Some complex shit

The title of this article?

Inflatable dog turd sculpture escapes Swiss museum, wreaks havoc

Pick up a pay phone

Here

Repainted

And I can't even see her until mom and sister return from their road trip across the US on August 20th. PAIN.

I'm taking some steps to make this blog (and my life on the interwebs in general) more private. I've taken the link off my facebook, removed my name and picture, and set my fb account to private. Privacy concerns have been raised by research we are conducting at CMU:

(read about some of it in this super-short and interesting article)

Basically, people are very likely to divulge information in an informal setting (such as facebook and blogs) when privacy issues are not salient, and will be more forthcoming than they would be in a formal setting where information is more likely to be protected. So, as counterintuitive as that seems, we are readily giving information where it is least safe. And you might think that the sorts of things that you give away in the internet are harmless, but that is not the case. For example, much of this generation's social security numbers were created using a simple algorithm taking solely into account birthdate and birthplace- so if one knows just that information, it is only too easy to steal someone's identity. And if that's not enough, all kinds of people are looking at your facebook, from grad schools to potential employers to your parents. And they WILL judge you based on it. Not to make you paranoid or anything, but it's probably a good idea to keep your information a little safer.

Artist of the day: Minchi

Anatomical awesomeness

Minchi

Change of Plans

It turns out I probably won't be driving up to Portland with Julie and KC but instead with Alex. So, not the initial plan but still a good choice. The ex-boy will be going to OSU this fall (and will consequently be very close all the time). I don't know when we plan to leave, but I need to be there by August 28th at the latest for babysitting.

DC was hella fun. I didn't realize that there was so much to do in such a small area. Also, my friends are wonderful hosts. (Thank you!)

As much as I am enjoying this internship, I am ready to be done with Pittsburgh. I would like some beautiful West coast weather for a change. Ava, g-ma and the parents are visiting in turns from August 7-10th to celebrate my birthday and then I only have a few days left before I fly back to LA. I'm definitely ready for some relaxation.

Lolz

This is not even funny

I woke up at dawn to the sound of a jackhammer right outside my window. And now it is 9:00 and I need to get ready for work with almost no sleep. I want to strangle a bitch.

Things I am excited for:

The Mattress Factory- a largerthanlife contemporary art museum I'm going to tomorrow with some of the other interns
My Black/White joint birthday party at PIKA with two of the other interns
Working more closely with the grad students and professors once most of the other interns leave
Journal Club! A nerd (like myself)'s wet dream. Perfect.
Going to DC!!!! Serena! Dave! Tourism! Maybe Jolly will be there. Can't wait!
My real birthday. Turning 21. Hoping to have fun people around for my special moment...
Being back home as a 21-year-old
Being in LA in general. Seeing the bestests before driving with the other bestests up to PDX.
Road trip!!! Stopping in Santa Cruz and San Francisco on the way. I loves it.
Decorating my house in Portland and living with new people. Moving in, cooking, living. Adventures.

Oh, decisions

Do I take the "highly recommended for grad school and related to things I do enjoy but no fun at all in itself" computational cognitive science class next semester on Monday/Wednesdays or the "intrinsically fun but a ton of work and less related to the area of study that I plan on entering" psychopathology course that is offered on Tues/Thurs which would keep ALL of my classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays? Then there is "Addictions", which I would also love to take.

What to dooooo? Overload? Is that a terrible thing to do while thesising? I know I really should take the compsci course but I don't want to lose psychopathology (which I'm currently signed up for).

Found this amusing

Nostalgia

So it's hitting me.

Maybe it's a product of my recent but shortlived boy situation, or maybe I've just been too far from my loves for too long, but this evening I seem to not be able to pick myself out of this rut. I can't stop thinking about how much I miss everyone and how sad I am that aforementioned boy had to leave. It's funny, because I really only knew him for a few weeks, but somehow something clicked between us. If only I could keep him from leaving. But no, he's gone, and I'm alone again with no urge to find another. Sometimes I am so hopeless. Sometimes I would rather think about the beautiful memories I've already made than create new ones.

I am too tired to write. But I feel like I need to.

IRCS is over and now I'm at Carnegie Mellon for my rest-of-the-summer internship. I really like Pittsburgh so far, much to my surprise. I went to the Natural History and Art Museum today with some other interns (there are about 10 total) since we have Friday off every other week. We're split into two teams, and we alternate schedules of working in the lab and distributing surveys outside in various areas of Pittsburgh. So far it's been a lot of fun and not too too much work. The people are nice but it's hard getting to be comfortable with some of them because they've already gotten pretty close in the two weeks they had together while I was in Philadelphia. So that kind of sucks, but I'm working on it. Consequently, I reallyreally miss all my friends back home, with home meaning LA and Portland. I'd like to not try so hard to fit in with people. It was really great at IRCS where we all in the same situation, not knowing anyone and trying desperately to find a niche, and we ended up all becoming friends with each other. I miss those kids too. Hopefully I'll see at least some of them sometime in the future.

Sorry for being so boring. Museums are exhausting.

IRCS Summer Workshop

So here I am in Philadelphia at UPenn for this 2-week workshop in cognitive neuroscience. It's been more work than I expected, and I'm pretty much exhausted by the end of each day, but I've still somehow found the energy to be social and make friends with all the awesome people here. See my most recent fb albums for photos of my favs.

I will update more soon, but I've got to run to class. I just wanted to post a little tease for the moment.

Summaaa

That means summer. Which it does NOT feel like at all because Portland doesn't believe in summer.

So, things have been hella busy lately with classes and finals and Renn Fayre and moving and planning and such, but I will (sort of) get a chance to relax when I go to visit and travel with Julie in a few days. And I only say sort of because traveling, for me, is never quite relaxation. It's AWESOME and one of my favorite things to do, but I am always constantly busy- and I know this vacation will be no different. We have a lot of plans for quite a few places to visit in just two weeks. If I haven't already told you (which is unlikely), we're going to Spain, Switzerland and Italy or more specifically Madrid, Sevilla, Barcelona, Bern, Spiez, Oey-Diemtigen, St. Gallen, Zurich, Venice, fair Verona, the Cinque Terre and Milan. Plus wherever the hell we feel like stopping on the way. Sweet, no?

Sidenote: Eye of the tiger just came on shuffle. Which I find incredibly amusing considering all the drama surrounding the lack of playdom every hour on the hour in the library lobby. Oh, Reed I love you.

Today I discovered videos on facebook. I thought it would be a mess and really complicated, but in fact it's really easy and awesome. I strongly recommend leaving me a video comment. It will make my day.

Packing is a bitch. I just wanted to get that out there. I really should be studying for the psychopharmacology test I need to take tonight, but I am so unmotivated at this point that I can't even think about school. Especially when I need to worry about how the hell I will move everything to my house (HOUSE!!!) at some point before tomorrow night and I still have many many things yet to be stuffed in boxes. Apparently I can't fit all of my things in the 10 boxes I bought from the bookstore. I want to take a moment to bitch about how expensive boxes are. $2.75 for a "large" box that is really a small box in disguise? It's disgusting how the bookstore takes advantage of those unfortunate enough to have no other option than paying ridiculous amounts of money to buy boxes. I need at least 5 more but it pains me to think of how much I am spending on simple cardboard.

Oh man, I just remembered there would be free CAVE meat today at noon. I guess I am too late. I will have to get my protein in other ways.

'08-09 Class Schedule

Dude. So ready to be done with this year and think about next year. Here's to the best schedule ever (and senior status, woot):

Fall 08:
Thesis (!!!)
Psychopathology T-Th 1:10-2:30
Studying Popular Music T-Th 2:40-4:00
Directing I T-Th 4:10-5:30


Spring 09:
Thesis (!!!)
Neuropsychology T-Th 10:30-11:50
Visual Concepts T-Th 1:10-4

Yeah, I was there.

It's supposed to be 89 degrees this weekend in LA? Holy shit.

I need to buy some shorts.

I DO give a fuck about an oxford comma

and therefore am crazy about this song.

Whoooo! ULRIKA IS COMING FOR RENN FAYRE!!!

Seriously, this will be the best Renn Fayre EVER.