegetable be both fat-free and chunky?)

Join me, and become a PERV. Together, we can make a difference.

Ahoy! :) LJS

A musical non- meme

Sparky sorta tagged me to do this, and since my stud muffin of a husband is back in Montreal, I'm not as busy as I was last week. I plan on slash and burning my iTUNES-I have nearly two weeks' of music on here, some of which I've never listened to.

So, its list 7 songs that you are currently really really into, no matter what they are, and then tag 7 more people to do it.

1. "How we operate" by Gomez-the beat is really tricky and neat. I like how it sounds kind of naughty.
2. "Under the Boardwalk" by The Drifters-It's one of my favorites
3. "If New Orleans is Beat" by The Tragically Hip
4. "Train Under Water" by Bright Eyes-Yum. Conor.
5. "I am the Walrus" by the Beatles-I could be the Walrus, I'd still have to bum rides off of people
6. "Let Down" by Radiohead
7. "The Shadowlands" by Ryan Adams-the best song from his Love is Hell LP, and that's saying alot considering that "Avalanche" and "I see monsters" and "Wonderwall" is also on it.

I guess that podcasts of NPR, "Meet the Press" and Phedippidations don't count...but they should.


Who is tagged?
Tiff
Spiffy (thanks for getting around to the last one!)
Lainie
Mad Dog Sweeney
Ber
Dragon
Tobias

Pancake love

I love hearing how couples meet, and I love pancakes too. Imagine my uber-joy when I heard this morning's Storycorps on NPR's Morning Edition. It's about how a husband and wife met each other at their job.
It IS the absolute cutest story you'll hear all day, maybe even all week! It's got...heart-shaped pancakes. OK OK OK...I'm swooning! Listen to the story, the link is near the title. The Storycorps music is really cute too.

Talk to Lady Jane! Tell me how you and your hunny-bunny met. I'd like to eventually start a book about these "meetings", so I may a) put it up on a separate blog and/or b)contact you to see if it'd be OK if I talked to you more to get a longer story. As supreme piratess of...my own little world...I'd have to retain any and all copyrights to what I'd written. (sorry for that legalese, now back to our originally scheduled blog)

And, my hunny is arriving in...7 short short hours. I'm so excited! Happy Friday all!
:) LJS

Another "report", another Beta version

OK. Y'all know the rules of the beta version, but for you newbies...here's a run through, with the following premises.
Premise, the first: I am very pessimistic when it comes to my research. Maybe I'm too tough on myself, maybe it really is garbage.
Premise, the second: When I get pessimistic, I get snarky.
Premise, the third: It's always better to write *something*, even it's snarky and poorly done than to sit on your bum waiting for the perfect version to appear to you like a burning bush.
Premise, the fourth: These are soooooo not meant for public viewing. Beta versions are meant to remain in the hallowed bytes of my pseudonym's blog, never to see the light of day.

With that in mind...here's a beta. The details have been changed to protect the...well...me.

Summary: Tissue from two specimens were examined by _____. As to why I examined them, your guess is as good as mine. Because my oh so optimistic impression of these experiments is something along the lines of “well, we don’t have a hypothesis, a well-designed study, or a regular supply of specimens, so we’re going to do this instead”. In light of the fact that I’m not too busy today and that I know it’s always better to at least appear busy (thanks Ms. Train!), I am writing up a report. Well a “report” in the broadest sense of the word. This “report” is more like a series of well placed, important sounding words that are meant to impart onto the reader that a) I am indeed very busy, b) I am indeed smart (well, smart enough to use big words appropriately) and c) truly believe that my thesis work is not a joke of cosmic proportions.

*************************************************************
More kvetching: I wish that people would f*&$ing leash up their f&*$ing dogs. I don't CARE if you have invisible fense...when I see two 90 pound dogs barking and running toward me, I tend to freak out. Happened to me twice today during my run, through the tony part of town too.
*************************************************************
Happy Birthday Sweet Pea. You're seven, but you'll always be my little darlin'.

I want 2CU (on the road!)

I'm a running nerd, well...I enjoy it very much. But there was a point in my life where I was hanging a bit too much on the couch and enjoying the cheesy poofs a bit too much. And one day I decided to get off of the couch because I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without getting winded and I had always wanted to run. My friends, Matt and Kathy, were my inspiration. So, I started on a simple plan...to get my inertial ass from the couch and moving. My first race was a 5K on July 4th 2003 in miserable hot and humid conditions. I finished with a pace over 13 minutes/mile with a combination of running and walking. But you know what? I finished!

I tried a program that's similar to the "Couch to 5K" or C25K plan that Steve Runner talks about this week in his GREAT podcast, Phedippidations.

There's so many 5K races in the spring, give it a try!

Here's another great program.
The Cool Running C25K program

If you've ever thought about giving running a try, I highly recommend listening to this week's podcast. It's very encouraging (and funny!) and when you DO start to run, remember that you'll always have a lil piratess in Michigan to cheer you on. I know if I can do it, then you can too!

I must admit that I still enjoy hanging out on the couch with cheesy poofs, in moderation. ;)

See you on the road, fellow runners!
:D LJS

The second bestest moment of last week

Yeah. Not the best time to be having a bad hair day. But, isn't Jen lovely?

Seek, and thou shall find

On March 15th, Francis and I are getting married! :D