Finally! Nerd girls get their own boy band!

By far, the best video of the year. It's called epMotion. It's easy as 1-2-3.

Pirates swoon over LOL Punditry

Combine LOLcat humor and snark...and one gets Pundit Kitchen. A whole bunch of awesomeness and tofu jerky.
:) LJS

Holidays everyday! For everyone!

Come on over to International ____ Day, and find a new and unusual way to celebrate each and every day!
And, especially enjoy my masterpiece: June 29th! (no, I'm not going to tell you what it is, go on over and find out!)

Hyperion's Opus

The Hyperion Institute is a place I visit every day, and he never disappoints. I adore his Edgar Allan Poe trilogy, and can't wait for a re-publish on that. {hint hint Hypey}

Today is really special at the Institute. He is re-publishing one of his finest pieces: The Wall.

Please take a moment to stop by and read it. If you were touched by it, please forward the link to someone else.

Thanks! :) LJS

Obama/Gore?

It's about time!

Al Gore endorses Senator Obama.

Where are my darn ruby slippers?

I'm really homesick, I just want to go home and ride my bicycle and speak english and run without worried about becoming roadkill and hug my cat and work in a lab with all the people I like and miss.

Last night on my run, I noticed lots of feral kids. You know what I mean by feral kids? Kids who wear new "vintage" Misfit t-shirts, who hang out at 10 pm on a street sidewalk in their $90 shoes and expensive bicycles, who may try to smoke because it looks cool, who probably are a lot nicer than we think they are-if given half a chance. Looking like a bunch of trouble, but generally quite harmless. I hung out with the feral kids in middle school because we were all in orchestra and nobody else would talk with nerdy me. They were my rock, my courage, my place to go for fun or someone to talk to.

So, when you see feral kids....I would advice a friendly smile, and a private snicker about their cluelessness about the Misfits.

Kitteh makes political statements

Just so that everyone knows: the Obamas are not the only ones to fist bump. 

My summertime gig

By the way, I'm in a band and will be rocking out this summer. Come check out me and the adventures at the Monkey Barn.

Yes, awesome t-shirts will be available!

No, we will not be playing synthesizer.

:) LJS

Wee Kitteh!

Introducing MOLO! A wee lil kitteh that Oliver and Lorraine found and welcomed into their home.
Francis and I are enamoured with him, he's really adorable!

PS: Look at those choppers!

:) LJS

Fun updates

So it's been a very busy week on the pirate boat of life, with many ups and a few downs. So to begin!
1. I am now a certified (and licensed) biker chick. Now I need to figure out which bike I'll use to cruise up and down the galleys. I'm eyeing Blue Thunder-my husband's bike. I had my first solo ride last night-and for me, exhilarating and nerve wracking. Afterall, how many of us were very confident when we first took a car out? I really enjoy riding so I want to practice as much as possible on back roads. My husband, when he watched me leave, felt really happy that now I'm also riding but sad because now he'll have to share the bike. LOL.
2. I'm now converted to the Mac side of the force. But, I'm operating Windows mostly. I really like having a computer that doesn't feel like lead bricks. Because I'm still a student, I got a free iTouch. Wheeee!
3. The Husband defends his thesis in less than one week!

But...
3. My old computer crashed, necessitating purchase of the aforementioned Mac.
4. The brakes on the Silver Bullet were shot and required a complete overhaul.

So, my soul is happy but the wallet is hurting.
:)

Oh I'm sorry, you're not satisfied? TFB

An interesting article in Slate where the idea of over-prescribing antibiotics is discussed from an ER doctor's perspective. What I though the most screwed up was that the doctor was considering patient satisfaction as a criterion for prescribing an antibiotic.
Satisfaction. Hmmmm. Interesting.

Think about this. Doctors worry if their patient is satisfied with their experience. And they (in part) base their prescribing behavior on their perceptions of patient expectation and making the patient happy. Am I the only one who thinks this is messed up?

How about doctors worry about healing patients first? I don't recall the Hippocratic oath mentioning satisfying patients. Aren't doctors supposed to know what is best for patients afterall? Personally, if you were my patient and you got pissed after I told you that no medicine was necessary...I'd kick your scrawy, whiny butt out of my office...and charge you double for the visit.

Thank goodness I'm not an MD eh?

Into the wild

Yesterday I saw a guy in my yoga class with a “Torres del Paine” t-shirt, and it got my traveler instincts going. The Paine Circuit is one of my ‘dream’ places to trek; a place I’ve promised to myself if I should ever graduate. (Not that I dislike school, I really enjoy it, but I’ve been at this a while and it’d be nice to realize that, after 28 years’ school, I’d be done with a capital D)

And I got thinking (again). What drives us to travel? What drives someone like Chris McCandless to just…go? What keeps me from not just…going? Going out the door, past school, out of the state…with no rhyme, reason, ideology or agenda. Finding what you find. I’ve thought about this often, and I’m tired of being an armchair traveler. Reading about beautiful places, instead of seeing the beauty within arms reach. Why does intrepid necessarily follow travel? Why does a ‘fourteener’ inspire more awe than a wild local orchid? Is the concept of appreciating beauty learned or is it innate?

Who knows? I surely don’t. But I’m not content to watch the nature channel to find out. My summer plans are ambitious, the travel extensive. I don’t know if there’ll be anyone around to keep up. But, if you’re interested in walking up Mt. Washington, biking Mackinac island and walking part of the AT…then I’m you gal.

Another book chapter, another beta

{sigh} I have such a tough time with opening sentences. But, isn't this one a doozy? :) LJS

"Raman spectroscopy of inorganic materials is a growing field, with a long and sordid history comparing only to the multi-year reign of daytime television's “Young and the Restless” in terms of drama and name-calling."

(Of course, it's not true. But, it does make my topic sound more interesting. And! it's my beta version.)

Get smooved and more!

Some fun links I found this week are as follows and I quote

1. Get rid of all those prepaid junk mail envelopes creatively!

2. Get your dose of newly arrived Smoove B. Damn.

3. A new scientific (and snarky) look at stuff white people like.

4. Which reminds me how much I love San Francisco.


:) LJS

Guess who's coming to dinner?

"Please be advised that we will be able to issue your visa."

The best thing I've heard in two and half months.

yayayayyayayaa!!!!1!!!!!11!!!!1

OK, so there goes the Cleveland

In my best Stewie voice, I've been cursing my left knee. Daaaaaammmm you kneee! What's wrong? It's freaking sore as heck. Here, let me bore you with my symptoms.

My posterior medial knee are is sore and is sore to the touch. My front shin, closer to my patella, rather than my ankle is also sore. It hurts the back of my left knee to sit in virasana. (btw, awesome legwarmers eh?) And I can't stretch the leg out without it feeling tight and sore. I stopped running because it hurts too much during and after the run. (I can just feel the pounds creep on) I stopped training for Cleveland and I doubt I'll be well enough for the Martian half. Daaaaaaaammm.
I've been doing R.I.C.E. for treatment, and have myriad doctor's appointments. Hopefully I can salvage my knee in time for the Dexter-Ann Arbor. Until then...active rest will commence. Walking home, looking like a fool on the elliptical, and getting my bicycle ready for riding. These should keep me, at least, somewhat in shape until this thing gets better.
BWAH!
But, hey, Detroit is *only* 7 months away. And, I hate training in the summer but I want to run a marathon this year. I'll have plenty of time to train for Detroit. This time, I'll be more diligent about maintaining a weekly base mileage of 15-20 miles/week. I think I did too much, too fast-on a stupid track, nonetheless.

Not everyone can win, but everyone can be consistent.

Houston, we are a go for 26.2?

I've been a marathon training! With the usual quirks and quarks of my age-d legs. I've been fighting off/waiting off a tight ligament behind my left knee. I reduced my miles and have been diligent with stretching and taking it easy. I'm a week behind on my training.
Last week's long run of 10 miles was good, my knee didn't bother me until nearly the end. This week I'm scheduled for 16. I keep on telling myself "ok, if this week's long run goes well, then I'll register for the Cleveland marathon". My 15 mile run was miserable, but Montreal's shitty sidewalks may have had something to do with that. This week will mark my return to "insanely long long runs" and I'll probably run over 3 hours.
Maybe now I'll be serious about it. If this week's long run goes well....

So this is my ambitious spring schedule of races.

April 6-Martian Invasion of Races (half)
May 18-Cleveland Marathon (full!?!)
June 1-Dexter-Ann Arbor (half)


Wish me luck! (and happy knees!)

Goodbye, Suburbia

I used to live in suburbia. Pleasant, yet. Monochromatic? Mostly, unfortunately, yes. Boring as all get out? OMG, yes. It didn't help that the 'burb was isolated and getting to a half-way decent store meant a 15-20 minute car drive. What WAS very nice, though, were my long runs because the country roads were long and winding and isolated. Me and my roads.
Anyway, now I've grown up (sort of) and moved closer to the city. Closer to downtown, shops, work etc. My poor car is relegated to "recreational vehicle" status.
It is interesting, too, to see that lately a financial impetus has arisen for people to get out of their single-family bubbles. An idea to share a home with people(s) actually makes financial sense, especially for these really large McMansions where...really...do you, your spouse, 1.5 kids and 3 cats really need 5000 square feet??
Think about it.

The key word today is: sarcasm

Item #1: No, really, it is not a political statement when Michigan "What's a CAFE standard?" Democrats, full of moral and honest and intelligent folks, attracts a Wyoming "Cow, it's what for breakfast, lunch and dinner!" Democrat for its big yearly fundraiser.

Item #2: What do you do when your stock has lost over 20% valuation in less than 6 months? Write an awesome new theme song!

Item #3: I love me some snow. Snow snow snow!

Item #4: In a time of failing economies, poor health care, two wars and a still unsecure border, I am comforted to know that America's fascination with politicians' sex lives is negligible.

Scrumptious

I just can't adore Nigella Lawson enough. She talked to NPR about chocolate today. Enjoy!