Guess the politician

...no experience in foreign affairs
...shading dealings
...blatant pandering to the public

who am I talking about??




Sarah Palin folks!
In his obvious pandering to the female vote, McCain finds himself someone who completely negates all of the arguments "lack of experience" against Obama. I mean seriously. McCain is 72. And, do you really think that for one second that this woman who just got sworn in as Alaska's governor (after an earth-shattering 14 year career in local politics) can fill the shoes as president?

Much more cheerful post

...and more random.

It occured to me today that I wrote the book on Raman spectroscopy of cartilage and Raman spectroscopy of inorganic pigments. "So I have that going for me."

I need to pick up coffee tonight. And, I need to put up curtains in our bedroom. We do have shades, but our nocturnal feline loves to set up his night watch duties on our bedroom window sill. And all throughout the night, we hear the pitter patter of blinds hitting each other has Howie KATT runs through them. I think I can hear him thinking "I am praying for my loved ones" during the night.

I've been listening to Barenaked Ladies. I like their cover of Bruce Cockburn's "Lovers in a Dangerous Time": " but nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight --
got to kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight"
...so true eh?

BTW: major kudos and a large cheesecake to the first person to name the first quote.

Ranting

Maybe I'm being a bit controversial here, but let me ask this. When the high point of one's CV is something along the lines of "I've spent 5-6 years studying the scientific equivalent to basket weaving", can they really say things like 'salary requirements' and 'geographical preference'? The hubris of some people in this building sort of validates my hypothesis that grad school is partially about socialization into the academic world, and this sometimes makes me silently curse.

Ostensibly, one goes for graduate studies to advance their career. And if the career trajectory doesn't include academia, then I think there are certain things that every analytical chemist should know if they want a job. Like how to run an HPLC. Like how to not be a slave to one technique. Like how to think about solving a problem, not making the problem fit into your knowledge. I think that there are not enough analytical chemists who can solve problems, who can step into any lab and say "ok, i know how to basically use any piece of equipment. now lets get to work", who are taught HOW to think rather than WHAT to think.

It's been a rough day for me and encountering silly people. It's move-in weekend and the undergrads are descending on my campus. Kali is behaving erratically, maybe it's the electrical system. I don't know, but I have a feeling that I'll be spending a weekend to figure it out.

On a good note, I did register for the 2008 Detroit half. :D

All aboard!

So I got a newsletter from my beloved only-major-airline-in-the-area-so-I'm-forced-to-use-their-frequent-miles-program airline (herein known as NWA) complete with my name in the headlines:"LJS you can save money using our Cash and Miles program"

I was enraptured. Two of my most favorite things 1) Travelling and 2) saving money; all rolled up into one sweet goodness of a deal!? I was panting with excitement, breathless with anticipation. Where would I go with my 36,000+ miles? Hawaii, Florida, Mexico?!?!

But then I read the promotion in more detail. Below is the most egregious example: Travel to Florida.

OK OK OK, you're reading that it's only $139 for roundtrip to Florida and thinking "that's not so bad, LJS is off her rocker" right? BUT! There are two issues, the first making me think that NWA is so very evel and the second making me think that people are seriously off their rocker to not research before spending money on travel.

So, in my very best McLaughlin voice...
Issue 1
If you were to buy miles from NWA, it would cost you about 3.8 cents for EACH mile. But the value of each mile is variable, depending on the normal cost of the trip.
So....0.038*10000=$380 at the high end. So that in addition to, at least, $139, and you're looking at a very expensive roundtrip ticket that would otherwise cost you...

Issue 2
...about $125-150 (taxes not included) from Detroit. A quick search on travelocity found this for me and potentially saved a bunch of money. Even better, most of the cheapie fares were through NWA's partner airlines, so you'd be earning miles not spending them.

All told, if you did the miles and cash "deal", your miles would only bring a value of 1.2 cents/mile which is a really poor number because it is the bare minimum value of a mile.

Bottom Line: Be smart about using your frequent flier miles. Know their value and use them wisely. I'll be saving my miles for Hawaii, where my miles would be worth anywhere between 2.5 and 4.0 cents/mile. :D

Ambition in 0.2 miles

I've recently come to a sort of peace with the idea that I may never run a marathon. Some parts of me, namely the knee joints and leg tendons, are actually rejoicing at this revelation. But where the corporeal body is wise, the brain is silly. Ambition creeps in. And on days where my knees and hamstrings aren't screaming at me, I think that maybe 26.2 miles is do-able.

But yesterday I had a great run. It was one of those perfect days where the weather, my energy level and the music just came together in harmony. I'm looking forward to the Detroit (half) marathon not as a consolation for not being able to do the full 26.2 but rather as a fulfilling and worthwhile goal in and of itself. Is it maturity? Doubtful. Maybe it's happiness and appreciation that I'm healthy enough to run, have the support and time to run, and still really really enjoy running.

So, in celebration, I present to you: 13 songs for 13.1 miles. Mild favorites from my iTUNES

Mile 1: Something mellow for the warm up. "Ride" by Cary Brothers
Mile 2: Something to meditate on: "Clocks" by Coldplay
Mile 3: Something to get over the bridge: "Never Let me Down" by Depeche Mode
Mile 4: Something for a new country: "New Slang" by The Shins
Mile 5: Something for the big D: "The Big Three Killed My Baby" by the White Stripes
Mile 6: Something peppy for motivation: "Dashboard" by Modest Mouse
Mile 7: Something for the morning sun: "Hard Sun" by Eddie Vedder
Mile 8: Something for the tunnel: "Where I End and You Begin" by Radiohead
Mile 9: Something for the hardest mile and great views: "3x5" by John Mayer
Mile 10: Something for another hard mile: "Chicago" by Sufjan Stevens
Mile 11: Something for the tired legs: "Black Math" by the White Stripes
Mile 12: Something for the mind: "Caught by the River" by Doves
Mile 13: Something for resolution: "How it ends" by DeVotchKa

Funny? Now that's hot

Usually I'm not a fan of Paris Hilton, but this is a very funny response.

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

New Music Mania

Oh the musical treasure trove that is the local library! So this week's theme is "soundtracks", and I picked up three.
1) Scrubs
2) The Last Kiss
3) Little Miss Sunshine

At first listen, all three are great. One song in particular is striking, especially because I have days when just "riding" is so appealing. Let me introduce you to:

"Ride" by Cary Brothers

You are everything I wanted
The scars of all I’ll ever know

If I told you you were right
Would you take my hand tonight?
If I told you the reasons why
Would you leave your life and ride?
And ride…

You saw all my pieces broken
This darkness that I could never show

If I told you you were right
Would you take my hand tonight?
If I told you the reasons why
Would you leave your life and ride?
And ride…


In other news, I dropped my bike, hit 75 mph and fixed the brakes (but not necessarily in that order) . Now that the bike brakes are fixed, maybe now that ride is possible. I can go anywhere with my love by my side.
And, I finished "Pride and Prejudice". {swoon} What a lovely read! On to my next "summer reading" book.

Say it aint so Jack, I love you

Did Jack White just jump the shark?? Noooooooooo!!!! (although the song will be kick-butt, I'm sure)

For him, it's been downhill after our painful separation. But, alas, our love was not meant to last. Here's us in happier times.

Take the good and the bad

I just heard back about an abstract submission:
They said "nay"...which is a bummer because San Francisco...October. Would have been great.
But it's good because I was working on a student award application and they wanted a 2-page "all about me" blurb...and I was all writers block about it because I can't include any of my guerrilla work in Peru.

a meme about mmee

1. Where is your cell phone? On my desk

2. Where is your significant other? 15 feet from me

3. Your Hair? blondish with red

4. Your Mother? A whirling dervish of spastic energy

5. Your Father? The Quiet Man

6. Your favorite thing? My family

7. Your dream last night? Strange

8. Your dream/goal? World domination, a good motorcycle and pancakes every morning

9. The room you're in? I'm at the office

10. Your Fear? Heights, not necessarily Wuthering ;)

11. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Not in graduate school

12. Where were you last night? In bed

13. What you're not sarcastic? Who, me?!

14. Muffins? blueberry

15. One of your wish list items? More time, less stuff

16. Where you grew up? ohio

17. Last thing you did? Ate a really nice lunch at an outdoor concert

18. What are you wearing? T-shirt and shorts

19. Your TV? Crying because it never gets used

20. Your pet(s)? Howie

21. Your computer? iLOVE my iMAC Book

22. Your Life? Complete, happy and fun

23. Your mood? Generally good

24. Missing Someone? Everyone

25. Your car/truck? Ford station wagon

26. Something you're not wearing? Uncomfortable shoes

27. Your summer? Very fun so far!

28. Love Someone? everyone

29 Your favorite color? green

30. When is the last time you laughed? Today

31. Last time you cried? Can't remember

32. Who will resend? Dunno, I want it to be a surprise!

Now we're zooming

Got the license, insurance, registration for my very own bike. Last night was its inaugural ride and it was so much fun! I would post photos but it's hard to ride a bike and take pictures at the same time.

Despite the head gaskets leaking, crooked handlebars and the rear light being something of the cobbled-together variety, I've devoted my time of late to the most important motorcycle tasks. Naming it!

So far, I really like Kali. Like the magnificent Hindu goddess, my bike appears fierce but is really a kind and loving spirit. The artwork on the bike tank does not exactly indicate "Hindu deity", as I'll hopefully be able to show you soon. But I've seen into its spirit and I know that Kali is a good fit.

So, yesterday Kali and I went on the freeway for the first time. 55...even 70 feels so different when the wind is actually hitting you. It's great! But I'm planning on keeping my freeway sojourns limited until I feel more comfortable on the bike.

I searched for joy, but I bought it all

I got a lovely invitation from a lovely friend for a girls' night spa.

With all the demands you face, it’s important you still carve out time for that special someone in your life called ‘you.’ A BeautiControl Spa Escape is the perfect way to celebrate a happier, healthier, more balanced you.

Unfortunately it appears that the way to a happier, healthier, more-balanced me is to purchase some liquids, powders and nice-smelling things. If I start ranting about the slick marketing of this crap, I'll never stop. Happiness not in a freaking bottle! (Unless that bottle contains Riesling or a nice Rioja house red.) If I did go, it'd be for the fun of hanging out with my girlfriends. Not because I'm on a self-actualization quest and really thought it'd be found in a spa treatment.
I agree that taking time for yourself is very very important: as a slacker, my slackerhood is of utmost priority and I encourage everyone to take time for one's self. But it makes me curious if people really believe that if we do this 'day spa' thingy and buy all the goodies in pretty bottles, then we'll be happy?

Getting all fan girl

I'm totally digging on John Mayer right now. Meow.

Just thought everyone should know that. I may need intervention. Especially if I start putting up "Tiger Beat" posters of him.

hahaha

:) LJS

The night he lost his faith?

I just read an amazing story by an MD. It's very touching, you may want to have some tissues handy.

But let me bring you to his last point:

"There is kindness in this world. There is compassion and decency. In a universe of death and suffering, there are things that make existence worth our while. In the heart of each person there is a penchant to make one's environment a better place. There does not need to be a God if we choose to exercise our proclivity for decency.

If God is nothing more than an intangible concept that motivates our hearts—a synonym for "love" and "kindness"—He is more powerful than I ever imagined as a believer."

See, I'd think that he had just found his faith. What do you think?

Two papers, two more betas

Sometimes I wish I'd see more researchers not be so overly optimistic about their data. It's OK to doubt your own data,I think, and communicate that to the public.
Besides, it's way more fun to write the beta version of a conclusions section than what the public will actually see. But, remember, I'm very critical of my data and also very pessimistic.

Paper #1 conclusions

I think my results are on the deep side of depressing, but my advisor likes them. So maybe I’ll hold off on ritualistic hara-kiri.

Paper #2 conclusions

These results are not quite as cringe-inducing as my other data. But, I still reserve the right to take a Tracy-Lynn style spoon to my vital organs as I see fit.

Nom nom

Hyperion likes beef jerky (why I'll never know, the stuff's horrible) but I'm a Sweet Tart gal. The Squeez stuff is the best (and fastest delivery of rocket-fuel proportions of good old fashioned sugar)

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