In addition to this blog...

Just so you know, Mey (a good friend of mine) and I started a blog!

It's my first collaborative blog, and as such, it fills me with excitement and inspiration. As well as wonder at how cool it is that I only have to do half the writing to create 100% of the content. Tiz awesome.

We two girls have made a habit of thinking (often in the guise of ranting) about this, that, and the other thing (meaning philosophy, spirituality, and stuff) since we met the first day of college. And we figure it's time to fearlessly go public.

So please. Follow along. and join in. We'd love fellow authors and contributors once we get rollin.

Our humble beginnings:
wegotthis.wordpress.com

We gotta go!

Ok, so. Anyone who:

... feels like they need more cool things in their life,
... or feels like they need to be enticed out of the house more often,
... or needs something to make life feel awesome again,
... or knows of any really cool places,
... OR is just plain curious to know what I'm talking about by now,

needs to check out this site:

atlasobscura.com

And then tell me if you're about to go to any of these places so I can come. Seriously. Don't go without me.

12:34 matters.

I really don't know how I got started on this.

I think it was just something I kept noticing. After a while I realized I had an opinion. And that I liked having that opinion. That's right. I have a favorite minute. And it's not the average 11:11. It's 12:34.

There are a couple of things I love about having this minute. First of all, I just plain think it looks good. I really do. It's a good looking minute.

But more importantly I've been finding lately that having that minute is like planting a surprise gift for myself.

I never catch it on purpose. I never set any alarms. I don't anxiously wait for it. Sometimes I forget I even like it. But every now and then I look up at the clock and there it is. 12:34. Staring right at me. And it's great. Because all my focus sort of just zooms into it. And anything I was working on, anything I was worrying about, really doesn't matter. I suddenly realize I'm in my favorite min and there is no guilt in taking the whole thing to enjoy.

How awesome is it that there are two of them in a day?

on a side note: this does have the effect of making 12:33 the longest minute that ever existed, and 12:35 the lamest. but it's worth it. ;)

on another side note: I feel it is my duty to tell you that there is actually a Facebook group dedicated to 12:34 (I didn't make it!) and if any of you feel this way - or come to feel this way in the future - you should unite with us.

Shuddering View of Dubai

A chilling reality.

Here's an article that delves much deeper into the stories found behind Dubai's sparkling exterior:

"I approach a blonde 17-year-old Dutch girl wandering around in hotpants, oblivious to the swarms of men gaping at her. "I love it here!" she says. "The heat, the malls, the beach!" Does it ever bother you that it's a slave society? She puts her head down, just as Sohinal did. "I try not to see," she says. Even at 17, she has learned not to look, and not to ask; that, she senses, is a transgression too far."

"The very earth is trying to repel Dubai, to dry it up and blow it away. The new Tiger Woods Gold Course needs four million gallons of water to be pumped on to its grounds every day, or it would simply shrivel and disappear on the winds. The city is regularly washed over with dust-storms that fog up the skies and turn the skyline into a blur. When the dust parts, heat burns through. It cooks anything that is not kept constantly, artificially wet."

I'm sure there are a couple different ways to look at this situation, but it's still worth doing some thinking on...

Have you heard of Dooce?

This is too cute. A short re-post of the post "On having a daughter" from Dooce's blog (one of my faves). Especially in light of recent conversations my friends and I have been having about children (omg - are we really there yet?). Please read and enjoy:

Leta: "Mom, I love to read."

Me: "I know, Leta. I think that's awesome."

Leta: "My friend Hannah can't read."

Me: "It's okay that she can't read, Leta. Not all five-year-olds can read."

Leta: "No, she can't read because she's tall."

Me: "Oh, really? That's how it works?"

Leta: "She's tall, and I want to be tall and you never let me be tall!"

Me: "Whoa, hold on there."

Leta: "IT'S NOT FAIR! I JUST WANT TO BE TALL!"

Me: "Leta, I married the tallest one I could find. I DID MY PART."

Leta: "YOU NEVER LET ME DO ANYTHING!"

Me: "And have you seen my brother? He's six-foot-four! I've given you nothing BUT tall."

Leta: "WHY WON'T YOU LET ME BE TALL?!"

Me: "Are we seriously having this conversation?"

Leta: "ALL I EVER WANTED WAS TO BE TALL!"

Me: "Aren't you supposed to be busy throwing rocks at windows? Isn't that what most kids your age are doing? HERE, TAKE THIS PERMANENT MARKER. GO WRITE ON THE WALLS."

Her blog is amazing. Fantastically well written, like you get to be one of the family. Enjoy!

Designed and Published!

Alright, quick post just to brag - something I've been meaning to do for a while. :P

I officially completed my first full website a little bit ago (logo design, site design, and building). and I am so proud. Check it out at www.thinkStory.biz, and comment to tell me how much you like it.

It was a crazy insane experience. Yet... awesome.

Paper-Cuts to Brighten Your Day!

I saw photos from this beautiful paper-cutting blog on a classmate's blog. And I really appreicated this particular paragraph from it so I thought I'd share:

"In the forest that our mind is there is always the presence of fears. I tend to see fear as two little people having an argument within my mind. One of them is positive, the other one is negative but in the end I am both of them. I am aware of how much I can influence their argument, it all depends on my own personal choice of whom I am going to support and let win. This piece in the photos is a representation of this idea. I think that it is a good thing to own our fears and not the other way around, don't you think?"

Check out the original blog post as well as the other beautiful images.

The Story of Stuff

If you haven't seen this video, now's a great time to watch it. I first saw the Story of Stuff a couple years ago, and I felt pretty powerless to do anything about it at the time. But now, with companies all over the place starting to get it, and consumers armed with the ability to choose, it's good to know what got us in this mess to begin with.



For higher definition and more information: visit the site.

That's life!

Random Acts of Kindness Day

I've decided to see if I can start a new tradition for my Sundays: random-acts-of-kindness-day. Or at least prepare-some-random-acts-of-kindness-day.

Yesterday I set up two such little projects.

The first you already know about: bookcrossing.com. I registered seven different books that I want to read and release at some point, and I bought a nice cheap copy of The Secret Garden (and we all know how I love it) at Strand to release today. I'm going to leave it on the Pratt Campus benches in the middle of the lawn. I hope whoever finds it feels the love and enjoys the book.

The second project is inspired by something else I stumbled upon when I was in the subway (because amazing things always seem to happen in the subway). It was the tiniest sticker and I almost missed it even though it was right next to me. All it said was "because you exist" in rainbow bright letters, something like 11pt font. It was such a surprise, such an intimate moment, that I remember feeling like for a second I couldn't hear/think about anything else except that phrase. As if a sudden moment of peace was just handed to me.

So I've created my own little stickers. I hope I can give just one other person a moment like that with my tiny creations.

Pics!

She's all ready, look at her cute little postit - I bought some from the supply store because I think they are awesome, and I wanted to support the site. The only thing missing is her ziplock bag (gotta grab some at the store).

A note I wrote inside with a bookcrossing.com label glued in (free). I also wrote the ID number on the bottom of the book in marker.

A free pamphlet, just to let someone new know what's up.

Close up on my pile of stickers - I was really quick with the different colors so, no, they don't really make sense. I just wanted them to have a bit of sparkle.

:) (please, don't mind the couch...)

ps. If anyone anywhere wants a pdf of the 8.5 x 11 sheet to print out on their own sticker paper, just let me know.

pps. If anyone wants to do any of these little things and has any questions, just let me know.

Woop! Earth Hour! :)

Tonight is Earth Hour!

Earth Hour is a worldwide initiative set up by the WWF to help conserve energy by encouraging everyone to switch off their lights for an hour (8:30-9:30pm). Don't miss out. There are people all over the world who have already started.

It really saves so much energy, turning off everyone's lights for one hour... I wonder if it will ever become something we do more often. Like one earth hour a month... I love that we do it together.

I found some gorgeous pictures on Flickr just to remind us of what we love so much:

Revamping with Kitty love

Ok, so it's been quite a while... I can't even get into it right now how annoying these last few weeks have been. But I'm armed and ready for another batch of updating!

First things first, kitties.

And not JUST kitties. But movies of kitties. The first, I think, is hysterical. The second is just really important for our furry friends, and since I've been looking for good volunteering / community enriching opportunities lately, this seemed like a good place to start.

For easy linking: Stray Cat Alliance

And for us New Yorkers: New York City Feral Cat Initiative

Links to the outside world

A bunch of links I have loved recently:

If you've ever wondered what it's like to live in the household of an $85 Billionaire... would you still want for anything?? Yes.

This one is for Gramme... Venice is just too amazing.

Just because... I wouldn't really mind if Microsoft did actually get their act together. (although I'd love some acknowledgment that they have sucked recently.)

This is a bit sad... the Slumdog stars are back home and not feeling too great about it. ergh. my heart.

Awesomely funny sleeping dog. (found on dooce.com)

Everyone must play with this at least once. If you ever wondered why AmericanGreetings.com exists, this completely answers it for me. Just click the link. You'll never guess.

"Plagi-post" from my Mom. Ridiculously funny video. All too true.

The Girl Who Silenced the World.

The Magic Metro Card

The other day I wasn't feeling particularly happy. Not particularly connected to the whole wide world, if you know what I mean. In fact I felt kind of alone, grumpy and restless. And I didn't really want to do anything but hang out with someone. Which actually wasn't working out too well. 

Finally one friend did say she would totally love to meet up with me after work, go catch a movie or something. Ok. I figured I'd wait the four hours and then maybe head out to enjoy myself. At least I'd be out of the house, even if it was dark out. 

So, I'm racing out the door, trying desperately to enact "Magic," by telling myself I'm sure I'll start to lighten up when I see her. I'll get to the theater and start having a grand old time. I promise. Stop sulking. And of course, I'm literally running late. Of course, as I enter the subway the train is shrieking it's coming VERY SOON, and of course, I realize, I have no money left on my metro-card. 

AGH! I'm pressing every button on the metro-card machine, clashing metal wheel sounds are plummeting into the station full force, and it's about time I just gave up, when... this compassionately smiling older man in a bright orange jacket thrusts his card at me. 

"Here," He yells, "Take it!"

I'm all, "Oh, no, sir, I couldn't." But I totally wish I would.

"No, take it, I'm done with it! It's a 30-day, and it ends tonight! Go! Catch your train!"

It's all so urgent, but I try to take the card with as much humble thanks as I possibly can. I keep looking back to say "thank you" again as I swipe in, and I freaken book it into the last car of the train just before the doors close. 

Collapsed on this plastic seat, I'm beaming now. Taking a few frantic smiley breathes to settle down, I look down at this amazing gift of a metro-card, this is what I see:

omfg. If that's not "Magic" at work, I don't know what is. How amazingly connected to mankind do you think I felt after reading that?! I swear, all my grinning must have scared half the people in that subway car. And I really hoped that incredibly nice man could feel the force of my gratitude. 

I proceeded to have a lovely night with my amazing friend, and was even graced with a few more perfect surprises.

If we're ever chillin, and you'd like to see the card, just let me know. I plan to keep it in my wallet forever and ever.

Dedicated to: My mom, who really wanted me to tell this story. With pictures. :)

We all affect each other... just like that.

I tell ya... my social media professor finds the best stuff... really well explained!

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

Obama's got this covered

The President's Weekly Address last week was really great. I subscribe to the podcast, so I just saw it. Lately I've been hearing a lot about conservatives gearing up to "fight back," or at least waiting for any mistake Obama makes to put him down. I'm grateful to hear Obama say this: 

"In other words, I know these steps won’t sit well with the special interests and lobbyists who are invested in the old way of doing business, and I know they’re gearing up for a fight as we speak. My message to them is this:

So am I. "

Really grateful. This guy knows what's up. If we keep up our spirits, and turn them into support, we just might make it to the future. 

I linked to the rest of his speech here.

A bit on Magic

" 'Of course there must be lots of Magic in the world,' he said wisely one day, 'but people don't know what it is like or how to make it. Perhaps the beginning is just to say nice things are going to happen until you make them happen. I am going to try and experiment.' "
~ The Secret Garden

Now, those are some words to live by. 

Especially the words "I am going to try and experiment." 

Because seriously, sometimes it's ok if the rest of the world calls you crazy for believing in Magic - you have to trust in the findings of your own life experiments. And if you don't trust them... well then I guess you'd have to do more of them! This quote really put some things back into perspective for me, I thought it might be nice to share. 

Pop-up delight!

Late post, but there are pictures!

Here's a little show and tell. 

Earlier, I posted about a project I was doing for Luba Lukova's class: creating a pop-up book. Clearly, the first step in getting this project done right is learning how to make pop-up books.  I scooted on over to Strand Bookstore and picked up this pop-up book to divide and conquer. After much ripping, tearing, tracing, cutting and taping, I'm quite pleased with the result. So far I have a few of the animals done, remade out of magazine pages and covers (the covers work much better). I can't wait to have the whole book done and then paint all over it until it's a mess of crazy pop-up collage.

aaaaaw...

too cute right? too cute...

ok, this is no longer a true moose head. I used floppy magazine pages for this one, so his antlers are more like... flaps.

Like I said, magazine covers work better. Please note the squid. Because what's a whale scene without its squid?

I saved the best for last. Not just because I liked this penguin... but because of this penguin's buddy to the left. It wasn't until I had created this whole pop-up that I noticed this little man... and his little egg. Now I know, I know! That's how these guys do it. I've seen March of the Penguin, thankyouverymuch. But in this illustration somehow the majesty of the sacrifice, the nobility of the act is... well... lost. And instead I'm giggling. Maybe it's the big beaky grin. 

I hope this picture has inspired at least one kid to ask his parents about that egg. 

Do you know about BookCrossing.com?

I finally found one! A book from bookcrossing.com. Specifically: Lincoln: A Novel by Gore Vidal, which I am totally looking forward to reading. 

Bookcrossing.com is a fun program that lets you assign your books an identifican number and then "release" these books to share with the world "into the wild." By assigning it the number you can then track it though the website whenever someone picks it up. The book I found was "released" in Alexandria in the African American Heritage Park, which Atul and I happened to be walking through the other day. I am the first person to pick it up since it's been released. The person who released it said they did it in honor of Lincoln's 200th birthday.

I can't wait to release my own book when I get home, while I keep this one to read for a while (it's a big book). And I am writing this entry to encourage all my book-loving peeps to do the same and keep their eyes peeled, or at least check out the site. 

This is how I can help... so here goes.

I know... I know... another video. 

And not really a fun one. 

So basically it's this scene in It's a Wonderful Life. A real live bank run. Except. Electronic. Where none of us can really see it happening except the people who track the records. And who knows how many people can make a run on the bank at once. I can barely conceptualize the amount of people who use Facebook. Who live on my street! No wonder this whole situation feels surreal.

So, I'm just wondering, if any of you have a moment, maybe this is something we could be thinking good thoughts at. It would seem that the economy, as a representation of our current concept of 'abundance', is suffering on all different levels. I'm thinking it might help to actively enact a stronger working model for 'abundance' in my life. To start, I'm going to take a look around and be grateful for one symbol of abundance. Right now it's these pillows. They are so bright and cozy. Both our pets look so happy, and warm... just good.

And I really think, somehow, that helped. Just thinking that. At least for me. I know my day is going to be a little better. Not to mention the fact that now, whenever someone mentions the economy, I'm going to be thinking of cute pets and pillows. I'm going to be a little less worried. 

p.s. Potter reminds me of Cheney 

Quick Share

movies that are too awesome:

Sony Releases New Stupid Piece Of Shit That Doesn't Fucking Work

I'm watching Obama's first press conference

I'm really very impressed with whitehouse.gov. I can't believe I'm actually looking at a government website that seems to give me actual news. I actually feel educated after reading the blog, listening to the addresses, etc - instead of feeling unsure. 

Particularly interesting to me was this post. Both because the word "sunlight" next to the word "lawmaking" confused the hell out of me (I spent minutes thinking Obama really cared about his lawn), and also because I can't wait to try my hand at reading the laws-in-the-making and having comments to make about them.

It's taking me a little time to really feel like my government can actually be "transparent," but I can't tell you how much I look forward to the day transparency feels normal.

wow. wtf.

must... share... 

Saw this on cakewrecks. It's a show from Iceland called "LazyTown." I know so many people who would become obsessed with this show if given a chance. A minute ago I didn't know this existed, yet now I have watched three or four youtube songs of this girl. I think I'm still a little in shock. 

I just might like it though... kinda makes me think of LeeLoo from Fifth Element... this is what she did when she was little. She sang sickenly cute songs.

...no. not really. god forbid.

Great, sincere, thanks.

oh my god. My life has totally changed.

All thanks to gmail.

First, to all those who still use an email client other than gmail...

WHY? stop. now. of all the free email clients you can use, gmail is the best. So use it.

You deserve the best free can buy you.

Ok, so a while ago, I was looking through the "labs" section of gmail and I saw this interesting lab called "tasks." I enabled it and then... I think I forgot all about it. Two days ago I happened across this lovely lab section again and I decided to take another look at the tasks option I now had. 

WHOA. amazing. It's the easy access, regularly seen, simple to use "task" list application I have been waiting for all of my life.

Now I'm not sure if it would feel like this for everyone. I just so happen to have a sad history of failed task list experiences:

Paper lists: fail. 

I always lose them. Or put them somewhere I never see again (just like my class notes). 

Outlook: fail. 

I actually don't like to open Microsoft programs on my Mac. 

iCal/iLife applications: fail. 

I'm never running the programs, I never look, and most of the time when I really want to see what I have to do, I'm not at my own computer. 

Various list&email sites: fail. 

I never know when I should specifically send a reminder. I don't want to have to go to some new site I've never really worked on before. And even if I do get reminders I never remember to keep looking at the e-mail. 

Also, how many of these options are actually all that pretty?

So now look at me. I'm so happy! Not only do I have an easy to use, perfectly placed task list (email really is the central hub of my online life), but there is this one small little feature of it that is already changing my life. 

When I get an email... I can add it to tasks. 

*gasp* 

Guys, really. I never have to worry about losing track of an email ever again (unless I mess up and it ends up in spam). All of the energy I used to have to put to keeping track of my tasks (let alone keeping track of the lists my tasks were on) I can now put towards DOING TASKS.

So thank you, gmail. For your perfectly placed task list. 

I really appreciate it.

Completely unrelated:

Here's a great youtube video, please watch and be amused.

Questions sparked in class

The internet is a surprisingly organic collection of thoughts.

Does that mean the internet could be viewed as a working brain?

An electronic version of the "brain" of the entire human species? 

If we could really step back, would we be able to see what this human brain is trying to figure out?

Would it go through the same processes as our little individual brains working things out?

Isn't that what the Bible is all about? Showing us what steps humanity has already taken so we can learn from them now, individually?

Could the internet eventually become the ultimate self-reflective tool for all of humanity at any current moment?

Tweeted questions

This is awesome:

Tweets during the SuperBowl

Seriously. Social media tells us so much about people. For example: I quickly glanced through that graphic and I noticed that people tend to talk way more about the team losing rather than winning. I even noticed myself, as I was dragging the curser through the game, I started routing for the Cardinals to win. I don't know a thing about either team. And I doubt I will at any point, but I do know that for about the 30 seconds that I was following this graphic I wanted them to win. 

Two questions:

Why do we like to talk so much about the losing team?

Why, when I had nothing else to consider, did I want the losing team to win?

I'm thinking it's just more interesting to be in the middle of a problem.  

some people spend their days...

Just spent the last three hours of my life watching heroine addicts and listening to Jazz.
In a play called "The Connection" at The Living Theater.
My class went to go see it, our task is to create a promotional poster.

It was wildly unsettling.
I left it feeling rather dizzy.
And mostly sad.
I'm glad I don't hang out with real heroine addicts.
Watching people pretend was enough to feel fuzzy.
The Jazz was beautiful but it didn't help.

It's hard to underestimate the power of suggestion after watching something like that.

Thinking and Contrasting

the human body + computer cables
a child's lullaby + creepy images/film
really clean house + really dirty person living there
white + black
red + black
painted line + drawn line
simple text + complex images
prayer + nuclear bombs
prayer + NYC subway
pepsi + optimism

One of the main things I've learned working with Luba Lukova is just how important contrast is. Everyone says it's important, but I had never seen anyone use contrast with such potency before Luba. Particularly her contrast of objects as symbols. The more contrasting the ideology is behind the objects the more striking it is when the two are fit together. It's not an exact science or anything. But, basically it's the contrast that really makes an image interesting. As opposed to pretty. The more extreme the more surprising.

I'm really just brainstorming for this project that I have for her right now. I've decided to create a pop-up book/workbook that helps adults find their inner child. I'm looking for the contrasting elements in it. Let's see...

pop-up simple shapes + complex patterns
inner child + adult
suffering economy + child
fear + wonder and joy
labels + clouds
a child's hand + an adult's hand
reality + perception
toy aisles + cosmetics
paper + ?
pop-up + ?
inner child + ?

hmmm...
I keep wanting to put "vs." between these things.
I think I need more objects less concepts...

Or to be more precise...

I would like this blog to help me find my voice.

...eventually.

Full of Intent

I'm thinking about what my intentions should be for this blog.

Not exactly just what do I want to do on the blog.
But more, what's my point?

Honestly, for now, I think my intentions are to just say the things I've been too timid to say so far.

Recently, I had a major falling out with a very close, very old friend of mine. And when I say recently... I mean the falling out started happening three years ago, and it wasn't until recently that I managed to face up to it. So that's three years of emotional torture I held on to, three years of telling myself it was all my fault. Sounds dramatic, but this was supposed to be true love. One of those timeless friendships that include grey hair and shared grandchildren... or at the very least the first high school reunion so we could joke about the memories.

I kept trying to come to terms with it. Trying and failing. Finally after annoying everyone who cared enough to listen, I realized I really just wanted to say these things to her. So I wrote her one very honest paragraph. It felt so good I wrote another one. Next thing I knew I had a ten page paper of little bits and pieces I found I had been storing away to share with her for three full years. It turned out I had been waiting to share, and all that waiting to share kept me waiting for her. I can't even begin to tell you the power of releasing all those bits. And once I had... I felt more like me. Less like someone holding herself back just because she was afraid to share what she thought.

So yeah, here I am, hoping to share whatever I want to share, no worries.

hmmm

hmmm

That First Post Post

This is the first post.